But Camden was real, a dream made genuine by a mate bond that Sage valued more than life itself. Sage was convinced of this, because no matter how imaginative either of them could be, they would never manage to conjure such a reality. It simply couldn’t be understood, unless they actually lived it.
Sage gazed deeply into Camden’s slitted eyes, seeing the same worshipful knowledge that filled him in the beautiful orbs. His mind, body, and soul aching for Camden, Sage slowly rubbed his fingers against Camden’s nether opening. Camden released a low gasp, arching his back and breaking eye contact as he exposed the pale column of his throat.
The submissive gesture stirred every instinct inside Sage. Sage’s dragon reared in possessiveness, practically ordering him to claim Camden on the spot. His control badly frayed, Sage thrust his fingers inside Camden a little more violently than he’d intended. Camden’s body swallowed Sage’s digits right up almost greedily. The snug hold of the naga’s ass around Sage’s fingers made him hiss in tortured need. His cock throbbed, already leaking copious amounts of pre-cum. With the haven of Camden’s body so close, it took everything in Sage’s power not to pull his digits out and simply bury his aching prick into his mate.
To be true, he had every intention of doing exactly that, but not just yet. Instead, he scissored his fingers inside Camden, stretching his lover and preparing him for invasion. In the process, he found Camden’s prostate and massaged the little gland, knowing how much Camden and Sage himself would enjoy it. Indeed, he was rewarded when Camden started to cry out and whimper, pushing back against Sage’s digits, fucking himself on them. Every single time Sage’s fingers brushed against Camden’s special spot, little shocks of pleasure exploded through their bond like tiny earthquakes anticipating a far more powerful one. Sage took it all in, accepting the pleasure but keeping it from controlling him, or at least trying to do so. With Camden, things were never like with other partners Sage had taken into his bed. Camden was unique, their bond unshackling Sage from the chains he himself had created.
It was always like this between them. Sage’s nature as an ice dragon kept his passions leashed, but with Camden he dared to fully let go, and his dragon knew it. As a shifter and as a man, Sage realized that he could trust Camden and completely open himself up without fear.
Right now, though, he didn’t want to risk hurting Camden in his ardor. His protectiveness for the young naga never disappeared, not even if he knew that Camden could take everything Sage offered, and demand more. He had to take his time to prepare his lover, no matter how hard it would be and how much his libido would protest. More than anything, Sage wished to forever lavish Camden with affection, both sexual and emotional, while keeping him from harm.
But good intentions could only come so far. Out of the blue, Camden’s gaze fixed on Sage again, strikingly focused in spite of the burning pleasure Sage still sensed within him. He gave Sage a half lidded look and licked his lips. “Come on, Sage,” he said. “Fuck me. Now. I want to feel your cock inside me.”
Sage snapped. The final barrier that had been keeping his desire in check crumbled. Snarling, Sage removed his fingers from his lover’s channel. He slicked up his dick quickly and efficiently, the touch of his own hand providing a pleasure that teased his dragon into roaring for more. At last, he supported Camden’s legs on his shoulders. In one single, smooth motion, he fully buried his dick inside Camden.
Even if Sage had tried to prepare Camden as thoroughly as possible, his mate was still tight, painfully so. His body squeezed Sage like a velvet fist, and Sage had trouble not coming on the spot. It was perhaps fortunate that they’d both climaxed before, because otherwise, Sage would have entirely lost it. He still could have, and it was one of the reasons why he stilled inside Camden, with the other being the obvious one, allowing Camden to get used to his girth.
Camden clutched his shoulders, biting his lower lip and once more lost in the haze of pleasure. He was so beautiful that Sage couldn’t resist bringing their bodies even closer and brushing his lips over Camden’s. Camden welcomed him, his forked tongue entwining with Sage’s. Neither of them spoke, but they didn’t have to. They were communicating at a deeper level, one that made words unnecessary.
Following his instinct and his need, Sage pulled out of his mate and thrust back inside. He hit Camden’s prostate, which caused pleasure to rush through both of them. Camden’s hold on him tightened, his fingernails digging into Sage’s flesh. Wanting to watch Camden’s face as he fucked his mate, Sage broke their lip-lock and kept his gaze on Camden. Taking in every beautiful inch of his lover, Sage threw all caution to the wind and, with another grunt, began to move.
His precious control had deserted him now, replaced by pure desire. He moved in and out of his mate in a wild rhythm, and the bed creaked in protest as Sage’s harsh motions caused it to hit the wall. Camden, however, was right there with Sage, soaring on the peaks of pleasure, and not at all bothered by Sage’s near violence. He pushed back against Sage, impaling himself on his dick, making small noises of ecstasy and writhing under Sage like a wild thing. Even if Sage hadn’t felt Camden’s emotions through their bond, he still would have read the rapture in his eyes, in his body. Those slitted orbs seemed to glow with the fever of lust. All the while, trapped between their abdomens, Camden’s dick nudged Sage insistently, practically begging to join in on the action.
Sage could have never refused Camden. Even if he was aware that he could make Camden come just by fucking him—Camden was amazingly responsive that way—Camden’s dick was too beautiful to be ignored. Sage gripped it in his fist, sweeping his thumb over the leaking tip and never once stopping the nearly punishing pace he’d set. Camden wailed, an almost dismayed sound that carried more desperate arousal than Sage had ever thought possible.
They were both close now, so very close. Sage could practically taste his climax, smell it in the scent of sweat, sex, and Camden. He could feel it hovering so close over him, just waiting there, making him sizzle with the promise of nirvana. Camden’s despair found an echo in Sage’s, and he fucked Camden faster and faster, needing to get deeper inside his mate, wanting to claim everything Camden was and had ever been.
At this point, the sensual energy between them was so strong it awoke every nerve ending in both Sage and Camden, making him hyperaware of his own body, but also of Camden’s. There was only one thing left now that could bring them closer, one beautiful thing that they both craved, and Sage could no longer deny it to either of them.
Camden tilted his head, offering himself to Sage like Sage had known he would. With no hesitation, Sage took his mate’s offer and buried his fangs in the naga’s flesh. Sweet blood rushed into his mouth, and rapture exploded through his body. Thrusting one last time inside Camden, Sage came. As he filled Camden with his spunk, his lover released a cry and followed him over the edge. Wet heat splashed over Sage’s stomach, the palpable proof of Camden’s orgasm. But Sage was already beyond that. He’d reached a point in which he could feel every spasm of pleasure as it coursed through Camden’s body. Their bond vibrated with it, with their shared bliss, memories and thoughts from both of them coming together, creating a unified sense of identity that only true mates could understand. A whirlpool of emotions invaded Sage, his feelings and Camden’s coming together. Two minds became one, and their connection rang out with a litany of three simple words. “I love you.”
Sage lost himself in Camden, and Camden in Sage, the climax propelling them both in a new reality of their own making. The pleasure went beyond the carnal, rotating around that pure emotion they’d fought for and rescued in spite of everything. It seemed to take forever, and yet it ended far too soon. As he rode the final waves of his climax, Sage released his hold on Camden’s neck and licked the wound. He met his mate’s eyes and repeated that important phrase out loud, “I love you.”
The blissful smile on Camden’s face again made Sage wonder what he’d done to receive this wonderful gift. “I love you, too, Sage,”
the naga replied. “So very much.”
Feeling content and exhausted, Sage slipped out his mate’s body and collapsed at Camden’s side. For a few moments, they just lay there, panting and enjoying the afterglow.
“You know,” Camden finally commented, “we could have used protection.”
Sage noticed the carefully chosen words, the way Camden said “could,” not “should.” Yes, there had been condoms in the nightstand, right next to the lubricant, but Sage had knowingly ignored them. Like Rachen had said, it was time to be a little selfish. Sage didn’t know if they would conceive a child because of the unprotected sex, but if they did, that baby would be loved and cared for.
“Yes, we could have,” Sage replied, “but we don’t have to. Not anymore.”
The Directive was still against them, forbidding them to have a family, but Sage didn’t care anymore. They’d been through so much that it was a wonder they’d even reached this point, when they could sit in each other’s embrace without worry. The Directive would have had him turn Camden into his concubine, while the naga had basically put Sage into the same position during his stay in Patala. But that artificial construct meant nothing when faced with a true bond between mates. Sage knew that now.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Camden answered suddenly. “You remember how I once said I’d never be your concubine? Well, I’d gladly take up that role now.”
Sage chuckled and kissed his mate’s temple. To a certain extent, Camden had a point. Being a concubine was just a label, and Sage didn’t regret anything he’d done for his relationship with Camden. In fact, he was honored that he’d even been granted that position by the Isaiat, simply because it implied closeness to Camden. But that aside, their relationship had grown beyond the walls of Patala. They were much stronger now, and they could stand against anyone who would dare to question their love. “You won’t have to, beautiful,” he said.
Perhaps it wasn’t too much to hope that they would be able to have children. Sage wasn’t foolish enough to pretend it didn’t imply certain risks. However, the draechen were no longer like they’d been. Slowly, their world was growing into a better one. Sage trusted that Emperor Hareematek and Karein would manage to build something better. And even if that wasn’t the case, even if the draechen leaders couldn’t go against the Directive, Sage would do so. He and Camden would have a family, and they would protect their hatchlings against whatever threat came their way. Because, all labels aside, Sage loved Camden, and Camden loved him.
No matter what happened, he would never deny his mate or hide their bond. Even if the time came when he and Camden would have to stand alone against the entire paranormal world, that was Sage’s most powerful truth. They were one, forever.
Epilogue
Camden fidgeted on the couch, aware of the gazes on him and uncomfortable with the scrutiny. By his side, Sage sat rigidly, his spine ramrod straight. “I’m not asking for your permission,” Sage told the two draechen in front of him. “I’m just letting you know what you can expect.”
Sage’s parents glanced from him to Camden. The draechen’s father was quiet and cold, his eyes like chips of ice as they analyzed Camden. Those orbs were so much like the ones Camden knew and loved that it was disconcerting to see them watch him with such clear distaste. All right, so maybe that emotion wasn’t all that clear. In fact, Camden couldn’t tell what Sage’s father was thinking at all. However, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Camden wouldn’t be popular to the older draechen. Even Sage’s mother, who Camden had learned was far more open and affectionate toward her children, seemed wary of Camden.
None of them had been happy at Sage’s decision of choosing Camden as a mate. They had all suffered the after effects of the attack planned by Joyceropt Eretar, then blamed on the naga, and had seen Sage and Camden’s mate bond as a betrayal.
Back then, Camden had been trapped in a dungeon as a suspect in the poisoning, but he still remembered it all. He remembered the feeling of helplessness both he and Sage had experienced, the hurt at the reaction of the Zager family, and more than anything the trust Sage had placed in him.
“Cease this,” Sage’s mother had said then. “I do not know what you think you’re doing, Sagenamadeen, but now is not the time for misguided loyalties.”
His father had been even harsher. “I had heard rumors of you consorting with the naga, but I never believed you’d betray your own blood like this.”
Only Sage’s twin, Hanna, had attempted to support him, but it hadn’t been enough. And now… Now that awkwardness persisted. Perhaps it would never disappear.
“Sage, what does this all mean, for you, for your future?” Sage’s mother asked. “Will you have a real family? Have you become a concubine? What?”
“I don’t know what will happen,” Sage answered. “I’m just sure that my future is at Camden’s side.”
“As a Wyvern?” Camden’s father asked at last. “Can you really act in Draechenburg’s best interests when your chosen mate is a… naga?”
Camden didn’t miss the pause, and it made him tense. Sage reached for his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. “My loyalty toward Ornoz has nothing to do with my mate bond with Camden. The emperor knows and accepts that.”
It was true, and something the Zager family couldn’t deny. However, resentment for the naga had only increased since Talbot’s attack, something which really didn’t surprise Camden. The emperor’s influence protected Camden, as did the respect Sage had earned through the fact that he’d been the one to defeat Talbot in the first place. However, things would undoubtedly continue to be tense for the foreseeable future.
Camden was ready for it, though. He knew that Sage’s participation would be required to strengthen Draechenburg’s defenses, and he wanted to help, too, insofar as he would be allowed. He had a feeling that it would necessary. Already, the emperor was discreetly sending everyone he considered a potential liability away. Sage’s family was not an exception. They would be leaving soon, which had kind of worried Camden, since, until today, they’d made no attempt to approach Sage.
He’d been very relieved when Sage’s sister had told them that Benton and Lekisha Zager wanted to see Sage, but now, he was wondering if this visit would fix anything at all. He really wanted to speak out, to protect his bond with Sage, but he hesitated because he didn’t want to make things worse.
“I don’t really think that’s possible,” Sage offered through their bond. “Perhaps my mother will be willing to listen sometime in the future, but my father isn’t likely to forget the whole poisoning business anytime soon. Even if it wasn’t your fault, it’s easy to blame chimeras as a whole for everything, especially under such circumstances.”
“If you’re trying to be encouraging, it’s not working,” Camden grumbled back. He actually appreciated Sage’s honesty, because it meant that in spite of Sage’s protectiveness, the draechen saw him as an equal who could handle everything their world threw at him.
As he mused over what to do, Camden glanced toward Sage’s twin. From her place at her parents’ side, Hanna gave him a pleading look. Camden couldn’t be sure what she wanted him to do. He liked her, but hadn’t gotten the chance to spend much time with her. However, he went with his gut—and Sage’s—and finally addressed the older draechen.
“I’m aware that you think I’m bad for Sage,” he said. “I’m aware that most of the people in Draechenburg, you included, believe that a naga and a draechen simply can’t work together. I disagree. Sage and I are made for each other. I’m sure of it. And I don’t want to hear anything about being a concubine or not. It’s pointless nonsense.”
Sage’s father narrowed his eyes at Camden. “Are you calling us fools?”
Camden didn’t hesitate in the slightest. He met the draechen’s gaze without flinching and replied, “No. I’m calling everyone who can’t accept the bond between Sage and me blind.”
The older ice dragon opened his mouth, obviously intending to deliver a
scathing reply. His mate stopped him just in time. “Benton, calm down,” she said. “The boy is right. A mate bond goes beyond all that.”
Much to Camden’s surprise, she got up and came to stand in front of Camden and Sage. Camden watched her warily, not knowing what to expect. Out of the blue, both he and Sage were engulfed in a warm embrace. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We never should have blamed you for what happened.”
At first, Camden was tense, not quite willing to believe that she would accept him, just like that. But then, he realized that it wasn’t about him, not really. His words might have reached her, but they were likely irrelevant compared to the obvious love she held for Sage.
So, because Camden could appreciate that love, he hugged her back. It was awkward and tentative, as he didn’t feel comfortable with random displays of affection from people he barely knew, but she seemed to appreciate it. She released a soft laugh, petting Camden’s hair and squeezing him tighter to her ample bosom.
When Sage’s mother finally released them, Camden glanced toward Sage’s father. The man’s facade of aloofness was cracking around the edges, and Camden could swear he saw a flash of yearning and regret in those ice blue eyes before it quickly faded.
Benton briefly looked at Camden and then focused on his mate. “Lekisha.”
“Benton,” she replied in turn.
They didn’t say anything else, at least not out loud. To Camden, it seemed obvious that they were talking using their mate bond. At last, Benton released a heavy sigh. “You do realize that this won’t be easy, boy,” he said to Sage. “It’s not us you have to worry about.”
“I understand that, Father,” Sage answered. “But no matter what happens, I still think I’m blessed for finding Camden.”
“Fair enough,” Benton said. Getting up, he joined his mate by Sage and Camden’s couch. Camden was kind of uncomfortable sitting down, because it made the large draechen loom over him. Still, he couldn’t get up without dislodging Lekisha’s hold on him, so he remained in his place.
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 23
