8. Aeron
Aeron
Icouldn’t help but smile as I read over the letter for a second time.
Aeron,
I can’t make it to our meeting tonight. I’ve got Cross Country practice. There’s a meet this weekend and I need to do well. Sorry.
-Quill
P.S. Go fuck yourself.
Ugh… There was just something about this guy being pissed at me that was just so cute.
I couldn’t get over it. The more he tried to push me away, the more I wanted him.
It was a point of pride now. I wanted to conquer him, from head to toe, with my cock.
And I knew he would love it. Everyone did.
Now I just had to find the right way to do it, find the key that would make him my willing slave.
I leaned back in my chair, running my thumb over the postscript one more time.
The “Go fuck yourself” made me laugh out loud.
It was such a poorly disguised plea for my attention.
He was so desperate to convince me that he didn’t want this, when everything about him screamed otherwise.
I mean, the guy had gotten a boner the moment I was within five feet of him, twice.
That told me everything I needed to know.
Cross-country practice was a lie too. I’d looked up the schedule after I found his note, and I knew for a fact that the team didn’t have practice on Monday nights. Monday was their day off. So now I had proof that not only was he lying, but he was desperate to get away from me.
And that meant I was winning this little battle of ours.
Maybe it was time to pay him a little visit out on the cross-country course?
I grabbed some clothing from my dresser and started to change, already formulating a plan.
The cross-country course wound through the woods on the north side of campus, and if Red was avoiding our meeting, he’d be there now.
So if I went for a jog, I’d catch him somewhere in the middle of his run.
And in the shortest little running shorts I had, he wouldn’t be able to resist me.
The thought made my blood heat.
I’d never been one to chase after someone who clearly didn’t want my attention.
That wasn’t my style. But Quill was different.
There was something about the way he fought against what he was feeling that made me want to push harder.
Everyone else at Widdershins was so easy to read, so predictable.
They saw the red scales and the family name and immediately decided they wanted me.
But Quill? He pushed me away every chance he got. It made him all the more enticing.
My shorts barely covered my dick and the tank top…
well, it was basically spaghetti. But it was just what I needed to get Red all hot and bothered.
With one last glance in the mirror, I headed out toward the woods.
The late afternoon sun was already starting to dip lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the campus grounds.
A few students gave me curious looks as I jogged past them, probably wondering why the dragon heir was suddenly doing cardio. Let them wonder.
The start of the cross-country course was marked by a simple stone with a well-worn path, weathered from years of use.
I could see fresh footprints in the dirt leading into the tree line.
I took a deep breath and followed them, my scaled feet barely making a sound against the forest floor.
My natural athleticism gave me an advantage here.
I could move faster than any human, even a fit witch like Quill, which meant I could position myself exactly where I wanted to be.
I ran at an easy pace, keeping my breathing controlled, my senses attuned to the sounds of the forest around me.
I could hear the distant thrum of the campus wards, the whisper of wind through the pine needles, and then…
there. The sound of heavy breathing and pounding footsteps in front of me on the trail.
I picked up my pace deliberately, catching him up. I could feel him before I saw him, that familiar pull of awareness that seemed to happen whenever he was near. My cock was already half-hard in my shorts, anticipating what was about to happen.
When I rounded the bend and nearly collided into him, I was ready.
“Oh hi, Red,” I said smoothly, turning to match his pace. “Fancy meeting you here. How’s practice going?”
I could practically feel his frustration radiating off him in waves. His face was flushed from exertion, his red hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He looked absolutely fucking gorgeous, and I had to work hard to keep my expression casual. I wanted to lick him from head to toe.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice breathless. He didn’t slow down, just kept running, clearly hoping I’d fall behind or lose interest.
“Thought I’d join you,” I said, easily matching his stride. “You know, get some exercise. Maybe we could talk about that assignment while we run?”
“Absolutely fucking not,” he spat, pushing harder. I could see his muscles straining, could practically feel the effort it was taking him to try to outpace me. “Leave me alone, Aeron.”
“You’re the one who lied to me,” I pointed out, not even winded despite the pace he was setting. “Cross-country practice on a Monday night? When the team runs at five in the morning? That’s a bold move, Red. And you’re out here running, anyway. You’re really committed to the bit.”
He didn’t respond, just ran harder, his breathing becoming more ragged. We were getting deeper into the woods now, farther from campus, and I found myself enjoying the irony of the situation. He’d tried to avoid me, and instead he’d led me out here where we were completely alone.
“You smell amazing, by the way,” I said, inhaling deeply. The scent of sweat and pheromones was going straight to my dick. “I’ve always had a thing for guys post workout.”
I could feel the way his body tensed at my words, the slight hitch in his breathing that had nothing to do with the exertion of running. His jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack.
“Stop talking,” he growled, but there was no real heat in it. Just desperation.
“Make me,” I said, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.
He pushed even harder, his legs pumping faster, and I realized he was actually trying to lose me in the woods.
It was adorable, really. Did he honestly think he could outrun a dragon?
My metabolism was faster, my cardiovascular system more efficient, my natural strength exponentially greater than his.
I could keep up with him all day and barely break a sweat.
But I let him think he had a chance. I fell back slightly, giving him the illusion of pulling ahead, watching the way his muscles worked beneath his sweat-dampened shirt.
The fabric was clinging to him in all the right places, outlining the lean strength of his body.
I wanted to rip it off him right here on the trail.
“You know what I think?” I called after him, my voice carrying easily through the quiet forest. “I think you’re running because you’re scared. Not of me catching you, but because you want me to catch you.”
He didn’t answer, just ran harder, faster, pushing himself to his absolute limit.
I could hear the strain in his breathing now, the way his feet were hitting the ground with less precision as fatigue started to set in.
He was approaching his breaking point. Another half a mile and he’d have to stop.
I accelerated, closing the distance between us. Not too fast. I didn’t want to spook him into doing something stupid like veering off the trail into the woods and trying to run through the wards. But close enough that he could feel me, that he’d know I was right there, that escape was impossible.
“Come on, Red,” I said, drawing up alongside him again. “You can’t run forever. Just talk to me.”
His breathing was ragged now, his movements becoming jerky and desperate. I could see the moment his body started to rebel against the demands he was placing on it. His pace faltered slightly, just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough.
“Stop,” he gasped out, but I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or to himself.
I reached out and grabbed his arm gently, not forcefully, just enough to get his attention. “Easy, Red. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
He tried to wrench away from me, but his legs were giving out. I caught him as he stumbled, my scaled arms wrapping around his waist to keep him upright. He was breathing so hard I thought his lungs might explode, his whole body trembling with exertion.
“Let me go,” he wheezed, but his hands had curled into my tank top, gripping the fabric like a lifeline.
“Not a chance,” I murmured, and I couldn’t resist lowering my head to breathe in the scent of him. Sweat and exertion and that musk. It was intoxicating. “Don’t worry,” I added, seeing the fear in his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you. But you can barely stand on your own right now.”
I let him lean against me, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest against mine. His heart was hammering so fast I thought it might burst right out of his ribs. I could feel the tremors running through his muscles, the way his legs had basically turned to jelly beneath him.
“Just breathe,” I said softly, keeping one arm wrapped around his waist while the other came up to push his sweat-dampened hair out of his face. “In through your nose, out through your mouth. You pushed yourself too hard.”
“Fuck... you,” he managed between gasps, but there was no real anger in it anymore. Just exhaustion and something else. Something that made my cock throb against his hip.
“You already tried that approach,” I murmured, unable to resist the urge to press my lips to his temple. “Didn’t work out so well for you.”
He made a noise that might have been a laugh or might have been a sob. I honestly couldn’t tell. His hands were still gripping my tank top, and I could feel his nails digging into my scaled chest through the thin fabric. The slight sting of it only turned me on more.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
I pulled back just enough to look at his face. His green eyes were glazed, his lips parted as he fought to catch his breath. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple, and I had to resist the urge to lick it away.
“Because,” I said slowly, “I think you’re the most interesting person I’ve met since I got to Widdershins.
Everyone else just wants to be near me because of who I am.
But you? You despise me so much you don’t even want to be in the same room with me.
And somehow, that just makes me want you even more. ”
He stared at me for a long moment, his breathing gradually slowing as his body began to recover from the exertion. I could see the war playing out behind his eyes, the constant battle between what he wanted and what he thought he should want.
“You’re insane,” he finally said.
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But I want you anyway.”
I adjusted my grip on him, making sure he was steady enough to stand on his own before I released him. He immediately took a step back, but not far. We were still close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him, could smell the intoxicating musk of his sweat.
“You should head back,” he said, but he made no move to start running again. “I need to cool down with a walk.”
“You need to sit down before you pass out,” I corrected, gesturing toward a fallen log just off the side of the trail. “Come on. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but his body was already making the decision for him.
His legs were shaking too badly to run anymore, and he knew it.
With a resigned sigh, he limped over to the log and sat down heavily, his head hanging between his knees as he continued to work on catching his breath.
I sat down beside him, keeping a respectful distance, though it took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to touch him.
The setting sun filtered through the pine trees in golden shafts, casting long shadows across the forest floor.
It was peaceful out here, quiet except for the sound of his breathing and the distant call of birds settling in for the night.
A quick glance down revealed that the tip of my dick was hanging out of my shorts, but I did nothing to conceal it.
The shorts weren’t long enough to tuck it away, anyway.
“The assignment,” he said after a few minutes of silence. He glanced over, his eyes immediately going to my cock before they widened with shock. Then he looked away fast, avoiding me altogether. “W-We’ll have to work on it at some point.”
“I know,” I replied. “We can do it tomorrow. You’re clearly in no shape to do anything productive tonight.”
“Fuck off.”
I just laughed, leaning back on my elbows. “You’re so defensive, Red. What do you have against having a good time?”
“Oh, so you think you’re a good time?” he scoffed.
“I know I am.”
“God, you are a fucking prick, you know that?”
“And you’re a stuck up little witch,” I said. He glared at me and I just shrugged. “It’s true. You think you’re better than everyone else too, just like me.”
“I do not!”
“Yeah, you do,” I sighed, not breaking eye contact. “Quill Aster is too good for parties, too good for fun outside of class, and clearly too good for a well-connected dragon who just wants to show him a good time.” I flashed him a toothy smile. “You’re kind of a stuck up cunt, Red.”
He flinched at the word, his jaw tightening, and I watched as a flush crept up his neck. I’d hit a nerve, and we both knew it.
“You don’t know anything about me,” he said quietly, his voice tight with barely controlled anger.
“Then tell me,” I said, rolling onto my side to face him properly. “Tell me why you’re so determined to push me away. Tell me why you’d rather spend your Saturday nights doing homework than actually having a fucking life.”
He was quiet for a long moment, his green eyes fixed on some point in the middle distance. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands were clenched into fists on his thighs. But just when I thought he was going to give up and let me in, he forced himself to his feet.
“Someone like you could never understand me,” he growled, stomping his way back toward the athletic building. “Now leave me the fuck alone.”
“What about the assignment?” I called after him.
He didn’t look back. Instead, he raised a middle finger into the air and kept on walking. I couldn’t help but smile.
Goddamn he was cute.