Chapter 20
Elpis
Keyon pulled out the parchment that Gunel had given us, and rubbed his chin, which was getting a little scruffy, while he read the directions. “This is farther up north,” he mumbled and rolled up the paper to stash in his bag. “I haven’t had much need to go that far north with my Inferno since it’s a quiet, rural area. No large reports of thefts, burglaries, or assaults of any kind.”
Keyon’s expression spaced out, and I assumed he was chatting with Toast. “Oh come on, Toast!” he shouted angrily, spooking me into a backwards shuffle. He never replied out loud. I wondered what was going on in there? Keyon paced, and I retreated to give him more space.
He looked up with a pained expression when he noticed that I’d moved far from him. “One minute, Elpis. I need to let Toast out,” he warned and shucked off his clothes in an irritated rush. I grew heated looking at his glorious, naked frame and swallowed heavily. Muscles flexed and stretched, lit by a flattering morning glow.
That rode us last night, my beast saw fit to remind me .
Yes, he did… I replied mindlessly, staring at his tanner, sculpted figure without shame.
Keyon shifted into Toast, and the monstrous dragon shook itself, then stretched like he’d come from a slumber. I always forgot about how much he towered over me, and—once again—I found myself in awe of his presence. His copper and bronze scales gleamed magnificently in the morning glow, individual scales flickering to pure white whenever one caught the sunlight at just the right angle. He folded his massive wings neatly at his sides and turned to face me.
Was Toast testing his tolerance again? Keyon and I got as close as two people could get last night, but what about Toast in his own body? Would he be able to carry me now? I stood still and patiently, giving him an affectionate smile as he neared.
“What a brave dragon you are,” I murmured quietly, trying not to startle him. It didn’t work. He flinched, but at least he didn’t run away from me. I released a breath and chose to keep my mouth shut. Toast stopped about ten feet from me and growled miserably. His hulking, layered muscles were tense and shaking, and it broke my heart. I wiped a tear away as he stared at me. I knew it wasn’t personal, but it still hurt. It made me feel like a poison, and it wasn’t one I could clear. It was his battle, his challenge to face.
He was so close, though. If he could just move ten more feet. I sat down to appear smaller and stared at the weeds on the ground so he wouldn’t feel like prey. I folded my hands and waited patiently, keeping his clawed hands and feet in the corner of my eyes. He slowly lifted his hand and placed it closer. I held my breath as he took another step, but then he backed up harshly and shook his head from side to side. He reared back, and he began making chuff-like sounds. The calls were so heartrending that the only thing they could be were sobs.
I rubbed away the tears that were now falling freely from my eyes. Why was this so sad? Why did his crying tear me apart? I sobbed and placed my palms over my face, unable to resist the pain. I cried for a moment longer before I was startled by large arms wrapping around me. I relaxed when I realized it was Keyon. I hadn’t even noticed him shifting back and getting dressed.
“He’s ok, Elpis. He thinks he’ll be there soon. He just—once again—needs more time.” He sighed in frustration, and his head sank onto my shoulder. He was miserable too. I turned and kissed the side of his head, then froze. Oh gods! What had I just done? That urge blindsided me! I turned my head away and grimaced.
“S-sorry.” I laughed nervously. “H-hormones,” I blamed, sniffled, and cleared my throat, patting his head to warn him I was about to stand. He backed away, but I spied him red-faced and grinning.
Oh, Moon Goddess, please let me keep some dignity through my heat. Grant me some self-control, please!
Dear Moon Goddess, grant her less control around that stud. Please and thank you, my beast prayed in deep betrayal.
What’s your name? I asked, trying to get more than one reply from her this time. Nothing. Was she honestly too tired to say more? I wanted to push her but ended up stamping my foot like a child. Augh!
Keyon grabbed his bag, and we started walking north again, where he pointed out an easy-enough pass that would lead us back down from our high altitude. He kept offering me food, but I kept declining until around lunch, where I only nibbled on a little. I was much more thirsty than hungry and ended up needing more breaks to relieve myself.
I thought that walking would be a good distraction, but all it did was heat up my already warm body. The discomfort and ache between my legs were relentless. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything as bad as last night, and I was terrified about the next large wave.
I also noticed that Keyon kept more distance between us than normal, and it made me a bit cranky, but at least the breeze kept sending his scent to me. As the hours progressed into the late afternoon, we descended into a pine forest and noticed signs of civilization. Keyon herded me into a clearing to give a lumber mill a wide berth. As he continuously tested the wind, I realized he was trying to keep others from scenting me. My chin trembled, and a tear dripped from my in gratitude. I nearly gaped at my over-hormonal reaction. Great gods, I was an emotional mess!
I sped up to thank him but ended up rubbing into his arm with my head and shoulder instead. He started in surprised, and I froze, looking away and unable to meet his gaze. Oh gods, no! I tried to suppress the growing symptoms of my heat, and my mouth opened to apologize, but the only sound I heard was a furious snarl.
Keyon and I whipped around to see a large male approach us. He looked like the kind of male who’d work at a mill. Massive, burly, and raw. He looked… furious?
“C-can we h-help you?” I asked in a stutter, moving behind Keyon, who was calmly undressing. The stranger snorted dismissively at my words, yanked his shirt off, and released his wings. I watched his knuckles crack as his claws lengthened, and my heart rate accelerated at his aggressiveness. Were we in danger?
The shifter’s walk turned into a hostile prowl aimed directly at me, like he wanted to abscond with me. Keyon moved to intercept him, and they stood chest to chest. His wings snapped out to block the shifter’s view of me, and I listened to their combative exchange.
“She’s unmarked and in heat. She’s fair game. Back off or challenge me.” The aggressor growled. I was horrified by his intention and crouched behind a tree, partially to protect myself but partially to keep my scent from making things worse.
“No. She’s under my care. Return to what you were doing, civilian,” Keyon stated calmly, his tone laced with dominance and authority, as though Toast had added his voice. That had a rather unfortunate side effect on my heat. My sex grew hot, and arousal soaked my undergarment at the voice of one of the strongest males fending off another dragon. I covered my face in humiliation and peeked through my fingers to notice that both males had snapped their heads around to stare in my direction .
In a dirty move, the aggressor swiped at Keyon’s face while it was turned, and I screamed. He jerked his head back, but the other male managed to rake several bloody lines down his temple and cheek. That was when everything fell to chaos.
Both males shifted and exploded into their dragons. Toast hovered imposingly over the smaller, clay-colored one, but what the smaller one lacked in size, it made up for in what looked like yellow venom dripping from its fangs. The winged giants clashed, and even the tree I was leaning against vibrated from their body slams.
Toast growled one last deadly warning, a sound that rattled my bones, but the smaller male refused to leave, so he lunged and ripped the membrane of the dragon’s wing to ground him. The smaller one landed a bite on Toast’s shoulder but was struck senseless by a kick from Toast’s hind leg. Toast spun and hooked the bottom of the aggressor’s jaw with his tail. In a bizarrely smooth wrestling move for his size, his tail flipped the dragon up and onto its back. Toast immediately climbed atop and pinned its limbs, then wrapped his maw around its throat.
The fight was over barely after it’d begun, and I was panting… from something. It was either fear or arousal—I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was that my heart was slamming against the tree I was clutching like an overzealous lumberjack.
Something unspoken occurred, and both males shifted back to their human forms. Keyon stood and watched the other dragon-shifter run back in the direction of the mill. I was nearly vibrating with a need to run and check on my protector, but I was afraid to move and spread my scent everywhere.
As he approached, I noticed his skin was slightly jaundiced, but he seemed otherwise fine. I couldn’t find the bite on his shoulder or the rakes on his cheek. “Were you poisoned?” I asked in a worried hush, looking up at him from my hiding spot. I squeezed my thighs together as my heat peaked.
Keyon stared at me from under his messy chestnut locks, picked me up, and placed me against the tree. He dug his claws into the bark and grinded his hard body against mine, cock clearly engorged and ready to ease my heat. Staring down at me through his caging arms, his lips parted in focus. He rolled his hips into me, like he was a male showing off his massive erection for approval. “Oh gods,” I whispered and placed my palms on his chest.
“I’m fine,” he ground out in a strained, husky voice. “His dragon had King’s Poison venom, which only slightly sickens me, but it’ll clear out in a bit.”
I leaned into his chest and nuzzled, distressed he’d gotten injured but aroused that he’d protected me. We were a mix of sensations, and he whispered, “I want you, Elpis…” Keyon’s hands slowly lifted up my skirts, and I leaned my head back to whimper. Oh gods, yes. Sweet relief under a knight’s tending.
He leaned down and groaned into my ear, whispering, “I’ve got you... It’s ok…” He hoisted me up against the tree and wasted no time in getting to me. He tore my undergarment down the middle, grabbed my thighs, and leaned into me, spreading my sex open with the glossy head of his cock. He pushed against my tightness, using his pre-cum and my arousal to assist the stretching of my skin. Keyon pumped slowly and carefully until he squeezed through and filled me. We were trembling with fulfilment at the moment of our joining, and I slid my arms around his wide chest, having a feeling we wouldn’t be able to savor this mating as much as we’d like.
Keyon moved quickly this time, and I noticed him sweating more than usual. I worried about the poison draining his energy, so I spurred him on the best I could. The sooner we were done, the sooner I could help him recover.
He panted heavily as he pumped into me, slapping my flesh loudly with his groin and sack. His body worked urgently to finish, and his pelvis rubbed relentlessly into my sex until I was sent over the edge in a gentler bloom. He immediately released a relieved, guttural groan and spilled his seed. His hot release drowned my core, and we pulsed together, my inner muscles rubbing out the last spurt of his burning offering. I moaned from the deep feeling of completion, loving how warm his release stayed after it’d pooled within me.
Brief as it was, every intimate experience with Keyon was still the most satisfying experience of my life. There was nothing more euphoric than our matings.
He gripped me tightly, and we fell back into the grass. His embrace kept me sweetly on top so I wouldn’t get scraped or bruised. Still joined, I clung fiercely to him, not wanting to separate. He was breathing hard, but when I looked him over, I noticed that even though he was covered in sweat, his color looked much better.
“You healed me, Elpis…” he panted. “That venom always takes several hours to clear out. You’re the only explanation.” His hand ran up my neck to slide into my hair and massage my scalp affectionately. He licked his lips and stroked my cheek with his other hand. “Whatever you are,” he said between breaths, “you’re something special.”
The words filled me with warmth, feeding some hidden yearning. I allowed myself another moment to rest on top of Keyon and bask in his admiration. I knew I should remove myself, especially from his cock, but it was incredibly hard.
Very hard, my beast agreed.
I meant difficult! Emotionally! I corrected. Oh my goddess, you are just... That was enough incentive to get off the knight general’s lap. I stood and took a peek at my undergarment, frowning at the hole Keyon had ripped along the crotch to gain access to me.
“Sorry, I guess I ruined those, didn’t I?” he apologized with a grimace, then stood to dress.
I removed the torn undergarment with a sigh. “Maybe I just shouldn’t wear any until my heat is over,” I grumbled under my breath. “It’s not like I can even keep them dry.”
Keyon growled over by his bag and muttered, “Fuck.”
“Everything ok?” I asked, sliding on another pair and picking up my bag.
“Uh, yeah,” he replied hastily in a low voice. He looked up and brushed his hair aside. “Ready?”
I nodded, and we continued our journey. I was a little sore; I probably could have asked to take a longer break, but I knew I’d heal soon enough.
Our feet crunched through the pine and undergrowth for hours, and we did our best to avoid people. Keyon lost his patience when a second dragon came out of the woods to hunt me, and he didn’t even give the challenger a moment to speak. He just shucked his shirt off, lunged forward, and spat out an intimidating surge of blue fire.
“Fuck off!” he roared and took a violent step toward the male before releasing his wings and spreading them. I hadn’t noticed before, but his wings were larger than other males’ as well. It probably had to do with Toast’s monstrous size. Perhaps this aggressor wasn’t as strong as the previous one because he paled and retreated. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Keyon hadn’t needed to put himself in danger this time.
As we passed through farmland, we received several more challengers before the evening arrived, but none of them wanted anything to do with Keyon’s blue fire. I was sure it didn’t help their nerves that we were so close to their crops. Since we’d been interrupted multiple times already, the knight ended up keeping his shirt off and his wings out as he escorted me, which was progressively becoming a problem for my hormones.
I could have been enjoying the landscape a lot more without my estrus. The crowded muscles on Keyon’s back made for the only scenery I wanted to study, and my body was terrible at hiding it. He’d glanced several times over his shoulder to give me a heated stare with dilated copper eyes and parted lips, then he’d shudder and turn back to focus on where he was walking.
When we found a private space for a campsite, Keyon became agitated over how to provide food. He really didn’t want to leave me to go hunting and agonized over the decision .
“What if I wore your clothes while I stayed hidden?” I suggested, and he froze in his steps. “So I’d smell like you for a little while?”
He perked up, looked at me, and said, “That’s a really good idea. Let’s do that.” He undressed and handed me his clothes to wear while he was gone. I changed into them quickly, noticing they needed to be washed and were a little sweaty but somehow still smelled agonizingly delicious.
I was slowly able to pick out the scents I’d been noticing for a while. I probably would have an easier time identifying the smells if I had more knowledge of things outside of what I’d been exposed to in the mansion. The scent on his clothes was something like… the smoky, spicy wood Adelmar had in his study. I think Adelmar called it… I couldn’t recall. I think it started with an ‘in.’
Insult? my beast suggested.
No…
Incest?
Oh my goddess, no! I shouted, appalled. Why would you even th—
Incense?
Yes! That’s it, I exclaimed. Thank you… I think. I palmed my face, wondering if my beast’s brain had gotten permanently damaged somehow. I worry about you, nameless thing.
The other scent I recognized more easily was ginger. Sometimes I’d steal little ginger candies from Adelmar’s parties to give to Zosime later. She loved them. Oh, I sorely missed her and hoped the little hatchling was with her. I sighed, feeling melancholic for a moment when my ruminations were interrupted by a thunderous crashing in the woods.
There was a roar that I immediately recognized as Toast’s, and I shuffled to hide behind a thick, sturdy tree. A terrifying screech echoed through the area, and a blue-black dragon stormed into our campsite. It went for my bag, shook it, and then threw it away savagely. It sniffed a couple times and spied me but was dragged viciously back by a copper dragon.
My mouth released a combination of a whimper and a squeal, but I was too scared to move. If I ran out and ended up under a rampaging dragon on accident, I’d be flattened. I shrieked at the top of my lungs when claws wrapped around my waist and ripped me away from the tree. There was a colossal lurch as the dragon that carried me took to the sky, and I was almost convinced that the forceful jerk was going to snap my neck. Pressure assaulted my ears as I was lifted higher, making me fear my head would burst.
I shrieked for Toast, not knowing if he could hear me. He was still fighting the blue-black dragon but looked up after I screamed. If he was fighting the dragon, who had snatched me? I twisted a little to find that a different dragon had absconded with me—smaller and glossy. No wonder I hadn’t heard it during the din of the dragon fight.
Oh goddess, what do I do? I screamed to my beast, desperate for advice. If I made trouble for this dragon, it could just drop me. Would Toast be able to catch me in time? Had the other dragon been a planned distraction?
My beast remained silent, and I felt deeply betrayed. Not even a word of encouragement or comfort. I screamed and snapped, rising into a raging fit. I yelled every single curse word I’d heard Keyon say and pulled at the tiny scales on the dragon’s hand, ripping off one at a time. I was too angry to think. I was furious at my own defenselessness. I was completely useless! Powerless! Fuck this!
The dragon raked at me to make me stop ripping its scales, and I received deep gashes down my arm. I screamed from the deep, hot agony and heard Toast roar just above us, muted slightly by the wind. The dragon carrying me lurched as Toast’s jaws crunched down on its wing, and our ascent faltered. The dragon shrieked as it plummeted, letting me go while it scrambled to find any sort of wind resistance with its remaining membranes .
I was buffeted by the gale of my descent and screamed so sharply that I thought my throat would tear. My tears flew up instead of down, and I tried to make peace with my life in case I died. The treetops rose to my feet, and my body prepared for impact. My hair stood, my skin pebbled with terror, and my heart raced to get as many beats out before it stopped forever.
Like a sudden eclipse, I was surrounded by a warm cage before the snapping of branches told me I’d gone through the treetops. My cage thrashed, and I was thrown into it, hearing dirt, rocks, and debris scatter upon the final impact.
I sobbed, traumatized, and felt around the darkness for an exit. As the dust in the air cleared, I smelled the incense and ginger. Realizing I was in Toast’s grip, I cried and clawed at his fingers to escape. I needed to see if he was ok! I could hear his breathing and his thundering heart, but what if he’d broken a leg or wing? What if he’d been impaled?
Toast’s clawed fingers released me, and I found myself by his grimacing maw. He was on his side and panting. He made a couple muted, chuffing sounds that I barely heard over his strained breathing, and I launched myself at his snout, clutching and sobbing my eyes out, unable to believe we’d survived the fall.
“You saved me!” I wailed like a child and fell to my knees, holding onto Toast like my last breath. He let me stay like that until I stumbled back to get a look at him, rubbing at my swollen, burning eyes to clear them. “Are you h-hurt?” I asked breathlessly, frantically looking him over. There was blood but no injuries. He nodded and then shook it. I didn’t understand, but… at least he didn’t seem to be dying.
I collapsed by his head, holding myself with my arms and rocking. Toast’s hard, scaly face leaned into my body in a nuzzle that I imagined was as delicate as he was capable of giving. He released a heavy exhale before his body finally relaxed. I turned into him and stroked his snout, spacing out and shaking now that the adrenaline was fading.
Toast angled to watch my trembling, and he pulled back to shift into Keyon, who rushed forward to collect me from the ground. I listened to his thrumming chest with a wobbly lip, and he began to jog—I assume—back to camp. How he could navigate was beyond me, and I just stared at the blurry, passing trees until Keyon shifted me to one arm to drag a dead deer with the other. Toast must have caught it before the attackers arrived.
He dropped the carcass by the fire and wrapped my blanket around me. Once I was bundled, he pulled me into his chest and stroked the back of my head. I rested against him, unable to do anything but let my lungs and heart work. It’d been too much. I still couldn’t believe we were alive, or that it’d even happened.
“Toast saved me,” I croaked out finally. My throat was almost gone from the earlier screaming and crying. “He was able to grab me, Keyon.”
“And you healed him,” he murmured into my ear and tightened his grip on me. “Healed us. Again.”
“What was wrong with him?” I whispered with a cough.
“Lacerations. Fractures in his tail, hind legs, wings, and neck,” he said quietly. I whined, sobbed once and tried to keep my lungs from hyperventilating. Poor Toast!
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, pulling back to look at him with a devastated frown. “You got hurt because of me. It’s too much to ask for someone who’s not your mate.”
“That you know of,” he said kindly. It was kinder than I deserved. “And no female should be taken advantage of in her heat. You know I’d stop it if I saw it.”
I nodded slowly at that. It was true. Keyon was a true guardian of the people. He was well suited to his role.
My stomach chose to growl in that moment, and Keyon squeezed me before standing up and grabbing the deer. “You must be starving. You hardly ate today,” he said and began to butcher cuts for the fire. I nodded again and clutched the blanket for comfort while he worked naked. Guess he wasn’t cold .
He hesitated a moment while he removed a cut from the deer’s thigh. “I noticed, Elpis, that both dragons couldn’t see very well. Their mobility suggested partial blindness. I guarantee it wasn’t because it’s night. I’m wondering if your beast had something to do with that,” he said and glanced up at me while he cooked.
“I… don’t know. She was very quiet. I felt pretty abandoned by her, to tell you the truth,” I confessed, meeting his gaze for a moment. He nodded solemnly and looked thoughtful.
“Maybe she was busy helping instead of talking?” Keyon guessed.
“Maybe…” I sighed. “I’ll try to ask her… if she ever starts answering my questions.”
“She might not know the answers yet,” he replied with a shrug. “She’ll get there.”
“Like Toast…” I said, unable to keep the small smile from spreading my lips. It pulled a big grin out of him, and his handsome face shone with excitement.
“Exactly,” he said, handing me my meal and began working on his. I thanked him quietly. After a moment, his eyes unfocused before widening in surprise. He licked his lips and nodded, then met my gaze. Keyon’s expression grew wary, uncertain, but the rest of his body relaxed with relief. His face was moving through so many expressions that I could only imagine what he was thinking. He must be talking to Toast.
Keyon’s eyes widened a bit, and he took a deep breath. “I think he’s ready to talk about it now.”