Right. That's how everything felt. She felt right in his arms. Her lips felt right against his. The fact that he told her he loved her, even if he didn't say the exact words, felt right. She was right, and now she was his. There was no way he was ever going to be able to let her go. His dragon, who had already been attached to her before ever touching her like this, was hardly about to let her out of his sight until they had officially claimed her as their mate.

The moment that he would happily spend the rest of his life in was interrupted by the arrival of two dragons. He reluctantly pulled his mouth away from hers, stroking her flushed, full cheeks with his thumbs before lifting his head to look at the dragons that flew overhead. They were flying low, barely above the tops of the trees, and he caught a glimpse of riders on both dragons. If he wasn't mistaken, the beasts were Kordan and Jackson, the dragons he and Percy had been sent to search for.

Skylar's grip on his shirt tightened and her surprised intake of breath was audible. He could hear her heart rate pick up and he looked down at her, confused about her reaction. Riders on dragons was unusual, but not unheard of; she'd ridden on his back after all. Her blue eyes were wide as she tore her gaze away from the dragons.

"Orion," she said quietly, fear leaking into her voice. "Those men are wearing the uniforms of Draco's knights."

"What?" he snarled, turning back to watch them. It was then that he noticed the iron collars around the dragons' necks. "No, no, no!" He then watched in horror as the dragons flew over the landing pad toward the Square, opened their jaws, and let loose jets of fire. He heard the panicked screams of the clan and his blood ran cold. He'd never heard them so afraid before.

"Orion, go!" Skylar shoved him forward, finally sending him into motion. He had been frozen in shock, seeing two members of his clan attacking them. He broke into a sprint, releasing his dragon. The beast lunged forward with a roar, ready to protect and defend his clan.

The golden dragon launched himself into the air with a snarl. The closest dragon, the forest green one who was Jackson, turned to look at him with a growl. The newfound enemy didn't have time to react before the golden dragon slammed into him.

His claws sank into the green scales, embedding themselves and drawing out angry roars from the other dragon. He cut off those roars sharply as his jaws locked around his neck, right above where the iron collar was located. He felt his sharp teeth puncture the armored scales that protected the soft flesh of the enemy's neck and blood rushed into his mouth, fueling his fury. The dragon screeched in agony, flapping his wings frantically and kicking at Orion in an attempt to dislodge him.

The man atop the dragon's back, dressed in full metal armor with green coverings, raised his sword and waved it in Orion's direction.

"Release us, monster!" he demanded, but the golden dragon didn't have time for him. They were spinning toward the ground, but Orion wasn't about to let go. He could sense the sudden panic that took over the knight as the ground got closer. The dragons couldn't fly while they were intertwined the way they were, but Orion wasn't worried about that. He was worried about the dragon that was attacking his clan. For the moment, he had forgotten about the second dragon.

At least he did until he felt teeth sink into his hind leg, ripping him away from the green dragon. He roared in surprise and pain, whipping around and letting his own stream of fire go in the direction of the yellow dragon. He flapped his wings to put some distance between them and to get away from the ground. The yellow and the green dragon faced him, and then one dove under while the other went over. The gold dragon spun around trying to follow both of them. While his eyes were on the green one, who was bleeding heavily from the deep wounds the gold dragon had inflicted, the yellow one made a move from below.

Orion wouldn't have been able to move out of the way in time, but a sky-blue streak came out of nowhere and slammed into the yellow dragon. They went flying toward the ground in a ball of yellow and blue limbs. The man on his back swung his sword toward Skylar but she was just out of his reach. The golden dragon dove after them, not at all liking Skylar in combat with these dragons. Where were Percy and the rest of the clan?

He could sense the green dragon racing after them, but Orion paid him no mind. He had to get to Skylar. The thought of those snapping jaws, sharp white teeth, and flying saliva made him incredibly nervous. He watched as they fell to the ground, falling into a snarling mess. Skylar was on the bottom, meaning the whole weight of the yellow dragon fell on top of her. She froze, stunned, giving the human a chance to leap off the dragon's back and advance on her with a shining sword. She glared at him, rolling to her feet while Orion landed beside her. He took a defensive stance, slightly in front of her, showing his glistening white teeth in warning to the other dragons. The blue dragon apparently didn't appreciate his gesture because she shouldered around him, standing by his side rather than behind him. She was his partner, he realized. Like Percy or Olly, but much better. This was the female who would be his mate and stand by his side always. The knowledge gave him a new surge of confidence, and he allowed her to take her position beside him, presenting a united front.

The green dragon landed next to the yellow one, facing off with them. The human who had dismounted quickly scrambled up on the dragon's back once again, and Orion sensed a heavy presence of magic, and not the magic that all dragons possessed. This was dark magic, and it tainted the air around the dragons and Draco's knights. It made the golden dragon uneasy. Only dark witches used dark magic, and its presence only meant some awful was about to occur.

The dragons just stood there snarling at one another, everyone waiting for another to make a move. Except for the knights, who were both saying something that caused the influx of dark magic to increase. It was then that Orion noticed the amulets around the knights' necks and the symbols on the collars the dragons wore. It sent a bad feeling to his stomach and he shifted uneasily next to Skylar. He wanted to pounce, wanted to attack, but it was as if something was stopping him. He could move freely in his own space, but if he tried to advance any closer to the threat, he was stopped.

A snarl ripped through the blue dragon next to him and she lowered her head in warning to the other dragons. He could tell that she was encounter the same resistance if she tried to move. He was amazed at the way she stepped up to protect a clan that was trying to get rid of her.

Orion felt a presence brush against his own consciousness and a thought wormed its way into his head.

... protect... mate...

It was hardly more than a whisper, but it had been there, of that he was sure. He also knew without a doubt that the thought had come from Skylar and her dragon. The word mate lodged itself in his head and he quite liked it. But he couldn't focus on that right now, not with the green and yellow dragons standing before them.

Orion's claws dug into the ground as he tried to pounce forward, but he truly was frozen in place. The influx of dark magic suddenly made sense. Somehow these men were using the magic, but they couldn't be witches. Witches were exclusively female, and the two brawny males facing him certainly were not. But the amulets they wore... that could possibly turn them into conduits. Either way, he was frozen and at their mercy. That did not sit well with him in the slightest.

Finally, finally, a pitch-black dragon descended upon them. The Alpha landed with a thunderous roar, with the blood red Alpha close on his tail. Unfortunately, they were soon caught in the magic. It was weaker, having to freeze so many large beings, but still effective enough to hold them all in place.

Leo snarled loudly, snapping his jaws and straining against the magic, but it didn't budge. Orion waited more patiently, having accepted the situation. He took the chance to study the four intruders before him, to try and get an idea of what they were getting into. The growls emanating from the red and black dragons were continuous and menacing. The pair was ready to attack and fight, much like the fierce blue dragon, but they were all stuck in place. Only the golden dragon was calm, or as calm as he could be. He sat quietly, staring at the strangers.

"It's no use," the man atop the green dragon stated. "We're drawing power from these big fellas." He patted the beast on the neck, almost affectionately and Orion felt a little sick, seeing his fellow dragon treated as nothing more than a mount.

"As I'm sure you're aware," he continued, "it takes a lot to deplete their power."

Leo snarled, but once again Orion remained passive. He could sense Skylar doing the same thing, following his lead. Her growling slowly diminished and she moved a little closer to him. He risked a glance in her direction, but all of her focus was on the newcomers. She was just waiting for her moment.

"Now shift into your human form, and keep the others back there from shifting into their dragons, or you won't like what I'll have to do," he warned. Orion had no idea what his clan was doing, but he was sure they were all staring. He hoped Percy and Jed were keeping everyone calm and getting them out of the way. Zachariah and the Alpha females would be helping with that as well. Leo and Kellan likely gave orders, otherwise there would be more than just the two of them.

No one moved at the knight's request. His beady eyes narrowed beneath his helmet and he raised his sword slightly higher.

"I said shift," the man demanded again, his nasally voice intimidating no one.

A growl rumbled in Skylar's throat. Her tail swished, brushing against Orion's. She left it there, and he drew strength to fuel his patience from their contact. The golden dragon was calmer than ever in the presence of his mate, for that's how he thought of her now. If the other female, Cassie, or her dragon ever approached him again like they were mates, he would not be responsible for how he reacted. He belonged to the blue dragon and Skylar, and that was that. And he was going to protect her, no matter what. The first thought he'd ever received from her was that she was going to protect her mate. That meant something to him, and he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

"Fine. Perhaps someone else can convince you," the knight said, glancing at his partner. They lifted their amulets and began to chant. The words meant nothing to Orion, but they meant something to Kellan. The red dragon snorted in shock and then snarled angrily. More dark magic permeated the air, and smoke began to accumulate in the space between the knights and Orion and his companions. It was hazy, just hanging there as though someone had created a bubble around a fire, but then it began to take a shape. It formed a rough oval, smoothing out in the center while staying rough around the edges. The chanting stopped abruptly and suddenly a man glimmered into view.

He immediately sensed the change in Skylar. She shrunk back, but her anger grew. He heard her heart start to beat faster, and he thought that perhaps it was from fear. She was trying to stay out of sight, he realized, as the pale skinned man stared at them from the layer of smoke. He sat in a throne, obviously waiting for this moment.

The man's long black hair was tied back, accentuating the hard angles of his long face. Black eyes stared at them, and there was no feeling there. They were cold, calculating, and almost inhuman. His pale fingers wrapped around a scepter, and Orion didn't miss the green dragon scales that decorated it. He knew exactly who he was looking at.

A satisfied smile tugged at Draco's mouth as he stared at the four dragons. "I see they found you. I'm glad I decided to keep those dragons around. They volunteered to lead me to you the second things got bad, did you know that?"

Silence. Even if they'd been in their human form, they wouldn't have said anything. They were all fuming, but held a stony exterior.

"It's no fun if you don't respond," Draco pointed out, tapping his fingers against his chin. "Shift into your human forms. Now."

Again, no one complied to the demand. That's when the pain began. It was subtle at first, but quickly increased in intensity. It felt like someone was squeezing him while also trying to burst out from inside. His dragon gasped, but they would power through. Pain was in the mind, and the dragons could only supply so much magic, right? They just needed to last that long. Skylar began to shake and a whimper escaped her. Orion's head swung to look at her, realizing that it affected her as well. He couldn't stand to see her hurting, knowing that he could stop it. He wasn't a man to give in easily, but Skylar was at risk and he wouldn't allow that, and neither would his dragon.

They came to an agreement. The dragon backed off, but remained close enough to the surface that his eyes glowed slightly. He stood there, staring at Draco, daring him to try anything else. Leo and Kellan followed close after, although Orion knew it went against everything they believed in. He looked over at Skylar and saw the panic in her eyes. She would have to shift, and he would know where she was. There was still a high chance that he didn't know where she was, but there was no way to hide it from him now.

"That one needs to shift as well," Draco snapped, motioning to her.

Orion came to her defense. "It will take a moment for her dragon to calm down enough to allow her to do so."

Draco glared but then gave a small shrug, as if it were beneath him.

"Enough," he said to someone out of sight, tugging on a chain Orion was just now noticing. Skylar relaxed immediately and Orion realized that whoever was controlling the flow of magic was far away in Draco's castle with him, apparently his prisoner. The power that the witch must have was something Orion never wanted to mess with, but that seemed like something that was too late for them to wish for.

"So, now that I've found you, what to do about you all," Draco tapped his chin, amusement suddenly alighting in his eyes. "I know what you are now. Not simply dragons, but magical creatures who have managed to escape discovery until now. You can thank dear Skylar, princess of Trael, for that one," he told them. "She escaped my grasp though. These friends of yours aren't going anywhere. They're under my complete control. It wasn't until I made a deal with a new friend that I finally got them to shift for me. After that, they were quick to betray you all." He lifted the chain in his hand. "See this? Infused with magic. The collars on the dragons are the same, which puts them under my complete control. They're mindless zombies now. Mine to play with as I wish."

Leo was fuming. "We've done nothing to you, leave us in peace and we will forget all of this."

"I've killed hundreds of you," the king sneered, his eyes gleaming in a sick delight. "You don't forget when you've been slighted, and I don't expect you to. I've started this and I'm going to finish it. By the time I'm done, you'll all be gone."

Orion's fists clenched as he reigned in his anger. This man was the reason his mother was dead, the reason his father's attitude had changed so drastically, and the reason Skylar was in danger. This man was the reason his entire way of life was in jeopardy and he could not stand for it. He glanced over at the blue dragon, who was still glaring at the man in the mist. He wondered if Draco realized she was still a dragon. He seemed lost in his own pride at what he saw as accomplishments.

"I could expose you," he stated. "I have two of your dragons at my disposal. It would be easy enough to force one to shift in front of crowd. Can you imagine the uproar at such a discovery? I would have all the support I needed to come after you up there on your safe little mountain. Not so safe, is it? Not if my knights could come right in. Your enchantments did nothing to them, not while they were with their dragons."

Magic filled the air again, but this time it was a familiar, comforting magic. It was the magic of dragons, old and powerful.

"Just leave us alone," Skylar demanded, her voice strong and unwavering.

All eyes turned to her. She had shifted quickly, now standing tall and proud, staring down her nose at her enemy. Orion moved a step closer, offering her moral support as she stood up to Draco. She just exposed herself to him, gave him her location, so she could stand up to him. Of course, he realized that she also inadvertently told him she was with the Western Clan, giving him even more of a reason to come after them, but he respected her. She'd given them her alliance, she'd sided with them, used the word "us", and that meant more to him than anything else.

He glanced back at his father, whose anger was focused on Draco, not Skylar. He himself had stepped closer to Skylar as well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

"Skylar," Draco growled, his smug expression disappearing from his face in an instant. His black eyes took on an even stonier look, and Orion didn't think that was possible. "So, you've found yourself a nice place then, have you?"

"No, I didn't," she told him surely. "I'll be leaving soon, on my own. So, you'll have to make a choice: attack them, or hunt down the girl who humiliated you."

Orion turned to her in shock. What was she doing? It seemed like she was offering herself as bait to draw Draco's attention away from them. And she was doing it in the best possible way, by insulting his ego. But she was still planning to leave the clan? To leave him?

"I'm a king," Draco reminded her. "What could possibly make you think I can't do both?"

A smirk pulled at her lovely mouth. "You've always had trouble focusing on more than one thing, Your Grace."

Draco's eyes narrowed at her words. "I don't appreciate taunting, Princess."

"I don't appreciate threats to my family."

"Hal and Violet are not in danger. I don't need to attack my ally to get to you."

She growled. "I wasn't talking about that family."

"What, you mean these...monstrosities?"

"They are not the monsters here, Draco," she snapped. "They've protected me when you took everything from me."

Draco smirked and tapped his chin. "I do so love the irony in that, don't you? You escape me and fall right into the hands of these creatures, only for me to find you again. Except next time I catch you, I'll handle you myself."

Orion looked over at Skylar, but her exterior was steely and showed nothing. He wanted to interject, to argue that she wasn't going anywhere, but this was her show. This was her time. He didn't like it. He was there to protect her, and she was making it incredibly difficult for him by saying she was going to leave.

"What if I make you a deal, Princess Skylar?" Draco offered, a new light in his eye that made Orion incredibly uneasy. "You claim to feel a loyalty, a family loyalty, to these beasts. Possibly also gratitude for harboring you these last weeks. That likely means you'll do anything to protect them, to repay them."

She didn't say anything, and Orion would have given anything to know her thoughts. Her face showed nothing other than anger as she stared at the figure in the smoke, the one conjured up by a witch.

"You come to me, surrender to me, and I'll leave them alone. I had you in my grasp once, and I made the mistake of giving you away without knowing what I was giving up. And then once I figured out what I gave up, you managed to escape my men, who are now rotting in your father's dungeon, by the way."

Kellan stepped forward this time. "What do you mean by that?"

"She didn't tell you?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "My soldiers brought her to me after taking her from two dragons. I gave her to my ally to raise as his own, not realizing she herself was a dragon. I won't let her get away from me a third time."

Orion looked over at the red Alpha, watched as everything clicked together in his head. Rage contorted his face and his eyes glowed a menacing red. Orion himself wouldn't have guessed that Draco had been the one whose men had kidnapped Skylar and taken Kellan's arm. Of course, now that it had been revealed it seemed incredibly poetic and cruel. Draco had destroyed all their lives. Orion's mother and Leo's mate, Skylar's kidnapping and growing up amongst humans, and Kellan losing his arm, his sister, and his daughter. Fate was a cruel bitch with a sick sense of humor.

"You son of a bitch," Kellan snarled, leaning against the magic that held them in place. He seemed to forget for the moment that Draco wasn't actually there.

Draco raised an eyebrow, glancing between Skylar and Kellan curiously. He apparently found some family resemblance because he started to laugh. "It was you, wasn't it? You're her father."

Kellan's growl was enough confirmation for him because he clapped his hands. "Well then! It's a pleasure. In case you're wondering, she had a full and happy childhood without you. Oh, and how's your arm?"

At that, all four dragons snarled. Leo reached over to put a hand on Kellan's shoulder while Skylar stepped forward defensively.

"Don't you dare talk to him like that," she warned, her voice low and approaching a growl. "I'm the one you're worried about, leave them alone."

"You're right, pardon me," he put a hand to his chest and bowed his head slightly. When he looked up again, his eyes shone with malice. "Let's get back to the point. You surrender to me, and I leave them alone."

"Yes, except I have one more request," Skylar said. Orion growled softly at that. He would be having a very opinionated discussion with Skylar later, asking her what the hell she was thinking. Now that he and his dragon had had her, they weren't about to let her go. Not ever.

"And what might that be?" Draco asked, obviously humoring her.

"These two dragons stay here. You get me, that's it. I surrender to you, and you leave the dragons alone. These two dragons fall under that."

"And my knights?"

"They can try to run, but I doubt they'll get very far. They attacked the village, and an Alpha."

Orion glanced at Draco's knights, both of whom had gone incredibly pale. Their eyes appeared more than a little panicked, and Orion was sure they hadn't seen this outcome when they came flying in on their dragons.

Draco stared at her, but Orion could see that he wanted Skylar. He wanted to get her back, to lock her up and keep her from disrupting his life anymore. He wanted control.

"I'll release them upon your arrival, and yes, it's because I don't trust you. I expect you within two weeks, and I expect you to come alone. No contacting your father either," he glanced wryly at Kellan. "Hal, I mean. And just remember, I know exactly where that clan of yours is. You don't follow my rules, I come after them with everything I have. And as you know, that's a lot. It also won't take much to convince others to attack as well. Their experiences with dragons are less than positive."

Skylar nodded once. "I agree to your terms. I don't contact my father, I come alone, and I'm there within two weeks."

"Always a pleasure doing business, Skylar," Draco sneered. "Remember, if you go back on your word, I will kill every last dragon in that clan of yours. Starting with that one right there."

His finger lifted and he focused directly on Orion, sneering at him. Orion bared his teeth and his eyes flashed in response.

Skylar remained calm. "I expect nothing less, Your Grace. And if you go back on your word, I'll kill you."

Draco simply smirked. "Don't forget to let my two new dragons leave in peace. They'll be returned soon enough." He then tugged on the chain in his hand. He disappeared. Almost simultaneously, the magic holding them in place released, and Kordan and Jackson took to the air with the knights safely on their backs.

But Orion paid them no attention.

He dashed over to Skylar and grabbed her by the arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, glaring down at her. "Who do you think you are, sacrificing yourself like that?"

"Orion-,"

"We can take him on, you don't need to leave," he continued, not hearing her. Panic was filling him at an alarming rate. Did she want to leave him? That might actually kill him if that were the case. "I'll protect you, I won't let him get to you. If you're scared I understand, but don't feel like you have to just give up. Skylar-"

She silenced him with a finger on his mouth before cupping his cheeks and smiling up at him sweetly. Her eyes were gentle and sweet.

"Orion, breathe," she told him, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "It's okay."

He did not breathe. He gasped and sputtered as he tried to reign in his emotions. He was panicking, desperate, and he had no idea how to deal with those feelings. He'd never had to before. Skylar did things to him, and he was still trying to come to grips with it.

"It's not okay! Skylar, you can't sacrifice yourself for us," he insisted. "And you're not leaving me. You just told me you had no intention of leaving me ever again. Were you lying?"

"I'm not going to leave you, ever," she explained softly, gazing up at him with bright eyes. "I have a plan."