Page 31 of Shifting Hearts 1
It’s why they hunt those who dare to claim it, because when a dragon finds their true mate, they stop being controllable.
They become myths.
And Raven, this girl with moonlight in her veins and prophecy in her breath, is already rewriting my fire.
I feel it in the way my scales itch beneath my skin, in the way my breath heats when she’s near. In the way my instincts screamprotecteven when I barely know her.
She’s not just mine.
She’s the beginning of something the world isn’t ready for, and I don’t know if we’ll be strong enough to survive it.
The door clicks shut behind me, muffling the low hum of the guard’s voice outside Raven’s room. I trust him. He won’t let anyone near her, not without bleeding for it.
Still, my fire coils tight in my chest, uneasy.
Silver fire flickers along the spine of the ancient tome, recognizing me as Alpha. Not just of the Forsaken Brotherhood, but of the last true dragon pack still standing.
This book was meant for leaders, for those strong enough to carry its truths without flinching.
I’m not sure I qualify anymore.
The pages crackle as I turn them, the scent of ash and memory rising like smoke. Symbols etched in draconic script shimmer faintly, reacting to the heat in my blood.
I scan the passages, searching for anything that matches Raven’s vision. Her name, her power, her presence.
And then I find it.
A fragment. Half-burned. Preserved only because the fire that tried to destroy it recognized its own.
The Echo will not be born, she will awaken. She will not be claimed, she will choose. And the flame that answers her will not be tamed.
My breath catches.
This isn’t just a prophecy.
It's a warning.
The Echo isn’t a passive force. She’s a catalyst. A sovereign. A mate who doesn’t bind herself through ritual, but through recognition.
And the flame that answers her?
Mine.
I slam the book shut, the fire in my chest flaring hot.
Not out of anger, out offear.
Because if Raven is the Echo… then I’m the flame.
And that bond doesn’t just rewrite the rules.
Itbreaksthem.
FOUR
Raven
Ipace the room, each step sharp and restless, like movement alone might keep me from unraveling. The walls press in too close, the air thick with unfamiliar scents, smoke, leather, something wild and male. Kieran. His presence lingers even though he’s not here, like the room remembers him better than I do.
