Chapter 15
Sir Keyon
I blew a smoke ring out my mouth while I contemplated what had just happened. It was a good thing Toast had been hibernating when Elpis decided to go down on me. I hoped I’d get a chance to talk to him before he watched those memories. He was probably going to have nightmares of Elpis biting off my cock or something crazy like that. I sighed and blew another smoke ring, then puffed a bullseye through it. He did tell me to keep her happy, and she was pretty insistent on taking me in her mouth…
Sun God’s fire! That had been pure ecstasy. I rubbed an eye and placed both hands under my head, partially aware of my pants still hanging from my ankles. My cock was completely sated, fainted over a thigh like a sleepy reptile on a sunny rock. Elpis jumped off the bed to retrieve her bra and dress. Her butt and breasts jiggled as she squirmed into her clothes, making my cock twitch at the show. I sent it a death glare.
Don’t you fuckin’ dare get riled up again. Let me enjoy this moment of peace, I seethed at it .
Elpis returned to the bed and sat next to me. “Why is your cum so hot?” she asked bluntly.
I coughed and said, “Excuse me?”
“Your seed, your ejaculate. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” she replied. “Your cock is also quite warm.”
“Euhh. Well, Toast and I run hotter than other dragons. Toast is what you’d call an absolute dominant in dragon hierarchy,” I explained and reached down to put my pants back on properly.
“What’s an absolute dominant?” she inquired, resting her chin on her fists. Great gods, she looked incredibly cute doing that.
I puffed my cheeks and blew out a rush of air. “Ah, where to even begin?” I mumbled thoughtfully. “Only one absolute dominant is born every couple of generations. Toast and I are the absolute dominant from our batch of generations. We’re naturally much stronger than every dragon but the king. If the king dies and has no heirs, we’re on a list to be potentially picked as the next king. The sun’s godling, Corona, is the one who chooses the next king.”
“But you said there was a prince named Cyneric…”
“Right. Our current king has four heirs,” I said. “If the king has heirs, they are all called relative dominants. They’re no stronger than the average dragon.”
“So, what’s the difference?” she asked, enthralled by the topic. I was getting distracted by her large, brown-sugar eyes and had to pause for a moment to recall what I was saying.
“Ah. For this next part, keep in mind that every dragon has a dormant gene called the Royal Gene, but only dominants truly have a chance of having it activated,” I explained with a sigh and rubbed my temple. The topic was tedious at best. “A king is the only dragon with an active Royal Gene. It makes him the strongest dragon alive so he can protect his people.
“Once the king dies, the Royal Gene is activated in the eldest heir. That means the late king’s eldest son or daughter becomes the next king or queen. They become stronger to continue protecting their people. Relative dominants beget relative dominants until their family line ends .
“To put it rather darkly,” I continued blandly, “being a relative dominant just means you become king or queen if all your older siblings die before the king passes on.”
Elpis made a disgusted face, and I chuckled. “Being royalty isn’t so romantic if your siblings are power hungry.”
“So… the king is the most powerful, then you?” Elpis asked innocently.
“Me and Toast. There are other absolute dominants out there from older and younger generations,” I said, trying not to flash a knowing grin. She was very aroused by that, and I wanted to fuckin’ preen, but I just stretched my wings a little and refolded them. “That’s why you won’t see other dragons blowing blue fire. They can’t generate anything that hot.”
That’s when I thought of something I hadn’t thought about in forever, and my heart plummeted. It was never on my mind because just getting close to a female was impossible. I didn’t really want to share it, but… I could only keep so many secrets from my fated mate. She had a right to know. It was a pretty devastating topic and one of the reasons why I really needed to know what Elpis was. I needed to know for sure.
“The major drawback is that it’s pretty impossible for us absolutes to have hatchlings with non-dragons. Like you noticed, our… seed is pretty hostile for the average egg to handle,” I said quietly and casually averted my gaze. I couldn’t look at her because I felt that I’d let her down as her mate. I could daydream about her giving me hatchlings, but the reality was likely impossible. How could I have forgotten about that? Fuck!
“Oh,” she said just as quietly.
“I can only wonder if that was an intentional decision made by Corona. So that only dragons could initially be heirs to the throne,” I pondered while staring at the mahogany ceiling.
“Sounds likely,” Elpis’s voice said, sounding sadder than ever. “Ex-excuse me.” Her voice wavered as she walked out of the room. “Forgot to… do… something,” she lied .
I closed my eyes and laid an arm over my face. Toast, are you there? I called out to him.
I can be. Is it all over? he asked cautiously.
Yeah, it’s safe to come out, I replied with a sigh. Long story short, she lured me over with her tits, then she froze up from a bad memory. I got worried and told her we’d stop, but she dragged me to the edge of the bed and went down on me. She was pretty adamant. Anyway, spoiler warning, she didn’t bite my dick off. Everything is fine except now she knows we probably can’t have hatchlings and is pretending it doesn’t mean anything to her because she doesn’t know we’re fated mates.
That was not a long story short.
I did the best I could, big guy. I’d completely forgotten about the compatibility issue.
We won’t be able to give our mate what she wants… will we lose her? Toast asked, sounding extremely tired. He’d been running a marathon at a dash, and I was worried he’d snap.
I don’t have an answer, Toast. I’m exhausted too. I just want some fuckin’ answers. If I could have an answer to one fuckin’ thing, then maybe I’d be ok.
You all think Leof is arriving tomorrow, but he didn’t say when, Keyon.
Shit… you’re right. I think we just assumed.
What will we do if he doesn’t show up? We can’t just wait around.
I guess we could leave him a note saying where we went. I hate leaving notes around, though.
It’s not secure, Toast agreed. I want to take our mate to the coven… but so many women. I’m so tired, Keyon. I’m hanging by a thread.
I believe you, big guy. What do you need right now?
I don’t know… An island in the middle of nowhere, he lamented, and I burst into chuckles.
If I could, I’d give that to you. It sounds nice. Would trying to meet Elpis help or hurt you right now?
Ehhh… I think that would be pushing it. Plus, she clearly wants to be alone right now.
You could cheer her up. She likes you.
She does, doesn’t she? he preened a little at that. More than you, I think.
Probably. I laughed. You do bring her food, you big provider, you.
I am a big provider, Toast said proudly. The biggest!
I rolled off the bed and searched for Elpis. I heard her sniffling in the guest bedroom, so I called out, “Elpis? Where’d you go? Toast wants to say hi!”
Don’t make me sound so eager! Be cool! Toast hissed.
I snickered and pretended to look around the kitchen when I heard Elpis’s feet patter down the stairs. She’d wiped the tears from her face and seemed in better spirits. The female must be eager to see Toast again, and that warmed my heart.
I walked outside, stripped, and shifted into my dragon form. Toast landed on the soft earth, sending pine needles flying in every direction. He kept a large distance from Elpis and huffed a little smoke when she got too close.
She took the hint and backed up but continued to smile up at him. “I missed you!” she said and Toast shuddered, partially from nerves and partially from joy. The scales around his neck and spine rattled slightly as he lowered his head. He didn’t go closer. He just wanted to see her from a different angle.
Elpis searched the ground for something, then picked up a pinecone. She posed victoriously with it. “I bet you can’t hit this with a flame, Toast!” she taunted and lobbed the pinecone in the air. I could feel Toast’s version of an eyeroll, and he spat a flame that incinerated the cone in one hit. Elpis gasped and cheered in amazement, jumping up and down like a hatchling at a puppet show. He was a little taken aback because it was such an easy target, but he’d entertained our mate, and that pleased him.
She picked up another cone and threw it higher this time. Toast sniped it out of the air, and she laughed as bits of singed cone rained down around her. I heard Toast’s snort of dragon laughter and was amazed by it. I didn’t think he realized how much he was enjoying himself. Even though Elpis was far away, and he didn’t need to look at her to play, he was still enjoying interacting with her. This was new, and I was beyond fascinated. I could absolutely watch these two play all day like this.
Elpis ran around throwing pinecones for a half an hour before she fell over, completely exhausted. Toast ran off to fetch a goat for Elpis, and I shifted to my human form. She was still laid out on the ground when I grabbed the animal to prep it for dinner. Her eyes were closed, and she had a peaceful smile on her face. That perfect vision took some weight off my heart. I was just so damn glad we were able to distract her from crying.
We ate, and I let Elpis decide where she wanted to sleep. I stripped down to a pair of pajama pants and climbed into bed with a groan. I was so fucking tired from such a chaotic day. I closed my eyes but smiled when I felt the weight on the bed shift. The tingles on my back told me that Elpis had decided to cuddle up against me, and who was I to deny her?
Good job today, Toast, I said. How’d you feel after some time out?
Much better. I feel… less stressed, he confessed. It doesn’t make sense, though.
I wonder if you’re getting extra strained from hibernating too much. Maybe you’re spending too much time away from our mate?
I… don’t know. It’s possible?
I mean, I’m getting a lot of time with her for your benefit, but I’m just wondering... There could be two things at play here.
Food for thought, Toast agreed.
Good night, big guy.
Good night. Tell mate good night.
“Toast says good night, Elpis.”
“Good night, Toast. Good night, Keyon.”
“Sleep well, moonflower.”
I found myself waking up with Elpis’s grey hair brushing my chin. I breathed in her scent of sweet, dewy grass and agave nectar. As I looked down upon the top of her head, I noticed some of her locks were appearing less dull. Instead of a flat, foggy color, the strands were brightening and becoming more reflective. It was like how a stray dog would grow a shiny, healthy coat after a month of loving care.
I wouldn’t describe it as silver. Our mate wouldn’t be as cheap as silver, Toast said out of nowhere.
Morning, I greeted, holding back a yawn.
I’d say that was more of a palladium, Toast said proudly. Sturdy stuff!
I could never tell the difference, I admitted, unless I got to test the weight. But no, her hair is less grey now. It’s warmer and shinier. I’d say it looks more like white gold.
Toast hummed. I suppose you’re right. Unplated. Speaking of which, I can’t wait to show her our hoard. We’ll show her all the different kinds of metals and tell her why she’s the most precious.
When’d you become such a poet? I teased.
Shut up.
How are you handling this cuddling, Toast? You’re not hibernating right now, obviously.
I’m… tolerating it as long as she doesn’t make any sudden moveme— Ahhh!
I jumped as Elpis reached behind her to stroke my erection, which I hadn’t really noticed had brushed against her while I was talking to Toast. “Where’d this come from?” she asked sleepily. “We didn’t do anything.”
“Shit, Elpis! Give a male a warning! You just scared the fuck out of Toast!” I exclaimed while grabbing my pounding heart, flustered.
“Oh nooo!” she lamented and covered her face. “Tell him I’m sorry. I was still waking up! I forgot!”
“I will when he comes back out of hiding.” I sighed and readjusted my pajama bottoms. Her touching my cock had made it worse. The reptile had awoken .
“I suppose you’ve never slept with a male, but we get erections while we sleep. In the morning too. There’re a lot of stupid nicknames for it. I suppose my favorite one is ‘morning wood,’” I grumbled.
“And your least favorite?” she asked, shoulder shaking from giggles.
“Slumber lumber,” I growled. “Just sounds stupid. Maybe cuz it rhymes.”
She curled into a ball and laughed heartily. Maybe I didn’t hate it so much if it made Elpis laugh. Her hand reached back again, but I was prepared this time and shifted my hips away from her.
“Where’d you go? Why can’t I relieve you?” she asked. Did I detect a pout?
“I am giving Toast a break since you scared the scales off him.” I growled, trying not to laugh at her searching fingers. They patted around the mattress like a chicken looking for seeds.
“So, I ruined it for myself,” she bemoaned.
“Yourself? You mean me! Do you really enjoy doing that sort of thing?” I asked skeptically.
She shrugged and stopped searching with her hand. “Maybe,” she said vaguely. I hummed a disbelieving note and crawled out of bed. I bathed, got dressed, and headed out to see if Leofwine had arrived yet. I didn’t scent him in the cabin or outside and sighed anxiously. We’d wait a day, and if he didn’t show up, we’d leave. There was too much to do, too much to sort out, and I was especially worried about Elpis’s neck markings.
“So, what do we do while we wait?” Elpis asked, staring out the window for any signs of Leofwine.
“I suppose I’ll start teaching you, I guess,” I said, realizing that I had everything I needed here to do that.
“Oh! Teach me what? Reading?”
I nodded and held up a finger. “But first, we’re going to start your physical training. I want to get you stronger, Elpis. I want you to have every chance of surviving if for some reason we’re separated.” She hummed an agreement and waited patiently for me to direct her .
I moved the table out of the way so I could show her how to do push-ups and sit-ups. She couldn’t do a single push-up, so I showed her a modified one, and she was able to do five.
“Not bad for a start!” I praised after she collapsed with shaky arms. “We’ll get you doing the normal ones in no time.” She merely whimpered in response.
The sit-ups were too difficult, so we went through a series of squats, lunges, and planks. She ultimately ended up prone on the floor with a ruddy face, huffing and puffing. I smiled down at her and chuckled as she gave me a little salute. Beads of moisture dripped from her brow, and I realized her dress had gotten all sweaty. Perhaps I should lend her something of mine next time. I’d hate for the workouts to ruin her clothing.
“Go take a bath, and we’ll start teaching you to read,” I said, nudging her playfully with a foot. I helped her to her feet, and she wobbled up the stairs to bathe. I stepped out onto the porch and watched the sky.
Where are you, damn it? How’s the king? What’s the second prince up to? Am I wanted dead or alive? Why the fuck are soldiers raping citizens?
That last one really troubled me. The king’s soldiers were always the best of the best. They were strictly trained, and we never kept anyone who showed the slightest signs of being problematic. It was almost like those males were mercenaries in soldiers’ clothing, and that thought was deeply disturbing.
Elpis eventually drew me from my dark thoughts, and I led her to my study to begin instruction. I’d never taught anyone how to read and write before, but she seemed to absorb what I was saying. Elpis was a sharp female, and I had no doubt she’d be a fast learner. She had been wasted as a slave all those years; she had a beautiful mind.
The afternoon turned into evening with still no sign of Leofwine. I’d switched over to teaching Elpis numbers by that time and kept looking out the window in agitation .
“I hope he’s safe,” Elpis said worriedly. I hadn’t thought about that, and guilt crept into my chest. What if someone discovered he had left to see me?
“Leof’s cunning,” I replied, meeting her soft, brown gaze and trying to soothe her concern. “If there’s trouble at the castle, I’m sure he’s staying clear of it, especially since he has a mate to protect now.”
She nodded and pursed her lips while copying the numbers and coin values I’d written on the parchment. I smiled as she focused intently on what she was doing. Her right cheek would occasionally tense as she wrote, and sometimes her lips would move, like she was silently repeating what was on the page. Her penmanship was still delightfully atrocious, but she’d improve. Even so, I wanted to frame everything she’d written.
I prepared more goat for dinner and found some other items in the pantry to feed Elpis. Fortunately, I had seasoning in the cabin, so the meat tasted much better. However, she stopped eating soon after I’d served her and winced noticeably.
“Ah.” She grimaced and grabbed her head.
“Another headache?” I asked, surprised. I moved to her side and placed the inside of my wrist against her forehead. I was trash at detecting fevers, but she didn’t seem to have one.
“Yesss,” she hissed and bared her teeth in pain. “Shhh. Ah, it hurts!”
I frowned and pushed her plate closer. “Eat a little more and drink some water. I’ll get you some medicine,” I said and rushed upstairs to find the medicine cabinet. I grabbed a bottle of anti-inflammatories and ran back down to coax Elpis into taking two of them. She was bent over the table, sobbing and pawing at her head like her skull was going to burst.
“Shit!” I rushed to prop her upright, holding her while I gave her the pills to swallow. She chased the medicine with water and continued to cry.
“It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!” she wailed, clutching at her forehead.
“Elpis!” I urged gently. “You have to stop crying. That’s going to make it worse!”
She didn’t respond and just continued to paw at her head. I gathered her into my arms, grabbed a bowl in case she puked, and carried her up to the bed so she could rest. I got her into a pair of pajamas and tucked her under the blankets, making sure she knew where the bowl was.
“Give the medicine some time to work, Elpis,” I said worriedly while stroking her hair. “Is this the same thing as last time? Louder sounds? Brighter lights?”
She nodded and bit down on her lip as though it’d help stop her sobs.
What is wrong with our mate? Toast asked.
I don’t know.
The coven can also treat the sick, Toast reminded, and I nodded. My heart squeezed painfully as I watched Elpis writhe. She reached out and grabbed my sleeve, but Toast refrained from bolting this time, even though he was startled.
“Do what you did last time, please!”
“Just wait for the medici—” I began, but she interrupted me with a cry.
“Nay! I can’t take it anymore!” she shrieked, and I flinched from the volume.
Just do it, Keyon… it’s… medical, Toast said in resignation.
I sighed and crawled under the sheets with her. Maybe I was getting too much into my head, but I just didn’t want to feel like some ass taking advantage of her in a vulnerable state.
I slid up behind her and pulled her against me so her back was pressed to my chest. “Alright, moonflower.” I nuzzled into her ear and whispered, “Are you ready for me to make you feel all better?” She nodded and whimpered. That whimper was likely from pain.
Poor mate, Toast said. It startled me.
I thought you’d be hibernating by now.
I don’t know.. .
What does that mean?
It just means that I don’t know if I will or not. I’m... confused right now.
Ok. Well, you can be confused, but I’m going to tend to our sick mate, I said and slid my hand under her clothes and between her legs to fix her headache.