by Noah Harris
“But you aren’t!” He shouted, running his hands through his hair and tugging at the strands. He spun on his heel, striding several steps away before turning, pointing at him accusingly. “You just said you know the pain of the wars more than anyone, and yet you’re willing to let our people go into that again? And why? Because Lyphnia showed you up once in a meeting?”
“It has not just been once--“
“You’re spineless, Arulean Black.” Rajiah spat, eyes blazing and lips pressed into a firm frown.
Arulean bristled at that, eyes widening and jaw going slack in his shock. He blinked. “Excuse me?” He said, voice low and dangerous, full of warning that Rajiah blatantly ignored.
“I said,” He said, seething with anger. “You are spineless. You talk big, you talk about sacrifice, you talk about keeping our kind safe, you talk about saving us from repeating the past, but when it comes down to it, you give up. You are spineless. All bark and no bite. What kind of dragon are you?”
He could see Arulean’s anger. He could see it in the way he straightened, in the way his fists curled tight at his sides, in the way the lines tightened around his eyes as he glared, in the way his lips worked as he frowned, in the blaze of cold anger in his eyes. “You hold your tongue--“
“No!” He threw his hands up in the air. “I will not! You need to hear this and clearly, no one is willing to tell you.”
Arulean stepped up to him, towering over him, pressing on him on all sides with his aura, enraged and flaring. Rajiah ignored him and stood his ground. Arulean’s voice was ice. “You speak out of turn. I do not need to hear this from--“
“From who?” Rajiah snapped. “An omega? Well I’m the omega you have been pining after for weeks, Arulean. The omega who wants you but can’t have you because you’re so dedicated to keeping Lyphnia in check.” He shoved Arulean, startling the man until he stumbled backwards against his desk. He stared openly at him, obviously surprised. Rajiah wasn’t sure anyone had ever yelled at him like this, but he was too fired up to care. He pointed at him. “You want to keep her in check? Well it’s time to check her. You talk big, like you have her on this leash. Now put that to the test and tighten that rope. You reject me so you can keep her, well what good is that if you won’t press your advantage?”
“It is not so simple--“
“Bullshit. You say you can’t force the entire council? Fine. You can’t force your will on them all. But you can on her. That was the whole point of keeping your mateship bond alive. You are literally the only one who can stand against her. Force her to back down, and the others will lose their confidence. She is the spear point, so break that off. You’re the only one who can.”
“Rajiah--“
“No, you need to listen.” He snapped, stepping up to Arulean, putting a hand on his chest to keep him sitting on the edge of his desk. It brought them closer in height, allowing for him to better meet his eyes. Arulean glared at him, anger simmering beneath the surface, but his expression was set in resignation. “She wants a war for revenge, to get back a life where she was more powerful. Those are the wrong reasons to put us in danger. You are right, Arulean. You have great ideas and everyone’s interest at heart, but you are weak if you won’t do anything about it.
“A war like this would affect so much more than our kin. A war would affect all shifters. As dragons, we are the most visible, but the others would catch the fall out. All shifters would be hunted, even those who want to fade into myth. Shifters like Marli and Regge. Shifters like that wolf pack we saved. They come here for protection. They come to you for protection. And yet you’re willing to toss away that safety because you’re too frightened to fight back with Lyphnia.”
“I am not afraid--“
“You are! You’re scared of failing again, Arulean. I know you are. And that’s stopping you from trying. I know you’re tired. I know you’ve been through so much, but you’re not dead yet, and you still have the strength to go on, to protect us. Not just dragon kin, but all shifters. We all need you. All of us. It’s not just about dragons anymore. It’s about every shifter, great and small. And you’re our only hope against a war that Lyphnia will create.”
He stepped away, holding Arulean’s gaze, fire burning in his eyes. He lowered his voice. “If we don’t look after those weaker than us, then what good are we?”
Arulean said nothing, and Rajiah didn’t give him a chance to. He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, letting the heavy oaken doors close behind him with a resounding bang that echoed throughout the hall. He realized he probably should have stayed, probably should have helped Arulean through this, listened to his thoughts, something, anything.
But he couldn’t stay. There was an itch beneath his skin, a rage that simmered in his bones. He was mad at Lyphnia, he was mad at the council, and he was mad at Arulean. Arulean, who refused to mate with him because of his ties to Lyphnia, but who refused to use those ties to keep them from tumbling to their downfall. He hoped his words would have an impact because he couldn’t stay still any longer, couldn’t just sit around and talk. He was restless, his dragon inching toward the surface.
He went to his room, stripped off his clothes with little care, and stepped out to the balcony. He leapt into the air, letting the shift take him, and he flew out over the valley, pushing himself hard and fast, rising high until the air was thin and moisture crystalized on his scales, and then fell toward the earth, closing his eyes and letting the wind in his ears and against his scales erase his worries, if only for a few fleeting moments.
Chapter Eleven
He found her in one of the lesser used hallways after the evening feast the next day. Rajiah, predictably, didn’t show up, and that was like an itch beneath his skin, a reminder, making his words ring louder in his inner ear. His words had been haunting him all day, barely allowing him to sleep the previous night.
If we don’t look after those weaker than us, then what good are we?
She was surrounded by several of her entourage. Some of them were members of the council, older and war worn, bitter and jaded men and women. Others were younger, not quite influential but eager to prove themselves. They were all followers. He could tell by the way they hung on her every word, recognizing some of them as her louder supporters from the Meetings. He approached them at an even pace, strides long, hands clasped behind his back, chin held high, lips pursed, and eyes like ice.
They all looked at him as he approached, silence settling over the group. Their expressions ranged from contempt, to curiosity, to fear, to indifference. Lyphnia was the only one who smiled, though it held no warmth. It was the sly smile of a victor, confident and cocky with no room for remorse or modesty. “Why, Arulean,” She said as he stopped next to their group, making it clear that he wasn’t simply passing by. “What a pleasure to see you.” They both knew it wasn’t.
“Lyphnia,” He greeted, voice carefully blank. His eyes slid to the dragons around her. “May I have a word with my mate... alone?” He framed it as a question, but there was nothing but casual command in his voice. Most of them nodded, muttering honorifics and polite phrases as they dipped away. Several of them hesitated, glancing at Lyphnia and waiting for her to idly wave them away.
They locked eyes, neither one of them backing down or speaking until the others had cleared out of the hall.
“What are you doing, Lyphnia?” He asked when they were alone. He was unable to keep the sigh from his voice, feeling tired above all else. They had done this dance a million times. Had this conversation a million times.
She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning her weight to one hip as she tilted her head, gazing up at him. “I do not know what you mean, Arulean.” She said innocently, still smiling, eyes sharp. Several of her deep red curls fell from their pins to frame her face. She was beautiful, like a deadly flower or a poisonous snake.
“I am tired of this dance, Lyphnia.” He said bluntly, keeping his voice even. “You know very well what I mean.
The Meetings. The war. Why must you push this foolish plan forward?”
“Foolish?” She said, smile dropping into a delicate frown. Her eyes hardened, and her posture straightened. “Is it so foolish to take back what is ours? To stop cowering? I do not know about you, Arulean, but I refuse to roll over with my belly up. We are dragons. We deserve our place in this world, and we deserve for it to be in the open. I do not wish to start a war, but I do not wish to hide.”
“You know your actions will cause a war, whether you start it directly, you will start one nonetheless.”
Her eyes sparked, crimson red glinting in the dark depths. Her voice was cold and sharp, but heated with a simmering rage that had sustained her for years. “If a war is what the humans want, then so be it. We will show them that we are the superior race.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Have you no guilt, Lyphnia? No shame?”
She bristled at that, temper and aura flaring. “Have you no backbone, Arulean?” She spat.
His eyes narrowed. “Your ambitions and pride and greed are the reason why so many of our kind, of our children, are dead.”
“Or,” She said, voice low and seething. “Perhaps it is your cowardice, holding back so many of our forces and cutting our strength, that brought them to their graves.”
He stiffened, breaths coming shallow as he struggled to keep hold on himself. He felt ice in his veins. “Do not blame this on me.” He breathed, voice full of warning. Enough so that any other shifter, save perhaps Gerrald and Rajiah, would have backed down.
Her lips quirked in a wry, bitter smile. “You hold guilt in your heart because you are guilty. I did nothing wrong, and I will avenge those who wronged us, bringing forth a bright future for our kind. I believe the Second Meeting was proof enough that plenty will stand by me. This is moving forward, Arulean. With or without you.” Her face softened then, shadow of sorrow somewhere in the depths of her eyes. It wasn’t a plea, nor was it hope. It was a mourning of something that had long passed. “Though I wish you would reconsider. We could still be great together, Arulean. We could still have it all.”
He held her gaze, feeling the weight of the past on his chest. He thought of Rajiah, of that bright young smile, of the happiness he felt when around him, of the hopeful outlook on a future without fighting, of how the omega made him feel alive again when he wasn’t even aware he had felt dead. “You know that is no longer possible.” He said softly, almost an apology.
She regarded him then, trying to mask her expressions, but he knew her too well. He saw the pain, the anger, the rejection swirling in her eyes. Then she steeled herself, lifting her chin. “I will see you around, then, Arulean.” She said, brushing past him and heading down the hall.
He half turned to watch her go, feeling the weight of what they once had crumbling inside him. He hadn’t realized he had been holding out hope, but now he recognized that he had. And now that hope was gone. She would not change, and he could not change her. She kept fighting for what she wanted, so he would to. He could not keep living like a ghost of the past. Not if he wanted to build a future for his kind and all shifters.
A future that he pictured with a certain dark haired, dark skinned omega at his side, with a smile that shone like the sun and eyes that blazed like fire.
“Will you ever change your mind?” He asked softly, unsure whether or not she would hear him.
She stopped, and turned her head to the side, not quite enough to look back at him but enough that he saw her profile. “No,” She said softly, a small frown on her lips. “Will you?”
“No,” He answered without hesitation.
She turned back around. “Then I will do whatever I can to do what I believe is right.”
“As will I.”
And with that, she left, and he let her go. Let her go from his heart, but not his life. He still needed to keep their bond alive. He needed it to keep her in check, and this time, he would use it. He would use it as Rajiah had said, because Rajiah was right. He was right about all of it. Arulean had lost his fire when Lyphnia drifted from him. But now, with Rajiah, he thought he might have found it again. He found a reason to keep fighting, to keep moving forward, to keep fighting for a future. For now, he would let Lyphnia relish in her self-proclaimed victory.
At the third and final Meeting, Arulean would bring that all crashing down.
Once upon a time, Arulean had been a man who had taken what he wanted. He had risen through the ranks of his kind, fighting his way to the top, becoming powerful and respected in the eyes of the Elders and his peers. He had fought for his position, he had fought for his kind, and then he had fought for peace. He had always seen what he wanted and allowed himself to take it. He was a dragon, after all. A dragon king, and a strong alpha. There were few things beyond his grasp. After the purge and Lyphnia’s last stand, however, he had pulled in on himself, stopped allowing himself things that made him happy, contented himself to be idle and told himself that he was holding Lyphnia back by doing nothing.
Now it was time for him to take action against her, and he would.
For now, however, he would start with allowing himself to take the things he wanted, to take his own happiness. And that meant taking Rajiah.
The night air was cool on his scales as he circled the valley, high and gliding in wide sweeps. There were a few other dragons in the air, but they gave him a wide berth, and he flew above them all, as a king should. He let himself enjoy the night, to bask in the starlight and revel in the wind under his wings and the chill on his scales. He let his own anticipation build. Let it simmer and coil inside him, let it brew until he was practically quivering from adrenaline.
Then he tipped his wings and let the wind guide him down, down, a shadow in the night, silent and deadly, despite his size. He approached the castle, uncaring who saw him, knowing no one would interfere. He was a dragon king. He took what he wanted.
He aimed for a particular balcony, flaring his wings and letting it slow his descent. He shifted as he fell, smoke pulling the scales from his flesh and reshaping his bones. The pain was pleasure, a release as his body popped back into place. When the smoke dissipated into the night, he was a man again, pale skin bright in the night, crouched low and predatory on the banister. He slowly unfolded himself, stepping down onto the balcony, and stalked to the doors.
One was left ajar, and he silently pushed it open, just enough to slip his body through.
The room was dark, save for slivers of light that fell through the windows. His eyes adjusted easily, focusing in on the still form on the bed, curled beneath the blankets. Arulean stalked across the room on silent feet, body swaying and warmth coiling low in his gut as he surveyed his prize, his prey, his lover, his omega.
Black, wavy hair was strewn out across the pillows, his face turned away from Arulean and relaxed in sleep. He felt a small smile curl his lips as he gently lifted the blankets at the edge of the bed, slipping beneath them. Rajiah stirred as his weight pressed into the bed, but he settled down quickly. Arulean slid closer, pressing his body up against Rajiah’s back, wrapping one arm around his waist while the other slid beneath his neck.
He pressed his lips to the back of Rajiah’s neck, running his tongue along the bumps of his spine, tasting the salt of his skin. He slept with nothing on, and his flesh was warm against Arulean’s, chilled from the night. He was already somewhat hard from his thoughts and anticipation, and he pressed his length against the curve of Rajiah’s ass.
The omega stirred again. Arulean pressed his lips to his neck, nipping and licking and sucking along the curve of it, from his ear to his shoulder. The man tilted his head, breathing heavily as he gave Arulean more room. The alpha’s hands roamed over his chest, his stomach, his thighs, teasing the dark curls but dancing around the thickening cock of the omega. He pinched his nipple, rolling the bud between two fingers, and Rajiah gasped softly, arching back into Arulean’s chest. He chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his throat. He could smell Raj
iah’s scent getting stronger in his arousal, and he playfully nosed the skin above his scent glands, breathing him in and letting out a shuddering breath. He had the sweetest scent he had ever come across.
Unable to wait much longer, driven by desire, need, and a primal hunger that he couldn’t keep at bay, his hand slipped around the curve of Rajiah’s hip, around the curve of one cheek to dip into the cleft of his ass. He prodded the entrance there, teasing it and rubbing with his fingers. He could feel the moisture building, arousal already making the omega wet. When he pushed in a finger, Rajiah’s spine arched again, a soft gasp and a moan escaping his lips.
“A-Arulean?” Came the soft inquiry, breathless and perfect.
Arulean hummed against his skin, nosing his way up Rajiah’s neck. “Rajiah,” He breathed into his ear, enjoying the feeling of the omega shivering against him. “Rajiah, I want you.” He whispered, rocking his hips forward and pressing himself against him.
Rajiah arched his back, pressing his ass against him, exposing more of his neck. “Please...” Came the breathy reply.
That was all Arulean needed to continue. He pressed his finger deeper into the omega, turning his wrist to quirk the finger, exploring and finding all the spots that make him gasp and moan. He added a second, stretching him out before adding a third. Rajiah took him in easily, hips moving in encouragement and delicious sounds dropping from his lips.
“Arulean... Arulean, please...”
He pulled his fingers out, rolling on top of him. “Hold onto me, my love...” He whispered against his lips, and Rajiah obeyed without hesitation, wrapping his legs around his hips and his arms around his neck. Arulean pushed into him, and he kissed him, swallowing the whimpers as he stretched the omega. He was warm and wet, and it felt like heaven. It drove him wild with hunger and need. He stayed still only long enough for them both to adjust before he pulled back slowly and snapped his hips forward. Rajiah gasped before letting loose a long, drawn out moan, keening when Arulean did it again.