I whined harder when he saidfatedmates. My tail whacked against my flanks, back and forth like a whirlwind.
The emotion was too much for my body to contain. Suddenly, I leapt off Viol’s chest and started running in circles. He sat upright and laughed.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“Running!”
“Why?”
“I have to!”
Sand flew up in my wake as I ran back and forth, chasing my own wagging tail. I ran with the exuberance of a puppy in springtime, totally unashamed and free.
Viol stood up and dusted off his hands. “Shit, that looks like too much funnotto join in...”
He shook his head, and in an expanding vortex of purple, emerged as his dragon self. The majestic creature took my breath away every time I saw it. He was a vision, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen—rarer than any precious stone or exotic flower.
He was my Violet.
I was caught in a new wave of euphoria. Energy surged through my body as I bounded towards Viol’s dragon form, brushing against his front legs and nuzzling his face when he leaned down to greet me. I couldn’t stop whimpering happily like a pup.
“I love you,” I declared. “I love you, I love you!”
A low rumble like a purr sounded in Viol’s long throat. His dragon voice took on a rich, gravelly tone. “I love you more, Poppy,” he growled back.
I found it difficult to believe that was possible, but I gave up arguing. Just hearing that he loved me filled me with inexplicable joy. My body felt so light and airy that I imagined I could fly.
“Run with me,” I urged.
Viol didn’t need a reason or explanation. As soon as I broke into a gallop along the shoreline, he was right there beside me. Two sets of paws—one white and furry, one purple and scaly—hit the sand in tandem. The salty wind caressed my face, and my tongue lolled out of my mouth as I panted hard.
I glanced up at Viol. Despite his size, his dragon form was too elegant for words. He moved like a bolt of lightning, jagged and stark and fast. Once you saw it, you were spellbound. You couldn’t look away as he streaked across the land.
Viol tilted his head to meet my gaze. His mouth curved into a toothy grin. He beamed with happiness, as if the stress and anguish burdening him were finally gone. He looked as free as I felt.
My breath tightened as tears sprung to my eyes, but they were born of joy. I ran faster, pushing my muscles to their limit. I ran because it was the closest thing to flying a wolf could achieve. Because my body could barely contain my exhilaration.
Viol veered towards me. I thought he was going to brush affectionately against my side. Instead, he kicked off from the ground, leapt a few feet into the air, and spread his wings to hover above the sand. When he was close enough, his front paws carefully grasped my chest and he lifted me up, up into the air.
I yelped in surprise before it turned into spirited laughter. Viol cradled me like a doll while he flew higher and higher. He banked towards the sea, flying low over the easygoing waves. It sparkled like a thousand tiny diamonds. The water was so clear that I could see schools of silver fish darting beneath the surface.
Viol angled his wings in the opposite direction and flew back to land. He flew over the closest thicket, nearly skimming the leafy canopy. I tentatively reached out a paw and yipped when I grazed a leaf. I’d never seen—or touched—trees from that angle. It was surreal and magical.
Viol chuckled. “Do you like flying?”
“I love it,” I breathed, starstruck.
He nuzzled my cheek with a rumbly dragon purr. “I’ll fly with you anytime, my mate.”
My heart surged with warmth.
Mate.
My pulse quickened every time Viol said it, as if I had an eternal crush on him.
It didn’t matter that we hadn’t actually mated yet. The word held a much deeper meaning beyond physical intimacy. It was a promise to share our lives forever. That we trusted our souls and bodies and futures to each other. That we could overcome any obstacle by the strength of our love. That was the true meaning of fated mates.
And now, after painful years of yearning, I finally had mine back in my paws.
