Chapter 14
Chapter 1 4
Elpis
I made sure to keep a good distance from Keyon as I helped Adelais up the mountain. She was fine for a while but eventually started limping. When I asked if she wanted to take a break, she just shook her head and kept her stare on the ground. I wondered how fast or slow cat-shifters healed. Was this normal for them? I couldn’t be sure… I wasn’t an active shifter myself, and I’d swear that Keyon was indestructible. I wondered if injuries of the mind slowed down injuries of the body… If so, Adelais would need twice as much help.
Night fell after a long slog of an afternoon. It was more exhausting than usual due to Adelais’s presence and state, but no one could blame her for that. Those soldiers… something needed to be done about them before they hurt anyone else. This couldn’t be normal behavior for soldiers since Keyon was beyond furious. He looked ready to raze an entire army.
I held Adelais as Toast hunted. He returned with a goat this time, and I made sure to catch his attention before he could shift back. “Toast, you are the best dragon ever!” I praised. “You are wonderful, and thank you for feeding us, you handsome thing!” He stumbled back a bit and then shifted into Keyon, making Adelais bury her face in my shoulder until he was done dressing.
“You’ve put Toast into quite the dither, Elpis,” Keyon said with a weak chuckle and dragged the goat over to cook. He worked differently this time, shredding out thinner pieces of meat and roasting them quickly with his dragon fire so we could eat sooner. He stopped cutting pieces when we had a large pile of roasted, shredded meat but reached into the goat to pull out what looked like its liver. He cooked it thoroughly, waited for it to cool, then handed it to me to give to Adelais.
“That will help with any blood loss, Adelais. You should try to eat it,” he said gently. “Liver is good for you.” She took it from me and chewed slowly, staring blankly into the fire.
“Thanks for feeding us, Keyon,” I said while rubbing Adelais’s back.
“My pleasure,” he replied, glancing at me before moving the carcass.
When we settled to sleep, I put Adelais between me and the fire and held her from behind so she’d feel safe. I wrapped the blanket around us both and stared at Keyon as he settled much farther away than usual. I felt a pang of longing in my heart, knowing he had to distance himself because of Toast and poor Adelais. He wrapped a wing over himself and stared at me for a little while. It was like we were holding hands with our eyes because it was all we had. He was too far from the campfire for it to illuminate his beautiful copper irises, and I found myself already missing them. There was a tug in my chest that made me want to go to him, but I just squeezed Adelais tight and made an effort to fall asleep.
We made a big push in the morning to get to the cabin and finally arrived there just past noon. It was a large, two-floor cabin, and I was surprised to see that it was made from stone. Our feet crunched through a thick layer of pine needles, and I looked skyward to see that much of the blue was blocked by sprawling tree branches. This area was quite private, and I could definitely see how it made a great hideaway.
“Can you even see this place from the air?” I asked Keyon, huffing as I carried some of Adelais’s weight.
Keyon glanced up and said, “If you’re looking hard for it and know it’s here. I’ve tried to keep this place a secret.” He unlocked the door and gave Adelais a wide berth so she could enter. “Take her to one of the guest bedrooms, Elpis. They’re upstairs on the right,” he directed, and I helped the female cat-shifter up the stairs. “Feel free to run her a bath,” he added as an afterthought.
I opened the door to find a quaint little bedroom with a large bed. This whole place was solidly built and felt nicely protected from the chillier mountain air. Not even the mahogany floorboards creaked as we walked her to the en suite. I turned the knob on the bathtub and steaming hot water flowed from the faucet.
“Keyon, you wealthy bastard,” I swore, running my hands under the tap and grinning at Adelais. “You’re going to love this. I can’t wait to take a bath later myself!”
She smiled weakly and ran her fingers through the water. I grabbed my bag and removed the soaps for her, then looked through my spare clothes, humming in deliberation.
“Adelais?” I called. “I’m going to leave two dresses and an undergarment for you, but I don’t know if they’ll fit. I could try to wash the one you’re wearing?”
“No…” came her voice from the en suite. “I’m going to burn that dress.”
“I think that’s fair,” I replied sadly. “Enjoy your bath! I’ll be downstairs.”
“Elpis?” her voice called, and I paused, humming a question. “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome, Adelais. You’re safe here,” I promised and left her room. I brought my bag back downstairs and found Keyon going through the pantry.
“We have plenty of rations here, but I can always get Toast to hunt for us too,” he said, collecting a handful of bars from a cabinet. He handed one to me while unwrapping another for himself.
I gnawed at the bar, grateful for a change in diet. “I put a bath together for her and left a couple of dresses for her to try. Hopefully something will fit,” I said with a helpless shrug.
“You’re a generous soul, Elpis,” Keyon said, staring at me while he ate his bar in the kitchen. One bulging arm was crossed over the other, and both rested on his unyielding, carved abdomen. I licked my lips and looked down to study my own bar. Something was definitely happening to my body. The longer I was around him, the harder it was to keep from throwing myself at him. I think yesterday had broken the dam; now I knew what he was capable of doing to me. Oh, how I sorely wanted to repay the favor.
I went to go eat on a soft couch, eager to get away so he wouldn’t scent my arousal. I stared out the window for a while until I noticed some of the trees swaying. Was a dragon approaching?
“Keyon?” I called, and he rushed to my side, looking out the window to see what I was looking at. A smaller black dragon landed about eighty feet from the house.
“There he is. That’s our Leofwine!” Keyon said, turning to me. I didn’t realize how close his face was, and his eyes flickered down to my mouth before he backed up and left through the front door. I watched as the shiny onyx dragon shifted into a tall, strong male. He was leaner than Keyon, and his build told of different strengths and skill sets. He moved like a creature of the night, graceful and silent. He was quite beautiful, but not as beautiful as Keyon.
I heard footsteps come down the stairs, and I turned to see Adelais wearing my raspberry dress. “That was fast, Adelais. Didn’t want to soak longer?” I asked with a smile .
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her body. I jumped up and grabbed my spare cloak to drape around her shoulders. “I didn’t want to be alone,” she confessed. I fetched a bar from the kitchen and pulled her to sit on the sofa with me so she could comfortably eat.
“Looks like Leofwine’s here,” I informed Adelais, pointing at the window. He was dressed now, and they were approaching the cabin porch. When the door opened, Adelais sniffed the air, panicked, and stood to run, but she tripped on a little coffee table. Shaking like a newborn foal, she scrambled to get up and pressed herself against the wall by the stairs, frozen in fear.
Leofwine entered after Keyon and stilled when he saw Adelais.
“Mate…” he whispered, but it wasn’t with excitement. It was with heartbreak. Leofwine’s breath caught, and he looked grief-stricken at the sight of the female cowering before him. Keyon must have warned him about his guest. “Mine,” he said quietly and strode toward her. What was happening? What was Leofwine doing? Why was he saying she was his?
Adelais burst into tears and fell to the floor. “Don’t look at me! Don’t look at me!” she screamed and covered her head, hyperventilating. Leofwine lifted the cat-shifter and cradled her to his chest. I was totally lost. Why… what?
He glared at Keyon and asked, an edge in his tone, “The king’s soldiers? Truly?” Keyon nodded and closed his eyes before tiredly scrubbing his hands over his face. Leofwine, clearly overwhelmed, stared down at Adelais.
“Mate,” he repeated, his face and voice softening.
“Adelais,” Keyon supplied helpfully.
“Adelais,” Leofwine murmured longingly and stroked the back of her head. “I wasn’t expecting to find my fated mate here… but now that I’ve found you, no one will ever lay a hand on you again. I will get justice for you, my mate. I swear on my life. Those soldiers will pay, and I will find out what’s going on if it’s the last thing I do.”
Fated mate? Keyon mentioned that term before, but I still didn’t know what it meant. Adelais calmed significantly under Leofwine’s comforting. She sniffled and finally lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes for the first time.
“M-mine?” she asked, choking on a sobbing laugh. He nodded and grinned, his pearly white fangs glinting smartly off his skin. When he brushed a tear off her cheek with a thumb, I spied a tiny bit of wetness in his own eyes. I was going to start crying at this rate myself; it was too romantic.
“And I’m sensing I’ve caught myself not a dragon, but a kitty cat,” he said with a hint of mischievousness. Surprisingly, he coaxed another giggle out of her. “I’m hoping for a black panther. Those are the sexiest of the big cats.” He raised his brows in anticipation.
“Black jaguar,” she corrected with a shy smile.
“Same thing!” he dismissed triumphantly, and she smacked him on the chest. “Ow! Kitty’s got punches!” Adelais giggled but began weeping again, rebounding into grief. She had to be so overwhelmed.
He smiled down at her, but there was as much sorrow as love in his eyes. Somehow, he felt her pain—I could tell. He reluctantly dragged his gaze from Adelais to address Keyon.
“Keyon… I have to go. I… I have to get her to a doctor or I’m going to lose my mind. I’ll be back though, I promise,” he said with desperation in his voice as he carried her to the door. Keyon opened it with a sigh and watched his friend shift into a dragon to fly off with a suffering Adelais.
“Just one more day, Keyon.” I comforted him with a pat on the shoulder. “He’ll be back. At least we got Adelais help, not that I understood a thing that just happened between them. Ah! Everything is so confusing!”
Keyon shut the door and began pacing in the hall, running his hands through his hair. “I’m happy for them and relieved for her, Elpis. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just so fucking anxious about our situation, and I wish I didn’t have to wait another day to talk to him.”
“I understand,” I said sympathetically, watching him traipse about the cabin. He stopped and rubbed his face, groaning in frustration.
Now’s the chance for footwork, my brain thought, confusing me. Why would I think about footwork? What was footwork? I shook my head as I attempted to clear my mind. Maybe I was more worn out than I thought.
I grabbed my bag and held it up for him to see. “Where should I put this?”
He paused, frowned, and seemed to get stuck in his head, like he was deliberating. After a moment, he waved for me to follow him. “We have another guest bedroom. If Leof returns and needs to stay over, he can use the one Adelais was in.”
“Well, where are you sleeping?” I asked, having a feeling I wouldn’t like the answer.
He hesitated and admitted, “The master bedroom.”
Disappointment settled its heavy weight on me. I didn’t have an excuse this time for sleeping next to him. He was just my guard and escort. We weren’t together. However…
“What about your practicing, though? Don’t you need to practice being around a female?” I asked hopefully. “Practice sleeping next to one?” It was probably the strangest thing I’d ever suggested, especially out of context.
“I mean yes, but I thought you’d maybe like your own personal space. Just trying to be a gentleman about it.” He cleared his throat as we stopped in front of the guest bedroom.
“Oh nay.” I rejected the idea with a firm hand. “I’m all about helping.” As soon as the words popped out, I winced. They sounded so stupid.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and I had a feeling he saw right through my terrible performance. I was starting to realize that I was a terrible liar around him .
“How… noble of you, Ms. Eudokia,” he said in a low, droll voice. Keyon’s copper eyes burned into mine, and I fidgeted under his scrutiny. He gestured for me to follow again and opened a door to a larger bedroom. It was lovely. A large mahogany bed with deep-blue sheets was tucked against the wall, and large sliding windows framed with blue curtains led to a cozy balcony. It had everything someone like Keyon would need, even exercise gear and armor.
“Ahhh,” I breathed, placing my bag against the wall and running to flop onto the bed. “You’re so lucky to have a place like this! I’m so jealous!” I rolled around on the luxurious mattress, squealing more than I should. I turned my gaze to Keyon, who’d fallen quiet. He was just leaning against the doorframe and smiling softly, like he was daydreaming.
“So, what are we working on next?” I inquired. That snapped him out of his thoughts. His focus honed in on me, and he licked his lips.
I continued with a shrug. “We have a day to wait. Might as well work on helping Toast.” Counting on my fingers, I said, “We still have back, face, and torso, I think.” I looked up at Keyon to see what he thought, and his cheeks ruddied. The male was a mix of nervousness and aggression. I didn’t think I could blame him; he was under a lot of stress.
“I don’t know if I can handle it, Elpis. I feel like I’m about to explode,” he growled, fidgeting with his clawed hands. His shoulders twitched, like his wings were about to burst out at any moment.
“I’ll take care of you after, or before if you wish. Or both,” I offered simply, tilting my head and waiting for his reply.
He chuckled darkly. “I don’t know if I could take another unfinished session,” he said, pacing slowly toward the bed and flexing his tanned, strained muscles. I shivered at the predatory look on his warrior’s face, wishing he could just mount me and claim me as his own. Who knew when he’d ever be ready for that, though. If he’d even want that .
“So, which is it?” I asked, trying not to be so flustered that I’d lose my ability to talk.
He hesitated and looked away, saying, “Back is fine.”
I twisted my lips and narrowed my eyes. “Are you suuure? Are you sure you don’t want to work on my chest? You seem to stare at it a lot,” I pointed out, teasing him a bit.
“I do no—” he protested, and I shushed him. I loosened the ties on my dress and pulled it over my head. In one swift motion, I unhooked my bra and threw it across the room, letting my breasts spill out for his inspection. They hung eager and heavy, waiting for two hungry dragon hands to get them nice and toasty.
“Fuckin’ gods, Elpis,” he said with a pained expression and crawled onto the bed to straddle me. I lay down, giving him room to hover over me, and savored every change in his facial muscles. He just stared for a while, like he couldn’t believe I’d done something like this. Well, I had been a pleasure slave, so I knew how to please. Keyon was the first I’d ever wanted to please of my own volition, so I’d give him everything I had to give.
Reverently, he palmed my waist and slid his rough hands up my body. His touch was warm, and the contrast chilled the rest of my body. I shivered and goose bumps pebbled all over my flesh. His palms moved up my ribs and slowed before they reached my breasts. He was savoring the moment. Perhaps he was trying to memorize me.
His thumbs pivoted to meet in the middle, then followed the bottom crease of my breasts in a focused motion. When his hands framed my breasts, he slid his palms to finally cup them and lifted their heavy weight.
I let out a soft, relieved sigh, and he responded with a satisfied, guttural groan. Keyon’s breathing became heavy, ragged as his large, rough hands squeezed and pushed my breasts together. He swallowed heavily and licked his lips again, trying to be subtle about it.
“So soft, so round, so perfect,” he murmured under his breath so quietly I almost missed it. He released my breasts and watched with fascination as they sprang back into place. Keyon placed his thumbs on the flushed skin around my nipples and rubbed in circles. Whether he intended it or not, pleasure shot down to my core, making me jerk under his kneading. The thrilling sensations had me moaning and squirming under him, and I grew wet from his carnal attention. His nostrils flared, and I knew he could smell me. He growled, emitting a low rumble from his chest, and his wings burst from his back. Then he closed his eyes, twisted to crack his neck and spine, and returned to studying me.
Keyon grabbed each nipple with his forefingers and thumbs, slowly pinching and pulling to see how they moved. He never hurt me once. He actually seemed more in tune with my body than I thought possible. The male was making me feel things I’d never felt. Sensations shot repeatedly into my belly and sex, making me writhe unashamedly beneath him. No one had ever treated my breasts so preciously.
Unexpectedly, an ugly memory reared up, one of someone handling me sloppily. I froze as disgust whirled in my chest. The discomfort spread to my belly, and suddenly, I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. It crawled, and my breathing shallowed. My nipples felt dirty.
I hadn’t expected this. I thought that if I lay with a male I liked, I wouldn’t be invaded by bad memories. This was an unpleasant revelation. Would I not be freed?
Keyon noticed the change right away and turned my face to look at him. “Elpis? What’s wrong?” he asked, deeply worried. His copper eyes flickered as they studied mine, trying to find the answer in my gaze.
“Nay, just a bad memory… Keep going, Keyon,” I replied, forcing a smile. He shook his head and reached down to pull me into his arms.
“No can do, moonflower,” he said softly.
I buried my face in his chest, nuzzled, and took a deep breath. Then I pushed him away from me. He looked confused and hurt until I said, “Then I’m going to do what I’m comfortable with right now,” hoping he’d accept my gift if I said I was putting myself first. I grabbed him and pulled him off the bed, forcing him to stand while I unbuckled and lowered his pants to his ankles.
“You don’t have t— Ahhh...” he began as I slid his undergarment down and eased my mouth onto his cock. I grabbed his buttocks and held them firmly while I slid my mouth forward to take as much as I could. He was wide, wider than I anticipated, and I wasn’t sure if my goal was attainable.
He tasted like earth and fire—like smoke and salt. His cock was also extremely warm, which was something I’d never encountered. I dug my fingertips into his butt, warning him to stay there, and gripped as much as I could of whatever wouldn’t fit in my mouth.
After years of doing this, I no longer needed to say ‘purple’ to get the right shape of my lips. I formed a suction and started pumping my head back and forth along his shaft. Whenever my mouth retreated, I slid saliva down with my hands to lubricate the rest of him. He released a deep, gratified groan and rested his hands on my head, shivering. “Fuck! Elpis, that feels so fucking good! Uhnggg!”
I almost interrupted my technique by smiling but stayed focused to move on to the next. I folded my tongue back so he’d slide onto it and back into a tighter space. He jerked in surprise and moaned, “Oh my fucking gods! Uhng! Hnng! Shit!”
Once again, I had to keep from smiling. His noises were amusing, but they were also flattering. I felt deep satisfaction from pleasing him and was ready to give him more, so much more. I hoped for euphoria. His responsiveness was even arousing me. I felt powerful.
I took a deep breath, moved my hands back to his buttocks, and hoped for the best. As I leaned forward, I straightened my neck to force his cock past my mouth and into my throat. It was an extremely tight fit, and I was dismayed to realize that I wouldn’t be able to do this for as long as I desired.
“Shit! What the fuck! Elpis! What!” Keyon cried and fisted my hair. I brought my lips almost all the way to the base of his cock, then withdrew. I took another breath and repeated the process, suppressing my gag reflex to squeeze him into my throat. I was forced to go slow with him, but I think he enjoyed it all the same. I could easily hurt myself with his girth, so I needed to be careful.
I hummed the next time I pulled him in, and his hips quivered. “E-Elpis! If you don’t remove your mouth right now, I’m going to come in it!” he warned frantically. “Fuuuck!” I pulled him onto my tongue and shook my head, then tucked him back into my throat, humming again.
His legs shook uncontrollably, and his fingers tangled themselves in my hair. “Hnng! Elpis! Ah! Fuck! Shit!” he cried, and I could tell he wanted to pump his hips. My nails dug in as a warning not to, and I slid him back into my mouth. After that, I stopped pulling him into my throat and returned to pumping with my mouth and hands, swirling my tongue around his tip.
“Ahhhnggg...” His body shook and tensed with anticipation.
He released like an inferno, roaring and jerking his hips forward instinctively. My mouth was flooded with his seed, which was much hotter than expected; I almost choked in surprise. I’d never experienced hot seed! I swallowed what he pumped into me, extremely pleased with myself but was astonished by the intensity of his release. My hands worked to prolong his pleasure, and he responded well.
He kept pumping spurts into my mouth, occasionally moaning my name or swearing a list of profanities. I sucked down everything he gave me; it was hot, salty, and strangely smoky tasting. I relished it.
When his last ejaculation hit my tongue, I swallowed and slid my lips off him, letting go with a wet slurp. He stumbled back and fell onto the bed, gasping for air. His chest rose and fell, fighting to deliver oxygen to his orgasm-addled brain. I smiled and crawled onto the bed next to him, extremely happy with how the session went.
I lay down and stared as he scrubbed his hands over his eyes and blinked feverishly at the ceiling. His cheeks carried a healthy glow that one only got from pleasure, and I felt like I’d stamped my name on him. When his hand went to his chest, he looked over at me in disbelief.
“Fuck!”