The Spare Dragon

8. Acquaintances

***Remus***

A portal opens to my office, my lips turning into a frown as Salvador steps through, a gun in his hand. I stare at the end of the barrel without flinching as Salvador points it at my forehead.

“Any last words?” he asks.

“You’re still a mutt,” I retort, unamused by his antics.

He pulls the trigger, yelling the word, “BANG!” as a little red flag shoots out of the barrel. I roll my eyes as he doubles over and laughs, completely annoyed that I will have to put up with this i***t’s shenanigans for the next few hours.

“If I ever turn into you with a wolf mate, shoot me,” Salvador says in a mocking tone. “Your words, not mine.”

I groan internally, already regretting inviting him here. I hear more laughter coming from the portal and look up to see Queen Aurora of the Ivory Phoenix Kingdom stifling her giggles from the other side. She’s been a great help, so I can’t find it in my heart to be annoyed with her.

“Thank you again for responding so quickly on such short notice, Your Majesty. I’m sure you’re very busy,” I say, the young queen smiling back at me from her side of the portal. “Where is Guinevere?”

She stares back at me intently, her eyes suddenly widening in shock.

“Your mate…” she whispers.

I don’t like the way she looks at me, as if she’s just committed a sin in helping me.

“Would you give me a second?” she asks, closing the portal before I have a chance to speak.

Salvador stops laughing and looks at me.

“What just happened?” I ask, Salvador shrugging in response.

“I don’t know. Who’s your mate?”

“Her name is Vanessa.”

Salvador shrugs again and shakes his head. “I don’t know anyone named Vanessa.”

Confused, we both wait impatiently for the portal to open again.

“So…” Salvador chuckles, kicking his feet around. “How’d you meet her? Your mate, I mean.”

“I don’t know, we just bumped into each other in the woods, and she’s… she’s all I think about, okay?” I mutter, crossing my arms across my chest. I hate talking about my feelings, especially when I don’t understand them.

“Sounds like you have it bad,” Salvador laughs to himself. “I almost feel bad… Almost.”

“Are you finished?” I snap, the wolf smiling smugly at me. A deafening silence falls over us, so I dare to ask a question I know I’ll regret. “Will it always feel like I’m dying whenever I’m not near her?”

“Yes.” He grins. “But a word of advice? Mates are sacred to us wolves. Whoever she is, she loves you. From the moment she met you, she’s been in love and she will go to the ends of the earth for you— she just may not admit to it right now. Our mate bonds are unlike any other, and if you do not plan to care for that bond, let her go. Don’t hurt her. I’ve seen what happens when your mate is not your first priority. It never ends well. I’m not saying disregard your duties, but never stop reminding her what she means to you. If you want her, tell her.”

The portal reopens, Aurora finally returning with Guinevere, Salvador’s wife and currently the only person who can help Vanessa. There’s a small pup in her arms that cries hysterically, Guinevere doing her best to calm the pup down as she steps through the portal.

“Sorry, I was trying to put Susanna to sleep but she won’t stop fussing,” Guinevere mutters, handing me the crying baby.

Shortly after Susanna’s birth, we discovered that, for whatever reason, the pup stops crying whenever I hold her. It confuses me to no end and infuriates Salvador. As if on cue, Susanna stops crying, a small cooing sound coming from her tiny lips.

A rancid stench suddenly fills the air, and I hold my breath as I hand Susanna back to her mother.

“I think something died in your baby,” I mumble, Gwen glaring daggers at me. She turns to her pup to check her diaper and makes a face of disgust.

“Oh shoot, she pooped,” Guinevere groans, handing the pup over to Salvador. “Please change her while I deal with Remus and his mess of a mate.”

Before I even comprehend my own response, I snarl at Guinevere, Salvador bursting into laughter again while rocking his baby.

“He even growls when you disrespect his mate!” he chuckles. “He’s a wolf now! Oh Goddess, this is glorious! Who’s the lovesick dragon now, asshole?”

I force myself to calm down before I lose my cool and ignore his comments, turning my attention back to the witch, who stifles her own laughter. Just as I’m about to lead Guinevere out towards Vanessa’s room, a she-wolf suddenly steps through the portal, her eyes frantically searching for something.

“Vanessa, where is she?” the woman says, taking a step towards me. She eyes me up and down, an unreadable expression in her dark eyes.

I vaguely remember meeting her a few times, but her name escapes me at the moment.

“Are you her friend?” I ask, the woman sighing and crossing her arms over chest.

“No,” she replies, “I’m her sister, Natalia.”

I exchange glances with Aurora who confirms this information with a nod.

“Okay, follow me,” I mutter, opening the door to the hallway.

Salvador stays back in the office to change his pup’s diaper while Guinevere and Natalia follow me down the hall to Vanessa’s room.

“I take it you and Vanessa aren’t very close?” I ask as we reach the door.

“Vanessa is a t**t,” Guinevere mutters.

I clench my jaw together to keep from growling at her again, Guinevere giggling under breath.

“Let’s just say I haven’t fully forgiven her for something she did to me,” Natalia replies. “But that doesn’t mean I want to watch her suffer. I just want to make sure she’s fine.”

“I see,” I reply, opening the door and pausing when I hear Vanessa’s moans.

My c**k instantly hardens at the sound, and I step aside to let Natalia and Guienvere in, hoping neither one of them notices the growing lump in my trousers.

I slam the door shut, Guinevere and Natalia standing like statues as they watch Vanessa writhe in blissful agony between the sheets, their cheeks turning bright red with second-hand embarrassment. Almost as soon as I hear Vanessa call my name, my dragon awakens, instantly going feral for his mate.

It takes every ounce of strength I have to not jump on Vanessa, and I stand with my back against the wall, as far away from her as I can.

“For Gods’ sake Remus! How could you be so irresponsible as to bring a wolf mate to this realm!” my mother hisses, her face red with mortification. “Maria explained the difference to me and I cannot in good conscience let her compete. You must reject her. This game is not fair to her or the others.”

“No!” I snarl through gritted teeth. “You’ve made decisions for me my entire life, but this time, I will make my own choices. She will compete and you will not say a word to the council about this! If I must suffer through these games, then I will at least get to decide who plays in them.”

My mother gnashes her teeth as she thinks, before finally giving in. “You do realize if she loses, you cannot mark her,” she asks, pointing at Vanessa.

“I-I accept the consequences of my decision.”

She purses her lips and smoothes out the wrinkles of her dress. “Then so be it. I have to go downstairs to take care of the guests and do some damage control.”

“Please, Remus,” Vanessa suddenly cries out, her voice breaking as she rolls over and moans into her pillow, “I can’t do this. I need you, please!”

I need you… Those three words are all it takes to break through my self-control.

I race towards her only for Queen Maria to slam me up against the wall and restrain me.

“Remus, you have to calm down,” Maria whispers as I fight against her. “Gwennie will take care of it.”

“B-But she needs me,” I groan, Maria reassuring me that it's only the heat talking.

Utterly confused but pressed for time, my mother walks towards the door, Guinevere curtseying and stepping aside to let her through.

“Guinevere,” my mother smiles, looking Guinevere up and down. “You look well. Motherhood suits you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Guinevere replies politely. “You look like you have your hands full.”

“Remus always had a knack for infuriating me,” she sighs, readjusting her sash before stepping out into the hall.

Guinevere shuts the door behind her, muttering under her breath as she walks over to the bed. “You know I have half a mind to walk away and not help her,” Guinevere says, going through a pouch hanging from her hips. “After everything she’s done, she deserves this.”

“But you will help her, right?” I gasp, my c**k throbbing as Vanessa pulls at the strings of her corset.

“Well, I didn’t come all this way to watch her do whatever this is,” she grumbles, Vanessa attempting to undress herself.

Guinevere looks around the room and hurries over to the desk, spilling out the contents of her pouch.

“Alright,” Guinevere sighs, unscrewing a mason jar of clear liquid and pouring in ingredients before giving me instructions as she stirs them all together. “Rose petals and butterfly pea flowers are the key ingredients. They help soothe the fertility aspect of a heat. You just need to add them to moon water to—”

“M-Moon water?” I ask, Guinevere groaning in frustration.

“It’s in the name, you i***t. Moon water. Water left under the moonlight to charge with its energy. It must be a full moon to work properly. Luckily for you, I brought you two jars of it and mixed in a little pixie dust for added strength, for you to work with. So use them sparingly over the next three days. The moon water appeases their Moon Goddess, so DO NOT JUST USE REGULAR WATER,” she shouts at me. “It must be moon water. Add a little honey to make the taste go away. Now, this spell will only last twelve hours so you and Vanessa must take this tea twice a day; once in the morning and once in the evening. Do not forget. She will start doing that again if you do,” Guinevere says, pointing to Vanessa as she gyrates her hips in a circle.

“I-I have to drink it?” I ask, Guinevere gripping my chin and forcing my mouth open.

“Yes, now shut up and swallow it,” she huffs, pouring about a quarter of the contents into my mouth.

Despite the honey, the tea is quite bitter, but I swallow it anyway, needing the desire twitching in my c**k to calm down. Maria still holds me back as Guinevere takes the tea over to Vanessa, Natalia climbing onto the bed to hold her down while Guinevere opens her mouth.

“Wait!” Natalia calls out, Guinevere halting in place. “Just wait a little.”

Vanessa whimpers in pain as she looks up at her sister with a plea.

“It's gonna be okay,” Natalia whispers, nodding at Guinevere to give Vanessa a sip of the tea.

The tea takes effect immediately, the tingling in my c**k finally dissipating. I breathe out a sigh of relief, Maria finally letting me go.

“Oh Goddess,” Vanessa sobs into her hands, her entire body shaking as she weeps. “That was so humiliating,” she cries, unable to look anyone in the eyes. “Why did it have to be today of all days?”

“Moon Goddess has a funny sense of humor,” Natalia mutters, climbing off of her sister to stand beside Guinevere, “but at least it’s over… for now.”

Go to her, Azos snaps. She needs comfort.

I resist the urge to run to her and slowly walk to the edge of the bed, searching for her small hands buried between the bedsheets. Sparks tingle up my arm and down my c**k the moment our skin touches, my hand instantly flinching away.

“I still feel the pull,” I say, turning to Guinevere.

“Well, this is not a cure for heat,” Guinevere announces. “She is still in heat. The potion only dampened the symptoms of heat so she can function like a person. However, any unmated male who touches her — intentionally or not — will still feel the pull towards her if she’s alone. You, Remus, must stay within a 500-meter radius of her for the next three days, so that the only pull she feels is towards you. As long as you’re nearby, she’ll be fine and won’t attract any other men who may touch her.”

“But the games start tomorrow! I-I can’t be with her the entire time she’s in heat!” I snap, Guinevere walking over to the desk and speaking over her shoulder as she mixes the flowers together.

“Games? What games?”

“A bunch of rich, pretty girls are competing to marry Remus,” Maria sighs, Guinevere and Natalia raising their eyebrows in amusement. “He’s got a bit of an ego on him, doesn’t he, ladies?” She chuckles.

“I’ll say,” Guinevere snickers. “He becomes king and now his girlfriends have to fight for the right to be his wife? Oh, f**k off.”

“It was not my idea!” I protest. “It was the council’s.”

“Oh boo-hoo! Poor little Remus has to pick a wife, how awful,” Guinevere teases. “Though if I’m honest, this should be interesting. Your mate competing for your hand in marriage is what I call, poetic justice.”

“I pity the girl who wins,” Maria mutters, Guinevere nearly choking on her own saliva as she bursts into laughter.

“Get f****d,” I retort, Maria smirking at me.

“Are you offering or are you just being a tease?”

Vanessa snarls at her comment, Maria raising her hands in surrender while I glare at her.

“Tough crowd,” she chuckles.

“Get out,” I snap, opening the door for her.

She walks on the tips of her toes with her hands behind her back towards me, and as she reaches the door, she grabs my face and plants a kiss on my lips before running away and squealing with laughter down the hall.

“YOU CRAZY OLD TOAD!” I shout, Maria flipping me off without so much as looking at me as she skips away.

I wipe my lips in disgust and turn back to the women in the room laughing at me.

“I can’t stand either of you,” I mumble, slamming the door shut. It does not escape me that Vanessa does not laugh at Maria’s prank, and I quickly try to explain she means nothing. “S-She’s just a friend. A very old and crazy friend who enjoys teasing me. Nothing more. I promise.”

“You know Remus, it’s very refreshing to see you so flustered over a mate,” Guinevere snickers. “After all your teasing, it seems you finally got what you deserve... a mate. I’m going to enjoy watching this unfold, seeing as you have a very — for lack of a better word — interesting mate.”

I get the sense I’m missing something here, but I’ll have to worry about what she means later. Right now, I just need to make sure my mate and her heat are taken care of.

“So this potion thingy, how does it work?” I ask, grabbing the bag of mixed flowers Guinevere hands me.

She arranges her jars of moon water and honey on the table and gestures to them. “Okay, so you’re all set for the next three days. Just add the flowers to hot moon water and add honey to lessen the bitter taste. Both of you must drink this, and remember, if you stay away from her, others will be attracted to her if they touch her. Don’t leave her side while out in public.”

“Bloody wolves and their stupid bonds,” I mutter under my breath, both Natalia and Vanessa growling at me.

“It’s comments like that that likely got you into this mess,” Guinevere snaps. “Serves you right for teasing me and Salvador.”

As if on cue, the i***t wolf storms in with his pup in his arms, a look of trauma in his eyes as his pup coos.

“Gwen, we gotta go. She shat everywhere. It’s all over his desk,” Salvador announces.

“You’re shitting me,” I snap, unsure if I can take any more of these wolves and their antics.

“No, but she did,” Salvador says, pointing at the child. “Anyway, what did I miss?”

“We just finished here,” Guinevere says, taking the baby and rocking her in her arms. She looks at Vanessa over her shoulder, then back at me. “Good luck, Remus. You’re going to need it.”

Vanessa wipes her tears as Guinevere and Salvador head towards the door, Natalia lingering behind a little. She turns and looks at her sister, an unreadable expression on her face.

“You’ve been given a second chance,” she sighs. “Don’t waste it. Fight for it. My feelings towards you have not changed, but—” she says, taking a big breath and letting it out slowly, “I pray you never experience what I did. Good luck.”

She walks out of the room, closing the door shut behind her, leaving Vanessa and me all alone. My mate can’t seem to look me in the eyes, and it saddens me. I love her eyes.

Well, say something! Azos snaps. She needs to know how you feel.

I look down at my feet as I try to gather my thoughts but I find it hard to express those types of feelings. After spending centuries suppressing them all, I don’t even know where to begin.

Then you’ll have to learn how to show them, Azos sighs. Starting now. If you can’t think of anything to say, then just sit with her so she knows you’re here for her.

I do just that, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge, Vanessa pulling her knees to her chest and flinching away from me when I reach for her hand. She hides her face from me, refusing to look at me.

“Are you alright?” I ask, Vanessa saying nothing but shaking her head. “What do you need from me?”

Her head shoots up at those words. “What?”

“I’m not very good at the guessing game,” I reply. “So I need you to tell me what you need, and you can consider it done.”

Her lips quiver and she mumbles into her knees, “I just want to go home and never be seen again.”

“Anything but that.”

“Then please, just leave me alone!” she sobs. “Just leave! I can’t think when I’m around you. You’re too confusing!”

“Oh, I’m confusing?” I scoff with indignation. “You told me you didn’t want to compete, but then at breakfast… you… you said yes. You gave me hope and now you want nothing to do with me when I’m here. I’m here for you. Who’s the confusing one now?”

“Still you!” she snaps back, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “I just want someone who wants me,” she whispers, a lump forming in my throat to know how much she’s hurting. “...Without terms or conditions. I’d fight for someone who wants me. But you pull away every time I get too close. You don’t want me like I want you.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want you,” I argue. “I would have let you run away from me.”

“Don’t lie.” She shakes her head. “If I kissed you right now, what would you do? If I crawled into your lap and wrapped my arms around your neck… if I ran my fingers through your hair and pulled you to me… if I kissed you and asked you to kiss me back, what would you do? You’d push me away wouldn’t you? You’d give me some excuse about—”

I pull her onto my lap before she can protest and press my lips against hers. Her body shivers as a thousand sparks tingle between us, igniting the flames of desire within me like never before.

“I’d give you a thousand kisses if it meant you’d fight for us,” I murmur against her lips. “Believe me, it’s taking all the strength I have to not claim you right now.”

She pulls away to look at me and I find myself getting lost in the swirls of green in her eyes.

“Please claim me,” she whimpers, cupping my cheeks. “Please.”

At first, I don’t understand what she means, but then I recall what Salvador said earlier.

…Tell her you want her…

“You’re mine,” I whisper.

A giddy smile stretches on Vanessa’s face before she leans in and kisses me, her lips moving eagerly against mine.

That was all it took to make her happy? I ponder, Azos groaning in frustration.

I cannot believe I’m stuck with you, he mutters.

My hands explore the curves of her ass and my c**k twitches at the thought of being buried deep inside her, making her moan my name as she rides me. I pull the skirt of her dress over her hips, when the sounds of trumpets go off outside the castle.

“What’s that?” Vanessa asks as she pulls away and looks towards the balcony.

“They’re announcing the arrival of a visitor,” I reply, sliding her off my lap. “One of the contestants must have arrived earlier than expected.”

The trumpets sound off again, Vanessa crawling off the bed and running to the balcony to see. There’s a knock at the door, Naomi calling out from the other side, and I look down at the hardened lump in my trousers, groaning irritably as I try to think flaccid thoughts. Vanessa rushes to open the door, finding both my mother and Naomi waiting.

“Lady Vanessa, I heard you were sick!” Naomi gasps. “Are you feeling any better?”

Vanessa steps aside to let them both in, looking quizzically at my mother.

“I made sure to inform everyone that you are not accustomed to our food here in the Sky Realm and didn’t take breakfast well. I’m glad to see you are out of bed but the physician recommends you remain here until the games,” she says politely. “Do you understand?”

Vanessa stares blankly at my mother before her eyes widen in realization.

“Oh yes… yes Your Majesty,” she replies. “Thank you for looking after me.”

“My pleasure,” my mother replies, holding out her hand for me to take. “Now you and I must go. You did not receive the guests last night, but you will receive these ones, so come along,” my mother demands.

I’m not at all pleased to leave Vanessa alone, but Naomi offers to keep her company for the remainder of the day. Reluctantly, I take my mother’s hand and walk her down the hall as she scolds me to straighten up and smile.

“These are important women, Remus,” she says through a strained smile, “so you will behave like a charming and polite king, and welcome them. You will not be annoyed, and you will not think about her at all while you’re with them. I want you relaxed and attentive. We must make a good impression on our potential allies.”

“I’m not five, Mother—”

“Then act like an adult, and mind your manners,” she snaps, pinching my elbow. “Now stop slouching!”

We arrive at the throne room, the other Alderonian contestants and their families rising from their seats as my mother and I take our places at the head of the room. I remain standing at the steps of my throne as the doors open and the herald announces the arrival of my father. He wears a black suit and sash over his chest, a neutral look on his face as he walks to the front of the room and bows before me.

The room remains silent as he takes his place beside my mother, nearest to my throne. The sounds of tired sighs and murmurs echo throughout the room as we wait for the herald. I do my best to smile when the doors finally reopen.

The herald clears his throat and announces the first contestant, continuing until all five women are standing before me. I keep my composure despite the shock when I recognize the final woman.

“Presenting the Honorable Lady Garima Rane of the Republic of Haral, the Honorable Lady Hiraya Rose Beltran of the Kingdom of Karenth, Her Royal Highness, Princess Folasade Adebayo of the Kingdom of Khevaria, Her Royal Highness, Princess Cleo Chassac of the Kingdom of Talan, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Zahra Fazel of the Saikar Empire.”

Each of them curtsies as their name is called, but my eyes remain on Zahra, a smile curling on my lips. She smiles back timidly as our childhood memories flood my mind.

“How wonderful to see you again, Your Royal Highness,” I blurt out, Zahra’s smile widening.

“It’s very nice to see you too, Your Majesty,” she replies quietly.

“Ahem,” my mother coughs, though I see the smile on her lips.

“Right,” I mutter to myself before looking at the rest of the contestants standing off to the side.

I invite them all to join the new contestants in the middle aisle until I have all ten beautiful women standing before me.

“Welcome all, to Alderon. It is an honor to have you here, and I do hope your travels were pleasant. I’m sure you’re eager to get some rest, so I’ll make haste. You have all been carefully selected to compete in a series of five games to be my queen,” I announce, my mother rising from her seat to join me. “After each game, a number of you will be eliminated, but those of you who do not move on to the next game, will earn your place in the Royal Harem and reside here in the palace with me.”

“The Royal Harem is the highest honor for any woman in Alderon, so I can assure you, there will be no losses here,” my mother adds. “Those of you who move on to each new round will get a chance to spend some time with His Majesty privately, so that he may get to know each of you. Our first game begins tomorrow, and you will receive your instructions in the morning. For now, please rest. You have all been given comfortable rooms in the East Wing, and you will share this wing for the duration of your stay, so I encourage you all to get acquainted with one another. Lunch will be served at noon, and thank you all again for being here.”

The ladies thank me and excuse themselves to their rooms, but my mind remains on Zahra.

“What is Zahra doing here?” I ask, when the throne room is empty, my mother grinning cheekily. “She wasn’t on the dossier.”

“No, she wasn’t. Her cousin was,” my mother chuckles.

“So why is she here?” I snap.

“Because she is a great motivator, and I knew you wouldn’t like that I asked her to come,” she says with a shrug. “But we need her here, Remus. She is a powerful woman, and you need a powerful woman at your side. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must finalize the details of the games.”

“Mother—”

“Please rest up, Remus,” she says as she walks away. “We have a long Ludus Electia ahead of us.”