Nyle and Daisy moved back into the living room while they waited for the elder to arrive. She had changed into some comfortable clothes he had purchased for her and sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. Her head was on Nyle’s chest, and he held her in a caring embrace.

Daisy was in a bit of shock after seeing him in his dragon form, so neither one of them spoke as they silently contemplated their circumstances. Was she imagining all this? Had she gone utterly insane?

Nothing about Nyle felt real. He was unbelievably handsome, his energy was palpable, he was interested in her, and he was a dragon prince. She was fairly sure she was awake, especially because the throbbing pain from her head hadn’t subsided. It all left Daisy’s nerves shot, her hands trembled slightly, and her pupils dilated. Nyle’s fingers gently guided through her long hair and soothed every woe in her mind with a hypnotic motion. No matter if it were real or not, it was her reality. And she had to trust him to keep her safe.

A rapid knock on the door made Nyle stand abruptly from the couch. Daisy turned her head to watch as he opened the door. In walked a tall, broad man. He was bald with thick, bushy white eyebrows and scruffy facial hair. His attire was a slate gray designer suit, and a black satchel. To Daisy, it didn’t look like the man was old enough to be called an elder; he looked like he was in his late fifties. His champagne-colored eyes took in Nyle before immediately flickering to Daisy.

Nyle introduced them. “Evryn, this is Daisy Maddow. Daisy, Evryn.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Maddow,” he called to her, his voice even deeper than Nyle’s.

The two men joined her in the sitting area. Nyle took a seat next to Daisy.

“I take it she is why you called me over,” Evryn said, eyeing Daisy. “Do tell me, Nyle, why is there a human in your apartment?” the man asked calmly, though there was an edge of skepticism in his voice.

“Because she’s my mate,” Nyle said boldly.

Evryn’s pale eyes widened at the notion. “I beg your pardon? I didn’t drive an hour for this nonsense. You told me you were in trouble.”

“I’m being serious, Evryn. You really think I, of all people, would joke about something like this? And at a time like this?” Nyle challenged, his eyes locked on the elder. “I don’t understand it either, believe me. She was in a meeting at the headquarters, and before I walked in the room, I could feel her. It was exactly as everyone had always described it to me. Opposites attracting like magnets. And when I touched her skin, it was like jolts of lightning. I know she’s the one. There isn’t a doubt in my mind, but her being human isn’t the only issue. Mylora threatened me.”

“Mylora?” Evryn snorted. “Mylora Firebloom? What does she have to do with this?”

“She came in this morning and saw Daisy. She doesn’t know Daisy’s my soulmate, but Mylora is still threatening to come after us if I don’t marry her. Somehow, she has a couple of Elementals at her disposal. One of them followed us this afternoon.”

“My god, Nylyrias,” Evryn said, blinking rapidly and looking to the floor as he tried to process all of it. He shook his head. “It’s not biologically possible. This woman can’t be your soulmate. She isn’t a dragon.”

“That’s why I called you here. I need help understanding it, because now that I’ve met her… I can’t just part with her and marry some random woman.” Nyle frowned, and his hold on Daisy tightened momentarily.

“You know she can’t be queen, Nyle. The entire kingdom won’t have it,” Evryn said in a grave tone.

“So, if you were me, and Daisy was Floresia,” Nyle mentioned Evryn’s beloved wife and soulmate, “you would just marry Mylora and leave Floresia?”

Evryn was quiet, knowing that Nyle was right. A low, continuous grumble of frustration came from the man. “Of course I wouldn’t, but, Nylyrias, this simply can’t be. The bond lies only with dragons. You have to be mistaken.”

“I’m not,” Nyle urged. “Is there any way to test it? Some way to prove she’s my mate?”

The older gentleman fell silent again, his fingers scratching at his beard. He studied Daisy long and hard.

“Yes, I suppose there is,” Evryn eventually announced. “Come here, child,” he called to Daisy.

Her gaze shifted to Nyle, who gave her a reassuring look and nodded at her to go over to Evryn. She stood, letting the blanket drop to the couch and reluctantly walked over to him.

“Sit here, my dear,” Evryn said, patting the edge of the coffee table in front of him.

Daisy hesitantly sat down, her wide eyes locked onto his pale irises. His gaze studied her closely, He reached for her chin and tilted it side to side to look closely at the details of her face. Evryn looked unconvinced and perhaps a little annoyed that he had to be there.

“Tell me, Miss Maddow, what are the color of your mother’s eyes?” he asked, grabbing the sides of her face and tipped her head to be at eye level with him.

“Dark blue,” Daisy answered hesitantly, not understanding why he was asking.

“And your father’s?”

“Gray, I think.”

“You think?” he reiterated, raising a brow at her.

“I’ve never met him, and I don’t have any pictures. But my mom said he had gray eyes,” Daisy explained, not exactly thrilled to be discussing her estranged father.

Evryn’s eyes widened, studying her with a different look in his eye. It was almost disgust, but it was twisted with fascination and disbelief. He flattened the look.

“I have just the test.” Eryn brought his satchel into is lap and dug into the bag. “Hold out your hand, Miss Maddow,” he instructed as he searched through the various items in his bag.

She slowly lifted her arm and extended her hand to him, her fingers twitching subtly from nerves. With one hand still in the bag, Evryn gently grasped her palm with his free hand and brought it to his mouth, pressing a single peck into the center of her hand.

“Forgive me for this.”

“For—” Daisy was cut off by her own scream as he sliced her forearm with a short, opal colored blade.

Her hand immediately went over the wound, tears bubbling from her eyes. The pain was hot and sharp. Daisy had never having pain like it.

Nyle’s arms were instantly around her, picking her up from the table and holding her to his chest.

“What in the hell did you do that for?” he hissed at the elder as he reached down and helped Daisy apply pressure to the cut.

It wasn’t that deep, but it was long and thick.

“How does it feel?” Evryn asked, not having moved an inch from his spot.

“It hurts,” Daisy snapped at Evryn as Nyle helped her into the kitchen. He wrapped a towel around the wound and had her fold her arm up before he turned to search for the first aid kit.

The old man stood from his chair and leisurely made his way over to them. “I didn’t cut you very deep. The question isn’t if it hurts, it is how it hurts.”

“It burns,” Daisy clarified. “Why does it matter? Nyle, I want to go home,” she told him as he tended to her wound.

She didn’t want to be around that man anymore. The more she learned, the more frightened she was of what she didn’t know. Nyle’s face etched into a saddened look, clearly not wanting her to leave.

“It shouldn’t burn,” Evryn called over to them. “The knife I used is made of chamaline, a precious gem that our ancestors preserved for themselves. And while it can cut a human, it doesn’t burn them. It poisons dragons, though.”

Both Nyle’s and Daisy’s expressions were set in confusion for a few moments, but then Nyle blinked slowly and turned to look down at the woman in his arms.

“I don’t understand,” Daisy said.

“Are you sure about this, Evryn?” Nyle said a he studied her closely, brushing some of the hair from her face.

Evryn paced over to them; Daisy shuffled away from him and held onto Nyle.

“I’m not going to hurt you, child,” Evryn tried to assure her.

His words were returned with a doubtful look, but she stilled herself. He raised a hand to her eyes and flicked his fingers together, creating a flame. She flinched, but then opened her eyes.

“Do you see that?” he asked Nyle.

Nyle’s eyes focused on hers, the blue-gray globes glimmering in the light of the flame. But as she looked up to him, speckles in her irises caught the light, illuminating a metallic silver in her eyes.

“She’s half Elemental,” Evryn revealed, lowering his hand as the flame dissipated. “I assume this estranged father of hers had silver, not gray eyes. Since her mother is human, it’s dulled the metallic glimmer. She has no markings, but she might have abilities. Without the training of the Elementals, it would be hard to say if she could water or air-bend. She may very well have a longer lifespan, too. I truly have no idea. She’s the first known of her kind. Whoever her father is, he broke generations of tradition.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Daisy interjected, scoffing at the old man. “Are you trying to tell me you think I’m half dragon?”

“Yes,” Evryn answered simply.

“That’s ridiculous,” she said shaking her head, not believing it. “The cut has to burn for some other reason. Maybe I’m allergic to whatever you cut me with?” Daisy thought aloud, trying to make sense of it.

“Could be, I suppose,” Evryn shrugged. “If you’re not a hybrid, then the cut will do nothing. But if you are a hybrid, then you’ll be needing this,” he said, producing a vial of medicine from his satchel. “Or else that cut will kill you—or at the very least make you very, very ill.”

Nyle peeled back from Daisy, holding her at arm’s length. “Daisy…” he said in a barely audible voice.

She knew she was being stubborn, but she really couldn’t help it. For the twenty-two years she had been alive, she believed dragons were work of fiction and lore. That evening, she found out the man she was sleeping with was a prince of a clan. Now they were trying to tell her she was half dragon?

“I… I…” Daisy stammered, trying to find something to say, but she was speechless.

If she didn’t accept it soon, she could die? The wound was already burning rather badly. It felt like she’d been cut with a blade soaked in chemicals. In the end, the pain proved to be too real for her to hold onto her stubbornness.

“I’ll take the medicine.”

Evryn handed the vial to Nyle. “Apply it to the wound and have her drink a teaspoon of it, but no more than that. I really have no idea how she’ll respond to any of our medicine.”

Nyle slowly unbandaged her arm and grabbed a clean cloth, applying some of the medicine to it before wiping the cut. It was a potent smelling concoction, smelling strongly of citrus, myrrh, and mint. It stung the wound, making Daisy wince slightly, but almost instantaneously it took away the burn of the cut. Could she really have been half dragon and never known?

“Nylyrias, you know this won’t make it any easier for you to make her your mate,” Evryn voiced over her thoughts.

“I think it will be a little easier,” Nyle spoke as he poured the medicine into a spoon and held it to her lips. Daisy drank it. Her face soured as soon as it hit her tongue. It was so oily and potent that even a small spoonful was horrendous and offensive to her taste buds.

“Maybe this was meant to happen, Evryn. A way to bond the two breeds again after all these years,” Nyle offered.

Evryn let out one sharp laugh. “You really think that’s possible? My boy, I believe both sides are going to find her to be an abomination.”

“Maybe, but do you really think the Elementals would stand for the Royals killing her? Even if they feel that way, she’s still half their breed. They wouldn’t want her dying at the hands of one of us, and I won’t stand for them killing her,” Nyle spoke to him as he redressed her arm, making sure it was snug, but not too tight.

Then his golden eyes flickered up to hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist to help her down from the counter.

“I’m not saying any of this is ideal. I know ideal would be for either us to not be soulmates, or for her to somehow be a Royal, but she’s not, and she is my mate. There has to be a purpose for that. It’s just… too coincidental that she’s half Elemental, Evryn. With all your wisdom, you have to recognize that.”

Daisy leaned into him and pressed her cheek to his chest and reached her arms up around his neck. It was so beautiful that he was thinking of it like that. Nyle was bound to have been raised to hate the Elemental Dragons, since the feud between the two clans had been going on for so long. Not to mention, his father had apparently taken the entire state of Pennsylvania away from the Elementals in a territorial siege. While it was going to take a long time to fully grasp that dragons really existed, it warmed her heart that he was willing to overlook that she had his enemy’s blood in her veins. Nyle hadn’t even hesitated to defend her.

Evryn finally commented as he headed for the door. “Well, I don’t know. I need to think on this. And I’m sure you both need to as well. We’ll talk more later.”

“Evryn,” Nyle called after him, the old man stopping mid-stride. “If it comes down to it, will you stand with me to defend her being my mate?”

His champagne eyes flickered over to his prince and then back to the door. “I can’t answer that right now. What I can assure you is that I won’t tell anyone of this. I’ll leave that to you.”

“Thank you, Evryn. I appreciate your discretion,” Nyle nodded to him.

With that, Evryn was gone. Nyle’s arms tightened around Daisy.

“Are you all right? I’m so sorry he attacked you. I wouldn’t have called on him if I had known he’d do that.”

Closing her eyes, Daisy took comfort in his embrace. “It’s okay. We did want answers, but I’m not convinced that I’m some sort of dragon hybrid. This is all a lot to process.”

“What do you know about your dad?” Nyle asked carefully, knowing she may not want to talk about it.

“Not much. My mom dated him for about ten months, nine of which she was pregnant with me. But he was gone a lot, so she really didn’t see him all that much. He had short curly black hair and gray eyes. My mom said he was really aloof, so she didn’t know much about him either. They met at a concert and dated casually for a couple of weeks, and then she found out she was pregnant. He came to all of the appointments and my birth, and then he was gone.”

Nyle frowned, hating that her father, no matter if he were human or dragon, was a piece of shit. “That’s not much to go on. There’s really no way to tell if he’s an Elemental,” he sighed. “We don’t need to talk about it anymore. I’m sure you’re worn out, so we can go lie down if you want.”

Daisy nodded, wanting to do nothing else. In one fluid movement, Nyle scooped her up into the bridal position, carrying her toward the stairs.

She smiled weakly, “You know, my legs actually work.”

“I know,” Nyle chuckled, ascending the stairs with her in his arms.

He turned and used his back to push open the bedroom door, then walked her to the bed and lay her down. Daisy pulled the blankets up around her, positioning herself on her side. Her eyes idly watched Nyle as he undressed for bed, noticing the blood stains on the cuffs of his shirt. As she laid there, soaking in the day she had just gone through, she felt her heart begin to pound. She was experiencing a full-blown identity crisis, and it made her panic as the reality started to hit her. Her father could possibly be a dragon and probably didn’t stick around because she was deemed an abomination in his culture. It weighed heavily on her mind.

If she really did carry dragon blood, could she forgive her father? She wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for him, and her father probably would have been exiled from his people if they knew he had a half-human child. Still, it didn’t make it feel any less shitty. Daisy couldn’t believe all of this was real. Her life had gone from rather boring to utter fantasy.

His warm body appeared on the bed next to her. Nyle’s arm draped over her side, and his hand rested flat against her stomach. Daisy tried taking subtle, but deep, breaths to calm herself, but the more Daisy tried, the more overwhelmed she became. She didn’t want all this chaos; she wanted things to be normal. But at the same time, she really knew that deep down what she felt for Nyle was real and something no one else she knew had ever experienced. It was more than being lovesick; she was plagued with it. Nyle was complex, caring, and warm, and even though she had just met him, she knew her intuition was right on. The man was like an embodiment of a dream with his snowy hair, toned muscles, and smoldering gold eyes. The feeling that he was all hers, and her one true soulmate, was divine.

However, having a soulmate didn’t change the dire circumstances they faced. She was a monster to his people, and his kingdom was depending on him to marry another dragon to keep their clan strong. Could Nyle be right, though? Could it be their destiny to unite the two clans? How in the hell had her life become about drama between dragon clans?

Before she even realized she was crying, Nyle wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb and kissed her forehead. Daisy turned to face him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered, one hand running through her hair and the other rubbing her back.

She tried to clear her head of all the troublesome thoughts. Hoping to bring herself back to the present moment, she inhaled his musk, felt his hand in her hair and the warmth of his skin. She concentrated on her senses to remind herself that it was all real. The hand on the back of her head moved to her jaw, stroking the length of it with a delicate touch.

Daisy finally pulled her face back from Nyle’s neck and looked up to him with tear-filled eyes. He planted sweet kisses all over her face and tried to keep her calm. Tears slowly fell, but Daisy felt herself calming down with each moment that passed. She melted at his touch. When Nyle’s kisses drew near her lips, Daisy tipped her head in his direction, and her lips brushed against his. Tension instantly rose around them, his golden hues glued to her blue-gray eyes. Her attention flickered to his lips for just a moment before she kissed him passionately.

Emotions turned to desire, her body desperate for some release from all the emotional turmoil and stress. Nyle, of course, couldn’t turn her away. His lips moved in harmony with hers, though she could tell he was letting her take the lead—likely because he didn’t want her to feel like he was taking advantage of her vulnerable state. With each kiss, her body came alive, aflame with longing and lust.

Daisy grabbed the hem of her shirt, moving away from the kiss only long enough to pull it over her head. Nyle drew her closer by the small of her back, his other hand groping her chest and gliding down her front. She kicked off the lounge pants she wore and threw them from the bed. Nyle rolled on top of her and moved his lips down to her neck. Nyle reached behind Daisy’s back and skillfully unhooked her bra, freeing her breasts from its hold.

His lips traveled to her chest, his mouth sucking and nipping at her skin. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin from the thrill of his touch. His hot breath was at one of her nipples, his soft lip rubbing against the tip. The warm flesh of his tongue then caressed the erect bud, as she was unable to suppress her sighs of pleasure. Every touch made her body crave him more. Her hips began to squirm from the arousal as Nyle moved over to her other breast. A single fingertip touched the middle of her chest and traveled down the center of her torso, going over her belly button and down to the hem of her panties. Hooking one finger through the panties and the leg hole, he pulled them down, Daisy shimmying them from her legs. Nyle’s hot tongue then followed down the same path as his finger, making her squeal with delight.

Pushing her knees up, Nyle then parted them as his tongue reached between her hips and just above her sex. His smoldering eyes flashed up to her; Daisy met his eyes with a yearning smile. With his arms looped around her thighs, he lowered his face to her sex. The first thing she felt was his hot breath, her body quivered in anticipation. With a light flick of his tongue, he grazed her lower lips. He then traveled the length of her sex with his tongue flattened, making her moan breathlessly. His motions became rhythmic, licking and sucking the sweet flesh of her center and clit. The act was carried out with passion and care. It amazed her how much effort he put into pleasing her and making her comfortable, not at all like any of her past partners.

Ecstasy started to build as moans liberally passed her lips. As her hips began to squirm, he lightly pushed them into the mattress, keeping her still as he skillfully sucked on her clit. Daisy’s grasped the bed sheets as the muscles in her thighs tightened. His tongue flicked over the surface of the sensitive bud and slipped a finger into her swollen heat. Moving his finger in a hook motion, he hit a pleasurable spot within her walls. With just a few strokes, Daisy peaked in pleasure, her entire body shuddering at his touch. Nyle dragged his tongue against her sex as she came down from her climax.

Daisy bit down on her lower lip and looked down at Nyle as he sat up from between her legs. She wanted more. Grabbing her by the hips, he flipped Daisy over onto her stomach and helped her position onto her knees. He shrugged down his boxers, freeing his erection. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she anticipated his touch. Nyle moved her bottom up high by grasping both of her hips and positioned himself before pressing his member to her entrance. The position allowed his manhood to push all the way inside of her as low growl sounded from him. The pleasure was heightened for Daisy as her body still tingled from her last orgasm.

Nyle’s hands moved from her hips around to her stomach. He moved her back to sit on top of him. With her back arched, her shoulders were drawn close to his chest. His hands groped her breasts as his hips pumped into her with vigor and ardor. Nyle’s lips kissed below her ear, and his fingers lightly pinched her nipples, his perfect body crashing against hers in waves of sensuality. Her arms were extended behind her, her nails digging lightly into the sides of his hips. Her own pelvis moved with energy, caught up in the sensations he provided. The confusing and overwhelming events of the day melted into the background. The only things in existence were their bodies, hot breaths, and animalistic desire for each other.

She bounced her hips against each of his thrusts, pushing him hard into her slick center. Her moans sounded into his ear as his lips kissed along the freckles on her shoulder. One of his hands drifted from her breast, moving between her legs. He rubbed at her clit with a rhythmic motion, her sex tightening around his member. She moved her hips rapidly, moving up and down his shaft excitedly. Nyle slammed into her with each motion, biting down on her shoulder as he tried to contain himself. Daisy moved herself down, with her stomach against the bed, and raised her bottom high in the air to give him the best angle.

“God, you’re perfect,” he groaned, thrusting into her swiftly.

In just a few thrusts, Daisy was once again pushed over the edge. She cried out into the fabric of the pillow as she rode through every tidal wave of satisfaction. When he pulled out, Daisy let herself fall flat on the bed, completely worn out from the intense sensations and wild day. She felt Nyle cover her back in light kisses before he stood from the bed. The last thing she heard was the bathroom door close before passing out from exhaustion.