by Zoey Ellis
She rolled away from him, lying on her side with her back to him and he curled in behind her, pressing his chest against her back. He rubbed her legs, squeezing her wonderfully fleshy thighs, and dragging his fingers around to her stomach. He trailed his fingers over her, squeezing her neck, her arms, her hips, anywhere there was tension, or soreness from her heat and their vigorous sex, and soon her sweet arousal perfumed the air.
Tyomar brushed his fingers over her pert nipple and she gasped, tensing her whole body before arching her back, pressing her bottom into his lengthening cock.
He dipped his fingers down between her legs, pushing his hand between her thighs as she opened them to give him easier access. As his fingers dipped between her folds, she squirmed against him. So gorgeous! Soon he was strumming her clit in a solid rhythm while she hummed and moaned and pressed her face into the pillow.
As she climbed, he brushed her hair away from her face and leaned over her, watching her expressions, and when her climax came upon her in a violent rush, he lowered his nose to her neck and sought out the spot he needed. He dug his teeth sharply into her neck, issuing the claiming bite that would bind them, and held firm as she convulsed and screamed from her climax and the sting of the bite.
As she calmed, he slowly released his grip on her, licking the blood trickling from her neck.
Oshali panted, incoherent noises coming from her before she was able to issue intelligible words. "What did you do?" she whispered. "What did you do, Tyomar?"
"I claimed my mate," Tyomar said, pride blossoming.
Oshali burst into tears, sobbing quietly into the pillow, and Tyomar wrapped his arms around her, and pressed her close to him to settle her. Once the shock wore off, she would appreciate it more, especially once the bond was complete and she could feel how much he loved her.
Tyomar kept Oshali sweaty and exhausted with orgasms for the next few days. Her heat faded completely, but he wanted to re-establish the connection between them after the surprise of the bite. He bathed with her, ate with her, and kept her firmly wrapped around him and his cock. Oshali was slow to respond at first, but soon she was reaching for him, kissing him, and moaning for him.
Their attraction had never solely been based on their intimate compatibility, but also on their common interest in things. He began to introduce her to some of the things he enjoyed; favorite pastimes, his favorite view of the range from his lair, and his favorite reads. She looked at everything with interest, but didn’t say much.
Tyomar kept a close watch on Oshali for the rest of the week. Her insistence in that they were not suited to each other, or that he did not understand her needs frustrated him immensely. Didn’t she realize all the things he had done to ensure she could have what she wanted? Granted, maybe he didn’t understand why she felt the need to travel across the lands in such a dangerous way, but no dragorai-male would allow their female to do that if it was dangerous, no matter how much he respected her. Oshali was being completely unrealistic about the expectations between a dragorai and his mate.
Slowly, Oshali began to explore his lair. First his chambers, and then the outer corridors. When she began to explore further, he didn’t follow her but instructed his servants to allow her to go anywhere she pleased—as long as they let him know where she was. He didn’t want to stifle her in her own home.
“Master Tyomar.”
Tyomar looked up from his bed, where he was cuddling Oshali, to see his steward at the door.
“You have a visitor.”
It had to be one of his brothers, but still Tyomar tensed. “I am unavailable.”
The steward grimaced. “He told me to tell you that you cannot refuse. He is returning a favor.”
Tyomar frowned, now curious. Kissing Oshali, his slipped out of the bed and headed toward the visitor lounge. Most of his brothers had enormous window-like openings in their chambers, so they could easily get onto their dragons to take flight, but Tyomar preferred the privacy.
He padded down the corridor, becoming increasingly annoyed about the interruption. Oshali was still in a delicate state.
He came to a stop when he saw a figure approaching him in the corridor. “Nyro,” he said, every muscle in his body tensing. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Nyro smiled. “I know. But the clan needs to see you, and I thought it was only fitting if I was the one who came to check on you, considering you very thoughtfully did the same for me.”
Tyomar didn’t find anything fitting at all. His brother should remain far away from his omega while she was vulnerable and confused, and may even be with child. It wasn’t the same as when Tyomar visited—he hadn’t known Nyro had an omega in his lair. When he didn’t return the grin, Nyro pulled his hand forward from behind his back and his mate, I’mya, peeked around his body.
“I brought my mate,” Nyro said slowly. “She is with child, remember.”
Tyomar relaxed a little. That changed things. “What do you want?”
“We need to talk about the queen,” Nyro said. “She is furious that we came onto her territory and is launching an attack she thinks will harm us. We need to plan a response.”
“I’m not leaving Oshali,” Tyomar said firmly.
“Isn’t her heat over by now?”
“Yes but…” Tyomar didn’t know how to explain. “She is… different.”
“How?” Nyro asked.
“She is… not happy.” He wasn’t prepared to go into details about the intimate conversations with him and his mate.
“Maybe I can speak to her?” I’mya offered.
Tyomar nodded. Maybe that would help. “I can ask her,” Tyomar said. “Where is the friend we found her with?”
“She is staying in my lair for the moment,” I’mya said. “Only because we have a community there with many other women she can talk to. Besides, Zendyor doesn’t want her in his lair, and Sethorn… she and Sethorn viciously argued.”
“Yet he keeps showing up at my lair to argue with her more,” Nyro said irritability. “Next time he must be refused,” he said to I’mya. “We all agreed not to breach each other’s territories unless absolutely necessary.”
“And how am I going to do that?” I’mya asked, exasperated. “There are windows everywhere.”
“It might be a good idea for her friend to be at the meeting also,” Tyomar said. “She looked like she was a warrior, she might have some good information.”
“Fine, Ty,” Nyro said. “But you must get to this meeting. You know we cannot move forward with any plans unless we all agree.”
Tyomar dipped his head in a nod, then stilled when I’mya let go of Nyro;s hand and came toward him.
“I have never seen you so serious before, Tyomar,” she said softly. “I can tell you’re very worried about your omega, but just give her time. It is a shock to learn you are the mate of a near-immortal being. She will be thrilled once she gets used to the idea.”
Tyomar relaxed. “Thank you, I’mya. At the moment she doesn’t even believe she is.”
“Well, I heard she has studied the dragorai for a long time. I’m sure it seems impossible to her.”
Tyomar remained thoughtful as he watched them leave. Maybe that was part of the problem. Oshali had studied his kind for so long, and perhaps she had been in awe of them. But she was part of their clan and their culture now. Maybe he needed to be clearer about that.
He turned and headed back to his chambers. Now was the time to talk to Oshali and explain the misconceptions she had. He entered his chambers and slipped back into the bed. But when he felt for Oshali, she was gone.
12
Oshali landed at the main entrance of the Mheyu sanctum and took a moment to catch her breath.
The flight from Tyomar’s lair had been longer than she’d imaged. Thankfully, magic was so abundant here, it didn’t take too much thinking like it had in the realm. She scanned the skies to see if Tyomar was following her. She didn’t know how he could be in pursuit so quickly, but she wa
s sure she saw a glimpse of a dragon as she sped to the sanctum.
Once ready to enter, she tightened the bedsheets she’d grabbed from Tyomar’s chambers to cover with and gripped her travel pouch before making her way up to the sanctum doorway, stones digging into her bare feet from the path.
She wasn’t planning on staying long, but she had to speak to the guardians and get the answers she needed. And some clothes. She was sure they would be expecting her. There was no way they could send her on that kind of assignment and not realize she would return with questions.
As she entered, the familiar sights and sounds of the sanctum relaxed her. She exhaled, relieved about the familiarity—it almost brought tears to her eyes. But it wasn’t home. It wasn’t that deep-seated satisfaction that burrowed into her bones when she was with Tyomar. She pushed the thought out of her head and continued on, heading for the guardians’ sector.
The fosters she passed slowed down to watch her, their eyes wide but she ignored them. No doubt they knew that she’d left, and no one was ever supposed to return. She wasn’t even wearing her Mheyu Gowns—there was no indication that she was a guardian at all.
She found Guardian Vy in her office.
“Oshali.” The elderly woman’s eyes widened and she broke into a huge grin when she saw her. “Welcome back! It’s so good to see you.”
Oshali didn’t smile with her. “Is it? Or were you hoping that I would be captured, bred, and killed?”
Vy’s smile faded. She leaned back in her chair. “I wasn’t sure how badly it would go.”
“Why didn’t you warn me!” Oshali raged. “There is no excuse for sending me to the south and not telling me the truth! You told me that there was no information about my heritage or my upbringing or my background and family. You told me that for years! And now I find out that you knew something so crucial to who I am, and you sent me into such a dangerous situation.”
“Oshali,” Vy began. “Let me explain.” She gestured to the chair opposite her.
Oshali held still for a moment, breathing heavily as her anger waned. She wondered if she should even relax in the presence of this woman. She’d lied so easily, so effortlessly, repeatedly. And she was a Mheyu! “Did Guardian Persilda know?”
“No,” Vy said. “But I’m sure she suspected it.”
Oshali pressed her lips in annoyance, but slowly sat down, watching Vy closely.
The guardian took a deep breath and leaned forward on her desk. “In general, we didn’t make it noticeable to you, but when you were brought here by the dragorai, we found it very significant. No Mheyu sanctum has ever had a child bought to them by a dragorai-alpha before. We have certainly accepted children from the ranges over the years, usually the stewards from each of the lairs will bring children to us, but for a dragorai to bring a baby—and not one born in his lair—is highly unusual. As you know from reading our records, there was no incident of that ever happening before.
“Now, that in itself would not have been the utmost of importance, except for the fact you showed proficiency in Thrakondarian at the age of five. Again, that is almost near impossible for any child to do. Those languages are extraordinarily hard for us to speak. It is not something that is casually learned, and you were able to cast in it from the age of seven by simply singing. You also took to being able to read Thrakondarian and then, when we started to teach you to cast properly, you excelled. All of these things combined indicated to us that you are special and different. We weren’t sure how, but we always felt that it was right to continue your training for long as possible, which is why we encouraged you to take your guardian training.”
“If Persilda didn’t know, who is ‘we’?” Oshali asked.
“Each sanctum has an elder counsel of seven. We are the ones who make the main decisions and who make the Gowns. It is not something we advertise. I am part of it. Persilda isn’t.”
Oshali nodded and the guardian shifted in her seat a little.
“Around the time you were brought to us,” Guardian Vy continued, “one of the guardians in one of the southern sanctum spoke about a baby going missing and possibly being eaten by a dragon in the south. Of course, any such accusations is of interest to us. Through our communication with her we realized that you were that baby, and when we saw portraits of the queen, we were convinced you were related to her.”
“Why didn’t you take me back to her?” Oshali asked.
“You were brought here by the dragorai,” Guardian Vy said pointedly. “He had brought you here for safety, while the woman who you belonged with was engaged in decades-long warfare. When we discussed it, we had to decide if we should put you back in that situation with her, or trust that the dragorai brought you here for a reason. So we continued to train you here, we kept you hidden, we ensured that you wore your veil every time you ventured anywhere where you could be seen, especially with the dragorai. And we made sure you had access to the dragorai in case they needed you for any reason.”
“But it was his dragon that took me. The dragorai didn’t have a reason for bringing me here—he didn’t need me for anything.”
“That’s what we thought at first, especially as you approached your twenty-fifth birthday and nothing had happened. When the dragorai told us that one of them mated, everything began to make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
Vy smiled. “Do remember what determines an alpha and omega pairing within the dragorai?”
“Yes,” Oshali said. “The dragon chooses.”
“Exactly. The dragon always chooses. His dragon chose you.”
“No,” Oshali said firmly. “That’s not the way it goes. The female dragon chooses the omega. The dragon could have snatched me because he wanted to keep me in his lair or harm me or any other reason.”
“But it didn’t,” Vy said simply. “Unless the Anointed One Tyomar said otherwise, his dragon didn’t try to harm you at all, did it? There were no marks or burns on you when you arrived. You weren’t harmed.”
“I just don’t think that is enough,” Oshali said.
“You think the dragon is mistaken?” Vy asked, her wariness clear. “How often has that happened?”
Oshali couldn’t answer. There was no record that any dragon selected their bonded sibling accidentally, and especially not their mate. It had never happened in the history of the Twin Realms.
Oshali exhaled a harsh breath.
“What is worrying you. You think that there is an error? Do you not feel anything for the alpha?”
“It’s not that,” Oshali said irritably. “I just don’t think that he will make me happy in the long-term, the way that I need him to.”
Vy nodded slowly. “I see.” She sighed. “That is disappointing. All the signs suggest that the two of you would be extremely happy together, and that you are compatible.”
“We are, in a way,” Oshali said. Why was this so hard to explain? “But not to be mates.”
Vie eyed her carefully. “Then you are free. Go and live the life you want to live.”
Oshali blinked. “What?”
“If you believe that you will be happier living the life you want, go and live it. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are many out there who are living lives they hate, and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. If you feel that Tyomar is not for you, it is not for anyone to force that mating upon you.”
Oshali was silent. The idea of not seeing Tyomar at all suddenly clutched at her chest in a painful pang, but she had to ignore it. Wasn’t this what she’d been saying all along? “Thank you, Guardian Vy,” she said. “I think I will.” She hesitated. “One thing I don’t understand. Why did you risk my life to get that scroll? You could have told me.”
Vy gave her a strange look. “Did you examine the scroll?”
Oshali nodded.
“Properly?” Vy stressed. “Not just the standard methods to test for authenticity but to test for magic?”
“Oh. No, I didn’t. It looked like a normal family
tree.”
Vy tensed. “Do you still have it?”
Oshali nodded and patted her travel pouch.
“Good,” the guardian said, relaxing. “You know what you need to do.”
Oshali nodded. She glanced down at herself. “Can I get some clothes?”
After dressing back in her usual grey tunic and robes, Oshali took some time to look around the sanctum. Now that she had been out of it for a while, it looked… small and dreary. Of course, it was familiar to her, and she had memories of very exciting experiences there, but it was different now. She felt different. It certainly did not feel like home.
She revisited some of the rooms and areas where she, Joren, and Silette had made so many memories. She wondered how they were doing and if they had managed to find somewhere to settle safely, knowing that the likelihood of them having a good, comfortable, safe life was unlikely. They would probably struggle until they found their footing, if they ever did. Tyomar was sure that they would not have been able to make it to the other side of the Twin Realms, but Oshali wasn’t even hoping for that anymore. She was just hoping they each found somewhere to live safely and be happy. That was all that she wanted for anyone she cared about.
She walked past the library and stood staring at the enormous shelves. Tears blurred her vision. This was where some of her happiest memories were, and of course, they were tied to Tyomar and the dragorai.
She still wanted freedom for herself, not for adventure, but rather to explore and learn and satisfy the curiosity she had for the world. After spending some time in the sanctum, some of the orphans who’d heard she returned were seeking to hear about her experiences. She had nothing good to tell them, so she found Guardian Persilda to bid her farewell. Persilda was distraught about everything that had happened, and insisted she loved Oshali and that she should stay. Oshali made it clear she did not blame her or any of the guardians for trying to do what was best. But her place was not with them anymore. They had been right to be cautious about the queen. And regardless of what she found out about the scrolls, their initial cautious nature had protected her in a lot of ways. She couldn’t be angry about that.
