by Noah Harris
He set a rough pace, rising and falling and rising as fast as he could, until his thighs were shaking and his breath came in shallow pants. His nails dug into Arulean’s chest in a desperate attempt to keep himself up. His body shook, head tossed back and eyes closed, but still he kept going, chasing the feeling of Arulean inside him, unable to stop, unwilling to give in. Arulean’s hands were on his hips, claws digging into his sides as he lifted him up before pulling him back down, lifting his hips to meet Rajiah’s.
Then suddenly he was moving as Arulean flipped them over, rolling on top of him and pressing Rajiah’s back into the dirt.
Rajiah automatically wrapped his legs around Arulean’s hips, arms wrapping around his neck and fingers burying in his hair as he tugged the man down for a sloppy, but hungry kiss. With one hand on his hip and the other holding him up, Arulean thrust into him. His pace was quick and merciless, hips snapping forward with quick precision. Rajiah arched into him, his kisses becoming quickly uncoordinated as he panted, gasps and moans ripping from him, choked off with small cries. Arulean devoured the sounds before nosing Rajiah’s head aside, diving in toward his neck. His tongue and lips dragged along the sensitive skin there, and Rajiah shuttered when he pressed over his swollen scent glands. Then the alpha bit down, bruising and hard just as he thrust in deep, and Rajiah let out a strangled cry.
“Arulean--“ Rajiah gasped out, voice shaking and hoarse, trembling as he struggled to form coherent words. “Arulean-- please-- I can’t-- fuck—more---Arulean--“
The man growled, biting down harder before releasing him, licking along the mark and latching on with his lips to suck. Rajiah moaned, tilting his head to the side as his nails dug into Arulean’s shoulders, scratching and clawing his back with everything he had. He tried to move with the man’s thrusts, hips working together for just moments before Rajiah couldn’t keep up and simply let Arulean take him without mercy.
A familiar heat was building low, coiling and threatening to push him over the edge. He was achingly hard, his cock bouncing against his stomach and leaking. His nails dug into Arulean’s back, fingers of one hand twisting in his hair and tugging until the alpha growled against his neck. “Arulean--fuck-- I’m gonna-- I’m close--“
He tilted his head, lips brushing his ear, teeth nipping at his lobe. “Come for me, Rajiah.” His hand relaxed its bruising grip on his hip, drifting across his stomach to wrap long, slender fingers that were hot to the touch around his aching cock. His back arched just a little more as he gasped, breath lodging in his throat.
He was so warm. So, so warm. Warmth inside him, warmth around him, warmth on top of him. Heat and fire, building, building, building, threatening to combust and consume him. He tried to croak out Arulean’s name, but it came out as mangled and incoherent syllables. He kept trying though, stringing together half formed words and pleas between gasps and strangled moans.
“Come for me,” Arulean repeated, thrusts becoming uncoordinated and rough, hand slipping as he pumped him hard. “Come for me.” He tilted his head, nuzzling his nose just under Rajiah’s ear. He could feel him panting against his skin, feel the vibrations of his voice. He squeezed his eyes shut, entire body coiling and tensing.
“Arulean--“
“Rajiah--“ His name was both a curse and a prayer as it fell from Arulean’s lips, voice low and broken, a plea and a command.
He came suddenly, stars igniting behind his eyelids and body wracking in quakes as he rode out his orgasm, spilling over Arulean’s hand and clenching tight around him. He bit down on Arulean’s shoulder, teeth sinking into flesh as his jaw clenched tight. His throat felt raw. Raw enough that he knew he must have made a sound, but he couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears. Fire sizzled over his skin, igniting a flame that burned through him.
Arulean’s thrusts became erratic, less coordinated, until suddenly he thrust deep and came with a strangled cry that nearly sounded like Rajiah’s name. Warmth spread through him as Arulean thrust shallowly and weakly through his orgasm. Rajiah coaxed him through it, rubbing up and down his arms, his back, his sides, running fingers through his hair as he whispered sweet nothings, words that he couldn’t remember and barely understood himself.
And then Arulean collapsed on top of him, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. His face remained buried in Rajiah’s neck, nose against his throat and breath caressing his collarbones. He was heavy and large, making breathing difficult, but Rajiah didn’t mind. He basked in the afterglow, hands and fingertips caressing Arulean’s skin, feeling the softness of it, of the hard muscles beneath, weaving through his hair and scratching at his scalp.
When Arulean slipped out of him, Rajiah was unable to stop the whine that escaped his throat. He wanted Arulean to stay in him for longer, wanted to feel filled, wanted his knot to lock them together for the entirety of the night and into the early hours of the morning, wanted to be filled again and again and drive him crazy and wild.
But he knew he couldn’t. Arulean had already attacked his scent glands, melding their scents and claiming him there, marking him. If he were to take the alpha’s knot... by dragon standards, they would be mated. And if they mated, Arulean’s hold over Lyphnia wouldn’t be as complete. Rajiah understood this, understood why it couldn’t happen, but it didn’t stop him from feeling empty and incomplete over the loss of Arulean inside him.
But then the alpha was lifting himself up onto his elbows, gazing down at him with eyes that saw nothing but him, black pools that glittered and shone, eased at the edges with fondness and contentment, lips relaxed and curved just slightly, like he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. And when he touched him, his caress was so gentle, so soft, like Rajiah was something precious that might shatter if he pressed too hard. He touched his chest, his shoulder, his neck, fingertips moving up his jaw to cup his cheek.
“You’re beautiful,” He breathed, voice hoarse and low, but cracking with honesty.
Rajiah put a hand over his, holding it there as he leaned into the touch. His free hand lifted, brushing hair away from the man’s temple and trailing down to cup his cheek, thumb brushing over the high, sharp bone. “So are you,” He said softly, lips curving into a gentle smile.
“We should get back...” He said, though reluctance and hesitance was thick in his voice.
Rajiah’s legs tightened around him. “Not yet,” He said, voice firm and commanding, and surprisingly, Arulean relaxed into him. He pulled the alpha down for a kiss, then whispered against his lips. “Tonight, is ours. Tonight, think of me and only me. Tonight, make me yours.”
“I cannot make you mine...” Arulean said as though it pained him, voice cracking and shuddering with regret.
Rajiah only tugged him closer. “You already have.”
He cut off Arulean’s protest with a kiss, reveling in pride as the alpha melted against him.
They didn’t make it back to the castle until the sun had already risen high over the valley, their bodies marked, bruised, and sore, but their hearts light and happy.
Chapter Ten
Rajiah didn’t see much of Arulean for the next couple of days. It wasn’t, however, from lack of trying.
He tried to catch Arulean’s eyes several times, tried to catch him in their usual places, and was disappointed to find the man avoiding him. He supposed he couldn’t blame him too much. Lyphnia was watching them heavily. He could feel the weight of her suspicious gaze weighing on him wherever he went. After they had returned after their amazing night together, he had bathed and soaked thoroughly to remove most of Arulean’s scent, and he was certain the other man had done the same. Still, the marks remained. The marks made from hands, nails, and teeth. He dressed more conservatively than normal to hide most of them, wrapping scarves around his neck beneath his gold bands.
He understood Arulean’s hesitance. Rajiah had made things difficult for him by saying he was Arulean’s. And whether it could have been brushed off as a heat of the moment declaration, it st
ill rang true. And Rajiah had meant it. He knew he couldn’t be Arulean’s mate in truth, but he was the only man, the only alpha, who had ever made Rajiah feel this way. Made him feel anything at all. He didn’t want to give that up. He wasn’t sure he could.
He had always been a wanderer, exploring the world and meeting new people, but never finding a place of his own. He didn’t find a home among dragons, and his homes with other shifter packs were always temporary. When it came down to it, he wasn’t one of them. He never felt a place he belonged, despite loving the places he had been. Yet with Arulean... he felt like maybe he could have something he never had before. A spot inside him that he had never realized was empty suddenly felt full.
So he gave Arulean the space he needed. That, however, didn’t stop him from being drawn to him, from being tugged toward him by invisible strings. Whenever he wasn’t paying attention, he ended up near Arulean or one of their spots. Several times he dragged himself out to the valley to visit the packs and shifters he knew, but even then, his mind and eyes kept drifting back to the castle on the hill.
At evening feasts, Arulean didn’t approach him, but he felt the alpha’s eyes on him always, a burning presence on his back as his suitors tried to get his attention. He smiled and spoke on autopilot, keeping his attention on Arulean throughout it all. He stood a little straighter, smiled a little brighter, when he knew the man was watching. He wanted Arulean to want him, and he wanted Arulean to know that he wanted him.
Whenever their eyes met, Rajiah felt lightning flash through him, setting his insides ablaze and tingling out across his skin. If he ever doubted how Arulean felt about him, he only had to make eye contact to feel reassured. The world was in those eyes, worlds of emotions and desires that he kept on a tight leash, but which he couldn’t quite hide from his eyes. He felt it in the lingering stares, in the way his face softened when their eyes met.
Rajiah couldn’t, however, stay away forever.
The Second Meeting of The Summit was several days after the first. He waited around anxiously from dawn to dusk. Unable to stay still, he paced the castle, feet tapping lightly on familiar flagstones. He avoided others, using the action to amuse himself as he waited. Once the meeting was over, he watched from perch outside on a roof, watching as the dragons filtered out of the conference room and along the halls through the windows, watched them file out along the outer breezeways. There were many faces and many auras, but he found Arulean easily enough, trailing him as he went to his study. Once everyone was filtered out of the room and on their way, and after he made sure Lyphnia had gone elsewhere, he snuck back inside, ghosting along the hallways to Arulean’s study.
As he approached, he heard voices, muffled by the thick doors and walls, but loud enough for him to pick out both Arulean and Gerrald’s voices. Even with an ear pressed to the door, he couldn’t make out the words, but they were shouted and hissed, snapping at each other with a rage that seemed to permeate the air. Unable to control himself and his curiosity, seized by a sudden burst of brash confidence, he pushed one of the doors open, stepping into the room.
Their conversation cut off abruptly, and Rajiah stood there, one hand on the door, as they looked him over. They both stood in front of his desk, faces flushed and postures bent and crooked in their anger. At the sight of him, they had two very different reactions. Arulean’s expression pinched, closing off and becoming cold.
“What are you doing here?” He snapped, voice harsh in remnants of his argument. Even he winced at the sound of it.
Rajiah bristled. “I came to hear how the meeting went.” He said bluntly, confident, like he had every right to demand this of the dragon king.
Gerrald’s face, however, relaxed slightly. He sighed, resigned as he ran a hand through his hair. He glared at his brother, though it wasn’t with fire so much as stubborn frustration. “I should go.”
Arulean looked at him sharply. “There is no need--“
“I will speak with you later.” He walked briskly away, stopping at Rajiah’s side for a brief moment to put a hand on his shoulder and say in a low voice, “Perhaps you can talk some sense into him.” And then he was gone, stepping quickly through the open door and shutting it behind him with more force than necessary.
“What happened?” Rajiah asked after a moment of silence.
Arulean wasn’t looking at him. He leaned back against his desk, legs crossed at the ankles and arms crossed over his chest. He was looking at a spot across the room. “Nothing you need concern yourself with...”
Rajiah’s brows furrowed as he glared, lips pursing into a frown. “Bullshit.” Arulean blinked, looking at him with surprise. Rajiah crossed the room with long, purposeful strides, stopping when they were face to face. He jabbed a finger into Arulean’s chest. “Whatever is happening in those meetings will affect all of dragon-kind. Including me. So it is my business.” His face softened, and he tried to smile. “And whatever it is, it’s obviously upset you. What happened?”
Arulean looked him over, expression blank as he searched Rajiah’s face. Then he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “It is just... Lyphnia, as usual.”
“What has my sister done this time?”
He scoffed in dry amusement. “Just the usual, only this time she is actually getting somewhere with it.”
Rajiah frowned. “What does that mean?”
Arulean sighed again, letting his hand drop. He stared at the ceiling. “I proposed the Paranormal Pact.”
He tilted his head to the side. “The what?”
“It is a pact that has been proposed and spread among the paranormal community. It is the idea that we keep ourselves hidden from humans, we blend in or avoid them and do not make our presence known. It is done with the hopes that, over time, they will forget we existed altogether. We will fade into myths for them, and they will live without the knowledge that they are living alongside creatures that are not human. This is done with the idea of preservation in mind. If they do not think we exist, then they will stop hunting us.
“Humans are very prevalent and resilient creatures. We are stronger, but they outnumber us. They are many, and they are strong in those numbers, and they only continue to spread. Things cannot be as they once were. I am trying to move our kind into the future, while Lyphnia attempts to reclaim the past.”
“I take it she didn’t like the idea of this pact?” Rajiah asked wryly.
“No, she finds it abhorrent, and any creature that abides by it to be weak. The vampires have just recently started to accept the pact, though there are covens that don’t abide by it. The witches were the first to suggest it, and the witch hunts have lessened significantly. Humans scare easily. They scare and they lash out at what they fear. We must proceed with caution if we are to keep from dying out.”
“Let me guess,” Rajiah said, voice dripping with venom and simmering with rage. “Lyphnia turned the council against you and your idea?”
He shook his head. “Not quite. Not all of them. But more than half do not like the idea of the pact. They see it as weakness. Even if they do not want war as she does, and though they are hesitant to call to arms, they do not wish to hide either. We are dragons, and we are proud and vain. We like to be seen.”
“Our pride will be our folly.”
“I agree, but I am one man, and I cannot control them all.”
“But why not?”
“Our kind does not work that way, Rajiah. We do not have one Alpha to rule the pack. We had Elders to watch over us and guide us. We had dragon kings and queens to give us direction and commands. But decisions such as this, large scale decisions, they are always determined by the council. I may have heavy influence, but so does Lyphnia. I cannot force them all under my control.”
Rajiah’s face scrunched up, lip curling in distaste. He didn’t see why not. Arulean was clearly more powerful and influential than any of the others, including Lyphnia. She might be cunning and crafty, but Arulean commanded respect and
wielded it like a second skin.
Arulean stared blankly at the ceiling, lines around his lips forming. “I will have to compromise.” He said softly.
Rajiah gaped at him. “What?”
Arulean lowered his head to look at him. He looked resigned, defeated. “I have no choice. After I proposed the pact, there was already hesitance. Lyphnia was ready. She prayed on all of their fears and worries, stroking their pride and vanity. There was nothing I could do. By the end of it, she had more than half of the council behind her. I only had a fourth behind me, and the rest remained undecided. We have only one more meeting, and decisions will need to be made. She has been pushing for war again, a fight back to reclaim our territory, to shine brightly in the sun and let humans beware. She wants to teach them what it is to fear us again. She has been pushing for years, but the Elders always held her back after the wake of the purge. Without them, it is only me to hold her back, and I do not know if that will be enough. Too many of them are behind her.”
“I will have to compromise. If our next meeting follows the same vein, we will go to war again. I have to think of a way to allow that, but also allow us some refuge and safety--“
“We can’t go to war again!” Rajiah snapped, unable to contain it any longer.
Arulean’s eyes focused on him, narrowing. “Do you think I do not know that?” He straightened a little, towering over Rajiah. “I have lost more to those wars than you will ever know.”
Rajiah grit his teeth and didn’t back down. He jabbed a finger into Arulean’s chest, and the man blinked in surprise. “You promised you wouldn’t let it happen again. You’ve dedicated yourself to keeping us from making the same mistakes, and after one fall back, you’re willing to give in?”
Arulean pushed his hand away, lips pursing into an irritated frown. “I know when I’m beaten, Rajiah.”