Maud has known that she is destined for life as a dragon’s wife, but she has contractual obligations that she has to finish first. On her last assignment, everything goes wrong and she goes from filing paperwork to being scooped up by Raiders for use in one of their arena facilities, providing black market fighting to an entertainment hungry universe. Tridell has been patient, waiting as dragons do for his woman to come to him. When he finds out she is lost in space, he pushes to find her and puts his own life on the line to bring home the woman of his dreams.
This short story is made special by the friendships as well as the fated mate love story. I really like that we get lots of time with the couple and a building of a world.
For a Terran whose strongest talent is the ability to deflate male ardor (and anatomy), Maud manages to attract quite a following: a loyal work partner, a stable of imprisoned gladiators, a dedicated group of colonists (with a planet for her to rule) and her very own, very sexy, dragon mate. I loved it!