Blood Dragon

by Charlene Hartnady

  “How am I looking at you?” he asked.

  “Like you want to eat me.” She shivered.

  “I do.”

  Her eyes widened and she drew in a startled breath. Ceri shook her head. “I came to tell you that we can’t see each other ever again. You said you wanted to ask me something, so ask and then I’m going.”

  Bay began walking towards her.

  “Um,” she stumbled on her words, “I mean it. We can’t do this, you should turn and walk away. Go back to your hotel.” Again, she looked panicked. It was in her eyes. Her hand went up as if to ward him off.

  “What’s wrong? You said I could ask you that question. I came here mainly to talk, just like earlier. There are a few things I need—”

  It happened again. Her eyes turned a bright blood red. She made a pained noise. “No!” She shook her head. “Stay back.” Her fangs were long and really beautiful. Even in this…altered state, her real vampire form, he assumed…she was gorgeous. Ceri hissed at him, in warning.

  Last time this had happened, she’d jumped him and taken blood from him. “Are you thirsty? Is that it?”

  Ceri dropped to a crouch and hissed again. Then she nodded. “Yes.” Another sob.

  “You want my blood?” he asked again. “Why not just,” he took a step towards her, holding out his arm in invitation, “take it. I don’t mind.” Truth was, he wanted her to drink from him. He wanted to rut her again. One last time. Maybe this would be his last chance to rut again ever. And that wasn’t him being dramatic. It was the truth.

  Then he caught her scent and stopped. “Wait!” It was his turn to hold up his hand, but it didn’t help or work. With a low hissing growl, she was on him, her claws in his upper arms and her fangs in his neck. They sank in deep. Pain and pleasure were a heady combination for sure.

  Bay groaned as she sucked. Grunted when she sucked a second time. Had to grab his cock and squeeze to keep himself from shooting off when she went in for a third long pull. His balls were so tight, they hurt. She released him with a yell, looking like she was in pain but also in utter rapture. So stunning to behold.

  He could scent her arousal. Her pussy would be wet and ready. What? He frowned. Now that she was this close and he was able to think ‒ at least somewhat ‒ he could also scent another male on her. His cock throbbed, making it hard to rationalize clearly. The need to fuck drowned everything else out. “Off,” he growled. “Take the dress off now.” It was that or he would tear it off her.

  Ceri pulled the garment over her head, tossing it over a nearby log. By the way she was breathing and the little noises she was making, she was just as desperate as he was. Good! The ground was thick with pine needles, moss and dirt. Bay didn’t care. “Your knees or your back?” He had to be inside her. It had to happen right then!

  Ceri lay down on the ground. Her skin a pure milky white against the dirt. “Open your legs for me.” His words were a guttural rasp. He was sure that his scales would be showing because they were rubbing against his skin. A friction that only heightened his need.

  Her eyes were still red. Her fangs long. Her breasts slightly swollen, such was her level of arousal. Her pussy was glistening wet. Honeyed nectar. If he hadn’t been so mad with need to be inside her, he would have tasted her. He wanted to.

  With a growl, he yanked his pants down, stepping out of them. He crouched over her, taking his weight on his arms, feeling her shudder beneath him.

  “This is the last time,” she groaned, an edge of desperation apparent. “It has to be.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, even though he didn’t want it to be the last time. Not by a long shot.

  Bay groaned when he plunged inside her welcoming flesh. He took her hard. His knees and hands pressing into the soft, damp soil. The forest filled with the sound of their ragged breathing, of her whimpers and moans.

  He didn’t want this to end even though he could feel his release fast approaching. Bay wanted to slow down but he couldn’t, his body wouldn’t let him. Neither would hers. Her pussy sucked him in, holding him, coaxing him. Even his balls slapping against her felt fantastic. His abdominal muscles felt coiled and tight. His eyes large. His body sweaty.

  Then she yelled and her pussy closed around him. Squeezing hard. Her heels dug into him as she tightened her legs. Her body went from coaxing to demanding, and he was useless to deny. Bay groaned her name as he came.

  She bit down on his shoulder, sucking hard. Bay grit his teeth as he orgasmed all over. A harsh snarl was pulled from him as she sucked a second time. Anybody listening would think they were killing one another. He couldn’t keep the noise down.

  Her pussy spasmed again as well and she wailed as she let his neck go. The cry turning into a deep groan. It looked like Ceri had the same problem with noise control.

  “Shit!” she whispered as soon as she could breathe halfway normally. “Shit!” she said again. “That should never have happened.”

  “Stop that!” He gripped her chin. “You keep saying that. I wanted it to happen. I hoped it would. I enjoy being inside you. There is no harm in that.”

  “No harm?” Her eyes filled with tears. “My cousin would be angry. What about your kings? How would they feel?”

  “They’d be pissed but screw them, it’s not like we plan on mating or anything. It’s just sex.” He shook his head, “So why does it matter?”

  “It’s complicating things.”

  “Not really. We had a good time. We’re attracted to one another and have enjoyed each other immensely.” Then he caught that scent from earlier. Bay frowned. “Who is this male I keep scenting on you? Is it the same one from before?”

  “If I didn’t know better, I would say you were jealous.” She pushed on his chest.

  Bay chuckled as he pulled out of her welcoming heat and moved onto his haunches. “I’m not.” He wasn’t though, was he? That she scented of someone else so soon after they had rutted irritated him, but it wasn’t jealousy.

  Ceri sat up, making no move to cover her nakedness. She had smudges of dirt on her thighs. He was certain she’d have some on her back as well. “Good, because that would be…wrong.” She shook her head, making a face. “What did you want to ask?”

  “Who is he? You don’t scent like you rutted but we both know that doesn’t mean anything.”

  Her eyes widened. “You really do sound jealous.”

  “I’m concerned I wasn’t able to…ease you sufficiently that you found the need to go looking for—”

  “You can stop right there. I have enjoyed rutting you. Drago is my friend. That’s all he is.” She shook her head. “I needed to try to mask your scent after drinking from you, that’s all.”

  He couldn’t believe the degree of calm he felt. Good! So he was still a decent fuck. It had nothing to do with jealousy. That would be stupid. Not to mention wrong.

  “You wanted to ask me something.”

  Bay nodded once. He needed to just go ahead and say it. Just spit it out already. He realized that he felt shame. He didn’t want this beautiful creature to know about his impotency problems. He didn’t want to see a look of pity in her eyes. To have her never look at him with desire again.

  There was no again with her though. Therefore, nothing to lose. There was only here and now and finding a possible cure to his problem. If one even existed. He had to try. If he tried and failed, at least he could continue with his head held high. If he didn’t at least ask, he would always regret it. He might need to seek her out again and that couldn’t happen. Ceri was right about that.

  “I’m impotent,” he blurted.

  Chapter 13

  Impotent.

  Ceri felt confusion wash over her. “What? Sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

  “No.” Bay nodded. “You did. You heard me just fine. I’m impotent.”

  Ceri frowned and then burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. Impotent! Really? It was absurd. Her humor quickly evaporated when he remained perfectly serious. H
is eyes solemn. The male wasn’t joking then.

  Come on though. It couldn’t be. “If you’re impotent, how did we just have sex? How did we have sex all the times before that? You do realize, that’s a lot of sex for someone who can’t get it up.”

  “I have no idea how sex with you has been possible.” He shook his head. “I was involved in an accident twelve years ago. I’m not going to bore you with the particulars.” He was ashamed of how it had happened. “My shaft was completely severed.”

  “It would have grown back.” Ceri glanced down at his cock. “It clearly did grow back.”

  “The cut was made with a silver blade.”

  “Oh!” Her eyes widened. “Oh,” she repeated, this time with understanding. “Just like with my womb.”

  “Yes, just like that. My cock grew back but never functioned again. Not until…”

  “So, how was sex between us possible?” He could see her mind was running a mile a minute.

  “I’m not sure, I was hoping you could tell me. It’s clearly related to you drinking from me because every time that happens, my cock gets hard in an instant. The effects quickly wear off though.”

  The answer to his question was easy. “Drinking, when done between two people who are attracted to one another, is highly sexual. It turns the other person on. The person drinking but mostly the person receiving the bite will be greatly affected. It acts like a major aphrodisiac and I can only assume that that’s what happened with you.”

  He pushed out a breath, looking upset. “Like you pointed out, our species do not get along very well. Sneaking around with willing vampire females ‒ if I can find one, that is ‒ isn’t my idea of a long-term plan.” He shook his head.

  Hearing him talk of rutting other females ‒ particularly of her species ‒ made her feel uncomfortable. So that was why he had come back to see her, so that he could try to cure himself. Not for her. It had nothing to do with seeing her again. Of course he wasn’t interested in her in that way. She was a lay to him. Ceri snorted internally. It should have made her feel relieved. Happy even.

  The only thing it made her feel though was angry. Angry at herself for even thinking such a thing. Angry for caring and then really pissed at him for being just another asshole. It was disappointing.

  It turned out that despite seeming kind and sweet, Bay was just like the vampire males, ready to use her for their own pleasures and then take up with a human so that they could have young. She wasn’t ever worth more than a good rutting.

  “Are you okay? Your eyes are turning red all over again. Do you need more blood? More sex?” He grinned, making her blood boil. “I would be happy to give you both.” She was appalled to find her body respond. Her nipples had stiffened. Need tightened her belly.

  It all just pissed her off a whole lot more that she wanted him so much, even after he admitted to using her. “I know exactly what you need.”

  “I’ll bet you do.” His eyes brightened. He sat on his ass, legs splayed. Abs taut, shoulders wide. His smile taunting and beautiful. Her eyeballs didn’t seem to care that he was a using bastard. Neither did the rest of her body.

  There was only one ‘cure’ she could think of. Ceri shouldn’t help him. He didn’t deserve it. Thing was, she knew what it felt like to feel like half a person. To have a part of you stripped away. She would never be a mother. Chances were good she’d never find love because if it. What species’ male wanted a female incapable of bearing young?

  None.

  None she knew of anyway. Bay included. He wanted to be cured and he wanted to be on his way. Ceri straddled him, sinking down on his cock.

  Bay’s eyes narrowed onto hers. They brightened up with intense heat as she ground down. He groaned as she got down to the hilt, completely joined. Then she began to work his cock, up and down. His jaw tensed and he gripped her hips. Bay leaned forward and tried to kiss her, but she turned her head away. This wasn’t about enjoyment, about drawing out the moment. This was a means to an end. It was fucking. She sank her fangs into his neck and sucked his blood. Bay immediately tensed, she heard his heart stop for a second. Heard the air stick in his lungs. Then he snarled and she felt heat deep inside as he ejaculated. She sucked again and his snarl turned into a hard groan, his body shuddering beneath her. Heat flooded her body, her pussy tightened but she held off her own release, continuing to ride him. The third pull was almost too much to bear, but this time she managed a fourth before her insides felt like they were burning up. She let him go, even though she was loath to do so.

  Next, she bit into her own wrist, still grinding on his cock shamelessly. “You drink from me,” she moaned each word, absurdly close to coming.

  His eyes narrowed. “What?” he growled. “Why?”

  “You want a cure, then drink,” she urged. “Before I heal.” It wouldn’t take long for that to happen. “Drink!” she demanded. “Now!”

  Bay kept his eyes locked with hers as he closed his mouth over the wound she had made on her arm and sucked.

  A keening noise left her as pleasure flooded her system. Her pussy spasmed so hard she was sure she might hurt him.

  Instead, he growled, his eyes rolling back. He gripped her arm with both his hands and sucked again, harder this time. Her back bowed and she yelled his name. He sucked again and she saw stars. Then he was gripping her hips and jerking into her, grunting loudly as he came again.

  She’d never had frantic out of control sex like this before. It was as beautiful as it was ugly. This was how she always imagined it to be between lovers. Between mates. Something special and rare. Only it wasn’t that. Not at all. It felt like a slap in the face. Like a cold bucket of water.

  Ceri pulled away. She’d never felt lonelier. She stood up and took a few stumbling steps in the opposite direction, picking up her discarded dress and purse. “Here.” She tossed a bottle of the gel at him. It landed on the ground next to him. “No-one must know.” Ceri turned to walk away.

  “Wait,” he growled.

  Ceri paused, not turning back.

  “Is that it?” he asked. “Am I cured?”

  A single tear tracked down her cheek. She ignored it, ignored him and walked away.

  Chapter 14

  The next day…

  “And?” Drago sniffed the air as soon as he opened the door. “Somebody got some.” He grinned as he stepped to the side to let her in. “You smell weird again, like you were smoking or something.” He sniffed again. “Cigars rather than cigarettes.” He wrinkled his nose and then widened his eyes. “You weren’t smoking, were you? You did actually get laid again?” Then he grinned because he knew the answer to his own question.

  Ceri didn’t want to talk about it but Drago would be like a dog after a bone if she didn’t give him something. “Yes, we rutted again. I definitely wasn’t smoking anything. He leaves in a couple of hours, so that’s the end of that.” Hopefully Drago would drop the whole thing.

  She should have known better than to think he would. He scrutinized her. “You aren’t glowing, or on a high, or happy or anything. You seem…down.” He cocked his head slightly, really giving her the once-over. “Why are you down? What happened?”

  “Not at all.” She waved her hand and walked further into his apartment. “Oh good, you have coffee brewing.”

  “Don’t try to change the subject.” She turned to Drago, who folded his arms. “Why aren’t you on a sex high? Was the rutting not up to scratch?” He made a face. “Was the dragon crap? I thought he was good? Why else would you go back for seconds?”

  “The sex was good. More than good actually.”

  “Why are you so down then?”

  She helped herself to a coffee cup and sighed softly. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Ceri knew it was the worst thing she could say because Drago wouldn’t let it go now.

  “You’ll feel better if you talk about it. I guarantee it. Are you sad he’s leaving?” His eyes lit up. “Are you in love with this male?”

  “
No!” she replied. “Not at all. Don’t be crazy.” Ceri poured herself some of the steaming brew. “Why does that make you happy, at any rate? It would be terrible if I had fallen in love with a dragon.”

  He shrugged. “It would be interesting.”

  “Me, being in love with someone I could never have, is not interesting, that would be awful.”

  “I suppose. You say it isn’t that, what is it then? I’ll have a cup too.” He pointed at her coffee and leaned against the counter, his eyes on her.

  “He was using me,” she blurted.

  Drago burst out laughing. "Of course he was, just like you were using him. Wait a minute! Why would you care about a thing like that? You must have feelings for this dragon. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so upset about this."

  “I don’t have feelings for him, it’s just…” She pushed out a heavy breath. Drago already knew so much, what did it matter if she told him all of it. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out another cup.

  “Just what?”

  She huffed out a breath. “I didn’t meet Bay yesterday.”

  Drago’s frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know when I went to Beachhaven on vacation?”

  “Yes.” Drago nodded once, a grin beginning to spread across his handsome face. “Don’t tell me you guys… Did you…?”

  She rolled her eyes and nodded once. “Yes, we spent the night together then as well. Just one night. I checked out before morning. We didn’t talk much.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “I didn’t think I’d ever see him again and…” She raised her brows.

  “And then he shows up here.” Drago laughed. “That’s bizarre. So yesterday was the second time you saw him and last night the third.”