Once again, Skylar was perched between the shoulder blades of her new golden dragon friend. She felt far more comfortable with the dragon than the human. She was too drawn to the human Orion, and her dragon liked him too much. She liked the dragon as well, but she wanted to meet the dragon for herself, size him up before creating an opinion. She wasn't sure if Orion was aware when his dragon took form, but either way the dragon was sweeter to her than the man. Although when Orion had come to her rescue with the bear, she had been surprised at the relief she'd felt upon his appearance. She had been even more surprised when her first instinct upon encountering the bear was to call for her captor.

Her panic upon seeing him pinned beneath the menacing bear had caused her to push aside her fear and hit the bear over the head with a stick. Her dragon pushing her to do something to help him had caused her to act violently, when she'd never really been physically violent before. She hadn't wanted to hurt the bear, but Orion had needed her help. She still wasn't sure what to do with that new development in their relationship.

She reached down to reposition her skirts around her legs to protect them from chill of the wind rushing past them. Her arms and ears were cold, but she wasn't about to voice her discomfort. To distract herself from the monotony of travel, she focused on the fact that she was flying. She was in the air, perched on a fierce dragon, looking down as the world flew by. It made everything seem so small and insignificant, every problem she had faded in the background.

She looked over her shoulder at Percy, who was focused on the path ahead of him. His scales shined in the sun, but not in the same brilliant way Orion's did. He saw her looking and turned his massive head slightly. His silver eyes gleamed and he winked at her. She wondered if all dragons were as expressive as Orion and Percy's were, and she hoped so. She didn't need to know the human identity of each dragon to figure out who they were. Percy's dragon was more playful, Orion's more serious. Their personalities reflected their human sides, and she wondered what her dragon would be like had she not been suppressed for over 15 years.

After hearing about their escapade with the bear, Percy had burst into laughter. He'd made sure Orion was alright, but other than that he'd found the whole situation hilarious. He especially liked that Skylar had gone after the bear with a stick. He'd gone about cleaning his kills, caught with his bare hands, mumbling to himself about bears and vicious women with a small smile on his face. Orion had shaken his head in exasperation and disappeared into the woods to find more substantial, leaving Skylar with the other dragon.

"Wanna get started on that other rabbit?" he asked, motioning with his knife at the furry, brown heap on the ground next to him. Skylar look at it with distaste and shook her head.

"No, thank you. I've never, uh, skinned an animal before."

He sat back on his heals, his hands bloody from where his knife was inserted in the dead rabbit's stomach. He raised an eyebrow at her, while glancing between her and the animal carcass. He obviously noticed how uncomfortable it made her. "Have you ever seen an animal being cleaned?"

She shook her head again. She was a princess, far above the need to ever see a dead animal, and had never needed to see one cleaned. She was aware that animals had to be butchered for food, but being aware of the fact and seeing it in action were two very different thing.

"Would you like to learn?" he wondered.

"Either way you're going to do it, and I can't leave otherwise Orion is going to come after me."

Percy snorted and nodded. "That's true. And he won't be happy with you."

Skylar smiled at the dragon's amusement. "So I guess that means I'm going to learn." She had sat next to him and watched in horror as he separated the meat from the rest of the body and cut out the organs. When he was finished, he put her in charge of taking it to the river to wash off while he constructed a crude spit to set over the fire. Skylar tried not to think about the fact that she'd just seen the cute, fuzzy creatures the rabbits had been only minutes before, and now she was scrubbing the meat in the river to clean it of dirt and blood. This was the worst thing she'd done since being forced to flee the castle, by far.

Orion had returned with the large logs he'd found, raising an eyebrow at her chore before smiling in amusement and going to help Percy with the spit and fire. She lifted the skinned rabbits by the back legs and carried them over to Percy, who accepted and skewered them with efficiency. It wasn't long before the meat was brown and crispy over the fire, closely watched by Percy while she and Orion dozed around the fire. They'd eaten quickly, switching between bites of bland meat and the berries and mushrooms Orion collected. In actuality, it wasn't a terrible meal. By far the most primitive meal Skylar had ever eaten in her life, she'd eaten with her hands for crying out loud, but not bad. At least her belly was full and she was comfortably. After allowing Percy and quick rest, they were off once again. That had been roughly eight hours ago, and they'd been flying ever since.

At the thought of their meal this morning, her stomach growled again. A satisfying meal it had been, but that'd been a long time ago. She was hungry again, along with behind cold, so the last leg of their journey was likely to be complete misery for her. She wondered if her dragon companions were as uncomfortable as she was, but she wouldn't dare ask.

Skylar's dragon had been quiet all day long, quite happy with the fact that Skylar wasn't going anywhere while they were hundreds of feet above the ground. Being in the company of two of her kind helped too. She loved being in the presence of two huge, menacing dragons. Skylar supposed she didn't mind it as much as she thought she would either. She tentatively stroked the golden dragon's neck where it met his back. He turned his head and looked at her out of the corner of his large eye, roughly the size of a large platter. She tried to read the emotion there, but it was more difficult to read a reptile's face than a human's. He simply blinked at her once before swinging forward again. She hoped they were almost there. She was incredibly bored and couldn't even talk to her companions to pass the time, not like they could if they were on horseback.

The gold dragon glanced back at her again, but the look in his eye was very clear this time: mischievous. His scaly lip curled slightly in a reptilian grin, and then they were diving.

Skylar squealed and grabbed the spike in front of her. This dive was much faster and much more abrupt than earlier. She had no idea why they were diving, they weren't landing like before, since they were currently above a very dense forest. She closed her eyes and pressed her body close to his neck so the force of the wind didn't force her off his back. The spike was just far enough forward that she didn't get impaled as she laid flat. Orion's wings were tucked close to his body as they plummeted downward, letting gravity do with them what it would. Skylar's stomach was left somewhere up near Percy.

The wind roared past her ears, whipping through her braid, her skirts billowed around her. She wasn't sure if she should be afraid, worried, or enjoying the odd sensation of weightlessness. Before she could decide, Orion's wings flew open, and their descent was abruptly stopped. They flew back upwards and Skylar used all the strength in her arms and legs to keep from flying off the dragon's back. She tried to find purchase on the slick scales of his shoulders with her slippers, but they weren't conducive for climbing, especially when gravity was trying harder than normal to drag her down.

She was about to panic about falling off when Orion leveled out again, continuing forward as if nothing had happened. His wings flapped steadily, slicing through the air, quietly, calmly, and efficiently. Skylar blinked in confusion. Her heart was racing, and that was her only evidence that anything out of the ordinary had happened. That, and the fact that Orion's massive head swung around with his huge teeth showing in what could only be described as an impish grin.

Skylar glared at him and curled up a fist to slam into his side. She was under no impression that it had any impact on the beast, but it was satisfying anyway. "Are you trying to kill me?" she shouted above the wind. She could barely hear herself, but the dragon got the message.

He roared in laughter. Skylar felt the sound rumble through his body before she heard it. It started deep in his chest and exited proudly through his open maw. She shook her head and tried to steady her heartbeat, but she had to admit that her boredom had left her.

She grinned and patted his neck in a gentler manner. Even though her heart was still pounding, she really wasn't angry. The sudden change in altitude and the incredible speed had been thrilling. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be in control in such a situation... if she were the one flying. If she were ever aware when in her dragon form, that is. Her dragon thought the idea of flying was simply terrific, and she was thrilled it was even an option. She opened her arms out to the side and let her head fall back, enjoying the thrill of flight once again.

When she opened her eyes again to scan the horizon, she realized mountains had appeared in the distance, and Skylar felt a rush of energy brush over her skin. She shuddered and rubbed her arms, even though the feeling hadn't been unpleasant. She peered down at the forest below and noticed nothing strange, and looked behind her and saw nothing out of the ordinary. But it had almost been as if they'd passed through some sort of barrier. Orion and Percy had a new energy about them, and Skylar was almost positive they'd passed into dragon territory.

Her theory was confirmed when two glittered forms appeared over the mountains, heading straight for them. The screech of a dragon reached her ears and it was less than a second later that Orion reciprocated with a roar loud enough to force Skylar to cover her ears. Orion picked up speed, closing the distance between them and the other dragons at an alarming rate. Skylar could only hope that they'd be as accepting of her appearance as Orion and Percy seemed to be. She tightened her grip on the spike in front of her and tried to control the butterflies in her stomach.

As the dragons got closer, she could make out their colors. The larger one, though still smaller that Orion if she had to guess, was a burnt orange and had a less fierce look than Orion, as if he were younger. The smaller dragon was a gentle lavender, and Skylar knew she was seeing her first female dragon. The beast had a more graceful appearance, and fewer nasty spikes around her face than the males, although no less imposing. She gave off the impression that she would kill with finesse and calculation, rather than simple strength and brute force. Skylar thought she was simply lovely.

Orion stopped to hover in the air, forcing Skylar to hang onto his back awkwardly while he greeted the orange dragon by touching snouts quickly. The orange dragon made curious eye contact with Skylar, who waved shyly at the animal, before peering back at Orion. From the intense expressions in their eyes, and the way they reacted with huffs and eye rolls, it could only be assumed they were having a conversation. Skylar looked between Percy and the lavender dragon to see if they were also in on it, but they gave no impression that they were. She wondered if they were still privy to it, just simply staying quiet. She hoped she wasn't the only one out of the loop. She wanted to know what they were saying; it didn't take a genius to know they were talking about her.

After a few minutes, Orion nodded his head once and then took off again, toward the ever growing mountains. The other three fell into place behind him naturally. Percy to the right and slightly behind, the orange dragon to the left, and the lavender dragon directly behind. Skylar realized they had fallen into formation, as she had seen her father's knights do plenty of times. Orion was where Jonathan would be, the leader. His second to his right, his third to his left, and then the rest fell into place from there. She looked over her shoulder to peer at the dark orange dragon, to find he was studying her as well. He didn't appear malicious, simply curious about her. She couldn't blame him for that; she was a stranger, a dragon who wasn't shifting. That would likely raise plenty of questions.

As the mountains got closer, the dragons began to drop in altitude, so they were well below the peaks, and flew between the massive rock forms. Goats ran around the sides of the mountain, fleeing as the dragons soared past, and Skylar worried that the dragons lived on the sides of the rocks too, that she would have to traverse the treacherous territory, until the mountains suddenly gave way to a huge valley. She peered around in surprise, amazed to see that the valley stretched for miles to the north and south, while the western edge butted up to the ocean, off in the distance. They banked to the right, flying toward the southern end of the valley, and it wasn't long until and village came into view. Orion roared to announce their arrival, and that was all it took for every head to pop up and take in the view of their leader arriving home. Orion flapped his massive wings to slow them down and landed softly on a patch of land where the grass had been worn away from use. If she had to guess, Skylar would say it was the landing pad for the dragons. She swallowed nervously as a dozen people made their way over to the group of dragons. Their three companions shifted quickly and Skylar clambered down from Orion's back so he could shift as well. He did so with ease, the moment her feet touched the ground. So fast, in fact, that her hands were still on his side when he shifted. She felt the magic flow through him into her and suddenly she was clutching his arm instead of the scaled side of the dragon, just below the bandage on his bicep.

She jumped back, but not before she noticed how warm he was. He gave her an odd look, but turned to face the two dragons who had joined them on their way back. A young man and woman smiled at them, and the young man looked so much like Orion, Skylar had to check to make sure the original was still there. The other man was younger and leaner, and his eyes were dark orange, but they had the same dark brown hair and square features. He stepped forward to embrace Orion.

"You're back," he clapped him on the back a few times. "Dad wasn't sure when you'd be home."

"Hey, Olly," Orion grinned. "I didn't know when I was going to be back either. Feels good."

Skylar twisted her hands together while the two spoke and reached up to fix her mess of hair. Braid or not, the wind had been relentless and her hair had retaliated by wrestling from her braid and curling all around her head. She was sure she was a complete mess. She noticed the young woman watching her fix appearance and gave her a small smile. The girl responded in kind, her full lips curling up at the ends. She was quite pretty, with caramel skin and straight dark hair that framed elegant features. Her lavender eyes stood out in stark contrast to her dark coloring, but the effect was mesmerizing. Skylar was surprised to see that the girl wore trousers and a shirt, like a man. Heavy boots covered her feet and she had knives attached to her belt. Was this the culture of the the dragons? The women dressed like barbarians? Skylar was ready to introduce herself when Percy walked up to the young girl and greeted her with a grin and a friendly hug.

"What happened to you?" Olly asked, motioning to the fact that Orion was shirtless and had a blood stained cloth covering his arm.

He glanced over at Skylar and chuckled. "I'll explain later, when Dad's around."

Orion's look at Skylar gave Olly the perfect opportunity to bring her up, as if her standing there wasn't reason enough. He looked over at her and then back at Orion, who could only be his brother.

"I suppose you'll be explaining your guest as well?" He stepped to Skylar and held out his large hand. "I'm Oliver, but call me Olly."

Skylar smiled shyly, taking his hand. "Skylar. It's a pleasure."

He grinned and gave her a once over, noticing her once-lovely evening wear and narrowed his eyes slightly. "That's quite a dress, Skylar."

"Something else that will be explained later," Orion cut in with a hand on Olly's shoulder. Olly nodded and his gaze focused behind Skylar.

"I guess I won't have to wait that long," he nodded at the mob of people making their way over to the group. Skylar's heart beat began to race at the sight of so many dragons, but not a single one appeared threatening. Actually, they all appeared ecstatic to see Orion and Percy again. Orion led Skylar toward the group with a gentle grip on her arm. The other three dragons followed companionably. Skylar moved closer to Orion, the presence of so many other dragons making her nervous.

"Orion! You made it back, my lad." And older gentleman was the first to step forward and shake Orion's large hand enthusiastically. "Found someone other than Jackson and Kordan I see." He eyed Skylar up, somewhat curious, somewhat cautious, but his tone was amiable enough.

"I did," he looked down at Skylar, who met his gaze for comfort, of all things. She was in a dangerous position, other dragons or not. Even her own dragon recognized that being a stranger in the clan was not the safest place to be, especially not when everyone would be curious and untrusting. She hoped that Orion's protection was enough.

When Orion offered nothing else in terms of an explanation, the man simply nodded and moved over to greet Percy. Other people stepped forward asking similar questions about Skylar, but also inquiring about their travels. Orion fended them off easily, keeping Skylar out of direct inspection. Despite that, she could feel many pairs of eyes studying her, quietly judging her appearance.

"Vince, where is my father?" Orion asked the first gentleman who had approached them.

"Checking in with the outer border patrol. He'll be back before long," Vince offered, scratching his impressive beard. Orion nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

"We're going to go get cleaned up, and wait for his return," Orion stated, tightening his grip slightly on Skylar's arm, pulling her toward the village.

Even as they got closer to the buildings, she could visibly see Orion relax. He was home, she realized. He was where he belonged, among his people and family, his kind. He gained a slight bounce in his step as they passed the first building, and then the second, and he suddenly veered left, walking behind buildings and between them.

"It'll be easier if we avoid the Square," he explained. "Too many people and we'll never get out of there." She nodded, knowing that she had no other choice but to follow him. They walked around the entire perimeter of the Square, as he'd called it, and came out on the other side, which appeared to be where many of the homes were. She tried to decide which one was Orion's, but as soon as she saw the massive house on top of a small incline, she knew where they were headed. The house rose three stories into the air, and a large porch ran around the perimeter of the wooden building. Windows were evenly spaced on each floor, and the double-wide door sat centered on the front. If one stood in the doorway of the large house and looked over the village, they could see everything. It was the perfect spot to watch over the kingdom. And Skylar realized that was exactly what this was: Orion's kingdom, and that house was his castle.

"This is the Big House. Victoria, my stepmother, should be here. She'll find you something to change into," he said, opening the front door. His step-mother. Skylar wondered what had happened to his mother.

"Victoria!" he called as he pushed the door open. Skylar took the opportunity to study the beautiful house. The love that had been put into building it was obvious in the careful craftsmanship. The front door opened into a foyer that held a regal staircase, and to the left was the kitchen, while to the right was a sitting room. A hallway led forward with rooms she couldn't see into. From upstairs, Skylar heard footsteps and an excited squeal.

"Orion! Orion, honey, is that you?" a wonderful feminine voice sounded from the top of the stairs. The owner of the voice began descending, revealing a young, beautiful, blonde woman, in fact, she didn't look much older than Orion himself, perhaps only ten years his senior. She was also very pregnant. Her belly pushing against the loose-fitting dress she wore was evidence of that. "What on earth happened to you? Where's your shirt?"

Orion's face lit up in a way Skylar didn't know it could. He obviously cared very much for this women, his stepmother. "I'll explain everything later, but I'm alright. Just need one of your wonderful salves and I'll live."

"Mhmm," Victoria smiled indulgently at Orion, and then her spring green gaze landed on Skylar.

"Oh, hello," she continued her descent down the stairs, and waddling toward them, her belly sticking out in front of her. She studied Skylar, but there was no distrust in her eyes, only confusion, kindness, and perhaps something like recognition. "I see Orion brought home more than he was told to." She teased with a wink at her stepson. "I'm Victoria."

"Hello," Skylar curtsied, recognizing the lady of the house when she saw one. "I'm Skylar."

"What a lovely name," she smiled. "Welcome to our home."

"Thank you."

"Victoria," Orion interrupted, stepping forward to give her a tight squeeze before continuing. "I was hoping you could help Skylar find something to wear? Her dress hasn't fared well through our travels I'm afraid."

"Oh, dear, look at that," Victoria clucked her tongue and peered at the silk skirts of the dress in despair. "And such a lovely dress it is."

Skylar smoothed her hands over it. "Thank you. A dear family member made it for me." Blood or not, Greta was a part of Skylar's family. In fact, from what Draco had said, her parents weren't even her blood. And that's when it hit her that she was all alone. She was an orphan, hunted by a ruthless king, and the only place she had to go was with a man who saw her as a threat. She fingered her dress as tears pricked her eyes. She would not cry in front of Orion. She simply couldn't show that weakness to him.

Victoria, obviously far more intuitive than Orion, seemed to sense Skylar's sudden sadness. She placed a gentle hand on her arm and squeezed.

"Orion, love, why don't you go put on a shirt, and I'll help Skylar get into something more comfortable. Then we'll go over to the infirmary to see Nana and get something on that arm of yours."

"Thank you, Victoria," he kissed her cheek and then looked over at Skylar, who wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'll be right back," he told her. "You're in good hands."

Skylar nodded, still keeping her head down until she could get control of her tears. She felt Orion's gaze linger on her but he bounded up the stairs a moment later. Victoria faced Skylar once again and put a gentle finger under her chin.

"Everything alright, darling?" Victoria wondered quietly.

Skylar nodded and pressed her lips together. "It's just been an overwhelming day." And that's all it had been... a day. Not even a whole day since her world had been turned upside down.

"I'm sure. Orion's treated you well hasn't he? He really is a good man, one of the sweetest people I know."

Skylar barked out a laugh. Although she had caught glimpses of this man Victoria was talking about, it was difficult to associate "sweet" with the rough man she'd spent the last day with.

Victoria's perfect mouth twisted wryly. "I do realize he can be an acquired taste, but he truly is a sweet man."

"I believe you," Skylar told her, although she was still laughing inside. She didn't think Orion would appreciate being called sweet.

Victoria laughed herself and grabbed Skylar's hand to bring her upstairs. "Come on, then. I'll give you something that doesn't fit me anymore. The only thing I've been able to wear for the past few months are dresses." She shook her head and smoothed a hand over her round belly. "Although I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Skylar smiled at her, not quite sure how to respond. She'd never met a pregnant woman before, or at least not one who so openly flaunted her condition. Noble women hid their bumps beneath corsets and carefully layered skirts. Victoria wore a simple, brown peasant dress. A working dress.

"Only a month to go and then I can finally carry the little heathen in my arms, rather than in my belly. It does terrible things for the back." As they reached the upper landing, she theatrically rubbed her lower back.

"Have you and Orion's father been married long?" Skylar asked as she followed Victoria down the long hallway. She could hear Orion shuffling around in one of the rooms they passed, but the door was firmly shut so she couldn't see what sort of conditions the man lived in. She was curious, as anyone would be. A person's room reflected who they were, and she wanted to know more about Orion.

Victoria led her into the master bedroom, a huge suite with a four-poster bed centered along the back wall, and couple of chairs angled toward a cold fireplace. Small plants, some blooming, some not, were scattered about the room, giving it a fresh, airy smell. It was a homey place, giving comfort to those who entered, but Skylar had the feeling it wasn't often anyone except for the lord and lady of the house.

"Oh, Leo and I have been mated for going on three years now," Victoria said from inside her closet. "But I've known him since I was a little girl, when he mated with my big sister."

Victoria immediately had Skylar's attention. "Your sister?"

Her host reappeared with a pair of trousers, shirt, and boots for Skylar. "Yes, I know that's a bit strange. Orion and Olly are my nephews. My sister, Valerie, was their mother, and I've known them their whole lives. I was only eleven when Orion was born; Valerie was quite a few years older than me. Here let me help you get out of that dress."

She stepped forward to untie Skylar's laces and pull the dress from her shoulders. Skylar stepped out of it and Victoria whisked it away, leaving Skylar in her shift. She was about to call out after to tell her to be careful with the dress, but realized the beautiful garment was a lost cause anyway, so remained quiet. She wanted to ask more about the odd family dynamic, but wasn't sure how to approach it without seeming too nosy. Luckily, Victoria continued as she helped Skylar out of her shift and into the new garments.

"Valerie was a wonderful mother, and she was devoted to Leo. I don't want you to think anything happened with us when she was still alive. I never saw him as anything other than a dear friend before three years ago. Valerie was... killed by dragon hunters," she paused to compose herself. "It was very difficult on all of us. Leo through himself into his work, leaving Orion and Olly to deal with their grief alone. But they'd always been like my own boys, so I took care of them, stepping in for Valerie, like she would want. I really didn't mean to fall for Leo, but four years after her death, we were both so lonely and sort of fell together.

"I know we only just met, but I really don't want you to think I meant to steal my sister's life. She was my best friend, the person I looked up to. I never coveted what she had, because she accepted me into her life. I always promised her I'd take care of her boys if anything happened to her." Victoria reached for a hairbrush after she pulled out Skylar's braid and began smoothing out the curls.

So Orion's mother had died. No, she'd been killed. And Orion had likely been powerless to help her. That would explain his control issues. Skylar didn't think Victoria had done anything wrong, she thought it was quite nice that she'd taken on her sister's family, taking care of them when they needed her. She told her host that much and Victoria patted her shoulder.

"Thank you, love. Now enough about me. What about you? What clan are you from? How did Orion find you?"

"Uhhh..." Skylar wasn't sure how to proceed. Would she react the way Orion though Percy might, rejecting her? She liked Victoria very much. She was kind, and didn't seem like she'd immediately turn on Skylar, but she couldn't be sure. Percy seemed incredibly friendly as well, but Orion was worried about how he would react. "I think Orion wants to wait until his father, Leo, is around before I say anything. He was very adamant about that."

Victoria huffed as she began to re-braid Skylar's hair. "Sounds like him. I'm not surprised. Well, that's alright. We wouldn't want to anger Orion," she teased. "Wow, you have lovely hair, and that necklace, wherever did you get it?"

Skylar reached up to wrap her hand around the jewel that Jonathan had given her yesterday. "It was a gift, from a- a friend."

"Well, that friend has very good taste. It matches your eyes beautifully." She gave the braid a gentle tug. "There, I do suppose you're suitable now, not that you weren't before. Tonight we'll get you some warm water and you can take a proper bath."

At the promise of a hot bath, Skylar's mood immediately brightened. "That would be lovely, thank you."

"Don't think anything of it, darling. Come on now, I'm sure Orion is anxious to get moving. The man finds it impossible to sit still for any period of time." She bustled out of the room and Skylar couldn't help but think it was possible that that trait ran in the family. She stood up and looked down at herself. Skylar, Princess of Trael, wearing trousers. She picked up the boots, which she'd neglected to put on yet, and slipped them on her feet. They were slightly too big, but she would manage. It took her a couple of tries to tie them properly, but she managed on her own. She was proud of her small accomplishment and stomped into the hallway, unused to such clunky footwear. Despite that, she was amazed at the freedom trousers allowed her, compared to the heavy skirts she was accustomed to.

Victoria was already at the bottom of the stairs and walking into the kitchen, where she could hear Orion moving about. She stepped through the doorway to see Victoria locked in a tight embrace with Orion, her lips pressed tenderly against his. Skylar blinked in surprise, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, her brain frozen. What on earth was going on? She wasn't sure what to do until she felt the brush of a large form behind her. She turned and saw Orion standing behind her, his eyes on the couple in the kitchen. Now she was simply more confused. He glanced down at her before clearing his throat.

The couple in the kitchen pulled apart, and Victoria smiled sheepishly. The man straightened and only Skylar's poised upbringing kept her from gasping in shocked horror. From his left side, the man was nearly identical to Orion, giving her a glimpse as to what Orion would look like in twenty-five years. But look at him straight on, the resemblance ended. The right side of his distinguished face was marred with three terrible scars, falling from his temple to the corner of his mouth, pulling it up in a constant smirk. His cold black eyes brushed over his son and landed on Skylar with an intensity she'd never encountered. Her dragon immediately rose to the challenge, bracing herself in her cage and ready to face off with this Alpha male. While her dragon was ready to stand up to this terrifying man, Skylar wanted to melt out of view, so he couldn't pin her to the wall with his steady gaze. She opened her mouth to say something, but Leo beat her to it.

"Orion, this is not what I sent you to find," Leo's voice rumbled through the kitchen, chilling Skylar to the bone.