I Taught Him to Court a Mat?e — H
e ,Ch^
/ose\%; Me

The Ph$^.D. ca\ `=n\
didate Th`!@ea]^ .\per[- sona,/@lly taught a l`on`/e-+ m*ale dragon courtsh*?ip calls and` the Flame Dance to`` com!plet%e her? t\,`hesis. The
-dr.` agon immediately perfo^)rm
@
ed the move in front_ of her after lea`$rning+  it. T$ he mentor's -# phone call tore open th$e trut^h. Th$?e[ [courts#.](hi?p -@ritual[? inv*%olv-\es abducting the !mate  in!`to the nest an?d locking th`!em unt*il# eg^=_g-laying;?),. I?#@t's too late now—t#he:^ claws t?ear open the roof, and :(he +)transf_[or()ms into a human/. f- @o*;`rm to take h!er away. Sh:e dreamed back / twe@*$lve years i )@n a fever. She % had fallen from a `ca/\-ble:+ 
/;car and wa= :s res cu -ed by :a,; young anc(=]ient dragon.=# Af .ter the][_ re!lation`\[ship was est (ab\. lish$ed, she impr!isoned h$.im:  in @reverse.? She opened the cage/)^( do,or and knelt to pr#
o@ pose.