The Gold Dragon

Chapter Four:

Amber’s POV:

A piercing throb vibrates through my chest and makes my dragon wings swoop low in reaction to the shudder going through my body. The nighttime is dark and all I can see is the low, thick and wet clouds covering wherever it is that I have managed to find myself. I let out another dragon cry as I feel my eyes become wet, whether it’s from the water droplets in the sky, or my own tears I don’t know. A bolt of lightning rings through in the distance and I feel the murderous sound of the banging shock me into flying lower. I am not sure what came over me when I just shifted and left back then, but I just had to get away from it all. I had to get away from the look of Dean’s disappointed and hopeless eyes as he realized I am not his fated. I had to get far from the maddening cheers of the people at the party, as all my mind could do was scream from the anguish in my soul. I had to get away from the thudding of my own heart, as each part of longing I ever had for Dean became a shattered and tainted memory. This is what my parents and his were afraid of. This is why they fought with us about dating, about falling in love and about thinking too much about being mated. This is why magical don’t date. The words of Dean’s golden letter still ring so strongly in my ear.

He chooses me and if I will have him, we can be chosen mates.

Is this something I can consider? What if I do find my own mate one day? The idea of tearing from a true bond only makes me shriek in pain as another lightning bolt hits the ground. The skies are crying for me and the explosive eruptions of thunder are echoing my cries. I allow my gold, shining wings to swoop down low and my eyes water down onto the snowy grounds below. I watch as my hot tears freeze mid-air and land with thuds on the icy surface. I must be in Werewolf Land, as theirs is the only place that snows and remains as cold as this. The scales of my dragon shiver uncomfortably as I come to realize I am incredibly far from home and have ventured into an area that is vastly different from the usual, warm and muggy air of home. I feel my body growing tired from the hours and hours of painful flying, but I don’t want to stop now. All I can feel is my body begging me to edge-on, to keep flying and to never stop and never go home, as if I am in some sort of trance. Is it the heartbreak speaking to me like this? I let out another heartbroken wail and close my eyes for a second, allowing the freezing breeze to chill me to the bone. When I open my eyes I have to put a reverse thruster on my dragon as I find myself getting closer and closer to the dark and empty-looking curtain of the Dark Land. My father always told me to never go here, under any circumstances, so I marvel at how rotten the shrubs look. I have only ever seen pictures, but still, this is where people go to die once consumed by the infection. My eyes go wide and I try to swoop up, panicking as I feel the eerie magic of the land calling me to enter. What the hell is that? It is as if my body has a mind of its own and the spell of darkness is just too powerful to resist. Luckily, I know I am stronger and manage to stop my body just in time to avoid entering over the border, my dragon screeching in the process and my wings chaotically swinging behind me as I tumble backward and land on the snow. Well, that sure is colder than up in the air. I quickly stand, my reptilian gaze searching the area with curiosity. I have to say, the border of the land is impressive, as it is coated in an odd, black hue that seems to form a wall separating it from the other lands. I try to see beyond the wall from this side, but I see nothing. A soft humming and rustling from the other side get my attention and I feel a shiver run down my scaly spine. I quickly shift into my human form as I hear a deep, low and sultry voice laughing from the other side of the curtain. Instantly regretting my choice to be in my more fragile form, I wrap my arms around myself, thankful that I have fire running through my veins to keep me alive, but also very aware of the fact that I am completely naked after shifting. The voice gets louder and louder and I find myself frozen to the spot.

“You there!” The voice booms and I find myself ducking low. What if these people are infected with darkness and kidnap me? For the first time in my life, I find myself feeling scared and incredibly vulnerable. My dragon stirs and I am reminded of how powerful I am. I am a princess and I am the Gold Dragon! I need to have courage or else how will I ever be a Queen? I stand again, this time making my form visible to whoever is there. My eyes widen as I see a large figure coming towards me. As he gets closer, my eyes widen at how muscular and tall he is. He is even larger than the men in Dragon Land! He has tattoos stretching across his neck and arms and his eyes are a vivid purple. What is he? He takes a big inhale through his nostrils and then smirks down at me. Did his tattoos just move?

“Ah, a dragon woman.” He says and then grabs my arm. I wince at his harsh touch and begin kicking as he pulls me across the snow. I try to overpower him, which is usually easy, but his tattoos have me completely stuck against his hand. For a moment I feel lost as I try to understand what he is. There are no tales of magical with moving tattoos. Furthermore, I don’t sense the darkness on him, which is even more odd and has me feeling puzzled. An even taller, broader and more menacing-looking figure seems to be waiting at the edge of the border.

“Let me go!” I try to scream but this only makes the robust-looking man laugh more deeply.

“There, there, I am not going to bite, but I can’t promise he won't!” The man says and he drops me onto the floor with a rough thud. I find myself looking up into the black, leather boots of someone, their stare burning through my skin as I slowly lift myself. I have no idea who this person is, but one thing I feel increasingly aware of is that I am a good amount shorter than he is. My eyes scan up his black trousers and finally, I find my eyes running over his torso, which is peeping through the opening of his black coat. The tattoos on his torso seem to flash brighter as my eyes travel up them. I take in his tanned skin, the roughness of his large hands, the way his fingers seem to twitch under my gaze, the twirls of his tattoos running across his neck, the way his jaw stiffens under its stubble, the very thick and luscious looking dark brown locks of hair and then finally, his eyes. My breathing hitches as I stare into his almost translucent eyes. They are almost the palest shade of blue, making him look other-worldly. Still, I cannot tear my gaze away and I feel my heart rate increasing as he looks deep into my soul. He is so handsome. Deadly handsome, in fact, but who is he?

That’s when it happens.

A current makes its way up my spine as I feel my heartwarming until it is impossibly hot. I look down at my chest and I see a golden thread slowly being threaded together until it is at the heart of this dark and mysterious man. He too is looking at this connection with awe in his eyes and I see how his eyes become a darker blue as he looks back at me with wonder. I find myself stepping closer as I feel the snap of my soul finally setting into place. That’s when the smell of intense, ripe and delicious mangos fills the air around me. It is coming from my mate.

“Mine.” I breathe out, hardly believing that this could be happening. His eyes return to their original, pale color and I feel my chest vibrating with longing. This is how my mother said it would be. That immediate and perfect love, even when you don’t know the person.

“Mine.” He replies and steps closer again, pulling me close so that I am flush with his body. As our bodies make contact I feel the glorious tingles pulsing through my limbs and his tattoos provide a new type of warmth to my body. One that needs to be with him, despite everything that makes sense right now.

“What is your name?” He asks and I look up at his magnificent face. My admiration for him only seems to make his eyes glow more, almost as if they can tell what I am thinking.

“Amber, Princess of Dragons.” I reply and for a moment he seems shocked. He quickly recovers and I smile.

“And your name?” I ask and his eyes turn dangerously serious, making my skin lift in small bumps.

“Kylo, Lord of the Dark Land.” He responds and it feels like the world is spinning. I am mated to the lord of Dark Land? What is happening right now?

“Found her over there, my lord. What are you going to do with her?” The other, large man says and Kylo looks at the tall figure with curiosity.

“I don’t mind taking care of her if you would like.” He says again, his eyes raking up and down my naked body making my mate’s eye flash with anger and his tattoos seem to buzz in a threatening way. A harsh sound escapes his mouth, almost like a low hissing and I see his friend falling to his knees in a low bow as if submitting to my mate. When Kylo looks back at me, he also scans up and down my body, that same dark hue forming as he pulls off his jacket and hands it to me. I willingly accept it, loving how it smells and feels so warm. Nothing really prepared me for how breathtakingly handsome my mate would be. His chest is broad and strong against his muscular arms. His abdominal muscles are proud and are placed perfectly against the deep indents of his V-line.

“Are you finished looking at me like that?” He says, my skin shuddering at the low sound of his voice. I quickly look back into his dark eyes and I notice the smirk on his face.

“Would I ever be done looking at MY MATE like that?” I ask, earning a laugh from him that makes my knees go weak.

“Hmm, let me tell you something about mates, Amber, Princess of Dragons…” He says now, his smile fading as he moves impossibly close. I can feel his hot breath against my face as he looks at me deeply. My mouth feels dry at how sweet he smells in contrast to his obscenely dark and sharp features. His pale eyes are searching mine and my uneven ones are searching his.

“They make you WEAK.” He spits and then smiles as I feel my body stiffen. What? I frown in confusion at his words.

“I have been quite happy without you in my life and I have plenty of other women to warm my bed. You can return to your luxurious castle and stay away from me.” He says again and a jolt of pain pumps through my blood.

“B-but, we are m-mates…” I begin trembling and this only seems to make him laugh out more. My eyes well up as he looks at me coldly, clearly not caring for how his words are like murderous shards entering through my heart.

“Well, I don’t want a mate!” He announces and I feel myself fading into a mental fog.

“Y-you d-don’t…” I start again but he holds my shoulders, his pale eyes now looking at me with no remorse. Who is this person?

“I do not want you.” He clips out each word loudly and clearly, making the ground under my feet shake and turn as I feel the bile rise to my throat.

“I reject you…” I hardly hear these words coming out as I fall to the ground, my mind going completely blank from all the events of the evening. The last thing I remember is the agonizing pain entering into my chest before my whole being becomes blank.