Pushing back the sudden feeling that he was betraying his mate, Camden nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”
* * * *
A few days later
Sage waited on the cliffside, barely managing to keep himself from fidgeting. He—or rather the future emperor—had received notice that the Isaiat would be arriving soon. Sage couldn’t contain his anxiety and excitement. In his heart, he’d felt something was not quite right with Camden, and he desperately wanted to see his mate.
His dragon berated him endlessly for allowing Camden to leave without completing the mate bond. But it had been Camden’s choice, and no matter what, Sage didn’t want to force Camden into anything. The ways of the draechen were already so different from naga traditions. It would be hard enough for Camden to adapt without Sage acting like a possessive ass and making things harder.
By his side, his sister squeezed his arm, having obviously noticed Sage’s anxiety in spite of his brave attempts to keep up his façade of calm. “Breathe, brother. He’s coming. He’ll be by your side soon.”
Sage was more than thankful for Hanna’s presence. If not for his twin, he’d be more of a wreck than he already was. As an ice dragon, he usually kept up the appearance of being completely aloof, but beneath it all, he was practically on fire. She knew that, and she helped anchor him, at least to a certain extent. Without Camden, even Hanna would be unable to aid Sage.
Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to, because at last, the naga’s plane appeared in the distance. Sage’s dragon perked up, urging him to shift and go greet Camden directly. Knowing that such a thing wouldn’t go over too well with Camden’s family, Sage held his ground and simply waited. He sensed his mate’s approach, felt it in his bones, and only the discipline of a lifetime spent as a soldier kept him rooted in his spot.
At last, the plane started to descend and landed on the cliff that served as a runway. The Isaiat weren’t considered important enough to warrant much of a crowd, but Karein and Sareltae did emerge from the palace just as the doors of the jet were opening.
Sage shot his general a grateful look. He knew Karein had a million and one things to handle, with the approaching coronation ceremony of his brother. Not to mention that he was going to be a father soon. The fact that both Karein and Prince Sareltae were paying attention to Sage’s own private drama meant the world to him.
Karein didn’t speak. He just clapped Sage’s shoulder and kissed Hanna’s hand. His fae mate smiled at Sage, his kind expression offering Sage silent support. It did help steady Sage, more than he himself had expected. But in spite of the presence of his sister and friends, Sage’s knees almost gave out when the doors of the plane opened and Camden stepped out.
Oh, he was even more beautiful than Sage remembered. While Camden had been away, Sage had actually imagined that his mate couldn’t be as perfect as he recalled, that his dragon was modifying the reality of Camden because of the naga’s absence. Impossibly, the situation was exactly the opposite, as Sage’s memories hadn’t managed to capture the full extent of Camden’s loveliness.
This time, Camden was accompanied by both his siblings, Krysta and Arlen, and his father, Nikhil Isaiat. Sage didn’t see any of them. He was completely focused on Camden. As their gazes met, Sage’s dragon finally took over, refusing to be denied. He wanted to kiss Camden breathless, to taste his mate’s flavor once again, to touch him all over and do everything they hadn’t had the chance to do before.
He might have actually lunged toward his mate had Karein not grabbed his arm at the last moment. At the same time, Hanna whispered, “Calmly now, brother. You’ll get your chance to do everything you like later.”
Sage’s dragon didn’t want to accept further delays. He’d have freed himself from Karein’s grip and gone to Camden regardless, except he remembered what Camden had asked him last time. The naga had requested some time to approach his family about Sage. Had he managed to do so? Sage couldn’t be sure. He had to wait to see what happened.
And so, Sage clenched his fists and somehow, out of respect for Camden’s wishes, he found the resolve to continue to pretend. Just in time, too, because the Isaiat—Camden included—were approaching. They stopped in front of Sage and his companions. “Greetings, Your Highness,” the king said to Karein. “It is an honor to visit Draechenburg for the first time. My son has told me a lot of things about your great citadel.”
“Your presence makes it even greater,” Karein replied formally. “In the name of my brother, and myself, I welcome you. I trust you will enjoy your stay.”
The exchange continued, but Sage honestly lost track of what was said. He took advantage of the fact that the attention of the royal family wasn’t on him and greedily scanned Camden from head to toe. He might not be able to touch Camden, but just looking at him was like a balm for his desperate heart. Camden’s slitted eyes flashed with the same arousal Sage himself felt. Overlords, how much longer would Sage have to withstand the torture of being so close to him, and yet, so far away?
It was honestly shocking that no one noticed Sage’s excitement. With shifters, it was very hard to conceal sexual interest. Regardless, King Nikhil didn’t even glance Sage’s way until Karein finally introduced him. “This is my second-in-command, Lieutenant Sagenamadeen Zager, and his sister, Hanna.”
“Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses,” Sage said with an elegant bow. “Welcome to Draechenburg.”
Hanna echoed his words and gesture. Nikhil didn’t seem to consider them particularly relevant, but he acknowledged them just the same. “Thank you,” he said. “Your words and hospitality are greatly appreciated.”
Sage very much doubted that, but he had no intention to mention it. With the formal greeting out of the way, Karein and Sareltae gestured the royal family into the building. “Please, step this way,” Sareltae said. “Your quarters are already ready, and you can approach me at any time should you deem something unsatisfactory.”
As Sareltae and Karein engaged the king in conversation, Hanna approached Arlen and Krysta. Camden lingered behind, as did Sage. They couldn’t fall into each other’s arms and make out in the corridor, but they did manage to walk side by side. Neither of them spoke, but they brushed against each other as they followed after the rest of the group.
Was Camden as desperate for contact as Sage? Probably. At times, it almost seemed like Camden was about to lean into Sage’s embrace, his breath catching whenever they managed to touch. It was sweet torture, Camden’s scent and warmth drawing Sage’s dragon in like a moth to the flame.
All too soon, they reached the guest wing and the rooms that had been assigned to the Isaiat family. In a stroke of luck, the king and the other siblings were the ones who were given quarters first. Then again, perhaps it wasn’t luck at all, but Karein and Sareltae’s ever so discreet intervention.
Sadly, the king wasn’t about to be set aside so easily. He gestured toward all his children, Camden included, wordlessly ushering them into his quarters. To avoid any sort of suspicion toward his and Camden’s behavior, Sage briefly stepped away from his mate. He felt the loss of Camden’s proximity like a stab wound in the chest, but he kept up his façade of cool control.
As Camden joined his father, Nikhil was already saying good-bye to Karein and his mate. “Again, thank you for your generosity,” he said.
“We look forward to seeing you later on, at dinner,” Sareltae offered. “In the meantime, remember that should you need anything at all, you can simply notify me through our servants.”
With one final nod of agreement, Nikhil stepped into his quarters, followed by his children. As the door closed behind the naga, Sage stared at it, rooted on the spot, craving Camden with a desperation that he simply couldn’t fight back.
“Come on, brother,” Hanna said. “You can’t wait for him here. You’ll draw everyone’s attention.”
She was right. Sage couldn’t linger here any longer. He could, however, do something else. Nodding to Hanna, he turned on his
heel and stalked toward Camden’s rooms. His plan was risky, and perhaps even rude, but he had no other choice.
* * * *
Camden’s father didn’t dwell on the polite platitudes of the draechen for too long. The moment they were in private, he glanced toward Camden and asked, “How are you feeling, son? How is the cold?”
“I’m much better, Father, thank you,” Camden replied. He didn’t explain that the disease had completely disappeared, replaced by pure heat the moment he’d set eyes on Sage. Almighty Varuna, even now Camden had trouble keeping his lust in check. Because of him being a chimera, his instincts were always very close to the surface, and although he had been schooled to tame them, the natural pull toward his mate couldn’t be contained.
Nikhil gave him a speculative glance, and Camden held his breath, expecting his father to call him out on his deception. However, Nikhil didn’t. Instead, he said, “All right. I still don’t know why you insisted on coming along, but I will admit that you look much better than you did in Patala.”
“In any case, you should go rest for a while,” Krysta suggested. “We wouldn’t want you to relapse.”
“I won’t,” Camden assured them. “Thank you for giving me the chance to come with you.”
They had no idea why Camden had insisted on it so much. Fortunately, Camden had managed to focus on his desire to see his mate, which had helped him snap out of his cold seizure. But even then, the threat of the emotional chill had lingered over him. One look at Sage had chased it all away.
Naturally, Camden couldn’t tell them that, so he added, “With your permission, Father, I’ll take Krysta’s suggestion now.”
“Go, son,” Nikhil urged. “We’ll see you later.”
With a bow, Camden slipped out of the room and headed toward his own quarters nearby. Oddly enough, his heart started pounding. As he reached for the doorknob of his room, he suddenly knew what—or rather who—was waiting for him inside.
Nearly breathless with excitement, Camden burst inside and shut the door behind himself. He tried to remain as calm as possible, since he was aware that draechen soldiers watched him at every step. Still, he released a small cry of dismay when he found his quarters empty. Surely his senses couldn’t have deceived him. Every inch of him was so attuned to Sage, even if they hadn’t completed their mate bond. Had he been so wrong?
He needn’t have worried about that. Almost instantly, a tall figure stepped into the room from the balcony. Camden’s mouth went dry as he realized his mate was completely naked. And oh, he was so very handsome, his dark blue hair framing his face and falling all the way to his naked shoulders. His bronze nipples were erect, perhaps because of the temperature, although he showed no other sign of being disturbed by the cold outside. And the hard dick between his legs certainly didn’t look in any way affected. Then again, it was pointing accusingly at Camden, so maybe it wanted a refuge, a haven, preferably within Camden’s mouth or ass.
“Apologies,” Sage said. “I’d actually considered entering through the door, but it would have been too risky.”
At that, Camden snapped out of his lust-induced trance. “You don’t ever have to apologize to me. If anything, I should be the one displaying my regret. We shouldn’t have to hide.”
“It’s all right,” Sage said as he stepped closer. “I’ll wait for as long as you like. The last thing I want is to force you.”
Camden leaned into his mate’s embrace, burying his face in Sage’s chest. It was so ironic that, out of all things, his other half was an ice dragon. Sage smelled fresh and cold, like an early winter morning, when the snow shone brightly in the rays of the sun, beckoning them to play. In fact, he was like winter itself, chilly, strong, yet so very beautiful.
For a few moments, they just stared at each other in silence. Sage’s eyes were like sharp chips of ice, cutting into Camden’s discipline, chipping away at the knowledge that he had to stay loyal to Patala.
“What are you thinking?” Sage asked softly. He was no longer trying to hide his yearning for Camden, or the fact that even the need to ask this question hurt him. Had they bonded, it wouldn’t have been necessary.
Camden couldn’t dwell on regrets, though. Everything would happen in due time, their bond included. For the moment, he smiled at Sage, wrapping his arms around the draechen’s neck and bringing their crotches together. “Can’t you guess?” he whispered against Sage’s mouth.
Sage groaned and didn’t delay in taking what Camden was offering. He crushed their lips together, unleashing the blaze of their passion, driving Camden wild with lust. The draechen’s tongue wickedly slipped into Camden’s wet cavern, tasting and exploring him. His mate’s enthusiasm just fueled Camden’s, and he allowed himself to do what he’d craved ever since he’d first seen Sage, not only today, on the runway, but on their actual first meeting. He mapped every inch of Sage’s naked body with his fingers, loving the feel of the heated flesh, yearning to worship it in every possible way.
He might have torn his clothes off right then and there had a knock not sounded at the door. Camden broke the kiss, groaning. “I have to get that. I think it’s one of my siblings.”
“Go,” Sage ushered him. “I’ll see you later. We have plenty of time to continue this.”
Without another word, Sage slid out of the room and into the balcony. Through the open balcony door, Camden watched him turn into a large blue dragon. He was as majestic and beautiful in his shifted form as he was in his legged shape. For a few seconds, Camden allowed himself the pleasure to watch his mate stretch those large blue wings, wishing he could join Sage on the balcony and touch the draechen, trace his scaly skin with his fingers. Distantly, he wondered what Sage would think if he saw Camden in his shifted form. Sometimes, regular shifters didn’t like the way chimeras changed shapes. He hoped Sage wouldn’t come to regret his decision to approach Camden.
He was snapped out of his trance when the knock reached his ears once again. Camden looked away from the balcony and focused on calming down his racing heart. “Coming,” he called out.
Even as he went to open the door to let his siblings in, though, his mind and heart remained with the man—the draechen—who’d just left him. There were so many things that remained uncertain, but Camden was sure of one thing. He would not leave Draechenburg without Sage again.
Chapter Three
Present day, Draechenburg, Germany
“I did it. I told them.”
Camden’s words echoed against the walls of the throne room, strikingly loud, almost jarring. Sage watched the faces of all those present, all the while monitoring his mate’s feelings through their bond. He knew how much the Isaiat meant for Camden. And even if Camden’s voice didn’t tremble, his soul shied away from the inevitable fallout.
The only reason why the Isaiat hadn’t already declared war was because they’d wanted to find out who’d revealed the truth about what naga blood could do. Of course, it had been Camden, although he’d only told Sage, who hadn’t given the information to anyone else.
Camden’s siblings looked completely shocked, as did his birth parents. Apparently, they hadn’t expected Camden to confess any involvement in the matter. However, his father, King Nikhil, didn’t seem that surprised. Instead, he just released a heavy breath, like a sudden burden had been placed on his shoulders. He seemed to have known about it, or at least suspected.
In fact, he had apparently guessed far more than Sage had originally imagined. Ignoring Camden’s words, Nikhil turned toward Sage. “Tell me, Lieutenant, how exactly did you turn our son against us? What did you do to him?”
Camden shot Sage a panicked look. “He must have seen us together,” he whispered through their bond. “Damn it, Sage. I didn’t want them to find out like this.”
“It’s all right, beautiful,” Sage soothed his mate. “I’ll stand by you in anything you do.”
Having bonded with Camden, Sage now knew how much his mate had suffered after leaving Draechenburg the
first time around. He hadn’t been aware of the strange affliction that plagued the naga until their union, but he would die before he allowed it to take hold of Camden again.
“Do you want to say it, or should I?” he asked Camden.
“Let me,” Camden replied. “I’m not ashamed of our connection. No matter what happens, that will never change.”
Respecting Camden’s wishes, Sage remained quiet. Camden took a step forward and faced his family. “This isn’t about something he did. It’s about the two of us. Sage is my mate. He knows what I know because we’ve bonded. He’s the one who investigated everything, because I guided him in the right direction.”
“Camden.” Anais’s voice was broken as she reached out to her son. “Don’t do this. I know the cold is affecting you, but—”
“What you saw in Patala was a form of withdrawal, caused by my separation from my mate. I’m telling you the truth, Mother. I’m very sorry about the deception, but there was no other way.”
“This is not the time, nor the place, to discuss our affairs.” Zaire’s face could have been carved out of stone. Glancing away from Camden, he added, “Emperor Hareematek, you needn’t fear our armies, as long as you keep the poisonous influence of your people from ours.”
Alarm bells started to ring in Sage’s mind. He didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like it at all. The emperor seemed to sense the resentful undertone as well, not that it was very hard. “Insofar as I am concerned, I have no intention to initiate hostile action toward the naga,” he said. “You can be at ease regarding that. I aim to avoid war with all races, including your own.”
“We aren’t just talking about war right now, and you know it,” Anais said. “Your lieutenant’s pretenses are simply unacceptable.”
Sage had kept quiet long enough. Camden’s parents might be royalty, but Sage would not allow anyone to dismiss him and the way he felt about Camden.
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 3