To escape exile, Aidan Paytah has had to prove himself worthy--every second of every damn day. He fought with everything he had to earn his precarious place on the Hurac n team of dragon-shifter enforcers. He can't fail or afford distractions, no matter how temptingly sweet. Total loyalty to the clans and dedication to his team is the only way. Sera Morrison lost her parents and her husband in short order, leaving her a single mother running her family winery alone. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the discovery that she's a destined dragon mate. But once she finds out, there's only one man she wants--the one who walked away. However, the Alliance Council has its own agenda. They want to use her as a political pawn and force a mating that could ultimately kill her to save the High King. Aidan has no choice but to kidnap her, even if it means their close proximity reinforces their own mating bond--and mating with him could end up being a far worse fate for Sera...