Just like that, Camden stopped crying. As Sage collapsed by his side, Camden cuddled close to his lover’s chest and smiled. In that moment, he knew that his mother had been right about one thing. Certain issues were simply irrelevant. She’d just been misguided as to what those issues were. Camden wasn’t. In fact, he was absolutely sure that, insofar as he was concerned, nothing else mattered but the bond between him and Sage. The rest could wait.
Chapter Five
A few weeks later
“So that’s your view on our cooperation with the draechen?” Camden scowled at the naga in front of him, crossing his arms over his chest. “That it simply can’t happen?”
The other man didn’t seem in the least bit put out by Camden’s displeasure, which was yet another point against him. “I’m aware that you’re keeping a draechen concubine, Your Highness, and that’s fine. But you must realize that at a deeper level, beyond the carnal, draechen simply don’t fit with naga.”
Camden twitched in annoyance. He couldn’t believe his parents were forcing him into this meeting. In fact, he couldn’t believe this lower life form was Patalan to begin with. It seemed like somehow, his mother had managed to find the perfect example of what he wasn’t looking for in a mate.
Obviously noticing his dislike for the naga in question, his sire intervened in the conversation, stopping the torture from continuing. “Thank you, my lord,” Zaire said. “It’s been a true pleasure talking to you today.”
Zaire’s decision to accompany Camden for these meetings followed a naga tradition which Camden had always considered quite antiquated. He was glad for it now, though, because he didn’t think he could have been nice to their guest for a single second longer.
“The pleasure was all mine,” the naga noble said, taking the rejection in stride. In a truly daring feat, he reached for Camden’s hand, probably planning to kiss it. Fortunately, Camden anticipated the move and managed to evade the unwanted advances. His sire threw him a glance, and, with a mental groan, Camden allowed a brief squeeze of his hand. He quickly extracted his palm from the other naga’s hold, though, silently pointing out that further attempts to approach him weren’t welcome.
The noble seemed a little disappointed, but he bowed lowly and left the office without commenting on Camden’s decision. For a few moments, the room was quiet, with Zaire and Camden lingering on the same couch they’d been sitting on without looking at each other. It was awkward and frustrating, and Camden hated it. He’d always been close to his family, but when it counted, they couldn’t trust him to make the right decision for himself.
Finally, Zaire released a heavy sigh. “You have to give these men a chance,” he told Camden. “Their virtues don’t lie in whether or not they like draechen.”
“As much as you hate to admit it, Father, my life is bound to a draechen now,” Camden said. “No matter what you’re telling these people, Sage is my true mate, not my concubine. If you truly wanted me to find someone else, it would have to be a person who accepted both Sage and me.”
“That’s never going to happen,” Sage whispered in his mind. “Or, at least, it’s very unlikely.”
Camden couldn’t say he really regretted that. He was going along with his parents’ request, because they simply wouldn’t budge in this. However, he had no real interest to find a second mate. Sage was everything he’d ever wanted and needed. He completed Camden in such a way that it made him understand just how much he’d missed before.
“The feeling’s completely mutual,” Sage replied warmly.
Camden would have tried to come up with some sort of reply to convey the extent of his own emotions, but his sire cleared his throat, frowning. “Camden, are you listening to me?”
Camden blinked, trying to figure out what the older naga had been saying. “He said that you’re so convinced you’re right that you won’t allow yourself to see what’s right in front of you,” Sage provided, having obviously paid more attention to the conversation than Camden had expected.
The comment was nothing new, but Camden barely managed to keep himself from snorting. His parents were the ones who needlessly persisted in this torturous process that only humiliated the lords and put Camden in an awkward position. They refused to realize that Camden had already found his heart’s desire, and continuing to look was a fool’s errand.
For once, Camden kept his temper. “I know you think you’re doing the right thing for me, Sire,” he said calmly. “But if you truly love and understand me, you must realize that Sage is always going to be a part of my life. Always. I will never accept anyone who disregards draechen, not as a friend, and let alone as a lover or potential mate. If someone is interested in me, that person has to at least like Sage, too.”
Zaire arched a brow at him. “So what you’re saying is that your draechen is interested in another mate? I thought you were unique and indispensable for him.”
Camden shot to his feet and threw his hands in the air. “Gah! Stop twisting my words. Is nothing I ever say going to pass your scrutiny?”
“Keep your voice down, child,” his mother said from the doorway. Camden hadn’t even heard her come in at all, which was a testament to his distraction. “Remember you owe your sire respect.”
Camden shut his mouth, even if he itched to deliver a scathing retort. Why was it that only he and Sage owed respect, but Sage’s connection to him was never acknowledged?
“In all fairness, I might have gone too far,” Zaire admitted, getting up as well. “Believe me, son, we have good reasons for pushing you.”
“You mean other than your hating Sage?” Camden asked morosely.
“We don’t hate the draechen,” his mother replied, slipping to his side. “He just unsettles us. He isn’t what we’d have wanted for you, and he’s changing you. As chimeras, we need to be proud of our legacy, not join our lives to people who make us self-conscious.”
Camden understood the reason for her comment. Normally when in Patala, he spent a lot of time in his naga form. He hadn’t done so now, preferring to remain in his middle shape. But it wasn’t that Sage didn’t respect his chimera nature. Rather, Camden himself preferred it this way, because it made him feel closer to Sage.
“Perhaps I did change,” Camden agreed, “but it’s only natural. I would wager that your life became different, too, once you became mates.”
“Oh, dear child.” His mother smiled at him as if he’d said something really naive. “You have no idea. But we aren’t referring to that sort of thing, and you know it.”
“Tell you what.” Zaire squeezed Camden’s shoulder, almost seeming apologetic. “Lord Talbot Stervos is flying here to see you. You were friends once, and he’s shown interest in you, regardless of our less than ideal circumstances. As you know, his sire Jarrod and I were close before I met your mother and father, and it would make us both really happy if you at least gave Talbot a chance. Perhaps you can go out for a date to the surface. You know each other well enough. You don’t need my presence.”
Camden actually wanted to groan. Talbot Stervos was actually the only man he’d ever kissed before Sage. He felt Sage’s jealousy rear inside him, and hastened to reassure his mate. “He doesn’t mean anything to me now. I suppose I should have known my parents would dig up my only known boyfriend.”
“I don’t like it.” Sage’s mental voice was practically a growl. “All these men drooling all over you are already more than I can bear. I won’t have you in that man’s proximity, not without me.”
Just like that, Camden came up with an idea. It would be a little like making a deal with the devil, but under the circumstances, it was probably the best thing they could do. “I’ll meet with Talbot, as long as Sage can come with us. Also, it’d have to be in a private spot where he could shift to stretch his wings.”
It had been weeks since Sage had gotten the chance to change shapes. Even if he might have been able to do so in his room, he had refused, on account of the fact that Camden’s parents hadn�
�t agreed to it yet. Everything was still so tenuous and uncertain that Sage hadn’t wanted to take any chances and maybe risk being sent away altogether.
Camden didn’t think that would have happened, but he admitted that shifting while still trapped indoors wouldn’t have helped much. It frustrated him to know just how much Sage had given up to be with him, even things so basic as these. Camden’s parents, however, didn’t look thrilled. “Son, I’m not sure that would be very smart.”
“Why not? We’ve already established that my supposed future mate has to accept Sage, too, and according to you, Talbot claims to be okay with it. More importantly, I won’t have Sage suffering any longer. It’s either this, or I’ll stop even considering anyone else.”
At the corner of his mind, Camden could actually hear Sage praying they would refuse. “I’d rather separate myself from my dragon than lose you,” the draechen said fiercely.
Naturally, Camden couldn’t allow that kind of sacrifice. For a shifter, his or her beast was of vital importance. Losing it or being unable to connect with it would be like having a limb severed. Perhaps his parents acknowledged this, too, or maybe they simply didn’t want to take Camden up on his threat. Whatever the reason, both of them nodded.
“Very well, Camden,” his mother said. “You win. You and the draechen will both meet up with Talbot. But again, I expect you to take this seriously. Remember that we only want what’s best for you.”
Camden just nodded jerkily. All of a sudden, he wondered what he’d just agreed to. He hoped his parents weren’t already planning to take this matchmaking further, because they’d be very disappointed.
“So will your ex, if I have anything to say about it,” Sage grumbled in his mind.
Someone else might have found it threatening, but for Camden, it was just endearing. He vowed that this was the last time he’d force his mate to go through this frustrating process. After this, he’d find a way to show his parents that he already had the best the world could give him, a mate who loved him so much he was willing to abandon everything for him. What more could he ask for?
* * * *
Sage stared out the balcony, scanning the city that had become his gilded cage. He clutched the banister so tightly it bent under his fingers. He couldn’t believe what his hosts wanted to do now. It was dumbfounding that, after everything he had agreed to, they still doubted him and his bond to Camden.
He hated that Camden had to go along with this mockery, just because naga mores dictated it. It was unfair and irrational. Everyone with eyes could see that Sage’s bond with Camden protected the young naga from the disease they called the “cold.” Their arguments only rotated around the fact that Sage was a draechen. No matter what the Isaiat had agreed to or claimed, the fact remained that Sage was and would likely be treated like a concubine.
Sage wouldn’t have particularly minded or cared about the opinions of others, but now, the naga royal family was bringing in Camden’s first love. Sage might not know him personally, but he’d seen a flash of him in Camden’s memories. He hated to admit that, from what he’d gathered so far, Talbot was quite a handsome man, too handsome for Sage’s comfort. All the while, Sage was stuck between these four walls, unable to defend what was his.
As he fumed over this, he felt a familiar presence nearby. The door to their quarters opened. Sage turned and slid back inside, just in time to watch his mate walk into the room. “He’s nothing compared to you,” Camden said without preamble. “And I know this is hard, I do. It’s part of the reason why I even agreed to do this. You need to get out of the palace, to spread your wings and be free.”
He was right, of course. Part of the reason why Sage felt so out of it was the fact that he was trapped here, unable to shift into his dragon form. But he’d made a commitment to abide by the conditions of the Isaiat, and he would do so. In the meantime, though, he had to remain calm and not make things even harder for his mate by losing his temper.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh. “I know I shouldn’t be acting like this. I do trust you, but I can’t help it.”
Camden’s smile was so sweet that it made his entire face light up and it soothed Sage’s frustrated dragon. “You don’t have to keep your anger in check around me,” the naga said as he headed straight for Sage. He wrapped his arms around Sage’s neck and leaned on his chest, bringing their bodies so close together. “Even if they can’t see it, you’ll always be the only one I need.”
Possessiveness, desire, and love flared inside Sage as he held his mate close. It was amazing how Camden could always tell what he needed, how he accepted Sage’s sometimes introverted nature, but challenged him to be more open. He was everything Sage had ever dreamed, and so much more.
“Mmm… I could say the same,” Camden drawled, obviously intercepting his thoughts. “And I need you so—”
Sage didn’t even allow Camden to finish the phrase. He pressed his mouth to Camden’s, craving the physical reassurance that the naga truly belonged to him. Camden melted against his chest, and, with a moan, granted Sage entrance. Sage thrust his tongue into his mate’s mouth, tasting him, taking no prisoners. Camden’s forked tongue met his, and the naga groaned, rubbing his prick against Sage’s.
The sensations were both frustrating and sinfully delicious. Having clothes between them annoyed Sage beyond measure, making his dragon growl in dissatisfaction. The taste of Camden’s surrender was so addicting that Sage felt reluctant to lose it, even for a moment, but as much as he was enjoying the kiss, he needed more.
Still clinging to the lip-lock, Sage walked them both back to the bed. He pushed Camden down, and the naga landed on the mattress, bouncing slightly as he hit it. He licked his lips and glanced at Sage, his slitted eyes darkened by passion. “Come to me, Sage,” he whispered through their bond.
Sage didn’t have to be told twice. He joined his mate on the bed, already reaching for Camden’s clothes. His dragon was closer to the surface than he’d have liked, so his fingers sprouted dangerous claws. However, there was no fear in Camden’s gaze or his heart, just excitement. Camden seemed tantalized by Sage’s loss of control, accepting Sage’s dragon just like he had accepted Sage, the man. His lust only fueled Sage’s own passion, and he ended up tearing his mate’s clothes off with wild abandon. When he pulled off Camden’s shoes, he threw them away so hard they crashed against a nearby vase, shattering it to pieces. By some miracle, or rather, through his natural instincts, his claws didn’t touch Camden’s skin at all, which was fortunate, because Sage couldn’t have lived with himself if he marred the perfect expanse of Camden’s body. Of course, his lover wasn’t nearly as fragile as he looked, something Camden proved to him time and time again whenever they made love. In fact, Camden took advantage of the occasion to point out just that, doing his own frantic tearing. Sage’s clothes became victims of Camden’s zeal, and while the naga only had limited success in his task, he certainly managed to make Sage even more impatient.
Since Camden didn’t have much luck with discarding Sage’s clothing, Sage took it upon himself to finish the job. Of course, once he had Camden naked, he got distracted by the sight of his mate’s nude form. With every perfect inch of Camden exposed to his gaze, Sage actually had a moment during which he simply couldn’t think. His dragon roared madly, threatening to burst out of him, and the only thing Sage knew was that he needed Camden so much it hurt.
Camden smiled at him once again, and just like that, Sage snapped. In a flurry of frantic motions, he tore off his shirt and pants. The material that refused to cooperate suffered his wrath, and Sage ended up tossing scraps of fabric to the floor and really not caring. His shoes had a similar fate, but still, Sage wasn’t happy until he was completely naked, too.
His mate’s appreciative gaze raked over his body, stopping over Sage’s throbbing prick. Just that hot look made Sage groan. Before he could even react, the naga surprised him by taking his cock in his small fist. Apparently tired of waiting, he pushed Sage down
and climbed on top of him. Before Sage even knew what was going on, Camden’s hot mouth engulfed his dick, thrusting Sage into a well of torturous pleasure.
“Oh, Overlords, Camden,” Sage gasped out. “If you don’t stop that, I’m going to come.”
“And how is that a bad thing?” Camden asked through their bond. For obvious reasons, he couldn’t speak out loud. His mouth was too busy doing sinfully wicked things to Sage.
Sage fell back on the mattress, threading his fingers through Camden’s hair. At first, he tried to allow Camden to go at his own pace, but his mate seemed intent on driving him wild. Camden licked, sucked and teased, sometimes flicking his tongue over the glans, stabbing the slick muscle into the tiny hole at the tip. Just as the pleasure soared, he released Sage’s dick and took his balls in his mouth instead, mouthing the wrinkled sac. The maddening sensations increased to such an extent that Sage could no longer give his mate any leeway. He tightened his hold on Camden’s hair, knowing he was likely hurting his mate’s scalp, but still unable to hold back. Camden didn’t protest, though. In fact, he groaned in pure rapture, and the vibrations caused by the sound sent little shocks of pleasure through Sage’s body. Lost in the bliss, Sage started fucking his mate’s mouth, shoving his dick all the way into Camden’s throat.
Since Camden had virtually no gag reflex, Sage didn’t have to worry about causing the naga much discomfort. In fact, he was quickly learning that Camden had quite an oral fetish. Even if he hadn’t been experienced before meeting Sage, he seemed to be a natural at sucking dick, and Sage was the lucky recipient of Camden’s attentions.
The one downside of Camden’s talent was that Sage’s orgasm approached far too soon. He simply couldn’t resist the wet heat of his mate’s mouth and the pleasure Camden experienced just at giving him a blow job. Their connection practically vibrated with it. How could Sage withstand both the direct ecstasy his mate’s talented mouth drew from him and Camden’s echoing bliss? It simply went beyond his powers.
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 8