Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

MELISANDRE

G lacier, Alaska

Two Years Ago

"I don't understand why you're leaving," said Raine, Cooper's mate and first lady of the clan.

"You heard Cooper last night. He said things could not remain as they were. I agree. My life here has become untenable," responded Melisandre Blaze as she calmly packed the things she meant to take with her.

Cooper McKinley, the leader of the ice dragons of Denali had been clear: either she acceded to his authority and agreed to be mated, or she left the clan with nothing more than a single bag to hold her belongings. Most of the other drakaina who had no interest in a mate had agreed to change their ways and seek a mate. Melisandre had not.

"It isn't that bad, and while Cooper can see the wisdom in the dragon clans settling the drakaina with mates…"

"Mates not necessarily of their choosing. Those of us who have no wish to mate are being pressured—and in some cases even threatened—if we don't do what is expected."

"Our numbers are declining, and I do not believe Coop would actually force any of you into a bonding you couldn't be happy in. I know he talks a big game and can sound fierce, but you've known him your whole life…"

Melisandre nodded. "Which means I know when he's bluffing, and he isn't. I'll grant you, it's not what he wants to do, but he will see the drakaina of our clan mated or banished. I choose banishment. I choose to leave the only place I've ever known and go out into the world without a clan. The bottom line is: I choose. The single male dragons aren't being forced to find a mate."

Raine reached out to touch her hand. Melisandre jerked away, shaking her head.

"I can't change your mind?" Raine asked quietly.

"No. I've known this was probably coming so I've been taking online courses in arson investigation and have managed to consult on a few cases. There's a job opening down in Anchorage. It's a kind of roving position…"

"You can't just move to Anchorage without having a job…" declared Raine, clearly distressed.

Melisandre stopped packing and sat down on the edge of her bed. "I've seen this coming for a while—even before you and Cooper got together. I've been able to build a small nest egg outside of what I earned here in Glacier so I've got some money that will see me through. I've also been making connections with people on Kodiak and in Anchorage. I'll be able to get by."

Raine smiled sadly. "There is no talking you out of this, is there? Even if Cooper could take back what he said last night."

"I'm afraid not. Dragons outnumber drakaina in this clan by more than two to one, and they all have a similar viewpoint, even if it's not from the same intention. A lot of the younger dragons see our decline in numbers and want to subjugate our drakaina."

"Cooper would never…"

"No, he wouldn't, but in my opinion more and more dragon clans are headed that way. There may come a time when Cooper can't keep them in line. I just don't want to be here if that happens." Melisandre stopped, stood up and turned back to her packing. "I have to say, I'd burn this whole place down to ensure my own freedom. Like I said, it's my fate to choose, and I won't have that taken away from me."

She placed the last of her things in her bag and turned to leave without saying another word. The last thing she wanted was to have an emotional goodbye with Raine, who had somehow bonded with Zafira, the ancient queen of the ice dragons. She was fond of Raine and had enormous respect for her, but Raine had been born human. She didn't necessarily understand what it was to be drakaina. First she was human, and then she was drakaina and first lady of the clan.

Melisandre made her way to the top of the dwelling that the unmated drakaina shared. She removed the shift she had been wearing and allowed the cold winds that blew through the town to wrap around and embrace her, tickling her nipples into sharp points. She set her bag on the ground, raised her arms to embrace the skies, and called forth her drakaina.

As the mist of the shift enveloped her, she felt as if there was a heaviness that fell away as the mist dissipated, and she emerged as drakaina. Melisandre's scales glinted in shades of ice blue and silver. She stood poised on the roof from where drakaina took to the skies. Her home had always been Denali, and as she looked around, she knew this most likely would be the last time she saw it.

Melisandre reared up to stand on her hind legs. She gave a powerful push and launched herself into the air, grasping her bag in her talons. She unfurled her colossal wings and beat them against the air to create lift. With a whoosh that echoed through the mountainous terrain, her wings caught the wind, lifting her higher and higher into the clear blue sky. Nothing felt as good as flying. Nothing.

She soared up into the clouds, her tail, adorned with spiked ridges, trailing behind her and cutting through the air like a scaly rudder. Her eyes were sharp and luminous as she scanned the landscape below, where vast expanses of snow and ice gave way to dense forests and winding rivers. Melisandre felt as wild and free as the terrain below her.

Her journey from Denali to Anchorage had begun with a powerful leap from the roof of the dormitory building she had called home for the past decade. Her enormous wings, which looked as though they were made of gossamer, shimmered in the sunlight, spreading wide to catch the wind. With a few mighty flaps, she rose up above the clouds, banking south to leave the towering peak of Denali behind.

As she gained altitude, Melisandre's keen eyes took in the vast, untouched wilderness below. She realized that by adhering to the rules and never leaving Denali or the accompanying rugged landscape, she had never fully appreciated the vast expanse of the Alaska Range stretched out beneath it, a sea of jagged peaks and glaciers. As she entered a cloud, Melisandre blew a small stream of fire, hot and smoky, leaving a trail of mist in the crisp, cold, cloud-studded air as she glided effortlessly above the rugged ground below.

Her journey took her over the pristine waters of the Tokositna River, winding through deep valleys carved by ancient glaciers. The river's surface glistened in the sunlight, reflecting her silhouette as she flew above. Her shadow raced along the ground, startling a herd of caribou grazing by the riverbank. The herd scattered, their antlers glinting like silver in the sun.

She wondered for a moment if she'd done the right thing. Cooper hadn't given her an ultimatum, but he'd come close. Had she done the right thing in leaving her clan? Had Cooper been so wrong in urging her to find a mate so she could help perpetuate their kind?

Leaving the river behind, Melisandre flew over the expansive and seemingly endless forests of spruce and birch trees. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly as she passed overhead, allowing them to tickle her talons. The scent of pine and earth filled the air, mingling with the unique scent of a drakaina.

As she continued her journey south, Melisandre encountered the vast expanse of the Susitna River, its waters wide and slow-moving. The river's surface was dotted with small islands that were home to nesting birds and other wildlife. Her powerful wings beat rhythmically as she glided over the river, her body casting a long shadow on the water below.

The landscape began to change as she approached the Talkeetna Mountains. These smaller, but no less majestic, peaks rose up from the surrounding forest, their rocky slopes dotted with patches of snow. Melisandre navigated the narrow passes between the mountains with ease, her wings expertly catching the updrafts that carried her higher into the sky and the cover the clouds offered her.

Beyond the Talkeetna Mountains, she reached the lush, green Matanuska-Susitna Valley, dotted with farms and small towns. The valley was a stark contrast to the wild, untamed wilderness, with its snowy peaks and icy glaciers she had left behind. Like her life, the fields of crops seemed to beckon to her as if to say she too had another purpose; she was not destined to live the life that others wanted to assign to her. She looked down to see the occasional farmhouse nestled among the trees.

As she neared Anchorage, she spotted the gleaming waters of Cook Inlet, a vast body of water that separated the city from the Kenai Peninsula. The inlet was dotted with small islands and rocky outcrops, and Melisandre could see boats moving slowly across its surface, their wakes leaving long trails in the water.

Finally, she began to search for a place to land and to shift back into a human. She descended towards Anchorage, her massive wings creating powerful gusts of wind that rustled the trees below, slowed her speed, and allowed her to approach what appeared to be a safe landing strip. The city, nestled between the waters of Cook Inlet and the towering Chugach Mountains, was in view, and she hoped to be able to find a ride into the city.

She landed with the same grace, skill, and power as she had when she'd taken off, her massive claws touching down gently in a field on the outskirts of the city, where the wilderness met the urban landscape. Her journey from Denali to Anchorage had come to an end, but her new life was only just beginning.

"Melisandre." She was alerted to the presence of a shifter by the distinctive scent that reached her nostrils only a few moments before a female voice called from behind her. Melisandre whirled around, almost knocking the feet from beneath the woman who approached. "Easy. Raine told me she thought you might end up landing here."

"How would she know that and who are you?" Melisandre asked suspiciously.

"She mentioned this was where your kind often landed when coming to Kodiak. I've been searching the sky for any sign of your presence. As to who I am, I'm Nicole Wells. My mate is Asher Wells. He's the chief park ranger for this region. I thought I'd offer you a lift into town, something to eat, and a place to stay while you get on your feet."

"Why would you do that?" asked Melisandre warily, looking around to ensure there was no threat posed by others.

The woman smiled. "Because it's the nice thing to do, and Raine asked me to help if I could. For what it's worth, while Asher can understand where Cooper is coming from, he is not one to force females into doing something they would not choose for themselves. I see you have a bag; do you have clothes you can change into? If not, I've got a sweater, leggings, and mukluks in the SUV. They'll be warmer than what you brought with you."

There was something about Nicole Wells that made her seem trustworthy. Everything she'd said resonated with Melisandre, and she realized she was tired.

"I'd appreciate the loan of the clothes."

"Come along, then. I parked the SUV closer to a big rock to give you some privacy while you shift. I think it's fascinating that dragons can speak even when they're shifted. I would think it would give you a big advantage over others."

Melisandre smiled. "The teeth, claws and ability to breathe fire doesn't hurt."

Nicole laughed. "No, I'll bet it doesn't."

Once Melisandre had shifted and was dressed in the clothing Nicole had bought, she slipped into the passenger side of the SUV.

"I understand you've trained as an arson investigator," Nicole began.

Melisandre nodded. "I did. I have an interview with the guy in charge of the AIU…" Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Arson Investigative Unit…the day after tomorrow."

"Asher and I actually live over in Kodiak, but we keep a place here in Anchorage. You are more than welcome to stay. For what it's worth, Asher put in a good word for you. He and the chief aren't especially close, but they've worked together for a number of years and respect each other. Maybe it'll help."

"I suppose I should get all snarly and say I want to do this on my own, but I'm happy to accept any help I can get, as long as there are no strings attached."

"Only one."

"What's that?" Melisandre asked, the hairs on the back of her neck coming up.

"Call Raine and let her know you arrived safely. You don't have to do anything more than that. I just know she was worried about you and hearing from you that you made it will make her feel better."

"I can do that."

Kodiak, Alaska

Present Day

Two years had passed since that fateful day when she'd taken her future into her own hands and left Denali and her clan for a life of her own choosing in Anchorage. She'd aced the interview with the chief of the AIU and had been steadily building a reputation as one of the best arson investigators on the team. It didn't really surprise her. After all, who better than a dragon to understand and interpret fire?

Recently, there had been several fires on Kodiak, and Melisandre had suggested to the chief that she thought they might be connected.

"What makes you think that?" the chief had asked.

"Just a feeling," she'd replied.

He shook his head. "I have no idea what's going on in that head of yours, but I've learned not to discount your feelings about things. So far, you've never been wrong. The head of the fire department, Roland Ashford, is a friend of mine. I'm going to send you over there as a liaison. I'll tell Rollie what you're doing but try and keep it on the down-low."

Melisandre nodded. "Will do."

Two days later, she was walking around the perimeter of the charred remains of a historic building. She groaned as she watched fire department personnel and the press trampling what could very well be key evidence into the ground. Standing at the outer perimeter, looking far better than any hunky fireman on a calendar, was Tanner North, the man the press had deemed the ‘hero firefighter,' whose unorthodox methods allowed him to save lives at great risk to his own.

The acrid smell of smoke and destruction filled her nostrils, making her nauseous. She cleared her head to try and focus on what she could see, smell, and taste on the air. Before she could make sense of her dizziness, two strong hands clasped her waist and steadied her.

"I'm fine," she said, looking up into the darkest brown eyes she'd ever seen. He was a shifter. Although she could tell he wasn't dragon; she wasn't sure what he might be.

"Well, let's just get you over here to the paramedics' bus."

"I don't need a paramedic," she snarled. What she needed was to get away from him.

"Why don't we let them be the judge of that?" he said in his deep, melodic voice.

"Because I don't need your or anyone else's opinion of whether or not I'm fine. I am." Melisandre jerked away from him, backing up right into the chief.

"Problem?" he asked in a way that let them both know he was not expecting them to have one.

"No, sir. I was just trying to help… I'm sorry I didn't realize there would still be civilians here or that your people wouldn't know the AIU had been called in."

"You're AIU?" Tanner said with some skepticism before turning to the chief. "Do you think this fire is connected to something else?"

"Unknown," said the chief. "That's why I called in the AIU."

He hadn't actually called in the AIU. Melisandre had been watching the fires for a pattern and had then gone to her boss, who had, in turn, gone to his friend who just happened to be the chief of the fire department here in Kodiak.

"I take it you're Melisandre Blaze," said the chief smoothly, extending his hand.

Melisandre gripped it firmly and nodded. "Guilty as charged. If you wouldn't mind clearing the scene, I'd like to get started."

"Tanner, can you take care of that? Let the others know that we believe we might have a serial arsonist, so if Melisandre needs anything, including all of us staying out of her way, I will expect people to listen to her as if they were listening to me. And Tanner, tell everyone this is need-to-know only."

"That kind of thing might be received better if it came from one of our own," said Tanner.

"That was my thought, as well," said the chief, "which is why I'm assigning you as her official liaison."