Jonathan's fists clenched as his heart leaped into his throat. He was a knight, the head knight, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. At least, he didn't think he was, but as Skylar stepped back and prepared to shift the prospect was very enticing. They had everyone's attention now, after a quick announcement from Orion and Skylar about what was about to happen. The soldiers were curious and apprehensive, but surprisingly willing to give it a chance. The dragons had known about the plan all along, and they trusted their leaders. Jonathan doubted they were thrilled about their passengers, but this wouldn't impede them all that much in their flight, at least he didn't think. He didn't know anything about dragon flight, other than that they were fast and dangerous if they were allowed into the air.

Skylar gave him a meaningful look and he steeled himself to watch her shift into the beast once again. He'd missed when she'd done it to challenge Orion's father, and part of him was glad about that. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself from rushing in to protect her, and he likely would then be dead himself. He watched as the woman he loved closed her eyes and allowed her dragon to jump forward. It was a fast shift, almost fast enough for him to miss the small details of the shift, but he still saw the horns sprout from her head and the scales take over her beautiful skin. The sight of her bones reshaping themselves nearly caused him to be sick to his stomach, but he stayed strong.

He'd been with the clan for nearly a week, but he'd spent little time up close and personal with dragons. No time, actually. They all shifted nearly as soon as they landed, not spending much time in their dragon forms when they were in the village. He'd seen them flying in the distance and coming and going, but he was never close when they shifted.

Now, Skylar stood before him in the form of a sky-blue dragon that matched her eyes perfectly. He looked over her form in a way he hadn't been able to when he'd seen her in Draco's arena. She was sleek, not as bulky as he would have expected from a dragon. She stared down at him with reptilian eyes, the vertical pupil a bit unnerving, but he still recognized Skylar there. Her nostrils flared as she huffed out a hot breath, and her gaze left him to look at Orion. Jonathan looked over at the man he truly loathed, following the dragon's adoring gaze.

The man in question was bent over, gathering a large leather saddle into his arms, and he wasn't looking at the blue dragon. Jealousy and anger boiled hot in Jonathan as he watched Skylar's dragon lean forward to give the man's hip a gentle push, causing him to stumble slightly. A playful growl escaped her, and Orion chuckled, reaching around to give her snout a halfhearted shove away.

"Yes, I see you, love, hold on," Jonathan's rival said in a rumbling voice. Orion's Beta, Percy, helped adjust the saddle in Orion's arms, before he walked over to the blue dragon and tossed it on her back. She laid on her stomach to allow him easier access to the straps the hung around her. Jonathan watched with a frown as the man moved around his princess, fastening and tightening straps. He didn't miss the way Orion would allow his hands to gently brush the scales in small caresses as he moved around her, the easy way he touched the dragon. The thought that he was the same way with Skylar the human sent sparks of fury through Jonathan's body. The worst part was that the dragon seemed to love it. Each time his hands touched her scales, she let out a small hum from deep within her throat.

Orion grabbed the last strap and pulled it tight, buckling it into place across her chest and giving it a satisfactory pat. "That should do it."

He turned to Jonathan, obviously no more pleased to be working with him. He motioned toward the dragon and Jonathan forgot his animosity for a moment. Was he really about to climb onto this beast and trust it to fly with him? Of course, he knew this was Skylar, but it was still a dragon, and years of hatred weren't going to disappear at the flick of his fingers.

He took a cautious step toward the blue dragon, who tried to look as reassuring as a dragon could. She lowered her body to the ground once again and her reptilian eyes were gentle as he approached her. This was a much different dragon than he saw in Draco's arena; this one was sweet and docile, while the other had been out for blood. He didn't blame her at all about that, though. He wanted to kill those men himself.

He reached out a tentative hand and she closed her eyes when he made contact with her nose. He was amazed at how warm and... soft the scales were. They weren't not at all what he was expecting, not like the dragon scales he'd seen before at Draco's castle and in markets. He flexed his fingers slightly, brushing his thumb along her snout. Her eyes blinked open and they were filled with glee, looking surprisingly human. That had to be Skylar, and he was immediately more at ease. No matter what, Skylar was somewhere within the beast, and she wouldn't let him get hurt.

Orion cleared his throat, causing both the dragon and Jonathan to turn and look at him. He looked less than pleased, and Jonathan didn't miss the jealousy that burned in his strange golden gaze. Jonathan let a small smirk grace his mouth. So, the Alpha did see him as some form of competition for Skylar's affection.

Jonathan, much more confident now, walked up to the blue dragons side and grabbed the saddle, using her leg to help hoist himself onto her back. Once he was settled, Orion stepped forward and grabbed the straps the hung around his legs.

"You won't need these today," he muttered, "she'll go easy on you. But, we'll need them eventually so I'm going to strap you in."

He began tightening the straps and buckling them in. There were four on each side, with reinforced buckles holding them together. His mind kicked into soldier mode and he gazed at the straps suspiciously. They looked like they would take time to undo, especially in an emergency situation.

"What if I need to unstrap quickly?" he asked. Orion glanced up at him and lifted the end of strap that was weaved through each of the buckles.

"Give this a hard pull," he stated blandly. "It will disengage the buckles and then you'll just be able to pull your leg out. I had a situation much like that when Skylar and I were testing this."

Jonathan nodded in understanding. He looked down and grabbed the handle in front of him. It was sturdy and secured to the saddle. He guessed it was a piece of wood wrapped in leather. He gave it a good tug and was reassured when it didn't move in the slightest.

Orion got his attention again. "You'll also need this." He handed him a belt which he quickly wrapped around himself. Two thin straps hung from each side of the belt and Jonathan, being an intelligent man, was quick to figure out what they were for. He grabbed them and clipped them to the front of the saddle, on either side of the handle in front of him.

Orion nodded once and patted the dragon's shoulder. Jonathan grabbed the handle tightly as she rose to her feet, and he found himself uncomfortable high off the ground. It's just a tall horse, it's just a tall horse, he repeated to himself over and over as she walked slowly over to the edge of the cliff. Her movement felt like a horse's, so it was easy enough to convince himself that that's all this was.

He looked over his shoulder at all of the men watching him in wonder. This was the first time any of them had seen a human upon a dragon, and it was a sight, he was sure. A part of him wished he was among those on the ground.

Skylar opened her wings slowly, making sure there was no confusion what she intended to do. He watched in fascination as the wind coming off the ocean puffed up the translucent blue membrane. It distracted him from the fact that she tensed her legs, so he was taken completely by surprise when she launched herself off the cliff.

He couldn't stop the squeal that escaped him at the jostle, but they didn't go plummeting toward the water as he expected. No, in fact the wind grabbed them and lifted them higher and in a gentle arc.

He didn't loosen his grip on the handle, but carefully tested the straps on his legs and was pleased to find them immobile. He wasn't going anywhere so long as the straps held.

Skylar soared upwards over the ocean, the wind washing over the pair of them, and Jonathan had never felt anything like it. He felt completely weightless and amazingly safe up here. He trusted that the blue dragon wasn't going to put him in any sort of danger.

Her wings pumped rhythmically, keeping them at a steady altitude, and he watched the gentle tilt of her wings as she banked to the right, tipping them sideways, aiming back toward the cliff where everyone waited. He made the mistake of looking down at the water so far below them, and his stomach lurched slightly. He was pleased when she leveled out again and the ground was no longer in sight.

Her massive head swung around to look at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. He gave her a smile and she let out a triumphant roar. He didn't know that dragons could have different roars, they were reptiles after all, but this sound was so different from any other one he'd ever heard. He normally heard aggressive, hostile roars from dragons. This one was lighter, happier, and it suddenly made them more relatable to him. Yes, he knew this one turned into a human, but it was still a beast.

The blue dragon lowered in altitude, so they were just above the heads of the soldiers as she soared over them. They stared up in amazement as Jonathan and the dragon passed over them. He raised his hand in the air and let the thrill of flight finally wash over him. He let out a "whoop!" and didn't miss the grins on the men's faces.

Jonathan had to give Orion some credit. It was a good idea, having a leader ride a dragon before the rest of the men did. Skylar turned so they flew over them again, and he could see the anticipation on their faces.

He leaned forward to pat the dragon's shoulder and she understood his meaning instantly. She slowed immediately and lowered in altitude until her back feet touched the ground. As much fun as flying was, he wasn't the one who needed to be in the air. He would be on the ground, leading his men from there. Although he hoped Skylar would let him fly with her again.

Orion jogged over to where they landed after the short flight, followed by his Beta. Orion ran up to the dragon's head and cradled her snout in his palms. She huffed hot air in his face affectionately and he grinned, stroking her cheek before looked at Jonathan.

"How was that?"

Jonathan nodded and tried to contain his gleeful smile. He didn't do a great job. "Fantastic."

Orion grinned, a full grin, which surprised Jonathan. He'd only ever seen Orion scowling, so this was quite the change. "Good. Hopefully the others feel the same."

Percy helped him unbuckle the straps on his legs and Skylar crouched down to allow him to climb off. She then shifted as soon as his feet hit the ground, before Orion could take the saddle off. It fell in a pile around her and she laughed, her beautiful, heart-stopping laugh.

Jonathan's glee drained out of him as he watched Orion step forward and untangle her from the mess of straps. He allowed his hands to brush her skin once again, although this was harder to watch since this was the woman he loved and not a scaly beast.

She reached up to squeeze Orion's bicep before turning to Jonathan. "What did you think?"

Seeing the way her face lit up with excitement and anticipation of his answer, his feelings about Orion slipped away and he was focused only on her. "It was amazing."

Her grin widened and her eyes sparkled. "You did? You really liked it?"

"I did, I'm glad I could help," he nodded, his hands twitching to pull her into a hug. "I would love to do it again."

She clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad! I hope everyone else feels the same way."

Her attention now turned to Orion and her face took on a shadow of worry. The man simply grinned and wrapped an arm around her. Hatred began to burn in Jonathan's chest again, watching the easy, familiar way in which the man touched his princess.

"They will," Orion rumbled reassuringly, kissing her hair. "Shall we get them all started?"

Rage burned within Jonathan. He needed to do something about this.

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

Skylar couldn't wipe the grin from her face at how perfectly the day had gone. There were fifty men who would be riding dragons, and they'd all done wonderfully and enjoyed the ride. Tomorrow they planned to work on more intense flying, but today was simply to introduce them to being on the back of a dragon. She was happy with the dragons as well. They'd been accommodating and not a single one had tried to scare the human on their back. She liked to think it was because their relationship was building, but suspected it had more to do with the fact that Orion was there and wouldn't take kindly to such behavior.

She helped unbuckle the last dragon from his saddle and he shifted into the man who had submitted to her earlier in the day. She smiled warmly at him and he nodded his head.

"Thank you," she told him.

"It wasn't as bad as we suspected," he admitted, shrugging a shoulder. "They were eager to try."

She grinned. "Either way, I appreciate it immensely."

"My pleasure," he replied, "Alpha." And then he walked away, leaving her in shock at being addressed in such a way. She was used to Princess, but that's what she'd been called her whole life. This was... this made her prouder than any other moment.

She stood still, staring after the man, still holding the saddle, when Orion came up behind her.

"Hey, everything alright?" he asked, looking suspiciously after the man. She shook her head before looking up at him in amazement.

"He called me Alpha," she said softly.

A smile replaced the grim look on her man's face and he leaned down to hug her tightly. She dropped the saddle to wrap her arms around him in return. "That's wonderful, love, it really is."

"They're accepting me," she laughed giddily.

"Well, they'd better," Orion chuckled, kissing the corner of her mouth, "because you're not going anywhere."

"No," she agreed, "I'm not."

He rubbed his nose against hers and placed another quick kiss on her lips. "Will you come with me for a moment? I want to show you something."

"Of course," she told him. She'd go anywhere with him. "I just need to run back to the Big House and get something."

"Fine," he sighed. "Don't be long. I'll be waiting in our spot."

"Our spot?" she asked, frowning in bemusement.

"Where you let me kiss you the first time," he whispered, leaning down to do just that.

She giggled against him. "Oh, of course. That's a wonderful spot."

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Go. I'll be waiting."

She nodded and took off at a run back toward the Big House, looking back once to find him admiring her retreating form. He didn't even look embarrassed at being caught.

She smiled to herself, wondering how the day could get any better. She burst through the front door of the Big House, amazed to find it empty. This house was never empty. They were likely all at the infirmary with Nana. Leo was probably out on patrol. She still had yet to see him after his outburst.

She ran up the stairs to her room to retrieve her gift for Orion. She hoped he liked it. It was a spur of the moment idea, but she wanted to give him something to thank him for everything. Something that would show him just how much she loved him. She lifted her pillow and cradled the small gift in her hand before shoving it into the pocket of her trousers. She turned to leave and found Jonathan standing in her doorway. She paused and chided herself. She'd never even heard him arrive. She had to pay more attention to her surroundings.

The knight looked incredibly bothered, his handsome face screwed up in a frown and his fists were clenched.

"Jonathan?" she asked carefully. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head. "Skylar... I love you."

She paused, shocked. What, why...? Confusion washed over her. Why did he need to do this now? They'd had a wonderful day, why did he feel he needed to ruin it?

When she didn't respond, he shook his head. "I know you love me, too."

"Jonathan," she said softly. "I'm so sorry. I... I don't."

His hazel eyes blazed into her. "When we're together, everything just feels right, Sky. I know you better than anyone, and you know me better than anyone. Today... today was amazing."

She nodded, cautious. What had brought this on? "It was amazing. I'm glad everything worked out. But, Jonathan, I love Orion."

"You love him because he's new," Jonathan spat. "You love him because he's like you, and you think that the only people who can love you are the ones like you. I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. I was with your dragon today. I watched you turn into her, and I realized that I still love, despite all of that."

She frowned. "Jonathan, I don't want you to love me despite what I am. If you're going to love me, you have to love me because of all of that. Orion does. And I love him. Not because he's new, or because he rescued me, or anything like that. I love him because he belongs with me. He's mine, and I'm his. He makes me happy. It's that simple."

Jonathan shook his head. "I made you happy. All those years, I made you happy. Does our kiss mean nothing to you?"

"Our kiss was lovely, and it will always mean something to me. It was my first kiss, and it was just when I needed it, but that's not the point, Jonathan. The point is that I don't belong with the humans, no matter how happy you might make me, and I don't love you like you want me too. I'm so sorry, but I just don't."

His face contorted in hurt and anger. "I can make you happy, I will make you happy, and I accept you for who you are. I love you, Skylar, please understand. You belong with me, someone who's loved and known you for years."

"I belong with Orion," she snapped, starting to get angry now. "Now let me go."

"No," the knight responded, his eyes burning with anger and desire. "I'll make you remember what you felt with me."

"Wha-"

And before she could stop him, he'd closed the distance between them and gathered in his arms. His lips swooped down and claimed hers in an angry kiss, nothing like the way he'd kissed her on the balcony. She was frozen in shock, otherwise she would have used her dragon strength against him, and she wished more than anything that she had.

Heavy boots sounded on the staircase, and Jonathan's arms tightened around her.

"Skylar, everything alright? You're taking a lon-"

Orion stopped in the doorway, his golden eyes hardened with shock and hurt at what he found.