He hissed at his own touch, imagining his fist was the snug hold of Camden’s ass. Overlords, yes, Camden would be so hot, so tight, welcoming Sage inside his body. He’d cry out and writhe as Sage pounded in and out of him. His slitted eyes would be fixed on Sage’s face, blazing with lust and desire.
Sage groaned at the images he himself conjured. He brushed his thumb over the leaking tip of his dick, blindly calling out his mate’s name. “Camden…”
Even if they were in two separate vehicles, Camden still heard him. “Sage, come on,” Camden whispered in his mind. “Have a little mercy.”
Sage could practically see his mate sitting in the back of the limo, every inch of his being vibrating with arousal. The queen was glaring at Camden, so she must have sensed it. King Nikhil was studiously ignoring Camden, staring out the window, all the while clutching King Zaire’s hand, as if holding him back. Judging by the tension in Zaire’s shoulders, that was the only thing preventing Zaire from losing his temper. In the meantime, Camden’s siblings looked uncomfortable, but mostly amused. They seemed to be less inclined to judge Sage as unworthy for their brother.
But all of them were irrelevant right now. Sage had to admit this was likely not the best time to lose control of his libido, but he couldn’t help it. He’d barely even had time to hold and kiss his mate after he’d freed Camden, and all that pent-up sexual tension was now bubbling inside him, a volcano that wouldn’t let him think or breathe. The irony of it didn’t escape him, since, as an ice dragon, he should have had a little more hold over his instincts. But he didn’t, and he was moments away from bursting out of the van and stealing his mate away to a place where they could be alone and explore all the potential of their lust for each other.
Camden seemed to have forgotten about his previous wariness. “Yes,” he murmured through their bond. “Come to me.”
Their previous frustration with each other no longer seemed to matter. If anything, Sage wanted to laugh at himself for ever doubting that his bond with Camden was more powerful than anything else. Meanwhile, in the limo, Camden’s mother said, “Control yourself, child. What do you think you’re doing?”
“He needs the draechen,” Nikhil replied in Camden’s stead. “We have to do something.”
“And what exactly do you suggest?” Anais asked. “Perhaps we should hand him over to that man, just like this.”
“I don’t think it’s your choice to make,” Camden replied in Nikhil’s stead.
The conversation gave Sage a measure of control. Respecting Camden’s desires, he took a few deep breaths and tucked himself back in. No matter how much he wanted Camden, this behavior wouldn’t truly help anyone. He could be patient for a while longer. The Isaiat seemed to understand that he and Camden needed each other, and they wouldn’t keep him from Camden.
“Is this really how it’s going to be like?” Zaire asked. “Has the draechen truly turned you against us?”
“Sage is on our side,” Camden argued. “But I’m not going to debate this with you. I think that if anyone should understand true mates, it’s you.”
Sage didn’t know if Camden had gotten through to them, but either way, it didn’t really matter. The cars entered a dark tunnel, one that would finally take them to Patala. With each second that passed, Sage’s impatience increased. He focused on Camden to distract himself, and their bond helped him. Still, it seemed to take forever until they at last came to a stop.
“Here we go,” Camden said through their connection. “Looks like you’ll finally see Patala with your own eyes.”
Sage was actually beginning to doubt that, but proving Camden right, his guards opened the van doors and removed his blindfold. They guided him out of the car without further comment, and as Sage stepped outside, his gaze fell on the beautiful naga citadel for the first time.
If he wanted to be honest, he didn’t really see it, or rather, he registered very little of it. His entire being was completely focused on his mate, now waiting by the black limo that had brought him here. Sage couldn’t help himself. Ignoring everyone else, he pushed past his guards and slid to his mate’s side. Before the Isaiat could stop him, he pulled Camden into a tight embrace.
There were exclamations of dismay all around, but no one intervened. Perhaps they realized at last that nothing they did would ever change the mate bond between Camden and Sage. Or maybe they had something entirely different up their collective sleeve. In the end, Sage didn’t really care. He’d gotten what he wanted. He was here, with Camden. They were together, and in love.
Of course, Camden’s parents didn’t seem inclined to allow the demonstration of affection to continue. “That’s quite enough of this display,” the queen said. “Come inside. We have much to discuss.”
Reluctantly, Sage broke the embrace and finally allowed himself to take in his surroundings. He’d realized from his mate’s memories that Patala was a beautiful place, but seeing it with his own eyes felt entirely different. In spite of being underground, the city practically shone with a light of its own making. They were in front of the palace now, and since it was situated at a slightly higher altitude, Sage could get a pretty good glimpse at the rest of the settlement below. It was truly lovely, but so very different from Draechenburg.
Shaking himself, Sage looked away from the sight and followed the royal naga family inside. “I know it’s hard for you,” Camden told him, “to have to leave your home like this. I can’t promise you it’ll get easier. But I’ll be right by your side every step of the way.”
Really, Sage couldn’t ask for anything more. In spite of everything, even sensing the clear hostility coming from Camden’s family, Sage smiled. A strange happiness bubbled inside him. Some might have called this foolish, but for Sage, it was truth. Here, in Patala, he would build a new home, and a new family. He just knew it.
* * * *
In spite of Camden’s urgency and his little argument with his parents in the car, they didn’t allow Camden and Sage to retreat to privacy like both of them would have liked. Instead, Sage ended up cloistered into a room especially prepared for him in the royal wing. Camden would have almost considered that thoughtful, except the quarters in question were guarded at all times, and he was temporarily banned from them until he fulfilled his promise of checking the candidates for his second mate.
Therefore, not two hours after his arrival, Camden found himself in the throne room, perusing the famous book with candidates his parents had shown him once before. His two fathers were with him, and they really weren’t helping Camden’s mood.
“He seems nice,” his sire commented idly as he leaned against Camden’s chair. “Don’t you think?”
Camden scanned the picture Zaire was pointing at and sighed. Yes, the man in the image did look hot, but really, Camden couldn’t have cared less. He didn’t want anyone else except Sage.
Obviously noticing Camden’s lack of enthusiasm, Zaire snapped the book shut. “You promised you would keep an open mind,” he said, glaring. “You’re not even taking any of this seriously.”
“And you promised that you wouldn’t keep me from Sage,” Camden shot back angrily.
Taking a deep breath, Zaire pulled away from Camden. Nikhil, who had been mostly quiet until now, knelt in front of Camden’s chair. In a surprising development, both he and Zaire had stayed in their human forms, although when in Patala, they usually preferred their naga ones. “You must understand, child, that you taking a draechen mate doesn’t mean you aren’t still bound by the laws of the naga. Our ways have followed this path for a reason. You need two mates, for your own protection, and for making sure the cold never takes hold of you again.”
It was hard for Camden to explain that he didn’t feel the need for two mates. He would have said that, as long as a bond was strong enough, two people sufficed, but that might have sounded insulting for his parents, who’d bonded in a triad and loved each other very much. In the end, he went for something generic. “Mate bonds rarely follow the
rules we set for ourselves. Our ways work for us, but there are always exceptions.”
Zaire shook his head, obviously exasperated. “Maybe, but you have to consider the chance that you aren’t one of them.” He returned to Camden’s side and caressed his hair. “But we’ll take things at your pace. Perhaps you’ll think differently once you actually start meeting these people.”
Camden couldn’t promise them that, so he remained silent. Fortunately, his sire gave him a break from the frustrating line of conversation. “Now, you’re free to go to your draechen, but before you do, there’s a little matter we’d care to address.” He gave Camden a serious look. “Can we trust you to speak as an Isaiat, and not the mate of a draechen?”
Camden couldn’t exactly separate the two, and the fact that Zaire was asking it of him showed that he truly didn’t understand how much Sage meant for him. Regardless, Camden nodded, guessing that his father would ask him something that implied loyalty from his part. Whether Camden’s family believed it or not, Sage would never ask Camden to go against his principles for his own benefit.
“Of course I wouldn’t,” Sage confirmed. “Go ahead. Answer whatever question he has.”
“All right, Sire,” Camden replied obediently. “You can trust me.”
“Given what we’ve seen so far, what’s your honest opinion of the Tersain?” Nikhil inquired. “We believed ourselves capable to handle the draechen threat, but under the circumstances, we’re forced to reassess that opinion.”
It was quite true. While their own family troubles were important, they also had to consider how the draechen had handled a potential attack from the naga. For a few moments, Camden mused over the question. His honest opinion on the draechen imperial family. It wasn’t easy to put into words, because they weren’t easy people to describe. “I think that as things stand, the draechen are a formidable force,” he finally said. “They might seem divided, but the imperial family is actually a close-knit group. Also, while in terms of raw magic, Prince Shtamakarein is stronger, Emperor Hareematek isn’t someone we should underestimate. I believe he is far shrewder and perhaps more politically adept than his younger brother. He just hasn’t had the chance to prove it yet.”
Nikhil arched a brow. “So you believe us to be weaker than them?”
That was a trap question if Camden had ever heard one. Camden scowled at his father and decided that, for once, he wouldn’t beat around the bush. “Right now, yes.” He experienced a brief moment of satisfaction when both Zaire and Nikhil gaped at him. “There’s another thing that needs to be taken into consideration. Right now, the draechen have two black dragons on their side, three if you count Prince Rachen. You saw it yourselves while in Draechenburg. They are all a formidable force as individuals. Imagine what would happen if they fought against our armies.”
Zaire scoffed. “You cannot truly think that the men we met while there were Prince Kaelezrin and Prince Talrasar.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Camden replied without missing a beat. “You saw and know the facts. The rest is irrelevant.”
Nikhil and Zaire looked at each other, obviously sharing a silent conversation. A few seconds passed, and then, finally, they turned toward Camden once again. “Thank you for your honesty,” Zaire said. “We will consider your words. You’re dismissed.”
Camden’s father summoned a guard and said, “Take my son to see the draechen. He’s free to remain there at his leisure until further orders are given.”
“Yes, Majesty,” the soldier replied. Unlike Zaire and Nikhil, he was in naga form, and he slithered out of the throne room, guiding Camden toward the imperial wing.
Camden walked with his back straight, keeping his gaze straight ahead and ignoring all the glances other naga threw his way. By now, rumor had spread of Sage’s arrival, and while Camden didn’t think anyone truly blamed him for his choice, there were those who were wary of having a draechen in Patala.
But whatever their opinion might be, Camden was more than convinced of the rightness of his bond. In fact, he couldn’t wait to be by his mate’s side so that he could finally feel Sage’s strong arms around him again. He had never really dwelled much on it, but just being in Sage’s embrace made him feel warm inside. It was, perhaps, peculiar, given that Sage was an ice dragon, but for Camden, such considerations didn’t matter.
He would have hastened straight to Sage’s quarters, but as he walked behind the guard, he passed a familiar room. “One moment,” he told the guard. “I need to make a quick stop.”
“Of course, Highness,” the soldier replied. “I’ll wait for you here.”
Without another word, Camden slid into the nursery. His mother was inside, cradling Camden’s youngest siblings to her chest. The queen had turned into her naga form, and the sight of it was so familiar it hurt. She didn’t speak, but Endra greeted him in the queen’s stead. “Cammie!” the tiny naga said, extending her small arms toward Camden. “Hold, hold.”
Camden chuckled fondly and complied with the request. They were getting quite big anyway, so his mother would likely welcome a little help.
She arched a brow at him, but handed Endra to him without protesting. “I swear, you’re the only one they respond to like that, other than me. You’d make a great parent.”
That was a low blow, given that they’d essentially forbidden him to have children with Sage. As such, Camden ignored the comment. “They’re great kids,” he said. “I missed them a lot.”
“Believe me, child, so did I,” his mother answered, now sounding thoughtful. Camden directed his attention toward her, realizing how difficult it must have been for her to leave her younger children because her older ones and her second mate were captive in enemy territory. He wished he knew what to say to convince her that Sage wasn’t like other draechen, that he truly deserved a chance to become part of Camden’s family, in every way.
As if guessing his thoughts, the queen’s expression grew almost fierce. “You see why we must stand up for ourselves, why we have to stick together? The draechen will tear us apart if they can. I understand that this man, Lieutenant Zager, is important to you, but you must always, always remember that he is not a Patalan. No matter what happens, he is and will always be a draechen. The rest doesn’t matter.”
Her words angered Camden. He had planned to keep his calm, but he couldn’t, not when faced with her practically insulting attitude. “Doesn’t it, Mother?” he asked. “Let me explain a little something. Remember how you felt when Father was imprisoned in the Draechenburg dungeons? Well, that’s pretty much how I feel now. Only for me, my own family is keeping the man I love prisoner, and there’s never going to be an escape. Because for them, a mate bond that isn’t between two chimeras doesn’t matter, and neither do love and courage, as long as they’re not in a Patalan.”
By the time he’d finished with his rant, he was breathing hard, his voice so high he was practically shouting. He might have said more, but Ender and Endra started to cry. Cursing to himself, Camden rocked his little sister in his arms, while his mother did the same for Ender. Finally, both of them settled down. From Anais’s arms, Ender gave Camden a confused look. “Cammie no sad?” he asked.
“No sad,” Camden confirmed. “Now, hush, sweetie. Sleep.”
Both his younger siblings succumbed to slumber. Once the babies dozed off, Camden placed his precious charge in her cradle. “I’m sorry,” he told his mother. “I shouldn’t have shouted.”
“But you’re not sorry for what you actually said.” Anais sighed as she deposited Ender next to his twin sister. “It is as I said, after all.”
She wouldn’t understand, at least not right now. Feeling more than a little frustrated, Camden bowed in front of his mother. “With your permission, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave.”
“Go,” she replied, curling her tail around the base of Ender and Endra’s cradle. “But remember, I’ll be right here if you ever decide that I’m not so foolish after all.”
; Truly, no matter what Camden did, he couldn’t win. In his heart, he understood her concerns, but he also knew that Sage didn’t deserve this treatment. The draechen had only ever been accepting of their ways, going as far as postponing their mating because of Camden’s hesitations.
Wondering if it wouldn’t have been preferable to avoid the nursery altogether, Camden exited the room. “I suppose this means she’ll hate me forever, huh?” Sage whispered in his mind.
“She doesn’t hate you,” Camden answered. “She just doesn’t understand you. It’ll come, in time.”
He didn’t know if he believed that, but neither could he lose hope completely. His parents were intelligent people. It was just too soon for them to accept Sage.
“To tell you the truth, I’m surprised they even allowed me to come here,” Sage said. “So much happened when they were in Draechenburg. They love you a great deal.”
“I suppose they do,” Camden admitted. Other royal families wouldn’t have considered accepting Sage here, even as a prisoner. But in spite of knowing that, Camden was far from satisfied. However justified his parents’ anger with draechen might have been, Camden would never accept their treatment of his mate.
“Like I said, I’m not worried about that,” Sage told him. “Just come to me, beautiful. I want to hold you. They’ve kept us apart long enough.”
Camden couldn’t have agreed more. He was just as eager as his mate for their reunion, so much so that he wanted to weep with relief when they finally reached their destination. Seeing the guard stationed at Sage’s door made Camden grit his teeth in anger, especially when the man in question gave him an inquiring look. “I’ve received orders—”
“Your orders are outdated,” Camden said, interrupting him. “Now open that door and let me in.”
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 6