Carina's - [P.O.V]

My mother, Elsa, walks towards me with concern etched across her face as my flawless white ceremonial gown was dampened from the melted silver ice that had covered me during the ritual.

She held my hand and led me out of the Dragon Moon chambers in a hurry.

"There is something I did not tell you about your dragon mate," she says to me, and I stared at her as curiosity consumed my thoughts about everything happening.

"What is that?" I asked her in return.

"We the elders are suspecting that your mate might be the Great Dragon Spirit's lost heir," she says to me like she has no time to explain her cryptic words.

"Mom, you mean the ancient dragon legends you always used to tell me were real?" I asked her and she sighed deeply.

"Yes, and if your mate truly is what we think he is, then our lives and that of the members of our pack are in great danger," she says to me with her eyes glowing amber with worry.

"No mom... You don't intend to harm my dragon mate, right?" I asked her, fearing that the elders planned some kind of assassination attempt against my mate.

"I will not allow it," Elsa says to me as she pats my shoulders reassuringly.

"I can't bear to see my daughter live without her destined mate," she continued, and I knelt down in gratitude.

"Mom please, help talk to dad... My mate is not some evil descendant of forgotten dragon magic... I think you should ask him these questions when he awakens," I said to her and she nodded in understanding.

I turned as I saw my dragon mate being carried into my room by several pack members.

I stood up and walked into my room together with my mother, who left shortly after due to the late hour.

I stared at my magnificent mate, wondering what made him look so perfectly sculpted.

He was totally different from every other man I had ever seen, not just in his exotic bronze skin tone, but in the godlike beauty of his entire form.

His sleeping face held traces of ancient power, and I could see the faint shimmer of scale patterns along his jawline that marked him as dragon-born.

I closed my door and took my bath, preparing for what little sleep I could manage.

Something troubled my thoughts as I saw my dragon mate lying on the simple bench that didn't suit his regal bearing.

I carefully moved him to my bed so we could be closer while I rested.

I knew I should be cautious since I didn't know what kind of behavior he might display when he awakened, but I trusted that he couldn't hurt his destined mate.

The exhaustion from the Dragon Moon ceremony and the emotional weight of the day made me feel drowsy, so I closed my eyes, feeling safe beside his powerful presence.

I woke up in the depths of night only to discover that my dragon mate was no longer on the bed beside me.

I looked toward the door... There was no way he could have left since it required my fingerprint to unlock, so he had to still be in this room.

I searched for him and entered the bathroom, turning on the light only to see the broad back of my magnificent beast.

He paused but continued with his cleansing ritual.

I struggled to look away from his powerful form, but my wolf kept making me admire his godlike masculine physique.

The way water cascaded over his bronze skin revealed more scale markings along his shoulders and spine... definitive proof of his dragon heritage.

I turned away, trying to control the overwhelming urge to ask him countless questions, but as I was about to leave, he turned and stared at me with his body completely bare.

He stepped out from the shower and walked three measured steps closer to me, his alpha dragon aura making every breath I took feel charged with electricity.

"Stay back..." I whispered, but he leaned down close to me, his lips tracing along my neck while his strong hands grasped my waist, pulling me against his powerful chest before stepping away.

He wrapped a towel around his waist, and my body instantly responded to his movements.

He was my mate, and having such a magnificently powerful dragon as my destined partner had been beyond my wildest dreams.

I stepped back but was caught by the waist and pulled toward him, but something felt different... something wasn't quite right.

My wolf was reacting with unusual intensity, and she was communicating directly with his dragon spirit... that wasn't normal for newly awakened mates.

I looked into his eyes to see how they glowed with an inner fire... It wasn't fully him controlling his actions.

It was his dragon spirit guiding his human form while his memories remained locked away.

The evidence of his masculine power was truly intimidating, and the thought of our eventual mating both thrilled and nervous me.

He was built like the legendary dragons of old... magnificent and overwhelming.

"What is your name, and who are you?" I asked him as he dressed in the clothes my father had provided.

"I am called Darius, alpha of..." he says to me but then falls silent suddenly.

"Why the hesitation?" I asked, and he looked at me with profound sadness crossing his features.

"I cannot remember my past... I only know my name and that I am an alpha with dragon blood," he says to me, and I moved closer, embracing him gently.

"You should always stay this close to us," his dragon spirit speaks through him, and I acknowledged his words while gazing into his glowing amber eyes.

I stood to take my morning bath since dawn was breaking, and I had responsibilities at the Supernatural Research Institute.

After refreshing myself, I returned only to see him outside, about to fight with unknown intruders.

I rushed down the stairs, but my mother stopped me before I could reach him.

"My dragon mate... It's his dragon spirit controlling his body, protecting us instinctively," I said, pointing toward the confrontation as my mother held me close.

"You must stay indoors... Alpha Pete has discovered our secret and attacked our territory... We females must remain protected while our males defend against this threat," she said firmly, her voice filled with the ancient authority of dragon magic awakening in our bloodline as she opposes me that instant.