Everything inside me turns cold. A mate. The yearning in my heart for so damn long. And now I'm in love with Sarn. I fold my arms in front of me and lower my head onto them. Tears spill from my eyes at the injustice of what I'm being told. It's unfair... no that's too mild, it's tragic. I always expected to be so happy when I discovered my mate.Veda's hand rubs across my back. I don't even want to know who it is. I want nothing more than to curl up on the floor and never move again. I'm containing a scream because if I start I will never stop. I cannot do this to Sarn. My poor, poor dragon.I cry for a long time while Tyboll and Veda remain silent. When I finally lift my head, Veda hands me a tissue. I blow my nose in a very unladylike manner. Veda pushes my teacup in front of me and I take a sip of the now tepid liquid."Thank you," I say softly, my voice raw from crying.It's time I discover who will be my life partner. I must be strong. Even though a life without Sarn is more t
I am forever cursed. It is nothing I haven't earned. Sierra doesn't deserve this, though. We lie in our bed with her curled tight within my arms. She sleeps after hours of tears. I've remained awake throughout the night. I reached my decision within minutes of her telling me the truth of our fate. It is the only course that I can possibly take. Prolonging this torture will only kill her slowly. I want her to remember the wonderful times we've had. With me back in my realm, the wolf-mating bond should weaken. Sierra needs to go on with her life and find happiness with someone who is not cursed.I'm having trouble leaving the bed because I know it will wake her. She will never forgive me for this and I don't wish to see recrimination in her eyes. When I've almost given up on doing that which I must do, Dmitri appears in the room.His eyes reflect sadness. "The witches sent me and my mate waits at our home to care for Sierra after you're gone," he whispers.I have no idea how the witch
Half of my castle is destroyed and the other half is almost unlivable. I've charged into the walls until they crumble under my pounding fists and hostile body. I do not leave the castle during daylight and I haven't seen the sun in years.When darkness falls, the true nightmares begin. This is when I cause most of the destruction. Flying is the only thing that offers any comfort at all. I fly until minutes before the sun begins to rise so I can avoid the light. When your soul is black, the rest of the world should take heed.During the day, I sleep in fitful snatches of torment. Sometimes, I wake up with Sierra's scent on the edge of my consciousness. Often, and these are the worst, I don't see her in my dreams at all. I see each of my brides, one after the other, with looks of pity on their faces and it swallows me alive until I'm awake and destroying more of my castle walls.My life is hell. Each minute ticks away faster and faster. This time between brides usually slows down and
I'm holding my father and Talya's newborn baby. She's incredible. I love her smell, her softness, and her little wrinkles of baby fat that make me want to pinch her. I've smiled more in the past few days than during the past twenty-four years.Life goes on and this birth proves it. My father has nine children. My siblings all came for the birth and brought their mates, even Roland.Derrick is perfect for my brother. It took seven years for my brother to find him. Roland told me he saw Derrick across a room and he knew instantly. It was so bittersweet for me, though I was incredibly happy for him. They live with the Northeast Clan where Derrick comes from. They tell me stories of Nicolas, a fellow wolf, and his pack-cats and wolves much like my father's mixed pack. My brother is deliriously happy and I'm happy for him.I've written the clan history and gathered information from anyone willing to speak to me. Some of the stories from the female cats have been hard to listen to. It's i
Even after twenty-four years, life would be easier with alcohol. If I can say one good thing about my miserable existence, it's that I haven't had a drink in all these years. Anger, desolation, guilt, and hatred are my drug. I don't wish to spread my wings. I just want death. And now I will accomplish what my heart desires most.I'm not claiming a bride.The curse can take my worthless life and be done with it. While the excitement of claiming usually begins to build in the immediate years before the ceremony, these years have been the worst for me. I only fly out when the need for food forces me to hunt. I haven't seen a single person or dragon in ten years. Well, except a few weeks ago when Bastian came. I barely remember the threat that I made so many years before about considering dragons my enemy and Bastian gave no sign that he cared. I said little to him during his visit and only half listened to his boring diatribe. He said something about forgiving myself, but that will neve
I ride naked as he shows me his realm. It's more beautiful than any place I've ever seen. He flies me through the mountains, across great rivers, and over the ocean that he says separates his realm from Laryn's.As the sun rose this morning, Roxanne took me to her castle where the other dragons waited. They made me eat before taking me to Sarn. I met Ashrac. He was such a handsome boy and full of questions."You are part wolf?" he asked with excitement dancing in his eyes."Yes and you are part dragon," I replied.His chest puffed out. "I am all dragon."I smile at the memory as the wind flows through my hair and my legs clasp Sarn's neck. He lands in soft grass and shifts once I'm down from his back. We make love for hours. It's only my rumbling belly that finally calls a halt to our activities."I can offer nothing but meat," he tells me. "I must hunt and we can build a fire to cook it.""I wish to hunt with you. You be my eyes and we will find our dinner together." I shift to
I fly to the village without the usual burning joy that I've always felt before. The white gowns of the brides flutter in the light wind. My heart doesn't increase its pace at the sight. I don't want one of these women, I want Sierra.I wait for the crashing sensation that usually tells me who the one special bride is. And I wait. I fly over once, circle, and fly over again. Sierra wants me to love this bride. Those were her final words. I stop fighting fate and open my heart to my next bride. "I will try," I tell the wind.I'm not sure what's happening when the clouds above me begin to spin. Several humans are walking toward the center of town where they will kneel to me as I claim my bride. They stop walking. No, they actually freeze in mid-step. Everything but the clouds swirling above my head stops. Not even the gowns of my brides move with the wind.A beautifully winged Pegasus carries a woman as they charge from the clouds. I shake my head and look again. They're real... I thi
She is my true mate. My power builds and my violet light passes from me to her until we are one flashing glow of perfection. Her wolf's power blends with mine in seamless harmony. I have never felt this degree of rightness. I could only share a small part of this energy with my brides. Nothing like what is taking place right now. Sierra's cry floats on the wind and my shout follows. The light explodes around us. It reaches over a hundred yards in all directions and the ground shakes with the power of our release. We are mates. We are one. We are forever.I hold her long after our bodies calm. The glow around us dissipates slowly. If we were in the dragon realm and she my bride, she would have already transcended to dragon. It matters not. She is my mate-a wolf with a dragon's heart."I love you," she says against my chest."And I love you. I'm sorry it took the extra days to get here. I had to say goodbye.""I am sorry for everything you've lost." She's leaning up gazing at me with