Odessa

"Come on, let's get you inside," Willa and Daine grabbed both my arms, leading me toward the massive white doors littered with decorative fairies on the hinges. Orion was speaking to Tangle in hushed, worried tones, until Orion threw out his wings, darkening instantly as he shot off the platform.

"Don't worry about him. He's just making sure the kingdom is surrounded by guards. Can't be too careful when your mate is gone." her hand waved in the air, her wings fluttered violently, causing her feet to barely touch the floor. "Now Amora and I enjoy having spa days, so I think we should do one. Lots of drinking is involved, so I hope you enjoy that!" Daine skipped beside me.

"Oh, please, can I come?" he battled his eyelashes. Willa laughed, giving him a wink.

"Figured you would. Come on down this door here." Willa led us down a series of hallways until we finally stood in front of two large glass doors. Just on the other side, steaming pools of fresh saltwater, many attendants holding pristine white robes, plates of fruit, and tons of glass bottles began walking slowly in a traditional ceremonial line.

"I told Orion it was just us three, but I guess he wanted to go all out." Walking inside, the rose petals were scattered across the deep pools of water. Purple light glowed at the bottom and various fish swam beneath them.

"Clothes off!" Willa was already naked, sitting in the pool beside us, her wings already tucked inside her body. Neck deep, the pool was covered so thickly now in flower petals one could not see anything below the neck. "Yeah, this is the stuff," Daine, walking completely naked with no signs of immodesty or embarrassment, slapped his leg and slithered into the pool. "Praise be to the gods I'm gay because sweating outside right now would suck some serious pixie dickies."

"Come on in, Odessa, the water's great. Don't worry about nakedness. We have the same parts." Daine chuckled.

"Right, just think of me having an enlarge clit that dangles between my legs because my partner pleasures me too much." I gasped, nearly laughing until Willa threw a loofa his way.

"Oh god, Amora will eat you up," she laughed. "Bring on the wine!" I underdressed while the two of them suckled down two glasses at a time of a pink-looking substance. In the glass's bottom, small white pearls danced in liquid. "It's kinda like boba tea. Have you ever had that back on Earth?" I shook my head, taking the glass. "Oh, well, it's like tapioca. Except here, it's like mini shots of Everclear." Willa laughed manically, already hiccupping. "Sorry, Orion said, to have fun."

"Here, here," Daine swallowed another glass down. Deciding to sip, and I do mean small sips, Willa and Daine drilled me how big Creed's, 'massive bamboo stick is.

"I'm tellin' ya, Queen Willa. It was huge, not like the skinny bamboo you see. I'm talking about good, thick, veiny."

"Stop!" I covered my mouth, accidentally pouring the remains of my glass of wine into the water. It was quickly replaced by another drink, which I quickly sipped again. This conversation was well past my comfortableness.

"It's alright, Odessa. I used to be the same, all shy about talking about sexual things. It shouldn't be, though, right? Being naked, yeah, I don't want to be around that all the time, but when it's just us girls," Daine snickered, still drinking down his wine. "It is completely fine." Willa scoots down closer to me on the bench. Her eyes got close to mine, pouting her lips she said, "now, I need to know. Is Creed good in the sack, despite being a virgin for so long?" Daine threw his head back, swallowing the last bit of his fourth glass. "H-he's great?" I said, biting my lip.

"Oh, no..." Daine shook his head.

"He is more than great. Just the one time I heard him suckling her tits before they mated, I swear she creamed the bed."

"Daine!" Willa giggled, pushing more wine for me. Yup, going to chug that down.

"So, does he tickle your fancy with his tongue?"

"W-what?" I laughed, gulping down another glass.

"You know, your bean, butterbean, your button, the devil's doorbell, happy button?" Willa began cackling violently.

"Oh, me next! Your, uh, love bud, man in the boat, your pearl? Oh! Oh! The nub, the skittle, sugar plum or wait... the panic button?!" We all started laughing loudly, the servants laughing along with us at their ridiculous names for my lady parts. I swear I was crying. I laughed so hard until I felt a sharp pain in my back.

"Ouchie," I rubbed it. Willa looked behind me, checking for anything. Shaking her head, she rubbed it absently.

"Must have pulled a muscle from all that laughing," she glanced at Daine, who only looked away.

I wasn't left alone for the rest of the day. Willa and Daine kept me occupied the entire time, using the spa facilities of the castle to make me feel beautiful. I only felt beautiful when Creed was around, so that made it a hard act to follow, but they did their best.

Complete rubdown with sea salts, waxed off every part of body hair except a certain lady area. There was no way I was letting anyone get near that. We had facials, our nails, massages, and even had my hair done in a beautiful braided up-do. "The stylist said this is how dragon shifters do their hair like this for a mating ceremony," Willa pulled on the small side braids, now covered with beads. She had me put on an ivory-colored dress with blue flowers around the bodice. The capped sleeves made me even look smaller if that were possible and tiny silver chains hung on the front of the dress moved as I walked. Much more simple and more my taste. "The way they braid their hair reminds me of Vikings from Earth and the stories," the stylist continued to work on the other side of my head with more side braids. "Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?" I chuckled, still a little drunk.

"I guess you don't then," Willa smiled. "No one really does." Willa's hair was perfectly curled into beautiful ringlets, her dress still the same beautiful pattern that Orion had on earlier. I had noticed they did everything in-sync with each other. Orion was patrolling. I could see from the window he would buzz by only to return with his men to the forest, hovering over, looking for someone or something out of the ordinary. Willa was doing the same, only watching over me. I felt helpless again, not being able to do anything, even with my dragon. The day I came here, I was powerless and I was still was. I didn't offer Creed much of anything, just the love I had in my heart.

"Nah, ah," Willa lifted my chin with her finger. "Stop that thinking. I've done way too much of that in my beginning days with Orion, always second-guessing. I'll tell you right now, it gets you nowhere."

"But I feel helpless. Would you want to feel strong for your mate?" Willa put the brush down that was meticulously brushing the same spot of hair for the past two minutes.

"I feel that still do," her wings fluttered closer. "In fact, I've gone on to start warrior training."

"See!" I motioned to her. "You felt weak when you were still half-human and you wanted to fight. I'm a whole dragon and I want to help too!"

"Yes, but you are scared, Odessa." I bit back my tongue, wanting to argue. "I see it in your eyes you want to help, be some kick-ass strong woman for your mate," she cooed, her hands pulling my face to hers. "And you will be, but you will fight in a way none of us women that have ended up here have fought before. I feel that. Orion feels that." I sighed heavily, slumping my shoulders.

"Your dragon gets stronger by the minute. It does. Creed is trying to protect you right now and I know I sound like a total hypocrite because I didn't listen to my mate." She winked at me, looking towards the window. Orion continued to stare both of us down, then flew back to where he was stationed.

"You listen to your dragon, because if there is anything I have learned of my mistakes," Willa turned her back to me, leaving me sitting in the stylist's chair. "That a dragon will protect what belongs to them, and will do so no matter the scars it will leave." Willa shut the door, leaving me to my thoughts.

It then occurred to me quickly that Vampires, in fact, do not fly.

Creed

Father's strength was multiplied by eating the rest of the deer. He could not remember the last time he had eaten and had started the process of meeting the soil of the land. Father had washed his face, his tanned skin and dark hair now matching mine.

"Eye, let's get this done then," he wrapped the drape around his body, standing outside the overhead of the mountain. "The elders and Adam, that's it, eye?" Nodding to him, I put my hand on his shoulder. Explaining to him what had transpired, the Elders, dragging my mother away, tricked to mate with another, produced a son, that was her demise and made him livid. Not only that, his beast cried softly, hearing of my days as an outcast. He was angry and was rightly just. However, his long years of living had him controlling his body and beast, ready to write the wrongs done to our family.

Eyes full of pain and sorrow filled them. He missed my Mother, just as I had. I had many more years with her, but having a bond that is so strong in just one month spoke much. He hung onto now that he remembered.

Father and I led the way, his wings flapping swiftly next to mine. My body was the perfect combination between father and mother, never realizing it before. The tribe hated me for my differences, that it was the product of a rapist. Now seeing that I was a mixture of two species, it would bring much confusion to many in the tribe with no way for any of us as to explain why.

The tribe knew of our arrival; the roars of the leagues of dragons came down to the middle of the valley. Adam stood tall, puffing out his chest. His mousy brown hair was flying in the wind and the lack of beard in his human form made him less intimidating.

"What's this? I told you he killed your mate?" Adam seethed, throwing his hands about. "Why don't you kill him, rid the tribe of his torment!" We all shifted back to human form, Amora standing beside Nicholas with his hand interlaced with hers.

"Amora?" Adam's eyes grew wide, looking at both of them. Amora spat on the ground, the ultimate insult you could give to your Alpha.

"If I had your jewels on my neck, I would pull them off and do the same!" The throngs of people that had gathered gasped, many taking their children away. "We grew up together. I thought our friendship meant something!" "Friendship!" Adam scoffed. "We are mates, Amora,..." Adam walked closer, his arms open for her to return to him. Nicholas growled, pushing her behind his thick body.

"I don't think so," Nicholas spoke lowly. "You forced a bond, you forced her!" he yelled. The crowd murmured, looking at Adam. Adam quickly recovered, putting his hand on his chest.

"So this was the pain I felt?" Adam faked a tear. "When I was having a meeting with my warriors having a search party to look for you, you were betraying our bond?" Stumbling back, he put his hand on another warrior's soldier. "After everything, after all the love? Our endless nights of passion?" Amora gripped onto Nicholas, growling again at Adam.

"And Nicholas, my guard for my precious mate. I have given you the best tent in the tribe, for the best warrior! This is how you repay me? The infidelity!" Many warriors growled, listening to how their Alpha was betrayed.

"All lies!" Amora screamed, walking up to Adam. Her claws lengthen, scratching his chest. The brutality of his ex-mate made him falter, falling to the ground. Warriors pushed her back. "You want proof!" Amora yelled. "Look at my mark!" Pulling her tunic to the side, the once light mark was dark with Nicholas' dragon. "This is the mark of a true mating! The dragon is dark, solidifying the bond. My dragon is stronger now! Can you feel it!? Feel how she burns in anger at the one we call Alpha!" Amora's dragon radiated, growling until she shifted again. Her muscles rippled across her light green scales.

Adam arose, dusting himself off. "That means nothing! My father and mother's marks were the same shade as ours, Amora!" Adam's tone softened. "Now, my mate, I'm willing to forgive you, just please, come back to me." Adam held out his hand, waiting for her dragon to accept, only her dragon backed away, sitting beside Nicholas.

His hands balled up into a fist throwing it down to his side. "Fine," he spat. "There will be no redemption later."

"And you, Griffon, are you not going to kill this traitor?" I stood with my arms crossed, waiting for the exact moment to strike. I wanted it to be slow and painful, but with the warriors standing around us, it would be near impossible to do. Exposing Adam of his lies would be far greater.

"I am 'ere to kill da traitor," my father walked forward, his cloak dragging in the dirt. "I'm 'ere to kill," my father spoke loudly for all to hear. The elders were backing away slowly, being swallowed by the crowd. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alpha Seth and Princess Sadie in their respective wolf forms nodding their heads.

"I'm 'ere to kill the traitor who killed mah mate. That would be ya, Adam."