Page 1 of His Fiery Mate

CHAPTER 1

MELISANDRE

Glacier, Alaska

Two Years Ago

“I don’t understand why you’re leaving,” said Raine, Cooper’s mate and first lady of the clan.

“You heard Cooper last night. He said things could not remain as they were. I agree. My life here has become untenable,” responded Melisandre Blaze as she calmly packed the things she meant to take with her.

Cooper McKinley, the leader of the ice dragons of Denali had been clear: either she acceded to his authority and agreed to be mated, or she left the clan with nothing more than a single bag to hold her belongings. Most of the other drakaina who had no interest in a mate had agreed to change their ways and seek a mate. Melisandre had not.

“It isn’t that bad, and while Cooper can see the wisdom in the dragon clans settling the drakaina with mates…”

“Mates not necessarily of their choosing. Those of us who have no wish to mate are being pressured—and in some cases even threatened—if we don’t do what is expected.”

“Our numbers are declining, and I do not believe Coop would actually force any of you into a bonding you couldn’t be happy in. I know he talks a big game and can sound fierce, but you’ve known him your whole life…”

Melisandre nodded. “Which means I know when he’s bluffing, and he isn’t. I’ll grant you, it’s not what he wants to do, but he will see the drakaina of our clan mated or banished. I choose banishment. I choose to leave the only place I’ve ever known and go out into the world without a clan. The bottom line is: I choose. The single male dragons aren’t being forced to find a mate.”

Raine reached out to touch her hand. Melisandre jerked away, shaking her head.

“I can’t change your mind?” Raine asked quietly.

“No. I’ve known this was probably coming so I’ve been taking online courses in arson investigation and have managed to consult on a few cases. There’s a job opening down in Anchorage. It’s a kind of roving position…”

“You can’t just move to Anchorage without having a job…” declared Raine, clearly distressed.

Melisandre stopped packing and sat down on the edge of her bed. “I’ve seen this coming for a while—even before you and Cooper got together. I’ve been able to build a small nest egg outside of what I earned here in Glacier so I’ve got some money that will see me through. I’ve also been making connections with people on Kodiak and in Anchorage. I’ll be able to get by.”

Raine smiled sadly. “There is no talking you out of this, is there? Even if Cooper could take back what he said last night.”

“I’m afraid not. Dragons outnumber drakaina in this clan by more than two to one, and they all have a similar viewpoint, even if it’s not from the same intention. A lot of the younger dragons see our decline in numbers and want to subjugate our drakaina.”

“Cooper would never…”

“No, he wouldn’t, but in my opinion more and more dragon clans are headed that way. There may come a time when Cooper can’t keep them in line. I just don’t want to be here if that happens.” Melisandre stopped, stood up and turned back to her packing. “I have to say, I’d burn this whole place down to ensure my own freedom. Like I said, it’s my fate to choose, and I won’t have that taken away from me.”

She placed the last of her things in her bag and turned to leave without saying another word. The last thing she wanted was to have an emotional goodbye with Raine, who had somehow bonded with Zafira, the ancient queen of the ice dragons. She was fond of Raine and had enormous respect for her, but Raine had been born human. She didn’t necessarily understand what it was to be drakaina. First she was human, and then she was drakaina and first lady of the clan.

Melisandre made her way to the top of the dwelling that the unmated drakaina shared. She removed the shift she had been wearing and allowed the cold winds that blew through the town to wrap around and embrace her, tickling her nipples into sharp points. She set her bag on the ground, raised her arms to embrace the skies, and called forth her drakaina.

As the mist of the shift enveloped her, she felt as if there was a heaviness that fell away as the mist dissipated, and she emerged as drakaina. Melisandre’s scales glinted in shades of ice blue and silver. She stood poised on the roof from where drakaina took to the skies. Her home had always been Denali, and as she looked around, she knew this most likely would be the last time she saw it.

Melisandre reared up to stand on her hind legs. She gave a powerful push and launched herself into the air, grasping her bag in her talons. She unfurled her colossal wings and beat them against the air to create lift. With a whoosh that echoed through the mountainous terrain, her wings caught the wind, lifting her higher and higher into the clear blue sky. Nothing felt as good as flying. Nothing.

She soared up into the clouds, her tail, adorned with spiked ridges, trailing behind her and cutting through the air like a scaly rudder. Her eyes were sharp and luminous as she scanned the landscape below, where vast expanses of snow and ice gave way to dense forests and winding rivers. Melisandre felt as wild and free as the terrain below her.

Her journey from Denali to Anchorage had begun with a powerful leap from the roof of the dormitory building she had called home for the past decade. Her enormous wings, which looked as though they were made of gossamer, shimmered in the sunlight, spreading wide to catch the wind. With a few mighty flaps, she rose up above the clouds, banking south to leave the towering peak of Denali behind.

As she gained altitude, Melisandre’s keen eyes took in the vast, untouched wilderness below. She realized that by adhering to the rules and never leaving Denali or the accompanying rugged landscape, she had never fully appreciated the vast expanse of the Alaska Range stretched out beneath it, a sea of jagged peaks and glaciers. As she entered a cloud, Melisandre blew a small stream of fire, hot and smoky, leaving a trail of mist in the crisp, cold, cloud-studded air as she glided effortlessly above the rugged ground below.

Her journey took her over the pristine waters of the Tokositna River, winding through deep valleys carved by ancient glaciers. The river's surface glistened in the sunlight, reflecting her silhouette as she flew above. Her shadow raced along the ground, startling a herd of caribou grazing by the riverbank. The herd scattered, their antlers glinting like silver in the sun.

She wondered for a moment if she’d done the right thing. Cooper hadn’t given her an ultimatum, but he’d come close. Had she done the right thing in leaving her clan? Had Cooper been so wrong in urging her to find a mate so she could help perpetuate their kind?

Leaving the river behind, Melisandre flew over the expansive and seemingly endless forests of spruce and birch trees. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly as she passed overhead, allowing them to tickle her talons. The scent of pine and earth filled the air, mingling with the unique scent of a drakaina.

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