Chapter Two #3
Then again, she’d given Urien two eggs, so maybe he’d been in her good graces once.
Elouan finished breakfast, cleaned the dishes to keep Curtis from doing so later, and then settled on the couch with Curtis’s laptop as he did every morning before work.
He logged into his social media accounts and once more searched for his brothers.
Where were they? If they were in the human world, had they changed their family names, like Elouan had?
Or had Sakaris sent them elsewhere? Terra turned out to be quite large.
He cross-referenced their names, ages, interests, like Anrai’s flute. Nothing. He didn’t even have a photo to post under Have You Seen Me?
Elouan took a moment to picture his brothers in his mind: Anrai, who’d be twenty-two in human years, and Daire, who should’ve just turned twenty-six, though they might appear younger, as dragons aged slower than humans.
When Elouan and his brothers stood side by side, they appeared to be stair steps, with Elouan standing six-feet-four, Daire at six-feet-two, and Anrai at about five-nine.
His heart ached at the memory of conversations and youthful antics. Goddess, he missed them, he missed Teron, and he missed his parents.
Anrai resembled Elouan in appearance, though his dragon was a light green, while Elouan’s was a deep bronze, with mottled dark scales shimmering with iridescence in the sunlight.
Being an omega, Anrai’s dragon was slightly smaller and leaner than Elouan’s alpha form.
He could also maneuver much better without the extra bulk, and dive like an arrow.
Daire’s dragon appeared dark brown, easy to miss during night flying.
The court considered him a beautiful dragon in either form, a fierce fighter, and a fierce lover based on rumors Elouan truly didn’t want to hear but that others insisted on telling him anyway.
The Goddess knew how many proposals Father received for Daire.
Even more than for Elouan, who’d one day be king.
Not that Father ever told the beta son of the group, who might run.
Daire didn’t consider himself handsome, while Anrai flaunted his good looks. Had either brother found love wherever they were hiding? Wherever they were, may they be happy, and know Elouan missed them.
No new emails filled Elouan’s inbox in response to his many queries, though he received a few ads for erectile dysfunction drugs he didn’t need. No, getting erections wasn’t the problem. The problem was finding someone to help him relieve an erection—in a fun way. Someone he’d want to keep around.
He’d heard DNA tests united lost relatives but didn’t dare let anyone see the uniqueness of his makeup, an unspoken agreement among his kind who lived in Terra.
No telling how humans would react to dragons in their midst, but if the general public ever found out, the quiet life dragons sought by moving here would be history.
Elouan had survived in this realm for three years with no hint of Daire or Anrai.
Though Sakaris swore he’d sealed the gate between the two realms, nothing should’ve stopped the mage himself from coming with news. Or was there any?
Did Sakaris still live?
Not a good omen. What of the court back home, those loyal to Father who’d tolerated Urien to avoid death?
Elouan pushed aside the thoughts. Nothing he could do to help any dragons, not from a distance.
He sighed, turned off the computer, donned his leather jacket, and grabbed the lunch he’d made last night out of the refrigerator.
Time to leave the cozy little apartment for work. He took the truck, the morning cooler than he liked for his motorcycle, with the threat of rain later.
The ride into town didn't take long, Elouan jamming along with—irony of ironies—Imagine Dragons, though the lead singer hit high notes Elouan couldn’t manage. The lyrics were thought-provoking, helped to pass the time, and wouldn’t inspire laughter from the rest of the men on the construction site.
He parked his old truck in the parking lot of the bare bones of a high-rise.
If he couldn’t soar among the heavens on wings, he could at least feel the wind on his face from on high.
He strapped on his tool belt and lifted his hardhat from its place in the passenger seat to begin his day welding.
Yes, heights and fire. Two of his favorite things.
Footprints sunk into red clay marked the trail from truck to building, rain having fallen the day before. Lunch bag in hand, he crossed the distance in a few long strides, ignoring the group of men sipping coffee at a wooden picnic table while waiting for start time.
He entered the site trailer, clocked in using the tablet kiosk, and ambled toward the open lifts, tucking his braid underneath his hard hat.
Dings from the kiosk sounded behind him as coworkers hit the time clock.
Leon fell into step beside him— Curtis’s omega dragon father, as if anyone with eyes couldn’t see the copper-haired, blue-eyed resemblance.
Dragons in Terra kept silent about dragon realm affiliations, questions considered rude when many newcomers fled from traumatic pasts or even crimes.
As long as they committed none here, the others didn’t really care.
Elouan guessed Leon came from the Northern Crags based on his coloring and accent.
While High Reaches dragons rarely socialized with Northern Crags dragons, Elouan had occasionally met a few from there. Still, he didn’t dare ask if he and Leon shared mutual acquaintances. No reminding others of what they’d lost.
Human-realm dragons didn’t have a structured hierarchy, and unaffiliated dragons seemed to be the norm, not the exception, and were no longer stigmatized. Loose groups formed, more friendships than anything else.
Elouan’s upbringing instilled his life’s purpose. Alphas were born to lead. Knowing the expectations gave stability, didn’t it? A less structured environment left him feeling uncertain.
Yet, he’d met alphas who should never lead, and betas who should. What if he’d been born a beta or an omega, stuck in expectations he could never rise above?
“All right there, Elouan?” It had taken about a month to discourage Leon from calling Elouan “Alpha Sir.” Dragons might not enjoy talking about their courts, but their deference to social classes sometimes made an appearance.
Why, Elouan couldn’t say. Old habits, most likely. Old habits he wished would disappear.
“I’m all right. You?” Best to keep conversations to a minimum with humans around to avoid slip-ups. While Elouan carefully guarded each word, Leon sometimes forgot himself, especially when drinking.
“I think Curtis enjoyed his party last night,” Leon said.
“I’m glad he did.”
“We treated him to dinner at his favorite restaurant before he went to the club.”
“I’m sure he liked that.” Though he hadn’t mentioned his parents taking him out.
Leon grinned. “Hey, I heard of a place in the mountains where we can—”
The scent of an approaching human caused Elouan to lift his lip in a dragon snarl of warning.
“Where you can what?” the new man asked, donning his hard hat. The random marks showed how often he’d thrown it into the toolbox in the back of his truck. Earl smelled of human, too much cologne, and too little soap, mixed with a hint of gasoline. He must have filled his tank on the way to work.
Sometimes, sensitive alpha dragon noses were a curse.
“Get away from it all,” Elouan improvised with a forced grin.
If Leon had been an alpha, he’d have smelled Earl’s approach.
Actually, if he’d even been paying attention.
What grudge Earl bore against soap and water Elouan would never understand.
Most dragons took personal hygiene seriously.
“You know. A mini vacation.” Had Leon been about to disclose a place safe from human eyes where Elouan could shift and fly?
He’d have to corner Leon later for details.
“Yeah,” Leon said. “Way back in the mountains where you can go days without seeing anyone. A friend of mine has a cabin he’ll lend me.”
Yep, Elouan would definitely ask about the cabin later.
All three men stepped into the elevator cage. Earl clanged the mesh door closed. “Doesn’t sound interesting to me. Give me a beach any day, beautiful women in bikinis, and keep the Mai Tais coming.”
Beach? Sand stuck between his scales? Not Elouan’s idea of fun. He never understood how the Sandy Shoals court tolerated their environment.
But mountains? How Elouan missed majestic peaks.
The mountains surrounding Asheville were pale comparisons to High Reaches.
“Sounds great, Leon. You’ll have to give me directions if your friend will let me stay there.
” He didn’t want to ask the friend directly and have someone agree simply because of Elouan’s perceived status.
They rode the elevator to the twelfth floor. “See ya later, Earl.” Elouan strode down a metal walkway high above the city. Sometimes he forgot this wasn’t a human’s natural environment and that he shouldn’t appear so comfortable.
Leon tagged along behind. “Have you thought any more about the promotion?”
How could Elouan speak his mind and not hurt Leon’s feelings? Leon hadn’t been up for a promotion and likely never would be. Not because of his omega status, but because he performed his job to the bare acceptable minimum.
Elouan wasn’t about to waste his own or anyone else’s time. He did each job as quickly and efficiently as possible, then moved on to the next without fanfare. “I have no interest in leadership,” he finally said. Not in Adrakus, nor in Terra.
“It’s a shame. You’d make a good foreman.” Leon shuffled off to start his day, leaving Elouan alone.
Looking out beyond the city to the tree-covered mountains made Elouan’s heart yearn for home. Were there fat deer in the woods, simply waiting for a skilled hunter? Caves to explore?
Asheville wasn’t home. Never could be. Home. Where he’d been a prince instead of a welder.