Page 16 of Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon (Alpha Dragons #3)

CAYLEN

V arikan took my breath. I was still starved for oxygen as I heard the studio door slam behind me.

I knew the image of Varikan would never leave me for the rest of my life.

The glorious golden dragon’s membranous wings were tawny-hued and looked like they’d been drenched in glitter.

He held them aloft, over his back, exposing the hundreds of brilliant scales from his chin to his tail.

The most gorgeous sight ever. The part that wasn’t pretty was seeing his long neck twisted, his muzzle biting at his side.

Horrible groans and cries had filled the huge studio.

I sat at the dining room table and pressed my forehead into the cold, smooth wood. The air in my lungs fluttered. Slow tears again began to drip from my eyes. I wiped my face on the sleeves of my pajamas.

My palms still tingled from having touched the dragon around the neck. His scales were cool and liquid smooth. Perfection.

I needed to get a hold of myself because apparently tearing his own dragon’s scales off was part of Varik’s routine. I needed to buck up. At the same time, this was so awful.

I didn’t know what to do.

I got up, grabbed my phone from the living room and opened it to Valcor’s texts.

Caylen: You didn’t tell me he rips his own dragon’s scales off to supply his art!!!

I stared at the screen, waiting. After no response for five minutes, I tossed the phone on the table and went to the living room window. Outside, the sun glinted off fresh white snow, nearly blinding me. Our snowman still stood, but he was half-buried in new flakes.

I wandered back to the kitchen and poured myself some orange juice. It barely had any flavor and went down like cold sludge.

Again, I stood staring at the closed studio door. I’d heard Varik lock it as I left.

Finally, I went upstairs, took a hot shower and changed into day clothes. Then I turned on the TV in my own room and lay on my bed watching mindless sitcoms.

After a few hours, I got hungry and went back downstairs again. My phone beeped as I walked by the living room. I picked it up and saw a new text.

Valcor: It’s Varikan’s decision, not his.

I typed quickly.

Caylen: That’s insane! So wrong….

Valcor: It’s all he knows about how to give.

That response stunned me.

I thought about the empty space inside me where my own beast should have thrived.

I had no idea what it was like to have that connection.

To know another entity so well that you are one in heart and mind.

And now, after what they’d both been through…

was this consolation? One sacrificing for the other… .

Shivers moved like cold water down my back. To hurt for someone. To step in front of a moving car for them. What was it like?

No one had done that for me. Not even my own parents.

Caylen: It’s wrong. There must be other ways.

Valcor: Maybe you can teach him that.

Caylen: I know nothing. When are you coming back here?

Valcor: Unknown. Tell Varik to have an armored car deliver the new goods.

Caylen: You tell him yourself.

I threw the phone down again. This time it hit the pillows on the couch with a softer landing. I went into the kitchen and started fixing a big brunch. Maybe I could lure Varik out of his horror shop with food.

I fried bacon and ham, then put them in the oven to keep warm. Next, I made toast. Then pancakes. Everything went in the oven to stay fresh and hot. Lastly came the scrambled eggs. I made a pile of them, steaming hot, and put them on a plate I covered with a metal lid.

During all that, I managed to set the table, light some soothing candles, and pour fresh, hot coffee.

I didn’t feel at all brave, but I made myself walk straight up to the studio door and knock.

Nothing.

I knocked again, then said in a raised voice, “I made brunch.”

I brought all the food, still hot, to the table and sat. From there, I could see the carved, double doors. I willed them to open. Nothing happened.

My stomach growled. “What did I do all this for?” I asked myself.

I heard a sound. One of the doors opened. At first there was no sound, nothing but a soft, cold wind outside. Then Varik appeared. He looked calm and neat. His usual self. He even had on his shoes.

Quietly, he made his way to the table and sat across from me at the setting I’d put out.

“The coffee is fresh. All the food is still hot.” My voice came out slightly gruff.

Without a word, Varik lifted the lid off the eggs and served himself. He put a bit of everything on his plate except the pancakes which he put on a side plate I’d provided.

After his plates were full, I served myself. Everything smelled great. I’d never cooked an entire meal before for two. Papa cooked. If my parents were gone, I was the TV dinner king.

“This is the first brunch I’ve ever made.”

“It looks fine.” Varik dug in hungrily.

Everything melted in my mouth. Maybe I was just that hungry. Or maybe I really had done a good job. The butter was melted perfectly on the toast. The pancakes were soft and still hot inside, the syrup soaking in. The bacon and ham were cooked perfectly.

All that was missing was conversation. Words. I wanted words. Any would do.

I looked up at Varik. He was focused on his plate, shoveling in second helpings. My anxiety grew until I thought the air would start exploding around me. I had to break the silence.

“Valcor texted me and said he doesn’t know when he can come back. He wants you to deliver the new goods by armored car.”

Varik looked up. “He said that, did he?”

I nodded rapidly, picking up my napkin and wiping it over my mouth.

“Well, maybe I’ll just keep them with me for a while longer.”

I hadn’t meant to create any sibling rivalry between the brothers. But now it seemed like I had done just that. Secretly texting Val. Passing along messages when they should have been in direct communication with each other.

“The message just came an hour or so ago. You probably have a message waiting from him on your phone, too.”

Varik took a slow sip of coffee, watching me over the edge of the mug. He set it down on the saucer which made a soft rattle. “Probably.”

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I burst out, “I’m sorry I barged into your private studio.” My body began to shake so hard I thought I might fall from the chair.

“Apology accepted.”

“Tell Varikan I’m sorry, too.”

“He heard you.”

“I—I don’t pretend to understand the bond between you, and why you do what you do, but it very much upset me.” I took a deep, shaky breath. “Just so you know.”

“I already know.”

“Yeah. Well. Also, tell Varikan he’s really, um, amazing-looking.”

“As I said, he can hear you.”

“Right.” I knew that, of course. I was raised by shifters. I had completely lost track of what I was saying. “It’s just that he’s very overwhelming to see. I never knew a dragon could look, um, like that.”

Varik sighed and rolled his eyes. “He is enjoying the praise.”

“It’s a crime that he needs to be hidden.”

Varik’s eyes softened. “It’s a crime that set-omegas are sold as breeders. Especially ones that make great brunches. Thank you for the meal. But I don’t expect you to cook.”

“I wanted to.” It was true. Some sort of switch inside me had been turned after seeing Varikan. And afterward, Varik appearing naked, so vulnerable on the floor amid all that blood. I had to do something. Making a meal was all I could think of.

I got up and began clearing away the dishes. Varik got up to help but I waved him away. “I got this. You can go back to your studio.”

He set down the dishes he’d brought to the sink and stood before me. “Caylen.”

I hunched my shoulders and rinsed the washcloth over and over in the sink.

“I didn’t mean for what happened to upset you. Just so you know, it won’t happen again for a while.”

I stared at the running water. “How long?”

“A month maybe.”

I shut my eyes and bowed my head. I didn’t want to hear it. It was madness. “It’s not right.”

“No one tells us what to do anymore.”

“No.” I turned my head, eyes open, but still didn’t look at him. “That’s good. But doing something that hurts you—hurts Varikan—I can’t agree with that.”

“You don’t have to.”

There were other ways for him to do his art. But he already knew that. He wanted this for reasons I couldn’t comprehend. I wasn’t a shrink. I didn’t know.

It took all day for the shock of what I’d seen to begin to wear off. I was cold even sitting before the fire. I put on a button-up sweater, open, over my pullover and curled up in a blanket on the couch with my laptop.

I heard Varik come out of his studio around six. He went into the kitchen, and I smelled pizza cooking. When he brought it out to the living room with plates, it almost felt like an apology from him. Or maybe it was from his dragon.

The pizza was great. I burned my tongue on the first bite but didn’t care. It was doing a good job of filling more empty spaces inside me.

I gobbled up two pieces and was reaching for a third when Varik spoke.

“Varikan wants you to know that your caring and concern for him has made a deep impact.”

As the words sank in, my cheeks grew warm. There was something sweet about that. Varikan was reaching out. Friendly. As for me, well, I had fallen quite in love with him from the first moment I touched his brilliant scales and locked my gaze with his pain-filled yellow eyes.

“I do care,” I said softly. “Very much.”

“You’ve been here for nearly six weeks now,” Varik said. “If Val found you another place to be, would you want to go?”

His question surprised me. “What? Is he looking? Do you want me to go? Is it because of what happened today? I promise I won’t ever go into your studio uninvited again. No matter what I hear.”

“Hold on. Slow down.” Varik waved a slice of pizza at me. “I was just asking if you’re adjusting.”

I set down my pizza, picked up my soda and took a few loud gulps. When I put it back down, I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“Then your answer to my question is no?”

“My answer is no.”

The corners of Varik’s lips turned up slightly. The same way they had when we’d created our snowman together. He didn’t want me to leave. I was convinced. Or maybe his dragon didn’t.

The pizza dripped cheese with sausage and mushrooms and other good stuff. It was comfort. My body relaxed again as I continued to eat until I was too full to move.

That night, before the hearth, with Varik again sleeping on the couch, I had a nightmare. It was about Varikan. He was in chains, roaring. People were hurting him. I woke gasping. My chest hurt. My heart hammered.

I sat up.

My gasps must’ve been loud because Varik jumped up from the couch, gold hair flying. “What is it?”

I put my hand to my chest and nearly heaved.

“Caylen.” He strode to me, dropping to his knees. “What is it? Are you all right?”

“Just… a… dream,” I managed. Much to my embarrassment, I began to cry.

“You’re fine. You’re all right.”

As I put my hands to my face, sobs escaped my throat. Then a hand brushed against my back.

“Caylen, you’re safe here.”

It was no question that I was safe. But was he safe? From himself?

The hand rubbed up and down my back. Varik had never touched me until now. Before I realized it, I leaned into that touch, my startled body craving more.

As if reading my mind, Varik’s arms came over my shoulders and the side of my head brushed his chest. He rocked me gently. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m sorry about today.”

I rubbed my forehead against his soft sweater. His chest was massive. Tingles ran up and down my body. Something was changing inside me. Awakening. The empty spaces were getting smaller.

I pulled back. “Aren’t there other ways Varikan can contribute to your art?”

“He says he doesn’t know any other way, but he is sorry he upset you.”

Varikan had been roaring. Screaming.

“Does he still hurt?”

“He says no. He heals fast.”

I wasn’t sure I believed it. I wished I could see the dragon again, look into his eyes. Touch him. He needed something more. I wanted to think he needed me.

“When can I see him again?”

Varik looked down at me. “You want to see him?”

I nodded rapidly. “Maybe at night? When he’s clearing the driveway? You have to come get me when you do that chore. Can I watch?”

“He says yes.”