Page 16 of Real Scale Blazer

He watched her walk away, unable to completely suppress a smile as she muttered under her breath about “overprotective dragon kings” and “ridiculous magical dating schemes.” His sensitive hearing picked up every word, including a particularly creative description of his “stupidly perfect hair” that made his dragon preen.

“The council awaits your return, My King.” Darian’s amused voice came from behind him. “Unless you’d prefer to continue watching Dr. Quinn’s retreat?”

Kai shot his friend a look that would have terrified anyone else. Darian merely grinned, immune to royal intimidation after centuries of friendship.

“She’s exactly what you need, you know,” his advisor continued, moving to stand beside him. “Someone who sees past the crown to challenge the man beneath it. When was the last time anyone dared speak to you with such... candor?”

“She denies the very existence of magic,” Kai pointed out, though he couldn’t keep the fondness from his tone. “Andapparently considers me an ‘overgrown lizard with control issues.’“

“She’s not wrong about the control issues.” Darian dodged the half-hearted swipe Kai aimed at him. “Come on, admit it. You enjoy her defiance. Your dragon certainly does.”

Before Kai could respond, another crash echoed through the palace, followed by Quinn’s voice: “I said I don’t need an escort! I’m a geologist, not a princess!”

The sound pulled at something primal in his chest. His dragon urged him to go to her, to protect, to claim. But centuries of discipline held him in place. She needed time to adjust, to come to terms with her new reality. Pushing too hard too fast would only drive her away.

“The council will want answers,” Darian said, his tone growing serious. “They sense the change in the land’s magic. Your connection to her is already affecting the kingdom’s stability. It’s only going to get worse the longer you two are not bonded.”

Kai nodded, running a hand through his hair. “The tremors are clustering around her quarters. The magic recognizes her, even if she doesn’t recognize it.”

“And you? How long do you plan to wait before telling her the truth?”

“What truth would that be?” Kai’s voice held a warning edge. “That she’s my fated mate? That the stability of an entire kingdom rests on her accepting a magical bond she doesn’t believe in?”

“That you’re falling for her,” Darian corrected quietly. “Magic and duty aside, your dragon has chosen her. The sooner you accept that, the sooner?—”

Another bout of creative Earth cursing interrupted him. This time, Kai couldn’t resist following the sound. His dragon practically purred with satisfaction as they rounded the cornerto find Quinn setting up what appeared to be complex measuring equipment. She’d tied her hair back more securely, but rebellious strands still framed her face. A smudge of dirt marked one cheek, and her tongue poked out slightly as she concentrated on calibrating something.

She looked beautiful.

THIRTEEN

The thought hit Kai with unexpected force. Not because of any conventional standard of beauty—though she certainly possessed that—but because of the fierce intelligence in her eyes, the determined set of her jaw, the way she attacked problems head-on without fear or hesitation.

His dragon rumbled in agreement. This was their mate. Strong. Brave. Brilliant. Perfect.

Now he just had to convince a skeptical scientist that magic was real, fate wasn’t just a fairy tale, and her presence on Nova Aurora was no accident. Simple enough.

Another crash, another creative Earth expletive. This time involving something anatomically impossible with a seismometer.

Well, at least it wouldn’t be boring.

As if sensing his thoughts, the land shifted again. But this tremor felt different—almost playful. The crystals around Quinn seemed to sparkle more brightly, and the usual discordant song of unbalanced magic smoothed into something closer to harmony.

His kingdom recognized its future queen.

Now he just had to figure out how to bridge the gap between Earth science and Nova Aurora magic without sending her running for the nearest transport pod. And preferably before his dragon’s growing need to claim their mate overwhelmed nine centuries of careful control.

Simple. Right.

Kai forced himself to turn away from the sight of Quinn at work, though his dragon protested every step. The walk back to the council chambers gave him time to compose himself, to lock away the surge of possessive need that watching her had triggered. He was a king first. His personal desires had to come second to his duty.

But his dragon disagreed, growing more restless with each step that took them farther from their mate.

“Your control is slipping,” Darian observed quietly as they approached the grand hall. “I haven’t seen your eyes flash gold like that since we were younglings learning to shift.”

Kai blinked, forcing his dragon nature back beneath the surface. He hadn’t even realized his eyes had changed. “The bond grows stronger by the hour.”

“As do the tremors.” Darian’s voice carried a note of warning. “The council won’t wait forever, my friend. They’ll expect you to take action soon.”

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