Page 12

Chapter

Twelve

Selle

A ll I needed was a few moments in my dragon’s arms to find the courage to continue on and finish the quest we’d started.

“You don’t remember?” I told my father, peeking at my brothers to indicate that they should go along with whatever story I concocted. “A great, noxious odor filled the castle, making everyone sick. You ordered us brought from our room so you could laugh at the five of us getting sick as well.”

As I made my explanation, I worked to conceal my egg under my tunic, praying Father wouldn’t ask what the bulge around my stomach was.

“Yes,” Rumi said slowly. “The odor was horrific. You laughed and laughed at the five of us choking and gasping until you began to retch yourself.”

“You ordered the windows to be opened and for everyone to get out,” Leo added, glancing at me to make certain he was getting the story right.

I nodded. “It was terrible.”

“Perhaps the princes should be returned to their room now, Your Majesty,” Argus suggested, rubbing his long beard thoughtfully.

I still couldn’t believe that my father’s long-time councilor was one of Gildur’s dragon relatives. It made me feel safer to know that my brothers and I had always had help on the inside.

None of my brothers knew what I knew, though. They all glanced warily at Argus, like he might suggest our father throw us in the dungeon.

“If everyone became ill, then what are you doing here, Dormas?” Father asked.

Argus shrugged. “I lost my sense of smell decades ago, Your Majesty,” he said.

It was helpful that the doors opened just then and a pair of confused guards wandered back into the room.

“Er, you sent us to take the princes back to their bedchamber, Your Majesty?” one of them asked.

I peeked at Argus, who winked at me.

“Yes, yes,” Father said, waving distastefully at us. “Get these whores out of here.”

I’d never been so glad to be summarily dismissed by my father before. He ignored the five of us, turning to question Argus as my brothers and I were led out of the throne room and up to our bedchamber.

“What’s going on?” Misha asked in a meek whisper once the door was slammed behind us. “What really happened in the throne room?”

I smiled at my brother’s cleverness in realizing something beyond what he was aware of had happened .

“It’s a long story,” I said, pulling my egg out from under my tunic and walking to Rumi’s bed. My brothers gaped at the egg, but there wasn’t time for introductions. “I’ll explain the reasons for the commotion in the throne room once everything is resolved, but for now, all you need to know is that everyone’s memories were wiped and rewritten, and no one will remember what truly happened.”

“Even us, it would seem,” Leo said, his face pinched with frustration as he came over to help me and Rumi move Rumi’s bed aside.

The three of us were able to move the bed easily, and once the magical door was revealed, we wasted no time in going through it.

Only, instead of our golden staircase descending into the same part of the forest near the pavilion where it usually descended, it spiraled down into the most magnificent and peaceful garden I’d ever seen.

The whole thing was lovely. The flowers were somehow more vibrant. The sky seemed bluer and the clouds more playful. The trees that circled the clearing where we stepped away from the stairs were of every description and seemed to glitter, as if they were hung with gems. A clear stream wound through the area, and the wildlife came forward to stare curiously at us without fear.

All of that was secondary to the beautiful woman who stood near the center of the clearing. Gildur and Saoirse were there, as was Manfred, without his amulet, I noticed. Freddy and Alyce from Saiorse’s estate were also there, but I barely noticed any of them, even my mate.

The woman had my full attention. She appeared both old and young, with long, waving white hair that was adorned with a flowered garland. Her clothing was gossamer fine, but it was not salacious or revealing. She had her hands folded in front of her, and the smile she wore as she greeted us was as warm as if she were our mother.

“My children,” she said, enhancing the feeling as if we belonged to her. “I am so happy to meet you at last.”

She opened her arms, and it took all of my willpower not to run to her and embrace her like a child.

My brothers and I all stepped forward in awe. Gildur moved, and I suddenly remembered my love for him. I veered toward him, lifting our egg slightly, and let him fold me comfortingly in his arms when we met.

“I am eager to meet my grandchild,” the woman, Queen Gaia, said, her eyes bright with love. “But we must deal with the matter of the unfortunate traitor in our midst first.”

Everyone looked to Saoirse. Everyone but Saoirse, who stared hard at Gildur, as if he were the traitor. When she realized she was the one Queen Gaia spoke of, she gasped and stood straighter.

“I am no traitor, Your Greatest Majesty,” she said, feigning innocence. “I am but a humble subject who was led astray by…by a stranger from another world.” She glanced to Manfred.

Manfred was too busy gazing at Queen Gaia from where he stood by her side to notice Saoirse attempting to thrust the blame on him.

Queen Gaia wasn’t fooled in any case. Still smiling, she tilted her head to the side and said, “Now, Saoirse, you know that isn’t true,” as if Saoirse were a toddler who had thrown a fit.

“But it is true,” Saoirse insisted, her eyes darting wildly around, as if she would convince the rest of us in order to convince the queen. “I am but a simple sorceress who is more than happy to guide and protect the people of my estate.” She blinked and noticed Freddy and Alyce, then said, “Ask them!”

I reeled back at the way Saoirse would make demands of a queen.

Queen Gaia merely laughed as if it were a joke. “I have been enjoying the most delightful tea with these representatives from your estate,” she said. “They have told me a great many things that fit exactly with what I have observed myself.”

“You have…observed me?” Saoirse asked uncertainly.

“For your entire life, my dear,” the queen said. “I have observed the bad example your parents were for you, the anger and distrust they sowed in you. I have observed the myriad choices you were given throughout your life and the way you chose the path that would benefit only you instead of seeking the benefit of all. I have watched you increase your powers only to use them with ill intent. And I have watched your love of gold grow.”

The queen peeked subtly at Gildur, who bowed his head slightly.

“If you knew Saoirse was set against you from the start,” Gildur asked, “then why did you set me the task of observing her?”

“Because golds can be fickle, my darling,” the queen said, coming toward us and resting a hand on Gildur’s shoulder. She looked relatively small at a distance, but standing by Gildur’s and my side, she seemed to tower over us. “I wanted you to learn the true value of things by seeing goodness perverted for selfish reasons.”

“I—” Gildur shut his mouth over what he was about to say, a puzzled look creasing his face and confusion flowing to me through our bond.

“I will answer your questions in a moment, my darling boy,” Queen Gaia said. She turned back to Saoirse and said, “First, we must find an appropriate punishment for this one.”

“Punishment?” Saoirse’s voice quivered with fear. “But I…I have done nothing wrong,” she said, completely unconvincingly.

Queen Gaia ignored her words and moved to stand in front of her. She surprised me by clasping Saoirse’s face in her hands and smiling at her. For a moment, she studied the woman intently, then said, “Yes. Yes, I believe that would be an appropriate consequence.”

She stepped back and gestured for Manfred to move to stand beside Saoirse.

“I have decided that you will live a long and useful life,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her and smiling at Saoirse and Manfred.

“That’s the punishment?” Leo whispered. “To set them free?”

“I don’t think that’s what it is at all,” Misha whispered in return.

I was certain the queen heard them, but she didn’t acknowledge their words.

“T-thank you, Your Greatest Majesty?” Saoirse was as confused as everyone else.

“I have decided that you will live a long and useful life,” the queen repeated, “in the world that Lord Manfred came from. Without any magic.”

The garden was silent for a moment.

Then Saoirse realized what her punishment was.

“You’re taking away my magic and banishing me to the cruel world?” she asked, her voice rising in tone and volume.

“You are free to go,” the queen said, raising her hand. A swirling, iridescent portal appeared off to one side. “You will have health, strength, and the intelligence you already have. All of those things should be more than enough to build a useful life as a farmer or a shopkeeper, whichever you choose.”

“But I want my magic,” Saoirse said, bursting into tears. “I want to be rich and powerful.”

“If that is what you want, then you are free to attempt to win people over to a cause that would benefit all,” the queen said. “I give you my blessing.”

“But—”

“Come, dear,” Manfred said, still looking dazed. “He took Saoirse’s hand and tugged her toward the portal.

Whether she was too stunned to resist, forced by some unseen hand, or simply eager to find a way to work around the punishment she’d been given, Saoirse followed Manfred. As soon as they passed through the portal, it closed behind them and they were gone.

“That was—” Rumi started. He didn’t know how to finish, though.

I wasn’t certain how I felt about the grace Queen Gaia had shown Saoirse in her punishment. Then again, I wasn’t certain that someone like Saoirse would take easily to the life of a simple peasant woman without any recourse to magic.

“And now for your punishment,” Queen Gaia said, turning to Gildur.

My brow flew up. My brothers all looked surprised as well.

Gildur merely bowed his head.

“I accept whatever punishment you wish to give me,” he said. “I know I have failed in my duties. I should have given my time and attention to the task you set for me and to that alone. I was distracted, and I will pay whatever penance you think is fitting.”

“Very well,” the queen said, stepping in front of Gildur again. As she had with Saoirse, she took Gildur’s face in her hands and stared at him as if she were staring into his soul. She smiled and said, “I punish you by removing you from your position as my agent.”

Gildur let out a breath, his shoulders sagging.

“I sentence you to a life of being the best mate that an omega could possibly have and the best father any brood of baby dragons could ever ask for.”

Gildur jerked his head up, looking his mother in her eyes in confusion.

Queen Gaia laughed. “Your mate will be your jailor,” she went on. “He will have full command over you, over your heart.”

“As he has over mine, Your Greatest Majesty,” I said in awe and wonder.

The queen laughed and turned to rest a hand on my head and one on my egg, which quivered in delight. “I wish for you to simply call me Mother, little one,” she said. “For that is what I am to you now.”

I smiled broadly. That was what the queen was to me now. I could feel it in my core. She would never replace the love and devotion I had to my papa, but I felt as though I were her child, too.

“And now,” she faced my brothers, “I believe tonight’s celebration at the pavilion will be one of the finest this kingdom has seen for a long time. A great threat to our world has been averted. I wish you to go and enjoy yourselves thoroughly tonight.”

It was amazing and wonderful. I didn’t know what to do in the face of such a magnificent person as Queen Gaia. I wanted to know so much more about what it was like for my dragon and his kin to be raised by her. I had never met anyone so loving or so powerful. Could she be divine? I was burning to find out.

I would have to save my questions for another day. Before I could form them into words, we were led to the edge of the garden by several of the woodland creatures. Once we started off into the forest I was much more familiar with, I glanced back to wave goodbye to the magnificent queen, but the garden had vanished completely.

“She is the mother of all magic,” Gildur said with reverence and a shrug. “That is why her garden comes and goes when and where she pleases.”

It was time for me to go where and as I pleased as well. When we reached a fork in the path that led to the pavilion one way and on to Gildur’s lair the other, I stopped my brothers to say goodbye.

“I’m going to stay here, in the magical world,” I told them. I worried my lip between my teeth then said, “I hope you won’t hate me for abandoning you.”

“Not at all,” Rumi said, answering for all of them, though I could tell the others agreed. “Your place is here with your dragon and your baby.”

“I believe we will all end up here eventually,” Misha added.

“Yes,” Obi agreed. “And I also think that there are reasons those of us who will remain need to be in the cruel world. But knowing you and Tovey are safe and happy here is a good thing.”

My brothers all agreed. We all exchanged hugs and promised to visit each other as frequently as we could, once everything was settled with all of us .

From there, Rumi, Leo, Misha, and Obi continued on to the pavilion for the night’s dance and Gildur and I headed the other way, home to our lair.

“There you are, baby,” I cooed to our egg as I laid it in the bassinet Gildur hastily summoned beside his great, inviting bed. “It’s time for you to rest. You’ve had the most eventful first day of existence I could possibly imagine.”

“You must be exhausted, too,” Gildur said, rubbing a hand over his face to show he was fading fast.

I made certain our egg was nestled comfortably in downy softness, then I turned to step into my dragon’s warm, inviting arms.

“I am beyond exhausted,” I said, leaning into him and closing my eyes. At the same time, a pulse of need in my core hinted that I wouldn’t truly feel at rest until I had melded with my mate once more before sleeping. “But not too exhausted,” I said, peeking mischievously up at him.

Gildur laughed. I felt the same heated, hungry pulse pass through him as well. “Then it seems I must finish you off and make you as exhausted as possible,” he said.

I lifted onto my toes for a kiss. Gildur leaned closer to me, but at the last minute, he swept me off my feet, spun me around, and practically threw me onto his bed.

I laughed in surprise, even as my hole fluttered and began to leak slick. It was so wonderful to feel safe and complete that my body flared to life as though I were in heat.

“I do love you so,” I panted and gasped, tugging at Gildur’s clothes. “My big, scary dragon.”

Gildur laughed low in his throat. “I’ll show you scary,” he said.

His right hand transformed slightly into claws and instead of undoing the buttons of my dirty and rumpled clothes, he sliced right through them. I gasped for breath, arching into his touch as he trailed one of those claws carefully down my front, sending a shivery feeling of danger and pleasure through me. He could have sliced right into me, killing me in an instant, but instead, he used his touch to bring my body to life.

I gasped again when he sliced through my trousers, then quickly ripped away the pieces of cloth that fell around me until he had me pink and naked and panting for him.

“You truly are a treat, my delicious omega,” he said, bending down and drawing in my scent. He licked his lips as if what he’d scented was delicious, then slanted his mouth over mine in a searing kiss.

I was in heaven, even though I was small and naked and needy, even without being in heat, while he was bigger and still clothed and could easily crush me.

“Didn’t your mother just say that I have charge over you?” I asked him when he broke our kiss, brushing my fingers through his golden hair.

Gildur paused and tilted his head slightly, as if he wasn’t certain what admitting my power over him would leave him open to. “Perhaps,” he said, his eyes dancing with mirth as he tried to keep his expression serious.

“Then I demand that you strip for me,” I said, maneuvering so I could rest on my elbows, my head lifted.

Gildur’s brow went up, and he backpedaled off the bed. “You wish me to strip for you?” he asked, reaching seductively for the buttons at the top of his shirt. “Like a common backroom entertainer?”

I giggled. “There is nothing common about you, Gildur,” I told him with surprise seriousness.

“You are absolutely correct, my darling,” Gildur said. Then, instead of undressing slowly, he drew his hands sharply down his body, and his clothing simply disappeared, leaving him perfectly, gloriously naked.

Naked and erect.

My heart raced and I had trouble catching my breath. Mostly because I was laughing. I reached to adjust my glasses before remembering I didn’t need them anymore.

“Wicked dragon,” I managed through peals of laughter. “It’s no wonder your mother put you in my charge.”

“She did,” Gildur said, slinking closer to me and climbing onto the bed so he could trap my body under his. “Mother is a wise and wonderful woman.”

“She is,” I agreed.

That was all I was able to say and the last thought I had before Gildur captured my mouth with his and kissed me with such possessive ardor that everything else was forgotten. He was my alpha, my one and only lover, and at last, the two of us could be together in peace, along with our baby and many others that I knew we would have.

I kissed him back, embracing him with my entire body and wrapping my legs around his waist. My hole ached for him and I was hot and already hard and ready, but I wasn’t in a hurry. Neither was Gildur. He kissed me passionately, but not with the same sort of ferocity that he had when I was in heat. We’d bonded and he’d claimed me, but this was our moment to explore the newfound, heartfelt love we had for each other.

“My wonderful, clever omega,” Gildur murmured as he kissed his way down my neck, planting a special kiss on the mark he’d left on my shoulder. “My perfect, beautiful mate.”

His kisses continued, not only over my shoulders and chest, where he paused to tease and suckle my nipples, but all over my entire body. It was as if he needed to taste every part of me, to read my skin like a book and devour every word of every page. He even flipped me over at one point so he could kiss his way across my back and down my spine to the swell of my bottom.

“You really are the most delicious treat I’ve ever had,” he told me in a low, rumbling voice.

He planted soft kisses over the mounds of my ass at first, then he pulled my cheeks apart to reach my dripping, eager hole. I moaned with every touch of his lips, and when he raked his tongue directly over my hole, teasing it to open for him, then thrust his tongue inside me, I cried out with bliss.

It was too much and yet not enough at the same time. My cock was rigid with pleasure as it, too, leaked onto the golden bedcovers. I pushed back onto Gildur’s tongue, wanting more, and gasped when I got everything I wanted and more. His tongue seemed impossibly deep within me and thick enough to ignite every pleasure my body was capable of.

“Gildur!” I gasped as I started to come. Even though I wasn’t in heat, it felt wonderful. Pleasure overwhelmed me and I gripped the bedcovers in front of me.

“My darling,” Gildur answered, his voice thick with passion, as he adjusted behind me.

Just as my orgasm started to diminish, my strong, good alpha gripped my hips and pushed deep into me. The joy of being one with him spiked my pleasure all over again, and in no time, the two of us were moving together, moaning and whispering each other’s names, then crying out when the pleasure turned unbelievably sweet as Gildur spilled his seed within me. I wasn’t in heat and it wouldn’t take hold, since I already had an egg, but there was something about that moment of union that felt as if we’d wrapped ourselves in heaven all the same.

When it was over, as our bodies loosened and we collapsed onto the bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms, I let out a sigh of contentment like nothing I’d ever felt before.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am in this moment,” I said, turning so I could wrap my body around my dragon’s. “You have made me the happiest omega in any world.”

“Oh, no, my darling,” Gildur said, stroking my hair and kissing my dewy face. “It is you who have made me happy. You have given me so many things that I didn’t know I was missing.”

I laughed drowsily, already falling asleep in my beloved’s arms. “And we have the rest of our lives to discover even more things together.”