He went into the summit to win a trade deal—
and walked out with a heartbeat he can’t survive without.
Alpha dragon Kael Thorne has spent fifteen years telling the elders he’ll only bond for love. Politics first, feelings never. Until the translator he hired for the Silverfang negotiations steps into his office smelling like citrus, cedar… and fate. Liam McKinney is human. Omega. Off-limits by Coalition law. The kind of impossible that gets leaders dethroned and cities set on fire.
Kael can command a room with a growl, but he can’t command the mate bond roaring to life under his skin. Liam’s smart, steady, and brave enough to sit across from dragons who’d chew him up for sport—then look Kael in the eye and tell him he’ll be careful. Staying “professional” would be cute if the air between them didn’t crackle like kindling.
Three weeks. One room. Every old grudge waiting to explode if a single word is mistranslated—and every stolen breath daring Kael to choose the man who makes him feel alive over the laws designed to keep them apart.
Forbidden doesn’t mean untrue. It means undeniable.
Trope fated mates • forbidden/cross-species bond • possessive alpha x human omega • proximity at a high-stakes summit • political intrigue • slow-burn to scorch • “stay close to me.”