Page 26 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
“Sora is from the Blue Moon,” Ignis cut in, his voice sharper than intended. He drew a breath, steadying himself. “She’s not of Artania, even though we’ve found her in the midst of our greatest enemy. We must remember that not all humans have betrayed us monsters. Our cousins, like the Kaelthar clan, still have their intimate partnership with their brethren, Elaris Kingdom. She’s different, and should be treated with the respect she deserves.”
The heat in his chest flared, and Ignis knew his eyes had likely shifted from crimson to molten gold. It happened whenever his emotions ran high, whenever he thought ofher.
Ember’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Different, is she? Or are you defending her because she’s the first omega we’ve crossed paths with in decades?” She leaned forward, finger tracing the rim of her glass goblet, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “She is rather beautiful, in that delicate human way.”
“She speaks openly, cutting you off,” his spy observed, voice carefully neutral despite the implicit criticism. “Before the council, no less.”
“She does,” Ignis said, a smile tugging at his lips.
“And this pleases you?”
He paused, considering how to explain what powerful and loyal delta-born could never fully comprehend. “Over a century I’ve ruled without opposition. An equal. Even though you’re members of my council—along with Blaze and Enixa, who are training their wings in preparation—and state your opinions on matters, my word is final. Blaze and Enixa, along with their wings’ end points, may be the other alphas within this clan, but they submit to me… They don’t have the power that I have. In the end, every word of mine is accepted as command, every decision met with immediate compliance.”
Understanding dawned in Ember’s amber eyes. “You respect her opinion—her defiance.”
“I treasure it,” Ignis admitted, frowning, the confession carrying deeper truth than intended. “She might be a warrior, but she has a sharp tongue and swift mind.”
“But is that enough?”
Ignis clenched his jaw. “She protected me.”
That silenced them both—their tails and wings stilled.
“What do you mean?” Coal asked, his posture straightening.
“At the Midwinter Ball. She stood between the royals and their guard versus me.” The memory flashed vividly—Sora’s slender form dressed in her white maid outfit, placing itself between him and danger without hesitation. “She deflected an arrow without thinking, to protect me. She had no reason to do that, especially if she was the enemy.”
He met both their gazes unflinchingly. “Every part of meknowsshe’s mine.”
Coal and Ember exchanged glances, as the confession hung in the air between them.
“That changes everything,” Coal muttered, dipping his head. “I can see why you have taken a liking to her.”
“Well,” Ember huffed, a gleam of respect in her eyes. “Now I’m interested in sparring against her. If she’s quick enough to deflect an arrow...”
“Don’t scare her away,” Ignis warned, though he couldn’t help the small smile. The thought of Sora training with Ember was both terrifying and oddly satisfying. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, but if he was going to lead with her by his side, she would need to know how to defend herself. “I mean it, Ember. She might have dragon-blood in her veins, and blessed by the Moon Goddess, but she’s still human.”
“If she’s going to be your queen, ruling beside you, she will need to be able to stand beside you in all things.” Coal’s deep voice rumbled through the chamber as he tapped a finger against the table, directly over the Celestorian Castle marked on the map. “Our enemies won’t show mercy because she’s human. They will see her as a traitor, and a source for their experiments.”
Something visceral and possessive roared to life within Ignis. The mere mention of Sora in danger, of her as his queen—it was too much, too soon, tooraw. Heat coursed through his veins, and he felt the telltale prickle of scales threatening to burst along his forearms.
He couldn’t lose control, not here, not now.
Any sign of weakness, of losing the ability to stay in his half-shifted form as the clan’s king. It could lead for him to be challenged by any of the other alphas, believing that he’d lost his ways… that his sanity was slowly slipping.
As it was, Sora’s presence was already maddening, her sweet moonflower scent, making every fiber of his being demand for him toclaimher—make herhis—to ease the emptiness within him.
“This meeting is over,” he growled, pushing back from the table with enough force to send his chair scraping against the stone floor.
“Ignis—” Ember began, but he was already striding toward the door.
“I said, we’re done.” The temperature in the room had risen several degrees, the air shimmering around him as his control slipped. He knew if he’d remained, mistakes would be made.
He didn’t slam the door—that would be beneath his dignity as ruler—but the heavy iron panel shut with decisive finality behind him. In the corridor, Ignis pressed his forehead against the cool stone wall, drawing deep breaths until the fire in his blood subsided.
What was happening to him? He’d never lost control like this before. Not since he was a fledgling, learning to harness the power of his bloodline.
Was it because he’d met her? That she wasn’t in his sight, her scent gone, and he knew she was roaming his caverns without him?
