Knox hadn’t been exaggerating the pain that ripped through me as my dragon took over my body. Thankfully it was quick, like a band aid being ripped off. I knew the general shape my dragon would be, having already seen Knox, but seeing my shadow had me stumbling backward. So much for a graceful first time.

Scared of your shadow, mate?

Was I? Pretty much, but I wasn’t going to admit it with that kind of ribbing, it would only encourage him in the future. I took a closer look at my shadow, not quite ready to see my coloring for the first time. Baby steps.

Knox cast a shadow larger than mine, but not by much. I still felt me-size, so knowing I was truly dragon size hadn’t completely taken hold yet. He nodded to me, his eyes scanning the area as if on constant alert. We weren’t in danger, I knew that. He did too, most likely, but seeing his dragon’s protectiveness had me feeling even safer.

Maybe. I went with coy. He could see through me. Heck, he could probably feel what I was. I for sure could feel waves of emotions coming off him. They changed rapidly. Fair enough since mine were as well.

You look beautiful.

Did I? I mean I always felt confident enough in my human form, but now I had wings and huge teeth and clawed toes. Could that still have me being pretty, much less beautiful? I took in Knox’s form. He was beautiful without a doubt. Not the same kind of sexy rawness he had in human form, obviously, but beautiful nonetheless. The way he was looking at me told me I was as well, at least in his eyes. Did any others truly matter?

I want to see.

A vision of a red dragon flashed through my mind. It was me. I knew it instinctively. As Knox slowly began to circle me, the view changed. I was seeing what he did and he was right. I was… magnificent.

Whoa. I really look like that.

He completed his circle, now in front of me and gave an exaggerated nod before rubbing the side of his face against mine. I could feel my dragon purring. No, that wasn’t the right term. Dragon’s didn’t purr, but the vibrating within me told me the meaning was the same. She was content. Happy to be touching her mate.

You really do. I imagined your dragon so many times, never once doing her justice.

I’m beautiful. It was so unreal as if I was going to wake up any moment and have this all be a dream. The best dream ever. Although when you have dreams that good, waking up always hurts.

The most. He rubbed his face against my other side before taking a step back, his eyes filled with so much emotion. I knew he loved me, but seeing it so blatantly displayed by his dragon had my chest puffing out. I probably should’ve cared about my overt reaction to my emotions. I didn’t. This was Knox. He was mine and I was his. If I couldn’t be one hundred percent myself in front of him… what was the point?

So flying. How does that work? I was so not a fan of heights. Not tall buildings. Not bridges. Especially not airplanes. Yet, I was practically giddy about the idea of flying. It was probably my dragon’s emotions seeping into mine. I was okay with that.

For that you need to let your dragon take over.

Could I do that? She had yet to steer me wrong, but I had been with her less than a day. Knox said we were perfect for each other, that was how it worked. He was born with his though and mine was new. Was she also young? All the questions I needed to ask but not now. Now was a time for flying. Even if it meant doing something I hated to do… giving up control.

She feels closer now.

When she first spoke to me she was so far away in a real way. When I woke up earlier she felt closer, but still not quite with me. Now that I was a dragon she felt beside me. We still didn’t feel the oneness Knox seemed to have with his, though, and that was cause for some insecurities.

Because you are one.

Help me? It was great to know I didn’t have to do this alone. I spent so much of my life doing things alone between my crazy arse grandmother, my absentee father, and my distant mother there was never much of a choice. Now, if what Knox said was true, and I believed him with my entire being, I never had to be alone again. Not physically. Not emotionally. Not even financially. I was half of a whole, or at least I would be when we finally completed the mating.

My whole life was going to change in that moment. Instead of scaring me, it thrilled me and I couldn’t wait. I still had plenty to do this week as far as my thesis went. It wasn’t like I was going to drop my life for him. It sounded very much like he wouldn’t want me to either. I was a lucky girl. Dragon. Being. Whatever.

I will always help you.

With that he began to hover in the air mere inches of the ground, sending mental directions my way. It was surprisingly easy to do once I let my dragon take the wheel. She was born for this, where as I was made for it. Of course she was the key to it all. It would take a while for my emotional side to catch up to what my brain and body already knew. She was a part of me and arguments could be made she was the best part of me.

A few minutes hovering over the ground turned into flying higher and higher until we began to soar through the sky. How no one saw dragons blew my mind, but if Knox wasn’t worried I shouldn’t be either. He’d never put me in danger. Not intentionally. Not ever. I knew that in my core.

Flying was a sensation all unto itself. We basically played follow the leader, flying through the trees, over the mountains, down to the river, never stopping, just becoming one with the sky. It was exhilarating to say the least, and it felt so natural to be with him in this way. Playful and carefree. If this was what being a dragon meant, he’d given me a gift beyond my wildest imagination.

I wish he didn’t feel the guilt he so obviously carried. He was not the reason that Rhi’s parents were evil and it was my being here that brought them, not vice versa, so I was the one who had endangered him. No, they were what they were and the guilt I should be feeling, the guilt that crumbles a soul and changes a person, was oddly lacking. Sure I didn’t feel good about it. What kind of a freak would I be if I did? But it was more a feeling of resolve than guilt. I did what I had to do and it was what it was. It might hit me tomorrow or possibly the next time I saw Rhi, but for now, it was manageable.

I could feel my dragon nudging me away from my train of thought. She knew better than I that it had to be done. Her instincts to protect her mate were worn like a badge. I envied that about her. Everything was right there for mine and Knox’s dragons to see. It had to be freeing in a way I had yet to experience.

We slowed as we approached our starting point again. A sadness flowed through me. There would be other days to fly, but that didn’t make the end of our first any less significant and a bit sad.

You’re a natural. Knox beamed at me as I landed beside him. My head automatically rubbed against his, needing the contact.

It took me three tries to get off the ground and I almost hit a tree. I tried to use my fire, but that was a big fail. I’m thinking natural is an exaggeration.

As exhilarating as the trip was, it wasn’t without error. Never once had I felt fear, but frustration hit a time or two, or twelve.

It took me five times the first time I flew, I did hit a tree, and your dragon stopped you from using your fire because it is too dangerous with the dry weather we have been having.

So I nailed it. I teased back. I so didn’t nail it.

Pretty much.

I think I need to be human now. I kind of came to this town for a reason and I need to figure out all things.

That was the harsh reality. I was here on a mission. I needed to finish my degree, get a scholarship and go back to school. He knew this and seemed okay with it, but I doubted he understood the extent of what I needed to do.

You mean your research.

Or maybe he did.

That. I need to finish because I have a thesis due and I need it for a scholarship, but I fear it is clan related.

There was no reason for Liam to hide it otherwise. What did that mean now that I was going to be part of said clan? I guessed that depended on the secret. Either which way I needed a thesis to even graduate, much less get a free ride to law school. The entire thing was a hot mess.

It is. Worst case scenario. Let’s change back, get dressed so I can concentrate, and then I will call Liam and we can figure out where to move from here.

He kind of hates me.

Not that I loved him so.

More like he kind of loves rules.

Loves them, lives for them, wants to roll around in bed with them—marry them.

Oh I can see that. Now help me change back and no peeking.

Did I really care if he did? Not as much as I would’ve thought, but I couldn’t take it back now. There’d be plenty of time to explore those feelings later. For now, not looking was for the best. On both sides.

But you can peek?

Oh, I very much plan to, I teased, both he and I knowing I’d show him the same respect he showed me earlier. The heat in his eyes when I disrobed almost had me wishing he had looked. Almost. It was still too soon for that.