Page 140 of The Dragon Warlord

“The answer is no by the way. Never. You’re my omega.”

I laugh. “I know, Alpha. Not that I ever tire of hearing you say it. I didn’t mean to make you doubtful.”

“I asked you to tell me, and as much as I want to kill something right now, I’m glad you did. I see now. The bite does form a connection. It intensifies things, but it can only intensify what’s already there. Our love is true.”

“Yes. You even call ityourbite. That means something too.”

Sometimes he calls the bite on his neck “the dragon lord’s bite” or “his bite” but he also calls ithisbonding bite. It’s something we share even though being the dragon lord’s omega makes him very much his. With me, the bite on my neck is Tristan’s just as much as I am.

“Also, that I have an omega at all is something too,” he says, finally catching on because there’s no way he’d ever be okay with me having an omega. “But I think … Oh Gods, this is weird.”

“What is?”

“I think my dragon is monogamous. As an Elf and a human, I have a few loves. As a dragon, it’s just you.”

“Don’t speak so soon, Alpha.”

He shakes his head. “No. I know.”

I squeeze harder.

“Enough talking,” he says.

He slides into me, claiming me again as he’s craved to do since he set eyes on me this morning. When he’s done with me, I’m riding a cloud of bliss.

“Stay with me, Tristan?” I ask, securing his arms around me.

It will stand out to him. I rarely request anything.

“As long as you want, my dragon heart.”

26

Tristan

Idon’t get to make true on my promise until much later than I want to, but eventually, I’m able to steal River away for a date. He’s never been on a date and being chained to me, I don’t how many dates we’ll get to have. River and I have a lot in common. I know he won’t want a fancy dinner in town like Corrik would but taking him to the local pub doesn’t seem special enough.

I settle on taking him dancing, which was a suggestion from my wise husband Alrik. It takes some convincing to get River to leave his armored jacket at home. I don’t bother getting into why we should leave our swords. We’re warriors and they’re part of the package with us. River’s still in his room getting ready, while I sit on the chesterfield in the common room with Denny in my lap, reading him a book called The Tiniest Elf Prince. It’s a story about a mischievous little Elf Prince that could also be about me and my cousin Lucca growing up. Sometimes I’m not so sure I want him to read this book, but it’s pretty funny and Denny is sure to be much better behaved than I was.

Baya glides out from one of the back rooms. It’s odd to see him with anything that resembles a shirt on. In Old Aldrien, where it was a fuck ton warmer, he never wore a shirt unless he was forced to by his father. He tried that here for some time, claiming he would acclimatize, but he’s succumbed to what he has on now. It’s sleeveless and shows off his thick arms. The material hangs over his shoulders as two separate pieces to leave it open at the chest but then joins at his navel and tucks into his trousers. It covers his back completely, but has gaps under the armpits, showing more of his sandy-brown complexion. He’s added a fine cape that clips onto the front at his collarbones.

I’m one lucky man to be loved by so many other fine men.

“Is Daddy reading you that naughty book?” he asks Denny but trains his eyes on me.

“Hey! To my credit, I was just thinking about the level of appropriateness.”

“And yet you’re still reading it to him.”

“It’s funny, Dada,” Denny says.

“I’m sure it is,” Bay says.

I lean my head back and Bay plants a kiss on my lips that seeps through my body like honey mead. “Gods, I missed you, Bay.”

“We all missed you. It’s not the same without you and River. I’ve decided that I want to come with you next time. I’m training someone that could fill in for me.”

He’s Warlord of Aldrien or New Aldrien as our little family calls it. What was left of the Aldrienian Elves now exists as the eighth Elven realm of Mortouge.