by Logan Jacobs
It took several minutes for her tunnel to loosen up enough for me to pull out of her. I waited patiently for her rapid fire orgasms to calm down and just enjoyed kissing and touching her body in the meantime. When her body relaxed, I moved to her side and pulled her tight against my chest. She felt chilly, so I pulled a blanket up over us and just held her close to warm her up. Then we stayed silent for a long time.
“Is it always like that?” she asked after a while, and her fingers lightly traced over the scales on my chest.
“It is with me,” I chuckled as I pressed a kiss against her hair.
“Well, I am glad it was with you,” she whispered.
I kissed her deeply before she rolled over, pushed that excellent ass up against me, and fell into a deep sleep. I laid awake for a little while and thought of the day’s events and what had to be done still, but I knew deep in my heart that there was no place I would rather be.
I awoke the next morning to a chuffing sound in my face, and I opened my eyes to see a huge water dragon staring at me and Mira. The warrior was still soundly asleep and curled up against me, so I started to shoo George away, but he wasn’t having it.
“Wake up,” he ordered. “You need to come with me and bring Mira.”
I groaned my agreement and moved to wake Mira up. I knew from our bond that there wasn’t any kind of danger right now, but apparently this was something very important to the dragon, and I certainly wasn’t going to let him down.
“Mira,” I said gently as I shook the woman beside me, “George needs us for something. He specifically asked me to wake you up and to bring you with me.”
I watched as my lover stretched and came to awareness. Her hair was messy from sleep, and she still smelled like our love making. I really just wanted to slide into her warmth again, but I knew it wasn’t the time.
“Merry morning,” I whispered. “How do you feel? Are you sore or hurting?”
“Hmm,” she moaned as she stretched, “I’m a little sore, but it isn’t terrible. Mostly I feel amazing. I haven’t slept that well in, well, ever.”
“That is excellent news,” I chuckled. “Glad I could be of assistance.”
“You can assist me like that whenever you want.” The warrior grinned.
I kissed her one more time before we both got washed up and dressed as quickly as we could, and then we met George in the kitchen where our breakfast and hot mugs of tea were waiting for us.
“George has been nudging me with his nose all morning,” Hali laughed when she saw us walk into the kitchen. “I guess he has plans for all of you today.”
“Apparently,” I said with a smile, “but he is being rather secretive about them.”
George huffed impatiently as he sat by the kitchen table, and I rolled my eyes fondly at the dragon.
Mira and I ate and drank our tea while George stared us down. I was half annoyed and half amused by the damn dragon. I had several things that needed my attention, but I couldn’t deny him when he was so excited and persistent. So, we finished up quickly under his scrutiny, and he got up and headed for the kitchen door.
“Follow me, bring some meat,” he said simply.
I asked Hali for some cuts of meat, and then we followed him toward the eastern shore and took a slight turn south and away from the border wall. We walked a little distance to the south, and I realized we were close to where the haeye had attacked the queen.
“It better not be another haeye,” I told the dragon, “I am not sure I am in the mood for that.”
“Not a haeye, be patient,” he said with excitement. If fact, he was almost buzzing with fervor as he stared out into the water.
I relayed his message to Mira and then took a seat on the beach. I might as well rest while I could, but I wasn’t going to be patient much longer. I would only do this for George … and maybe Mira, Talise, and Nerissa, too. Hell, who was I kidding? I would do it for any of them, but that wasn’t something they needed to know.
Just as my patience was starting to run thin, I caught a movement in the water. It was in the shallow part, but was moving very slow. I started to get up to investigate, but George stopped me.
“No,” he said, “send Mira. This one is for her, give her the meat.”
“Could you give me a clue as to what’s going on, buddy?” I grumbled. “I didn’t really sign up for dragon games this morning.”
“Ben,” the dragon sighed, “just trust me. This is very important. I promise.”
Well, I couldn’t argue with that tone of voice. Besides, even though it seemed dragons thrived on mysteries and riddles, they hadn’t actually led me astray yet. So, I would listen to him for now.
“Mira,” I said to get her attention, “do you see that movement in the water?”
“Of course,” the warrior replied as she stared out at the waves with rapt golden eyes.
“George told me to send you to investigate,” I whispered and handed her the bag of cut up meat. “He says this one is for you.”
I could tell she wanted to go see what it was, but she was also hesitant. There were a lot of dangerous things in the water, and it was kind of crazy to just jump all in because a dragon said to. Still, the warrior took a few steps forward and then stopped and looked back at us.
“Tell her just to sit on the sand and wait,” George instructed, “I promise it is safe. I am right here and would never let any harm come to her.”
I once again relayed the dragon’s message to Mira. She nodded her head one time, gathered up her courage, and then walked the twenty or so yards to the beach. When she got there, she slowly sat down and waited.
I stayed back with George, but had my hand wrapped around the hilt of my sword.
I didn’t know exactly what was about to happen, but I was ready for anything.
Chapter Seventeen
After maybe five minutes of waiting, I saw the first glimpse of soft pink scales poke out from the water. The small glimmer got bigger, and my heart started pounding in my chest as I realized what I was seeing. Soon, a shiny, small, and soft pink water dragon made its way completely out of the water and moved toward Mira. The beast was smaller than George had been when I found him, roughly the size of a Basset Hound, but with longer legs.
“Holy shit,” I whispered as my heart hammered beneath my ribs.
Mira knew just what to do, though, and she offered the dragon a piece of bird she pulled out of the bag. The water dragon sniffed the air and moved closer to Mira.
“Do not worry, young female one,” George said, and by the sonorous tone of his voice, I assumed he was speaking to the dragon as well, “the woman is yours.”
The pink dragon reached out and gently took the meat from the warrior’s hand. She chomped on it happily, and Mira immediately offered her another piece when she finished the first. They repeated this a few times, and then suddenly, the water dragon crawled into Mira’s lap and licked her on the face.
We all burst out laughing as soon as that happened, and even George did his chuffing dragon laugh. I could hardly believe my eyes.
Here was another dragon, a girl dragon, and she had clearly chosen Mira.
“George,” I asked in awe, “how did you know?”
“I saw it in a dream. Like you saw the boats. I knew that once you and the warrior mated, I had to bring both of you here.”
“So, more of Ladonis’ work?” I chuckled.
“Yes,” the dragon replied.
“It’s just like he said,” I murmured as I stared at the other dragon. “The dragons and bondings are returning. The island is starting to heal.”
My heart warmed at the sentiment, and a grin spread across my face.
First, we trounced the raiders without a single casualty, and now this? Things were looking up for my new home.
George and I stood there and watched Mira and her dragon get to know one another for a little longer before I finally had to say something about getting on with the day. I also knew the queen needed to kno
w about this as soon as possible.
“Mira,” I called out to her, “I really hate to disturb you, but we should get back to the village. This is kind of a big deal.”
Mira looked back at me, and I saw big tears rolling down her face, but she was smiling so broadly I bet her cheeks ached. Then she nodded in agreement, stood up, brushed sand off her pants with one hand, and wiped the tears off her face with the other.
“Come along, little one,” she said to the little dragon.
Without any hesitation, the pink baby dragon followed Mira over to where George and I waited, and the small beast stopped long enough to pounce on the much bigger dragon’s tail a few times before she joined us. She sniffed the hand I held out to her for a few moments and then bumped against my leg much like a cat would.
“She isn’t nearly as shy as you were, George,” I said to my dragon.
“She is newly hatched,” he told me. “She didn’t have to struggle.”
He didn’t sound upset about that, more like he was relieved this precious thing had been found right away and didn’t nearly starve like he had.
I rubbed my dragon fondly between his ears before we set off back to the village. We watched as the baby pounced on grasshoppers and other insects, and she even chased a butterfly into a large hyacinth bush where she blended in with the pink flowers.
“Any idea what you’re going to name her?” I asked Mira.
“Yes,” she smiled, “but it won’t be nearly as good as the name George.”
I swore the male dragon held his head up even higher than normal when he heard her say that. He was going to get a big belly and a big head if he kept hanging around these women.
Before I could ask what Mira had come up with, she called out to the baby dragon.
“Nixie!” she shouted.
The baby dragon immediately stuck her head out of the bush at the sound of the name.
“Do you like the name, Nixie?” Mira asked with a smile.
At the sound of the name, the little dragon came bounding out of the bush and jumped into Mira’s arms. Mira hugged her, and I could hear the dragon hum start up immediately. It was much higher pitched than George’s had been, but no less adorable.
“Nixie it is!” Mira laughed and pressed her face against the small dragon’s.
I didn’t know if I had ever seen her so happy, and my heart sang for her. I wanted nothing more than to keep my women this happy always, and I promised myself I would do whatever was necessary to protect their happiness.
We continued our walk as Mira held on to her new dragon and smiled the whole time. The village was about a hundred yards away when suddenly Nixie started coughing and choking.
“What’s wrong?” Mira asked frantically and started to inspect the little dragon.
I recognized the hacking cough, though, and my eyes widened.
“Damn, this is all happening so fast!” I exclaimed.
“What is?” Mira shrieked.
Before I could answer, Nixie coughed up a piece of sea glass barely the size of a quarter, and it plopped down into the sand. It was as perfect as any piece I had seen, but it had a slight pink sheen to it instead of the copper coloring that George’s had.
Mira set Nixie down gently and then just stared in shock at the sea glass.
“Nixie is ready to bond,” George said.
“I can see that,” I replied in shock. “Why has this happened so fast, though? It was a few days before you were ready.”
“Mira is a dragon-kin already,” George told me, “so it will be easier for her. Also, Nixie is healthier than I was. I had to build up the strength to produce my first sea glass.”
“That is understandable,” I smiled, “you were definitely a lot more frail when I found you.”
“I wasn’t for long,” the dragon said as he butted up against my shoulder.
“What does she need to do?” I asked my dragon.
“Tell her to put the glass in her mouth.”
I glanced back at the warrior to instruct her, but it looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull, and her golden skin looked pale.
“Mira,” I said gently, “are you okay?”
“Y-Yes,” she stammered as she looked from me to Nixie with wide gold eyes. “Just a little shocked.”
“I am shocked, too,” I agreed, “I had no idea this would happen so fast, but it has. Are you ready to bond with Nixie?”
The warrior woman looked up at me with tears in her eyes, but I knew they were tears of awe and happiness as soon as I saw them.
“More than anything,” she whispered.
“Then put the sea glass in your mouth,” I guided her. “The rest will take care of itself.”
Much more willingly than I had, Mira placed the sea glass into her mouth. Then a warm light emitted from both her and Nixie that lasted for maybe thirty seconds before it disappeared.
George wasn’t kidding, it was much easier on her than it had been on me.
When the light was gone, Mira put her head against the baby dragon’s before she stood up and turned to me and George. I could see how the bonding had changed her already. Her gold scales now had a soft pink shimmer to them, and her eyes had taken on a slight silver swirl that matched Nixie’s eyes. The warrior was beautiful before, but now there was an ethereal, otherworldly glow about her that just took my breath away.
I walked over and hugged her tightly to help steady her on her feet. I knew how amazing but overwhelming the feeling of being bonded was and wanted to support her in any possible way I could. So, I let her lean against me for a few moments and then felt her gather her strength like the warrior she was.
“How do you feel?” I whispered against the warrior’s cheek.
“That’s the second time you’ve asked me that today,” she laughed. “Honestly, I feel amazing! And this is all because of you, Ben. You’re the reason the village was kept safe last night, and Ladonis said you’re the reason the dragons have returned. It’s all because of you.”
She pulled away from me and smiled up at me with so much mirth and love, I wanted to throw her down and make love to her right then and there.
“We must get going,” George said.
Mira jumped like she had just gotten probed with a cattle prod and glanced around with a stunned look on her face. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her and started to get worried until she finally spoke.
“George,” she almost whispered as she stared down at my larger dragon, “did you just speak inside my head?”
“Yes,” he softly answered. “You can hear me now that you have bonded with your own dragon.”
“Holy shitballs!” Mira yelled, which was definitely another phrase she had learned from me.
“Indeed,” George chuckled.
“Does that mean Nixie will talk to me?” Mira asked.
“Yes, as soon as she finds her voice.”
“A-Amazing,” the warrior stuttered, “I guess I knew you and Ben talked to one another, but I didn’t think much about it. Will he be able to hear Nixie, too?”
“If Nixie chooses for him to hear,” George replied.
“Wow!” was all she said in response. She was taking this so much better than I had.
“Ready to go?” I asked everyone with a smile.
Mira smiled and nodded, and we all walked back to the village together. Just like the last time with George, word spread to the queen about the new dragon before we could reach her ourselves. It was just as well, since Nixie made it impossible to keep her a secret. She didn’t stay hidden behind Mira, and instead she greeted each of the women with a bounce in her step and a thorough sniffing.
Nerissa met us at the main palace doors with so much excitement, she was practically dancing. She looked divine in her icy blue wrap that hugged her baby bump and all her other curves. She smiled at the sight of us and gave off a glow that wasn’t entirely related to her pregnancy. She was genuinely happy and cheered when we approached with our d
ragons next to us. Then she reached out and pulled her sister into a tight embrace. It was a very long time before she let the warrior go.
“Mira,” she cried, “I am so proud and happy and beside myself!”
“Nerissa,” Mira smiled as she pulled away from her sister, “meet Nixie.”
Nixie bounced her little bounce toward the queen and sniffed her hand and her protruding tummy. Then she made the same chuffing sound George had made the first time he was near Nerissa after she got pregnant.
These dragons never ceased to amaze me.
“Where is Talise?” I asked when it occurred to me that the healer wasn’t in the group of women surrounding us.
I watched the queen’s smile falter a bit before she motioned me and Mira closer. Then she took me by the arm and walked us toward the palace doors.
“She has been put on bed rest by Careen,” Nerissa told us. “The baby has dropped quite low, and Talise was feeling some mild cramps. It is still a bit too early for her to deliver, so we took all the precautions and have her on strict bed rest.”
“Is the baby okay?” I whispered, and I was unable to hide the fear in my voice.
“Yes,” the queen replied. “The heartbeat is strong, and the baby is in the perfect position. Talise just has to stay off of her feet for as long as possible.”
For the first time since I landed on the island, I really longed for the medical advances from my own world. I knew there were medicines that could stop early labor, ultrasound machines that could show us the baby, and a slew of other measures we could take to make sure both the baby and Talise were okay.
But wishing for all of that would do absolutely no good. Right now, I had to trust these women knew better than I did, as difficult as it was.
“Can we go see her?” I asked the queen.
“Of course.” Nerissa smiled. “She would be very angry if she didn’t get to see our newest family member. You all go ahead. I am going to organize a feast to celebrate Mira and Nixie.”
I looked at Mira, and without another word, the four of us made our way to the bedchamber that Talise now called home. I knocked on the door before opening it and saw the healer propped up in bed with some kind of sewing in her lap. The dark circles and paleness had returned to her beautiful face, and I had to push the fear bubbling up in my gut back down.
