Zayd flushed with worry as he shifted into his second form. His wings spread wide, and his people moved around him in the open space, giving his wingspan the breadth it required. His panic rose as his Draqon nature took over. The emotions he kept in check in his first form flooded through him, blocking all reason.

But when Niva leaped onto his back, his entire body relaxed. The projectiles continued to fall from the sky, exploding all around him, killing his people and the people of the other clans of Kladuu, but her presence kept him grounded and made it possible for him to focus on the task at hand. With Niva, he did not succumb to the madness that would undoubtedly have gripped him in such a high-stakes battle.

Internally, he chided himself for all the times he’d flown without her. He hadn’t realized how close to the edge he’d been. Thank goodness Maxsym was grounded during the battle, directing flight pairs through the comms the mates wore and coordinating their defense with the Vilkas.

Niva squeezed her thighs tight against his scaly flanks, and he beat his wings, hurling them into the sky. He swerved and dove, avoiding each blast the human ships fired in the Draqons’ direction. A battle pair fell from the sky in front of him, the Draqon male limp, his mate screaming at the top of her lungs.

His people were dying.

His people were dying, and he couldn’t help the thrill that flashed through his body at the feeling of Niva astride his back. He’d found his rider. And despite the stakes of the battle they were embroiled in, he couldn’t hold back his elation.

It fueled his drive. His lust for blood. He was stronger, fiercer, more violent in his assault by having her with him.

They were a true battle pair, and today, they would make the humans pay.

Guns were shot from the ground and from some of the female riders in the sky. Vilkas and Draqons worked together to stave off the incoming human threat. It was inevitable that one day they would find Kladuu, but Zayd couldn’t help his fury over their presence.

The Vilkas had done this.

No, that was the old way of thinking, the thinking of us versus them. It wasn’t the Vilkas who had done this; it was the amphibious Hylas and the traitor Savas who had abducted human women and forced them into the flesh trade. Zayd took pride in knowing his people were not flesh traders and never had been.

Niva tapped on his back, and he directed his attention to the left. He could feel in his mind exactly what she wanted him to see: the human ship, large and flying lower than the others. It was attempting to land. There was no telling how many humans would be aboard a ship that size. If it unloaded enough soldiers, they could overwhelm the Vilkas’ defenses by mounting a dual land and air attack.

If the Vilkas fell, the Draqons wouldn’t be far behind.

Zayd nosedived from where he soared above the clouds, pinpointing the trajectory of the ship. He filled his mouth with acid and screamed out a fiery wail that forced the humans off track.

Niva’s grip on him tightened as he turned in a spinning one-eighty, almost flipping them completely over.

Through their connection, he felt her excitement, the thrill of the ride, the thrill of the chase. But he did not feel any trace of fear or hesitation.

As they approached the ship, Niva released her grip on him with one hand, and he steadied his flight. She drew back her bow, and through both his Draqon vision and her human eyes, he watched as her arrow soared through the sky, hitting its target and bursting into flame.

Zayd flew closer, passing overhead and spitting acid over the hull of the ship, using it as an igniter so Niva’s explosive arrow would spread and consume the entire ship.

Her aim had been perfect, striking right at the heart of the engine of the ship, sending cascading explosions throughout the interior as Zayd’s acid and flames kept the passengers from escaping.

The human ship fell to the ground in a dramatic explosion of volcanic proportions.

The thrill at the minor victory filled him, and as he turned around to return to the fighting, he watched as the smaller human shuttles retreated.

The Vilkan mountain had a massive hole in one side, the kind of damage that would require years of labor to fix. Without hesitation, Zayd promised himself he would offer his clan’s assistance. Maintaining the Vilkas’ stronghold was essential in keeping the entire planet safe.

From behind him, Niva stroked his scales, and he felt her agreement through her mind.

The human ships grew small in the distance, returning to the outer atmosphere and retreating for the wormhole. Some of the Vilkan fighter pilots followed, using their weapons to take out any stragglers who fell behind. The larger Vilkan ships were powerful but not as fast as the humans’.

Zayd returned to the hive and landed amid a scene of horror and destruction. Draqons came from other dwelling areas, his entire community joining together in the war effort at the main hive. They brought their injured and their dead. Grief swelled in his chest.

Niva climbed from his back and wrapped her arms around his thick neck, not letting go even as he pulled his wings in and shifted back to his first form. She held him tightly, having felt the depth of his grief, but this wasn’t the time to indulge emotions.

He stepped away and grabbed a pair of leathers from Maxsym’s outstretched hand. They shared a glance, and the Swarm Master strode to the center of the open area. He stood tall and raised his arms above his head, calling all the Draqons’ attention.

“Brothers and sisters, the humans have been sent on their way. But they will return. This is a time of grief, and we all have rebuilding to do. But we cannot linger here. We must take to war!”

He joined Maxsym, and although he was not as tall as his Swarm Master, he drew everyone’s attention. Niva’s small hand was gripped in his, and he realized that not only was he about to make a declaration of war, but one of his own mating. Anxiety seized him again. Would his people accept her? Could they accept a human as their Queen after everything that had just happened?

“My people,” Zayd cried, and a resounding roar came from the mass of Draqons. He hadn’t seen this many of his people in one place since Sotu’s death.

His words caught in his throat, and Niva stepped closer, pressing her elbow against his and gripping his hand tighter. A small gesture, one no one could mistake for weakness, but one which he would always be thankful for.

“The humans have discovered the wormhole.”

The people screamed again, and Maxsym raised a hand, silencing their outrage.

“Many have questioned my decision to unite with the Vilkas. I know it has not been popular to ally with our former enemies, but I hope that after today any concern you have will be laid to rest. The Vilkas are our allies. Today we are no longer separate clans. Today we are Kladians. And together we must fight back the human scourge.”

From the back of the crowd, a tall blonde woman with heavy makeup screamed out, “What about your human bitch?”

“Who said that?” Zayd growled, feeling his fury unfurl once again.

The group went silent as Kinyi stepped forward, hatred in her eyes. “You say the humans are invaders, you say that they are a scourge and that we must unite with mongrels like the Vilkas to fight them, and yet you fuck one right here in our own hive.”

Silence responded, heavy and thick like the air before a thunderstorm.

“For those of you who feel this is a conflict, you’re welcome to get the fuck out of my hive. You can join the Vilkas, or take your chances in the jungle with the Katu, or, better yet, see if any of the Hyla will take you in to compare scales.”

The crowd murmured their unease. Kinyi’s jaw clenched.

“I have taken Niva as my mate. Any of you who saw the battle know that she is my true rider. And of all of us, it was a human who shot down the invader’s military force, killing her own people. There is no reason anyone should question her presence.”

He squeezed Niva’s hand and looked down at her with a nod. She took a deep breath, and he felt the flutter of nerves as if they were coming from his own chest.

Niva stepped forward and released her hold on Zayd’s hand. “The ship I shot down is called a Falconer Mobilization Unit. It is used to transport troops and other passengers from Earth to the space station and occasionally to other planets in the Planets and Lifeforms Intergalactic Treaty. To bring them down, you have to get past the plasteel coating on the titanium hull. Guns are too inaccurate, and blasters disperse before meeting their mark. I know these ships. I can draw them for you, and I can show you their weaknesses. Together we can fight the humans. I may have been born on Earth, but my life is here.”

She retook Zayd’s hand, and he leaned down to kiss her, a swell of adoration and respect filling his chest. Through the ephemeral hum that connected all Draqons, he could feel that admiration and respect amongst his people as well. He pulled her close, confident that not only had he chosen well in a rider and a Queen, but her arrival on Kladuu had been fated to save them all.