Page 39 of Fire and Fate
For a moment, she's frozen, caught between desire and duty, between what she wants and what she thinks she should want. Then something in her breaks, or perhaps settles, and she closes the distance between us.
The kiss is fierce and claiming, nothing gentle about it. She kisses me like she's been starving for this, like she's been denying herself for so long that now that permission has been granted, she can't hold back. I match her intensity, my hand sliding into her hair to hold her close as I pour centuries of waiting into this moment. She tastes like desperation and hope, like someone who's finally allowing herself to have something she thought was forbidden.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard. Her eyes are dark with desire, her lips swollen from the kiss, and shelooks beautifully undone in a way that makes my dragon purr with satisfaction.
"What are you doing to me?" she whispers, her forehead resting against mine.
"Claiming what's mine," I say simply. "What's ours. You belong here just as much as Kaia does. The magic doesn't make mistakes."
"I'm a Beta," she says, as if this explains everything. "I'm not supposed to be part of this. You say that your prophecy spoke of an Omega and Alphas."
"The prophecy spoke of what was needed to bring balance," I correct. "And balance includes you. Your strength, your loyalty, your fierce protection of what you love. We need that. Kaia needs that. And I find that I want it too."
She searches my eyes, looking for deception or manipulation. But she won't find any. I want her. Not just because the magic says she's ours, though that's part of it. But because of who she is, the strength and courage she's shown, the way she loves so completely that she's willing to sacrifice her own happiness.
"This is insane," she finally says, echoing Kaia's words from earlier.
"Yes," I agree with a slight smile. "But the best things usually are."
She laughs, the sound slightly unhinged but genuine. "I came here expecting to fight monsters and instead I'm being kissed by a dragon queen who claims I'm meant to be hers."
"Life rarely goes according to plan," I say, tracing my fingers along her jaw. "But sometimes the detours lead us exactly where we need to be."
She's quiet for a moment, processing everything. Then she says, "I still need to return to Valoria eventually. To explain what happened, to face whatever consequences there are for taking the princess and not bringing her back."
"Eventually," I agree. "But not today. Today, you rest. You recover from your journey. You let yourself accept that you're safe here, that we're not the enemy you were taught to fear."
"And Kaia?"
"Kaia is exactly where she needs to be," I assure her. "With her Alphas and her Beta. With people who will protect her, cherish her, and give her the freedom she's been seeking. We won't cage her the way her father tried to. We won't use her as a pawn or a prize."
"How can I trust that?" The question is vulnerable, exposing her deepest fear.
"You can't," I admit honestly. "Not yet. Trust is built over time, through actions not words. But I'm asking you to give us the chance to earn it. Stay. See for yourself what kind of people we are. Let us prove that we're worthy of you both."
She stares at me for a long moment, conflict clear in her expression. Then slowly, she nods. "I'll stay. For now. But if I see any sign that you're trying to manipulate or harm Kaia—"
"You'll kill us or die trying," I finish for her, grinning slightly. "I'd expect nothing less. Your fierce loyalty is one of the things I find most attractive about you."
She flushes slightly at that, clearly not used to being seen this way. "I should get back to Kaia. She doesn't like being separated from me for long."
"Soon," I say, pulling her back for another kiss. This one is slower, deeper, a promise of things to come. “Just let me taste my Beta for a little bit longer.”
Kaia
I'm still a little groggy when I fully register where I am, curled up against Alessia's warm body. She smells wonderful, like sunshine and spice and something uniquely her that makes my Omega instincts hum with contentment. She's so warm, radiating heat that seeps into my bones and makes me want to burrow closer. Her fingers are playing with my curls, gently working through the tangles from days of travel, and the sensation is soothing in a way that makes my eyes want to drift closed again.
Then she presses a small kiss against my forehead and something in my body starts to wake up properly. Not just consciousness but need. She does it again, and again, each press of her lips sending sparks of warmth through me that settle lowin my belly. My skin feels too tight and too sensitive, my scent starting to change in response to her attention.
"You're so beautiful," Alessia murmurs against my skin. "The prophecy always spoke of a golden Omega who would come to us, who would complete what was broken. But words could never capture this reality. You're so much more than I imagined. So strong and brave and wonderful."
Her words wash over me like honey. No one's ever spoken to me like this, like I'm something precious beyond measure. My father spoke of duty and obligation. Suitors spoke of conquest and possession. Solace made me feel precious and loved and safe. Coming from an Alpha, though… Alessia speaks of wonder, of gratitude, of genuine admiration for who I am rather than what I represent.
"The prophecy spoke of this moment," she continues, her hand sliding from my hair to cup my face gently. "Of finding you, holding you, being complete. But it's so much better to actually experience it. To feel your warmth, to smell your scent, to know that you're real and here and ours."
I gasp as another wave of need rolls through me, stronger this time. My body is responding to her proximity, to her touch, to the Alpha pheromones that are wrapping around me like silk. The pre-heat that's been simmering beneath the surface is starting to push forward more insistently, demanding attention.
Alessia pulls back slightly to look at me, her eyes searching my face. There's desire there, but also concern and a question she hasn't voiced yet. Her hand on my face is gentle, giving rather than taking, waiting for permission.
