It hadn’t been hard to convince Adam to come with her to Rosie’s. He’d been moaning about the poor reception and lack of high-speed Internet at Daniel’s house all day. So, they packed up the borrowed minivan and headed down to Main Street. Rosie was only too happy to see them and sat them in a booth in the back where she could work on editing her photos and Adam could play on his phone.
“Here you go.” Rosie placed two pieces of cherry pie on their table. “Enjoy, kiddos,” she said as she sashayed away.
“I’m starving,” Adam said as he proceeded to devour the slice in front of him.
“You’re always starving,” she said wryly.
“I’m a growing boy,” he said through a mouthful of buttery pastry. “Man, I don’t think I’ve had pie this good back in Vegas.”
“I’m sure we can find something just as good when we get home,” she assured him. A pang in her heart came from nowhere at the thought of going back to Vegas.
Adam swallowed and washed everything down with a gulp of water. “So,” he began. “Are you and Daniel … I mean, are you like, a thing now? Cuz you guys have been acting like you are.”
She was about to dig into her slice, but his question made her pause. When Daniel had asked her yesterday if they should act like nothing happened between them in front of Adam, something inside her immediately protested. She told herself it was because she had vowed to never keep anything from Adam so he wouldn’t lose his trust in her again. But now, she wasn’t sure if that was the only reason.
“Sarah?”
“Sorry.” She put her fork down. “I don’t want to lie to you, Adam,” she began. “I promise you from now on, I’ll tell you what’s going on. But the truth is … I don’t know.”
“Oh.” His gaze dropped to the tabletop. “I mean, if you are, I wouldn’t mind. Daniel’s a great guy. And you deserve to be with someone who treats you right. And … and …” He twiddled his fingers together on top of the table. “I want you to know, you don’t have to worry about me and Darcey. We’ll be fine on our own, okay? I know I can get a scholarship when I graduate in two years, just like we always planned. My guidance counselor says my grades might even be good enough for MIT. I just have to keep working hard and enroll in more AP classes.”
Her throat burned at Adam’s words, and she reached out to cover her hands with his. “Adam, I would never leave—” The sound of the front door crashing as it hit the wall cut her off. “What the—Thoralf?”
The dragon shifter, dressed in full armor, stood at the entrance, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on her. “Sarah!” He strode over to them. “Is Daniel with you?”
“Daniel?” A pit began to form in her gut. “No, he’s at work. What’s up?”
His expression darkened. “I’m afraid … I’m afraid that The Knights may have a plan for him. And my sources say they will act on it today.”
“A plan?” Blood drained from her face, and the pit in her stomach grew.
“Sarah?” Adam asked. “What’s he saying? And what the heck are you wearing, Thoralf?”
“Hey, what’s going on out here?” Gabriel had rushed into the dining room, and stopped short when he saw Thoralf. “Whoa, dude, what’s with the costume? And that sword … careful you don’t cut your leg off with that thing.”
“It is my armor and weapon—” he began.
“He thinks Daniel might be in danger,” Sarah interjected.
“Danger?” Gabriel’s face turned serious. “Okay, hold on. What do you mean, in danger?”
Thoralf sighed. “I am not Daniel’s friend from college. I am Thoralf, former captain of the Royal Guard of the Northern Isles—”
“Someone tried to kill Daniel the other night, and Thoralf was there to save us,” Sarah blurted out. “And Jason Lennox and his wife run some kind of secret shifter agency that fights the bad guys. Now, can we get to the part where Daniel’s life is in danger?”
Gabriel’s blue eyes grew round as he processed the information. “Jason Lennox … agency … what now?”
Panic made her patience run thin, but if Daniel was in danger, they had to act now. “Please, Gabriel. He’s at work. But I think he’s in trouble.” Something inside her was telling her that something was very wrong. “Can you check on him?”
“Already on it.” Gabriel had his phone to his ear. “Hey, Damon, can you check on Rogers for me? When did he last call in to base?”
As each second ticked by, Sarah’s chest contracted. Oh God. What if Daniel was dead? No. Can’t think like that. Daniel was alive. She didn’t know how she knew, but she just did.
Though she couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, from the way Gabriel’s brows drew together and his lips pulled back, she knew it wasn’t good news. “Couple hours, huh? Can you—yeah, thanks, man.”
“What did he say?” Sarah asked as Gabriel tucked his phone back in his pocket.
“Daniel was out on patrol, but hasn’t checked in with Base for a couple hours now.” Gabriel’s mouth drew back in a tight smile. “I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he just forgot or got busy with a rescue.”
“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “There’s something wrong. I know it.”
He flinched. “Crap.”
“What’s wrong?” Thoralf asked.
Gabriel’s expression became inscrutable. “If she says something’s wrong, then Daniel really is in trouble.”
“You believe me?”
“Unfortunately, I do.” He massaged his temples with his fingers. “She’s Daniel’s mate.”
Thoralf’s eyes bugged out. “Fated mates! How glorious. We can all only hope to find that who is the other half of our souls.”
“M-mates?” she repeated. “What do you mean? We weren’t even engaged. Is that what happens when you get married to a shifter?”
“No, no.” Gabriel blew out a breath. “See, most shifters have a mate, one that they’re meant to be with. Call
