Creed
Swiftly, I grabbed Odessa by the hand, pulling her in the opposite direction from where everyone was leaving. Heading back to the palace was not in my plans. My plans were to stay away, even if it was for just twenty-four hours.
Odessa grunted while I pulled her along to the other side of the viewing area. The heavily wooded steps made no noise I stomped down to ground level.
I had kept my calm while we attended this, ‘festivity,’ as King Orion said, but it was far from any festivity. The people will celebrate on their own accord, that the second in command of the Rogue army is now gone. The Light Kingdom and our Dragon Tribe rejoiced, but all I could do was hold on to my mate, comfort her as her dragon destroyed the evil that now lay in ash.
Odessa was hiding her genuine emotions with her angelic face. She tried to hide the conflicting emotions, but in her heart; I knew she suffered. Killing was an idea left for me, not for my mate. She was so
Another chapter and then the epilogue
Odessa Sleep came in short bursts throughout the night. Rolling over to be spooned ended up being another steamy session of lovemaking. Not that I minded. My dragon, with her powers, fully awakened, gave me bursts of energy. I could have stayed up for days, it felt, but of course, after a pleasurable high, I couldn’t help but feel contented as I fell back asleep. Creed’s braids were a mess. His normal scowl he gives to anyone but me all but faded. His peaceful features gave me a new kind of pleasure. We were safe in our little nest. I can see the appeal now, seeing him asleep while we held each other. My dragon stirred inside me, noticing I could see in the dark quite well as compared before staying in his cave. I swore I could see the faint light at the other end of the cave, letting us know the suns had risen. Fingers tracing his jaw, his face leaned closer, kissing the palm of my hand. “Morning,” I whispered. His eyes flickered open, showing his de
Odessa groaned, stretching her body as the furs tickled her naked skin. Her body was delightfully sore from the night before. Creed had taken the extra time to please his mate along with extra massages to help her pulled muscles.Reaching with her hand to feel the surrounding furs, she could not feel her mate. The furs were cold on her side of the nest. Picking her head up to look around their cave, she spotted her mate's muscular back in front of the fire. He was using the new skillet that Odessa had requested so she could have her favorite graving, fried eggs.Odessa sat up with great effort, pushing herself from the furs and pulling her legs over the edge. Creed's ears picked up the ruffle in their nest and quickly stopped what he was doing. "My fawn," he grumbled as he went to her. His knees knelt to the floor, putting his palms on the outside of her thighs. "You should rest. We did too much. I did too much." Odessa giggled, pulling him to standing, kissing h
"Wait!" The gurgling voice called for me. A claw clawed the upper part of my ankle; I winced at the sharp sting but kept going. Flinging the weighty door open to the unobstructed air, I bolted to the treeline, which wasn't far. This area was usually secure, streaming with guards, but many were missing. I didn't question it; this was my only chance.His gurgles became more transparent; he was healing far too quickly. My hope for escape was diminishing, but I trudged on because facing the repercussions was not an option.My feet were burning despite the cold weather. The damp leaves clung to my bloody feet while I tried to silently run through the dense woods. Thorns, briars scraped my skin; the moon was still high in the night sky.No footsteps were running after me; heck, I didn't even know if they could fly or if it was an old wives tale to scare children. I wasn't about to find out. My steps hit soft patches of moss-like material. Bright lights flew out,
Creed's POVThe night's previous storm brought good omens. Fresh rain washed the trails giving new smells for fresh game. Despite the dark cave where Razak and I dwell, I knew exactly when the light sources would hit the sky. The double light hits the cave at just dawn giving the temperature a few degrees increase. My dragon was to thank for his stubborn temperature fascination.Clearing my throat, I grabbed the jug of fresh rainwater that had dripped in the night. It was cool, refreshing, and welcomed. Once the snow hit the mountains in a few weeks, I would miss the fresh rainwater. Razak was still asleep on the floor, the bed of furs laid for him were worn and tattered, yet he slept like a king, unlike the other hybrid beasts like him. I had found him when it was just a cub; his mother was killed in a hunting expedition held by one of the dragon tribes on the Southside of the mountain. Many tribes were careless, not caring if a female animal was pregnant or nursing y
CreedFawn's eyes closed delicately while I stared at her longingly. When was the last time I had been this close to another being? I couldn't remember the last time I touched any other living them besides killing for food, fighting for gold, or defending myself. This woman is helpless, and she shows no fear in my disfigured body.This wasn't her world; she was stuck in a land where this was nothing but fairy tales to her. A strong feisty spirit must inhabit her body to have kept her alive this long. The journey into the mountains is not an easy one. There were rumors that humans had started to come into Bergarian; mates were being found by the different species. All the humans had come in willingly. However, this girl did not. She was forced; the anger built up inside me as I watched her sleep.Her body was tiny, obviously starved, and given just enough food to survive for whatever purpose she was obtained for. I prayed to the gods that it was nothing too
Odessa's POV6 Months Ago"I'm so sorry for your loss," the nurse handed me the final paperwork while I sat in my father's room. My father was connected to life support, tubes coming out of his arms, chest, and mouth. He didn't even look the same anymore. There was no light in his eye, no golden glow on his skin. He had been here way too long, and his beard was tangled in the wires.The few longing tears dripped down my face. Dad's body was still warm, the machine did its job, but unfortunately, his mind couldn't keep up. Cancer had gripped hold of him, taking him by the neck and strangling the life out of him. It came hard and fast, already flowing in the bloodstream.My father, John Durham, was a writer. He never made much money, but he did what he loved. I admired that about him. He took a second job just to raise me when my mother left us both in the cold. She had become mystified with the thoughts of magic, realms, crystal
OdessaThe clinking of utensils startled me. "Dad?" I whisper. I rubbed my cheek against the pillow when it dawned on me that dad isn't here anymore; he's gone. In fact, I wasn't at home at all and was stuck in a tree running from the Duke. Whatever my cheek was rubbing against is so soft, so warm. It feels like the fur of an animal.My eyes didn't blink open slowly; they darted open was an intensity my lashes almost fell off. My back was turned to whatever was making small noises on the other side. My face stared into a rock wall; to the touch, it was cold and smooth. The light was dim, not bright in the slightest. Flames of a fire flickered my body's shadow on the wall. Was I in a cave?Rolling my body slowly to not be heard was a bit difficult. My ankle throbbed and, with the shift of blankets and pillows, it jostled the bandages into the wrong position. The bed was enormous, large furs covered the entire area, and I was raised high above the ground, a good t
CreedMy little Fawn told me her name, Odessa.Sweet sounding like the sirens of the blue waters of the East. Her laugh was inviting. Everything about her was perfect. If I was allowed to have a mate, it would be her. The epitome of perfection. My dragon thought so while she stroked our scars. Her fingers trembled at first, but as I relaxed, her fingers radiated warmth. My dragon purred silently, not to scare her. She didn't know what I was; once she did, would she leave?She commented on her scars while we both traced each other's hardships. Odessa remained light and airy, pushing the memories away. My dragon was only outraged at the thought of someone hurting her.Razak's growl was a good distraction; any longer, I was afraid my beast would rear his ugly head.Razak is a quiet creature when in the cave. It is his home and solitude. I taught him that when he was just a kit, he should respect the home or spend his nights outside the cave. It happen