Ella woke up early the next morning, and the first thought in her mind was the dragon shifter she'd been matched with the day before. She'd never met him or spoken to him, but there was something about the look in his eyes that made her feel like they'd known each other all their lives.

She couldn't rationalize her feelings, but that didn't make them any less intense. Since it was the weekend, and she didn't have to work that day, she got ready and left for the consulate. When her hover bus arrived at her bus stop, she got on board and rode through the skyways to her destination. There was a Draconian consulate on the street level in old Chicago that had been there since before the Mulgor invasion.

When she arrived, she got off the bus and stood in front of the Greek-style building with marble pillars and a domed roof. She took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to the front entrance. The doors slid open, and Ella walked inside, ready to meet her new life.

As soon as she stepped through the sliding glass doors, she was greeted by the Draconian consulate’s AI system.

“Greetings, Ella Turner. You have been matched with Shay Vishak, Water Prince of Galaton.”

Images of Shay projected three-dimensionally all around her and she was struck once again by his overwhelming masculine beauty. She gasped and lifted her fingertips to her lips.

Almost forgetting where she was and what she was doing, she didn't notice when the Draconian secretary approached her and cleared his throat. She looked up at the seven-foot-tall dragon shifter, wearing a skintight gray uniform and gasped again with surprise.

“Ella Turner,” the Draconian secretary said. “I am Secretary Kim. You know you have been mated with Prince Shay of Galaton. Congratulations.”

“I still don't understand what all this means,” Ella said. “How can I be mated with a Draconian who is so far away? How can I possibly have a two-week trial over such a long distance?”

“Indeed,” Secretary Kim started. “This is a very good question, Ella, thank you for asking. You should be aware that if you accept the mating with Prince Shay, we cannot ensure your safety or safe passage back to Earth if you choose not to stay with him on Galaton.”

“Can't he come here?” Ella asked.

“In fact, he cannot. The culture of Galaton prohibits him traveling all the way to Earth. The Galatonian dragons are known for their warlike culture. Unfortunately, since the last female died on their planet, the lower level aristocrats have been actively trying to overthrow the rule of the princes. Draconia cannot get involved with the politics of an independent planet. But we have opened the lottery to Galaton. And we will assist you in going to meet your prince. However, there are some other conditions you should be aware of.”

“Other conditions?” she asked, feeling more and more nervous about this with every passing second.

“Should you accept your match with Prince Shay, you will be artificially inseminated with his seed. The trip to Galaton will take a year. And during that time, you will be prohibited from interacting with him.”

“So I'm going to get pregnant with the baby of a man I've never met and then travel through space for a year while pregnant just to meet him? And you can't ensure that I can ever come home again?” she said, shocked.

Just verbalizing the words made her realize how ludicrous this proposition happened to be.

“That is correct. But just like other dragon shifters, the water Prince of Galaton will have already begun his mating thrall. It would have started for him the moment he found out he had been matched with you. If you do not go to join him, he will lose his mind and eventually die. Since we cannot ensure your safety, we can also not force you to join the prince on his planet. But we do encourage you to go.”

“Have any other brides made it safely to Galaton?” she asked.

“Two other bride ships have already left. The Fire Prince’s bride has already arrived with her baby. From what I understand, she is quite happy.”

“Well, that’s some reassurance at least,” Ella said.

She couldn't believe she was even considering this. All around her, images of Shay filled up every holographic screen available. He was tall and strong and gorgeous in a way she had never experienced before. The sight of him drew her as if there was already a bond between them that she couldn't explain.

“Why don't you take some time to think about it and give me your answer as soon as possible,” the secretary said.

“All right,” Ella muttered, dazed and confused.

She turned on her heel and left the consulate, feeling more muddled than ever. How could she leave everything she had ever known on Earth to join a man she'd never met? It didn't seem like a very good life choice.

Ella walked down the stairs of the consulate to the ground-level street of old Chicago. She gazed at the old Maple trees that lined the street. The orange, red and yellow leaves fluttered to the ground as the breeze blew through the dark branches. She had always loved this time of year on Earth. The thought of never seeing it again hurt her heart deeply.

She continued walking, thinking about her life as she went. Ella had never once been one to make rash decisions. Growing up in the orphanage, she had always been the most conservative girl in her group. Ella always looked before she leaped. She made balanced, rational choices. That had led her to a very productive and stable life.

But no matter how productive and stable her life was, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Many of the men and women of her generation were consumed by the pleasures readily available on the new Earth. Few people wanted to settle down and start a family anymore. And Ella, as conservative as she happened to be, was fairly tired of playing holo-games and going to music festivals. She wanted something more, something substantial, something real.

She thought about her students and how much she loved them. Ella had always wanted to be a teacher because she believed in the next generation. She loved children more than anything and being a teacher had fulfilled many of her core needs. But none of those children were her children. No matter how much she loved them, that would always be the case.

She could try to find a human man to start a family with on Earth, but so far, the opportunity had not presented itself. Ella was starting to believe it never would.

From everything that she knew about the dragon shifters, they were immensely loyal to their mates, giving them everything that they ever wanted. But the Water Prince of Galaton was not the same kind of dragon that she was used to.

Maybe he would be cruel to her. Maybe her life would be difficult. There was no way of knowing until she jumped headfirst into a completely new life. A life she wasn't sure that she was prepared for. She walked down the street and sat in a café on the corner while she watched the leaves fall from the trees.

A waiter came out and she ordered a chai latte. When he left, she thought about her prince. He had the most beautiful moss-green eyes she had ever seen. The thought of allowing him to die a horrible death by the madness of his own inner dragon tore her to the very core. How could she allow such a beautiful man to be destroyed by his own dragon – a dragon who wanted nothing more than her?

The waiter came back and set her chai latte on her table. She drank the spicy, creamy drink and looked up at the pale blue sky. Somewhere in space there was a man waiting for her. A man who was perfect for her in every way. Without her, he would die. With her, he would have a family, a child, a bride, and the rule of a planet called Galaton.

Who was she to disregard the hand of fate? All at once, Ella knew exactly what she needed to do. She was going to go to Galaton to meet and marry her dragon prince.