Page 28 of Beneath Scales and Shadows (Lost Lunas of Artania #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

SORA

Sora sank into her makeshift bed—a sprawling, ever-growing nest—cocooned in blankets that carried the faint, comforting scent of smoke and spice. The silken robe draped across her skin felt impossibly luxurious, caressing her silver scales with each breath. She watched through heavy-lidded eyes as Ignis moved about their chambers with surprising grace for a being his size, his wings folded neatly against his back, tail swaying in a hypnotic rhythm behind him.

He’d been attentive beyond measure since they’d returned to their chambers—bathing her in the hot springs while she recovered from the first wave of her heat, massaging fragrant oils into her scales to prevent chapping, and now, feeding her by hand from a platter of delicacies she couldn’t have imagined existed days ago.

“Another?” He held out a glistening purple fruit, its flesh so translucent she could see the pink, heart-shaped core inside—a gentle reminder of those old Valentine’s Day candies tucked deep in her memory of her other life.

Her lips parted, accepting the offering. Sweetness burst across her tongue, reminiscent of honey and starlight, if starlight had a flavor. Juice trickled down her chin, and before she could wipe it away, his scaled thumb caught the droplet, bringing it to his own mouth with a rumble of satisfaction.

The simple gesture sent heat spiraling through her core, a reminder that her body’s demands had been temporarily sated, not extinguished.

“How do you feel?” His question carried genuine concern beneath the possessive edge.

“Cherished,” she whispered, the word escaping before she could consider it. Her cheeks warmed at the admission, but she didn’t deny the truth of it. “I’ve never been taken care of like this.”

His crimson eyes softened as he lowered himself beside her on the bed, his weight causing her to roll slightly toward him. “It’s an alpha’s duty to tend to his omega during heat. And my pleasure to worship you, my treasure.”

Her gaze wandered past him, catching on a large leather-bound tome resting on the bedside table. She frowned, struggling to recall when she had left it there—her last memory was placing it atop one of the many ornate chests scattered through Ignis’s chamber.

“Did you move that there?” She nodded toward the book.

Ignis followed her gaze, a knowing rumble vibrating from his chest. “Yes. I thought you might want to understand what’s happening to your body. The changes, the heat cycles, what to expect from me, your alpha king.” His tail flicked with what seemed like nervousness. “You were a scholar on Earth, after all. Knowledge brings comfort, does it not?”

Her heart swelled at his thoughtfulness. Even through the wild haze of their mating, he remembered the way her mind worked—how she needed to understand as much as she needed to feel. She’d always been a prepper, driven to collect every scrap of knowledge she could, especially when the weight of responsibility pressed on her shoulders.

Countless sleepless nights spent wondering if she’d prepared enough, studied enough, to face what was coming.

“Thank you.” She sat up, drawn to the book by an irresistible pull—one that had nothing to do with the ache of her heat and everything to do with the hunger of a researcher’s soul. Ignis had warned her that his true form might make things... complicated, given how different their bodies were.

She wondered what could make her alpha king so worried about what was to come. She wasn’t na?ve, but something deep inside her ached to experience all of him. If this The Biology of Artania held the answers Ignis couldn’t bring himself to voice, then she would do what she did best—research.

Abandoning the food platter, she crawled across the bed and knelt beside the tome. Her fingers brushed over the embossed cover, feeling the careful craftsmanship etched into every line beneath her touch. With reverent care, she cracked the cover, the heavy pages falling open as if they had been waiting for her.

The script danced across parchment yellowed with age, forming words in a language she shouldn’t understand but somehow did. Her eyes widened as she began to read a passage about dragon mating rituals:

“Unlike other species whose omegas submit passively, dragon omegas command their worthiness to be proven through Chase. Only the fastest, most cunning, or most determined alpha, beta, or delta may claim the right to mate. The omega leads the pursuit, testing endurance and cleverness, for only those worthy of carrying their bloodline should succeed in capturing them...”

Heat bloomed between her thighs as she read, a slick wetness gathering there. Unconsciously, she pressed her legs together, seeking friction to ease the sudden ache.

“The Chase may span days, across mountains and valleys, through dangerous territories that test not just physical prowess but courage and dedication. Some omegas enjoy taunting their pursuers with displays of agility. Others hide their scents, forcing alphas to rely on wit rather than instinct...”

A low, rumbling purr interrupted her reading. Ignis had shifted closer, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled her sweetening scent. The air between them thickened, heavy with pheromones and unspoken desire.

“Your scent changes when you read,” he observed, his voice dropping to a register that sent shivers racing down her spine. “It grows richer, sweeter—like moonflowers drenched in dew. What has you needy?”

Sora swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how responsive her body had become to even the suggestion of mating. “The Chase,” she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes. “I didn’t know dragon courtship rituals were… so elaborate.”

His tail moved then, sliding across the silken sheets to press between her thighs. The smooth scales provided exquisite pressure against her aching core, and she couldn’t stop the soft moan that escaped her lips.

“We’re creatures of passion and pride,” he rumbled, his eyes darkening as he watched her instinctively rock against his tail. “Though I fear I’ve deprived you of a proper Chase. The circumstances of our meeting weren’t ideal for traditional courtship.”

“I don’t feel deprived,” she gasped, gripping the book tighter as pleasure sparked through her. “You—you’ve given me everything I need. And more.”

His tail pressed more firmly against her, the tip curling to create the perfect pressure. “Have I? Perhaps we should make up for it.” There was a playfulness in his tone she hadn’t heard before, a lightness beneath the desire. “Once your heat has passed, I could give you a Chase worthy of my queen.”

The image flared in her mind—that first dream they’d shared. She was running through the thick woods, moonlight spilling through the branches as he chased her from above, ruby scales glinting against the stars, hunting her with a single-minded drive—to claim her.

Her heart raced at the thought, excitement mingling with arousal.

“Would you like that, my treasure?” he purred, leaning closer until his breath warmed her ear. “To make me work for what I’ve already claimed? To pretend, just for a day, that you might choose another?”

“Ignis,” she moaned, unable to formulate more as his tail moved against her with deliberate purpose. The pages slipped from her grasp, forgotten, as she gave in to the delicious pull of sensation.

He gripped her waist with his scaled hands, lifting her effortlessly until she straddled his tail, her robe falling open to reveal silver-scaled skin flushed with need. “Read more,” he commanded gently, guiding her hips in a slow, torturous rhythm against the smooth surface of his tail. “Tell me what else the book says about our kind and what’s to come.”

With trembling hands, she returned to the tome, finding her place with difficulty as pleasure built low in her belly. The words swam before her eyes, but she forced herself to focus, to give him what he asked.

“After—after the Chase,” she stammered, “when the omega finally allows themself to be caught, they—oh—” She broke off as his tail shifted beneath her, finding a particularly sensitive spot.

“Go on,” he urged, his voice thick with arousal as he watched her move against him. “What happens next.”

“They engage in a ritual of submission and dominance,” she continued, her voice breathy and strained. “The alpha pins the omega beneath them, demonstrating their strength, while the omega tests the alpha’s restraint by—by offering temptation.” Her hips moved faster, chasing the building pressure as heat built anew within her.

Ignis growled, the sound vibrating through his tail and into her core. He tightened her on her waist, guiding her movements more firmly. “And what happens then, my little Luna?”

“The alpha—” She gasped as a particularly delicious wave of pleasure crashed through her. “The alpha marks the omega, binding them together with flame and blood. It’s said that the—the Moon Goddess herself blesses such unions, creating a—a bond nothing can break.”

“Nothing,” he agreed, his eyes burning with possessive hunger. “Not distance, not magic until she reclaims our souls once more.”

Her movements grew erratic as she approached the edge, the book forgotten once more as she clutched at his arms for support. “Ignis, please—”

“Let go,” he commanded, his voice a mix of tenderness and authority that brooked no argument. “Come for me. Show me how much you need me.”

The fire inside her blazed higher, leaving only the sensation of his tail and her need for him. He held her steady, and his heated gaze devoured every tremor of pleasure that crossed her face. With a cry of his name, she shattered, her body convulsing as ecstasy washed through her in relentless waves.

He caught her as she slumped forward, cradling her against his chest as aftershocks rippled through her.

“My perfect mate,” he murmured against her hair, his voice thick with emotion. “My queen.”

Opening her eyes, she caught the glowstone’s light casting restless shadows across her bare arms, where new silver scales shimmered like starlight. For a moment, she wondered if it was the heat playing tricks on her, driving her delirious with want.

Her blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders, a golden veil framing the flush on her cheeks as she glanced back at the male who had ignited the omega heat thrumming through her veins—an ache so deep it threatened to undo her.

Ignis sat behind her, his dragoon form a mesmerizing blend of man and beast—ruby scales rippling over muscle, black horns curling back from his brow, dark wings folded loosely against his back. His crimson eyes burned with a hunger that made the air too thick, too warm. His tail shifted beneath her in a slow, deliberate ripple, and she gasped, still raw and sensitive, as ruby scales brushed firmly against her aching folds.

His scent—smoke, starlight and stone, wild and ancient—curled around her, tugging at her core, making her thighs press together instinctively. He leaned closer, his presence a heat that pressed against her back.

“Continue, Sora,” he rumbled, his voice a velvet growl that sent shivers racing down her spine. He gestured to the tome with a clawed hand, the motion deliberate, commanding. “Tell me what it says about that sweet omega body of yours and how it will fit mine.”

Her breath caught, a flush creeping up her neck. The words felt intimate, yet his alpha dominance tugged at something primal within her, urging her to obey. She shifted on her knees, frowning as he slowly removed his tail from beneath her, and leaned forward, bracing her hands against the open pages. The position arched her back, her robe riding up to reveal the silver scales glinting along her bare thighs.

“It says…” Her voice quivered, soft and shaky. “An omega’s body adapts… glands within her core secrete a slick… a magical essence…”

Ignis’s shadow fell over her, his presence a tangible force behind her. His clawed hand slid up her thigh, brushing the sensitive scales with a teasing sting, and she gasped, her words faltering as his fingers found the soaked heat between her legs.

“Keep reading,” he rasped, his breath hot against her ear. He pressed a thick digit against her entrance, circling with deliberate intent, and her hips rocked back instinctively, craving more.

She nodded and gripped the tome tightly, nails digging into the leather as she struggled to focus. “That slick… expands her tunnel… makes her capable of taking… any monster’s alpha cock…” Her voice broke into a moan as he pushed inside, stretching her with slow, deliberate care. His finger curled, stroking a sensitive spot deep within, and pleasure sparked through her nerves, sharp and overwhelming. “Oh—”

“Good Luna,” he purred, his free hand pressing down on her lower back, keeping her pinned against the side table. His tone was drenched with his approval, stoking the fire within her. “You feel that? Those glands are working for me now. Two little secrets inside you, Sora. One here—” He pressed deeper, finding a spot that made her cry out—”and another here.” His thumb brushed a hidden swell just inside her, and her knees trembled, slick coating his scales as her body yielded to his touch.

“They make you perfect,” he continued, his voice thick with satisfaction as he added a second finger, the stretch exquisite and intense. “They swell and pulse, dripping that sweet magic so you can take me— all of me . Every part of my alpha dragon’s cock—my twin stavs —forged just for you.” His words sank into her, branding her soul, and she whimpered, her sapphire eyes fluttering shut as the pressure built, coiling tight in her core.

The nest shifted beneath her, the quilt tangling around her knees as she surrendered to his touch, his dominance, the raw need pulsing through her. “Please,” she gasped, her voice a desperate plea, the tome crinkling beneath her tightening grip. She needed him to fill the aching void her heat had carved within her, to make her whole.

“Come for me,” Ignis snarled, curling his fingers just right, pressing against those glands until her slick gushed and her tunnel clenched around him. She shattered with a scream, her body convulsing as waves of ecstasy crashed through her, leaving her breathless and trembling. He didn’t stop, drawing out every shudder, every pulse, until she slumped forward, her blonde hair spilling across the tome like a golden halo, her chest heaving.

He leaned down, his scaled chest brushing her back, and whispered against her ear, “That’s just the beginning, my little Luna.”

Her body quivered, the aftershocks mingling with the relentless heat that refused to fade. She turned her head, meeting his molten crimson turned black gaze over her shoulder, her voice raw and pleading. “Please, Ignis… fill me. I need you inside me.”

Her sapphire eyes shimmered with tears of frustration and longing, locked on him as if he were her salvation.

Is this what a real omega’s heat feels like?

“Keep reading,” he commanded, nudging her thighs apart, this time with the sleek, powerful coil of his tail. The ridged scales brushed her sensitive skin, sending a jolt through her, and she gasped, her hips shifting back instinctively.

But then the air shifted, a sudden pulse of heat and power that made the chamber feel too small. Ignis stepped back, his dragoon form shimmering, scales rippling like liquid fire. A low growl rumbled from his chest, vibrating the stone walls, and his body began to expand, morphing with a grace that belied its ferocity.

Sora’s breath caught as he transformed, his ruby scales gleaming brighter, his form swelling until he was in his true draconic form—massive, overwhelming, filling the chamber with his presence. His wings unfurled, their obsidian leathery expanse brushing the ceiling, casting shadows that swallowed the chamber’s light.

His dark crimson eyes, large as glowstones, burned with raw hunger, and his thick, sinuous tail curled possessively around her. His ruby scales caught the light like a sea of molten gems, each one shimmering as he loomed over her, his massive head lowering until his snout was inches from her trembling form. The chamber felt too small, the air too thin, as his sheer size pressed against her senses, a myth-like force of fire and need.

She should have been terrified—any other human would—but her omega heat sang for him, her body aching for the dragon who was her alpha. His unique scent—smoke, starlight and stone, now amplified—flooded her lungs, and she whimpered, clutching the tome as she stared up at him, awestruck. His stavs —two of them, thick, ridged, and impossibly large—glistened gold on top of obsidian beneath his scaled underbelly, each one a promise of pleasure and challenge.

Her core clenched, slick dripping down her thighs at the sight, her body already craving him.

“Read, Sora,” Ignis rumbled, his mental voice a deep, resonant thunder that vibrated through her mind. His tail nudged her thighs wider, the scales gliding against her slick-soaked skin, and she obeyed, her voice trembling as she found the passage, the words tumbling out between ragged breaths.

“T-The alpha’s cock… knots the omega… locking them together…” Her voice faltered as Ignis shifted, removing his tail before the first of his massive cocks brushing against her slick entrance. The blunt, scalding tip pressed forward, stretching her with a delicious burn that made her moan. The second cock, for a moment, seemed absent, but then she felt it—hot, hard, and scaly, pressing against her ass cheeks. Its heat seared her skin, spreading golden precum that dripped along her lower back.

She gripped the tome tighter, nails scoring the leather, and continued. “The knot… presses against the omega glands… making her spiral with pleasure…”

The blunt, scalding tip pressed forward, stretching her with a delicious burn that made her moan. Each movement dragged his second cock between her ass cheeks, its ridged, scaly length rubbing against her sensitive skin, spreading more of his golden precum, hot and slick, across her lower back. The mingled fluids dripped down, pooling on the quilt, and she gasped, her hips rocking back instinctively.

“So brave, my sweet omega,” Ignis crooned, his mental voice a soothing balm against the sharp sting of the stretch. His head lowered, warm breath fanning across her neck as he pressed deeper, the first cock breaching her inch by inch, slow and steady. “You’re doing so well. Your body knows me—knows its alpha. Look at you, taking me so beautifully.” His words washed over her, easing the intensity of the stretch, and she felt the magical slickness of her glands working, her tunnel expanding to accommodate his monstrous girth. The sensation crashed over her, overwhelming yet threaded with a deep, instinctive comfort—her omega nature yielding to him, welcoming him. The second cock continued its relentless glide between her ass cheeks, a constant, searing presence that amplified every thrust.

She whimpered, her eyes fluttering shut as he filled her, the tome’s rough leather digging into her palms. “It’s… so much,” she gasped, her voice quivering with awe and strain, her knees trembling on her nest. “I can’t believe it…”

“I know, little Luna,” he murmured, his tail curling gently around her waist, steadying her with the silent promise of comfort and support. “But you’re perfect, made for this, made for me. Feel how your body opens for me, how it craves me.” He paused, letting her adjust, his dark crimson eyes softening with pride as he watched her. “Keep reading, Sora. Tell me what else it says.”

Her fingers shook as she traced the script, her voice breathless and halting. “The alpha fills the omega… his seed binding them… the knot ensuring their union…” Ignis resumed his slow advance, the first cock pressing deeper, its ridges dragging against her inner walls, sparking pleasure that made her vision blur. With each thrust, his second cock slid between her ass cheeks, its heat and golden precum painting her skin, the friction sending jolts of pleasure through her. She moaned, her hips rocking back instinctively, and he growled softly, a sound of pure satisfaction.

“That’s it, my brave omega,” he praised, his voice thick with adoration. “You’ve taken so much of me already. So tight, so warm—my perfect mate. I knew you could do it. Slow and steady.” His words anchored her, sinking into her soul, and she basked in his approval, her body singing with the fullness of him.

The nest sunk farther beneath them, the quilts twisting as he began to move, a slow, rolling thrust that pressed her harder against the side table—cushioned by her forgotten thick comforter. The tome beneath her shifted slightly, rocking with each thrust.

She gasped, her breathing uneven as her hips met his rhythm as the initial stretch gave way to a building ecstasy. “The knot… keeps them locked… until her heat passes…” she read, her voice breaking into a cry as something began to swell, pressing against her folds, sending waves of pleasure crashing through her from the new sensation. Ignis’s draconic form shifted, his wings flaring slightly, and he leaned down, his snout nuzzling the back of her neck, his breath hot and smoky.

“You smell divine.” Ignis let out a low, rough sound as he drank in her scent, his nostrils flaring with need. “Like moonflowers and warm cinnamon—sweet and spiced, all for me.” His voice was a possessive rumble, sinking deep as he thrust deeper, the first cock filling her completely. “Let me hear you, Sora. Let me feel how much you love this.”

Her moans grew louder, echoing off the stone walls, her body singing with the fullness of his first cock and the teasing heat of his second. “The omega’s scent… keeps the alpha aroused… pumping her with his seed…” she read, her voice breaking into a cry as pleasure spiraled through her, sharp and overwhelming.

“Can you take more, my treasure?” he asked, his voice gentle yet laced with hunger. His second cock, still pressed between her ass cheeks, nudged lower, teasing her slick entrance alongside the first. “Both of me, Luna, to claim you fully.”

She turned her head, meeting his lantern-like eyes over her shoulder, and nodded fervently, her voice a desperate whisper. “Yes… please. I want all of you.” Her heat flared anew, craving the fullness only he could provide, and she braced herself against the tome, her silver-scaled arms trembling.

He growled, a sound that vibrated through the chamber, and withdrew the first cock slowly, letting her feel every ridge of its retreat. Then, with deliberate care, he pressed both cocks against her entrance, the first re-entering her slick tunnel, the second breaching her alongside it, stretching her impossibly wide.

“So strong,” he murmured like a purr in her mind, his voice soothing as he sank deeper, the dual pressure overwhelming yet exquisite. “You’re taking me so well, Sora. My perfect omega, my precious treasure.”

His words anchored her amidst the intense sensation, and she moaned, her body adapting to his monstrous stavs , her slick easing the way.

“Keep reading,” he urged, his tail brushing her clit with a teasing flick, sending jolts through her.

She fumbled with the tome, her voice a breathless chant. “The alpha’s claim… binds them forever…”

Her body trembled, stretched beyond belief, yet the pleasure was a tide that carried her higher. Ignis’s thrusts grew steadier, a slow rhythmic pulse that stoked the fire within her, each movement sparking waves of pleasure that made her vision blur.

“You’re taking me so well,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble of pride. “Every part of me, Luna, just as you were made to. My brave, beautiful mate.”

His tail, still coiled around her, slithered higher, its tip nudging against her clit, already drenched with their essences. His tip sent a teasing flick that sent jolts through her, amplifying the fullness, the stretch, the relentless pleasure.

“Use me, little omega,” Ignis offered, his voice laced with command and desire. “Chase that pleasure.”

Her breath hitched. Each thrust rocked her hips, dragging her sensitive clit along the ridged surface of his tail, the slickness making it glide effortlessly. Each movement intensified the pleasure, the friction amplifying the fullness of his cocks inside her, pressing against her glands. She moaned and clutched the comforter as she rode his tail, chasing the ecstasy he offered. Her hips rocking to meet him as the pressure built, coiling tighter, brighter. The tome slipped from her grasp, forgotten, as she surrendered to the rhythm of his thrusts, the slow, deliberate build toward something epic, something that would shatter her.

Her glands pulsed, slick flooding to ease the way, and she felt every ridge, every throb, as Ignis claimed her completely, his stavs pressing impossibly deeper, filling her until she was nothing but his .

“More,” she gasped, her voice a plea, her sapphire eyes dazed with need. A deep, ragged sound tore from Ignis, his pace quickening, each thrust precise and relentless, pushing her closer to the edge. The stretch was exquisite, the pleasure a storm that roared through her, and she felt the first stirrings of his knots, swelling but not yet locking, as he held back, prolonging their union.

“You’re mine,” he rumbled, his snout brushing her neck, his breath hot and smoky. “And I’ll give you everything, my omega.”

The world narrowed to the heat of him, the fullness, the relentless build of pleasure. Sora’s cries grew louder, reverberating off the stone walls, her body arching as Ignis thrust deeper, harder, his cocks pressing against her glands, sparking stars behind her closed eyelids. The slow build became a crescendo, a tidal wave of sensation that threatened to drown her, and she welcomed it, craving the release that only he could give.

Sora was lost, surrendered to the sensation—his cocks filling her, his knots pressing relentlessly, his scent enveloping her. All she knew was him —his fierce need to claim her flooding her mind, drowning out everything else.

Finally, his knots began to swell fully, pressing against her glands, locking them together. Ignis held her there, his tail tightening around her waist, his claws digging into the stone floor as he rumbled, “All mine.”

She felt the first hot rush of his release, thick and abundant, spilling into her, and the sensation tipped her over the edge. Her body convulsed, slick and cum mingling as she screamed his name, lost in the torrent of pleasure.

But he wasn’t done.

He shifted, his wings flaring as he bent down, his draconic face lowering to her neck, his breath smoky against her skin. Instinctively, she tilted her head, exposing the vulnerable curve of her throat where his mark lay—a silent offering.

His fangs grazed her flesh, sharp yet gentle, then pressed in, piercing just enough to mark her once more. The sensation seared through her, a claim burning into her mind as his voice rumbled through her thoughts: “ You’re forever mine. Mine.”

“Yours,” she gasped, the word spilling from her lips as her body shuddered, the bond snapping somehow even more securely into place with his bite. Euphoria crashed over her, binding her soul to his tenfold, and she felt their essences intertwine, a union deeper than anything she could even fathom.

Ignis pulled back with a satisfied growl, his crimson rimmed eyes blazing with possession. Then, with a flick of his maw, he exhaled a small, controlled poof of fire—not to burn, but to envelop her mark in a warm, tingling blaze. The flames licked at her skin, consuming her in a rush of pleasure so intense it felt as though their souls were merging, becoming one.

Her eyes rolled back, stars exploding behind her lids as she cried out, her body convulsing against his tail, slick flooding as she ground harder, chasing the peak he’d ignited.

His tail pressed firmer against her clit, amplifying every pulse of his knots, and she spiraled into bliss, her voice reverberating off the stone walls. Ignis rumbled in approval, his claws digging into the floor, cracking the stone as he held her steady, his cum pumping into her in endless burning waves, sealing their union.

The omega heat began to ebb, sated at last by his claim, but Sora knew—deep in her trembling, silver-scaled body—that she’d crave him again, and he’d be there, her dragon, her alpha, to take her every time.

As the fire of his breath faded, the pleasure lingered, a testament to the forever they’d forged. Ignis shifted, gathering her carefully against him, their knot still holding them tight. The motion dragged a gasp from her lips from the raw sensation. His wings curling around the bed like a protective cocoon, his ruby scales gleaming in the chamber’s natural lighting. He lowered his head, his snout brushing her cheek, and his voice softened, a deep rumble that felt like a caress. “You’re mine, Sora,” he whispered in her mind, rough with emotion, “and I’m yours. Forever.”

“When I’m recovered,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the edges of his scales with drowsy fascination, “I think I’d like that Chase.”

His chuckle rumbled through her, warm and rich with promise. “Then you shall have it, my treasure. But rest now. Your heat isn’t done with you yet, and neither am I.”

She smiled, nestling into the warmth of him, letting her eyes slip closed as his scent wrapped around her—so familiar now it felt like a second skin.

“Home,” she whispered, pressing against his chest, breathing him in. “I’m finally home.”