Chapter Five
Odem
Depressed.
I’d never felt this way before. Sure, passing moments when loneliness hit, though that was quickly remedied with a warm, willing body.
And now?
Yeah, not so much.
“Luff,” Cade’s tiny hands cradled my cheeks.
“Love you too, buddy.”
At least someone loved me.
Fucking hell, this was gutting me.
“Over the centuries, more times than not, I wanted to kick your ass. Hell,” Caro chuckled, “many times I did, but never once did I see you this forlorn afterwards. I don’t like it.”
“Yeah? Join the club.” Cade sat in front of me, stacking his blocks then clapping for himself when his toy dragon knocked them over, so I cheered him on.
“I just don’t get why he hates me. He’s just so flipping mean.
” Hateful. Hurtful, and a million other not very nice words all rolled into one shiny package.
“Here I thought it would be funny for you to get the snarkiest mate. Not so funny now that it’s happened. He’ll come around brother, I’m sure of it.”
Glad one of us was.
I wish I knew when Ronan went to bed so I could go home. Running into him right now wasn’t high on my list. Had we been fully mated, I could reach out through our link and feel his emotions or even ask. I wonder… “Hey Caro, what happens if we never fully mate.”
“That’s an Emerson question for sure.”
“Oh shit,” Emerson said from behind us. “It’s never been written, at least I’ve never come across it in our archives. As dragons it’s in our blood to complete the mating bond as soon as we find our mate. I mean, you saw what happened to me when Caro and I tried to ignore it. Nearly drove me mad.”
“A mistake I will forever berate myself for, my love.” Caro rose and embraced Emerson. I was jealous of the love they shared, having wanted the same for myself for so long.
“I’m afraid that since they’ve technically started it that it would be treated the same as if a mate was rejected.”
“Great, could’ve done without that bit of info, Emerson.”
“I’m sorry, Odem, but you know I’ll never lie to you. Caro, if they don’t complete it soon, they may both parish.”
“You’re just full of happy news today, aren’t you.
” Fuck man, I had another question but was afraid of his answer.
Well, fuck it, might as well get all the bad news in one go.
“Here’s a good one for ya, what happens to the eggs if Ronan allows us to fully bond.
Will they parish? Will the bonding injure them? ”
This was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. If we fully bond then Ronan and I survive. But if we complete the mating ritual would we risk losing the twins?
Emerson shrugged. “I don’t know. Again, it’s never happened, or at least it hasn’t been noted in the archives.”
“Fantastic, leave it to me to be the first. Yay me!”
Fuck. My. Life.
I think I’ll have wallpaper made for my office with those words on it.
“You have to talk to him,” Emerson pleaded.
“Unless Ronan has a death wish,” Caro added.
“Not helping brother.” Being as nasty as Ronan was, he just might.
“How can you talk to someone who despises your mere presence? He keeps telling me to shut up and stay out of his life. He literally hates me.” The levels of serious fuckery? Fucked-up-ery? Just plain old fucked up this mating was is off the fucking charts.
Goddess, what did I do to deserve this and is it too late to fix it?
“I’ll do it,” Emerson offered. “I have a few choice words for him.”
“My love, do you think that’s for the best?”
“I do. We survived a similar nightmare, so we have the only real-life experience with this. If this isn’t fixed and soon, we may lose not only the babies, but Odem too.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to lose any of them.
” Emerson had taken a firm stance. If I ever doubted his loyalty to me before, which I hadn’t, I’d believe in it now.
“The stones. Has anyone checked Odem’s?”
Great question and one that had the three of us on our feet. Caro scooped up Cade and we bolted down the tunnel. Ionus, Mattias and Quint joined us from their respective sides, having sensed a problem.
“Caro,” Emerson gasped. My stone, a solo flame at the base shining within it, nowhere near the bold lighting of Ionus and Caro’s.
“This is not good,” Ionus bellowed. “You must complete the mating ritual, Odem.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, brother. How do you propose I do that? Take what’s not being offered to me?”
“No, of course not. We’d never perform such barbaric acts. Has anyone taken the time to explain to Ronan the implications of not completing the ritual?”
“As soon as I open my mouth, he spouts out hateful things and tells me to stay away. So no, I’ve not had the chance, dear brother.
” Never had I felt such anger. Happy, easy going, the life of the party, so to speak.
That was my nature. This, whatever this was, flowing through my veins currently, wasn’t me.
“I’ve already said I will,” Emerson stalked from the cave and down the tunnel that led to my house.
“Shit,” Caro chimed in, following behind him right as Cade mimicked, “Chit.” Which was met with Caro’s growl, angry with himself. “Is Alex awake?”
“Aye,” Ionus replied, “I’ll take Cade and meet you at Odem’s”
This was not gonna go well. Bombarding an already angry Ronan was a disaster in the making.
Caro took off after Emerson, Mattias, Quint, and me following them.
Honestly, I’d prefer to be anywhere but here right now.
The conversation that was underway when we entered my home I really could’ve done without.
“You have to complete the mating ritual, now,” Emerson demanded of Ronan who lay curled up in my favorite recliner.
“The hell I do. I’m already knocked up, isn’t that enough?” Ronan retorted. This was like watching a tennis match between rogue omegas.
“You don’t understand,” Emerson pleaded. “You. Will. Die.”
If that didn’t shut Ronan up, then the ancient tome that magically appeared in Emerson’s hand did.
“H-how did you do that?” Caro sputtered.
“I-I-don’t know,” Emerson stuttered and gasped. “It’s open to the page which explains all of this. ‘If mates do not complete the ritual once mating has commenced, both shall parish along with any eggs the omega carries.’”
“I’m still not doing it,” Ronan stood, preparing to walk away.
“Enough!” I growled. Fire raged in the previously unlit fireplace. The room heated and the house shook. “I have had enough.” All eyes were on me, and the rage would not be stopped.
Brother, don’t burn the house down. Caro spoke through our bond.
I feel your energy draining.
I ignored Ionus. The matter at hand must be dealt with before I’d focus on that.
“Listen to what they say, Ronan.” Out of energy and ready to call it a night. I was done.
“First the eggs, will die, then you Ronan,” Emerson’s use of his name was laced with the anger he felt.
“And then Odem. Do you know what that will do to the protectors? They fight as one. They protect as one. These are not normal dragons you see walking through town. They are here with purpose gifted by the Goddess herself, and that is to save humanity and shifters alike. Without them, all will perish.”
“He’s-he’s,” now it was Ronan’s turn to stutter, his shaking hand pointed at me. “A dragon.”
“Yeah, we told you that.”
“Scales,” his eyes stayed glued to me. “Eyes.”
Emerson rolled his. “Yeah, you nitwit, you triggered his ire and he partially shifted.”
Oops. I shifted back. “My bad.”
“There’s the Odem we know and love,” Caro teased while Ronan rubbed his chest.
“Heartburn,” he claimed.
“The hell it is,” Emerson corrected. “Every time you disrespect or hurt your mate the pain will increase. The longer you deny the mate bond, the deeper the pain will resonate and will eventually result in your death. What about this are you not under-fucking-standing?” I’d never seen Emerson this angry before.
Caro wrapped an arm around his waist. “My love, I fear this one is truly soulless and there’s nothing we can do to help.”
“The hell we can’t,” Ionus spat. “Raven is on her way. She can show Ronan what will happen through visions. I only hope he has nightmares of this afterward.”
Do I stick up for Ronan or, how does this work, exactly?
My brothers were right, but Ronan was my mate. Albeit not the brightest bulb in the mate package. The irony in that was not missed by me.
“I’ll um, I’ll forego the nightmare portions of the evening, thank you very much.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” Raven said as she entered the living room.
“Because they’re not visions I care to conjure.
Why you are so hell-bent on denying Odem something he’s waited several lifetimes for, I’ll never know.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the fact you’re making enemies of very powerful and very kind dragons.
” The air crackled around her as she held her hand palm up, a single orb hovered above it.
“Goddess is not pleased with you, Ronan, and she sent this message.” Raven’s hand fell as the orb stayed in place and an ethereal voice audibly rose from it.
“Five shall save the earth. Five shall reign superior. Five shall unite all species. Five shall remain to fight as one.” Then, the bubble disappeared.
Message received loud and clear.
“Make no mistake, Ronan,” Raven said, “Five shall remain is as clear as it gets. There will be war, there will be loss, but the brothers shall complete the task they’ve been given as one.
As high-priestess I will give you one final warning.
Pull your head out of your ass and embrace this gift the Goddess has given you. ” Raven disappeared.
“Hmph,” Emerson triumphantly puffed up. “Enough said. Hurt my brother and you will have me to answer to. Come now, Caro.”