To make us one.

I must make her challenge me. Somehow. A hint of a memory dances through my mind, a recent one. Kael and his human mate. She is small and fragile like my Sa-cha, and yet they have mated. Kael has said that they share mind-speak.

How did he get her to challenge him? I stroke my mate’s back, thinking.

Perhaps tomorrow, when I go and find food for myself, I will also go close enough to the human hive to connect minds with Kael. Perhaps I will ask him how he managed to get his small human to change to her battle form and challenge him.

I cannot wait much longer before my Sa-cha takes my fires. Every day we delay is another that her life is in danger.

I will not let another take her from me.

The next morning, Sa-cha eats a meal from another one of her round containers and puts on another layer of skins, including ones on her feet. I gesture at the entrance to this strange cave, indicating that I wish to leave with her, and she seems to understand. She nods and twists her long hair into a rope, puts on yet another layer, and then slips her hand into mine.

Just that small touch is enough to make me hunger for more. I think of her fingers, coated with her scent, and fight back the urge to growl my lust. I must be calm if I am to keep my mate’s scent free of fear.

Sa-cha picks up a heavy bag full of her treasures, gives a sad sigh, and then looks patiently at me.

I take the bag from her and set it down on the ground. We will be returning. She does not need to bring this with her.

“Dakh,” she protests, picking the sack up again. She rambles her garbled human language at me, full of melodic nonsense. And she tries to put the sack over her injured arm again.

Again, I take it from her. We will return, I try to tell her.

Only the ravens hear my thoughts. There is no link with Sa-cha.

Frustrated, I try to make gestures to indicate that we will stay, but she does not seem to understand them. Eventually, she leaves her bag on the floor, but she looks even sadder, her scent tinged with unhappiness.

I am failing her again, this time because we cannot speak. Frustrated, I lead her forward, and the moment sunlight touches my skin, I change to battle form and grip her gently in my claws. I flap my wings, soaring high into the air, and turn toward the dark stain on the edge of the horizon that is the human hive. Kael lives near there with his mate.

Sa-cha wriggles and turns in my claws, and I tuck her close to my chest to keep her safe. She says some more of her human words at me, but I do not know what she speaks. Eventually she gives up and goes quiet, and I resist the urge to nuzzle her with reassurance.

A herd of brown, four-legged creatures with horns wind through the flat, hard lands near the human hive. Since my claws are full of Sa-cha, I scoop one up with my teeth, throwing my head back to gulp down my meal. Sa-cha makes a squeal of horror, but I must eat, and her shiny round things with their mushy food will not ease a dragon’s appetite. I chase down two more of the beasts, swallowing them before lofting higher again.

As I do, I send my mind out, trying to touch Kael’s.

It is…difficult. The ravens are everywhere. Not just my ravens, but those of other drakoni who are lost to the madness. The endless hum and buzz of this place tears at the minds of all my people. When I reach out, I can feel other minds—or what is left of them. The males struggle with their sanity, and I can practically taste the rage and bloodlust ripping through their thoughts. When my mind brushes that of a female, I can feel…nothing at all. They are completely lost. I remember when our minds were as a connected web of warmth and companionship. Now there is nothing but a constant stream of confusion and anger, and it threatens to pull me under. The ravens sense a victory and circle ever closer, jabbering their nonsense.

Sa-cha speaks, and her small hand touches my claw. Even though I do not know her words, it is enough. I focus on her, and the ravens retreat once more to go nest in another drakoni’s head.

I must focus on my mate and retreat to our nest, where I can keep her safe. So I focus on Kael, the imprint of his mind, and sift for it in the sea of chaos around me.

Kael’s mind touches mine like a focused beam of light, and I am impressed at the clarity of his thoughts. There are no ravens, no buzzards, nothing waiting to attack his thoughts. He is clear of any madness, and I am envious.

My friend, he sends to me. Your thoughts are much improved.

It is my mate, I tell him. She is the reason.

Then you have claimed the human?

Not yet. Having her near is enough for now, but I must claim her soon. I circle a tall building and then alight on a perch at the top. The wind is high up here, the scents of the human hive not so terrible. Kael’s thoughts are still far enough away to keep him at a safe distance from my mate. Not that he would take her from me, but the possessive male that I am cannot stand the thought of another drakoni coming close when my female is unmated. I fly close because I seek your advice on human females.

Mine? I am intrigued.

When I touch my Sa-cha, her scent is that of fear. I wait and wait for her to challenge me, to change into battle form and attack so I can conquer her, but she does not. What do I do wrong? How did you get your female to turn?

Kael’s thoughts are amused. They are not drakoni, my friend. Remember this.

You think I do not know this? I am insulted by his statement. I fear I shall break her at any time if I hold her too roughly. She is soft and sweet and fragile, my Sa-cha. She is nothing like a drakoni female.

Then you must stop thinking of her as one, Dakh. Do not assume she is as we are. I have known my Claudia for many days and nights now, but it took me some time to realize that she does not have a battle form. No human does.

No battle form? The thought is astounding to me. But…how do they defend themselves? How do they challenge one another? Even as I am stunned to hear this, it makes sense. Sa-cha is weak and wounded. She prefers to be on the ground. Of course she has no battle form. I have been thinking so much of how a normal drakoni mating is conducted that I did not stop to think that humans would be different. I think of the ones I saw mating back at the human hive. So the signal to challenge…is it pushing my face against hers? Is that a challenge?

Humans do not want to be challenged at all, my friend. Kael’s thoughts are direct and strong. Human females are not to be conquered, not unless you wish to harm her.

Never!

Then learn how to make her crave a mating with you. They respond when a male touches them.

Touches them? I touch Sa-cha all the time. Even now, I hold her in my claws. I glance down at the small female in my grip. She does not look as if she wishes to mate. If anything, she looks as if she wishes to be down on the ground. She stares around her with trepidation and clings to my claws, clearly unhappy at our height.