by Winter Rose
“Wait, is that why the maids look like they were about to drop down dead when I told them to call me Luna?” His eyes twinkled in response. “They think I’m a Princess?” I suddenly felt very sorry for the three sisters.
He laughed, “Please don’t kill off the maids, Luna; good maids are hard to find. Besides, it was Ehre’s idea to keep you safe.”
“I highly doubt he cares that I am safe.”
Eros scowled, “Luna, Ehre is one of your Guardians. He may be a ...”
“Arsehole?” I provided.
“Yes, he may be an arsehole,” he chuckled. “But he will always protect you. We all will.” Eros looked at me with such ferocity that I could no longer argue back.
“Where did Ehre come from?” I changed the subject.
Eros sighed,
“Ehre comes from the original Elvish bloodline, the Eleusian Elementals. He is a prince, rightful heir to the Eleusian throne but his family no longer recognizes his claim.”
“Why?” I asked, out of all the men, Ehre had the hoity-toity royal thing down pat.
“It’s not my story to tell, Princess,” Eros’ eyes twinkled mischievously as he swept into a deep bow, causing me to groan.
We walked through an archway that partitioned two of the buildings.
“You said before that you need blood to stay alive, but Sirens Ousia is lust, is it not? Do you get that from your other creators?” I couldn’t help the curiosity that burned through me. Out of all the guys, Eros seemed the most open to talking, so I took my chances.
“Our six species are slightly different because we have four makers. Like with children that are birthed, we carry traits from each of our creators. But like a child that can look more like one of their parents, we too, seem to each have more dominant gifts.”
As he walked, he constantly moved, touching the stone or kicking up dirt; he reminded me of a carefree child.
“For example, I am a Siren, a creature of the ocean—Poseidon’s realm. But because Aphrodite is my creator, her Ousia—lust—is also mine.” I nodded, still following. “I also carry Hades’ power over death, which is why I am immortal.”
“What about your gifts from Zeus?” I asked.
“I can call on the storm, as can all my brothers. But our gifts and Ousias are different. Like I said, mine is lust after my creator, Aphrodite. Magnar’s—like Athena’s—Ousia is blood, and Ehre’s is earth.”
“Demeter created the Elves, right?”
“Right,” Eros smiled.
“Hestia’s Ousia is fire and so too are the Dragons. As you know Artemis created the Wolves, and their Ousia is the moon.”
“Which leaves the Jinn,” I said, noticing Eros’ hesitation.
“Now this is where their species differ to ours. Unlike our five species, the Jinn’s Ousia doesn’t take after the goddess that created them; their Ousia mirrors that of Hades’…”
“Death,” I finished, pulling my arms across my chest.
“When the six of us were bound, so too, did our Ousias. Which means we need to tap into each one to be at our full strength. Like food, blood sustains our bodies, but unlike your average vampire, Magnar cannot live on blood alone. He, like all of us, needs lust, earth, fire, the moon, and death magic to survive.”
“That’s why the Koray never drank blood back at The Estate?”
“Wolves do not need blood as it is not part of their Ousia. Only the six of us were bound, not our species. When Balhar was the Koray Alpha, the more dominant wolves would receive some benefit from drinking blood, but that was because of Balhar’s ties to Magnar.” I must have looked confused.
“Lycans will always be just as strong as their Alpha. The Alpha’s powers transfer to their pack through their pack bond; which in this case, included the gifts Balhar received from bonding with us. Kingsley is a product of years of Omega breeding; his gifts are non-existent. He wouldn’t want this knowledge to be public.”
“So, if Balhar became Alpha once more, the pack would be stronger?”
“The pack would be stronger, faster, more powerful, and they would live longer. But like with any species, there will always be weaker members. Runts of the litter. The fact that you don’t know this means that Kingsley is keeping his pack in the dark. I have often wondered why nobody has challenged him yet.” He changed the subject.
“My ties with the water are deeper. Unlike my brothers, I cannot spend long periods of time without returning to it. We each have traits from the three gods, some more potent than others.”
“What about me?” I asked. “What do you think my Ouisa is?”
“I believe that we will only find this out when you bond with us.” I could tell that he was trying to sound nonchalant about the matter to make me feel better, but I couldn’t help but hear the way his voice lowered at the thought.
“Oh, my gods,” I breathed taking in my surroundings.
“This is the Amphitheater.” Eros sounded extremely proud.
We came to the biggest arena I have ever seen. The whole thing was a circular shape erected by large stone pillars. The building was hundreds of meters high, and I craned my neck to see the tiers of seating above. The floor was made of sand and dust that moved when I walked.
“It’s incredible.” I suppressed the desire to spin around with my arms outstretched.
“It used to be used for entertainment; the gladiators of old would battle here. Now we just use it for training and the trials that take place at the end of the three years.”
To think of the history that this place held gave me goosebumps. All the greatest Warriors were made here, they bled here, and some may have died here. The realization that I was about to be trained by the Elites came to me, and I could have giggled with excitement. But I didn’t because I’m a badass.
“You are a strange female Luna,” Eros murmured, leaning against a wall with a bemused expression. I felt my throat thicken with embarrassment. He quickly explained, “You don’t understand; if I took most women to this place, they would call it barbarous or faint at the thought of blood.”
I snorted at that. “Why? Women see more blood than men,” I retorted.
Eros laughed. “I never thought of it that way. Regardless, most women normally get excited by balls and dresses.” I tried to interject because there was no way in the Underworld, I was listening to this horse shit, but he stopped me. “I understand not all, but Luna, I know women. I love women, every single thing about them, and over the years, I have known many women.” There was that sick feeling again. “Most women would have no interest in this place and its history. Most women would be mad at me for even bringing them here.”
My shoulders slumped; he was right. I couldn’t really see Veronica the Vile getting her shoes dirty.
“Maybe I am broken,” I tried and failed to laugh.
Eros walked toward me with purpose.
“You are incredible.” I had to crane my neck to look up at his face; the muted sun haloed him perfectly. “I love women, yes, but for only one night. Their company was my sustenance, and I relished it. But never in my life has a woman fascinated me so. You are wonderfully different, Luna, refreshingly so. I didn't mean to offend when I called you strange. I didn’t picture you this way, but I am extremely delighted that you are.” Gods, he was beautiful.
We continued to walk around the side of the fighting pit.
“I will not be able to stay. Unfortunately, I have work that needs to be done.” We walked through a tunnel that led under the seating until we looked as though we could have been in the castle’s hallways. Unlike those though, the walls here were stark but no less clean.
“I don’t know why, but I imagined there to be dungeons to be down here,” I commented.
Eros laughed once more, the sound echoed all around.
“Wrong level. If you follow this network, it actually leads to the castle.” I continued to follow the tunnel, surprised that I couldn’t smell damp. We once again fell into a comfortable s
ilence. I still had questions, but I felt that Eros had answered the burning ones.
As promised, we soon were in the castle, and I could hear the signs of life all around.
“Above us are the training fields where you will be spending most of your time.” Several doors lined the hallway, and we stopped at the last one. “This is where I leave you. Through that door, you will find your instructor for the day.”
He suppressed a laugh at my groan, “I am going to die; he hates me.”
Eros sobered up slightly.
“No, Luna, he doesn’t. Ehre has been through many things in his life to make him so …”
“Much of an arsehole?” I provided again.
Eros’ lip quivered.
“Point is, he’s a good man. I trust him with my life, and one day you will too. For now, do not let his … quirks get to you. He is just … different.” I did laugh at that. He lay his hand on the door. “Promise me something, Luna?”
“What?” I asked.
“Promise me that you will come to me if you are ever struggling. I promise that you will receive no judgment here.” He didn’t say it, but he meant if I needed to feed, so I nodded. “Besides, I know what to do to make us even. So that you do not feel as strange around me.”
I smiled, and the anxiety in my chest from the conversation lightened considerably.
“Oh, and what is that then?”
He walked me into the room and turned to face me, not a drop of jest left in his eyes.
“Why Princess, allow me to drink from you.”
With that, he was gone.
Chapter Twenty
Vulcan
I rained fire down on the fuckers. My anger swelled inside of me, and I let it pour down on the Rebels below. What the fuck was my Dragon thinking? Mate! The beast’s thoughts invaded my own, making it almost impossible to think of anything but the way Luna felt in my arms, the way she smelled … My Dragon roared with the frustration we both felt as we dodged another attack from a flight goblin.
He was getting sloppy, sending such weak supes to attack the Council’s border. Many bodies of the minor Fae species lay below me, the smell of their flesh as it melted off their bones was intoxicating. The blinding rage that had filled us both before had cleared a little.
My beast had always fought for dominance, but my own dominance meant that we have never truly been at war with one another. The fact that I didn’t claim Luna there and then on the fucking dining room table, meant that I now had the fight of my lifetime.
Mate! Every time I thought of those silver eyes and blush pink lips, it took every ounce of strength within me to battle against my beast’s desires. I will not scare her away. I will do my job and protect her; she would never accept someone like me as her mate. The fire flowed freely now out of my mouth, and I let it, allowing my beast free reign. We flew higher, above the clouds and I no longer controlled our actions.
That was the problem with having such a powerful creature inside of me. The energy it takes to control a Dragon is colossal, not to mention the will it takes to stay in control. Both of us are Alphas in a constant battle for dominance. Sometimes when my emotions run high, I am unable to cage my beast. Times like now, when nobody I care for can be hurt, I let him free. When this happens, gods help any unlucky fuck that gets in our way. He will now only allow me to shift back when he has worked through whatever is bothering him.
Hestia save me, I’m fucked. How in the Underworld am I supposed to wait until he has worked through this? Will he ever accept me denying his mate? MATE! My hackles rose, at the thought of denying the mate bond. My Dragon was pissed. He began to plunge down toward the fighting below; he wanted to bring death. He needed to kill something, and I was letting him.
No, I could not mate with her. How could Luna ever learn to like, let alone love a thing that craved death? Hades’ influence ran deep within our race. I sometimes envied my brothers for their gifts from the gods. Only Magnar and Farouk could really understand what death did for my beast. Before Luna, it was all he craved, and now? Mate!
She did reek of pheromones yesterday evening and this morning at breakfast. At the very least, she found me pleasing to the eye. My beast purred at the memory, the scent of her lust as it hung in the air. I could see her as clear as day in my mind, the silver dress clinging to her curves like a second skin. The way her breasts heaved against the material as her breath quickened.
That night I could not take my eyes from her. I envied the way my brothers could touch her so easily, the effortless way they made her smile. Her laugh … by the gods, I had never heard anything more perfect than Luna’s laughter. The second Eros stopped dancing with her, I swooped in, unable to be away from her any longer. I would have asked her to dance if it wasn’t for the crowd and the smell of her exhaustion. I also knew that my beast would have claimed her the second I held her, and if he did, people would start asking questions about the new princess.
Princess, I didn’t know what the fuck Ehre and my brothers were thinking. I knew for a fact that when some of the new Recruits get wind of the beautiful new princess, they would be around her like flies to shit. Not all the Elites’ new Recruits had the best intentions; some of them were fuckers—especially the Fae prince, elitist bastard. Oberon had already spotted her. I needed to keep her as far away from him as possible. I hope Magnar finds an excuse to kick him out soon because I was not looking forward to training the little shit.
Fire, smoke, and ash. That was all I could see; my beast had taken over each of my senses, and I allowed him. Luna was no princess anyway; she was a fucking goddess. Nobody could know what she really was, not yet. Arrows and spears ricocheted off my back as the goblins tried to take down the monster that threatened to turn them into nothing. I doubled back to make sure that was the case.
The only good thing about everyone thinking Luna was a princess was that she could stay in the royal wing with my brothers and me. Last night was a fucking shit show. Seeing her lifeless tore a hole in my heart, and I knew then that she meant more to us than just someone we need to protect. My beast stayed on the surface all night, refusing to leave her. When she began to drink from Eros, and her heart started to beat once more, I could have cried with relief.
My Dragon, however, wanted to kill my brother for touching his mate. Every swallow was like a dagger to our heart; all I wanted to do was to fly away with her and protect her from the world. That is why I could never have Luna; Alpha Dragons do not share. Unlike most supernaturals who have multiple mates, we have one. That is why our race was nearing extinction. Our Dragons instantly know when we have found our true mate.
Mate!
I have never heard of a Dragon bonding with anything outside of its species. Many go their whole lives without mating because we have so few females. Some take partners from different species, but their beasts never truly accept their mate. For my Dragon to accept Luna, it meant that she must be extremely powerful. I have never heard of anyone denying the bond before, but I do know of a few who have lost control because they refused their beast’s desires. I must; I know my brothers like Luna. I can see it in their eyes, and I can smell it in the air.
Eros will charm her with ease. I envy the way he can flirt with her. I cannot let my Dragon get to close; I need to keep my distance. I could never risk hurting Luna. My Dragon let out a low grumble at my audacity. He would never hurt her; Dragons revere their mates above all others. He would watch the world burn to save his mate; shit, he’d light the fucker up himself.
One of the little fuckers landed on my tail, the putrid smell that they secrete when attacked made my stomach roll. With one powerful beat of my wings, my Dragon pulled us through the cloud bank, the goblins clung on to our powerful muscle, struggling to grip onto our smooth scales. I had pissed my beast off, and now this creature would bear the brunt of his fury. In one swift movement, he pulled the leather-skinned Fae from the spike at the tip of our tail and into our giant jaws, I tried not to heave as his v
ile blood invaded my senses.
Luna’s blood was quite possibly the most exquisite thing I had ever smelled, nothing like this putrid ooze. My Dragon purred in agreement. If it wasn’t for the terror I felt when I could no longer hear her heart beating; I would have struggled to restrain myself. How Magnar coped, I would never know.
I couldn’t taste her. When a Dragon exchanges blood with their fated mate, they begin the mating ceremony. I could never exchange blood with her without tying my soul to her own. If I did it even to awake her magic, my Dragon would never submit to me again. I couldn’t allow myself to lose control around her. I needed to make sure she bonded with my brothers, and I would somehow work out how to awaken her magic that didn’t involve tying her soul to my own for all of eternity.
We continued the ascent into the air, my beast slowly closed our jaw, showering the battle below us with the goblin’s lifeblood. The battle was pretty much over, and my Dragon was dragging it out, his lust for death unquenched. This had been the shortest one in my existence. I had no idea why the Council sent for my team. Even the newest League Recruits would have managed to destroy the goblin ambush. Why were they even here? It wasn’t like Farouk to authorize an outright attack on the Council. He was smart; he had to have an ulterior motive.
The goblins weren’t known for their prowess on the battlefield. If he wanted to cause a dent on the capital borders, he would have used the Nightdruids that were now at his disposal. This could be a diversion, and it was more like the Jinn king to use minor species as Dragon fodder for the greater good. I could never understand why Ehre used to follow that fanatic.
I wished that my brother was with me now. There was no one more capable of looking into Farouk’s twisted mind than Ehre. It was fucking terrifying. He also had an unparalleled knowledge when it came to different species. I was more of a burn now, ask questions later guy. I searched for the green thread within me that connected me to the Elf’s soul. Maybe he could give more of an insight into why Farouk would choose to now send some of his troops to the capital. Especially flight goblins. At the very least I could spy on how Luna was getting on, the thought of her handing the Elf his arse made me chuckle. Gods, I was pathetic.
