by Noah Harris
He made the mistake of glancing down. He made eye contact with the man, gazing up at him through half-lidded eyes. His lips were plump and swollen and stretched around the thickness of his cock, and he watched himself slide in and out of him as Rajiah bobbed eagerly on his length. His hands splayed out on Arulean’s hips to steady himself. When he had Arulean’s attention, he locked their gazes and swallowed him all the way down, nose bumping against his body and burying in the hair there. Arulean felt himself push against the back of and down his throat, and, amazingly, the man didn’t gag. Instead, he swallowed, throat muscles contracting around him, and Arulean had to close his eyes to keep from coming on the spot.
His hips jerked, and Rajiah groaned again, fingers light and encouraging on his hips. Arulean’s fingers tightened in his hair, hips jerking at a pace that was brutal but gentle enough to avoid hurting him as he made love to the omegas mouth.
Arulean had always been a patient man, steady and stern, but here, under the influence of Rajiah Bronze, he could feel himself unraveling.
He came with little warning, stars bursting behind his vision and with a loud groan that he couldn’t contain. Rajiah swallowed him down, and when he pulled off of his length, Arulean watched through dazed eyes as he licked up the rest from his fingers and chin, maintaining eye contact the whole time.
Arulean felt himself stirring again, cock twitching with interest. He had no doubt he could go again, but for now, he had an omega that needed attention.
He pulled Rajiah to his feet, pushing him against the wall and grabbing his thighs, lifting him until the omega took the hint and wrapped his legs around his waist. Then he devoured the man’s mouth, tasting himself and smelling the omega’s strong sweet scent as his hand practically ripped his pants in an attempt to free his cock. His fingers wrapped around it, hard and thick and leaking, and pumped his length at a pace that was brutal, until Rajiah was squirming and whining and swallowing all those sounds with kisses that bruised, pumped him until he was crying out Arulean’s name in a choked gasp and spilling over his hand, and then kissed him through his orgasm. He kissed him until they were both breathless, and then he kissed him more, because he couldn’t get enough of him, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get tired of the taste.
Lyphnia found him in his study the next morning. He had bathed thoroughly and gone for a flight to dry to make absolutely sure that Rajiah’s scent no longer clung to his skin. Still, when she burst through his doors with her usual flourish, he found himself stiffening for a moment before he forced himself to relax.
“Lyphnia,” He greeted, barely glancing up at her and instantly putting his hands down to stop the flourish of papers on his desk.
“Arulean,” She said, voice neutral in tone but uplifted. It was the voice she used when nothing in particular was upsetting her. Which was good, he thought. She walked around his desk, sitting on the edge of it and crossing her long legs at the knee. She was close, but there was still oceans of distance between them. Once upon a time, this position might have been intimate, teasing. He would have grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer. He did no such thing now. That time was long past. She looked over the papers on his desk, picking a few up and shuffling through them, her dark red eyes sharp. “What are you up to this morning?”
He gave her a look of small annoyance before turning back to the rolled scrolls and folded letters open before him. “I am looking over the information our people have brought us in regard to their movements and the movements of other paranormals throughout the world.” He said, shifting through a few.
“Anything of interest?” She asked, actually sounding curious.
“You have already heard much of the complaints and news of our people through the audiences we’ve held.”
She groaned lightly, rolling her eyes. “Yes, every little thing from who got a splinter to who broke a claw.”
“There is other, bigger news.”
“Some dragons have decided to group for safety, some have taken to living closer to human civilization to blend in.” Her lip curled at that. He smirked and said dryly, “Yes, I didn’t think you would be fond of that one. He pulled out a map he had been working on, a map of the known globe with marks on various countries and continents. “Based on the news we have gathered, I have been marking which locations seem to be safe and which ones are dangerous to settle. I have also marked where known paranormal seem to be so that can be taken into consideration.”
“Smart,” Lyphnia hummed, nodding as she looked over the map. “Anything else?”
And so he told her. It was mostly out of obligation. She may be only his mate in name, as they hadn’t been lovers in centuries, but she was still a dragon queen. They might differ on many vital points, but she still had influence among their kind. So he told her of the things they had received word of. He told her of the movements of lesser shifters, the movements and ploys and wars of the vampires, of the plights of the witches and of the druids. He expected her to grow bored and excuse herself, but she sat and listened, eyes sharp and lips pursed in thought. He saw glimpses of the woman she truly was, because beneath all the hatred and flair and appearances, she was extremely smart and amazingly cunning. She had gotten as far as she had in life because of her charm and ability to navigate people and situations.
She was smart, and that’s what made her dangerous.
For the rest of the morning, they spoke of all matters of paranormal existence and that of the ever-spreading humans. They carefully steered away from topics they knew would lead to arguments and conversations they had made a thousand times, and for once they actually had a pleasant and mature conversation. He didn’t feel the same thrill of her presence as he used to, but he did find an odd comfort in simply having known her for so long.
“Have you seen Rajiah since the feast last night?” She asked conversationally after a silence fell among them.
Arulean glanced up from where he was organizing the letters they had just gone through into neat piles. She was idly gazing at the map he had made, a quill twirling in her fingers after having made a few additional marks herself.
“I have not,” He said steadily. “Is he missing?”
She tapped the feathered end against her chin. “I don’t think so. He simply wasn’t in his rooms this morning when I went to see him.”
Arulean breathed an internal sigh of relief at Rajiah’s forethought. If Lyphnia had seen him with Arulean’s mark still fresh on his shoulder, she would have asked questions. Even if she didn’t suspect Arulean, she would suspect someone, and she would no doubt pester him until she got answers.
“Perhaps he spent the night with an alpha.” She said, voice too casual and neutral to be natural. He didn’t need to look at her to know she was watching him out of the corner of her eyes, gauging his reaction. She would have to be blind to not see the way Arulean was drawn to Rajiah, and he knew he was being tested. She was poking him, trying to rile him up, see his reaction to the association of Rajiah with another man. Luckily, Arulean knew the only person Rajiah had been with was him, and he wouldn’t rise to the bait.
“Perhaps,” He said, pulling of casualty much more efficiently. “They have been swarming him for weeks now. It would not surprise me if he finally chose one.” He had chosen none of them. He had chosen him.
Lyphnia hummed thoughtfully, lifting her chin a fraction as she regarded him. “Indeed... I only hope he chose someone worthy of his lineage, someone who would be a good match. He’s been known to be foolish and headstrong, stepping out of line and reaching for things that aren’t his to take.”
“He’s not taking anything if it is willingly given.”
Silence fell in the room, neither of them willing to break it but both of them feeling the tension. Then Lyphnia set down the quill. “The First Meeting is coming up soon.” She said evenly.
“It is.”
“Many decisions will need to be made in the wake of my mother’s death.”
“Indeed.�
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“Without the Elders around, and as the last dragon king and queen appointed by the late Elders, our word will hold much weight.”
“It will.”
“No doubt our decisions will be the decisions the others agree to.”
“No doubt.”
“Which means our kind would be stronger if we appeared under a united front. If we both stood together, as a strong pair, we could easily rule our kind, and no one would question us. We could shape the future of dragon-kind with our own hands, our word as law, just as we always dreamed.”
“We could...”
There was a long pause, and then softer but resigned, “We won’t appear as a united front on the matters of the future, will we?”
He sighed, turning to face her. “I am afraid not.”
They gazed at each other, eyes locked, depths of their irises swimming with melancholy, at the loss of what once was and what will never be again. There was an understanding there. It was an understanding that they had spoken of many times over the past few centuries, and that neither of their opinions would change. And if neither would budge, then they couldn’t unite. Not even for The Summit. They would enter the First Meeting as opponents on a political stage. Rivals, despite their bond.
“Then I suppose we will have to let the council decide.”
He nodded. “I suppose so.”
She left then, with silent steps and swirling skirts. The door closing behind her was a muted boom that he felt down to his bones. He could only hope that their bond would be enough for him to rein her in from making irrevocable mistakes.
Chapter Nine
“Arulean?” Rajiah’s voice echoed through the tunnels, coming back to him with muted and augmented tones. He glanced around warily, but he didn’t see anyone. It was... strange. He was certain there should at least be acolytes around. But the tunnels were empty. “Hello?” Nothing but echoes came back to him.
The tunnels that led to the main burial chamber were like a maze. There were no signs to point his way, and he was pretty sure he got turned around more than once. For the most part, he followed the vague and cold trail of Arulean’s scent and felt for the gentle pull of his aura deep within the mountain. His steps were hesitant and silent. He hated the sound of the echoing in the empty space.
“Arulean?” He repeated as he paused at the entrance to the burial chamber, one hand placed on the wall of the tunnel archway. He tried to keep his voice soft to avoid the echo, but it still carried. Arulean stood at the center, before the giant lodestone. He held his hands out, but Rajiah was pretty sure he wasn’t touching it.
Rajiah took a step into the burial chamber, hesitating again as the familiar eerie feeling of the place surrounded him, sinking into his skin, scraping against his nerves. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, hackles rising. There was so much energy in here, so much that he didn’t understand. It was unconfined, wild, unfocused. It clung to him like a second skin, thick and suffocating. He couldn’t shake it, no matter how much he pulled into himself.
“What are you doing here?” Came the answer, his voice deep and rumbling, cutting through the air with little echo. He sounded flat, blank, but not unnaturally so. It was less like his usually reserved nature, and more like he was in a trance, something deep and peaceful.
Rajiah envied him for being so at ease in here.
“I came to find you.” He said, glancing around as he took a few more steps forward. He didn’t see the keeper or his acolytes, nor could he feel their presences. It was only the two of them.
“How did you find me?” He asked, not mad, merely curious. He still didn’t turn around or move.
“I saw you fly this way after the First Meeting.”
“You were watching for me?”
“I was...” He didn’t see the point in denying it. The Summit Meetings were held in the council room deep within the castle. The walls and doors were thick to keep conversations private, and once a Meeting began, the doors didn’t open again until it was concluded. It was an all-day event with only a short break for servants to bring them food. Rajiah had been waiting on the roof, hidden from most eyes and avoiding everyone. He had a clear view of Arulean when the man took off from the castle after the Meeting. Several of the others also took to the skies to blow off steam, but Arulean was the only one who headed to the distant mountain that housed the burial chamber.
“And you followed me.” It wasn’t a question, but he didn’t sound mad, so Rajiah pushed forward.
“Yes. You looked... upset.” He hedged, inching closer.
“Upset is a strong word. I am merely... unsettled.”
“Did the First Meeting not go well?”
“It went about as well as can be expected. It only brought to light things that I had already known, and it’s been made clear that the path ahead of me will not be an easy one.”
He sounded sad, voice laced with resignation and melancholy. Arulean said nothing more on the matter, and Rajiah got the distinct impression that he didn’t want to talk about it. So despite the fact that Rajiah was burning with questions about the First Meeting, he accepted that now was not the time. So he changed the subject.
“Why did you come here of all places?” He tried to sound casual, but he knew he sounded as uneasy as he felt.
“I come here to think.” He said, tilting his head back, dark hair falling over his shoulders as he gazed up at the cavern’s walls. “This is one of the only places I am guaranteed to be alone.”
“Oh...” Rajiah hated how small his voice sounded. He took a step backwards. “Perhaps I should leave...” He could feel the energy pressing on him from all sides, the atmosphere of the burial chamber heavy on his limbs, pushing against his chest.
“No,” His voice wasn’t a demand, nor was it a command. It was, oddly enough, something akin to a plea. Rajiah felt his feet rooted to the spot, and he knew he wouldn’t be leaving. “Stay... please.”
“Okay,” Rajiah breathed. He glanced around, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, but seeing nothing and no one. “Doesn’t this place... feel creepy to you?” He asked, honestly curious how Arulean wasn’t affected.
The man chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest that broke through the melancholy atmosphere. “Not at all.” He took half a step back, turning to face him. He held out a hand, beckoning him forward with a simple gesture. “Come, I’ll show you.”
Rajiah stepped forward without hesitation, reaching for his hand and feeling electricity shoot through him, flooding him with a buzzing warmth when his long, slender fingers closed around his own. He tugged Rajiah forward gently, pulling him up alongside him, positioning him in front of the lodestone. He then stepped behind him, standing so his chest was brushing right up against Rajiah’s back. He loomed over him, which might have once been intimidating, but right now Rajiah felt nothing but safe and secure.
Arulean’s fingers gently encircled his wrists, positioning his hands out toward the lodestone, palms facing it and fingers splayed wide. Then he shifted his hands so his palms were up against the back of Rajiah’s, fingers lacing with his own. He shifted, lowering his head so that it hovered over Rajiah’s shoulder, lips close to his ear so he could feel the man’s breath.
“Here, in this chamber, lie the remains of many of our kind, from the time the valley was founded until today. Many Elders are buried here, many youths, many men, women, and children, many who fell to the wars and the purge.” His voice was soft. It’s soothing, but it also sends shivers down his spine. “This mountain was chosen because of the properties in the rock within the walls. It holds and resonates energies. Every dragon’s ashes are buried in small holes in the walls, their energies seeping into the stone, permeating the air, and weaving together. The lodestone acts as a conduit, a method of focusing the wild, loose energy when we need to use it.”
“Like when you make the call for The Summit?”
He nodded, hair brushing against Rajiah’s. “Exactly. I can use it on
my own, but our call is more powerful when Lyphnia adds her power to mine, helping to focus and amplify the energies of the chamber.”
“So she can use the lodestone, too?”
“Theoretically, yes, she can, but she doesn’t. The chamber frightens her, though she will never admit it. She is too proud for that. But, she is easy to read. She finds the chamber off-putting.”
“She’s not the only one...” Rajiah grumbled, fingers shifting in the air as he tried to focus on the vague buzz of energy coming off the stone. It like static energy ready to spark if he got close enough.
Arulean chuckled. “The energies here are nothing to fear. They can be... a little overwhelming at first, but it is something I have grown used to. They are the energies of our ancestors, of our kin, of friends and of family. I know they would not hurt me, and that they are only the ghosts and shadows of the soul, reaching out for a kindred spirit to cling to. There is nothing they can do to harm you.”
“Then why does Lyphnia fear them?”
“I believe... it is not the spirits of the dead that haunt her, but her own guilt. How much do you know of our history, Rajiah? Of the wars and the purge?”
“Not much,” He admitted. “I was born shortly before the wars began, and my mother kept me sheltered from most of it.”
“It was the product of humans rising against us, seeing us, and all other shifters and paranormals, as unnatural beasts, despite the fact that we have been around just as long, if not longer, than they have. They grew in numbers, they learned how to fight us. At first it was easy to bat them away. We were stronger, faster, and saw ourselves as smarter. Our pride was our downfall.” His voice was soft, laced with a deep seated melancholy and sounding far away. Rajiah wanted to turn in his arms, wrap him up in an embrace, kiss him until he smiled again, but he didn’t. He stood still and listened. “They had more numbers, and they were persistent. They learned, they built, and they created. They developed ways of fighting us, using our lack of pack tendencies against us. We are powerful alone, but they could overpower us.
