Dragon Alpha's Special Mate

1. Meet The Family

Maxson

I walk through the long hallways of my home, heading toward the stairs to have breakfast with my family. It’s my 15th birthday tomorrow, so everyone’s here to celebrate the joyous occasion.

While they’re excited, I’m absolutely terrified. I’ve had my dragon since birth. Despite everyone saying your dragon gives you one magical element, mine can use them all, even mixing them together sometimes.

Needless to say, I have no clue what will happen at midnight when I cross the threshold and become 15.

Will I finally get a dragon to talk to? Or will it be exactly the same, where I can access my dragon's power without ever talking to him?

If that happens, will we have to tell the world about my mysterious dragon? Will I not be allowed to be the Alpha since I wouldn’t be able to link my court?

I haven’t ruled out the possibility that it’ll just kill me, either.

Before I get too lost in my thoughts again, I open the door to the large dining area, where some of my family is already gathered.

Mom and Grandma are talking while Rina talks with her dad, Uncle Mihail. There’s always an abundance of food on the table, so I make myself a plate and sit beside Damari. He’s the only one out of any of them who doesn’t constantly talk to me about my getting my dragon, becoming the alpha, or any of the pomp that comes with my position.

He’s also the only one other than my mother and father who knows the truth about my dragon. So, he avoids talking about what’ll happen since he’s as scared as my parents are about the truth.

Before I can talk to him, Rina’s voice comes loudly over the table.

“We’re taking bets right now. What element is Maxson’s dragon going to be? I’m betting 200 on air.” She pulls the money out of her pocket and holds it up, looking at our family.

“We’re not doing this.”

Mom tries to cut it off, but Grandpa throws money on the table.

“200 on fire.”

He places his hands on Mom’s shoulders, squeezing them as she shakes her head at him. He doesn’t understand the stress around me getting my dragon, and she never wanted them to.

“I’m not participating.”

She starts, looking at Dad as he reaches for his pocket. “And neither are you.” She snaps at him, and I can’t help but laugh as he sheepishly puts his money away. Dad’s as concerned as Mom is, but you’d never know since he’s able to maintain his composure - for the most part, at least.

“How about you?”

Rina makes her way over, holding her hand out for Damari.

“No way you don’t end up with fire.” He goes to reach into his pocket, but one glare from Mom and he’s immediately abstaining from betting.

“Let ‘em bet, Mom. It’s fun.”

I try to reason with her, but she’s firmly against it. The truth of my dragon terrifies her, and I don’t blame her.

We’re only given the strongest dragons because the goddesses think we’ll need them. Grandma got Azza, and Grandpa got Devlin because they were required, just like at the time of creation.

Then, Mom got Syry, a new dragon built even stronger than Azza. She needed Syry to establish an entirely new world order.

And now, I’ve got a dragon that didn’t require me to turn 15 to unlock. Oh, and I can access all the elements.

Before any more bets happen, the twins, Mark and Mack, walk into the kitchen. Well, running and trampling over one another is more like it.

“Hey, hey! Where’s Milo?” Mom asks them, and they both laugh and look at each other. Mack points up, and Grandma pops up and out of her chair before Mom can scold them.

“I’ll get him!”

She’s practically running from the room to get my youngest brother. Mark and Mack are only 11, but they share a hallway with Milo and usually bring him down when they wake up.

The twins are arguing loudly about who won some game they played this morning, and I can tell it’s starting to get to Rina. She’s rubbing her temples and finally snatches the rest of the money off the table, counting it for the betting. She fans the cash and smiles at me.

“You want to join the bet?” I shake my head, wanting to stay on Mom's good side. “Fine.” She starts walking out of the room when her father stops her.

“Where are you going?”

Uncle Mihail is so timid, especially compared to Aunt Briana.

“Out. Be back later.”

She waves him off, and I can hear Mom laugh at him. No way Briana wouldn’t have gotten an answer out of her daughter.

“I knew you’d be a pushover.”

Mom taunts him playfully as he shakes his head. He seems lost as a parent, never wanting to upset her. She definitely uses that to her advantage.

“At least I just have the one.” He follows Rina out of the room, probably hoping to get some type of answer so Briana doesn’t yell at him when she asks him later.

Grandma walks back in as he walks out, with Milo practically jumping next to her as they hold hands.

“Look who else I found!”

“Adonis!”

Mom yells almost desperately as she runs over to her oldest brother. He wraps his arms around her as she reaches him, twirling her around. Dad walks over and gives him a firm handshake when Uncle Flax snaps into the room.

“Thank you so much for coming!”

Mom tells them as she gives them both a hug. They start catching up as they sit down to eat together. I finish eating and want nothing more than to sneak out to get my workout in before the rest of the family comes.

I go to stand up, but Dad stops me before I can leave the room.

“Where are you going?”

He was already suspicious when he saw me come down in my workout clothes. I’m sure Mom was, too, but she understands what it’s like to have a family being overbearing to you. She understands the need to go and exercise to let off some steam.

“Just for a run. I’ll be back before lunch.”

“You better be.”

He narrows his eyes at me like he knows I’m lying. I have no intention of coming home until someone comes and finds me later. I wish I could just skip this entire week and wake up with my dragon intact.

He lets me leave, and I sigh in relief as I exit the front of our castle and start down the long stairs. As soon as I get to the bottom, I run down the street, turning to be on the street with all the stores.

I’m not unknown around here. I mean, as the next Alpha, everyone here knows who I am.

Though, I try not to stop and talk to anyone as I continue down the streets. Otherwise, I’d never get a chance to really exercise.

Dragons own some of the stores, while others are owned by fae, mystics, vampires, a few wolves, and even some humans.

The rest of the world isn’t quite like ours. Humans tend to stick with humans, mystics with mystics, and so on.

Though, many people felt safer moving closer to us and being under our protection after Mom made the world safer.

This world I live in is a constant reminder that she’s a savior, and it’s hard to live up to her.

Everything she accomplished seems so astronomical. Even everything Grandma and Grandpa accomplished is leaps and bounds above anything I can imagine myself doing.

But somehow, I have to follow in their footsteps and be a leader like everyone wants me to be.

I push my legs harder, running faster as my own way of running from my troubles. I don’t want to think about the family party we’re having tonight for me. I don’t want to think about getting my dragon at midnight. I don’t want to think about telling the entire world what I am tomorrow.

I just want to run.

I slow down slightly as I turn the corner, going to pick up speed until I run into someone, hearing a small scream as I topple over her.