by Eric Vall
“Fine,” I muttered and turned to Alyona. “Finish the spell.”
“Of course.” She nodded and held the vial close to her pink lips. “Blood shared, knots tied, access granted to the inside.”
A coil of white magic burst from her lips and encircled the vial before it tightened against the clear sides of the prism and disappeared. Alyona handed the necklace to Emma, and my aunt draped it around her neck. The vial hung to her chest and seemed to almost shimmer in the flickering light of the candles around the room.
“Ready?” Emma asked in a soft voice.
“Yeah,” I agreed and led her out of the room.
We climbed the stairs to Valerra’s room in silence, and Emma gasped once we were inside. The floor-to-ceiling windows provided a gorgeous view of the night sky, and we could see dozens of stars dotted the velvet blue background. We both stared out the windows for a moment, and as I stood there, I realized I couldn’t be angry with Emma about her decision. She’d been close with my mother, and she would never betray that trust, which was a loyalty that was hard to come by.
“Does it all look like this?” Emma asked as she stared out the glass windows toward the city of Hatra.
“No,” I answered and joined her to look outside. “Hatra didn’t even look this beautiful when I first got here. It had been destroyed by the miasma, and it took months for us to restore it. I helped build many of the buildings here, including the palace.”
“You were never a Lego kind of kid,” she chuckled. “How did you do that?”
“One of my powers is control over stones,” I explained with a smile. “I can move it telekinetically, and apparently, I can mold it a little as well. So, I moved the things that were too big for everyone else to move, and I did it much faster. We’d probably still be lugging rocks from the mountains over here if I hadn’t assimilated that magic.”
“If you hadn’t, uh, what?” Emma raised a confused eyebrow.
“Assimilated,” I repeated. “It’s a dragon’s ability to take the power of its prey. I killed a stone giant, well, I’ve killed a few of them now, and I took its stone magic.”
“A stone giant,” she breathed. “How many, um, creatures have you killed?”
“A few,” I said with a dismissive wave. “Now, come on.”
Emma pursed her lips, and I knew she wanted to ask more, but she followed me to one of the stone walls without another word. Then I accessed the secret entrance to the hidden chamber that held both of the eggs. We stepped down the stairs until we reached the doorway, and I grasped her hand as I pulled her through the invisible barrier.
Alyona’s necklace worked like a charm, and we passed through the magical wall without an issue. The large golden-faced cabinet seemed to throb as we drew closer, and I wondered if my son or daughter could feel my presence. It felt as though my egg was excited to see me, and I grinned when I slid the drawer open to reveal the eggs.
Valerra’s sister’s egg was a deep crimson and almost double the size of our egg. Ours was black, gold, and violet, and I could feel the surge of energy emanating from it in waves as I peered into the drawer.
“Hey, there, Junior,” I whispered as I grazed the rough surface of my future hatchling. “Sorry it’s been so long.”
“Can it hear you?” Emma asked with genuine curiosity. “I mean, they always say a baby can hear its parents’ voices in utero, so it makes sense.”
“I suppose it’s possible,” I agreed. “Actually, that makes perfect sense. We read before that dragons won’t hatch until they feel safe, so it’s reasonable to think they have some sort of understanding about what’s going on outside their shells.”
“So, how long has this one been waiting?” she wondered and gently touched the red egg with her fingertips.
“Three-thousand years,” I murmured. “It was first laid when the Sage had begun his reign of terror on the dragons, but now that he’s gone, I’m not sure why it hasn’t hatched yet.”
“Maybe it’s because of the Breach,” she suggested. “Can’t they feel its negative vibes? I know I can.”
“You can?” I was surprised she hadn’t mentioned this before.
“Oh, yeah,” my aunt confirmed with a nod. “It’s, like, a funeral and a war wrapped up in one super sad combo. I felt it when I got here. I just thought everyone did.”
“Not exactly,” I replied and frowned. “So, hopefully, you’ll get to meet my kid once we close it.”
“I cannot wait!” she gushed as she touched my egg’s surface again with the gentle touch of a mother. “He or she will be beautiful, I just know it. Can I be here when it hatches?”
“That’s more of a Valerra question,” I hedged. “I don’t know all the rules of dragon motherhood. She already tried to claw my eyes out once over these guys. I’d rather you keep your eyeballs.”
“Of course.” Emma nodded with knowing eyes. “I’ll wait until she approves. I hope she knows I want nothing but the best for these little ones.”
“She’ll know soon,” I said and smiled. “She doesn’t know you yet, but she knows me. I’d never bring anyone around that could hurt them.”
“Good.” She finally turned away from the dresser and looked around the rest of the room until her eyes rested on a long, wooden bow. “What’s that?”
“Ah, a story for another time,” I chuckled as I ushered her toward the door. “Let’s go eat.”
Emma shrugged and walked out of the room and back toward the dining hall, and the moment we sat down, Forsythe and his team began to file into the dining hall with trays of food. The giant platters were set on the table with care, and I could see the huge cuts of buffalo steak that dripped with savory juices and made my mouth water. More trays were filled with whole roasted chickens, shredded roast, potatoes, green beans with onions, and skewered fresh fruit.
“Ohhhh, gods,” Valerra groaned as she eyed the food.
I knew exactly how she felt, and I wondered how much I could eat before I popped like a balloon. I was about to test my limits.
We dug into our plates, and I forked a bite of buffalo steak into my mouth. I hummed with pleasure as the juicy meat hit my tongue, and the flavors of Forsythe’s herbs and spices dribbled down my throat. I hadn’t tasted steak this good since my mom had taken me to the fanciest steakhouse in New York when she got a Christmas bonus one year.
“The eggs are breathtaking,” Emma murmured to Valerra as they ate their dinner. “Thank you for letting me see them.”
“You’re welcome.” My dragon mate blinked rapidly like she was taken aback by Emma’s appreciation. “Only because you are Lord Evan’s blood family. Anyone else would have their throat ripped from their body.”
“Understandable,” Emma agreed with a nod. “If I’d been lucky enough to have children, I would have felt the same way. I often found myself very protective over Evan since I had no children of my own.”
“Why did you not have children?” Valerra wondered. “Is it not the woman’s duty on Earth to bear children?”
I was intrigued by Valerra’s interest in the conversation. She rarely connected with anyone else, especially someone outside our soul bridges, but she seemed to talk with my aunt just fine.
“It is an honor to be a mother,” Emma replied with a wry smile. “I wouldn’t call it a duty for Earth customs, but unfortunately, my body wasn’t able to carry a child.”
“I’m so sorry,” Valerra whispered, and I thought I saw her blink back actual tears. “I cannot imagine your pain.”
I turned my head and allowed the women their shared moment. I hadn’t realized many things about my dear aunt, and now I respected her even more for raising me once my mother passed away. It couldn’t have been easy to take on someone else’s kid when you couldn’t even have one of your own.
“She’s a wonderful woman.” Alyona put a knowing hand on mine and smiled. “You were very blessed on Earth to have her.”
“Yes, I was,” I agreed. “And now, our children will be blessed to have her ar
ound, too. She taught me a lot, and she’s the reason I got here.”
“Then she will always be welcome,” my wife replied with a wide smile. “She brought me the greatest gift.”
I leaned over and kissed the princess before the kitchen staff returned with a round of dessert. For the next two hours, we ate chocolate-covered fruits, cake, pudding, and some little pastries Forsythe had whipped up this afternoon. It was all so delicious, and my stomach felt like it might burst by the time I finally set down my fork and called it quits. I realized nearly everyone else had gone to bed already, and only Valerra and I had continued to eat long into the night. Our dragon appetites were incredibly large, but I quickly noticed I wasn’t quite as tired as my companions when I looked over at the lady dragon as she licked the chocolate drippings from her fork.
“Have you finally filled your belly, my lord?” Valerra teased with a glint of amusement in her golden eyes.
“One of my hungers has been satiated at least,” I replied in a low voice I knew she could hear, and then I winked.
Valerra dug her claws into the wood of the table as she kept her gaze locked on mine, and I could practically feel the heat of my dragon mate’s desire as it rolled off her in waves. My eyes traveled down her slender throat to the thin crimson robe that barely covered her athletic body. Her pert nipples poked through the satin fabric, and she bit into her lower lip as she watched me drink her in.
“Are you going to stare all night?” she demanded, though I knew her well enough to know she was simply covering up her strong desire for my seed.
“Maybe.” I shrugged and casually leaned back in my chair. “Unless you ask me nicely for something else.”
“Evannnn,” Valerra growled as her talons gouged deeper holes into the table. “Just do it!”
“You know what I want,” I murmured and stood up to reveal my erection pressed against my trousers. “Ask me.”
“Gods!” she hissed. “Fine! Please, Lord Evan, fill me!”
“That’s more like it,” I rumbled as I strode around the table and grabbed my dragon mate by the arm.
In a flash, I pressed her against the wall, and our lips crashed together in a frenzy. Her clawed fingers threatened to tear through my shirt as she tried to pull me even closer to her, and I shoved her harder into the stone as I thrust my tongue into her mouth and my thigh between hers. I could feel the warmth of her pussy on my leg, and I rolled my hips back and forth as I kissed her.
“Ohhhh, Evan!” she moaned as I dipped down to kiss her neck and dragged my tongue up to nibble her ear. “Please!”
“Shhh, you’ll wake everyone,” I teased in her ear. “Besides, I haven’t been able to taste you in ages.”
“Oh, gods!” she shrieked before I dropped to my knees and spread open her robe to reveal the apex of her thighs.
Her warm core already glistened with her juices, and I grinned up at her before I dove headfirst between her legs. I slowly slid my tongue up one side of her sweet lips and down the other, and I could feel Valerra’s body shudder with pleasure as she clawed at the stone wall and whimpered.
Her juices trickled down my chin as I licked her sopping pussy and suckled on her throbbing clit. She gasped when I nipped at the soft skin with my teeth, and then I slid a finger inside her tight canal. Her legs nearly buckled as I curled my finger to pleasure her while I flicked my tongue over her dripping lips. Then I felt her tunnel squeeze my finger, and I slipped one more inside her and thrust in and out while I ran my tongue over her clit.
“Ohhhhh, fuck!” she screeched as her orgasm cascaded over my tongue and down my chin.
Her body shivered and vibrated above me as she came, and I sucked each drop from her lips before I stood up, met her gaze, and licked my fingers.
“Just as tasty as I remember,” I murmured. “Come on.”
I took her hand, and she followed me on shaky legs to her chambers. When we reached her room, Eleanor and Emily stood near the secret entrance to the egg chamber, and they jumped with wide eyes when I yanked Valerra inside.
“Get out!” the lady dragon ordered and pointed to the door.
The ladies-in-waiting scurried out without question, and Valerra slammed the door shut behind them.
“Over here.” I pointed to the bed, and Valerra grinned as she untied her robe and dropped it to the floor.
Her pussy was still nearly dripping from her first orgasm, and I wanted nothing else but to give her a few more. She started to flop onto the bed, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back to me.
“I thought you wanted me on the bed,” she pouted.
“I want to bend you over it,” I hissed as I shoved her top half down onto the silky red blankets.
Her creamy ass stood out against the stark blackness of the room, and I stared at her quivering body as I slowly peeled off my shirt, boots, and trousers. Then I strode closer and plunged my cock into her warm, wet tunnel in one fell swoop.
“Oh, gods!” she moaned.
I thrust my hips back and forth, and I could feel every ridge and valley of her core with each movement. Valerra clawed at the blankets while I fucked her from behind, and I pounded into her trembling body until I heard her breaths come in gasps.
“Are you going to cum again for me?” I whispered as I tightened my grip on her hips and pulled her against me even harder.
“Yessss, ohhhhh!” Valerra sighed before her tunnel squeezed around my cock, and the wave of her second climax poured over my arousal.
She shuddered, and her arms gave out as she fell against the bed, but I continued to plow into her as her body was wracked with waves of pleasure. Then I pulled my cock out and flipped her to her back.
“Get all the way on the bed,” I ordered her.
My dragon mate scooted up toward the center of the huge bed and opened her legs for me to enter her again.
“Please, Lord Evan,” she begged. “Your seed!”
“Don’t you worry about that,” I growled as I rammed my erection into her sopping pussy.
I rocked my hips back and forth as I let every inch of my cock fill her. The lady dragon’s juices still dripped from her sweet lips, and soon a puddle formed under her hips. I grinned as her body shuddered beneath me once more with another orgasm, and then the tightening of her canal finally sent me over the edge.
“Oh, Evannnnnnn!” she shrieked as I groaned with pleasure.
My dragon seed seemed to pour out of me like a river bursting through a dam, and I filled her tunnel with my hot load until it dripped down her shivering thighs. My body trembled as my orgasm rushed through my bones and left me craving even more of my dragon mate.
Valerra started to rise from the bed with a sigh, but I pushed her back against the satin sheets.
“Again,” I rumbled as I mounted her once more.
When I’d finally had my hunger satisfied, and my mate was packed full of my seed, we laid exhausted on the bed. I could hardly keep my eyes open, and I fell asleep to the light of the moon streaming in through the giant windows behind the bed.
It seemed like hours had passed when I woke again, but when I looked outside, I could still see the trio of moons in the sky. It was still night, which meant I could get a few more hours of sleep.
Thank the gods.
I rolled over, wrapped my arm around Valerra, and felt myself begin to drift off again.
Then the city alarm bells rang out into the night, and my eyes shot open.
Chapter 4
“What in the name of the gods?” Valerra muttered as I jumped out of bed.
“The alarm,” I grunted while I searched for my clothes. “Something is happening.”
“Shit,” she murmured and climbed out of bed behind me. “I’ll go with you.”
We yanked on our clothes and rushed down to the front hall, where Ruslan, Julia, Nike, Emma, and the rest of my lovers had already started to gather.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“I don’t--” Ruslan started befor
e he turned and pointed toward the door. “There’s Kover now! He’s one of our lookouts.”
A dwarf sprinted into the main hall and doubled over to catch his breath.
“My lord…” the small man exhaled. “Elder Ruslan. I saw…”
“Tell me what you saw,” I ordered. “Who sounded the alarm?”
“I did,” he gasped. “There’s an army outside the walls!”
“An army?” Alyona repeated with a hand over her mouth. “Who? Why?”
“I’ve never seen them before,” Kover said as he finally stood up, though he didn’t look much different than when he’d bent over. “They’re covered in fur, and they have long ears. Some were on four legs, while others stood on two. I’m sorry, milady. I don’t know what or who they are.”
“How many were there?” I pressed.
“A few hundred, my lord,” he replied and wrung his hands together. “Our numbers are nowhere near that. We’ve only recently begun training our soldiers.”
“We still have the Blue Tree Guild,” Laika pointed out as she reached for her magical gorget. “I could have them here in a few minutes.”
“Wait,” I said as a thousand thoughts seemed to run through my head. “We need to get the people of the city to safety. That’s our first priority.”
“The bunker!” Julia gasped.
“In the archives?” I frowned. “That will take too long.”
“No, the one we just finished,” Ruslan explained. “It’s in the center of the city. We could fan out and have everyone there in a matter of minutes.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Laika, get with Pyotr and have the guild round up everyone in the city. The dryads can spread out with the guild members, too. We need to get every single citizen to the bunker. Ravi, you fly overhead and make sure no one gets left behind.”
“On it,” Laika growled as she and the others rushed toward the Blue Tree Guild’s airship.
“We’ll go open the bunker,” Ruslan said, and he and Julia hurried out after them.
“What should I do?” Emma asked with a look of concern. “I know I’m not much of a fighter, but I would guard the eggs with my life.”
