Aiden watched his mate as she dabbed the canvas with her brush. A bright smile lit her eyes and lips. She looked almost blissful. He wanted to see her like this all the time.

The pungent scent of oil paint and paint thinner wafted through the air as he drew closer. He observed her brush strokes, noting the skill with which she moved her hand and how the paintbrush fell across the canvas. She was a great talent, he was sure. Aiden was transfixed by the sight of her at her craft. His inner dragon roared and pressed him to move forward to take her in his arms and kiss her. But Aiden knew that it was impossible.

She had not even met him yet. They had not exchanged even a single word. He knew if he revealed himself for what he was, he would frighten her beyond repair. Aiden stood back in the shadows, trying to think of how to approach the situation. He had laughed at Dax’s awkwardness with Aria. But now he understood. He had no idea how to court a human female. No matter how many love songs he'd heard, or how many romantic movies his crew had studied, it was still a mystery.

When he’d left his planet a million years ago, mating was a very formal affair. Back then, he had no hope of finding a mate. Kian was lucky to have produced an heir with the Dragoness Prime, the last female dragon born on Dragonia. Baby Ember was the light of the House of Flames. Though Aiden was the Duke and Kian’s cousin, Ember was next in line to the throne. Aiden had never truly cared about such things. He was content to stay in the shadows, biding his time and waiting.

But as he watched his mate paint, he didn't know how long his usual patience would last. His inner dragon roiled with tumultuous emotions, writhing like a swirling storm. He had never felt so agitated. Even when they’d evacuated Dragonia, he had felt the abiding sense of calm that he brought to every situation. But now? Now he could barely contain himself. His dragon was in a tizzy. He had to hold himself back from charging into the clearing, grabbing the little human in his arms, kissing her deep on the lips, and demanding that she be his mate forever. He palmed his eyes, knowing how ridiculous these visions were in reality. The crew had strict orders not to reveal their true nature to humans. The war with the vampires was enough to keep them occupied. He’d have to court her like a human man, with subtlety and detachment.

His mate set down her paintbrush, opening her backpack to retrieve her lunch. She ate the sandwich as she looked out on the view. He crept closer, feeling that maybe now would be a good time to reveal himself. She took a deep drink of water from her thermos and set it back down beside her chair. He dropped his stealth mode and slung his guitar case over his shoulder. Maybe she would be impressed by his music. He moved slowly into the clearing, sat at a bench nearby, and began strumming his acoustic guitar. She looked at him over her sandwich and smiled.

"Hi," she said.

“Hi,” he said back, doing his best to conceal the burning need inside him.

“You're really good."

"I'm learning."

"No, I think you're great,” she said. “Are you a professional?"

"I am just an enthusiastic amateur."

"Well, you could be a professional."

"That's nice of you to say. Are you a professional painter?"

"I wish,” she said, putting away the leftovers from her lunch. “But I don't know if it's ever going to happen.”

"Why?"

"Well, as it is now, I can't make enough money to support myself living in the city.”

"You could always move," he said, thinking of the room they had at the mansion.

"I've been thinking about it. I'm Winnifred, by the way. Everyone calls me Winnie.”

"It's nice to meet you, Winnie. I’m Aiden.”

“It's nice to meet you too, Aiden. What brings you to the island today?"

"I just wanted to get away to play my guitar somewhere peaceful. Sometimes the city is a bit much, with the noise and commotion.”

"I completely agree with you," she said.

"Well," he said, feeling his inner dragon pressuring him more with each passing second. The smell of her filled his nose, and he didn't know if he could keep up this pleasant conversation. He was terrified of making a fool of himself and scaring her to death. “I'll leave you to your painting.”

"Okay," she said. “See you around."

He stood, taking his guitar, and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. He couldn't be so close to her without feeling the deep need to take her in his arms. It was frustrating and distracting. He had never felt so compelled to possess another being. She was like a beacon in the darkness, and he’d just realized how lost he’d always been.

Winnifred went back to her painting. Aiden sat in the shadows, watching her, feeling like a creep. But he was rooted in place, unable to leave and unable to move forward.

When the day stretched into evening, he emerged from the forest with his guitar in hand. He’d lost track of time watching her paint, but he knew they needed to get to the ship before it left.

"Hey," he said. “You're still here.”

She looked up at him as if waking from a dream.

"Oh my gosh, it's getting late, isn’t it?"

"Yeah. I think it's time to go.”

“I got really distracted. I was painting all day.”

“I played my guitar up on the hill. But now I'm worried we’re going to miss the boat."

"Crap, we better get going," she said, packing up her things. She carried her wet painting as she draped her backpack over her shoulder.

"Let me carry that for you," he said, taking her backpack.

“Thanks. We better run."

They hurried down the hill, making good time to the dock. The ship was already moving out into deep water when they made it to the beach. Winnie groaned and slapped her forehead.

"Oh my God!” she moaned. “We missed the boat!"