Bonds of a Dragon (Book 3 of the Northern Territories Series)

Chapter 4

Bonds of a Dragon

Chapter 4

Ilayda’s POV

After searching all the phones and dropping them in a pile beside him, Apep calls someone from the Captain’s phone and puts it on speaker.

Ring ring

“I told you not to call me. Only message.”, the man answers angrily.

Apep smirks widely and replies in a eerie sing song voice, changing the words to an old dragon new year poem. It sends chills up my spine, “Dragon dragon, I see you. Scales of red and vibrant blue. Dragon dragon, I smell you. Hints of amber in morning dew. Dragon dragon, I hear you. I can roar just like you do.”

He growls lowly in response, “Who is this?”

Apep grins and taunts to the tune of ‘I’m a little teapot’, “I’m another dragon, bigger and mean. You broke the code and remained unseen. Now I know of you, so here I come. I’ll kill your mate, but first your mum.” Apep chuckles darkly, Ormr comes out of the building smirking at Apep. Ormr is dragging 3 men out behind him. Apep moves his leg for Ormr to grab the chain and add them to their collection. Ormr walks toward the concealment and turns as another young girl enters. He concealed her until she reached Apep’s concealment.

“Tell me what you think I did, dragon.”, he replies.

“You took my mate, Vritra!”, Apep growls angrily, any hint of playfulness gone from his voice, changing in a way that forces terror into your very soul.

“I don’t have your mate. I’ve harmed no one near the age of maturity. What do you answer to, dragon?, he replies defensively.

“No, you’re just the delivery boy. I am Apep.”, he answers in a low growl.

“Apep, the Annihilator?”, he asks.

“You know me?”, Apep sneers.

“I know of you. You’re a hard name to miss, Apep. Let’s negotiate here, I don’t even know your mate and I certainly wouldn’t have touched her if I had. I’ve touched no woman carrying a dragonian scent.”, he replies.

“She wasn’t mine yet, Vritra. I’ve found her, now I’ll find you.”, he growls the last out threateningly.

“There must be a mistake, Apep. I created that building for them, but have nothing to do with their actions.”, he replies calmly, trying to talk Apep down.

“Then why don’t you just come on over here and stand before my mate. If she tells me I’m wrong and it isn’t you, I’ll let you live. How’s that?”, Apep offers. My heart races at the thought of seeing him again.

“I can’t do that. I’m busy at the moment.”, he replies hesitantly. Apep stands, flipping his chair and starts yelling and growling something in Draconic. Apep’s eyes begin glowing. Ormr reaches over and takes the phone from him. Apep starts to yank it back, but releases it to Ormr and turns, kicking the chair across the clearing into a tree.

Everyone here can feel the rage pouring from him. “Who is his mate?”, one of the women ask, looking around at the others. They begin looking at each other also.

“I am.”, I reply softly. They all look to me. Ormr had told me that my mate would kill my parents’ and brother’s murderer if he were to ever learn of it. I didn’t imagine it would make him this hostile though.

“I am Ormr, Vritra. You’re not going to convince Apep you are not who he seeks without coming before him. If you wish to spare the lives of those you care for, I suggest you not anger him further by making him chase you.”

“Ormr, my mate will be in labor soon. I cannot come now.”, he tries to explain, but Apep roars over him, “I’ll EAT your f*****g fledgling, you stupid prick!”, before continuing further in Draconic. The rage growing with every word he says. Ormr’s eyes widen as he stares at Apep.

Anavrin looks at me. “Ormr wants you to try to calm Apep. He says to call him to you.”, Anavrin tells me.

“Won’t he just get more angry because he can’t come without showing them where we are?”, I ask.

Anavrin shrugs, “I don’t know, Ormr says call him to you if you don’t want every man over there to die. There will be no one left to question.”

I look over at Apep, still growling out something in Draconic. “Come here, stalker.”, I call him.

He stops speaking, but I can still hear him growling with every breath. Ormr continues talking to Vritra. Apep looks at the men for a second then encloses them in a steel box.

“Come here. Please, Apep.”, I call him again. He turns and walks over to me, entering the bubble and I wrap my arms around his waist, sliding my hands up his shirt so my forearms are directly against the hot flesh of his back. I’ve seen Anavrin calm Ormr enough to know that the more skin contact there is, the faster they calm down.

He closes his arms around me, holding my head against his chest and inhaling my scent deeply as he gently kneads my neck. I can feel him calming as I listen to his heart.

It is at this moment that I realize Apep is going to lose his s**t when we arrive at Black Hearthstone and Donovan is there. I had thought previously that it would be fine, but he is way too wound up to have him there immediately.

Ormr disconnects the call. “He will come to you once his fledgling is born. We will hold the phone so he can message you where to meet him. He asks that you hold off on killing everyone he knows until then.”, Ormr calls out to Apep.

He only growls in response. Rayne and Clay pull up in 2 large trucks, one with a cattle trailer on the back. They load the men and chain them up inside the trailer. The women are all loaded into the trucks with Rayne and Clay.

Rayne approaches Apep, “I’m Consort Rayne Osmond. This is Consort Magnus Clay.”, he offers his hand to Apep, he accepts and shakes Rayne’s hand.

“Apep.”, he replies simply.

“Let’s go ahead and get that oath out of the way so you can fly through the ward with Ormr.”, Clay tells him.

Apep bites into his palm and let’s the blood run into his hand, “By my blood, I swear not to cause harm to any Black Hearthstone member that is not attempting a move against myself, mine, or Ormr’s family. I swear I will not take anyone, aside from my mate, Ormr’s, or either offspring, from Black Hearthstone without their consent.”, he says, holding his hand out to Clay.

Clay slices his own palm and takes Apep’s, “By my blood, I accept and hold you to your oath, Apep.” We feel the pulse as the oath is sealed. Apep releases Clay and wipes his hand with a conjured cloth, offering one to Clay as well before turning back to me.

“Can I talk to Rayne, really quick?”, I ask Apep.

He tilts his head, but steps aside, allowing me to approach Rayne. I keep my voice low, barely above the volume of my breath and pray it is low enough that Apep can’t hear me. “Can you make sure Donovan is no where near the coven when we get there and that he can’t get in? Apep will kill him, Rayne.”

Rayne nods searching my eyes. “Yes, I will make sure he isn’t there and can’t come back in. You’ll need to talk to him though, Ilayda.”, Rayne replies just as softly.

I nod confirming I will before turning and walking back to Apep. The look on his face says he heard us just fine and I’m suddenly very nauseated with worry. Without a word, he shifts.

He turns, his flame red eyes fix on me. Where Ormr’s black and grey blend beautifully for a stealthy appearance, Apep is bright and regal. He is about the same size as Ormr, but he is a stunning royal azure torso, his gold tipped wings fade midway to the blue of his body. He has a gold scaled chest with gold horns, gold runs down his spine to the spikes of his gold spade tipped tail. I want to touch him to see what something so magnificent feels like.

He stops in front of me and leans down, picking me up. The tingles of our bond run through me, held against his chest. His touch brings a peace I haven’t felt in a very long time. I lose myself in the security as he launches us into the air, concealing and carrying us away.

“I told you I would not kill Donovan unless he touched you. Do you not trust my word?”, Apep questions after a while of following the trucks and trailer.

My stomach churns, the mention of Donovan lessens the affect his touch has on me slightly, “I haven’t talked to him about you yet, Apep. He doesn’t know anything has changed.”, I answer, hoping he doesn’t blow up. As safe as his arms make me feel, it makes me feel vulnerable; which I find frightening. Apep growls lowly, but says nothing.

Apep’s POV

I am trying to be reasonable about Donovan. She didn’t know me or anything about me. There is nothing wrong with her having past relationships. Despite experiencing jealousy in a way I haven’t ever felt in my life, I agree not to harm him. I wonder how close they are and whether or not he has mated with her, but I ask neither of those things. It’s in the past, those answers won’t help the situation, I tell myself.

“Donovan is important to her?”, I ask Ormr.

“He is, brother. I can’t imagine the hurt that causes you. I know you want to kill him, but if he doesn’t challenge you, leave him be. She has lost so much, don’t take more from her.”

“You’re asking me to let her choose him?”, I ask.

“No. She is yours, claim her. Just don’t kill him unless he forces you to. If you kill him, she won’t be able to forgive you, Apep. In her mind, you will just be another dragon that took all she had for breeding purposes. She’ll hate you, but even more, she will hate herself.”

I close the link. Ormr knows her better than she knows herself. He feels her without being lost in the feeling, he is free to analyze it and I’m positive he has continuously since the day he bonded her.

We land by the truck at the prison and I gently set Ilayda on her feet, steadying her before I release her and shift back. “I’ll remove the concealment from you in just a moment. I don’t want them looking at you.”, I tell her before stepping out of it and walking toward Ormr.

I see he made the same choice with Anavrin. Clay opens the trailer and Ormr and I stand to each side of it as Rayne and Jayce go in to pull them out. I see 2 women standing off to the side, both elementals, the Mothers. I conceal them before the prisoners are unloaded. They were only mildly startled for half a second.

What is wrong with these lycan? They hunt elementals with dragons. Why the hell are you going to advertise that you have powerful and beautiful elementals here? Rayne, Jayce, and Clay take them into the prison, glancing around the field.

“Did you conceal Tania and Kara?”, Clay asks Ormr as they exit the prison.

“He did.”, Ormr replies, gesturing to me. I remove the concealment from Ilayda and their mates. They had already made their way over here, Ilayda was standing right by me.

“I don’t understand you at all. Why would you be so careless with your mates, lycan?”, I ask, genuinely trying to understand. I don’t particularly like lycan in general, but never thought them ignorant until now.

They smirk at me, “We don’t have the power to conceal them the way you do, Apep. They won’t listen and stay at home either. The best we can do is concede to them coming with us if they agree to stay back. Feel free to conceal our mates in situations like these, we do appreciate it.”, Clay answers for them. Rayne and Jayce both nod.

“Very well.”, I reply.

“I’m Consort Jayce Osmond.”, Jayce says and we shake hands.

“Apep.”, I reply.

“Your Ormr’s friend, right? You know each other from before you found your mates?”, Jayce asks me.

I study him, “I met Ormr about 700 years ago.”, I answer, not wishing to continue a conversation with him.

“You trust him, Ormr?”, Jayce asks.

Ormr turns from Anavrin to Jayce, “Entirely, with all I am.”, Ormr answers. “Apep can be…”, pausing to study me before continuing, “temperamental, but he is honorable, loyal, and honest. Should you ever doubt his intent, just ask for his word.”

Rayne and Jayce nod. I return my attention to Ilayda speaking with the other 2 women, I hear Clay telling them about my oath and questioning prisoners tomorrow. “I’m Mother Tania, this is Mother Kara.", the pretty blonde says. She reaches for my hand, I pull back away from her before she can touch me. Her mate is right there, conniving woman! Why is she trying to touch me?

Ormr chuckles, “Lycan are not offended by you touching their mate’s hand, Apep.”, he tells me. She smiles brightly and Kara giggles. Ilayda is smiling at me also as she takes my forearm and pulls me back beside her. I study the 3 lycan.

“You may shake their hands, Apep. We won’t expect you to allow us to touch your mate in return.”, Clay says to me.

Tania offers her hand to me again. I accept it and shake her hand. Kara does the same. Kara smiles when I take her hand, “I apologize for laughing Apep, it was just the look you gave. It’s nice to see you again.”, she says, her voice light and happy.

“You as well, young Mother.”, I reply. Ormr pats my shoulder.

“We are going to eat, do you want to come with us?”, he asks the lycan and their mates. They all agree to come with us and Ormr turns to me, “We will fly over to the main house and wait for them.”, before picking up Anavrin. I shift and scoop up my tiny mate.

“What do you think?”, she asks once we are in flight.

“About your friends?”, I ask.

She smiles, “About them, the coven, being here?”, she asks. I think it over.

“It’s different, feels strange. Ormr has done it for a while now, I’m sure I can. I’ve heard that lycan are not much different than dragonian. Do you live at the main house?”, I ask, truly hoping the answer is no. I do not think I can handle living with that many other men, especially lycan.

“No, I have a cabin further out. Not far from Ormr and Anavrin.”, she giggles, “The dread in your voice had me consider saying yes just to see your reaction.”

I study her as we land and I drop the concealment and lower her to the ground. “I would’ve accepted it. It would’ve been very difficult, so I’m relieved the answer is no.”, I reply honestly after I shift.

“Apep…”, she says hesitantly.

I tilt my head and study her, “What is it, Aziza?”, I ask, prompting her to finish whatever it is she wants to tell me.

“What if I want to be with Donovan?”, she asks me. I search her nervous face, “Then I will allow it, but he will never touch you.”, I reply, recalling the conversation with Ormr. I will not hurt her.

“Stalker, how am I to be with someone I cannot touch or be touched by?”, she asks annoyed.

“Some treasures are not meant to be touched, Aziza. He will not touch you.”, I reply softly.

“You touch me, Apep.”, she argues back.

“Not without your permission, little one. I’ve given my word.”, I reply. She starts to argue, but the others pull up in the truck and hop out. We all walk down to the diner.

“What is Aziza, stalker?”, she asks me as we walk.

“Ormr, what is Aziza in her tongue?”, I call ahead of us.

Ormr glances back, “Precious one.”, he answers.

I return my gaze to her. “There you have it.”, I tell her.

She half smiles, “Your most precious?”, she asks.

“Without question.”, I reply simply.

“You’d give up anything, collect whatever I ask for, stalker?”, she asks me teasingly.

“There is little I would deny you, Aziza.”, I tell her honestly. She studies me as I hold the door for her, then passes through and has a seat at one of the tables. I sit beside her, Ormr sits with Anavrin across from us.

We order and my mate asks, “Where are all the kids?”

Kara responds, “They’re with the Elders.” She nods.

Ormr speaks to me in Draconic, “The twins are the 1st Mother's sons. The other boy is the 2nd Mother's son. They each just had a daughter as well. There are also lycan warriors that come to train here. They’ll probably wish to spar with you.”

I feel my mate watching me as I reply between bites, “I do not wish to play games with lycan warrior pups, Ormr. Where do I opt out?” Ormr chuckles and smirks at me while he finishes chewing. His laugh has attracted the others attention. I take a drink waiting.

“There is no opting out. You must tolerate both their existence and endless ramblings.”, he replies, smirking at me.

He can’t be serious, he is joking. “Do you find yourself funny, Ormr?”, I ask him before taking another bite.

“I am quite entertaining, though that is not my intention currently. I am serious, Apep. These people are very important to your mate. Suck it up, big baby.”, Ormr replies before continuing his meal. I throw my napkin at Ormr while I finish my drink. He laughs at me, he is very amused by the thought of me socializing with all of these people. He has always been the more social between us.

My mate touches my arm and I immediately disregard Ormr’s antics. “What are you talking about?”, she asks me.

I know the others are listening as well, but I don’t really care. Draconic is our 1st language, we are most comfortable with it and we use it whenever possible. “Ormr finds my discomfort with social engagements to be amusing, little one. He is enjoying prodding me.”, I tell her. She smiles and glances toward Ormr.

“Apep is not familiar with group meals or activities, Ilayda. He’ll get used to it with time.”, Ormr tells her. She nods and continues eating.

“Apep, I assume you intend on hunting cells with them in the future?”, Tania asks.

I look over at her, “I will hunt whatever Ilayda wishes.”, I reply honestly. I look to Anavrin, “This changes nothing, I will fulfil my debt.”

Anavrin’s confused face changes to a large grin, “I appreciate that, Apep.” Ormr smiles happily at her and caresses her cheek. Tania and Kara smile at them.

“We can’t gauge your power well, but you and Ormr seem quite similar. Is that accurate?”, Clay asks.

I shift my focus to him, “Ormr and I are of the same caliber, yes.”, I reply simply.

“Why can’t we distinguish your power from the his?”, Rayne asks.

I tilt my head and study him, “The power within you is elemental. It only acknowledges ours as absorbent. You’re unable to make any further distinction because all your power picks up on is the threat we are to it. Other shifters cannot separate us because they don’t have the power to do so. Anavrin can distinguish between dragonian, as her power is not threatened by ours. Ilayda can tell if it is Ormr, as she is bound to him. She cannot differentiate between others though.”, I attempt to explain it as best I can.

“I’ve met dragonian less powerful than you both. Are you Elites of some kind or how does that work?”, Jayce asks as everyone is finishing up eating.

“We do not have factions, there are no Elite titles. He is most often known as Ormr the Executioner. I’ve been given multiple names.”, I answer.

Ormr continues, “Apep is known as ‘The Annihilator’, due to his poor temper; ‘The Embodiment of Chaos’, due to his affinity for observing the downfall of hierarchies. He may have assisted in little ways to further the story, but he was mostly an observer. I went through several centuries hunting creatures wanted by hierarchies of their species, that is how I earned my name.”

Clay speaks, “That is how you know me? Here observing?”, he asks me.

I look at him, “The first time I crossed you was when you were an Enforcer. You were hunting a dragonian by the name of… what was that dragon’s name, Ormr? The one that was always peddling things robbed from mausoleums.”

Ormr tilts his head and hums softly, “Burkon.”, Ormr replies after a moment.

“Yes, Burkon. You came through a small town outside of Healtview. The thought of a couple lycan wolves hunting a dragon amused me greatly, so I followed. I left you hints to assist you in finding him because I really wanted to see what would happen if you did. To my surprise, you were not eaten.”, I chuckle at the memory and Ormr does as well.

Clay nods, “We found odd notes and trinkets in places he had recently been.”, Clay replies and I smile.

“I didn’t see you again for many centuries. A story of a coven Mother with 2 lycan wolf mates reached me. 1 mate was suffering an identity crisis and thought he was a pack Alpha. The other was the Head Councilman of Wolves. I came to check it out, and the Alpha offered me gold and gems to kill the Head and 2 Enforcers, you 3, and bring him the Mother. I came to Black Hearthstone to investigate and name my price. I found Ormr. He asked that I leave without question, turning down the gold and gems, promising to act without question at my request in the future.” Clay looks to Ormr.

“You’ve told us you sent him away, that is the debt you carry. You’ve never said why, that seems pertinent now.”, Kara suggests.

Ormr replies, “I did not know for sure whether or not Apep would kill you 3, but I knew he was capable. The others sent were not. I had just learned of Anavrin and I didn’t want him interfering with my finding her. Telling him you knew where she was… did not seem wise.” Rayne and Jayce shake their heads.

“Why unwise?”, Tania asks.

I can tell Ormr doesn’t want to say anything bad about me to them. I appreciate it, but it unnecessary, “Because I would’ve torn your coven apart until she was produced.”, I answer simply.

Tania studies me, sitting back in her seat. “You’re an interesting breed, Apep. Your kind is not usually so confrontational.”

I tilt my head, “How many dragons have you known, Mother?”

She laughs, “Not nearly enough, Apep."

“I understand your interest in stories now, Ormr. Could you imagine how it would’ve changed if Apep had taken me instead?”, Kara asks before continuing, “Ormr may have found Anavrin, but she wouldn’t have been living here. He wouldn’t have been there to save Ilayda because Anavrin wouldn’t have been here to seek the girls in the woods. Apep would’ve lost his mate before he had even found her because no one would’ve been aware of the cells in North Rock.”

I study Ilayda’s beautiful face, she looks up at me, “Do you believe in fate?”, she asks me.

I smile at her, “I do, little one. I’m thankful she chose Ormr to make that request of me so I wouldn’t ruin her plan.”, I answer, cupping her face and running my thumb up her jawline.

“Do you believe you’re fated to belong to me?”, she asks softly.

I tilt my head, “Do you, Aziza?”, I ask her. Her heart rate increases momentarily before she controls it.

Her gaze falls to my mouth before returning to my eyes. “I’m not sure.”, she replies slowly.

Ilayda’s POV

The waitress comes back, collecting plates. I was thinking about kissing him, what is wrong with me?

“They’ll bill it to the main house.”, Clay says as he stands. We all walk out of the diner, Ormr and Anavrin live down the same trail I take home. We walk together while the others return to the main house. Ormr starts talking to Apep in Draconic and I turn to Anavrin, “Will they always do that?”, I ask.

She smiles, “He is your mate, Ilayda. If you ask him what they are saying, he will tell you.”, she replies.

I nod and we discuss the women Clay is having returned home. I really want to ask her about their taste for blood, do dragons bite their mates? Does it hurt? Not in front of Ormr and Apep though. We separate at the ‘y’ in the trail, we go right. My cabin sits further back. He follows me up to the door, I unlock it and let him in. I need to call Donovan. If he hasn’t tried to come here yet, he will in the morning.

I show Apep around and he easily adds a room as Ormr originally conjured the cabin for me.