5
Lorenzo
The days leading up to my trip passed in a blur. Often I wondered if this was really happening, or if I made it up in some kind of fever dream.
But Raja’s messages still existed on my computer. Itwasreal.
I mentioned briefly to Dante and Gabriel that I was going on a trip to visit someone I met through the dating site, but didn’t tell them any of the details. I suspected that telling them the whole point of my trip was to fake-marry someone I only just met wouldn’t go over well. I asked them not to get their hopes up, and that I would probably need to meet multiple people before I found an omega I truly loved. Thankfully, that seemed to settle down their excitement.
I packed the essentials - clothes and hygiene products. It would be a long flight to Raja’s island rainforest, but since I was travelling alone, I could spare time to eat and rest when necessary. Raja assured me there would be plenty of food and drink when I arrived, especially at the wedding ceremony. While I looked forward to it, I was starting to feel a bit anxious about the whole situation. I wondered if Raja felt the same.
When the day finally arrived, I shifted and readied myself to leave. But when I stepped outside the door to the sky platform, black glinting of scales caught my eye. Dante, in his dragon form, was waiting for me.
“Hey, man,” he said in dragonspeech. “You ready to go?”
“Yes. Where are Gabriel and Noah?”
“They’re at home. I just wanted to see you off,” Dante replied. “You said this place is pretty far away, right?”
To spare him the eventual disappointment, the only details I’d given Dante were that the omega’s home was on a remote island. “Yes.”
“Cool.” He clapped me on my shoulder. “Go have a good time, then. And tell useverythingthat happens when you get back!”
“Maybe I’ll tell you one or two things,” I said with a smile.
We said our goodbyes, then I spread my wings and took off into the pale pink dawn sky. The sun began to peek out from in between the mountains, casting a warm glow across Cinderhollow. As I soared over the city, I realized I might be leaving it behind for quite some time. The last time I left was to help Gabriel and his old pack, Stoneheart, but that journey lasted less than a week. According to Raja’s schedule, there would be many activities expected from us after the wedding, not including the days it took me to reach the rainforest and return to Cinderhollow.
Excitement stirred in my chest. Even if nothing came out of this journey, and I didn’t find a forever mate in Raja, I would still be helping a young omega earn the freedom to live his life.
And right now, that was enough for me.
* * *
Days and nights passed.My muscles ached from the long flights but I loved the feeling of the wind beneath my wings. For the first time, I was truly on my own - no family or friends around as I travelled. I indulged in ripe fruit and hunted wild game in my dragon form among the wilderness, far from human settlements, and slept underneath the calm and quiet stars.
Soon, the air turned warm and humid. The growing heat created thermal columns in the air that I coasted on to spare energy. Only the rush of wind around me and the cool spray of salt water below offered relief from the heat.
When long stretches of water and rock turned to lush rainforest, I knew I was close to Pardus clan. My heart rate increased. Soon I would meet Raja in the flesh, a thought that filled me with both excitement and anxiety. Part of me wondered if he would be a completely different person than the one I met online. Perhaps it would have been safer to remain on my guard, but I sensed no danger or urgency. In fact, during my whole trip, I felt a content sense of calm. The only thought on my mind was whatever happened next.
My eyes scanned for the landmark Raja described - a village in the centre of the rainforest island, studded with trees that reached the sky and ivy-carpeted wooden houses among them. Finally, among the million shades of green, I spotted one - a building like a treehouse well hidden amongst the foliage. I dipped my wings and angled down towards the wooden slats surrounding the hut, which appeared to a platform, similar to the landing strip I had at my own home.
But unlike my home, I didn’t know if this platform would support my weight as a dragon, and I didn’t want to find out. Instead, I found a clearing on the ground and landed there instead.
It was midday and the sun beat down on my scales. I looked around the strangely empty village. There were wooden homes, both on the ground and in the trees, but no people. Was this the right place?
Not knowing what to expect, I called, “Hello?”
Instantly, voices surrounded me.
“Is that him?”
“He’s glowing silver!”
“It must be!”
“He’s here!”
The empty clearing suddenly exploded with life. People ran out of their homes - some on two legs and some on four. The shifted ones took the form of beautiful big cats, solid gold with black rosettes like gazing eyes. They prowled around me, curiously sniffing. Some of the smaller ones - cubs - bounded close enough that their whiskers brushed my scales. A particularly young one was batting at my leg playfully with a big paw.
