Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Akhtar
A khtar rubbed his pregnant belly, feeling his back contract in time with what he suspected was his womb. Kindred pregnancies were always accelerated compared to humans. His was no different, and he was closing in on the second month when the egg nestled in his womb would drop. He’d push it out in a few more months, only to start the long process of going from an egg-bearer to the successful hatching of young.
But Akhtar knew for a fact that the pain he was feeling was too soon. Luna had given him potions to stabilize his condition, but it had still been over a month since he could hold his human form. Ultimately, his small horns and talons were always present, as were spots of patchy silver-white scales.
He was no folk healer or professional medic, but Akhtar suspected the egg was dropping too soon. And Luna was no sage midwife, skilled in all facets of healing, but not a specialist. Nothing else could explain the pain that had steadily grown inside of him since he, well…
“Fuck Fenix,” he said, sighing his mate’s name, steeling his resolve for what he had to do.
After many moons hidden away, Akhtar decided it was time to act. He was ready to speak and to be heard. More importantly, he wanted to leave Fenix, Luna, and the rest of the war hoard behind. Even though he knew his last wish was impossible.
Rikisha mattered more than the strange happiness he had found with them, slowly being involved in conversations and chatting with Luna under the stars. When he wasn’t busy, Fenix’s calming presence near Akhtar protected him as he rested, feeling like a warm blanket he wanted to be tucked into forever.
They were getting closer to the Lunar Carnevale and would arrive within a week. There wasn’t much he could do other than follow the caravan to their ultimate destination. But Akhtar could advocate for himself and stop cowering in the carriage like a coward.
Akhtar crossed the short distance between his carriage and Fenix’s large, lavish tent with a noticeable improvement in his limp. He had Luna to thank for that, as he did his mate, who had taken the time to administer his nightly massages.
Sweet torture indeed, Akktar thought as he hovered near the tent flap, working up the courage to step inside. The stubborn set of Fenix’s jaw haunted him after he was done, the gentle yet thorough pressure of his stern hands divine. More than a few nights, Akhtar had stroked himself after until he exploded onto his belly and, mortified, demanded his baths be taken solo.
The other dragonkin were breaking down their makeshift accommodations as he stood there, frozen. They all smiled at him, giggling and elbowing each other as they boldly pointed to his rounded belly. The omega blushed and tucked his chin into his chest. Everyone knew who had bred him by now, but it still felt oddly embarrassing.
“May I…” Akhtar began as he finally grabbed the flaps of Fenix’s large tent, “May I enter?”
When no one answered immediately, Akhtar decided against formality and waltzed in. If Fenix thought it appropriate to plow him without so much as a hello in the middle of a forest, Akhtar thought he didn’t deserve privacy.
“What brings you to my private quarters? And, who allowed you to walk unaided?” Fenix bellowed, eyes thin slits, voice tilting in fear rather than annoyance.
He was very overprotective, which frustrated Akhtar. Because, again, for some unfathomable reason, he liked it. No one had been protective of him since his mother was murdered.
Akhtar sucked in a sharp breath, angry with himself as his cock hardened, erection threatening to burst through his pants.
Sun and stars above! Akhtar howled silently, covering his mouth so he wouldn’t shout aloud.
The effects of his last heat still lingered, and the sight before him wasn’t helping to calm the omega down. He thought heat cycles ended when an omega got pregnant. At least he hoped this infernal lust was from the heat and not from his weary heart he tried and failed to harden against his alpha.
Fenix stood stark naked as Luna attended to him, a damp cloth gliding down his washboard abs as he turned to face Akhtar through a veil of wet hair, bangs nearly shielding his eyes altogether. Beautiful eyes. Enchanting eyes. And a body worthy of his rank. Jagged old scars, stark white, crisscrossed with newer marks on his legs, back, and upper arms.
He was much more scared than Akhtar remembered. But then, he reminded himself he remembered little of that night besides the mind-melting pleasure of it all.
Akhtar’s gaze traveled from Fenix’s hips to his dusty brown nipples, then to his sculpted ass, all before retreating to a speck of dust on the ground. He swallowed hard, counting backward, and rolled his stiff shoulders.
The sight of his alpha was working him into a frenzy, which seemed to confirm his worst suspicions. But, at the same time, it would save him if only he got him to believe.
But convincing this alpha of anything seems more impossible than regulating my wayward heat.
“Have you gone deaf, Akhtar? I asked you who allowed you to come here unaided?” And just like that, the spell he cast over Akhtar was broken. The omega rolled his eyes.
“I allowed it, Fenix! I did…” Akhtar’s voice failed him just when he needed it most.
Sunfire! he cursed mentally, as politely as he could, as he heard the flame dragonkin do in the camp from time to time. He remembered mid-yell he was at the tent’s threshold and not yet inside.
He stumbled forward, spun around, and closed the flaps behind him, hoping no one else could hear them. And, if they could, they were ignoring their tense exchange.
“We need to speak,” Akhtar whispered, glancing at Luna, “Alone.”
Fenix lifted an eyebrow and huffed, “Luna stays. Why are you here?”
“To announce my departure,” Akhtar finally said, glaring back at him, emboldened by rage. He was snappish at his memories more than the man in front of him, from years of subjugation, and he knew it but didn’t care.
“...Where do you think you are going in that state?” Fenix grumbled, his eyes flicking briefly to his omega’s stomach.
Akhtar hated himself for lowering his head and folding his ears, which was an obvious sign of submission.
“On my own path. You took your fill of me. I took many days of your supplies in the form of potions, clean water, and food. It’s not a fair trade-off, but there’s nothing else I can offer you in exchange until I bear this egg,” he faltered then, clutching his belly protectively, “And then they are yours. Dragonkin are rare enough; I’m not cruel or foolish enough to deny you your heir. Surely, Luna can fashion a potion to speed along the nesting path. It is already low as it is, our egg. So please, allow me to be on my way after I...” Akhtar trailed off.
Fenix brushed Luna aside, and he bowed to him.
Akhtar also wanted to bow out and leave at the darkness swirling in Fenix’s usually charming gaze, but he was rooted in place, awaiting his response. None came. They simply stared at each other, the smell of incense permeating the air as Fenix dressed quickly.
“...No matter what lies you conjure up, you are my omega, and I am your alpha. Do you think I would seriously entertain setting you lose?” the alpha said finally, and Fenix looked genuinely confused.
Akhtar fiddled with a button on his shirt, feeling less sure of his plan. As if he could read his train of thoughts, Fenix snarled.
“Trade your body? Is that your solution to secure your safe passageway to the Lunar Carnevale? How else will you get there on a busted leg with a leaking ass, if not as my mate? Am I so vile that some stranger’s dick and promise seems a safer bet?”
The way he phrased his slick made Akhtar gag even more than the strange sensation of it building inside of him, leaking down his inner thighs at a steady drip.
“I-I’ll find a way, alpha... Fenix, All I ask for is some provisions—” Fenix cut him off mid-sentence.
“Fenix, alpha, bastard! I don’t care what you call me, Akhtar, but you will stay with me and my hoard. It is not up for discussion. It is not safe for you out there, alone, unable to hold your form, and barely able to walk.”
Fenix was making logical sense, Akhtar admitted to himself begrudgingly. He’d hoped against reason they would send him away with some provisions, but if Fenix offered nothing to part ways, there was no chance of him surviving the journey. He couldn’t hunt and barely walk, and as Fenix so crudely put it, he would be a moving target for any wicked alpha looking to blow off some steam because of his raging heat.
And forcing the nesting of his egg? Risky, too risky, and he knew it.
“Why does my fate concern you so much? You’re educated, no? You should know more than anyone this bond between us is nothing more than pheromones. Be on your way and leave me to die or be raped! You will find others, omegas of your rank, worthy of… protection. Why do you care so much about a misfit like me when I offer your heir?”
Akhtar barely perceived the flash of light as Fenix dashed across the room, his long strides closing the distance between them almost instantaneously.
His alpha growled, and Akhtar yelped in shock, crushed against his chest as the dragon horns emerged, dark and shining, wrapping around his head. His fangs flashed, shimmery red-orange scales emerging all over Fenix’s body. Fenix slammed his hands against the wooded mast Akhtar had leaned on for moral support, upholding his large tent, claws scraping against the bark as he growled.
“You are playing with fire, omega mine. Don’t blame me when you get burnt.”
Akhtar sucked in a sharp breath and winced, a sharper pang jolting his brain. He clasped his head in both hands, on the verge of tears from the immense pressure. However, it was fleeting, gone within moments. And, before he knew it, he found himself in Fenix’s arm, safe and secure as always.
His alpha’s body encased him in the now familiar smell of his pheromones. They soothed him, and despite himself, Akhtar relaxed in his firm embrace. They stood like that; the sound of their breathing and the clanking of gear being packed away outside filled the air. Fenix threaded his fingers through Akhtar’s hair, stroking his miniature horns, and kissed his forehead. There was nothing sexual about his kiss or affection, a side of him Akhtar he had never felt before.
“Apologies. I am above releasing pheromones this acute, usually. It must have made you sick…” Fenix murmured against his cheek. “Look, omega, you are my mate, and I will not allow it. There is no room for discussion. Now stop. All this talk of leaving you unguarded makes me uneasy. Dare I say, afraid. You’re sick. And not just from your heat, Luna informs me. The morning sickness is hurting you, too.”
His hand trailed down Akhtar’s back and pushed his hips closer, so his belly pressed firmly into his abs. Akhtar groaned, thankful he no longer felt like hurling every waking moment.
“Don’t you grow tired of arguing with me? Don’t you see what I can provide? I will relinquish some power, but not here, not now, while we are still close to the battlefield. Once we are home, truly home, you will see. I will see to it…”
Akhtar looked at him, really looked at him, taken aback by the affection in Fenix’s voice, and saw his alpha with fresh eyes. Nature. Nurture. Did it matter anymore? Whatever explained the cause did not affect the reality that this was the “natural” order of the world.
Protection, eternal fidelity, and power—that was what Fenix could offer him, what he was offering Akhtar now, just as he’d offered Akhtar during their first mating. And yet, despite it being everything Akhtar ever wanted, he couldn’t accept it because accepting the alpha meant accepting himself as Fenix’s omega. He wouldn’t, no, couldn’t do that. He didn’t flee one prison to trade it for a more spacious one.
Akhtar’s eyes trailed off again and locked with Luna. The other alpha shrugged, seemingly disinterested in the entire exchange between the lovers. Fenix groaned low and deep before digging his claws into Akhtar’s chin. The omega snapped back to attention, baring his fangs.
“ Mine. ”
His kiss was tender and melted Akhtar’s stone-cold heart. The ouroboros on his stomach throbbed, indicating that he was this alpha’s mate, heart, body, and soul as Akhtar forced his tongue into Fenix’s mouth. Their cocks rutted together, thrusting, aching, as the tent flaps opened and closed, followed by something like a spell sealing them shut so that even the sunlight couldn’t penetrate the crack.
Thanks Luna, Akhtar thought fleetingly, not wanting to be seen by the others.
Fenix broke the kiss abruptly, and Akhtar’s breath fluttered, the world spinning. It did not shock Akhtar when Fenix’s fire overpowered his ice magic; his frosty breath caught the flame and rained down as sparkling snowflakes between them.
“Akhtar, you are my mate, my light, and the future of the Shadowrin Clan…” Fenix faltered and continued, “And your own perfect soul. You are you—more than enough. Never doubt your worth again. To think I’d let you go in exchange for our heir is foolish. We will raise them together.”
His tail curled around his omega, and Akhtar sighed, holding back tears. Fenix’s hand slid down his chest, where his hand rested on his stomach; a faint glow illuminated the carriage, lit only by fading candlelight as his mating mark soothed him.
“Omega,” Akhtar stared into his flaming eyes as Fenix whispered, “ My omega. Allow me to prove that to you. Give me a chance to show you what we can become. Together.”
He sealed that promise with another searing kiss that made Akhtar weak in the knees, so much so that he folded against his alpha’s chest. He coaxed his omega’s tongue from his trembling lips as they dueled with each other for dominance. But it was a losing battle, and one Akhtar was happy to lose, as Fenix stroked and caressed his body with reverence until his lust was at a fever pitch.
Fenix growled and tugged Akhtar’s cock free of his pants and did the same, gripping them together as he tugged up and down in a short, frenzied burst.
“What are you really so concerned about, my omega?” Fenix whispered in his ear, his long horns nestled against Akhtar’s head as they parted briefly. “What do you truly desire? To leave me, or to gain something you cannot name?”
Akhtar bit his lip and groaned back, “I c-can’t burden you with that. I just can’t.”
Fenix pulled back only slightly so he could look down at him. But his grimace transformed into a harsh smirk as tufts of smoke escaped Fenix’s full, sensuous lips.
“Do you think I am so unworthy and weak that I can’t protect my omega? Tell me what bothers you, and I’ll slay whatever it is, and bring it back to you on a silver platter.”
Their release was close, Akhtar trembling head to toe as their scales rubbed against each other, Fenix’s slithering against his aching belly as he rubbed their erections slower, dragging their orgasms out.
What did he have to lose, asking his mate? Akhtar was captive to this desire anyway. What was Fenix really to him? Captor? Savior? Prince? No…
“Alpha!” he screamed as they kissed again, the intensity like sex.
Fenix stroked their meaty cocks until they bust, splattering the alpha’s stomach and soaking his hand, and Fenix exhaled a fine mist of soot in ecstasy. When the world returned to normal, Akhtar let it all out.
“Please! Help me save my sister, Rikisha! She is trapped with the humans meant for the Lunar Carnevale. Meant to be meat for Cassian and his men who have surrendered to Empress Gloria.”
A pregnant pause followed, and Akhtar realized he was waiting for more information. And so, with a shuddering breath, he released years and years and years of trauma on his alpha, hoping it wouldn’t make him flee or reject him. Only his clan’s name, Axeland, made Fenix’s eyes widen in shock before a sheen of carefully composed neutrality masked his features, rough and rigid like a stone statue.
When he was finished, Akhtar trembled, standing before his alpha as if he were naked. And he felt naked, so vulnerable in that tortuous moment fearing he’d be rejected. His thick, black eyebrows knit together as Akhtar finished, and he witnessed trepidation in Fenix’s face for the first time. Fenix unfurled his massive, calloused hand; dark talons curled inward as if not to cut Akhtar as Fenix reached for his mate and drew him close.
“I am your alpha, heart, body, and soul. And I swear on my dynasty that we will save her. I will send Luna to search once we arrive. She will not die. No one will harm you. You are safe with me, Akhtar, beloved.”
A tidal wave of relief washed over him as Fenix brushed the tears from his eyes with a lazy smile. Afterward, as they cleaned up, they realized the day was already gone. Luna must have witched the tent, because they hadn’t noticed the passing of the sun. But it was alright, Fenix insisted, since they wouldn’t move again until city guards gave them the okay. Fenix only meant to run drills that day, and being with Akhtar was vastly preferable to that.
“Goodnight,” Akhtar whispered, moving to exit the tent. But his fingers halted, squeezing the tent flap. He turned to his alpha, Fenix’s eyes welled up with affection, desire, and determination.
“May I sleep with you, alpha?”
He quirked an eyebrow, and Akhtar quickly added, “T-T-To rest! I am tired. And the carriage is lavish but…”
I haven’t slept alone in years. It is lonely. I need you. He couldn’t bring himself to say that.
Fenix smirked, tugging him back, cupping Akhtar’s sagging stomach as his chin nuzzled his head. Akhtar blinked, blushing, embarrassed. Was this the tender love and care he’d displayed in front of his soldiers while Akhtar was consumed by his heat? If so, now he knew why they all suppressed chuckles when passing by their commander, a slave to love.
“Akhtar, mate,” his alpha murmured, huffing, sending blue strands flying everywhere. “If we are to be on a first-name basis, call me Fenix. Otherwise, your alpha.”
“My alpha,” he whispered, testing the phrase out, shocked at how much he liked it.
Fenix took him to bed, pulling him on top of his chest and under his sheets as he nestled him closer. Their hot and cold bodies blended perfectly, reaching just the right temperature to snuggle close. They would change in the morning after a long bath together, Akhtar had no doubt.
“My omega,” Fenix said as Akhtar drifted off. “Rest now. I cherish you for attempting to accept the bond, and for being so brave and forthcoming. Rikisha will be safe. You are safe with me, protected under my wing. And when the time is right, I will seek vengeance against all who dared to hurt you.”