by Hawke Oakley
And also, I had a dragon at my side.
Still, my skin prickled with something resembling guilt. I wasn’t really supposed to be leaving the village, since Lorenzo and I weren’t married yet. But I’m sure my parents would make an exception.
Lorenzo looked terribly pale among the rainforest foliage. Not only did he stick out like a sore thumb, but he was bound to get a sunburn if he didn’t cover up his skin. He was dressed in a light short-sleeved button up shirt and shorts, but he would have to strip to wash himself at the waterfall, and if he showed up red and burnt to the wedding, I knew my mother would have a fit.
I scanned the canopy, then saw what I was looking for. Quickly I shifted into my panther and leapt up the tree trunk. The strangely shaped green-and-pink fruit hung tantalizingly close. With one swipe of my claws, I snatched the fruit and joined Lorenzo’s side again.
“What is that?” he asked, looking at the fruit curiously.
I shifted back and replied, “You’ll see later.”
After a few minutes of walking, Lorenzo asked, “So, if you’re not allowed to leave the village, how do you know where we’re going?”
I laughed. “I have a nose, you know. I know what fresh water smells like. Besides, I can always piece together information from the stories my cousin and friends always tell me.”
“Clever,” Lorenzo said with a smile. “So, we’re going to a waterfall?”
“Yep.” I raised a finger. “Listen.”
We stopped walking and from just beyond came the sound of rushing water. We were close.
“I hear it,” Lorenzo said.
I winked at him. “Good. Your ears are working.”
When we arrived, I was awed at the size and force of the water. I had only heard about it in stories, and I never imagined it could be this big. At the base of the fall was a cluster of boulders that broke the crashing water’s flow before it became a gentle pool. A small river fed off the pool and snaked through the rest of the rainforest. There was no canopy of trees here to block the sun’s rays, so the surface of the water glittered like silver.
Like Lorenzo’s dragon scales.
“It’s beautiful,” Lorenzo said as he took in the sight. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Hey, don’t thank me,” I said, waving a hand. “My mom was the one who wanted you to bathe here.”
His eyes widened. “Bathe?”
“Well, duh. What else did you think you’d be doing at a waterfall?” I pointed to his clothes. “Take those off.”
Pink suddenly tinged his cheeks. It was so cute that I almost laughed at him.
“What are you waiting for? Come on,” I urged.
“I can wash myself, thank you,” he mumbled, but he took off his shirt at the same time. I couldn’t help looking him over. His arms and chest were muscular, and he had visible abs and toned pecs.
Not bad, I thought.
“Do you like what you see?” Lorenzo asked with a wry smile.
Cheeky bastard.
“Maybe,” I teased. “Now come here and turn around so I can put this stuff on you.”
Lorenzo agreed, coming closer. He watched curiously as I pulled out the fruit I picked up earlier and sliced into it with a single shifted claw. The green-and-pink skin broke open to reveal white flesh dotted with oval black seeds inside.
“What is this?” Lorenzo asked. “I’ve never seen this kind of fruit before.”
“We call it a Leopard-Fur Fruit, because the seeds look like rosettes,” I explained. “Apparently it's only found on this island.”
Lorenzo took the other half of the fruit and examined it. “Interesting…”
While he wasn’t paying attention, I scooped out the inside of the fruit and began slathering it on his skin.
He yelped. “What are you doing?”
“You’re paler than seafoam,” I grumbled. “You need something to protect your skin or you’re gonna burn.”
Lorenzo blushed. He stood still as I rubbed the fruit’s oily flesh into his skin. I enjoyed the feeling of the solid muscles beneath my fingers. When I finished rubbing it into his back and shoulders, I came around to his chest and continued.
“I could do this part myself, you know,” he said, but made no attempt to do so.
“Probably.” I smirked. “You’re not stopping me, though.”
He shrugged. “I suppose we are getting married, so this isn’t entirely inappropriate.”
Oh, right. The fake marriage.
“Right,” I said.
Ignoring how sexy his abs and chest were, I finished slathering his skin and stepped back. “There. Now you won’t show up to the wedding as red as a beet. I just have to do your legs and you’re good to go.”
Lorenzo’s face turned pink again, and it wasn’t from the sun. “I think I can do that part myself.”
I shrugged and handed him the rest of the fruit. “Suit yourself. I thought it’d be more convincing for me to do it, since we are getting married, remember?”
He paused. With a sigh, he slowly removed his shorts until he stood only in his briefs. I made no effort to stop myself from glancing at his package, which was far larger than mine. Fitting for a dragon alpha, that was for sure.
“If you really don’t want me to do it, I don’t have to,” I said.
“No, it’s quite alright. Besides, there are places where it’s difficult for me to reach,” he said, avoiding my eyes. “Go ahead.”
I licked my lips. “If you say so…”
Kneeling, I scooped the oily fruit between my fingers. I began at Lorenzo’s feet and slowly worked my way up his calves and thighs, which were just as muscular as the rest of him. He was undeniably sexy. I’d never been so close to someone who wasn’t a family member, and obviously this was completely different than that. A small heat burned within my stomach as I smeared the oil across the back of Lorenzo’s knees and up the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. There was no denying the way my breath caught in my throat as my cheek nearly brushed his cock, still hidden away in his underwear.
When it was finished, I stood and gave him space - although I didn’t know if it was for his sake or my own.
I cleared my throat and wiped the remaining oil on myself. “There. All done.”
Lorenzo’s skin glistened in the sunlight from the oil. He gestured to the pool beneath the waterfall. “Thank you. Now, shall we?”
I stripped down to my shorts - because I did not want Lorenzo to see the fact that smearing oil on him had slightly turned me on - and kicked my clothes into a pile before dipping into the pool. The cool water was a refreshing contrast to the summer heat - and the different heat building below my core.
Lorenzo joined me in the water with a content sigh. He was probably even hotter than I was - temperature wise, I mean - since he wasn’t used to this rainforest heat.
“So, is there anything special I have to do here?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, is there a significance to the waterfall? Ceremonial, spiritual?”
“Oh.” I laughed. “No. My mom just wanted you to be clean for the wedding.” I reached into the bottom of the pool and pulled out a rock with rough edges. “Here. Scrub yourself.” I raised a brow teasingly. “Unless you want me to do it again.”
I didn’t miss the way his cheeks flushed pink again. “No, thank you. I can do it myself.”
I watched him as he stiffly scrubbed the rock against his skin, then I glanced away because I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. But I couldn’t resist taking peeks at his smooth, muscular body from the corner of my eye.
I sighed and leaned against the large rocks that lined the pool. “This place is nice. I can’t believe I’ve never been allowed to come here before.”
Lorenzo hummed in agreement. “You live somewhere so beautiful, yet you’re allowed no freedom to experience it. It is strange.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Twenty damn years of it.”
“Right,
that reminds me… Don’t your parents mind that I’m quite a bit older than you?” Lorenzo asked, then paused. “Don’t you mind?”
“Me? Hell no. What do I care?” I said, shrugging. “And all my parents care about is that you look after me, and that you’re not some kind of freak trying to kill me.” I raised a brow. “You’re not, are you?”
He smiled dryly. “I can assure you, I certainly am not.”
“Didn’t think so,” I said, closing my eyes and sliding down on the rock. It was surprisingly comfortable sitting in the water naked with a man I barely knew. Although at this point, Lorenzo didn’t seem like a stranger anymore. Despite only meeting recently, he felt like someone I’d known my entire life.
“Raja,” Lorenzo began after a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
He paused and fiddled with the rock in his hand. “Does the wedding situation bother you at all?”
I didn’t open my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Well, your parents seemed quite excited about the whole thing. Almost to the point where I felt uncomfortable lying to them about it.”
My eyes shot open. I sat up in the water, staring at Lorenzo. “Are you having second thoughts?” I asked sharply. “Because if you want to leave, you should do it now.”
The harsh tone in my voice took him aback. He raised his palms. “No, I don’t want to leave. I still plan on going through with this, if you want to.”
“I do want to, and I will,” I said firmly. “I have no other choice. You’re my one ticket out of here, but if you don’t want to lie to my parents, that’s fine. You can leave whenever you want, if you feel guilty.”
Complex emotions stirred in Lorenzo’s expression, but he made no move to get up and leave. Instead, he reached over and put his hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye. The warmth of his skin against mine surprised me.
“Raja, I already told you that I’ll stay for the wedding if you want me to,” Lorenzo said, slowly and seriously. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that.”
“Good,” I replied. “Then stay.”
“I will.”
A small fire flickered in my chest as our eyes locked. Neither of us blinked. I was the one who finally broke first. I glanced off to the side and licked my lips.
“Anyway, you should go stand under the waterfall, if you can handle it,” I said. “It’ll clean your hair.”
He stood. I made a point to not stare at his crotch.
“Will you accompany me?” he asked, holding out a hand. I took it without even thinking and grunted a reply.
We strode through the water together. Our movements synced, and the water curved and flowed around us as if we were a single entity, like a rock cutting through a river. The waterfall crashed down before us, the falls becoming one with the pool below. I guided Lorenzo into the streaming water, urging him to stand beneath it. He closed his eyes and let the cold water flow over his face. Like a statue, he stood frozen in the spot. The glinting reflection of the water gave him the appearance of being sculpted out of pale marble.
For what happened next, I couldn’t help myself. My hands drifted on their own. I placed my palms firmly against his pecs. Lorenzo didn’t flinch under the touch. His skin was warm beneath the cool waters. My body wanted to press against his, to absorb his body heat, but the wall of rushing water stopped me.
I’m touching him. Intimately. In the middle of the waterfall. And he’s not telling me to stop.
When I realized what I was doing, I withdrew my hands somewhat awkwardly. Lorenzo opened his eyes when there was no more contact, but didn’t comment.
A strange feeling fluttered in my chest, like a caged butterfly. My eyes longed to linger on Lorenzo’s form, standing there like a beautiful statue. But why? I had never been as physically attracted to someone as I was to Lorenzo, that was for sure. The urge to press my skin against his was definitely something new, though. It wasn’t like I didn’t have previous sexual urges, but I’d only ever dealt with those things myself - never with a partner. For the first time, I wanted to try something with another person. With him.
Lorenzo stared into my eyes. The fluttering feeling returned with an intense vengeance. His gaze smoldered and my heart leaped into my tightened throat.
“RAJA!”
I nearly leapt out of my skin. My mother’s voice cut through the serene quiet and rushing water. She and Zumi stood on the shore with their arms crossed, looking half exasperated and half excited to see Lorenzo and I together. I groaned, wishing she hadn’t come here and ruined my moment with Lorenzo.
“What is it?” I called.
“You know you’re not supposed to be outside the village,” my mother said, but she didn’t seem too bothered by it. Instead, her lips curled in amusement.
“I know,” I said, waiting for the but she inevitably would continue to say.
“But…” She smiled at Lorenzo, who was still standing strong by my side. “You’re with your fated mate, so I suppose it’s fine. I know he won’t let anything happen to you.”
In a deep, masculine voice, Lorenzo declared, “Of course not. I’ll protect Raja from any harm.” Then he winked at me. Cheeky bastard, indeed.
“Aren’t they so cute together?” Zumi said, giggling to my mom.
My mom’s eyes sparkled. “Yes. But they would be cuter if they were already dressed and ready for the wedding.” She clapped her hands. “Come out now, before you turn wrinkly!”
They turned around so we could climb out of the water and dress ourselves. I snuck another glance at Lorenzo. Sparkling water droplets slipped down his muscles. Standing wet under the sunlight, he looked absolutely stunning.
Once dressed, he offered his arm to me. “Shall we?”
I could practically hear mother and Zumi squealing with happiness.
I looped my arm into his. “Yes. Let’s.”
7
Lorenzo
Arrangements happened quickly once we returned to the village. Kali grabbed Raja’s hand and immediately took off to get him ready for the ceremony. Raja shrugged at me as his mother dragged him excitedly away.
Meanwhile, Zumi was a little more formal when interacting with me.
“Shall we prepare you for the wedding, Mr. Lorenzo?” she asked.
“Yes, please. And just Lorenzo is fine,” I replied with a smile.
Everything was laid out, cleaned and ironed and ready for me. Zumi presented me with a beautiful white suit and pants and a golden tie.
“This is wonderful,” I told her.
“Kali picked it out herself,” Zumi said. “She wanted you to look stunning. Not that you aren’t already, sir.”
I was still a bit embarrassed that I was being treated like an honored guest - even though I was one. I wanted to ask her not to call me sir, but she would probably keep saying it anyway.
In a separate room, I dressed myself and made sure my cuffs and hems were all in proper place. Even if this was a fake marriage, the wedding ceremony itself was real - at least for the majority of the people attending. I had an obligation to look good and act politely. The people of this Pardus clan had gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable, and the least I could do was perform a memorable role.
Even if it was all a lie.
I met my reflection’s stare in the mirror. I wasn’t usually one to brag, but I looked handsome. I wondered if I would look this good on my real wedding day.
Whenever that would be.
I tried not to think about that. Right now, the important thing was to help Raja. If that meant putting on a beautiful suit and faking a wedding, then so be it. I would be the best fake alpha groom in history.
“Do you need any help, sir?” Zumi called from behind the door.
Apparently, I spent a longer time lost in my thoughts than I meant to.
“Ah, no. I’m done. Sorry for taking so long.”
After stepping out, Zumi gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. “Oh, you loo
k quite handsome, sir. Raja is very lucky.”
I smiled. I would have been lying if I told myself the attention and compliments weren’t nice, fake marriage or not.
But they would sound sweeter coming from Raja’s lips, I thought.
Zumi led me outside. But as soon as we exited her home, I gasped. While I was getting ready, the village had utterly transformed.
Strings of lights dangled from branches, criss-crossing every house and tree. The center path was lined with tall golden candles. Their flames flickered gently in the warm breeze. The villagers all stood at the end of the light-studded path, where a low wooden platform seemed to beckon me. Standing on the platform was Kali wearing a beautiful white dress and simple jewelry. In one hand, she held onto her husband’s cane. Beside her was an old but powerful leopard wearing a gold fang necklace that shone like fire in the sunset’s light.
I glanced at Zumi. She bowed and gestured for me to approach the platform.
Raja was nowhere to be seen.
Holding my head up high, I strode towards the platform where Eka and Kali were waiting. Kali smiled primly, while Eka watched me with his unblinking, intense golden eyes.
All around me the villagers seemed to buzz with excitement. A few children had trouble containing themselves from jumping up and down and tugging on their parents’ sleeves.
Sitting in a wooden chair close to the platform was someone I didn’t recognize. He was an older man, around Eka’s age, who wore a boar-tusk necklace. When he noticed me looking in his direction, he smiled gently and nodded encouragingly for me to go ahead. I didn’t know who he was, but I appreciated his warmth.
I paused at the base of the platform and waited. Eka, who never once took his eyes off of me, nodded slowly as an invitation to come up. The bottom of my shoes made a quiet thump against the wood. Everything was quiet.
I glanced towards the crowd, looking for Raja, but couldn’t see him. Part of me wanted to ask where he was, but didn’t want to ruin the moment. Surely he would arrive soon.
Then, from the opposite end of the path - being escorted by his cousin Koto - was Raja.