60. Aurora
AURORA
“Whew—that was quite a scene with Humbolt today,” Ryse said, when it was just the two of us.
“Yes, I hope I can pull up my grade enough not to fail,” I said unhappily.
“You should be able to as long as you can rein in L’eesha,” he said, frowning.
He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me down to sit on the bed with him.
“You don’t know how scared I was when she dove off the cliff with you strapped to her back.
It’s such a dangerous, risky maneuver—especially for a fledgling dragon. ”
“I’m sorry she scared you—she scared me, too,” I admitted. “I guess I haven’t been strict enough with her, but I’ll try to do better.”
“You’ll have to,” he said seriously. “She could have killed you both.” He drew me into a tight hug and pressed his face to my neck. “God and Goddess, I was so scared I would lose you.”
“But you didn’t,” I reminded him. “Ryse, I don’t mean to pry, but it almost seems like you’re upset about more than just the stunt L’eesha pulled today.”
“You’re right, I am.” He pulled back, looking at me. “Do you remember how I told you I always listen to M’alex because he’s always right?”
“Yes, you told me that when you were explaining how you happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch me when I fell off Woody,” I said, nodding.
“Well, back when I first became a Wing Leader, I had a young cadet—Georges was his name—under my command,” he said. “Georges was out of control—I can see that now. But at the time, I thought he was just high-spirited—the kind of guy who’s always pulling pranks on his Wingmates—you know.”
I nodded. I did know that kind of person he was talking about.
The kind of cadet who thought everything was a joke and never took anything or anyone seriously.
I had classes with males like that—they were funny sometimes, but also annoying, especially if they were being disruptive when I was trying to learn.
“Well, M’alex tried to warn me that Georges was reckless,” Ryse went on. “But I didn’t listen—I thought he was just trying to get attention and the less attention I gave him, the more he would settle down.”
“So what happened to him?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
Ryse shook his head.
“He tried a risky flying maneuver—just like L’eesha did today. He had only bonded with a common Brown, so his dragon wasn’t smart enough to say “no” to him.”
“Did he dive off the Flight Terraces?” I asked.
“No.” Ryse sighed. “He flew straight at the side of the Old Drake. I think he intended to pull up at the last minute and fly straight up. It would have been quite a trick if he could have pulled it off, but you can’t do that kind of thing on a Brown—they’re not smart enough or fast enough.”
“So they…” I trailed off, not sure I wanted to hear the rest.
“They flew right into the side of the mountain at full speed,” Ryse said, and I could hear the sorrow in his voice.
“Both died, of course. I should have listened to M’alex—I should have seen that I needed to discipline Georges before it was too late—not just ignored his antics thinking he would settle down on his own. ”
“That’s why you were so strict with L’eesha today,” I said softly.
“And it’s why you’re going to have to be strict with her, too,” he said.
“She’s the smartest dragon I’ve ever seen, and she has the loudest mental voice—I really do believe she could direct every dragon in the Academy at once if she wanted to.
You have to set limits now or she’ll be uncontrollable by the time she reaches her full growth. ”
“Do you really think she could command every dragon in all the Wings at once?” I asked curiously.
He shrugged.
“Who knows? Maybe. The point is, she has to learn to behave or there will be consequences—maybe even fatal ones!”
He pulled me close again and kissed my forehead tenderly.
“I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you, little one,” he murmured. “I can’t even think about it.”
But it seemed he had been thinking about it—ever since L’eesha had dived off the cliff with me on her back, it had been on his mind.
I nuzzled against him, breathing in his warm, masculine spice and taking comfort from his big body pressed against mine.
I didn’t feel any sweet grass effects tonight—apparently L’eesha wasn’t having any growing pains at the moment, which was good.
But I still wanted to be close to Ryse—wanted to touch him and let him touch me.
From the way he shifted against me and the hard ridge I felt branding my hip, he must feel the same way, I thought.
“Ryse,” I said, allowing my fingers to drift down to where he was pressing against me. “Can I…could I touch you the way you touched me last night?”
He gave a soft laugh and then a groan as I continued to stroke him through his uniform trousers.
“Curious are you, little one?”
“Well…yes,” I admitted. “I mean, I had never seen a man’s, er, equipment until I came here and I’ve spent the past six months trying not to see it all around me—especially at the Cook-pot. But, well…I’ve never seen one up close. Would you mind showing me?”
“I don’t mind, but I have to warn you, I don’t look the same as most of the males here,” he told me seriously.
“You don’t? Why not?” I was more curious than ever.
“Well…let’s just say that my shaft is another place where my dragon-blood shows,” he told me. “Where most males have hair, I have scales.”
This was immediately intriguing to me, since all the males I’d seen naked so far had patches of wiry hair around their male parts that I had to confess I found off-putting. I liked the idea of him having scales instead.
“I want to see it,” I said. “Please?”
He frowned, his golden eyes holding mine.
“You’re sure? It won’t… frighten you?”
“Nothing about you frightens me, Ryse,” I said, and I meant it. After last night with the sweet grass, I knew I was safe with him. He could easily have taken advantage of me but instead he had protected me. Now all I felt was a thrumming curiosity and a deep, steady trust.
“All right, you asked for it.”
He gave me one of his half-smiles that made my heart flutter. Then, never breaking eye contact, he stood and unfastened his trousers. He pushed them down his lean hips, along with his smallclothes, and let them pool at his feet.
I caught my breath at what I saw.
Ryse was right—he was different.
His shaft was nothing like the skinny members I’d seen between the legs of the other cadets at bathing time.
It was thick and long, rising proudly from between his muscular thighs.
But at the base, where skin should have been, there were scales instead.
They started about halfway down the shaft, small and delicate at first, like iridescent chainmail, and grew larger and more pronounced as they reached the root.
They were the colors of his other scales and of his dragon—deep, royal purple shimmering with veins of molten gold that caught the faint light in the room. And like the scales on his face, they weren’t rough or hard-looking—instead, they had a soft, pearlescent sheen.
The flaring head of his shaft was a smooth, dusky violet, and already a clear, glistening bead of moisture had gathered at the slit.
“Oh,” I breathed, leaning forward without thinking. “Ryse… it’s beautiful.”
A low, pleased rumble came from his chest.
“Never been called beautiful before. You really think so?”
“I know so.” I reached out a hand, hovering just above him. “May I?”
“Please do,” he said, his deep voice slightly hoarse.
My fingertips touched him first, tracing the seam where soft skin gave way to scaled splendor. The scales were warm, and surprisingly smooth—softer than I’d imagined—like polished sea glass.
They yielded slightly under my touch and Ryse made a low sound in his throat when I wrapped my hand around him, marveling at the heat…the solid weight…the unique texture.
When I stroked him up and down, a soft groan escaped him, and his hips gave a tiny, involuntary jerk.
“Did I hurt you?” I looked up at him anxiously.
He shook his head.
“Sorry,” he murmured, his hands fisting at his sides as if to keep from touching me. “Just…your soft little hand feels really good around me.”
“I’m glad,” I said, shyly. I loved the feeling of power I got from holding him—knowing that I could give him pleasure the way he’d given me pleasure the night before.
I stroked him slowly, learning his shape, feeling the ridges of the scales under my palm. That glistening bead at the tip caught my eye again. Acting on an impulse I didn’t fully understand but didn’t want to fight, I leaned in and flicked my tongue over it.
The taste exploded on my tongue—salty, but with a dark, sweet undertone, like honey and spice. I moaned softly in surprised pleasure. He was delicious.
Ryse’s big body thrummed with tension.
“Gods, Auri,” he choked out. “Your sweet little tongue is so hot! How…how does it taste?”
“Delicious,” I murmured, licking my lips. I looked up at him. “You taste salty and sweet, all at once.”
He cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin.
“There’s more where that came from, little one. But you don’t have to taste me if you don’t want to. This is for you. Your curiosity. We can go at your pace.”
“But I do want to taste you,” I said, the certainty settling deep in my bones. I wanted to chase that taste, to know him more intimately. “I want to…to suck you,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks go hot with a blush.
His golden eyes were half-lidded as he looked down at me. He was still standing and I was sitting on the edge of the bed—he was at the perfect height for me to taste him…to suck him.
“If you want to, I won’t stop you,” he rumbled. “Take your time—do whatever you want. I’m yours, little one.”
I liked the idea of taking my time with him and I wanted to make him groan again.
I leaned forward again, this time opening my mouth and taking the broad, smooth head past my lips.
Ryse gasped—a sharp intake of breath—and I could feel him watching me as I sucked him.