by Noah Harris
When he turned to glance over his shoulder, the entire pack was staring at him, faces a mixture of wariness and awe. The underlying buzz of excitement and hope was palatable.
He made eye contact with the Alpha, holding his gaze in a way that might have been threatening if the weretiger didn’t know what his intentions were. “Keep him alive. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And then he turned away, rolling his shoulders and feeling his muscles quiver and roll in anticipation.
He knelt, holding his arms up, head down, feeling the wave in his shoulder blades. They burned, itched, wings waiting and coiling beneath the surface, eager to sprout. He breathed deep, gathering in his strength, and tapped into that part of him that was always there, brimming beneath the surface. --the pure, animalistic power. The air thickened around him, smoke leaking from his skin and curling around his flesh.
Then he threw his hands down as he leapt into the air with inhuman strength. He rose higher, the burn of the smoke and power ripping away at his flesh as his body expanded, and his scales rose to the surface. His wings burst forth, pumping downward powerfully to further propel him into the air. When his eyes snapped open, the world was bright and vivid and clear.
The smoke fled from his body, drifting and fading on the wind as his dragon form rose straight into the air. His wings pumped furiously to gain him altitude. And when he reached the height he wanted, he spread them out, catching the wind and leveling out his flight. The fading sunlight caught on his bronze scales, blazing brilliantly in warm colors.
He flew in one lazy circle above the tiger camp before shooting off in the direction of the valley.
He was small for his kind, but what he lacked in muscle mass and pure strength, he made up for in speed. His wings beat furiously, propelling him higher until he caught a favorable wind current, and still he beat them onward.
It had been ages since he had managed to fly like this, freely and quickly, pushing his limits and boundaries, without worries of being spotted by humans. The valley was too far from human civilization for that. Still, he wished the moment had come under better circumstances. Not when a young shifter’s life was on the line.
Several hours later, moisture was crystalizing on his scales, his back muscles burned fiercely, and his lungs ached, but still he pushed onward. He was making good time. That much he knew. The valley, however, was still a pinprick in the distance. Night had fully fallen by then, the moon and the stars guiding his way. His enhanced eyesight let him see the mountain peaks that formed the valley, but he knew he was still a good distance away.
Grunting in frustration, he pushed himself harder, faster, further. He was close. And when he landed, he needed to find a healer, let them gather the necessary materials to battle the fever, and then—
Movement caught his eye.
He whipped his head around, trying to find it again. There. In the distance. A speck of shadow against the night sky. He narrowed his eyes, watching and waiting for the shape to once again obscure the stars. There. A massive, sleek shape with wings. It had to be a dragon. There was nothing else that would be out at this hour, flying this high.
A strange thrill went through him at the sight, as it did every time he saw another dragon. The excitement of seeing another of his kind, beautiful and powerful and rare, was followed closely by a sinking dread. He didn’t exactly get along with most of his kin.
This dragon was a fair distance away from the valley, and it was flying in what appeared to be lazy circles, so it didn’t look like a new arrival. Rather, it looked like someone out for a night flight.
Rajiah’s first instinct was to ignore it, keep on his course, and hope the dragon wasn’t curious enough to interfere, if it saw him at all. But... if that dragon was an alpha, or even a beta... and it was large with a wide wingspan that could carry them distances probably faster than Rajiah could...
His mind churned, thinking rapidly as he came to a decision: if he could enlist this dragon’s help to go back to the tigers and then carry Regge to the valley, time would be saved. He wouldn’t have to find a healer and wait for the healer to pack. And Regge wouldn’t have to move after that.
His wings were already tipping in the wind, turning him in the other dragon’s direction before he even realized he had made up his mind.
And once Rajiah made up his mind, he was set on his course. He was, after all, a dragon.
A wave of energy and determination crashing through him with renewed vigor, he shot off toward the other dragon, climbing higher and higher. When he was close, hovering at a higher altitude, he paused to get a good look at the other dragon. Giant. Black scales. Long, muscular body. Powerful wings with an impressive span. The wind brought to him the dragon’s scent: male, strong, alpha. He was in a lazy, gliding flight, aimless and peaceful. He didn’t give himself time to reconsider. Regge’s life was on the line. He tucked his wings close to his body and went into a nosedive, angling directly for the other dragon. Rajiah’s dive was sharp, fast, and precise. The dragon didn’t whip his head around to stare until the very last moment. Rajiah unfolded his wings then, catching the wind and swooping up before impact. His upward swoop was short-lived as he tucked his wings again, twisting his body and dropping into a low loop around the other dragon, easily dodging around the other’s wings and body.
As he came up on the other side, he paused, flapping his wings to tread air as their eyes met. The other dragon’s eyes were as black as his scales, pools of shadow, glistening in the moonlight and fixed on him. His aura was stronger than Rajiah had anticipated, nearly choking him, easily pushing his own to the wayside and impressing on his will. And the strangest part? He didn’t seem to be doing it purposefully.
He felt irritation, surprise, and curiosity flare in the alpha’s aura, but Rajiah didn’t stick around to see those come to fruition. He knew it was already enough to get the dragon’s attention.
He flared his own aura, grinding his presence against the alpha’s. He met the other dragon’s eyes, refusing to budge or give way. He would not submit, and he made that clear. He also made it clear that he was not an omega looking for an alpha. This caused more curiosity to leak into the other man’s aura.
Without warning, he twisted and dove away, flapping his wings furiously to gain distance. For good measure, as he turned, he made sure to lightly slap the alpha across the face with the tip of his tail, in an impolite but recognizable “follow me” gesture.
There was a pause and for a moment he was worried that the alpha wouldn’t follow him. Then there was the sound of massive wings beating air, the rush of a body through the wind, a snarl of annoyance. Rajiah’s heart hammered, wings pumping furiously to keep ahead of the alpha.
He was small and lithe and fast. But he was also tired from hours of flight and this alpha was bigger than most. In fact, he was the biggest dragon Rajiah had seen aside from the Elders. As such, he caught up easily.
Rajiah was forced to pull up abruptly as the larger dragon cut in front of him. Without missing a beat, he twisted and curved in the air, dodging around the other dragon and continuing onward. The black dragon gave chase. He kept trying to block Rajiah, and Rajiah kept twisting away. It made for an awkward dance in the sky, and Rajiah was getting frustrated. This was a waste of time, and Regge needed every minute. The alpha’s aura kept pressing on him, kept urging him to submit. He snarled, pushing back.
The next time the black dragon went to block him, Rajiah growled and dove straight for the ground. His body was a bronze spear point, slick and fast as he shot toward the ground directly below them. He twisted his wings at the last moment, wings flaring out to slow his descent as smoke rose off his scales, dissolving his dragon body as he dropped the last short distance. When he landed, he was in human form again.
The night air was cool against his naked flesh, but it couldn’t touch the fire inside him. He lifted his chin, amber eyes watching as the black dragon landed much more slowly. Black smoke whirled around his form as he came down, and t
he ground shook with the force of impact. When the air cleared, he stood up straight. He was tall, sleek black hair pushed away from his face. His body was built well, layers of toned muscles shifting and flexing beneath taut pale skin as he moved. Scars marred his flesh, but took away nothing from his dangerous beauty. His features were sharp, angular, and his dark, shadowed eyes stared holes into Rajiah’s.
Rajiah shivered, but refused to cower. Neither of them moved. After hours of wind in his ears, the silence here was deafening. A calm breeze rolled past them, caressing his skin and ruffling his hair.
The alpha seemed content to stand and wait, pinning Rajiah with his gaze until he spoke first. Rajiah hated to give into him, but he didn’t have time to play this power game.
“I need your help,” he said, voice firm and loud enough to carry. He made it clear that he wasn’t asking. He was demanding.
This seemed to take the alpha by surprise. He blinked several times, hard lines around his mouth and eyes relaxing a fraction. The pressure in his aura eased a little, just enough to let Rajiah know his guard was momentarily lowered. Rajiah pushed on.
“There’s a tiger pack I’ve been traveling with.” He pointed to the southeast. “A couple hours’ flight that way. They’re on their way to the valley, but they’re still three-days’ foot journey out. One of their pack, a young man, has the omega fever. He needs a healer now, or he might not survive the rest of the way.” He couldn’t help the way his expression scrunched up then, lip curling and nose wrinkling. “The pack leaders won’t let me carry him to the valley in fear that I might contract the fever.”
The man continued to stare, expression and body unmoving. The ends of his long, dark hair played in the breeze.
Rajiah’s eyes narrowed, and he tried his best not to huff. “I need your help,” he repeated, irritation entering his voice, impatience making itself known as he gestured again to the southeast. “A young boy is dying! I can’t carry him to a healer, but you can!”
Silence. Impassive features. Cold, dark eyes.
“Hello?” He waved a hand in the air, trying to catch a flicker of movement, anything to indicate that the man was even alive. “Did you hear me?”
“Do you know who I am?” The question he had heard hundreds of times before from countless men and women, both dragon and not. It was a question that was usually said with haughty arrogance, spoken in disbelief. But the alpha’s voice was soft, surprised, honestly curious. There was the question there, yes, but it wasn’t spoken in self-importance. It was as if he honestly found it hard to believe that Rajiah didn’t know who he was.
Irritation overcame him. “Does it matter?” Silence again. Rajiah groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. “We’re wasting time!”
“Why should I help?”
“What?”
“Why should I help?” Again, his voice was filled with so much soft surprise, so much honest curiosity, that Rajiah found himself gaping. He sounded like a child questioning things that should be obvious. Yet he stood solid and firm as a man, a slash of pale flesh and dark shadows in the night. “I don’t know this boy or his pack. What reason do I have to help?”
Anger, sharp and hot, boiled in Rajiah’s blood. He stomped forward, closing the distance between them swiftly. The other weredragon was taller than he was, but Rajiah didn’t feel small when he had to tilt his head back to meet the alpha’s gaze. Ignoring the strong aura, he jabbed the man in the chest with a finger. “Because you can. Because he is young and has a life to live. Because he is a shifter. He may not be a dragon, but he is one of our own. If we don’t look after those weaker than us, then what good are we?”
He hadn’t meant to shout, yet here he was, shouting at an alpha and jabbing his chest so hard the man stumbled back a step. He stared down at Rajiah’s blazing gaze, dark eyes wide in surprise. His lips were relaxed, parting just slightly as he gaped. Silent. Still.
“I don’t have time for this,” Rajiah huffed, turning on his heel and stalking away so he had enough space to shift and take flight again. “Regge doesn’t have time for this.” He gathered his strength, reaching for his inner dragon, feeling the heat of his scales close to the surface--
“Wait,” The voice spoke without urgency, without rush, not shouted and not yelled. But it was a demand that stopped Rajiah in his tracks, keeping his feet on the ground. He turned slowly, eyeing the alpha cautiously. He seemed to have recovered from his surprise and stood tall and firm, as expressionless as ever. “I will help.”
Rajiah’s heart skipped a beat. “Really?” he breathed, searching the alpha’s face.
He nodded once. “Lead me to the boy. I’ll get him to the valley.”
Rajiah’s heart pounded, hope burning in his veins. He nodded, lips tilting into a small smile. “Thank you. Follow me.”
He took several running steps, leaping into the air and shifting with ease, feeling the burning of his bones, the ripping of his muscles, the smoke that whirled as his flesh burned to cinder and his scales rose to the surface. He took to the sky, wings pumping as adrenaline sang through his body. The black dragon rose behind him, slower at first but easily closing the distance. Rajiah steered their course to the southeast, pushing his body as hard and as fast as he could go.
They made it to the tiger camp before sunrise. Rajiah landed like a meteor crashing to the surface, leaving a small crater in his wake from the force of the impact. As soon as his feet were under him, he was running into the camp, to where the pack gathered. Their eyes weren’t on him; however, they were gazing at the black dragon circling above.
“Is he still alive?”
“Yes,” the weretiger Alpha said, awe and distraction in his voice. “Who is—”
“I found someone on my way to the valley. He’s an alpha, so he can’t catch the fever, and with his wingspan he can fly faster than I can... He’s going to take Regge to the valley.”
“Rajiah, are you sure--“
“We can trust him,” he said with certainty. He may not know the dragon, but a dragon was true to his word. The earth shook as the black dragon landed, standing in human form and striding to where Rajiah stood. He waved a hand as the man stopped next to him. “This is...” He trailed off, expression twisting in uncertainty. He glanced sideways, brow furrowed and lips pursed in a small frown. “What is your name?”
The man glanced at him then, eyebrows raised, dark eyes oddly amused and relaxed. And then something strange happened with his features: he smiled. It was small, the barest tilt to his lips, a little lopsided in nature, almost like a smirk, confident and at ease. This close, and with the firelight from the pack’s camp, Rajiah could see the man’s human features clearly for the first time. There was something familiar about the sharpness of his nose, the high cheekbones, the crinkle at the edges of eyes like dark pools, the way his thin lips cocked just so... Rajiah couldn’t put his finger on it. Recognition nagged at the edges of his memory, picking and prodding at a wall it couldn’t quite break through. Rajiah had been alive for centuries, and he had met many dragons. The odds of having met this one were very high.
And when the man spoke, his voice was even and unhurried, edges laced with an innate authority but softened by what Rajiah thought might have been amusement. “Arulean Black.”
Recognition flared through him, crashing through that wall in his mind and flooding his memory: a tall man, cocky and sure, a smirk constantly on his lips, confidence and ease in his manner, grace in his step, discharging power and authority with every gesture. A man, a king, kind and handsome, ruthless and arrogant, a large black dragon twisting across the sky with the scarlet form of Lyphnia at his side.
Rajiah’s eyes widened, and his jaw went slack, lips parting as he gaped. The man’s smirk curled just a hair wider, something dancing in those dark eyes. Yes, he was definitely amused.
He turned away from Rajiah to the tigers, who were just as astounded as Rajiah was. They stood frozen, eyes flickering from Arulean to their Alpha. After a momen
t of tense silence, the Alpha of the weretiger pack fell to his knees. “My lord...” he said gruffly, and seconds later the rest of the pack followed suit.
Rajiah remained where he stood, at a loss for words.
Arulean held up a hand, cutting off whatever the Alpha was going to say. “Please, rise. From what I’ve been told, the young shifter does not have much time.”
The words snapped Rajiah out of his stupor. “It’s urgent,” Rajiah affirmed, stepping forward to head for the tent. “This way.”
Arulean followed him, and the weretigers parted, closing in the gap as they passed. Rajiah waited outside the tent as Arulean ducked inside. He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited, straining to hear the murmured words between Arulean and Regge’s mother. He reemerged moments later, Regge wrapped in a blanket and looking small cradled against the big man’s chest.
The Alpha dragon paused as he passed Rajiah. “I’ll take him to the castle’s healer. He’ll be well cared for. Make sure the pack gets to the valley and escort the child’s family to the castle when they arrive.”
Rajiah didn’t like taking orders, but he nodded...
Arulean handed Regge to the pack’s Alpha before stepping forward into the open space. The tiger pack shuffled back to give him room as he shifted into his dragon form. Looking at him now, with his massive size and jet-black scales, Rajiah felt foolish for not recognizing him. Arulean Black was renowned throughout the shifter world. He had been a dragon king, one who had been at the forefront of the war during the Purge. He was mated to Rajiah’s sister. Still, Rajiah hadn’t been thinking about that. He had been only thinking of getting help. He hadn’t expected the dragon king to be so far from his kingdom during the dead of night.
Once shifted, Arulean took the bundled Regge in his front claws, the layers of blankets cushioning his body and providing warmth for when they reached higher altitudes. Arulean spread his wings high, preparing for flight, and then paused. His dark eyes moved over the pack until they focused on Rajiah, and he shivered.