Dragons of Cinderhollow Bundle

by Hawke Oakley

  My heart skipped a beat.

  In his pure white attire, sparkling adornment of jewelry, and the contrast of his dark hair and lashes, he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  The length of time they took to approach the platform was nearly tortuous. Time seemed to slow, preventing Raja from being by my side. I grew frustrated by the distance between us.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Koto and Raja paused at the base of the platform. Eka nodded to Koto, who bowed politely and stepped aside. Raja, with his proudly raised chin and the same unblinking, intense eyes as his father, climbed the platform with a single step.

  When he stood by my side, my heart leapt into my throat. My fingers twitched, wanting desperately to intertwine our hands.

  Suddenly, Eka stood. He threw his head back and let out a long roar that shook the rainforest. When it subsided, he shifted back to human form, with the golden fang necklace still around his neck. Kali handed him his cane, and then he approached me with a serious expression.

  “Lorenzo Drakinus,” he said. “The Silver Beast.”

  He gestured now to Raja.

  “Raja Kesuma,” he continued, then his face broke into a gentle smile. “My son.”

  Raja lifted his chin with pride.

  Eka turned and faced the gathered villagers, folding his hands primly on the head of his cane. “My friends and family… And my old friend, Chief Sotu of the Skrofra boar shifter clan. I am honored to have you here to witness my son’s wedding ceremony.”

  The man in the front row who smiled at me earlier nodded at Eka now. He must have been Sotu. That explained the boar tusk necklace.

  “I would not miss it,” Sotu said.

  Eka nodded, then continued his speech. “Twenty years ago, I had a vision. A vision of a great, awe-inspiring silver beast with huge wings and sharp claws hovering over my newborn son. At the time, Kali and I were afraid. But now we know it was not a vision of a cursed future, as we originally suspected. No… It was instead a blessing in disguise.”

  He raised his arms and continued. “We know now that the silver beast - Lorenzo Drakinus - is Raja’s fated mate. Today, we celebrate a new beginning. We celebrate the union of this alpha and omega, who are destined to be together. Their destiny is written in the stars, in the flow of the river, in the tiny sprouting plant… They are fated.”

  Beside me, Raja didn’t fidget or move. He made no indication that he didn’t believe what his father was saying. If he was still lying to himself, he was doing a good job of it. Nobody would have suspected that this was all a sham.

  “Raja,” Eka continued. “You are my one and only child.” He faced me. “Lorenzo Drakinus, will you promise to protect your mate, Raja, until your dying breath?”

  “Yes, I do,” I promised.

  “Raja,” Eka said, facing his son. “Do you promise to be loyal and loving to your mate, Lorenzo, until your dying breath?”

  “I do,” Raja promised without hesitation. He reached for my hand. Our fingers intertwined. His hands were warm and soft.

  Once again, I felt a pang of sympathy for Raja’s parents. I wondered if he felt any remorse about lying to them. But wasn’t it worth it for his freedom? That was a question only Raja could answer.

  Eka reached for the necklace. He slipped it off his head, then carefully around Raja. The golden leopard fang sparkled like fire. It looked beautiful against his white shirt. I was struck by how handsome he was. Any alpha would be lucky to have him. Hell, I was lucky to have him - even if it was temporary for this fake marriage.

  But I wished it wasn’t.

  Eka’s booming voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “From this day forward, Lorenzo and Raja will live as one. You may kiss.”

  We exchanged glances. I hadn’t known this would happen. I was expecting something different, since it was a different culture, but now I was being told to kiss Raja in front of everyone. My heart raced. My eyes locked onto his lips.

  But Raja didn’t hesitate. He pushed himself up on his toes and pressed his lips to mine. Instantly, my alpha instincts took over. I gently grasped the back of his head and kissed him back.

  The villagers erupted into cheers and clapping. Even Sotu in his old age managed to clapped vigorously. I figured that was our signal to break it off. Raja’s eyes sparkled mischievously. As soon as our kiss ended, he darted in and gave me another peck on the lips, as if he was getting the last word in. For some reason, the second unexpected kiss made my face burn up.

  Eka laughed. “Now, let us celebrate their marriage with a feast!”

  The whole area was filled with warmth and happiness. Immediately, people rushed to prepare the tables and food. Kali ran up to Raja and embraced him in a huge hug.

  “Crushing me,” Raja choked out.

  “Look at you!” Kali exclaimed, using less force in her hug now. “You’re a married man! Finally! And you look so handsome on your wedding day. I’m so proud of you.”

  He blushed. “Thanks, mom.”

  “And you!” Kali cried, facing me. “You are a lovely man and I’m so glad Raja found you.” She sighed dreamily. “Neither of you will ever be lonely again. No matter what happens, you will always have each other.”

  I glanced down at Raja. His expression didn’t betray his true feelings in the slightest. He was playing up his lie and it was completely believable.

  “Anyway,” Kali said, “let’s eat before the food gets cold!”

  She hustled away to the long table, which was now covered in many different types of food - all of which smelled delicious.

  “Shall we go eat?” I asked Raja. I noticed that now his mother was gone, his smile faded ever so slightly.

  “Yeah, let’s eat,” he replied. “I just hope I don’t spill anything on this fancy white shirt.”

  “I’ll make a bib out of a napkin for you,” I teased gently.

  “Oh, good,” he replied with a playful roll of his eyes. “Finally, I have my very own big strong alpha will protect me from food stains.”

  The buffet table lured me in with its amazing smells. I hadn’t noticed how hungry I was until now. Everything was such a whirlwind since I arrived that I’d completely forgotten to eat. The scent of slow-cooked boar roast in particular made my mouth water.

  As I approached the feast, villagers stepped aside and let me stack my plate with food. Raja joined me and I offered him a plate.

  “Hungry?” I asked.

  His eyes gleamed. “A little. Not for food, though.”

  Before I could ask what he meant by that, Koto burst in and threw his arms around his cousin.

  “I can’t believe you went ahead and did it, Raja!” Koto exclaimed. “You actually went and got married!”

  “Sure did,” Raja said, elbowing his cousin back.

  “Who knew that old laptop would make all of this happen, huh?” Koto grinned. He pointed a finger at me. “You better treat my cousin well, you hear?”

  “Of course,” I said politely.

  “Oh, leave him alone,” Raja growled, shooing Koto away. “He’s more of a gentleman than you, at least.”

  Raja laughed at the offended look on Koto’s face.

  We sat down at a table with our food. I tried not to notice the embarrassing amount of food on my plate compared to everyone else.

  “You’re a dragon,” Raja said, as if reading my mind. “Plus you just made a huge flight over here. Besides, all of this food is for us. Go ahead and eat.”

  I didn’t need to be told twice before digging in. Roast boar, wild vegetables and aromatic rice… Everything tasted as good as it smelled.

  “Kind of weird eating roast boar in front of the Skrofa clan chief, isn’t it?” Koto mumbled, glancing over his shoulder. Sotu was exchanging warm words with Eka by the buffet table.

  Raja shrugged. “Well, we’re not eating boar shifters, just normal boar. I don’t think he cares.”

  Koto frowned and waved his fork. In a low voice, he said, “Hey, we ne
ver did get to ask about those poachers. I wonder if they were from Skrofa clan after all?”

  Poachers? I thought in slight panic.

  “Koto, I do not want to talk about this on my damn wedding day,” Raja hissed.

  “Sorry, sorry, you’re right…”

  I wanted to ask about the poachers but I suspected the moment to do so was already over. Our mouths were too busy eating to speak until a while had passed. Then Koto asked, “So, what’s the next step? You gonna go on your honeymoon?”

  I paused, realizing that Raja and I hadn’t planned that far ahead. From what he originally told me, it seemed like he wanted to get the marriage over with quickly and be rid of me. But now I was curious to hear what he would tell Koto.

  To my surprise, Raja said, “Of course. The honeymoon is the best part of the wedding, after all.”

  I almost choked on my food.

  “Nice!” Koto went on, oblivious to my reaction. “Where do you think you’re gonna go? Somewhere nearby?”

  Raja laughed. “You’re funny. No way.”

  “Why not?”

  “I spent my whole life trying to get away from here,” Raja said. “Why would I want to honeymoon so close to the village?”

  “I dunno,” Koto said with a shrug. “It was just a suggestion. What do you think, Lorenzo?”

  They glanced at me. Suddenly I was put on the spot and I had no idea how to answer. I glanced cautiously to Raja.

  “I’d prefer to go where my mate wants to go,” I said.

  Koto chuckled. “Wow, he already has you whipped, huh?”

  Raja kicked his cousin’s leg under the table.

  “Ow!”

  “I think it’s a nice gesture, Lorenzo,” Raja said, smiling at me. “We’ll think about it tonight.”

  “That reminds me,” Koto began, “where are the two of you going to sleep tonight? Now that you’re a married couple and all, I think you should be together, right?”

  Raja growled. “Koto, why don’t you stop being so damn nosy and mind your own business?”

  Koto grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Hey, it’s not every day my favorite cousin gets married. I’m just excited.”

  Raja sighed. “Fine. But don’t ask us any more personal questions unless you want to hear about the details of all the sex I’m going to have - “

  “Okay, okay!” Koto shouted quickly as he stood up. “That’s fine, I don’t have to hear anymore, thanks! I’ll be at the buffet table, all the way over there, leaving you two alone…”

  As Koto ran off, I was still shocked at Raja’s statement. I didn’t know if he was joking, or trying to get his cousin off his back, or if he was actually serious. His face revealed nothing, as usual. He was a master of hiding his feelings.

  But the secret, deep down part of me wanted to be with Raja for real - not just a fake relationship. Could I be with someone who lied so easily?

  I wasn’t so sure.

  8

  Raja

  Insects buzzed outside and the warm night breeze filled the room. I drew the thin translucent curtains shut and blew out the last candle. With a sigh, I collapsed onto my bed without even undressing. It had been a long day and my whole body ached.

  But part of me ached in a different way.

  Lorenzo was in the other room getting ready for bed. It was our first time alone since the waterfall, when my mother interrupted. Thankfully, nobody was around to bother us again.

  The wooden floorboards creaked as Lorenzo entered the bedroom. His face had been washed, and the tips of his hair were damp, turning them a dark grey. Unlike me, he had undressed the fancy suit and laid it neatly aside now. He stood in a simple black tank top and his briefs. Once again, my eyes wandered down below.

  “You’re still dressed,” Lorenzo commented.

  “I sure am.”

  He strode closer until he towered over me, but his face was gentle as always. I wondered if he ever just took what he wanted. I yearned to find out.

  Heat stirred in the pit of my stomach. My body needed this.

  “You know,” I began, shooting him a coy glance, “I can’t go to bed in these clothes.”

  Lorenzo eyed me up and down. “No, I suppose you can’t. They’re too nice to sleep in.”

  “I agree.” I crossed my legs. “Why don’t you do me a favor and help me take them off?”

  He cocked a brow. “You want me to help you undress?”

  “Are you opposed to that?”

  Lorenzo paused. “No.”

  I smiled. “Good. Come on, then. I want to get into bed already.”

  Instead of making a smart comment about how I was already in bed, Lorenzo was silent as he reached for the collar of my shirt and began undoing the buttons. His fingers worked precisely and didn’t stray. I forced my breathing to remain steady. I didn’t want him to know I was already worked up just by his close physical presence.

  When he finished unbuttoning my shirt, he got up and placed it neatly beside his suit.

  “I’m still wearing the pants,” I said.

  There was no indication in his tone that he wasn’t enjoying this. “Would you like me to help remove them as well?”

  I crossed and uncrossed my legs playfully. “Yes, alpha.”

  Something flickered across his eyes, then was gone. Smugly, I watched him kneel down to unbutton and carefully remove my pants. When they were gone, there was nothing left to hide my growing erection. Lorenzo hesitated when he saw it. My heart rate sped up. What kind of reaction would he have? Hopefully one that ended up with me getting laid.

  Lorenzo’s eyes slowly moved from my clothed cock to my face. He read my expression, which at this point was blatantly horny - and I prayed he felt the same.

  “You seem a bit excited,” Lorenzo said in a quiet voice.

  I licked my lips. “A little more than a bit.”

  “I see,” he replied. “Well… What are we going to do in this situation?”

  I growled. Was he playing hard to get on purpose? I obviously wanted to fuck. Maybe I had to make it more obvious.

  I raised one of my legs, hooked it over his shoulder and made direct, smoldering eye contact with him. If that didn’t get the point across, nothing would.

  Lorenzo placed his hand on my calf and slowly made his way up my leg. “Raja. Tell me what you want.”

  Finally, I thought. But the playful part of me wanted to stretch on this cat-and-mouse interaction for even longer.

  “You know, just because we had a fake wedding doesn’t mean we have to be... chaste,” I said.

  His brows raised. “What are you suggesting?”

  “Come on. You know what I mean.”

  Lorenzo grasped my calf a little harder.

  “I know what you mean, but I want you to say it,” Lorenzo growled. The sudden shift in his voice sent a chill down my spine. He was serious now - and I loved it.

  “Okay,” I said, looking straight at him. “I want to have sex.”

  He took in this information and closed his eyes. When they re-opened, they burned like fire. He was as turned on as I was, which thrilled me even more.

  “I see,” he said in a low tone. Then he paused and asked, “Are you in heat?”

  “No,” I said honestly. It wasn’t due for another month or so, but I knew the real reason he was asking. If we had sex while I was in heat, it would be practically guaranteed that I would become pregnant, which neither of us wanted. Or at least I didn’t. If Lorenzo wanted kids, he was barking up the wrong tree.

  “Protection?” he asked.

  I was relieved he did ask - that meant we were on the same page. I pulled out a condom from the stash in the nightstand I’d prepared for Lorenzo’s arrival, just in case I wanted to bang him, and it turned out I was right. “Right here.”

  He grunted in appreciation. His voice was already husky from arousal. “Thank you.”

  I got ready to watch him remove his briefs, but Lorenzo had other ideas. He set the condom aside and leane
d in to kiss me. I was happy to kiss him back. The kiss we shared at the wedding ceremony was surprisingly pleasant, even if it was expected of us and done in front of a whole bunch of people. The second kiss I gave him was for good measure, obviously. I had to make the whole fake marriage thing look as real as possible.

  Lorenzo’s lips were soft and firm. The kiss began slowly, without tongue - just the gentle brush of lips against each other. But I was impatient and wanted more. I slipped my tongue across his lips, begging. When he caved and parted his mouth, the kiss grew deep and passionate and hot. My cock hardened. I’d watched porn on Koto’s laptop in preparation for Lorenzo’s arrival, but never found the kissing scenes particularly arousing. But this was totally different. I didn’t know what I’d been missing.

  I leaned in closer and put my hands on the collar of his tank top. From there they strayed to his muscular shoulders and down his biceps, which I held onto when he pushed me down on to the bed. My head hit the pillow. We never broke off kissing.

  Lorenzo climbed on top of me, straddling my waist. It struck me now just how much larger than me he was. For all his gentleness, he was tall and powerful. I had no doubt he could pick me up and throw me like a stick if he wanted to.

  As we made out, I felt my cock getting painfully hard and pressing against something. I wriggled my hips upwards. Lorenzo moaned softly into my mouth.

  Ah, I see, I thought. My cock was pressing into his cock.

  I seized the opportunity. I slipped my tongue forcefully into his mouth, and at the same time, I lifted my hips so our still-clothed cocks brushed together. He released a pleasurable groan that I was dying to hear again.

  But before I could repeat the motion, Lorenzo took my wrists and pinned them to the bed.

  “I’m the one on top, remember?” he growled into my ear.

  My cock twitched.

  “Yes, alpha,” I breathed.

  This time, Lorenzo was in charge. He ground his hips down in a circular motion, rubbing our cocks together. I couldn’t contain my whimpers. To keep me quiet, Lorenzo kissed me hard, enveloping my tongue with his own as he continued to buck against me.