Book 2 Chapter 1 BACK FROM THE FLAMES

Ty’s POV I didn’t plan on coming back to this place. Not after the betrayal. Not after I clawed my heart out of my chest and handed it to a boy who spit on it. But here I am—duffel bag slung over one shoulder, boots dragging on scorched earth, and five years of rage simmering beneath my skin like wildfire waiting for a spark. “Yo, Ty! You heading out?” The voice jolted me out of my thoughts. One of the trainees from Dragon’s Academy jogged up, his smile too soft for the war I was carrying inside. “Yeah,” I said flatly. “Finally going back.” He clapped me on the back. “Damn. After five years? Bet your family’s gonna lose their minds.” “Yeah,” I muttered, though my voice betrayed none of the emotion. “Can’t wait to see my sister.” Tyra. My anchor. My one real reason to come back. “Take care, man! Hope you find your mate—and not another heartbreak,” he added with a knowing grin and jogged off. My chest twisted, but I smothered the ache. That part of me—the soft, open-hearted idiot who use