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I take a rough breath, reminding myself of the number of years that have passed. The centuries. Isavelle has never ridden a dragon. Never even seen a dragon until a week ago. Could it be that she doesn’t even know what a mate is? What an Alpha or an Omega is? Alphas are leaders. They’re physically strong, swift, dangerous, and resilient. They give the orders and everyone else follows. There are many Alphas, but Omegas are very rare. Precious. They’re also at the very bottom of the pecking order. They don’t naturally take to battle or leadership, and they’re physically small. That should make them insignificant, but Omegas are so prized because male Alphas and female Omegas breed the strongest, cleverest, and most beautiful offspring.
And they’re totally, completely irresistible to each other.
There’s nothing so deep or intense as the love between an Alpha and an Omega. It’s an instant, irrevocable bond that only deepens over time. Alphas find their Omegas utterly irresistible, adorable, and sexy, and Omegas crave their Alpha’s touch, protection, and voices more than anything in the world.
“What do you smell when you are close to me?” I ask her.
Isavelle wrinkles her nose. “Blood. Dust. Ash and fire like a blacksmith’s forge, which I think is from that fire-breathing monster behind you.”
Over my shoulder, Scourge snorts in irritation that he’s been called a monster.
She’s named only mundane things that a human would smell. A Maledinni scenting her mate should be overwhelmed by a wondrous bouquet that leaves her dizzy and hungry for more. I’ve always wondered what I’d smell like to my Omega when she finally appeared, if she finally appeared, and the fact that Isavelle detects nothing in particular is a crushing disappointment.
“Why, what am I supposed to smell?” she asks.
I lift my hand and let it fall.
Me.
Us.
I know that Isavelle is Maledinni like me because I can smell it on her. I know that she’s my mate. There’s no question about that. For the past five hundred years, my people have been living like humans. Could it be that the part of her that should recognize me is asleep, as I was beneath the mountain?
I’ll just have to wake that part of her up.
I reach for Isavelle, but she backs away with a soft gasp like she thinks I’m going to hurt her. My hand is enormous compared to hers. I’m towering over her, clad in armor and carrying weapons. She’s defenseless, wearing the clothes she stole days ago from my camp, her feet bloodied and torn, and her body covered in cuts and bruises.
A pang goes through my heart. Isavelle doesn’t care that I’ve saved her life twice. All she sees when she looks at me is a killer.
Though it causes me physical pain, I take a step back from her. “I’m not your enemy. The ones you call the Brethren are my enemy—my only enemy. You and every other Maledinni between the northern and southern mountains are my people, and I’m here to save you from these zealots.”
Isavelle says nothing, but her distrustful expression doesn’t change. She wraps her arms around herself and then winces as she squeezes her injured flesh.
I’m a terrible, thoughtless Alpha, seeing my Omega in pain but doing nothing about it. Shame spirals through me. “You’re hurt and injured,sha’len. I will fly you somewhere that will ease your pain.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you, especially not on that creature.”
“I’m not leaving you here to suffer and die. We are miles from safety and there are many Brethren still abroad.”
Isavelle glares around into the darkness. There are no lights that might indicate a nearby village or even a house. We’re alone out here with Scourge and a pile of dead bodies, and the horses have long since fled.
Her gaze lingers on my dragon. “All I want is to find my family. Ma and Dad fled our village with my two younger siblings when the fighting broke out, and I don’t know where they’ve gone.” Her voice trembles with emotion and her scent is awash with loneliness and despair.
My poor little Omega. How well I know the pain of losing your family, though she has the hope of recovering hers. “I will do everything in my power to help you find your family. I want nothing but for the people of this country to feel safe in their homes once more.”
“You say that, but I’ve watched your dragon eat people. How do I know he won’t eat me as well?”
The corner of my mouth tilts up. “Scourge, eat people? Humans have a disgusting taste, and eating Maledinni would be akin to cannibalism. He prefers to hunt deer and sea creatures. I promise that you and everyone in Maledin are safe from Scourge—as long as they don’t attack me or you.”
I hold out my arm, inviting her to step closer to him. Scourge is our only way out of here to safety. Isavelle takes a tentative step forward, and Scourge swings his enormous head around to look at her. His eyes gleam red and his nostrils flare.
My mate freezes. Then she does a surprising thing. Isavelle turns away from him and squeezes her eyes shut, saying through gritted teeth, “Do it like you did it before. If I have to get on that dragon, then take me up there. I can’t make myself do it.”
Her arms are wrapped so tightly around herself, and she’s shaking in fear. Seen through her eyes, my enormous black dragon is indeed a monster. Fire-breathing. Flesh-rending. A wild creature, but entirely tame for me, and for her, though she hasn’t realized it yet.
I draw my mate closer, murmuring softly as I gather her to my chest and lift her up, a warm, soft bundle in my arms. Finally, I get to touch her again. Hold her. “I’ve got you,sha’len. No one is going to hurt you ever again. No one will take you from me.”
She fits perfectly against me, a part of me that I’ve always known I was missing.
