Chapter 23 - Stryder

My heart pounds uncontrollably as I stare into Olivia’s eyes, seeing her soul for how pure it is and realizing that this is exactly what I’ve been denying myself.

The immense power I feel from admitting my true feelings is intoxicating. I feel invincible, capable of taking on the whole world if it means protecting the woman I love. The woman fated to me by the gods themselves, molded from the sands of the earth to perfectly fit my being.

In that moment when reality strikes, I feel every heartbeat of hers in the palms of my hands, like electricity coursing through my nerves. The floral scent I’d been addicted to before becomes distinctly soft and sweet, like the scent of jasmines. Olivia’s eyes become portals to her soul that open up to a field of the flowers she radiates. It’s even more profound than my brothers described it, and I know it’s because feeling it is entirely different.

It’s a feeling I thought I’d never experience, having dismissed the notion of fated mates despite what my brothers experienced. Perhaps, deep down, I thought that my punishment for my reckless behavior over the past few centuries would be my alienation from the fated mate phenomenon. Yet, before me stands the woman who’s fated to me.

I am honored. Everything in my life makes sense now, as if the stars have aligned perfectly to match the frequencies of our hearts. Hearts that have become one now, beating to the rhythms of our souls. Everything I’ve ever done, felt, and experienced, was all a build-up to this moment right here. Nothing else matters but Olivia Jackson.

That’s where I begin, and where I end. I will do anything for her, my fated mate. I will protect her at all costs, and deep down, I know I can’t let her be a part of what’s going on down there. My intuition warns me that something might go terribly wrong, and she’ll be caught in the crossfire.

Internally, my dragon does cartwheels in celebration of me finally understanding what it was all about. It wasn’t just love the way we’re told about in the fairytales digested in the mortal world. It’s nothing like the movies on their television screens – the ones that had me rejecting the idea of love when it meant the loss of one’s freedom. This feeling is electrifying, filling me with lifeforce I’ve never felt before, so freeing in its ability to make me see the world through a clearer lens.

I understand, in that moment, why Olivia cares so much for the mortal world. Her compassion, her empathy, make her a better creature than I ever aimed to be. The dragon shifters have hardly done anything to stop Earth's wars and everyday horrors.

That’s what we were put here for. Olivia might be just a human, but her purpose is far grander than what I ever hoped to achieve.

To prevent wars by putting the Italian man behind bars. A drop in the ocean compared to what’s going on in the rest of the world, but one that will cause a ripple effect, enough to make an impact of good.

I can’t do nothing while she’d chosen to do something. While she stares at me in disbelief at my declaration of love, I decide to do something good for a change.

“If what happens down there is important to you, I will take care of it,” I declare boldly, letting her go and turning to shift into dragon form before leaping off the mountain.

When she calls my name out behind me, I continue toward the villa without turning back. I know she’ll try to convince me not to step in, but I must. The thought of the Italian touching her all those times, kissing her lips when he had no right to, fills me with a need to exact my own revenge on him.

Along with wanting to avenge his wrong deeds, I’m determined, now more than ever, to do something good for the world. My mate is a human, and I should help where I can to better the human world. After today, nothing else will matter, because there’s one thing I’m sure of.

Olivia will never leave me again.

If she is my fated mate, it’s not just me who feels love for her. She loves me too, even if she hasn’t said the words. She didn’t move on; her body still burns for me, and her eyes cannot lie. Knowing there’s no way she can escape her true feelings, just as I couldn’t escape my feelings as much as I tried, fills me with pride as I glide down in front of the shed where the men have their guns drawn.

“What the…?” one man exclaims when he sees me, turning his pointed barrel at me. I turn my dragon head to the opposite group of men – Olivia’s allies – and nod in a gesture that they will be spared., and that I’m here to help them instead.

When I turn back to the group of Italians, I open my mouth and bring forth enough force in the heat of my fiery breath to shock them when hot flames lick at their weapons and melt the metal in their hands. Chaos ensues as the men yelp and scream from shock. Their momentary shock gives me a chance to shift into human form. I cannot, by law, take the lives of humans.

I’m breaking many laws enforced by the Council by doing this, anyway. Not that it matters in this moment. All I can think about is Olivia, waiting for me on the top of a cliff nearby. To her, protecting the world is an important task – a cause for which she was willing to give her life.

It’s become my purpose now, as I launch my human body forward, my wings flashing out in perfect intervals to whisk through the air with thunderbolts of power to strike the men as they attack. Olivia’s FBI team joins in when their shock subsides, and we’re able to take down the Italian men.

One by one, they’re knocked to the ground, still conscious but unmoving for now. When the FBI team has them in cuffs for a safe arrest, I rush to the exit and flash into dragon form before I’m caught by the authorities for questioning.

They’ll no doubt want to have me in custody, too, sent for a range of tests to dissect my nature. I’ve done what I needed to do, and I’ll have to face the consequences of my actions later.

For now, all that matters is returning to my fated mate and getting her back to safety. I fly up with speed, rising to the top of the cliff where Olivia stands waiting for me. Though we don’t share the mind link I have with the Aurora Dragons, there’s a sense of understanding between us when I wheeze and nod my dragon head. Olivia nods back, then stretches her arms on both sides before closing her eyes and stepping over the cliff's edge.

She makes the trust fall into my arms, a leap of faith that tells me she’s accepted that she is my fated mate. The attraction between us has always been undeniable, and it’s all because she is fated to me by the gods.

When she lands safely in my arms, I hold her tightly to my chest, my dragon whimpering slightly. She presses her cheek on my chest, a soft smile warming her lips as she reaches out and touches my elongated face.

“Let’s go home,” she whispers, filling my heart with the warmth of intense relief and fulfillment. I never thought I’d hear those words, never thought I’d see her again. It was fate that led me back to her when I saw her in that restaurant, and fate that had us reunited, headed back to Aurora Island.

The flight back home is blissful, with sweet gazes exchanged between Olivia and me as we drift across the clouds in a bubble of our own. I’m not nearly as concerned as I should be about facing the consequences of my actions, choosing to bask in this moment of pure elation, carrying my mate back to the one place where I can keep her safe for the rest of eternity. The thought alone has me curling my dragon lips into a smile and seeing my reflection in her blue eyes.

With a tough outer shell, my heart has turned soft. I avoided it for so long, believing I might lose myself to something I considered foolish before. Only now do I realize how wrong I was, since the balance I’ve found has only served to strengthen me. It makes me feel powerful, and unstoppable, now with my mate by my side.

We enter the island’s dome, heading for the castle, where I slow down and land on the thirteenth-floor’s balcony. Setting Olivia onto her feet gently, I clasp the balcony rails with the claws of my hand legs and shift before hopping onto the balcony floor.

As soon as I’m on my human feet, Olivia rushes forward and flings her arms around my neck.

“Thank you, Stryder,” she appraises as I wrap my arms around her.

“What for, baby doll?” I ask with a nervous chuckle when she pulls back to stare into my eyes.

“For completing my mission,” she reveals with an earnest smile.

I drop my head in wistful shame, knowing that I’d done something good, but in terms of the dragon shifter race, I’ve done something unforgivable.

“I needed to do it,” I finally relent, lifting my head and cradling Olivia’s face with both hands. “But I have exposed the existence of the dragon shifters now. I’m afraid I’ll be punished for it.”

Olivia’s brows furrow with worry. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, Stryder. You are a Vulkan, after all.”

“It’s a title I’ve taken for granted before,” I admit with a sigh. “Even now, I’m afraid I cannot escape what I’ve done.”

“Go,” she encourages with a nod. “Go and face what you need to. Get it out of the way so you can come back to me.”

“There’s so much we need to talk about,” I stare solemnly into her eyes, stroking the apples of her cheeks with my thumbs. I have so much to make up for, and so much to explain.

But Olivia smiles warmly, her eyes full of the encouragement I need. “I know, and we will. Do what you need to do for now, and I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I strictly warn her.

She giggles lightly, making me feel slightly better about what comes next. “No. I’m not.” Olivia steps back, then takes my hand and places a soft, lingering kiss on my knuckles. “I’m never leaving your side again.”

Stepping forward, I curl a hand on the back of her head and gently pull her forward to lay a chaste, promising kiss on her forehead. No matter how many times we’d spent twisted in the throes of bodily pleasures, I’ve never felt as immensely fulfilled as I do now, kissing her on the forehead where it means so much more. The profound gesture fills my chest with pride, allowing me to face the challenges of what lies ahead with the confidence my mate by my side brings.

With the credence of fated mates fueling my resolve, I close my eyes and send out a mind link to my brother, Draco. As the eldest and the leader of the Aurora Dragons, I had to tell him first about what I did, and he replied that I should meet him in his study.

***

Draco stands at the window, watching the island as the other dragon shifters go about their day. Since he’s been back permanently, he’s been making many changes.

Like adding Sierra’s yoga classes to the list of compulsory tasks. He’s also cordoned off an area reserved for harvesting fresh vegetables to be traded in the weekend markets.

The island has always been self-sufficient, but now, with our human mates around, we’re creating a better community for the sake of the dragonspirit children who are a product of the human mating process. The island hadn’t been blessed with children for almost a millennium until Draco found his fated mate and had the first boy. Then came Aragon’s son, and Felix’s twins – a girl and a boy.

It leaves me wondering what comes next for Olivia and me. We have so much to discuss, but I worry I’ll be exiled from the island after what I did. We’d been so intent on keeping our existence a secret from the humans, but I’ve gone and revealed my identity. It must come as a great shock to those present in the toolshed earlier today.

As great a shock as it is to Draco.

“Why?” is all he asks as he turns to face me, his arms crossed as he flares his nostrils. He looks every bit the grandeur Alpha that he is, stern and apprehensive as he considers what I’ve done.

“Why?” I repeat, rising to my feet and standing tall with conviction, filling my chest. “I don’t really know, Brother. I guess I was caught in the moment, wanting to fulfill the duties Olivia set out to achieve.”

“Is it all because of your mate, then?” he asks with a raised brow.

“Yes,” I gulp. “I only saw her purpose when she told me why she was trying to get the man behind bars. The cause was greater than I imagined, and justice needed to be served.”

A long moment of silence stretches out between us as Draco stares at me intently. When he finally lets out a long, drawn-out sigh, he walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder.

“You really love her, don’t you?”

I nod, my tensions receding at how soft my brother’s approach has become. He’d been there when Olivia dragged me through the dirt for my deception and watched me make a complete fool of myself. Right now, none of that seems to matter, but Draco still asks,

“Then why did you lie to her before?”

I sigh heavily, finally letting my eldest brother know how I truly felt about the human mating process. He was unaware of my antics in the mortal world – only because Stryker hadn’t revealed any of it to him. Knowing my twin had my back all this time brings me great pride.

But when Draco doesn’t chastise me for how I felt before, I’m moved even more.

“It’s understandable, Stryder,” he sighs, taking a seat on the sofa behind him. “I, too, had a streak of unfulfilling endeavors when I visited the mortal world on my travels. But when I met Lily, everything changed. I suppose the Cube is correct in picking out our fated mates.”

“I thought it was a rare phenomenon,” I contemplate as I take back my seat.

“Perhaps us Vulkans are the exception,” he muses with a grin. “I take it you’ve come to realize that Olivia is not just any mate, but she is fated to you?”

“Yes, Brother,” I concede with a nod. “More than that, I’ve come to realize that I love her. It’s only a shame that now, I’ll have to face the Council.”

“Leave it to me,” Draco declares firmly. “The Council will have to understand that you were acting in the best interests of your mate.”

“Really?” I perk up, feeling a flicker of hope rising.

“Yes, Stryder. After all, we are opening our world to the humans as our mates. It’s only a matter of time before they learn of our existence. I will deal with the Council for now.”

Frowning, I shift toward the edge of the sofa and stare at my brother. “So, I’m not in trouble?”

“No,” Draco chuckles. “The only trouble you would have been in was if you didn’t fix things with your mate. That’s the kind of trouble that would have caused countless restless nights. I’m only glad you came to your senses.”

I smile at my brother, for the first time, feeling like I truly fit in. Not just the resident disappointment but someone who’s had to go through his own trials and tribulations to get to the other side.

A more peaceful side, that has me rushing to my quarters in a quest to have my slice of inner peace in my arms.