by Noah Harris
“She did seem rather... perturbed today.” He said with a pointed pause. “Does this have to do with the event yesterday with the wolf pack?” He sounded like he already knew the answer.
“You know about that?”
“Arulean told me.”
Rajiah hummed his acknowledgement. “She gets like this often. I’ve found the best thing to do is avoid her until the storm has passed.”
“Do you regret what you did?”
“What?” Rajiah looked at him, startled.
He kept staring at the sky. “Do you regret what you did?”
“No.” He said without hesitation.
He nodded. “I think what the two of you did was a good thing. You helped people. You saved lives. And I think Arulean agrees with me.”
Rajiah felt another fluttering at that. “How is he?” He asked, voice just a tad breathless. He hadn’t seen or heard from the man all day.
Gerrald shrugged. “He is as he always is, though... there is something changed about him recently. He seems less withdrawn, more firm in his convictions, more firmly rooted in this reality. In the recent years, though he cares, he was known to... pull away. Mentally and emotionally. But these past few weeks, he has been... he seems more alive. Like the man he once was, but whom I haven’t seen in many, many years...” Rajiah stayed silent, and Gerrald thoughtfully drummed his fingers on his own knee. Rajiah wasn’t sure if he was talking to him anymore, or if he was just speaking out loud, but either way he listened. “He does what he can to control her.” Rajiah didn’t have to ask to know who he meant. “Her ambitions are dangerous. She’s hotheaded and rash. She dragged on the war and the purge far longer than Arulean wanted to, and, because of her, we lost a lot more of our people than we should have. They lost several of their own children.” His voice was soft, solemn, thoughtful, and it drew Rajiah in. “It was then that the rift between them became very apparent, and when it was irrevocable. He has grown and changed a lot since his youth, but she has not. If anything, she has gotten more bitter and more angry. She is a loose cannon, and there’s no telling when she will blow and start a war that will wipe us out for good.” He seemed to pause then, blink, and glance at Rajiah. “No offense?”
He snorted a short, dry laugh, and waved the man off. “None taken. I know how she is, and our personal opinions differ greatly.”
A small smile curved his lips at that. “Glad to hear it.” He looked away again. “She is unpredictable and dangerous, but the trouble lies in the fact that she is still powerful and influential, and there are still many who would side with her should it come down to it. Arulean does what he can to keep her contained, to control her, but I fear that in the end, she is controlling him.” His voice grew sad with edges of bitterness. “He is the chain that keeps her held back, but with every passing year, she wears on him little by little. He retreats into himself, unable to find things that bring him the happiness that make life worth living, and still she lives on, fueled by whatever fire is alive in her. Meanwhile, Arulean’s fire slowly suffocates.”
Rajiah shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t think this was information that Arulean wanted him to know.
“Why are you telling me this?” He asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer.
A soft smile was on Gerrald’s lips, but he didn’t look at him. “You make him happy.” He said softly, voice barely above a whisper and filled with genuine awe. “I haven’t seen him like this in centuries. It’s subtle, I know it is, but trust me when I say that you make him happy. I have missed seeing my brother happy. With everything he has done for our kind, with everything that he continues to do for us, he deserves some happiness in his life.”
Rajiah opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when nothing came out. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck as he looked away. “He... is a very good man.” He said softly.
“He is, and as a good man, he believes that he cannot pick another mate for fear of loosening the tight chain he has Lyphnia on. Even if it would make him happy.”
Rajiah turned to him then, facing him in the moonlight, lips pursed and brows furrowed. “What are you trying to say?” He asked, voice unwavering and firm. Gerrald turned then to look at him, brows raised. Rajiah held his gaze and continued, voice soft but no less firm. “Why are you telling me this?”
Gerrald looked him over for several long moments before speaking. “He will not make the first move.” He said, all humor and lightness gone from his voice. “Even if you give him every open opportunity, even if you make your intentions explicitly clear, even if it is something that both of you want, he will not make the first move. If anything is to come of you two, you will have to be the one to do it.”
He stood then, handing Rajiah his cloak back. He stretched his arms high over his head, the muscles of his broad chest and shoulders rolling under his scarred skin. He was a handsome man, everything an alpha should be, and yet Rajiah felt nothing looking at him. Just like he did when he looked at everyone except for Arulean. Arulean, who set his skin ablaze and made his insides churn with want. Gerrald stepped forward to the edge of the roof, pausing as he looked out into the night.
“Why are you telling me this?” Rajiah found himself asking, voice soft but knowing the man would hear him. “Why are you so sure he’s what I want?”
Gerrald half turned then, looking at him over his shoulder, a small smirk playing across his lips in the moonlight. “Because I’ve seen the way you look at him.” He said simply. “It’s the same way he looks at you.”
And with that, he leapt off the roof, shifting in the air and spreading his wings as he glided out over the valley, leaving Rajiah alone with his thoughts.
Chapter Seven
Gerald’s advice haunted him for the next few days. He thought about his words in his waking hours, dreaming of Arulean while he slept. He thought of them whenever he saw the black dragon, whenever his eyes fell on his tall, regal form in the distance, heart fluttering whenever those stoic lips quirked just a fraction at the sight of him. The words haunted him day and night, consuming his thoughts, and before he even realized what he was doing, he was planning his first move.
He still avoided Arulean for the most part, which had very little to do with the man himself and everything to do with the fact that Lyphnia was hovering around him ever since the incident with the wolf pack. She clung to him more than was strictly necessary. So much so, that Rajiah could see the irritation flickering in Arulean’s eyes, tightening the lines at the edges of his mouth. She still came to visit him most mornings, but her demeanor was far too pleasant and innocent to be real. She never brought up Arulean.
As the last remaining dragon king and queen, and the callers of The Summit, they had a lot of responsibilities to attend to. They had to listen to the grievances of their people, they had to attend meetings and ceremonies, and they had to constantly watch out for and direct the dragons living in the valley. Still, Lyphnia was around him a lot more frequently than she had been the previous weeks, and Rajiah wasn’t foolish enough to think it wasn’t because she was trying to stake her claim.
It wasn’t a warning to anyone but him.
So he watched and he waited and he thought. He watched from a safe distance, blending into the shadows and keeping an eye on Arulean as often as he could without drawing too much attention to himself. He waited, learning their patterns, noting when Lyphnia was around and when she wasn’t. And he thought. He thought about Arulean, thought about what the best way to approach him would be, and thought about what he would even say or do when he got the chance.
He wanted to blame his hesitance on Lyphnia’s hovering, but the truth of the matter was in his nerves. He had plenty of opportunities to find Arulean alone in the days that passed, plenty of opportunities to pull him aside. But every time he got one of those opportunities, he hesitated. Despite Gerald’s unwavering confidence, Rajiah was unsure. He knew he wanted Arulean. His entire being
called out for him, wanted him, desired him. And on some level, he knew that Arulean wanted him, too. But the man had an unwavering will and determination, and Rajiah wasn’t sure if he would be enough to break that. No matter what Gerrald had said.
So, he hesitated, and continued to wait and watch.
He got his opportunity to make the first move a week into The Summit.
A week after the full moon, a gala was scheduled at the castle. It was a more formal occasion than the nightly feasts of The Summit, and dragons came dressed in their best, determined to impress and show off the wealth they had accumulated throughout the years. To Rajiah, they looked like a flock of peacocks, each one trying to look grander than the next.
He, himself, was dressed in silks and satin, rich browns and golds that complimented his skin tone. The style was lavish and complicated, but at least the rich fabric kept the costume from being itchy or uncomfortable. Lyphnia had chosen his garments, insisting that, as her brother and a desirable omega of high standing, he needed to look his best. She attempted to get him to take off his usual scent blocking jewelry in trade for fancier, jewel encrusted gold bands, but he refused. He was already going to stand out, and he didn’t want to make that worse by letting his scent be potent.
Lyphnia was the jewel of the gala, as was no doubt her intention. A deep red gown, ruby encrusted jewelry, and a circlet of gold and rubies adorning her forehead. She was the perfect mix of beauty and danger, and she turned heads everywhere she went. Luckily, that meant he could easily slip into her shadow or slip away.
Dinner that night had been held early, and afterward, instead of the usual social gathering, everyone returned to their rooms to prepare for the gala. After she had gotten ready herself, Lyphnia had come to his rooms with servants in tow to help him prepare. No doubt to also keep him from skipping the whole thing altogether.
He knew she wanted him to choose a mate, and she was doing a damn fine job of making him look desirable.
He trailed after her as she led the way to the great hall, which was set and decorated as the center stage for the gala. The great hall was large itself, and had a second-floor balcony to fit more people, and doors to either side that opened up into two large courtyards. As long as no one shifted, it would easily fit the several hundred dragons at The Summit.
Lyphnia had specifically arranged it so she and Arulean would arrive after everyone else as a symbolic show of status. When they arrived in the hall outside the grand staircase that led down into the great hall, Rajiah’s eyes landed and fixed on Arulean. He was dressed in clothes that fit him in all the right places. Black and white, a monochrome that fit his hair, eyes, and skin. He stood outside the doors, adjusting a cuff, face fixed into passive relaxation. He looked perfect, like a painting, surreal and far, far out of Rajiah’s reach. But he wanted to touch. Holy hell, did he want to touch. The man was beautiful, handsome, and powerful, and made Rajiah’s insides turn to mush.
He looked up as they approached, and when their eyes locked, everyone else in the hall seemed to fade away. He watched as those dark eyes looked him up and down, saw the spark of hunger there that made him stand a little straighter with pride. His lips curled into a small smirk, and he saw it reflected on Arulean’s face. The moment was short-lived before Lyphnia stepped up to him and wrapped an arm through Arulean’s, but it was a moment, with Arulean’s lingering eyes on him, that gave him all the confidence he needed.
Gerrald stepped up to him and offered an arm, which Rajiah gladly took. They shared knowing looks, glancing in Arulean’s direction while Lyphnia was distracted, and chuckled at the man’s small frown. They stepped through the doors and slowly made their way down the grand staircase into the great hall. Rajiah would be lying if he said he didn’t put a little extra sway into his hips knowing that Arulean was watching.
Arulean and Lyphnia made their grand entrance not long after, with a fanfare from the musicians set up on the second-floor balcony and a hush over the crowd. Arulean looked as impassively powerful as ever, while Lyphnia smiled and waved and ate up the attention.
While they made their rounds and the gala officially began, Rajiah found himself sticking close to Gerrald. It was an unspoken agreement that they had both seemed to come to. While holding onto Gerrald’s arm, no other alphas approached him to vie for his attention in an attempt at courtship. Instead they waited at the sidelines, watching and waiting for him to be free to strike, all of them, intimidated by an older and stronger alpha like Gerrald Onyx. Meanwhile, Gerrald was glad for Rajiah’s company. He found he was relaxed around the alpha, no doubt due to the fact that his intentions had been made clear. Gerrald had an aura of easy calm around him, and Rajiah found himself relaxing with it. He liked the man. They got along well, and spent much of their time whispering about the dragons around them, heads bent together as they snickered.
More times than he could count, he found Arulean’s eyes on the two of them, lips pressed into a small frown and brows furrowed. Whenever he saw this, he would nudge Gerrald, and the two of them would smile sweetly and wave.
The jealousy he felt coming off Arulean in waves was oddly refreshing and made him feel powerful.
The gala passed in a blur. He was led around by Gerrald, reveling in Arulean’s glances and ignoring Lyphnia’s glares. He was pulled into several dances with Gerrald against his will, but he ended up having more fun than he thought he would. The man was flamboyantly energetic, going overboard with the dramatics to make him laugh. It was much less fun when several other alphas asked to cut in and Gerrald couldn’t politely refuse. Instead he backed away with an apologetic smile and hovered nearby should he need rescue.
He did manage to get paired up with Arulean for one, brief dance. They spent the entire thing in polite conversation, both of them far, far too aware of Lyphnia dancing nearby, eyes and ears trained on them. But while their words were distant and stiff, their bodies were not. Rajiah leaned into Arulean’s touch, which lingered far too long and was far too bold to be strictly respectable. His eyes bore into Rajiah’s, dark and glinting with words he dared not say, but which Rajiah heard anyway. On more than one occasion, Rajiah let his fingertips teasingly caress Arulean’s body, taking moments to press his hips against Arulean’s, brushing their thighs together. He heard the man’s breath hitch, felt the way his hands tightened just a fraction, and he reveled in how powerful it made him feel.
They broke apart nearly as soon as the song ended, but their eyes lingered until Gerrald came and swooped him up into the next dance.
The night was late and the moon was high when his chance came.
The festivities were still in full swing, but were easily on the back half of it. People were starting to wander away from the great hall, back toward their rooms and to the courtyards. Several dragons had stripped of their garments and had taken to the skies, creating a muted multicolored moonlit display above the valley. There were still dancers, but many of the dragons had taken to talking and sipping wine rather than dancing, so the musicians played calmer tunes.
Rajiah had spent much of the evening acutely aware of where Arulean was at all times. Everything about the man called out to him, his presence, his voice, his scent. So Rajiah wasn’t sure how he had missed him slipping out of the great hall, but he noticed the strangeness left by his absence.
“Do you see Arulean anywhere?” He asked in a low voice, sipping from a goblet as his eyes roamed the great hall, both the bottom floor and the second above them. It was a rhetorical question. He knew without a doubt that the man was no longer in the room.
Gerrald’s eyes lazily scanned the area, eyebrows raised as he slowly lowered his own goblet to the table nearby. “No, I don’t.” He said idly, sounding distracted. Then his gaze went sharper, and Rajiah followed it to where Lyphnia was caught up in a ring of young admirers and older political acquaintances. She didn’t seem to notice the missing presence of her mate, or perhaps she simply didn’t care. Suddenly, Gerrald was grabbing his goblet, setting i
t down as he tugged Rajiah by the wrist. “Come on,” He hissed, slipping through the crowd with far more dexterity and grace than he would have expected from such a large man.
He led them through one of the courtyard, weaving through people and darting around the hedges. Rajiah followed him, heart pounding in his chest and breath coming in short, quick bursts. Gerrald never let go of Rajiah’s wrist, but Rajiah kept pace with him. Several times Gerrald paused, lifting his nose to the wind and inhaling deeply, eyes darting around with the cold, hard precision of a hunter.
He led him through the courtyard and into halls on the other side of the castle. They hurried through the halls, between sections of the castle, and out the other side. The ground sloped away from the castle and into the castle’s grand courtyards.
“Why’re we here?” He asked when Gerrald paused, eyes scanning the garden before them.
“He’s here.”
Rajiah’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t smell him?”
Gerrald looked at him then, eyes dancing with amusement as he smiled. “He knows how to move around the castle and hide himself and his scent. He knows he can never truly hide, what with his presence being so noticeable, but he knows how to make it harder to find him when he wants to be alone.”
He tugged Rajiah forward and they entered the gardens through the archway between hedges. The hedges were plentiful and tall enough that not even Arulean could see over the top them. The gardens were almost maze-like, creating pathways and rooms, large square sections of the garden to showcase different flowers and plants and statues and fountains.
“If he doesn’t want to be found, should we be here?” Rajiah asked, nerves starting to make him jittery. He glanced around, tried to catch a whiff of Arulean’s scent, but all he could smell was the miasma of floral scents.
“You want to be alone with him, don’t you?” Rajiah remained silent. “No use denying it. I’ve seen the way you’ve watched him all night. Now might be your best chance. Not even Lyphnia comes here when Arulean wants to be alone.”
