by Hawke Oakley
Thepantherprince: Hey. are you online?
Mrsilverdragon: Yes.
Thepantherprince: cool. Youre like the only alpha online who hasnt contacted me yet. Lol
Curious now, I glanced at his profile. He was a young panther shifter - and an omega.
Mrsilverdragon: Is that bad?
Thepantherprince: Nope. just interesting
Mrsilverdragon: Why is that?
Thepantherprince: cuz every other alpha and beta has been trying to get laid tonight haha
Mrsilverdragon: Yes, in my experience so far, that seems to be a common theme on this site.
Thepantherprince: lol
Thepantherprince: your names Lorenzo?
Mrsilverdragon: Yes. What is yours?
Thepantherprince: Raja
Thepantherprince: nice to meet you ;)
The fact that I was engaged in a real conversation with someone took me off guard. Curious now, I checked Raja’s profile again, looking at it closer.
Name: Raja.
Species: Leopard
Rank: Omega
Seeking: Alpha ONLY.
Age: 20
Preference: Prefer not to answer.
The corner of my lip curled up in amusement. We had picked the same answer to that ridiculous sexual question. Even more intrigued with Raja now, I scrolled down to his profile section.
About Me: Omega with a secret. Black panther shifter. Not looking to get laid. Contact me if you want to know the details. Don’t bother messaging me if you’re a creep. I’ll claw your eyes out.
That was the entire written portion. Raja listed no hobbies, no dreams, no long-term goals. There was no immediate vibe that he wanted a serious relationship. That was slightly off-putting, but at least he wasn’t interested in a quick lay. That was better than I could’ve said for the multitudes of people I’d already blocked on this site.
Still intrigued, I glanced at his profile picture. My heart skipped a beat.
Raja was absolutely stunning. Silky, windswept black hair fell over his dark and intense eyes in a carefree way. His jawline was soft, not too feminine or too masculine. He radiated an aura of gentle regality that immediately pulled me in.
Mrsilverdragon: Raja, I have a question. Are you really a prince?
Thepantherprince: haha
Thepantherprince: not really. But my dad is the chief of our clan and he’s pretty important so…
Thepantherprince: btw I looked at your profile. Not to sound like I’m coming on to you, but you’re pretty handsome
To my surprise, I blushed. A stranger’s compliment had never hit me so hard.
Mrsilverdragon: Thank you.
Thepantherprince: yw
Thepantherprince: and I have a question for you too, Mrsilverdragon.
Thepantherprince: Are you actually a dragon?
Mrsilverdragon: Yes, I am.
Thepantherprince: Interesting..
No questions about the size of my genitals. That was a good start.
We fell into an effortless conversation about nothing in particular. It was like I’d forgotten I was talking to someone online and not face-to-face. Raja was easy to talk to, and I never felt like I was being interrogated or led on. He launched into a smooth explanation about where he lived - a lush, rainforest island - and his village of leopard shifters, the Pardus clan. I didn’t mention it, but after all the wolf shifters that messaged me, it was refreshing to see a different type of shifter.
Hours passed like nothing. The sun set outside and I didn’t notice until I was straining my eyes at the screen, and even then I couldn’t tear myself away from the keyboard to turn the lights on.
In the middle of typing a sentence, another notification popped up, obscuring Raja and I’s conversation.
Sexxydragon: hey bro hows it going???
I growled in frustration and punched the keys as I replied.
Mrsilverdragon: Not now Dante, I’m busy!
Sexxydragon: whoa busy w what?
Sexxydragon: omg are you talking to someone
Mrsilverdragon: Yes, now leave me alone before I block you.
Sexxydragon: LMAO ok go get em tiger ;))
I shut the tab and returned to Raja.
Mrsilverdragon: Sorry about that. My brother was hassling me.
Thepantherprince: haha
Thepantherprince: I have annoying family too. My cousin Koto lol.
Mrsilverdragon: How old is he?
Thepantherprince: about my age
Thepantherprince: except hes a beta so he always acts like he’s older and better than me
I didn’t know what to make of that comment. I knew that different shifter cultures had different customs, so I thought it was safest just to ask.
Mrsilverdragon: What do you mean by that?
Thepantherprince: ummm... well
Thepantherprince: I’m the only omega in our clan
Thepantherprince: and the only black panther also
Thepantherprince: so basically… I’m not allowed to do anything
The only omega? That was quite rare for any shifter culture. In addition, I knew that melanistic leopards like Raja were unusual. It made sense that his clan would be protective of him based on those two traits alone.
Mrsilverdragon: So your clan is protective of you.
Thepantherprince: exactly
Thepantherprince: I mean its nice but… it gets old
Thepantherprince: I’m not allowed to do anything but sit in the village.
I watched Raja begin typing, then stop, then start again. The message that he was typing stayed on the screen for a minute before it disappeared. So far, he’d never taken this long to answer a message. I wondered if the conversation was difficult for him.
After a long pause, his reply finally popped up.
Thepantherprince: Lorenzo, can I ask you something?
For some reason, the message caused my heart to race. His tone was serious now, a sharp contrast to light mood of our previous conversation. Suddenly, I recalled his written profile. He called himself an omega with a secret. Did this sudden tonal shift have anything to do with that?
Mrsilverdragon: Of course.
Thepantherprince: okay.
Thepantherprince: out of everyone I talked to, you seem like the best guy I can ask.
My heart raced faster. For whatever reason, he’d already singled me out as someone I could depend on. Someone he could trust. I waited, literally, on the edge of my seat for his reply.
Thepantherprince: well… This is gonna be a weird question but
Thepantherprince: its really important to me. Like, extremely important
Thepantherprince: but if you said no, I’d understand too.
Chest tightening, I leaned forward and typed quickly.
Mrsilverdragon: It’s okay. I’m listening. Go ahead.
Thepantherprince: Um…
Thepantherprince: Okay
Thepantherprince: Would you be okay with coming over to my village?
My initial racing heart slowed. If all he wanted was to meet in person, that was simple enough. Maybe he was just shy. I supposed meeting somebody in real life for the first time after speaking online was a pretty big step.
Mrsilverdragon: Sure.
Thepantherprince: And would you pretend to get married to me?
I stared at the screen. Did I read that properly? I blinked, found my eyes sore from the darkness, then went to flick the lights on. But when I returned, the same words greeted me.
Raja wanted to fake a marriage?
For a moment, I felt a hot flash of hurt and betrayal. Then I realized I only just met Raja. We barely knew each other. Maybe he was just joking. Maybe he wasn’t. Either way, all I had to do was close the conversation and log off the site. Then I could just pretend this night never happened.
But the thought of abandoning Raja without another word felt cold and cruel. I couldn’t do that to him, even though we only just met. His plea seemed genuine. The only problem was if I could
even entertain the thought of it.
I glanced back at the screen. A new message flashed.
Thepantherprince: Are you still there?
After a quick inner debate, I resumed my spot on the chair and replied.
Mrsilverdragon: Yes.
Thepantherprince: I know it’s a weird thing to ask.
Thepantherprince: It’s ok if you say no.
Thepantherprince: I’ll just find someone else.
To my own surprise, I was instantly filled with possessive irritation. I didn’t want Raja to find someone else, especially not on this site. Judging by everyone else I’d run into, the site wasn’t exactly filled with trustworthy people. All sorts of creeps existed online.
Why did I feel so protective of Raja already? He was just someone behind a screen - someone I only just met hours prior. Someone whose voice I’d never heard.
Still, I couldn’t deny that an attraction existed. Even if he was just words on a screen and a picture on a profile, he was a real person behind the computer.
The possibilities whirled in my mind. Everything Raja told me could have been a lie. Assuming hypothetically that it was, me arriving in his village could be dangerous. But I was an alpha dragon shifter with powerful magic abilities. Even in the worst case scenario I could imagine, I doubted he would pose much of a threat.
Thepantherprince: Lorenzo?
Mrsilverdragon: Sorry. I’m here. I’m just thinking.
Thepantherprince: Oh really?
Thepantherprince: I’m surprised. I thought you’d say no
I thought I’d say no, too. But despite all the reasons I should turn his offer down, I was quickly changing my mind.
If everything Raja said was true, I would be experiencing a beautiful rainforest, a new culture, and the chance to meet a friend. And for whatever reason, Raja was urgently seeking someone to pretend to be his mate. This was obviously very important to him.
What did I have to lose by agreeing?
Mrsilverdragon: I’ll do it.
Mrsilverdragon: Where should I meet you?
4
Raja
That night, I practically paced a hole through my floor.
After dozens of spam messages and alphas looking for a quick lay, I finally found someone worth talking to. Lorenzo. I tried the exotic sounding name on my tongue. To be honest, I didn’t expect much when I first contacted him. The truth was, I was desperate and running out of options. I wasn’t lying when I told him he was the only alpha online that hadn’t already messaged me.
Did I like him well enough? Sure. For a guy I met online and barely knew, anyway. And for a fake marriage, that was good enough. After the fake ceremony, we could go our separate ways easily with no hard feelings. That was all I wanted.
The difficult part was over. Lorenzo agreed to the initial premise of a fake marriage and to meet me in a few days. But I had to admit, I was surprised. I thought he was lying about being a dragon - I mean, a real life dragon? It sounded like a joke, and there were no pictures on his profile of his dragon form. In fact, he only had a single picture on his profile. It was a simple front-facing photo. But the man himself was quite attractive. His hair was deep silver, but he wasn’t old - well, he was a decade older than me, sure, but he wasn’t old enough to have white hair. I assumed it was a dragon thing. Underneath the stunning silver hair was a handsome face, rugged and masculine, and wearing a kind smile.
When I started giving him directions to the nearest airport and how he would need the help of a native boatman to reach our island, that was when I truly believed Lorenzo’s claim. He said he would just fly over. I laughed out loud before realizing he was serious.
“Dragons can fly, remember?” he’d said.
This was going to be one hell of a first meeting.
I knew I had to tell my parents before a dragon randomly showed up in our village and they ran at him with pitchforks and claws. I wondered if they would even believe me. But first, there was someone else who needed an update more than anyone else.
“You are never going to believe this,” I told Koto the next day.
Dawn broke outside and Koto was still in bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes. I slunk in through the open window and stood over him.
“Raja, it’s barely light out,” Koto grumbled. “Can’t this wait until I’m actually awake?”
“No, it can’t. I found a guy.”
Instantly, Koto scrambled up. “What!? You’re joking.”
“Not joking. I found an alpha. He’s coming to visit in a few days and we’re getting fake married.”
Koto’s eyes bulged like they were going to fall out of his head. “And he knows? He knows it’s fake?”
I stretched my arms behind my back. “Yeah.”
“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” Koto grumbled. “I’m going back to bed.”
“I’m not!” I snapped. “His name is Lorenzo and he’s a single alpha from some place called Cinderhollow.”
“What animal is he?” Koto asked, getting up and narrowing his eyes suspiciously, as if he was still convinced I was lying.
“Okay, I’m gonna tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out or accuse me of lying, because I’m not,” I growled.
“Let’s hear it.”
I sighed, already knowing what Koto’s response would be. “He’s a… dragon.”
He threw his hands in the air and exclaimed, “Man, Raja! Get out of here!”
Before he could physically kick me out, I slapped my hand firmly on his shoulder. “Koto, I swear on my mother and father, I’m dead serious.”
That stopped him. To swear on your parents was a grave claim. He frowned, looking at me as if in a new light. After a long pause, Koto asked, “When will he be here?”
“Soon enough,” I said. With a roll of my eyes, I added, “I guess I have to tell my parents so they can get ready for the marriage.”
Koto grasped my hands seriously. “Raja, I know this is fake and all, but this is a big deal. Are you sure you want to lie to them like this?”
“You’re the one who suggested this in the first place!” I snapped.
A little smirk returned to his expression. “I know. But shit, I didn’t think you’d go out there and actually do it.”
I snatched my hands away. “I’m full of surprises.”
“Guess so. You’d better tell your parents before I accidentally let it slip,” said Koto with a grin.
After saying a quick goodbye, I slipped into my panther form and climbed up to my parents’ place. Anxiety stirred in my chest. I was both nervous and excited. If all went well, I could finally leave the village. With an amused chuff, I wondered if my parents actually expected I would find a mate like they had suggested.
My father let me in after a customary knock at the door.
“Raja,” he said with an affectionate nod. “How are you?”
“Is mother here?” I asked. “She’s going to want to hear what I’m about to tell you.”
Hearing my voice, mother rushed in from the bedroom. Her hair was messy and her nightgown was crumpled, like she had just woken up. “What is it, darling?”
Now that everyone was gathered to hear it, the news felt tight in my throat. How would they react? I’d waited my whole life for this, and now the uncertainty choked me.
“Um… Remember what you told me the other day about leaving the village?” I began.
Instantly their expressions turned serious. My mother frowned and clenched her hands together.
“Go on, Raja,” my father said.
I forced myself to spit out the words. “Well, I did actually find an alpha and he’s coming to visit in like, a couple of days.”
My mother leapt out of her spot and hugged me so tightly I thought my eyes would pop out. “Oh, Raja! You stupid child! You actually did it!”
When she was finished squeezing the air out of my lungs, she let go, and then it was my father’s turn. His hug was quick but affectionate, not as
over-the-top as my mother’s.
“Tell us everything about him,” my mother demanded. “What is his name? Where is he from? What animal is he?”
I’d just gone through Koto’s reaction and I wasn’t excited to be met with disbelief again, but I supposed there was no getting around it. “His name is Lorenzo Drakinus, he’s from a shifter tribe called Cinderhollow, and... he’s a dragon shifter.”
Confusion struck my mother, then shock. But instead of instant accusation like Koto had done, my parents exchanged serious glances and didn’t answer me. I sat there in silence, unsure of what to do as they shared knowing looks. Unable to take the suspense any longer, I asked, “What?”
My mother let out a sigh from deep in her chest and smiled in relief, as if an old secret had finally been unearthed. “Raja, when you were born, your father had a vision.”
My eyes widened in surprise. Everyone in the village knew about my father’s ability to see future events - it was why he became the Pardus clan chief after the previous one passed away. But his visions were rare, and never usually involved a single person. Normally they involved events concerning the village or environment, like a flood for example. It came as a great shock to hear that he’d had one about me.
My father continued the story. “When you were born, I saw a vision of a mighty silver beast with magnificent wings and ferocious claws hovering over you. The sight filled me with fear and awe. At the time, I did not know what it meant. Truth be told, I was afraid.”
“So was I,” my mother added. “We thought it was a bad omen.”
“Yes. But I understand now that it was not the case,” my father continued. “This silver beast must be your dragon.”
The way he said your dragon sent a strange chill down my spine. “What do you mean by that?” I asked slowly.