Chapter 26
Sir Keyon
I took one more look down at my female during her adorably impossible escape before I wrapped both my hands around her hips and pulled her up to meet my gaze. She squealed and kicked her legs a little, as though she wanted to keep running, but she didn’t make contact with me. I stared challengingly into her face, waiting to see if she’d try to headbutt and kill me with her small horn. I had to test my female’s loyalty now that she’d run from me.
My female didn’t even look like that thought crossed her mind. Her nostrils flared, and her cheeks pinkened as her kicking subsided. She snorted softly, and her breathing slowed a little, which pleased me.
I leaned in to draw a lungful of her scent and pheromones, feeding my already awakened cock. “Stay, female, and I will care for you. Run, and I can’t promise I won’t be a savage,” I rumbled into her neck. I groaned at a surge of lust when my words pulled some of her arousal from her. Was I finally getting through to this wild female? Would she remember she was mine ?
I kissed down my female’s neck as I continued to hold her off the ground, wanting to show her my gentleness as proof that I could be this way. She would want to choose this over a savage male. I left saliva behind from each kiss, only to breathe out fire and evaporate it, letting her enjoy the hot and cold sensations on her sensitive flesh. I reached her marking spot and bit down but didn’t penetrate her flesh; I planned on penetrating her elsewhere. My female’s body rocked and convulsed with need as she cried out in pleasure. Her legs kicked, and I scented a fresh stream of arousal from between her thighs.
There, perhaps she’d know not to leave now. She knew I could give her what she needed, so running was utterly pointless. I slid my lips back up to her ear and murmured, “Remember, I’m an absolute dominant, female. You wanted me to pick you.”
I set her down on her feet, and she collapsed, whimpering and writhing. She got onto all fours and pressed her chest into the ground, putting her sex on display for me. I crouched next to her and stroked her back. “That’s a good female. You remember now…” I purred softly and nibbled her earlobe, appreciating the curve of her spine and the roundness of her rump.
Instead of flying her to my ledge or positioning myself behind her, I decided to care for my female before rutting her. Although I was roused by the blood of her enemies splattered across her body as evidence of her strength, I wanted to purify her. Water was a good cleanser, but nothing purified like fire.
“I’m going to clean you first, my female…” I purred again and let a pleased growl rumble through my chest. I pressed a hand down between her shoulder blades, pulled her hair out from under her, and breathed blue fire across her head, hair, shoulders, and back. Everything that wasn’t my female turned into ash that I either brushed or shook off her.
“What a good mother you’d be for my offspring,” I growled approvingly and shifted down to burn any blood off her hips, rump, and legs. “You’d slaughter anyone who got near them.” I rubbed her bottom appreciatively before turning her on her back .
I blew a sweeping flame down her face, making sure to remove every impurity there was marring my female. I blew another flame over her horn just to watch it catch the light. “Yes, a strong, protective mother,” I growled and felt her shiver beneath me.
I continued grooming her neck and shoulders but spent a particularly long time purifying her breasts. I wiped the ashes away and grabbed both of them. “A good providing mother too. Imagine these full of milk for my offspring. They would never go hungry,” I rumbled breathlessly and leaned down to take as much as I could of her right breast into my mouth. The female started and bucked, crying out in surprise. I sucked and pulled back until her nipple left my mouth with a slurp and sprung back into place. I blew fire across her breast to dry it and glanced up at my female while she mewled in pleasure. No, she definitely wouldn’t be running now.
I treated her left breast differently, lapping over every inch of skin to moisten it. I laved with my tongue, enjoying the softness and heaviness of her providing flesh. In my attempt to put her first, my arousal was straining my own overly engorged, hardened flesh. Pre-cum dripped down my thigh, and I knew I should speed up lest I waste my seed. It should be in my female, not on the dirt.
I suckled on her nipple and released it with a small spray of fire, letting the heat wash away the cold. I grinned when my female gasped in ecstasy. She was squirming feverishly, and I had to hold her down while I finished breathing blue fire across her. I quickly pulled her up to brush away the ashes of the fallen and lifted her. She promptly wrapped her arms and legs around me, and I growled in approval.
“Good female,” I murmured into her now-purified hair. I would bring her to a spring later to get the ash out of it, but this would have to do for now. I still had a task, which was to ease my fertile female during her heat. Perhaps then her mind would come back to me.
I jumped off the cliff and landed on a narrow ledge, my heavy and uncomfortably long erection bobbing on impact. I held my female close as I settled with my legs dangling from the edge, then I turned her around to see the view. She whimpered when I sat her on my lap, the end of the ledge mere inches from her knees.
“Worry not, female. Enjoy the view,” I soothed and slid an arm around her waist to make her feel secure while I checked her readiness with my right hand. I palmed her abdomen, then slid my fingers down and into her sex. I tilted my head back and released the wave of lust I felt through a long, guttural groan.
“Drenched. You are too good to me,” I snarled and gritted my teeth through the pulsing desire that hardened my cock to the extent that only she could. Unable to wait a moment longer, I lifted her, lined her entrance up, and began to slowly impale her. Slick folds parted for my head, and I allowed gravity to squeeze my girth past her threshold.
Once she was able to stretch and accommodate me, she whimpered and squirmed. The muscles of my abdomen contracted with anticipation and pleasure as I lowered her, but she got impatient and slammed down her hips, sending me deep inside to bottom out. I tilted my head back again and roared in ecstasy, not expecting an aggressive move like that. As she grinded against my lap, I dug my fingers into her hips, barely able to see straight after that move. She was exquisite. She always was. She gripped me like a hot, slick fist. Nothing could match how we fit each other.
“Such an impatient female,” I growled into her ear and raised her along my throbbing cock. “You could have been doing this instead of running from me, you know,” I snarled and bit down again on her mating mark to punish her with painful pleasure. She arched her back and shrieked, letting the canyon carry the sound of her euphoria far and wide. Her channel clenched around my cock as more arousal spilled from her. I lifted her up until I was almost out, then pushed her back down until her bottom was pressed into my lap, seating myself completely inside her again.
She moaned and leaned forward as I took control of her hips, sliding her up and down my length in a fluid motion. I took my time to enjoy the view, watching her sex glisten around my invading member that was preparing to spill into her hungry body. I loved the silhouette of my fertile female. I loved how her wide, offspring-bearing hips narrowed gracefully into her waist. Softer in places, leaner in others, and made to receive me. Her head turned slightly to the left, and I stared at her horn in wonder while I continued to slide her channel along my ravenous cock.
This female was mine. Precious to me before I knew what she was and precious now. I needed to protect her, keep her. I slammed her hips down on my lap possessively and grunted in response to her cry. I lifted her up and slammed her down again, groaning at how her tight, smooth channel gripped me. It clenched to keep me from pulling up again, but I fought against it and slammed her hips down a third time. She gripped my legs and allowed me to rapidly fuck her, lifting and yanking to impale her again and again.
She wailed, arched, and clawed at my legs in her rapture. As a pool of her arousal collected under her, I snarled and lost all sense of reason. I just needed this female. All I needed was her.
At some point, the female escaped my grip and began to ride me with unbridled adoration. She panted, and I nearly roared from how fucking erotic it was to see her sweaty, soft body bouncing away on my lap. My sound came out in a groan instead, and I released blue fire into the sky, unable to contain my arousal in any form. It was bursting through my skin like sparks of light, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to take this much longer. I needed to tend to her first.
I tried to regain control, but she turned her just head enough to show me her bared teeth. She didn’t like that at all. “Female,” I croaked while trying to snake a hand around her hip to rub into her swollen, sensitive flesh. “Let me please you before I c—”
She pulled recklessly off me, and I jerked my hands forward to steady her, making sure she wouldn’t fall. She turned to face me and fed my soaked, heavy cock back into her tight, hot channel. I hissed through my teeth, surprised once again by her aggressive movements.
She rode me again, harder and faster this time, and she leaned forward to lick down my neck. I gripped her ribs and tried to gently push her away because she was arousing me too much, and I wouldn’t be able to get to her first. She didn’t like that either. Adamantly, she dug her fingers into my shoulders, and I felt them slightly harden and sharpen. They weren’t dragon claws by any means, but she was showing me she was serious.
“Female, please…” I snarled and felt my muscles contract when she repeatedly lapped over the marking spot. Each lave of her tongue fed a drip of carnal pleasure so deep inside me that I didn’t even know where it went. My entire being was preparing for something that I couldn’t fathom, and all I could do was follow the igniting sensations within my body.
The female rode me with abandon, panting into my ear and lapping it affectionately on occasion. She moaned and rubbed her swollen breasts into me, spreading her pheromones and mingling our sweat. She did everything she could to get me to explode within her, and my resistance was faltering. She was too fucking seductive, and I’d never been harder.
“Fill me. Male, please,” she whined and whimpered. It was so sad, so desperate that my emotional wall collapsed. I surrendered and stopped fighting, tilting my head back to let her take what she wanted from me. I grunted with each impact and felt the coil in my abdomen tighten. My cock felt like it was stretched so tight that it was about to burst. My heavy sack tightened, and I gave in to my female.
I roared out through my teeth and came into my desperate female, unloading my seed by the rope. I heard her soft, pleased moan and something stabbed into my marking spot. I screamed at first in pain, but it was quickly replaced by a pleasure I’d never experienced in my life. Something swept through my body and caressed all my nerve endings, sending me spiraling into another orgasm .
I gritted my teeth as my hips jerked up into hers, filling her while she filled me with a part of her soul. She settled in me like a calming hush and spread to offer my body her eternal protection. I felt a bond snap in place, leaving a part of my female with me always. Her horn pulled from my shoulder, and she collapsed on my chest, succumbing to an orgasm I hadn’t realized she’d obtained. She mewled and clawed at me, mindless in our releases.
I clutched her closely, fiercely, and protectively as I spilled my last rope within her. She nuzzled into my heaving chest, and I groaned, barely able to process what had just happened. We sat on that ledge while we recovered, and my mind slowly returned to me.
Releasing a long exhale, I looked down to see Elpis’s calm face staring into the dark distance. Had she marked me in her own fashion? Was our fated connection complete?
Elpis…? I tested our link hesitantly, frightened that it hadn’t worked. Part of me was still scared that we weren’t compatible, especially now that I knew she wasn’t a dragon.
Keyon? her voice replied in my mind, and she sat up to look at me.
“Mate…” she whispered. “Mine.”
Elpis
My mind finally returned to me when I uttered those two words. Those two words were tiredly whispered to me from my beast before she fell asleep, exhausted from defending us, suffering the claustrophobic cell, and running. I felt emotions flowing parallel to mine, swelling slowly until they settled within me like another beast. Disbelief… happiness… relief… I knew they weren’t mine. Were they Keyon’s?
Two warm, rough hands cupped my face, and gentle lips met mine .
Thank you, moonflower, Keyon’s voice rang in my mind, clear and beautiful as a bell. Thank you for accepting me as your mate. I’m so happy… I can’t even begin to describe it.
You don’t have to, I replied, and I felt a tear trickle down his cheek as he kissed me. I can feel it. I can feel your relief… I am relieved too.
He deepened the kiss before he released me, licking his lips. He had such an affectionate expression on his face, and it almost brought me to tears. His soft lips were parted as he took in slow, calm breaths. Dark brows drew sweetly up and inward while his large palms moved to rest on my hips, caressing me slowly with his thumbs. His brilliant copper eyes flickered between my own and my forehead, and I drew my hand up to feel where he was staring.
Something was jutting from my forehead, and I was confused for a moment, thinking it was an injury before instinct told me what it was. “Where have you been all this time?” I whispered as I felt my horn. It wasn’t very long, not even close to my beast’s horn, but it was sharp at the end.
“I don’t know, but I’m glad it wasn’t there when you headbutted that dragon-shifter.” He chuckled and tilted his head. “That night would have ended differently.”
“I’ll have to be careful…” I said quietly. “That female really pushed my buttons. I don’t like hurting people… but I don’t like feeling inferior either. Not after the life I’ve had.”
“You’ll never have a reason to feel that way, moonflower,” he murmured and massaged my hips. “It’s actually really funny because her attack was quite backwards. You’re the one that can handle me. She’d get burnt to a crisp, even with fireproof lingerie.”
I burst into laughter and nodded. My eyes then drifted to his neck and shoulder, where there was a scar from a new puncture wound. “Is that how…?” I asked no one in particular as I brushed it with a thumb. I was starting to recall it, the moment my brow itched to pierce his marking spot. Keyon groaned when I touched it, and I smiled at his response .
“Yeah. You skewered me pretty good, moonflower. It was amazing, though,” he said with his eyes closing. The knot in his throat bobbed as he swallowed, and I slid my hand down to caress his shoulder.
“We should rest,” I said and stood carefully to allow his cock to fall from me. Unblocked, I felt a gush, and a large amount of his seed drained down my thigh. If I wasn’t pregnant before, I definitely was now. Keyon looked apologetically at me as he stood, keeping me secure on the narrow ledge.
“Marking is messy business, I guess.” He sighed and picked me up to return to the top of the cliff. I could tell he was extremely tired, but he was trying not to show it. I looked around for our bags while he made a campfire.
“Where’d our things go?” I asked, trying to recall the last hour of my life.
“Several miles away,” he said with an unhappy exhale. “We had to drop them. You and your beast gave us quite the chase.”
I scrunched my face up. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nope, not your fault. The cult—or whatever they are—caused all of this.” He gestured loosely with a hand. “I’m going to quickly grab our bags and come back. Don’t leave. Mind-link me if anything happens, but I don’t sense anyone nearby,” he said and kissed the top of my head before jogging off into the darkness. I inched toward the fire, shivering and unable to wait until I could wear something. Shifting was very inconvenient if you had to keep dressing and undressing all the time.
I was a little thrown to see Toast return instead of Keyon. He dropped the bags near me and settled close, only several feet away from where I sat.
Hello mate, Toast said tiredly. Keyon and I don’t trust this area, so I’ll be sleeping next to you. No person or creature will fuck with me… as Keyon worded it. He laid his head down, and I stood to give his snout a hug and a kiss before wiping Keyon’s seed off my legs and crawling into some clothes.
That was nice. Thank you, Toast replied sleepily .
We’re just too tired to travel right now, Keyon admitted. We’ll fly to the coven tomorrow if your heat is over. If not, we’ll stop by the spring and clean up. You still have ash in your hair.
I combed my hair with my fingers and noticed the fine grey particles. Huh… maybe I’d remember more about this tomorrow. I grabbed my blanket and curled up where Toast’s neck met his shoulders. He drew his wing over me to trap in his body heat, and I sighed in relief, feeling much cozier than I should on the dirt in a dead forest.
Mate? Toast asked uncertainly while yawning.
“Mm-hmm?” I mumbled.
Does your beast hate me? he inquired, sounding insecure.
It’s not possible to hate you, Toast, I consoled. She was scared and confused. I’ll bring her out soon for a proper hello. I patted him on the scales, and he soon fell asleep. I felt his worry and would do my best to fix that when we were all a little more awake.
Warm arms squeezed me into a hard surface, and I yawned sleepily, opening my eyes to a dead campfire in a dead forest. It was later in the morning than when we usually woke, but yesterday had been near crippling. I could sleep for a week. Keyon peppered my neck and cheek with kisses, and I squealed in delight, kicking my feet and laughing.
“Breakfast,” he said, kissing my ear and standing to hand me some freshly cooked meat. I ate a little but felt like something was missing. I looked around, noticing that all the plant life was dead, and felt myself salivate. I couldn’t stop thinking about fresh… something. Something green.
“Do you have any more rations?” I asked, having eaten about half of what he gave me. I liked the meat… but I needed something else. The rations had nuts in them. Keyon looked in his bag and tossed a bar towards me. I caught it with a grin and ripped it open, sinking my teeth into the nutrient bar. This would do for now .
Keyon was studying me and said, “You know, animals like horses, deer, and goats are herbivores. Your beast looks similar to them. Perhaps she is craving some grass.” I chewed and considered his words. Herbivore. Herb. Plants?
Veterinarian? my beast asked.
Vegetarian! Th— Wait, are you all better? I asked my beast, hoping she’d respond.
I am feeling better. Yesterday was a whole lot of wow, she replied, and I had an urge to clap with glee like a hatchling. She replied! She replied to me!
Clap with glee like a foal, you mean? We are not flagons.
Yeesh… You mean dragons? I asked. Oh, great Moon Goddess, was she ok?
Ah… yes… she replied, sounding quite abashed. Maybe she needed time to… catch up to my memories and learn… words.
What is your name? I asked and held my breath, hoping she’d continue to talk to me.
Rein, she replied.
“Rein!” I shouted loudly at Keyon, startling him. I must have been louder than I thought. “Her name is Rein!”
“Rain, rein, or reign?” he asked with a wry smile. “Rain like water from the sky? Reins that you put on a horse’s head, or reign as in ruling over a kingdom?”
Did you hear our mate’s question? I asked her.
Yes, and… I don’t know what he’s talking about. They all sound the same.
“I heard her.” He chuckled and finished up the meat I didn’t eat. “We’ll keep teaching you spelling. You got hit with another homophone there.” He smiled happily at me, and my heart fluttered. His own happiness glowed within my chest, and it drew a smile out of me as well. “Hello, Rein.”
Hi mate. Uh, other mate. The beast mate. I mean, Rein, Toast chimed in nervously. I frowned at how worried he was. I hoped he didn’t think Rein would try to murder him or bury him alive .
Is that the hot bread? Rein asked, and I placed my hands on my face. Keyon just erupted into laughter and patted my shoulder.
“How are you feeling, Elpis?” he asked, and I peeked through my fingers to see him squatting in front of me. “Think your heat is gone?”
“I’m not sure. How do I smell?” I asked, leaning forward and turning my neck to him. He growled and leaned in to scent me. I shuddered when his nose and lips grazed my skin, delivering the sparks I was growing to know and love as the mate touch. He pulled back, looking like he was trying to restrain himself.
“I smell a little, but it seems weaker. Let’s stop by the spring and see how you feel. I just want to get the fuck out of this place. I had to go pretty far to find game to hunt,” he said and closed up his bag. His cheeks were flushed, and I caught sight of his eager member before he shifted into Toast. I rubbed my neck in awe; he certainly didn’t react like it was weaker! I grabbed the bags and let Toast fly me to the springs again.
So high, so high, so high, so high! Rein worried restlessly. I could almost hear her tail swishing in the back of my mind. We are not meant to be this far up!
We are now, I said with a happy smile and patted one of Toast’s fingers. We’re mated to a dragon!
Yes, you are, Keyon said smugly.
I w-won’t drop you, Rein, Toast said, and his hold on us tightened. I couldn’t see as much after that, but I felt Rein’s anxiety lessen.
Toast landed but didn’t place me on the ground until he dipped his tail in the water. Not acidic, Keyon, Toast said before finally releasing me. I dropped my bags by the hot spring and threw off my clothes.
“Let’s bring Rein out,” Keyon said, hugging me from behind. “See how she handles the water. I have a feeling she’ll be the same.” He kissed me and stood back, grinning and crossing his arms.
I frowned and said, “How… do I shift? ”
I guess I’ll try to come out… Rein said, and I yelped when my body began to change. I had a vague memory of this happening before, and it definitely wasn’t as bad. It was quicker too, but by the goddess, it still hurt a little!
“It’ll get better over time, moonflower,” Keyon said as he approached Rein. She turned her head to face him and snorted, then nickered softly. I felt her tail flick, and she took a step toward our mate, who held his hand out for her. “You’ve been through a lot, Rein,” he said gently as she pressed her muzzle against his palm. “Shall we get you a bath?”
Rein looked toward the steaming water, and I could feel her uncertainty. Go ahead , I encouraged. It feels wonderful. She walked slowly to the edge and dipped her horn in it. I felt an odd sensation through her, like her horn was testing for and clearing out… impurities. After she seemed satisfied with the water, she jumped awkwardly in, creating a large splash that drenched a chuckling Keyon.
As Keyon lathered her coat and washed her mane, Rein became more relaxed around him. He spoke gently to her like he would a hatchling, and my heart filled with warmth. He cared just as much about Rein as me. I was beginning to understand how difficult it must have been for Keyon and Toast to manage that phobia all those years. To be at odds with a part of yourself and be unable to escape it… that was an unavoidable test of strength and stamina. It must have been exhausting.
I continued to watch Keyon care for Rein and saw with different eyes how much he cared for me. I was comfortable with my feelings now and validated by our bond. There was obviously no going back on what we’d done, but my mind, my heart, and now my sense of self had caught up to my body. The feeling that had been burning for a long while in my heart could no longer be suppressed out of fear. It could no longer be ignored. It was hotter than Keyon’s flames and would soon melt me if I didn’t share it with him. I loved him. I loved him so much. Yes, I think I was long overdue to tell Keyon that I’d fallen in love with him.