The Alpha's Dragon

Nathaniel I trained harder than usual this morning. The sun wasn't up yet but I noticed recently I wanted to push myself farther and farther. My alpha ceremony was happening in a couple of months and even without a Luna, I want my people to have a strong leader. I could feel myself getting stronger every day, and the unmated females of the kingdom were noticing. Often I would find a flock of young women watching me as I ran through the woods shirtless. It was often too hot to run with my torso covered. You're slow today, my wolf Kane thought to me. I'm not slow, I'm just distracted! A strong Alpha should not be distracted by other women. They are not our mates. let me out if you're going to be foolish. I will let you out but not because I agree with you, but because you need to pick up your pace too! I quickly undid my pants as I ran. I didn't want to have to replace another pair of pants because Kane couldn't wait a minute to shift. As soon as my pants fell to the ground I felt myself lunge forward, the sound of breaking bones echoing in my ears. He looked to the side between the trees and there they were. The flock of spectators. Why they were up so early I would never know. Kane's paws pounded the ground and we ran farther and farther from our home, weaving between the trees. I could feel his excitement as we moved like a ghost through the forest. I wasn't sure how far he'd gone, but we ran until we were exhausted. We slowly jogged back to where my pants were, and Kane took them gently in his mouth. We finished our run in the woods right outside the palace doors so I could shift back and be somewhat decent before returning inside. I could feel the desperate gaze of the flock as they watched me walk inside. I was so tired I didn't even want to take a bath. The bathtub in my bathroom was full, the omegas refilled it every night and a rune on the rim kept the water warm. I dipped a washcloth in the water and wiped myself down. The warm water felt good on my skin. After a few minutes I looked out the window and it was still dark out, so I decided to lay down again and sleep until regular training at dawn with the rest of the pack. I was barely asleep when I awoke to the sound of my sister pounding down my door. I looked out the window and let out a sigh. The sun wasn't up yet. It was way too early for her nonsense, and I was not in the mood. "Nate!" she screamed "get up! You're supposed to be in the carriage by now! You have a meeting with the Southern Dragons!" I jumped at her words. I had forgotten all about the meeting. How could I have forgotten the meeting? Going to the Dragon's kingdom was never easy, but I've always looked forward to it. They preferred to live as far from the human kingdoms as possible, as humans had a bad habit of targeting them for war. I ran around the room looking for a plain shirt and a decent pair of pants. My nice boots had been stained by mud from the week of rain. After dressing, I flung the door open and nearly ran my sister over I was in such a rush. "Brother!" she cried as I pushed her out of the way. She didn't understand. I had to go back to the Dragon's kingdom. I had to see her again. ---------------------------------------- Drakania I sat on the edge of a cliff looking over Dragon Tail Rift. The sun had yet to rise over the Southern Dragon Kingdom. I looked down at the small dragon carving I had been working on since I awoke. I let the songs of the birds surround me, calming my emotions. As the first rays of the sun peaked over the horizon, I buried a knife deep in my palm next to the dragon figure, my grip tightening as I said a small prayer. I stood and held my dripping hand over the cliff, releasing the figure. The wood burned like a fallen star into the space. "Your morning prayers are always beautiful, Drakania," said a voice behind me. "And the beauty is always broken by duty." I could not suppress my sigh, my gaze fixed on the valley below. "Today your duty is to prepare for the meeting with Alpha Peter and his son," offered the man. Another sigh. I wanted to spend the day practicing my blood magic. I took a step back from the edge and held out my hand. "As exciting as meetings are, I fear it's more of an excuse for my mother to involve me in politics than it is for my benefit." The man took my hand and wrapped it in black cloth with ancient Draconic sewn into the edges. "Have you decided who will join you this year? To the midsummer festival? It's only a few days away." I rolled my eyes. "Newt, don't be ridiculous. You know you're the only Whelp I would have accompanied me. After all, who else is going to help me collect blood for my training? And haven't you already packed?" Newt's head perked up. "A good servant is always prepared, yes?" We laughed, breaking the tension of a serious conversation. "I know you'd rather take him though." His gaze dropped down to the valley. "Come now, do not put yourself down. He is not mine to ask, you know that." I slipped my hand away from his grasp."We should go before my siblings' wake and eat everything." "At least we know Ember will be asleep," mused Newt, his dark curly hair bouncing as he perked up. He pulled a glass jar out of his satchel and gently placed the blood-soaked cloth inside. I inspected the deep wound in my hand as we walked back to the palace. "You do know you don't have to cut so deep, right?" "I know, it was an accident. I'm still training and the pressure of the blade is something I am still working on. It's one of my weak points." There was still some blood dripping from my palm, so I pressed my thumb against the mark to try to get it to stop. I could see the kitchen entrance from where we were. "You're so stubborn! Just let me dress it!" growled Newt. I sighed and held my hand out again. He produced a plain linen cloth and wrapped my hand tightly. As we walked through the busy kitchen, I saw the cooks hard at work rushing dishes out to the dining hall. I snatched a red apple off one of the plates with my uninjured hand and bit into it. "Just because you're good at stealing things doesn't mean you should" scolded Newt. I held the apple out to him to offer him a bite. "I need to eat something, I'm hungry!" I said with my mouth full. He pushed my hand away. "I will eat with the other servants, thank you." We pushed through the busy traffic and into the equally busy dining hall. The sounds of different conversations bounced around the open room. The Queen opened up the dining hall to all her subjects, and many of them came every morning for the wonderful food from the kitchen. My siblings were already seated at our table, stuffing their faces with eggs and roasted chicken. I watched my older brother, Landon, grab food off of one of my other brother's plates. I couldn't resist the opening and threw the core of my apple at him. His lime green eyes stood against his olive skin. His short brown hair was a bit of a mess, and I could not wait to make it worse. "You can't eat everything you pig!" He responded to my taunt by throwing a thoroughly gnawed bone at my face. "Careful of who you call a pig, sister, or you will be rolling in the mud!" Thus began the food fight between me and my five siblings. Even Alcyone, the youngest and arguably snobbiest of us, joined in. The servants and villagers who ate in the hall stared at us with questionable glances but were careful not to say anything or be caught glaring. We were the children of Serpenta, the slaughter Queen, and though none of us was the heir to her blood-soaked throne, she was still quite protective of her children. The food fight ended with Landon, who was now covered in food and gravy-soaked clothes, yelling "I yield! I yield!" "Landon, brother, you always yield to Drakania!" laughed Pyro, the eldest brother. "That's because he's wise enough to know Drakania is too stubborn to quit," Alcyone growled as she wiped the egg off her black dress, her yellow opal eyes staring me down with an accusatory look. "You're so serious all the time, Cy! You're still young, enjoy it!" I protested, grabbing another apple from the table and taking a huge bite. "Drake, are you not supposed to be teaching the young ones today?" asked Onyx. He was the youngest of her brothers, and he looked considerably unique. I love that about him. His dark brown hair and dark bronze skin were so different from her and her other siblings. It is rumored that he is the son of Roque, our mother's servant, but since the pairing produced a son and not a daughter, Roque was not promoted into the harem. Or he declined the promotion. Either way, I had to run off and go teach the children of the village today about the traditions of our people, but how was I supposed to focus knowing Alpha Peter and his son were coming? ------------------------------- Thorn My’s master’s body lay strewn across the exhausted bodies of her harem. Her naked chest rose and fell and she nestled her head against a sleeping partner. The men beneath her were covered in deep marks, some covered in splashes of dried blood as they slept. I crept across the room and pulled back the curtains, revealing the first rays of the day. “Good morning, Ember,” I said, smirking as the light hit her face. The men began to stir as I walked over to her armoire to find her clothes for the day. It was my job to make sure she dressed appropriately for the meeting today. Ember let out a roar in anger and rolled over, digging her claw-like fingers into one of her partners' flesh as she stretched. I watched as Echo winced in pain, but was careful not to say anything. The Heir was known for liking the screams of torture in bed. “And for what purpose, dear Thorn, are you waking me?” she mumbled, refusing to awaken and open her eyes in the light. “For entertainment, my dear Ember.” I set her clothes out neatly on a bench beneath the window. Her head snapped in his direction, her amber eyes glaring in anger as she hissed at him. “Tell me you did not wake me simply for the pleasure of annoying me.” Finch, the eldest member of Ember’s harem, attempted to stifle his laughter with a snort. “Careful my Heir, you’ll cause poor Finch to choke on his spit!” laughed Thorn. The other men smiled at Thorn’s comment. “Reasons, Thorn, or you’ll be choking next,” growled the Dragonborn heir. Her amber eyes burned through me like an arrow on fire. She was undoubtedly intimidating and incredibly fierce. As she stood to approach me, I noticed more splashes of dried blood on her torso and thigh. “You have a meeting today with Alpha Peter and his son to help plan the festival,” I said quickly. Just as she reached me, her fingertips just barely grazed the side of my neck. Her lips twisted into a smirk and she whispered to me. “You’re lucky I have someplace to be.” She glided across the floor to her armoire and pulled out furs and leather to wear for the day, completely ignoring what I had already pulled out for her. “Who will be joining you this year, my Heir?” asked Peka, sitting up on the end of the bed. He was the second man to enter Ember’s harem, but he often received the brunt of her dominance. He had more scars on him than any other member. Ember turned slowly and walked to him, wrapping her fingers around his light olive chin. She spoke to him in a soft, hypnotic tone. “Are you volunteering, my dear Peka?” Her eyes locked with his and he became frozen. Her lips hovering so close to his I could see how tempted the man was to kiss her. She was inarguably alluring. Her gold and red hair looked like fire tumbling in waves around her face and down the front of her chest. Her light-skinned body was barely touched, save for her bonding mark on her upper right shoulder. The tattoo was a simple profile of a dragon’s head bearing his fangs. “My Heir, may I wash the blood off of you before you dress for the day?” Founder had only entered the harem a few years ago, but quickly earned Ember’s favor by anticipating her needs. He was already wearing his trousers, and he kneeled before Ember with wet cloth in hand, his soft blue eyes looking up at her. “You may prepare me for the day as you wish, Founder. It is an important day for me, so be sure not to miss anything.” She released Peka from her grasp and watched Founder gently wipe the blood away from her skin. Her fingers wove through his dark hair, pulling and releasing with each touch of the cold rag to her skin. As the two shared quite an intimate moment, the other members of the harem, Finch, Peka, Echo, and the new member, Gladdius, dressed and began to clean the room. I just watched. My job was to dress her, their job was to clean. “I do not think the Wolves are such important allies that I need to impress them.” Ember wrinkled her nose at the thought as I helped her dress. The men in her harem crept quietly around the room, attempting to make it look tidy again. “That may be so, but try not to make that face around them. They may not find it so appealing. And, as long as your mother is Queen, and she finds them important, we will stay on good terms with them,” I walked over to a cabinet attached to the wall, and removed a velvet box from inside. At the sight of the box, the other men in the room lined themselves up by the door in order of their hierarchy in the harem. I opened the box and carefully removed the circlet inside. It was a beautiful design, made of white gold and adorned with a sunstone. He placed it gently on Ember’s head and bowed to her. “You look stunning, my Heir.” She stood and turned to face me and the harem. “What do you think, men, do I look good enough to impress a Werewolf?” They nodded, saying that she looked as beautiful as the first rays of the sun. And they were not wrong. With my help, her beauty was surely unmatched. Her shirt was made of a thin navy cloth that flowed to her knees, its color fading towards the lower hem. The design embroidered on her shirt was faint, but it depicted her family’s crest. The sleeves covering her arms were also less restrictive and inconspicuous, as the fabric was nearly see-through. They were detailed to match her own dragon scales and made the impression that she was mid-transformation. Her plain leather pants were so tight against her skin it would make men drool as they watched her walk by. Her icy gaze fell back on me. “I do not understand why I must impress them.” I shook my head. “If they are impressed with you, they will respect you. As you know, they do not typically respect women.” “Then I will make him respect me. Where is my sword?” she growled. The oldest man in the harem, Finch, quickly presented her with her sword, bowing as he did so. She snatched the sword from him and attached it to her belt. “Men, you are dismissed for the day,” she said with a flick of her hand. They nodded and moved swiftly out the door. Ember watched them from behind with hunger in her eyes. “You know they are only here for your pleasure. You can keep them here if you so desire,” I said, noticing the change in her gaze. She huffed as we started walking down the hall in the other direction. “You know I try my best to treat men with respect. Even if I am a bit rough with them. They have their jobs to do. I do not want them to be late for wherever it is they go when I finish with them.” I scoffed. “It is admirable to see a woman of your status try and respect men. Maybe when you are queen, men can learn other tasks than just farming and sewing and cooking.” “Why, of course!” she smiled “I would love to teach men how to do things like pleasure a woman!” I stopped and stared at her, holding his hand to his chest, pretending to be offended by her comment. “My heir, do you mean to tell me that you found your company unpleasable last night!” I gasped. “Oh dear servant, how did you find these men! They are too small and weak to give me any kind of real pleasure! I demand you find me new company at once!” We laughed together. “But in all seriousness, we do need to discuss one of those companions. The new one, with the bronze skin. What was his name?” “Gladius.” “He is my favorite that you have found so far. He is young and needs to be trained, but he has strength in his fingertips that the others lack.” She sighed with the thought of his long fingertips tracing her body. I remember when the two met for the first time, how her body quivered when he entered her, his bronze hands grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him as he thrust deep inside of her, making her scream with delight. I noticed the look of pleasure on her face. “Would you like me to reward him for a good first night?” Her smile vanished quickly. “No.” She shook her head. “Best not to show favorites. Perhaps his fun was just beginner’s luck.” We turned into the dining hall where breakfast was waiting for Ember. Bowls of eggs and meat were placed along the table, the bowls were mostly empty. I glanced around the room, admiring the stone pillars that held her family’s flag. The light came in from a stained glass window close to the ceiling on the other end of the hall. It depicted the goddess of the sun, Solara, the dragon mother. Her arms open, spreading the rays of the sun throughout the room. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her pale face. “Seems your mother and siblings beat you to breakfast,” I said, though that was to be expected. Ember rolled her eyes. “When don’t they? The whole town beats me to breakfast. And then it's cold and they only leave scraps of it for me, if that.” I couldn't stifle my laugh. “Would you like me to send it back to the kitchen and have the boys make you something new?” Ember gave him an angry glare. “It's fine. We have other things to do than just eat.” She sat at her place at the table, to the right of the head, and grabbed a leg of chicken. “Tell me more about Gladius before we have to discuss these Wolves.” She dug her teeth deep into the meat and ripped it off the bone with ease as she pulled it away from her. I quickly tried to search my memory for facts about the young man. “He is training to be a guardian,” said I, watching her devour the food around her. Dragonborn, though noble, were not known for their table manners. My master was no exception. “He so far is quite high in his training class. He’s no woman, but he’s doing very well. Though he is one of the strongest in the group, he has difficulty with flexibility.” “And his birth class?” she asked, wiping the food off her face. “He is the son of Gatarra, one of the Knights of the court.” Ember looked at me with her eyebrow raised. “I know of Gatarra. She is a nice woman. I didn’t know she had a son. I thought she only had her daughter. What was it? Gildra?” she said, pushing the empty bowls away. “Well, you know many women are ashamed when they have a male child.” I had to look away from her. Even though the words were mine, they stung. Ember’s twisted face softened. She rose from her seat and reached for me. “Thorn, I’m sorry. I forget my place sometimes. How is your brother?” “Things are getting worse. The last time I saw him there were deep scars on his back and arms. You know he does his best, but,” my voice trailed off. Marks on the chest of a Whelp were considered badges of honor, usually only received when one pleases their mate. Marks on the back were signs of disappointment or made out of rage and punishment. Deep scars meant not just the first layer of flesh was ripped, but deeper layers as well, usually resulting in unimaginable pain. And because he was a male, he was not allowed to see a physician unless his wife permitted him. Rarely was my brother granted such a privilege. “If things are really that bad, bring him here. He can be part of the harem until we can find a better place for him. He can even serve me as you do. He will be safe here under my care, you know that.” Ember stroked my arm gently. “Thank you, Ember. I will try to get him here if I can. His wife would not let him go easily, if ever.” I was careful not to let Ember see how twisted my face was in anger. How could my brother's wife treat him with such hate? He did nothing but love his wife. Every time I brought her up, he defended her. “Thorn, you have access to my paper and my seal. Compose a letter from me to her saying I’ve heard of your brother’s talent and I would like to consider him a part of my harem or servant. Do this today and I will sign it tonight. You have my word.” My face unwound from its twisted state and morphed into concern. “What about his son? Who will raise him if he is here?” My brother's son was only five years old. He couldn't fend for himself on his own. “We will find someone here to raise him. We have plenty of servants here, some of whom helped raise me and my siblings. I am sure that will not be a problem.” I gently removed her hand from my arm and looked at the empty wall as my body stiffened. I dare not look her in the eyes. “Thank you for your kindness, my Heir, but do not forget your place. And mine. You could get in trouble for doing such things.” Ember opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by the dining room door being swung open with uncontained force. “My Heir, come quick, Wolves are approaching the front gates!” cried a guard.