Rayne spent her life trying to prove herself in a kingdom that believes women can't be warriors. Now she finally has her chance to earn her place in the Valgros Royal Army. All she has to do is travel to the city of Cairncliff and slay the dragon terrorizing its people.
It should be simple. Except nothing in Cairncliff is what she expected.
The "savage wasteland" is actually a thriving city where humans live peacefully alongside elves, dwarves, and dragon shifters. The "terrified villagers" seem perfectly content. And the handsome man who runs the antiques shop, makes her laugh over glasses of frost wine, and looks at her like she's the most fascinating person he's ever met?
He's not human.
He's the dragon she's supposed to kill.
Doshir fled to Cairncliff to escape the brutal politics of dragon society. When a beautiful stranger from the isolated, magic-hating kingdom of Valgros walks into his shop, he sees a chance for something real with a woman who might want him for who he is, not what he is.
So he hides the truth. Just long enough to see where this could go.
But when Rayne discovers Doshir's secret, everything she thought she knew shatters. Her mission. Her king. The lies she's been fed her entire life. Now she must choose: destroy the man who's captured her heart, or betray everything she's ever known to save him.