Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Emma
O kay. I didn’t expect that to happen.
A squeak of shock left me.
Holy shit. The dragon turned into a man. And now that very human-looking man was standing before me. And he was massive… and not wholly human, the more I stared at him.
That was evident by his height and size alone. He had to be at least seven, maybe closer to seven and a half feet tall. And his muscle mass was double that of any man I’d ever seen. Then factor in that he had horns sprouting from his temples, fangs that pressed against his bottom lip, and eyes as black and bottomless as the night.
That was my dragon. This was the dragon.
My dragon? Whoa, where did that come from?
I had no idea they could shift.
I let my gaze linger on his body even though I shouldn’t have. His hair was shorn short and as dark as his eyes. His face was all hard planes that were perfectly proportioned to his behemoth stature.
Then there was the rest of him.
His biceps alone were as thick as my torso. His chest was hard as rock, with hills and planes, valleys of rippling muscles, slabs of power. I felt my heart race. It was the same aroma I smelled as soon as I’d been close enough to the dragon to touch it.
I inhaled again as this panic filled me. Was the scent getting stronger? Yes, yes, it was, and it was the most incredible thing in the world. I felt my body relaxing even though I knew it shouldn't. This was a terrifying situation, yet my muscles weren’t as tense, my shoulders easing. I breathed slower, which in turn had me taking in even more of that delicious aroma.
I felt my eyes become hooded as I took in his form. He was more human than beast—for the most part—and in the ways that counted, as my gaze latched on to a very human male body part. Well, if that very human male body part was at least the length of my forearm and as thick as my wrist.
I lowered my gaze down his abdomen, the muscles clenching as if my gaze were a tangible touch. The thick rolls of muscle under his golden skin became startlingly clear in their masculinity.
Oh, and he was extremely aroused, and the longer I looked, the harder and bigger he became until that thick piece of flesh was pointing right at me… until I felt my eyes widen because a drop of clear fluid lined the tip.
My throat was so tight I couldn’t swallow. I was… aroused.
His hands were clenching and relaxing at either side of his body, and the motion drew my attention. A spike of unease moved through me as I saw he didn’t have nails but claws. Sharp, deadly black ones. Albeit smaller so they fit his hands, they were the same as what the dragon had.
So yeah… he was human, but then again, he wasn’t.
I snapped my focus back up to his face, staring into that inky darkness. He didn’t have pupils or irises. There was no white, just these dark orbs that looked a little sinister, a little evil. But deep down I knew he wasn’t. I didn’t know how or why I felt that with such certainty, but that reality slammed into me over and over again until it was my truth. I felt my eyes widen once more before turning my head to the side, staring at the cavern, trying to look anywhere else but at him.
He started purring—the same way the dragon had. “Look at me all you want, my female.”
My head snapped back in his direction. I felt shock cover my face—but then again, what was new? I was pretty sure that had been my expression since this whole ordeal started. And as we did this kind of stare off, this wave of heat slammed into me when I really absorbed his words.
My female?
“I like your eyes on me.”
My mouth dropped open at the sound of his utterly deep voice. He didn’t pronounce words like I did, like anyone in the Pit did. The inclination and tone of the words were thick, serrated. Accented. They shouldn’t have turned me on, but they did. So much.
I didn’t know what I expected, maybe for him to pounce on me, to tear off my clothes and spread my thighs so he could have his way with me. Although I certainly didn’t get that vibe from him, and there weren't any warning bells going off in my head, I was still hesitant as I moved back and kept going until the rocky cavern wall stopped my retreat.
“You can understand me?” I whispered. “You speak my language?”
He looked at me for long moments, then inhaled slowly. The way his shoulders tensed and how the muscles flexed under that tan—very hard—flesh gave me the impression he didn’t like that I was moving away. Well, tough shit if he didn’t like it. With that monster he wassporting between his thighs, and the fact that it was pointing right at me like a damn compass, I wasn't about to move closer to him. That was for damn sure.
And though common sense and survival were strong in me, my body didn’t feel like my own, hadn’t since the dragon made its presence known. Heat licked over my body and settled right between my thighs until a flush of wetness left me. I clenched my legs together, but that made the pressure worse, the desire heightening.
And from the way his nostrils flared, that deep sound coming from him once again, stronger than before, I was pretty sure he could smell my arousal. My face felt flaming hot at that knowledge, but there was no controlling it, my body working on its own.
“You speak my language, mate.”
For a second I was confused what he was talking about, my mind a muddled mush of the things he could do to me with all that male flesh. But then I blinked back to reality and realized he was responding to my previous question. And then his words sifted through my head until the one that seemed most important stood out.
Mate?
Nope. I wasn’t even about to dissect what that word meant to him.
He placed a hand on the center of that strong, wide chest. “I am called Azar of the Dragao.”
I let his name roll around in my head, but I said nothing. I was afraid to speak, unsure of what to say, even if the most logical thing was to give him my name in return.
After a long second of just watching me, he turned away and headed toward a small alcove that had a firepit in the center. I took that time to look around the cavern, noticing a small hole above where the fire was—an area that the smoke could filter out, I assumed. To my left was a very clear sleeping pallet, thick animal furs and hides spread out big enough to fit his large body.
My heart started beating faster as adrenaline rushed through my veins at the image of him lying completely naked in the center of that pallet, that monster cock of his standing straight up as he gripped himself, as he stroked himself.
It took all my power to still the moan that threatened to bubble up and out of my throat. What was going on with me? Why was I feeling like this, acting like this? Never once in my life had I felt any kind of desire, yet at the first sight of this dragon man, I was having the most wicked feelings.
I watched in silence as he made a fire, my hands pressed against the wall behind me, my palms digging painfully into the craggy, sharp rock. I was drawn to the way his muscles flexed and contracted underneath his skin, at how he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. He was also hairless, which somehow worked really well for him.
I continued checking him out, because that was exactly what I was doing… shamelessly.
His hands were so big and strong, yet they matched his overall size to perfection. His feet were the same way, so masculine and large enough to be able to carry that big body. I swore I saw every single tendon and sinew clench and relax with the smallest of movements.
Azar. I let his name repeat in my mind over and over, and I couldn’t lie and deny that I didn’t like how it sounded.
He shifted slightly again, and the way his back muscles pulled in the most arousing way had me realizing I was breathing harder.
But it was the sight of a dragon in flight covering his back in dark ink that drew me like nothing else could. Some of the members of the Pit got inked designs stippled into their flesh, the dark oils that came from the trees around the settlement permanent once it was under the skin.
I never understood the desire to get something that was said to be painful when they received it. And although the designs were eye-catching, they were nothing like what covered Azar’s back.
The beast had his wings outstretched, that great span encompassing his shoulders, the tips snaking down the back of his biceps. But what held my gaze was the fact that the dragon was looking right at me, his eyes the same inky pools as they’d been in real life… the same that Azar had.
I blinked several times to clear my head and focused on Azar again. I wanted to demand I be taken back home, but I’d never considered the Pit as such. And with the stuff that had happened with Bryce, and then the shit with Leland, that was the last place I wanted to be. But I thought of Tilly. She’d be so worried about me. I doubted Bryce or the others who’d coming running after us told the rest of the village what had happened. No, the elders and high-ranking officials were no doubt in conference right now, deciding what to do.
And that sure as hell wasn’t coming after me. I had no doubt that I was a casualty in all this, a sacrifice. They’d never go against a dragon to save one of their own.
He wasn’t facing me, and I was thankful for that, but then as if he’d heard my thoughts, he slowly looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes hooded, his nostrils flaring slightly. I clenched my thighs together, but it was like he was silently telling me that he knew I was trying to hide my desire.
Damn him.
I licked my lips, focusing on the fact that I was really thirsty. The dragon looked down at my lips when I ran my tongue over the bottom one, and I swore I could feel this pulse of heat rush out of him. This strange sense that it was his need for me rushed through every inch of my body.
And that damn intoxicating scent was just growing stronger, that spicy, wild musk surrounding me, seeping into every single pore in my body until I felt absolutely liquid.
He stood then, facing me, and although I was making it a point not to look down the magnificent length of his body, I could clearly see his erection was still going strong.
He stepped aside, and the crackling of the newly made fire drew my attention and thankfully had me focusing on something other than what piece of his anatomy was pointing in my direction.
“Come and warm yourself by the fire.” His voice was a low rumble, one I felt throughout my entire body.
And I wasn’t comfortable with that, because of how it made me… ache, how it made me feel foreign in my own body.
“Let me feed you. Let me provide for you.” The way he said those words was as if he desperately wanted to, as if nothing else in this world would please him so much.
When I didn’t move right away, the dark slashes of his eyebrows pulled low. Another almost frustrated sound left him. He moved away from me, going over to a small alcove across from the fire, and picked up a basket that was woven together with strips of red scale-covered hide.
He held up the basket to show me, a dark eyebrow arched now, and moved slowly to the fire, crouching onto his haunches, his massive erection bobbing slightly from the motion, the heaviness of the twin weights below it swinging gently. There was no way it was comfortable walking around with that thing being so hard.
I stifled a needy moan that tried to escape. Nope, not gonna let him know his nakedness affects me, even if he can smell it pouring off me.
He reached into the basket and pulled out a bladder of what I assumed was water, holding it out to me with one hand as he motioned me closer with the other. When I just stared at him, he set the bladder on the ground and reached into the basket again, pulling out chunks of what looked like dried meat. It was white in color, and like nothing I’d seen before, but then again, we didn’t travel far from the settlement to hunt.
The fear of all the dangers of this world kept everyone close. So what was caught in the traps set out were usually small creatures with six legs, thick red fur, and a long tail. The meat had a sour flavor and was the consistency of shoe leather, but it got the job done of curbing your hunger.
My throat burned at the sight of the food, at the knowledge that something that could quench my thirst was so close. But I still didn’t move, and he exhaled as if this fact disappointed him. He set it down before moving to the other side of the firepit. Then he crouched once more, gestured to the bladder of water, motioned me closer to it, and waited. He just sat there and stared at me, his expression not giving away anything, not showing any impatience. It was like he was content to let me do this on my own terms and in my own time, even if he didn’t want to.
I didn’t know how long I stood there, but thirst and hunger over the fact that I hadn’t eaten any of my rations had me pushing away from the wall and walking slowly and hesitantly toward the fire before I knew what I was doing.
I kept my eyes on the dragon as I moved toward the water and food, and when I was close enough to them, I reached out and picked up the bladder first, untied the leather strap that kept it closed, and brought it to my mouth. I didn’t care that I looked like a greedy fool who guzzled the water. I didn’t care if it was warm or had a mineral flavor to it. It was the greatest thing I’d ever had, and my eyes closed on their own as a soft moan of pleasure left me.
I didn’t pay any mind to the purring sound coming from the dragon and didn’t dissect too closely how I knew he made that noise because he was pleased. I just kept drinking until my belly hurt from consuming so much and droplets ran down the corner of my mouth.
I pulled the bladder away, wiped my mouth with the back of my arm, and kept my eyes locked on Azar. He hadn’t moved an inch the entire time, and for that I was thankful. It was clear he didn’t want to frighten me, abundantly clear he meant me no harm. But the idea of him desiring to care for me and expect nothing in return seemed… unreal.
“Eat,” he rumbled deeply and pointed to the white, dried meat that still sat within the basket. “It’s the flesh of the Sushte Hav . Very good flavor and high in fat and protein. Good for the body.” His gaze moved slowly, sensually down the length of mine before looking back into my eyes. “You need more weight. You’re too thin.”
I bristled at his words, even if he hadn’t said them with malice or accusation, even though I knew they were the truth. Rationing had a person losing weight pretty quickly, keeping it off easily. I didn’t say anything, just eyed him for a long moment before I glanced down at the meat. My belly cramped and growled at the sight, and I felt my face heat that there was no denying or hiding I was hungry and that he’d clearly heard.
I grabbed a chunk of white meat, surprised that it was heavy and dense in my palm, yet the texture was soft and almost moist despite being dried as I pressed my fingers against it. I brought it up and instantly smelled a spicy, pleasing aroma come from it. My mouth watered, and I was biting off a chunk before I knew what I was doing. Flavor exploded on my tongue. It was indeed spicy as I swallowed, and it hit the back of my throat, but this sweetness covered my tongue. I moaned again and tore off another chunk, barely chewing before I swallowed, my hunger like a living entity inside me.
“It pleases me greatly to know I’m providing for my mate.” His voice was low, his eyes hooded as he watched me over the flames. The firelight was reflected back at me in those dark pools, and I felt more pleasure at his words, but I added it to the list of stuff I wasn’t going to worry about or focus on.
Everything was equally confusing right now.
It was long moments later, after I’d eaten three more pieces of meat and drank another half bladder of water, before I was content and full for the first time in my life. I felt the drugging sweeps of exhaustion start to wash over me as the warmth of the fire lulled and relaxed me even more and the adrenaline and excitement from the events of the night started to fade away—at least for the time being.
It would have been so easy to just let my lids drop low and sink into the oblivion of sleep.
“You need rest. Let me help you to the sleeping pallet.” His voice was so deep, so thickly accented in that strange dragon way, as I’d come to call it, that it would have been easy to follow his command. “Let me provide a safe place for you to sleep.”
“Why are you doing all this?” I finally asked, my words whisper-soft.
He tipped his head to the side slightly, studying me, his short hair seeming so dark with the shadows playing over it. “Because you are mine and I am yours. Forever.”
That’s… That's what I’d been afraid of.
I glanced at the furs behind me, and this sigh of want and need rose up in me. But I couldn’t sleep on that. I wouldn’t pretend any of this was normal. I needed answers, but tonight was crashing down around me, and I knew I couldn’t handle anything else right now.
But instead of saying anything, I walked over to the wall and sat, my back to the uncomfortable, sharp rock, my legs pulled up to my chest, and my arms wrapped around them. I rested my cheek on my knees as I watched him across the way… as we watched each other. He stayed where he was, on the other side of that fire, giving me my space, probably knowing I was flighty as hell. But still I felt no actual fear of him.
He won’t hurt me , I said over and over again in my mind. My eyes grew heavy with those words bouncing around, relaxing me further, a false hope that maybe everything wasn’t actually fucked for me.
“Let yourself go. I’ll protect you. I’ll watch over you,” he growled in this nonthreatening, very pleased way. “Always.”
Trying to stay awake was a losing battle, and the longer I sat there, the more sleep tried to take me under. Finally I just gave in.