Page 2 of Marked By His Alpha Dragon's Desire

When I slept, I dreamt of a small town that felt like a home. Of a cozy home close enough to the town center that I could walk to work. Of a cute little backyard with a swing set for my dragonets. Their laughter echoed around me; wherever they played, it wasn’t where I could see them. The dream was hazy, consisting more of feelings and impressions rather than actual images.

“Raphael!” a voice called in my dream. The voice was melodious. A soothing sound that settled my dragon and made him purr. But when I turned, I couldn’t see who was there. I knew it was my mate, but they were out of reach.

They were close, though. Wherever I was heading, it was in the right direction.

I awoke a few hours later, rested enough that I could continue my journey.

At least my dragon seemed amiable enough to allow me to eat. I grabbed a quick meal from the diner and then was on my way again, heading east like my dragon insisted.

Towns passed by and I paid them no mind. Until I came to a sign that read “Willowdale: The county’s coziest town.” Weird flex, but okay.

My dragon rumbled their delight, and my foot hit the gas. The engine roared and my speedometer jumped a notch. Whatever Willowdale was, that was where I needed to be.

My dragon insisted, and I wasn’t questioning it.

Chapter 2

Luca

I was four months into living in Willowdale, and I still couldn’t get over how weird it was. In a nutshell, this place was goofy as fuck. Oh, it lived up to its designation as the coziest town. Someone designed the place straight out of a fairytale.

Main Street featured small shops, a bakery, a coffee shop, and the cutest library you ever saw. There was even a bookstore and a place that sold local handmade items from artisans in the area. Each storefront had a unique sign, and the buildings were cleanand cared for. Locals gathered outside and chit-chatted about the weather.

Everyone was nice—more than nice. They smiled when they saw me, engaged me in conversation. Though I had only been here a short while, I knew most everyone’s name. When I walked into a store or encountered someone on the street, they either knew me or knew about me. Like I was some sort of oddity. Sometimes, it just felt like everyone knew something that I didn’t. It seemed that everyone I met had lived in this little town their entire life. I was the only transplant, except for a few who had married lifetime residents.

Was that odd? Probably.

But Willowdale was just so darn cozy and fun and nice. I couldn’t leave it—plus, I needed the job. Because I was a paramedic with almost every possible specialization, I easily secured a position on their medical services team. I knew that I was sought after for my skills. Thankfully, the workplace was very well-managed, and I enjoyed it.

I had a schedule of three days on, three days off—three days of twelve-hour shifts, then three days without. Depending on the events of my shift, it was either incredibly boring or insanely busy. I loved it. I’d always known that I wanted to be a paramedic or a nurse. Once I made up my mind, nothing could stop me.

I was enjoying the last of my three days off. I had spent most of that time catching up on sleep, reading a few books, cleaning myapartment—generally being bored. Today, I needed to get out of the house.

My first stop: the coffee shop.

When I walked in the door, it was as if everyone there quieted down and looked at me. This was one of the many quirks of the place. It seemed like whenever I walked into a place, everyone grew quiet, like they had just been talking about me or about something I couldn’t know about. But there was nothing to really say about me. I didn’t do anything that would illicit any gossip. I was boring.

“Hi, Luca!” Michelle called. She was the manager of the coffee shop and worked the morning shift. “You looking for some coffee?”

“Of course,” I said.

Bernice, the owner of the bakery, smiled at me. She stood on the customer side of the counter.

“What’s on special today?” I asked.

“For you? Whatever you want. For everyone else? I felt like making pie.”

“Pie sounds good,” I said. “A little sugary for this early in the morning, but that’s all right.”

Michelle filled me a cup of coffee, adding a splash of creamer like she knew I liked, then slid over a plate with a slice of apple pie on it.

“Today your day off?” Bernice asked.

“It is,” I said. “Back on schedule tomorrow at seven.”

She nodded. “Well, if no one’s told you about it, I suppose I’ll be the first one.”

I took a sip of my coffee, intrigued.

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