On the heels of the brother's mating, Stone finds herself wanting the one thing she never desired. A mate of her own. Unfortunately, and to her extreme confusion, she desires a Human. If the decades-long feud between the Dragons and the Humans wasn't enough of a deterrent, she herself is desired be a very powerful Dragon. One she loathes. Since Damita's capture, Ryzel has had a hard time explaining how he survived; that he didn't set her up. And an even harder time getting the female Dragon, who let him escape, out of his head. It's more than just thinking about her. He wants to see her, to be with her. Questioning his sanity, he busies himself with sentry duty, only to 'touch' her in a dream, and realize resistance is futile. As Stone prepares to go to Ryzel, Hollow Dragon Oberon goes to her Father to ask for her hand, putting her at risk of a terminal forced-mating, and forcing Ryzel to challenge him. To the death. Knowing he has one year to learn to defeat a Dragon she trained fills the unshakable Stone with genuine fear. Although the Goddess Chakra's influence is ever felt through Pyra's presence, even their 'tricks' and 'solutions' may not be enough. If Ryzel loses, they both die. And he doesn't know.