Chapter 1
Talia
A soft moan in the darkness draws my attention to the bushes behind us. “Not here,” Lilliana whispers breathlessly. “We have company.”
I turn my gaze back to the courtyard fire pit, trying to pretend I don’t hear the small gasp my friend emits next as her husband—mate, I mean—ignores her and continues to do… whatever married couples do during the honeymoon phase of their relationship.
Anna’s gaze darts in the direction of the noise and she rolls her green eyes in mock frustration. In reality, I know she feels just like I do. We’re both a bit envious of the slice of happiness Lilly seems to have found here with her dragon shifter mate, Varus.
It would be so nice to have someone to come home to—besides my brother, of course. I love him, but I want a mate of my own. I’m twenty-three and I’ve only been on a handful of dates, each equally disappointing. All the single men on the ship seemed to be more interested in getting me into bed instead of getting to know who I am.
They were always commenting on how beautiful they thought the combination of my chestnut hair and blue eyes were. But none of the ones I dated were interested in marriage or starting a family. And I wasn’t just searching for a temporary connection to someone. When I finally give my heart away, I want to know that it’s forever. Perhaps that’s naïve of me, but I can’t help it. It’s how I feel.
The Drakarians are different from human men, however. They desire a mate and a family above all else. And when they mate, they mate for life. Lilly is lucky to have found a guy as sweet as Varus. He adores her, dotes on her, and sees to her every need. When he looks at her, his eyes are full of love and devotion like the kind that only exists in myths and legends. I should know—I love art. Particularly the ancient paintings of knights in shining armor staring lovingly at the princess or lady they’ve pledged themselves to.
Varus is the prince of the Fire Clan, so that makes Lilly the princess. What girl wouldn’t love that title? And when it comes with a man who practically worships you, even better.
But that has also become a problem as well. Ever since Varus’s Clan rescued us from the desert where we crashed and welcomed us to their kingdom, word has spread far and wide about us humans. Especially the fact that there are eighteen unmated women among us.
Varus found Lilly while she was searching the desert for a place to build a permanent shelter and grow our emergency seeds. Instantly, he recognized her as his fated mate. A glowing fate mark pattern began to swirl on his chest between his two hearts. Apparently, that’s how Drakarians recognize their fated mates—or linaya, as they call them.
They don’t even question the mark’s appearance on their chest because they consider any linaya a blessing from the gods.
We’re the only species they’ve found to be biologically compatible with their race, making humans even more valuable to them. According to Varus, a plague swept through their world a few years ago and killed many of their women, leaving most of the survivors barren.
The Drakarian men are handsome, but I find it strange that we’re compatible with their species. They are taller than humans, covered in shiny interlocking scales of various colors depending upon their Clan and they have claws instead of nails, a long, tapered tail, dangerous looking fangs and tall horns that spiral up from their heads. Their vertically slit pupils struck me as a bit unnerving at first, but now I’m used to them.
They can also shift into their draka form, and when they do they are like every fairy tale dragon I’ve ever seen in ancient Earth paintings made manifest before me. They are at least five times their normal size in this form.
Because Lilliana is Varus’s fated one and we’ve been found to be biologically compatible, all the unmated Drakarian warriors now eye us with great interest. They seem to be very nice guys from what I can tell, but unfortunately, none have responded to me with that swirling fated mate pattern on their scales.
So, despite their interest, I’m not sure I want to date any of them. If I fall in love with one even though I am not his fated mate, what happens if he finds his fated mate later? I don’t want to marry the first warrior who asks me to bond with him—and I’ve already received many offers. I want to get to know the man I’ll choose and make sure we’re a good match.
But it’s more than just that. The fated mate mark complicates things. Without it, there are no reassurances that bonding to one of these warriors would be permanent.
Besides, Drakarians don’t seem to understand the human concept of dating. They do not date. They declare their intentions toward a potential mate and then are either accepted or rejected. Simple as that. They are also extremely possessive when it comes to their mates, or the person they are interested in.
That’s why I’m so worried about my friend Skye. She was taken by one of their warriors—Raidyn, prince of the Wind Clan. The Fire Clan sent an ambassador to retrieve her, but the Wind Clan refused to let him speak to her or even see her.
Varus grew up with Raidyn, but they’re enemies now. Though Varus has reassured us several times that the Wind Clan prince would never hurt Skye, I can’t help but worry about her safety.
I can only hope that members of other Earth and Water Clans are as welcoming as the Fire Clan. Prince Varus and his people have already provided us with homes here, apartments much bigger than the cabins we were assigned on the colony ships.
Despite their hospitality, my younger brother Milo doesn’t entirely trust the Drakarians. He thinks they’re only helping us because Lilly and Varus have mated.
Lilly is Varus’s linaya, the first fated mate to be found outside of their race. Varus said many Drakarians from the other Clans are desperate to see us, hoping they will find their linaya among us human women.
My brother may be right, but considering how clearly Varus adores my friend, I wonder if it would be so bad to mate a Drakarian warrior myself. Part of me insists that I should stay independent, but another part is hesitant to pass up the opportunity. I just worry that getting tangled up with an alien will only set me up for heartbreak.
So, I’ve resolved to do my best to settle here and start a new life. And if one of the Drakarian men gets one of those glowing fate marks on his chest for me, I certainly won’t fight the bond.
I know the Fire Clan doesn’t expect much of us. They provide everything we need: food, water, shelter, clothing. Never once have they asked for anything in return.
However, I’ve never been one to remain idle.
I’m an engineer and I love my job. I was born with an analytical mind; crunching numbers and solving problems is satisfying work. I’ve started working with some of the engineers here. I thought they wouldn’t respect me since human technology is inferior to theirs, but instead, they’ve kindly given me modules to study so I can become more familiar with their tech. I’ve become a part of a collaborative team working to make this city more human-friendly. This city was built for a species that has wings, so we’re working together to make lifts, bridges and such to help us humans get around more easily.
Varus and Lilly take their seats on the bench beside me. Her lips are swollen from kissing her mate, and it doesn’t escape me that her long, ginger hair is slightly disheveled. She turns to her mate and the red scales of his cheeks darken a shade as he smiles down at her. When I first saw him, his onyx horns struck me as sinister, but now I find that I barely notice the differences between his people and mine.
Lilly smiles at Anna and me. “Why don’t you two spend the night here in the castle?”
It’s tempting, especially since I love spending time in the palace gardens. They are like an oasis in the middle of the desert. The entire courtyard is covered in green and purple trees, bushes, and flowering plants, a lovely contrast to the deep-red and orange walls of the palace.
I mull over her question, twirling a glowing blue flower I picked from the garden in my hand. The rich color reminds me of Prince Llyr of the Water Clan. He’s staying here at the castle with his sister, Noralla, and I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to him on several occasions. I’d love to stay the night and spend more time with him, but I need to return to my apartment and my brother, Milo. We have both had trouble sleeping lately, each of us still dealing with the loss of our parents when our ship was attacked. I don’t want to leave Milo alone with his grief. He’s the only family I have left.
I face Varus and Lilly. “Thanks for the offer, but I need to get back to Milo.”
“Thanks,” Anna adds, “but I think I’m going to the med clinic and then back to my apartment. Ranas is supposed to give me a med scanner so I can get more familiar with the settings.”
Anna’s like me. We’re both dedicated to learning how to incorporate Drakarian tech and methods into our professions. She was our ship’s doctor and now she’s studying under Healer Ranas to practice medicine here.
Varus nods in acknowledgment then returns his attention to Lilly.
I sigh. It’s so romantic how he regards her like she is everything to him. I wonder how it feels to be so treasured.
I stand and embrace Lilly warmly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Anna hugs her too, and then starts off for the med center to meet Ranas.
Varus dips his chin in a subtle bow, his gaze quickly drifting back to his mate.
With another wistful sigh, I head back into the castle from the gardens. I turn the corner toward the exit and nearly collide with Llyr.
Piercing silver eyes meet mine, and I bite back a sigh. I could get lost in his gaze forever. His vertically slit pupils contract and then expand as he looks down at me. “Forgive my carelessness.” He bows slightly, like a gentleman. “I did not realize you were here.”
My cheeks heat in embarrassment as his intense gaze holds mine. I open my mouth to speak, but the words die in my throat. Llyr is incredibly handsome. He’s taller than any human man I’ve ever met; the aquamarine horns that spiral up from his head only add to his height, accentuating his fine brow, nose, and cheeks. His deep blue hair hangs down to his broad shoulders. His entire body is lean yet muscular. A long white robe covers most of his scales. Their dappled blue color reminds me of the tropical oceans back on Earth.
Nervously, I tuck a stray tendril of my long, brown hair behind my ear.
I’m surprised that Llyr is dressed. Drakarians think nothing of nudity. Lilly told me they change back and forth between their humanoid and draka forms so often that wearing clothes is not convenient. Their draka form is at least five times larger than a man, so clothing would only shred when they shift.
As I study Llyr, I can’t deny that I find the lethal edge to his handsome features attractive. Black claws tip the five toes and fingers on his hands and feet. When his lips part in a smile, I can’t help but notice the sharp row of fangs that line his mouth. Nonetheless, he is nothing short of devastatingly gorgeous.
Completely mesmerized by his smile, it takes me a moment to realize that I’m openly gaping at him. I blink several times to regain my senses and then stumble over my words. “No. Uh. I’m sorry. I—I’m the one who nearly ran into you.”
He tips his head to the side. “Where were you off to in such a hurry?”
“I, uh—it’s getting late, so I was heading home.” Funny how I only moved in days ago, but I already consider my apartment home.
“It is dark. Would you like me to accompany you?”
His question catches me off guard. Is there a reason I would need an escort at night? Are there desert predators that might creep into the city after dark and try to eat me? “I thought it was safe here in the capital.”
He frowns. “It is, but I have heard that your kind see poorly in low-lighting conditions.”
I struggle to suppress a huff of frustration. While that’s technically true—humans don’t see as well in the dark as Drakarians—I hate being reminded of how inferior a race they consider us. I can’t count how many times a Drakarian has commented on my lack of scales, wings, claws, or fangs. I’ve even had a few ask me how my people have managed to survive as a species with our lack of natural defenses.
But rather than be offended, I offer Llyr a friendly smile. He’s only trying to be nice. “Thanks, but you don’t have to. I should be just fine on my own.” Drakarian women are fierce, I’ve heard. I certainly don’t want Llyr to think I’m afraid of walking home in the dark.
“I insist,” he says. “Besides, I believe I would enjoy a walk. Unless”—he arches a brow—“you would prefer to fly.”
To be honest, I would indeed prefer to fly, but I’m too shy to tell him that. He’s handsome, the most attractive man I’ve ever met, but as my gaze drops to his chest, I note that no swirling fate bond pattern glows on his scales. So he’s not the one for me, and I would rather keep things friendly between us. Flying seems like an intimate step because I’d have to trust him enough not to drop me.
I’ve spoken with Llyr many times. If I let myself, I know it would be so easy to fall in love with him. But I can’t give him my heart while I know he could end up fated to someone else. So, I’ve convinced myself to keep some distance from him.
Besides, I enjoy walking at night. Without the scorching sun overhead, the temperature is pleasant. Also, I don’t like the idea of relying on Drakarians to get around the city. They’re friendly people, but eventually, they might grow tired of helping us humans. That’s why I’m working with some of their engineers to make life in the capital a bit easier for my crew. This place is beautiful, but it wasn’t built for a race without wings.
“I think I’d prefer to walk.”
An emotion flashes behind Llyr’s eyes, but it’s gone too quickly for me to know what it was. He dips his chin in agreement. “Then we shall walk. If you do not mind the company, that is,” he adds with a grin.
My heart flutters. Of course, I don’t mind. I enjoy talking with Llyr and I want to spend as much time with him as I can before he leaves Fire Clan territory. My gaze darts briefly again to his chest, hoping to see the swirling fate mark, but I find nothing. And I probably never will. Despite the desperate ache in my heart, I somehow manage to reply, “I’d love to walk with you.”
