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Chapter 3

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Luke

Youve been chosen to court the princess? How did this happen?”

I rolled my eyes as my dumb older brother, Dean, teased me. He was already happily mated and had graced our mom with a grandchild. Though apparently that gave him license to bother me to no end about finding a mate.

“This is...I have to say, this is incredible,” he scoffed and my mother slapped him over the head and took the kings letter from him.

“Don’t tease your brother, this is truly an honor. To be invited to court the princess! Oh I remember when the announcement came of her birth, and oh how the clan adores her. This is just wonderful! You have to win her Luke. Do you even know how to court a woman?”

My brother snickered and I sighed in longsuffering.

“Don’t you have a wife and child to get home to?”

“Oh don’t worry about me brother! Why don’t you answer mom’s question?”

“Yes I know how to...I’ve been out on dates before there’s nothing to it. If she likes me and I like her then that’s ninety percent of it.”

Wrong! That’s like seventy percent of it, eighty if you’re lucky. You have to show her a good time and make her feel special,” Dean said and mom nodded along.

“You are a warrior, just like your father was and he wasn’t so good on the wooing and flowers,” she commented.

“But...the two of you were married nearly forty years,” I said and she nodded.

“Yes well...if you must know. Your father was very sweet in his own way and he was very good at—”

“Mom stop!” I complained and Dean snickered.

“Well I was only going to say poetry, honestly Luke, you’re such a prude,” she teased and Dean cracked up. I laughed with him and then kissed mom on the cheek.

“I hope for your sake you picked up some of mom’s humor, that goes big with the females,” Dean said when he sobered and then clapped me on the shoulder.

“I should...I should set something up with her soon right? I know for a fact there is one other she showed interest in.”

Mom’s eyes widened almost in alarm and she shoved at my arm.

“What is the matter with you, now this is survival of the fittest! Who knows if this other suitor has contacted her yet, or even been to see her! Go, make sure you arrange an outing with her,” she urged me.

“Calm down, mother it’s late already and I have to go and meet with my guard. I will approach her tomorrow at the palace, I have duty there with the king’s second.”

“Good plan, you want her to simmer on the thought of you after that first impression. Don’t come on too strong, don’t suffocate her,” Dean spoke up and my mother waved away his advice.

“But don’t waste time either! I want another grandchild before my time comes,” she said and both Dean and I groaned. Once the grandkids were brought up, somehow the subject stayed around for at least an hour.

“Well I think it’s time I get back home,” Dean said, already making a hasty retreat and I stood up to leave too.

“Yeah, I should head over to Niko’s, the meeting is being held at his house this time around. It’s a long flight,” an excuse wasn’t really an excuse if it were true.

“Oh whatever, you boys always flee at the faintest mention of grandchildren. I simply want to be assured that our line will continue!” she was already starting on her tirade. Both Dean and I gave her a kiss on the cheek before we beat a hasty retreat.

My mom was beautiful, even in her middle age, she hardly looked a day over twenty-five, and we looked a lot alike. Whereas Dean was almost the spitting image of our dad in all his classic good looks, reminding everyone of superman. Though personality wise I was my father and Dean was my mother. They were the people-people. I wondered how on Earth I would court the princess...I couldn’t say I didn’t want to. She was incredibly beautiful and even in our brief meeting I felt a connection to her. Or maybe it was just my mating urges...

“So, this is wild man. You’re going to be dating Princess Emily. I’m happily married and all, but she is hot.” Dean spoke once we were clear of mom’s house.

“Don’t make me nervous about it...I’m just gonna be myself,” I said and shrugged nonchalantly. Dean gave me a disbelieving smile and shook his head.

“Just whatever you do, don’t choke,” he said before he pressed the button on his key fob to unlock his car in the drive. Dean lived closer to the more populous city of Old Town so he often had to drive in and out to the sparser areas. Specially to stretch out his wings every once in a while. If a shifter neglected their other side for too long, it could take over and in a bad way.

“I’ll catch you later Luke, keep me updated.” Dean waved when he was in his car, then he pulled out and I watched him drive away.

I knew there was something between Emily and I, so I shouldn’t be worried. I didn’t get a good look at the first guy she seemed to like, but I was confident I could win her over.

I looked up to the sky and found the clouds were in my favor for a flight. As if tracking my thoughts, the heat of the dragon spread through me. At first it was a warm pulsing, that turned to a blaze through my veins until I could not feel anything other than the heat. It wasn’t exactly painful; it was something a dragon shifter grew used to after the first few times of shifting. Once the fire receded I registered my larger body.

Dragons weren’t scaly or lizard like at all. Our skin was more snake-like in texture, but appeared smooth like regular skin. Colors ranged from white to burnished copper and black. We did resemble the fairy tale version of dragons. Some of us were larger, some sleek and built for speed. Not all of us could breathe fire though, that was mainly bred in warrior dragons.

I inhaled deeply and looked up to the sky before I beat my wings against the air and rose up into the clouds.