"Drakkon, I walked away from my sister hours ago. You can't possibly expect me consider leaving my planet so soon or to plan— uh, sex. That's insanity!"

His expression remains stoic. "There is nothing left for you here."

Damn, he knows how to hit home. Although I don't think he's trying to be malicious, I know that he's right. I have no friends, no family. My only future is to settle down with a human man and survive the apocalypse for as long as I can. I wouldn't be able to have children because bringing them into a world of starvation, sickness, and crime would be cruel.

I cross my arms over myself, seeking comfort in the cold. Drakkon's large hands rub my biceps.

"I swear I will take care of you, and if I fail, I ask the gods to take my flame."

Why would he be devoted to me, though? We've known each other for a slip of time, and I've been hateful to him for most of that. Our only connection was our mission, but that has reached a conclusion. We're from different worlds, and the history between them is bitter and tragic.

"Why do you want me?" I ask, my expression more vulnerable than what I usually allow it to be.

He blinks once, twice, before delivering, "I do not know."

Wow, that's reassuring. These dragons sure are romantic.

"My people are driven by instinct," he adds. "When we want something, there is no stopping us. We fight for treasure, get it, and protect it. My inner fire wants you, and I am weak against my greed."

It's alarming how he's viewing me as an item. I'm not a bar of gold or a jewel that he can keep. I also breathe— and although it's not fire, I'm not insignificant. I'm a person with feelings of their own.

"I don't know..." I fidget. "I've never been comfortable with the thought of belonging to one man, or one place. That's why I've always migrated from one Colony to the next. You're asking me to go against my nature for you. Hours ago, I thought you were the reason for humanity's undoing. Too much is happening too fast."

I'm used to adapting quickly. I've abandoned Colony overnight, lied on the spot, dropped everything to go to the surface in search of my sister. All of that seems insignificant compared to the challenge of leaving my planet.

"Do not think of it that way. I am asking you to join the mission to find the elder dragon and investigate how we can help both of our people. We might be able to solve the curse and heal my men like you healed me."

I get the appeal behind this mission. Any human worth their name would want to bring humanity out from the underground it shrivels in. I have to do this. Helping my world is a more appealing adventure than settling down with a man and struggling to live for the rest of my life.

"I'll meet the Elder and help the dragons," I agree. "But I can't promise that I will leave with you after the dragons are cured. I'm sorry."

He stands taller. "There is much to do. I have plenty of time to change your mind."

I swear I see his eyes flash a lighter color.

"You will be mine, Lucky of Earth," he vows.

How does a woman respond to that? This dragon's words are setting me on fire, but I find myself shuddering.

"Let us go. We must change the world." He turns, bends, and slips me onto his warm back.

I look over my shoulder twice. This time, hoping to find Daisy standing in the distance. She never appears, so after the third time, I stop looking back. This is goodbye.

My eyes lock on the gloomy apocalyptic scenes before us. There is a lot of dangerous ground to cover, and we must be on the lookout for dragons in the sky, but I know there's no safer place on Earth than beside— or on top of, Drakkon.

For three nights, we travel by foot. We rest in any insulated building we can find. Drakkon and I have been communicating more, and now that my hatred for him has been shoved away, other conflicting feelings have been surfacing. I feel hungry— but not with the typical hunger I have in my belly. I'm hungry for attention. Lately, I've found myself standing taller, smiling more often, combing my knotted hair, giggling— fucking giggling! It's like I'm trying to become softer, gentler, smaller, to appeal the big, bad dragon. This is a type of femininity that I've never had an interest in. Looking pretty and feeling affection for a man never put food in my mouth. Now, I'm being forced to explore both.

Drakkon brought me warm water and clothes to clean up. He feeds me whatever he can hunt in the afternoons— which is typically pigeon and wild boar. I awkwardly thank him, not used to being pampered. Then, I answer his questions. He's very curious about Earth and has asked anything from why we keep animals as pets, why we insist on watching television for hours instead of exploring the outside, to why we use paper as currency instead of gold.

The most baffling question, however, was why do I bite my lip while looking at him. That caught me off guard and I stuttered a bullshit answer about having chapped lips. He then proceeded to go outside and bring me rat oil, which is apparently a good chapstick.

I ask him things, too. He can't remember the name of his planet, but he knows a bit about his people's ways. For starters, the concept of inheritance is unheard of. In his culture, parents don't pass assets to their children. Instead, dragon males of age must leave home and collect a hoard and buy land. When the elder dragon dies, his land and wealth are returned to the wild for another young dragon to conquer.

I don't quite understand it, but Drakkon insists it's a way to teach discipline, determination and honor.

Today, we're close to the elder. Drakkon isn't too confident of his location, but he's hoping he'll find a clue where he last met him. Honestly, I'm afraid. The last time Drakkon crossed a dragon, they battled over me. I don't want more violence. The snow has turned red enough times.

It's night when we reach our destination. I can tell Drakkon is antsy, because he has been touching me more than usual today. I had to hide a flinch when he accidentally cupped my scarred wrist, but he thankfully didn't notice.

"I will go first," he decides. "You will stay here until I come for you."

He suspects the elder is inside a leaning skyscraper, although we haven't seen any movement from inside after an hour of spying.

He takes a step toward the door, and I latch onto his forearm.

"Be careful, okay?" I request.

He grins, flashing perfect white teeth which fire has crossed many times. "I am in my prime, capable of destroying any dragon."

That doesn't reassure me.

"And any cunt," he adds, licking his lips.

That was unexpected. After he explained himself, I learned that his semen has healing properties, so he didn't mean to harass me when he touched himself the first day we met. Still, his sexual prowess intimidates me. I know that I'm no match for his stamina. He would destroy me.

Drakkon has never been flirtatious. He has always been cautious around me, knowing that I wouldn't react well to his advances. Now that my resentment has faded, he has space to wiggle into my heart— and possibly other unspeakable parts.

He walks out, and I watch from the foggy window as he disappears into the crumbling building. It takes an hour of mystery before he re-appears. A man follows. Even from this distance, I can tell that he is indeed older. He has grey hair and is surprisingly clothed.

"Come out. It is safe." Drakkon urges me.

It takes me a minute to gather the courage to approach, but Drakkon waits patiently.

When I poke my head out, the elder regards me with interest. "By the eternal sun," he says. "It is true, then. She does not make us violent. How is this possible?"

Drakkon explains what we learned from the scientist. Humans are behind their own downfall. They poisoned the dragons, and in doing so, they locked humans physically underground, and the dragons mentally.

The Elder doesn't seem surprised by all of this. He absorbs the information inexpressively— no anger, no shock. "Greed," he determines. "It is the enemy of all creatures across all universes. One must never succumb to it as humans have."

His pale blue eyes lock on mine. "You are a treasure, girl. You will take us home."

"You know how to get us off this place, then?" Drakkon asks.

"Of course, young scale. I brought us here in the first place. My memories are scattered like yours, but I remember that much."

Excitement burns in me. There can be a happily ever after to this decades-old-nightmare. The ones we once called monsters can become our heroes.

"How?" I ask.

"You must be set on fire."

"No!" Drakkon shoves himself in front of me, and I nearly fall on the snow.

He growls, and for the first time, I see scales appear in his hands. "You will not hurt her, Jexis."

"I will not," Jexis assures.

Drakkon breathes heavily, ready to shift. "Explain yourself."

Although he's not angry with me, I can't help with cringe with discomfort. He's an apex predator ready to go berserk, and my flight-or-flight response is demanding I hide in the nearest tunnel.

"Your instinct is demanding that you protect your treasure, but I assure you I am no threat to you. I have my own hoard at home and want to return to it. The only way to reach Le'vris is by opening a portal. A dragon must breathe fire upon a loved one. If the love is true between the two, the flame will not burn them, but instead open a portal."

Seriously? Out of all the ways to open a portal, the universe decided I need to be roasted? I did not sign up for this shit. Why couldn't the procedure be simple and require some hocus-pocus chant?

Drakkon turns his head, looking petrified. I mirror his feeling, because one thing is certain: we don't love each other. Not yet. If he breathed fire upon me, I would be scorched alive. No portal would open.

"What if I breathed fire upon another of my kind?" Drakkon offers.

"That won't work. The love must be of a romantic nature, not brotherly or platonic. I don't suppose you are attracted to any of the other males?"

Drakkon grunts. He's not into any males. It must be me. I must swim in his flames.

ALSO IN THE SERIES↓

Jasmin/The Alien's Liar

Jasmin was a part of a Dragon Match program that hoped to offer opportunities to a post-apocalyptic Earth. She was teleported to planet Le'vris and was paired with a dragon, but he was cold toward her. Feeling unwanted, she gave up on the program and returned to Earth. This story is about how she's dragged back to Le'vris and meets another dragon that clearly wants her.

Book 3 is available on www.patreon.com/ancientt

ALSO IN THE SERIES↓

The Alien's Match

This dragon says he will make me shine brighter than his treasure, and he succeeds every time he touches me.

Threatened by a dwindling population, the dragons create a matching program where their fittest warriors seduce and conquer humans, providing comforts and pleasures fit for a queen.

It has been decades since they attacked Earth and destroyed our cities, but I haven't forgotten. After years of resentment and fighting to survive, I have no interest in their matching program. But when my rebellious sister enlists, I go on a wild chase that lands me in the brawny arms of an unyielding dragon who sets me on fire without breathing a single flame.

I'm stuck on an alien planet with this relentless man. He has so much wealth, status, and muscle that little can be denied, but the greedy dragon wants more:me. I resist his advances, but with every touch and whisper, every time he flies me into the sky to do wicked things no one else can see, I fall deeper into his lure.

Available on Amazon.com/author/elainewaters