Mates Part 1 (MxBxMxMxM)

Chapter 5: Flames of Fate and Echoes of Legends

Rewritten 5-20-25

Cozbi’s heart pounded at a hundred miles per hour, threatening to burst from her chest as she stood frozen in the small room of the maid’s quarters, her forest-green eyes wide with shock. She had been sorting through her suitcase, the worn leather case open on the modest wooden table beside her, its contents—simple linen dresses, a few trinkets from Hell, and a small, charred journal—scattered across the surface, her hands trembling as she folded a faded shawl. The only light in the room came from the hallway, its soft glow spilling through the shattered doorway, and the golden sunlight streaming through the window, its rays painting the cedar floorboards in warm hues of amber and honey, illuminating motes of dust that danced in the air like tiny stars. The sunlight bathed the room in a serene glow, a stark contrast to the chaos that had just erupted with the arrival of the stranger who now stood before her.

She pressed herself against the headboard of the narrow bed, its wooden frame creaking under her weight, her white cat tail flicking with a mix of fear and instinct as she tried to keep as much distance as possible from the massive, naked man who had burst into her room. The heat radiating off him was intense, a strange but warming touch that brushed against her skin like a lover’s caress, carrying the scent of molten gold and ancient embers, a primal aroma that stirred something deep within her. After a lingering moment of silence, the man stepped forward, allowing the sunlight to illuminate his bare, perfect form, his skin shimmering with a golden sheen that seemed to drink in the light, leaving Cozbi overwhelmed with a torrent of emotions—fear, awe, and an inexplicable pull that made her breath catch in her throat.

Draken stood over eight feet tall, a towering monument of draconic might, his short, messy blonde hair catching the sunlight like a crown of spun gold, the strands tousled as if windswept from a recent flight, streaked with faint threads of platinum that shimmered like molten starlight. His light blue eyes, piercing and cold as glacial ice, sat beneath thick, arched brows, their gaze sharp enough to cut through her defenses, holding a predatory intensity that made her knees weak. His white-tannish skin was almost gold in tone, smooth and flawless like polished metal, its surface rippling with a metallic sheen that reflected the sunlight in prismatic flecks, as if he were a statue forged from the heart of a celestial forge. Golden sideburns ran halfway down his sharp, angular jawline, their hue blending seamlessly with his hair, framing a face that was both regal and menacing, with high cheekbones and a squared jaw that spoke of ancient lineage and unyielding power.

“My Inner-Flame,” Draken rasped, his deep baritone voice a rumbling growl that sent shivers cascading through Cozbi’s entire body, the sound vibrating through the air like distant thunder, rich with a primal hunger that made her instincts scream to submit to the entity before her, a being far stronger than herself. “Who are you, my kitten?” he asked, his thick blonde eyebrow raising in a slow, deliberate arc, his icy blue eyes narrowing as he took slow, stalking steps forward, his movements those of a predator closing in on its prey, each step making the floorboards groan under his immense weight.

Cozbi trembled uncontrollably, not from fear but from the overwhelming instinct to yield, her white cat ears pinning back as she clutched the shawl to her chest, her mind racing with the realization of who had crashed into her room—the most powerful dragon shifter in the world, King Draken. She opened her mouth to answer, to give her name, but no sound came forth, her throat tightening as dread cracked through her thoughts. What if he discovered her true identity as a demon from Hell, a fugitive on a mysterious mission? The fear of exposure silenced her, her forest-green eyes darting to the shattered door, then back to Draken, her body trembling as she fought the urge to flee.

“I see that you know who I am,” Draken said, his voice softening slightly, though the rasp of his draconic nature remained, his icy blue eyes studying her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “There’s no need to fear me, my kitten. I’ll never hurt you.” His lips curled into an award-winning smile, the expression dazzling even in the sunlight, his serrated teeth glinting like polished ivory, a stark reminder of his draconic heritage.