by Leela Ash
Still, it was almost impossible to resist. A deep longing consumed him as he held her close, their bodies eliciting a spark that seemed to go far beyond all rational thought. Lisa pushed him toward her door and unlocked it quickly, pulling him inside along with her. She seemed to be unsure of her own actions, but when she turned to face him again, there was an unmistakable fire in her eyes. She wanted him. And there was no mistaking that she wanted him just as badly as he had been craving her. Again, his faith in fate was restored and he gripped her by the waist, kissing her passionately.
The Dragon within him could sense her heady arousal. His touch brought a soft moan to her lips as he worked with intuitive precision to bring her deepest desires to fulfilment. He seemed to naturally know exactly how to move and touch her to bring her the most possible pleasure. He had never felt so connected to anybody before. It was an incredible experience, and he went slowly, relishing in the way they seemed to mysteriously understand one another without words.
It was shocking how their bodies seemed to work in unison, and the Dragon within Norris urged him forward with tenacious longing. Lisa’s skin was soft against his fingertips as he pressed his hands gently under her shirt, and he closed his eyes to relish in the gentle sweetness of her arousal.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.
Lisa gazed at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she allowed herself to surrender to her desires.
“So are you,” she said, her full lips curling into the hint of a smile. God, she was perfect. Maybe not the most perfect by human standards of beauty, but perfect for him. And that was what really mattered, wasn’t it? He didn’t understand so many things about human values. They left him deeply perplexed.
“Are you sure you want this?” Norris murmured, pressing his lips hotly against the nape of Lisa’s neck. She shuddered as a wave of pleasure crashed over her body, and her eyes fell closed. She nodded breathlessly, wrapping her arms around his broad torso.
“I want you,” she whispered. “It might be the stupidest thing I have ever done but I do want you.”
Norris pulled away to look into her eyes. Maybe now wasn’t the right time. She was still processing all he had told her, and she wasn’t entirely sure about anything right now. She clearly didn’t trust him.
Well, he couldn’t say that as an absolute truth, because he knew that on some level she trusted him deeply, while on another she totally had no idea what to make of him. Which part of her interpretation should he respect? It was so difficult to say for sure. It was truly her call and he wanted nothing more than to be able to know for sure which side of her self she wanted to honor.
But when Lisa bit her bottom lip, her brow creasing in concern as if wondering if she had done something wrong to make him stop, he couldn’t just leave her standing there wondering if he desired her. He did. Of course, he did. Everything felt right about her, even though she had claimed that he did nothing but make her miserable. Hopefully, he would be able to change that in time.
“I want you,” he growled, his lips hot against her ear. She gasped quietly, her whole body trembling in his grip. His body responded to the nearness of her and he held her tightly, his lips seeking Lisa’s again. She met them with a gentle eagerness that brought the torrent of desire swelling within him to a physical manifestation of longing. Lisa’s eyes widened at the sudden intensity of his desires being brought to her attention, and a gentle, inviting moan fell from her lips.
Norris nearly went crazy from the sound and lifted her gently by the waist, carrying her to the closest surface he could find. While in the air, Lisa wrapped her legs around his waist, and he could feel the tantalizing heat of her middle pressed against his groin. It sent intense flames right to his core and Norris let out a low growl of desire. Lisa arched her hips subtly in response, bringing the intensity of his erection to a whole new level.
He wanted nothing more than to sink into her; to make his emotional desires manifest and to keep her by his side. He wanted to hold and protect her for the rest of their lives and turn his need into something beautiful and physical and necessary. Maybe then she would believe him about the Dragon shifter blood in his veins.
He hadn’t even begun to tell her about the blood in hers. The beautiful magic of a healing race; the majesty and creative potential that lay dormant within anybody who was able to boast of a Loni bloodline. They were the most beautiful beings in existence as far as Norris was concerned. Especially now that he was sure he had found one of them to call his own. There was something so mystical and captivating about this woman. Her eyes, her being, her everything.
And that reality manifested itself physically as she held him close. There was something strangely familiar about the way she felt. It reminded him of his favorite mountain peak on Fiora; a range known as the No Zone, because so few people ever made it to the top unassisted by technologies, even in their Dragon forms.
But Norris had managed to make it up there – his body was able and strong with the noble blood that ran through his veins – and he had vowed to himself that he would never see anything that topped the beauty he experienced in that solitary moment.
Until now.
Until Lisa.
Now he had a whole new standard of beauty to measure the world by. How could this have possibly happened? It was too good to be true, and yet it was also so complicated and difficult. There seemed no end in sight to the challenges that awaited them.
Another growl of desire rumbled in his throat and he pressed Lisa against the wall, pinning her against it and lifting her shirt over her head. She allowed him to remove it, and he took in the sight of her beautiful body; the gentle slopes and curves that made up her breasts and abdomen. She was incredibly beautiful, and he buried his head against her chest, giving her middle a firm thrust as he sought a nipple with his lips.
Lisa let out a sharp cry of ecstasy as his mouth engulfed the sensitive mound, and he could feel her desires mounting against his groin. It nearly brought him to the edge of his self-control and he let out a low moan, his body aching for release before he even felt the purity of her skin against him.
“I don’t know what we’re doing,” Lisa said, her eyes closed and a laugh curling the corners of her lips. “This isn’t what I thought was going to happen today.”
Norris paused suddenly, his body on fire but his mind forcing it to still its conquest. She wasn’t sure. She had no idea what was going on. He would simply be taking advantage of the powerful and unspoken connection between them if he acted now without her fully knowing or understanding her role in the grand scheme of things.
Surely, she had her own dragonly instincts within her that were kicking in and allowing her to get close to him. Her own desires and the pullings of fate. Of course, they were meant to be together in some form or another. But not like this. She had no idea what it was she wanted. She didn’t even fully know who he was, or who she was for that matter. She had no idea how special she was or the way she could influence the universe with the expression of her sacred gifts; the ways the Loni blood flowing through her veins allowed beauty and magic to continue to swell and thrive.
She had no idea. How could he do this when she had no idea what it all meant?
“I’m sorry,” Norris said, gently lowering Lisa to the ground and waiting to let go of her until he knew she had her balance. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa asked, standing against the wall and bringing her hands up to cover her exposed chest. “Did I do something?”
The strange vulnerability in her voice made Norris feel terrible. But he just didn’t feel like it was right to do this with her. Not yet. Not like this. Not until he knew everything was going to work out as he believed it was meant to. He couldn’t take advantage of instincts she had toward him that she didn’t even know about yet. How could he live with himself?
Sure, she was embracing her desires, but that didn’t mean it was the way things were supposed to happen. It had
n’t happened on her terms. It had been the beasts deep within that were calling the shots. He wanted Lisa to have a say for herself, knowing exactly what it was that she was surrendering to. He couldn’t take her. Not like this. No matter how much it hurt her feelings.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Norris said, sighing and taking a step back. He scanned the floor for Lisa’s shirt and picked it up for her, handing it to her carefully. “I just don’t think this is the right time for something like this. You are vulnerable, and it just doesn’t seem fair…”
“Fair?”
Lisa’s voice was reaching fever pitch and Norris creased his brow, grimacing in concern. He didn’t want to hurt her. He really didn’t. So why was this happening?
“I just don’t think we’re ready for this,” he said quietly, taking a step back and clearing his throat. “You have no idea what we’re getting into. You don’t even know yourself yet. Or me.”
“Is this because I said you were batshit crazy?”
Now Lisa seemed close to tears, unable to fathom why she was so suddenly being rejected. Norris sighed and went to her, outstretching his hand to cup her cheek within it. She pulled away quickly with a huff, pulling her shirt over her head and keeping her back turned to him.
“No,” Norris said firmly. “I expected you to think I am crazy. What I am concerned about is how you are going to feel if we continue this. You are very vulnerable right now. Bad things have been happening to you and I am not convinced you are fully able to comprehend the instincts you are following with me. It goes beyond you. It goes beyond us all. It’s…”
“If you say fate one more time I am going to kick you out of my house,” Lisa threatened, turning around quickly to face him. Her lips were in a thin line, and her cheeks, flushed red just moments ago in arousal, were now darker with her anger and embarrassment.
“I can leave without you kicking me out,” Norris said quietly. “I don’t want you to think I am rejecting you. That isn’t it at all. I want you. Badly. I just don’t think these circumstances are the most fortuitous for either one of us.”
Lisa sighed under her breath and leaned back against the wall, folding her arms over her chest. She closed her eyes as she attempted to comprehend what it was that Norris was saying, and then finally opened them and locked on to his gaze.
“I guess you are right. I don’t know what I was thinking letting you in here like this. It was absolutely crazy of me.”
Although the words stung, Norris could sense the pain behind them. Part of her had truly wanted to be with him. Part of her already believed in the hand that fate had in bringing them together. There was some unconscious part of her that was very aware of the dynamic between them and wanted it to play out as quickly as possible at all costs. She knew they were meant to be together. She simply didn’t know how to go about it or why she knew it. There was too much in the way.
But he wanted her decision to be conscious. Even the Dragon within him, with all its unrestrained desires, seemed to sense that something was off in this interaction. He had to wait until it was completely right. Otherwise, there would be no point in even initiating a relationship with her. He could lose her trust, and then where would they be? Right back at square one.
“I’m sorry I said that you’re crazy,” Lisa said suddenly, her voice low and even. “I can’t pretend I understand your perspective, but I feel like there is something about you that draws me in and I want nothing more than to be able to just embrace things the way you seem to and live to the fullest. So, I guess I just want to apologize because I insulted you for something you probably can’t even help.”
It was usually very difficult for Norris to pick up on the emotions and feelings of others, but for some reason, it seemed incredibly obvious to him, at all times, exactly what it was that Lisa was feeling. She had a huge range of emotion, beyond the depth of anything he had ever witnessed in another living being before. It was becoming clear to him that she was more than capable of the vast and incredible spectrum of feeling that one would expect from the sacred carrier of shifter blood. There was no doubt in his mind that she had Loni blood running through her veins.
“It’s really okay. I should go though. This isn’t the way this should happen. It’s important that we are on the same page. That’s all. If we are going to do this, I want us to do it right.”
Norris sighed and headed toward the door, then paused and turned around to face Lisa again.
“We should do this right. I really want to go out with you. A real date. Not one that is just us running into each other. Something planned. Can we do that?”
Lisa gazed at Norris for a few moments and then looked down at her hands. “I guess we can do that.”
He tried to hide the enthusiastic smile that was creeping across his lips, but he wasn’t able to wipe it off his face before she caught him. So much for having the chance to conceal it. But that was all right. He wanted to have an open and honest relationship with her. That was why he had stopped himself, no matter how much he desired her. He wasn’t going to do anything she wasn’t completely comfortable with. And he wasn’t going to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with either.
They were just going to have to wait and see what happened. A real date. Something the two of them could actually arrange together and agree upon. Maybe a date at the new place that was about to open with the Dragon drinks. There was something about that place he really was drawn to. It would be the spot where magic was allowed to happen. It had to be.
“That’s great, I am really happy to hear that. Do you mind if I give you a call? I don’t have your number saved on my phone, but maybe you could put it in for me and we can figure out a time to do this properly.”
Lisa nodded, quietly considering the implications of what she had just agreed to. They were going to go on a date. An official date. Even after he had admitted to her that he was practically insane and believed he was from another planet and could turn into a Dragon at will.
It was clear she was having a hard time comprehending what she was doing, but at the same time, there was a little nagging voice deep within her that wasn’t going to simply let him walk away and never come back. Not without the chance of somehow figuring out whatever it was that kept her coming back to him.
That was something Norris knew and could accept. But he could not allow himself to become more intimate with Lisa. Not until everything was as completely comfortable as could be for the both of them. No matter how angry and exasperated that made the beast within him feel.
“Sure,” Lisa said. “Okay.”
When she was done entering her phone number in his phone, she sighed, and he smiled at her gently.
“I will be in touch and then maybe we can figure out a way that we can do this properly.”
Lisa nodded, and Norris put his phone back in his pocket.
“Until we meet again.”
He kissed her hand and walked outside, ignoring the peculiar expression that had crept across her face. He had learned exactly how you were supposed to treat a lady, and he was going to go as by the book as possible to make sure everything would come to pass as fate decreed. Whether the Dragon within liked it or not.
9.
“Everything is going according to plan, this is fantastic,” the Jornel said, grinning excitedly as he and Master Kin hid outside of Lisa’s house. They were quiet as they watched Norris get back into his car, leaving his fated mate to return back to his home. “Master Kin, I had no idea that everything would be so successful. I’m very excited about all of this.”
“I’m not sure why you doubted anything,” Kin said, raising his eyebrow at his minion. “Everything we do, we do for a good purpose. And this is the only way we are ever going to be able to find the Dragon’s base. We have to be able to get the artifacts. Without them, they are going to be very weak and vulnerable. There is even the possibility that they will not be able to shape shift any longer.”
“That would be great!
How is that possible?”
Kin sighed. “There have been several other groups out there who are getting rid of the Golden children, and with them out of the way, locked up in a vault in the center of the universe where their magic cannot escape, we truly have the advantage. It is confined there, and the Dragon shifters are growing weaker by the day. Can’t you feel it?”
“I can definitely tell the difference. We do not have very much magic of our own to speak of, but truth be told, it is something we have always been able to sense. This part of the fabric of the universe. It is what is considered normal. Without it, there are many changes that are made. Magic is important. Without it in the air, we are all forced to compromise and take the change in balance into consideration.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“So, what do we do next, Master Kin?” the Jornel asked. “I am getting restless. I would love to take more actions that have great results. This is very exciting.”
“He wants to go on a date with this human. We anticipated that. We even set up a spot for them to have their meeting. Perhaps this is when the union will truly take place. Once it does, and even right this moment, we have to be working carefully to track them to their lair. It is going to be the safest place. We will have to put the female in danger. But it isn’t time yet. We are still waiting. They haven’t had their first official courting event. That’s what the flyer was for.”
“I was sure they were going to make their bond official tonight,” the Jornel said, his voice slightly disappointed.
“These things take time. Why else would we have created the event for a week from the car accident and not a day after?” Kin looked judgmentally at the little man and tsked. “I’m surprised at you.”
