Chapter 13 Zara
Zara
The library is quiet except for the rustle of parchment and the occasional scratch of quill on paper.
Sunlight streams through the tall windows, illuminating dust particles dancing in the air.
I've been sitting at this table for what feels like hours, listening to Torvin and Mira debate the same points over and over again while my mind drifts to far more pleasant places.
It's been a few days since the mating ceremony, and I've spent every possible moment lost in Alessia.
When royal duties call, I attend to them with the efficiency expected of a queen.
But the moment I'm free, I find myself drawn back to her like a moth to flame.
We make love in our chambers, in secluded corners of the palace gardens, once even in the throne room late at night when we thought ourselves alone.
She's insatiable, and I'm more than happy to indulge her every desire.
But beneath the passion and pleasure, there's an undercurrent of anticipation I can't shake. Alessia's certainty about our Omega, about feeling her presence in the Shadowlands, has planted a seed of hope I'm trying desperately not to let take root. Hope is dangerous. Hope leads to disappointment.
Still, I find myself thinking about it more than I should.
The new set of warriors from Valoria have already started arriving at our borders.
We track their movements through our scouts and sentries, watching as they stumble through the outer reaches of our territory with the kind of arrogance that suggests they've never truly faced death before.
The youngling dragons are more than happy to roast whoever comes too close to the edge of Embrath, treating it like sport rather than serious defense.
It would be amusing if it weren't so wasteful.
These warriors die for nothing, chasing a lie their king has fed them.
They never get close enough to see that civilization exists here, that there's an entire kingdom thriving within these walls.
Our kingdom is set much farther inside the territory, hidden by mountains and magic and thick mist. People passing by or attempting to take on a dragon never penetrate deep enough to discover the truth.
We prefer it that way. Let them believe we're mindless beasts hoarding gold. Let them underestimate us.
"The issue remains the same," Torvin says, his deep voice rumbling through the space.
He's a massive Alpha with scales that shimmer bronze in his dragon form, a tactical mind that's saved us from numerous threats.
"The warriors keep coming. Year after year, the Valorian king sends more lambs to slaughter.
Eventually, one of them will get lucky, or worse, they'll come in such numbers that even our younglings can't hold them all back. "
"Then we seal the entrance," Mira suggests, not for the first time. The Alpha’s smaller but no less formidable, her silver scales and sharp tongue making her one of our most effective military commanders.
"There are old magics we could invoke, wards that would make the passages into Embrath invisible to outsiders.
They'd wander the Shadowlands forever without ever finding us. "
"And trap ourselves inside our own kingdom?" I counter, though my heart isn't fully in the argument. "Cut ourselves off from the rest of the world?"
"What use is the rest of the world?" Mira asks. "They fear us, hunt us, tell stories about us that bear no resemblance to reality. What benefit do we gain from maintaining contact with kingdoms that see us as monsters?"
Torvin nods slowly. "She has a point. Isolation isn't ideal, but it's better than constant siege. Our people are tired, Zara. Tired of defending our home against invaders who'll never stop coming as long as that mad king in Valoria keeps sending them."
I know they're right. Logically, tactically, sealing Embrath makes sense.
But every time I consider agreeing to it, I think about Alessia's words.
Our Omega is in the Shadowlands. If that's true, if there's even a chance the prophecy is finally coming to pass, then closing off Embrath would mean losing our chance to find her.
We'd seal ourselves away from the one thing that could complete us.
"I understand your concerns," I say carefully, choosing my words with precision. "But I need more time to consider this course of action. Sealing Embrath isn't a decision to be made lightly. Once the wards are in place, it could be centuries before we can safely reverse them."
Mira frowns. "What's there to consider? Every day we wait is another day that Valorian warriors penetrate our territory. Another day that our people are at risk."
"Our younglings are handling the threats adequately," I point out. "And I haven't heard reports of any warrior getting farther than the outer valleys. We're in no immediate danger."
"Not yet," Torvin growls out. "But that could change. What happens when King Frederik decides to send an army instead of individual warriors? What happens when he convinces other kingdoms to join his cause?"
Before I can respond, the library doors burst open with enough force that they slam against the walls. Alessia stands in the doorway, her eyes wild, her blond hair disheveled around her shoulders, clutching what appears to be the sheets from our bed in her arms.
I'm on my feet instantly, worry spiking through me. I've never seen her like this, so frantic and unguarded. Something's wrong.
Torvin and Mira stand as well, their hands moving to the weapons they always carry. I hold up a hand to forestall any action, then move quickly to Alessia's side. "What's wrong?" I ask, my hands hovering over her arms, wanting to touch her but not sure if she needs space. "Are you hurt?"
"No, no, I'm fine," she says breathlessly, but her eyes are blazing with something that looks like excitement mixed with disbelief. "But I need to speak with you. Now. Privately."
I turn to Torvin and Mira, who are watching this exchange with obvious curiosity. "Give us a minute."
Torvin nods, moving toward the door immediately, but Mira hesitates. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes," I say firmly. "Just give us a moment. Please."
She exchanges a look with Torvin but follows him out, closing the doors behind them with a soft click. The moment we're alone, Alessia rushes forward, shoving the bundled sheets at me.
"I don't know how," she says, her words tumbling over each other in her haste to get them out. "But it's her."
I frown, taking the sheets and look at them. They're our sheets, the ones from our bed, rumpled from sleep and lovemaking. I don't understand what she wants me to see.
"Alessia, slow down. What are you—"
"Smell them," she interrupts. "Please, Zara. Just smell them."
Still confused, I lift the fabric to my nose, taking a tentative breath.
At first, all I smell is us. Alessia's sweet scent mixed with my own musk, along with the residual traces of sex and sleep.
But then I catch something else beneath those familiar scents.
Something that makes my entire body go still.
Omega. A scent so rich and complex it makes my mouth water, my dragon stirring with immediate interest. It's not just any Omega scent. It's the scent of a potential mate, one that calls to every instinct I possess.
I inhale deeply, drawing the scent into my lungs, holding it there. My body settles in a way I've never experienced before, as if every cell recognizes something fundamental and right about this smell. This is what I've been missing. This is what's been making me feel incomplete.
But then I catch another scent woven through the Omega's, and I frown.
"She's not alone," I say, pulling the sheets away from my face to look at Alessia. "There's a wolf. A Beta, I think, based on the scent profile."
Alessia's expression shifts from excitement to confusion. "A wolf? Are you certain?"
"Yes." I bring the sheets back to my nose, analyzing the scents more carefully.
The Omega's scent is dominant, but the Beta's is there too, threaded through it in a way that speaks of intimacy and closeness.
"But I'm intrigued by the mixture of their smells.
They're not just traveling together. They're intertwined in a way that suggests deep connection.
Almost as if they go hand in hand, as if they're a mated pair the same way we are. "
"But that doesn't make sense." Alessia moves closer, taking a corner of the sheet, bringing it to her own nose.
She inhales, and I see the moment she catches the Beta's scent as well.
Her eyes widen. "The prophecy didn't speak of more.
It spoke of a golden Omega, singular, who would complete our triad. "
"That doesn't mean the prophecy can't be wrong," I say, still analyzing the scents.
There's something compelling about the Beta's smell as well, something that makes my dragon purr with interest rather than jealousy.
"Or that we haven't read it completely. Prophecies are notoriously vague and open to interpretation.
What if the golden Omega was never meant to come to us alone? "
Alessia is quiet for a moment, clearly processing this. "Do you know how close they are? Can you sense their location?"
She shakes her head, frustration flickering across her face.
"I know our race can sense the magical signature of our match long before we ever meet them.
I've been tracking her through the Shadowlands for days now.
But they were here, in our bed. Not physically, of course.
I would've known if someone had actually entered our chambers. But..."
She trails off, clearly struggling to put into words what she experienced. I set the sheets aside, taking her hands in mine, grounding her.
"Tell me what happened. From the beginning."
She takes a breath, collecting her thoughts.
"I went to our chambers to rest between meetings.
The moment I entered, I could smell it. Smell her.
The scent was so strong I thought someone had actually been in our room.
I searched everywhere, looking for an intruder, but there was no one.
Nothing had been disturbed. It was only when I examined the bed that I realized the scent was embedded in the sheets themselves. "
"Magic," I say, understanding beginning to dawn. "They weren't physically here, but their magical signatures were. Somehow, they projected themselves into our space."
"But how?" Alessia asks, desperation creeping into her voice. "I've never heard of magic that can do that. Not even the most powerful seers can physically manifest their presence in distant locations."
"No, but they can enter dreams," I point out. "What if this is something similar? What if our Omega, perhaps unconsciously, reached out to us through whatever connection is forming between us? And that connection manifested in our bed because it's the most intimate space we share?"
Alessia's eyes light up with understanding. "That would explain why the scent is so concentrated there. She reached out, and the magic brought her to the place where our connection would be strongest."
"And the Beta came with her because they're already bonded," I continue, the pieces falling into place. "Whatever connection exists between them is strong enough that it carried over into the magical projection."
"So what does this mean?" Alessia asks. "Are we supposed to complete a bond with both of them? Is that even possible?"
"I don't know." I release her hands, beginning to pace, my mind racing through possibilities.
"Traditional triads consist of two Alphas and an Omega, or two Omegas and an Alpha, or various other combinations.
But I've never heard of a triad that includes a Beta.
Betas are usually stabilizing forces within draconian packs, not primary bonding partners. "
"But you felt it too," Alessia presses. "The rightness of that Beta's scent. The way it complements the Omega's rather than competing with it."
"I did," I admit. "And that's what confuses me. My dragon recognizes both scents as potential mates. That shouldn't be possible, but I can't deny what I'm feeling."
Alessia moves to stand in front of me, stopping my pacing. "Then we need to understand what's happening. We need guidance."
I know what she's suggesting, and I groan. "The royal physician."
"Yes." Alessia's expression is sympathetic but firm. "Elara has studied the prophecy for her entire life. She's one of the few who still holds fast to the belief that it'll come to pass. If anyone can help us understand this, it's her."
"Elara is going to lecture us about patience and faith," I mutter, but I know Alessia's right. We need answers, and Elara is our best source of them. "She's been telling us for years that the prophecy would unfold in its own time."
"And she was right," Alessia points out. "You can admit that, at least."
I sigh heavily. "Fine. We'll consult with Elara. But if she says 'I told you so,' I can't be held responsible for my actions."
Alessia laughs, some of the tension draining from her shoulders. "Deal. But Zara, this is real. Our Omega is close, and somehow she reached out to us. That has to mean something."
"It does," I agree, pulling her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It means everything's about to change. The question is whether we're ready for it."
"We've been waiting for centuries," Alessia murmurs against my chest. "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."
I hold her for a moment longer, breathing in her familiar scent, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
Hope is mixing with fear, excitement with uncertainty.
We're on the precipice of something monumental, something that could either complete us or shatter everything we thought we knew.
"What do we tell Torvin and Mira?" Alessia asks eventually. "They're still waiting outside, and they'll want to know what this was about."
"Nothing, for now," I decide. "This is too uncertain, too delicate to share with the war council. If word gets out that we believe our Omega is approaching, it'll cause chaos. Some will be overjoyed. Others will be skeptical. And we don't need that distraction right now."
"So we keep it between us?"
"Between us and Elara," I correct. "At least until we have a better understanding of what's happening."
Alessia nods. "When should we speak with her?"
"As soon as possible," I say, making the decision. "This afternoon or evening if we can bother her. Whatever magic brought our Omega's scent into our chambers is powerful and unprecedented. We need to understand it before something else happens that we're unprepared for."