by Noah Harris
He was huge, and the wagon, even when waterlogged and full of shifters and supplies, weighed nearly nothing to him. He plucked it easily from the river and carried it back to the path. He set it on a wider section past where it had crumbled. As soon as it was down, he turned and dove again, going back for another. He finished pulling out another and setting it on the path when Rajiah finished helping them pull the nearly downed wagons back up from the water’s edge.
He was far too small to help with the actual lifting of a wagon, so Arulean directed him with a flick of his tail and a nod of his head to the shifters who were holding on for dear life to keep from being swept away in the current. Rajiah hurried towards them without hesitation, plucking soaked men, women, and children from the rushing water. Arulean continued to pull the wagons from the river. It was oddly grueling work. They weighed nothing, but lifting in his dragon form was something he wasn’t used to doing. It used muscles that had been dormant for years. He also had to be careful that his grip was on places where the wagon wouldn’t fall apart, and carry it in such a way that none of the contents, supplies or people, fell out.
When all was said and done, he joined Rajiah in plucking shifters from the waters, swooping down and hovering to let them cling to his massive forearm before he closed his claws gently around them. When all the people were gone, they started plucking supplies from the water. It became a game of swift dives and sharp eyes. They wove around each other, darting for anything that bobbed in the water. They caught things stopped up on obstacles, snatched things out of the water before they reached the falls, dove beneath the waves to grab things that were sinking.
It all happened so quickly, both of them moving with swift efficiency. Just when he thought they were nearly finished, shouting reached his ears. He whirled his head around, finding the mass of the shifter pack on the shore. They were shouting, words lost in the roar of water and the falls. They were pointing frantically, gesturing. He followed their movements, seeing nothing in particular--
There. A child, bobbing in the water, half sinking and hands flailing desperately as they charged down toward the falls. They were too late, too close. Something in Arulean’s chest squeezed, leaving him breathless, making him hesitate. Memories of his own children flashed past his mind’s eye, their bodies bloody and broken, holding them through their last breaths, having ashes brought to him long after their deaths, bringing those ashes to the burial chamber.
His panic induced trance was shattered as a bronze blur whirled past him, diving over the edge of the falls just seconds after the child. Arulean shook himself, flying over to the falls. He watched from above as Rajiah caught the child, tucking his wings to his sides and curling his body around them just as they hit the water below.
His panic spiked again when Rajiah didn’t resurface. And when he did, he was quickly pushed back under by the sheer force of the waterfall. The undertow was strong, dragging him down. He saw him flail, splutter for breath before being pushed back.
Arulean was diving. He tucked his wings in and shot downwards, a black spear cutting into the water below. He was bigger, more able to handle the force of the water. He wrapped his arms around the smaller dragon, used his legs to push off the riverbed. His wings cut into the air, and he struggled hard, but slowly they gained air. He breathed heavily, heart pounding, water rushing off his scales in waves, wings pumping furiously. Rajiah was much heavier than the wagons, but he refused to let go. The bronze dragon remained coiled around the small body of the child, rumbling soft reassurances deep in his throat.
Somehow, they made it back to the pack, though Arulean didn’t remember much of it. By the time they landed, he was exhausted. He set Rajiah down gently, who uncurled from the child. They both shifted and the pack rushed forward to thank them. They were both wrapped up in thick, woolen blankets, patted on the back and hugged more times than he could count. Their faces, tear stained but grinning, were overwhelming. He more or less stood there, letting everything wash over him, letting Rajiah tug him around the pack and do the talking for him, while he attempted to simply take it all in. Children clung to his legs, giggling and playing around his feet, not at all afraid of him as their parents were.
“You’re smiling.” Rajiah said some time later. He had been standing off to the side, watching the pack regather their things and dry them off, preparing to set out once again. The omega snuck up to his side, startling him.
He blinked down at him, momentarily dazed by his brilliant grin. “Am I?” He could vaguely feel the ache in his cheeks.
“You are,” He said with a small nod, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood next to Arulean, gazing out over the pack.
“Imagine that...” Arulean said, almost wistfully, voice a murmur. Then louder, “Did we manage to save everyone?”
“We did. They lost some supplies and things, but everyone is safe.” He said with a relieved sigh.
“I’m glad.”
“Me too...” He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Thank you.”
“You have nothing to thank me for.”
“Thank you for standing by me.”
“A wise man once told me that it is our duty as dragons to help those beneath us, that we must look out for all of shifter-kind.” He eyed Rajiah sidelong, a smirk playing at his lips. “I was merely doing my duty.”
Rajiah grinned at him, looking away, but not before Arulean saw the flush on his cheeks. His scent was much stronger now, though in the wake of their adrenaline-fueled rescue, he didn’t feel the draw like he had before. It wasn’t a sharp tug, urging him to grab the omega and claim him roughly and quickly. It was a calmer tug, urging him to be merely near him, basking in his warmth and presence, looming over him protectively but not actively.
Looking at the werewolf pack, knowing that they were safe because of him, surrounded by Rajiah’s warm, comforting scent, standing by his side, Arulean felt content and at peace. He had forgotten what this felt like.
“Lyphnia won’t be happy that you followed me...” Rajiah said offhandedly, cautiously, like he was toeing ice to see if it would hold.
He shrugged. “She wasn’t happy when I left, and I don’t expect that to change.” He hummed idly. “It has been a long time since she has been happy with me. The point is I did what I thought was right, and I will not let her fault me in that.”
Rajiah touched him then, a gentle hand on his arm, a brush of his fingers. It was like lightning sparking across his flesh, spreading warmth and drawing him in. His chest fluttered, heat pooling low as his heart picked up speed. It was an instant and uncontrollable reaction. It was a very dangerous reaction. It was one he shouldn’t have, but couldn’t deny that he did.
“Thank you for coming.” He said very, very softly.
“I have a feeling you knew that I would.” Arulean said, a teasing tone keeping his voice light despite how heavy that touch made him feel.
Rajiah shrugged, hand dropping. Arulean mourned its loss. The omega’s lips quirked into a small smirk. “I had hoped, but I wasn’t sure.”
The pack leaders approached them then, issuing more thanks and attempting to give them gifts. Arulean politely declined, telling them to keep what they had and welcoming them to the valley. The wolf who had been a messenger clasped his forearm, locking eyes and thanking him with open honesty and voice thick with emotion. Arulean could do little more than nod, giving his arm a light squeeze. It took a lot of maneuvering to pull themselves away from the pack, but they did so, shedding the blankets and stepping into an open space to shift.
“Race you back?” Rajiah said, amber eyes dancing mischievously, lips quirking up into a small smirk.
Arulean found himself smiling in response, eyebrows raising. “Do you honestly believe you can outfly me?”
“I know I can.”
“We shall see about that.”
Before he could do anything, however, Rajiah charged him, throwing himself at Arulean and knocking them both to the ground. A
rulean was dazed, both from surprise and from the sudden warm sensation of Rajiah’s bare body pressed flush against his own. He breathed sharply through his nose as heat shot downwards, his cock twitching eagerly in response. But Rajiah was already scrambling upward, climbing over him and running for the edge of the cliff down to the river.
Arulean realized too late what had happened. He propped himself up on his hands, twisting around to watch the omega run, caught between glaring indignantly and openly staring at his ass. “That is cheating!” He called out, but the only response he got was echoing laughter as Rajiah leapt into the air, shifting, and flying back toward the valley.
Arulean took a moment to simply admire him, cheeks aching, before he pushed himself to his feet and gave chase.
Rajiah had a tendency to be bold and brash and stubborn, but he was not stupid. He knew how to read people and how to read situations, and he knew how to place himself out of harm’s way when he needed to. And in this case, that meant avoiding his sister.
Disobeying her wishes and helping lesser shifters? She wouldn’t be that surprised. But doing so and inadvertently turning her mate against her? Yeah, she would be mad about that. It wasn’t even that he had turned Arulean against her. Arulean had a mind of his own and, while he seemed to be confused over priorities and constantly torn about dragon kin, he was a kind man at heart. He helped people. It wasn’t Rajiah’s fault that he brought out that quality in him.
If anything, Lyphnia should blame herself for causing enough of a commotion to bring it to Arulean’s attention to begin with. He was willing to bet the dragon king would have done the same thing even if Rajiah hadn’t been there.
That, of course, was not likely something Lyphnia had considered, and he wasn’t about to point it out to her. He’d dealt with his sister’s anger plenty of times in the past. If he avoided her long enough, the heat from it would fade and he would only have to deal with the passive aggressive fallout. She was much like their mother in that way.
He wanted to hide in the library, and he knew that part of that was because he always seemed to meet Arulean there. It was like their own little place, a separate space from the castle, where few ever intruded. Still, he knew that Lyphnia knew of his frequent visits to the library, and he knew that she knew that he met Arulean there. For both of their sakes, he decided it would be best if they waited out the brunt of her anger apart. No doubt seeing them together would simply rile her up all over again.
So he stayed away, even though everything in him wanted to be close to the black dragon.
The morning after the incident with the wolf pack, Rajiah woke early. Lyphnia had gotten into the habit of cornering him in his rooms in the mornings either to issue thinly veiled threats, gossip about possible mates for him, or, on occasion, simply enjoy their time together as siblings with a content atmosphere. He knew if she came this morning, it would be to issue threats, and he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with a confrontation. So he woke himself with the dawn, dressed, and snuck down to the kitchen to grab some food before heading out to the valley.
He spent the day in the village and the surrounding fields. He visited the tiger pack he had come with, making sure they were settling into the valley all right. He let Regge and Marli drag him around town, showing him their favorite spots and the things they’d seen. They seemed much happier, all of them did. Happier and more at peace, and less tired and ragged and worn as they had on the road.
Once he left them, he traveled out to the eastern fields to make sure the wolf pack had found their way in safely and were settling in. They were grateful to see him and invited him to stay for lunch. He chatted with them, helped them move supplies around the farm, and listened to tales of their travels. They asked him about the black dragon from the previous night, and he told them all about the dragon king, aware of how his cheeks flushed and shy excitement bubbled in his gut along with a burning affection. The wolves listened to him with knowing eyes, but said nothing, for which he was glad.
He made it back to the castle just after the nightly feast began, as was his plan. He didn’t want to attend anyway. The idea of sitting in a seat next to a fuming Lyphnia as she acted like a raging, physical barrier between him and Arulean, while annoying them both was not exactly a pleasant one. He figured dealing with any sort of disappointment at his edict was a lesser of two evils.
Instead, he snuck through the kitchens. The cooks there recognized him now, had grown to know him over the past few weeks, and he liked to think they liked him. They were wary of him at first, eyeing him with distaste when he entered the kitchens but holding their tongues. No doubt due to other entitled dragons who came through in search of food at odd times. It didn’t take them long to relax around him, however. He seemed to have that effect on shifters. He treated them as equals, and they, in turn, treated him the same. So he was scolded as he came through, hands playfully but firmly slapped as he reached for things, and eventually was able to plead for a knapsack of food. They sent him on his way with a slap on the rump and a fond smile.
He snuck through the hallways as Arulean had showed him, keeping to the lesser used ones. Not that he thought he’d run into many dragons. Most of them should be at the feast. It was the only meal that was served precisely at the same time every day and also served as a social function and essential part of The Summit. He slunk through the halls, climbing the stairs on silent feet.
When he reached an open balcony from one of the halls, he stepped out, gripping the knapsack between his teeth and set to climbing. With skillful, practiced ease, he climbed up the outer stone walls and across the roof, claiming a seat with his back pressed to a tower, a flat section of tiles beneath him, and a picture-perfect view of the valley below.
He was halfway through his meal, enjoying the silence and peace of the night, when a large, dark shadow blocked out the stars.
His heart stuttered in his chest, breath hitching as the dark scaled dragon circled the roof he was on once, twice, and then dissolved into a spear of smoke that drifted down to the slopped shingles. He watched, heart pounding and skin tingling, stomach flipping and heat coursing through his veins.
Only for all of that to dissolve into sour disappointment as Gerrald Onyx stood before him.
The man was grinning, hands on his hips. “What’s with the long face?” He teased. “Expecting someone else?”
Rajiah couldn’t help the frown that curved his lips. He scoffed, looking away as he ripped off another chunk of bread and stuffed it in his mouth. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.” He grumbled.
Gerrald chuckled, stepping over to where he sat. “Fair enough. Mind if I join you?”
Rajiah shrugged, disappointment making it increasingly difficult to be polite. Gerrald sat next to him, a respectable distance away, and Rajiah wordlessly handed him the travel cloak he had been wearing from when he visited town. Gerrald took it with a muttered thanks and wrapped it around his naked form.
They were silent for several long moments. Rajiah wasn’t sure what to say, and deny it as he might, he was disappointed, and that was a sour feeling deep in his gut. He had never really interacted with Gerrald Onyx. He’d only seen him from afar and possibly exchanged pleasantries. He hadn’t thought the man, despite being an unattached alpha, had any interest in him. He certainly didn’t hover over him as many of the other alphas did. Then again, perhaps he was wrong...
Suddenly, the man chuckled. The sound was low, deep, and highly amused. It made Rajiah stiffen, eyeing him sideways warily. “You can relax.” He said, tilting his head back against the stone wall behind them, turned slightly to glance at Rajiah. His lips were pulled up into a small smirk. “I’m not here to court you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You’re not?” He asked after a moment, cautious as he eyed him curiously. Not that he wasn’t happy about it, but it was just... odd. He didn’t see any other reason for an alpha like Gerrald to seek him out and sit with him, alone, on the castle’s roof, if no
t to attempt to court him. It wasn’t like they were friends, and Rajiah didn’t see any other logical reason for them to be friends.
Gerrald chuckled again, shaking his head. He turned his eyes back to the night sky. “No,” He said easily. “Not that you’re not a lovely omega and any alpha would be lucky to have you,” He continued quickly, as if trying to pacify an ego that Rajiah didn’t have. “But I’m fairly certain my brother would kill me if I tried. And I don’t know about you, but I, for one, do not want to be on the bad side of Arulean Black.”
Rajiah stiffened at that, a fluttering of butterflies coming to life in his stomach, rising to his chest and lodging his heart in his throat. “He has no say in the matter.” Rajiah said, trying to sound reasonable and keep his voice even. He wasn’t sure it worked.
Gerrald eyed him for a moment, eyebrow raised and lips twisting in thought. “No?” He looked away, shrugging. “No, I suppose not. Not if he continues as he has been.”
Rajiah didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing. He set his knapsack aside, food unfinished. After a moment, Gerrald continued.
“You weren’t at dinner tonight.”
“No.”
“May I ask why?”
“What does it matter to you?”
He shrugged again, a light smile playing across his lips. “Curious.”
“I...” He looked away, out across the dark valley below. “I was busy visiting friends in the valley today. I didn’t make it back until after the feast had started.” He paused, then found himself speaking again. “And I felt it would be best if I avoided Lyphnia for the time being.” He wasn’t sure what possessed him to say it, but there was something about Gerrald that put him at ease. Perhaps it was because Arulean trusted him, or perhaps it was because of his own calm aura, but either way, Rajiah found himself trusting him.
