The Arena novel Chapter 31

My mate is a dragon. No matter how many times I say it to myself, it doesn’t sink in.

My mate is a dragon.

After making sure that all of the supernaturals got out of the cages, we packed up, and my warriors and I headed home. The three-day journey gave me plenty of time to think.

My mate is a dragon. Fuck! I offended a dragon because I thought she was an Alpha werewolf, and she wasn’t. The Moon Goddess gifted me with a dragon for a mate, and I snubbed her - my mate AND the Moon Goddess.

What do I know about dragons? I begin searching my memory for what Ishir said in the arena over a year ago. There are only four, and I’ve met two. They are based on the elements. Tana is obviously the fire dragon. That leaves air, water, and earth. I remember Ishir saying that he had met Avani and that he is the Earth Dragon.

Ishir seems friendly with both dragons. Maybe it’s not Ishir who is with Tana; maybe it’s Avani. And that bastard knew. When he called me out for not knowing what Tana was, of course, he knew she was a dragon. No wonder he acted so smug. She had been right there in front of me, and I didn’t even recognize her as my mate.

But suddenly, her smell in the arena makes sense. And I remember Ishir saying the elemental dragons smell like their element. Even back then, in the arena, he knew what Tana was. He basically told me that her campfire and roasted marshmallow scent was the scent of a dragon.

And now, the mountain ranges where I caught her scent make sense, too. Of course, a dragon would choose the highest peak of any mountain range to rest.

I feel like an idiot. I feel so stupid. My mate is a dragon, and I know next to nothing about them. Then I remember that Tana let me help her. She may be hurt by what happened between us, but she let me help her when she was injured. At some level, she trusts me. I can work with that. But, if I’m going to win her back, I will need to learn everything I can about dragons.

When we get back, we announce our victory to the pack. Troy got away, or someone helped him get away. I’m not sure. I only know when I went to check, his body was gone. So, we will remain vigilant, and my trackers will continue to search for him. Once we find another arena, there is a good chance that I’ll see my mate again. But I’m hoping to find her before that. I know she has healing powers, but she was injured badly. I hate not knowing if she is okay.

I call Bastian and Galen into my office after the pack announcement. When they come in, I have them close the door and sit down.

“What I’m about to tell you stays in this room.” I stand and begin pacing. “I already told Bastian about finding my mate,” I say, recounting the story for Galen.

“Was she there again this time?” Bastian asks.

I take a breath before facing them. “Yes, and now I know what kind of shifter she is.”

“Well?” Bastian asks.

“She’s the fire dragon.”

I can see from their stunned faces that they are as shocked by this information as I am.

“So, wait,” Galen says. “You rejected the fire dragon as your mate?”