I turn myself over in bed, angry. Fuming.

This is not how I expected to spend the first day with my melethril.

I’ve got a half a mind to storm into Eldrin’s home and give him an earful, but I don’t want to see anyone but Amelia right now. Yes, Bodakin might have found me a perfect mate, but if what she says is true, and I have no reason to doubt her, she did not fully realize what she was signing up for.

The Celestial Mates tricked her — and me.

For I am faced with an impossible decision.

I can keep Amelia by my side against her will, keep her from the world she has always known, from her family and friends, and force her to bear me children. She will grow to resent me, and we will both be miserable.

Or, I can let her go, force Eldrin or Bodakin to open a gate back to her world, and kiss my perfect mate goodbye — forever. My dragon will not survive being separated from her, and the saknar, the feral rage will take me and drive me to madness. I can either follow her to Earth, and abandon my people, or stay and lose myself.

A devil’s dilemma.

I am no closer to figuring out a solution when the door to my hut bursts open. One of my men stands in the doorway.

“My prince!” he shouts. “Qroq incoming!”

Before he’s even finished his sentence, I am already standing and dressed, ready for action. The hurt and anger plaguing my soul will have to wait — my instinct takes over.

“How many?” I bark.

“Dozens! They’re combing through the woods!”

They must really want Amelia back. The Qroq rarely patrol in this area, and if they do, there’s never more than a handful. They prefer the open sky, where they can ride their captured dragons, where they have the upper hand.

I could take the fight to them, but we are in no position to fight a proper battle. We are not prepared. There are too many women and children in Koti to risk it.

“Organize a retreat to Mount Thirna immediately,” I growl. “Go!”

I rush outside and help organize the exodus. My people are well-trained in this — unfortunately, it’s not the first time they’ve had to run for their lives, and it won’t be the last — and I’m happy to see it goes over smoothly. I keep my eyes out for my mate, but she’s nowhere to be found.

There are multiple routes to Mount Thirna. We always split up, so that if one group is intercepted, we don’t lose the entire village. Right now, all I can do is hope Amelia is part of another group, for I cannot abandon my post.

As we travel through the swampland to the hidden tunnels, my heart is racing at a million miles per minute.

I never should have let her leave my sight.

She is new to this world. Unfamiliar to our ways, to the danger my people have grown accustomed to. Letting her wander around was reckless on my part. Yes, she said she needed space, but as a leader, I have to make certain calls.

Even if she disagrees with them.

Once the tunnels of Mount Thirna come into view, I break out into a run. We are the last group to arrive, but to my horror, Amelia is not among them.

“Where is she?!” I growl, grabbing one of my men by the neck. I smash his back against the wall. “Where is she?!”

“I-I don’t know, my prince,” he stammers. “I am sorry!”

I let him go. I shouldn’t be taking my anger out on him.

This is all on me.

I rush back outside, running as fast as my legs will carry me back to our village. My dragon is roaring inside of me, begging for me to let it go, but I cannot.

I can’t risk detection. If I shift here, it would endanger all of my people.

Twigs hit me in the face, water splashing up with every step. I reach Koti with my heart beating in my throat, my skin shimmering with scales as my inner-dragon threatens to burst forth.

Her scent.

In my heightened state, I can sense her location. She’s in one of the houses. I burst to the front door to find her rummaging through the home.

“What in Avik’s name are you doing?!” I growl, my anger at her carelessness barely contained.

“Hold on,” she says, not even glancing up at me. “It’s got to be here somewhere!”

“What?” I ask. As a prince, and the Thalanil’s so called savior, I’m not used to being rebuffed so casually.

“Ah, here it is!”

She pulls a stuffed toy from behind the bed, a victorious smile on her face. I don’t see what’s there to smile about. Within one step I’m standing in front of her, and I grab her wrist tightly.

“Have you lost your mind?” I ask. “The Qroq could be here at any moment! Don’t you know the danger you’re putting us in?”

Of course she doesn’t. It’s my fault we’re here, instead of the safety of Mount Thirna.

“Ow, you’re hurting me,” she says as she tries to pull her arm free. “I promised Celaena I’d grab Fenrir for her,” she says. “She can’t sleep without him.”

“You’re risking your life… for a toy?”

“It’s not just a toy — never mind, you wouldn’t understand. Either way, we can go now.”

“Good,” I growl.

We step outside, and find ourselves staring right at the open maw of a dragon.

“Found you,” the Qroq riding it barks.

Ah, fuck.

“Get behind me,” I growl to my mate as I spread my arms wide.

Time to show this Qroq my true form.

I can feel the immense power course through my veins. My body shifts, changes, transforms. My hands turn to claws, and massive springs sprout from my back.

The Qroq rider is alone — I have to kill him before he can warn the others. I can take on one, two, perhaps even three, but even one as powerful as me cannot take on a dozen enraged dragons all at once.

The dragon in front of me snaps his jaws at me, licking his fangs with hunger. I look into his eyes, but the Thalanil inside is gone. His feral nature has taken over, the shock-collar around his neck driving him berserk.

I’ll try not to harm him, but I’ll kill for my mate if I have to.

Fire tickles the back of my throat as I prepare my attack. No other dragon has a breath as strong as me. When the rider makes his move, I will be ready.

I spread my wings out wide, and when the rider sees how big I truly am, I can see the fear in his beady little eyes. The Qroq pulls on his reins, urging his dragon to turn around and flee.

This is my moment.

The fire continues to build in my belly. All the anger, the fear, the resentment I feel inside of me builds into a fiery, devastatingly powerful inferno.

The dragon turns, exposing the Qroq’s back to me. I jump forward and breathe a cone of fire, the blaze so intense it scorches my own throat. The pillar of brilliant, blazing fire reaches much further than the rider ever expected.

The Qroq turns his head, surprised — and he’s turned to ash when the heat strikes him.

The dragon, freed from his tormenter, flees. I want to chase him and free him from his collar, but there’s no time. Already I can hear more enemies in the distance, alerted by the smoking treetops.

I shift back as quickly as I can and turn back to Amelia. Her face is pale, her mouth open.

“Are you okay?” I say, my voice still a dragon-like growl.

She nods.

I lift her up and rush from the village, as fast as I can. I do not stop when I’m out of breath, when my muscles, strained from the quick transformations, protest, ache, and burn with pain.

I don’t stop until we’re back in the safety of Mount Thirna, until I carry her into my personal cave, my arms wrapped tightly around her soft, warm frame.

I have made my choice.

I am never, ever letting her go.

I hope she’ll find it in her heart to forgive me.