Firo

The audacity of that girl, walking past me just to wake her cousin—how dare she think her actions wouldn't have consequences yet to be revealed. I was seething, ready to confront her when she knocked on my dorm door, but as she passed by, her scent of ice flowers and honeysuckle captivated me. It was unique, and through my dragon eyes, I saw a power within her just beginning to manifest. The only highlight of this dismal morning was the chance to reunite with my brothers from different mothers and species. We were best friends, spending summers together until our parents insisted that learning to rule a kingdom was more important than fun. Still, we stayed connected through our phones, catching up whenever we could steal a moment.

It worked for a while, but as our training progressed, so did our parents' refusal to allow friends to weaken the anger they had worked so hard to build. With dragons, we were massive creatures, most deadly when filled with rage and anger. Our dragon powers were tied to our emotions; we could kill with a mere stomp of our foot and incinerate with a breath of heated air. However, our underbellies were our weak spots, and if we allowed positive emotions to cloud our judgment, it would lead to our downfall and death. Our families arranged marriages with other dragons to maintain pure bloodlines, but if we found a fated mate, the engagement would be annulled, and we were free to pursue our mate. In my family, my situation was different because during a meeting, it was declared that there was a prophecy that I would be one of five to share a mate with other men, and her presence would keep my dragon in check and also control his urges to kill for sport.

Being a dragon, I was possessive of my possessions and disliked sharing. So, when I learned I had to share a mate, my inner dragon lost control, setting the meeting room ablaze and nearly harming everyone. Thankfully, the merpeople were there to extinguish the fire. Embarrassed, my face turned red, but my friends consoled me, sharing their own desire for an exclusive fated mate. They reminded me that if the prophecy required us to share, so there must be a reason. They urged me to appreciate that it was my friends, my brothers, I was sharing with, not strangers. This soothed my dragon somewhat, yet he remained upset about not having a mate all to himself. 

Despite the rude awakening by the girl who smelled delightful and looked stunning, I prepared myself and went for a morning flight. Although still upset by her tone, I couldn't overlook her beauty. In her white summer dress, she resembled a pure white rabbit, and her petite frame seemed a perfect complement to my enormous one. My dragon, Ignite, concurred with my assessment, expressing approval with a chuffing sound he seldom made. After transforming back, I showered in the mountain facility designed specifically for dragon shifters, accommodating our towering heights.

After showering, I returned to my dorm room, and that's when I smelled her scent again. I wondered if she was still in the dorm when I entered. I paused outside Charlie's room and overheard him talking to her, saying it wouldn't be safe for her to leave the academy grounds to attend a secret hybrid meeting. However, she reassured him that she would be safe, mentioning that Miss Bubblehop had given her the information. It was clear that Charles cared deeply for his cousin and couldn't refuse her, so he agreed, asking her to stay safe. Then, I heard him kiss her forehead. She promised she would be careful and kissed his cheek in return. He then asked how she was getting there, and I heard her voice, filled with a smirk, as she replied.

"I have an old gift that I received as a baby cousin, and I have been making good use of it."

I heard him chuckle as he spoke in his humor-filled tone.

"Of course, I forgot you had her with you, and I trust her enough to know she'll keep you safe and protected. Go on, cousin, I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

I went to my room, climbed out the window onto the balcony, and watched as the beautiful girl walked toward the stables. Within minutes, I heard three horses neighing. Then, I saw a magnificent and very rare pure white throrse—a three-headed horse—just like the ones we grew up learning about. The drawings in books were so much duller than seeing this creature in real life, especially as it stretched out its magnificent wings.

I found myself pondering the whereabouts of the beautiful girl, and with my dragon eyes, I spotted her. She appeared joyful and radiant atop the throrse, and then I witnessed her kissing the horses' heads. With my dragon hearing, I caught her words.

"Come now, girls, I need to be at a meeting. Giddy up, beauties."

I heard the horse neigh, and then I watched as it flew at a speed indiscernible to the eye. I commanded Ignite to shift, and he complied. Soon, I discovered I was being followed by Aaron, Drago, and Judas. Aaron was holding Tiberius, and I assisted him by taking Tiberius onto my back. As I flew, I realized the one I was approaching was my mate, for Ignite had recognized her as ours.