The Dawn’s Dusk - 9. Chapter 9- Owin's Return, part 1

Warning: A thirsty Rhyad. An intersex omega in heat?

My head, neck, and part of my shoulder ached when I stirred awake. I had the strangest dream about massive fish singing and dancing on top of river boulders. My lungs expanded as I took a deep breath, and the scent of Cojalis tickled my nose. I shifted in place, my bare feet sliding along soft satin sheets. The urge to bury my nose into one of the satin sheets was followed by the actual act.

An ache in my lower stomach and a strange slickness had me slipping my hand into my pajamas. Had someone changed me into them, or had I already been wearing them? I couldn't remember. My fingers slid along a strange crevice that most definitely hadn't existed beneath my privates before. I immediately tugged my hand back out as if I had touched fire.

As I pulled myself into a sitting position, I caught that scent again. My hand clutched at the soft cloth of the sheets, and a sound close to a purr escaped me when I found the Cojalis scent to be stronger there. Such a soothing, gentle scent...I wanted to roll around in it, so I did. My brows drew together as I tried to clear my thoughts. When had the smell of Cojalis ever caused such a reaction from me?

My eyes shot open, and I realized that I was in the tidiest room of the estate. Emery. A strange warmth in my stomach arose when I thought of the Scholar. When had I seen him last? At dawn. What happened at dawn again?

I had been Favored!

Before I realized what I was doing, my body hopped up to a standing position on top of the Eld's bed. The hand that held one of the satin sheets continued to clutch onto it as I took a look around. Had Emery carried me back? I felt a pleasant buzz beneath my skin at the thought. Eld Emery was strong and gorgeous. He smelled so nice that I wanted to wrap him around me, just like the satin blanket I wrapped over my head and shoulders.

I dropped back down onto my knees on the bed as I wrapped myself further into the soft fabric, much like a whelp would. Owin and I used to play with blankets and pillows when we were that small. We'd make tents and forts and tunnels...but I wouldn't want to invite the older wyvern to play with Emery's blankets. I wanted to keep all of the Eld's pillows and blankets for myself.

When the Eld in question finally stepped back into the room, he found me curled around one of his pillows and peering at him. But, the pillow no longer held my attention. Not when Emery stood before me with that lovely, curly hair loose and a pair of night pants, but no shirt. Was that what he usually looked like when he went to bed? Azure above, was he pretty. Would Emery be upset if I touched his chest?

Wait, why would I want to touch his chest?

The one thing I failed to notice until the Scholar approached me was that he held a cup of medicinal tea in his hand. The scents rising from the mug dulled the Cojalis that seemed to surround me. My hands shook as they reached out towards the mug, but the Eld's larger hands curled around mine to steady them.

"Take a few sips, and you should be able to think clearly again," Emery responded in his deep, rich tone of voice. Come to think of it, I realized that I never heard him sing. Vis Sepherus whistled every once in a while. But did Emery have a good singing voice? I wondered...

"Rhyad," Emery tried again in a more authoritative tone of voice.

I couldn't help but like how he said my name, even if it was spoken so seriously. I somehow managed to stop looking at his lavender eyes long enough to blow on the tea and take a big gulp. So sour. "Thieplum?" I questioned.

Eld Emery visibly relaxed. "Yes, Thieplum is part of this blended mix. Drink a little more."

After forcing myself to do as instructed, I set the mug on the side table and noticed how my hands were no longer as shaky as they were before. That particular plant increased focus while dulling the effects of omegas in heat. Rutting riots, was I in heat?

"H-how long does this tea last?" I asked as I tried to avoid staring at him. I couldn't have been more unsuccessful. My fingers curled with the urge to touch the loose platinum strands. The scent of Cojalis was the strongest on his beautiful dark skin.

"Generally more than half a day."

I wondered how those lips would feel...

"What?" I murmured, having forgotten what I had even asked him.

"The tea's effects. They should last for half a day. So long as you have another dose during dinner, you should be fine."

"Right," I responded as I struggled to regain my composure. Just stop staring at his nipples, Rhyad. I argued with myself mentally. "What happened after I blacked out? And where did you sleep? Did you get any rest at all?"

"That's not important right now," The older wyvern countered as he stepped further away from me. Just as I was about to follow him, Emery handed me the mug of tea again. "You said you wanted to write a letter to your brother?"

For a moment, I was confused as to why Emery mentioned my brother. I took another big gulp of the tea. Could Emery secretly want my brother? Shoving the oddly paranoid thought of the Eld being after Owin aside, I thought back to what happened before dawn. The diary!

"Yes," I responded with more clarity after drinking the rest of the tea down. "First, I'm going to need that diary back."

We sent the letter with the help of one of the river wyvern gardeners. Just as I thought, my brother's diary clearly stated his whereabouts. He wasn't too far away out of consideration for me. Owin was at the beach of our childhood, where he worked as a waiter for a restaurant run by squills. By foot, it was but an hour away from our parents' house. In winged form, the distance was even shorter.

My first heat as an omega had me feeling all out of sorts, and it was only the first day. The Thieplum tea barely kept me from clinging to Eld Emery. For a moment, I feared worse in the case of Vis Sepherus. Omegas were more naturally drawn to alphas when in heat. But, when the turquoise-eyed wyvern was around, he drew nothing but normal reactions from me. I didn't feel the burning desire to touch Vis Sepherus in inappropriate ways. Though, I certainly wished I could touch Emery that way.

For the umpteenth time in the past three hours, my gaze drifted towards Eld Emery. He had on the uniform again, and that hair was tucked back in the usual low ponytail. But I knew what was underneath that shirt. I knew what those platinum locks looked like when they framed his face. Before I realized it, I was sitting sideways in my chair and hugging the back of it.

Azure above.

Was this what all the visiting omegas felt whenever they saw Vis Sepherus? I recalled the omega that had been so forward with our patron on my first night. Taro had certainly been brave and bold, but he didn't look as out of sorts as I felt. I could feel how my eyes dilated and contracted whenever I looked at the Eld, and it hurt. A frown formed on my face when Emery met my gaze and then walked out into the hall. Why did he keep avoiding me?

"Rhy-Fry."

I blinked, startled at the familiar voice, even in such a low whisper. But, as I turned around, I could hardly believe what was right in front of me. Our time apart seemed to fade away as if it were only yesterday instead of two whole months. Our arms locked around one another as I let out a soft sob.

"Owin!"

"Rhy!"

We finally let go after a long while. As I looked my brother over, I could see the passage of time in his slightly longer orange-pink hair, the same shade of autumn ash roses that were in one of Emery's greenhouses. Owin's golden-yellow eyes were as expressive as ever. I didn't even care that he was half glaring at me because he was finally back.

"I fly over from the beach, scale a wall, and barely evade a group of omegas arguing over alpha eye colors all because I heard my little brother was forced to work for free...and in this letter, you're telling me you actually want to stay here?" He emphasized as he shook the letter I had written him hours prior.

The two of us were out on the second-floor balcony. Getting onto it was no easy feat, especially unseen. I didn't know whether to be proud of Owin's stealth or be disappointed that he didn't just announce himself at the front gate.

"Something's definitely off with you," he continued. "You look different. Are you sure they haven't done anything to you?"

"Yes," I responded automatically before shaking my head. "I-I mean no, they haven't done anything to me. Owin, I Progressed late...and not just to an omega. I wasn't Favored by the moon. I was Favored by dawn."

"Rutting riots in the Azure!" He exclaimed. "No wonder. I mean, darker hair, brighter eyes...Rhyad, this is- we're both..."

"I know!"

"Wait, but if you're a Dawn omega, that means you no longer have to learn a Craft. What are you still doing here, then?" Owin asked. "You don't have to hang around here until Troth Season."

"But, Owin, I enjoy learning a Craft!" I responded. "Learning about plants and their uses is something I'm actually good at. I really want to stay and learn more with Eld Emery. He's actually taking me on as an apprentice after Troth Season!"

"After Troth...but, Rhyad, won't you be mated to an alpha by then?"

"Why would I...?" I trailed off when the realization hit. I wasn't a beta anymore; I was an omega. Just like Owin, I was now a bargaining chip for our parents on their quest to gain more status. They'd surely force me to participate. "I don't want to attend Troth Season."

"Neither do I. Glad that someone finally agrees with me," Owin grumbled.

"No, your case is different. You have an Intended you approve of; you just don't want to commit to it," I countered as I straightened up. "Just because it's the choice our parents want for you doesn't mean you have to go against it when you feel it's right. There's nothing wrong with Vis Sepherus."

"He's an alpha, and they're dominant and controlling by nature."

"He's kind, and he listens. If you just talk to him, you'll see that he's very likable."

"What if I don't want to like him?" Owin huffed, folding arms across his chest.

"If you don't at least try, you're going to regret it when someone else takes your place. I mean, even I could fall for him."

"Does that mean that you have?"

"No! I mean, not to that extent..."

Owin's golden eyes widened. "You like him, too, don't you? Rhy, I've shared everything with you growing up, but my Intended isn't one I'm willing to share."

"Does that mean you do have some feelings for me, Owin?" The sound of Vis Sepherus's deep voice drew our attention to the fact that he was standing at the entrance of the balcony alongside Eld Emery. The sadness in the Dusk beta's eyes made my heart ache.

"I'll give you some privacy," Eld Emery whispered as he walked back through the balcony doors.

I looked to my brother and Sepherus, towards the door, and back again. "I'm going after him," I decided. "Owin, please, just talk to Seph and hear him out!"

"Seph now, is it?" Owin questioned as I rushed past the balcony doors, but I had more to worry about than his newfound jealousy.