Sophia woke in the morning to the sound of her holocom buzzing. Her head hurt like a SOAB. After a moment of flailing around, she looked down at her wrist.

“Report to your nearest Draconian Consulate at your earliest convenience. Draconian Mating Lottery Committee.”

She shook her head vigorously, trying to remember what had happened last night. All she could remember was taking a taxi to the hotel and promptly passing out.

Sophia had never wanted to mate. It just wasn't on her radar. All she ever wanted was to fly spaceships. End of story. She decided the message from the lottery must be a mistake.

Other memories crept across the foggy spaces of her mind. The Space Academy wouldn't take her, again. She groaned. No wonder she’d gotten wasted. She’d be destined to live her life piloting transport vessels back and forth over the Midwestern plains, forever. That was not the life she wanted.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pressed her feet to the floor. When she was safely on the ground she trudged across the hotel room to the kitchenette near the bathroom. Everything was high-tech and holographic.

She pressed a button on the counter to bring up the food replicator, and told it to make her a cup of coffee. A few seconds later, a cup rose out of the counter and she lifted it to her lips, taking a deep breath of the aroma.

She took a sip, savoring the flavor and feeling the caffeine work on her addled brain. Then Sophia walked across the hotel room and looked out the big window at the city below.

This area of central California had been rebuilt into a new city after the Mulgor invasion. It reached high above the forests and rolling hills that surrounded it. The new cities of Earth integrated natural elements into the landscapes in a way that traditional human cities never had. That was the Draconian influence.

Gardens spread across the faces of the skyscrapers. Hover bridges with tree-lined streets hung between them. Hover cars moved in the skyways among the towering buildings. Whole areas of preserved nature were at junction points throughout the vast city. Multi-level greenhouses produced fresh fruits and vegetables for the inhabitants.

New California really was a mecca. And it was one of Sophia’s favorite cities. And it should be: she was born here. Her family still lived in New Sacramento, and she was supposed to go see them for dinner.

What would they think when they found out she had been turned down for the Academy again? She couldn’t even imagine it. Sophia flicked her wrist to bring up her holocom, wanting to read the message from the Space Academy a second time.

“Report to your nearest Draconian Consulate at your earliest convenience. Draconian Mating Lottery Committee.”

“Oh, right. This,” she said to herself.

She clicked on previous messages from the Draconian Mating Lottery and the full picture of what she’d been up to last night came into view.

“Holy crap,” she said as she looked at the image of the dragon who was supposed to be her mate.

He was gorgeous. Faintly blue skin, massive broad shoulders, a smile to die for. Crap. She did not want a mate. What had possessed her to join the lottery? Finally, she remembered: she’d been pissed about the Academy and was acting like a drunken brat.

“Last time I let that side of my personality make major life decisions,” she muttered, flicking off her holocom.

What was she going to do now? Sophia had never wanted to join the mating lottery. It just wasn't something she thought about. A lot of girls her age wanted to be mated with the seven-foot-tall deadly sexy dragon shifters. But Sophia didn't even want a regular human boyfriend.

Her family had gotten used to the idea of her traveling through space because it was all that she had ever talked about since she was a little girl. Nevertheless, she didn't think that they would be thrilled about her leaving for an unknown planet like Galaton.

She finished her coffee and set her cup back in the food replicator. It quickly disappeared below the counter.

Sophia strode into the bathroom and took a nice old-fashioned water shower before getting ready for the day. She slipped into a pair of jeans, black boots, a black tank top, a motorcycle jacket, and aviator sunglasses.

She smiled at herself in the mirror and walked out of her hotel room. Out on the street, she caught a hover bus and rode it to the downtown New Sacramento Draconian Consulate.

It was time to put an end to this whole mating fiasco before it went too far.

She got off the bus and walked up the stairs of the Draconian Consulate. She had never been to one of these places before, but it was pretty impressive. The domed building had Greek-style pillars above the front entrance.

As she approached the glass doors, they slid open to allow her to enter. The inner room of the dome was completely empty except for one Draconian secretary sitting behind a desk.

Upon entering, Sophia was immediately greeted by the building’s artificial intelligence system.

“Greetings Sophia Castillo. You have been matched with Air Prince Elait Purr of Galaton. Congratulations!”

The secretary rose from his desk and approached her. The seven-foot-tall Draconian was wearing a skin tight silver uniform with the dragon-shaped emblem of Draconia on his chest. He bowed slightly forward and then stood, gazing down at her.

“I've come about the lottery,” she said reluctantly, putting her hand on her hip.

Compared to the seven-foot-tall dragon shifter, Sophia felt like a midget. She looked up at his chiseled body - aka perfection personified. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to mate with one of these guys.

“Sophia Castillo, you've been matched with one of the Princes of Galaton,” the secretary said.

“That's what I’ve heard,” she muttered.

“I'm secretary Qui,” he said. “I will assist you with the transition into becoming a Draconian bride.”

“What does that mean, exactly? I don’t even want to do this.”

“I must explain to you that Galaton is not part of the Draconian government. They do not abide by our laws. Usually, when a bride is matched with a Draconian male, she is required to at least spend a week with her match before deciding if she will stay with him or not. As you know, when a Draconian male knows his bride has been identified, it ignites his mating thrall. The mating thrall will drive the dragon shifter mad and will eventually result in his death if left unsatisfied. Mating is serious business for Draconians.”

“I know all about that,” Sophia said.

“In the case of Galaton, we cannot require the brides to go to their mates because we cannot ensure your safety once you arrive on the planet.”

“So I don't have to go,” she said, with relief.

“Correct. But we do encourage all brides to go to their dragon mate. Without you, he will perish. But we will leave the decision in your capable hands.”

“No pressure or anything,” she muttered.

“One other thing you must know. Each bride of Galaton is required to be inseminated with her prince’s seed before leaving the solar system.”

“You mean impregnated?” she asked, aghast.

“That is correct,” he said. “Since the prince cannot come to you, due to political issues on Galaton, you must begin the mating bond through impregnation. An heir is also required of you for those same political reasons. So the insemination serves two purposes.”

“I don’t understand any of this. I only signed up because I was drunk and upset about something else. Now I’m supposed to get pregnant with a man I’ve never met and then travel to a place where you can’t even ensure my safety! All I ever wanted was to fly spaceships. This isn’t what I signed up for.”

“You will be on a spaceship, if that is any consolation. The bride ships are state of the art transport vessels.”

“I'll let you know by the end of the day,” she said, turning on her heel.

The secretary put his hand to his heart and bowed again. Sophia walked out of the consulate, feeling more confused than ever. She didn't want a husband or a baby. And now she was getting guilted into both. Because of a stupid, drunken mistake she'd made.

She huffed out a deep breath, waiting at the hover bus stop. The shiny, metallic bus silently floated into the station, and Sophia climbed on. She found a seat and it took off. When she stepped off the hover bus again, she was in front of her parents' house. She gazed down at the succulents on the ground and then up at the palm trees in the front yard. Her parents owned an old-world house with an inlaid stone front walk.

The front door opened before she could even knock, and her mother ran out and swept her up into her arms

“Sophia,” her mother said. “What took you so long?”

The rest of her family, including her father, her younger brother, her aunts and uncles, her grandparents on both sides, two cousins, four nieces and three nephews all ran up to greet her. She could smell the scent of BBQ wafting through the house as everyone hugged and patted her.

She loved her family, but sometimes it could be a little much. Sophia was an adventurer. All she had ever wanted was to go into space. Now she had the opportunity, but it would mean leaving her family behind and probably never coming back. She never expected to have to do that, and she wasn't sure if she could do it now.

The opportunity to see the distant reaches of space was beyond alluring to her, but she didn't know if her family would understand. She didn’t know if she could leave them.

Everyone walked out into the backyard that had been set up for the barbecue. She grabbed a hamburger from the table and sat down beside her cousin Tina, who already had two children of her own.

Sophia hadn't planned to have kids yet, but if she wanted to go into space to meet this prince, she would have to. That was part of the deal.

The Draconian secretary had told her she didn't really have to go because they couldn't promise she would ever come back, or that she would be safe with this Prince of Galaton. It could be a dangerous situation, but that wasn't really what worried her.

She would get to go to space, but she also had to marry this dragon shifter guy. What if he didn't want her to pilot ships? She didn't know if she could live without flying.

She knew that Draconians cherished their brides; that they treated human women with an equal level of respect as human males. But these dragon shifters were not of the same culture as the Draconians that she knew. Maybe they were totally different.

Maybe she would get to the planet Galaton with her baby in her arms, and never be able to pilot again. She'd spent her youth babysitting her cousins and other children in the neighborhood. She knew how to take care of kids and she liked them well enough. She was sure that if she had a baby of her own, she would probably end up liking it. But she knew she could never give up her passion for flying for anything.

No matter what, she was going to have to make a decision. The Draconian secretary was waiting for her reply. If she didn't go to her mate, he would end up going insane and then self-destructing.

Most human women who were matched with Draconian males were required to stay with her mate for at least a few weeks due to his mating impulse. Sophia didn't know of a single human woman who had decided against staying with her mate after the two weeks were up. It never happened.

She took a big bite of hamburger and relished the flavor. She came home to California every couple of weeks. Her mom baked and her dad loved to grill. She knew she could always get something good to eat when she came home.

That was definitely a consideration when it came to whether or not she would agree to go to Galaton. How could she leave her family?

Her parents sat together at the end of the table. She knew she really needed to talk to them about her decision, so she leaned in closer to speak to them.

“You're not going to believe what happened to me this morning,” she said.

“What's that honey?” her dad said.

“I signed up for the Draconian Mating Lottery and was matched with a dragon shifter.”

“I never thought I'd see the day when my little girl settled down and found a man,” her mother said. “Where is he from?”

“That's the thing,” Sophia started. “He isn't here on Earth. And he also isn't from Draconia. He's from the planet Galaton. I found out that they're an old colony of Draconia. But now they’re independent and, run equally by four princes.”

“I've never heard of Galaton,” her father said.

“Where is it?” her mother asked.

“It's at the other side of the Draconian galaxy,” Sophia admitted. “It's a year-long journey past the wormhole between Earth and Draconia.”

“But you can come back to visit?” her mother asked.

“I don't think I can,” Sophia admitted.

Her father's face fell and he shook his head. “They aren’t going to force you to go, are they?”

“No,” Sophia said. “They told me I don't have to go because they can't ensure my safety.”

“That's very generous of them,” her mother said sarcastically.

“I thought you were going to reapply for the Space Academy,” her father added.

“My application was denied…again,” Sophia said. “This is my one chance to go into space.”

“I'm sure you can find another way to live your dream,” her father said. “I don't want my baby doing something so dangerous. We might never see you again.”

“Piloting a spaceship is all I've ever wanted to do,” Sophia said. “I'm going to be on a spaceship for an entire year. I know I'll be able to get them to let me pilot it during that whole time.”

“Your father's right, Sophia,” her mother said. “It's not safe.”

“I told them I’d think about it,” she said.

The more her parents objected to her going, the more she wanted to go. Sophia didn't like being told what to do by anyone, even her mom and dad.

She took another bite of hamburger, wondering if her need to rebel against her parents was going to get her into trouble. She’d probably end up with a controlling dragon shifter who just wanted her to give him babies.

By the time she was done with her lunch and her mother's pineapple upside down cake, she was about ready to leave. She loved her family more than anything, but they just didn't get it. Sophia needed more out of life than driving a transport vessel and attending family barbecues.

She needed adventure. She needed experiences and exciting sensations. Even if Elait Purr, Air Prince of Galaton, ended up being a dick, at least she’d get to have the adventure of a lifetime.

As she left her parents’ house, she finally knew what to do. She had to tell the Draconian secretary she was ready to get knocked up.

Sophia took the bus back to the Draconian Consulate and strode inside. It was almost the end of their business hours, but the Draconian secretary still sat behind his desk.

The AI greeted her with the same lame greeting it had before, and the secretary stood as soon as he saw her. He walked across the room and put his hand on his heart, bowing slightly in greeting.

“Sophia Castillo,” Secretary Qui said. “Have you come to a decision?”

“I have. I'm going to go to Galaton.”

“You won't regret it. The Galatonians may be different from the Draconians of Draconia, but they are an honorable race of dragon shifters.”

Sophia didn't find that very reassuring, but she had already made her decision, and she was sticking with it.

“So when can I get started with this whole impregnation thing?”

“The bride ship Breaking Dawn is awaiting your decision. You can board immediately. The medic will give you further instructions.”

“Let's do this thing,” Sophia said.

The secretary led her through the domed consulate building and through a sliding door at the back of the room. Inside, they came to an engineering center.

Banks of computers lined the right wall and a holographic communications dashboard filled up the left one. The secretary began to flick his fingers across the holographic screen. The empty wall on the far side of the room slid open to reveal the passenger bay of a space pod.

“So I'm going right now?” she asked.

“It is advisable that you leave as soon as you have made your decision.”

Sophia thought about it for a minute and realized she really didn't have anything that she wanted to take with her. She’d spent most of her life working and wasn't really someone who kept a lot of keepsakes. She had a whole crapload of photographs of her family on her holocom. Her holocom device also had all her favorite entertainment and all her contacts on Earth.

“I'm ready to go.”

Sophia took a deep breath, deciding she wouldn’t tell her parents until after she’d left Earth. They’d only try to talk her out of it.

She stepped into the passenger bay and sat down in one of the seats, bringing the straps down over her head. She already knew how to use it, but the secretary checked to make sure that it was on properly anyway. When he was satisfied that she was strapped in, he went over to the dashboard of the space pod and entered some information. When he was done, he walked to the door and turned to her one last time.

“Congratulations and good luck, Sophia Castillo,” he said before stepping back.

The door slid shut, leaving her inside by herself. She felt flushed with nerves for the first time since she'd been matched with her Draconian prince.

The engines rumbled to life beneath her and her body vibrated as the space pod began to levitate into the air. It quickly gained momentum as it left the ground, charging over the city and into the blue California sky.

She could see outside the front window of her pod, which was quickly approaching the edge of the atmosphere. The pod began to shake violently as they broke through the stratosphere. Sophia saw the flames of the upper barrier flowing around her pod as it accelerated into space.

When her pod finally broke through to the other side of the atmosphere, she could see the black void of space, dotted with the pinpoints of bright stars. She thought about how each one had a solar system of its own, with exotic alien landscapes and life. Her heart swelled, just thinking about all of the new things she would see in her life as the bride of the Air Prince of Galaton.