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Ozyn

B eing with my mate worked on soothing the fractured pieces of my soul. Little by little, his attention, his care, melted my sharp edges, softening me from the feral creature, the beast I had become.

Deke’s gentle service, as he fed me tasty morsels, made it easier to push everything that had happened to me into a box in my mind, to be opened at a much later date. There would be time in the weeks, months, years, to come for us to work through the events of the last century. For me to make my peace with all that had been done to me. I might never be completely whole, yet I sensed with a surety I would stake my life on, that Deke would never hold my past against me.

It was not quite that time to be dealing with my issues. I sensed there was much wrong in the Sweetwater pack. There was an air of being on guard I had not noticed at first. Their careful observation of us suggested a former betrayal. The entire property was covered in guards, both shifter and elven alike. These were people under attack. They were at war.

Once my mate settled on the sofa with me, I sort of zoned out. Our bond pulled at me. I felt his firm body against me, a siren song, tempting me to find somewhere quiet where we could consummate what we were to each other. It was far, far too soon for that. I knew the bond was willing, perhaps even my heart, but my mind was leagues behind.

I found the way people spoke in this era was strange as I listened to their conversations. I would adapt. There was enough in what they said, which told me these people had an enemy.

It meant I had a new enemy to fight. One I could destroy after being denied the chance with Glorin.

As if sharing my thoughts, my brothers’ voices began their chatter in my head.

Who do we need to hurt so Ozyn can have some peace? Valethar was always so bloodthirsty!

No idea, but we’ll find out once we check on things at home. Do you think Rez can come visit with his brothers? Mira’s determination came through our bond clearly.

Yes! I wanted to see my children. To see the changes a century had wrought on them. Would they still love me the same? Did they understand why I had given myself to our enemy? It had bought them decades of peace. For me, it was worth it. I hoped they would agree. Balon would, I was sure of it. He was the most levelheaded of them.

I have a mate to get before I return with you.

“What?” When Deke jolted behind me, I realized I’d spoken aloud, the word more like a growl than anything else.

“You aren’t the only one with a mate on this side, brother,” Laer said with a smile. Everyone in the room watched him speak. “I let him be for a while. Let him sow his oats, figure out who he was out from under his brother’s control, but it’s time for him to come home and take his place at my side.”

“I thought you’d decided not to claim Ulrian when—“

“Ulrian?” Deke’s cousin, Chase gaped. “As in the freaking mayor? Ulrian Darkglade is your mate?”

A buzz went through the room as we waited for Laer to reply. I already knew it was true. My enigma brother had been brokenhearted when Ulrian left. The fae had denied their bond to concede to his brother’s wishes in pairing him to an elf, the queen, then he had broken the match and fled Abrocaelum altogether.

Part of why Laer had not come to the castle with me that fateful day was his fury at Glorin for being the reason Ulrian fled where Laer could not follow. The humans, shifters, the supernaturals left behind in the human realm when we formed Abrocaelum just were not ready to know we dragons still existed, still thrived, away from them.

Humans had nearly hunted us to extinction, after all. They were the reason Abrocaelum was made in the first place. If they became a threat to us once more, I would not hesitate to steal Deke away for his safety. I’d take his entire family if it was necessary.

I hoped with only me remaining behind in Sweetwater, we could focus on our bond before I needed to speak to human authorities and ensure my people’s welcome this side of the portal. They had to know there were permanent links between our two worlds already. Perhaps they could finally see us as allies instead of a threat. There was much we could provide to humanity, to other supernaturals.

“Uh, not to be rude, but the guy escaped here instead of mating with you. What makes you think he’ll come now?” The Alpha Mate was similar to me in height and build. I knew from snippets I’d picked up that he had borne the Alpha three children already. My senses told me he had a heat coming, and he was likely to conceive again.

Laer only grinned. “Because this time he won’t be powerless. He will be king as next in line. Our mating will do what his brother failed to do: unite the dragons and fae.”

My brother was insufferable. He looked incredibly smug about this, as if he wasn’t about to chase his mate down and likely kidnap him back to Abrocaelum to clean up his brother’s messes.

I did not envy Ulrian. He would have much to do in order to restore faith in the fae’s leadership. There would be many things to rebuild, including most of the keep and castle, infrastructure, and so on. Some dragons had caused damage.

“Do you truly think the fae will accept it this time after…?” Prince Teárlach blushed. “I am sorry. The last attempt caused much harm.”

Again, the comments didn’t appear to phase Laer. He was cheerful, brushing aside the last century, which I appreciated.

“No. Glorin did not want an equal. He abused the trust gifted to him by my brother. I have learned how to be a good mate from the dragons around me. When Ulrian gives in to fate, he will find his fears over bearing our children—“

“How?” Kade cut in. “He’s not an omega. Fae do not have a secondary gender like shifters.”

“They do,” I said, quietly. “Many of them can unlock it with their magic.”

“Like our soulbonds?” the prince asked.

“Perhaps.”

“Or they could admit they need dragons for that, brother.” Vale looked irritated. “Not that they would.” At the puzzled looks, he added. “Our magic can unlock their potential.”

“So you’re saying the mayor, Ulrian, is an omega?” Chase chuckled. “There’s no way I could see him carrying a baby and being all caring!”

“As if he’d give up his fancy suits for paternity wear like Dalton did. Remember his face when he saw Dalton?” Kade’s grin was edged in malice. “No, he lacks a certain quality to be an omega. He’s not one of us.”

The others of the pack all laughed. I gathered Ulrian had hardly endeared himself to the pack. Once you offended one of their members, you were an enemy of them all. Packs, rather like flights, were communities, families.

“Why do they dislike Ulrian?” I asked my mate in an undertone. Being so close to him, our skin touching, was heavenly after so long thinking I would never get this. I feared I would be trapped with Glorin for the rest of my life. With Deke near, I felt more present than before.

“He’s the reason the aviary could attack us.” I could see Deke was choosing his words carefully. “The mayor made a rule that we had to register new births within a couple of weeks of the babies being born. In person, with the babies there. We had to take vulnerable babies into danger outside of the compound! The office in Sweetwater was closed, so we had to go to Northarbor, where the aviary was waiting to attack us.”

“When did this happen?” I was aghast! How could Ulrian be so reckless with the lives of children?

Deke struggled to answer, probably sensing I wasn’t going to like it. “A few days ago.”

“NO!” The single word came out with enough fury and magic that it blew everyone back.

Brother! The chorus came in my head. All three of them wanted to know why I was so upset. It was Deke who calmed me most.

“Hey, I’m here. I’m okay. He didn’t know how far the aviary would go. He’s sorry.”

“Sorry?” my voice shook. “It’s not enough. He cannot be your mate,” I told Laer, using more power than was perhaps wise. It felt like the last of my magic was draining out of me.

“Fate will not be denied, my king.”

“I am not your king. Not any more. I say this as your brother. He is not worthy of you.” I shook with the effort of staying in Deke’s arms, wanting to go to Laer and shake some sense into him.

“Is it not up to fate to decide if we can be worthy of each other? Perhaps I am to help him grow.”

He was being far too reasonable. Was the pull to his mate that strong it overrode sense?

“I still can’t get over the fact he’s an omega,” Chase remarked, breaking the stare down I was having with Laer.

“He’s not.” It came out sharper than Chase deserved. I saw his role in the family clearly. He had the potential to be an enigma like Laer, but presented as a beta.

Looking around the room, I spotted another, the Alpha Mate’s friend. Or rather, they had the potential to be enigmas. The pathway to the magic was blocked, less so with the alpha.

“Huh?” Deke straightened behind me, tightening his arm around my waist. “I don’t get it then. Is this a dragon thing?”

My brothers shared a look, then settled their eyes on me, leaving it up to me to explain.

“There are other designations than alpha, beta, and omega,” I began.

“What?” Kade’s mouth hung open. “Seriously?”

“Yes. I see three enigmas in this room alone.”

“Enigmas?” the Alpha asked.

“There are two more designations,” I warmed into educating the shifters and the elf. “Firstly, there is the enigma: they often present as an alpha and have the ability to impregnate alphas and betas as well as omegas. Then there are deltas. They present as omegas and are able to impregnate other omegas where usually omegas cannot do that.”

Everyone in the room hung on my words. After so long alone and in the dark, it was gratifying to be the center of attention in this bright, sunny room. The situations could not be more opposite.

“To answer your question about how Ulrian can bear Laer’s children, as an enigma, Laer can alter Ulrian’s physiology to carry their young, because in his current state, Ulrian is a beta. However, as a fae, he will only carry the eggs for a few weeks, barely a full month like a dragon. He and Laer will be jointly responsible for roosting.”

“Not going to ask about roosting,” Kade said, “but I am curious about who the other two enigmas are, since Laer is one. Are your other brothers enigmas too? They smell like alphas.”

“No, Vale and Mira are both alphas. Your nose is correct there. The other two with the potential to be enigmas are your friend there—“

“Roan?”

The man in question cocked his head. “Me?”

“Yes. Chase is the other. However, he is presenting as a beta, which is unusual.” I worried my senses were playing tricks on me. Yet I had never been proven wrong before.

“Huh,” Chase appeared nonplussed. “So that’s what the beta sickness would have turned me into.” He shrugged it off quickly. “Wonder if we have deltas… Oh, Tate has to be one, right?”

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Deke squeezed me. “I’ll explain all that later.” Louder he said, “It would make sense if Tate was one. He fathered one of Hiroshi’s twins, didn’t he?” He then changed the subject. “So, are you just going to steal the mayor and take him home?”

“If I have to,” Laer said around a smirk. “My mate is a tricky one and may need convincing. However, he’s had his playtime, now it is time to, what is it you say? ‘Act his age?’ Now he must return for the good of his people.”

“Need us to come with you?” Vale asked. He and Mira looked eager to be moving.

“No. I feel like this is something which I must do alone.” He stood. “I must take my leave. After his recent grave mistake, I worry about Ulrian’s mental state. I will portal home and visit as soon as things with Ulrian allow.”

Used to Laer taking off for weeks or even months at a time, I nodded. “Be safe, Laer. Good luck in your mating.”

“Good luck, Deke, with keeping my brother in line. I wish you many eggs!”

Laer left Deke sputtering while the rest of the room laughed.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the gathering to break up, especially now that everyone was fed and they had the explanations necessary to feel safe. They understood we weren’t about to take over the pack. My dragons just wanted peace to live their lives.

“Please bring my children to visit soon,” I begged Vale and Mira as they prepared to return to Abrocaelum through the portal. “I miss them dearly.”

“They miss you too. Rezoth left space for you at his coronation. They mourned your absence all this time. All our people will rejoice in your freedom and mating to your fated mate.” Mira scanned the crowd, perhaps looking for his own mate. Vale stood talking with the elves, who hung on his every word. He was always the charismatic one.

“Even though he is a shifter?”

“Maybe because he is a shifter. The Luna and her shifters were always allies of the dragonkin. She is the Great Drakon’s sister, after all.”

“True. I wish I could return with you, but my place is here with my mate,” I said, torn by my need for my mate and duty to my children.

“It is,” Mira agreed. “They have battles ahead. They need your strength.”

I sighed, so very tired of war. “What if all I want is peace? I don’t know if I have the spirit left to keep fighting.”

Mira’s smile was sad. He knew as well as I did that any fight the pack had was one I would help with. It was who I was deep inside.

“I know, but you were never one to watch others struggle,” he said, showing how well he knew me even after so long apart. “You will fight because it is the right thing to do. This is where you are meant to be, Ozyn.” Mira reached for Deke, taking his hand in a firm grip. “Take care of my brother or feel the wrath of the dragons, understand?”

“Understood.”