In a world where the concept of mates was lost Aqua found out she and the dragon shifter prince were one of the first mates in centuries. Unfortunately their love was forbidden. She also found she had special abilities. Aqua lived her life not knowing love until he showed her love. She was raised by humans When she turned nineteen she was visited by a strange man who claimed to be her birth father. He brought her back to the kingdom of dragon shifters to live with them and serve the dragon shifter royal family. Aqua had many secrets to uncover in the new world she was now apart of. She didn't want to reject her mate but was an affair the better option? To add to her problems there was conflict between the dragon shifters and werewolves within the kingdom. Even if her love were to fail the bonds she made with the friends and family around her and the adventure she took won't be for nothing. Excerpt: I stumbled backwards. I was nearly forgetting how to push the right words out. "We can't do this... I want to be accepted." I mumbled because all I knew was rejection and deceit. Why would the dragon prince be any different? It's not like the king and queen would let us be together. It was hard to say no when my body was aching with lust. "Why can't I take what I want?" He said with his hand wrapped around my throat. A shiver was sent up my spine. "Because you're engaged..." I didn't care about that the last time we almost had sex but I loved my new home so I wasn't going to risk it for a man I couldn't have. "I'm supposed to be working for you and I don't want to disappoint my family who I never knew till recently." He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "You're my mate, you know it. Sooner or later I'm going to claim what's mine." All I could see was possession in his eyes. I stared at his lips as they came closer. He loosened the grip on my neck and pulled away. "Aqua, I don't give up easily." He left me with my knees weak and self control hanging by a thread.
CHAPTER ONE
Aqua's P.O.V
Take Me Away
"I'm not trying to hurt you Aqua." That's what he said after he broke up with me, not that it helped at all. "You're just too submissive and that's not really what I'm looking for." Maybe he was right but I wish I knew before I wasted all that time with him. "I thought it was hot at first but I'm a little bored with it now. I had a good time with you but I can't picture this going anywhere." They always get bored so why do I bother dating at all? Maybe because I think love will save me from my depressing life.
I couldn't help the tears and he couldn't help wiping them away before walking out of my life for good. Later that week my therapist had to dive deeper into the situation in every way. I didn't have much to rely on now for happiness but that's nothing new. I thought things would look up soon because I was with him but you can't put all your hope in a relationship. My parents knew it wouldn't last but that's because they don't think everyone was cut out for relationships. I'm one of those people to them.
When I came home from my therapy appointment we had guests. No one I'd ever seen before, but I didn't think too much of it since I didn't know all of my parent's friends or co-workers. I was supposed to be on my way to class but I dropped out of college a few weeks ago. I didn't tell my parents since I didn't really drop out, well not officially. I just stopped attending my classes and a few already dropped me. Sometimes I wondered what this is all for because I don't know if I'm living for myself or just to fit into social structures and economy. Maybe it's my adhd that makes me feel so disconnected or maybe it's more than that. "Aqua, you should join us," my mom said as I almost slipped away to my room.
It seemed like they were arguing before I came in so I wasn't going to bother introducing myself. I walked into the living room where they were all seated on two separate couches. On one were my parents and on the other were two oddly dressed men. One looked a little older than me and the other could have been his father easily. The older man looked familiar but distantly. "I'm Aqua, their oldest daughter," I introduced myself since nobody else wanted to speak first.
The younger man muttered, "That's up to debate."
A faint sigh came from the older man in response to the younger. "I'm Konn and this is my son Cade." They seemed different than anyone I had met before and I'm not just talking about appearance.
"We should tell you something first, Aqua." My father blurted out. "I'm ashamed we haven't already had this discussion. We should have had it in private a long time ago."
I didn't want to have this conversation because I already knew. "You mean about how you found me when I was a baby-" I wanted to get straight to the point since anticipation was frustrating for me.
"You know, but how?" my mother cut me off as usual. "We made sure you wouldn't know... we'll not this soon." I never suspected until I was fourteen or fifteen. Somehow I just knew but I was hoping every kid felt that way. It's not like I looked that different from my parents. Sure we didn't look identical but from what seen not all families did.
Konn stepped forward. "It's the intuition. We don't have much time approved so I have to cut to the chase." He looked down at me. "I'm your birth father and I left you in this world nineteen years ago. I didn't plan on coming back but now I don't have a choice. I have to bring you back with me. I can't say anymore in front of them." It shouldn't have felt as real as it did.
"Father we need to leave, we don't need anyone's understanding or permission." Cade looked down at his watch nervously.
"Of course you need permission, we raised her." My mother wasn't going to just let me go with them but it's not like I was a minor. If I wanted to go I could, in fact I felt drawn to them. "You don't have any proof that she's your daughter. You'll get a test done then we'll figure the rest out."
Konn didn't pay my adoptive mother any attention. He looked at me as if It was my decision. I couldn't stop thinking about how he said he left me in this 'world' as if he lived in another. A lot hit me all at once and I wasn't even over my break up yet. "Can we slow down?"
Cade scoffed. "No we can't." He started to pace. "They told us we had an hour to be here and back with the possible holder of the almost lost abilities. The outside world is already insufferable enough."
I'd be crazy to disobey my birth parents and go along with them wouldn't I be? I would be stupid, naĂŻve, and gullible. I turned to my parents and really saw them. I saw what they represented in this moment and how I never really felt a family bond with them. I had my chance to start over somewhere new. If someone asked me now why was I even considering leaving with these two strange men I'd smile and say I have nothing to lose. I'd say nothing could be worse than existing the way I was in an empty day to day life where I couldn't feel whole or even barely satisfied. I looked away from my adoptive parents and up at Konn. He looked like a clean responsible type and not like someone I'd even get along with. If what he was saying was true then he abandoned me with no plans to come back. The only reason he was here now seemed to be an order from someone they saw as important. For some reason I knew I'd be fine, call it 'intuition' like Konn did but I knew. "Get me out of here," I said with exhaustion.
Konn simply nodded and my parents followed us outside yelling. My mom went back in after threatening to call the police as if I wasn't over eighteen. "Aqua, I'm so disappointed in you for leaving like this, you don't care about your siblings, us who raised you, or anyone else but yourself!" I'd be lying if I said those words my adoptive father said didn't hurt. I didn't reply to what he said because after feeling a heavy wind and a loud noise I turned around to see two large... dragons in our front yard. Thankfully we lived outside of town and there wasn't another house for miles but they wouldn't have even believed their eyes.
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