Chapter Fifteen

Fred

Almost everything had a purple hue in Elio's memories. The clear magical fluid that flooded out of his swollen claiming gland wasn't any different than what I experienced back on Earthside. Apparently, a dragon was a dragon, whether he was an alien or not. My dragon chuckled at the joke, but it was hard to pay attention to my own inner beast. Elio's orange dragon trembled inside him, terrified that what he believed to be the truth would be denied. His heart pounded against my chest as I lapped the clear magical fluid and drank down his memories. Except for the unfamiliar places and the purple atmosphere, he could've grown up on Earthside. His memories ran forward, not backwards. There was one tiny flash of him being brought into a room of shelves. Some giant alpha in pink ceremonial robes declared that he could now witness a bit of his past. That's what made him believe he knew Lotus. Hell, maybe he did I wasn't sure. When the fluid ran dry, Elio let out a sob and I froze in place.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, pushing his hair back from his face.

"I can tell by the look on your face that the magic didn't show you what I wanted it to."

My heart sank into my stomach. I was an asshole. Elio's scent said it all. Okay, trying to burn him alive earlier said it all, but how in the name of Frost and Juda and all their unhatched eggs was I supposed to believe he was my true-mate when I had already held Lotus in my arms. I'd only heard of one other group ever having more than one true-mate. It wasn't possible. Only it was. I wasn't a giant softy. Tears didn't bring me to my knees. I proved that when I ruled the territory surrounding Glitter Bomb. Crying didn't stop me from snapping an enemy's head off their neck. Now, each tear Elio shed was like a punch to my gut.

I tried to wipe away his tears and ignore how my dick throbbed inside him long enough to put together a sentence worth uttering to him.

"Do you want to stop?" I asked because it seemed like the first step in damage control.

"No," he shook his head.

"Because of the vows or---?" I asked unsure of how to word the million thoughts kicking at my brain from the inside.

"Because we're mates!"

"Okay," I nodded.

"Okay, you believe me or okay, you believe I believe me?" he asked.

"I have a little more clarity now," I said, choosing my words carefully. "I know that the claiming vows don't work if you're not true-mates. I know that the magic practically explodes on you if you try to claim someone who isn't yours. I used to run this territory. Okay, I practically tamed this territory and I saw shit like that happen while I was cleaning it up. I don't know how this is possible or how it works, but apparently it does. I'm not saying we'll build a nest tonight and live happily-ever-after right now, but somehow, we're connected. Somehow, we'll figure this all out."

"I'll take what I can get," Elio managed a smile and I wiped away more of his tears.

"Lotus is a sore spot for me."

"A soft spot for you," Elio shook his head. "Dragons always attack when you go for their soft spots. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I just never considered the fact you might try to murder me before we even said hello."

Not knowing what else to say, I pulled him down and kissed his forehead before turning my head to the side to give him access to my claiming gland. I bit him first on purpose. Biting him first meant I would get to see what the magic showed him, and I desperately needed another vivid glance of Lotus. Maybe it wasn't fair for him, but to the best of my recollection I didn't ask for a second true-mate. I missed her with a visceral ache.

Elio pressed his torso firm against mine and kissed up and down my neck. He smelled delicious. His mouth was warm against my skin and his body hugged my dick tightly. Maybe it wasn't fair to exchange these vows with him while my heart still belonged to the one I couldn't hold, but what else could I do? There wasn't another way to solve this mystery and I was pulled to him. That's what pissed me and my dragon off so much. How dare anyone else ever try to make us feel that way again? Feeling it just the once almost killed us – would've killed us if not for the egg brats.

Elio's tongue traced around the edges of my claiming gland, bringing me back to the present moment. He kissed my gland over and over, licking it, as if he wanted to make out with it. He bit me hard as if it was payback for trying to roast him earlier. I winced but gritted my teeth as the clear magical fluid flooded onto my skin. Then the memories came. My childhood was a brief interlude. My antics at Glitter Bomb got more time than I would've liked. Elio chuckled against my skin a few times as the glitter fell between dancing and fighting. He didn't flinch when I had to take care of business and put an asshat out of everyone else's misery. I held him tight, bracing for the memories to come. There she was, blonde and beautiful, smiling and laughing. She swayed to her favorite Grim Howler's songs as our egg brats grew up around her. The magic was merciful and kept our parting short. As soon as my claiming gland ran dry, Elio held my face in his hands. This time he kissed my forehead.

"We will get her back. We'll find her somehow," he whispered to me and I believed him.

Our bodies moved together working through the emotions the claiming vows had brought to the surface. Something bigger than either of us was at play here. The magic behind true-mates was the most studied and the least understood. Maybe we'd never know for sure how this happened, but I wanted to try to unravel the mystery. Just not right now. Elio's tears dried on his cheeks as our bodies moved together. With our new mating link open his pleasure rained down on me. I put my hand over his star scale. It was warmer than the rest of him. He threw his head back in pleasure, letting his long hair cascade down his back and toy with my thighs with each move he made. Everything inside me drew up tight as Elio came down hard on my dick. He squeezed me as I slid back and forth inside his slippery passageway. His fingers dug into my chest and our pleasure squeezed every atom inside me. He bit his lip and the sight of his head thrown back again was all I could stand. I pumped up hard once, twice, three times and everything I was in that second exploded inside his warm body. He moaned, nails digging deeper inside me. His dick shook, trembling with need as I let go of his hip to wrap my fingers around it. I squeezed and stroked him hard, following the slight curve of the muscle. He bit his lip again and then a roar vibrated up his throat. There was no way we were keeping anything a secret from the other members of the crew now that we'd claimed each other. So, I didn't bother to clamp my hand over his mouth. I let him growl out his orgasm as his dick shook in my hand and spilt all the proof of his pleasure over my flesh.

We panted in post-coital bliss and I pulled him down against my chest despite the mess. We'd need to shower, but fuck it. That's why evolution made the water cycle. I kissed the top of his head as our hearts pounded in time. Wherever Lotus was, I really hoped she had a hand in this, because otherwise I was probably a cheating asshole.