Now Live: Author Reading of Fated Mates of the Drakoan Episode 3: Smelling His Mate

[00:00:00.220] – Danielle

Hello. In today’s video, I’m going to be reading episode three of Fated Mates of the Drakoan, titled Smelling His Mate. What a title. Let’s get started.

[00:00:16.950] – Danielle

Hi, my name is Danielle Forrest, and I’m an Alien Romance author. On this channel, I do videos about myself, my writing, and anything related to those topics. Like I said, today is all about episode three of Fated Mates of the Drakoan. Let’s get into it.

[00:00:33.360] – Danielle

Status, Davin barked. They had touched down in a clearing just outside of Washington, D. C. It was quiet, too quiet. And that left him on edge. He’d landed in the middle of a metropolitan area. It shouldn’t be this quiet. Shuttle’s locked down, Heath said as he stepped up to the group. Grace looked down at her bracer, comms are good. Got a signal from the ship. Scan’s confirming distance and route to the US Capitol. Should take approximately one-earth hour, Erik said, looking down at his own bracer. Davin nodded. He would have preferred parking closer. There was even a large lawn appropriate for landing in front of the White House. Unfortunately, the captain of the venture had assured them that no unauthorized flights were allowed over Washington, D. C. airspace. If any of the normal systems were still in place, it could have caused an interplanetary incident and jeopardized their alliance, which was something he wasn’t willing to do. Davin turned to Erik, Good, he said in response. Let’s head out. They quickly left the small park where they landed the shuttle, stepping into a residential area as they followed the route Erik had planned to their destination.

[00:01:45.630] – Danielle

At first, he almost forgot how things had appeared from the air. The buildings looked similar to the database photographs he’d seen with clean facades, intact windows and entries and roofs constructed in a way that reminded of his own scales. Beyond that, each home seemed to have trees, small green spaces, and often a vehicle called a car. Some homes were large, consistent with the size of homes back on Koa, though humans didn’t use them in the same ways.

[00:02:18.980] – Danielle

They called them “apartments” and loaded them up with many families instead of just one. Humans did have buildings intended for single families, but they were bafflingly small. He couldn’t imagine any family living in a place so tiny, but that was apparently normal here on Earth. As they continued toward the capital, he kept a keen eye on their surroundings, idly scanning for threats as well as answers. Initially, the only sign of something darker was the occasional vehicle sitting idle in the road. Sometimes it would just be stopped and abandoned, while other times it had hit something: another car, a small box propped up on a post, a sign. It wasn’t until they left this residential area and entered a business sector that the true depth of what had happened here made itself known. What the? Grace said under her breath. She stepped up to a storefront, her fingers dancing over the broken glass in the window frame before turning around. What happened here? Van stepped up next to her, his head pivoting on his neck as he looked inside. It’s been ransacked. He turned, his steady gaze taking in the area around him. They stood in a parking lot overlooking a major road with businesses lining either side and abandoned cars clogging up its five lanes.

[00:03:43.940] – Danielle

They’ve all been ransacked, Van said, pulling back from the window. Davin stepped up to his second-in-command. What are you thinking? I’m thinking we need to pick up their pace. Davin frowned, You think they’re threats? Van gave him his most penetrating stare. I think we should be on our guard and expect the unexpected. At some point in the last few days, anarchy clearly took over here. He looked up and around once again. If that happened again, we’d be outnumbered and overwhelmed. Davin nodded. Van wasn’t wrong. While the street was quiet now, that didn’t mean it would stay that way. Cities on Earth had far denser populations than on Koa. There were likely millions of people within even a reasonable walking distance from their current location. He looked around him, at his team, his friends, people he was responsible for and cared about. A chaotic mix of emotions rose up inside him, and he ruthlessly pushed it down, deeming it a dangerous distraction. He needed to focus, to keep his wits about him. He needed to get the job done and get out of here. Move out, everyone, he said, relieved to hear that none of the emotion he was currently feeling had slipped into his voice.

[00:05:07.040] – Danielle

Yes, Commander, they all said. After that, he pushed them forward at a ruthless pace, always jogging or running, never stopping. Davin wanted to focus on where they were going, on getting to their destination, but he couldn’t help the small inkling of paranoia that had slipped in. He scanned his surroundings now constantly for threats.

[00:05:28.450] – Danielle

As they crossed a bridge and then eventually spotted the US Capitol building in the distance. 

[00:05:34.770] – Danielle

Almost there. Then a brief gust of wind hit him in the face and suddenly he couldn’t move. He stopped dead in his tracks, his entire body screaming that something important had just happened, but his brain was too slow to tell him what. He looked around trying to figure out what he’d picked up on, but there was nothing. Just abandoned cars, damaged storefronts, and an eerie stillness that set his nerves on edge. Commander? Van asked. He’d stopped and turned around to face Davin, a confused expression on his face.

[00:06:06.000] – Danielle

I…, he started to say, but he quickly closed his mouth again when no words came to mind. What could he say? That some ephemeral sense was holding him frozen to the spot? That it was vitally important that he figure out what and where that something was, even though he hadn’t the slightest clue what it even felt like in his senses? He had been there and gone so quickly. The only thing his brain had registered was just how significant it was. It felt like the air he breathed, the very blood in his veins. It felt that important.

[00:06:43.410] – Danielle

And yet he couldn’t have even told you a single thing to describe it. He shook his head in frustration and tried to ignore that nagging sense of significance as he looked up at Van. It’s nothing, he said, even though he didn’t actually believe anything he’d just said. Van, never willing to let things go, just arched a single eyebrow at him.

[00:07:07.300] – Danielle

Seriously, I can’t arch a single eyebrow.

[00:07:10.220] – Danielle

I tried. Telling him without a sound how little he believed Davin’s words.

[00:07:19.980] – Danielle

I, he started again, trying to put into words the weird feeling he had. The rest of the team was still jogging to their destination, leaving enough distance between them now for a private conversation. But then the wind picked up again, and this time it wasn’t just a brief gust. It was sustained, and that vague sense of importance suddenly had substance. He could smell it, and it smelled exactly as it had always been described in all the books. It was enticing, compelling, and sweet enough to make his mouth water. His jaw hung open and he struggled to breathe. He needed to expel air to take in his next breath, but all his body wanted to do was breathe in, to absorb as much of this manna as physically possible. The emotion was so strong, he almost felt like crying. In fact, he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.

[00:08:17.520] – Danielle

I, he said again, his voice cracking this time with everything he was feeling. Davin? Van said. This time, looking worried as he slowly approached. Are you okay? You need to answer. You need to tell him. But his body and mind were struggling, caught between savoring this momentous event and performing the tiny acts necessary for survival. Then finally, something snapped and he let out a breath, gasping several times as his breathing returned to normal. He could still smell her, though, that sweet, addictive scent caressing his senses. She’s out there. She’s waiting. He looked over at Van, now a profound sense of awe rushing through him. Mate, he said under his breath, the very word feeling too divine for anything but a whisper. What? Van said, walking closer, almost within reach now. Davin? What is it? She’s here. Who, Davin? Who’s here? You’re not making any sense. My mate.

[00:09:29.680] – Danielle

Anyway, that’s it for episode three. Thank you for listening or watching. What did you think? Who do you think his mate is going to be? Because she hasn’t been introduced yet.

[00:09:42.890] – Danielle

What do you think he’s going to do about it? Let me know in the comments. Let me know what you’re thinking. And if you like this video,consider giving it a like. Consider subscribing and hitting the bell if you want notifications. I have all the ways of getting in touch with me or engaging with my content on other platforms, et cetera, in the body of the description of the video. I can’t talk. I also have a Ream subscription.  If you want to read ahead, I have… I don’t remember. I have generally about five episodes ahead on Ream. So if you do want to keep reading, you can do so there for five dollars a month.

[00:10:32.380] – Danielle

So that’s all I’ve got for you today. Thank you for watching to the end of the video. And if you want to watch anything else, check out the cards on the screen. Until next time. Bye.