by J. D. Monroe
Gasping in surprise, she backed away but didn’t close her eyes. The air felt alive, like gnats were crawling on her skin. Something in her awoke, as if claws scratched gently at her ribs from within. Let me out, it seemed to say.
Taegan’s body was the size of a pickup truck now. A long, spiked tail unfurled from his back, sweeping across the ground like a cat’s. Black talons pressed into the concrete. In a rush of warm air, massive wings unfurled from his sides, easily twenty feet from tip to tip. Finally, he raised his head, reptilian and scaled, yet somehow familiar. His eyes were brighter green now, with long, snake-like slits for pupils. A pair of slender black horns emerged from his brow, elongating to sharp points above his head like a crown.
“Hello,” an impossibly deep voice rumbled.
She froze, staring at him. The part of her that would have once proclaimed dragons aren’t real was silent. With him staring down at her, and that feeling of aching familiarity in her body, she knew that this was the most real moment of her life.
Barely breathing, she reached out to him. His large head butted forward, pressing his ridged snout into her shaking hand. Touching the warm scales sent a feeling like an electric current up her arm. The scratching sensation in her intensified, though it wasn’t painful. She felt like she needed to exhale—that there was some terrible tension in her needing to release.
He pushed her hand with his head, sweeping one of his wings toward her. “Look,” he grumbled. His voice was deep, nearly unrecognizable as Taegan’s, but still familiar.
She walked around him. “Can I touch you?”
“Yes,” he said, stepping closer with one lumbering step. “Please.”
His hard scales had the smooth texture of a turtle shell. A dozen shades of blue swirled together to create a beautifully variegated surface. Inching closer, she ran her hand along his armored side and up to the thick wing joint. At her touch, he curved his wing inward, letting her touch the thin membrane. She was painstakingly gentle as she caressed the smooth, leathery surface. The electric sensation tingled through her still, making her feel warm and relaxed. His wing tensed slightly. “Am I hurting you?”
“No,” he growled. “Feels nice.”
The membrane was translucent, gleaming blue with the warehouse lights shining through. She could see the dark web of veins inside. As she traced the lines with a light touch, he rumbled. He sounded like a gigantic cat purring.
“And I’m like you,” she murmured.
“Yes,” he said.
Suddenly, he shivered, and his body began to shrink again. As he pulled away, she felt cold and empty. She nearly dove for him, so she could maintain contact, to feel that delicious heat all over. A warm mist billowed around him as the large, scaled body compressed once more into the compact, muscular form. He let out a quiet groan then sighed as he rested on his hands and knees. He raised his head, squinting at her. “Will you go get my clothes?”
“Oh, right,” she murmured. She hurried back to the bench and grabbed his clothing, delivering it to him. He stood up, gloriously naked for just a moment before he pulled up a pair of basketball shorts. What a shame. He held the shirt but didn’t put it on. Small blessings. “Does it hurt when you change?”
He nodded. “A little, but it’s not a bad hurt,” he said. “Kind of like when you get a really good massage.”
She nodded, though the thought of it was still frightening. That sound had been his bones breaking. Could she handle it? “And I can do that?”
He nodded. “Do you want to try now?”
“Yeah,” she breathed, though fear bubbled in her belly.
He rifled through his duffel bag again and pulled out an oversized black bathrobe. He held it out to her.
“What’s this for?”
“Remember our conversation about superheroes? Your clothes aren’t going to magically stretch like the Hulk’s,” he said with a grin. He turned his back, and she stood there, dumbfounded.
“I have to?” she said. To be fair, just ten minutes ago, she’d been thinking about how nice it would be to get naked with him, but those were totally different circumstances.
“I mean, it’s your call,” he said. “But if you want clothes to wear out of here, you need to take them off before we get started.”
She sighed. Maura was getting absolutely none of the details. She couldn’t even tell Maura how great he looked naked, considering he’d only done it to turn into a freaking dragon. After stripping down to her sports bra and underwear, she stole a glance back at Taegan. He was still looking away, bouncing lightly on his feet. She peeled off her underwear and hurried to put the robe on, then folded her clothes neatly and tucked her underwear inside the pile. If she’d known this trip would end this way, she’d have at least worn something cute. “Okay, I’m covered up.”
He turned around and smiled. “Over here.”
Her heart pounded as she followed him to the spot where he’d transformed. “When you changed, something happened to me,” she said. “It felt like something was alive in my chest.”
“That’s your dragon,” he said. “When you’re around your own kind, it wants to be free. You do, I should say. It’s not something outside of you.” He knelt and waited for her to join him. Then he reached toward her. “Can I?” She nodded. His touch sent a delightful shiver across her scalp. He gently pulled the elastic out of her hair, spilling her locks over her shoulders. He fixed the elastic around his wrist. “The dragon is a part of you. It always has been, so you don’t have to be frightened of it. All you have to do is let it out.”
“Let it out,” she murmured. “How?”
He gently touched her chest, resting his hand on her breastbone. “Do you feel something under here now?” She nodded. That was where the fire sat, where it had ached until it exploded in the park earlier. “This is where your power sits. All you have to do is think about it and let go.”
“I’m scared,” she said.
He nodded, grasping her shoulders gently. “That’s okay. Just so you know, I’ve done this before, and everyone has been fine. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Do you trust me?”
His green eyes were wide and sincere. She barely knew him, but she knew he was telling the truth. He would be here to catch her. “I trust you,” she said. “Tell me what to do.”
“Take your arms out of the robe. I’ll pull it off when you start to change,” he said. She complied, crossing her arms over her bare chest and sitting back on her heels. “Close your eyes.”
The world went dark, but there was a strange warmth to the darkness, a faint pulsing like flickering flame. She tried to picture herself changing, a beautiful, terrible creature standing in her place. In her mind, she saw a pool of flame in her chest, glowing bright as it formed itself into something new.
The scratching inside her ribs intensified. You can come out. I know you’re there.
Taegan’s hand rested on her back, rubbing gently. “Don’t think about it. Get out of the way and let it happen.”
Come out, she told herself. Suddenly, pain pierced through her chest, like a blade driven between her ribs. Her back arched, and she cried out. No! She tried to fight it. She hugged her arms tighter around herself, trying to hold the monster in.
“I told you it would hurt a little,” he said. “You’re safe.” This didn’t hurt a little. Pain overwhelmed her senses, pulling her spine into a tight arch. “Come on,” he said. “You can do this. You don’t have to be afraid. I’m right here.” Fabric slid over her back, and suddenly his bare hand was on her skin. His touch ignited something blazing hot in her, and the scratching claws scrabbled against their imprisonment.
Something broke through. Blistering heat swelled inside her, consuming the air in her lungs. Flame surged up and down her spine, crackling down her limbs and igniting every nerve ending along the way. When it reached the base of her neck, her head felt like it was going to burst. Her mouth was a singularity of pure agony as her jaws shattered, huge teeth bre
aking through new flesh.
A distant voice spoke. “You’re fine. You’re doing so good. Come on, Chloe.”
Her body was a chaos of sensation; cracking bone, swelling flesh, and a maddening itch as her skin hardened. There was a warning twang between her temples, and then everything went black as something grabbed her head and split it open. If she could only draw a breath, she would scream, but she couldn’t inhale.
She was going to die, consumed in pain and madness.
Then something touched her cheek. A deep voice echoed far too loud in her sensitive ears. “Open your eyes.”
With monumental effort, she opened her eyes, expecting to find herself a bloody mess of shattered bones on a concrete floor. The world was bright and sharp around her. A tiny moth fluttered in the far corner, crimson spots standing out against the dusty brown of its wings. A thousand smells flooded her nose. There was old sweat and cleaning products, motor oil, and the distinct smell of Taegan very close to her. She stared down at him.
Way down.
Lifting her arm, she found a purple-scaled foot where her hand had been minutes earlier. She let out a shriek of surprise, which came out as a resounding roar. The sound of it startled her and sent her leaping backward. Her limbs tangled, and she sat down in a heap, confused by her huge new body.
Taegan laughed and followed her, holding his hands up toward her face. “You did it,” he said. “Come down here.” It took a few seconds of conscious searching to find the right muscles. In a dizzying movement, she lowered her head to him. He pressed his hands to her face. She felt normal, but his hands were so small, like a cat’s tiny paws pressed to her cheeks through a thick layer of leather. “You’re so beautiful.”
Her body ached, but there was a pleasant burn in it, like the aftermath of a deep massage, just like Taegan had said. Fire burned in her chest. An insistent, steady drumbeat pounded nearby. She tilted her head and realized it was Taegan’s pulse, passed from skin to scale.
“We won’t try to fly here, but you can move around. Get used to this body,” he said. She hesitated, unsure of her balance. Scraping talons against the concrete, she took a tentative step forward. After turning in a tight circle, she spread her wings. It was a divine sensation, like stretching in bed with freshly shaved legs. He ducked under her wing, running his hand along the smooth surface. Pure pleasure swept over her, trailing after his gentle touch, and she rumbled in appreciation.
“I told you that felt nice,” he said. She would be content for him to touch her that way forever.
She tried to speak, but it came out as a broken growl. “Talking takes some practice.” Backing away from him, she drew a deep breath, and his eyes went wide. “No fire in here!” She snapped her jaws shut. “But you can play if you want.”
The idea of playing as a grown woman seemed so strange. But she did, bouncing around and exploring this new body, simultaneously foreign and familiar. Swishing her tail, she took a few running steps, then halted before she slammed into a wall. With a growl, she whirled around. A metallic clatter rang out as her tail knocked over the benches. That would take some getting used to.
She made a questioning sound but Taegan laughed. “It’s fine. Have fun. That’s why there’s nothing valuable out here.”
He righted one of the benches and sat down to watch as she pounced and bounded around the huge room.
She was a freaking dragon. It was so surreal, and yet seemed so correct, she didn’t know how she’d gone so long without realizing she was incomplete. With each minute, she became more comfortable in this beautiful, scaled form. It became her own, instead of a puppet-like thing she struggled to control. Just breathing was a delight, as her chest filled with delicious heat and power. And the teeth! She couldn’t stop tonguing her huge teeth, long and wickedly sharp. Her talons clacked on the concrete with a delightful, percussive sound.
Finally, Taegan approached and touched her side. “You should probably change back,” he said. “Next time, we’ll go somewhere you can fly.”
She growled at him, and the ferocity of the sound surprised her. Pure anger flared in her, completely overtaking her childlike pleasure. This was who she was supposed to be. She backed away from him, wings flaring to make herself bigger and scarier. Who did this little creature think he was?
He frowned at her. “This is normal, but you have to resist it. You can’t stay a dragon forever. Come back to me.”
This time, she actually roared at him. It felt good. He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest. “You don’t scare me, Chloe Madsen. Don’t make me change and put your scaly face into the concrete.”
She growled at him. Baring his teeth, he growled back at her. His green eyes flared bright for a moment and she backed away.
“You don’t have a feel for how long you can stay in this form yet. If you get too tired, shifting back is going to be harder than it has to be,” he said. “Next time, I’ll take you somewhere you can run and fly for as long as you want.” He raised his hand to her. “You have my word.” She sighed, letting out another small growl of irritation. The warm air ruffled his hair, but he didn’t back away. “I’m right here, just like before.”
She bowed her head and reluctantly tried to fold herself in. Like she’d watched Taegan do, she tucked her wings tight against her sides and tried to shrink, extinguishing the delightful flame flickering through her being. It was wrong to go from this magnificent creature to the tiny, pitiful form that had caged it in for so long. Who wanted to crawl back into a cage once they’d tasted freedom?
Her bones ached and her form shuddered. Panic gripped her lungs. Blood roared in her ears, but a clear voice rang through. “You’re safe. Come back to me.”
A scream tore from her throat as her bones snapped, muscles knotted tight, and her head compressed into the worst headache she’d ever had. It felt like a giant grabbed her in its fists and squeezed her like soft putty. Everything went black.
Then a gentle touch pressed into her back, rubbing gently. Her head pounded. Taegan knelt by her side, eyes closed. “You’re all right,” he murmured without looking. As she pushed up from the concrete, arms quivering with the effort, he laid the bathrobe over her. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” she murmured. Her breath caught in her chest, and a hitching sob broke out of her. She didn’t know if it was pain, joy, exhaustion, or sheer overwhelm, but she burst into tears.
“Whoa,” he said, still rubbing her back. “Hey, you’re fine. Are you in pain?”
She buried her face in her hands, and he caught her before she could curl into a ball. His arms encircled her, holding her tight. “I can’t believe this is real,” she blurted.
“It’s okay,” he said, stroking her hair. “It’ll feel normal after a while.”
She shook her head and caught her breath. “That’s just it. It feels right. It doesn’t feel strange. I feel like myself for the first time in my life.”
Her heart thumped as she raised her head to look at him. Everything was clearer now. He smelled of wood smoke and a light soap, with the earthy musk of sweat from his transformation. Up close, she could see the golden flecks floating in his rich green eyes. He was prettier than any man had a need to be. His full lips parted and before she could think about what she was doing, she leaned in to taste him, gently nipping at his upper lip.
There were no words between them, but he pulled her closer, tilting her chin up with a firm hand. His warm lips tasted like salt, and she could only think of the beach, basking in the warmth of the sun with the ocean licking at her feet. Heat trickled down her spine like molten chocolate, and she found herself desperate for more. In an awkward dance of limbs, she climbed into his lap, pressing herself tightly to his bare chest, eager for his skin on hers. There was still something primal and hungry in her, a powerful creature that knew exactly what it wanted.
She wanted Taegan Asharin. Under the familiar smoke of dragon was something spicy and earthy, a scent she’d never detected bu
t instinctively recognized. He wanted her, too. Energy crackled between them.
As fire raged in her spirit, she realized the gentle kiss and the tiny taste weren’t enough. Her mind was already moving forward, ready to claim him entirely as her own. She pressed her hand to his flat belly, sliding downward, but he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. A tiny growl escaped her lips. He pulled away from the kiss to gaze into her eyes. She darted in, trying to kiss him again, but he yanked his head back, brow furrowed.
“Chloe, please don’t take this wrong way, because I’m all in. But I don’t want you to do something you’ll feel bad about later when you have a clearer head. This is normal, too.”
She scowled at him, but as the taste of him faded from her tongue, she looked down to see the black bathrobe pooled around her waist, doing nothing to cover her. Her eyes went wide as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh God,” she murmured, cheeks burning hot. “I just—”
“No, no. Please don’t be embarrassed,” he said. He grasped her chin lightly. “How about I take you home, and once your head is clear, we can talk?”
Chloe was asleep in the passenger’s seat when he returned from locking the warehouse. Her auburn hair was wild and plastered to her face with sweat. The image of her naked form and the feel of her perfect breasts pressed to his bare chest were seared into his memory. He could still feel her fingers on his skin, sliding downward on a mission. Judging by the spicy hint of arousal in the air and the way her heart was pounding, she was ready to climb him like a tree and ride him until they both passed out.
But Chloe was a wary person, and she was still under the sway of her dragon’s primal nature. Maybe he was a complete idiot for stopping her. But two minutes after her first transformation, with her mind still caught between human and dragon, she wasn’t ready to make that decision. And the best sex of his life wasn’t worth leaving her filled with shame and regret. He was more than willing, but he wanted it to be Chloe Madsen’s decision, not the insatiable hunger of a new dragon.
