“When will it be?” she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him while spreading her legs invitingly. So what if this wasn’t the big breeding heat. Her body was screaming out for completion and Zol was going to see those needs satisfied or she would do him some serious harm.
“Soon,” he insisted, his own eyes glazing over as her scent reached him. His cock pulsed as his nostrils flared, breathing her in. “But in the mean time….”
“This had better be fucking good!” he roared, his face wet with her cream, his chest heaving as her nails tore at his sweaty chest as he rose up from between her thighs.
Someone was about to die!
“Are we interrupting?”
Zol’s right eyebrow twitched as he absently swiped across his face with the arm holding Star in place.
“What the fuck do you think?” The response was growled by Star, but Zol totally agreed with her sentiments. He struggled to hold her on the pillows and not allow her to attack. It was bad when she didn’t even notice their nude bodies or their compromising position.
Zol was suddenly glad he had brought her to completion at least twice. If they had been interrupted before that release…he shuddered to think of what those blunt fangs and the new talons she had developed would do to someone.
“Oh, I think this is a bad time,” a familiar female voice chuckled, and Zol instantly pulled back the instinctive urge to give into his own desire to attack. “For them.”
“Damn, Kerie,” Zol groaned, dropping his head to rest against Star’s soft inner thigh. “Why are you here?” Zol looked over his shoulder and glared at the purple haired female. “And where is your keeper? Why isn’t he kicking your ass for interrupting?”
He looked back at Star then lunged upwards, wrapping his arms around her body as her eyes slipped into pure gold and a low rumble began low in her throat. Having another female here at this particular moment was not the best thing that could have happened to any female fighting with heat.
“Because,” Zaz’s voice was not as deep as usual, but the bass tones were still recognizable. “I was taking notes. You were being very creative, Zolamen, and I wish to make my female create such sounds.”
“Your fucking highness,” Zol sighed, and cautiously rose to his feet, ignoring the growls and snarling coming from his submissive secondary pair. That a male was here, and a male who had a scent claim on this female calmed her some, but he stayed close to her, just in case.
Zol turned to face Zazolm, noting that the royal was in his secondary human form, the gold of his skin matching the gold of the jewelry that encircled his neck. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to twist those ropes of gold until that pretty, golden face turned blue and those golden eyes popped out of the royal head. But he resisted the urge.
“A little more respect, if you will,” Zaz chuckled, raising gold tipped nails to tap at his bottom lip.
“Your Highness,” Zol mumbled. “If you came here seeking your latest commission, I am more than pleased to tell you that it is not complete and you will have to Scab-off and wait for another day.”
“This is serious,” Keria spoke, moving forward to stand beside the tall form of her mate-bound male. “Otherwise, we would not have interrupted.”
“Though what you are doing really requires your Alpha’s presence,” Zaz pointed out.
“Like you never heard of recreational sex,” Zol rolled his eyes. “This was just to take the edge off. It is not yet our time but indeed our time grows near and…. And why am I explaining myself to you two anyway?” he snarled, tossing his hair and glaring at the Prince. “You came to my aerie and interrupted. If you were not someone I consider a friend…”
“And your next ruling monarch…”
“Like I give a dying human!” Zol roared, his eyes flashing between yellow and gold, his hands clenched into fists. “What the fuck do you want?”
“If your blood wasn’t royal,” Keria began only to have Star cut her off.
“Royal?” she seemed to pull herself out of her sexual haze to ask. She rose up on one elbow to stare at the intruders, her eyes still sparking yellow.
“Gold eyes royal blood,” Zaz explained. “A trait of the new royal house.”
“And by new he means over the last thousand years,” Zol growled. “Now please tell us what is so important that you had to interrupt…that!”
“Information,” Keria spoke again, moving beside her mate and took his hand into her much smaller one, his large palm dwarfing hers.
“Well, it had better be good,” Zol grumbled, calmed somewhat. It really had to be something big for Zaz to disrespect the rules of common courtesy like this. He backed towards Star and took a seat beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, soothing her as she sat up higher, paying attention to each word that Keria spoke.
“I believe that you will find it important enough to interrupt the festivities.” Keria took a step to the side and invited her bonded mate to speak.
“You will recall that I mentioned before that your female’s scent…”
“Star,’ she interrupted. “My name is Star…. Your Highness.” She was being polite, but proving there was no way that she was going to allow herself to be disrespected in turn. Zol nodded in approval.
“Star,” he nodded, agreeing with her. “Star’s scent was so familiar to me.”
“Yes,” Zol agreed, now paying closer attention, his aggravation fleeing. “You mentioned that in the bathhouse.”
“You know that all legend is based on fact, yes?” Zaz tilted his head to the side, staring at Star quizzically before turning his attention back to Zol.
“Yes.”
“And you know that royal family keep extensive archives into our own past?”
“Yes,” Zol spoke slowly. “It is a way to keep bloodlines in order and avoid crossbreeding. It is also a way to keep aware of Quad ties and of our history.”
“The reason your female smells so familiar is that her scent is covering the hall of old legends.”
They both started at that, Zol growing pale while Star looking more confused. “What does that mean? How does my scent…”
“Your Quad scent, Star,” Zol struggled to explain. “The scent of your bloodline…”
“What of it? I thought that you would be able to tell me of my bloodlines with research. Have you discovered something?” she asked of the Prince.
“Your bloodlines are a close kept secret, Star. I have some idea why your family chose to run, but in essence, your blood may be more royal than mine.”
“What?” Now Zol was growing upset, stroking his hands through Star’s hair, his face twisting in concern. “What do you know?”
“Your scent permeates the whole of the Hall of Legends, Star. It is a place that I do not frequent; ghosts of the past are not my favorite companions.”
“Zaz, what does this mean?” Zol finally called out, tension making his boy as tight as a bowstring. “What legends? There are a thousand legends pertaining to bloodlines and histories of the Sly Dragonish. Tell us what you mean!”
“This means that your female is related to the family of old, the family who almost cost us our Aeries in the sky. Your Star is directly related to the traitor, Zol.” He paused as Zol’s golden eyes widened to fearful proportions and Star’s gaped mouth opened in shock. “She appears to be a near direct descend of the Dragonish female who took an Earth Dragon to mate.”
Chapter Eleven
“What does that mean for me”” Star finally managed to ask, feeling quite nauseous as she stared at the Dragonish in the room.
”Nothing, child,” Zaz calmed. “It means absolutely nothing for you to be immediately concerned about.” “But…but my family….”
“Is dead, Star.” Zaz grinned at her, spreading his palms in an open manner, sending out the universal sign for peace. “The sins of the father are never visited on the son.”
“But if someone finds out?” Zol demanded.
“Then what will the
y do? Confirm that some of the legends are real?” Kerie smiled at Zol, hands on her hips. “Like that will harm your Quad.”
“But…”
“But,” she interrupted the black haired male. “This only means that the other aspects of the legends may be true as well.”
“Like?” Star questioned gently. She was still in shock and it showed as she paled slightly, her eyes losing more of their golden hue.
“Like the Princess refused to speak ill of her bond-mate because she was with child. That the child was born shortly after she went into seclusion with her mate. That someone else let the Scab into the cities and that she was too fearful for her child to speak the name of the true traitor. That she really was betrayed by someone other than the Dragonish Prince, whose death we are given to understand was not a pleasant one.”
“Oh Ghods,” Star gasped, her face losing what little color it had left. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Instantly, Zol had her on her side, stroking her back, running his fingers through her hair, doing anything he could to comfort her.
“Star,” he said, “calm down, little one. Take deep breaths.”
“My family, my Quad is the cause of so many deaths, so many murders,” she hissed, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. “How…how can you stand to touch me? Blood means all!”
“Only to the uninformed and humans,” Zaz soothed, moving closer, but not touching Star. “Only to the ill informed, the ignorant and the humans.”
“But…”
“But you are a piece of living history, Star,” Zaz smiled gently. “There is nothing wrong with your blood. Your line is ancient and secure. You have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to celebrate.” His faced became introspective during the next moment, thoughtful and intense. “Your existence brings us new questions, though.”
“Questions?” Star’s head was reeling, her breath painful in it exploded through her chest. This…this could not be happening! She was related to traitors? Her family was the cause of so many deaths? They had perpetuated a crime so unimaginable and horrific that they were now infamous in legend. What did their past mean for her and her Quad? What questions could she answer? She…she knew nothing! Would she have to leave now? Despite what the Prince said, how would her Quad feel about her now?
“Like where has your family been hiding? Who assisted them in keeping this secret? What caused them to flee? Lots of questions, Star, and none of the answers I am coming up with fit the matrix that has been given to us. Perhaps there is more to the legend and the tales that spring up around it that is even known by the Royal Quad. It is an intriguing puzzle.”
“My life is not a puzzle!” Star lurched up, screaming.
Enough was enough! Her whole world was falling apart and he was comparing it to an evening of entertainment! How dare he?
“No,” Zaz muttered, moving back a little as Star leaned in closer to him, eyes blazing a fierce yellow again. Kerie stepped closer to Zaz, moving to his side in a protective manner, but the Prince waved her away. “Perhaps I have misspoken.”
“Then say what you mean!” she screamed, her eyes sparking before she slammed her fists into her eyes, pressing as if holding back a great pain, trying to gain some control.” Please,” she gasped, her voice rough with emotions that she fought to hold back. “Please, just give me a plain answer. Every time I feel that I have found a place to call my own family, it is threatened in some way. I don’t think I can take anymore!” She moaned, dropping her head as Zol embraced her, petting her hair, doing his best to calm her of the tension that held her body rigid and her mind on edge. “Please…” She was barely holding onto her tears, onto her sanity.
“I mean” Zaz began again, appearing confused at this flood of emotions before he calmly spoke, “that other than to those who ran your family out of seclusion and into the earth lands below, there is no purpose for this anger or fear.” He smiled serenely. The effect was like a sudden burst of sun through dark clouds. “No one will feel any different about you than they do now, Star. You remain the female who was reared by humans and finally brought home.”
“Home?”
“Home,” Zol interjected, his words outweighing anything that the Price of the Dragonish could ever say. “Don’t you know, Star? With us, with your Quad, you are home?”
And this time, when the tears threatened, they were filled with the beginnings of understanding and with joy.
Chapter Twelve
“Calm,” Kyotyte urged his smaller Alpha as they streaked towards the Aerie in Dragon form. The morning had been spent tracking down that scent. The Dragonish form was more useful, with its heightened senses than the secondary human one. Their flight had lasted all morning, leaving their submissive parings safely in their aerie.
Father had made several good points about their protection. Zol was a submissive like no other and his influence paired with Star’s natural obstinacy ensured that no one would try anything with the two in broad daylight.
When the moons rose, however, that was another situation entirely.
They would have been out until near moonrise, but suddenly Zenxian was flooded with a mishmash of emotions from his mate. Star was sending out feelings of confusion, shattering the calm of their bond and sending the pale dragon into fits that ran the gamut from uncontrolled rage and fury to peaceful joy, to hot and bothered all within moments of each other.
Father had some idea of what was happening, and did his best to reassure Zen, but the younger Alpha would not be satisfied until he behold their submissives, both of them, with his own pale golden eyes.
They arrived just as the Prince was backing away from Star and Zol.
“What happened?” Zen demanded, taking his secondary form and racing to his mate’s side, lurching back as a talloned hand swatted out at him. “Star?”
“I brought news,” Zazolm spoke to Kyo, a small smile gracing his lips.
“Highness.” Zen snapped to, pulling his eyes away from his mate long enough to clasp his hand before him in acknowledgement of the Royal Dragonish’s position. “Keria.” He repeated the gesture to the purple haired female.
“We interrupted,” Keria went on to explain, “the bonding rush, the need to mate…I wish it were us,” she sighed sadly, but rallied and smiled at the large red-eyed male. “The information we brought…”
“What information?” Kyo shook his head at the strange sight of his Prince in his secondary guise and turned towards his female once more. “And what could have been important enough for you to take on your more vulnerable form to deliver it?”
“Peace, Lord Kyotyte,” Zol shook his head, his eyes glinting in amusement. “I came in this form not because I have forgotten all of the lessons you have taught me. I came here merely because I thought it would be less frightening to your female.”
“Her Quad, her bloodlines?” Zen cut in, not paying any attention to protocol as he tried to get closer to his growling mate.
“You know something?”
“We know a lot,” Keria smiled. “We know her name, her history, her bloodlines…” She shook her head sadly, looking down at the marbled floors of the aerie. “We just don’t know why her people were forced to leave. It brings about a lot of new questions.”
“Well…who are her people?” Zen demanded, finally giving up being patient and waiting for Star to consent to be touched and just snatched his growing mate into his arms. He ignored the scratches and bites she delivered until she calmed a bit, taking in his scent, though it was obvious that his participation was not totally needed at this point. She needed to connect deeper to her submissive counterpart, and all of this disturbing news was getting in the way of her natural inclinations.
“The legends, Zen,” Zol rose to his feet, his reluctance at leaving his submissive partner obvious. He pressed his hands to his lower stomach, and strode to his mate, ignoring the bouncing erection that led the way. “The unnamed princess, her people, Star is a direct descendent.”
Kyo’s red eyes widened in shock as he looked over at their female, before a wide grin spread across his face. “It appears, My Prince, that my son and daughter will be more royal than you.”
“Father!” Zen gasped, looking away from his mate’s face to stare at his Alpha.
But the only response was Zaz breaking down in undignified giggles, something that neither Zol nor Zen had ever seen before.
“Now I will never hear the end of this,” Keria groaned, covering her eyes with her hands, shaking her head as her mate dissolved into childish giggles.
“But…but…Does this mean she has a claim?” Zen stuttered, and then he paled as he quickly went on to clarify his point. “Not that we want a claim. I am more afraid of what others will think.”
“I think,” the Prince sobered up enough to say, “That you are more afraid that her royal family will make a move against her than of the information you have just been given.”
“Or that those who drove her family out will try to destroy her in their quest to hide their involvement in her Quad’s disappearance.” Kyo’s tones were dark as he stared at the people gathered in his Aerie.
“My sire is aware,” Zaz reached out, but pulled back at the last moment, not touching Kyo even though it was apparent that he wanted to at least reassure the large male. “And he has no doubts about your loyalty, and by extension, the loyalties of your Quad.”
“And the others?”
“Protection is in place.” Zaz moved closer to Kyo. “No one even imagines any duplicity coming from this Quad. But those who would attempt to cause issues have already been silenced.”
“And you are certain that you have silenced them all?”
“No,” Zaz admitted, signing deeply. “And it shames me to say this.”
“The shame is not yours.”
“No, it is for what someone connected to my bloodline may possibly have done.”
“You cannot be sure that those in your bloodline have anything to do with this situation,” Kyo pointed out. “Your bloodline has been in the Royal House since the betrayal.”
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