Imani
Eamon and the soldiers recoiled, hands flying to cover their noses. Their faces twisted in disgust.
"Control yourself, Omega," Eamon spat. His eyes watered as if the smell physically hurt him.
I couldn't control anything. Another wave hit me, stronger this time. My knees buckled. Before I hit the ground, Cassiel caught me, rounding my waist with his strong arms.
"Easy," he murmured in my ear.
Unlike the others, he didn't seem repulsed. His pupils dilated, nostrils flaring, but he showed no disgust.
"This is why she was sentenced," Eamon growled, backing away. "Defective. Wild pheromones with no control. She'll draw every unmated male within fifty miles, especially rogues"
"Including Dragons, apparently," one soldier muttered.
Eamon nodded. "I'll have her confined until the next culling."
"No." Cassiel's voice left no room for argument. "She's under my protection."
"Alpha—"
"The Dragon wants her. That makes her valuable." Cassiel tightened his grip around my waist. "Until we understand why she stays with me."
Eamon's jaw tightened. "The Elders won't approve."
"The Elders don't command me." Cassiel's tone hardened. "I command them."
An awkward silence fell. I felt caught in a power struggle I didn't understand.
"The Dragon gave three days," Eamon finally said. "What then?"
"Then we see if he makes good on his threat." Cassiel looked at the guards. "Bring my horse. And something for her to wear."
One soldier hesitated. "But the pheromones—"
"Move." Cassiel's voice dropped an octave.
The men scattered, all except Eamon.
"Cassiel, with respect, your father would never—"
"My father is no longer the Alpha King," Cassiel cut him off. "I rule now."
"Not officially," Eamon reminded him. "Not until you complete the Trials."
Cassiel's body tensed against mine. "Three days until the Dragon comes. A fortnight until the Trials. I'm aware of the timeline, Beta."
Eamon bowed stiffly and backed away, joining the other men.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Cassiel relaxed slightly. "Can you stand?"
I nodded, though my legs still felt shaky, and the dampness between my legs was sticky. If I wasn't so tired, I felt like I would be doing delicious things to Cassiel. The waves of the desire had subsided, leaving behind a dull throbbing under my skin.
"What just happened to me?" I whispered.
"Heat cycle." Cassiel released me slowly, making sure I wouldn't fall. "Though yours is…more unique. You secrete an unnatural amount of it, and it's not good or acceptable in the Kingdom."
"Heat cycle? Like an animal?"
His expression remained neutral. "Like a werewolf."
I shook my head. "I'm not a werewolf."
"Since when?"
"That's impossible." Even as I said it, I remembered the scent rolling off my skin, the heat that came from nowhere, and the strange pulsing beneath it.
Cassiel studied me. "You truly don't understand what's happening, do you?"
"The last thing I remember, I was falling from a building in New York." The words tumbled out before I could stop them. "Next thing I know, I'm tied to a pole about to be executed."
His eyes narrowed. "Falling from a building? In New York?"
Before I could explain, the soldiers returned with a massive black horse and a bundle of clothing.
"Get dressed," Cassiel ordered, handing me the bundle. "We ride for the Capital."
I looked around at the open arena. "Where exactly am I supposed to change?"
He nodded toward an alcove in the arena wall. "Be quick."
I hurried to the alcove, grateful for even this tiny privacy. The bundle contained a simple tunic, leggings, and soft leather boots—all in black. I stripped off the flimsy white shift and pulled on the new clothes. They fit surprisingly well.
When I emerged, Cassiel was already mounted on the horse and extended one hand toward me.
"We don't have time for a gentle introduction to riding," he said. "The Dragon's appearance will draw curiosity. Soon, this arena will be swarming with pack members who want to know what happened."
I took his hand, and he pulled me up in front of him with effortless strength. I settled awkwardly against him, the massive horse shifting beneath us.
"Hold on," he instructed, wrapping one arm around my waist and taking the reins with the other.
The horse leapt forward so suddenly I would have fallen if not for Cassiel's grip. We thundered across the arena floor and through a side gate, scattering people as we went.
The world blurred around us as the horse galloped through narrow streets lined with stone buildings. Everything looked medieval—there were no cars, no electricity, and no signs of modern technology.
"Where are we going?" I shouted over the wind.
"Moon Valley!" Cassiel's voice rumbled against my back. "The Kingdom's capital, where I live. Where the palace is!"
"And then what?"
His arm tightened around me. "Then we figure out why a Dragon king who we all presumed dead suddenly showed up and is willing to come into our territory over you."
We broke free of the city and hit the open road, the horse galloping at an impossible speed. Trees flashed by in green streaks. Mountains loomed ahead, snow-capped peaks piercing a cloudless blue sky.
This wasn't Earth—or at least, not the Earth I knew. Everything was too pristine, too untouched by pollution and development.
"Cassiel!" I twisted to look at him. "What year is it?"
He frowned, clearly thinking I was insane. "2342."
"Is it BC or AC.… I mean, AD?"
"What's that?" I could imagine him scrunching his brows.
"Never mind," I shouted over the wind.
Three hundred years. I'd been dead for three hundred years. Was this hell?
Another wave of desire crashed through me, milder this time but still disorienting. Cassiel inhaled sharply, his chest expanding against my back.
"Your pheromones are getting stronger," he muttered, more to himself than to me.
"Is that bad?"
"I'm hoping my willpower would not make me bend you over and have you," he sighed, then continued. "It's why you were sentenced to death." His voice was grim. "Omega wolves are valuable—rare and fertile. But only if they can control their heats."
"And I can't?"
"No one can without their wolf" He adjusted his grip on me as we took a sharp turn. "But you have a wolf, Imani. Nyx, right?"
"No!" I shook my head. "I don't have a wolf. Is that really necessary to live in this place?"
His chest rumbled as he chuckled. "You're being strange today, Imani, but I'm guessing it's because you're still angry with me."
I just realized we've been talking to each other as friends. He said we met three moons ago? How long ago was that? My head was already aching from a million thoughts at once.
"Listen, we can't talk right now, but I'm hoping we can reach some truce when we get back to the palace."
I nodded. I didn't understand why I should be angry with him, but it was best I go with the flow until I understood what was truly happening here.
My mind shifted to the executioner's words. Unworthy vessels. Draining resources.
"So I'm defective."
"According to our laws, yes." Cassiel's tone softened slightly. "But the Dragon wouldn't want you if you were merely defective."
"What does he want?"
"I don't know." The admission seemed to cost him. "Dragons are secretive, especially since the Purge. But we'll find out."
"How?"
His answer chilled me to the bone.
"Because in three days, he's coming back for you."
***
The horse thundered down a winding mountain path. I clung to the saddle, Cassiel's arm tight around my waist. Neither of us spoke. The pounding hooves filled the silence.
After an hour, we passed a hill, and I gasped.
A real-life palace sprawled across the valley below. Seven stone towers pierced the sky like spears. Walls taller than city buildings encircled the complex, made of dark stone that gleamed in the afternoon sun. An iron gate stood at the entrance, easily thirty feet high and twice as wide.
"We're here," Cassiel said.
Guards in black armor lined the walls. They stiffened as we approached. The massive gate swung open without a sound, revealing a courtyard buzzing with activity.
People stopped and stared as we rode in. Some bowed their heads. Others just gawked.
The horse halted at the base of wide stone steps. A young man hurried forward, taking the reins.
"My King," he said, bowing low.
Cassiel ignored the boy. He jumped down the horse, before he turned and reached for me, gripping my waist as he lifted me down.
I expected him to lead me by the hand, but he stepped back. "Walk beside me," he said, taking a formal tone. "Not behind."
I fell in step with him as we climbed the stairs. My borrowed boots clicked against stone. Guards lined our path, crossing their fists across their chests in salute as we passed.
The entrance hall took my breath away. Ceilings soared fifty feet overhead, supported by columns carved to resemble giant trees. Stained glass windows cast rainbow patterns across marble floors. Tapestries depicting fierce battles covered the walls; I could see wolves fighting dragons in the shiny thread.
A small, older man hurried toward us. His gray robes swept the floor, and rings adorned every finger. He bowed deeply.
"Alpha," he said, his voice reedy with age. "The room is prepared as you requested."
"Thank you, Orrin." Cassiel nodded. "Any message for me?"