Ella had heard it said that fated mates were not only genetically perfect for each other but also spiritually perfect for each other. Ella didn't know if she believed such things, but over the last thirty years, every human woman who had been matched with a Draconian had experienced a deep spiritual connection with her man.
Within moments, Ella was given her match. She gasped and her hands started to shake with excitement.
His picture came up on the screen, instantly making her mouth drop and her eyes widen. His name was Shay, Water Prince of Galaton. The look in his moss-green eyes instantly melted her heart. She’d never felt such a strong reaction to an image of a man before.
Ella had never heard of the planet Galaton and quickly did an Internet search for more information. She soon learned that Galaton was a distant planet in the Draconian star system. It had been terraformed millions of years ago as a Draconian colony. Now, it was an independent principality ruled over by four princes.
Each Prince represented an element: fire, air, earth, and water. She’d been matched with the prince of water. His lands were a vast ocean on the western part of the planet.
The more Ella learned about Galaton, the quicker her heart pounded in her chest. How could it be possible that she, a humble elementary school teacher from Chicago, could be the mate of the water Prince of Galaton?
Almost immediately she received a text on her holocom.
“You have been matched with a Draconian. Please report to your nearest Draconian Consulate at your earliest convenience.”
This was all happening so fast. Ella had imagined that maybe she would be matched with one of the dragon shifters who’d been born on Earth in the last thirty years. There were plenty of them; the basketball player in the reality TV show playing on her screen was an example of one of them. Nowadays, most girls were being matched with dragon shifters from their home planet of Draconia and traveling through the wormhole to live there.
But instead of a dragon from Earth or Draconia, she had been matched with a man who was millions upon millions of miles away on a distant planet she’d never even heard of.
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she become. Ella didn't know if she was ready for any of this. Maybe it had been a mistake. Now that she had entered the lottery, she had to at least go to the consulate.
In the past, human women were required to spend at least two weeks with their Draconian mate before deciding whether or not they would stay with them. The Draconians had what was called a mating impulse or ‘thrall’ that, if not satisfied, would slowly drive them mad.
No woman had ever chosen not to stay with her mate. But how in the world would she ever spend two weeks with a dragon who was millions of miles away in space? It just didn't seem possible.
Ella rose from her couch and went to the kitchen to use the food replicator. She flicked her finger over the holographic control panel and programmed her replicator to make her a slice of pepperoni pizza for dinner.
A moment later, her pizza popped out of the counter on a plate, bubbling hot with melted cheese. She grabbed her dinner, went to the couch, and continued watching reality TV shows.
Ella ate her pizza and tried to decide what she was going to do. When she was done, she cleaned up and went to her bedroom. She had a big foam bed under her window that she climbed into. She was so confused she had a hard time falling asleep. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see behind them was the sight of her prince’s moss green eyes, staring at her through the vast distances between them.
Chapter 2
Ella woke up early the next morning, and the first thought in her mind was the dragon shifter she'd been matched with the day before. She'd never met him or spoken to him, but there was something about the look in his eyes that made her feel like they'd known each other all their lives.
She couldn't rationalize her feelings, but that didn't make them any less intense. Since it was the weekend, and she didn't have to work that day, she got ready and left for the consulate. When her hover bus arrived at her bus stop, she got on board and rode through the skyways to her destination. There was a Draconian consulate on the street level in old Chicago that had been there since before the Mulgor invasion.
When she arrived, she got off the bus and stood in front of the Greek-style building with marble pillars and a domed roof. She took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to the front entrance. The doors slid open, and Ella walked inside, ready to meet her new life.
As soon as she stepped through the sliding glass doors, she was greeted by the Draconian consulate’s AI system.
“Greetings, Ella Turner. You have been matched with Shay Vishak, Water Prince of Galaton.”
Images of Shay projected three-dimensionally all around her and she was struck once again by his overwhelming masculine beauty. She gasped and lifted her fingertips to her lips.
Almost forgetting where she was and what she was doing, she didn't notice when the Draconian secretary approached her and cleared his throat. She looked up at the seven-foot-tall dragon shifter, wearing a skintight gray uniform and gasped again with surprise.
“Ella Turner,” the Draconian secretary said. “I am Secretary Kim. You know you have been mated with Prince Shay of Galaton. Congratulations.”
“I still don't understand what all this means,” Ella said. “How can I be mated with a Draconian who is so far away? How can I possibly have a two-week trial over such a long distance?”
“Indeed,” Secretary Kim started. “This is a very good question, Ella, thank you for asking. You should be aware that if you accept the mating with Prince Shay, we cannot ensure your safety or safe passage back to Earth if you choose not to stay with him on Galaton.”
“Can't he come here?” Ella asked.
“In fact, he cannot. The culture of Galaton prohibits him traveling all the way to Earth. The Galatonian dragons are known for their warlike culture. Unfortunately, since the last female died on their planet, the lower level aristocrats have been actively trying to overthrow the rule of the princes. Draconia cannot get involved with the politics of an independent planet. But we have opened the lottery to Galaton. And we will assist you in going to meet your prince. However, there are some other conditions you should be aware of.”
“Other conditions?” she asked, feeling more and more nervous about this with every passing second.
“Should you accept your match with Prince Shay, you will be artificially inseminated with his seed. The trip to Galaton will take a year. And during that time, you will be prohibited from interacting with him.”
“So I'm going to get pregnant with the baby of a man I've never met and then travel through space for a year while pregnant just to meet him? And you can't ensure that I can ever come home again?” she said, shocked.
Just verbalizing the words made her realize how ludicrous this proposition happened to be.
“That is correct. But just like other dragon shifters, the water Prince of Galaton will have already begun his mating thrall. It would have started for him the moment he found out he had been matched with you. If you do not go to join him, he will lose his mind and eventually die. Since we cannot ensure your safety, we can also not force you to join the prince on his planet. But we do encourage you to go.”
“Have any other brides made it safely to Galaton?” she asked.
“Two other bride ships have already left. The Fire Prince’s bride has already arrived with her baby. From what I understand, she is quite happy.”
“Well, that’s some reassurance at least,” Ella said.
She couldn't believe she was even considering this. All around her, images of Shay filled up every holographic screen available. He was tall and strong and gorgeous in a way she had never experienced before. The sight of him drew her as if there was already a bond between them that she couldn't explain.
“Why don't you take some time to think about it and give me your answer as soon as possible,” the secretary said.
> “All right,” Ella muttered, dazed and confused.
She turned on her heel and left the consulate, feeling more muddled than ever. How could she leave everything she had ever known on Earth to join a man she'd never met? It didn't seem like a very good life choice.
Ella walked down the stairs of the consulate to the ground-level street of old Chicago. She gazed at the old Maple trees that lined the street. The orange, red and yellow leaves fluttered to the ground as the breeze blew through the dark branches. She had always loved this time of year on Earth. The thought of never seeing it again hurt her heart deeply.
She continued walking, thinking about her life as she went. Ella had never once been one to make rash decisions. Growing up in the orphanage, she had always been the most conservative girl in her group. Ella always looked before she leaped. She made balanced, rational choices. That had led her to a very productive and stable life.
But no matter how productive and stable her life was, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Many of the men and women of her generation were consumed by the pleasures readily available on the new Earth. Few people wanted to settle down and start a family anymore. And Ella, as conservative as she happened to be, was fairly tired of playing holo-games and going to music festivals. She wanted something more, something substantial, something real.
She thought about her students and how much she loved them. Ella had always wanted to be a teacher because she believed in the next generation. She loved children more than anything and being a teacher had fulfilled many of her core needs. But none of those children were her children. No matter how much she loved them, that would always be the case.
She could try to find a human man to start a family with on Earth, but so far, the opportunity had not presented itself. Ella was starting to believe it never would.
From everything that she knew about the dragon shifters, they were immensely loyal to their mates, giving them everything that they ever wanted. But the Water Prince of Galaton was not the same kind of dragon that she was used to.
Maybe he would be cruel to her. Maybe her life would be difficult. There was no way of knowing until she jumped headfirst into a completely new life. A life she wasn't sure that she was prepared for. She walked down the street and sat in a café on the corner while she watched the leaves fall from the trees.
A waiter came out and she ordered a chai latte. When he left, she thought about her prince. He had the most beautiful moss-green eyes she had ever seen. The thought of allowing him to die a horrible death by the madness of his own inner dragon tore her to the very core. How could she allow such a beautiful man to be destroyed by his own dragon – a dragon who wanted nothing more than her?
The waiter came back and set her chai latte on her table. She drank the spicy, creamy drink and looked up at the pale blue sky. Somewhere in space there was a man waiting for her. A man who was perfect for her in every way. Without her, he would die. With her, he would have a family, a child, a bride, and the rule of a planet called Galaton.
Who was she to disregard the hand of fate? All at once, Ella knew exactly what she needed to do. She was going to go to Galaton to meet and marry her dragon prince.
Chapter 3
Shay Vishak, the Water Prince of Galaton, watched massive sea creatures swim over the roof of the glass dome above. He stood on his private balcony, in the highest tower of the Coral Palace. The expanse of the Coral City spread out below him. Tall reeds fluttered in the wind generated by the tides.
The water dragons could survive under water, just like the sea creatures who swam in the depths below the shifting tides of the planet. But while in their humanoid form, they preferred to live in buildings and breathe air.
As far as Shay was concerned, the water lands were the most beautiful on Galaton. As he surveyed his kingdom, his holocom pinged with a message. He slid his finger over the wrist of his skintight Draconian uniform and brought up the message.
It was from the Draconian mating lottery. They’d found his bride.
Draconia had recently allowed Galaton to enter the lottery after thirty years of keeping them out of it. Galaton and Draconia were trading partners, but the relations between them lately had not been that good. Galaton had waited patiently to be invited into the lottery. All the while, the dragons of Galaton became more and more aggressive due to the lack of females.
There was massive social unrest among the dragons of the water lands, and Shay had to fight them every day in the fighting pits below the Coral Palace. It was not something he enjoyed, but it was a role he had spent his entire life training to play.
Shay was the greatest warrior of the water lands, and as far as he was concerned, the greatest warrior on Galaton. The other princes may disagree with that assessment, but he didn't really care. They could think what they wanted.
It wasn't that Shay didn't have respect for the other princes of Galaton, but they simply weren't water dragons. And everyone knew water dragons were the best.
He brought up the message from the Draconian mating lottery, and his eyes widened with amazement. His mate, Ella Turner, was a thirty-year-old woman from Earth with bright brown eyes and long brown hair. He had never seen such devastating beauty in all his life. Like all Draconians, he was privy to the industry of holo-movies featuring nude human women.
Many of his own dragons enjoyed watching these holo-films, and Shay himself had seen more than a few himself. In all of his time viewing beautiful human women on holographic films, he'd never seen beauty to match that of his mate, Ella Turner.
He went on to read her profile on the Draconian mating lottery website. She was a schoolteacher who instructed young humans at what they called an elementary school. What a lovely profession for his bride.
He longed to send her a message. But Shay knew that he could not contact her. He could already feel the rumblings of his inner dragon taking hold. Just in the few moments he had viewed her image, his mating thrall had taken hold. His inner dragon would not rest until he had Ella in his arms and claimed her with his cock and fangs. But it could not be for a long time yet.
The dragon princes of Galaton had devised a plan to bring their brides to the planet while maintaining rule of their thrones. It required them to each send samples of their seed in a tiny transport vessel that was capable of traveling faster than the speed of light.
Those transport vessels could travel faster than any ship capable of supporting human or dragon life. The samples had already arrived on Earth. When identified, the brides would be impregnated before leaving the planet.
The impregnation started the mating bond between dragon and bride, allowing him to stave off the thrall until she arrived. Unfortunately, having his bride carry his heir in her womb would not stop the thrall completely. The only way for him to ensure his continued sanity was to avoid contact with her at all costs.
Shay growled and closed out the screen showing images of his bride. His inner dragon roared and screamed inside his mind. He knew he needed to do something to blow off steam.
The Fire Prince’s bride had already arrived and things were going well for them in the Fire Lands. But Shay's journey to his own mate had just begun.
He turned away from his balcony and walked through his chambers. The furnishings of the water lands incorporated the aesthetic of the deep sea. There were spiraling coral arches of pink and blue. Silky curtains of kelp green covered the broad windows. The carpet below his feet was like the waving grasses that covered the ocean floor. He walked through his chambers and down the hallway to the elevator that took him to the tunnel, leading to the water outside.
At the bottom floor of the Coral Palace, he stepped into an exit hatch that allowed him to go directly into the deep ocean. In the hatch, with the doors secured behind him, he flicked the spot on his neck that caused his uniform to retract, leaving him completely nude.
His blue-green skin shimmered in the pale light of the luminescent algae lamps above. In an instant, Prin
ce Shay shifted into his massive water dragon form. His blue-green scales shimmered, and the exit hatch opened up to the watery world outside.
His dragon's mind was reeling with the knowledge of his mate, but Shay kept it at bay. What he needed now was a good swim in the deep salt ocean of Galaton. He drove into the water, relishing the feel of the liquid against the scales.
Water dragons could breathe through special gills in their necks, and Shay was no different. He dove and spiraled on the currents. It was like flying but more graceful. One of the reasons water dragons were clearly the best. As he dove and swam through the thick ocean water, past the massive deep sea life, who dwarfed even a dragon the size of the prince.
His dragon was soothed by the vigorous exercise and the thought of his coming princess was almost completely washed from his mind.
Almost.
Chapter 4
Ella headed back to the consulate, almost at a run. She knew what she had to do. It was as if the purpose of her life had finally revealed itself to her. She knew who she was for the first time. She was the bride of Shay Vishak, the Water Prince of Galaton. It didn't make any sense, and it was completely irrational, but Ella didn't care.
For the first time in her life, she felt as if there was a real purpose and a true goal for her to achieve. When she arrived under the dome of the Draconian Consulate she was breathless and smiling.
“Have you arrived at your decision?” Secretary Kim asked.
“I have,” Ella said confidently. “I am going to my prince. I am going to Galaton.”
“Very good. I knew you would come to the correct conclusion.”
“Can I speak to him now?”
“I'm afraid that will not be possible.”