As Salvatt strode through the fortress and took the elevator up to his rooms, he brooded over his relationship to Celeste.

The prince had never had such an overwhelming desire for intimacy with another person. In his life, intimacy was dangerous and something he only trusted to the most loyal of companions. And then, only sparingly. But with Celeste, he wanted to share the deepest levels of his soul. He wanted to learn everything about her, know her every nuance.

But he could not risk going mad before he'd had a chance to claim her. It would be a disaster for the fire lands, and for the entire planet of Galaton. The four princes had worked for a century to maintain balance and control between the elements and across Galaton. Since the last female died, that work had become a thousand times more challenging.

Salvatt's family had ruled the south, on and off, for the last ten million years. He was part of a legacy he respected more than anything in his life, except perhaps the demands of his inner dragon. And his dragon did make demands. Until Celeste had arrived, his dragon had always been his most trusted adviser. Now it was as if he was dealing with a crazed animal. Having his dragon turn on him made him feel like his being was torn in two.

He stood on the balcony overlooking his domain, feeling his inner dragon gnashing nastily at his brain. Putting his mouth to her sex had torn the dragon from any rational foundation it had once had. All the dragon wanted was to sink inside his mate and bite her until she belonged to him. Even now, Salvatt's cock ached painfully between his legs. The dragon would not take no for an answer any longer.

If he tried to take her now, he would almost certainly harm her. He only had one chance to get the mating right, and hurting her would prevent them from bonding. For the mating ritual to be complete, he had to shoot his seed deep inside her while biting her neck. Only then would the dragon be placated.

Celeste’s little body simply was not prepared. He’d known it when he’d touched her. The semen he'd applied to her skin today would have a cumulative effect since she'd already spent a year rubbing his replicated DNA on her body in the form of skin cream. He could only hope that it would quicken the process.

Thinking of her drove his dragon wild. Its screams filled his mind, leaving no room for any other sound. He retracted his armor and jumpsuit at the flick of his finger. Naked, he jumped onto the railing and he extended his arms out to the sides. With a quick jump, he propelled himself into the air.

He shifted as he swept away from the balcony. His red-scaled body extended outward, and he flapped his wings in mid flight. The powerful fire dragon darted into the air and circled above the jungle. He then lurched toward the fortress, but Salvatt’s human mind pushed the dragon on.

The fire prince flew over the dense jungle, his powerful wings as fast as any speeder. With every flap of his wings, the dragon rebelled. Soon, Salvatt was at the edge of the dried volcanic beds. The ashy red rock stretched out for miles below him before the bubbling lava fields came into view. The heat of the lava radiated over his scales as he approached the neon red magma. The volcano stood in the distance, spurting smoke and thin red lines of lava that flowed down the mountainside.

Salvatt roared, his fire breath shooting out from the depths of his lungs and fire gland in his gut. He shot up and then darted down again. His flame breath spiraled around him as he dove. He shot sparks of flame into the cooled rock that floated above the lava bed. It ignited and a hot fire raged, melting the rocks into the lava below. He dove and burned, delighting in the intensity of the heat and the sparks of molten rock that popped in the air around him.

The madness to mate returned in a sharp insight and the dragon bolted away from his art. The prince pushed back, and the dragon recoiled at the shock of the rebuke. His fury turned inward.

As the crazed beast raged against himself, sharp claws sliced over his belly. They twisted away, a second too slowly. One of the lords of the south swooped up from below him and bit at Salvatt’s neck. Salvatt spun away and over the earl of the fire lands. This lord was strong, and had not yet entered the play for power. He’d been saving it for this chance.

The earl’s eyes flashed in the blazing light of the lava flow as he whirled through the air to gash Salvatt’s belly again. The fire prince had been weakened by his own need. His mind was fragmented. How could he fight like this? Thoughts of his bride filled him with enraged longing. He would not let himself be beaten. He had to protect his mate and their dragonling. He drew on the strength of his ancestors and shot toward the earl’s back. The impact threw the earl off guard and Salvatt was able to sink his claws deep into the other dragon’s wings.

The earl clawed and bit at him, but Salvatt ignored it. His powerful wings beat up and down, driving them both toward the ground. The earl screeched and twisted away. Salvatt still had a grasp of one wing but now they were spinning downward, out of control.

Both dragons splashed into the lava bed. The molten rock consumed them both. Salvatt used the other dragon’s surprise to bite hard at his neck. The earl gasped, breathing in magma. Salvatt felt the earl’s life slip away under his teeth. But the heat of the burning rock was beginning to eat away at his skin.

He pushed himself upward, ignoring the biting pain. With the last of his strength, he pulled himself onto a cooled rock ledge. The dragon flailed and then went still. Smoke puffing from his nostrils.

Salvatt looked out through the hazy eyes of his beast. His rational mind had control. The dragon gave up his body and he shifted. The lava flowed away from his skin, but the searing heat began to scorch his human flesh. Salvatt flicked his neck, covering his body and head with his jumpsuit.

Protected from the heat now, he moved his finger over his wrist to bring up the holocom built into his suit. Nothing happened. He took a ragged breath and flicked his fingers down his wrist several more times. Not good. He couldn't contact his staff or have his speeder come find him. Pain sliced through him. Salvatt screamed, his body contorting as he flailed on the lava stone.