Rhia Atkinson is a woman on the run. The same vicious creatures that killed her mother are on the hunt, and she’s the prey. She’d come to terms with her solitary existence until Drake came along, igniting her dreams of family and belonging. Traditions as old as time stand in her way as she tries to convince Drake that he’s her choice for a mate. With the enemy breathing down her neck, she has to figure out how to make it work before she ends up joined to a stranger, or worse, dead.Drake Sperwell has spent years searching for one woman, the Queen of Avalore. Time is running out. With the survival of their species hanging in the balance, failure is not an option. What he didn’t count on was his reaction to the woman. Or his dragon’s need to claim her as its mate. Denying their chemistry might just kill him, but she’s off limits. Her destiny lies with her true mate in Avalore.