Alpha Dragon's Eagle (The Dragonfate Games Book 2), page 1
Alpha Dragon’s Eagle
The Dragonfate Games Book 2
Hawke Oakley
Copyright © 2023 by Hawke Oakley
Cover Illustration by Fox Atreides
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
Contents
1. Thystle
2. Thystle
3. Matteo
4. Thystle
5. Matteo
6. Thystle
7. Matteo
8. Thystle
9. Matteo
10. Thystle
11. Matteo
12. Thystle
13. Matteo
14. Thystle
15. Matteo
16. Thystle
17. Matteo
18. Thystle
19. Matteo
20. Thystle
21. Matteo
22. Thystle
23. Matteo
24. Thystle
25. Matteo
26. Epilogue: Thystle
Also by Hawke Oakley
One
Thystle
Ten Years Ago...
As the final song on the album faded out, a tear sprang to my eye.
I took a deep breath as I opened my eyes to stare at the ceiling. My soul felt raw and exposed, but full. TalonStorm made me feel alive like no other band did.
I wiped the tear away and sat up in bed. Even though the CD had run its course, waiting for me to replay it, that didn’t mean TalonStorm was far. All four of my walls were plastered with posters featuring the band members, although one in particular stood out.
Aquila.
I couldn’t think about him without my heart skipping a beat. He was perfect in every way. The sway of his hips on stage flustered me, and his voice turned my knees to jelly.
And then there were his eyes—the only part of him that wasn’t covered up by an elaborate bird mask.
They were a magnetic, earthy shade of brown, like roasted amber. I stared at them, spellbound. I could only look at him in the poster like this when I wasn’t listening to his music. If I did both at the same time, I got overwhelmed, like staring directly into the sun.
Putting the CD player aside, I sat on my knees and gazed up at the big poster above my headboard. My hand reached out to touch it, running down Aquila’s masked face, down his chest... then I pulled my hand away before I went any lower. I was too shy to touch him like that, even in the privacy of my bedroom.
That wasn’t to say I didn’t think about touching him at night under the covers...
I sighed and rested my head against the wall, my cheek touching the cool glossy paper. Being so close to Aquila—even this printed likeness of him—made my heart race. He was the perfect omega—talented, handsome, kind to his fans.
Of which, I was number one, obviously.
But he didn’t even know I existed. And more than anything in the world, I wished he did.
Nobody else understood. My brothers teased me over it. I was just a teenage alpha dragon living on some random island in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, Aquila was a superstar. He was the vocalist in the most popular band of our time, TalonStorm. Despite being a shifter group, they were beloved among humans, too. They kept their animal identities a secret, too, which gave them an extra air of mystery. Fans flocked to him every time Aquila appeared in public, and TalonStorm’s shows always sold out within minutes.
Since I wasn’t allowed to leave the island, I’d never been to one of their concerts before. But that was about to change.
My seventeenth birthday was in a week, and TalonStorm’s next ticket sale was on the exact same day.
It was literally fate. It had to be.
I’d convince my brother, Cobalt, I was responsible enough to go if it was the last thing I did.
A rush of determination launched me to my feet. I grabbed my CD player as a comfort item, then marched down the hall to Cobalt’s room. As the oldest, he got a big room in a separate wing of the castle.
My heart hammered anxiously. What if he said no? He couldn’t. There was no way. I may have been young, but I wasn’t as irresponsible as my stupid twin brothers. Cobalt couldn’t lump me in with them, even if we were close in age.
But deep down, I was nervous. Cobalt was so serious that he was hard to read sometimes.
I took a breath. I had to believe in myself. Cobalt was stern, but fair. If I made my case well, he’d have to agree.
And besides, this was fate. He couldn’t say no to fate.
Clutching the CD player to my chest, I stood at Cobalt’s massive door. My nerves were a jumbled mess in my chest, and my stomach felt like a heaving mess of worms.
Everything rode on this. If my brother refused, my whole life would be ruined.
I closed my eyes and pictured Aquila.
You can do it, Thystle, imaginary Aquila told me, flashing me that gorgeous smile.
I instantly felt better. He was right. I’d do it—for him.
“Trying to introduce Cobalt to TalonStorm?”
I jumped at Jade’s voice behind me. If it was Aurum or Saffron, I would’ve bristled at their interruption, but Jade was fine. Out of my six brothers, he was among the least irritating.
I huffed. “No.”
“Ah.” He tilted his head and pushed his glasses up. “Something else?”
I shuffled on my feet. Would Jade help my case if I told him the truth? He was older than me, so he had more seniority, and next to Cobalt, he was the most responsible.
“I... I need to ask Cobalt something,” I admitted.
Jade’s thin brows rose. “Oh? It sounds serious.”
“It is.”
A low snort came from nearby. My guard went up as Crimson strolled into view and stood next to Jade. He wore a brand-new suit that he was clearly showing off. He had nothing better to do than walk around and gloat about his dumb hoard.
“Thystle is a sixteen-year-old dragon who gets everything he wants,” Crimson prattled. “How serious can it be?”
Jade shot him a wry glance. “You were sixteen once, too. Don’t you remember how important everything felt back then?”
A rush of anger seared inside me. I hated when my older brothers talked about me like I wasn’t there. I clutched my CD player tighter. My claws threatened to burst out of my skin, but I kept them in check to protect my comfort item.
“Don’t you have a suit to have sex with?” I spat to Crimson.
He scoffed. “I would never sully my hoard like that.”
“Whatever, just go away!”
“Touchy,” Crimson grumbled.
“I’ll take care of this,” Jade said, gently urging Crimson to go the fuck away.
Fortunately, Crimson got the hint.
“Good luck,” he said to Jade under his breath before striding down the hall to show off his new suit to anyone who gave a shit—which was nobody.
But Crimson’s comments soured my mood and raised my hackles. Who was he to judge how serious my problems were? He still thought of me as a dumb, ignorant kid.
What if Cobalt did, too?
My anxiety worsened. My talk with Cobalt had to go well. There was no other option.
“Don’t mind him,” Jade said, composed as ever. I didn’t know how he did that. Staying calm under any circumstance was like his superpower. “Do you want to talk it out?”
I chewed my lip. Crimson had shot my nerves, so now even speaking to Jade felt like a challenge. But if I couldn’t even tell Jade, the least judgmental of my brothers, how could I face Cobalt?
Once again, I pictured Aquila’s hand on my shoulder, reassuring me. It gave me the strength I needed.
“I’m going to ask Cobalt’s permission to leave the island,” I said. “So I can see TalonStorm in concert.” Jade’s eyes widened slightly before returning to normal. “I see.”
His lack of reaction made me nervous. That could’ve meant anything.
“Well, I know how important they are to you,” Jade said. “It’s worth asking.”
My spirits rose, if only a little. A gentle nudge in Cobalt’s direction was better than nothing.
Jade wished me luck and left me alone. I mustered my courage and knocked on the massive door.
A chill ran down my spine when Cobalt’s deep voice replied, “Enter.”
Keeping my CD player close, I walked into his room. Cobalt sat with his broad back to me as he stared out the long bay windows, watching the ocean waves.
“H-hey, Cobalt,” I said.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of Cobalt. He was my protective older brother, and I knew he loved me. But he was so damned serious all the time, like a robot. I could never tell if he was in a good mood or a shitty one, which made it harder to plead my case.
“What brings you here, Thystle?” Cobalt asked without looking at me. His deep, rumbly voice filled the room like gravel.
My heart thumped. My nerves were so frayed I felt like I might shift out of instinct.
Finally, Cobalt turned around to face me. His expression was completely neutral. “Tell me.”
I swallowed the anxious lump in my throat.
I had to do this. For Aquila.
“My birthday is next week,” I began.
Cobalt gave a slight nod.
I paused, hoping to put more emphasis on my words. “And, on the exact same day, TalonStorm tickets are going on sale.”
My brother stared at me, stone-faced. I had no clue what he was thinking.
“So... I want to buy—no, I’m going to buy one,” I stated. “I’m going to buy a ticket to their next concert.” Cobalt stood up. A shiver ran down my spine.
“You intend to leave the island?” he asked. His tone was the same as it was two seconds ago, but it felt darker now.
But I couldn’t back down. I’d come so far.
“Yes,” I said, meeting his unblinking, dark blue eyes.
Cobalt walked closer, his every step sounding like an earthquake in the silence of his room. He towered over me, broad and tall. I stood my ground.
“You shouldn’t go,” Cobalt said.
My heart plummeted. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
But I was also furious. He hadn’t even heard me out!
I squared my shoulders. “Cobalt, listen. TalonStorm is my life. Music is my hoard. You know how important that is.”
Cobalt stared, but I seized his silence as an invitation to continue.
“And the lead singer, Aquila—he’s special to me. I’ve never felt like this for anybody before. I need this chance to see him in person,” I pleaded. “He could be my fated mate!”
Cobalt’s eyes flashed at that phrase. “You are young, Thystle. You can’t know that.”
Fury raged in my blood, setting it on fire.
“And you can’t know that he’s not!” I snarled.
We glared at each other. At least, I thought Cobalt was glaring. There was a sharp edge in his gaze that wasn’t there a second ago.
“He is older than you,” Cobalt said.
“Not by much,” I argued. “Only six years. When I’m an adult, it won’t make a difference.”
“He doesn’t know you.”
“When I go to this concert, he will.”
I didn’t care if it sounded naive. It was how I really felt.
“Is he even an omega?” Cobalt asked.
“He says he is,” I retorted.
“It could be a lie.”
“Even if it’s a lie, it doesn’t matter. A couple doesn’t need to be an alpha and an omega.”
Cobalt was quiet for a while, staring at me with those blank, deep-sea creature eyes. The longer he stayed silent, the angrier I got. I was pissed—but more than that, I was scared. Scared of Cobalt shooting me down, refusing my request.
“You shouldn’t leave the island,” Cobalt warned. “Wait until you’re older and stronger.”
I shook my head vehemently. “I have to. For TalonStorm. For Aquila.”
“If Aquila truly is your fated mate, he will wait for you.”
That was such an annoying argument. It pissed me off.
“I’m sick of you controlling everyone, Cobalt,” I snapped. “I don’t care anymore. I’m flying off the island to see TalonStorm, no matter what you say!”
Cobalt’s face was a brick wall.
And then, he said the thing I dreaded the most.
“Viol didn’t care, either. He left the island around your age. And look what happened to him. It changed him.”
I couldn’t argue with that. My rage deflated.
“I know,” I mumbled.
Viol’s incident was the reason us younger dragons couldn’t leave the island. It wasn’t fair.
“I know you’re just trying to protect us,” I said, looking up at my big brother. “But I want this so badly, Cobalt. Please try to understand me. I know I’m young, and you probably think this is a phase, but it’s not.” I clenched my heart. “Aquila and TalonStorm mean everything to me.”
After a moment, Cobalt sighed and rolled up his sleeve. For a second, I thought he was gearing up to hit me for my insolence. Instead, he held his forearm in front of my face.
“If you are truly this dedicated,” Cobalt said, “then show me with your fangs.”
I gasped. I almost asked Cobalt if he was serious, but that was a stupid question. Cobalt was always serious.
I stared at his arm, ready for me.
I closed my eyes.
For Aquila.
The shift came to me like a shooting arrow, true and committed. It concentrated in my mouth so that the only part of me that shifted was my teeth. They elongated and sharpened into two rows of dragon fangs.
Fuelled by my obsession with Aquila, I sank my fangs into Cobalt’s forearm.
He didn’t even flinch. He stood as steady as a rock as blood ran down his skin. I didn’t move, waiting for him to give me some kind of signal. My heart raced as I met his stoic gaze.
Finally, Cobalt smiled.
“All right, Thystle. You have my permission.”
I was delirious with joy. I’d never been so happy in my life.
After getting his green light, I ran down the hall back to my room with a skip in my step. Even in my human form, I felt like I could fly.
When I reached my room, I threw myself onto my bed. I hugged the CD player with the TalonStorm album inside close to my chest, squishing it affectionately.
“I did it,” I breathed. “I’m really gonna go!”
A burst of pure bliss made me kick my legs and laugh. I glanced backwards at the poster of Aquila hanging over my bed. He looked down at me proudly.
“I did it, Aquila,” I breathed, tears brimming in my eyes. “Just wait. I’ll see you soon.”
“Who’s laughing like a maniac in here?” Aurum asked as he strolled inside.
Crap. I’d run back to my room in such a hurry I forgot to shut the door. It didn’t matter, though. Not even my most annoying brother could bring me down right now.
A second, similar voice joined Aurum’s. Saffron gawked at me. “Whoa, is Thystle actually smiling?”
“And why’s your mouth covered in blood?” Aurum asked. “Are you in, like, a vampire phase?”
The golden twins stood by the bed and exchanged a startled glance, as if me smiling was some freak occurrence.
Unlike any other time, I didn’t even care that they were bugging me. I was too happy.
“Yeah, I’m smiling,” I said wistfully, ignoring the blood comment.
Aurum snickered. “I didn’t know goths could smile.”
Since I was on cloud nine, I didn’t bother correcting him for the billionth time that I was emo, not goth.
“Uh huh,” I murmured, still grinning.
The twins shrugged at each other.
“Hey, uh, Thystle?” Saffron began. “Are you okay?”
“Mhm. I’m the best I’ve ever been,” I said.
Hesitancy crept into Saffron’s voice. “Uh, are you sure...?”
“Yeah, what’s with you, dude?” Aurum chimed in.
I sat up, still holding my CD player close. My brothers looked unnerved at my unusually happy expression.
“Cobalt’s letting me go see TalonStorm in concert,” I told them.
I expected to see shock and jealousy on their faces. After all, they were still stuck here. But Aurum and Saffron almost looked sad.
“Hey, it’s okay, guys,” I reassured them. “If you wanna go somewhere, all you have to do is ask.”
That didn’t help. They were even more distressed and uncomfortable, like their dog died. And we didn’t have a dog.
Saffron rubbed his arm. “Um, Thystle...”
He shot his twin a glance, as if wanting him to take over, but Aurum blanched like he was about to be sick.
“What’s going on, you guys?” I asked.
Saffron winced. “Have you not heard?”
