by S. E. Smith
“Trelon! Can you believe this? Isn’t he the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen?” Cara gushed. “And the way his you-know-what’s are hidden are totally awesome! No need to worry about those getting chomped off.” Cara said looking under the dragon’s tail between his legs in wonder.
The burst of laughter from the men ended suddenly when a huge black and gold dragon charged the dragon Cara was holding. Symba shifted into a six-legged creature and grabbed Cara swinging up onto a table then onto a beam near the ceiling just as Trelon’s dragon hit the other dragon in the chest. The teal, lime green, and silver dragon who had introduced himself as Dulce, lowered his head and pushed back. All Cara could see were bulging muscles and snapping teeth as the two dragons collided. Cara screamed when she saw Dulce swing his spiked tail around at Trelon’s stomach. He missed by a few inches but Trelon didn’t as blood appeared along Dulce’s back. The other men had scattered to get out of the way of the two dragons who were circling each other snapping and snarling. Dulce struck out quickly raking a claw down Trelon’s chest. Cara bit her lip when she saw four deep cuts appear. Trelon retaliated by swinging his tail around and knocking Dulce off balance before grabbing his neck with his long, sharp teeth. Trelon was broader than the other dragon and used his size to force the other dragon down.
“Stop!” Cara screamed. “Stop, Trelon. You’ll kill him!” Cara was already climbing down the metal support beam swatting at Symba who was trying to grab her and pull her back up.
Jumping the last couple of feet, she ran over to where Trelon held the now still dragon down on the ground, his teeth still embedded in the dragon’s throat. Cara ignored the other men’s shouts to stay back. Moving slowly up to Trelon, she ran her hand along his neck moving it slowly up until she could run it under his chin. She tried to ignore the blood seeping from the other dragon’s neck and the steak-knife long teeth that could sever her arm in seconds.
“Trelon, release him now.” Cara said softly. “Please, for me.” She begged softly.
Trelon growled low.
“I am going to be really, really pissed at you if you kill him. I probably won’t ever talk to you again.” Cara said calmly. “But, if you do let him go I promise to be very, very good.” She whispered in a soft, sexy voice.
Cara bit back a grin when she saw Trelon’s ear twitch at her softly spoken words. Leaning closer, she blew a warm breath in his ear before adding, “At being very, very bad.”
Trelon’s dragon let go of the other dragon so fast Cara didn’t have time to react before he swung his tail around and grabbed her around the waist with it. Cara let out a frightened scream before she found herself lying in Trelon’s arms.
“Mine!” Trelon said before crushing his lips to hers.
Cara accepted Trelon’s possessive kiss. She gently stroked his hair as she opened her mouth to his. Cara let him dominate her until she felt some of the tension began to fade before she began kissing him back. Once she felt confident he was back under control she gently broke the kiss.
Leaning her forehead against his, she asked quietly, “Do you want to tell me what this is all about?”
“You are not to leave my living quarters without me. Do you understand?” Trelon breathed in a harsh breath as the adrenaline began to fade. “You are to remain there.”
Cara frowned. “For how long?” She asked puzzled.
“Forever! It is too dangerous for you to leave my rooms. You are too small, too delicate to be allowed out. You are not to go anywhere without me. You are not to be around other males. I am the only male you will touch. I command it.” Trelon said sternly. “Now that you are my mate you will do as you are told.” He added.
Cara looked at Trelon like he had lost his mind. Never leave his rooms! Never go anywhere without him! She was his mate! He fucking commanded it! Not likely!! Cara thought savagely. To small, my ass! To delicate, like hell!
“Hold on a damn minute, big guy. I think you have a misunderstanding about this you and me thing! We had sex. I did not become an object to be played with and put on a shelf. It was sex. Nothing more! It was not a pass for you to tell me what to do. It was not permission to tell me how to live. AND, it sure as hell was not a god-given bill-of-rights to tell me where I can go and who I can talk too.” Cara said poking Trelon in the chest with each word.
A rumple rose from Trelon’s chest at Cara’s words. “You are mine! This is not your world. This is mine and I will keep you safe. And, it was not just sex! I have claimed you, my dragon has claimed you, and my symbiosis has accepted you. You survived the dragon’s fire.” Trelon said angrily. “It was not just sex!” He reiterated.
Cara pulled out of Trelon’s arms and crossed hers across her chest. “Whatever. Let me clarify something for you. No one, and I mean NO ONE, tells me what to do. You can ask, we can discuss, but if you think I will put up with any of this command bullshit, you can just shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. I know I am not on my world, like I needed a reminder of that. I’ve been taking care of myself most of my life and I don’t need a caretaker, I need a partner. If you can’t be that, then there will be no us. Just take me home to my world and we’ll call it a good memory.”
Trelon fought back the urge to reach out and shake Cara. She was the most aggravating female he had ever met. Closing his eyes, he slowly counted until he felt he was back under control. That was until he opened his eyes and saw his mate helping the warrior he had fought. Hadn’t she listened to a single thing he had said?
“I’m so sorry he was being such a butt-head.” Cara was saying as she gently held a cloth to Dulce’s neck. His symbiosis had already repaired the deep gouge on his back and most of the puncture wounds. Cara was mostly wiping at the blood that stained his skin.
Dulce was doing his best to move away from her but she just kept crawling after him. “I am fine, my lady. Please, I would prefer not to have to fight any more today.”
“Nonsense.” Cara said pulling a corner of his shirt down to look at his shoulder. “He…”
Cara gasped as she was pulled, none to gently, away from Dulce and set on her feet. “What part of DON’T TOUCH OTHER MALES, do you not understand?” Trelon roared in a rage. “Do you want me to kill him? Do you want me to have to discipline you for not listening to me?”
Cara’s eyes grew larger and larger as she stumbled back from the rage pouring off of Trelon. Furious, Cara shouted back, “Don’t blame me for you being such a butt-head! Did I ask you to kill or maim anyone? DID I?...NO! I didn’t! I was minding my own friggin’ business.” Cara yelled back. She was so hot under the collar; she didn’t even notice the other men in the room watching the confrontation between her and Trelon in fascination. “And let me tell you something else you sorry-ass-son-of-a-biscuit-eater, it will be a cold day in hell before you or anyone else disciplines me!” Cara retorted. “Just leave me the hell alone!”
“Never!” Trelon growled taking a threatening step towards Cara. “I am going to tie you up to my bed until you realize you belong to me and I am in charge.”
“Like hell!” Cara shouted. Picking up a jar of fasteners from the table, she threw it at Trelon when he started towards her.
Cara was beyond pissed. She had never been so angry in her life. Not at her Uncle Wilfred when he sent to the boarding school, not at the kids who thought it was funny to lock the tiny hillbilly in a closet, not even with Darryl for his stupid bet. If he hadn’t been so much bigger than her, she would have decked him. Instead, she did what she did best- run. She disappeared under the table and was running for the door, scattering chairs, bins, and any other objects she could as fast as her little legs could carry her. She ignored the curses, growls, and crashes coming from behind her. Her only thought was to get as far away from Trelon as she could before she threw something that might actually hurt the big lug.
Cara hit the doors, squeezing through and slamming it behind her. She looked around frantically for something to put through the handles and said a prayer of relie
f when she saw a servant of some kind mopping the floors just outside the doors. Grabbing the mop from his startled hands, she pushed the handle through the door handles just as a heavy bulk hit the door on the other side with a resounding thump. Cara backed away from the door wide-eyed before kicking the bucket of soapy water out all over the floor.
“Sorry for the mess.” Cara said breathlessly to the stunned servant before she tore off down the corridor. She frantically begged the little symbiosis on her arms to call for Symba’s help. She was heading around the corner when she heard the splintering of the door followed by more curses and loud thumps as Trelon hit the wet, slippery surface of the stone and slid into the far wall.
Trelon let out a bellow of rage as he hit the door for a third time before it finally gave way. Yelling for Cara to stop, he neglected to look down as he burst through the door and hit the wet, soapy mess she had dumped. His feet went out from under him and he hit the hard surface of stone sliding across the hall and knocking down two huge planters. He lay on his back stunned for a moment as piles of thick, black dirt mixed with the soapy moisture. The servant stood there staring at him with his jaw hanging open. Trelon rolled over onto his hands and knees trying to get up only to slip and slide some more, becoming completely covered in the filthy mess before he was able to get his feet onto drier ground. He ignored the snickering coming from the men who had gathered around the door to see what all the noise was about. Cursing, he watched as his mate’s tiny figure disappeared around the corner heading for the front entrance of the palace.
“Cara, so help me! When I get my hands on you…” Trelon bellowed, limping slightly as he headed down the corridor.
Cara hit the front entrance of the palace and screamed at the two guards standing out front. “He’s going to kill me! Help! Please…” She begged. “Please don’t let him get me!”
Cara’s face lit up into a huge grin. That should slow him down a little. She felt the vibrations of the little symbiosis on her arms and neck as it shimmered in glee at the fun it was having. Cara had envisioned a beautiful, golden eagle flying through the air and picking her up. She hoped Symba had picked up on the message she was sending her. After all, girls needed to stick together and she figured Symba must be a girl as she was so beautiful.
No sooner had that thought crossed Cara’s mind then a huge shadow flew over her. Cara glanced behind her in time to see the two guards tackle a very dirty Trelon as he burst out the doors screaming at her like a banshee. One second she was running across a carpet of purple grass, the next she was laughing in delight as Symba swept down and gently picked her up.
“Cara, get back here now!” Trelon shouted fighting to throw off the two guards who had him by his arms.
“I can’t hear you!” Cara yelled back laughing.
“I’m going to beat your little ass for this.” Trelon shouted back, shaking his fist up at her.
Cara laughed even harder. Trelon had no idea how ridiculous he looked all covered in dirt, his clothes a mass of wet muck, and was that part of a plant in his hair? What was the old saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall? He looked like he had fallen in a mud puddle.
“You’ve got to catch me first!” Cara hollered back down at Trelon. Boy, she didn’t know someone’s face could turn that shade of color, she thought with glee. This was the first time she felt like she had actually pushed a guy to his limit and he wasn’t going to walk away. At least, it didn’t look like he was the way he was stomping around in circles cussing up a storm at the men trying to calm him down.
Cara looked up and saw Symba was heading for a small balcony. She could see Abby in the doorway of it watching. With a gentle suggestion, Symba came almost even with the balcony and tossed Cara’s small form over the stone railing.
“Hi!” Cara grinned up at Abby as she stood up.
“Hi!” Abby responded startled to see Cara grinning with a mischievous Cheshire grin. “What on earth is going on?”
Cara looked over the edge of the balcony and with a laugh shot the still yelling figure below her a symbol using her middle finger. From the answering roar, the symbol was understood. “Just having a little fun.” Cara replied cheerfully. Wow! She heard that roar all the way up here. He must really be pissed off.
Abby leaned over the edge watching as the figure below fought with two other figures trying to hold him back. “Do you think it’s wise to provoke him that way?” Abby asked looking worriedly down at the ground before turning to Cara.
Cara just grinned, never taking her eyes off the struggle down below. “It does him good. You know he is the only man I have ever met that I haven’t been able to drive away.” Her gaze softened as she watched him break free.
Abby watched the emotions flowing across Cara’s face, “You like him, don’t you?”
Cara looked up startled. “Does it show? I love it here. I’ve only been here a few hours but I’ve never felt so free, so…right.” So well loved, she thought but didn’t add.
Cara could tell Abby was looking for some type of assurance that she wasn’t blaming her for being captured and taken to a strange, new world. Cara didn’t know how to tell her that meeting Trelon had changed her life in ways she still wasn’t sure about. What she felt for Trelon was so foreign but felt so right; like she had finally found a place where she could belong. She just needed Trelon to realize and accept she was a little different than the average female.
“How do you know you’ll be happy here?” Abby asked softly.
Cara thought about the question for a moment as she watched Trelon. This was such as cool place. Almost like living in a fairytale world with dragons, magically creatures, and handsome princes. She glanced out over the city and into the thick, lush forests nearby and thought she had never seen anything more beautiful. Well, except for Trelon without his clothes on, but she couldn’t tell Abby that. How could she not be happy with all that?
Cara watched as Trelon turned into a dragon. A huge grin spread across her face right before she put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle. Climbing up onto the stone railing of the balcony, Cara glanced at Abby before jumping on the back of the huge golden eagle, “I don’t know but I’m willing to try. I’ve never felt this way before and I’m not about to let it go without a fight…or two.” She said before the huge creature broke away with a huge sweep of its wings. “I’ll see you later at the dinner.” Cara yelled before the bird flew into a dive barely missing the black and gold dragon coming up underneath it.
Abby shook her head laughing as the dragon let out a roar of outrage as it twisted at the last minute in an effort to not collide with the massive bulk of the bird; a tiny laughing, human female clinging to its back.
Chapter 12
Trelon’s heart flew to his throat as he struggled to grip the rough edges along the stone walls of the palace. He had finally broken loose of the two warriors after threatening to disembowel them if they didn’t let him get to his mate. When they had finally let him go, he had swiftly called to his dragon. If watching his symbiosis grab and take off with Cara dangling from its claws hadn’t caused his heart to stutter, watching it fling her over the edge of the balcony was almost enough to cause it to stop. He didn’t even want to contemplate her falling from that height. Trelon had been determined to capture her and return her to his living quarters as quickly as possible. But, before he even had a chance to reach her, she had the nerve to stand on the narrow ledge and jump off!
Trelon twisted his head around to watch as she glided barely above the ground, forcing several men who had come out to see what all the commotion was about to dive for cover. His dragon chuckled at seeing its mate having so much fun. It could barely wait for the transformation to be complete. It wanted to see what his little mate would be like when she had wings of her own.
“Thanks.” Trelon said to his dragon dryly. “That’s all I need to think about. Cara with wings.”
Trelon’s dragon laughed with glee. He wanted to c
hase her down. Trelon let loose a low chuckle. He had to admit, he hadn’t had this much fun in centuries.
“Let’s go catch our mate…again.” Trelon said, letting go and swiftly pushing his wings down in a hard draft to get upward momentum.
Trelon followed Cara from above enjoying watching her as she discovered his world. He couldn’t contain the love that swept through him as he watched her laugh out loud in pure joy. She was so beautiful! He couldn’t wait to see what she would look like in her dragon form. Yes, his dragon agreed eagerly. Soon, my friend. Trelon responded. Let us give her time to adjust to our world before we introduce her to who she is now. She has been through much in a short period of time. Trelon’s dragon reluctantly agreed with a slight grumble.
Cara laughed out loud as Symba swept just feet from the grassy surface before gliding up and over the high wall surrounding the palace. Cara got her first up-close look at the city beyond the walls as they flew over. She gazed wide-eyed as they flew over an assortment of buildings, some small, some large, all gleaming. She grinned and waved at some young boys who ran under her. Symba flew further out towards a vast cliff. Cara gasped as she dove steeply along the cliff towards the water and rocks below. At the last minute she leveled out but not before a wave crashed onto the rocks spraying Cara with water. Cara screamed out as the cold water broke over her.
