Lexi sat in the apartment looking over the course information for the next semester at her old school, wistfully thinking about how great it would be if she could continue her studies at the human university, while also studying with the technicians aboard the science vessel in the Draconian armada.

Nash’s voice spoke over the communication system: “I would like you to come join me down at the flight gymnasium. Follow the lights on the floor leading you out of the apartment. It will bring you to me.”

“What is the flight gymnasium?” she asked.

“You’ll see when you get here.”

Lexi slipped off the couch, and followed the lights blinking on the floor in a line toward the exit. She stepped through the door and down the hallway until she came to an elevator, which took her straight up. It opened into an entrance hallway with double doors leading into what looked like an immense room. It was as big as several football stadiums lined up and stacked upon each other. The roof was clear and open to the view of space beyond.

Dragons of various colors, shapes, and sizes flew below the blinking lights of the stars shining through the ceiling. Lexi stepped through the entrance and covered her mouth with her hands. She had never seen the dragons up close before, and she was shocked and amazed at how graceful and magnificent they truly were.

She saw Nash standing at the edge of the floor, one of the only males in human form in the entire room. She walked toward him with excitement building in her belly—he looked so imposingly handsome, she tingled all over. He smiled back at her, and opened up his arms while showing his sharp teeth.

“You’ve arrived, beloved,” he said, bringing her into his arms and patting her back.

She pushed away gently and smiled shyly up at him, feeling overwhelmed by the massive space, and the dragons around her.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” she asked.

“I wanted to show you my dragon,” he said, standing proudly as his officers stood beside him.

“Okay.” Lexi felt both giddy and nervous at the same time. She’d seen dragons on the news, she’d even seen them flying above her neighborhood, but she’d never expected to see one up close. It all seemed so mythological, so foreign, so alien.

He took a few steps back, puffing out his chest as he grinned down at her. He peeled off his uniform—with one flick of his finger, it disappeared. With a mighty roar, he tilted back his head and in the space of a few seconds, grew and morphed into a being the size of a killer whale, with wings covered in red scales, and a mouth of teeth that would frighten any monster.

Lexi stepped back and gasped. She wasn’t sure if it was horror or excitement that she felt when she looked at her husband in his true form. He was a dragon, a mythological creature from centuries past. He was a barbarian god, from deep antiquity. Lexi’s heart clanged inside her chest, beating furiously with desire and arousal.

Nash pumped his wings and jumped into the air, soaring high above her. The bright shining stars of the heavens couldn’t compare to the beauty and grace of his being. His power permeated the space. It came upon her in waves, and she could barely keep her knees from buckling under the weight of it.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, her eyes wide. She couldn’t believe that this was the man she’d been given to. According to the Draconians, she was his soul mate—his one and only, his perfect match. Lexi might not believe that computers could find you true love, but she was beginning to believe it was possible that Nash could be the one.

He dove, and circled, and rose into the air, seeming to do aerial acrobatics for her amusement. She laughed and clapped, cheering as he tried to impress her.

Nash swooped down and landed gracefully on the floor, walking toward her in his Dragon form. Without missing a stride, he contorted, shifted, changed, and instead of the dragon, there was Nash walking toward her—the man who had been so kind and patient, the man that had taken control of the situation, even when she had no idea what to do. Even though the Draconians caused problems on Earth, Nash had shown that he was trying to solve them. He cared about her, and she could feel it.

He came to her and took her hands, kissing the sensitive pulse points of her wrists. Lexi bit her lip and blinked, almost ready to let him show her how she would open to him.

“That was amazing,” she said. “I’m kind of stunned. I can’t believe I was that close to a dragon.” She stared up at him with awe on her face.

“You’ve been that close, and closer, this whole time.” He said this modestly, but she could tell that he was pleased by her reaction.

“I know. But, you look human. It’s easy to forget that you aren’t.”

“Were you pleased with what you saw?” he asked, a sexy smile on his face since he already knew the answer.

“Pleased? It was magnificent. When I was a kid, I was really into dragons. Little did I know that we’d be invaded by them a few years later.” And then I’d be married to one.

“This isn’t an invasion,” Nash grumbled, his smile fading.

“What would you have done if human women refused to mate with you?” she asked. Why am I antagonizing him again?

“We only take willing women,” he said, putting his hands on his waist and standing taller.

“I wasn’t willing,” she pointed out, perversely attempting to push his buttons—if he had any.

“Let us finish this discussion somewhere private, my beloved bride,” he said, taking her hand tightly and leading her out of the flight gymnasium.

When they arrived back at their apartment, she sat on the couch and crossed her arms, looking out at the blackness of space. She wanted to know why he hadn’t let her go even though she didn’t want to be there. You’re lying again. He sat beside her, his body sinking gracefully into the couch.

“When the mate is located, the male’s mating impulse goes into overdrive. The inner dragon awakens with the need to couple and claim the rightful mate. It can be torture. That is why, once a perfect match is located, we cannot let her go.” He made it all sound so normal.

“Even if it’s against her will?” She wasn’t ready to claim defeat on this point, even though his body leaning against hers was making it hard to concentrate on the conversation.

“If the fated mate is not claimed, the dragon will wither and die. A female has never refused to mate after some time with her male. It is impossible. Even if a bride is reluctant at first, she will come around eventually. The mating impulse can be hard to overcome, but male Draconians care for their brides, and do not force them to mate.” He sounded more subdued with each word, as if he realized she still didn’t want to stay with him.

“Ever?”

“No. It is counter to our ways,” Nash said softly, without looking at her.

“Like leaking illegal technology to a vulnerable population?”

“Lexi,” he started, his voice annoyed, but then he turned away. “I am doing what I can. The fleet is full of civilians. Half the crew is civilians. This hastily assembled mission is ripping apart at the seams. The government back home is preoccupied with a war which is taking all our best soldiers. I am one of the few active military officers who will remain on this ship for the duration of our stay. I am blessed to have been granted a mate—it was the greatest wish of my heart, and I want only to make you happy.” By the end, he stared into her eyes, his practically pleading for her to give this—him—a chance.

“I get it, okay?” she said, putting her hand over his. He looked up at her, hope in his eyes. “You’re trying. You’re understaffed, and have no direction from your bosses. It’s a messed up situation.”

“I know who has been leaking the illegal technologies into human society. A man disappeared from the ship about a week ago, from the waste treatment vessel. His name is Hallo Vox. Come—we will go hunt him down together. Put this on under your clothes, it is a Draconian protective suit. It will conform to your body and protect you from harm.”

He walked to a cabinet and handed her a slinky green jumpsuit. She took it and hurried to change, excited that he was showing so much initiative and willingness to help her, let alone the fact that he was taking her along. She knew he wasn’t supposed to do that. It excited her that he would take a chance like this, just to show her how much he cared. I care for him, as well, no matter how much I don’t want to.

After she’d thrown her regular clothes on over the jumpsuit, she joined Nash again in the living room. They went down to his shuttle and flew toward Earth, breaking through the atmosphere in a fiery blast.

They slowly descended toward Earth and landed at the consulate in downtown Seattle. When they walked out onto the streets of the city, she took a deep breath of the damp air. It had just rained, and the streets were shiny with puddles. The smell of coffee and chocolate filled her senses as she walked past the shops, with Nash holding her hand.

She could barely resist popping into a coffee shop and getting a drink. It had been so long since she’d had one. He looked down, inspecting her.

“What is it?” he asked with a twinkle in his beautiful eyes. “I can tell you crave something by the look on your face.”

“Smell that coffee?” she asked, stopping on the street.

“Yes. Do you want that?” he asked, with another small smile.

She nodded her head, smiling brightly. They stepped inside the warm cafe. The smell of caramel, coffee, and muffins wafted through the air. She gazed around at the funky artwork on the brick walls. Earth. Home.

She went to the counter, still holding Nash’s hand. The sexy, hip barista looked up at Nash, and her eyes grew wide with desire. Lexi pursed her lips and smiled at the girl. “I’ll have a large mocha.”

“And, for the gentleman?” the barista said with a sexy tilt of her head. Stay away, bitch. Woah, where had that come from?

“I’ll have what she’s having,” he said, making Lexi laugh and easing the sudden tension between Lexi and the barista.

The girl shook her head and looked down at the cash machine. Nash paid with a credit card that he pulled out of his skintight suit. They took their coffees outside, and walked down the Seattle streets. Orange leaves fell around them. She sipped her coffee, feeling giddy inside. Nash was so hot. Girls totally wanted him. She laughed softly.

“What is it?” he asked her, his eyes on hers alone.

“It’s nothing,” she said, hiding another small smile. “So, where is this guy?”

“Ah. His vessel landed somewhere on the south side of the city.”

“South side?” she said. The coincidence was too much.

“Yes. There is a car waiting for me in a parking lot not far from here.”

The continued down the sidewalk and entered a parking lot. Nash pulled keys out of his suit, and pressed the button until his car beeped at him. They approached a brand new black Lamborghini, with jet propulsion hover technology.

“Wow,” she said, as he opened the door for her. She slid inside and put on her seatbelt.

Nash slipped behind the wheel and closed the door. “Do you know how to drive this thing?” she asked him, as he turned the key in the ignition.

“Yes. I’ve done it many times in the last five years.”

He shot out of the parking space and zoomed onto the street. As the transportation grid interlocked with the car, Nash pressed his foot on the gas, increasing up to an insane speed. They dodged through cars, and wove around traffic. It seemed like it took only a few seconds for them to arrive in the south side.

Nash parked in front of a tenement building and got out. Lexi got out behind him, and followed him up the front walk as he went inside. It smelled of urine and stale cigarettes.

“Where are we supposed to go now?” Lexi asked, as they stood in front of the filthy staircase and equally filthy broken elevator.

“Dragons like to be close to the sky, or below ground in caves. In a building like this, I’d guess the top floor.”

“How do you know he’s here?”

“Because the transport vessel had these landing coordinates. It is the most likely location of landing.”

Lexi followed him up the stairs, one at a time, until she was winded. It was a twenty-floor apartment building, too high to have a broken elevator. Some people came down the stairs, looking at Lexi and Nash strangely as they passed.

Nash noticed her strain, and lifted her up off the floor, carrying her the rest of the way to the top. She held his shoulders, looking at the masculine angles of his face. She could feel his hard muscles all around her, and smell the spicy scent of his skin. She bit her lip, feeling herself dampen from the contact.

He set her down before the opened the door to the roof. Suddenly, Lexi dropped to her knees when she saw what was beyond the door. Mario stood there with a Draconian in human form. A transport vessel was parked behind them on the roof. They had Melody bound and gagged, sitting on a chair between them.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lexi screamed. Melody looked up as Nash growled and burst forward.

The other Draconian jumped into the air, shifting into a smaller green dragon, much like the one she’d seen in the sky above her neighborhood. Nash crashed into him. Mario dragged Melody to her feet and shoved her into the vessel, pointing a gun at Lexi.

Lexi ran forward, knowing that her suit would protect her from the bullets. She slammed full force into Mario, shocking him so much he toppled over, dropping the gun. Melody screamed behind her gag. Lexi ran for the gun, scooping it up off the ground before Mario could touch it.

“How could you?” Lexi screamed at him. “My father had the money to pay you off! And you took my sister anyway?” The gun shook as she held it.

“This was never about the money, princess. There are Draconians who don’t want to wait for the computers to find them a bride. I’m only giving them what they want.”

“You sick bastard,” she yelled, aiming the gun at him as she circled around to Melody. She tugged the bounds at her wrists and untied her. Mario made a motion toward her while she was distracted—he lunged at the gun.

The dragons clashed above while Mario dove into Lexi and tried to grab for the gun. It went flying through the air and landed at Melody’s feet. The sweet, shy teenager picked up the gun and aimed it at Mario, both fingers on the trigger. She stepped toward him.

“You deserve to die for what you’ve done to my family,” Melody said, her tone even and unafraid.

Melody’s finger twitched on the trigger, pulling it slightly back. In the split second before she shot Mario, Nash swooped down and grabbed the gun from her hand. The other dragon lay bleeding and unconscious on the roof.

“You don’t need blood on your hands, little human,” Nash said, slipping the gun into the transport vessel. Melody began to cry then, and Lexi ran to her, throwing her arms around her little sister.

Nash grabbed Mario by the scruff of the neck. “So, you’re his human contact, huh?” Nash demanded.

“You can’t stop it! It’s already out there,” Mario stammered.

“That isn’t going to save you from spending the rest of your life in jail,” Nash said. Nash threw both men into a secure holding area in the back of the transport vessel, and the girls sat in the comfortable seats in the passenger bay. He started the small ship and flew back to the consulate in downtown Seattle.

The police were already waiting for them there. Mario would be booked by human police, but Nash would take Hallo Vox back for Draconian justice. After both men were sorted, Lexi sat with her sister in a comfortable room in the back of the consulate.

“It’s even worse than we thought, Nash,” Lexi said to him.

“It was an isolated event, my beloved bride. Nothing more.”

“How can you be so sure?” She wanted to believe him—to believe in him. She stared into his eyes.

“I will fix it,” he said in his even way, and she did believe him. He would fix it.

Lexi looked back at her sister, who was still shaking. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked her.

“I will, eventually,” Melody said.

“Did Dad ever get the money?”

“Yeah. He paid off Mario, too. That didn’t stop him from tracking us down at our new house on the north side.”

“You guys moved?” She wondered how they could afford that?

“Yeah. It’s a way better neighborhood; Nash helped us find it. People who live there actually still have jobs.” Lexi was caught up on the ‘Nash helped us find it’ part.

“What do you mean, Nash helped you find it?” Lexi looked over at Nash standing on the other side of the room.

“He came to our old apartment, introduced himself, asked us where we wanted to live. And then, he made sure it happened,” her sister answered, both of them looking over at Nash now.

I can’t believe he did that. An unfamiliar sweet feeling pushed on her chest, making it harder to breathe.

“That sounds awesome. How’s your new school?” Lexi asked, trying to recover.

“It’s fine. But, what about you? What’s it like living on a spaceship?”

“It’s actually kind of nice,” Lexi said, blushing slightly.

“And, what about him?” Melody asked, pointing at Nash.

“He’s…kind of nice, too.” Lexi looked up at him. He caught her eye, and they smiled at each other.

“We would be happy to take you home, Melody,” Nash said.

They went out to the parking lot and climbed into an SUV. Melody and Lexi sat in the backseat together and talked until they arrived at the family’s new home.

Lexi was surprised and pleased when they walked up to the clean, new condo structure. They took the elevator upstairs and walked down the hall to her family’s door. Nash did this. Oh god, my heart is in trouble.

Inside the bright condo, Lexi found her father working at a table full of gears and gadgets, the digital glasses gone. She wanted to yell at him for what he had done, but instead, she stood there a moment and contemplated giving him a hug. She let out a deep breath and leaned in.

“You look good, Dad,” she said, patting his back.

“You do, too. That’s a nice outfit, honey.” He admired her dress.

“Dad, this is Nash Or, my…mate.” She gave him a sheepish grin. Nash reached in and shook her father’s hand, smiling at him.

“I hope he’s being good to you.” Lexi’s temper flared up. But, then she relented. She knew her father had done what he thought would be best for everyone. The stories they told about life with the Draconians was mostly true—it was a decent life, better than what she had been living before.

“He is, Dad,” she said, patting his back again.

Nash grinned, showing his sharp teeth. His chest puffed out with pride. “Your daughter fills my heart with joy.”

Lexi’s own heart practically burst, and she put her arm around Nash’s waist. She was at a loss for words.