“You are safe,” I reassure her.
She freezes, then cautiously speaks. “Are you… talking to me?”
Despite my wound, a low chuckle rumbles deep in my chest. “Who else would I be talking to besides my fated mate? None but she could hear my thoughts as you do.”
Surprise bursts through her mind and it occurs to me that perhaps mental communication between mates is not normal for her people. We are of different species, after all, and I did not truly consider the ramifications before now.
My suspicions are confirmed a moment later when she asks, “Fated mate?”
“Yes, you are mine,” I tell her. “You are my linaya—my fated one—and I am yours.”
Chapter 3
Skye
“Yes, you are mine,” he tells me. “You are my linaya—my fated one—and I am yours.” His words are firm and absolute.
Fear fills me as I try to turn in his grasp but realize I can’t move. Cold air whips my hair around me. I peek from the cage of his massive, clawed hand and my jaw drops as I spot his wings, fully extended like enormous sails in the wind.
I can’t believe I was abducted by a dragon.
An involuntary scream rips from my throat and I grip him tightly. “Don’t drop me!”
His body rumbles in what I assume is a laugh, quickly followed by his deep voice. “You are mine. I promise I will not drop you.”
His? The memory of his sharp fangs flashes through my mind and panic snakes through my veins. He says I’m his, but what does that mean? Am I his slave? If so, I’d rather die fighting than live in a cage.
My gaze drifts over his massive, scaled form. Despite my fear, I beat at his hand because I have to do something. I’m not going quietly to whatever fate he has planned for me. “Put me down! Now!”
“You want me to drop you?” he asks incredulously. “When you just asked me not to? You would never survive a fall from this height. No,” he huffs. “I will not let you go. It is not safe. You do not have any wings.”
I open my mouth to argue but forget the words as I scan the ground rushing by below and realize just how high up we are. Lush green forests blanket the earth and winding rivers cut through the landscape. When I cast my gaze ahead, I gasp in wonder. Floating rock formations hang in the sky, like an image straight out of a fairytale. These islands suspended in the air are nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful.
They are covered in massive evergreen trees, reminiscent of the extinct sequoias on Earth. A waterfall drops off the side of the closest island, forming a pool on a smaller floating island below. Many are home to strange buildings made of intricately carved stone. Most of the floating masses of rock are connected by a thick mass of cables, covered in thick, winding green vines.
Several other dragons fly nearby, their scales various shades of white and gray. If I wasn’t so terrified, I’d be overwhelmed by all this beauty. A fantastical landscape made of the vivid imaginings of an ethereal dream.
“You do not need to be afraid. I have you, my mate. I will care for you now,” the dragon rumbles above me in low, deep tones.
“I’m not your mate,” I protest. “You need to take me back to where you found me.”
“You are mine,” he growls in response, sending a small shiver of fear down my spine. “I will not take you back to that place. It is dangerous.”
He’s stronger than me and I realize I’m not going to win any arguments here. So, I’ll just have to bide my time before I escape.
“You are wingless,” he hisses. “You would be injured if you tried to escape. The fall from the city alone would most certainly kill you.”
I still as panic joins the fright I feel. “You can read my thoughts?”
“Of course,” he huffs. “I am your fated mate and you are mine.”
Indignation burns through me. “I’m not yours. I don’t belong to anyone.”
“You are mine and I am yours. We are fated,” he grumbles. “The Gods have ordained it. You are my linaya.”
Before I can answer, he banks in a slow circle around a large courtyard below. My eyes widen when I notice a castle ahead. Light-gray and white stone walls are topped with triangular, peaked, dark-gray roofing. The architecture is reminiscent of images I’ve seen of ancient East Asian structures on Earth, and yet, this castle is unique to this strange world.
As soon as we touch down on the ground and he releases his grip, I run. I don’t know where I’m going, but any distance from him is a win. A strong cord wraps around my waist, lifting me off the ground and yanking me back.
I scream and struggle against the rope only to look down and find that it’s his tail. Digging my nails into his scales, I grit my teeth in frustration. They’re hard as stone; I’m not even making a dent. He sets me down gently and relinquishes his hold on me. In a blink, he transforms back into a man.
A very naked dragon man.
I crane my neck to scan his impossibly tall form while he studies me in return. When he opens his mouth to speak, only a rumbling growl escapes his lips.
“Where are we?”
He growls a string of syllables and I stare him down with a frown. “What are you saying? Why can’t I understand you?”
He reaches for me and I bat his hand away, mildly shocked at my own bravado in the face of this hulking alien. I’m not about to go down easily. He thinks I’m his mate, and as my
