Page 14

Building Fire

Deke

T he mood between us was different when we returned to the office. Sweeter in a way. Ozyn took the spare chair and put it next to me so he could sit close. Later, he ended up in my lap, his compact frame folded to fit.

Having him nearer soothed my alpha instincts after the scare with Ozyn in the kitchen. Honestly, admitting I’d let him go if it was what he wanted was harder than I thought. I wasn’t lying either. If he wanted someone else, or just didn’t want me, I’d live with it. After everything that’d been done to him, I’d never force him into something he didn’t want. That included a relationship with me. Fated mate be damned.

We stayed that way for the rest of the day. Ozyn seemed content to watch me rather than read or use the tablet. He showed he was present by asking questions.

Eventually, he fell asleep. I would never get sick of holding him. Having him trust me while he slept was so important to me. Each time he did it, I could feel the bond between us growing.

I loved Ozyn already. It was hard not to. He was smart, kind, principled, strong, cute as a button, and feisty. Literally everything I’d ever wanted in a mate, in the fierce dragon who forced his way through a portal to save me.

His mood was still there when he woke. I carried him home. He tried to protest, but I refused to put him down until we got into the house. Once there, he helped me make a simple dinner of omelets. I didn’t want to upset Winter after what had happened in the kitchen by asking for something more. He would have done it, though.

“We should apologize to Winter.” Ozyn didn’t meet my eyes. Shame soured his pear and rain scent. I could feel it pressing down on him.

“Already done. He says he’s sorry for overstepping.” Winter was good about it when I’d messaged him.

“Did he overstep a boundary?” Ozyn asked out of sheer curiosity. He made an effort to look me in the face.

“For plenty of alphas, yeah, he did. We’re pretty chill here, so he probably forgot.” Unable to bear the distance between us, I moved closer. Cupping his face in one hand, I stroked his cheek. “With us unbonded, an unmated shifter shouldn’t interfere. Even a beta.”

“Should I not be friends with Winter until we bond?”

Ozyn was more like a cat with the way he leaned into the touch. I wondered vaguely if dragons could purr.

“That’s not… no,” I hesitated briefly. The way things were, with Ozyn beside me constantly was great, but only for me. It wasn’t healthy. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I want you to have friends. It’s important for you to have other people outside of me to speak to. You need the support of others.”

Friends outside a relationship were vital to a healthy mating. I saw that everyday with plenty of the omegas in the pack. They went to each other, but they also had alpha and beta friends who would advocate for them if they needed it. Not that they should. Relying on one person to be all your support, provide everything you needed, was too much pressure.

“Should I look only to omegas, then?”

“No, because you might need an alpha to advocate for you if I piss you off, or do something you don’t like.”

“Do you plan on that?” Ozyn raised his eyebrows at me.

“I never want you to be angry or upset at me. Ever. It’s bound to happen, though.” I’d been a single alpha for too long. I was far too used to having my own way.

His lips twisted in a wry smile. “So make friends with mated couples?”

“You should do that anyway so you have lots of friends here. One day the bond will allow us to do things alone.”

Ozyn pulled away from me. “Is that what you want?”

I reached for him, tugging him back to me gently. “Not really. Why would I want you away from me when I can have you asleep in my lap?”

His blush was too adorable for words.

The next day our breakfast was waiting for us in my office next to a cheerful Larken.

“Winter wants you to know there’s no hard feelings about yesterday. He’s looking forward to spending time with you both once you solidify that bond.” Larken winced. “Until then, he kind of wants to keep his distance, in order to not give anyone the wrong idea.”

He sat down heavily. “I don’t know what went on, but Winter feels bad about it.”

I tucked Ozyn under my arm. “I spoke to him,” I assured Larken. “All sorted. No harm done. Me and Ozyn talked about the importance of friends outside the relationship.”

“Yeah, that’s really important. Like Dalton has Chase and Axel. Hell, he’s friends with most of the pack. I’ve got you, Roan, even Teárlach. As much as I love my mate, we need other people around us.”

Larken was looking at Ozyn, really trying to involve him in the conversation. I appreciated the offer as well as the dinner invite we had. Dalton would be a great friend for Ozyn. He was so smart like my mate but wouldn’t let Ozyn’s former role intimidate him.

“In a lot of packs we wouldn’t have people living with us to help with the babies. They would be raised by all the omegas. I think the way we do it is better. All the alphas I know are involved with every stage of raising the pups. How do dragons work?” Larken was asking the real questions. I didn’t like to ask Ozyn too much about his life in Abrocaelum because I worried about making him sad.

Ozyn slipped from my side and went to the pallet in the corner, finding it stocked with some snacks and books.

“Well, omegas rule the flights and families. Or deltas do if there isn’t an omega. Alphas are naturally protective, as are enigmas and betas, though betas are rare.”

Ozyn threw a smile in my direction. I sat, never taking my eyes off him. He looked confident for a change. It was a startling difference. This time I could see the king he used to be.

“With more alphas than any other type of dragon, they do the bulk of the work. They farmed our fields, raised the children, and looked after the home. Omegas were there to love the little ones, take care of the details, to manage and guide the alphas.”

“Huh, that’s pretty cool. You must miss it,” Larken said.

“Sometimes. I miss my children more than anything. Hopefully they can visit soon.” He looked wistful. “The boys would love it here. The lake, the orchards, how everyone works together. Ryoko would like the community feel. Gedith would be perfectly at home there. He has a lot of friends.”

Thinking of his children made Ozyn melancholy. He retreated into a book, staying quiet while me and Larken went about our day.

Eventually, Larken decided to take some work home to see if Dalton and Ingal needed any help. He picked up our lunch for us.

After it was delivered and Larken was gone for the day, Ozyn returned to my side. He appeared restless, picking up and putting down his book repeatedly.

“Come here,” I patted my lap.

He came to me easily, slotting as if my body was formed to fit around him. Given how much older he was than me, that was probably the case.

“I miss my family,” Ozyn finally admitted as he stroked a hand over my chest. “But there is nowhere I would rather be at this moment. You make me feel at peace. You make me feel things I think I had forgotten I could feel.”

“Like what?”

“Love.” He kissed my throat. “Happiness.” Another kiss, on my chin this time. “Desire.” His kiss landed on my lips. Those soft, pillowy lips brushed against mine in a question.

He initiated, I answered, parting my lips a little to take the kiss deeper.

Inside my wolf howled in triumph. This was everything we both wanted: Ozyn making the first move. Feeling confident he could trust me not to take it too far.

The kiss went on and on. It was a perfect, tender exploration. His tongue peeked out to brush my lips, so I opened, to let him dip inside.

Ozyn groaned when our tongues brushed. He pushed closer to me, kissing me harder while his fists clenched in my shirt.

I so badly wanted to cup his neck, control the kiss, touch him everywhere, but this was all for him.

The heat that rose between us was scorching. I’d never felt so much from a kiss.

“Please,” he begged, his face in my neck. “Touch me. I ache.”

My hands went to his ass with a questioning look. I was scared to misstep and undo our progress. He looked up and nodded. I adjusted him so his cute little butt was over my aching cock.

“Just because I’m hard, doesn’t mean we’re having sex. If all you want is over the clothes action, then that’s what I’m down for. You set the pace, okay?”

Communication, consent. I had messages from Kade telling me to take it slow with Ozyn, not that I needed them. I knew how to handle my omega. He was leading this show.

“Yes. I want to feel your hands on my skin. I want to touch you in return.”

“Touch away, but I’m not going to knot you, okay? That’s where the line is. My body is yours to explore, but we’re not bonding or knotting, alright?”

I could almost see the love in his eyes along with his gratitude. We were beyond words.

“Yes. Please touch me.”

My hands slipped up his shirt, over the planes of his stomach, further up to his nipples. I tweaked each one as I stole his lips in another kiss. I loved the sounds he made as I explored his body.

Ozyn rocked over my cock while his hands worked on the buttons of my shirt. He broke the kiss to lick and suck each of my nipples. He explored not only with his long fingers, but his teeth and tongue until he got frustrated with me. Taking my hands, he put them at the hem of his sweatpants.

“Touch me,” he ordered.

“Sure thing, sweet Ozzy.”

The tip of his cock was leaking when I reached in to stroke him. Ozyn moaned loudly, rocking harder as I drew him out of his pants and worked his precome over his length. He was probably slick, but I didn’t want to push things. Instead, I spat on my hand, adding it to the precome there. I loved the feel of him, hot and hard in my hand as I tugged and twisted, wringing more sounds from him.

It didn’t take him long to come over my hand. His head rested against my chest for a moment before he wriggled back, opening my pants and freeing my cock. He took his release from me and used it as lube to stroke my length.

Just the sight of him, lips kiss swollen, cheeks flushed with pleasure, his hair rumpled from my fingers, brought me to orgasm.

We shared a tender kiss. Inside, I thanked The Luna for the wonder that was my mate.

“Okay?” I checked in with him. It was further than I thought was safe. Only Ozyn could set the pace for the physical side of our relationship.

“Yes. I would like to do more of that soon. At home. Where we have fresh clothes.”

Him using the word home to describe my house shot a pang to my heart. Fuck, I loved him so hard.

“Feeling uncomfortable?” Between his slick and our come, he was a mess.

“A little.”

“Hold on.” I moved Ozyn from my lap to my desk, and stood, peeling my open shirt from my shoulders.

The door opened. “Looking fine for your mate there!” Chase called as he entered.

I didn’t see him move. Ozyn launched himself across the room and had Chase by the throat in the blink of an eye.

“You do not look at him!” he snarled. “He’s mine!”

“Woah!” I cried. “Ozyn, it’s fine.” I grabbed for a spare shirt, thinking if I covered myself, it would halve the problem.

Chase had to open his big mouth. “Smells of sex in here. Damn!”

Ozyn shook him. Chase was only slightly shorter than my six-two. He was several inches taller than the dragon, but Ozyn used his strength to shake him by his neck. His cerulean eyes glowed bright with blue flames.

“He is mine,” he growled once more.

I went to my mate to try to peel his fingers off Chase before he really hurt my cousin.

“Hey! We’re related, remember. He’s like my brother.”

“He was looking at us!”

“What’s—“ Blake rushed into the room. Using massive amounts of alpha power, he shoved it into an order for Ozyn. “Release him!”

My mate wavered, then let go. He stood stock still, looking horrified.

I spared a glance for my cousins. They were fine. Ozyn needed me. I went to him and took him into my arms, holding him tight. He sagged against me, letting his tears fall.

“It’s alright. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry!” he wailed.

Instead of dealing with Chase, who was rubbing his throat with a thoughtful look, I walked us to the pallet and drew him down, still in the safety of my arms.

“You didn’t mean it,” Chase said, trying for a soothing voice. “It was my fault. You’re not bonded and I caught you—“

“Enough,” Blake interrupted. “I think once you get yourself under control, a demonstration is in order. Meet me at the training room in half an hour.