15. Dominik

CHAPTER 15

Dominik

Sebastian moves up slowly and cautiously. "Aurora, love? We should appoint someone to watch over the pack until we need them. And don't forget we have Dimitri and Andre waiting outside for us. You know how Andre gets; he's like an old mother hen." Aurora's head lifts, and she nods slowly. Her eyes find her smiling father looking down at her.

"Daughter? Do Dimitri and Andre still live? How can this be?" Nico looks puzzled because, by all rights, those two should have been long dead by time alone. Both types of shifters are not very long-lived by shifter standards.

"Yes, Father, they live. The elder dame bound them to me until I found my first mate, Sebastian. I fear now they may not have much time left." She turns to face Jayce and me. "Can we trust Alexander? Will he lead in our stead while we are gone?"

My brother and I think long and hard about it. "Yes, we believe he would. Father always mistreated him because he's gay. Trust me, he will be thankful and most faithful to you for freeing him from our father." I say with great finality, truth rings with every syllable that passes my lips.

Out of the corner of my eye I notice Sinclair, my brother's lover. Jayce stands stock still watching him approach, afraid of what Aurora may do to the competition. Jayce's fear is palpable in the air as he watches his lover approach. Without a second thought, Sinclair closes the distance and hugs onto Jayce for dear life. I am prepared to intervene if needed, but what could I do? It is my mate and my twin—possibly having to choose between them is breaking my heart.

Aurora shocks me as she moves slowly and touches Jayce's shoulder. "If this is where your heart truly lies, I can and will release you from this fragile bond." Her eyes are the pure mercury of her Lycan. She is anxious, and you can scent her sadness in the air. Aurora is trying to do what is right for my brother. My older brother Alex hears the whole exchange and waits to see what Jayce chooses.

Jayce takes in a deep breath and kisses Sinclair hard on the lips. "I'm sorry. My wolf and I want her as our mate. I never thought I'd find my mate; I thought we had forever." He glances back to Aurora, who has tears streaming down her face. She's ready to release him if that's what he wants, even if it causes her pain.

Aurora shifts quickly and runs across the arena. She leaps high into the air and lands a good twenty feet off the ground. Her talons sink into the wood and mortar as she climbs higher and higher until she reaches the alcove just below the roof. It was the first time Sebastian witnessed his mate run from anything. He just stands there in a state of shock. His eyes swirl between his normal sky blue and that of his wolf. It appears that they are battling each other for control.

"Sebastian!" I yell at him to knock him from the trance he appears to be in. Slowly he looks at me, then back in the direction Aurora had fled. Everyone, now watching the alcove. "Why did she run?"

Sebastian draws in a deep breath, grabbing everyone's attention. "She's not good with handling anything outside of rage, desire, or apathy. The possibility of losing a mate before really having him fucked her world all up." His eyes find Jayce's. "Choose whatever will make you the happiest. She wouldn't have offered you an out if she didn't mean it. Besides, I think you've figured out that she doesn't hold back when something pisses her off or gets in her way."

Jayce nods and looks towards the alcove then back to me. "Dom, please go talk to her. I need to talk with Sinclair a bit, and I'll bring Alex up to speed while you try to make Aurora happy."

I smile at my brother and bring him in for a quick hug before heading to the side of the arena. A hand grips my shoulder, turning my head slightly; it's Nico, and he is smiling. It's kind of terrifying that he's smiling at me right now. "Son, she's hurting and volatile. Tread softly and talk with your heart. Her beast isn't going to listen to reason right now." He spoke from a place of years of wisdom, his connection to his daughter giving us insight into her emotional state...

"Is it safe to approach her? I mean, we're not bonded yet, and she's wedged in a small area." I wasn't afraid of being attacked. I was more fearful of setting her off on a rampage.

"Soon as she can scent you, you'll be safe. Be patient with her. Perhaps the company of your wolf will help her once you get up there." He smirks at me because there is no visible way for me to get up there.

I stare at where she is hiding, then look back at Nico. "Mind giving me a lift? My wolf isn't like hers, and I can't climb walls like she can."

Nico starts laughing and walks away from everyone before he shifts back to his dragon. He looks from me to the alcove and back again before opening his huge taloned hand, waiting for me to walk into his grip. Well, here goes nothing. I walk towards him—poor Jayce is in panic mode, and Sebastian has to hug him to keep him from chasing after me. Once I am in the dragon's grip, he rears up on his hind legs and stretches out his arm, and places me on the ledge of the alcove.

Glowing mercury orbs find me swiftly. She is curled up against the back wall, hugging her knees to her chest. I slowly shift into my wolf and belly crawl over to her, whimpering the entire distance. The great white Lycan in question lies down and curls up around my wolf. Never in my existence have I felt like a small wolf until now. Slowly she starts licking the back of my head, grooming me as if I am the one that needs comfort. When she moves to get a better angle, I can start grooming her.

After a while, she stops and shifts back to her human form. "Your wolf is beautiful, Dom." Her fingers thread through my thick, obsidian fur as she examines the path her fingers blaze. "Father must like you to lift you up here. I'm sorry I took off as I did." Her voice quivers with emotion. "I was afraid of Jayce's rejection. I was afraid that my Lycan would kill his lover in retaliation." She lowers herself to lay her head on my ribcage, curling into me for comfort. "I'm glad you're here, Dom. I don't think I could take Sebastian coddling me."

Her fingers continue their exploration of my wolf's body. Her fingertips are getting dangerously close to my sheath. I can feel my body responding to her proximity. Her own scent is starting to change as she scents the change in mine.

I turn my head and nip at her exposed shoulder. I didn't expect that she would move her head to the side to expose her neck to me. My wolf is ready to claim her right here, right now. He isn't giving me control anytime soon. We nudge her with our muzzle, and she moves onto all fours. Apparently, our princess is a bit of a freak behind closed doors. My wolf is in the driver's seat as he moves behind her—his long broad tongue laps from her clit through her soaking wet folds to her engorged entrance. Her moan makes our fur stand on end. We lick her like an ice cream cone, enjoying her sticky sweet taste on our tongue.

"Please, Dom," is all she says as she looks back over her shoulder at us. Who am I to deny my mate what she is begging for?

I hesitate, knowing my wolf won't be gentle, nor will he go slow. She shakes her ass at us one last time, and he surges forward, mounting her quickly. Quickly we thrust forward, burying ourselves to the hilt. Aurora moans at her sudden fullness and draws in a deep breath as she wiggles again. Her movement spurs my wolf to bite her shoulder hard to hold her in place as he decides to fuck her as hard as he can. Our dew claws dig into the tender skin near her hips so we don't lose our grip of her as we pound her relentlessly.

The sloppy wet sound of our cock sliding in and out of her is music to our ears. Her voice changes as her orgasm grips her. Her muscles grip us tightly, rhythmically pulsating while milking our cock. We won't last much longer; our balls draw uptight as our mating knot forms just before filling her with our seed. Soon after we orgasm, my wolf releases his hold on our body and allows me to shift back to being just a man. The mating knot is still in place as I kiss at the bite my wolf gave her.

Aurora turns her head to look over her shoulder at me and just smiles. "Totally worth it." She starts giggling to herself, and then I feel it. I feel another presence beside myself. It's a somewhat confusing feeling, half elated and at peace, the other part angry. The mixed emotions have me baffled. Aurora looks to be quite happy and content at the moment. The second emotion is definitely puzzling me. As we lay here together, my mating knot finally releases so I can pull free from Aurora's welcoming depths.

"What am I feeling? Better yet, who am I feeling?" I pull her onto my lap, waiting for her answer. I know I feel her, but is that also Sebastian I am feeling? She snuggles into my lap, and without warning, she bites my shoulder near my neck. Everything I was feeling becomes clearer. I'm feeling Sebastian, and well, he is none too pleased my wolf took part in the claiming.

"He'll get over it," Aurora says rather matter of factly after she cleans my mating mark that she just made. "Let's go. I'll have to shift and carry you back down."

Slowly she stands and stretches by the entrance. I watch my seed drip freely from her pussy before she shifts back into her Lycan. She gives me a short bark as if to say get over here . I climb onto her back, lock my arms around her neck, and use my thighs to hold onto her rib cage. This most certainly is a strange turn of events. I'm holding onto my mate for dear life as she takes a running leap off the ledge towards the wall that seems miles away. Sadly, I must admit I think I saw part of my life flash before my eyes as we sail through the air. The landing leaves a lot to be desired; it is jarring and sudden. Through the bond, I feel her joy at my dismay, and I can feel Sebastian's state of panic over what she had just done. Aurora is definitely enjoying this way too much because about halfway down, she launches us backward. All I can think is, this is it; I'm going to die because my mate is insane.

A large, taloned hand shoots up out of nowhere and snatches us out of the air. Nicodeamus has decided to join in on her fun and my panic. Thank the gods I have such great control over my bowels; otherwise, there'd be a mess I'd have to clean up later. Nico places us on the ground, where I promptly slide off her back and move away slowly. I thought I was in the clear until Sebastian's fist meets my jaw, stunning me for a moment.

"What the fuck! You took advantage of her emotional state, you fucking heartless bastard." Just as he gets ready to strike again, a large, white maw comes between us and starts growling at Sebastian. Aurora makes him back away and rethink his course of action.

Her shift comes quickly as she moves to get in Sebastian's face. "I love you, Bash, and I appreciate what you're trying to do. But if you ever hit another mate for doing what I wanted, you and I will be brawling," she growls out. "I touched his wolf's sheath." She jabs her hand in the direction of my cock. "I waved my ass and soaked pussy in his face. I taunted them ‘til they gave me what I wanted!" Her hands clenched into fists. "I needed to feel something other than death and sadness. I needed to feel like something other than the monster I become when I'm forced to kill." She begins to pace between the two of us. Her hands coming up to run through her hair, almost violently, over and over again.

I can see what he meant when he said she doesn't deal with emotions well. I choose, at this point, to back away slowly. This part of the fight is between them, not me. My gaze finds my two brothers and Sinclair huddled over by the exit.

I move slowly over towards the group. "Hey, guys, what's going on?" They all appear to be happy to see me, so that's a good start. "I'm going to accept the title of pack master until Aurora calls for us." Alex is his usual get-to-the-point self. His eyes fall to his nails before he speaks again. "It will be nice to get the pack back to the way it was before Father lost his marbles." I nod slowly and look around. The pack is moving slowly, interacting like I haven't seen them do in the last fifty years.

"That's great to hear, Alex. I'm sure you'll bring about much-needed changes here that have been long overdue. You're one of the most compassionate and understanding people I know. You'll make a great leader." I embrace Alex then look at Jayce and Sinclair. Sinclair seems to be in disbelief over what's happening, and Jayce is getting frustrated. "How are you two doing?" I figured I'd ask in case my twin needs backup. Sinclair was always a very needy bitch when it came to their relationship. Jayce's wolf is showing, and Sinclair looks like he is on the verge of tears.

"What could she possibly do that I can't do, Jayce?! I've been with you for almost fifty years!" Sinclair huffs, completely in touch with his inner bitch.

Jayce shakes his head and draws in a slow, measured breath. "For one, she can give me pups. Two, she's not a needy bitch like you are. Three, she's my fucking mate! That won't change, no matter how much you beg!" Jayce flails his arms.

Jayce's screaming gets Aurora's attention, and she sprints over to stand behind Jayce. She is still human for now, but who knows how long that will last. Her face comes alongside his, and she speaks softly next to his ear. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" Her arms wrap around his shoulders as she stands on her tippy toes to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, your royal hotness, just trying to get Sinclair to understand that it's over and that I choose you." He made probably his smartest move of the night, leaning his head against hers and placing his hands on her arms. Not only do his words please her, but he also immobilizes her in case she wishes to attack. Because after all, if she moves wrong, she'd end up hurting him too, and she wouldn't ever do that.

Sinclair starts to move towards them, and he appears angry. Aurora isn't having any of it. Her eyes burn molten mercury, and scales ripple over her forearms as she growls at Sinclair. "Choose wisely, male. Jayce has chosen; his word is final. He is my mate, which places him on my level. To move against him or me is to move against the throne." She releases Jayce and moves him behind her. Sinclair slowly lowers his head looking down.

Aurora isn't budging at all, and she has made her stand. Once Sinclair moves off, Aurora turns and kisses Jayce. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Her eyes return to human grey as she moves to embrace Jayce. They hug for a very long time before they break apart.

Aurora steps away and moves close to Alex. "I heard you accepted the position." She holds her hand out to him, her royal brand facing Alex.

"I do, my queen." He bows his head to her, already proclaiming her queen. "I will be fair and just and treat everyone better than my father had treated me." He grasps her hand tightly and shakes it. He lifts his head, and they smile at each other.

"Thank you, Alexander. Please prep your people for war. Free the prisoners that were unjustly imprisoned. If any wants to fight alongside us, they are welcome. The guilty prisoners execute them. There is no sense in being imprisoned for life." Alex nods along, taking notes on his phone. He is the organizer of the sons, so he is perfect for this role. "Oh, and Alex, I need the Dire's with the toxic bite to be trained for assault." That gets his attention.

"For assault, my queen… like assassins?" Alex is quite curious about where her thought process is going. I nod along, sensing where Aurora wants the team to be.

"Yes, Alex. We send them in, almost like scouts, to weaken the forces already in place." Aurora starts drawing in the sand. Nico moves up alongside her and starts adding to the drawing. She draws a place that she's never been to. Somehow she knows the layout of the castle grounds.

Nico takes over drawing at this point. "If the Strigoi didn't completely destroy the castle, they will hole up in the bottom chambers in the center during the day." He points to the structure in question. "A daytime assault will be the best bet. If we can gather other Ice Dragons, we can freeze them in their tracks and behead them."

It's kind of scary to think that Aurora was raised without her father, and their thought processes are perfectly in line. She looks at her father's drawing, pointing at parts of it, and you can see the gears turning. "Father, what if we use the tunnels to the south and send the Dire's in through there?" She has a puzzled look on her face, mostly because she's unsure how she knows these things.

Nico starts to laugh, which draws Sebastian to the group. "I'm so glad to see that you remember all that I've shown you in your dreams over the years. I wasn't sure what you learned in your sleep." He hugs Aurora tightly as he gazes upon us. "Come, all is settled here. Let's head back to your guardians, Aurora."

My brother and I return to our suite to pack. It's time to go and plan our next moves as a pack. Jayce still seems off, but his spirits are much higher than they were earlier. I think Aurora verbally claiming him made the difference in his mood. I guess we shall see. After all, we are about to meet the two men who raised her for the last two hundred plus years.