Page 57 of Fire and Fate
I lose track of time, of everything except the feeling of being completely surrounded by love and care and desire. They take me apart piece by piece, building me back up only to shatter me again. And through it all, their magic keeps me grounded, keeps the heat from becoming unbearable even as they satisfy every need my body demands.
This is what heat is supposed to be like, I realize dimly through the pleasure. Not suffering alone, not trying to manage it with suppressants or shame. But this, being cherished and cared for by people who want nothing more than to see you satisfied and safe.
"Perfect," Zara murmurs as I cry out again. "You're absolutely perfect, Kaia."
And wrapped in their love, their magic, their touch, I finally understand what it means to truly belong somewhere. What it means to be home.
Zara
Iwatch with pride as I hold Solace against my chest, both of us observing Kaia as she writhes and gasps under Alessia's attention. The last day has been intense, Kaia's heat refusing to let up despite all of our combined efforts. But she's beautiful like this, completely uninhibited and trusting us to care for her. It's everything I hoped it would be and more.
Solace shifts slightly in my arms, her body tense with something I can't quite identify. "Will you claim her?" she asks quietly, her eyes still on Kaia. "And me? I know there's supposed to be some kind of marking, something that shows the bond is complete."
I laugh softly, stroking my fingers through her dark hair. "It's nothing so barbaric as a bite, if that's what you're imagining.Dragons don't mark with teeth and blood. That’s purely a show for the ceremony. We use magic."
"Magic?" Solace turns her head to look at me, curiosity overriding her concern. "How does that work?"
Instead of explaining, I slowly run my fingers along her arm. I let my magic flow through the contact, warm and claiming. The skin under my touch shimmers slightly, iridescent like dragon scales but so faint it's barely visible. It's there for just a moment before fading, leaving no visible mark behind.
Solace stares at her arm in wonder. "How... I felt something. Like warmth spreading under my skin. But there's nothing there."
"My magic has claimed you," I explain, continuing to stroke her arm gently. "Our marks aren't visible to the naked eye, but you can feel the magical signature. It will mesh with your scent, become part of you. Anyone with magical sensitivity will be able to sense that you're claimed, that you belong to us. And more importantly, you'll be able to draw on my magic now to make you stronger, faster, more powerful in battle."
"Draw on your magic?" Solace repeats, her voice filled with awe. "I can do that?"
"Eventually, yes. It takes practice, learning to feel where our magics connect and how to pull from that connection without draining me. But it's part of the mating bond. Kaia will be able to do the same, drawing from both mine and Alessia's magic when she needs it. It's how we protect our mates, by literally sharing our power with them."
Solace is quiet for a moment, processing this information. Then she asks, "Does it hurt? The claiming?"
"Did it feel like it hurt?" I counter gently.
"No," she admits. "It felt warm. Safe. Like being wrapped in something protective."
"That's exactly what it is," I tell her. "Protection, commitment, a promise that we'll share everything with you. Our magic, our strength, our lives. It's not a cage, Solace. It's freedom. The freedom to be more than you could be alone."
We both look over then to see Kaia falling apart one last time on Alessia's tongue. Her cries echo through the room, raw and desperate, and then suddenly she goes limp. The tension that's been holding her body taut for hours finally releases, and she rolls over to curl up on Alessia's chest. My wife wraps her arms firmly around our Omega, holding her securely as Kaia's breathing gradually slows into sleep.
"Finally," I breathe with relief. "Her heat has broken."
It's been almost a day of this, Kaia's heat refusing to let up until just now even with all of our magic working to soothe her and the four of us taking turns pleasuring her. I've never seen a heat this intense, this demanding. Stories tell of wolves spending three to four days pleasuring their Omegas but most draconian heats last hours with several spikes leading up to that moment.
But then again, I've never experienced a mating bond this powerful either. The magic between the four of us is unlike anything I've felt before, stronger and more complex than I imagined possible.
Alessia looks over at us, her eyes bright despite the exhaustion I can see in the set of her shoulders. She's been working tirelessly for hours, focused entirely on Kaia's needs. Now that the immediate crisis has passed, I can see her attention shifting to Solace with obvious interest.
"My wife wants you," I tell Solace directly, seeing no reason to dance around it. "But only if you take charge. Alessia likes to submit sometimes, to let someone else be in control. She's been dominant for so long, ruling beside me, that she craves the opportunity to surrender."
Solace's eyes widen in surprise. "But I'm a guard and a Beta. I'm not supposed to dominate an Alpha, especially not a queen. That's not how it works in Valoria."
"You will be our queen," I remind her firmly. "You're much more than a guard or a Beta now. That will come in time, the full realization of what you are to us. But for now, just know that Alessia wants you, wants to be taken by you, wants to feel what it's like to submit to someone she trusts completely."
Solace looks at Alessia, something hungry and uncertain warring in her expression. I can see the desire there, the want, but also the years of conditioning telling her it's wrong to want an Alpha that way.
"For now though," I continue, pulling Solace more firmly against me, "I'm going to be selfish and hold you. Our Omega is thoroughly spent and sleeping soundly, which means we can finally rest as well. Before we must face the inevitability of confronting Valoria and its king."
Solace settles back against my chest, her body gradually relaxing into my embrace. "I have a feeling that things are only going to get worse," she says quietly. "Once we leave this room, once we have to deal with the outside world again, it's all going to get so much more complicated."
"Unfortunately, I feel the same," I admit, my hand stroking down her back in soothing circles. "The magic isn't happy. I can feel it churning, restless and agitated. And the Shadowlands seem restless as well, like something is stirring in that darkness. But we'll be ready for whatever happens. We have each other now, and that makes us stronger than we were alone."
