Forget the Moon! - 11. Chapter 11

Honey could only blink rapidly for several moments, utterly overwhelmed. He'd been hauled to a huge lavish house, stood quietly while his mate pushed the doorbell so and hard so many times it had broken, then watched Jedrek bang on the door while shouting until Honey's ears rang. When the door had finally been opened by a surprised young man, Jed had plucked Honey up and barged inside. The big man hadn't bothered to put him down as he spoke to the man who had opened the door. Honey wasn't sure Jedrek even noticed that the Omega was still in his arms, wide-eyed and startled. Honey had clutched his mate's broad shoulders as Jedrek had gone up the stairs two at a time with Simon (as the young man that opened the door had quickly introduced himself) racing just ahead of them to knock nearly desperately at a door. Jedrek had plopped Honey down and moved Simon aside to begin pounding his fist on the door. His voice had been loud, but Honey had been so frazzled that he hadn't processed any of the words.

"Gid!" Jedrek called out as soon as the other two wolves came into view.

He barely spared Regan a glance, his gaze focused on his friend. Whenever Jedrek's kind went into business negotiations with wolves, they sought aide from the Holtons. Gideon and Jedrek had known each other since they'd been mere toddlers. Though they grew up with different ideals and traditions, there was no one else that he trusted more.

"I feel I've done something wrong...I'm not even your species!"

"As if that hasn't happened before," Regan scoffed with a snort as his gaze fell on a blond man that was slightly shorter than him. He, too, seemed to be wearing clothes that were a bigger size. "I'm Regan. Hey, weren't you at the same Gifting Day ceremony as me? You a big Eli fan, too?"

"Honey," the blond Omega said with a small tremor in his voice. "I'm Honey." He blinked again, focusing on Regan. "You do look familiar. And yes, I was at that gifting ceremony." He struggled to focus on everything the other Omega had asked. "I admire Eli very much. He's a hero for all Omegas, isn't he?" Honey finished, sounding uncertain if he was saying the right thing. Regan sounded so confident and in control while Honey was feeling quite the opposite. He tangled his fingers together, wishing he could shut himself in a kitchen and bake until the world started making sense again.

The amber-eyed Omega had no trouble in dexterously grasping one of Honey's hands to shake it gingerly. "Nice to meetcha, Honey. Always great to come across another Eli fan. He's a total Legend." He then turned towards his mate. "Though I can't cook, I can always pour everyone some drinks. I'm not that bad of a host." His attention shifted back to the blond. As an Omega, he could sense that the other Omega seemed anxious. Reg felt that all Omegas should stick together, since neither Alphas nor Betas knew how it felt to be like them. So, he wanted to do everything he could to have the blond feel at ease. "What would you like? We got water, milk, sodas, pineapple juice…"

When the curly-haired wolf began giving his cherub- damn, NOT his cherub, a bit too much attention, he drew Jedrek's violet gaze. "Gideon, just who is this?" He asked with a tiny touch of suspicion in his voice. His inner beast was adamant about being the only one by Honey's side...not that the scrawny little Omega was much of an opponent in that regard.

"Put your fangs away and heed your nose, Jed," Gideon said. "This is Regan. He's an Omega and my mate." There was obvious pride in his voice. "He stomped into my office to shout at me. His Khonsu Stone lit for me, showing we're mates." Gideon chuckled. "Then he yelled at me some more."

A blush formed on Regan's cheeks at the memory. "That's that, and this is this," he grumbled as he led them towards the kitchen. "What would your massive friend like to drink?" He asked as he opened the fridge and pulled out all the different containers.

Jed looked from Gideon to the slim Omega and back again. When the silver-haired Alpha pointed it out, he finally focused enough to take in their scents. The curly-haired young man really was Gid's mate. His inner beast was more than relieved. "Water would be fine...I'm sorry, when exactly did you find a mate?" He asked Gideon, confusion bleeding into his tone.

"Yesterday," Gideon replied, nearly beaming at Regan's domesticity. It wasn't cooking, but his Omega mate was politely…well, mostly politely taking care of his friend in their home. After Regan handed the water to Jedrek, Gideon snagged his mate around the waist and gave him a searing kiss that would have made Regan's clothes fall off if they'd been alone. "Thank you for taking on the role of host for my friend and his possible mate," Gideon said softly into Regan's ear before releasing him.

Regan's face practically glowed red when he was released. "I mean, I'm not a total jerk…" he whispered to himself as he half-staggered back to the other Omega with his chosen beverage and sat down next to him at the table, being careful not to wince when he once again felt the familiar sting of his backside. The distraction that was his mate fled from his mind as soon as he took in the wilted appearance of his new friend's face. "Hey...are you ok there?" He asked as he placed a hand gently on Honey's shoulder.

The blond Omega jumped and then flushed in embarrassment. He looked up to where Jedrek and Gideon were talking. Honey's eyes prickled, and he blinked hard to keep from embarrassing himself like a crybaby. He looked into his lap.

"He doesn't want me," Honey said so softly that Regan barely heard. "He's trying to find a way to break the mating bond." Honey looked away. "I'm so sorry we bothered you when you're so newly mated. I apologize for intruding into the time you should be exploring your bond." The fair-skinned Omega looked like he felt wretched about the whole thing and would have rather been hiding under the table than sitting at it.

"H-hey," the other Omega responded. "Remember the Legend? Elias the Great himself had a human and even vampires as mates. Khonsu stones don't fail." Regan reminded. "My mate will talk some sense into yours, I'm sure of it. Though, if he's not a wolf, then what is he?"

"I don't know," Honey answered with a shake of his head. The movement cause tumbled golden locks to fall into his eyes, which he brushed away with a soft huff of frustration. "He wouldn't tell me. Not a vampire. He didn't hide from the sun when we came."

"Wow. Isn't that something?" Regan responded, ever curious. He had to shove down the tiny sliver of jealousy he felt of the Omega before him living his past dream of having mates of other species just like Eli. As much as it was a dream to Regan, it certainly didn't seem to be a dream for Honey. "Well, it doesn't matter what he is. If your stone has a color, he's your mate. If it has two like mine," he continued as he showed Honey his ring. Amber was blended around the grey in the center. "Then it's a done deal."

Honey lifted the pendant from under his shirt and held it in his hand, gazing at it. The stone was a rich violet edged with tanzanite blue that turned indigo where the colors touched. It was beautiful. But looking at it made Honey's heart hurt, and his eyes sting. The blond held it up silently for Regan to see.

"Yep. Two colors taking over the stone like that means two things: you're each other's mates and you don't have any more mates," Regan insisted. He took off his ring to show and compare. "See? Mine's the same. We weren't blessed with more mates. But, the ones we do have…" He trailed off as he glanced at the alpha and his friend. "...I mean, they're both huge, aren't they? Khonsu blessed them too hard."

Gideon looked up from his intense conversation with Jedrek. "You don't need any more mates than myself, Regan," he said sternly. "Although, I wonder if more mates wouldn't help me keep an eye on you." He shook his head. "No. The idea of anyone else touching you makes my wolf-side very unhappy." Gideon sighed softly and muttered, "Makes me want to shift and sit on you…again."

The Alpha wolf's eyes softened as he looked at Honey. The poor thing looked ready to break down in tears. The Omega had a softness to him in form and spirit that was a contrast to his own fierce and sharp mate. Honey was more like the mate Gideon had always imagined he would want. The Omega sat quietly, hands folded in his lap and back straight. His hair was a lovely gold that framed a gently rounded face. He kept his eyes down demurely. Everything about Honey showed elegant submission and respect for others.

Gideon wasn't sure how to feel when he realized that he was beginning to prefer a certain stubborn amber gaze over any other.

"Your mate is lovely and appears sweet and gentle," Gideon said softly to Jedrek, emphasizing the fact that his friend was trying so hard to deny. There was no doubt in Gideon's mind. As unlikely as it may seem, Jedrek was mated to the lovely shy blond. "The moon has truly blessed you."

"Mate? Do you really believe that my kind is even compatible with that type of union?" Jedrek hissed, feeling both frustrated and out of sorts. Gideon was his friend, a person he trusted above all others. But, the words that were coming out of his mouth were most certainly not the ones that he had hoped to hear. That caused a tendril of fear to rise up inside him. Fear of what it would mean if it was the truth. "And you think the moon has something to do with it?" His violet eyes once again settled on the sweet angel seated nearby. Honey was both a treasure and a liability. Anyone from his tumultuous family could use and abuse of the little thing. This was exactly why he never wanted a mate in the first place!

But it's much too late. He's ours, responded the beast inside him, sounding like a cat who ate the canary. And we are his.

"No! No. I refuse this union!" Jedrek growled aloud, though he was mostly arguing with himself. "Blessing, you say?" He questioned as he turned his attention back to Gideon. "You mean more like a curse. Fuck the moon!"

Honey was suddenly on his feet, his eyes still lowered.

"P-please excuse me," the blond Omega said softly, voice shaking. He then turned and fled the room. As soon as he was in the hall, which was openly connected to the kitchen, he flung his clothes away from him and shifted.

Wolves couldn't cry, and Honey was afraid he'd drown in his own tears if he let even one fall.

"Whoa," Simon called out, startled as a small wolf with fur the color of rich cream bolted past him. The blue-eyed wolf looked back for a moment in apology, then lifted a paw to fumble open the front door. In a moment, the cream-hued wolf was gone, and Simon was left blinking, wondering what that had been about.

Almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth, Jedrek realized how they had sounded. "Shit. He thinks it's because of him!" He wanted a moment to settle his frantic thoughts and to decide what to do. But, his inner beast refused to wait any longer. "I'm going after him!" He called over his shoulder to Gideon as he rushed out the door. But, the tone of voice was deeper and different than his usual timbre.

The beast within Jedrek took over. He felt a lump in his throat in concern when he didn't see any sign of the lovely cream-hued wolf anywhere. "Damn it!" He hissed to himself as he opened his senses to track him. "Why are wolves so damn fast?"

In an instant, he was running. Though his legs were long and his strides were large, there was no way he was going to catch up with the cub on human limbs. His eyes glowed, along with the tips of his fingers, as he leaped into the air and shifted into his alternate form.

In the blink of an eye, Jedrek shifted from human to a seagreen dragon that rose higher into the sky. Flecks of rainbow-tipped scales shimmered as they caught the rays of the sun. The dragon's large, purple eyes surveyed the area below with a level of vision that was well beyond a human's sight. Pale green nostrils flared as the beast found his mate's trail and followed it from above. His inner wings, a violet hue, extended as he steadied into a sharp glide.

Honey didn't know where he was. He berated himself for not paying more attention on the drive over. He had no idea which direction he should go to find home. He needed home. He needed his family to ruffle his hair and thank him for taking care of them. He needed his kitchen, to lose himself in measuring and mixing. Honey realized a constant low whine was coming from his mouth but he couldn't stop it. He ran until his legs ached and his chest heaved. As though he could outrun the pain of a mate that didn't want him.

The neighborhood got shabbier, with overgrown lawns and bars on windows. Honey barely noticed. He didn't see the three young men lounging on cracked steps, smoking a joint laced with wolfsbane as he rushed past. They grinned at each other with glassy eyes as they rose and followed. They were bored, and a little chase with a soft, pretty Omega seemed like just the thing to make the day more interesting. In the end, they didn't even need to take their wolf forms to catch him. He practically caught himself, running down a blind alley that ended in a tall fence.

The Omega was turning to backtrack before he noticed that the way was blocked by three men. Honey skidded to a stop, hunching down, frightened by the look in their eyes.

One of the young wolves padded towards the edge of the alley with a gruff bark. The third did the same on his side. The one in the middle paced from side to side in excitement. All three of them wondered why the Omega didn't jet past them so that they could continue their game of chase. Neither of them realized that the shifting gaze of the smaller wolf was due to fear.

"Oh, come on sweet cheeks!" One of the wolves called out as he shifted back into his human form. "We want to see that amazing rump of yours running ahead of us."

"Yeah!" The second wolf joined in. "I thought we were having fun. Not that we'd mind if you'd rather we play chase with you naked."

"Why don't we play chase some more?" The third added. "I want to see his fat ass jiggling!"

The leader of the three howled and shifted back into his wolf form. The other two followed. The three of them began to approach the Omega.

::

Jedrek nearly kept flying in the same direction before he realized that Honey's scent veered sharply. When he finally caught sight of the glint of pale blond, he realized that his mate was in his human form and holding his arms out in a pacifying gesture. In front of him was a pack of wolves. The violet-eyed dragon let out a loud roar as he dropped right out of the sky to land with a loud thud in front of the three canines that dared to gaze upon his precious cherub. The scent of Honey's fear stung the dragon's nose. Jed let out another roar right in the wolves' faces.

The small pack of wolves instinctively took on a hunting formation. Their harmless chase became a game of survival. The wolf in the middle let out a low, war growl that the other two canines mimicked on either side of him.

The dragon took two steps towards them and lowered his face so that the wolves could see his snarl. Those tiny pups thought that they could intimidate him? He charged forward as if the bowl them over. But, they leaped aside.

One of the wolves bit at the elbow joint of one of Jedrek's wings, one of the few areas of a dragon that could cause pain. Jed grasped him and flung him off with one of his paws just as one would pull off a burr from clothes. The other two wolves had gone for his scale-covered legs, which made him wonder if the one that bit his joint had some prior knowledge about dragons.

When the other two wolves heard the whimper of the third, they rushed over to protect him.

Perfect.

The dragon was eager to end the scuffle. As his snarl opened wide, a purple glow began to ignite inside. He'd burn them all to ashes.

Honey had frozen at the sight of the massive, bellowing beast that had descended on the filthy alley. The words meant to appease the werewolves that had cornered him were stopped abruptly. Not that it had seemed to be helping. They'd said crude and awful things to him that had reddened his cheeks with shame and shock. Honey knew the dragon should terrify him, that he should be cowering or fighting like the others. But, the great beast seemed to be protecting him.

The shock must have knocked him into temporary madness because he found himself throwing himself in front of the dragon. Honey flung himself at the emerald beast with a sob, clinging to the dragon's scaled side, relishing the heat against his bare skin. Even as the Omega pressed himself tight against the creature, his brain was shrieking that soon talons like daggers would tear at him and ivory fangs would rend him to bite-sized pieces.

With an odd keening sound, Jedrek shut his snout, the violet embers escaping along the sides of the corners instead of shooting outwards at the whimpering werewolves. The beast picked up his precious treasure as if he were a fragile egg and held him to his softer purple underside. The seagreen dragon then snorted shorter flames through his nostrils and gave the cowering wolves a final growl before taking off into the sky with his mate.