Vlosh woke the next morning with his dragon scraping and clawing inside his mind. The sound of the dragon’s roars and screams were already too much to bear. He sat up from the bed, clenching his teeth. He wouldn’t be able to spend very much time around the woman until she was prepared to mate with him. Her presence made his dragon’s ranting even worse.

It was getting to the point where he could barely hear his own thoughts over the screams of his crazed inner dragon. Usually, a Draconian’s inner dragon was calm and collected, a wise companion with a strategic intellect that could advise him. The mating impulse brought out the side of the dragon that was ravenous and crazed. It was like the chaos of war and lust all rolled into one and packed inside Vlosh’s mind.

He looked down at the dark skinned little female and sighed. He, too, longed to touch her curvaceous body and feel her smooth skin under his fingertips. He wanted to see what it was like to pleasure a female. With so few Draconian females on Draconia, even with Vlosh’s rank, he had never before had a sexual experience with a female.

It was common for Draconian males to be virgins and there was no shame in it. However, it meant that he was inexperienced in the ways of love.

Draconian females tended to be demanding and lazy because they were worshiped for their rarity. Once a Draconian had been mated with her fated mate, she became accommodating to him. Draconian females lacked the independent will that he heard was so common in human women. Aside from that, human women did not feel the mating impulse as a Draconian female did.

He stood from the bed and walked out into the main room of the apartment. He wanted to give his female more of his heart and his soul, to connect her to him in a more complete way. But he could not bear to be near her. The female needed time to heal emotionally. He could not push his sexual needs upon her until she was prepared to allow him what he needed from her.

Perhaps it had been foolish to wait so long, playing with his mating impulse as if it were not as serious as it actually was. Until he had felt the dire threat of his inner dragon’s madness, he had not truly believed it was as bad as the legend suggested. His priority had been defeating the Mulgor in their first battles. He had been unable to prioritize his own mating, and that would serve both him and his mate poorly now.

He strode to the sliding door that led into the hallway, turned the corner, and walked away. She would wake to find him gone. He knew this was an incorrect action. They should talk, share meals, become one in all things, as was correct for mates. He feared what he would do if he spent too much time with her. The screams of his dragon were quieter when he was not in her presence.

For both of their safety, he had to avoid her until she was ready to open herself to him. He did not know how she would take this. Perhaps she would feel it as a rejection. It could not be helped.

There had to be some other way he could connect with her without being in her presence. Perhaps he could send her gifts or messages of love. He knew nothing of how humans connected in their courtship and mating rituals.

Draconians had no need for such things as both males and females could feel the bond of fate between them on first meeting. But Draconians had a long history of mating with other races, most of which had their own rituals.

The male of the Bozen race would send his beloved a herd of sand cattle as an expression of commitment. A more advanced race, the Ac’Ton would express an interest in the opposite sex by extracting their genetic signature and sending it to the object of desire as a perfume.

Neither of these options seemed appropriate for his human female. The woman’s family had been brutally killed the previous day. If he could ease that pain, he would. He simply had no idea how.

The mating armada was full of the luxuries and frills human women enjoyed. His own fleet was completely devoid of such things. Perhaps his woman could benefit from a trip to the mating armada.

He knew Commander Or had found his own bride, and she had given birth to a child recently. The thought of the child sent a flutter of hope through his gut.

His inner dragon scratched and hissed inside his mind, urging him to go back to his chambers and claim the woman who slumbered there. Instead, he gritted his teeth and turned onto the bridge of his ship.

“Captain on deck,” his officer said, and everyone stood at attention for him.

He nodded to his men, giving them a customary salute. The crew sat back down, and Vlosh took his seat at the helm.

“Early reports indicate that the number of Mulgor on the planet surface has greatly decreased.”

“We will move into orbit around Earth. Begin procedures to relocate the armadas. Contact Commander Or that we will move as one unit.”

“Yes, sir,” his first officer said.

His crew coordinated the move from Mars to Earth, bringing the many ships in the two armadas into alignment. Vlosh had taken command of the mating armada as the ranking officer. Final authority rested with him for all location, defensive, and offensive maneuvers for all Draconian ships in the solar system.

However, Commander Or would still retain all control and management of the day to day running of his own vessels. He would also continue to manage all mating activities as he had for the last five years.

Those were duties Vlosh had no interest in taking. He lacked any expertise in the matter and was far too occupied with a full on war with the Mulgor to concern himself with the mating lottery.

But there was one aspect of the mating lottery that did concern him very much, and that was his own mate. She had been broken by what she’d witnessed. He was sensitive enough to other beings to determine that much.

What he did not know was what to do about it. If not for the constant gnashing of his inner dragon against the walls of his mind, he would not have thought twice about it.

He had a war to win. The death of Indigo’s parents was a casualty of war. An unfortunate one, but a common one nonetheless. He had two entire races of people to defend. One woman’s misery should not have distracted him so much.

The armada began its journey across the divide between Earth and Mars. The ships moved as one in a perfect synchronized promenade through the silence of space.

He watched the screen across the front wall of the bridge and glanced from time to time at the computers in front of him.

Technicians continuously gave updates and he advised course corrections along the way. Moving this many ships as one through space did not lack complexity.

Soon, they entered the Earth’s orbit and all the ships were accounted for and fell into their designated space in the alignment.

“We continue hourly assault on the remaining Mulgor ships orbiting Venus,” he stated to his crew.

“Time to launch in fifteen minutes, sir,” his first officer said.

“Has there been a change in position or behavior since they last moved?” he asked. The Mulgor had moved to Venus and put up their shields the day before.

“No change, sir; they seem to be locking down.”

“Continue as scheduled,” Vlosh said, standing from his captain’s chair.

He moved to his private offices off the bridge and closed the door behind him. Frustration coursed through his body and mind. He couldn’t quiet the scratching and screaming inside his brain. He had to put a stop to the distraction or he would be lost.

He ran his fingertips down the inside of his wrist and sent a communication hail to Commander Or. He and Commander Or had been friends for quite some time and had even gone to the military academy together way back when they had both been young men.

He, of all people, would have some advice as to what to do with a human woman.

“Yes, sir. You hailed?” Commander Nash Or said.

“I initiate this message as a friend,” Vlosh said. “Nash. I need your help.”

“How are things going with your bride? Have you begun the mating process yet?”

“No. That is what I hailed you about. Her parents were killed by the Mulgor just yesterday. She found their bodies and showed up here with blood stains on her knees and fingers.”

“That’s horrible, Vlosh. Is the poor little human all right?”

“She seems resilient, but she is traumatized. I waited too long to bring her here. My mating impulse is too far gone. I fear the worst.”

“I’m sure something can be done. You cannot give up hope.”

“What can I do?”

“You must find a way to make her at ease. Show her you care. Ease her into the knowledge of the pleasure you can give her.”

“How do I do that?”

“Did you and your men go over any of the human female training materials on the way over from Draconia?”

“We used that time to cover military strategy and tactics.”

“This was a disservice to all of you.”

“We are at war, Nash. It had to take priority.”

“What could be more important than the continuation of our species?”

Vlosh sighed. “Of course, you’re right. I’m trying to learn now. What can I do?”

“Have you provided her with the comfort and luxuries we provide our brides on the mating armada?” Nash asked.

“She just arrived yesterday.”

“Is she living in your military quarters?” Nash asked, appalled.

“I haven’t had time to prepare anything else,” Vlosh said.

“Vlosh, you and I are old friends. You may be my superior officer, but I believe I can speak freely on these matters, correct?”

Vlosh didn’t know if he really wanted to hear it. He had already made so many mistakes with his mate and his own mating impulse. He had put everyone in danger. Most of all himself.

“Please,” Vlosh said.

“You need to start prioritizing your mate. Perhaps even above your duties as the general of this navy.”

Vlosh wanted to object, but he silenced himself and continued to listen to his old friend. He knew Nash was an expert in these matters.

“If you cannot win her, your inner dragon will destroy you. Then where will the rest of us be? If your position as our leader is your priority, you must make your mate your priority.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Have your quarters redesigned in a manner that will impress your bride. Send her over to the mating armada for a trip to our brides’ district. It is a place where the human females can shop for the best clothing, eat the best foods, and socialize among themselves. It reminds them of their home on Earth, and I have heard from the majority of the human brides that this is a place that is very pleasant for them. The women have been quite vocal in their praise of the brides’ district.”

“You believe my mate would enjoy this brides’ district?” Vlosh asked.

“Absolutely. The rest of the women adore it. Even my mate, Lexi, who happens to be a scientist, enjoys shopping and socializing in the brides’ district. It is one of her favorite things aside from our daughter and her work on the science vessel.”

“My mate is a scientist of exercise,” Vlosh said, still not sure exactly what that meant.

“That means that your mate appreciates physical activity and sports, just as the Draconians. She may enjoy watching or even participating in a game of Draconian basketball aboard the mating armada. If you are not engaged in other important activities aboard the command ship, I would suggest that you move her to the mating armada. It is far more pleasant for a human female aboard our ships.”

“Impossible, I cannot leave my command.” Vlosh was growing irritated with the conversation. The longer he spent away from the bridge, the more he felt the Mulgor were gaining ground on him.

“That does not mean that your bride cannot enjoy the benefits that we have created specifically for the human females.”

“You are correct. I will discuss it with her at the next possible opportunity.”