Christmas was only a few days away, but everything was so different from how it had been when she was a child. Cora was old enough to remember a time before the Draconians: the dragon shifter aliens who’d come to earth thirty years ago.
The Draconians had come to Earth looking for brides because they had a genetic abnormality that favored male offspring. The dragon shifters needed to mate with women of other races every five thousand years or they would become extinct.
She had only been a kid before they’d come to Earth, and it had been a totally different world. She remembered playing in her mother's garden as a child, picking sweet ripe tomatoes in the summer sunshine. The taste of the fruit never left her memory and neither did the feeling of her mother's embrace.
Cora left the greenhouse and approached the hover bus stop that would take her back to her apartment in the Missouri bio-dome. As she waited, she felt a tinge of regret in her heart that she’d been feeling more and more lately.
She disembarked from her bus and walked up the deck to the entrance of her domed building. She strode inside, past the sunlight streaming through the glass windows. She walked down the narrow hallway to her private rooms and placed her hand on the identity scanner. After the scanner read her prints, the door beeped and slid open. She walked into her well-appointed modern apartment and kicked off the waterproof shoes she wore in the greenhouses, slid out of her utility coat, and stepped into her soft slippers.
It was good to be home after a long day of work. Cora walked into her kitchen. In most ways, it was the same as the kitchens she remembered from before the days of the Draconians; when technology had been more primitive. She did have a replicator, but being of an older generation, Cora still enjoyed cooking her own food just like she enjoyed growing fresh veggies.
She opened the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay, and poured herself a glass. With her wine in hand, she moved to her favorite spot in front of the windows that looked out over the bio-dome.
This time of year, when it was cold in Missouri and the corn fields were fallow, most of the fresh food for the region was grown in the bio-dome greenhouses. Outside, sun glinted off the vast domes and long rows of glass-covered gardens.
Cora sighed, unable to stop feeling sad. As much as she loved her job as an agricultural analyst, she couldn't help but think that she had frittered away her life and had nothing to show for it. She took another sip of wine and gave her apartment holocom the verbal command to turn on her television screen.
As she sat down on her comfy couch, a DNBA game came on TV. Cora wasn’t a huge sports fan, but she couldn’t help but be engrossed, watching the super-hot Draconian NBA players.
As the sun began to set over the bio-dome, Cora’s thoughts turned dark. Most human men nowadays were completely caught up in the distractions of reconstructing Earth and didn’t want to settle down and have a family. Cora had been focused on helping feed the world since the Mulgor, the Draconian’s ancient enemy, had attacked twenty-five years ago. But for the first time in all those years, she was beginning to feel like she needed more.
As she was tilting back her glass for another long swig, a commercial for the Draconian Mating Lottery came on the screen.
“Join the Mating Lottery and see the stars.”
As much as Cora loved her life, she knew something had to change. She couldn't go on this way, day after day. Even if she had the chance to watch green things growing, and knowing that she was feeding her entire region on a daily basis, it just wasn't enough for her anymore.
She was lonely and growing lonelier by the day. Her parents’ death last Christmas had left a serious hole in her heart and now she would be facing her first holiday alone. She just didn't know if she could do it.
She gulped down the rest of her wine and set the glass on the coffee table. Cora tapped her holocom bracelet and brought up the holographic search bar. A few seconds later, the Draconian mating lottery website came up on her holo-screen. Steeling her nerves, she began to fill out the questionnaire. On the last page, she was asked to provide a sample of her DNA to match her with a dragon shifter.
It was her last chance to back out. But instead of clicking away from the web page, Cora put the tip of her finger on her holocom bracelet’s identity reader. A pinprick took a sample of her blood and a processing bar came up on the screen.
With the advanced cloud technology of the Draconians, the DNA sample was processed almost instantaneously and the results were revealed.
"Congratulations you have been matched with the Earth Prince of Galaton, Magmus Murcul.”
Galaton? She had heard a few whispers about this new planet being invited into the mating lottery, but she didn't know anything about the place or their culture. She clicked on the link and opened the profile of her match.
His face came up on the screen. If Cora had been holding her wine glass, she probably would have dropped it on the floor. The man was gorgeous. Hotter than any other Draconian she'd ever seen, and she'd been around them for most of her life.
Most dragon shifters were seven feet tall, immensely masculine, and extraordinarily handsome, but this guy put the rest of them to shame. He had bright green skin and deep brown eyes, and full lips that begged to be kissed. He was obviously a tree of a man, standing tall amongst the groves on his home planet.
Cora did an Internet search for more information about Galaton, and soon learned that it was a distant planet in the Draconian galaxy. It had been settled millions of years ago as a Draconian colony. Now, it was independent of Draconia and ruled over by four princes.
Each prince represented an element: fire, air, earth, and water. Magmus was the Earth Prince. That meant he lived in lands dedicated to the element of Earth: forests, caves, gardens, and all the other things that incorporated the Earth element.
Could it be true that her match was a man this godly, from a place so rich and full of beauty?
As much as the idea of going to a strange planet out in the distant universe scared her, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live in a place that was created just for her prince’s element.
Almost immediately she received a text on her holocom.
“You have been matched! Please report to your nearest Draconian Consulate at your earliest convenience.”
This was all happening so fast. Cora didn’t want to spend Christmas alone, but the idea of going to Galaton was terrifying. She definitely wouldn’t make it in time for the holidays. Maybe signing up for the lottery had been a mistake. Would the dragon prince even want a woman as old as her? And what if she didn’t like him? Could she ever come home?
When the dragons had first arrived on Earth, human women were required to spend at least two weeks with their mates no matter what. The dragon shifters had a mating impulse that they called a thrall. If the dragon didn’t claim his mate, the thrall would slowly drive him mad.
Human brides never chose not to stay with their mates, as far as she knew. But who knew what could happen on a planet so many light years away from home?
Cora got up and went to the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine.
She walked to the windows, overlooking the greenhouses with her wine in hand and tried to decide what she was going to do. Could she deny her match to her fated mate, almost certainly causing his madness and death? Or could she go to this new world she didn’t understand and mate with a dragon she’d never met?
Chapter 2
Magmus Murcul, the Earth Prince of Galaton, let out a hot breath that steamed in the cold air of the snow-capped forest. His fur cape wrapped around his shoulders and clasped at the neck with a silver dragon pin in the shape of the crest of his family. It was a dragon, curled around a tree in a symbol of the Earth Lands.
He lifted his sword, moving on silent feet through the snowy forest. These were his lands. His family had ruled here for ten million years. However, every five thousand years, when the female dragons began to die out, the males of Galaton rev
olted against their princes.
The dukes and earls of the Earth Lands were the most aggressive in their revolt. Magmus had been forced to participate in battles nearly every day for years now. He longed for the end of this blood rite, when he could finally settle down with his bride and his heirs.
He stepped across the snow, his laser sword gripped in his hands. He knew the other dragons were around here somewhere, lurking, ready to strike. He could smell them; could sense their subtle movements behind the tall trunks of the evergreen trees.
He stepped around a tree trunk, his sword aloft, his eyes scanning, his ears pricked. A slight movement caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He swung his sword and pivoted, slicing his assailant across the arm.
The duke of the south of the Earth Lands gritted his teeth at the sting of the slice. Magmus sidestepped and avoided the duke’s attack. Swinging behind the other dragon shifter, Magmus sliced the duke through the kidneys. A huge gush of blood streamed down his side. The man fell to his knees, groaning in pain. Magmus lifted his sword and pointed it at the fallen man's neck.
“Do you yield?” Magmus asked.
"We will fight until the end," the duke spit out.
Magmus sighed and slid his laser sword across the man's neck, opening a huge gash of blood. The man gurgled and fell forward onto the snow, his red blood seeping into the white frozen ground.
Magmus walked away, sickened by what he’d had to do. He wanted this baseless violence to end. He stepped out into the snow and retracted his sword and clothes. Jumping into the air, Magmus shifted into the form of his dragon.
Enormous and a beautiful gradient of different shades of green, the dragon pumped his wings over the snowy forest. He ascended and flew higher into the sky. This was enough death for today. He could not stomach taking the life of another of his men.
The princes of Galaton had agreed that the four of them would ensure they had heirs to their thrones before opening the Mating Lottery to the rest of the dragons of Galaton. It had made perfect sense in the beginning. They’d even sent their semen in a hyper speed vessel that could travel much faster than any humanoid transport ship, all the way from Galaton to Earth. Magmus was still waiting for his bride, but the males had grown more hostile with each passing day.
Magmus pumped his massive wings as he flew over the Earth Lands. A few miles from home, he heard his holocom ping. When he finally made it to his fortress, he landed gracefully on the landing deck. The Stone Fortress was built into the side of a mountain. Huge pillars reached high into the mountain and stood at the grand entrance. The pillars were carved statues of Earth Dragons: massive, bold and strong.
Magmus shifted into his humanoid form, flicked on his clothing, and strode through the entryway of his fortress. In the hall that reached high into the mountain, the roof barely visible in his tiny humanoid form, he was met by his right hand man, Admiral Saka.
"You have left the sparring grounds already?" Admiral Saka asked.
"I cannot take any more today, Saka," Magmus admitted. "The brutality must end. I will consult with the other princes and implore that they open the lottery to the rest of the dragons."
"What about your heir?" Admiral Saka asked as they walked through the Stone Fortress.
They moved deeper into the mountain cavern. Elaborate torches of fire and light brightened the depths of the cavern fortress. Under the illumination, vines and flowers covered the walls and pillars that rose up to the stone roof of each chamber. Magmus turned into his apartments and bid Saka farewell. He let out a deep sigh, happy to be home.
His furniture was made of twisted vine and strong hardwood, mixed with stone and metal. Everything was sturdy and bold, as was the style of the Earth Lands. The sturdy style was mixed with the delicacy of tender buds and sweetly scented flowers. He sat on his couch, covered in furs, and checked his holocom. What he saw on the screen demanded his full attention.
"Congratulations, the Draconian Mating Lottery has found you a bride."
Magmus’s heart jumped as he clicked on the picture of the woman. Her name was Cora Brighton. She had long reddish brown hair and bright green eyes that shone like the depths of the rainforests of the south. She was a beauty beyond compare and his inner dragon immediately growled with desire for her. Her bride ship would take at least a year to arrive on Galaton from Earth.
In that time, his dragon would push him further into the mating thrall the more he thought of her. He gazed at her picture a moment longer and then read her brief profile.
His inner dragon purred and he flicked off his wrist holocom, knowing that any further attention on her would only enrage his dragon. He couldn't afford for the thrall to overcome him. She had still not accepted her invitation to be his bride. Until she was impregnated with his seed, the knowledge of her existence would drive him closer and closer to the brink of madness. He rose from his chair and crossed the room, activating his AI system with a word.
"Call the princes.”
He turned to a holographic screen that showcased a classic Draconian painting. The painting dissolved and the faces of the other princes materialized out of the fading blackness.
"My bride has been found," Magmus said.
"That is good," said Salvatt, the prince of the Fire Lands.
"That is the last of us," said Elait, the Prince of the Air Lands.
“Now that all of our mates have been found, I implore you all to allow the lottery to be opened to the rest of the males,” Magmus said.
“It’s not possible,” said Shay, the water prince. “My heir has not arrived yet.”
“The dukes and earls of the Earth Lands are attacking every day. I battle without rest. We must bring an end to the bloodshed.”
“I agree with Shay,” said Salvatt. “We must ensure our thrones. All of us have had to battle our men for years, Magmus. Do you grow weary?”
Salvatt’s tone sliced through Magmus’s gut. He knew what the Fire Prince was implying. The dragons of Galaton lived by the sword. They had a long standing tradition of winning dominance in battle. If Magmus refused to fight, he rightfully forfeited his kingdom.
“I grow weary of butchering my own men,” Magmus said. “But if we cannot agree to open the lottery to the rest of the dragons, the fight will continue.”
Magmus bid the other princes farewell and turned off the holocom. The painting reappeared on the screen and Magmus turned away, walking toward the deck that looked out onto the inner world of the Stone Fortress.
The glowing holographic lights illuminated the deep caverns. Stacked stone buildings spread out before him under the roof of the great cavern. Greenery grew in the courtyard below his patio. Full grown trees and gardens overflowed under the bright artificial lights of his Stone Fortress.
He had lived in this place all his several hundred years of life and he intended to keep it in his family line. The words of Prince Salvatt still stung. He did grow weary of the fight.
Years of battling and killing his own men was changing him. Because he was in fact stronger than a dozen lords of the Earth Lands put together, he felt the moral sting of the blood on his hands. It wasn’t even a fair fight. But that didn’t stop his lords from fighting him.
The madness that came from the lack of females was affecting them all. And now that Magmus had looked upon the face of his own bride, his inner dragon had already begun spiraling into rage.
He could feel the psychotic pull of the thrall overtaking the deep corners of his brain. The image of Cora’s face filled his mind, and he had to push it aside. As beautiful as she was, and no matter how much he longed for her, the only way to ensure the best future for everyone was to forget about her.
Chapter 3
Cora woke the next morning and pulled herself out of bed. Magmus’s face was clear in her mind as she made her way into the bathroom. Even though she’d never met him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were meant to be together. It didn’t make any rational sense, but that didn’t st
op the image of him from becoming clearer and more intense as she stepped into the shower.
Cora was off work for the long holiday weekend and didn’t have to go in to the greenhouses today. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself, she intended to go to the nearest Draconian Consulate to find out more about the prince she’d been matched with.
After dressing and putting herself together, she packed a bag, just in case. She included a bundle of her most beloved seeds and cuttings. With her suitcase in hand, Cora went out into the cold winter air and waited for the bus to Kansas City.
When her hover bus arrived, she got on and rode all the way through the bio-dome region of Missouri to her destination.
Unlike many other cities, Kansas City had been largely untouched in the Mulgor attack. Most of the original town was still there, but new construction had been added to the skyline, and hover cars and busses dominated the skyways above the old-town street level of the city.
When Cora arrived, she got off the hover bus and stood in front of the Draconian consulate. The Greek-style marble pillars rose up to a domed roof. She pursed her lips and climbed the stairs to the front entrance. The glass door slid open.
As soon as she stepped in, warm air thawed her cold face. She was instantly greeted by the Draconian consulate’s AI communications system.
“Greetings, Cora Brighton. You have been mated with Magmus Murcul, Earth Prince of Galaton.”
Images of Magmus projected three-dimensionally all around her on holographic screens. Cora was enraptured by Magmus’s overpowering masculine magnetism. It stirred emotions inside her, making her tingle all over.
As Cora stood entranced by images of Magmus, the Draconian secretary approached her with a smile on his face. She glanced up at the seven-foot-tall secretary who wore the dark gray skintight Draconian uniform.
“Cora Brighton,” the Draconian said. “I am Secretary Urk. Our records indicate that you have been matched with Prince Magmus of Galaton. Congratulations.”