by J. D. Monroe
“Watch me,” Taegan said. He knelt, curving his arms like he was pantomiming a monkey. “Don’t tuck them in tight, but you don’t want them extended, either. You catch too much resistance.” He leaped into the air, pulling his arms up high and thrusting them down as he reached the height of his jump. “You can do it.”
Imitating his posture, she managed to get her wings up high once, but landed hard on her back feet before she could catch the wind. Her jaws clacked together, rattling her teeth. After two more tries, she growled in frustration. Her chest burned with anger.
Taegan stepped in close and touched her face. It was strange. The pressure of his hand was distant, like feeling it through a layer of padding. But his energy was there, crackling, as if he touched her naked skin. Desire shot through her, overshadowing her anger. “No one expects you to be perfect,” he said. “We have plenty of time. Are you angry right now?”
She growled in response.
He chuckled. “Just keep trying, and if you need to, let off some frustration, go run in circles.” She tilted her head. “Really. It feels good. If you really want, I’ll race you.”
She narrowed her eyes, taking off into the clearing. It took one pass down the length of the clearing to find her stride, but once she did, it felt natural. With her talons to grip the soft earth, she found the traction to propel herself forward in longer and longer strides. Her wings tingled with the air rushing over them. With a fresh burst of courage, she spread them wide and jumped into the air. Suddenly she was gliding, her feet drifting inches above the ground. She let out a clipped sound of surprise and frantically beat her wings, trying to go higher.
“Good job!” Taegan yelled from below. She glanced back then heard him shout, “Watch out!”
Her head snapped around to see a wall of trees at the edge of the clearing. Twisting her body awkwardly, she rammed into the trees with her side and dropped from the sky like a rock. Her joints jolted as she hit the ground, sending up a burst of leaves. She groaned. She wasn’t sure she could blush with a body covered in scales, but she kept her head low as he approached.
“Are you okay?”
She sighed, still keeping her head lowered. Her ego was bruised more than her body was.
“That was amazing,” he said. “Go try again.” She raised her head to stare at him. He shrugged. “Don’t pout. You did fine. It’s not like you learned to walk on the first try. Get back up and try again. Maybe I’ll join you.”
Raising her head, she watched him strip. She had only a moment to appreciate his body before he transformed, this time in a matter of seconds. She envied the quick process. His dark blue wings snapped open, and he bumped her with his head. “With me,” he growled. He ran toward the other end of the clearing and launched into the air.
Chasing him, she caught the wind again, rising ten, twenty feet off the ground. Each stroke of her wings made her body bounce, but she was finding the rhythm of it. Taegan rolled in the air, circling around her like a stunt plane. Show-off. Then he released a bellowing roar full of flame. A delightful heat seared her scales. She imitated him, letting out a cat-like snarl with a thin stream of flame. He made a chuffing noise that had to be laughter.
Never in a million years would she have imagined this could be her life. Everything was strange and beautiful, and she never wanted it to end. They played like children, chasing each other through the air and across the ground.
Finally, she landed, breathing hard, as she tucked her wings tight. Her body was heavy and tired. A few seconds later, Taegan landed next to her and leaned his larger body against hers. Like a cat rubbing against her legs, he slid himself along the length of her body. She gasped at the searing heat surging down her spine. Desire and hunger overwhelmed her, and she nearly bit him to keep him from moving away.
His tail lightly snapped at her legs, then he wrapped his wings tight around himself. Hazy blue light swirled around him. Taegan emerged, his golden skin glistening with sweat. “Go ahead and change back,” he said. “You’re going to be tired.”
The sight of him stoked the burning desire in her. Claim. Mine. She squeezed her eyes shut. With her body already aching, it was much easier to convince herself to shift back this time. Like before, she lost her senses for a moment as the overwhelming sensation made everything go to white noise. A deafening drumbeat pounded in her ears.
Oh. That was her heart.
Opening her eyes revealed his thickly muscled legs, kneeling in the soft carpet of leaves next to her. She tried to stand, but her legs were wobbly and useless. Before she stumbled, Taegan grabbed her arm and lifted her easily. She folded her arms over her chest, realizing she was completely naked, and didn’t have enough limbs to cover everything.
His eyes gleamed with mirth. “I’m not staring,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, your body is amazing. But I’m not going to be a creep. Our people aren’t weird about nudity like humans. It’s a shapeshifting thing.”
He set her down on the blanket where they’d left their things. Tellana was still circling in the air, breathing little bursts of fire at the other two dragons. She knew she should find her clothes, but she also had a naked Taegan at arm’s length. As if he’d read her mind, he kissed her, flooding her senses. His lips curved in an unseen smile as they kissed in the shadow of spiraling dragons and silent trees. Finally, he broke away from her, leaving them both breathless.
“I wasn’t done kissing you,” she growled, inching closer.
“Nor was I,” he said. “But if we don’t stop, things are going to move along, and dinner with my family tomorrow will be extremely awkward.” He kissed her again, barely brushing his lips over hers, pulling away to dig through his bag. “We should get dressed.”
She regarded him, bolder than she would usually be. “Should we?”
His green eyes swept over her, and she didn’t bother to hide. “Maybe you shouldn’t,” he said with a sly smile. He pulled up a pair of loose pants. “Do you want to come home with me tonight?”
Her heart thumped. Yes. No. Absolutely. “Yeah, I do.”
His smile widened. “Get your stuff.”
With determination bolstering her, she dug into her bag for clothes and quickly dressed. Before she managed to get a pair of yoga pants on, he lightly swatted her bottom. “Taegan!”
“What?” he asked innocently. He watched her hike the pants up. “It should be a crime for you to wear clothes.”
She smirked. “Careful. You’ll inflate my ego.”
He shrugged. “Worth it,” he said.
Footsteps crunched in the leaves behind them as Tellana approached, her dark hair wild around her face. She was naked as the day she was born and apparently unfazed by it. She rifled through one of the duffel bags for a bundle of black fabric. “Chloe, you did great.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I felt so clumsy.”
Tellana pulled a wrap dress over her shoulders and tied it. Then she raked her fingers through her hair and tamed it into a loose braid. “You did fine. Everyone’s clumsy at first.”
“Tellana fell right out of the sky at least a dozen times a day,” Taegan said.
Tellana laughed and nodded. “He’s not wrong. It also takes some getting used to. Don’t be surprised if your back is sore later.” After tying off the braid, she ran her fingers down Chloe’s spine, pressing between her shoulder blades. Just her light touch produced a dull ache. “You’re going to feel it here. Some rest and aspirin will clear it up, and you’ll get stronger every time you fly.”
“Thanks for helping me today,” Chloe said, glancing between them.
Taegan nodded. “That’s what we do. You’re one of us now.”
“Part of the community,” Tellana agreed. “You can come any time.” She opened the cooler and offered bottles of water to Chloe and Taegan, then opened one for herself. “Are you coming for dinner tomorrow?”
“Me?” Chloe asked. Tellana nodded as she drained half the water bottle. “Uh…maybe.” She glanced at Taega
n. “I think so.”
“We’ll talk about it,” he said. “I’ll be there for sure.” They chatted for a few minutes more, and then left Tellana there, watching her brother and the other dragon flying overhead. Chloe’s heart pounded with anticipation as she followed Taegan back to the car.
They didn’t even manage to get their stuff packed inside before Taegan pinned her to the side of the car, burying his lips in her throat. She’d kept her hands off him this long, but she couldn’t stop. While his tongue dove between her lips, claiming her mouth, she ran her hands from his narrow hips, up the lightly sculpted torso, to the broad planes of his chest. Flame boiled in her body, and she felt a strange, rumbling voice growl, More. Devour. Need.
He broke away to growl in her ear, “I can’t wait to get you home.” His voice had taken on a deep rasp, sending a melting shiver down her spine. “Get in the car, or we won’t make it.”
Her mouth was dry as she awoke to a dim bedroom. A nasty claw of pain dug into her upper back and she groaned. She was in her own bed with the soft duvet pulled up to her waist. A folded piece of paper lay on the covers next to her. Her bed was woefully empty. Wincing at the pain in her back, she grabbed the note. It was written in a graceful, masculine hand.
Chloe –
Sorry to ditch you. You fell asleep in the car and wouldn’t wake up for more than a few seconds. I waited a while, but you obviously needed to sleep off the flight. Don’t worry—it’s normal when you’re first getting used to everything. I left you water and ibuprofen. Take it, you’ll thank me tomorrow. Start with a double dose—dragon metabolism is pretty intense.
I’m proud of you. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Wear something that’ll be fun to take off.
-T
Desire pulsed between her legs like a warm heartbeat. She sighed and reached toward the nightstand for her phone. Her hand found the rounded shape of a water bottle instead. As promised, a bottle of ibuprofen was next to it.
Her duffel bag was lying on the floor, and she awkwardly twisted out of bed to grab it without leaving the bed. A fierce cramp pulled taut between her shoulders, just as Tellana had warned her. Who needed a gym if you could fly?
“Shit,” she groaned. Slumped over the edge of the bed, she heaved a pitiful sigh. She didn’t even remember getting home. Come to think of it, she didn’t even remember getting back on the highway. There was raging animal lust, then hazy blackness.
Finally, she found her phone and swiped it open. It was past one in the morning. Taegan had texted her a little before midnight.
Taegan: I’ll pick you up at noon tomorrow. You did good today :)
She lay on her belly, staring at the phone and smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. But even as she contemplated that warm smile and adorable laugh, apprehension gripped her. Were things moving too fast? She felt connected to Taegan, but she’d never been with someone who was so eager to spend time with her and include her in his life. Was it weird or clingy? After two crappy relationships, she didn’t know how to judge their dynamic.
Maura’s comment about meeting his mother suddenly echoed in her head. She’d known him for less than two weeks, and she was already going to eat Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Maybe it was weird, but maybe that was just how dragons were.
And how weird had her life gotten that, that’s just how dragons are, had become a reasonable statement? But after being lonely for years, spending family holidays with well-meaning friends, it was so nice to be around people. It was nice to be known, to be included.
Her options were simple. She could go, or she could turn it down. And she knew what she wanted. She wanted to be near him, warm and welcoming. And she wanted him to make good on that implied promise. If she rejected Taegan’s invitation and went to Maura’s, she’d have a good meal and probably laugh her ass off. But she’d wonder the whole time what she was missing and if she’d made a huge mistake.
She scrubbed at her eyes and opened her messages, quickly typing a reply.
I’ll be ready for you.
The call from the Skywatch came as Taegan was nearing the end of his debate over which gray button-down shirt Chloe would like better. It wasn’t until this morning that he’d realized his wardrobe was painfully monochromatic. He’d taken Tellana too seriously when she told him he couldn’t go wrong with black.
Leaving the silvery-gray shirt on his bed with the charcoal and black shirts, he snatched up the phone.
“Hello?” he said in English.
“Mr. Asharin? This is Elfeli Madeiras from the Skywatch offices in Asheville,” she said. “Several days ago, you spoke to my colleague, Nashan, about Chloe Madsen. I’ve got some information for you.”
His heart thumped. “Great. What did you find?”
“I’ve got some records for you,” she said. “School transcripts, some proof of addresses. Do you have a few minutes?”
He scrambled out of his bedroom and into the small study. He grabbed a legal pad and a pen, sinking into the chair. “Yeah, go for it.”
“Of course, this information is provided for the safety of the dragon communities and is to remain under your care,” Elfeli said. “As is standard, I’ve begun a file on Ms. Madsen, and I would request that either someone there conducts a full interview, or that she makes contact with us to do so as soon as possible.”
“Of course,” he said, tapping his pen impatiently. Get to it.
“The birth certificate does appear to be legitimate, with a real social security number. The father is listed only as deceased. Her mother is listed as Sofia Drake,” Elfeli said. “I found some other paperwork listing Helen Madsen as her legal guardian. I don’t have a date for when that became official, but I can probably find out if it’s important.”
“Only if you have time,” he said. “What about her mother?”
“Sofia Drake is in our records,” Elfeli said. “We’re still working on digitizing everything from the nineties and back, but I was able to find her file in the archives. Sofia was a Shadowflight refugee who came through the Ashflight Gate in the eighties. There was a fairly nasty civil war going on in Ifrahl at the time, so we had a lot of refugees from the Sunbringer and Skyshatter clans coming through for about six years. I’ll send you copies of everything I found, which unfortunately isn’t a lot. Our records indicate that Sofia went to the Academy in Las Vegas after leaving here, presumably to learn English. I called them, but with the holidays, I haven’t gotten a response. But it’s possible that someone there remembers her. And even if they don’t, they should have records of her.”
He scrawled Academy—Vegas? on his notepad. “This is fantastic. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Elfeli said. “Mr. Asharin, I have to ask. Are you concerned that this woman is dangerous? Given the current climate, I have to ask.”
“Not at all,” he said. “She didn’t even know she was a dragon until a week ago.”
There was a long pause. “How strange,” she said. “Well, I’ll email you a link to access the files I’ve found so far. The password will be Asharin, all in lowercase letters, followed by your year of birth. I’m also making a note to follow up in one week to complete our file. Or you can have Miss Madsen call us. I assume that won’t be a problem.”
Though her tone was polite, there was no mistaking the authority in her statement. It was a command, not a request. “It won’t be a problem. Thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure,” Elfeli said. “Happy holidays.”
As soon as he got off the phone, he opened his email and found the message from Elfeli. The link gave him access to a shared drive with scanned PDFs of dozens of records. Guilt stitched through him like a hot needle as he opened Chloe’s high school transcript. Chloe Maria Madsen, he read. Seeing the list of courses and her grades was oddly intimate. Good grades, though she wasn’t a perfect student.
After skimming the other documents, he printed everything to create a file for Izarin. Though he’d created a perfectly good database for h
er, Izarin liked paper copies of everything. Like he was preparing for a work presentation, he neatly labeled each document with a colored flag and then organized them in a folder. The information was enough to at least give Chloe a name and an idea of where her mother had come from. And Izarin would be pleased to have a more complete picture of who Chloe was.
He glanced at his watch and swore. Now, he was running late. He rushed back into his room and dressed in the lighter gray shirt, hoping Chloe would approve.
It took him twenty minutes to drive to Chloe’s neighborhood. His heart thumped in eager anticipation as he knocked on her door. She opened the door immediately, and her warm, spicy scent wafted out to him. Lust stirred in him, as he looked her over. She frowned. “Do I look okay?” she asked, gesturing down to her dress, a flattering crimson wrap that accentuated her narrow waist. Her auburn hair was loose and wavy.
“You look perfect,” he said. She smiled, and he felt like the sun was shining only on him. He leaned down, waiting for her to meet him, like a question hanging in the air. She kissed him, slow and sweet. Heat ignited, washing over him in a pleasant wave. He reluctantly pulled away. “Do you need a coat or anything?”
She held up a coat draped over her arm. “Just in case,” she said. “I’ve been so warm lately.”
“Well, you do literally breathe fire now,” he replied. She laughed as she followed him to the car and climbed in. “I’m never cold.” He backed out of the driveway and merged back onto the road. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Sore,” she said. “But it’s not too bad. I feel like I went too hard at the gym, not like I hurt myself.”
“Sorry I left you,” he said. “I carried you inside and waited an hour, but you didn’t budge. I felt like a creep hovering over you, so I figured I would let you rest.”
