Page 3 of Emerald Waves (Primordial Protectors #2)

Chapter Two

Emerson

“Where is that logbook? I remember sliding it into this section.” Who was I kidding, as of late my thoughts were all over the place.

Even on the best of days my thoughts were out of control, and I feared I had well and truly lost my mind.

Not a great thing for an archivist and if I so much as mentioned this to the Denarius brothers, I’d lose the only job I’d ever loved and likely the only home where I felt I’d belonged.

As soon as I stretched, precariously perched from a library ladder long past needing replaced, the rung snapped, and down I went.

Well, shit.

There wasn’t a shred of doubt in my mind that my arm was broken, possibly my hip too. Given the searing pain, I wove in and out of consciousness, unable to move. Unable to call for help. Was this how I was meant to go?

The voice inside my head cursed me for making such a foolish mistake. My grip on reality was but a mere thread on the verge of extinction as a war waged within me. It was no longer safe for me to be left unattended.

My clan was right. I was useless as a dragon and now even more so as an omega. I’d failed the goddess, my clan, and worst of all, myself.

A feeble breeze ran through my hair. Light, airy and carried with it the hint of a familiar scent. Parchment paper, quill ink, and salt water. Was this how it felt to pass over to the other side? Completely at peace, filled with a sense of calm like everything will be alright.

Will those on the other side welcome or shun me as the bodies on this plane had.

Either way, I was about to find out. I shot out a quick prayer to the goddess herself that it would be a better life for me.

After all the physical and emotional abuse that I’d suffered, barely surviving this one, I more than deserved it.

Love.

That was all I ever wanted. To be loved and accepted, no matter how broken I was.

Failure.

That’s all anyone will remember me as. It’s all I ever was.

Memories flashed through my mind’s eye, both good and bad, though mostly the latter.

Naked and beaten by the elders as they cast me out when I didn’t shift.

Thirteen and alone. Neither of my parents fought to save me.

Had Larkin not found me on the side of the road when he had, I’d have died from my injuries.

Now, he was another on the long list of those I’d disappointed.

Please Goddess, take me now , I cried out. But did she hear me? Would she grant me that last single wish and allow me to pass with the fractured shred of dignity I had left?

“You’re not going anywhere, Emerson.”

Great. Even she didn’t want me. So where does that leave me? In between worlds? A lost soul wandering through the afterlife with no direction, just as alone as I had been in this one?

My dragon would never be though. Once I died it would be rid of this feeble body that never harnessed nor accepted it for the regal beast it was. A body unable to grant it the freedom it desired. Trapped.

I’m sorry I wasn’t enough.

Would my dragon accept my apology and forgive me for my faults? Would it remember me in the afterlife? Or would it too be thankful I was gone.

“You’re enough, Emerson. I’m sorry I was so blinded by rage.”

You’re forgiven, dragon. You didn’t choose me, and I wouldn’t have either.

“Fate paired us, Emerson, and for whatever reason they had we’re meant to be mates.”

How can one be the mate of their own dragon?

None of the archives provided so much as a hint of that possibility. There was so much left to learn that I’d now never be privy to. What a shame.

“Please, fight the fever, Emerson. I promise to do better by you.”

That voice, so familiar. This was the first time my dragon actually spoke to me. How could that be? But where had I heard this voice before. Had my dragon spoken and I’d not listened? No wonder it hated me as it did.

A gentle press of lips to my forehead as my eyes fought to open. Had my dragon left my body? A final glimpse was all I needed so I could see it for the first time. Then I’d pass quietly into whatever realm the Goddess felt I was worthy of. Only it wasn’t my dragon who was there.

“C-Caro?”

“Yes. Your body is wracked with fever. Raven is here, doing her best, but without your dragon your system is in for one hell of a fight.”

“There is one way, brother. You know this.”

Ionus was here too?

“Am I, am I dead?” Did we all die? Had the earth exploded? And how in the world did I make it upstairs and into my own bed.

“No, Emerson,” Alex stepped forward. “You’re not dead, but you did scare the shit out of us. Caro found you. Raven is doing her best to heal you now. It would be easier with…”

I knew what he’d say next. “If my dragon hadn’t rejected me.”

“I’ve not rejected you.” Caro’s harsh voice came through loud and clear.

“You’re not my dragon. I’ve never met my dragon because I never shifted.” I didn’t dare say my dragon had stirred, wishing to be freed of me because they already thought I was insane and who knows, maybe I was.

“I am your dragon. Your…” he paused as though it pained him to say whatever came next. “Mate.”

“Fate wouldn’t be that cruel to you.”

“We’ll be working on your self-esteem. I’ll not allow you to talk negatively about my bestie.”

Dare I believe that Alex considered me his friend and a best one at that? I’d never had a friend before. These dragons were far too nice. Soon, I’d heal and return to the role as the weird town outcast, with his nose buried in piles of books.

Back to my sad, lonely existence.

Death would’ve been much easier but I somehow managed to fuck that up too.

“Caro, you know what you must do.” Ionus wasn’t happy but Caro’s responding snarl said the brothers were warring about something. Whatever it was, I felt sorry for the loser of that rift.

“Emerson,” Raven patted my good arm. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. Caro, if anything changes get ahold of me right away.”

“Aye. Thank you Raven, for everything.”

Wait, Caro was staying?

“You don’t need to stay, I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving you, Emerson.”

“Why? Why would you stay when you don’t even like me? Guilt? No thanks. I’m better off alone.” I refused to be anyone’s pet project just to appease whatever demons they fought. No thanks, I had enough of my own to battle. Just leave me to lick my wounds and slowly disappear.

“Ugh, you’re so frustrating.” Caro paced in front of me, grinding his teeth. “Don’t you hear it or are you too far gone?”

Just like the others. They all believed I belonged in a padded cell.

“I don’t need you.” The tears hit and I wanted to scream. “I’m not crazy.” Well, that was debatable on the best of days, but I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of being correct.

“I’m fucking this up.” Caro stopped and dropped to his knees in front of my bed.

“You’re my mate. We’re mates. Don’t you feel it?

When you got hurt it was like I couldn’t breathe until I got to you.

There was no thought, no wondering what to do.

It was a get to Emerson now kind of eruption that consumed me.

My dragon had never flown so fast in our life. ”

“Well, that may be because you’re a protector.

I’ll look through the notes as soon as I’m back in the archive room.

I remember something, though not too in depth.

But I do believe the five protectors can feel the weights and worries of those they protect.

” Which book was that in. “Ouch!” Everything hurt and evidently moving wasn’t happening, let alone walking down a flight of stairs.

“Emerson. Focus.”

Blink-blink.

“Um, I was. I wanted to find the scroll where I’d read that. It’s actually quite interesting. The way you five can…”

My words were cut off by his lips.

On mine.

Like, in a kiss sort of way.

Oh my.

“Now, is it my turn to talk?”

Every inch of my body tingled but I managed to nod. Words? For someone who spoke multiple languages and was well versed in them, I had none.

“Thank you. As I was saying, when you got hurt I knew something was wrong. My dragon was restless and determined to get to you and we were nowhere near you nor this building. He wasn’t soothed until we were by your side. Honestly, neither of us were until you finally came to.”

“Oh.” The fall must’ve broken my brain. Or else that kiss did.

My first kiss.

“Are you alright?” Caro gently turned my head to the side. “You’ll be bruised for a while. Hitting that concrete as hard as you did, you’re lucky you didn’t crack your skull.”

“I’ve been told I have a hard head.” There they were, I knew my words weren’t too far away.

Caro smiled. A real, not forced, reached all the way to his eyes one. “No denying that.” Did he just lightly stroke my jaw? Did I just lean into it and purr?

I don’t purr.

I do.

“Eeep!” Who’s voice was that? “Ouch!”

“Emerson, careful. What spooked you?”

“I-I heard another voice.” Was it possible?

Yes, and you know who this is. You’ve ignored me long enough.

“My-my?” I couldn’t get the words out. All my life I’d done everything I could to find my dragon. Now suddenly it stirs and then speaks to me.

Mate.

“Mate,” I repeated.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you. Remember what happened with Alex after he and Ionus mated?”

My foggy brain ran through their whirlwind romance. Alex tried to leave, Alex got hurt, Ionus and the brothers rescued him. Alex went into heat.

Oh my.

Those two words appeared to be at the top of my vocabulary today.

“I see the realization hit you. Deep breath, Emerson. Nothing, and I do mean nothing happens without your consent. But you know better than anyone once a dragon finds its mate we go from zero to DEFCON 1 in a matter of seconds. My dragon has claimed you and given the fact you’re hearing from yours for the first time, that says the same for you. ”

Mate.

Caro had no idea what hearing that voice inside me did, though the uncontrollable tears may have alluded to it.

“I hope those are happy tears, Em.”

Em. A nickname. Many a story revolved around just that. Nicknames were seen as a sign of caring, unless they were used by schoolyard bullies. This one felt…real, genuine even, and kinda sweet coming from a big, grouchy dragon.

“You’re bruises are fading already. The more your dragon emerges, the quicker you’ll heal.”

“I don’t understand how this is happening, and so quickly. To go from nothing to suddenly everything.” Things like this don’t happen to people like me.

The lonely. The forgotten. The broken.

“I feel what you feel. It’s not as strong as it will become, but I feel sadness emanating within you.

Emerson, I’m not always going to say or do the right thing.

I’ve been on my own for a long time and gave up searching for my mate centuries ago.

It will take time to curb and mold this old dragon into the mate you deserve. Please, be patient with me.”

“Y-you? You think you said something wrong?”

“Why else would you be sad? I know how much it means to you to find your dragon and now here I am, fucking this up.”

No, no don’t say anything. Too many cards. Yes, too many glimpses into your soul.

Mate.

Great, now I warred with my brain and my dragon.

Tell. Mates don’t lie to each other.

“Emerson, your arms. The bruises are gone. Your scales.”

“Scales?” No, that-that’s not possible. Not at all. No.

Through the tears I saw the most amazing shades of teal and greens.

“It’s, it’s,” I ran a finger along them and watched in wonder as it shifted into a claw.

“Your dragon is trying to tell you something.”

Without thinking I threw myself at Caro. The most un-Emerson-like thing I’d ever done. I didn’t embrace others. I kept my distance and stayed to myself. Excitement overcame me and the next thing I knew, my head rested upon his chest, his very firm chest. Then his arms wound around me.

This was…

Heaven.

Yes, heaven. Thank you, dragon and thank you for not abandoning me.

You have us both now, and my dragon too, Emerson.

How-how can you hear me.

Mate.

Which dragon was that.

Yours.

“I want to fly. Can I fly? Where do we go? Can we go now? No, it’s daytime. No flying in plain sight. Wait, I’m standing. Am I healed? Yes, I’m healed.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how fast that brain of yours works. You are truly an interesting man.”

“Interesting is bad.” It didn’t take long to burst the bubble. I knew better than to allow to inflate in the first place. I tried to pull away and put distance between us, but Caro wasn’t having that.

“Interesting is not bad. Interesting is intriguing, never boring. You’ll keep me on my toes and that’s a very good thing.”

So, he says now.

So, he says forever.

“There are too many voices inside my head.” Shoot, saying that out loud only confirmed what they already thought of me.

“You’ll get used to it. I bet all along your dragon was talking to you, only you were too stubborn to listen.”

Possibly…

“Our dragons are smarter than we give them credit for. If they tell you something, listen.”

How do I sort through all the voices when there are so many inside my head?

You listen to the one you’ve ignored.

What a fool I’ve been. My dragon never left me, I was the one who abandoned him.

“You don’t have to figure it all out now, Emerson, so wipe the scowl from your face. We’ll do this together. We’ve both made mistakes we’ll atone for. But we will fix it all together, right?”

I chanced a glance at the handsome protector whose arms I was still cradled in, and there he was, flesh and blood. This wasn’t a dream. This beautiful man, whom fate deemed was mine, had saved me. His emerald eyes bore into mine, awaiting my response.

“Together.”

Any other answer wouldn’t do, though I had no clue how to wade through any of this.

Together.

I sighed. Yes dragon, and thank you for never leaving me.

Thank you for finally allowing me to have a voice. Now, let’s get on with this mating ritual.

Dear Goddess, I awoken a beast in more ways than one.

No need to answer, as my home was once again invaded with Denarius brethren. They’d only just left, hadn’t they? Or had I lost all track of time being this close to Caro? Maybe they waited downstairs while we talked. Too many questions, most of which didn’t really need answers to.

Let it go, Emerson and enjoy what’s about to come.

Yes, dragon, enjoy.