The sun began to peak over the edge of the horizon, streaking the gray sky with brilliant oranges and pinks. Orion could feel Skylar shifting on his back as she twisted to observe the breathtaking view of the world coming to life once again. He beat his wings in another strong motion, gliding along high above the quiet land. The wind brushed over his scales with the familiarity of an old friend as it welcomed him home to the sky. He hadn't flown this long in nearly a month; they'd always been too close to humans for either of them to risk shifting for long. It felt good to let his other half take over for a while.

He dipped lower, preparing to land, and heard Skylar gasp at the abrupt change in altitude. He wondered what she was thinking. She'd said herself that she'd never flown before. She didn't know it, but her first time in the air was the same as every other dragon's. Young dragons flew on the backs of others before they ever flew themselves. Orion's first flight had been with his mother when he was only three years old. It had been the most amazing experience of his life, and his first vivid memory. He hoped that Skylar's first flight had the same impact on her.

He'd been surprised when Skylar didn't appear frightened when he and Percy shifted. She'd been nervous, but two full grown male dragons were imposing creatures. He could tell that she had wanted to approach him right away, but couldn't make herself. He'd wanted to rush forward and grab her and get out of there, but his dragon had been in control. He had influence when he was in his dragon form, but his dragon had the ultimate say. Most of the time, he and his dragon were on the same page so it didn't matter who was in control, but for once they approached something in different styles. His dragon had quietly walked up to the frozen female and did something Orion never would have expected: he lowered himself to her level and submitted to her.

Skylar didn't know that's what the dragon had been doing, but Orion had been taken completely off guard. His dragon had wanted to meet her from the start, and when he finally did, the first thing he did was offer her his loyalty and trust, allowing her to touch him and gain confidence. Alphas did now submit to someone lightly, so that just showed how entranced he was by this female and had been in no rush to force her into the air. Orion had to admit that his dragon had made a better call by staying relaxed when the knights were so close. It took them longer to get away, but Skylar didn't hate them anymore than she already did.

The dragon hummed with contentment as he and Orion slipped back into one mindset, and lowered once again. He felt Skylar place her hands on either side of his spine as she steadied herself against the shifting of his massive body. It was an odd sensation, he decided. He'd never carried anyone on his back before. He could feel her slight weight, but it in no way impeded the instinctive motion of flight. It was comforting, he supposed, knowing that she was still there and not falling hundreds of feet to the ground.

Above the roaring of the wind, his acute hearing picked up the sound of Skylar's stomach growling. By his estimation, they were still about a day's flight away from home, if they flew fast. Skylar was far too proud to ask them to stop for anything, but he figured that they could all use something to eat. He began a steady descent, Percy close on his tail. Skylar gripped her legs tighter to avoid slipping forward as they angled down toward the clearing in the sparse woods, propelling forward with strong flaps of his immense wings. The normal thrill filled him as gravity took hold, pulling him ever faster toward the ground. His instincts and years of experience would keep them from crashing, but it was still an exhilarating experience. The wind howled in his ears as it raced past them.

He pulled up at the last minute and flapped his wings in great gusts to allow him to land with a soft thud on his powerful hind legs. He fell forward onto his front legs and folded his wings neatly against his sides, shuffling them into place. His incredible weight causes him to sink slightly into the soft ground next to the stream that ran through the small clearing, but it would be firm enough when he shifted back into a human. He turned his limber neck to look down at Skylar, who hadn't made any attempt to climb down yet. She was too busy glaring up at him with her vibrant blue eyes. He tilted his head down at her in confusion. Her red hair flared around her beautiful face, pulled from her braid by the wind from their enthusiastic dive.

"That didn't seem necessary," she snapped. "Were you trying to terrify me?" Orion tilted his head in the other direction, incredibly amused at her irritation. One day she would learn to revere those dives. Her cheeks were red with windburn and chill, giving her a more innocent look, but no less lovely.

Orion lowered his head and nudged her gently with his nose, not sure why he was compelled to touch her, but unable to resist his dragon's urges. He rumbled low in his throat in a half-hearted apology. At least, Orion was half-hearted. The dragon was extremely sorry he caused her fear. She reached up and timidly placed a hand on his nose again, right where she had hours before. He closed his eyes at the contact, amazed at the effect this female had on him. He opened his eyes once again when she felt her small hand run further up his snout, hesitant at first and then more confident when he didn't react negatively.

"You're a lovely creature," she whispered, her hand caressing the bridge of his snout. Her blue eyes met his gently. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen, the way the light hits you." She wasn't wrong; the way the orange and pink light of the dawn bounced off his golden scales created a mesmerizing effect, but the compliment made the dragon adore her even more, and Orion found himself warming up as well. He leaned further into her hand, reveling in the feel of her hand on him.

"Orion isn't aware in there, is he?" she asked, flexing her hand slightly at the realization that he might be aware of her kindness. "I'm not aware when I become a dragon, but I suppose that's because I don't do it often."

Yes, partly because of that, partly because she and her dragon weren't connected the way most dragons her age were. They weren't one, so she was pushed away from consciousness when her dragon took form.

A small smile graced her face. "I wouldn't want to inflate Orion's ego anymore than it already is." He snorted in amusement. Skylar was something else, but he wouldn't embarrass her by bringing this up if she didn't ask about it first. Paying him a compliment wasn't something she would own up to at the moment. He nudged her gently again, and simply blinked in acknowledgment of her words. He wished she were open enough to her dragon so he could speak to her while he was in his dragon form, but for now it would be sufficient to listen to her talk. He loved her voice, the slight huskiness of it, and when it became gentle like it had a moment ago, it was music to his ears.

Percy landed with a graceful thud behind them, having taken a more leisurely pace towards the ground, and their moment was broken. He narrowed his eyes at the imposing male, even though he was his best friend. If Percy realized anything had been going on, he made no indication as he shifted and stretched his lithe human form. Seeing Percy shift, Skylar quickly realized she was impeding Orion's own shifting and scrambled down from his back. He immediately missed the small weight of her between his shoulder blades. As soon as she was safely on the ground, Orion the man took over from Orion the dragon and shifted into his much smaller form.

As soon as he was himself again, Orion ran a hand through his shaggy hair and gave Skylar a curious look. She had wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously and seemed wary to meet his gaze. A moment ago she'd been getting friendly with his dragon, but he intimidated her? That seemed backwards to him.

"Well," he announced, "I'm starving."

"I second that. I guess I should have grabbed whatever was in our saddlebags before we left," Percy shrugged. "We'll just have to make do with what we can find around here."

"Here?" Skylar looked around. "There's nothing here."

Orion raised his eyebrows slightly at her. Yes, this female had known a privileged life up to now if she didn't see all the woods had to offer in terms of food. Not only were there likely rabbits and squirrels in abundance, there were roots, berries, and edible mushrooms scattered all around. "I promise you, Percy and I can make a meal out what is available. It might be meager, but it will get us home."

She glanced at him and then at Percy. "How much longer until we get where we're going?"

"A day of hard flying should do it. We'll rest here for a while, eat something, and then be on our way. If the wind is in our favor, we can be home by nightfall."

"Oh," she subconsciously reached around to tenderly touch her bum and Orion immediately understood her hesitation. Dragons weren't the softest of creatures, but they didn't bump around as much as horses. And they wouldn't ride as long. He told her as much, but the way her mouth twisted slightly told him that she didn't quite believe him.

Orion turned to Percy. "I'll start a fire and gather what I can around here if you can go hunt down a rabbit or two."

Percy nodded in agreement and took off into the widespread trees. Skylar stared after him, and Orion knew she was wondering how he was going to catch anything without any sort of weapon, but she didn't say anything.

"Start gathering kindling," he told her, showing her what he meant by picking up dry twigs and putting them in a pile. She had probably never needed to start a fire in her life. She nodded once and pursed her lips before leaning down to pick up a stick.

"Too wet," he told her.

She bent to pick up another one.

He was quick to correct her. "Too small."

She sighed and moved toward another one.

He spoke up before she even bent down. "Too big."

"Not too big to hit you over the head with," she muttered. He knew he wasn't supposed to have heard, but he couldn't help but chuckle at her sharp tongue. Even his dragon was amused with her quiet violence. Yes, she was definitely a dragon.

At the next stick, though it was also too big, he gave her some encouragement. "Perfect." She smiled at her success and began collecting with greater enthusiasm while Orion ventured toward a blackberry bush just out of view of the stick pile. He popped one in his mouth and grimaced slightly at its tartness, but the berries would suffice to keep up their strength. He picked a view handfuls and folded them in large fern leaf to carry with him. He continued on until he found a bundle of mushrooms, which he also added to his makeshift basket. Males in the clan didn't usually gather, they hunted and were then in charge of cleaning their kills, but Orion's mother, aunt, and grandmother were healers and herbalists. Orion and his younger brother, Olly, hadn't been able to avoid learning about plants and their uses from their mother, she'd been insistent. Leo had tried his best to keep them busy with Alpha training, especially Orion, but their mother had also been an Alpha and she'd been the only one who could ever tell Leo "no." Valerie had wanted her sons to be able to survive on their own, and they needed more than hunting skills to do that. She insisted that they know what plants they needed for healing, how to prepare and store them. She'd had her sister and mother to back her up on that, to keep Orion and Olly barricaded in the infirmary to learn. Orion had adored her.

Orion's chest constricted at the affectionate memories of his mother. It had been seven years since she died, but the pain still felt fresh sometimes. Orion had been seventeen, and Olly only eleven, when he'd found her with a sword in her chest. The owner of the sword, a knight, had been quick to die with a sharp blow from Orion, but it had been too late for his mother. She'd died in her dragon form, with Orion's dragon by her side. He spoken quietly to her, comforting her as best as he could as she left the world. He didn't leave her side for hours, even after she'd passed. Leo had found them when they didn't return to home after nightfall.

Banishing the dark memories, looking for something to bring his mood back up, he turned to wander back to check on Skylar, when he heard his name said in a slightly panicked voice.

He paused, not sure if it was just a play on the wind, but then it happened again, slightly louder, and his prizes were forgotten. He dashed back to their temporary camp. Had he really walked that far away? It hadn't felt that long when he was hunting for food. He pushed his long legs harder, wondering why he'd felt okay leaving her alone. As he came up to their resting place, he found Skylar wielding a stick like a bat, facing a very angry, very large brown bear. Her arms were shaking and her entire body radiated fear as the bear growled at her, baring her impressive teeth.

Orion's instinctual Alpha protectiveness surged forward. He snarled loudly at this threat to one of his females and stepped forward. The bear immediately shifted her attention to the newcomer, who was obviously the greater danger to the cubs that were likely nearby. She growled louder and stood up, using her imposing size to try and intimidate him. The bear easily weight three times what he did, but he was undeterred. He stalked forward, inserting himself between the frightened Skylar and angry mother. Orion knew that if they simply retreated to a different spot, the bear would leave them alone, but he couldn't seem to control the violent reaction this threat to Skylar brought out in him. His dragon was furious that they'd left her alone at all. She didn't know how to be a dragon, she couldn't protect herself, how dare they leave her in such a vulnerable position for something as trivial as food.

Orion called his dragon forward, knowing he might as well embrace the beast's anger or let it consume him. He didn't allow to dragon to emerge fully, but enough. He felt his irises begin to glow as his dragon brushed the surface. His fingernails elongated into bronze claws and his teeth grew and sharpened to points. This halfway transformation couldn't be held long, it would have to give one way or the other, but he could keep it up long enough to drive the bear away. He didn't want to shift into his dragon. It was unnecessary and a danger to Skylar if she were too close, but the dragon begged to be let free to deal with the situation his own way.

A loud snarl ripped from Orion, a warning to the bear. The large brown animal had the same idea, and neither one was backing down. She was protecting her cubs, and Orion was protecting his... what? His prisoner? He glanced back at Skylar, who still clutched her puny stick in fear. She met his gaze, and confusion washed over him. She should be nothing, he shouldn't be reacting like this, but she was most definitely something. The bear took this moment of distraction and lunged.

Orion immediately reverted to battle mode and met the bear's open jaws with a slash from his claws. He connected with her cheek and gauged out four long streaks. This seemed to only fuel her anger. The bear roared in his face, and swiped back at him. He dodged fast enough to avoid the damage she would have caused to his chest, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid having his bicep slashed by the six inch long claws. Pain ran up his arm and he clenched his teeth against the sting. The bear waited a moment before she charged at him, throwing her entire impressive weight at him. He pushed Skylar out of the way right before he and the animal collided and rolled to the ground. She rose above him, her impressive jaws snapping at his throat and saliva dripping onto him. He snarled back up at her, trying to hold his dragon back. He would kill the bear if he broke free, and Orion didn't feel that was necessary. He just needed to drive her away, although she seemed more keen on killing him than simply taking her cubs somewhere else.

His arms began to shake with the effort of keeping her jaws away from his throat, his injured bicep screamed in pain. He was about to try taking his chances with rolling away from her when a large stick came crashing down on the back of her head with enough force for the wood to splinter. That was enough to distract and disorient the bear long enough for Orion to slip away from her. The animal lumbered around and shook her head to clear it. Skylar stood in front of her with a new branch and a fierce look on her face. "Go on!" she roared. "Get out of here!"

The mother bear stared at her in confusion, but was less willing to approach either of them. Skylar stepped forward menacingly, throwing her dragon aura at the bear. It was strong enough for Orion to feel it, and the bear lowered her head in submission with a soft wine. Orion and his dragon were amazed at the power they felt from Skylar. The vibes she was giving off... they were Alpha vibes. If he hadn't been an Alpha himself, he likely would also have been falling at the female's feet even though her wrath wasn't directed at him.

Skylar swung the branch with a sharp shout at the bear, who spun on her heel and took off into the woods. As the distance between the bear and Skylar grew, the more relaxed Orion's dragon became. He backed off from the surface and the claws and teeth retracted back to their normal human form. His eyes ceased to glow, but he didn't notice it as he met Skylar's gaze. Her chest heaved up and down and her eyes were wild with excitement.

"You're bleeding," she pointed out.

He blinked before smiling and running a hand through his hair. He glanced down to where his white shirt was quickly morphing into red. "I suppose I am, but I'll live."

"Let me help you," she insisted, motioning him over to the fast moving stream and dropping the stick to the ground. Orion walked toward her, almost positive she had no idea what to do, but indulged her. He would be fine, it just needed to be bound tightly to stop the bleeding. He sat down next to her on the soft bank, where she hesitated but then took her skirts in her hand to rip a piece off. He stopped her with a quick hand on her wrist.

"Don't ruin your dress," he told her.

"It's already ruined. Using it to help you won't be a waste, I don't think," she said, but her hands slackened.

He grinned. "I'm touched, but silk won't absorb the blood. We'll just use this." He pulled his shirt over his head, leaving him in nothing but his trousers. He tore the clean sleeve at the shoulder seam and handed the strip of cloth to her. She took it slowly and her throat convulsed as she swallowed nervously. He wasn't too modest to admit he was an impressive specimen. Years of training and simple work had turned him into pure muscle, solid as a wall. He was proud of his physique, and he worked hard to maintain it. He also liked the effect it had on females, especially when it turned fair-skinned beauties a soft pink like the one before him.

"I, uh, shouldn't we wash it first? Before bandaging it?" she asked. He shrugged and tore another strip from the shirt. Victoria would have his head for destroying the garment, but he'd deal with her. Skylar took it from him and dipped it into the stream. The water should be boiled, but the water looked clean enough. He'd have his grandmother or Victoria take real care of it when they got back. For now, rinsing it would suffice. Skylar went about wiping the blood from around the wound, which had already stopped bleeding. Dragons were fast healers and their blood clotted quickly. He grunted when Skylar tied the knot as tight as she could manage, but made no noise other than that.

"There," she said proudly. He glanced down at her handiwork and could tell it was the first time she'd done anything like this, but it was good for the first time. He indeed would live to fight another day.

"So, what happened?" he asked, eyeing her carefully. "What made the bear approach you?" He suspected she had tried to run and had come across the bear.

"What do you mean what happened?" she responded defensively. "I was collecting sticks like you told me to and that bear decided I would make a nice snack."

"Bears don't just approach people and attack, you had to have gotten to close to her cubs or something. Like if you were trying to run away, for example," he pointed out.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed again. "How dare you? I gave you my word that I wouldn't try to run away again. I was doing what I was told. You're the one who left me alone, so you obviously trusted me at least a little."

As her words echoed his own thoughts from earlier, he realized how unreasonable he was being. He was just still amazed at the effect the situation had had on him. The effect she had on him. He lowered his gaze away from hers and nodded. She had just insisted on taking care of his, and here he was antagonizing her yet again. "Yes, I should have been here." He backed away from her, remembering the power of her Alpha vibes and not wishing for them to be directed at him. He wasn't afraid of her, just very confused. Orion Nogard didn't get confused. He knew exactly what to do, what had to be done, and he thought things through before acting. This female made him act on impulse and he didn't like it.

She nodded in acknowledgement of the closest thing she would get to an apology and motioned to her piles of sticks. "I did my job," she pointed out. "Where's your proof of work?"

He glanced at the woods where he'd come from, thinking of the discarded pile of berries and mushrooms. "On the ground somewhere. Care to help me look for them? The sticks aren't going anywhere." He rose to his full height and held a hand out to help her to her feet. She took it and with a quick pull from him, she was upright.

"Well, I'm really busy here," she motioned at the empty clearing, her eyes alight with amusement, the tension from a moment ago forgotten.

Orion rolled his eyes with quiet chuckled and began walking to the woods. He heard Skylar quickly run after him. She caught up without a word, matching his pace easily. Her curious eyes scanned the trees, following the birds that fluttered around and sang in warning of the strangers walking below. She seemed quite calm despite her encounter with an angry bear only minutes before.

"Are you alright?" he asked, glancing over at her as it occurred to him he'd never inquired about her well being.

"Yes, actually," she nodded. "I was scared at first, but... I felt better when you arrived. Apparently the only person allowed to torment me is you."

He actually laughed at that. "I don't torment you."

"I beg to differ. I've known you for less than twelve hours, Orion, and you've been a thorn in my side the entire time."

"I aim to please," he teased, glad he had such an effect on her emotions.

She hesitated for a moment, wringing her hands together in front of her before speaking. "You began shifting back there, didn't you?"

He shrugged, not entirely sure how to explain what he had done with his claws and teeth. "Sort of. My dragon was very angry, so was I, so he was close to the surface. So I let him through, but only a little. That's why my teeth and claws became dragon-like. They also serve as better weapons than human teeth and nails."

"Your eyes were also glowing."

"That happens too, when the dragon is close to the surface. Some can control it really well and stay in that in between state for hours."

"It's happened to me before, the halfway shifting," she offered quietly. "When I've argued with my parents. I grew claws and my eyes began glowing."

He nodded his head in understanding. "You were angry, I'm guessing. If your dragon wasn't locked up, you likely would have shifted. If we get too angry, we can't hold the dragon back, and then we can't turn back into humans until the dragon calms down."

"That's how he figured out what I was," she whispered, not looking at him.

Orion didn't need further clarification. "The man who had you kidnapped."

She nodded. "He disrespected me, insulted me, until my eyes flashed."

"It was a good tactic, if he was trying to confirm his suspicions about you. Dragons have a lot of pride and don't react well when it's insulted," Orion said in understanding. He didn't want her to think it was entirely her fault, even experienced dragons often couldn't hold back the glowing of their irises when they were upset. But he needed to know who their newfound enemy was, or he couldn't protect his clan. "Are you going to tell me his name yet?"

"Not yet," she responded, clamming up. He had no idea why she was so reluctant to tell him. Perhaps she was protecting her own identity? Her secrecy only made him more suspicious of her, she had to realize that.

They came upon his unceremoniously discarded pile of food. "I suppose this was you?"

"Yeah, these are mine," he told her as he bent over to gather it all back up into the leaf. His capable hands folded everything together neatly and he scooped up the straggling berries she'd nudged toward him with her toe. He observed for the first time the destroyed hem of her dress. What an inconvenient garment, though he supposed she hadn't been expecting to be running around the outdoors when she donned the garment. She was holding up rather well for someone whose entire world had been flipped upside down in a matter of hours. He respected her for that. Many humans in her position would have spent the entire time complaining, to a point where he wouldn't have cared what threat they posed to anyone, he would have left them alone in the wilderness. Skylar was stronger than he, her parents, and probably herself, gave her credit for. He recalled the Alpha aura he'd felt from her earlier. Yes, Skylar was much stronger than anyone thought.

They walked back in companionable silence, simply taking in the forest. He was anxious to get back, but Skylar didn't appear to have any worries. She was likely very skilled at hiding them, after a lifetime of concealing her true feelings.

Percy was awaiting them, having started a fire and beginning to skin the rabbits with the knife from his belt. "Where have you two been? There was no fire and-- what happened to you?"

Orion looked down at his arm and up at his friend with a small grin at Skylar. "We had a bit of an incident."