Chapter 23 Solace
Solace
Zara leads me through corridors I don't recognize, down staircases that seem to descend forever, until we finally emerge into the afternoon sunlight.
We're in a field just off to the side of the castle, wild grass swaying in the breeze and flowers I don't recognize dotting the landscape in brilliant colors.
The air smells sweet and clean, nothing like the confined spaces of Valoria's castle where everything is carefully manicured and controlled.
I stare at Zara, confused about why she's brought me out here. She stands at the edge of the field, looking out over the valley beyond with an expression I can't quite read. There's something peaceful about her posture, relaxed in a way I haven't seen since we arrived.
"I don't get to do this often, less than I'd like with a people to rule," she says without turning to look at me.
"But I want to show you what your kingdom has been fighting so hard against. What they've been willing to kill for, to die for, without ever truly understanding what they're trying to destroy. "
I frown, not following her meaning. "What do you mean?"
She turns to face me then, and there's intensity in her dark eyes that makes my breath catch. "Shift with me. Let me show you Embrath the way it's meant to be seen."
I step back instinctively, my heart rate picking up. "What?"
"You can't possibly cover the ground we need to by walking," Zara explains. "Not if I want to show you everything before Kaia's heat hits and we're confined to the bedroom for days. Shift with me so that I can show you Embrath properly."
Before I can respond, before I can even process what she's asking, Zara begins to shift.
I watch in fascination as her body transforms, expanding and reforming into something both terrifying and beautiful.
Her skin gives way to scales that shimmer black with iridescent green, catching the light and throwing it back in patterns that seem almost alive.
Her body grows massive, powerful muscles rippling beneath those gorgeous scales.
Wings unfurl from her back, membrane stretched between bone that looks delicate but must be incredibly strong to support her weight in flight.
Her face elongates into a dragon's snout with teeth that could tear through stone, horns curving back from her skull.
Her eyes, though changed, still hold that same intelligence and intensity I saw in her human form.
She's magnificent, terrifying, and nothing like the mindless beasts from Valorian stories.
I stand frozen in awe, unable to move or speak. This is what we've been taught to fear, to hate, to hunt. But there's nothing monstrous about her. She's powerful and beautiful, a creature of magic and strength that commands respect rather than revulsion.
Zara makes a sound, something between a rumble and a purr, and I realize she's waiting for me. Expecting me to shift too.
My hands tremble as I reach for my wolf form.
It comes easier than I expected, my body remembering the shape and flow of the change.
Skin becomes fur, bones reshape, my perspective shifting as I drop to all fours.
My dark fur ripples with the blue magic that marks me as different, as something more than just a simple Beta wolf.
The magic dances along my spine and legs, visible traces of sapphire light that have always set me apart.
When I open my eyes again, the world looks different.
Sharper, clearer, every scent amplified until I can smell things across Embrath.
The grass beneath my paws, the flowers scattered through the field, the residual scent of other dragons who've passed through this space.
And Zara, her scent stronger and more intoxicating than anything I've ever experienced.
Zara lowers her massive head, pressing her snout gently against my wolf form. The contact sends a shiver through me and then her voice fills my mind, clear as if she were speaking aloud.
"How can I hear you?" I think back at her, startled by the connection.
"Our magic is much stronger than any others," Zara's voice echoes in my head, tinged with amusement.
"It's not limited to mates when in our shifted forms. Any dragon can communicate this way with any shifter, though the connection is stronger with those we're bonded to.
Come. Let me show you what your people have been trying to destroy. "
She launches herself into the air with a powerful thrust of her wings, and I watch in amazement as she rises above me. The grace in her movements despite her size is breathtaking. Then I'm running, my paws eating up the ground as I race across the field after her.
The feel of running freely is intoxicating after so many days forced into this form against my will.
Now it's my choice, my decision to be wolf, and that makes all the difference.
My muscles stretch and pull with each stride, powerful and efficient.
The wind rushes through my fur, cool and refreshing.
I can hear everything, the rustle of grass, the distant call of birds, the steady beat of Zara's wings overhead.
She flies low enough that I can keep her in sight, leading me through valleys and across streams, past groves of trees that seem to glow with their own inner light.
The landscape here is nothing like Valoria's carefully controlled territory.
Everything grows wild and free, but there's still order to it, still beauty that speaks of care and cultivation rather than chaos.
"This is the eastern valley," Zara's voice comes into my mind as we crest a hill. "We grow most of our food here. The soil is rich and the water clean. Our farmers work the land with respect rather than exploitation."
I can see what she means. Fields stretch out below us, planted with crops I recognize and some I don't. But unlike Valoria's farms where every inch is maximized for production, these fields have spaces left for wildflowers, for trees that provide shade, for small streams that wind through naturally rather than being redirected for convenience.
We move on, and she shows me more. The northern forests where the trees grow so tall their tops disappear into the clouds.
The southern cliffs where dragons practice flying, diving and soaring with aerial acrobatics that steal my breath.
The western lakes where the water is so clear I can see straight to the bottom even from this height.
"That's the capital city," Zara says as we approach a cluster of buildings that makes Valoria's castle look small by comparison. "Embrath proper. Most of our people live there or in the surrounding villages. We have markets and schools, libraries and temples, everything a civilization needs."
The city is beautiful, built with the same white stone as the castle but on a grander scale.
The buildings rise in tiers up the mountainside, connected by bridges and staircases that seem to defy gravity.
Gardens grow on rooftops and balconies, adding splashes of color to the pale stone.
I can see people moving through the streets, tiny from this height but clearly going about their daily lives with purpose and peace.
"Your people think we're monsters hoarding treasure in caves," Zara continues, and I can hear the bitterness in her mental voice.
"But we're just people trying to live our lives.
We have families and friends, hopes and dreams, the same as anyone else.
The 'treasure' your warriors seek is just the accumulated wealth of centuries of trade and craftsmanship.
It belongs to our people, not to whoever can kill their way through our defenses. "
Guilt twists in my gut. I came here prepared to help Kaia kill dragons, to steal that wealth for Valoria's greedy king.
I never questioned whether it was right, never stopped to consider what it meant to attack a civilization for their possessions.
I just accepted that dragons were monsters and therefore fair game.
But nothing I'm seeing supports that narrative. This is a thriving kingdom full of beauty and life, not a monster's lair built on destruction.
We move for what feels like hours, though it's probably less.
Zara shows me hot springs where dragons bathe, mountain peaks where they go to think and be alone, valleys where young dragons learn to fly under the watchful eyes of their elders.
She shows me a world I never knew existed, one that's been hiding just beyond Valoria's walls this entire time.
Finally, she lands in a secluded grove, her wings folding against her sides as she touches down on soft grass. I slow to a stop beside her, panting slightly from the long run but exhilarated in a way I haven't felt in years. This is freedom, true freedom, and it's intoxicating.
Zara shifts back to human form, and I watch the transformation with fascination. Soon, she stands before me naked, unconcerned about her nudity, and gestures for me to shift as well.
I do, my wolf form melting back into human.
The cool air hits my bare skin and I'm suddenly very aware that we're both completely naked in this grove.
My cheeks heat as Zara just smiles, something predatory and pleased in the expression.
"Don't be embarrassed. This is natural for shifters, is it not?
We can't exactly carry clothes through transformations. "
"I know," I manage, trying to keep my eyes on her face rather than letting them wander. "It's just different with you. More intense somehow."
"That's the mate bond," Zara says, stepping closer. "Your body recognizes mine as belonging to you, just as mine recognizes yours. It makes everything more intense, more significant."
She reaches out to cup my face, her thumb stroking my cheekbone. The touch sends heat flooding through me, desire pooling low in my belly. When she leans in to kiss me, I meet her halfway, desperate for the contact.
Her tongue traces the seam of my lips and I open for her, gasping at the sensation of her deepening the kiss. She tastes divine, and I find myself pressing closer, needing more.
Her hands slide down my sides, mapping my body with reverent touches. Every place she touches feels like it's on fire, nerve endings lighting up with pleasure. When her fingers find the sensitive spots that make me gasp and arch, she makes a sound of satisfaction deep in her throat.
"You're so responsive," she murmurs against my lips. "So perfect."
She guides me down to the soft grass, following me so she's hovering above me.
The position should make me feel vulnerable, but instead I feel safe, protected, and desired.
Her eyes are dark with want as she looks at me, taking in every detail like she's memorizing me.
"I want to pleasure you," Zara says, her voice low and intense. "Will you let me?"
I nod, unable to form words. My body is already aching with need, responding to her proximity and her scent with visceral intensity.
She takes her time, kissing a path down my neck to my chest. Her mouth is hot against my skin, tongue and teeth working together to drive me wild. When she reaches my breasts, she lavishes attention on them until I'm squirming beneath her, gasping her name.
Her hand slides lower, fingers tracing patterns on my stomach before moving to the apex of my thighs. She makes that sound of approval again, clearly pleased by my body's response. "So wet for me," she says, her fingers beginning to move with purpose. "Your body knows what it wants."
She works me with skilled fingers, building the pleasure gradually, slowly adding one finger inside of me and then another. "That's it," Zara encourages, her voice rough with her own desire. "Let go for me. I've got you."
Zara dips her lips to the curve of my neck, sucking lightly on the skin as she continues to plunge her fingers inside of me. I cling to her, the heat of her magic wrapping around me until all I can sense is the dragon queen giving me pleasure.
A broken cry tears from my lips as I fall apart on her fingers, Zara moving to swallow my sounds as she kisses me. She hums against my lips as I sag against the grass, her hand soon disappearing from my between my thighs and coming up to cup my breast. “You’re going to be addictive, little wolf.”
“Not little,” I mumble against her lips but I love the endearment anyway as lean my head back against the grass, staring up at the canopy of trees above us.
The afternoon light filters through the leaves, creating patterns of light and shadow that dance across our bodies.
I can hear birds singing somewhere nearby, the rustle of wind through branches, the steady sound of Zara's breathing beside me.
"Some of the warriors really thought you all lived in caves," I say eventually, a chuckle escaping despite my exhaustion. "They told stories about dragons sleeping on piles of gold in dark lairs, attacking anything that came near."
Zara laughs, running her nose alongside my cheek.
"We would never be so beastly as to do something like that.
We have beds, Solace. Very comfortable beds.
And while we do appreciate beautiful things, we don't hoard them in caves.
We use them, display them, and share them with our people.
What good is wealth if it just sits in the dark? "