The tension was tangible as the two walked down the hall. The ashy blonde was leaned against Nyle’s door, her arms crossed over his chest and a mischievous grin on her face.

“Did you guys have a nice day out?” she asked.

Nyle glared hard at her, keeping Daisy under his arm protectively as they approached the penthouse door.

“Don’t speak, or even look at her,” he warned Mylora, knowing all too well that female dragons were just as dangerous as the males. She could lash out in jealousy, and that would be the end of Daisy.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she cooed condescendingly, playfully picking up a lock of Daisy’s hair as Nyle unlocked the door.

Daisy instinctively shuffled away from Mylora and leaned further into Nyle. Without taking his arms off of Daisy, he picked up the bags of clothes that had been delivered from their day shopping.

Nyle wanted to rip Mylora’s entire arm off for touching Daisy. Hell, he wanted to do a hell of a lot more for what she was doing to them, but he didn’t need a dead Royal in his apartment.

Pushing the door open, he held Daisy back and let Mylora strut into the apartment first. The blonde seductress walked directly to the couch and sat down with both arms on the back of it and her legs crossed. She looked like a starlet in a skin tight black dress that showed more cleavage than necessary. Guiding Daisy through the door, he could see the concern and weariness growing in her expression.

“Go wait for me in the bedroom, all right? Don’t come out until I come for you,” he whispered.

Reluctantly, she nodded, and Nyle gave her a kiss on the forehead before she headed upstairs. He handed her the bags of clothes to take upstairs with her.

He made his way over to the bar and poured himself a stiff whiskey.

“Is that really necessary?” Mylora mused, earning a hardened glare from Nyle.

It is if you want me to remain calm, he thought bitterly to himself.

He took a huge swig before pacing over to her. Nyle plopped down in an armchair next to the couch and dug into his jacket for his cigarettes. Placing one between his lips, he lit it with a snap of his fingers.

His lungs filled with the smooth blend of smoke as his eyes fluttered closed to let the aroma soothe his nerves before speaking.

“What do you want, Mylora? To blackmail me into marrying you, even though I know you’re somehow in cahoots with the Elementals?” he asked with a raised voice as his eyes opened slowly.

“I’m not in cahoots with all of the Elementals. Just enough to make your life a living hell,” she grinned. “I struck a deal with a couple of their rogue dragons. In return, when I become queen of the Royals, I’ll give them sanctuary in our lands. They don’t quite follow the Elemental beliefs,” Mylora chuckled.

She stood up then and sauntered over to him, Nyle watched her closely as she reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed his cigarette case.

She placed one between her red lips and smirked at him, “Mind giving me a light?”

“Light it your damn self,” Nyle grumbled.

She reprimanded him, “That’s no way to speak to your future wife.”

Mylora then leaned down over him, with her face just inches away from his. Nyle wanted her out of his face, so he flicked his fingers at the end of the cigarette to light it. She took a deep puff and blew it in his face before sitting back down.

“So, all of this is just for power?” Nyle questioned.

“And money. But they are about equal in motive.”

He sat in silence, staring up at his ceiling as he tried to think. Back when he first picked out the penthouse, Nyle had an artist come in and do a golden print on the ceiling, just like the one at his parents’. What could he say, Nyle loved his childhood home; he just didn’t like being there.

“If I decide to go along with all this and stage this marriage with you, will you leave the human and I alone?” he questioned.

A sickly smirk was on her face as she took another puff of the cigarette. “My sweet prince, there is no more you and her. I don’t like sharing. She has to go. You can break things off with her, or I can have my men handle her.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why? Neither of us would be marrying for love.”

“We have to make this look legitimate, and we don’t need some human fucking it up. Why does it matter so much? She’s a walking pig,” Mylora snorted.

Ah yes, ‘walking pig’. The oh-so-clever nickname some dragons used to refer to humans.

“You really shouldn’t waste your time on her anyways. Are you trying to hurt her?”

Nyle wouldn’t dare tell her that Daisy was his soulmate, knowing that she would be out for Daisy’s blood. Out of habit, his fingers drummed against the armrest of the chair. He was at a loss; he didn’t have a clear game plan for his next move. Of course he didn’t want Daisy to end up getting hurt, but at the same time, Nyle didn’t want to live without her. She was his, and he was hers. There was no way he was willing to let her go yet, if ever. Was there a way out of this? He needed to seek out the wisdom of a Royal elder. One of them could help him understand the bond he felt with Daisy and how it was possible that his soulmate was a human. He just had to find an elder that wouldn’t run straight to his parents.

A heavy silence permeated the room as he drank his whiskey and finished off his cigarette, still trying to think of any way to get out of the current situation. Why in the hell had his parents forced this evil vixen into his life? He had enough going on without being blackmailed into choosing Mylora the Succubus.

“This isn’t fair…” he said. “I’ve done nothing to you.”

“Oh?” she exclaimed, sitting up in her spot. “Why does there have to be a personal reason behind it? You’ve been on top your entire life, Nylyrias. And while all Royals may have a taste of the good life, for some of us, it isn’t enough. I have the means and the right to be on top, so I’ll do what I have to do to get there. And if becoming queen means ending the life of your little sex toy, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

Mylora stood, savoring the enraged look carved onto Nyle’s face. She put her cigarette out on the surface of his coffee table. “I’ll give you some time to think it through. Have an answer by morning, Nyle. I won’t ask twice.”

She started for the door. Nyle watched with a heavy heart as she left without another word. He remained rooted to his spot, festering in anger and worry.

Daisy sat on Nyle’s bed waiting for his return. She tried reading a magazine that was on his nightstand, but she couldn’t concentrate. Her mind was distracted by, well, everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

The morning before, she woke up and prepared herself for a day of work, knowing that the pressure would be high because of the size of the contract. She never imagined the whirlwind of emotions she’d experience with greater intensity than she’d ever felt before. The energy she felt coming from him, the deep connection they seemed to have became more prevalent the more they talked and spent time together. Then, she slept with him the night she met him. Daisy couldn’t believe she had sex with him so quickly. Before Nyle, she had only ever had two sexual partners, and each time, it had taken her months to warm up to the man enough to get into bed with him. With Nyle, it only took six hours.

As much as it bothered her, Daisy tried not to get hung up on that. She knew people her age had hookups all the time, knowing people for as little as a few of minutes before having sex. Her encounter with Nyle was entirely different. The deep connection she felt to him made it feel right. She had no regrets, but she was starting to question her sanity. Love—or whatever it could be classified as—wasn’t instantaneous. Why was she sitting in his bed while he talked to another woman who had hired someone to intimidate them? Things were getting so unreal and dangerous.

Daisy felt like she was in a movie because her life was void of drama. She couldn’t even remember the most tragic thing that happened to her. When she was one day old, her father left her mother, but she couldn’t remember her father or him leaving. Daisy’s mom came out of that strong and had done well for herself to support her daughter. Daisy and her mother had lived a simple and happy life. So how in the world did she get involved with someone who seemed to be surrounded by drama? And why was she still there? The woman had apparently called off those guys, right? Why hadn’t she run? Why couldn’t she bring herself to leave?

Before he opened the door, she sensed that he was close. How could she feel his presence without even seeing or hearing him?

Nyle stepped inside, but Daisy’s eyes remained on the magazine she held in her hand. She hadn’t even made it past the first paragraph, having reread it again and again as she got lost in her own thoughts. His presence grew stronger as he approached her, sitting down on the bed and putting his chin on her shoulder.

“Are you enjoying the magazine?” Nyle asked softly, his hand rubbing her arm.

Daisy could only shrug, being at a complete loss of what to say. All she had for him were questions, but she wanted to give him a chance to speak first. Nyle reached in front of her and gently closed the magazine. Daisy looked up at him finally, taking in the sullen expression on his face.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you, Daisy. It was never my intention to lie to you, but rather to protect you. What I must tell you is going to be hard to believe, and I thought we would have some time to get to know one another before revealing my true identity.” Nyle’s voice was raspy and croaky, clearly overcome with emotions.

Whatever he was trying to tell her actually scared him. The reality of that shook Daisy. Nyle didn’t seem the type to be afraid of anything. What could it be that was so bad that he was afraid to tell her?

“What do you mean?” she asked quietly, putting a hand over his to try and show she wasn’t upset with him. “What could be so difficult to tell me?”

Nyle’s lips deepened in their frown. “In a way… everything, but nothing at the same time. I’ve told you half-truths, or versions of the truth I thought you would understand. Not that I question your intelligence. You’re probably one of the most brilliant people I know, and I’ve only known you a day… I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”

He was only deepening her confusion. How could he lie about everything and nothing at the same time? Versions that she could believe? Daisy felt like she should have been mad at the notion of him lying to her, perhaps even trying to draw conclusions that he had lied to her just to sleep with her. But really, she just wanted to make sense of it all, and understand why he was so upset, and how she had become a form of blackmail.

“Start from the beginning. I’ll listen to everything before saying a word. Just tell me.”

Nyle nibbled on his lip before nodding. “All right. Let’s go out on the terrace.”

He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her from the bed. They walked downstairs together, Nyle stopped to grab a bottle of wine and some glasses, figuring it would help take the edge off for them both. They walked out onto the spacious patio, sitting down in the chairs by the pool. He poured them each a glass of wine and sat the bottle on the side table.

“So, from the top…” Nyle muttered to himself, wringing his hands together. “I need you to keep an open mind.”

Daisy nodded.

With a shaky sigh, he began, “Well, for starters, my name isn’t Nyle Flamme, it’s Nylyrias Flamme. Nylyrias is a name from my culture. I know it sounds made up.”

He’s definitely right about it sounding made up, Daisy thought to herself. She tried to remind herself to keep an open mind like he had asked her to do, though.

He continued, “This next part is going to make me sound insane. I’m… I’m not… human, per se.”

Daisy’s face contorted into a quizzical look, brow arched and eyes dulled with skepticism.

“I’m what people would call a dragon-shifter,” explained Nyle, who nervously looked at Daisy.

She gaped. Had those words really just passed Nyle’s lips? Was there any part of him that thought she would really believe that?

“Come on, Nyle…” she groaned, not at all wanting to play games.

“I’m serious,” he pressed, reaching for her hands, but she snatched them away from him. “Don’t be like that, please. You said you would keep an open mind.”

“Yeah, an open mind to real possibilities,” Daisy corrected, standing from her chair. “I’m not going to just sit here and let you make up a completely unbelievable story to explain the other woman in your life. Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe you’re a… a… dragon?”

“Daisy—”

“I’m not listening to this,” she snapped a bit, anger churning her stomach.

Had she been making a fool of herself this entire time? Was this some sort of elaborate prank he was trying to pull on her by taking advantage of her emotions?

As she went to walk away from him, Nyle grabbed her wrist and spun her back around to look at him.

“Let me prove it to you,” he urged, staring her down.

Daisy’s brow rose again, wondering what kind of game he was trying to play.

“By all means,” she challenged, sitting back down in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.

Nyle exhaled loudly before striding over to the other side of the pool. Then, peculiarly, he shrugged off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.

What the hell was he doing?

Daisy watched as he kicked off his shoes and took off his pants and boxers. When he was completely nude, Nyle glanced over to Daisy out of the corner of his eye and stepped onto the diving board. The lit pool illuminated a blue hue onto his pale skin as he stood on the edge. Then, he bounced once before launching himself into the air. His hands came together above his head, nose diving into the pool perfectly.

Did he think his diving abilities were going to prove his ridiculous claims?

She stayed in her spot, watching the top of the water as she waited for him to get out, but a few moments went by, and Nyle hadn’t resurfaced the water. A few more seconds ticked by, and worry finally cut through her stubborn anger. Rising from her seat, she moved over to the edge of the pool. She peered down into the sparkling blue depths, squinting her eyes to try and see through the ripples in the water. Daisy started to make out a pale shape in the center of the pool, but before she could tell what was going on, the figure suddenly emerged from the water in a blur.

A creature, probably eight-and-a-half feet tall, with cream scales and a long neck flew in midair above the water. Illuminated from the lights in the pool, Daisy recognized the intricate pattern covering the creature as the same pattern that Nyle had tattooed all over his body.

The beast had angular facial features, with its cheekbones protruding from its face and its nose long and straight. Beige horns came out of its forehead and curved straight back. Its body was beefy with well-defined muscle lines. The wings on the beast were massive and bat-like rather than like a bird. It was an actual dragon.

Daisy’s eyes couldn’t have been wider as it flew over to her, delicately landing on the ground next to her. Smoldering honey-gold eyes locked with hers in an intense stare as the dragon towered over her, letting out a huff from its nostrils.

Her mind was unable to process it, sending her senses into overdrive as she desperately tried to make sense of it. Out of sheer shock, Daisy’s head grew light. In an instant, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground—and everything was black.

Daisy groaned as she came to, her head starting to throb before her eyes had the chance to open. Blinking back into existence, the first thing she saw were golden eyes leering down at her with worry and sorrow swarming them. For a moment, she didn’t recall what happened, a calm coming over her to see his face. As she regained consciousness, she became more aware of the situation. Nyle was naked, standing over her as she laid in a pool chair.

“Wha… wha…” she tried to get up, as she reached around to the sore spot on the back of her head and instantly winced at the sharp pain. There was definitely going to be a bruise there.

“You fainted,” Nyle frowned. “You need to take it easy. Maybe we should get you to a hospital.”

“I’m fine,” Daisy stubbornly groaned.

She despised going to the hospital in the city; it was always packed and would take hours and hours to even see a doctor. If she wasn’t puking or having memory problems, she wasn’t going. Then, her eyes were drawn to the intricate pattern that covered his skin. Those markings… Her eyes widened as she remembered why she had fainted in the first place.

He could shift into a dragon?

“So, do you believe me now?” Nyle asked, knowing by the look on her face that she recalled what just happened.

“How… how is that possible?” she said, shaking her head slowly. “Dragons are just myths…”

“No, we are real and always have been. Humans started believing we were mythical because my ancestors went into hiding. Man had always been afraid of us and had slaughtered our ancestors in mass numbers. So, some hid in plain sight, blending in with the humans. Others took to nature,” Nyle explained carefully; he was afraid of putting too much on her at once. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can get a doctor here if you need one.”

“If I don’t feel well, I’ll let you know,” she said. Daisy tried to sort through her thoughts, shaking her head side to side. “Okay, I’m sorry I doubted you… It’s just not every day you hear someone say they’re a dragon.”

The word ‘dragon’ was foreign to her tongue, feeling strange to say and to label the man sitting next to her.

“It’s all right. I didn’t expect you to believe me without proving it. I know how it sounds to humans,” he sighed, running a hand through his wet white locks.

“Well… Can you tell me the rest of what is going on? You’re a dragon, but what does that have to do with Mylora or the man who followed us?”

“I have to give a bit more of a history lesson to explain. So bear with me,” Nyle said with a weary smile. “So, I’m technically something called a Royal Dragon. We’re a breed of dragon that has a fire-bending ability, and the traditionalists still worship the sun to give thanks for their gift of fire.”

He paused to collect his thoughts.

“And then there are the Elementals, the other half of our original clan before it split up. They have water and air-bending abilities and worship Mother Nature. In ancient times, we were one big clan that interbred, no matter abilities or beliefs. But as humans began to populate and started attacking us, the fire-benders wanted to merge with the humans and rise above them. We wanted to control the humans from within their own culture—to protect our culture. Really, we don’t care what you guys do to one another; we just want to protect our people and our land. Whereas the Elementals want to fight back or seclude themselves from humans entirely. It caused a split in the clan and became today’s Royals and Elementals. Royals look a lot like me, white or blonde hair, pale, and some shade of gold for eyes. We also have similar markings, though everyone’s is unique. Whereas the Elementals have dark brown or black hair, tell-tale silver eyes, and tribal-like markings.”

“So now that you’re caught up to speed on that,” he grumbled, hating that he had to weigh her down with so much information at once just to get to the point. She wouldn’t understand the gravity of everything without it, though. “My family has been the ruling family of the Royals since the split. My father has been in power for about seventy years, and about fifty years ago, he conquered a large piece of the Elementals land in a siege of power. And since then, they’ve really been out for us. So it’s incredibly important for our family to remain strong. When my father passes away, I will have to be ready to take charge of the kingdom. My parents are afraid that if I were to take power while still unwed, it’ll make our family look weak. Our people highly value bonds… Which finally leads me to the second biggest lie I’ve told you.”

“Which is?” Daisy hesitantly asked, unsure how much more she could take in.

“I know why we feel the way we do about each other,” he explained. “Each dragon has a soulmate, and the bond between soulmates is kind of supernatural. We can feel each another’s energy and share it. In our culture, when you meet your soulmate—which could take decades since we have long lifespans—you normally marry right away because you’re inseparable. They, you spend your lives getting to know each other. That’s why everything has been so intense and passionate between us. I know this all must seem really fast to you, but I assure you, you aren’t crazy. But see… there is a problem with it. It’s… that… you’re human. As far as I know, a dragon has never had a human soulmate, so I don’t understand how this is physically possible. Dragons don’t approve of mating with humans in the slightest. So, while Mylora doesn’t know you’re my soulmate, she’s trying to use my relationship with you to blackmail me into marrying her. That way she becomes Queen of the Royals and has all the power and money she could ever want. And if I don’t agree to her terms by tomorrow morning, she’s going to send rogue Elementals after us.”

Daisy stared at him. Her mind ran over every detail he shared, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation. He put things rather bluntly, so it hadn’t been hard to follow, but it was hard to believe. After seeing Nyle in dragon form, she knew he had to be telling the truth, but she spent her whole life believing things like dragons were just make believe. To suddenly find out they were real and to be so involved with their culture… to call it overwhelming would be putting it lightly.

“I have a million questions, but I guess there’s not too much time for that since she gave you a deadline,” Daisy said confused. Her head was throbbing even more from crazy situation they faced. “So… what do we do? Do you just marry her?”

“I definitely don’t want to. It feels like going against nature to even think about it,” Nyle grumbled, pulling her into him. He let out a chuckle. “You know, I even tried to convince her to let you be my mistress. She wouldn’t go for it, of course.”

“I don’t really like the sound of that anyways…” Daisy interjected. “Then what are our options?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to call a friend. Maybe he can give us some answers,” Nyle informed her. Her brow creased in curiosity, wondering who it could be.