After what felt like an eternity, Phoenix rose a hand and bravely placed his hand on the Draaken’s nose. He could see the surprise in the Draaken’s eyes and Aspen let out his breath slowly. 

“Brave little one.” Dorkain told Aspen and he couldn’t help but feel pride rise up in his chest. He knew buried deep down inside the Omega was a spark of fire that made up the real Phoenix. He leaned a shoulder on the boulder as he crossed his arms, watching the interaction between the Draaken and Phoenix. Even from here, he could hear her purring. The cub tentatively walked around its mother’s legs and stared at Phoenix in a much more curious way than before. A small smile crossed his face when the Draaken nearly knocked Phoenix over with her head.

He was moving before he realized it, his Alpha instincts to protect Phoenix even though he knew she wouldn’t hurt Phoenix now. However, he was met with hostility. He bowed, showing her the respect she deserved. 

“I mean no disrespect, noble Draaken. Phoenix is my soon to be mate and I brought him here in the hopes that he could find the freedom and thrill of riding upon your backs.” He hadn’t meant what he said but he couldn’t ignore the way his body warmed at that one simple word; mate. He had merely said it to ease her mind that he meant her, or her cub, no harm. 

She seemed to accept his words and laid down, tucking her paws beneath her. There seemed to be some unshared conversation between them before Phoenix turned to him with a small, amused smile. 

“She won’t hurt you.”

It was strange to have the words turned against him, to be the one in the unknown. But seeing this small window of confidence from Phoenix was more than he could ever ask for. 

“Ask her to fly.” He told Phoenix, finding himself strangely amused by the Draaken’s reaction to his suggestion. Her tail lashed as she seemed to glare at him and Phoenix looked a little unsure.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Dorkain standing above him. Judging by the way the cub went to hide, he supposed Dorkain was speaking to his mate because, eventually, the female Draaken gave a low growl and turned to Phoenix.

Phoenix glanced at him. It wasn’t like he knew what was being said. He shrugged his shoulders. If she had accepted Phoenix, then he had nothing to fear. She would protect him. Making his own decision, the Omega moved to stand beside her but looked confused. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he realized Phoenix didn’t have a clue on how to properly mount a Draaken.

“Well, I didn’t want to pull your fur pulling myself up! I wasn’t sure what to do! Don’t laugh at me!” Phoenix’s face burned bright red and the female Draaken seemed to be laughing at him. He walked up behind Phoenix and easily lifted him up to help him slide onto her back. He wasn’t surprised at how light he was but feeling him in general made him warm once more. His hands itched to touch more of him but instead, he stepped back as he sputtered in shock. 

“Y-Your Highness!” He was looking down at him with shock but he didn't miss the faintest flush of red in his cheeks.

“You were taking too long. Draaken aren’t known for their patience.” Once he was sure Phoenix was comfortable, he stepped back until he was standing once more under Dorkain’s shadow. Phoenix’s Draaken spread her wings and was immediately in the air, gaining height above them. He craned his neck, watching them disappear into the darkness and he felt a clenching of his chest that made it hard to breathe. The further distance he got from him, the harder it was to breathe until he turned abruptly and was bringing himself onto Dorkain’s back.

“You can’t get attached.”

“Shut up and follow them!” Aspen snapped. 

Dorkain growled low at the order but he spread his wings and took off after them. The Draaken knew his mate’s scent and followed it easily through the clouds until he popped up above them and glided in beside her. Seeing Phoenix seated comfortably on her back eased some anxiety he didn’t realize he had. He closed his eyes, letting his body calm down as the cold air rushed past him. It was silent except for the Draaken’s wing beats but strangely it was comforting. 

“I plan to get you out of here before the mating ceremony.” It hurt to say it but if he didn’t, he wouldn’t go through with it. “Get you safely back where you belong, in Autumn. Then, I’ll do my best to find a way to stop the agreement with King Midas. Maybe then, you’ll find your Alpha and you can live a life you’ve always wanted.” 

He looked over at Phoenix to see the Omega looking away. The expression on his face had pain in his chest and he forced himself to look away. He wished he could erase these feelings just like he did all his others. Why did he have to be his fated pair? It was almost unfair. 

“You are cruel, Young Prince.”

“As if you know what I’m going through!” He snapped at Dorkain and the Draaken huffed with annoyance, going silent once more. 

The Draaken flew them all the way back to the Winter Palace where they dismounted once more on the snowy ramparts. The female Draaken and Phoenix took a moment together before she departed, her mate following close behind. 

Once they were gone, there felt like there was even more space between them than before and the familiar cold seeped back into his body. He needed to get away from him for a bit. 

“Now that we’ve royally missed dinner, you should get to your room for a hot bath. Can’t have you getting sick.” The sooner Phoenix washed his scent off of him, the sooner his instincts would calm down. He turned away from Phoenix, heading towards the door that would lead them back into the palace. This had meant to be a burden off his shoulders and yet, he felt like he had only placed more.