“You’ll be fine,” Todd whispered, leaning in close to me.
I gave him a weak smile. At least he was coming around to being more affectionate towards me. Though we still hadn’t spent more than half an hour alone together. Maybe that would change after we were officially bonded?
Probably not. I’d just have to spend my whole life making sure Todd knew he was just as important as the others.
I turned from him and took Rachel’s hand in mine. “You okay?”
“I will be,” she replied, her voice shaking as she spoke.
Guilt gripped me. If I hadn’t been me, then she wouldn’t have…
No, Lola. I couldn’t let myself feel bad about what fate had in store for us. That wasn’t fair to anyone. Not even me.
“I’ll be thinking of you,” I said, before turning to my other mates. “All of you.”
“We know,” Martin answered. “We’ll see you in about an hour.”
I looked at them all for a little longer, trying to decide if I was really ready to leave. The answer was definitely not, but that didn’t mean I was able to skip the ceremony. This time, I had to fulfill my duty.
Only problem being this was the first ceremony I’d actually attended. Suddenly, skipping the previous six seemed like a bad choice on my part...
14
Fires crackled everywhere, all in different shades of the rainbow. Logically, I was sure there must be some kind of chemical explanation for them. But the dragon inside me had definitely taken hold and all I could think of was the way in which the flames danced together. Their tongues licked at one another and...
“Dolores Cedar?”
“Yes?” I replied, cringing at the sound of my full name. I really hated Dolores. It didn’t feel like me.
“I need you to take a seat,” the voice instructed, indicating to the uncomfortable looking plastic chair to my left.
Hesitantly, I sat on it, scared that it could give way at any point.
“Arm, please.”
I looked at the middle-aged woman in confusion. What did she want my arm for?
She clucked in annoyance. “Come on girl, we haven’t got all day.”
“Which arm do you want?” I asked.
Her eyes widened. “Have you not been paying attention to all the ceremonies?” Her question came with a hint of venom I hadn’t expected.
“This is my first one.”
“You shouldn’t be here if you’re eighteen,” she spat.
“I’m twenty-five,” I replied, already feeling a lot smaller than I should. Who was this woman to treat me this way? It wasn’t my fault I didn’t know these things. Even if I’d been to a ceremony before, I wouldn’t have known the ins and outs of what the mated women went through.
“Shame on you.” She grabbed my left arm and yanked it towards her, causing a whimper of pain to escape my lips.
Without waiting for me to say anything, she shoved my sleeve back and picked up a charcoal stick and held it next to my arm.
“The full three? Or have you lost any of them.” Her voice didn’t seem very sympathetic given she seemed to be asking me whether any of my mates had died.
“I need four,” I said instead.
“Don’t be stupid.”
“I need four,” I repeated. “If you give me less, the ceremony won’t be complete.” My voice shook. I didn’t like being different. And I didn’t like the idea of being difficult either, but no way were they going to leave Rachel off my arm.
“Impertinent child,” the woman muttered.
Nonetheless, she drew the charcoal pencil over my arm four times, creating four perfect lines on my skin. They’d wash away easily after today, but what they symbolised never would.
“Thank you.”
The woman grunted at me and I didn’t wait for a better acknowledgement and got up to make my way to where a lot of the other women going through the ceremony were waiting.
I’d never felt like so much of an odd one out before. They were all standing and chatting away without a care in the world. Then there was me. Completely clueless about what was going on and wishing I was back with my mates. Or playing Realms&Rebels. I’d been doing quests with the guys over the past week and had to admit it was great fun to play. They were a lot more daring than Tate and JJ, my previous team. I really should check in with the two of them, though.
“Take your places,” a voice boomed, causing the women around me to scurry to their places.
I looked around and noticed a free chair right at the end. That was perfect. And would hopefully mean we could make a quick escape once we’d been through this ordeal.
Taking my seat, I realised the fires didn’t quite look like I thought they had. Instead of being dotted around, they were all in one line, each one opposite one of the chairs.
I snorted in amusement when I realised the one opposite me had white flames. How fitting. And how perfect. Maybe Rachel wouldn’t feel so conspicuous about her colour when she saw this. Though how my mates would know this was the fire behind which I sat, I wasn’t too sure. I might have to ask them about that one later.
A second gong sounded and complete silence fell over the mating field. A ball of nerves rested in my stomach. I could sense the people watching on the other side and I hated being the centre of attention unless I was playing online. But there was no getting around this. While I was sure we could live without doing the ceremony, I couldn’t live with waiting to be with them much longer, and Martin was too much of a stickler for skipping ceremonies. So here I was. Waiting to cause a scandal. Always the best way I guessed. I just hoped my parents would understand. I’d kind of hoped to see them before everything started and explain.
To my right, a mate passed through a burning blue fire and sunk to his knees in front of a pretty blonde dragon. Right, so walking through fire. That was no big deal, most of us had been doing that since we were kids just to show off.
But if that’s all there was to it, then why was I still so nervous?
Another figure emerged from the fire and the ginger dragon at the far end squealed as one of her mates showed up. I held my breath and stared at the fire dancing in front of me. I hoped, hoped, hoped one of my mates would jump through them and not a random dragon.
The white fire crackled and a shadow passed through it. Some of the weight lifted as I stared at Hector’s smug grin.
“Found you,” he chuckled, sounding so sure of himself. I stretched out my hand, wanting him closer for support.
“No touching!” the woman behind me scolded, slapping me on the wrist with a fan. For fire’s sake, this was getting ridiculous.
“I’ll be right here.” Hector stepped out of my sight, but I felt his presence radiate as he waited behind me. All the fires danced as multiple men fell through the flames and one by one, they gathered around their own mates.
Another shadow appeared in the white flames and I prepared myself to see Martin.
“Hello,” Todd smiled, a smug grin appearing on his face. I sighed in relief, glad to see it was one of mine. I hadn’t expected him to show up before Martin, but it was kind of pleasant that he did. He must’ve been quite eager to get to me then.
Todd strode up to me with more confidence than I’d expected, before grasping my neck firmly and pulling me to him for a swift kiss.
I melted into his arms, the knowledge that Todd accepted our mating bond and walked through fire for me, settled more of the nerves.
“No touching!” the woman scolded again, a small hiss ending her word. I really wasn’t making friends with her.
Todd pulled back and winked at me, causing a large grin to spread across my face. Now it was just Martin and Rachel that needed to find me.
The white flames crackled and Martin’s handsome face peaked through the fire. He rushed through the coals and fell to my feet. “Thank goodness Hector was right.” He shot me a grateful look and patted Todd on his back. “Let’s join Hec.”
The two men smiled and joined
my other mate behind my chair. Three mates down, one to go.
More men appeared from the other fires and the women seemed all just as pleased as I was. Five of the other groups were already complete, so that only left a handful of mates on the other side.
Loud clamouring and muttering roared over the fire and even without being able to see, I knew what was going on. Someone spotted Rachel now that she was no longer hidden by the guys.
With my breath stuck in my throat I watched the white fire dancing in front of me. This was her colour and I just hoped our bond was strong enough that she’d find me. I needed her to find me.
A shimmer flickered through the flames and I braced myself for whatever the fire would reveal to me. The tension coursed through me as a wild charge and I balled my hands into fists.
“Please, Rach, please,” I muttered under my breath. I glanced at the four charcoal lines on my arm and tried to soothe my nerves. If Hector, Martin, and Todd found me, she would too. She wasn’t any less my mate than they were. She’d be fine.
I believed in her.
A new shimmer appeared in the flames and this time, a blonde emerged from the coals.
“Rach,” I breathed, all the stress and nerves retreating as I saw her beaming face.
“Found you.” With pride in her eyes, she smiled at me and joined my other mates. She just proved herself to the dragon community to be mine and after this ceremony, nobody would question it again. The dragon bond was absolute.
With my four mates standing behind me, it was a lot easier to relax and enjoy the spectacle. Three more men passed through the flames and completed the ritual. From the look of things, nobody had guessed wrong.
The fire went out and in front of me, figures of my family appeared. Mum, Dad, and my little brother. Mum held up four fingers, the question clear on her face.
“I’ll explain later,” I mouthed. All the other women had left their chairs, so I jumped up too.
“Just follow the trail,” Hector whispered, pointing at the small path curling into the dark forest.
“I don’t like the dark,” I breathed back.
“We’re here with you,” Martin smiled, giving me a gentle nudge in the back. “Go on.”
The darkness of the forest fell over us, but the shadow never touched me. All four of my mates held a small candle up to their chest and with the dim glow of their fire, I left the clearing behind me. Twigs and leaves cracked under our feet and the sounds echoed into the night. I’d have been scared if it hadn’t been for my four mates. With them, anything was possible.
A small light flickered up in front of us and it quickly grew to a small bonfire. An Elder from our community greeted us and gestured us to take our place on a big wheel drawn in the earth.. I quickly counted the spots and coughed.
“We need an extra spot?” I asked, dread swirling in my stomach. I didn’t want Rachel to feel left out and if they’d have let me explain, this could’ve been avoided.
“Lola, it’s okay.” Todd touched my shoulder and pointed at the wheel. “Look, we all fit.”
Hector winked at me as he grabbed a random stick from the floor and drew extra lines inside of the wheel. Instead of three segments, there were now twelve smaller parts surround the middle.
“Perfect,” Martin grinned, nudging Rachel to step into the wheel. Ignoring the dirty looks from the Elder, the four of them took place in the wheel and invited me in. As not to disturb the newly drawn lines, I stepped into my circle in the middle. The four of them placed their left hand on the other’s shoulder and their right hand against my waist.
“It’s time for the vows,” the Elder announced. I could tell from his disapproving voice that he didn’t like it, but he could hardly protest. The fire had spoken.
“Wait.” I didn’t know a lot about the mating ceremony, but I knew the vows were always split up in three. How was this going to work?
“Lola, we got this,” Rachel smiled, encouragingly squeezing my hip. All four of them looked so confident, it seemed silly for me to worry.
“Okay.”
“Are you ready?” Martin asked, concern flicking through his words.
“More than ready.”
The Elder waved incense around us and set fire to the outside of the circle. The small flames licked at my mates’ ankles, but they didn’t seem to care.
“One to three,” Hector stared at me, the fire illuminating his handsome face.
“And three to one,” Martin added, mischief twinkling in his eyes.
“How it’s always been,” Todd smiled, affection clear in his voice.
“How it’s always done.” Rachel’s voice sounded just as nervous as I felt and I couldn’t blame her. This rhyme wasn’t meant for four people and it just felt wrong.
“But.” Hector caught my attention again and winked. “One for us.”
“And four for you.” Martin’s voice shook as he recited a clearly rehearsed line.
“How it’s done from now,” Todd said, adding to a rhyme I’d never heard before.
“This is what we’ll do,” Rachel finished the vow. The fire from at their feet had crawled up on their legs and across their arms. Three red flames and one white spark. They danced from their bodies across to mine and I felt their promises and love enter me. I called on my own fire and met their vows with my own. The mark on my collarbone glowed and without looking, I knew that it had become whole. The beautiful flames gathered in a circle across my waist and traveled back to form rings around all four of my mates too. The mating bond.
For a moment, we all stood still and admired each other. We’d been talking about this for a month, but it was finally real. We were mated for life.
15
Hunger rumbled through me, but I had to ignore it. There was one more part of the ceremony before the huge banquet when we could eat. Not that I really wanted to stay for it. Well, I did. I wanted to see my parents and meet my new in-laws, but I didn’t want to deal with the small scandal my mates and I had no doubt caused.
“You ready?” Hector asked, as the five of us stared into the pit of fire. A lot of the other groupings had already jumped in and were playing with the flames.
“As I’ll ever be.” I wasn’t keen on the idea of playing in the flames with my mates and all the other dragons, but this was an important part of the ceremony. Apparently.
“How do you want to do this?” Todd asked. “You and Rachel first, or us?”
“You,” I answered instantly. That way I’d be able to ogle them naked. Yes, I liked that plan.
Hector chuckled before leaning in close to me. “I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered in my ear.
“A promise is a promise, Hector,” I replied, a desire for mischief flooding through me.
He chuckled. “It’s one I intend to keep. But not right this second.”
“No,” I admitted. “Now it’s time to shift.”
The three of them began to strip off, causing a sharp squeak from Rachel who turned her back and refused to look.
Not me. I was perfectly happy watching the three of them discard their clothes and show themselves off in all their glory. It turned out Hector was right, he really didn’t need to overcompensate. Neither did the other two.
Today was my lucky day.
Before my eyes, the guys transformed, huge dragons appearing in front of me, each one different from the others.
I took a step forward and touched Todd’s snout. His ruby scales glittered in the fire light. Slightly smaller than the other two, he was no less magnificent.
Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed his nose, earning a soft nuzzle from him.
I turned to Martin, this time trailing my hand over his neck. His scales were slightly more orange than Todd’s. Just a few shades darker than the fruit. He pawed the ground a little as I touched him.
Which left Hector. Definitely the biggest of the three of them. Which wasn’t any surprise. It was the same in human form after all. He was a deep red, al
most like the colour of garnets, beautiful to look at. I reached out to him and he fluttered his wings, a playful glint in his huge, dark eyes.
“Go ahead.” My eyes crinkled as I smiled at them.
The three dragons didn’t need telling twice and jumped into the fire below. I smiled at them as they began to chase one another about, throwing coals up.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” Rachel whispered, having taken the spot next to me to watch the dragons play.
“Of course you can,” I replied, reaching out and taking her hand. “You’re not alone, Rach. You have me. You have them.” I nodded down at the three dragons below.
“I don’t know, Lola. I’m so…”
“You’re beautiful, don’t let anyone tell you differently.” I turned to my best friend, admiring the patterns the shadows of the flames left over her face. She really was breathtaking.
I reached out and cupped her cheek.
“What if I’m not a real fire dragon,” she whispered.
I stood stock still for a moment, unsure how to respond. It had crossed my mind before that Rachel might not be a full fire dragon, so I wasn’t surprised she’d had the same thought. But what did surprise me was that it mattered to her. She’d been very blasé about it our entire lives.
“Rachel, it doesn’t matter if you are or you aren’t. The fire has spoken and you’re part of a fire dragon family. We want you no matter what you look like.”
“You mean you want me.”
“They do too.” I waved down at my men. “Just in a different way. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how protective they are of you already.”
I smoothed away a lone tear which had begun to roll down her face. “Hector called me his mate-sister earlier.” She let out a small laugh which I returned with a smile.
“That sounds like him.”
“I know what you mean, but…”
“You’re beautiful, Rachel. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.”
Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection Page 32