I spent two days in a stupor of agony. The injection burned like acid as it coursed through my veins. My father left me to scream the pain away. He did not come near me in that time. He left me, breaking and broken.

Arista was gone, and I knew she must be safe because I didn’t feel a parting from her. I could still feel her as part of my soul, so I knew the injection hadn’t worked. Father may have dreamed of freeing me from my mating but it was still only a dream.

When the screaming stopped, I was brought food and fresh clothing, but I was still a prisoner. I was his prisoner again. I didn’t want his kingdom at all now, I just wanted my mate and our child, and to be left in peace. I didn’t really want to be king, as I’d told Arista. If being king drives you to torture your child, it was a hell I didn’t want to know.

It was weeks before my father came to see me at last, and he made the mistake of coming into my cell. I launched myself at him with an angry scream of rage. My hands went directly around his throat, squeezing and crushing the life from him. He’d tried to steal my life, Arista's life, and the life of my child; he was no longer my father. He was my Tormentor.

My father was not an old man for his age, he was still young for a dragon. He was king because he was the strongest of us all. It didn't take much for him to fend me off, despite my size and my training. I'd seen a flash of fear in his eyes though, and I think the fact that I attacked him—that his child attacked him—finally broke through his prejudice.

“It didn't work then?” He sank down against the wall of my prison, and I knew he felt defeated.

“Not that I know of. You did keep forgetting the one truth in all of this. The one thing I kept trying to tell you. I love her and that goes well beyond even the mating bond. Even if you broke our bond, you couldn’t destroy the fact we love each other.”

“I suppose I couldn't,” he said with his head against the wall, his eyes closed. “I tried but it wasn't out of spite. I only wanted to protect you.”

“There comes a time when you have to let go of your children, that time should have been before you had us put in prison, but now would work as well. You're never going to win, Father, you can't destroy what we have.”

“Then go, son.” His voice was tired, as broken as I’d felt in the past. “I only wanted what was best for you.”

“That wasn't good enough, Father. That's not good enough now. It isn’t enough to explain what you've done to us. You have to look inside yourself to find the right answer. It's not just their world that is changing, our world is changing too. The child Arista carries will be a blending of those two worlds and we can hope that we can merge the two at last.”

“Ah, but you're forgetting the wolves, my son. They are knocking at our door and insisting we let them in. They think the times are changing too, and they want to change everything about our world, including the rulers.”

“That will have to be a fight for another day. Today I'm going to my mate I'm going to make sure she's safe. I will come back to help fight the wolves if you need me. I will not be king here, though. Henry is probably better suited to that than me. Goodbye, Father.”

Then I left him and walked out of my cell.

I thought about his words as I flew over the ocean to Arista. I didn’t know exactly what was going on with the wolves, I'd been out of the loop for far too long, but it didn’t sound good. There may be a battle coming, but it was one they wouldn’t win if I had anything to do with it.

I felt Arista before I saw her, her tie with our child only made our bond stronger. She was standing outside of her mother's home when I landed. Unlike the other times, this time both of her parents were waiting with her. Her father was almost comical in his astonishment as I landed. I held back laughter until she was in my arms and I forgot that I wanted to laugh.

“Oh… ohhhhh. That’s a…” I could almost swear his eyes were going to roll back in his head and he was going to faint, but Ted held it together.

“Good man,” I said with a proud grin. I extended my hand to him and he just stared at me, so I dropped it. “I’m Malcolm, Arista’s mate.”

“Hi. I’m Eve, her mother, and this is Ted.” I knew their names, Arista had told me already, but it was nice to have this formal introduction.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I purred to her and she giggled. Ted was still staring, unable to believe his eyes.

“Well, shall we go inside?” Arista asked, her eyes only on me.

“Yes, I insist on getting a few facts from you, young man,” Eve said to me, her eyes narrowing. “You won't be running off with my daughter again, without telling me a little bit about where you're going and how long you plan to be gone.”

“Mom—” Arista began.

“No, it's fine Arista,” I said. “We have all the time in the world.” That's when it finally sank in that we were really free. My father would not try to stop us now and we really could have a life. “We can stay here in your world, or we can explore the many different worlds of mine and take our time. There’s no rush anymore.”

“If we can stay here for a little bit I know Mom and Dad both have questions. And I think it's time I had some answers.”

That's how I found myself sitting at a kitchen table, coffee cup in hand, as I explained the dragon world and what exactly Eve and Arista were. I did not sugarcoat my race’s past or try to pretend we were right when we’d stolen women, but that wasn’t who the dragon community was now. We didn't steal women or children anymore.

Although if the rumors I’d heard before my incarceration were true, the wolves might be. That was something else that would have to be dealt with. For now, I could barely keep my eyes off Arista.

She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt of that, and she held my attention. Her beauty went deeper than the surface; it went straight to her bones. Her beauty came from her love of her family, and her love of me. Now that love included our child. It went further than that too, though. She was just a kind, good person that wanted to only experience what life had to offer. She was going to get that chance now.

Ted had been quiet throughout the night, but he seemed to wake up suddenly, because he shook himself and looked over at Eve.

“I’ve been terrible to you.”

“I can’t blame you, Ted. The rest of the world stood in line with you. I’m crazy.”

“But you aren’t, that’s just it. You never were. You were actually the sane one!” He was astounded all over again, and I couldn’t blame him.

“To be fair to you, Ted, we did withdraw from your world and left them here.”

“Didn’t you say there was some in that other world, Ris? Some of us?” Eve broke in, her eyes on Arista.

“Yes, but they’d hidden away in plain sight, so to speak. They were happy to live in peace, I think.” She looked thoughtful, and I knew we’d be visiting that place someday. We had a lot to do to change people’s minds about the dragon-hunter dichotomy, but we would do it.

At least, in my world. I still didn’t think the human world was ready to find out that dragons, shifters, and ghosts are real.

“I’ll get that,” Ted said when a knock interrupted our conversation.

I was surprised to see Henry at the door. I stood up and looked at him in question.

“I’ve just come to, uh, check that you're alright. Father said he’s not going to pursue you anymore.” His cheeks turned red.

“That’s good news. Why are you blushing? Stop being silly and have a seat.” I pointed at the chair Arista had pulled out for him. I liked this sitting at a kitchen table and discussing things activity. We didn’t do that in my world. Kitchens were far away, full of screaming, sweaty people, and not my cup of tea in general.

Henry turned even redder and sat down, his eyes searching the room and landing on Arista. “And your cousin, Willow, how is she?”

Ah, a woman, that explained it!

“She’s at home, Henry. I don’t know how she is, but she was the same as she was last night when I saw her.”

Arista gave him a smile I recognized. She knew something he didn’t want to admit. Had we found her cousin’s mate? My father would have a heart attack!

“Is that all Henry?” I changed the subject, letting my younger brother find a way out of his quandary.

“I’m to tell you that you may still be king, as you may change your mind in the time before Father passes into eternity. You will always be welcome in our home no matter what you decide.”

“That’s a complete about-face then. Wow!” Arista spoke up, her voice sharp.

We were both angry at Father, but she’d been right in that he’d been trying to protect me. It would take time, maybe a lot of time, but I think we would both let that anger go in the future. Maybe.

“And the amulet?” Arista asked, holding out a gold amulet on a necklace.

“That’s for both of you. It will keep evil from you. Bad intentions, stuff like that. So Alec says, anyway,” Henry rushed to tell us.

I took the amulet and saw that it was covered with runes. A triangle shaped thing, it wasn’t pretty, but it was full of power. I gave it back to my mate and she put it in her pocket. She needed the protection more than I did. It would be one more thing to keep her and our son safe.

“Right then, if that’s all the questions and the schedule is set…” I pointed at the piece of paper on the table, something Arista’s mother insisted on. She wanted to be present for the birth and visits in between and after. She wasn’t going to let her daughter out of her sight again.

We’d had to perform some rather complicated math, but I think we had the dates right now.

“You’re leaving already? But you only just got here.” Ted stood up, his hands out for Arista’s.

“We’ll be back soon, Dad. I promise. We just need some time together. We haven’t been able to really have a chance to be together without some worry in the back of our heads, or a time where we’ve not been running. It won’t be long. I promise.”

We might be, I thought to myself with a growl as she stood up and hugged her parents and said goodbye. We were finally free, and I was going to spend every moment making love to her that she’d let me.

We left them with smiles and a wave before I shifted and carried her off to the paradise I’d been heading for when my father captured me. I landed in a world of greens and yellows. The light even had a green tint to it here.

I found a place on the beach where soft, thick green leaves formed a bed and the canopy of the trees protected us. The ocean rushed in and receded from the beach, adding a soft, soothing sound to our retreat.

“I love you so much, Arista,” I said as I shifted and went to her. My fingers traced from her cheek to her chin, and she looked at me hungrily.

“I love you more, dragon,” she whispered, just before she pressed her lips into me.

This time we weren’t slow, we didn’t have the patience for driving each other up so high we’d scream until we fell down the other side. Oh no, there was no time for that at all.

I backed my mate up to a tree and stripped her clothes from her, one at a time, until they were gone. She took mine off too, and before long we were both naked and her legs were around my hips.

I was buried in her wet heat, searching for oblivion, but I wanted her to join me there. She’d been ready for me when I hiked her up the tree and thrust into her. Hot, wet, and silky smooth, her walls had sucked me into her greedily. Now, I wanted to lose myself in her oblivion, but not without her.

I pulled myself together, planted my feet more firmly in the sand and slid a hand between us. I flicked at her clit until she moaned my name, her head lazily resting on my shoulder as I fucked into her.

“Wake up, princess. Watch me fuck you.” I breathed it against her neck, and she was soon staring straight into my eyes. “Watch as I fuck the world away for us both.”

Her pupils dilated and her eyes went round, but she looked at me. She couldn’t see past her stomach, but I held her steady with one hand as she looked into my eyes.

“I want to fuck you for the rest of my life,” she whispered, her eyes going tight for a minute as she grew closer.

She made a purring sound as I sank once more, hard and deep, into her slick walls. I wanted to come immediately but held it back. When she started to pant my name and her walls clenched around me, I knew I was gone. I tried to hold back but Arista’s sweet little pussy sucked me into letting go.

We’d have time for slow, gentle lovemaking later. Right now, I just wanted to come inside of her as she exploded around me with quick little gasps of my name.

Over and over, she said my name, her fingers clenching dangerously hard into my back as she bit into my shoulder. My mate came apart around me, and the world was right at last.