by D. R. Rosier
Sure, he could stomp me in a second or use his breath weapon to kill me, but only if I’m not paying attention. The truth was I was more terrified he’d make me kill him.
It was quiet, so I stepped out and asked, “So what are my options, what are your challenge traditions, what are the stakes?”
I heard a pleased chuckle from Talindris. I suppose that makes sense, he probably wants me dead too, the jerk.
Rafe sounded resigned as he said, “You may refuse and be branded a coward and be banished. Honestly that’s probably the best option. If you accept you meet in the air. If you die… well all your possessions go to him.”
He cleared his throat, “If he dies, you get his hoard. You will also no longer need to meet challenges on this issue.”
I nodded. Honestly I couldn’t care less about a charge of cowardice. I had no desire to kill him and take all his stuff. I wouldn’t even do it if the price was losing my chance with Rafe, although the idea of that hurt rather more than I suspected it would. However, if taking that life meant protecting this world from dragon hunters, how many lives would I be saving?
Was that a specious argument? Was it pride? A part of me wanted to show them, wanted to prove I wasn’t powerless and rub their noses in their assumed superiority. But I was pretty sure that wasn’t it. I wouldn’t kill for such a petty reason. Of course, I was assuming wasn’t I? That hadn’t been an empty threat, it was entirely possible my family would avenge my death.
I sighed.
“There are no options that don’t include death?”
I’d never killed anyone before. Never needed to. I knew my mom had, so had my grandmother. I was pretty sure my sister Amber had as well. I understood there was a time to stand and take needed action. But was now this time for me?
Rafe replied, “Except for banishment, no.”
I turned to Caph, “Is it worth it? His life for the protection of this world?”
He looked surprised by the question as if not seeing a connection between the two. I felt a bit cowardly asking, as if trying to shift the blame of any death to another. But the truth was this society was so different, what seemed like truth to me could be alien to them.
For a moment I didn’t think he would answer, but I think he was wise enough to see it from my point of view.
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. It is his challenge, his assumption you were mocking him. If he can’t keep his life that’s just how it is here.”
I nodded and my chest tightened, “I will accept your challenge, so how does this work.”
Rafe answered, “Just fly up and meet him in battle, none may interfere.”
I smiled, so no last meal? No high noon or rules of contact. Simply kill or be killed.
I opened a portal three hundred feet up and stepped through, crossing my arms as it closed behind me. It appeared as if I was standing on air, but in truth I was just cancelling gravity’s effects on my body. I was embracing my magic and the world was already at a quarter speed. It seemed to take forever for him to roar and move toward me.
I embraced my magic fully and he seemed to crawl. He must have been moving incredibly fast, fast enough to swallow me or roast me in an eye blink real time. Everyone else seemed to be frozen, I could actually see him moving, although not very fast subjectively.
He was a golden dragon, so fire breath, and of course magic. I was honestly more worried about the latter. I reached out with my magic to steal his momentum, expecting him to stop dead, frozen. It didn’t work though, his magic shielded him from mine. I was right, I wouldn’t be able to create a natural effect close to him with my magic, because my magic would be dispelled by his protections.
Still, it almost didn’t seem fair. In a surprise attack I’d be so screwed. A challenge? The bigger challenge was my breaking heart. I was so very angry. How dare they turn me into a killer? I knew what the answer had to be. I spun out webs of my magic, for me minutes passed as I slowly built a raging screaming thunder storm around me. In real time a thousandth of a second may have passed.
I wouldn’t attack him with magic, no, I would use my magic to attack him with nature.
Bolt after bolt of lightning fell from the sky, bathing his scales in molten electricity. For me it was fast, two or three strikes a second. For them, they would see hundreds strikes all at once. I could see his scales darken as I cooked him in lightning while a stream of fire started to leave his muzzle. I kept it up for ten minutes subjective time, the magic here was almost endless.
I did feel a little mental tiredness from controlling so much magic, but not enough to stop me. Multiple dragons may have given me a lot more trouble that way, but for just one?
His body was blackened, his wings nonexistent when I released most of my magic, and watched him to start falling out of the sky.
I moved twenty feet to the side and released some of my magic to speed things up a little more, although the time dilation still had things crawling. I watched as the fire rolled by me. It was formidable, more powerful than demon or angelic fire, if it had hit me…
His body hit the ground, it wasn’t a wet sound, it was like the sound of a hard burnt biscuit hitting the floor, but magnified many times. It made me cringe. I cut the magic fueling the storm completely as I lowered myself slowly to the ground. There were tears running down my cheek as I looked at the dragons one by one.
The smell of burnt meat was overwhelming and I felt my gorge wanting to rise. Somehow I managed to keep down my breakfast.
I was surprised when my voice came out hard and unforgiving, “How do I claim his hoard?”
I wanted to go home, I wanted to lose myself in Rafe’s arms, I wanted to do anything but that. Like I cared about a fucking dragon hoard.
But it was important to them, I didn’t want to misstep. Again.
The fear in their eyes enraged me. It was their fault. Damn dragons.
The answer came from above. Tellindria’s voice was… respectful.
“The hoard is already yours young one. No one will disturb it and we will take you to it when you’re ready to move it.”
I nodded, “Thank you.”
I turned to head for the door and go inside. I made it to my suite and put up a one way soundproof ward and broke down sobbing. I didn’t want them to hear me. I collapsed on the bed and cried until I fell asleep…
Chapter 6
For the next two days I stayed in my suite except for meals. I was starting to get antsy, I knew I should be asking questions about the world, and perhaps take a break and look around. It may sound surprising, but I was feeling much better about what happened. I still wasn’t happy with it, but it was resolved in my mind.
After all, two days meant two more enchantments. That meant my actions have been simmering in my mind for close to four months of subjective time. Caph and his mate Cary were respectful, but I didn’t think they were afraid of me. Tal and Ruby was another story. To make things even stranger I figured out over the last two days that Ruby was Tal’s mate as well.
Rafe seemed worried, but it seemed to be more for me than about me, if that makes sense.
Speaking of Rafe, I’d almost jumped him last time he visited me. Sure, my body had sex in real time two days ago, and my magic was satisfied in this world, but in my mind I hadn’t had sex in four months. That was… crazy. Longest I’d gone since well… a long time. Okay, possibly in forever.
I was definitely going stir crazy and needed to get out of here. I did miss Tony and Lily, but I went ahead and let Rafe know I needed to get out for a few hours, back home, and asked if he wanted to come. Not only would that give me familiar surroundings but the opportunity to ask him questions, get to know him better.
I took a shower and got ready for a night out. Red dress, high heels, and some light makeup. I didn’t really need makeup, I only used it really to blend in. I was used to being sure, calm, and in control. Especially on a date. But this was different, this mate bond added the potential for much more than a simpl
e good time followed by a delicious meal and the pleasure of release in the bedroom. What if it didn’t work out? What if it did?
I wasn’t sure which result would be more disturbing.
Can dragons even love? Is love what I really wanted? What if this mate thing is all honor, pack, and instincts? Base desires to perpetuate the species. I… there was a knock on the door.
I opened it and smiled, relaxing as I took him in. His presence settled my nerves. I was a succubus, dating was like tying a shoelace for us. Automatic.
He returned my smile, “You look amazing Dawn. Ready to go?”
I nodded and had to prevent myself from reaching out and touching his arm. I really needed to ask about that, why a simple touch would set him off. No wonder I felt so off my game, my art of seduction wasn’t a factor here, dragons were too… different.
We walked about as close together without touching as possible as we made our way out.
Rafe said, “I have a restaurant in mind, a place I know from when I was scouting. I actually like a lot of things about your world, but first I’d like to take you somewhere on my world.”
I agreed and was pleased when he wrapped his magic around both of us and took us into the air. We flew over the forest, toward the mountains. Despite all the differences between us, and my lack of knowledge I felt… comfortable. I was also aware of his power and strength, which also added to the appeal. I finally managed to work around to some questions.
“How come we can’t touch, what would happen?”
Rafe answered, “It is not a lack of control or respect on my part. It is the mate bond side of my magic. I have no true control over it, if we touched the magic would take over. It wouldn’t let go until the bond was complete.”
“Are there a lot of different groups of dragons?”
Rafe grunted, “There are around fifty sovereigns. Each with their own dragons to command. It is usually between fifty and a hundred of us. Any more than that would be too many, it would cause problems. We have a lot of tradition and our honor to prevent outright war but we are apex predators.”
I thought about that for a minute, that meant there was less than fifty thousand dragons, for the whole planet.
“A council?”
Rafe nodded, “They meet once a year for about a week. All sovereigns. By tradition there can be no challenges at a council gathering, otherwise there would be. It’s a fine line between disagreement and challenge for a dragon.”
I turned a bit and looked around, the world was pristine. No tech, no smog. I was trying to clear my head, just being in his presence filled me with desire. The flavor of his magic, his emotions, and the obvious regard he had for me. Not to mention the lust. Was that about me, or just magical instinct?
Did that even matter?
He took us down by a mountain lake, the water was clear and calm. There was a small copse of trees nearby which he led me to. When we got there he pulled what looked like a pear from a branch and carefully handed it to me.
He said in a gentle rumble, “I thought you might be tiring of only meat, I wanted to show you my world has more than that. The fruit is one of the few things dragons eat besides meat. It has magical properties, a kind of cleansing, it’s also delicious.”
This place was beautiful, and I smiled in thanks. It wasn’t flowers, or any gift a human would expect. But it was thoughtful and I felt myself melting a little inside as my body tingled. I took a bite out of it. The flavor was sweet, and the consistency was something like a ripe peach, melting on the tongue. Juices burst into my mouth and I could feel the magic in it clearing my magical channels.
I moaned lightly in pleasure at the rush of it.
“Thank you, this is very good.”
I could feel his warmth, affection, and desire. I wondered for a moment what I was waiting for.
I asked, “How would you feel about completing a mating bond with a human witch?”
It hadn’t even occurred to me until right then that he might have reservations too. Self absorbed much?
He chuckled, “I trust my magic, the mate bond is known by us and accepted. Besides, it will make life a lot more exciting. I’d consider myself lucky.”
“Dinner? Although I’d like to come back here another time, when I’m dressed for it. Maybe a picnic?”
Do dragons have picnics? I almost giggled as a picture appeared in my mind of a large dragon daintily holding a sandwich sitting on a large blanket.
He nodded, “It would be my pleasure.”
I considered popping a portal directly to Earth, I had the stabilization enchantment location. But I let him be in control, men like to drive after all. He wrapped us in magic, opened a gate and brought us through. I grinned, I was in space again.
I was already pretty sure he was getting lucky tonight, but I still wanted to let the date play out first. I wasn’t surprised at all when he took me to one of Chicago’s better steak houses. At least I was able to get a token amount of veggies and a baked potato. I was pleased that he didn’t seem to mind all the looks I was getting. I would really have to figure out their social structure sometime soon.
Dinner was good, as was the wine. I kind of wanted to go out dancing, I actually daydreamed about it, but that would have to wait. I couldn’t touch him, which was actually starting to bother me. Quite a bit.
He was mesmerizing.
After taking care of the check we went back to his world. I had a great time, and my body was practically vibrating in anticipation. When we got back to my room, I quite deliberately reached out, took his hand, and pulled him inside my suite…
A tingling sensation raced from my fingertips where I touched Rafe. His magic was warm and sensuous as it raced through my body. All my nerve endings came alive, my skin felt extra sensitive. My nipples hardened and when the tingles reached between my legs, I gasped as my core clenched tightly in need.
There was more than just pleasure, more than just the evocation of lust, which I’d had plenty of to begin with. It wasn’t love, but it was an opening of heart, I felt my heart lay bared before him as I started to sense him as well, on a deeper level. The rest of the world seemed to fade away. There was only him and my desperate need to feel his hands on me, to have him explore my body, to have him claim me.
He pulled me against him and claimed my mouth with a firm kiss and I felt the heat between us as I melted against his body. My magic rose up to join and mingle with his, and I gasped as the lust of my power added yet another dimension to the connection between us. Part of me wanted to savor this moment, make it last a long time. Explore every bit of his body with my senses.
There was a sense of urgency however; a desperate need that I had to fulfill that wouldn’t allow such a leisurely encounter. I needed him inside me, and a minute ago was too long to wait. We shed our clothes and I moaned at the feel of his fingers against my skin. I gasped in pleasure as he grabbed my hair, tilted my head and started to kiss my neck. He breathed in deeply against my soft skin. Every place his lips touched shot consuming fire straight to my core.
I wrapped my legs around him as he picked me up by my ass cheeks, reclaiming my lips as he started to the bedroom.
I nibbled his ear and breathily said, “Rafe.”
My voice was both a desperate plea and a demand, and I heard him growl in response. I ground my core against his growing manhood drawing a gasp and a nip of my bottom lip. I was completely helpless to resist, his magic had me in its grasp. Not that I had any desire to resist.
A small part of me wondered if this was how others felt when I used my power. That thought fled however when we reached the bed and he dropped me. I was almost irrationally angry at the separation of our bodies, was he trying to torture me? That changed almost immediately as I felt him against my body as he joined me in the bed.
Heat, fire, I felt as if I’d burn up until he was in me. Then I felt him at my entrance and my body lunged into his as he thrust into mine. I cried out in pleasure as he started to saw
in and out of me. I felt myself rise, buoyed by the pleasure of our joining, and felt even more heat as I rose to my rapture. I wanted to feel him let loose inside me, wanted our joining to be complete.
His hands left trails of blissful heat as he ran them down my body, lifted my legs up and over his shoulders. I gasped as I felt him tweak one of my nipples and thumb my clit as he went faster, harder. My body moved in rhythm with his as he buried himself time and again.
Rafe said, “Mine,” in a demanding and strong voice that went straight to my core.
I said breathily, “Oh Rafe, yours,” and trailed off into a silent scream of pleasure as my mind and body broke into ecstasy.
My magic and his made it almost painfully long. As I came down I could feel his magic connecting us in a way I really didn’t understand, then I wasn’t exactly in a frame of mind to understand at that moment. I could figure it out later.
He gently pulled out and laid my legs back on the mattress gently as he collapsed next to me. He looked at me with wonder and surprise, and caressed my cheek softly.
I heard, “Mine.”
His unspoken voice filled my mind with heat, possession and want. This time though, it wasn’t demanding. It had a kind of awe and tenderness to it that struck me in heart.
I snuggled into him, my body sated for the moment, and kissed his chest and let out a sigh. I could feel his presence in the back of my mind, I could also feel myself in the back of his. This was so much more than witch to witch telepathy. There were no barriers. Without trying I could speak silently to him, yet I knew that was just the beginning.
I could see his memories there, with just a little effort I could explore them. I knew he could do the same to me, for some reason that didn’t bother me at all. I thought it probably should have, but it didn’t. It was impossible for him to harm me now, and I wouldn’t… no, couldn’t hurt him either. We were mates.
