Page 57 of Kidnapped Forced Mate

I’m breaking many laws enforced by the Council by doing this, anyway. Not that it matters in this moment. All I can think about is Olivia, waiting for me on the top of a cliff nearby. To her, protecting the world is an important task – a cause for which she was willing to give her life.

It’s become my purpose now, as I launch my human body forward, my wings flashing out in perfect intervals to whisk through the air with thunderbolts of power to strike the men as they attack. Olivia’s FBI team joins in when their shock subsides, and we’re able to take down the Italian men.

One by one, they’re knocked to the ground, still conscious but unmoving for now. When the FBI team has them in cuffs for a safe arrest, I rush to the exit and flash into dragon form before I’m caught by the authorities for questioning.

They’ll no doubt want to have me in custody, too, sent for a range of tests to dissect my nature. I’ve done what I needed to do, and I’ll have to face the consequences of my actions later.

For now, all that matters is returning to my fated mate and getting her back to safety. I fly up with speed, rising to the top of the cliff where Olivia stands waiting for me. Though we don’t share the mind link I have with the Aurora Dragons, there’s a sense of understanding between us when I wheeze and nod my dragon head. Olivia nods back, then stretches her arms on both sides before closing her eyes and stepping over the cliff's edge.

She makes the trust fall into my arms, a leap of faith that tells me she’s accepted that she is my fated mate. The attraction between us has always been undeniable, and it’s all because she is fated to me by the gods.

When she lands safely in my arms, I hold her tightly to my chest, my dragon whimpering slightly. She presses her cheek on my chest, a soft smile warming her lips as she reaches out and touches my elongated face.

“Let’s go home,” she whispers, filling my heart with the warmth of intense relief and fulfillment. I never thought I’d hear those words, never thought I’d see her again. It was fate that led me back to her when I saw her in that restaurant, and fate that had us reunited, headed back to Aurora Island.

The flight back home is blissful, with sweet gazes exchanged between Olivia and me as we drift across the clouds in a bubble of our own. I’m not nearly as concerned as I should be about facing the consequences of my actions, choosing to bask in this moment of pure elation, carrying my mate back to the one place where I can keep her safe for the rest of eternity. The thought alone has me curling my dragon lips into a smile and seeing my reflection in her blue eyes.

With a tough outer shell, my heart has turned soft. I avoided it for so long, believing I might lose myself to something I considered foolish before. Only now do I realize how wrong I was, since the balance I’ve found has only served to strengthen me. It makes me feel powerful, and unstoppable, now with my mate by my side.

We enter the island’s dome, heading for the castle, where I slow down and land on the thirteenth-floor’s balcony. Setting Olivia onto her feet gently, I clasp the balcony rails with the claws of my hand legs and shift before hopping onto the balcony floor.

As soon as I’m on my human feet, Olivia rushes forward and flings her arms around my neck.

“Thank you, Stryder,” she appraises as I wrap my arms around her.

“What for, baby doll?” I ask with a nervous chuckle when she pulls back to stare into my eyes.

“For completing my mission,” she reveals with an earnest smile.

I drop my head in wistful shame, knowing that I’d done something good, but in terms of the dragon shifter race, I’ve done something unforgivable.

“I needed to do it,” I finally relent, lifting my head and cradling Olivia’s face with both hands. “But I have exposed the existence of the dragon shifters now. I’m afraid I’ll be punished for it.”

Olivia’s brows furrow with worry. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, Stryder. You are a Vulkan, after all.”

“It’s a title I’ve taken for granted before,” I admit with a sigh. “Even now, I’m afraid I cannot escape what I’ve done.”

“Go,” she encourages with a nod. “Go and face what you need to. Get it out of the way so you can come back to me.”

“There’s so much we need to talk about,” I stare solemnly into her eyes, stroking the apples of her cheeks with my thumbs. I have so much to make up for, and so much to explain.

But Olivia smiles warmly, her eyes full of the encouragement I need. “I know, and we will. Do what you need to do for now, and I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I strictly warn her.

She giggles lightly, making me feel slightly better about what comes next. “No. I’m not.” Olivia steps back, then takes my hand and places a soft, lingering kiss on my knuckles. “I’m never leaving your side again.”

Stepping forward, I curl a hand on the back of her head and gently pull her forward to lay a chaste, promising kiss on her forehead. No matter how many times we’d spent twisted in the throes of bodily pleasures, I’ve never felt as immensely fulfilled as I do now, kissing her on the forehead where it means so much more. The profound gesture fills my chest with pride, allowing me to face the challenges of what lies ahead with the confidence my mate by my side brings.

With the credence of fated mates fueling my resolve, I close my eyes and send out a mind link to my brother, Draco. As the eldest and the leader of the Aurora Dragons, I had to tell him first about what I did, and he replied that I should meet him in his study.

***

Draco stands at the window, watching the island as the other dragon shifters go about their day. Since he’s been back permanently, he’s been making many changes.

Like adding Sierra’s yoga classes to the list of compulsory tasks. He’s also cordoned off an area reserved for harvesting fresh vegetables to be traded in the weekend markets.

The island has always been self-sufficient, but now, with our human mates around, we’re creating a better community for the sake of the dragonspirit children who are a product of the human mating process. The island hadn’t been blessed with children for almost a millennium until Draco found his fated mate and had the first boy. Then came Aragon’s son, and Felix’s twins – a girl and a boy.

---