1. Kadia

As they landed, Kaida replayed her dragon’s words in her mind a million times. “ Because we are a Plasma Dragon—the most powerful of them all, and the true ruler of all Dragons.” She was stunned into silence at the idea of being the ruler of all dragons once again. The thought of becoming a queen again was not at the top of her list of most important things since she had been rejected and tossed onto this island. Yet here she was, standing in front of the four most powerful Elemental Dragons, who were bowing to her inside her Plasma Dragon form.

Her dragon laid her body down on the sand and tucked her wings to her side. Kaida noticed how Beckett‘s dragon form started to shimmer. Beckett’s human form emerged, and he got on one knee and bowed his head. When he glanced up, her dragon slightly bowed her head. Beckett slowly stood up and then moved forward onto her dragon. He reached out and held his hand for her dragon to choose whether she trusted him. Kaida’s dragon slowly moved her snout to Beckett‘s hand. Her dragon growled initially, then seemed to recognize Beckett as her mate.

“Your dragon is gorgeous,” Beckett told her as her dragon pushed her snout into his hand. “Probably the most beautiful dragon I have ever seen.”

I like this one. I’m glad we get to keep him. Her dragon told her as a deep rumble came out of her chest.

Kaida relaxed seeing her dragon so comfortable with her mate. A small part of her feared that Beckett would reject her right now for being a more powerful dragon. Instead, Beckett whispered to her dragon every compliment he could think of. Just when Kaida didn’t think it could get better, Beckett stole her heart all over again.

“We should go for a flight around the island. Show off how incredible your dragon is to her people.”

He does know he has us, right? Like… he doesn’t have to try so hard.

Kaida laughed; I think this is just who he is.

A snarl that was so loud it drowned out the waves crashing on the sand popped the bubble they were in. Kaida’s dragon’s neck swung toward the sound, lowering her head when her eyes connected with Blaze’s dragon. When his dragon realized he had caught her attention, they glanced down at Beckett. Blaze’s dragon roared and took a step closer. Her dragon roared, and the sound of the plasma inside her throat crackled, giving it an added terrifying edge.

Kaida’s dragon opened her mouth and blasted a stream of purple plasma that struck just before his dragon. The red dragon snarled at Kaida’s, but she didn’t move. Instead, she lifted her neck to show off how big she was and opened her mouth to allow the crackling of her Plasma to show she was ready for a fight.

“Enough, Blaze. Shift back, now,” Beckett demanded.

The dragon growled in protest. Kaida’s dragon continued to stare down at him, waiting for him to make a move. It didn’t matter what he chose: to shift or to fight. She was ready for it to go either way.

Kaida balked at how fierce her dragon was in comparison to how she felt on any given day since her eighteenth birthday. Before that day, Kaida was very much like her dragon. She was willing to stand up to anyone who crossed her or those she cared about. There were times when the other daughters of the powerful families would bully others, and Kaida had no problem stepping in and making them leave the person alone. After her birthday and her dragon not emerging, she felt less than herself.

But now…she realized the path that led her to this moment was everything she needed to unlock her dragon. As much as she wished the path could have been a bit easier, it was always her fate, and there was no fighting fate.

Blaze’s red Ember dragon shimmered and quickly became him standing as a man. His face was twisted in anger as he stared her and Beckett down. Kaida’s dragon closed her mouth, and a puff of purple smoke leaked out. Kaida was amused at the display her dragon continued to put on to prove that Blaze did not intimidate her in any way.

“Kaida, I need you to shift back as well,” Beckett called out to her.

Her dragon looked down at him, then lowered her head to be at his level. Beckett reached out toward her snout, and her dragon didn’t hesitate to close the distance this time.

“I know you are enjoying this, but we all need to talk this out. Can you shift back?”

Kaida’s dragon snorted a puff of purple smoke from her nostrils at him. Beckett chuckled at her and shook his head.

“We really should talk this out. You are my mate, but they are my brothers. Blaze is irate, and it would be best if we could all sort through whatever is pissing him off. I’d say the same thing if you were pissed off at them.”

She snorted again but closed her eyes. Kaida had no idea how to shift back. It was her first time being in her dragon form, and no one had gone through these things with her beforehand. Her own parents hadn’t walked her through anything yet because they had no idea when her dragon would emerge, but they assumed when it did, it would be with them, so they weren’t exactly worried about it.

Uh… how do I shift back?

I don’t know.

That’s not helpful.

I knew how to push my magic through to emerge. It is up to you to shift back.

Wonderful.

Kaida began to breathe erratically, not sure how to get herself to her human form. Beckett must have figured out that Kaida wasn’t sure how to shift back because he called her name to get her attention. “Kaida; I need you to take a deep breath and clear your mind. As you clear your mind, focus on your breathing. Then, I want you to visualize your human form. Focus on that until you feel a pull in your chest. When you feel that, imagine tugging that pull.”

Kaida did what Beckett said. It took her a few minutes to calm herself down. She did her best to fixate more on her breathing, and once she did, she switched over her thoughts to what she looked like. Within a minute or two, a small pulling sensation began to form inside of her chest. Kaida imagined tugging on it, but it must not have been strong enough. Kaida took another deep breath, and the sensation grew. She tugged on it again, but still nothing. Kaida shook out the creeping thought that she was stuck and continued to take a few deep breaths in between tugging on her human form. She imagined herself in front of Beckett. His leather jacket was open to display all the muscles in his chest and abs, his long hair blowing in the gentle breeze from the ocean, and even his scent that smelled like he was the ocean each time she breathed it in. The sensation grew to a deep pull, and Kaida didn’t hesitate to tug on it with all her might.

The next thing Kaida knew, her knees and hands were in the sand, the particles digging into her skin from her body weight leaning into it. She let out a breath with an exasperated sigh, and it grew rapidly as she realized she was in her human form.

“That’s my girl,” she heard Beckett whisper as she felt his presence beside her.

Kaida quickly threw herself at him, feeling thankful that he seemed prepared, and wrapped her arms around him. Beckett pressed his nose into the crook of her neck. With his arms around her, too, she finally began to relax.

A clearing of the throat caught their attention. Arlo crossed his arms over his chest as Esen looked bored with them. Their faces looked emotionless as they stared down at Beckett and her, but Kaida couldn’t bring herself to care.

My dragon emerged, Kaida said to herself as she smiled.

Her smile quickly vanished when her eyes connected with Blaze’s. His red hair damn near looked as though it was on fire as it blew in the wind, and his face was twisted into anger. Beckett was right. Things needed to be talked out so that Blaze could calm down. She saw this same look on his face before he shifted and dropped her to her death.

That very thought brought the anger inside of her out. Blaze had no right to be angry. There was nothing between them, and Beckett was his own person. Beckett claimed she was their business and their business only. Yet Blaze became so angry that his friend, whom he considered to be a brother to him, had found his mate and claimed her.

That doesn’t sound right…Why would he be angry about that?

“What is your problem?” The words came out of Kaida’s mouth before she could even think them through.

“You are my problem. Since you have shown up, my brotherhood has fallen apart. When we four are not in sync, our people could suffer. So I am very over the fact that your presence has that much of an influence,” Blaze said through his teeth.

She scoffed at him. “So it’s my fault that I was rejected, dropped onto that island with no regard if I would survive, and then Beckett realized I was his mate?” Kaida retorted.

“Maybe if you weren’t so pathetic, your mate wouldn’t have rejected you.”

Kaida’s chest tightened at the insult. Blaze knew damn well that Enzo rejected her because she was dragonless. It wasn’t her fault at all that her dragon took her time to emerge.

“My dragon is a Plasma Dragon, the rarest species that has ever walked our world. How was anyone supposed to know that is what I was to be? There is no test to find out what our dragons will be! Enzo rejected me because I was dragonless. I am not anymore. So, it was not my fault!”

“I think you need to back the fuck off, Blaze. Before, I was tolerating your hatred because we didn’t know what she was to any of us. Now I know she is my mate. I see the flames of our bond within my soul.”

Blaze’s eyes fluttered at the news of the flames. “You see her flame?”

“I see OUR flames.”

Blaze looked over at Arlo and Esen. All three of the Elemental Princes exchanged looks amongst them. Kaida was unsure of what was being said, but the three of them were speaking to one another with just a look.

“Kaida is my mate whether you three like it or not. I suggest you get over it. Especially since I plan to move her into our home.”

“WHAT?!” All four of them screamed.

This was the first time she heard of Beckett’s plan herself. She expected him to want to live with her, but she also hoped that it would not be in the same house as the rest of the princes.

Blaze’s face was just as red as his dragon form. Kaida thought he was going to blow as the shade went from beet red to a deeper color. “She is not moving into our home. It is OURS. You cannot just state your decision without it being talked about amongst all of us.”

“She is my mate, and it is my right to have her near me. If you three disagree, then I will have a house built for us. I would rather live with my brothers, but if you cannot accept her, you cannot accept me.”

Kaida looked up to her mate with her mouth hanging toward the ground. This was all news to her, and she had no idea what to make of it.

“No. I won’t have her in my home,” Blaze said with determination.

Kaida noticed that Arlo and Esen were talking to one another in hushed tones. They glanced over at her a few times during their discussion as Beckett and Blaze went back and forth about her moving in.

Arlo cleared his throat, capturing the attention of both Beckett and Blaze “Blaze, if Beckett moves to another house, the people may see us as divided. We have all said before that we never want our people to fear that we cannot rule as one,” Arlo explained.

“What? Are you siding with him? Since when the fuck do you side with him?” Blaze questioned.

Arlo rolled his eyes slightly, responding, “When he has a point that I share. It is his right to have his mate live with him. He is not going to want her out of his sight for the most part until their bond has calmed down a bit. Dragons do not allow their treasure out of their reach. To a dragon, their mate is their treasure.”

Blaze growled, “She is going to ruin everything between us all!”

“No, but you are if you continue with this bullshit.” Blaze glared over at Beckett and then to Kaida.

Kaida straightened herself so he knew she did not care he was pissed. Now that her dragon had emerged, she was no longer defenseless.

“Esen, what is your opinion on this matter?” Blaze asked through his teeth.

“I share the same thoughts as Arlo. I know I would want my mate with me.”

Blaze growled, “Fine.” He looked right at Kaida, demanding “Stay out of my way inside of my home.”

Blaze’s red wings burst out of his back and immediately flapped downward to lift him in the air. Kaida found herself watching him as he glided across the sky toward his home. She heard more wings and noticed that Arlo and Esen did the same.

“Well, that went better than I thought it would.”

Kaida smacked him on his chest, “How about you talk to me first next time before dropping this kind of shit on me!?”

“Like the water, I can get unpredictable. Something you should know about your mate.” He booped her nose and gave her a smile.

Kaida growled at him and shook her head. “Now what?”

Beckett glanced toward the area where her home with the others was. “I’d say break the news to your roommates and collect your belongings?”

Kaida nodded and said in agreement, “yeah. I guess so.”

Well, this will be fun.