Chapter 4

4

Danon

I tried to shake off the tightness in my muscles and back. My spine tingled. Everything was wrong now. My life turned upside down. I had expected the day would be unpleasant, but I hadn't predicted how forlorn all the omegas looked, how lost.

And now Akai had just asked what he was worth?

It hit me with alarm bells all over my body. We were a civilized nation. Weren't we? We no longer fought to the death for omega mates as we had in the distant past, then publicly mated them for all to see. We no longer kept the breeding barns of medieval times where omegas gave birth to the eggs of multiple alphas and weren't even allowed to see their babies after they hatched.

But this arranged mate union ridiculousness still existed. Set-omegas being sold was still a thing, as if they were worthless because they couldn't shift.

I should have argued with Gaston. I should have refused him no matter the consequences. Even becoming a legal outcast to the flight might be more palatable than this.

It was too late now. Akai was here. Sobbing in his room. All he wanted to do was go home, but his pack would never take him back.

I had never thought about these archaic practices we still had until now. I never thought I'd be confronted with it.

We were bound mates, but he was still a slave. How in all the worlds could a relationship ever build on that? I had no clue what to do now.

And then there was the age difference. It all seemed hopeless.

His fate, and mine, was now changed forever.

"What do you feel?" I asked the room, the silence, the dust.

It was my dragon who replied.

He smells nice.

I let out a grunt. "Not enough."

My dragon, Dani, operated through base instinct, although I could not deny his own independent intelligence. He understood everything that went on around him. He had more bestial responses than I, but his comprehension was not in question.

Akai is only necessary for mating. You do not need to feel for that.

"You might not. But we humans want more, especially if we are mates. Cohabitating. All that."

I want him. He's pretty.

My beast saw in clarity. Simplicity. Even tamed, his mind didn't worry or stress over things of human nature. As long as his needs were met—food, shelter, a place to freely fly—he didn't get caught up in the complexities of the world. Dragons had hierarchies, but they were instinctive. Combat over mates occurred but when it was over, it ended. Nothing personal.

Humans brought their hearts to everything. It was both a blessing and a curse.

I resented the awkwardness in my home now. For all I knew, this might go on for years and years.

Akai had reason to cry. But I was an alpha. The luxury escaped me. I should stand firm about what I wanted and needed. Nothing more.

Outside my bedroom window, wind sang through the tops of the trees. The day was bright with glints of gold. Autumn was coming.

A majority of dragons rutted in the fall. I was one of them. My fingers curled into tight fists. For me, ruts meant going out and seeking release. Or staying home and taking pills to force myself to sleep through it. I'd done both.

My dragon might be small, but my ruts were large. Strong. Sometimes fierce. I needed to always be on top. I usually knotted for an hour, double the standard knotting period. The alpha lovers I'd chosen were strong and could take me well. Sometimes we even play-fought. I enjoyed that.

But an omega? How could such a small person stand up to that? Plus, I'd read that set-omegas were the weakest of the lot.

Maybe I was missing something. Or maybe I needed to go back to Gaston and plead my case, ask for an annulment and immunity from procreation. But I already knew he'd deny me. He didn't brook arguments. He was not a good listener.

It was the weekend. I didn't have work. The company I now owned closed on Saturday and Sunday. There was nothing to do even with a new mate in my own house. Here I was, stuck as much as Akai. Not wanting to come out of my bedroom. Not wanting to face the future.

Well, at least we had that in common.

What a pair we made.

Reading, TV, nothing worked. I couldn't concentrate. I wished it had been a workday so I could hide at the offices. Eventually, I had to leave my room.

I went down the hall past Akai's door and into the kitchen. All was silent, but Akai's scent permeated the air, letting me know at all times an omega was here. I was not alone.

Dani puffed up, an expression of delight. The idea of slaves or set-omegas didn't have much meaning to him. He enjoyed the omega's presence in general. It excited him.

At least someone was happy.

I made a sandwich, ate it, and wandered about my yard for a while like a totally lost dragonling.

I never saw Akai for the rest of the afternoon. I thought about making him a plate of food and taking it to him. I thought of a lot of things I didn't do. Everything was too close and surrounding me, the change too fast. I couldn't quite deal with it.

I figured when he got hungry, he could raid the kitchen.

I went into the living room with some whisky and turned on a baseball game. It was what I'd be doing on my night off. An ordinary evening. Just like any other. If only that could be true.

Dani sensed that Akai was out of his room before I did.

The omega!

A hint of honey. Of maple. The sides of my tongue tingled. I turned on the couch.

Caught behind me between the living room and kitchen, Akai froze.

"Go on," I said. "You haven't eaten. Help yourself. The fridge is full."

He stared at me for a moment as if unsure, then said, "Is it okay if I eat in my room?"

"Of course."

If he hadn't been a set-omega slave, technically, now that we were legally mated, all that I had would be half his now. But that wasn't the case. It irritated me that he had no rights. Plus, he still wore the long white robe of the slaves. We needed clothes for him, and fast.

"You're living here now," I added. "Not a guest."

"I don't have control over whether I live here or not. I thought I'd ask."

His tone surprised me. The boy had some balls after all.

"The room is no longer a guest room. It's yours."

He huffed.

"What?"

He shrugged.

"It's ugly, I know. You can fix it up." I lifted my hand to wave away that problem. I wanted all problems to be that simple. Of course, they weren't.

He stared at me a little longer, then went into the kitchen. I heard him making noise, but didn't get up. I didn't want to see. Or know. This omega was mine now. It was too weird.

For the rest of the weekend, we circled each other, barely speaking, never eating at the same time, never together.

He is our mate now. Our husband. Why are you shutting down?

I ignored Dani's query.

Sunday night, I managed to corner Akai and let him know Monday was a workday for me.

"I'll be gone from eight to five. I remind you of your ankle bracelet. You are not to leave the property."

Voice low, "I have nowhere to go."

"Of course." I heard myself, all abrupt and firm.

"But you have the key, don't you?"

Key. What key? Then I realized. "I don't. Sir Gaston, the flight master, holds the key."

"Why?"

It was the most conversation we'd had since the first night. "He controls the flight."

"And you?"

A shudder went up my neck. "Yes."

"That's strange."

Was it? I didn't know if other flights were the same. I'd never lived in them.

"Sir Gaston orders the flight to make things run smoothly and keep the flight strong and the townships in good repair. He looks to the future." I tasted bile as I spoke the rhetoric. Sir Gaston did keep order, but only as it pleased or benefitted him.

"That's why I'm here? For the future."

I swallowed hard. "Yes."

Surely, Akai knew why. We didn't have to articulate it all. The idea of babies, strong and healthy heirs, and keeping the flight populated while hoping for more dragon omegas was no secret.

"What if I don't care about your flight?"

My nostrils flared. "You don't have to."

Akai crossed his arms. "But I have to live here. And I have to be married to you."

He didn't want me and that was to be expected. "We're not married. It's a mate union. And I could say the same."

He made a face. His jaw quivered. "I don't want to be married. Not to a mean old dragon like you, that's for sure."

I took in a whoosh of air. "What's done is done."

He stuck out his chin. "I know! And it's awful."

My hackles went up. I wasn't to blame. "It's not a dream come true for me, either."

He made a sound of disgust and shook his head, walking away.

"Hold on!" I commanded.

He kept walking.

"For this to work at all, you have to listen for a minute."

He stopped, his back to me.

"I'm not trying to be mean."

"You are naturally?" he asked.

"Little demon," I muttered.

He let out a short, sharp laugh.

"You live here now," I continued. "This house can be a home for you. Or not. Your choice. It's not up to me."

"You haven't even tried to make me comfortable."

Was he right? But how could I? We were strangers. "Clothes for you will be arriving tomorrow. Along with other things you may need. If you want more, I told you I can get whatever you want."

"Great. Thanks."

Akai sounded anything but thankful.

Still with his back turned, he said, "If this house is mine now, does that mean I get to repaint? Refurnish? I don't know the rules, which makes me still your guest while you avoid me."

Did he want to change my home? I glanced around. Dingy. Out of date. Okay, he had a point.

I breathed shallowly to keep my temper at bay. "You can do what you want unless you're rude about it. Then I'll put my foot down."

"You can't control anything, old man. That includes my emotions." With that, he stalked off to his room and slammed the door.

Old man? This was never going to work. It was obvious he hated me. Even if my dragon found Akai cute and sweetly scented, I was beginning to greatly dislike him in return.