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

Chapter 2

Bonds of a Dragon

Chapter 2

Apep’s POV

I spent a couple days with Cherry. I hadn’t intended to originally, but she was the perfect combination of sweet shy girl and nymph. Even better, she was that and understood I couldn’t stay with her. She didn’t expect me to.

When I dropped her off this morning, she made me promise I would come see her again if I passed back through. I’m flying over the Brecken Forest, fully concealed, thinking about going back as soon as I’m done in bear territory, when I have a strong urge to land. I feel something calling me to it. It is so intense, I know Ormr is around here, I feel him.

Has something happened to him? I don’t have ties to any other dragon to compare this feeling to. I veer and search, switching to infrared so I can see beneath the tree canopy.

There’s something moving fast in the trees. I fly lower and land looking up in the trees to find it.

Then I see her, my heart stops and I shift. It’s my mate, she’s perched in a tree, completely still and silent, scanning the ground. She’s a tiny little pixie, short dark hair pulled up in a ponytail, leaving the bottom down against her neck, too short to be tied up. She has a sweet round face, high cheekbones, and large blue-green eyes that remind me of the ocean. Her small mouth and plump juicy lips beg to be tasted. She is wearing short tight athletic shorts and a sports bra, covering her small firm breasts and cute little rounded ass. Her body is lean and toned, her tan skin glistens in the setting sun, her sweet sun-kissed citrus scent is stronger with her sweat. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, her every move is graceful and alluring. I’ve never felt more in awe of anything in all my life. I step toward her involuntarily and kick a fallen branch. Her head jerks to me.

Ilayda's POV

I move silently through the trees of the forest, scoping out the area. I haven’t sensed anything, but this is the area tagged. We flew over head and found nothing yesterday.

We split up and have searched all day, I’m up to 5 square miles now. It will be getting dark soon. I mark where I leave and head back to camp. I hear something beneath me and I freeze, searching the ground for movement. I feel an intense power. A branch skids across the ground and my eyes lock on the sound. I sense it there, it is a strong and unusual feeling power like Ormr’s. It pushes and pulls you simultaneously, has to be dragonian. Oddly, there isn’t anything frightening about his presence.

“Show yourself dragon.”, I call to it. There is no point to hiding, he already knows where I am.

The concealment bubble fades around him, “You know me?”, he asks tilting his head at me as he walks out into the small clearing. He is absolutely breath taking. Dark curly hair down past his shoulders, an extended goatee, square jaw, his eyes are literal flames glowing with vertically slit pupils. He is tall, maybe 6’7”, thick solid muscular build, and beautiful bronzed skin. He wears a white t-shirt and jeans.

“I know dragonian, I sense your power. Why are you following me, stalker?”, I ask him, squatting low on the branch to get a better look at him. He is simply gorgeous.

“You’re my mate, little one.”, he replies.

My heart races and a chill runs through me. “What’s your name?”, I ask him.

He smiles slowly, “Apep.”, he replies.

“Apep.”, I repeat, no pulse. He gave me the name he shares freely. That name sounds very familiar, but I can’t place it. “Nope, not mates, didn’t feel it. You may leave now, stalker.”, I say to him as I stand, taking off quickly through the trees. I know he can track me with his infrared sight, but I’m hoping to get enough distance between us that he loses me. I frequently change direction, but I feel him not far behind me. He isn’t going to let up. I stop and wait for him, squatting low in the trees.

Why does that name sound so familiar… Ormr’s friend that is helping find Anavrin’s mother... Is this that dragon? I didn’t meet him 3 years ago when he came to see them, I was on perimeter run.

He walks toward me, watching me closely as he stops beneath me about 20 feet back from where I squat. He tilts his head, “Come down, Aziza, or I will come up.”, he calls up to me. I can’t run, I have zero doubt he will catch me.

Dragons are negotiators. If he is anything like Ormr has claimed dragonian are, he does not want to fight me. He wants me to come to him. “If I come down, you swear you won’t touch or absorb from me?”, I call down to him, waiting for him to respond.

“I will not touch you, without your permission and I will never absorb from you, Aziza. You have my word.”, he returns. I don’t sense any deception. I scan the forest again before returning my gaze to him. “Just you and I, little one. Come down.”, he calls up to me once more.

I jump gracefully from the tree and land on my feet, standing still and studying him. His eyes never leave me. He smells like soft eucalyptus and lemon, it’s has a calming effect and I crave to breathe it in more deeply.

He tilts his head and studies me, moving slowly closer. He is about 7 feet from me when I stop him, “That’s close enough, stalker.”, I say forcefully.

He stops as I instructed. “What is your name?”, he asks.

“Ilayda.”, I answer simply. He tilts his head studying me, it doesn’t make me nervous. I’ve spent enough time around Ormr to be used to their mannerisms. They track with their head, tilting it when they’re studying something closely or thinking something over, eyes glow and pupils slit when they are enhancing their senses. Ormr has told me to get their word before agreeing to something. Dragonian are skilled with word games like fae, but they never go back on their word.

“Where are you going, Ilayda? You should not be out here on your own.”, he asks in a low voice.

The sound of my name on his lips excites me. “I’m going back to camp.”, I reply.

He smirks and gestures, stepping back from me, “Lead the way.”, he says politely.

I narrow my eyes at him, “Remember your word.”, I say as I move to pass him. He simply smiles, he doesn’t make any attempt to touch me. He follows behind me as I run back to our camp site. We are not far from the springs.

I slow as I reach the site and step out into the clearing. “Be advised, I have a stalker.”, I announce to Anavrin. She looks up at me as he steps out into the clearing behind me.

Anavrin summons Ormr the second her eyes fall on him moving behind me. I feel the pulse of the summons. He lands and shifts in front of us before we make it halfway across the clearing. Ormr calls something out to him in Draconic.

Apep's POV

I see her lips move and feel the pulse when the she summons her dragonian mate. It takes only seconds for me to realize it is Anavrin. I smile at her and bow my head slightly to her as Ormr lands in the clearing, my mate moves back behind him.

“What is your business here, Apep?”, he calls to me in Draconic.

“She is my mate.”, I call back to him, continuing our conversation in our native tongue.

He chuckles for a second, then he laughs. “Good luck, you’re going to f*****g need it. Ilayda is feisty.”, he returns.

I smirk, “I like feisty. Why is she here?”, I ask him.

“We’re hunting. We track and dismantle breeding cells, like the one that took Anavrin and her mother. Elementals of different species are often collected by pixie and fae. They’re wanted for their power and the power their young bare. You have your hands quite full. I advise that you not attempt to take her to your shield. Her past experiences cause her to act in the extreme if you box her in or act forcefully with her. You could cause her to overextend herself.”, he warns me.

If she overextended herself and wouldn’t let me get to her, it could kill her. He is my friend, but he isn’t telling me this for my benefit, I can hear it in the vibrations of his voice. He doesn’t want me to accidentally harm her. “What is my mate to you, Ormr?”, I ask him, studying his responses as I circle him. Ilayda moves closer to Anavrin.

Ormr holds his ground, only slightly turning his head to follow my movement, “She is like a daughter to Anavrin, despite their close age. You may stay if you wish, but you will not be forceful with Ilayda or upset my mate. Do I have your word, Apep?”, he asks me.

“You have my word.”, I answer, knowing he is being intentionally vague. My question made him nervous, I felt it.

He tilts his head and turns to my mate, reverting back to her language. “Bring your stalker. Did you find anything?”, he asks her as they return to Anavrin.

She shakes her head, “No, I searched about 5 square miles. I have it marked off. Did you?”, she asks Ormr.

“No, we searched about the same distance. Anavrin has searched for air beneath the surface, but there hasn’t been any space large enough for cells.”, he replies.

We reach Anavrin and Ormr takes her hand. “Gersemi, Apep is Ilayda's mate.”, he finishes my introduction, “Ilayda's stalker.”

I chuckle, Anavrin smiles politely, “It’s nice to see you again, Apep.”, she says.

“The pleasure is mine, Anavrin.”, I reply. Anavrin is cute, long reddish blonde hair, round face, ethereal looks. Really tall, at least 6’5”, not much shorter than Ormr. Ilayda is tiny, about 5’3”, 110lbs, but she is quick. I have to focus to keep up with her. Ormr has a cabin conjured, I follow him through the living room to the kitchen. Ilayda and Anavrin sit at the table and are talking about the men they’re hunting.

I continue my conversation in Draconic with Ormr, “I’m having a difficult time grasping you hunting men that abuse and rape elementals by allowing an elemental to roam freely in their territory. Ormr, is my mate bait?”, I ask him, studying him closely as I try to contain the fury inside me.

He turns, from the vegetables he is chopping, to me and exhales, “Listen, I’m going to tell you something and help you understand, but I need you to control your temper. You’ll upset my mate and terrify yours if you lose it in this cabin.”, he says, waiting for my response.

“I will control myself. Explain.”, I tell him impatiently.

“I have never had a s****l relationship with your mate nor touched her in an inappropriate way. Your mate is an incredibly powerful water elemental, a bloodbender. She is also a skilled fighter and tracker. Ilayda does whatever the hell she wants. I don’t stalk her because she can summon me through my blood. If your mate had ever felt threatened, I would’ve felt it. She was not afraid of you, I only felt curiosity from her.”

I feel my vision change as my fury begins to take over. If she can call to his blood, it is because he has bonded to her. He claimed my mate for himself. “You have a blood bond with MY mate?”, I link so the hostility in my voice isn’t overheard by the women.

He tilts his head, “Control yourself, Apep. I told you, I have not ever been in a s****l relationship with your mate nor have I ever touched her in an inappropriate way. I’ve never even looked at her inappropriately, I swear it. You’d know if I were lying. When I met your mate, she was dying. My mate begged me to save her. I gave my blood to heal her wounds, but it wasn’t enough. I blood bonded her so that my blood could heal her internal injuries. Anavrin suffered through my bonding with Ilayda. My mate is very attached to yours, she couldn’t let her go.”

He bonded her on behalf of his mate then. He had already marked Anavrin if she suffered from it. I study his mate for a moment before returning my gaze to him. I feel my anger dissipating a little, but I’m still very upset with him. “What did you save her from, Ormr?”, I ask. If he is doing careless things like this with her, it would make sense that he almost got her killed and had to bond her.

He answers hesitantly because he doesn’t want to tell me, but knows not answering will cause me to distrust his reason for bonding her. “She was taken by a dragon and drained before being delivered to one of these cells. They lost control of her once the dragon left. They stabbed her and beat her when she fought back. Anavrin found her in a storage locker in a cell we were clearing. She’d lost too much blood and there was too much internal damage for my blood alone to heal her. My mate begged and pleaded for me to save her.”, Ormr tells me.

“What dragon?”, I ask him, no longer upset with him, but plotting on whoever this other dragon is.

“I don’t know him. I’ll show him to you.”, he offers. I immediately gesture for him to sit across from me.

I feel Ilayda’s gaze on us as Ormr circles the island and sits directly in front of me. “Ilayda, I need to show him the dragon. He may know who it is. I will not betray your trust by divulging more than you would like.”, he tells her.

Ilayda nods, “I appreciate it, Ormr. You may show him all I remember of the dragon.”

Ormr turns to face me and we each place one of our hands on the others temple. Ormr let’s me in his mind and I can see the dragon clearly as he crosses the field. There is a man that looks quite similar to her standing beside her. He tells her to run, she refuses. It is her brother, Zurvan. She calls to him. Her brother rushes out to fight the dragon and she follows. They’re both great fighters, but they don’t stand much of a chance against a dragonian. Their power just isn’t effective on our kind. He overpowers her brother and snaps his neck, dropping him to the ground and turning to Ilayda. She fights back, but he finally gets a hold of her and drags her to him, draining her and dropping her beside her brother. Her parents come running from their driveway, leaving their car running. Ilayda lay on the ground, unable to move, and watched him kill both of her parents. He grabs their bodies and drags them into the house, setting it on fire before returning to her. He shifts and leans down to pick her up. I stop Ormr there, taking a good look at him. She doesn’t have the ability to estimate his power; I can’t gauge his power in her memory. His scent is amber and dew. He carries her to cells and passes her to a fae that shackles her immediately. Ormr cuts the link as the dragon walks away.

I remove my hand from him and he asks in their language, “Do you know him?”

He didn’t seem at all familiar to me. “No. I couldn’t get a good read on his power level, but I wouldn’t guess him to be more than average by his combat skill. You’re having him hunted?”, I ask him.

Ormr sighs heavily, “I am, but he doesn’t leave his shield for long and he moves frequently. It is my assumption that he already has his mate being that he is willing to break the code.”, he replies. I ask him who he has hunting the dragon and he tells me Long owed him a favor. Long is a good hunter, one of the best I’ve met, by far. I have no doubts he would’ve caught him if it were possible to.

Ilayda’s POV

Anavrin and I listen to them discuss the other dragon and Long, the one hunting him. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my stalker or how I’m going to explain all of this to Donovan… or Donovan to Apep.

They are slowly slipping back into Draconic. It has started with a few words and increased to being entire sentences. It annoys me, but I’m beginning to think it is habitual. Ormr continues cooking dinner, Anavrin and I start talking about the areas we’ve searched. Apep and Ormr join us at the table, bringing our plates. We discuss our plans for tomorrow and how we will be splitting up. My stalker is with me, obviously.

I’m not happy with how it’s just been decided that he is staying with me and I have to accept him dragging around behind me, but what can I do about it? Ormr has promised he will protect me if I feel threatened, but will not interfere otherwise.

We clear the dishes and clean up. I decide now is a good time to discuss Donovan with Apep. We need to have this all worked out and Ormr is here, so I’m feeling safer doing it. “Apep, I think we should probably talk about a few things if you’re going to continue following me around.”, I turn to him and say.

I see the corner of his mouth twitch like he held back a smile. “Very well. What do you wish to discuss, Aziza?”, he asks.

I sit on the bar stool, facing him in the chair about 6 feet from me. He makes no attempt to hide his heated gaze traveling over my body before returning to my eyes. Ormr and Anavrin are on the opposite side of the table, drinking tea. Ormr shifts his chair slightly, making it easier for him to stand. Ormr can feel that I’m nervous. If he stood, he would be between Apep and I. It draws Apep’s attention only briefly.

“I have a boyfriend, Apep. I have an entire life outside of this.”

His eyes narrow and he tilts his head, I can feel his anger. “What is your expectation, little one?”, he asks slowly. His deep voice is steady and calm, but coupled with the anger rolling off him in waves, it feels threatening.

I remind myself that I have nothing to fear. I’m his mate, he doesn’t want to hurt me and Ormr is right here. He doesn’t appear threatened by Apep, he only moved to reassure me. “I expect you to act like a civilized person and not a barbarian, stalker. Donovan and I have been together for 3 years.”

He smirks, but not at all out of amusement. Chuckling under his breath, he tilts his head to Ormr and locks eyes with him. He grinds his teeth and looks back at me replying, “You have 2 choices, Aziza. If you cannot choose, I will choose for you. I will follow you where you wish to go. You will stay by my side. I’ll allow you to talk to…”, he growls out his name, “Donovan, but he will not touch you. If he touches you, I will kill him. The alternative, I will take you here and now. We will return to my shield, where you will stay. Make your choice.” I glance to Ormr to try and gauge how he is reading this situation. Apep’s head tilts again, his eyes never leaving me, “Ormr cannot stop me, little one. He offers his own mate when he reaches for mine, that is The Code of our kind. Make your choice.”, he demands a little more forcefully.

“You may follow me, stalker.”, I reply.

He holds my gaze and again sneering his name, “And of Donovan?”

I saw the warning in Ormr’s eyes when I looked at him and I felt no lie in anything Apep has said. “I will tell him he cannot touch me.”, I reply.

Apep tilts his head and the glow in his eyes fades. “What else did you wish to discuss, Aziza?”, he asks. He is calmer, but not relaxed.

“I live in a coven. They will let you in, but you’ll have to give an oath like Ormr and I.”, I tell him.

He glances to Ormr and says something in Draconic. Ormr replies. He returns his gaze to me, “Very well. Anything else?”, he asks.

I only have a single bedroom cabin. He is not sleeping with me. “You will have to add a room or sleep in the living room.”, I tell him firmly.

He chuckles, this time amused. “Very well. Does that complete your terms?”, he asks.

Nope, one more thing. “You’ll keep your word, you won’t drain me or touch me without my permission.”, I tell him.

He smiles, “I swear to you, I will never drain you or touch you, in a s****l way, without your permission. I may restrain you or take you without your permission. I will not tolerate you claiming I lied to you later.”, he replies, tilting his head. “I will follow you where you wish to go and give the blood oath Black Hearthstone requires. You will not leave my side, no one will touch you. This is not negotiable. You may speak with whomever you please, including Donovan. I WILL kill him if he touches you, I don’t care how upset you are about it.”

I furrow my brows at him, “If that is the way you see it, why should I care how you feel about something? You can’t just kill people for doing something you don’t like.”, I say angrily.

He tilts his head, “If I kill him, you’ll have to take your fair share of blame. I’ve told you it would happen, therefore whether or not it does is entirely up to you. I’ve accepted your terms, despite it not being to my preferences. You will also have to compromise.”

“Relationships require compromise. I shouldn’t be required to change my habits to better suit my stalker.”, I reply angrily.

He grins and stands, Ormr stands with him and I move behind him. He tilts his head locking eyes with Ormr.

Ormr holds his ground, allowing me to shield myself behind him. “I’m not challenging you, brother. I stand for her peace of mind. I know you wouldn’t hurt her, but your anger can feel quite threatening. She’s just a little nervous. Let’s sit back down, we can continue the conversation.”

Apep studies me, then sits. Ormr follows.

"I will not ever hurt you, Ilayda. No matter what you do or how angry I get. I’m trying to do this your way, the alternative is mine. You’ve made a choice, but feel free to change your mind.”, he says in a low calm voice.

I’m not changing my mind and choosing prison. “I accept your terms, stalker. Don’t expect me to be happy about it.”, I concede bitterly.

The corner of his mouth twitches again as he holds back his smile. It only irritates me more. “So where is Donovan? Why is he not here with you hunting men?”, Apep asks.

Ormr snorts and fights a laugh, Anavrin smacks him. Apep’s gaze never leaves mine. “Donovan isn’t a warrior or hunter, he is a scholar.”, I reply, glaring at Ormr.

Apep tilts his head, “He is fae?”, Apep asks.

I’m shocked, “What makes you ask that?”, I ask instead of answering.

He leans back in his seat, “You said he is not a warrior or hunter, that excludes all male shifters and pixie. You said ‘scholar’. Witches refer to them as ‘Priest’; while Fairies would be called ‘Ciallmhar’ or ‘Wise One’. This leaves either fae or human. Witches would not allow a human, that wasn’t mated to a member, into the coven. They’d allow a fae though.”, he explains his conclusion.

I shouldn’t be surprised; he is an analytical creature. Ormr is the same. I’m annoyed that he is right though, “Yes, he is fae.”, I answer.

He turns his head to look at Ormr, “You’ll use your Chosen medallion to summon me if you find anything tomorrow. I’ll use your debt to summon you.” Ormr confirms his words.

“What is a Chosen medallion?”, I ask.

Apep pulls it from his shirt, “I have given my oath to care for and protect Ormr’s mate and fledgling as I would my own. They are now mated and can summon me whenever they feel the need.” I ask to see it; he tilts his head and half smiles as the chain vanishes and he offers the medallion out to me. It looks very similar to the ones Ormr and Anavrin wear, but theirs have a different dragon. The dragon on the one Ormr wears must be Apep’s. I hand it back to him. He puts it on the conjured chain necklace and tucks it under his shirt.

Ormr calls Rayne and puts it on speaker as he gives him an update on our status. Brecken is about a 3 hour run from Black Hearthstone. They will pick up trucks that are waiting just outside of town to carry everyone back. Ormr tells him about Apep. Rayne asks to speak with him, Ormr slides the phone closer to him.

“Apep.”, he says simply.

“This is Consort Rayne Osmond and Consort Magnus Clay. You understand you’ll be required to give a blood oath not to cause harm or take members, correct?”, Rayne asks.

“So I’ve been told; I will swear it, lycan.”, he says with a hint of distaste in his voice.

“Is it lycan you dislike, or one of us in particular?”, Clay asks.

“I don’t know any of you.”, he says, tilting his head at Ormr. Not really saying he dislikes all lycan, just that he has no reason to dislike them specifically.

Ormr speaks, “Apep's hate for lycan bears transfers to a dislike for lycan in general. He may distrust you for a while, but I do believe he will come to accept you.”

“Do you vouch for this man, Ormr?”, Rayne asks.

“Yes, Apep is my friend, an honorable man.”, Ormr answers.

“Very well. Ilayda, Apep is welcome in Black Hearthstone, but you must tell me you have agreed to each others terms.”, Clay says.

“I accept his terms, he has accepted mine. I appreciate it, Consorts.”, I say, watching Apep.

Ormr disconnects the call. I show Apep around the small cabin and to the 3rd bedroom Ormr added next to mine for Apep.

I lay in my bed trying to decide how I’m going to escape my stalker. He is faster and stronger… he can fly. He has most likely imprinted on me so I’ll need a potion to shield myself. I could ask the Mothers or Crone. They would know how to hide from a dragon. I drift off to sleep with a vague plan in mind.