*Ashur* Merna had fallen asleep between Father and I. Father glared at the ceiling, ‘you will keep your hands off Merna … unless I tell you that you can have her in my presence.’ I turned my head to study my father, ‘are you going to take her as your wife?’ For a while, he didn’t say a thing. ‘We can’t let her go … there's something about her that I can’t put my finger on but …’ I was trying to figure out the right words to say, ‘the sparks of energy … then the pull to be near Merna … and I can’t forget the taste of her blood!’ Letting out a sigh, ‘I have never tasted blood like her’s. And I have had my share of females and male’s.’ Father had pulled Merna closer to his body. ‘It can’t be!’ ‘What are you thinking?’ Judging by the tone that I was hearing, my father's mind was slipping to his memories of the past. He always told me that the past is done and should stay there. ‘I have a thought!’ Father's eyes started to swirl with gold sparks of energy. ‘What do you get when you mix the blood of a golden dragon with a Pirapancam?’ “A golden dragon?” I whispered harshly! I got the look from my father to stop speaking out loud. ‘There are no reports of any child born of a golden dragon since the creation of earth!’ I studied Merna’s slumbering form, ‘you would have known … there would have been a grand celebration!’ I heard a low rumble in my mind, ‘Pirapancam said she was not able to tell me Merna’s bloodline. Pirapancam mixed Merna’s bloodline with a golden dragon, that I am sure of. Not of our bloodline! I am connecting the dots and thinking Merna’s other half is fae related!’ There was a rumble in father’s chest. My mind was on overdrive, ‘what are we going to do?’ For the longest time nothing was said, ‘you are going to keep this to yourself. Tell no one!’ ‘Understood!’ I knew what this meant to us. Even if there was only twenty-five percent of golden dragon blood flowing in Merna’s blood, that would be enough for her to be killed by our enemies. All dragons that did not side with my father’s siblings were killed if they could not protect themselves. The few that followed Father, had scattered throughout the universe and realms, protecting the terrain that Father claimed. ‘If I hear any rumours I will kill you and anyone else on sight!’ He was dead serious. ‘Do you think I wouldn’t protect her? I had plans on claiming her if you didn’t!’ It bothered me that my father thought for a second I would bring harm to Merna. Black smoke was the only response I was going to get out of him. Merna was starting to wiggle around between the both of us. Bringing the sheet up to her shoulder, ‘Do you want me to tell everyone Merna is off limits?’ Our eyes were locked, ‘They should already know, tell our blood she is spoken for.’ Father moved a strand of hair out of her face. ‘What if Merna comes to me needing me to take away her pain?’ It was a question that needed to be asked, ‘and you are not around to fulfil those needs!’ ‘We will come to that when we cross that bridge … so …’ his eyes were glued onto Merna’s face. I was trailing my finger over her shoulder, ‘she is addictive!’ My father gave me the look, ‘will there be any issues?’ I wanted to say yes, that I wanted Merna for myself, ‘I will take it out on someone else, it will not quench the thirst but it will aid in the need!’ That is how I would have to deal with the urges. ‘Have you had any issues since the last time you tasted Merna?’ Father at least understood the need for blood. I had to be truthful, Father would know if I was telling a lie or saying half-truths. ‘To be honest, yes, but I was not going to overstep. It feels … like I needed her or that she was in need!’ ‘What do you feel now?’ Father’s tone seemed like he understood what I was speaking of. ‘Merna is content and I do not have the urge to sink my teeth into her flesh!’ I continued to move my hand over her shoulder and arm. It has been known but not often, dragons will share what they claim as their own. ‘It is the red hair!’ Father’s eyes softened as he motioned his fingers through her hair. “Sharing a mate is difficult!” His tone was above a whisper. ‘I will kill any other mates that come her way. She won't even know they exist!” ‘Share a mate!’ I absorbed the information that my father was saying, ‘To have more than one mate would mean that she is more powerful than she lets on.’ ‘A golden dragon offspring is not something you toss away, it is a gift of creation. The stronger the creation, the more mates the female or male will have. How powerful is she? We will tell as she gets older!’ My father informed me. Both my father and my eyes were glowing red, ‘we need to mark her!’ I informed my father, ‘This way we will know where she is all the time.’ I glanced at Merna, ‘she tends to be a handful at times!’ Father snorted, ‘you do not have to tell me about that!’In my father’s arms, Merna started to move aggressively, starting to moan and whimper. A single tear rolled down her face, ‘no!’ Merna started to breathe rapidly. Pulling Merna onto his body, the closeness stopped whatever it was that she had been dreaming of. Wiggling closer, placing my hand on her back, she started to breathe softer and relaxed completely. ‘Do you think she understands what a matebond is?’ I asked Father as I felt the calmness filtering off of Merna. ‘The thought of a bond and connection is foreign to her. That is why we will not mark her right away … she is the type that needs to come to conclusions on her own terms. If forced, she will fight it.’ Father started to chuckle, ‘she is a fighter … she will even fight her own needs if it meant that she were to be right. She is her own worst enemy!’