by Hawke Oakley
“So, the magic thing,” Gabe said. “Levitating teapots and reading my mind… Anyone gonna explain that?”
“My apologies. I know the mind reading can take people by surprise and can even be invasive. I was just so excited to see both of you that I forgot to reign it in,” Ryu explained.
Gabe seemed taken aback by his politeness. “No, it’s okay, don’t worry.”
“Did you know we were coming?” I asked.
Ryu shrugged. “I had a feeling. But I also heard talk of a new omega in town, just after you and Ruby returned from your journey, so I mostly put two-and-two together.” He leaned forward with a sly smile and said, “So. You’re together, are you?”
Gabe blushed, as if wondering how much he knew of the past few days we spent together. “Did you read my mind about that?”
“No. I didn’t need to. I saw you two linking arms outside.”
“Oh.” Gabe blushed deeper and I couldn’t help but laugh.
I pulled him closer to me and proudly announced, “Yes, we’re together. Gabe’s mine, so don’t even think about putting your claws on him.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” His expression turned a bit more serious. “But I do know there’s a reason you’re here.”
I nodded. “There is. I want you to teach Gabriel basic magic.”
“Me?” Gabe squeaked.
“Yes. I already know you’re magic aligned. You saw the barrier, which normally outsiders can’t see. That means you must have some kind of magic inkling inside you.”
Gabriel looked surprised. “That’s so weird. I never thought of myself as magic anything.”
“Then you have a gift,” Ryu said with a gentle smile. “I’d be happy to teach you how to use it.”
But Gabriel seemed unsure. “I don’t know… What if I can’t do it?”
I took his hand firmly and looked him in the eyes. “Gabe, you can do it. You have no idea how powerful you are. If you don’t try, nothing will happen.”
“But what do I even need magic for?”
I frowned. I hated seeing him like this - without confidence in himself.
“I want you to be powerful in your own right. You know I’d do anything to protect you, but I also want you to be able to protect yourself.” I added gently, “This isn’t your old pack. You’re not just an omega whose only purpose is breeding. You’re so much more than that, Gabe.”
Gabriel’s fingers curled around his teacup as he gazed down at the table. I could tell he was fighting off years of internalized issues. I hated what Stoneheart pack had drilled into him, that he was only good for breeding. They were ready to let him die because he refused their forced choice. But I knew he could fight it off. Maybe magic training would help him with that.
Ryu and I exchanged a short glance. Gabriel was still lost in thought, his brows furrowed in concentration. I knew my friend and I were both thinking the same thing - that Gabe wouldn’t want to bother. But we both knew having a hobby and a source of discipline would be good for him, especially for his integration into the tribe.
Gabe caught my eye. “Do you really think I can do it?” he asked softly.
“Of course,” I growled. “You’re my mate. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
He smiled now and turned to Ryu. “Okay. I think I’ll give it a try.”
Both Ryu and I burst into wide grins.
“You’re going to love it,” I promised Gabe.
“Excellent!” Ryu cried.
In a burst of light, Ryu transformed back into his serpentine dragon form. He crouched his long body in front of Gabriel. He extended a clawed hand to Gabe, who smiled and took it.
Ryu winked. “Shall we begin?”
8
Gabriel
“So how’s the training going?” Dante asked as he emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Part of me wished it would slip and fall off.
A week had passed since my lessons with Ryu began, and once I got over the initial uneasiness of the whole thing, I found myself having a great time.
“Great,” I replied with a stretch. “Although it’s pretty basic stuff right now. Learning how to sense magic and know when other people are using it against you… That type of thing.”
Dante nodded. “That’s an important place to start. That’s the first thing we learned in college, if we didn’t already learn it growing up.”
“You mentioned a magic college when you introduced me to Ryu,” I said, sitting up on the edge of the bed. I watched as Dante removed his shirt and gave me a sexy show of all his abs.
“Yep. Everyone who grows up in Cinderhollow attends it, and a lot of the newcomers do, too. Can’t have dragons without magic, right?”
I cocked my head. “You’ve seemed to be pretty interested in me learning magic ever since I got here. Does it have something to do with the barrier?”
Dante paused. Immediately I sensed that I’d hit a nerve. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
“The most important part about magic is protecting yourself,” Dante said. “Think of it like basic self-defense.”
“What do I need to protect myself from?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Cinderhollow seems like just about the safest place on the planet.”
Dante gave me a strained smile as he sat down next to me and put an arm around my shoulder. “It is safe. I guess I’m just being a worrywart.”
“You struck me as the completely opposite of one of those when we first met,” I said playfully.
“Yeah,” Dante said, sighing. Then said with a small laugh, “You ruined my damn life, Gabriel Brooks.”
“What’d I do?” I asked.
Dante grinned. “You made me care about you, you dumb omega.”
I rolled my eyes with a smirk. “You’re the one who swooped down to save me from humans. You could’ve just let me die.”
Dante frowned now. “C’mon, that’s not funny. I don’t want to ever think about that.”
He pulled me closer so that my head rested on his collarbone. He smelled sweet and musky at the same time, a combination of soap and his natural scent.
“Sorry,” I murmured, knowing that I’d upset him. “I didn’t mean it. Obviously, I’m glad you saved me that day.”
“Me too.” He kissed my hair. “You know, it’s funny. Before I laid eyes on you, I never wanted an omega. Not at that moment, anyway.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Really. I always thought of it as some far-off thing in my future, like one day I’d have an omega and start a family.” He shook his head gently. “But then I saw you, and… I knew I had to have you. Like I’d die if I wasn’t close to you. It was like I was on fire and you were the only one who could put out the flames.”
“Oh, Dante…” I sighed contentedly against his skin. “Wait, can dragons even catch fire?”
He chuckled. “No. It was just a metaphor.”
“I think it was a simile.”
He knocked his head gently against mine. “Hey, I’m the one who reads books around here.”
I crossed my arms, raising a brow. “I’ve read books, too!”
We both laughed. The room went quiet, but it was comfortable. I leaned affectionately against Dante, just enjoying his presence.
“I know we didn’t really talk about it, but it’s been on my mind since my heat ended,” I began cautiously.
Dante kissed my hair again. “Tell me.”
I fidgeted with the fabric of his jeans. My fingers absentmindedly wanted to pluck them right off. “I mean, I was just thinking… We did have a lot of sex during my heat. And we never used protection.”
Dante laughed. He let himself fall backwards onto the bed and pulled me down with him so that I landed on top of his chest. “Silly little wolf. I’ve been waiting patiently for you to take a pregnancy test this whole time. It’s been almost two weeks since we first had sex. Do you want to try now?”
I bit my lip. “Do you have a
spare test?”
Dante raised a brow. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled one out. “Honey, I’ve had one for days now.”
I snatched it out of his hand and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I heard Dante laughing his ass off behind me.
I stood behind the closed door, staring down at the test and biting my lip nervously. To be honest, I felt the same way as Dante before I met him - not interested in an alpha, or kids, or mating, or any of that stuff. That was the whole reason I abandoned Stoneheart pack.
But now, thinking of a life possibly growing inside me… I didn’t know I wanted it until now.
This wasn’t the same situation, though. I knew that in my heart. Dante was a kind, loving alpha who wanted the best for me. Cinderhollow tribe was safe and open-minded, nothing like the pack I left behind. I shouldn’t feel guilty for running away from it and having a good life here. Didn’t I deserve it?
I let out a shaky exhale. Time to take this damn test, and hopefully pass with flying colors.
I followed the instructions, then waited. Waiting was the worst part. The suspense was killing me.
It was apparently killing Dante, too, because he was crooning behind the door, “Hellooo. Anyone in there? Did you fall into the toilet?”
I laughed despite my nerves. “Shut up. I’m waiting for it to make up its mind.”
“Well, my mind’s already made up, and I want a damn baby. So it better be positive,” Dante called.
“Sorry, but there’s no way for me to cheat on a pregnancy test.”
I heard him lean against the door. “At least if it turns out negative, we can do a lot of studying to pass the next test.”
“You big dumb alpha,” I muttered with a smile.
“What’s the test say now?” he asked. He was playing it cool, but I could hear the tension in his voice. He wanted this as badly as I did.
“Let me see,” I said.
I looked down, and my breath caught in my throat. I ran out of the bathroom, throwing the door open and launching myself into Dante’s arms.
“What?” he asked, almost panicked. “What’s wrong?”
Not even bothering to hide the joy in my face, I shoved the stick in his face. When he registered that it was positive, his expression lit up like the sun.
“Oh… Gabe,” he murmured. He picked me up and kissed me hard. “I can’t believe it. We’re going to be dads.”
“We’re gonna be dads,” I repeated, shaking from how giddy I was.
We kissed again, deeper and slower this time. The kiss ended up with one of Dante’s hands slipping down my back and grasping my ass. I yelped into his mouth.
“Sorry,” he muttered, clearly not sorry at all. “Finding out you’re pregnant just made you like, a million times hotter.”
“Oh, really?” I asked. “And what exactly are you gonna do about it?”
Taking that as a challenge, Dante smirked and growled. He carried me to the bed and plopped me down before crawling on top of me dominantly.
“You want to find out?” he asked, his voice thick and rough.
I was already hard. “Definitely.”
Desperate and impatient, Dante yanked my clothes off in a hurry before taking my cock into his hands. I groaned, then nearly yelled as his lips touched the head of my cock a moment later. He was not messing around with foreplay tonight.
I moaned and thrashed as Dante took me deeper into his mouth in one smooth motion. He didn’t gag at all when the head of my dick hit the back of his throat. I grit my teeth, trying not to scream at how good it felt. He drew back, letting his spit cover my cock, then moved back down, building a rhythm that felt fucking amazing.
It didn’t take long for me to come. I barely had time to let him know it was happening - I clenched his hair in my hands and then shot my seed down his throat. Dante swallowed all of it, purred deeply, then licked his lips.
“Delicious,” he growled.
Although I was dazed and lightheaded, I sat up. “I want to do you.”
“I’m already doing you,” he said, smirking.
“No, I mean - I want to blow you.”
Dante raised a brow, then sat back on the bed and spread his legs. “It’s all yours, my omega.”
I crawled towards him. His musky scent made me lose my mind. I buried my face in his patch of black hair, loving his natural smell. Dante growled and pet the back of my head.
“Good boy,” he praised.
I shivered. With trembling hands I grasped the base of his huge cock and revelled in the hot, firm sensation. It twitched between my fingers. I began slowly moving my hands up and down. I still couldn’t believe how big it was - how the hell had this monster fit inside my ass?
I parted my lips and pressed them to the tip of his cock. He shivered and stroked my hair affectionately.
“Don’t choke,” he warned in a surprisingly gentle voice.
“We’ll see,” I mumbled before taking it into my mouth. I had to stretch my lips wide to accommodate him. My mind was foggy from lack of air and pleasure. All I wanted to do was choke on his cock right now.
Dante growled, letting out a shaky exhale. His fingers gripped the sheets hard. It was clear from the lustful expression on his face that he was loving this. I made eye contact with his blazing purple gaze as I lowered my mouth, taking more of his dick. Dante licked his lips.
“You look good down there,” he growled. “Good boy.”
Gods, I loved it when he said that.
My own hole began to get slick again, desiring him. My cock twitched again, even though I’d just come.
I took it easy, not forcing myself to take more than I could handle. It turned into a slow, sensual blowjob that - judging by the little grunts and moans of pleasure - Dante was clearly enjoying. He pet my head the entire time, encouraging me, praising me. By the time Dante came, I was on the verge of another orgasm myself. He unloaded his seed onto my tongue with a grunt and I swallowed it, although I nearly gagged on how much there was.
“Come here, little wolf,” he commanded.
I crawled up into his arms. With one arm around my shoulder, he reached down and grasped my cock, working me up to another orgasm. This one wasn’t as strong as the first, but still felt as good. I shivered and collapsed into his chest.
“That’s enough for now,” Dante said. “You look exhausted.”
“I am,” I admitted with a sigh. My eyelids drooped shut and I just enjoyed the feeling of my mate’s warm skin underneath my cheek. Dante stroked my hair in a calming motion.
“Go to sleep, my love,” Dante murmured. “I’m right here with you.”
For once, I didn’t argue. My body was already well on its way to unconsciousness. With the comforting scent of my mate surrounding me and his hands petting me, I fell asleep with a smile still on my face.
9
Dante
Now that we knew for certain that Gabriel was pregnant, the excitement began to build. First things first, I wanted to let my brother know - and Ruby, too, since we considered her part of the family.
It was the weekend, so Gabriel had the day off from training with Ryu. The sun had just began to dip down, and we had just finished another bout of in-bed activities when I reached over to the table and grabbed my cell to call Lorenzo. I was startled when Gabriel gasped.
“Is that a phone?” Gabriel cried.
I raised a brow and held it out. “Yes…?”
“Can I see it?” Gabriel asked, sounding like a kid on his birthday. I handed it to him and he rolled it over between his fingers as if it was a precious object.
“My love, sorry to be blunt, but have you never seen a phone before?” I asked.
He blushed. “Sorry. But no, we didn’t have them in my pack. I’d only heard about them through rumors and in books.”
I thought about what a strange and backwards place he was from, but I didn’t say anything out loud. Gabriel examined the phone to his heart’s content, then asked, “Who
were you gonna call?”
“My family,” I said. “It’s customary to inform the rest of your family when you know you’re having a baby.”
“Oh!” Gabriel’s eyes lit up, but then he gasped and looked worried. “Oh, gods, what if they don’t like me?”
I let out a sound between a growl and a laugh, and clapped him on the back. “First of all, they will, because you’ve met most of them already. And second, if they didn’t like you - then tough. You’re my mate, not theirs.”
“I’ve met most of them?” he said curiously. “Lorenzo, right?”
“And Ruby. She calls herself a servant, but ugh, I hate that word. I consider her family.”
Gabriel smiled and leaned his head on my shoulder. “You’re so sweet for a big scary dragon, you know that?”
I puffed out smoke. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Is that everyone?” he asked. I could hear the caution in his voice - he didn’t want to offend me, which was impossible.
“No.” I held his hand and smiled. “My alpha-father will be there as well.”
“Oh, gods, do I have anything nice to wear? I don’t want him to think I’m some slob.”
I groaned and wrapped my arms around him. “He won’t. And I already have an outfit picked out.”
“You do?” His brows raised.
“Of course,” I said. “I’ve had an outfit picked out for special occasions for a while now. I have a lot of time to do shopping while you’re training with Ryu, after all.”
He smiled and said, “Okay. I trust you to make me look like a fine upstanding omega.”
“Done and done. Can I have my phone back now? Otherwise these dinner plans are never going to get made.”
He handed the phone back to me and I rang up Lorenzo.
“Hello?” his voice came after the first ring, as it always did.
“Hey, man. You busy?”
“Not at the moment. What can I do for my brother?” he asked.
“I, uh… Have some news to share with the family. You wanna call dad and I’ll call Ruby and we can meet at the Sky Cafe?”
I heard the smile in his voice when he replied, “News, eh? Yes, I’ll get right on that. Shall we meet at seven?”
