Confusion knotted in my belly, an unwelcome companion. Why now? What force dared disturb my repose?
My nostrils flared as I inhaled, tasting the air for signs of danger, for the spark that could explain this unnatural wakefulness.
My heart beat a thunderous rhythm against my ribcage, echoing through the cavern as if in answer to some silent question. My mind, still clouded by remnants of slumber, clawed its way toward clarity. Every instinct within me was sharpened, honed by centuries of survival. Whatever the reason for this premature return to the realm of the waking, I was certain of one thing: it signified a change, a ripple in the still waters of my world.
As the last shreds of befuddlement cleared from my thoughts, the realization hit me with the force of a landslide. This was not random chance. Nor was it the natural cycle of rest and revival to which my kind were bound. No, this was something else entirely. Something urgent, something dire.
Beneath the ancient fury that was my birthright, beneath the layers of time and memory, there stirred a new kind of fire—a call that could not be ignored, a summons that reverberated with the very core of my being. Though its nature eluded me still, one truth rang clear in my mind. I had to answer it. Whateverawaited me beyond the confines of my lair was inexorably tied to the essence of who and what I was.
I gathered myself with the reluctant grace of a storm cloud releasing its torrent upon the land. I would find the source of this compulsion. I would discover why the fates had deemed it necessary to rouse me from my sacred slumber.
The scent hit me next. Fear and something sweet, indefinable, yet intoxicating. My nostrils flared again, taking in the rich tapestry of odors that permeated the cave's musty air. This... this was new, a fragrance I had never encountered yet somehow knew with an intimacy that clawed at my insides.
She was close, this woman whose essence called to the deepest, most primal part of my soul. Her terror was tangible, a live wire of emotion that sent a jolt through my ancient heart.
I didn't wait to ponder how I knew she was mine. The knowledge was as intrinsic to my being as the heat of the fire in my belly.
Mate.
Filled with this newfound purpose, I stretched, my massive form filling the cavern. My limbs, heavy with slumber just moments ago, now thrummed with power. Scales rasped against stone, echoing through the hollow expanse like the prelude to an ancient war song.
With deliberate movements, I rose to my full height, the surrounding space constricting with the vastness of my presence. The walls, adorned with the etchings of ages past, bore silent witness to my awakening. I turned toward the exit, a mere crack in the earth when compared to the grandeur of the mountains outside, but just wide enough for me to pass.
It was time to emerge from the bowels of the earth, to breach the threshold between my domain and hers. As I lumbered toward the light, the shadows danced away from my form, banished by the promise of impending reunion.
My mate was out there, somewhere beyond the embrace of stone and darkness, ensnared by her own fears. And I would tear the world apart to answer her silent cry for salvation.
I burst through the cavern's mouth with a primal force. The crisp mountain air rushed against my scales, filling my lungs with the scent of nature and the undercurrent of terror that beckoned me forward. My wings unfurled, wide and powerful, catching an updraft as I soared above the tree line, the verdant canopy a mere blur beneath me.
Instinct guided my flight. A couple of miles was nothing but a short glide on the vast expanse of my wings. I kept low, eyes piercing through the foliage, searching for the fear that screamed to me.
A dilapidated cabin came into view. Disuse had rendered it nearly part of the landscape, reclaimed by the wilds. Except today, the wilds had been violated by the stark blackness of a car that had no place amidst the untamed.
With a thunderous beat of my wings, I descended, talons gouging marks into the earth as I landed. She was inside the cabin. Her head hung low, and her red hair was a fiery cascade that couldn't hide the paleness of her skin. Even bound to a chair, she was a flame in the darkness, calling to me.
My mate. Myhumanmate.
I'd always expected her to be a dragon or possibly a witch.
A growl rumbled deep within my chest, a sound of protest and protection, vibrating through the ground. How could she be part of my ancient lineage? Such mysteries paled compared to the sight before me. She was in danger, and I would burn the world to cinders before allowing harm to come to her.
A roar of fury and claim reverberated off the crumbling walls of the cabin. Her head jerked up, eyes wide with terror as she caught sight of me through the grimy window. The raw fear in her gaze was like a punch to my gut. She had never seen a creature like me before. My scales shimmered with hues of obsidian in thesunlight, a sight to behold, but not for my mate, a fragile and frightened human.
Impossible. A dragon's true mate was meant to be a dragon, but female dragons were rare. We generally ended up in relationships with other shifters or witches. How could fate have twisted our paths so cruelly? Yet there she was, indisputably mine, bound and broken in a place where no light shone.
I could hear her heart pounding, every beat syncing with the heated blood coursing through my veins. She was otherworldly in her beauty, even in distress, a flame that refused to be quenched by darkness. And I knew, no matter how improbable it seemed, she was destined to be mine.
I reached out with the ancient magic that thrummed in my blood to send my thoughts to her and her captors minds.
Come out and face me if you dare.The words were meant for him but also to comfort her. At least I hoped she found comfort in my words.You can scare a little woman, but you cannot scare me. Step outside and test your mettle against a true predator.
The cabin remained still for a heartbeat, then erupted into chaos as the door burst open. My senses were attuned to her, the pulse of her life force singing a siren's call. The notion that she could be anything but a dragon was ludicrous. Yet here she was, a humanwoman with a spirit fierce enough to wake a slumbering dragon before his decade-long rest was complete.
Be brave,I said into her thoughts.Your nightmare ends today.
Tension coiled in my muscles, ready to spring forth and unleash destruction upon any who dared harm what was mine.
She was mine.
