A soft laugh escapes me. I’m definitely dreaming. Dreaming of handsome alien dragon men in the desert—wow. That’s a first for me.
He cocks his head to the side curiously and opens his mouth as if to speak, but only a low rumble escapes him.
I reach up to touch his arm. “I—I don’t understand you,” I barely manage as my head swims. I blink my eyes open and closed.
A deafening boom splits the air and the alien dragon-man jerks away, releasing a feral roar as he spins toward John.
Recovered, John stands with the blaster pointed directly at the alien. “How do you like that, you monster?”
The alien snarls, baring two large rows of fangs as he levels him with a dark, dangerous glare before shifting back into a massive dragon. He sweeps his tail into John, sending him flying backward.
The dragon spins to face me, carefully scooping me up into his clawed hand. A whirlwind of dust swirls around us as he flaps his massive wings, lifting us into the sky. Unable to stay conscious any longer, I close my eyes and surrender to my fever dream.
Chapter 2
Raidyn
My mate! Mine!
The words ripple through me, suffusing body, mind, and soul as I take to the skies with my mate held firmly to my chest.
She is my fated one—my linaya. A glowing pattern swirls across the scales on my chest. There is no mistaking the fate mark. She is mine.
The fated bond is a gift from the Gods. As I look to my mate, I know I have been blessed for she is perfect in every way. With long silken hair the color of the sun’s golden rays, piercing blue eyes that remind me of deep blue oceans, and soft, pale skin, my linaya is the most beautiful female I have ever seen.
I beat my wings furiously as I head back to Wind Clan territory. I feel as though I cannot fly fast enough. My mate has been injured and she needs a Healer.
I glance down once more at my chest. The fate bond swirls with a soft glow across my scales, directly between my two hearts. When I saw the bright light that fell from the sky toward the desert several nights ago, something inside me told me to investigate. Now, I realize why.
The impulse was a sign from the Gods that I would find my fated one. I send a silent prayer to them, begging them to help her survive while I curse Varus—the Fire Clan Prince and my former friend—for trying to hide these females from my people.
I saw him with a female who looked like mine only a day ago. Except her hair was the color of flame and mine has hair the color of the golden sun in the sky. I recognized the fated bond mark on Varus’ chest as well, but he refused to tell me where he had found her.
This female appears to be of the same species as the one I saw with him. If he hadn’t hoarded the alien females all for his Clan, my mate could have already been under the protection of mine days ago. I send another message of thanks to the Gods above that I found her when I did.
That disgusting creature was attacking her, and I shudder to think what could have happened if I had arrived any later. I have never seen such a creature in the desert. He smelled decidedly male, but was enveloped in a strong stench of filth, as if he had not bathed in several days. With a thick layer of coarse, brown fur covering his head, jaw, and lining his two beady eyes, he was a vile sight to behold.
I curse Varus again for withholding the existence of my mate and her people. She could have been violated by that male before I reached her. Even as this thought crosses my mind, I wonder where the rest of her Clan is. Where did they come from?
The trail of fire that marked the sky several days ago must not have been a meteorite, but rather a falling ship or escape pod. How else could this female have landed here? She is not native to this world.
Varus claimed the female he carried was his mate and his actions confirmed this was truth. He fought me as if worried I might try to steal her away, when I only was curious about her species and origins. He was so enraged by my approach, he would not even listen as I tried to ask him questions.
The last I heard, Varus was promised to the Water Clan Princess, cementing an alliance between their two Clans.
My father reached out to their Clan as well, but Noralla’s parents rejected me offhand because of my scarred face.
I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the rejection stung, nonetheless. One would think I would be used to such treatment by now. No female will have me, even with the promise of a royal title, because of my scar.
As I hold my mate tightly to my chest, I can only hope she doesn’t feel the same. She did not look upon me with disgust when I first approached her. If anything, I noted a hint of curiosity and fascination in her expression when her sparkling blue eyes met mine.
Dipping my left wing, I turn and cross the border into Wind Clan territory. The desert beneath me gives way to green grass and tall trees. A thickly canopied forest scaling the mountains that loom in the distance.
My side aches, but I do my best to ignore the dull pain as we approach the castle. My mate’s health is paramount; I need to get her to a Healer as soon as possible.
But the raw throbbing pain is agonizing and gnaws at my strength; I can feel myself weakening. Whatever weapon that creature used, it was powerful enough to pierce my scales.
My mate stirs
