Odessa

"Tell me, mate. Who is behind it all? They are going to destroy my home." Scorpia's hands cupped Mortus face. He looked at her, so longingly. Mortus tried to give me that same look, it only made me fear him more. I was glad his obsession with me was over, but what of Scorpia?

Could they live together happily if he was forgiven by her? Or were his sins far to great that Orion wouldn't let him ever leave that stake alive? A bond was sacred here, a gift and was to be cherished and what was going through Scoripia's mind was something I didn't want to ever go through. The burden, the heartbreak to find our your mate was someone so evil as this vampire and to make a choice to keep him or leave him. Can she leave him when the goddess gave them to each other?

Mortus rubbed his cheek into her hand, feeling her warmth. Scorpia's wings shook, by fear or the tingles that shot through her I would never know. "The King, or Emperor as he likes to call himself, of the Rogues is Virion," Mortus breathed, raking in her scent. "He is started as a sorcerer and practiced necromancing." Orion slammed his hand on the railing, breaking the trance Scoripa had Mortus. Shaking her head, she pulled his face back to hers. "Keep going," she muttered. "This will help, keep going."

"Emperor Virion, a year ago cast the ultimate spell to communicate with demons locked in Tartarus for having too much power and evil thoughts against their master, Hades. Not one but three demons possess his body, undetected by Hades since only their souls inhabit the living. Their bodies are left in Tartarus. The three demons are supplying him with power to take control of this world and the new magic that is evolving, black magic interlaced with dragon shifters' blood. Its power will soon surpass the gods." Orion's grip broke the banister. Creed pulled me further away from the railing.

"Necromancing is forbidden," Orion growled. "How did we not know!?" Bohdi, appeared from the curtain that sat behind Orion's throne. Her smile graced her face as she saw me but quickly disappeared, nudging Orion.

"He must have had a coven cloaking him, and once he pulled the demon's souls into his body, they now cloak not only him but the rogues we cannot see. The magic they now created with the dragon's blood will only grow. Magic evolves and even Hecate herself can only manage so much without interfering with mortal lives."

Mortus licked his lips. "My lips are parched, my pretty little fae. Please just one kiss and I will tell more." Scorpia shook her head.

"You ask for a lot for a vampire on death row," she chuckled, wings fluttering soundlessly.

"Just a taste," he pleaded. "Everything you want to know as soon as my lips are filled with your taste."

"Will you bite me?" she whispered while her lips became closer to his.

"Not unless you bite first," the bastard smirked. My stomach rolled in my stomach, turning away from the scene unfolding. I couldn't watch as Scorpia kissed the second in command of the Rogue army. The crowd booed, the sound of food squishing onto the sand and while their lips parted. Turning back around, his white fangs stood proudly, grinning from ear to ear.

It's the bond holding her close to him, I gulped audibly. What would I have done if I felt feelings towards Creed if he was evil? My head leaned back, watching his deadly stare at Mortus. He could never be evil, not my Creed.

"He plans to take out all the royal families, he's promised vampires unlimited food, the sorceresses and sorcerers more power. Once this land is destroyed, void of life and all other supernaturals they will gather the armies and go to Earth. Humans put to work as slaves, vampires will no longer live in the dark and feed on the humans."

The crowd stood still. Even the birds in the sky would not sing while Scorpia dropped her hands, glancing behind her to Orion. Closing her eyes, Mortus held a loving grin, looking up and down her body. "My beloved, this is all I know. Any other plans and his whereabouts change on the daily. He appears when he wishes and gives orders at his will. I have not spoken to him in weeks." Scorpia stepped back from Mortus and his smile began to fall. "My Scorpia, I told you what I know. Please, come back to me. I'll do anything you say." The ropes tightened, rubbing across the stake. Scorpia's eyes bore into Mortus while he struggled.

"How does it feel?" she hissed. "To be rejected by your mate?" Mortus' face fell further, his eyes leaked those crimson drops into the sand.

"What?" he uttered helplessly.

"I waited my time, saved my kiss, my body for my mate," she stood taller, her fingernails piercing the palms of her hands. "The goddess chose you for a reason for me, and yet she still gives us the agency to choose." "No," Mortus shook his head.

"I will not be be mated to a murderer, a cowered who hides, chooses a mate out of desperation, and not wait to find the other half to his soul!" Scorpia screamed. Her wings fluttered, flying closer to Mortus' face, nose to nose with his evil. "I am not saint like Princess Sadie of the Moon Kingdom. I do not forgive so easily," she whispered in his ear. "I Scorpia, a warrior of King Orion's royal army, reject you former Duke Mortus of Vamparia. May Hades not have mercy upon your cursed soul."

"NO!" He cried out. "I will NOT REJECT you!" Scorpia turned her back and fluttered away, back to the wall where King Orion stood above her. Her back held straight, her wings stood still as she stood at attention.

"Do as you will, Your Majesty." Orion held his gaze to her.

"Are you certain?" Holding back her tears, she nodded. Her arms crossed, watching Mortus scream in pain.

"I think that is enough torture," I sniffed, holding on to Creed. "What could be worse than losing your soul mate? No matter how evil he is." The crowd did not share the same sentiment as the naked vampire yelled profanities, no longer begging me but Scorpia who stood on and watched. Her fingers grazed her lips, eyes looking longingly at her fingertips.

She waited all her life to feel love, to give away a kiss, and she did it for her country, for King Orion and on top of it all lose her mate who made the wrong choices. Scorpia was a muscular warrior, protecting a nation she loved. "It's so sad." Creed pulled me close, kissing my forehead.

"It's as it should be." Creed cooed in my ear.

"She will have another chance at a mate, one that she deserves," Ondi whispered behind me. All I could see was Scorpia trying to hold a straight face, watching the vampire that should have been her mate. What ever battles we would face in the future, I knew I had to step up and take my place. For mates to continue on, to save Bergarian from any darkness that may befall upon it. I was blessed with a magic that Hecate says will save us all, and by gods I was going to give everyone in this land an opportunity to find their mates, so they can feel what I feel for mine.

To have peace.

My dragon stirred, her gentle purrs became louder, asking me to hold my hands out. Pulling from Creed's embrace, my hands cupped together, held out in front of me. Bohdi came to my side, her hand on my shoulder. The white light that came from my hands now circled with purple strands of lighting, slowly engulfing the entire orb.

"Listen to her," Bohdi cooed. "Let her flow through you." Creed's hand never left my waist, now holding me flush against his body. The orb levitated, the white light levitated in my hands as purple tangles of magic floated through his chest, causing his dragon to growl in approval. Purple strands circled above our heads and entered both Ondi and Apollo. Ondi's smile grew three times the size, obviously knowing what was happening.

"Your dragon is releasing the shifter dragon power. You believed in yourself, little pearl," Bohdi's hand continued to rub my shoulder while the orb traveled out to the middle of the arena. The entire Toboki tribe stood at the far end. Some in their dragon forms while other stood in just loincloths and dresses. The lightening strands struck from all sides of the sphere, all landing on the hearts of every dragon shifter. Dragons feeling the magic let out ferocious roars of approval, the women cheered, kissing their children as they ran around their bodies trying to catch the spider-like webbing.

Once every dragon shifter was touched, the ball hovered over the middle of the arena. The light sources became dark and the orb exploded into millions of pieces, causing a bright light to light up the area. Purple strands went flying towards the mountains where the rest of the dragon shifter tribes lived.

Pieces of the orb fell to the ground, igniting the wood around Mortus. His screams of pain had my eyes pulled to him. Both my dragon and I watched in as Mortus' body turned black and slowly to ash. His screams ceased as his torso crumbled. Shaking his head, he let one more word escape his lips, "beloved."

Scorpia fell to the ground, grabbing her chest. Clawing at her heart, a warrior came to her side, rolling her on her back. "Leave me!" she cried out. Her wings fell back into her body, screaming.

Covering my mouth, a sob wrecked through me. I had forgotten she would feel the pain, too. Too worried about watching Mortus breathe his last breaths. The warrior, his eyes solemn with pity, gently gathered her in his arms, picked her up. Her head leaned into his chest, gripping his uniform. "Leave me," she cried again. Wings sprung forth from his body, shaking his head. His wings hummed in the pattern of a hummingbird and took flight to the palace.

"She will be taken to the infirmary," Orion muttered. "The kiss made the bond grow too strong so she will feel pain for several days."

Scorpia had given up her mate to save everyone else, but now her heart and soul were broken.

"I think that will be all for today, my friends." Orion pushed his robe away from him, pulling Willa to a standing position, kissing her cheek. "Time spent with our mates would be for the best, hm?" The orcs that had remained silent all the while continued to watch the pile of ash burn.

"I will send word to Princess Sadie, she will take your help gladly. With the recent enlightenment, we will need all the help we can receive." Thorn stepped forward, his bulky figure knocking over a vase from the table.

"We would be honored," he grumbled. Orion's arm went out, taking Thorns. "It is settled. Come with me to the palace and we will feed you, show you the sites."

"Odessa," Creed turned me to face him. His eyes to talk to me all day without one word slipping out of his mouth. My body leaning into his, wrapped my arms around his torso.

Mortus was dead. I was finally free from the pain, worrying if he would come after me, my mate or whatever children we may have. Mortus would no longer come after us.

"We will go back to our nest," he spoke. Orion turned, an eyebrow raised.

"We will be back tomorrow by nightfall." Creed's words were law, Orion only gave a smirk in reply and took the Orcs and the rest of the entourage to the palace. "In time for my father's induction."

"Are you sure about this?" Apollo appeared in front of us. "You would make a better alpha than I Creed. You witness, although from the outside, what would better the tribe better than I can." Creed's hand touched his father's shoulder.

"I know so, father. I am every bit of you and if you think I would fare well as an Alpha, then I know you would be even better." Apollo chuckled deeply, pulling him into a hug with me in the middle.

"Guys, I'm stuck!" I whimpered until Ondi pulled me free.

"I'm so proud of you little dragon!" Ondi's embrace soothed my anxiety over killing a vampire. Well, I guess my dragon did it, anyway. "You gave the dragons back their power and with your help we will all learn to wield it as well." "I'll do my part. As long as Bohdi agrees to help." Bohdi's lingering eyes as she walked from the platform gave me the answer I needed. She would help, and I would do my best to keep the lives of all the innocent alive.

Creed pulled my hand away from lingering eyes, pulling me to the opposite side of our viewing box and rushing down the stairs. His feet picked up until finally he grew frustrated and pulled me in his arms. "What are you doing?" I laughed, holding him around his neck.

"Taking my mate to our nest," his dragon rumbled inside him. Smoke filled around us scales rippling down his body. "Where our home will always be."