Guilt sat like a rock in his gut, but he didn't let it show on his face as he beamed at her. He didn't want to let her know that he'd heard her talking to Benny.

... I want him to ask for my hand...

... a princess gets a prince that sweeps her off her feet...

No matter what she'd said after that, those were the lines that stuck with him. He realized how un-romantic he'd been up to this point with her. They sort of fell together, accepted they were True Mates, and on they went with their lives. Okay, that was an over-exaggeration, but it was close. She meant everything to him, and he didn't even think about what she had likely imagined her whole life when she thought about her future marriage. The fact that she claimed not to care because she loved him didn't sit right. He didn't want her simply to accept what he had given her to this point, not when he knew he could do better.

"Orion," she breathed upon sighting him. Her face broke into that magnificent smile, the one that lit up his world, and warmth blossomed in his chest. He closed the distance between them in four long strides, not hesitating to wrap his arms around her when he reached her.

"You're out of your room," he commented, immensely pleased by this fact. It meant that Nana believed she was back to normal, or at least very close. He'd known she would get better, but the tiny chance that she wouldn't scared the hell out of him.

"I am," she grinned. "Careful, the baby." He realized he was squishing Benny between them and back away half a step, so he was still close enough to cradle her face.

He brushed her cheek bones with his thumbs while she stared up at him with her piercing blue eyes. She was perfect, and she was his. He leaned down a claimed her mouth with his. He growled softly as she responded with gusto, standing on her tip toes to get closer to him. He inhaled deeply, and his dragon surged up at what he found.

Other males had touched her in his absence. He squeezed his eyes closed when, even though he recognized the scents as Percy and Jed, his dragon snarled with possessive aggression. He knew nothing had happened, but his dragon was so territorial lately, he found it hard to handle at times. He wouldn't say anything, it would only cause them to argue, but he didn't know how much longer he could go without claiming her.

He leaned away from her, looking down at the infant she cradled in her arms. One day she would hold their child, his child, his heir, the future Alpha of the Western Clan, and his male ego swelled with the thought. She would be the mother of his children, and he couldn't imagine anyone else. When he was still betrothed to Cassie, who had avoided him like the plague since his return, he couldn't picture her holding his child, and when he did, he didn't feel the immense pride he did at the thought of Skylar.

"You're a natural with him," he told her, gently cupping the head of his brother in his large hand. The baby stirred, but remained asleep.

"It's not me," she shrugged deprecatingly. "He's a really good baby."

"Agree to disagree," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again.

Of course, he was interrupted just as their passion rose.

"Orion, you're back!" Laura greeted him. He broke off the kiss and turned with a polite smile to his friend. He love Laura like family, but at the moment he really wanted her to turn around and leave them be. Unfortunately, Nana was with her, so there would be no demanding their retreat.

"Yeah, Dad and I just finished up training. We figured we would give them a break and then take another group out later. I have something I want to show Skylar first."

Laura raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Nana simply glared at him. "Now, Orion, I won't have that sort of talk in my home. True Mates or not, it's not polite to talk about such things outside of the bedroom"

Orion looked at her in confusion before realizing the connotation behind his words, especially with what they had been caught doing. He wasn't a man to blush easily, but this sent the heat rushing to his cheeks and ears. He didn't dare look at Skylar. Even they hadn't talked about that yet.

"Nana, that is not at all what I meant," he assured her. "I have a project I've been working on that I want to show her, and I want her opinion."

Nana gave him a wry look as she set down her basket of herbs. "Ahhh, that project."

Laura's face lit up and she nodded in appreciation. "You know she'll like it."

Skylar gave him a questioning look. "Why does everyone know about it but me?"

"Because Nana locked you in your room, love," he teased, kissing her temple.

Laura giggled. "Love is a good look on you, Orion."

For the second time in about as many minutes, and probably more than he had in his whole life, he blushed. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, handing Nana the herbs to organize them. "You're just happier than I've ever seen you."

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable in the room full of prying, female eyes. "Yes, well, Skylar makes me happy. Is she free to go?"

Nana chuckled. "She is free to go. Just lay Benny in his cradle, Victoria will be back soon to feed him. We can keep an eye on him until then."

He nodded and waited as Skylar set the baby down, kissing him quickly before taking his outstretched hand.

As they made their escape, Nana called after him. "Don't forget that Kellan wants to talk with you!"

He sighed, dreading that conversation. "Yes, I know. I'll see you later!" He pulled Skylar along and she kept up easily, even though she had to take two steps for every one of his. He was nervous about what she would think of his idea. He'd been working hard on it, but if she didn't like it, he would scrap it. He thought she would, it was something she would come up with, but maybe she would think it was too much of a risk. When he'd mentioned it to Leo, the Alpha was skeptical, but willing to listen.

Leather was in high supply around the clan, because when they butchered their cattle, none of it went to waste. There was a specific building just for tanning, which was where he'd kept the prototype. Percy had helped him design it, and Nana helped him put it all together.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," he held up a hand to Skylar as he ran into the building.

The saddle sat tipped against the wall, right where he'd left it. He hoisted it onto his shoulders and walked back outside. Skylar immediately stared at the strange shape, obviously trying to figure out what it was, but her face was still full of confusion.

"I have no idea what I'm looking at," she admitted, running after him as he took off at brisk walk toward the cliffs.

"No?" he was a little disappointed. He tried to make it as recognizable as possible, but dragons were shaped differently than horses, and required far more straps, so he supposed it was reasonable she didn't recognize the shape. "Well, you'll see. Come on."

They walked to the cliffs where she had first learned to fly, far enough away where his creation couldn't be critiqued by the entire clan. He carefully set it down, spreading out all the straps so she could try to figure out what it was. She tapped her chin with a slender finger, walking in a circle around the object. He watched her every move, hoping she liked his plan. It was risky and would require a lot of trust, but it had come to him when he was talking with Leo about breathing fire from above, and how it would be a dangerous move with their humans fighting in the midst as well. They didn't want to risk their lives more than necessary, seeing as how this wasn't their fight.

She glanced up at him, her eyes wary. "Is this a saddle?"

His face broke out into a grin and he spread his arms wide. "What do you think?"

She giggled at his showmanship. "For a dragon? Whatever would a dragon need a saddle for?"

"For the archer riding on his or her back, of course," he stated. "Or swordsman, or whoever would feel comfortable flying."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "A dragon with an archer on their back. That's..."

His stomach clenched as he waited for her verdict. Her opinion meant everything to him.

She smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "That's a great idea."

He bounded over to her, grabbed her face, and planted a wet kiss on her lips. She laughed against him, but he didn't let her go. "I'm so glad you like it," he said, not loosing contact with her mouth.

She shook with mirth, her eyes wide and bright as she looked up at him. "Of course I like it. It's a great idea, and it was yours." She pulled against his hands and he let her lean away, but didn't let her go.

"What are all of the straps for?"

"Well," he stated dramatically, looking back at the saddle, "Draco has a lot of weapons design specifically to fire at flying dragons. That means we use a lot of evasive maneuvers when flying. Falling off a dragon is far more dangerous than falling off a horse, so, the rider would need to be strapped in." He lifted the skinnier straps. "These wrap around the rider's calves to keep them tight against the dragons side and these," he lifted two loops at the front of the saddle, "are for the rider to either hold on to or wrap around the forearms."

"And the rest?" she leaned down to get a closer look at the leg straps, touching them lightly and giving an experimental tug.

"Those wrap around the dragon. I figured with all of the movement, it would need more than just a girth like a horse saddle. These wrap around the chest and these wrap around the forelegs."

"How long was I locked in my room?" she asked him.

"Three days," he stated. He could have given her hours too, if she'd asked, but he didn't want to seem like he'd thought about it too much.

"This is amazing for only working on it for three days," she smiled. "So, who's going to test it?"

"We are. I'll ride, you fly," he told her. Her eyes flashed in fear and his stomach dropped. She twisted her fingers together and eyed the saddle warily.

He stepped to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Skylar, what's wrong?"

Sorrow clouded her eyes as she looked up at him. "I'm afraid to shift," she admitted softly. "She's healed, just like I have, but last time she was out in the world it was really bad. She's scared."

His heart broke a little, thinking of her fierce, playful dragon afraid of anything.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, pulling her against his chest. She melted into him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. He ran his hand down the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her hair. "It's alright. I'm here, nothing bad will happen, not like last time."

"I know," she responded. "You'll protect us."

"Always," he rested his cheek on top of her head. "Always."

She cuddled closer into him and his heart broke. She was terrified, she really was. He could even sense her dragon's hesitance to shift. He didn't want to force her, but the sooner she shifted and realized everything would be alright, the better off they would be.

"Skylar, we don't have to do this today," he whispered.

She shook her head. "No, no we should. You worked really hard, and the faster we can figure out if it works, the better. She'll be okay. She missed you a lot."

He smiled. "I missed her, too."

Skylar squeezed him tightly one more time before taking a step back. "I love you."

Before he could respond, she let the shift come over her. It was the most fluid one he'd seen yet. It still took longer than his own, but it was faster than she'd ever done it before, and it appeared far less painful. In less than five seconds, her lovely blue dragon was crouched before him.

He smiled in greeting. His own dragon pushed at the walls of his mind, wanting to greet his mate, but Orion shoved him back in his place. There would be time for them later. Right now was his time with her.

His eyes swept over her lithe, graceful body and the sight of all the new scars pained him. Her blue hide was covered in deep cuts and slashes. They were healed, but they were still there, and would likely never go away. He would kill Draco himself for doing this to his beautiful girl. He walked forward and placed a hand on her snout. She closed her eyes and chuffed hot air at him. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. Her head was as long as his body, so he ended up resting his entire body against her. She hummed beneath him as he held her close.

"You're safe now, love," he whispered to her, planting a kiss on her warm scales.

Her eyes opened and she rumbled low in her throat. He leaned away from her and her lip lifted in a reptilian smile.

"Good girl," he chuckled. "You're safe, I promise. In fact, I have a proposition for you. I want you to try and make me fall off."

The blue eyes twinkled and he took it as her acceptance of his challenge. He needed to know the limits of the saddle and with the help of an agile flyer like Skylar, he would likely find out more than he needed to. She was fast and she was flexible, a dangerous combination for any rider. Thus, she was the perfect candidate to test what his saddle could do.

He lifted the saddle and placed it between her shoulder blades. It wasn't much larger than a horse saddle, just big enough to fit between the spikes on her back. Then he went about fastening all the straps about her body. She accommodated as best she could, lifting her front legs so he could reach the buckles underneath her. The straps that crossed in front of her chest were easy enough to fasten. When he was finished, he gave the seat a good tug, satisfied to find that it hardly moved in any direction.

Now to find out how comfortable it was. The blue dragon held out a leg to help him climb up and he scratched her neck in appreciation. This would be a new experience for both of them. She'd never had anyone ride her before, let alone with a saddle that hadn't ever been tried before, and he didn't spend a lot of time riding other dragons. He was in the same shoes as the soldiers. It had been years since he'd ridden a dragon, so it was as if it were the first time. He thought the last time was before he learned to fly when he was thirteen years old. Over ten years since he'd sat upon a dragon in flight.

He leaned over the side to strap in his legs while the blue dragon adjusted beneath him, testing his weight and the feel of someone sitting on your back. There were three straps on each leg and he buckled them as tightly as he could without cutting off the circulation in them. He leaned back and forth and gave his legs a tug. They moved up and down slightly, but from left to right he wasn't going anywhere.

He grasped the two loops in front of him with tight fists. "Alright, let's take this nice and easy," he told her.

He should have known the headstrong dragon would never listen to instructions.

Instead of walking to the edge and jumping straight off, she paid homage to her first flight on this very cliff. She simply dove off the side, straight toward the sharp rocks below.

His first thought was that he was about to die.

His second thought was that he needed to figure out how to strap down his torso.

Just as the first time she flew, she pulled up at the very last second, skimming over the water. The wind tried to grab him and throw him off, but his legs were strapped in tight and he held on to the straps in front of him with white knuckles.

The blue dragon angled up with a dramatic turn of her wings and tail, flying straight up in an almost vertical line. Orion tucked himself close and hung on for his life. His mount leveled out and turned her head to look at him, almost as if asking if he'd had enough. He narrowed his eyes. They only just got started.

She swung her head forward again and rolled her shoulders. He didn't trust the motion and squeezed his knees against her sides in preparation for whatever she had next. She tucked her wings close to her sides and angled herself in a nose dive toward the water below. When that didn't get enough of a reaction out of him, she began to spiral.

He squeezed his eyes closed and tucked as close to her as he could, but he could feel the force of her spin pulling him outward. He felt one of the buckles on his left leg give, and once that happened, so did the rest of them.

"Whoa!" he shouted as the left half of his body was thrown back with the force of her spinning. He was about to resettle himself when she threw her wings open and flew straight back up. This abrupt adjustment was too much for the straps on his right leg, which weren't strong enough to hold his entire body to the saddle.

"Alright, alright, alright!" he yelled to her. "I give!"

Make you fall off. The thought drifted through his head and his stomach dropped. She was reminding him of their deal. She wasn't taking it easy on him, but he hadn't asked her to. They had just started, and he was rather disappointed that the leg straps broke so easily. And now all he had to hold on were handles in front of him. As strong as his hands were, they were nothing against the force of the air dragging him back as she dove down again.

He flew back, narrowly missing the spikes along her tail as it swished to the side as she adjusted herself. He was weightless, but falling at great speed toward the ocean below. He had plenty of time to shift and take flight before hitting the water, but just as he was about to, a massive paw closed around him, stopping his fall. He looked up and found Skylar's dragon grinning down at him. The broken straps flapped in the wind as she flew them back to the cliff. Well, that hadn't lasted as long as he'd hoped, but he would give the blue dragon credit for being a worthy adversary.

She landed gently, keeping him safely clutched in her paw. She lowered him gently, although her eyes were filled with mischief. He eyed her closely as he stood up, brushing himself off. The blue dragon shifted before letting him take the saddle off, which left Skylar standing there tangled in the loose straps.

He watched her struggle with it for a moment, holding back a laugh. She glared at him as she tried to find her way out of the contraption.

"Orion, my love?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyes at him.

"Yes?" he replied innocently.

Her mouth stretched into a coy smile. "Would mind helping me out of this mess?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose."

He stepped toward her and began to help her find her way out of the straps. Every once in a while he would let his fingers brush along her arms or shoulders, even her upper chest. He meant to be teasing her but found that his control was slipping away from him. He couldn't find the will to remove his hands from her once they were on her. Even once all the straps fell to the ground around her feet, he only stepped forward and brushed the backs of his fingers down her arms.

Her heart rate increased in pace with his own. He stepped up behind her so their bodies were flush, closing his eyes and inhaling her intoxicating scent. His dragon hummed in pleasure and the sound echoed in his own throat, a deep rumbling as he leaned down to kiss her shoulder. When she leaned her head to the side, exposing her neck to him and pushing her hips back into him, he couldn't stop the possessive growl that escaped him. What surprised him was the way she growled in response. It was as possessive as his own, but also an invitation for him.

"Careful, Skylar," he teased, leaning down close to run his mouth over her neck, tasting her.

"Who says I want to be careful?" she said huskily, turning to capture his mouth with her own. He spun her in his arms to claim her mouth more thoroughly. Her hands slowly slid from his hips, up his stomach, over his chest, where her fingers stopped to play for a moment causing his breath to catch in his throat. He cradled her face in his big hands, tilting her chin up to lean down and run his nose along her jawline before kissing the juncture of her neck and shoulder once again. His tongue flicked out to taste the sweat on her skin and she whimpered, tugging at his shoulders.

The sound fueled his drive to tease her a little more, letting his hands play at her hips, before sliding up her sides, and then back up her arms, raising them above her head. When he let them go, she lowered her arms to grasp his face and drag it back to her own so they were eye to eye. He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she kept his mouth just far enough away so their lips on brushed. Their heavy breaths mingled and every instinct in his body begged him to claim her, to make her his. His teeth sharpened without his consent, but he let her see them, let her know his desire for her. Her eyes were dark with dilated pupils and she also seemed to have a difficult time controlling her emotions. But, as always, her head was clearer than his own.

"We should stop," she breathed, brushing his cheeks with her thumbs.

"Nana already thinks we're-" he began, but she silenced him with a finger over his mouth. He opened his lips slightly and let his tongue flick out. She made a face at him while he chuckled.

"I don't know what Nana meant by that comment earlier," she blushed, as if admitting her lack of knowledge was shameful.

Her innocence warmed his heart. She was too sweet for him, too sweet for any of this.

"Would you like to know what she meant?"

Her blue eyes flicked up from his mouth to his eyes. "I suppose you'll tell me either way."

He chuckled and kissed her nose. "She was referring to how a man and his wife know one another."

He'd never seen anyone's cheeks turn so red so fast. The poor girl was mortified as such speak.

"O-oh," she whispered, looking down at her shoes. He ceased his chuckling and lifted her face back up to his with a finger.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," he replied softly.

"I know, it's just..." she grasped his shirt, hesitating.

His smoothed her wild hair back and gave her a gentle smile. "You don't need to explain yourself, Skylar."

"You're going to be my mate," she pointed out. "You're going to be my husband."

He leaned away from her. "Right, about that. That is what you want, right? I know I didn't--"

"That's all I want, Orion," she assured him, pulling his face down to hers to plant a passionate kiss on him. "You're all I want."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest, where she molded against him perfectly.

"Care to help me figure out how to fix this saddle?"

<><><><><><><><><><>

The next few days were spent testing the saddle, making more of them, training, and spending time with Skylar. Skylar was his primary specimen when it came to testing saddles, but he'd also gotten help from Percy and Jed. Percy had ridden either Orion or Skylar to practice archery while on the back of a dragon. Once the humans arrive, they would need to practice the same thing.

They'd started sending out patrols to locate Draco's arm. There was still no sign of him for 100 miles in any direction, including out over the ocean. They would not let Draco sneak up on them, they couldn't risk it. They could only hope they would have enough time to prepare the humans and the dragons to work together.

They'd been taking directions from Jonathan just fine, but learning from and working with humans were two different things.

Orion had stayed far away from Jonathan, as had Skylar, which surprised Orion. They were friends, and he hadn't specifically asked her to stay away, but he noticed that if he entered a room, she would come up with an excuse to come find him or just to put some distance between them.

At the moment Orion was atop the blue dragon at a nose dive, testing the strength of the newest saddle. He hadn't fallen off since the first test flight, not for lack of the blue dragon trying. She had grown rather fond of this game, she liked the challenge, and she didn't take it easy on him.

He patted her shoulder with the signal it was time to head back. This saddle design would be sufficient, with a strap over the top of his foot, more straps on his legs, and two that clipped to either side of his belt.

She looked back at him and rolled her eyes but he just smirked at the playful beast. Instead of landing at the cliff, she flew directly to the landing pad. Once all four of her feet touched the ground, he unclipped himself and hopped down, quickly unstrapped the saddle from his lovely mate. She shifted just as he finished, letting the saddle fall to the ground. She pounced at him and kissed him full on the mouth. He smiled and moaned into her. She'd been incredibly affectionate since their time on the first day, and he liked it very much. It felt like they'd reached a new stage in their relationship, and it made him happier than anything.

He leaned down to scoop her into his arms to carry her back to the Big House. He was so lost in her, he didn't notice the extra people milling about, or pay attention to any of their conversations.

He carried her up the porch to the Big House. It would be empty, everyone would be out with chores, and he and Skylar could have a moment to themselves in the quiet house. He kicked the door open, still kissing her. She giggled and pulled his face closer.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he responded with a playful growl, planting a bunch of small kisses at the corner of her mouth. She laughed again as he carried her into the living room to place her on the couch.

Or, at least, that was the plan until he realized they weren't alone. He froze and looked up at their audience. Skylar opened her eyes to figure out why he'd stopped ravishing her and then gasped.

Her eyes were wide with surprise, cheeks red in embarrassment. She pushed off Orion's chest and, before he could catch her, she fell out of his arms onto the floor to greet the entire Alpha family, Kellan and Penelope, Jonathan, and the King and Queen of Trael.