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With being the ninth in so many lines, Storm was to be Queen of their kind as soon as she found a mate worthy of her and her love. But she was in no hurry to find either. She was too busy to care for a lover and didn’t want one slowing her down either.
As soon as she stepped into the magical arena, she let her body respond to the pull of her Dragon. First her body elongated, her spine curving and pulling, stretching to accommodate the large bulk of her form. Then her feet, dainty and small as a human, they too stretched and great claws formed at the toes. The wings at her back began pulling away from her body and forming into a great expanse, wide and full. Flapping them once, she felt the blood surge through them, and then she pulled them tight against her body. Her face molded and formed into a massive head, teeth a foot in length and sharp as the talons at her feet filled her mouth full and lethal. The human skin along her arms became scales of great strength, able to protect her from any weapon, small or large. Her scales shimmered in the moonlight, catching and reflecting the gold and silver that blazed within each protective shell. By the time the shift was complete, Storm was a massive twenty-five feet tall, seventy feet wide with her wingspan, and weighed several tons of pure muscle and bone. She moved to the large door that went directly into the throne room and bowed before the other dragons gathered there, careful of every step that she took.
“Mistress Storm, thank you for coming to see us so quickly. We have much to discuss.” Storm dipped her head to hide her confusion. They had expected her?
“You must go to China. We need for you to bring back the man Alexander Walsh. It is imperative that he survives. He is vital to the future of our race, to all of us.”
“Pardon me, Sire, but my sister, Ember, she is—” Storm started to tell them what she was sure that they already knew but they cut her off.
“Ember is going to have a hatchling soon. She must stay hidden. If Grail finds her, he will destroy her and the babe. No, it is you who needs to go and bring him back to us. May we count on you to serve us well, Mistress Storm?”
“Of course.” Storm bowed before them and took a step back to leave the room. She was stopped by a slight cough from behind her.
“My lords, have you yet told the Mistress what is expected of her?” Storm startled. The being was small but by no means diminished in her stature. Standing before her was the strongest being any had ever known. Her mother, Queen of the Enneahedral Dragon clan, had swept into the room, her strength preceding her. “I will take it upon myself to do that now. You’re dismissed.” The people in the room disappeared at her command.
“Mother, you look well.” Storm never knew how to speak to her mother, Morning. She had always intimidated her. Now was no different. Her beauty was one of the reasons, the other was that her mother wasn’t really the affection sort of person. But then, neither was she.
“You look beautiful, child. I would like for you to shift and meet me in my private chamber. I should like to speak to you about this mission.” Nodding once, her mother smiled. “We’ll have a luncheon, you and I. And tea. I should like to speak to you about your other adventures, too, if you would allow it.”
Immediately, Storm’s body started its shift to human form. Within seconds, she was dressed similarly to her mother in a long silk robe with their crest blazing over their hearts. Storm nearly stepped back from her as Morning was standing very close. Surprisingly, Morning reached out and hugged her close to her.
The tightness of the hug had tears fill her eyes. It had been forever since her mother had hugged her, much less had hugged her first. Wrapping her arms around her mother, she heard her soft sob, and when she pulled away, her mother turned her back to her and started talking. As if nothing had happened.
“This man, Alex, you will bring him back to us safe. It’s important.” They were seated in the large room that her mother used when she came to the castle’s offices. “I know that your sister is there, but she is breeding now. Thank the gods, and it’s important to all of us that she be able to deliver her hatchling safely.” Her mom sat down so Storm did the same in an equally ornate chair.
It was not a question, but Storm answered her anyway. “Yes. You can trust me to keep him safe.”
“It’s not his safety that I worry about. It’s yours.” Morning shifted on her seat, her unease evident on her face and posture. “Alex is your mate. It is determined by the Elders that he will father the next line. His bloodline is strong and pure. He will provide you with love and companionship for the rest of your life and on into the next. You and he and the family you breed will be the ones to destroy evil. “
Storm looked sharply at her mother. No. No, this could not be happening. She did not want a mate chosen for her. She stood and began pacing the room.
“You’re angry. I don’t blame you, I would be—”
“Pardon me, but you don’t know me well enough to judge my anger. I will bring this man to you, but no one is choosing my mate.” She turned on her mother, not sure that this was a smart move on her part, but she was pissed. “Was Ember’s mate chosen for her as well? I’m sure that she’ll be thrilled to know that her life has been arranged for her.”
“No, her finding her mate was a surprise to us all. But this man, Alex, has been chosen as your mate since before he was born. And you will not use that tone with me, young lady. I am still your mother.” Storm took a deep breath and then sat down when her mother asked her to.
“I miss said what he was to you, Storm. No one chose him for you. It was written in the tomes of the future. You will mate with him and bring children into this world that will be needed. When I said chosen, I meant that it has been written.”
She stalked out of the room and into the courtyard again. This time, she shifted as she ran, her body forming and shaping as she went. By the time she had gone a hundred yards, she was launching herself into the sky and soaring across the night.
~~Enjoy great happiness~~
~~Maintain a fond hope for all kind~~
~~Uphold the reparation of magical energy requirements~~
Storm shifted to a human as she touched the ground. Her body threw off its form as if it were a heavy coat she no longer needed. She had landed close to the mouth of the cave where the man Alex was waiting.
Storm had contacted Ember when she left the Realm late last night. Telling her the events that had happened at the castle but she left out the part of “the man” being her mate. She did not plan on taking him as her mate, so she felt no reason to relay the news. Storm had also asked Ember to have the man waiting for her at the mouth of the cave. Storm did not want to take the time to go down and get him. The sooner she took him to the Elders and finished this assignment, the happier she would be.
“You’re to come with me. I’m to take you to the Chilast,” she said when she saw who she assumed was Alexander. She put out her hand to have him come with her.
“I don’t think so. Not until someone explains to me what is going on. One minute, I’m on a domestic violence call. The next I’m being wrapped in wings and brought here. Wings—I’ve seen some weird shit as a cop, but wings are something I’ve never encountered before.” Alex sat hard on the stone next to the wall. He looked stubborn and formidable. She was annoyed but impressed, too.
He was a very handsome man and taller than her by a good half a foot. His hair was dark, as dark as Storm’s, but where hers was curly, his was straight and hung just past his shoulders. The shirt he had on had been torn, so she had a delicious view of his hard abs and harder chest. It looked smooth, and her fingers itched to touch, not just his chest but his entire body. Storm decided that she did not like him and would not be his mate, no matter what anyone said about it.
“I don’t have time to explain, so get ready to go.” She could feel the attraction to him and she hated him all the more for it.
