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  “You’re human.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  His mother looked at him in concern. “Does King Reichardt know?”

  “Yes.”

  “He allowed it?”

  Markus stiffened as he answered, “He has no say in it. She’s my true mate and we are fully bonded.”

  Destiny leaned forward and sniffed at Valorie. “She smells a little bit like a dragon. How is that possible?”

  “I shared my dragon fire with her. She was dying at the time.”

  “What? None have survived dragon fire!” His mother sounded incredulous.

  “It’s because she’s my true mate, or she would have also died.”

  Noticing how Valorie pulled away, he reached for her emotions and found her hurt and rejected. “Valorie, they’re not rejecting you.”

  His mother finally stepped forward. “Of course we’re not rejecting you. You are a surprise, a welcomed one.” She took Valorie’s hand in hers.

  “Our people first came here with hopes of making this our new home. Over time, no new mates were found. At one time we did attempt to mate with humans. There were two possible outcomes. Either the dragon fire was withheld, the human would age and die, and the Drakonian would mourn the loss and sometimes try to take their own life. Or the dragon fire was given…but only a handful of humans were given the dragon fire and all of them died. Because of those fatal outcomes, the kings’ council ruled that our people were to keep their distance from humans and no one was to attempt mating with one.”

  Valorie looked at him in concern. “Are you in trouble with the kings because of me?”

  Markus kissed her forehead. “Of course not, you’re my bonded mate. There is nothing even the kings could do to change that.”

  He turned when he heard the dragon call. “I must go, the other kings are arriving.” He hugged his mother and sister again. “Would you show Valorie around the ranch while I’m gone?”

  His mother patted him on the arm. “Of course, I’m looking forward to getting to know my new daughter.”

  Destiny wrapped an arm through Valorie’s. “I am so excited to finally have a sister. I get to tell you everything about Markus.”

  He laughed. “Don’t scare her off, little bit.” He turned and walked away, feeling like the most blessed Drakonian that ever lived. He not only found his true mate, he got his family back as well. Those three females had his heart. He would get this meeting with the kings over with so that he could return to them.

  Chapter 16

  Markus heard the whispers as he entered a room with a long table. Four of the five kings that came to Earth were seated at the table, while warriors lined the walls. Most of these males he had not seen since he had been a young and upcoming warrior. They recognized him immediately, even though for them they hadn’t seen him for hundreds of years. They looked about the same, with only a few signs of aging.

  King Reichardt motioned for Markus, Sonar, and Roan to take the empty seats across from them. Markus was in charge of the team so he answered most of the questions.

  “When did you leave Drakonia?” King Niko, once king of the Drakonians in the northeast region, asked.

  “We left ten years ago on the last battle cruiser to escape the complete destruction of our homeworld.”

  “How is it possible? We have been here hundreds of years,” Queen Arena asked. She took over the reign when her king died and now ruled over the Drakonians that lived in China.

  “I was given coordinates to the two planets the refugees had been sent. The coordinates took us through several wormholes, which sped up our travel time.”

  “We were sent to Earth in a primitive time, yet you have arrived just ten years after we left,” King Malachi, who now ruled the Drakonians in Scotland, stated.

  “I don’t know the exact why of it, that would have to be answered by one of the mages.”

  King Reichardt asked, “Did any mages travel with you?”

  “No. Craggen had been severely injured when we left. He said he had to make sure the portals were completely destroyed so that the enemy could not follow.”

  King Niko looked at the Sonar and Roan. “Is all of this true?”

  “Yes, my king.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “King Reichardt says that there is no way for us to go back to Drakonia,” Queen Arena said.

  “There’s absolutely nothing left but a continuous flow of lava…and there is no oxygen. All animal and plant life was destroyed,” Markus confirmed sadly.

  “It doesn’t matter, we can take the ship and leave this planet.” King Niko folded his arms over his chest as if the matter were decided.

  “Why would you do that?” Markus asked, confused, looking around the room. “It took us ten years to get here. In all that time, we only found one or two planets that could sustain the life that was indigenous to the planet. The lifeforms there were primitive, with no advancements. It may have taken hundreds of years, but it seems as if Earth is finally starting to catch up to where Drakonia had once been.”

  “Those can’t be the only planets out there with life.”

  “If you found another planet with intelligent life, what would you do? Kick them from their home so you can take over? That’s what King Dyson wants to do to this planet. He wants to use Drakonian technology and firepower from the battle cruiser to rule the people here. Is that what we have come to?”

  Several warriors growled in anger at Markus’s outburst but King Reichardt only cleared his throat. “No, that is not what we have come to.”

  “At least we could use the battle cruiser to search for mates, find a way to breed so that our people don’t die out,” Queen Arena added her thoughts.

  “I found my mate right here on Earth within days of arriving.” Markus couldn’t help but feel pride.

  “With a human?” Niko spit like it was the most disgusting thought. “That’s forbidden. The female needs to be disposed of and you will be punished for breaking the laws we set here.”

  He stiffened his back and glared at the other male. He might have been a king on Drakonia, but they were not on Drakonia and Niko had never been his king.

  “My mating is complete. We are fully bonded and Valorie has accepted my dragon fire. It is against Drakonian law for any to interfere with a fully bonded pair. Our souls are tied.”

  “That hasn’t happened in…” The queen was clearly shocked.

  “At least the past one hundred years,” Reichardt finished for Arena.

  “Why? Why has this happened now?” King Malachi asked. “We’ve tried to mate with humans before to no avail.” He was one of the ones that tried to mate a human, but the dragon fire killed her.

  “We don’t know, but since both Markus and his human mate are here, we have time to study and find the answers. It gives us hope that this planet may once more be the answer to our prayers. That’s enough for now, we’ll let everyone rest then have a huge banquet where we can have some of our people from the battle cruiser come down for. We’ll discuss more later.” With that, King Reichardt ended the meeting.

  Markus was grateful it was over. All he wanted to do was to get to his mate. He was experiencing pain and sadness. What happened to make her feel these things?

  Chapter 17

  Val walked between Markus’s mother and sister, listening to them tell stories about Markus when he was young. Even after all these centuries, they still could remember what was important to them.

  “Markus couldn’t wait until he could shift and fly. He would stack boxes and climb on top, then fling himself off.”

  “Oh my gosh! That must have been terrifying!”

  “At first it was, but nothing I said could have stopped him. So his father would make sure there were plenty of cushions on the floor for him to land on.” Lania laughed at the fond memory.

  “When did he finally shift?”

  “He shifted when he turned thirteen. That’s the age all dragon shifters start to come to maturi
ty. I’m grateful because he was so busy the first two years, learning how to shift and fly, that it kept him away from the girls his age.”

  “I can’t imagine how hard that would be with his body changing so much and then going into puberty.”

  “Exactly. Most parents get their boys into warrior training as soon as possible to help teach them discipline. His father, one of the last things he did before he took his final flight, was to enlist Markus in training”

  “When did your husband…mate die?”

  “Markus was eighteen and Destiny just five. Falcus was a captain in the Elite Warriors and had a mission that took him to the region ruled by King Dyson. There were rumors that females and children were being used as slaves. A battle broke out and Falcus never returned.”

  “I’m so sorry, that must have been horrible.”

  “There was suspicion that King Dyson might have had something to do with Falcus’s death, but it couldn’t be proven.”

  “I’ve met him. He’s an asshole.”

  “He wasn’t always like that. I actually had come from Dyson’s region and grew up there alongside him. Many thought that we would eventually mate. When I visited the capital city of Drakonia with my parents, my dragon felt the pull toward Falcus. We mated and bonded, that was that. Dyson never approved of the mating but since I moved to live with Falcus under King Reichardt’s rule, he could do nothing about it.”

  “This is all so crazy. A few days ago I had no idea there were other beings in the world. Now I am trying to wrap my mind around the idea of shapeshifting dragons from another planet.”

  Lania patted her back. “It’s a lot to take in, I know.”

  Val yawned. “Excuse me, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” She blushed at remembering why—Markus made love to her on almost every surface in the bedroom.

  “Why don’t you go lie down and get some rest. I will be checking to see how arrangements for dinner are coming along and Destiny has online courses.”

  “What are you talking classes for?” she asked Destiny, who was sweet and shy.

  “A doctor…healer. Though I don’t know if I’ll even be allowed to go to medical school—too many humans.”

  “Destiny, we’ll speak with King Reichardt again. I’m sure something can be worked out.”

  Destiny didn’t reply but there was clear doubt in her pretty eyes.

  “Well, I think I will take that nap. It is such a pleasure to have met you both.”

  Lania and Destiny took turns hugging her. Markus’s mother hugged her a second time. “I’m so glad that Markus has found you. He is truly lucky.”

  “I’m the lucky one. Markus is amazing.”

  “We’ll see you later in the main lodging. Destiny and I have our own cabin not far from here.”

  “I’ll see you then.” She watched as they removed their dresses and shifted into dragon form. They leapt straight up into the air and their large wings caught the wind. That was so cool, but she would be too self-conscious to shift and be naked.

  Turning, she headed back to the large two-story ranch house, which was more like a lodge. The front doors were barn doors. She entered inside and after a few minutes of walking around, she realized she was completely lost.

  She neared a set of large French doors and paused just outside the room. One door was partially open and she could hear what was being said. Some of the people she couldn’t recognize their voices but with Markus she could tell which one was him.

  “I found my mate right here on Earth within weeks of arriving.”

  “With a human? That’s forbidden. The female needs to be disposed of and you will be punished for breaking the laws we set here.”

  “My mating is complete. We are fully bonded and Valorie has accepted my dragon fire. It is against Drakonian law for any to interfere with a fully bonded pair. Our souls are tied.”

  “That’s hasn’t happened in…”

  She didn’t wait to hear the rest of what they said. Val couldn’t see their facial expressions, but she heard the disgust some of them had toward humans and toward her. It hurt that they thought so little of humans. It also infuriated her that they would consider separating her from Markus.

  The worst part was not knowing if Markus would stand by his words that she was his mate and he wouldn’t give her up. He had just been reunited with his family and people after years apart. He might be able to bond with a dragon shifter. Was she wrong to try to hold him to his word?

  Finally finding the right hallway that led to their bedroom, she decided she needed some time to process everything and make a decision on what she should do next. The thought of giving Markus up nearly broke her heart. Somehow in the short amount of time that she had known Markus, she had fallen in love with him.

  Chapter 18

  Markus felt uneasy the closer he came to the bedroom that he shared with Valorie. Something was definitely wrong. Opening the door, he looked around the room. Valorie was standing by the window looking outside.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She didn’t look him in the eyes as she turned and faced him. She smiled but it wasn’t a genuine smile. “Nothing. I enjoyed meeting your mother and sister.”

  “Do not lie to me, I can feel your emotions. You’re upset about something. Did my mother or sister say something to make you feel this way?”

  “No, of course not. Your family is amazing.”

  “Someone said something though.”

  “I…overheard what they were saying in your meeting. They want to get rid of me and punish you.”

  Markus was furious that his mate was hurt by the careless words said in the meeting. He had to reassure her. Moving forward, he took her in his arms. “I don’t care what they think.”

  “But they are your kings.”

  “King Reichardt was my king. I haven’t answered to him in ten years. I serve under General Ranier. If our mating is not accepted, we will return to the Zyon. There’s still another planet our people went to that will need to be checked on.”

  “Will the kings let you do that?”

  “This is not Drakonia. They are no longer kings but clan leaders, and I am not part of their clans.”

  “I don’t know. Do you even know if the other planet is inhabitable?”

  “The mages wouldn’t have sent our people there if it weren’t.” He pulled out the medallion he wore around his neck. “This was given to me by the Mage Craggen before I left. One side had the coordinates to Earth and the other side had coordinates to another planet. The battle cruiser can’t remain in Earth’s orbit forever—it will draw too much attention. The Zyon will need to restock and refuel, then set out to locate the other planet. We could travel on board. Would you want to go with me?”

  “To space? That sounds like an amazing adventure.”

  “It’s beautiful, seeing the different planets and being among the stars. It can be quite lonely, though. Many Drakonians took their final flight because they felt alone. My friend Sonar had a break not long ago. I worried that I would lose him, too.”

  She reached a hand to cup his cheek. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. He seems pretty reserved and quiet.”

  “He wasn’t always like that. He used to be full of mischief and laughter, always smiling and flirting with females. I look at him…and sometimes wonder how much longer I will have my friend. He’s changed so much.” He had not meant to share something so emotional, but this was his mate and he could share anything with her.

  “We will spend time with him to make sure that he knows he’s not alone.”

  Leaning down, he kissed her softly on the lips. “My mate has such a kind heart. It’s sweet that you care about others.”

  “I love you so I care about what matters to you.”

  He felt his heart swell with emotions. “I am filled with love for you, too. I plan to show you off tonight.”

  “What’s tonight?”

  “The banquet welcoming those on the Zyon. General Ranier will
be here and some of my fellow warriors. They are going to be so jealous that I have found such a beautiful bondmate.”

  “I guess I can’t fake a headache and just stay in the room?”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I’m not good with mixing in a crowd of dragon-shifting aliens who hate humans.”

  “They don’t hate humans. They actually tried to mate with humans before but none of the humans who attempted it were true bondmates and able to accept the dragon fire.”

  “What exactly makes me a bondmate?”

  “I felt an instant connection with you. I couldn’t stop thinking of you at all, I was consumed with thoughts of you. My dragon connected with you too, and insisted that we mate with you. Finally, you were able to accept my dragon fire that healed you and will allow you to age along with me.”

  “It’s a rare thing?”

  “Yes. Many will be fascinated with you, so don’t take offense if you find many eyes on you tonight.”

  “I have to be on my best behavior, no pressure there at all.”

  Chapter 19

  The Next Night

  Val cringed at the loudness of the music in the saloon. Last night she was mingling with dragon-shifter aliens, kings, and generals. She danced with both Markus and Sonar, though she had to practically drag Sonar out on the dance floor.

  Tonight, she was working her evening shift at the saloon with her fellow humans. None of them knew the truth about their neighbors on King R Ranch. They probably wouldn’t be able to handle that, either.

  Markus didn’t want her to come back to work but she insisted. To compromise, he sent Sonar to watch over her while he and General Ranier discussed travel plans for the Zyon with the kings.

  She had expected the Drakonians to look down on her, but they didn’t. They were all curious about her and why she was able to bond when other humans couldn’t. That was just as much a mystery to her as it was to them.