First Female Dragon Alpha

2. Living In A Male-Dominated World

Marina’s POV

I’ve been on cloud nine for the last few weeks. Dad lets me shadow him at work every day to learn how to be the best Alpha I can be once I find my mate and graduate college. The courts make the first rule; the second one my mother made.

Hopefully, I’ll find my mate before college, so I won’t have to wait a single minute after graduating.

The plan is to send Mihail and me into the world the summer before we start college. I want to stay close to home to learn from my dad as much as possible. But, if I can’t find my mate before starting college, I’ll travel to different schools those four years to find him. I’ll stop at nothing to make sure I’m with him and become Alpha the second I graduate college.

For now, though, it’s time to introduce myself to the other courts as the official Alpha to-be. There’s a party with the current Alphas, some old Alphas, and of course Darami. He’s the Air Alpha to-be and the only other to-be Alpha we have right now.

“Ow!” I yelped at Sabrina, my hairdresser, as she pulled too tightly on a strand of my hair to pin it in place.

“Hold still,” She griped as I fidgeted in my seat.

“We have all the magic in the world, but you’re still using hot curlers to style my hair. How have we not come up with a way to do it magically?” I complained to my mom, who fussed over my dress with Minas. They ignored me as Sabrina continued tugging on my hair.

“There, all set,” She said as I looked at myself in the mirror. I hardly looked like myself as I stared at the makeup on my face and my elaborate chocolate brown curls that were pinned off my face, falling down my back. She added red ribbon through it to match my over-the-top dress.

“She’s all yours,” Sabrina told Minas and my mother, who just put their finger up as they continued talking. My stomach growled loudly, complaining that I had been getting ready all morning instead of eating breakfast. I looked around my room and decided to step out while they were all distracted.

As soon as I was safely out of my room, I ran to the kitchen as fast as possible. I finally stepped in and was relieved I didn’t get caught.

I inhaled deeply, and the scent of sugar cookies filled my senses. These are my favorite; they must have made them special for me today. I started looking through the kitchen for them when I heard someone step around the corner.

“Marina?” I heard my name, and I sheepishly turned around.

“Oh,” I said to the man I barely recognized.

“Do you remember me?” He asked, smiling from ear to ear.

“Yeah, Malakai, right? How have you been?” I asked, my cheeks flushing as I thought about him.

Kai used to live here, but his parents are Air Dragons. His grandparents are Fire Dragons, but after some time, his parents decided they wanted to move to Kinia to work for the Air Court.

They took Kai with them, and if I remember correctly, he turned out to be a Fire Dragon, too. He moved before he was 15, so it’s all hearsay.

“How have you been?” He asked me, opening his arms for a hug. I stepped into it, shuttering when his hands touched my skin. His bare hands on my back reminded me of how little clothing I was wearing.

I was just in a cami and shorts, but my hair and makeup were fully done up.

“Great,” I managed to spit out before waiting so long it was awkward.

“I’ll say,” He continued, smiling the whole time, “Congratulations, by the way. The first female Alpha, and the Fire court. Impressive,” He raised his eyebrows as he casually spoke, “But then again, you’ve always been impressive.”

My cheeks flushed at his compliment as memories of him flooded my mind. He was really good friends with Adonis, and I always had the biggest crush on him. He also might have been my first kiss, but that was really long ago, plus it was a dare. So, it doesn’t really count.

My stomach grumbled again, reminding me why I was in here in the first place. I reached over and grabbed an apple off the counter; this will have to do. They must have hidden the cookies from me. It was smart, honestly.

“Have you found your mate?” I asked him, trying to continue our conversation. He’s 17 now and will turn 18 in a few months.

“I haven’t, but the longer I wait, the longer I get to travel,” He joked, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Marina!” I heard Adonis sharply call my name, causing me to glance up at Kai with a smile.

“Still getting into trouble, I see,” He told me, raising one eyebrow. I never understood how anyone could actually do that, but he always did it effortlessly.

“I’ll see you later,” I waved to him as I stepped back into the hallway.

“There you are,” I saw Adonis’ relieved expression when he saw me, “Come on, you have to get dressed, now!” He pushed me along down the hallway and back into my room to finish getting ready.

~

“Congratulations,” Santiago, the Water Alpha said to me as he shook my hand, “I look forward to working with you in the future,” He continued as I forced my smile. My cheeks were starting to twitch; I need a break!

Between this dress that I swear is heavier than me and these damn high-heels, I can’t wait for the night to be over.

“Thank you,” I said to him, “I look forward to continuing the strong relationship between Water and Fire,” I said, watching him nod.

“Oh, Marina!” The previous Alpha, Vicente, said, pulling me into a hug and squeezing me so tight I thought I’d explode. “We are so happy for you,” He said when he let me go. He looked over at Sarah, who was already drunk at the bar. The Water Czarina, Raven, was taking care of her, which from what Adonis told me, is pretty standard.

“Thank you, sir,” I said to him, and he smiled wide, then walked away so I could continue to be congratulated.

“Marina,” Emery, the Air Alpha, said my name with such distaste I struggled not to roll my eyes.

“Alpha Emery,” I said, shoving my hand into his to shake it. He was surprised but took my hand and shook it anyway before quickly walking away. His son, Damari, was next in line, and he had a huge smile on his face.

“Alpha Marina has a nice ring, kid,” He said to me as he pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, smiling up at his bright white face. I swear, all Air Dragons should be classified as angels.

“Well, Damari,” I said, wagging my finger at him, “I don’t know who you’re calling a kid, considering you’re only a month older than I am.”

“Ah, but so much wiser!” He said, pointing his finger back at me.

“Whatever,” I teased as he walked away. Alpha Emery may not be happy with me taking over, but at least I’ll be ruling with Damari. The Air Alphas are always so stuck up. My mom told me about Emery’s father, Xaphan, and all the horrid things he said about her when she first came around and insisted on being in meetings.

“Alpha Cyrus,” I said to the Earth Alpha as he stood in front of me, “How have you been since you took over?” I asked him. He’s the newest Alpha, having found his mate not so long ago.

“It’s been challenging, but good. Congratulations on your accomplishment. I look forward to working with you in the future,” He said, briefly shaking my hand before walking away and talking with Emery. Earth Dragons have always been polite but still pretty old school.

Alpha Cyrus’ father, Marvin, was a great ruler until his mate died. Their only son, Cyrus, took over earlier this year, and it’s sad, really. Alpha Marvin ruled as long as he could, and thankfully Cyrus found his mate so he could take over. They were about to make an exception and have Marvin’s father Degu take over until Cyrus found his mate. Marvin was so sick he couldn’t make any decisions rationally. Thankfully, the Goddesses took mercy on them and gave Cyrus his mate.

Marvin got to see his son take over, then he gave up to be with his mate. This is the first time I’ve seen Alpha Cyrus outside of the Earth Court; he had a lot to clean up. I’m glad to see his family is doing better, though.

As he walked away, I took a deep breath, letting the air out slowly. I realized he was the last in line, so I could finally enjoy the night.

Adonis and Mihail were sitting at a table together, so I sat down next to them with a huff as my dress poofed out in front of me.

“Having fun?” Adonis asked, and I couldn’t help but nod.

“Kind of, yeah. They all said they’re excited to work with me, and I kind of can’t wait to take over,” I said, watching as Cory walked to my parents. He whispered a few things, then they all quickly left.

Hmm, I wonder what that’s about? I watched as, one by one, the Alpha’s and Damari left the room, so I got up and followed.

“Where are you going?” Adonis called out after me, but I ignored him as I followed them all out.

I watched them enter one of the larger meeting rooms, and Cory stood guard at the door. I walked up to the door and tried to enter, but he put his hand out to stop me.

“What’s going on?” I asked him, and he shook his head. I tilted my head, wondering why he wouldn’t let me in, when I heard my mom start to yell.

“On what grounds?” She screamed, and my heart started to race. I looked at Cory, who looked back at me with sympathetic eyes.

“That’s not how we do things,” My father’s voice boomed.

“Cory, move,” I demanded, and he looked down at me. His eyes were heavy with worry, but I deserve to know what’s going on in there.

“Cory,” I said to him, more sternly this time.

“I’m sorry, Marina. I’ve been ordered to protect this door,” He started, “Even from you,” He finished.

I balled my fists, fury building inside me as I felt Syry push herself to the surface. I looked down at the fire on my fists as I started losing control of the fire within me. They say this can happen when you’re new with your Dragon.

“Marina,” He said, stepping in front of the door to block me.

“Move!” I yelled at him, putting my hands in front of me, getting ready to release the fire and break down that damn door if I have to.

He sighed, then opened the door and moved away so I could enter. I was surprised, actually. I didn’t think that would work.

“Thank you,” I told him, settling my fire and stepping through.

“What the hell?” Alpha Emery snapped, glaring back at me, “Get out of here!” He yelled, and I looked around the room.

“No, she deserves to hear this directly from you. She deserves to be here for the vote,” My mom said. I looked at her, then my dad.

“What vote?” I asked, watching my father's eyes soften.

“Sit down, princess,” He said, moving out of the head chair and taking the one on the other side of my mom as he explained.

“We are voting on whether or not your mate will become the Alpha when you find him,” He said, glaring at the other Alpha’s.

“What do you mean? I’m the rightful Alpha. I’m your only child with a Fire Dragon,” I pressed, and Alpha Cyrus shook his head.

“You’re a female. Alpha’s are males. You cannot be the Alpha; your mate should be the Alpha,” He said, and I scoffed.

“My mate won’t have Alpha blood. I do,” That’s why we’re Alphas. It’s in our genetics.

“We believe the Goddesses will give you a mate that is powerful enough to be an Alpha,” Emery explained.

“You believe the Goddesses would do that, but you don’t believe they’d make a female strong enough to be Alpha? That is some flawed logic,” Alpha Santiago scowled at his peers as he defended me.

“There’s a reason why we don’t let you take over until you find your mate. It’s because, without them, you’re not mature enough to be a leader. When an Alpha finds their mate, they change. Their mate makes them stronger and ready to become a leader. When you find your mate, you will make them strong enough to be the Alpha and leader they need to be. Your children will have Alpha blood because of you, but a female can not be an Alpha,” Emery pressed.

“A female Alpha doesn’t need to find a mate to be stronger. If we’re the ones that make you stronger, why aren’t we the rulers in the first place?”

I waited for an answer but wasn’t surprised when none came.

“What if I don’t find my mate? I just never get to become Alpha? What if my mate is a different element? Anything is possible these days,” I pressed, hoping they’d listen to these small possibilities.

“That’s a fair point,” My father said, looking at the others.

“I think there can be a compromise,” Cyrus said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, “A new law for everyone. If the to-be Alpha doesn’t find their mate, they can take over once they complete college at one of the four schools our courts have. The main concern was that she wouldn’t be ready to lead when she found her mate. However, once someone graduates from one of our schools, that’s enough to become Alpha. This was a long time coming,” He said, looking at the room and stopping at me briefly.

“Who votes yes? ” He quickly said, and my dad immediately agreed. Alpha Santiago looked at me, then also agreed. Either way, it’s passed now that three had.

“Emery?” He said, and Emery nodded.

“That’s fine; I like that rule since we’ve noticed many Dragons finding their mates later in life. Plus, the issue with your father proved to us we need to be ready to have Alpha’s take over without their mates. However, it doesn’t address our issue with Marina being a female,” He said, and Santiago butted in.

“One thing at a time, Emery,” He said, turning and looking at the bookkeeper. They wrote down the meeting notes and will do what needs to be done to include that in our laws. The room was silent for a few moments, then Emery broke it.

“That’s enough now,” Emery snapped, “We are voting on whether Marina or her mate becomes Alpha when they find each other. I vote that her mate, the male, becomes Alpha,” He said, staring at Cyrus.

“I vote her mate becomes Alpha,” Cyrus said, causing me to gasp.

“I vote against, and I already know her father votes against. So it’s a tie,” Santiago sighed, looking around the room.

“When it comes to a tie, the choice goes to the highest-ranking Alpha that’s not the same element. That is me!” Emery said, looking at the room as it fell silent.

I swallowed hard as everything happened so fast.

“I confirm my vote,” Emery said, staring directly at me.

“Then it’s settled. When Marina finds her mate, he becomes the Alpha,” The bookkeeper confirmed, and it felt like my heart stopped.

“But,” he continued, cutting off the impending argument. We all turned and looked at him, waiting for what he would say.

“If Marina finishes college, she is eligible to become Alpha. Once she’s the Alpha, she will remain the Alpha until her child takes over, or there is a valid challenge against her,” He said, and I felt the hopelessness I was feeling start to fade away.

“Fine, I’m okay with that. She has to go to college, and if she finds her mate before she graduates, he becomes the Alpha,” Cyrus said, gathering his things.

“And if she graduates and becomes the Alpha before finding her mate, she’s good to go?” Santiago clarified.

“Good to go,” The bookkeeper said. I looked around the room at these men, stopping when my eyes met my mothers. She didn’t look away. Instead, she nodded at me, telling me to speak my mind if I wanted to. I took my chance to stand up for myself.

“I don’t get a say in this at all?” I asked, and they ignored me as the room fell silent.

I looked at Damari, whose father had just decimated my chances of becoming the Alpha. Damari, who just stood in the other room and told me how much they couldn’t wait to lead with me, waiting for him to say something. But he was silent.

“You’re not going to say anything to your father?” I asked, watching as he avoided eye contact with me. “We’re the future; our votes should matter!” I watched as Damari was about to say something, then his father silenced him by placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Typical,” I sneered, staring at Alpha Emery in his eyes.

“Alpha Cyrus, you were okay with changing the law to suit your needs, but a female Alpha is too far out?”

Cyrus looked at Emery, then back at me before trying to talk.

“Oh, I get it now. Fine. I’ll finish college faster than you thought possible. And I won’t hide. The Goddesses must have known what assholes you old Alpha’s truly are. They wouldn’t dare introduce me to my mate until I become the leader I deserve to be,” I locked eyes with everyone in the room, forcing them to see me before I stormed out.

I walked past my party, ignoring my brother as he chased after me.

“What’s going on?” Adonis asked, finally getting in front of me so I had to stop. I pushed past him, calculating how long I needed to be mate free to become the Alpha.

I'm 15 now, going into 10th grade. I'm already accepted to Dragon Coast and will start as soon as I finished 12th grade.

Only six school years until I become the Alpha. I can start taking classes at Dragon Coast after next year to get ahead. I can graduate early; I know I can. If I do, it'll make my chances of finding a mate before taking over lower. I can do this.