Page 8

Dragons

Deke

B etween them, and while working around Ozyn’s grumbling, Aldrin and James got me fully unhooked and dressed in some scrub pants and a thin robe.

“Wouldn’t want to meet your future in-laws naked now, would you?” James teased, a grin on his face.

I really liked both Aldrin and James, but the nurse and Kota’s omega father just had that extra sweetness which drew people to him.

My omega, though? He was not sweet, not at all, or at least not so far. I was blaming the stressful situation for his prickly attitude and rude behavior. Not that I really cared that he was a menace to other people. He was gentle and caring with me, or at least, he had been so far. He watched every movement I made, as if it was the most important thing in the world to him.

Same, though. I watched him like he was my new religion. He was my very reason for breathing my next breath. I still couldn’t wrap my head around having a mate of my own. All I wanted to do was take him home and get to know every inch of that compact body, then earn a place in his heart.

“Are you okay?” I asked him as we led the way to the main house. Aldrin hadn’t wanted me to leave the clinic, but there just wasn’t the room for everyone to talk.

“I am. Are you ready to be walking so far?” His concern was touching.

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to meeting your brothers. I want to know all about you.”

Honestly, I was still reeling from everything since I’d woken. It was a lot. Not only did I have a mate, he was a dragon. A being we thought was long extinct.

The male part of it wasn’t a problem for me. I’d been with a couple of guys before. Usually I preferred women. My wolf paced inside me, worried I was going to reject my mate. No chance of that. While he wasn’t a she, I wasn’t about to turn down this gift.

Ozyn was beautiful, with delicate, regal features. In the sunlight, his hair was pale gold with streaks of honey. His eyes were even more captivating, and I was obsessed with his lips. The cupid’s bow was pronounced, each both his top and bottom lip were full and inviting. Were they as soft as they looked?

Ozyn’s cheeks pinked. Utterly adorable. I didn’t care that he was apparently this ferocious dragon. He was fucking cute! And mine. So mine, he’d burst through a portal to get to me.

The necessary players were in the library when we arrived. Blake, Kade, Dakota, Roan, Teárlach minus his mate Axel, which was unusual, and the representatives from the Greenbriar pack, Alpha Leith, and my counterpart for their pack, Reggie.

Chase arrived moments after us while I was trying to get a seat that wouldn’t upset Ozyn. I couldn’t sit next to anyone who was unmated or the other alphas. Maybe I should have been irritated by his behavior, but I loved how possessive he was over me already. I’d never had this before.

“Right. Are we ready?” Blake called the meeting to order. “Bring in the others, please.”

Melody, Sam, Micah, and Mateo all escorted three rather large shifters into the room. My wolf was instantly on alert. I felt the massive amounts of magic they held inside them. It was strange, almost like there was more magic than there should be for the three dragons.

Rather than go to the men who had to be his brothers, Ozyn sat still beside me, his hand in mine. His gaze flicked to his brothers. I guessed, like us, they could communicate mentally through a sort of pack bond, but he gave no sign of it. Instead, he just watched them.

“Reports say,” Blake began, “that a dragon flew to the portal site, was denied passage, then without discussing it with either side, the dragon forced the portal open wider before going through. Once on the other side, the portal returned to its usual size. No one was hurt, just startled. Not long after, three more dragons expanded the portal to go through. They did not ask for permission to cross.”

Blake almost looked amused by the situation. Kade was definitely trying not to laugh.

“I’m told they also…” Now I knew he was trying to hold his laughter in. “Um, they also threw a head through the portal?”

Kade was laughing openly now. “A head? Why? So random.” He leaned into his mate while both chuckled.

“It was the head of our enemy. The fae who had kept our king prisoner for a century!” one of the dragons spat.

“He deserved to die,” another muttered.

“Why here, though?” Kade asked once more, confusion scrunching his face. The amusement was gone from his expression.

“He was a gift for our king,” the last of the brothers said, as if it was obvious.

“Who is your king?” Blake looked thoughtful. Teárlach was staring at me like I should know something completely obvious.

“I am,” Ozyn answered, his fingers flexing against mine.

Turning in my seat, I stared at him. “Seriously?”

Ozyn stood, taking his hand from mine, leaving my palm feeling empty.

“I should explain myself. I am Ozyn Drakonvar. Until a treaty with the king of the fae, Glorin Darkglade, I was king of the dragons. In the treaty, I agreed to be married to him, to ensure peace between our peoples. My son, Rezoth, is regent. He should be king now. I was gone for a long time. They,” he aimed a glare at his brothers, who all flinched, “were to crown him when I didn’t come back.”

“How long?” I heard myself asking in a small voice.

My mate turned to look at me. “Too long. No more, please. I can’t—“

The speech seemed to sap all the remaining energy from him. He crumpled before my very eyes. I wasn’t quick enough to catch him.

Something blurred into action. I felt a surge of magic move from next to the dragons, hiding in their shadows. A shape formed in front of my very eyes. A pretty fae with butterfly wings, dark hair, and purple eyes, was cradling my mate to his chest.

“Ozyn! You’ve done too much!” The fae looked devastated.

Jealousy surged within me. Who was this, touching my mate?

On the chairs they had been given, the dragons strained to stay seated. It was clear they wanted to go to their brother. Were they really brothers, as in related, or just what they called other dragons of their clan? There weren’t many common features between them.

I landed on the floor next to my mate without even realizing I was moving.

“Who are you? What’s wrong?”

Aldrin joined me on the floor, checking Ozyn’s vitals. I took him out of the fae’s hold, still anxious, yet marginally happier to have him in my arms.

Our healer frowned. “He has overextended himself. His body is similar to shifters, except he holds more magic, like witches. From what I can tell, he is malnourished and his well is very depleted.”

“Oz just had to shift, fly across Abrocaelum, and heal his mate after a century in a dungeon!” One brother remarked sardonically. “You, the fae traitor, did you feed him at all? He’s skin and bones!”

The fae was hunched in on himself, his wings sagging to the floor. “Of course!”

“Vale, leave the fae. Safilix got Ozyn out. Ozyn trusts him.”

So a brother was called Vale. That was a start. I assumed the fae was Safilix. I looked at him.

“Safilix is it? What can we do to heal him?”

“Please, call me Safi. In getting Ozyn out, I committed treason. I knew what I was doing and had help. My brother, the king, deserved to die—“

“Look,” I interrupted him, “I don’t care about all that. You helped get Ozyn here. Help us help him now. What does he need?”

“What he needs is a skin to skin connection to you.” The quietest dragon so far crouched down to tenderly brush Ozyn’s hair from his face. “That and a lot of food. His magic will replenish quickly once he has more energy. I’m Laer, by the way.”

“Thanks, Laer, I’m Deke, Ozyn’s fated mate. Will he really be okay with some rest and once he eats?”

“Absolutely. My brother is the omega, meaning he is the strongest of us. I know he was feeling overwhelmed from the magic in the air here. It has told us much about your world.”

“Explain, please?” Aldrin asked Laer.

The dragon gazed into the distance. “It is like your computers. We have had an upgrade in information. We now understand the more common vernacular, your technology, and so on.”

“Handy.” Aldrin looked like he really wanted to be studying the dragons.

In my arms, Ozyn stirred. I stood, holding him against my chest, then resumed our seats. I struggled to get my robe open so my mate could lie against my skin, soaking in our bond.

“Here,” Chase muttered. Reaching over, he pulled the robe apart.

Ozyn’s hand snapped out, grasping Chase’s wrist in an iron hold. “No.”

Chase wasn’t bothered. He withdrew his hand with a grin. “No touching your mate. Got it Ozzy dragon.”

“No,” Ozyn repeated, earning another smile. “Ozyn.”

“You’re the boss. Or king. Oooh, does that make you queen, Deke?”

Laugher broke out all over the room. Trust Chase to lighten the mood.

Over the next half hour, while Winter made a feast fit for a starving dragon, we all talked about what was next for us all. The dragons would have to return to Abrocaelum. All but Ozyn. My mate nearly pitched a fit at the thought of us being separated. I offered to go there. He wouldn’t have it, knowing all my family were in Sweetwater.

Still, the others had to return. There was no way the humans would appreciate all these dragons flying about the place. We’d have to speak to the authorities and assure them that the dragons meant no harm. This would be another reason for the aviary to attack us.

Speaking for the elves, Teárlach said his mother was pleased Glorin was gone. He was the last barrier to peace between them, especially now the fertility crisis was being solved. The fae had a similar problem, but also a curse. Glorin was their curse. As long as he tried to impregnate my dragon and elves, then his people were doomed to have no children.

I was glad he was dead.

Ozyn quietly pleaded Safi’s case. The young prince was ineligible to rule as a bastard child. He’d turned traitor along with the dead king’s advisor, all of them unable to put up with the crimes Glorin committed any longer. Ozyn said Safi had pledged his life to him and he wanted to give the fae a new life in our realm after what had happened to his wings.

“Heard there was a dragon in need of feeding in here!” Winter called as the wolf shifter pushed a cart into the room.

Everyone sat up to take in the feast the chef had prepared. The smells coming off the food were heavenly. Ozyn tried to stand to go to the food, the siren song of the scents luring him forward. His legs shook too much. He didn’t get far.

Whisking him off his feet, I put him down on the seat once more. “I’ll fix you a plate, okay?” He nodded, his cheeks rosy once more. Fucking adorable. “Anything you don’t like?” He shook his head.

I approached Winter with a friendly smile. “You are amazing, Winter. Thanks for doing all this for my mate and our guests.”

He grinned in return. “Since you have the manners, your cousin,” he coughed a fake sound with “Chase,” in the middle, “clearly forgot, then of course you may fix a plate for your dragon.”

Ozyn grumbled when I smirked at Chase. I let it slide. He just wanted my attention, which he’d get in spades once I had a decent amount of food for him. I’d feed him while he sat on my lap, then I’d take him home once the other dragons were gone. We wouldn’t bond anytime soon, so I’d have to get used to my feral omega. Ozyn would settle when our bond did.

Sure enough, Ozyn was as meek as a kitten when I returned to our shared sofa. I settled him between my legs so I could hand feed him. His strange cerulean eyes were alight with happiness as I gave him each morsel. His brothers watched us with what I hoped was approval.

Day one of dragons in Sweetwater, and I was killing it as a dragon mate.