by Hawke Oakley
I stood up with renewed determination. I knew what I had to do. Dante was just exaggerating the danger again, the same way he did when I passed out at Ryu’s and he hauled me to the doctor.
A wave of deep sadness hit me as I realized Dante obviously wouldn’t fly me there. I would be without him for days. I was so used to having him by my side, providing me love and protection and everything I needed… What was I going to do without his presence?
Fated mates, I thought.
Maybe this would test that theory once and for all.
After a brief, hushed phone call, I met Lorenzo at the base of the tower. He arrived, gracefully touching down in his silver dragon form. I winced thinking about how much he resembled Dante. They had the same powerful shoulders and beautiful features, although Lorenzo’s horns were longer - probably something that came with age.
I didn’t want to think about Dante right now.
Lorenzo greeted me with his deep voice. “Good evening, Gabriel.”
“Hi, Lorenzo.”
I hadn’t told him why I wanted to meet him tonight. That was the thing about the Drakinus family, apparently - all you had to do was say the word, and they dropped everything to come and help you.
Except Dante.
No more thinking about him. I shook my head, focusing on here and now.
“Where is Dante?” Lorenzo asked. “It’s rare to see the two of you apart.”
I flinched. “Dante isn’t here. We… had an argument.”
Lorenzo hummed. “It happens to every couple, even those who are fated.”
There was that phrase again. I shivered, feeling like ants were crawling up my skin.
“What can I do for you?” he asked, curling his tail around his front claws neatly.
“I have a favor to ask,” I began. I checked over my shoulder to make sure Dante wasn’t secretly watching. He wasn’t there. As far as he knew, I was still in the bedroom sulking. I left as quietly as possible, and I didn’t hear him leave the nursery after I stormed off. Guilt gnawed at me, but I ignored it. I had to do this, even if I was temporarily leaving Dante on a sour note.
“Yes?” Lorenzo asked.
“Please take me back to Stoneheart pack,” I said.
Shock crossed his face. “Take you back?”
“Yes.” I tried not to think about how similar his expression looked to Dante right now. “There’s something I have to do there.”
“I see,” Lorenzo said calmly. “Shall we fly and speak at the same time?”
So he wasn’t outright refusing. That was good. “Sure.”
He offered a hand and I climbed into his grip. When I was safely sitting down, he took off and headed towards the barrier with a leisurely pace.
“So, tell me the reason for this sudden action,” Lorenzo said.
“My old pack is under constant threat by raiders. I want to help them by creating a barrier, like the one here in Cinderhollow,” I explained. I braced myself, waiting for Lorenzo’s shocked remark, but it never came.
“I see,” he said simply. “I’ve heard you were training in magic. Have you mastered clear magic, then?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I can make a barrier.”
“That’s good. Not many newcomers to magic can do that.”
Lorenzo’s praise warmed me. Then I remembered that Ryu said he was skilled in clear magic.
“That day that I arrived… You were using clear magic at the barrier, right?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I suddenly felt embarrassed asking, but Lorenzo didn’t seem judgmental at all.
“Do you… always have to stay there? While casting the barrier, I mean?” I asked.
He turned his head slightly in my direction and smiled patiently. “If the original caster was strong enough, then no. Guards are only posted when we know outsiders are coming in, so we can grant them safe entry into Cinderhollow.”
“Are you the original caster?”
To my surprise, he laughed out loud. “Gods, no.”
I blushed in embarrassment. “Oh.”
“The barrier’s original caster was a powerful mage named Halo Fire-Eater,” Lorenzo explained, then shot me a knowing glance. “An omega dragon.”
I gasped. “An omega created the Cinderhollow barrier?”
“Indeed.” Lorenzo seemed pleased that I was excited to learn about this. “And he was pregnant when he created it, as well.”
I asked cautiously, “What happened to him?” Then, even more carefully, “Did he die?”
“Oh, no,” Lorenzo said. “He’s alive, otherwise the barrier wouldn’t still be up. But nobody knows where he is. He’s a bit of a mystery. Some people in Cinderhollow even refer to him as one of the gods, although he lived among us.”
Taking in all this information, I tried to narrow down my plan. Meanwhile, we were approaching the barrier. Lorenzo flared his wings, slowing down as he banked towards the strip of rock where I’d first met him. We landed a few feet in front of the barrier, which shimmered thickly in before us. I watched the glittering surface in awe. In some areas it was completely transparent, looking like it wasn’t even there at all. Curiously, I put my hand through it from the inside. It was a strange but not unpleasant sensation, almost like putting my hand through running water.
“What would happen,” I asked, turning to Lorenzo, “if you hadn’t granted me entrance? Would the barrier like, electrocute me or something?”
Lorenzo smiled patiently. “Something like that, yes. Fire-Eater was skilled in both clear and fire magic, as his name would suggest. Outsiders would be fiercely burned if they touched the barrier.”
I shuddered, glad I was on the inside of it - and immune to it. But I wasn’t skilled at fire magic. The only elemental magic I knew was earth magic, and I didn’t know what that entailed what it came to creating a barrier. Maybe rocks would fall on people’s heads if they tried to cross it.
“Are you still set on your plan?” Lorenzo asked.
I nodded firmly. “Yes. I can’t go back now. Stoneheart pack needs my help.”
Lorenzo’s expression turned serious. He clasped his claws together. “Gabriel, I know it’s not my place to interfere in your relationship, but Dante is my brother,” Lorenzo said. “He’s hot headed, and frankly quite rash. I can only assume he said some things he didn’t mean in the heat of the moment.”
I frowned, thinking about everything Dante said during our fight. The worst part was that I couldn’t even deny some of them. He wasn’t completely wrong.
Lorenzo took my pause as invitation to continue. “I cannot stop you from making your own choices. That’s the core ideal of our tribe - to be free to choose. But in your interest, in my brother’s interest, and in my own interest as your baby’s uncle… I will not let you go there alone.”
My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying. “You’re going to come with me?”
“Yes.” He stretched his wings wide. “You’re part of my family now, Gabriel. Even if you’re angry with Dante, I won’t let you run into danger by yourself. I’ll be by your side the entire time.”
“Lorenzo… Thank you.”
Did even Lorenzo think what I was doing was dangerous? I paused. Even though I had magic - and now a dragon on my side - was I being reckless? The adrenaline high from earlier had worn off, and now I was stuck truly thinking about my decisions.
I suddenly turned to Lorenzo. “Did you know, in Stoneheart pack, there’s no such thing as fated mates?”
His tail curled around his claws. “I did not know that.”
I didn’t know why I was telling him this. I began pacing around and couldn’t stop talking. Maybe I was nervous.
“It’s considered a lie. Or a myth, or legend, maybe. Either way, it’s not real.”
Lorenzo said calmly, “Halo Fire-Eater is a legend, and he’s very much real.”
I stopped pacing and stared at the rocky ground beneath my feet. “Dante said we were fated mates. Is that true?”
Lorenzo shook his head. “I can’t answer that for you. You have to look inside yourself for those answers.”
I was getting desperate now, and I didn’t know why. My hands trembled. “Do you have a fated mate?”
“I don’t have any mate at the moment,” he said.
My skin itched and my palms felt clammy. I wiped them on myself.
I knew I had to go now, or I never would.
“Let’s do it,” I said to Lorenzo.
He nodded slowly. “As you wish.”
Lorenzo offered his hand once again, and gently picked me up. Then he flared his wings, took off into the air, and flew past the barrier towards Stoneheart pack - leaving Cinderhollow tribe and Dante behind.
15
Dante
“He did what!?”
Ruby didn’t wince at my roar. My dragon rushed to the surface, and I was barely able to keep it down, but I couldn’t hold back the smoke streaming from my mouth and nostrils. It was a miracle I wasn’t already spewing fire.
“Lorenzo took Gabriel back to Stoneheart pack,” Ruby repeated. But despite her calm voice, I noticed the crease of concern in her brow and the slight downturn of her lip. She was worried, too.
“I can’t fucking believe this,” I muttered. “When? When did you find out?”
“Only ten minutes ago,” Ruby said. “Lorenzo didn’t have much time. He could only shoot me a quick message while Gabriel wasn’t paying attention.”
“Fuck,” I muttered. “Why did he agree to let him go!?”
I couldn’t believe this. Not only did my mate go behind my back and run off, but my brother was an accomplice to this, too.
Ruby sighed. “I don't think it was quite that simple. From what you’ve told me, Gabriel must have already been quite upset. Lorenzo knew that barring his path - like you did - would have made things worse.”
I opened my mouth to argue with her, but I couldn’t. She was right. My shoulders slumped in defeat.
“I did this, didn’t I?” I asked, my voice thick.
Ruby frowned sympathetically but didn’t reply.
“Ruby, did I chase him away?” I cried. “Gods, I’m a horrible alpha. I’m supposed to protect him!”
“You are not a horrible alpha,” Ruby said sternly.
“I made him leave.”
She stomped her foot, creating a loud thump that made me pay attention.
“Gabriel left of his own free will, to help his pack,” she said. “He would have done this regardless of your interference.”
She was right - again. Gabe was the most stubborn omega I’d ever met in my life. That was part of why I loved him so much.
I sighed. “I know. I just feel awful that we fought.”
She squeezed my shoulder sympathetically. “It happens to everybody. Love is not always a fairy tale.”
“He didn’t believe me when I told him we were fated mates,” I muttered. “In fact, I think it upset him more.”
She sounded frustrated. “Think, Dante. You saw Stoneheart pack for yourself. They’re a small, closed-off community with plenty of backward ideals. Of course Gabriel wouldn’t believe you. Why should he?”
I blinked. Why should he? I never thought of it that way before. I was so busy worrying about his safety that I hadn't stopped to think about how he felt.
“And you can still protect him. Go - now. They left not too long ago. You should be able to catch up with them.”
My mind raced with possibilities - both good and bad. I needed to calm down and get my head on straight.
I growled, asking, “He’s gone to Stoneheart to create a barrier. Is that right?”
“Yes.” Ruby straightened. “I assume Lorenzo will help him with the magic. Honestly, I wasn’t aware that Gabriel was even capable of performing clear magic.”
“He is,” I said, feeling proud of him despite the clusterfuck of a situation right now. “And I have no doubt that he can actually pull this off, especially with Lorenzo’s help. But the problem is the human raiders. When I was there fighting them off, I only managed because I took them by surprise. By the end of it, they were trying to fight back.”
I shifted only my wings and stretched them out, showing Ruby the nick I received when a human threw its spear at me. Her brows arched.
“Look. They’re not afraid to fight dragons,” I growled. “Does Lorenzo know that?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
I groaned in frustration, running a hand through my hair. “Okay. I have to go. This can’t get worse - I can’t let it get worse.”
“Dante, don’t act rashly,” Ruby commanded. “Be strong, but also be safe.”
“I will,” I promised.
“Should I gather reinforcements?” she asked.
“No,” I growled. “This is about my mate. I’ll keep him safe with my own claws. If I can’t even do that, what kind of an alpha am I?”
Ruby smiled wryly. “I understand. But if neither you nor Lorenzo come back safely, I’m positive that the Drakinus family won’t be happy with me. So I’ll be coming with you.”
I sighed but waved her along. “Fine. All of this is your fault, anyway.”
If she were in raven form, her feathers would have rustled offendedly. “How so?”
I grinned despite myself. “You were the one leading us over Stoneheart pack in the first place. I only met Gabe because I was forced to escort you during that scouting mission.”
“Oh.” She sighed, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Yes, that.”
“Right. So technically, all of this is because of you. Hope you’re happy.” I winked and fully shifted into my dragon form. She shifted into a raven, hopping onto the guardrail. My dragon was glad to be in control. I could feel it yearning intensely for Gabriel’s presence. I wondered if Gabe’s wolf felt the same way.
Smoke drifted from my nose into the rushing wind as we took off into the night sky.
“Let’s go save my mate,” I growled.
16
Gabriel
Flying over Stoneheart pack was a surreal experience. From so high above, the stone walls seemed tiny. I recalled the first time I saw this same sight on the night that Dante rescued me - and changed my life forever.
Now, everything was different. I wasn’t the small, scared omega that escaped the walls. I was independent, trained in magic, and carrying a new life inside of me, courtesy of my sexy mate.
Who, I tried not to dwell on sadly, wasn’t here with me.
“Is that it?” Lorenzo asked, although judging by the somber tone in his voice, he already knew the answer.
“Yes,” I replied.
“What do you want to do?”
I’d been running through possibilities in my head the entire journey. But now that we had actually arrived, I was at a loss. Part of me wanted to rush in, get things done, and get out without looking back. Was that what I truly wanted, though? To never see Otis or any of my old packmates again? Would I even be doing them a real favor if I didn’t explain the situation?
“I think we should go inside the walls. I’ll tell the elders what the plan is,” I said.
Lorenzo nodded. “And if they don’t agree?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean, it’s for their own good, right?”
Lorenzo said nothing. Both of us knew that wasn’t a simple question to answer.
“Okay. Let’s go lower,” I said, gesturing to a patch of farmland used for raising livestock. “There’s a good place to land. The streets are built pretty narrow, so that might be the only place you can go without crushing something.”
“Alright,” Lorenzo said. “Hang on tight.”
Lorenzo tucked his wings in and dove towards the pack. Wind rushed in my ears. The town drew closer and closer until Lorenzo spread his wings wide, braking against the fall, and landing gracefully at the last moment. I let out a shaky sigh.
The smell of hay and grass hit my nose. Other familiar scents filled the a
ir and for a moment it felt like I had never left. For a moment, I shut my eyes and took it all in. I was back in my first home.
Then the yelling started.
Behind me, Lorenzo hissed. He grabbed my shoulder protectively and pulled me towards him. “Be careful.”
“What?”
I followed the voices and gasped. Stoneheart pack members had surrounded us. Some were already shifted, snarling with bared teeth. Others stood back and braced themselves with weak-looking weapons - rusty swords and hay forks.
“Stay back!” a woman shouted. She brandished a shovel.
“Begone, demon!”
“Kill it!”
Lorenzo seemed startled but not afraid. I grimaced, knowing he was more powerful than this whole mob combined - and they could do nothing against him if he was really a threat. Just another reason I felt pity towards my old pack. Besides the walls, they were utterly defenseless.
“Stop, he’s not a demon!” I called, walking out in front of Lorenzo and waving my arms.
“Who is that?”
Gasps spread among the crowd. “That’s him! The lost omega!”
“The one that ran away? I thought he was dead!”
They could at least not talk about me as if I’m not standing right here, I thought bitterly. I raised my voice to address them.
“It’s me, Gabriel!” I said.
“Gabriel!?”
I turned to the familiar voice. Jared stood opposite me, still clutching the old sword fiercely.
“Jared! Look, I’m still alive!” I raised my arms.
But he didn’t look so happy to see me. “What happened? How are you still alive?”
“Yeah, we heard your screams!” someone else added callously. “The raiders had you!”
“Okay, well, I obviously got away from them. Look, I’m alive and well.” I turned around theatrically. Didn’t anyone care that I wasn’t dead?
“Explain yourself!” Jared growled, jabbing the sword towards me. I heard Lorenzo growl cautiously. Jared’s wide eyes darted to Lorenzo. “And what the hell is that - demon!?”
