Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (15 page)

Karein would have long ago done that, had he thought it would be permitted. Fortunately, his patience was rewarded when, at last, the door to the temple opened, allowing Hareem to enter the room. “Ready?”

Nodding, Karein slowly got up. “Is everything in place?”

“Your future mate is waiting,” Hareem replied. “I must say, upon seeing him, I’m revising my opinion of being stuck with an Ivenian mate. It certainly seems to have its perks.”

Karein glowered at his brother. “Indeed,” he said between gritted teeth. “Just remember to hold your tongue around him.”

He was just about to step out of the room when Hareem suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside. Karein was getting tired of his brother’s insistence on a matter that could have long ago been settled. “Hareem, I told you a million times. Taryn—”

“This isn’t about Taryn,” Hareem interrupted him. “I’ve been watching you, brother. I know the difference between pretense and honest enthusiasm. And you might have an excellent poker face, but you aren’t fooling me. Tell me honestly. Is Sareltae your true mate?”

Karein narrowed his eyes at his brother. He knew he should probably say no, but his heart and his dragon wouldn’t let him deny his connection with Sari. “This doesn’t concern you, Hareem,” he said instead. “Now get out of my way. I have a wedding to get to.”

“So it’s true.” Hareem narrowed his eyes at Karein. “I think I don’t have to tell you how disastrous it would be if Father found out.”

Karein gave his brother a dark look. “Then it’s a good thing that he won’t. Isn’t that right, brother?”

He didn’t have to actually point out that Karein could easily tear Hareem’s life apart, and not by physically attacking him either. Hareem understood it without saying. Arching a brow, he said, “Of course. If I’d wanted to speak to him about it, I’d have already done so. Just be careful. You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“We all are,” Karein answered. His dragon scoffed off Hareem’s unsettling comments. “It’s called life. Now, if you’re done trying to get information out of me, can I go marry my fae prince?”

Hareem actually seemed bemused, but nevertheless, didn’t try to stop Karein again. Finally, Karein rushed out of the temple room and headed toward the throne room, where the actual celebration would be held. The area had been lavish before, but now it was decorated with the finest draechen ornaments, which was saying a lot given the amount of wealth accumulated by the Tersain dynasty. In front of the throne, a wide pool had been erected, although that was part of a fae tradition. Usually, something that alluded to the draechen’s element had to be present, but since Karein couldn’t exactly illustrate the concept of energy through one single item, he’d chosen to disregard that part of the process.

The guests were already gathered in the room. Karein’s mother and sister were present, although the emperor had yet to make an appearance. Sari and his father had not arrived either, although Karein did spot his half siblings next to another fae woman who must have been his stepmother. He debated greeting them, but his dragon was actually frustrated at the idea since he was well aware of how that part of Sari’s family treated his mate.

Instead, Karein made a beeline to his mother, who undoubtedly expected him to do so anyway. “Are you ready, Shtamakarein?” she asked.

Karein nodded. “As always, I live and die at your command.”

“Excellent.” Rowenasheb said. “As I hear it, the fae will provide you with rings, although you won’t be required to wear them on a regular basis.”

Karein listened to her with half an ear, most of him too tense and focused on the door to pay attention to anything else. Hareem had said the ceremony was beginning. If so, where was Sari?

As it turned out, Karein’s little stay in the temple seemed to have been appreciated, as even as he thought this, the large throne room doors opened. A vision of beauty walked inside, and Karein’s breath caught as he watched his mate approach. The rest of those present faded out of existence, as Karein’s mind and body fully concentrated on Sari.

He’d always liked the silky, albeit unpractical robes Sari wore. Today’s garment was perhaps the most unpractical one ever. It seemed wrapped around Sari’s body so tightly that Karein didn’t even know how his mate was walking in it. But the sight of the layers of silk framing Sari’s delicate form had quite an effect on Karein. His dick went rock hard, and he was horribly tempted to just ignore the entire ceremony and steal Sari away to the first available bedroom. An elbow struck his ribs, snapping him out of his trance. Karein stole a look at the culprit who was, naturally, Hareem. He stood by Karein’s side, together with Sage. Huh? When had they arrived there?

Hareem arched a brow, wordlessly reminding Karein of their circumstances. Karein did his best to shake off his lust-induced haze, and he managed to gather his thoughts a little, to the extent that he could actually process more complex ideas than “I want to tear my mate’s clothes off with my teeth.” But then Sari reached his side and smiled at him. “Hi,” he said shyly, a slight flush covering his cheeks.

Just like that, Karein was on the edge again. Hareem had to step on his foot for him to find his voice. “Hello,” he replied. Was that his voice, so low and husky? He didn’t even sound aroused. He sounded frightening, like the last thing he wanted was to be here.

But Sari’s smile didn’t fade. Sari understood him. In fact, sometimes, Karein thought his mate grasped the full extent of Karein’s emotions better than Karein himself did. Sari’s companion, though, King Selbrian, didn’t seem so enthused. Nevertheless, he stepped to the side, giving room for the ceremony to proceed.

Sari and Karein took their position in front of the artificial pool. For a few moments—or perhaps for an age—they just waited, looking at each other. And then, the side door to the throne room opened and the emperor sauntered inside. Still in dragon form, he scanned the gathered crowd with piercing red eyes. As his gaze settled on Karein, Karein did his best to keep himself from showing any of the emotions that whirled through him. He must have succeeded, at least to some extent, because his father’s voice drifted into his mind
. “Congratulations on your progress,”
he said.
“The fae seems quite enthusiastic about the wedding. Make sure you use your chance well.”

Karein couldn’t speak without the rest of those present overhearing, so he just nodded slightly. Kavehquader took position in front of them, and the empress placed a hand against his scales. She would be speaking for the emperor since the guests of different species couldn’t hear him.

At last, the long speech began. Karein just stood there, hearing it two times, once in his mind and the second time through his mother’s voice. His parents spoke of the importance of this day, of how much the reunion of all those present honored Draechenburg. Karein distantly wondered if anyone believed him, or if they were all just as bored out of their skulls like he was. After the general stuff was out of the way, the emperor actually began to talk about Karein himself.

“Prince Shtamakarein has been a vital member of the draechen community all his life,” he said. “His contribution to world peace and order is undeniable. We believe that, in Prince Sareltae, he has found a perfect match.”

This was King Selbrian’s cue to intervene. He was somewhat more succinct, and fortunately, refrained from reiterating what Karein’s father had already said. Instead, he explained, “My son, Prince Sareltae is one of the most priceless treasures of the fae. We hand him over to the draechen in good faith, and in the belief that his union with His Highness, Prince Shtamakarein, would help perpetuate the enduring alliance between Ivenia and Ornoz.”

Hareem spoke next, and Karein threw a warning glance his way. But he needn’t have worried. Hareem proceeded to be his oddly charming self and added, “My brother has been looking for the right mate for a long time. Today, through Prince Sareltae, he has finally been granted his wish.”

When the time came for someone to speak in Sari’s name, it became painfully obvious that no one from the fae royal family, with the exception of the king, of course, had any words to share regarding Sari. The king couldn’t do so for obvious reasons, so he glared at Prince Misael. Misael opened his mouth and closed it, doing a very good imitation of a fish while seemingly attempting to come up something to say about his own brother.

Sari’s face flamed again, but this time, it was clearly because of embarrassment. The silence drew out for so long that Karein was tempted to just take matters in his own hands. Fortunately, he was not forced to break tradition as Sage intervened. “I’ve only just met Prince Sareltae. At first, when he came here, I truly didn’t know what to think about him. But in the past week, I have seen his gentleness, his kindness, and his honesty. I am convinced that he is exactly the mate Prince Shtamakarein wishes for.”

Karein could have kissed his lieutenant, but really, he had no interest in kissing anyone except Sari. At last, they’d reached the end of the first part of the ceremony, and they could get on with the actual bonding. Normally, for draechen of Karein’s rank, the emperor would officiate the wedding, but since that wasn’t possible today, the empress would do it in his stead.

“Do you, Prince Shtamakarein Tersain, second born of Emperor Kavehquader and Rowenasheb Tersain of Ornoz, vow to take this man as your mate in the eyes of the Overlords and the Great Goddess Jenarra?” she asked.

“I so vow,” Karein quickly answered.

“Do you, Prince Sareltae Norrenddare Myrthylar, first born of King Selbrian Norrenddare of Ivenia and High Priestess Eanera Myrthylar, vow to take this man as your mate in the eyes of the Overlords and the Great Goddess Jenarra?”

“I so vow,” Sari replied softly.

“Prince Shtamakarein, you may mark this man as yours.”

Karein reached for Sari, ready to go through with the process. But Selbrian had other ideas. “One moment. Exactly what does this entail?”

“Prince Sareltae will be branded with a tattoo that will forever mark him as belonging to Shtamakarein.” The empress lifted her arm and exposed her own mark. It was a brutal burn, which did nothing to soothe Selbrian.

In fact, the fae king’s eyes widened in horror, but he quickly masked it. “Can this part of the ceremony not be skipped?”

“Absolutely not,” Rowenasheb replied. “It’s been draechen tradition for millennia. They cannot be considered bonded otherwise.”

“It’s all right, Father,” Sari whispered. “I’m not afraid.”

Turning toward Karein once again, he offered Karein a tentative smile and extended his palms. “All right. I’m ready.”

Slowly, Karein took Sari’s hand and closed his eyes. For fire and ice dragons, the process could be very painful, while the rarer earth and wind dragons had the freedom to be inventive. Karein could also be imaginative about it, especially since he had energy itself to work with. But he didn’t want to dazzle his father’s guests with his amazing powers. He only intended to mark his mate while making sure Sari experienced limited discomfort.

Closing his eyes, Karein gathered his energy and willed it into Sari’s body. He fashioned a tattoo that would fit Sari’s beauty and gentleness, while still illustrating Karein’s possessiveness. Unfortunately, he knew the process wasn’t absolutely painless, but Sari didn’t protest for one single second. And when Karein opened his eyes again, he found his mate smiling. “Thank you,” Sari mouthed.

For a few moments, Karein admired his handiwork. Around Sari’s right wrist, a black dragon wrapped its body like ivy. The tattoo went further up on Sari’s arm, but it wasn’t visible because of Sari’s clothes. Impossibly, the fae king looked even more displeased, obviously interpreting the tattoo as a sign of slavery. What Selbrian didn’t know, though, was that Karein had created one on his own body, a stylized depiction of his beautiful Sari. If—or when—his parents saw it, Karein would have a lot of explaining to do, but it felt right.

Without commenting again on the ritual, Selbrian silently offered Karein and Sari their rings. It wasn’t a draechen tradition, but Karein’s hand still shook as he slid the band on Sari’s slender finger. Once Sari echoed his motion, Selbrian continued, “May Jenarra grant you long-lasting bliss and happiness like no other couple has known. Your vows have been heard and acknowledged. Step into her embrace and kiss as mates for the first time.”

Still holding Sari’s hand, Karein guided his mate into the pool. The water was supposed to be a symbol for the life-giving goddess. At this point, Karein didn’t really care. Once both of them were in position, he pulled Sari into his arms and crushed his lips to the fae’s. And just like that, they were married. Finally, after a wait that seemed to have taken forever, Sari belonged to Karein and Karein to Sari. No matter what happened, that would never change.

Sari’s feet ached. He was hungry, tired, and sexually frustrated. The lower part of his robes was still a little humid from the ceremony, and he needed to go to the bathroom. He’d known that today would be difficult, with so many different traditions to go through. At first, he’d actually been a little excited about experiencing it all with Karein, but that had changed at noon, when it had become obvious that he couldn’t even take his clothes off to go do his private needs.

Therefore, when he burst into the apartment he would share with Karein from now on, he almost didn’t register the romantic paradise he’d stepped into. As the smell of roses tickled his nostrils, Sari froze, taking the room in with wide eyes.

“Do you like it?” Karein asked from behind him, his voice a low murmur.

For a few moments, Sari couldn’t even speak. He was too busy taking in the sight in front of him. There were roses, white roses everywhere. Dozens of vases with the flowers sat on the table and in the corners of the room, petals covering the floor and the bed. In the light of the candles illuminating the large apartment, it all seemed surreal.

He probably should have berated Karein for such a waste of lovely flowers, but he was too charmed to do so. Throwing a look over his shoulder, he smiled. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”