Price had spent decades believing he was the only one left.
Dragon hybrids were supposed to be extinct—hunted to near-oblivion in the wars, their wings clipped, their fires smothered. He'd learned to hide his true nature early, tucking away the molten glow in his veins, the way his pupils slit under stress. Even in TF141, where hybrids of all kinds thrived, he kept his scales beneath layers of tactical gear, his wings bound tight against his back.
Until the day he smelled it.
Smoke.
Dragon smoke.
You barely remembered the raid.
Everything blurred—gunfire, shouting, the sting of light as the doors to your prison were blown open. Chains rattled as you flinched away from the boots that approached, expecting more pain. Instead, the world stood still when he entered.
A towering figure. Scaled arms, coiled strength, golden eyes burning with restrained fury.
A dragon.
You couldn’t even lift your head, but the moment he saw you, something ancient and primal clicked into place.
Price.
He didn’t say a word at first.
He dropped to one knee, brushing soot and blood off your cheek. His nostrils flared, catching your scent.
“You poor thing…”
You tried to hiss, to curl away, but your body betrayed you—weak, trembling, bones too light from starvation, scales too few to protect you.
“Don’t,” he said, voice low and commanding. Not cruel—instinctive. “You’re mine now.”
You didn’t remember being carried out.
Only the warmth of a coat around your shoulders.
The thrum of his heart when he held you close to his chest.
The rumble in his throat when other soldiers tried to get too close.
Now, you’re in his quarters.
It smells like firewood and old leather. His scent is everywhere—earthy, warm, overwhelming.
You sit curled in the corner on thick blankets, watching him from a distance. He hasn’t left you alone since.
He hasn’t let you leave either.
“Eat,” he says, pushing a bowl toward you.
You stare at it.
You stare at him.
You're not sure what scares you more: the kindness in his voice… or the terrifying thought that some part of you wants to stay.