I don’t know why I didn’t want Merethyl to know that I had let those humans burn alive, but something about her seeing my darker side didn’t sit well with me. I trusted her to watch over the scientist while I doused the flame. I made sure none of them had escaped before I pulled the fire back, keeping it from catching on the surrounding trees and brush. When I returned, I heard Mere talking about the goal of the Chief. He wants to kill the dragons. Of course he does, we’re the reason his arenas are being destroyed. However, the idea of him building an army makes me uneasy. What sort of army? I glance at Mere. What if they make her brother into one of these creatures. I know her well enough to know that she’d never be able to kill him and she’d never forgive me if I did. But if he became a killing machine, working for the Chief, I’d have no choice. I walk over to Mere, seeing that she’s nearly done healing the shifters that are left. “G’day sir.” One of the shifters bows his head to

I didn’t like Merethyl saying she couldn’t be my mate. It felt like a rejection, something I’ve never experienced in my two centuries of life. No one has ever turned me down. No one has ever said no to me. When I realize that she’s afraid of abusing the power that claiming me would give her, something in me settles. Not only is she not rejecting me because I’m her mate, but knowing that she doesn't want to be one of those people that abuses power means a lot to me. While I’m surprised, I guess I shouldn’t be. Whatever or whoever in the universe creates mate bonds, they do it for a reason. We’re supposed to be two halves of a whole, or two beings that, once connected become whole. Or some bullshit like that. Tana spouted off about how great it was, but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t believe her, I didn’t understand. But I do now, much better than I did then. The dragon in me needs to know that she understands that she’s mine. While I settled, the feeling of rejection is still there. An

This was definitely NOT the conversation I wanted to be having right after Mere found out that she is my mate and having to convince her that I didn’t want to be mated to a dragon. I’m not sure how to explain to her that she’s my entire life and no one will ever take her place. I can’t exactly describe the other dragons like sisters since I’m having a child with one. I see her body tense up, and she looks back at her food. That food must be so fucking interesting because she’s focused more on it than me during this entire conversation. “I have, or will have, a child with Zephyr. In a few weeks.” She frowns, staring into her bowl of food. “So, you’re going to go have sex with her and have a child with her?” “No! No, that’s not what I mean.” I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. “I’ve already impregnated her. It was before I met you.” “So you have a child?” She asks slowly, as if she’s trying hard to figure out a very difficult problem in her head. “We will, when he or she hatches

I hated leaving Merethyl. Every fiber of my body hummed in irritation as I flew away from her. It took everything in me not to turn around and go back to her. But Tana has been captured by the scientists and Kenna is injured. Since Cedric is not a dragon, he wouldn’t be able to get Kenna out of the skies. And if her mother is in danger, I know Kenna would do anything to try and save her. I’m aggravated that I have to leave Merethyl but I’m also aggravated that the Lycan couldn’t protect his mate and daughter like he told me he would. I had trusted that he would keep them safe, especially since Tana is so close to delivering their second child. When I get to Cedric’s pack lands, I can see that I was premature in my judgement. There are dead creatures all over their pack lands. Creatures, not animals. this is the work of the scientists. The forest is scorched, I can only guess by Kenna, and there is something that looks vaguely like it was a dragon, or part dragon that is burned and l

I tell Kenna everything about Merethyl. I don’t know what it is about this young dragon, but I have and will most likely always have a soft spot in my heart for her. “You’re in love.” Kenna says excitedly but stays quiet. She knows that her father and I aren’t exactly friendly. I look back at the fire. “Yeah, I am." I look back at her. "A dragon's love." She looks shocked for a moment. “Wow, the mighty Avani is tamed." I snort, but I can't deny it. "I’m really happy for you, Avani. And no matter what you think, Momma is happy with Papa as her rider. He doesn’t boss her around, he listens to her, he wants her to be who she is, not some puppet that does his bidding. Maybe your elf is the same.” “That’s funny, because she doesn’t want to claim me. She’s afraid of abusing the power that being a rider will give her.” “All the more reason to trust her.” Kenna says wisely. The next day, we get up, planning our next search area when we hear it, Tana’s dragon call. Both our heads whip