by Hawke Oakley
“He is not just any beast. Your destinies are intertwined like the knotted vines of the rainforest. He is your fated mate.”
The words took the wind out of me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I felt a pang of sympathy for my father, because obviously his interpretation wasn’t correct. My old man must have been losing it. There was no way a random guy I met on a shitty dating site was my fated mate, vision or not. This news made me strangely uncomfortable. I almost would have preferred if they reacted the way Koto did instead of this.
Not knowing what to say, I remained quiet. Thankfully, my parents had plenty to discuss.
“When he arrives, we should have the ceremony right away,” urged my mother. “There is no time to waste with these things. Oh, Raja, you have no idea how relieved I am.”
She hugged me again, making me blush. I loved attention but all this hugging was a bit much.
“Come, let’s find a handsome outfit for you,” she said. “We can’t have you looking like that when your dragon arrives.”
I frowned, glancing down at myself. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
She clucked her tongue and pinched the hem of my graphic t-shirt. Koto had stolen it from a town close to the mainland years ago and gifted it to me as a souvenir. “This is horrible. Lorenzo won’t like this.”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you know what he likes and doesn’t like? You’ve never even met him!”
Ignoring me, she pulled me to the bedroom, where she kept a stash of items ready for the occasion. Apparently, my mother lived on the edge of her seat waiting for this special day to finally arrive. She pulled out the wicker basket and dug through it, revealing neatly folded pristine clothes and fancy jewelry - all of which were for me to wear on my wedding day. Diamonds, pearls and rare stones glittered inside the basket. I didn’t even know she owned so many rare items that she didn’t even wear. I suddenly felt embarrassed knowing that she hoarded all of those things just for me.
My mother pressed a pure white linen shirt against my chest and spread out the arms to match mine.
“Look at this! Isn’t that wonderful?” she cooed. “Wait, let’s see how it looks with this on…”
She added diamond-studded bangles to my wrists and draped a necklace made of topaz around my neck. When she was finished fussing with my appearance, she stepped back and examined me with a smile.
“Darling, you look amazing,” she said. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!”
My father peeked into the room. A small but proud smile spread across his face. Although he was the most powerful and well-respected man in our clan, something about the news of my engagement seemed to bring him down to earth. Instead of a vision seer and a clan chief, he was simply a proud father excited for his son’s wedding day.
Shame and embarrassment flooded me. For the first time since this situation began, I actually felt bad about tricking my parents this way. I only wanted to earn my freedom from the village - I hadn’t thought about their emotions at all.
But it was too late to back out now. Lorenzo had agreed to the whole thing and would be on his way soon. In a short few days, Lorenzo would arrive.
And my life would change forever.
5
Lorenzo
The days leading up to my trip passed in a blur. Often I wondered if this was really happening, or if I made it up in some kind of fever dream.
But Raja’s messages still existed on my computer. It was real.
I mentioned briefly to Dante and Gabriel that I was going on a trip to visit someone I met through the dating site, but didn’t tell them any of the details. I suspected that telling them the whole point of my trip was to fake-marry someone I only just met wouldn’t go over well. I asked them not to get their hopes up, and that I would probably need to meet multiple people before I found an omega I truly loved. Thankfully, that seemed to settle down their excitement.
I packed the essentials - clothes and hygiene products. It would be a long flight to Raja’s island rainforest, but since I was travelling alone, I could spare time to eat and rest when necessary. Raja assured me there would be plenty of food and drink when I arrived, especially at the wedding ceremony. While I looked forward to it, I was starting to feel a bit anxious about the whole situation. I wondered if Raja felt the same.
When the day finally arrived, I shifted and readied myself to leave. But when I stepped outside the door to the sky platform, black glinting of scales caught my eye. Dante, in his dragon form, was waiting for me.
“Hey, man,” he said in dragonspeech. “You ready to go?”
“Yes. Where are Gabriel and Noah?”
“They’re at home. I just wanted to see you off,” Dante replied. “You said this place is pretty far away, right?”
To spare him the eventual disappointment, the only details I’d given Dante were that the omega’s home was on a remote island. “Yes.”
“Cool.” He clapped me on my shoulder. “Go have a good time, then. And tell us everything that happens when you get back!”
“Maybe I’ll tell you one or two things,” I said with a smile.
We said our goodbyes, then I spread my wings and took off into the pale pink dawn sky. The sun began to peek out from in between the mountains, casting a warm glow across Cinderhollow. As I soared over the city, I realized I might be leaving it behind for quite some time. The last time I left was to help Gabriel and his old pack, Stoneheart, but that journey lasted less than a week. According to Raja’s schedule, there would be many activities expected from us after the wedding, not including the days it took me to reach the rainforest and return to Cinderhollow.
Excitement stirred in my chest. Even if nothing came out of this journey, and I didn’t find a forever mate in Raja, I would still be helping a young omega earn the freedom to live his life.
And right now, that was enough for me.
* * *
Days and nights passed. My muscles ached from the long flights but I loved the feeling of the wind beneath my wings. For the first time, I was truly on my own - no family or friends around as I travelled. I indulged in ripe fruit and hunted wild game in my dragon form among the wilderness, far from human settlements, and slept underneath the calm and quiet stars.
Soon, the air turned warm and humid. The growing heat created thermal columns in the air that I coasted on to spare energy. Only the rush of wind around me and the cool spray of salt water below offered relief from the heat.
When long stretches of water and rock turned to lush rainforest, I knew I was close to Pardus clan. My heart rate increased. Soon I would meet Raja in the flesh, a thought that filled me with both excitement and anxiety. Part of me wondered if he would be a completely different person than the one I met online. Perhaps it would have been safer to remain on my guard, but I sensed no danger or urgency. In fact, during my whole trip, I felt a content sense of calm. The only thought on my mind was whatever happened next.
My eyes scanned for the landmark Raja described - a village in the centre of the rainforest island, studded with trees that reached the sky and ivy-carpeted wooden houses among them. Finally, among the million shades of green, I spotted one - a building like a treehouse well hidden amongst the foliage. I dipped my wings and angled down towards the wooden slats surrounding the hut, which appeared to a platform, similar to the landing strip I had at my own home.
But unlike my home, I didn’t know if this platform would support my weight as a dragon, and I didn’t want to find out. Instead, I found a clearing on the ground and landed there instead.
It was midday and the sun beat down on my scales. I looked around the strangely empty village. There were wooden homes, both on the ground and in the trees, but no people. Was this the right place?
Not knowing what to expect, I called, “Hello?”
Instantly, voices surrounded me.
“Is that him?”
“He’s glowing silver!”
“It must be!”
“He’s
here!”
The empty clearing suddenly exploded with life. People ran out of their homes - some on two legs and some on four. The shifted ones took the form of beautiful big cats, solid gold with black rosettes like gazing eyes. They prowled around me, curiously sniffing. Some of the smaller ones - cubs - bounded close enough that their whiskers brushed my scales. A particularly young one was batting at my leg playfully with a big paw.
“Honey, don’t bother him!” A mother urged gently as she rushed forward to collect her cub, who purred and swatted at me.
Instantly I was filled with a sense of warmth. There was no danger here, only curious and genuine interest. I scanned the gathered shifters, searching for Raja’s face, which I had only seen on his profile picture. What would he look like in real life?
Then, I saw him.
And I felt like lightning struck me.
He was even more handsome in person.
Raja stood amongst the crowd, his beautiful face like a beacon of light. His gentle black eyes met mine and instantly I shuddered. He was gorgeous and more ethereal than I could have imagined from the online picture.
And at the same time, realization crossed his face as well. He glanced up and down, taking in my entire dragon form. Time seemed to slow down, and for a moment it seemed like Raja and I were the only two people who existed in the clearing.
An older man stepped out from beside Raja. His skin was wrinkled and his back was arched from age, but despite that he exuded power and importance. All eyes watched as the man walked slowly towards me. In one hand, he held a dark wooden cane with the head of a leopard.
The man reached me and raised his arms in a warm gesture.
“Welcome, Silver Dragon,” he said in a gravelly voice.
I knew instantly the term was filled with great importance. I dipped my head to him respectfully.
“Thank you,” I said.
Everyone stared at me. A few people murmured in surprise at hearing my dragonspeech, but still there was no sign of fear or intimidation. The atmosphere remained warm and welcoming.
“We have all been waiting for you,” the man said with a wrinkled smile.
Sensing it was the right time now, I shifted to human form and bowed. “Thank you. It’s good to be here.”
“I am the chief of this village. You may call me Eka.” He turned and gestured for Raja to come forward. When Raja slunk out of the crowd and approached, Eka put his hand on Raja’s shoulder. “I am also Raja’s father.”
“Raja told me,” I said. “It’s very nice to meet you, chief Eka.”
“Hm. Now I think it’s time you met my son,” Eka said. With a gentle hand on Raja’s back, he urged his son forward.
Raja stood in front of me now. He was a head shorter than me, but there was nothing small about his confident aura. It was clear from the sharp, intelligent glint in his eyes that he was a clever young man, and being an omega didn’t automatically make him weak and submissive.
When I opened my mouth to speak, my throat felt tight.
“Hello, Raja,” I said.
A coy smile crossed Raja’s face as he replied, “Hello, Lorenzo.”
A small woman with a family resemblance to Raja appeared, rushing towards us. She grasped my hands and shook them excitedly. “Is this him, Raja? Lorenzo, is it?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile.
Raja blushed. “Lorenzo, this is my mother, Kali. She’s very affectionate.”
“Pleased to meet you,” I said, returning the handshake.
Kali’s eyes lit up. She had the same dark, smart eyes as her son. She shot Raja a quick glance before giggling.
“We are so happy to have you here,” she said to me. “Please, come.”
I followed Eka and Kali, with Raja by my side, as they led us towards a huge, gnarled tree. At the very top was a large wooden home built into the tree’s branches, complete with a wide platform similar to the one I saw before.
Right before my eyes, Raja’s parents transformed. Where humans previously stood were now two powerful leopards. In a few graceful and effortless leaps, they ascended the tree and peered down at us from the platform before entering the hut.
Raja chuckled at my surprised expression. “What else were you expecting?”
“Not sure. Maybe an elevator or something,” I said with a smile.
His eyes sparkled with good humor. “Can you make it up there?”
“Of course.”
I shifted partially, letting dragon wings jut out of my back. I pushed off the ground and flew towards the platform. By the time I landed, there was someone else there.
A breathtakingly beautiful black panther.
Raja’s eyes glinted gold and his tail waved back and forth in an arc as he growled playfully. He shifted to human form a moment later and said, “Beat you up here.”
With a wink, he entered the hut and gestured for me to follow.
Inside, the light scent of incense floated in the air. Raja’s parents waited at the table in human form again, sitting with their hands neatly folded. Their eyes followed us expectantly. Raja took the opposite seat and nodded at the empty chair beside him, so I took the hint and sat.
Eka observed me closely and hummed. “So, you’ve finally come. We have been expecting you for a long time.”
The statement seemed strange, since Raja and I only met recently, but I didn’t want to interrupt Eka. Thankfully, Raja understood my confusion. He put a hand on my mine to get my attention. It was a slight touch, only for a single moment, but it made my heart flutter. When he drew his hand away, I felt disappointed. I mentally scolded myself. I couldn’t become attached to him. This was only a fake relationship and nothing more.
“My father has visions,” Raja explained. “Apparently when I was born, he had a vision of a giant silver beast - your dragon form. It was hovering over me as a baby”
As he Raja spoke, I got the feeling he didn’t quite believe it. But why wouldn’t he? Was it his father’s visions in general he didn’t believe in, or that particular vision?
“At first we thought it was a bad omen,” his mother Kali added, “but now we understand that it was destiny. You are the silver dragon in Eka’s vision. You are Raja’s fated mate.”
The shocking words hit me like ice water. Raja and I only had plans for a fake marriage - where was all this about fated mates coming from? From the corner of my eye, I saw Raja’s lip curl tightly. A fake smile. He didn’t believe in his father’s vision. That explained why he spoke hesitantly earlier.
Both of his parents watched me intently, waiting for a reply.
“Yes, I understand,” I said slowly. “I’m what you saw in the vision. Then this must be incredibly important to you.”
Kali grinned. “Yes! You should see what we have planned for the wedding - oh! Which we are having as soon as possible, by the way.”
Eka raised a hand to calm his wife for a moment. “The wedding ceremony is important, yes. But first, Lorenzo, I must tell you something. We are counting on you to protect our son. We understand he wants to travel and explore the world, but he needs someone to look after him. Not simply anyone - a powerful alpha, such as yourself. You must protect Raja.”
Suddenly both Eka and Kali were serious again. With a tinge of dread, it dawned on me that this fake marriage meant everything to them. They didn’t know it was just a scheme orchestrated by their son to escape his parents’ controlling grasp. I suddenly felt sympathy for them. Even though Raja deserved his freedom, we were lying right to his parents’ faces.
“I understand,” I said seriously. “I will protect Raja.”
I felt Raja’s eyes on me.
“Very well,” Eka said. He stood slowly and grasped his cane. “Then we can begin preparations right away.”
“Hang on, Lorenzo’s been flying for a long time,” Raja said suddenly. “Don’t you think he should take a break first? Maybe wash up?”
Kali mulled this over. “Hm… Yes, it’s no good if he looks
tired and sweaty at the ceremony.” She ushered us towards the door. “Raja, take him to Zumi’s and have her mother look after him. Sera will take him to the water and then dress him for tonight.”
Tonight? That’s so soon, I thought. I wondered if the hurried wedding was Raja’s idea or his parents’.
“Okay,” Raja said.
“Then come back here. You need to get ready too. Your hair is all out of place.” She licked her thumb and ran it aggressively over Raja’s brow.
“Ugh, mom!” he groaned, escaping her grasp.
“Go on, now, go,” she hurried. “Be back before the sun sets!”
“We will,” Raja promised with a sigh.
I said a quick goodbye to Eka and Kali while Raja waited for me on the platform outside.
“Where is Zumi’s place?” I asked him.
He rolled his eyes. “We don’t need her help. I know where the waterfall is. I mean, I’ve never been there but I’ve heard about it a million times from my friends. We just have to drop by Zumi’s place afterwards and pick up your outfit.”
I didn’t see any waterfalls overhead when I landed. “Is the waterfall outside the village?” I asked.
Raja didn’t flinch. “Yes.”
I phrased my question carefully. “I thought you weren’t allowed outside the village. Are you, ah, allowed to take me there?”
He shot me a sharp glance that ended with a smirk. “You’re my alpha mate now, remember? I can do whatever I want.”
Even though I knew he didn’t mean anything sexual by that remark, it still sent a shiver down my spine.
“Come,” Raja commanded. He shifted into his leopard form and leapt down like a fluid black bullet . I followed, wondering where he was taking me next, and what I had gotten myself into.
6
Raja
For the second time now, I left the village without permission - except this time it was during broad daylight, so we wouldn’t have to worry about poachers.