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and frowned.
    “He is here, as I suspected.”
    “Don’t touch him! He’s my mate, Papa. My true mate. He loves me and I love him.”
    Barlow sank down to the ground with a deep sigh and locked gazes with Anna. “I am not here to hurt him, pumpkin.”
    Stunned, she relaxed a little. “You saw him flying yesterday. I thought you came here to kill him.”
    “Not I.” Barlow’s gaze flicked to the still-unconscious Michael. “I came here to warn you both. King Falmouth ordered Monroe to check on the Lumen plants. He’d heard the Fae talking about an experiment the Crystal Wizard was testing out and the wizard needed seeds. When Monroe arrived there, he saw remnants of Michael’s aura.”
    She blinked in astonishment. “I didn’t know dragons could see auras once a person had left the area.”
    “Monroe can. He has been evolving in some odd way, and it has gone to his head. He notified the king, and King Falmouth is infuriated. He has ordered a search of the entire grounds and once he finds Michael, he will declare war between Clan Fury and Clan Tyrith.”
    “But that’s insane! Michael did nothing wrong.”
    “He stole our sacred seeds without permission.”
    “He did it for Xavier,” she argued. “He was going to request permission, but I stopped him out of fear for his safety. I will go to the king and explain—”
    “It may be too late.” Barlow fisted his hands. “I am sorry, Anna, for all the years of hating this young dragon, when he is the only one who ever treated you the way you deserve to be treated. I was in denial about Michael being your true mate. I feared for you, because black dragons are shunned by our clan. But after your…condition manifested itself and every other male shunned you, I realized that your true mate would not treat you like that. A true mate would fight to the death to protect you, and love you just the way you are.”
    His voice cracked. “Just as your mother and sisters and I love you. You are perfect in our eyes. And you’ll always be my little girl.”
    “Michael is my mate. We love each other and he told me I am perfect the way I am,” she whispered. “And the wizard was here and he told me…well, Monroe is not the only one in our clan undergoing some sort of change.”
    “There are a few. I know not what it means.” Barlow stood and went to her, pulling her upward. “I only know that I love you, my daughter, and I want only your happiness. And if this young dragon makes you happy, I will do all in my power to keep you both together.”
    “Thank you, Papa.” She hugged him again. “If he ever wakes up,” she added, looking down. “I don’t know what happened. One minute Xavier was here, and they were talking, and the next Michael was out on the floor.”
    Barlow bent down and jostled him.
    Finally Michael opened his eyes, looking dazed. “What?”
    He saw Barlow’s face and immediately scrambled to his feet. Michael stepped before Anna, shielding her from her father’s view. “Sir. I know what you said five years ago, but Anna and I are lovers now, and destined to be mates. You cannot keep us apart. I love her.”
    “I know,” her father said calmly.
    “You don’t know—” Michael stopped and stared. “You know?”
    “I know you are the only one to show my little girl the kind of respect others stopped showing her the day she shapeshifted into her dragon form. And that you would protect her with your very life.” His gaze hardened. “If you are not, and I am wrong, leave now. There is no room in my family for you. Are you that dragon?”
    Michael slid his hand into hers. “I am that dragon.”
    He turned and kissed Anna. When they broke apart, she rested her head against his chest, reassured by his beating heart. “What did Xavier do to you? Are you all right?”
    “I am. But I’ve been changed.” A mysterious smile touched his full mouth. “I will tell you how later. It’s all good.”
    “It’s not all good,” Barlow warned.