The Alpha's Dragon

Chapter Two

Nathaniel

    I always forget how absolutely stunning the Southern Dragon Kingdom is. The road between their land and ours is covered by deep woods, lined with flowering trees. We have to be careful the horses don’t try to eat them however, they were extremely poisonous. It was the perfect analogy for the Dragonborn's themselves. Beautiful and incredibly deadly. 

    “Son, I need to talk to you about something,” Said my father. I knew something was wrong when I got in the carriage this morning. We had taken two, which was unusual at first, and then to have Beta Lawrence and his wife in the other with a couple of guards was strange. 

    I rolled my eyes. “If you’re going to warn me not to talk to her, don’t worry. I will be respectful and polite. I would never compromise our relations with the Dragonborn.” I hated everything about this trip. Not because I hated the Dragonborn. But because one of them was my mate.

--flashback--

    It was the night before my eighteenth birthday. Everyone was so happy at the party. I was hoping once I turned eighteen at midnight my mate would be someone here. My parents had met on my father’s eighteenth birthday, and it was a fairytale story both my sister and I fantasized about. Nivia, my sister, and her friends were in charge of planning the event. Since my mom died, she sort of took over the duties of Luna. The party itself was perfect, she even invited some of our allies from neighboring packs, and the Southern Dragonborn's. The Dragonborn's were always showing off, especially their Heir. She was stunning don’t get me wrong, but it always rubbed me the wrong way the way she always had a couple of her man-whores around. Her sister, however, was friends with my father. She would come to the pack from time to time to deliver supplies. She was nice enough, but she was quiet and she never stayed long. And she had such a way of annoying me.

    “Excuse me, little Alpha, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time,” a woman’s voice shook my thoughts. I turned to see Drakania, the second child of the Dragonborn's. There was something different about her tonight. Her light brown hair was softly braided behind her back. Her amethyst eyes looked at me with curiosity and question. Her lips were painted with a deep red lipstick that looked like blood. The dress she wore was a forest green color, detailed with scales. Something pulled me close to her. I felt lost in her eyes. "Little Alpha?” she asked again.

    “Yes, Drakania, how can I help you?” I tried to smile politely. This feeling made me feel so uncomfortable. She held out her hands and revealed a small blue box.

    “I know this isn’t much, my family brought you a much larger gift, but I wanted to give you something personally.” She looked so sweet. I took the box and opened it. It was a silver wolf pendant on a black rope chain. “I made it with my magic, it’s a protection charm. I know it’s made of silver but it won’t hurt you. In case of danger, the magic in the pendant will cast a protection spell. I know silver is dangerous to Wolves, but it's the only metal that can contain the spell.”

    I stood there staring at the charm like a jerk, saying nothing. I was touched that she was so kind. Her mother and her sister were known for being cold and heartless, and I always expected she would be no different. I must have taken too long to respond because when I looked up to thank her she was already gone. I put the necklace around my neck just as my father made an announcement.

    “Everyone! If you could gather around, it is almost midnight!” my father called. He stood at the center of the table at the head of the dining hall. I knew that was my cue to go sit beside him. As I walked I could see a lot of the unmated females trying to catch my attention. My mother was very very adamant about me not dating until I turned eighteen, but some of these girls were so attractive I almost didn’t want to wait. And many of these girls were more than willing to spend the night with me. But I couldn’t get the image of Drakania out of my head. For years I saw her only as my dad’s annoying friend. Why was I thinking about her now?

    “Are you ready, Nathaniel?” My sister crept up behind me and spooked me as I sat down. 

    “Wait until you turn eighteen and I get to tease you Nivian!” I hissed back at her. An Omega brought us dinner, a piece of the beautiful steak feast, and a glass of wine.

    “If you two are quite finished?” My father mused. “It’s nearly midnight, please be seated,” He called to the crowd. Everyone moved to find their seats in the hall. I found myself looking for Drakania. As the guest took their seats, the conversations began again and echoed through the hall.

    “Do you think that you’ll find your mate tonight?” whispered Nivian. 

    “I pray to the moon goddess I do. And if not, I have a lot of options for the night. Either way, I’m getting lucky tonight!” I laughed at her face. It was all twisted with disgust.

    “You’re such a brat!” She shouted, smacking my arm. 

    “Nivian!” My father scolded. 

    I could feel the power in me growing. So this is the power of a werewolf. This is the power of my pack. My sense of smell and hearing was becoming more and more sensitive. I always had heightened senses, as a werewolf, but suddenly I couldn’t just hear the whole room, but I could pick out conversations as well. The food and drinks scattered throughout the room began to smell even stronger. But there was one smell that overpowered everything. The smell of apple cider was so delicious I could not stop my mouth from watering. 

    “Nivian, I didn’t realize you got cider for the party. I would have preferred that over this wine.” I said to her, taking a sip of my drink. It was a deep red wine, and I was never a fan of wine in the first place. Really my favorite thing to drink was the cider the Dragonborns made. There was something in the way they made it that tasted addictive.

    “Brother, there is no cider, remember? You said you wanted to have steak and I told you that it goes best with wine and you said ok! We couldn’t afford cider for the whole pack, plus all of our allies!” whispered Nivian in a hissed tone. I was shocked. What was this smell?

            Mate screamed a voice in my head.

            Wolf?

            Not wolf. My name is Kane. and that smell is our mate!

            Kane, our mate is here?

            Yes! And I want her!

            Be patient Kane! We cannot ambush someone here! What if she is part of another pack? I could start a war if I touch the wrong girl!

            I don’t want to be patient. She is here. I want her as badly as you do. Please, find her quickly.

    “You seem lost, Nathaniel,” my father broke the conversation between me and my wolf. It was strange to think I now shared a mind with another, but it was comforting knowing that I was now a full-on werewolf. 

    “I just met Kane, my wolf,” I said quietly.

    “That’s wonderful! Axel and I cannot wait to be acquainted!” shouted my father joyously. Obviously, he’s had too much wine. I scowled at him and then I was hit with another wave of apple cider. I look up and see Ember and Drakania approaching me. Suddenly it was like there was no one else in the world but her. I saw her a few minutes ago, how is it that she could be more stunning than before? I tried not to look at her with pain in my eyes. This was going to be difficult.

        Mate whimpered Kane.

    “Thank you for your party, future Alpha. I must be taking my leave, it is well past midnight and I hate to be away from the kingdom for so long. Drakania was wondering if she could stay the night and leave at dawn? She would like to see your first run as a wolf in the morning.” Ember said, addressing me. I forgot that in formal gatherings like this only Ember was allowed to address other members with a title. Not a pack rule, a Dragonborn rule.

    I looked at my father and his eyes widened. He knew right away the look on my face, but he needed to be professional. “Of course, Drakania is always welcome here! She and your family are valued friends and allies of our pack. As you know Ember, she is here often, we even have a room reserved for her when she stays. Does she have everything she needs to stay the night?” he said with such a smile. Does she have everything she needs? What could he mean by that?

    “Of course. Thank you again for inviting us, I really do appreciate it.” she smiled. Her smile was too real and it seemed fake. But Drakania’s was real. She was always genuine, her tone, her smile. The way her eyes lit up with excitement. The sisters bowed their heads and left the hall. 

    “Are we going to talk about this?” my father said sternly.I rubbed my hands against my head. This is not how I thought this night would go. 

    “How could it be her? Of all the people in the world. A Dragonborn? Why does the moon goddess hate me!” I mumbled. I had to be careful. If anyone heard me it could cause trouble in the pack. Some of the pack members were not the greatest fans of the Dragonborns. They were known for the way they raised their children for war. They were excellent farmers, but terrifying on the battlefield. And Queen Serpenta was the worst of them. She was called the slaughter queen. But as long as they were our allies, they were friendly. 

    “Son, this is a problem. Dragonborn, they’re not like us. They don’t feel a mate bond like we do. They have harems. And Ember, she’s already got a harem. She’s got three or four whelps to her name already and I doubt she will give up her men and her title for you. You need to reject her move on. I’m sorry, Nathaniel.” He looked at me with broken eyes. He always talked about how wonderful the mate bond was, and I could see it hurt him thinking my bond was with Ember.

    “It's not Ember. It’s her sister.” I whimpered. 

    “Well, that’s better than Ember. Maybe when she comes of age you can appeal to the Queen for an arrangement, but I doubt it. You may just have to let her go.” 

        NO! She’s MINE!

        You hear my dad, we may not have a choice.

        You won’t even fight for her. What kind of weak Alpha will you be?

    “I will not let her go,” I growled. My father looked at me with shock. I had never growled at him before. “I will fight for her.”

---- End Flashback--- 

    I rolled the pendant she gave me between my index finger and my thumb, waiting for my father to say something. 

    “She’s turning 50 this year.” I perked up. Dragonborns, like vampires and mages and whelps, have a long lifespan, meaning her coming of age was a bit later in life than others. At 50, she was considered eligible for dating, and in her case, a harem.

    “What does that mean for me? Can I tell her?” I wanted to shout with joy. It’s been two years of agony without her. Yes she still came to the pack, but I always found a reason not to spend much time with her. Her smell was overwhelming. Everytime she was around me I just wanted to mark her, and I could tell Kane wanted her too. I tried dating a few girls but none could compare to my true mate. 

    “Slow down son. She’s still a Dragonborn. I would talk to her today after our meeting and ask her what she wants then. Men in her kingdom are not allowed to ask for a woman’s hand, and mates are not something they are raised to believe in. 

    “But you’re saying there’s a chance she might be open to talking?” I asked slowly. I could feel Kane racing in my mind. He was as excited as I was. 

    “A small one, if any.” He confirmed exactly what I wanted to hear. He confirmed that all my hoping and waiting was worth it. “I will tell the Queen that you wish to learn more about her kind and you wanted to speak to Drakania since you’re most comfortable with her. Hopefully that will give you the time you need to tell her the truth.” 

    My mind raced trying to think of what I should tell her. Being straight forward may make me come on too strong. But Dragonborn women like strong men, right? Maybe I should impress her with intelligence rather than brute strength. She did enjoy studying everything she could get her hands on. 

        Be true to yourself. Our mate will love us for who we are if we are truthful to her.

        Kane, I’ve been waiting for her. It feels like all my life. What if I say the wrong thing? What if she rejects me? 

        You are an ALPHA! Yes I want her too but it’s time you start acting like the man you are! No one wants to be mated with a sniveling runt.

    Even Kane was mad at me. Great. I would have to find a way to be courageous and tell her the truth. I was disrupted from my thoughts when the carriage suddenly stopped and my head slammed into the wall. This is why I hated traveling this way, it was so confined I felt like I could barely move. We wouldn’t usually travel in these horrible contraptions except the Dragonborns would probably shoot us on site in our wolf form. They would take it as a sign of aggression, regardless of our relationship.

    “Looks like we’re finally here,” my father said, peering out the window. I didn’t wait, I ran head first out of the carriage, straight into a man built like a rock. His dark skin and black eyes were intimidating, and if I didn’t know who he was I would probably be cowering.

    “Hello, future Alpha, I hope you had safe travels,” his voice was deep, but you could hear the genuine smile in his tone.

    “Yes, Roque, it was pleasant. A bit early for my taste though,” I joked with him. He laughed, slapping me on the shoulder as he did so.

    “Oh, Alpha Peter, you must have your hands full with this one!” He smiled. Our Betas Gerard and Robin exited their carriage and stood with us.

    “Is Nathaniel causing problems already?” Asked Gerard, stalking up to us. He was dressed formally in light blue, his scruffy brown hair was cut short. His wife, Robin wore a dress the same color as his shirt, her auburn hair fell just past her shoulders. 

    “No sir, just us men joking around!” Roque winked at me. It was nice to hear him call me a man. More often than not, here I was referred to as future alpha or little alpha. Many of them have known me since I was born, Roque included. 

    We followed him inside the castle to the meeting room, catching up as we walked. Roque mentioned something about Alcyone becoming more powerful, but I didn’t get the chance to ask him about it before we reached the chamber.

    “Welcome Alpha Peter, Beta Gerard, it’s so wonderful for you to come! I trust your journey was well!” Queen Serpenta rose from the head of the table to greet us. Seated to her right was Ember, and to her left was Drakania and Alcyone. The table wasn’t too long and we took our respective seats, my father at the other head, Gerard to his right and Robin and I on his left. 

    Sitting this close to Ember was uncomfortable, she had a distrust of men from the outside and though she pretended to be friendly, I knew it was fake. And with Drakania so close all I could smell was apple cider. So I was left to look directly across from me, where Alcyone had an expressionless look on her face. May the moon goddess protect me from these women.

    “Thank you for inviting us, Queen Serpenta. It’s truly an honor to be invited to your lovely home,” my father said, playing nice. Truthfully we were not told the purpose of the meeting, just that we were invited to come.

    “Your flattery is appreciated Alpha Peter, but let’s skip the pleasantries and get to business. I am aware of your long journey home, and I want to ensure Robin has time to see our market, I know how much she enjoys it.” She said, her face quickly shifting from warm and friendly to cold and determined. 

    “You are the one who called us here with no information, Queen Serpenta. We came here out of respect to you and our good relationship.” My father said, chilling the room. The Queen smirked. She always appreciated my father’s ability to be blunt and polite at the same time, something that not many men here could do without risking their lives.

    “Yes, I’m aware that the lack of information could be unnerving to say the least, but know that of all the packs we are allies with, you are the closest. I’ve watched you grow into a powerful, respectful Alpha and I was close friends with your father. It is because of this relationship that I extend an invitation exclusive to your pack. As you know, my daughter turns 50 a few days after the midsummer's festival. This means she will be starting her harem. She has requested that one of these new members be a werewolf, and she wanted to extend this invitation to your pack first before looking elsewhere.” Her words struck my heart. She wanted a werewolf. Maybe this was my chance after all.

    “With all due respect Queen Serpenta, but I cannot just offer you one of my pack members because your daughter wants one. We have a mate bond, of which you are well aware. How can I send one of my inmates males into foreign territory with no hope of ever finding their mate?” My father looked angry, and I wasn’t sure if he was protecting me or his pack.

    “Oh she has no intention of keeping whomever participates away from their mate. She has suggested that if whoever volunteers does in fact find their mate, he will be released from his duties in the harem and allowed to claim his mate. He would be more than welcome to stay with our clan if he desires.” Reality began to set in. She would not be leaving her family, whoever was chosen would be living here. 

    “And how would we choose who to sacrifice to this request? And why ask in the first place?” Demanded Robin. She was the only person allowed to speak other then the Queen and my father. The rest of us were here as witnesses.

“Drakania, would you like to explain?” The Queen asked. Her children rarely spoke in front of her, only with permission. 

    “Solara has sent me a vision in my dreams. Every night for the past month I dream a man visits me in the orchard. He wears a dark cloak so I cannot see his face. The man takes an apple from the trees and hands it to me, but when I hold it in my hand it swells and becomes a wolf pup with dragon’s eyes. I’ve consulted with Necros, our head mage and he interpreted it to mean my first born will be a half-wolf half-dragon hybrid.” As Drakania spoke she stared intensely at the table. It was clearly difficult for her to explain herself, but the Dragonborn believed so deeply in their visions and their goddess that she was probably in shock she was blessed in the first place.

    “Dear, have you ever considered you may be the destined mate of a werewolf?” Asked my father. I looked at him with worry. This is not what I wanted. I wanted to be honest with her, not have her be told by my father.

    “I have, and I’ve dismissed it for a couple of reasons. The strongest argument against that claim is that I’ve been to almost every pack in the area. If I were someone’s mate, wouldn’t they have spoken up and told me? And if not, why? And the other part is that there is no recent documentation of a mate bond for Dragonborn. So even if they weren't too shy to speak up, I may never know because I don’t feel the pull like they do.” She answered, still refusing to lift her gaze.

    “And then comes the problem of proving the bond.” The Queen interjected.

    “What do you mean proving the bond?” Robin asked in her most polite voice possible. A werewolf would never be asked to prove his love to another. The mate bond is powerful, and difficult to resist.

    “Well, us Dragonborn don't feel the bond like you werewolves do. The only way to prove that there is indeed a bond is through a blood binding ceremony. Drakania would be able to perform the ceremony but if the male isn’t compatible, she could end up breaking any other bond he might have by accident.” So even if I did go through the ceremony, I may not have a second chance mate.

    “This sounds like a lot of information that we need to consider. Perhaps we can table this conversation for now and have a day or two to think about it?” Suggested my father.

    “I have no doubt you have concerns for your pack members, as I have concerns for my daughters. But I cannot deny the goddess. If she desires a dragon wolf hybrid from my daughter, then she will have it one way or another. If your pack cannot provide a male to participate in the festival, I’m afraid we will have to consider other packs.” She spoke as though there was no choice in the matter. Her daughters were the highest ranking members of their clan other than herself and yet they were all bending over backwards to please their goddess. I could not pass judgement, for I’m sure I would do the same if the moon goddess gave me a vision.

    “Before we head back, I believe Robin wanted to look around the market and Nathaniel had some questions about Dragonborn, and given the situation I think Drakania may be the best to answer them. If it is alright with you, Queen Serpenta.” The Queen nodded and rose from her seat.

    “Take all the time you need. We are friends after, and my kingdom has many things to offer. If you think of a man, or men, to participate in the festival, have a messenger inform me in three days. That will give us enough time to inform other packs that their men will be allowed to participate this year as well. It was lovely seeing you, Alpha Peter.” She and Roque left the room, followed by Ember and Alcyone. 

    “Would you like to join me on a walk?” Offered Drakania. 

    “I would love to.” I couldn’t stop my smile. Could this be my chance?