by T. J. Quinn
“I was too far from the base and unable to walk,” I explained.
She sighed impatiently. “Are you fully recovered?” she asked, dropping the subject.
“Yes,” I replied succinctly.
“Perfect. I’m very busy now, and I need you to make sure you, your men, and the dragons get their check-ups,” she ordered. “Sylan finally got himself killed, and I’m still looking for a replacement,” she explained.
I wanted to ask what had happened, but I knew it was a terrible idea.
She stared at me for a few moments, tapping her foot on the floor until she lost her patience. “Aren’t you going to ask what happened?” she ranted at me.
I stared back at her with a blank expression, and she huffed her rage. “Damn it! Talking to you is like talking to a stupid robot,” she grumbled. “Get out of my sight and make sure you do as told,” she yelled at me before she disappeared into her office.
Hiding a victorious smile, I followed her orders. Though I hated to drug my own people, I really didn’t have that much choice. We would be outnumbered by thousands, and the dragons would quickly feast on us. I needed to wait for the right moment.
Throughout the rest of the day, hearing conversations here and there, I was able to put together Sylan’s death official version.
Apparently, he had called in sick, the excuse he often used when he had found a new woman to play with. So far, it was the truth. He was after Maya and would go to great extents to get her.
The story diverged from the truth at this point. Rumors claimed the girl was the precious daughter of a scavenger leader, and once the man found out Sylan had captured his daughter, he had hunted him down. Sylan was supposed to have killed some of the scavengers but had been killed in the process.
No one would miss him, and a few people had commented on how the women from the breeding program had celebrated the news of his death.
Confident that no one had linked my disappearance with Sylan’s death, I finally felt at ease. By nightfall, I was ready to go back home and make sure Maya was alright. I knew I had told her not to wait for me, but I didn’t intend to linger much longer at the base.
“Leaving so soon?” Kayla’s voice surprised me when I was about to leave.
“How can I help you?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“I need you to take a look at the dragons. Pick a vehicle and travel to their nests. I want to know exactly where they are nesting and if they are spending time with each other,” she spurted the orders in a scornful tone. “You have to make up for the time you lost,” she pointed out.
I knew she was doing it to piss me off, but I wouldn’t give her that victory.
I nodded. “I’ll get to it right away,” I assured her, turning around to walk back to my working station.
“Take one of your men with you. I wouldn’t want you to be all alone out there,” she said in a tone of false concern. “You wouldn’t want to get injured again, would you?” she mocked me.
“Thank you,” I nodded again.
“Oh!” her voice caught me when I was about to disappear into my working station, forcing me to stop. “You better be careful with the dragons. They acted weird in your absence… not eating, flying in circles as if looking for something or someone… I’m sure they are very hungry by now.”
I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath to control myself. All had been too easy. I should have suspected Kayla would not believe my story. Not because I was a lousy liar, but because she didn’t trust anyone. Not even her shadow.
She probably knew more about Sylan’s death than she was telling, and this little trip to the dragons’ nests was her way of punishing me, of letting me know I couldn’t kill one of them and walk unscathed.
Kayla wanted me out of her way, and this way, if the dragons killed me, no one would point the finger at her.
I was sure she had been starving the dragons on purpose.
“I’ll be careful,” I assured her, my expression as blank as always.
“Of course, you will,” she mocked me before she walked away.
I called Sjurd, one of my men, to go with me, and a few moments later, we were jumping into the vehicle.
After the medicine he took that afternoon, Sjurd was far from the sharp male he always was. Kayla had a good point when she called us puppets. That’s what the Asseptians toxin did to us: it stole our will and turned us into willing puppets that would do all they were asked, no matter what it was.
Not sure what I would find on the city’s outskirts, where the dragons usually built their nests, I drove there as slow and silently as possible, doing my best not to disturb the bloodcurdling creatures. With a look, they would be busy eating and wouldn’t even notice our presence.
We first came upon a golden dragon. His nest was massive, the size of two human houses, probably, built with tree trunks, entangled as if they were just twigs. I would have admired the sophisticated construction if it wasn’t for the gigantic creature coming out of it.
“Stay in the vehicle, no matter what happens,” I ordered Sjurd. “If things get too rough, go back to the base.”
Sjurd nodded, his look lost at some point ahead of us, but I knew he would obey my orders.
I registered the dragon’s nest location and jumped out of the vehicle to check on the beast.
There was blood on his snout, which meant I had interrupted his dinner.
“I was ordered to come and make sure you are alright,” I told the dragon. He raised his massive head as if asking me ‘what for,’ and I wish I had an answer. “It’s just a routine follow-up.”
The creature roared and blew his exasperation towards me. I only had time to put on my armor before the hot air enveloped me. It wouldn’t have killed me, but it would make me feel very uncomfortable.
Feeling I had done my job, I went back to the vehicle and drove away from there. The dragon waited until we were far gone to get back to his meal.
Knowing I had five more to go, I speeded up a bit. The sun was coming up in the skies when I finally found the black dragon’s nest, the last one.
The other four golden dragons had shown little interest in me and my presence near their nests, but I knew the black dragon would be different. Known to be more dangerous than the rest of the group together, he was also more cruel and vicious. His red eyes showed only fury and despair, and I sometimes thought he was on the verge of losing control over himself.
No one would be safe if that ever happened. Almost immortal and practically invincible, he would be a terrible, unstoppable force that would destroy everything in its way.
When the black dragon saw me coming, he flew out of his nest and landed a few inches away from the vehicle. I barely had time to stop before I hit him.
“Whooo… watch out!” I protested as I walked out of the vehicle, trying to lure him away from Sjurd.
The dragon followed me.
“There’s no reason to be upset. I’m just doing my job,” I told him in a tired tone.
I had been saying the same thing the entire night, and I was tired. Perhaps I should have looked for this one first. I needed all my senses activated to face this dragon.
The beast pushed me to the ground with his huge snout, pressing me with it for a few moments as if testing my reaction.
He seemed more awake than the other dragons, but still, I had never managed to have him say anything to me.
“They sent me to check your nests and make sure you’re alright,” I told him in a calm tone. “I know you don’t like this, and neither do I, but we don’t have a choice,” I added, looking at him over my shoulder.
The dragon finally released me, and I slowly got up. As if to show me he was fine, he paraded in front of me before he flew away towards the city.
Considering my job done, I went back to the vehicle and headed back to the base.
Kayla wasn’t thrilled to see me while she looked at the report I sent her. “Those dragons can be so useless sometimes. The Elder
s should get rid of them,” she grumbled before she turned around. “Get back to work. You have a lot to pay for,” she said in a harsh tone.
Knowing exactly what she meant, I went back to work without complaining. I would have to find a moment to go home and warn Maya I would be gone for a while, but I needed to be careful.
If Kayla found out I had Maya with me, she would know I was involved in Sylan’s death. She knew all about Sylan’s obsession.
Chapter Twenty
Maya
Ryoko didn’t come home that night.
When I woke up the following night, the bed next to me was cold, and the pillow showed no sign of him ever laying his head on it.
Not sure what to think of it, I got up and prepared breakfast. I wasn’t very hungry, but eating was a must since I hadn’t eaten much the day before. The last thing I wanted was for him to scold me for not eating.
The rest of the day went by with incredible slowness. A minute seemed to last an eternity, and by the time the sun went down, and the moon took its place, I was about to freak out.
Ryoko’s absence worried me more than I cared to admit. It wasn’t like him to be away for so long without telling me so. The thought that he was taking revenge for my own sins crossed my mind, but I immediately dismissed it. That was beneath him. He would never worry me like this.
Which meant something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
I paced the house’s porch for hours, wriggling my hands, but he never came. I went back inside way past midnight, when the wind became too cold to bear. My lungs were fine, but I didn’t want to risk a relapse.
Needless to say, I didn’t sleep that night. I missed him, and I was so worried for him; each time I closed my eyes, terrible possibilities filled my mind, and I quickly gave up trying.
Instead, I picked a book and pretended to read it. The morning sun found me reading the same page while my mind fussed, trying to make a plan to go looking for Ryoko.
I knew it was a suicide plan, but I couldn’t stay still and do nothing when he could be in a cell waiting to be devoured by the dragons.
Of course, going anywhere near the headquarters went against Ryoko’s rules. If this was a test, I would fail it miserably. But how was I supposed to stay still without knowing what was going on?”
I was about to lose my mind when I heard the alarms. With my heart beating in a frantic rhythm, I rushed to the shelter and locked the door behind me.
The alarms weren’t activated by Ryoko, so whoever was out there, it wasn’t him.
Shaking violently, I barely managed to turn on the screens that would give me life feed from the cameras installed all over the place.
I was praying the alarms had been activated by a small animal, but the huge male walking into the house confirmed my worst nightmare.
Or so I thought.
The man, one of Ryoko’s men, stood in the middle of the living room, taking off the cloak’s hood, and looked straight at the camera as if he knew where it was.
“Maya, Ryoko sent me. He is alright, but the Septians are keeping him busy. He will be back as soon as possible,” the man’s voice reached me loud and clear but sounded as if he was reciting a message he had memorized. “If this situation lasts longer than expected, I’ll come back and bring you food. Please, do not leave the house and be extra careful,” he added, in the same plain tone.
Once he finished reciting his message, he turned around and disappeared. I watched him until he disappeared towards the city before I dared to relax.
I was so relieved to hear from Ryoko I was a bit lightheaded. Either way, I decided to follow his rules to the letter and spent the night in the shelter. Just in case it was a ruse to get me out of the shelter and capture me.
I was so tired I collapsed in bed, falling asleep immediately.
I was walking through a field of wildflowers, the sun was kissing my face, and the sweet aroma of the flowers made me smile and dance, happy as if I didn't have a care in the world.
Ryoko was laughing at my childish enthusiasm as he walked towards me, arms outstretched. Happy, I ran into his arms, and he hugged me tightly before kissing me as if there were no tomorrow.
“I missed you… where have you been? I was so worried,” I complained when he released my lips.
“I’m sorry, salavíf… I would have come sooner if I could,” he assured me, covering my face and neck with sweet kisses and nibbles.
I sighed and tilted my head back to give him full access to my skin, my body already on fire and my heart thundering in my chest.
“What matters is that you’re here now,” I assured him, opening his cloak and letting it fall to the ground, eager to touch him, the way he was touching me.
He helped me get rid of his own clothes before he pulled off the oversized t-shirt I wore as a nightgown. In a matter of seconds, we were both naked, lying on the narrow bed, while we explored each other’s bodies.
I loved feeling his slightly rough hands on my skin, especially on my sensitive breasts and nipples. My whole body arched towards him in sheer need when he grazed his sharp claws up and down my skin. It set me on fire, and I begged for more.
“Ryoko… please…” I whimpered.
“Do you want me, salavíf?” he asked while drawing a wet trail, down my neck to one of my nipples, capturing it between his lips and slightly biting it.
The sharp pain pulled me out of my slumber, and I realized I wasn’t dreaming anymore. Ryoko was back.
“You’re really here,” I whispered, delighted.
I was back in our bedroom. The bed was covered with wildflowers of all colors and shapes, and we were lying on top of them.
Ryoko smiled and but didn’t stop what he was doing. His wicked tongue was busy torturing my sore nipple.
“I just got back,” he replied while sliding a hand to my throbbing cleft. “I missed you more than I thought possible,” he added, thrusting a couple of fingers deep inside me, making me gasp as a wave of pleasure shook my body.
“I thought you had changed your mind,” I confessed, when the wave subsided, “that you didn’t want me anymore.”
“That could never happen,” he assured me, rolling over me until he was between my legs.
“But you said… you were disgusted when you felt…” I muttered, not sure how to say what was in my mind.
“When I felt what?” he asked, with a slight frown, stopping what he was doing.
“Sylan’s scent on me,” I finally confessed.
“I was disgusted at him, never at you,” he assured me. “I never asked because it doesn’t matter to me, it changes nothing, but if you ever feel the need to talk about what that bastard did to you, I’m all ears,” he added.
Waves of relief washed over me, and I sobbed. “Nothing happened, not really. He decided to wait until we were in a more comfortable place,” I explained, oozing scorn and repulse.
“I’m happy to hear, but for me, it wouldn’t have changed anything. You’re my soul mate,” he insisted, cupping my face and kissing me, in a deep, passionate kiss. “Nothing can change that.”
His confidence warmed my heart, and I kissed him, pulling him closer to me. “That makes me happy,” I assured him.
Kissing me back, he placed his cock at my entrance and pushed. Hard. One single thrust and he was deep inside me, and I wished we could stay like this forever. In his arms, with him buried in me, I felt as if we were one and that I needed nothing else in the world to be happy.
I was probably fooling myself, but at that moment, I decided I would live life one day at a time and let him take me to paradise.
Life wasn’t perfect, but none was.
Chapter Twenty Two
Maya
I heard Ryoko coming in and smiled. After almost two years, my body still reacted to his presence as if it was the first time. My heart jumped in my chest, and my breathing got a lot faster as anticipation coursed through me as the best aphrodisiac there was.
I was in the kitchen fin
ishing dinner when he arrived. I knew he would come to see me, so I just continued with what I was doing. It was our second anniversary, and I had baked a special cake to celebrate.
Ryoko came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, nuzzling my neck and kissing my earlobe. “Cake? Has it been a year already?” he asked, looking at what I was doing.
“Why? Does it feel as if it was more? Or less?” I asked, teasing him, as I turned around to face him.
He kissed me, a long, breathtaking kiss that blew my mind. “I always felt as if I knew you all my life. Time has little importance to me, as long as you’re with me,” he assured me.
“What a poetic way to excuse yourself for forgetting the date,” I grumbled, but I wasn’t upset.
“Who said I forgot?” he protested.
“You didn’t?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Never!” he assured me. “Though for me, the day I met you will always be more special,” he confessed.
I scowled. “It was a dreadful day,” I pointed out. I had just lost my family and had felt as if the world had come to an end.
“I know, but it was the day I met you and that I knew how special you would be for me, someday,” he said, kissing me.
“How was your day? Any news?” I changed the subject after clearing my throat.
Ryoko rarely mentioned the mating thing. He had known the day he met me I was his mate, but after we were forced by adverse circumstances to perform the first stage of the claiming ritual, he had stopped mentioning it. In all this time, he never suggested we finished it, and neither had I.
I never asked him why or if he had changed his mind. I guess I was too scared of what his answer might be, so it had become a sort of forbidden topic between us.
“The black dragon is back, but he’s acting differently. I haven’t told him or anyone, for that matter, but I can tell he’s more awake. The blankness I always saw in his eyes is no longer there,” he explained, grazing his finger on the cake’s frosting and licking it.
I slapped his naughty hand. “That can’t be good, don’t you think?” I asked, a bit worried. “What about the other dragons?”
