by T. J. Quinn
Unable to stay alone with her thoughts, she decided to go find Erin again. She needed someone to talk to, or she would become insane. Besides, her friend might know something more about the mating process, since Fritjof had already admitted to being her soulmate.
She found her friend back in the lab, still revising charts and results.
“Hi, do you mind if I join you? I really don’t want to be alone at this moment,” she said as she entered the room.
“Sure, you’re always welcome, you know that,” her friend replied. “What’s going on?”
“Haakon went to help his brother and forbade me from going outside,” she replied, with a scowl.
Erin sighed. “That was the king’s first order when he had all of the women gathered here at the palace. Eleanor was kidnapped from the garden.”
“It makes sense, I know. I just hate feeling I’m a prisoner again,” she replied, starting to pace the room.
“But that’s not what’s bothering you.” It wasn’t a question. The woman was more perceptive than she looked.
“No… Would you tell me what you know about the mating? How does it happen? Did Fritjof explain it to you?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, not sure, she wanted to hear the answer but needing it desperately.
“Yes, he did. According to what he told me, he knew the moment he looked at me. He said it felt like a kick in the stomach and all of his senses came to live. His instinct told him I was his soulmate with so much certainty; he wouldn’t have been able to deny it,” she explained, “I felt something similar. My entire life I had been looking for the man that would complete me that would give my life sense and meaning, and when I saw him for the first time, I knew he was the one,” she added.
“How could you be so sure?” Rosalind asked, struggling to understand. She had known so little love in her live she had trouble believing in its power.
“I just was. I know it sounds silly, but I had never been so sure of something in my life. And the best part is that he felt the same.”
“So, they really don’t have much choice on this mating thing,” Rosalind concluded. “They don’t get to choose their mate. This instinct does it for them.”
“Yes, I guess you could say that,” she nodded, tucking a golden lock behind her ear. “But you’re missing the whole point. A man’s soulmate is exactly that: his other half, the part of himself he has been missing all his life.”
“Does this happen to all of them?”
“Yes, it does. The only novelty here is that they thought they could only find their mates amongst their own species. Being able to mate others was like a miracle for the Drogons, considering the scarcity of women they have been facing recently,” Erin replied.
“You have been working hard,” Rosalind teased her, trying to lighten up the moment.
“Yes, I have been studying them and their problem looking for answers,” she admitted, smiling. “This is the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my career.”
“Let me know if I can help you,” Rosalind offered.
“Of course, but, please, don’t change the subject. You’re worried about something else,” she said, taking Rosalind by her arm and forcing her to take a seat. “Talk to me.”
“Haakon changed since we got here. He’s really worried about this woman’s disappearance as if it affected him personally,” she confessed.
“And you think she might be his soulmate, is that it?” her friend concluded.
“Yes, it is. It makes sense, don’t you think?”
“After all these weeks up in the mountains with him, you still don’t believe that you're his soul mate?” she scolded her.
“I have no reason to believe that.” She let out a small cry.
“You’re in love with the man,” her friend shouted.
“That doesn’t mean he loves me,” a tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it, furious.
“It doesn’t mean he doesn’t, either.”
“He would have told me by now like Fritjof did with you.”
“Not necessarily. It took a lot of insistence on my part to make him confess. Have you ever asked him directly?”
“No, I haven’t. Not directly.”
“Why not?” she asked, frowning.
“Because I’m afraid of the answer,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes, trying to contain the tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’m starting to think you’re a masochist,” Erin scolded her.
Rosalind chuckled, sadly. “I just don’t dare to push him away from me. When I’m in his arms, I’m the happiest woman on the planet, and I don’t want to lose that.”
Erin hugged her tight. “Baby, you need to have faith in your love. It might surprise you,” she advised her. “Besides, I have the feeling sweet Eleanor is the king’s soulmate,” she added, with a wily tone.
Rosalind looked at her surprised. “What makes you think that?”
“It’s a feeling, you know? You should see them together, the way he protects her and pays attention to her every move. It’s as if she was the center of his universe,” she tried to explain. “It’s the same feeling I get when I see you with Haakon. But you’re too stubborn to accept my judgment.”
“Believe me; I would love to accept it,” she assured her.
Erin sighed. “Let’s go find the other girls. We need some distraction, and I’m sure Sasha must be about to climb the walls. Eleanor is like a sister to her.”
Rosalind nodded, and they left the room.
Dinner was served, and the only man that joined them was Jerrik. The older man tried to satisfy the women’s curiosity about what was going on, but he didn’t know much himself.
“After they had scanned Sasha’s collar and ring, they disappeared, and I haven’t heard from them ever since,” he explained.
Rosalind returned to her room after the meal was over, but she was too restless to go to bed. She paced the living room of her suite praying Haakon would return soon and trying not to think he might be in danger.
After a couple of hours, she decided to take a shower, hoping the water would relax her tensed muscles. She took off her clothes and entered the stall, under the warm stream, closing her eyes and allowing the water to work its magic on her.
She had been there for a few minutes when she sensed she wasn’t alone. Slowly, she turned around to find Haakon standing outside the stall, getting rid of his clothes.
The smile on his face told her he had good news. “Did you find her?” she asked, looking for confirmation.
He joined her under the water. “Yes, we found her. A bit hurt, but she will be alright,” he confirmed, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her closer to him, claiming a passionate kiss from her eager lips.
Rosalind threw her arms around his neck and gave him full access to her mouth, loving the way his rough tongue delved every inch of it, claiming it as his own.
“Did you miss me?” he murmured, his lips still glued to hers.
“Didn’t even notice you were gone,” she lied blatantly, with a wide smile on her face.
He chuckled and picked her up in his arms, smashing her back against the stall’s wall. “I’ll make sure you miss me a little bit next time,” he promised, thrusting his hard cock deep inside, her desire matching his completely.
She let out a moan, tilting her head back as jolts of pleasure rushed through her body.
“Hmmm, I’m sure I’ll love that,” she murmured, arching her body towards his.
He smiled and grasped her hips hard, pushing her up and down on his hard shaft.
Rosalind sobbed as she felt each and every one of his ridges rubbing her walls; increasing the pleasure, he was making her feel. Each thrust sent a wave of bliss through her body, taking her closer and closer to the edge.
“Are you ready for me?” he asked her in a huskier tone, increasing his pace, going faster and deeper inside her.
“Yes… yes… always…” she cried out, feeling the orgasm bu
ilding inside her about to explode.
Haakon’s eyes became brighter than ever, and his claws grew and sunk on her hips, adding a bit of erotic pain into the mixture of emotions she was experiencing.
That was enough to send her over the edge, and her convulsing body dragged him with her, making him lose control.
Haakon’s fangs came out as well as the scales on his nape. At the height of pleasure, all of his control disappeared and pulling her higher in his arms, he sunk his fangs on her left breast and drank her blood.
Once more, pain and pleasure blended into an intoxicating cocktail and Rosalind cried out before her body surrendered to the passion and she lost consciousness.
When her body went limp in his arms, Haakon came out of the haze of pleasure he had been lost in, and he realized what he had just done. He had taken her blood once more.
Cursing, he licked the tiny holes on her skin and allowed the water to heal her, watching as the marks disappeared.
He needed to talk to someone about what had just happened. His Drogon was taking control of his actions in the midst of passion, and he wasn’t sure what that could mean for Rosalind. Though the blood exchange was something normal and desired between Drogon couples, she wasn’t a Drogon, and he wasn’t sure how this could affect her. After all, he had already taken her blood twice.
He scolded himself for not paying more attention to the soulmates’ legends, especially when he had found his own. He knew there was a part that mentioned a conversion, but if he wasn’t mistaken, that conversion entailed lots of danger to the woman in question.
The last thing he wanted was to lose Rosalind. She had become a vital part of his life, and he wasn’t sure he could live without her.
Carefully, he closed the faucets and carried her to her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. He put on his clothes and then went looking for his father.
Jerrik was in Brynjar’s office, reading some reports on the screens displayed in front of him.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were spending the night with your válkana.”
Haakon threw himself on the chair in front of his brother’s desk and rubbed his face. “I was, but something happened, and I need information, urgently,” he explained.
“Can I help you?” his father asked, with a slight frown.
“I’m not sure. How much do you know about the soulmates’ legends?” he asked his father.
“Not much, I’m afraid, but I was just reading a report Colborn prepared for your brother, so he’s your man,” he replied.
Haakon jumped out of his chair, and he was out the door before his father could utter another word. On his way out of the palace, he pulled his communication device and called his friend. “Colborn, Haakon here. I need to talk to you, is that possible?”
“Sure, I’m home now, but I could meet you at the palace in a few minutes,” the other man answered.
“No, don’t bother; I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“As you wish.”
Haakon displayed his wings and flew off the minute he walked out the main door. It only took him a few moments to get to the doctor’s house.
“Did you fly here?” Colborn asked him in a scolding tone, as he invited him in.
“Yes, I did, why do you ask?”
“Brynjar asked the people not to fly around until we reveal that part of ourselves to the human females,” he explained.
“I wasn’t informed of that,” he replied with a frown. “Besides, I was in a hurry.”
Colborn invited him to take a seat, but he ignored him.
“What’s going on?”
“Father told me you have been investigating about the soulmates’ legends,” he started explaining.
“Yes, I have. I gave him a full report a few days ago.”
“I don’t have time to read it right now. I need to know what it says about the conversions.”
The other man let out a sigh. “I wasn’t able to find out much about that. Apparently, that was only made once, and it almost killed the female in the process. It’s a very painful process for her.”
“How do you do it?” Haakon asked, more and more concerned about the whole thing.
“I really don’t advise you to even try it, not if you care about your válkana,” the doctor warned him.
“I don’t want to. But I need to know what the damn ritual involves,” he snarled, losing his patience.
“What have you done?” Colborn asked instead of answering his question.
“My Drogon has taken control twice now.”
“You’re mating her?” the disapproval in his tone was evident.
Haakon crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed. “Have you met your soulmate, Colborn?”
“Yes, I have,” he admitted.
“And how’s it going keeping your claws away from her?” he asked, sarcastic.
The other man sighed, lowering his head. “Not well… I know. It’s not easy. But we know so little about them, it could be dangerous,” he defended his position.
“I’m aware of that,” he let out a sigh. “I’ve taken her blood twice,” he confessed.
“With your fangs?” the doctor asked, apparently startled.
“Yes, with my fangs. I told you I lost control to my Drogon.”
“Were you in your full Drogon form?”
“No, only my fangs and claws came out,” he explained.
“That’s a good thing, but it can’t happen again,” he warned him. “If you take her blood once more, you’ll have to give her yours, and that will start the conversion process. Once started, you can’t stop. It would definitely kill her.”
“And how am I supposed to control that?” he grumbled. “I was only aware of what I was doing after it was done.”
“Why don’t you try and keep your hands off of her while we try to find more information?” Colborn suggested, sarcastically.
“And why don’t you ask me to get you the moon? It would be easier,” he replied, rubbing his eyes.
“Just try to stay in control. I’m sure it’s not easy, but you could put her life in danger if you slip once more.”
Haakon punched the wall next to him, frustrated. “Damn, there has to be someone that knows more about this.”
“I was told by an old woman that lives outside Hamarr, in the woods. She’s supposed to be a descendent of the soulmates the legends talk about,” Colborn informed.
“Why haven’t you gone to talk to her?”
“I haven’t had the time. I just found out about her a few hours ago,” he explained.
“Let’s go,” Haakon ordered.
“What? It’s dark outside, and you’re talking about a long trip, to the other side of the planet,” the doctor protested.
“I don’t care.”
“I understand your urgency, but there’s no guarantee this woman actually knows what we want to know. If you’ve only taken her blood twice, then I’m sure you still have some degree of self-control over your emotions.”
“Yes, I thought I had. Now, I’m not sure,” he admitted.
“Allow me some time to find out exactly where we can find this woman and if she actually knows something of use.”
“Do I have a choice?” he asked, sardonic.
“No, not really,” his friend smiled, “Be patient, I’m doing all I can, and I have several people working for me. We’ll find an answer. Meanwhile, just be careful.”
“Yes, easier said than done, believe me.”
“I’m sure of that,” he nodded.
“Let me know the minute you have news.”
“I will, I assure you.”
Haakon left his friend and flew back to the palace.
Rosalind woke up feeling dizzy. She was alone in bed, and for a moment, she thought she had dreamed the whole episode in the shower stall, but her hair was still wet, and she had no recall of ever leaving the bathroom.
But, if he had been there with her, where the hell was he now? An
d why was she feeling so dizzy? Her hand went automatically to her left breast and rubbed the area he had bitten her the first time.
Startled, she realized the skin was a bit sore and swollen. She hadn’t given much thought to his blood thirst, especially when it hadn’t happened again, at least, not until then.
But apparently, it affected more than she thought possible.
She hopped out of bed, but the dizziness became worse, so she took a seat, trying to stabilize herself.
Haakon chose that moment to return to her room, landing on the terrace outside her window, on his full Drogon form.
Though he looked a bit scary and wild, she had to admit he exerted a powerful effect on her with his wings, scales, and claws displayed.
“I thought you were still sleeping,” he said, changing back before he entered her room.
“I just woke up,” she replied, with a faint smile.
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked, with a slight frown.
“Yes, just a bit dizzy,” she calmed him. “What happened?” she asked, raising her head to look at him, just to, immediately, lower it, when the dizziness became worse.
“I bit you again,” he confessed, kneeling in front of her, clearly worried.
“Is that why I’m feeling this dizzy?” she asked, curious.
“I believe so,” he got up and disappeared into the dressing room, returning with a tunic and a cape. “Put this on,” he asked her.
“Why? Where are we going?” she asked, puzzled.
“To see a friend,” he replied, helping her to put the clothes on.
She was still too dizzy to do it on her own.
“Do we have to? I’m not feeling well,” she protested as he wrapped her in the cape.
“Yes, we have to. He’s a doctor, and I need him to take a look at you,” he explained, turning back to his Drogon form before he picked her in his arms and flew out of the window.
“I’m sure this isn’t necessary,” she managed to mumble as he took her across the night sky.
“I think otherwise.”
It was a quick trip, and soon he was taking her inside Colborn’s house.
“What happened?” he asked, surprised.
