Page 30 of The Omega Slave

“That’s the story I was told?” Kamir queried.

“Fourteen hundred summers ago, there was a similar challenge to the throne of Cadmeera as the one we just went through,” Attiker explained. “It was rumored that Algred had a pet dragon, when it was actually his omega who could shift into a dragon. Beast-masters were sent out to make sure the challenge would be lost by slaughtering what dragons they could find. Algred’s omega was killed and Algred died shortly afterwards.”

“Up until Attiker met Eldara, it was thought they were extinct,” her highness added.

“Could Algred shift?” Kamir asked.

“Of course. He had a wolf,” Raz exclaimed.

“Hmm,” Raz’s grandmother sounded skeptical. “I’m not convinced, but unlike you two in this case it was the omega that shifted, not the alpha.”

Kamir glanced over at his sister and met her understanding gaze. Maybe it was time to come clean. He looked at Raz. “You trust everyone in this room.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.

Raz inclined his head. “With the most important thing in my life.” He reached over and took Attiker’s hand, making it clear who he meant. Attiker rolled his eyes but looked pleased.

“While I do not believe in outdated designations, it has always been apparent to me,” Kamir said, “even as a young child, that I haven’t the heart of a ruler. If it were possible, I would stand down in favor of my sister. The only reason I want to accept the crown is to save my people from the cruelty of my uncle and his sons, Iskar and Damatrious. I am unsurprised it is the omega in the relationship that shifts.”

“But Highness, I’m not a prince,” Tsaria rushed out.

Grandmother interrupted as everyone started talking. “Your beasts don’t care for titles. It’s a simple accident of birth that decides that.” She glanced at Tsaria. “You have shown immense strength from what I have seen. Indeed, if you are, as Eldaraseems to think, the Dragoran, then that makes perfect sense to me.”

“I would also like to point out that my omega is the strongest person I know,” Raz said quietly.

Attiker grinned and whispered way too loudly. “You are so getting lucky later.”

“Raz’mar,” her highness drawled. “Can you discuss your bedroom habits later?”

Raz groaned, but Attiker grinned unrepentantly.

Carter coughed politely. “Actually, the alpha and omega designation traditionally used to refer to a breeding couple only. Same-sex couples, especially within the ruling families, have been extremely rare.”

“Hey,” Veda objected. “Are you saying girls are only good enough to breed?”

Carter stammered his apologies. “No, Highness, not at all. I’m simply repeating ancient history.”

Kamir looked pointedly at his sister and hoped she might remember they were guests, and that Raz’mar was going out of his way to help them.

“So, leaving the preconceived ideas of designation out of the discussion, because ancient roles have no place here,” Thakeray said, “what’s the significance of the Dragoran?”

Attiker glanced at Gerry. “Can you explain what you told me, and anything else you might know?”

Gerry cleared his throat. “It was ‘er ‘ighness that told me when we were looking at trying to grow the lilies.”

“Do you mean my mother?” Raz asked.

“Aye, Sire. She was a great reader, as you know, and she spent months looking over every old book or scroll she could get ‘er ‘ands on. She came in one day all excited ‘cos she’d read this legend about something called the king of dragons.”

Carter coughed again. “Actually, the translation from the old tongue would be more accuratelyAlpha of Dragons.”

“Which makes sense,” Kamir murmured and glanced at Tsaria, who looked horrified. Kamir took his hand, uncaring for what anyone thought. Tsaria glanced down at their joined hands in shock but curled his fingers tighter in Kamir’s.

“Well,” Gerry carried on, warming to his story. “This ‘ere alpha never changed to a dragon ‘imself but could change his mate.”

“Mate?” Veda repeated.

Mate.Kamir’s heart hammered in his chest. He’d hoped, and he dared not look at Tsaria. To say they needed time to talk was like saying the endless desert had some sand.

“Aye,” Gerry answered. “It wasn’t like he could go around changing everyone else. They had to be true mates for it to work.”

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