by Angel Black
According to what Valonis could translate, there was a wave of infertility among the dragons long ago, back when humans barely started forming tribes. King Graylor, King Aedan’s grandfather, had allowed dragons to go through the portal to find mates. As dragon’s did so, they found they could have children once more, but only when certain dragons were matched with certain humans.
From what Valonis could understand, there were certain symptoms both humans and dragons experienced when they found their right counterparts. Warmth, dizziness, and a strong, almost overpowering arousal were among them. He did not share this part with Rachel. He wanted to, from the moment he found out, but decided against it. He wanted to know for sure before he told her, that she felt these things the way he did.
“Tell me more about you,” he implored. “Why did you want to be a doctor?”
Rachel took a sip of her wine, and looked deep in thought for several moments before she answered.
“My father took me all around the world with him,” she began. “I mean, all over the world. There were beautiful, pristine places that had barely been touched by men.” Her voice filled with awe as she described them, and Valonis quickly found himself fascinated.
“However, there was a lot more sadness than beauty,” she continued. “Many of the places we went to were often surrounded by the poorest of people. I was a healthy child. No matter where we went, my father made sure I had bottled water to drink and three square meals a day to eat. There was always a pillow and a blanket in my tent, and my father was considerate enough to keep a cot for me. But there were many times that I was the only child in the village who received such luxuries. We would always help when we could, but more often than not we were surrounded by people who were in need of food, fresh water, and medical attention.”
“I loved my father, and his research. But I could never get the faces of those people suffering out of my head. Especially the little ones.” She stopped, overcome with emotion for a moment. Wanting to comfort her, Valonis handed her his handkerchief and leaned over to press a friendly hand on her clothed back. Even through the fabric he could feel her erotic pulses, but he fought against them.
She gave him an appreciative smile and wiped the tears from her eyes. “So, I decided at an early age that I wanted to become a non-profit doctor. I wanted to go to all of these places again, but this time armed with clean water, medical supplies and antibiotics rather than shovels and picks and dust brushes.”
Valonis felt a swell of pride in his heart for this woman. He barely knew her, yet from the little that he had learned, he knew already that she was an amazing human. She had a kind heart, and an intelligent brain. She didn’t just want to be a part of her world. She wanted to change it for the better.
Feelings of guilt washed through him for taking her from the human world, but at the same time something deeper, more personal, told him that uniting them had been the right thing.
“I’m sorry for the way I took you,” he said suddenly, looking into Rachel’s eyes. She stared back at him with surprise, but didn’t speak.
“There was a better way, I know. But it all happened so fast, I”-
Rachel reached out to him and placed her bare palm on the top of his hand. The sensation of her bare touch shot through him like lightning, and his entire body woke up. His sight became clearer, his sense of smell sharper. In his ears, he could he hear the far off sound of volcano gardeners pulling weeds away from the rich earth.
Across from him, Rachel’s eyes had glazed over in need. Her soft, pouty lips had parted slightly, as if she couldn’t quite catch her breath. In that moment she looked so innocent in her arousal, and he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless.
“Why is this happening?” She rasped, beginning to tremble. She slowly pulled her hand away, and it took all of Valonis’ strength not to drag it back to him.
“Why do I feel like this when we touch?”
“It’s not just you,” he quickly assured her. He wanted to tell her more, but was not ready. So instead, he decided to do something he had never done before.--share his feelings with a woman.
“I like you Rachel,” he confessed, keeping his gaze locked with hers. “From what you’ve told me and what I’ve seen, I don’t think there’s a part of you that I don’t like.” He laughed at himself, but it wasn’t genuine.
“I don’t--- I’m not a ‘sensitive’ man,” he explained. “I like all women, and they seem to like me.”
“Thanks for making me feel special,” Rachel replied dryly.
This time Valonis’ smile reached his eyes. “What I’m trying to say is, I’ve liked many women, but I’ve never liked them the way I like you. I’ve never spent time with anyone the way I spend time with you, and what’s even more confusing is not only do I like it, but when I’m not with you, I miss it. I wonder what you’re doing, how you’re feeling. I wonder if you’re safe, or if you’re bored.”
He feigned a look of annoyance. “It’s rather irritating really.”
Rachel was silent for several moments, but then a small smile spread across her face.
“I know what you mean,” she said at last. “At least about the wondering part. I’ll be trying to read a book or study our research, and I’ll often find myself stopping and wondering when you’ll be back. You’re right, it is annoying.”
Valonis laughed, relief rushing through him. He had never confessed his feelings to anyone before, and it wasn’t until he was done speaking that he’d even thought of the possibility of Rachel not feeling the same way. But she did, and it made his heart swell with happiness.
“This thing that we feel,” Rachel ventured, sobering slightly, “When we touch. It’s not normal for humans to feel that way. Even when we’re… aroused.” She blushed as she said the last word. “Is it normal for dragons?”
“No,” Valonis replied quickly, shaking his head. “No these sensations are new to me too. I’ve enjoyed sex with females plenty of time, but never in my most passionate moments do I feel what I do when you simply put your hand over mine.”
Rachel nodded her head, but didn’t say anything. She looked deep in thought as she always did, and Valonis realized that that was just another thing to add to the list of reasons of why he liked her. She was a contemplative person. She never used words if they didn’t have truth or meaning behind them.
Fuck it, he thought suddenly, I’m just gonna kiss her.
As he leaned forward however, Rachel leaned back. Ouch.
“I want to,” she whispered, looking guilty. “You have no idea how much. But until we figure more out, I think we should hold off for now.”
Valonis sighed, but he knew she was right. His cock thumped restlessly against his robes, taunting him.
Calm yourself, he thought, feeling a tad amused at his member’s independent behavior.
“Don’t apologize,” he replied, forcing himself away from her. “I will never want to force you into something you’re not ready for.” He put a smile for her.
“I think that we’ve made great strides today. However I fear that if I stay any longer my honor will start to waiver, so I think we should call it a night.” He picked up a pillow from his bed and a pulled a large blanket from his wardrobe.
“I think it might be best if I slept in a different room.” When she looked disappointed, he gave her a pleading look. “Please understand,” he implored. “If I’m left here alone with you now, with you looking so ready and---” His growl of sexual frustration cut him off.
“Oh I do understand,” Rachel sighed, pulling her legs up to her chest. “It just makes me want you more knowing that you respect my need to wait.”
Groaning was the only thing Valonis could accomplish in response, so without another word he began to climb the stairs to his balcony for a long, sleepless night.
Chapter 11: It Was Fate Itself
3 Days Later
Rachel
Rachel tri
ed to tell herself to stay as calm as possible, but she couldn’t deny to herself that she was feeling worried. Valonis came to visit her often every day, looking more handsome and feral every time he came into the room. When he wasn’t wearing robes, he wore designer jeans, mostly black leather ones, and black or white under armor shirts that stretched tight across his exquisitely chiseled chest.
He hadn’t touched her skin directly since the last time, and she was beginning to wander if that was part of her agitation. Often in her dreams she would think back to how she slept against his chest as he took her through the portal, and how she thought he would kiss her the other night. His lips had been so close to his, she had known that he would! Then to her own surprise she pulled away, and she wanted to kick herself for it. If she had any idea how much need she would feel from denying them both that kiss, she would have chosen differently. And now, as she slept alone in his bed, inhaling his feral scent, she dreamt of his lips against hers, of his larger body possessing and worshipping her much smaller one.
When Duke had brought her computer back, she went over all of the information with Valonis, explaining her father’s research the best she could. He had remained silent through her speaking, letting her talk. When she was done, he took the laptop and her notes again, not telling her where it would be taken. When she had asked why, he gave her a look that twisted her heart and told her that it was safer if she knew as little as possible.
Ever since he had come to visit her three days ago his demeanor had been different. He was kinder, but he was also more on edge. She could feel the anxiety radiating off of him in waves. Every time he heard a sound he immediately put his body between her and his door, even if it came from somewhere else. He was worried about something, she could feel it.
When he would he would visit, he would continue to ask questions about the research and her father. He seemed fascinated by the life of Walter Kirk, and she enjoyed knowing that Valonis clearly respected the man and his passion for researching about dragons. When he wasn’t asking questions about research, he would ask questions about her. What she liked, where she was born, what her favorite color was. He laughed with her as she recalled silly memories from her childhood, and sympathized with her when, in a moment of weakness, she shed a few tears about her father’s death.
She wondered if his former attitudes about women were based on growing up without a mother. Apparently his father, being a noble, had committed quite the scandal in his younger days when he mated with a Valkyrie. Valonis promised to explain what it had meant later on, but Rachel caught on that it was the female counterpart to a Sigma. Her duties had seen her away from the hearth fire of their palace most of his life, and he had not seen her in the past hundred years at all.
There was never a moment where he didn’t look like he wanted to touch her, to wrap his arms around her and kiss her senseless. And every single time he looked at her she had to stop herself from begging him to go through with it. He never did though. Her emotions were beginning to grow stronger for him, which confused and sometimes angered her. She wanted him, clearly. She wanted to know what his lips felt like on hers, what his hands and tongue could do to her. But she also wanted to know that she was safe. She was a secret from someone, and if she could take a guess it was from someone very important, someone who had more authority than Valonis himself.
Still, despite the looming potential of danger, Rachel’s thoughts kept venturing back to this new connection she felt with this dragon man. To her surprise one day Valonis had even shared his past outlook on women, and shared with her just how many women he used to be with. At first a ripple of anger went through her as she pictured him with other women. But then, as he expressed his overall disinterest in them, she felt more sorrow than anything. She knew about casual sex and how it served most people just fine. But to her, sex was the farthest thing from casual. It meant something.
She blushed as she thought of the last time she’d had sex. It had been with her high school boyfriend when she was seventeen, and it was horrible. Neither of them knew what they were doing, and to be honest, she wasn’t even sure if she’d had an orgasm. He had been a kind enough boy, and had even cuddled with her afterwards. But it wasn’t love, nor was it pleasure. After him, Rachel had dated once or twice, but they never resulted in anything more than a good night kiss. At one point, feeling particularly frisky, she had tried some self loving techniques. Unfortunately they had all ended in disappointment.
Valonis knew all about pleasure though. Of that she was sure. Even if he hadn’t confessed to being a bit of a player, she would have guessed it. Being used to college boys with curious parts, she could spot one a mile away. It was in the way he carried himself, the way he dressed. When he looked in the mirror he was very sure of himself. Unlike those college boys however, she had a feeling that Valonis was a little more mature with his trysts. Seductive even.
At times when she couldn’t bring herself to focus, she often allowed fantasies of what making love to Valonis would feel like. His body was rock hard with muscle, and she couldn’t help but assume that even the parts she couldn’t see would be just the same. In her fantasy, she pictured him with his head between her legs, his tongue doing delicious, dark things that would make her wet with yearning.
Still, despite having a growing curiosity for what Valonis’ body might feel like, she still wanted to know that she was safe. That she was not just a captive. As comfortable as Valonis tried to make her in his chambers, she still felt like she was one wrong move away from danger. He was keeping something from her. Many things actually. She just couldn’t quite figure out what they were. One thing was for sure though; Valonis was definitely hiding her from something. Or someone. The thoughts were running rampantly through her mind when she heard Duke unlock the doors.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as Valonis strode in, looking as powerful and sexy as ever. Today however, his face was not etched in stone. There was warmth already in his eyes, and the slightest of smiles was on his face. Rachel felt every nerve ending in her body come alive as he walked towards her.
“My lord,” she greeted playfully, bowing.
“My dear lady,” he replied, bowing his head in obvious amusement. “I’ve brought you back your laptop and notes. I was hoping you could explain some things to me.”
“I’m pretty positive that I have already told you everything I know,” Rachel explained, feeling the stress return to her body. They had finished a little over a day ago, and she needed a mental break from all of it before they started going over things again.
Valonis must have sensed her stress. “I won’t be long,” he promised her. “And afterwards, I think you would enjoy a nice bath. You can use my private hot spring. Take as long you like, and when you’re finished I’ll bring up some wine and honey cakes from the kitchen. How does that sound?”
“I thought I wasn’t allowed to leave your chambers?” Rachel countered, feeling stubborn. She loved the honey cakes Valonis brought her from time to time, but she would have killed for a scoop of vanilla ice cream to go on top of them. Or an entire quart of it.
Chuckling, Valonis got up and went to the hearth. At the floor of it was a row of jagged stone, something that she realized only a day before represented the teeth of a dragon. He placed his foot on the one to the far left and pushed it forward. Rachel watched in awe as the seven square feet of the floor between the bed and the hearth began to sink. A circle roughly seven feet in circumference appeared in the floor, filling with hot, bubbling water as the floor continued to drop about three feet.
“I must tell you,” Valonis said, moving straight back to business. “I am very surprised that your people did this. Taking information from our world is something that rarely ever happens. Your father must have been very dedicated to his research in order to find it. We truly must have been a passion of his."
She nodded her head.
“My father has been researching your kind since before I was born,” Rachel e
xplained, returning to the bed to sit with him. “I’m not sure of where he found some of his earlier material, but I’ll help the best I can with what I do know.”
He held up the papers, and she tried to ignore the way his bicep bulged just a little more when he bent his elbow.
“These are written in my language, but they aren’t exactly what you think they are.”
“What do you mean?” She asked, her interest piquing. “It’s not about blood?”
“It is and it isn’t,” he told her. He went on to explain that they were ancient treaties between human and dragon.
“They’re records of humans and dragons that have participated in our mating rituals.” He pulled out a print of a map and pointed to one of the lines written in the dragon language.
“This is my family name, Drekaris.” He paused, a small smile spreading across his lips. “This portal that you found as a child is my family’s portal. We have many other smaller ones, but this is our birthright portal. Only those in the Drekaris bloodline can cross through it.”
Rachel was floored at the coincidence, but wasn’t quite sure of what to say. Her keen brain was starting to pick out a pattern, but the only thing that could have created it was fate itself. Was she supposed to find Valonis all along? Was this journey actually meant for her? Before she could ask, the double doors to Valonis’ chambers flew open, and in strode a serious looking man with several guards and one very tall Sigma trailing directly behind him.
As she looked over to Valonis on what to do, she noticed that his face had lost his gentleness and smile, and back on came the mask of dominating hardness. In a moment of shock, she watched from her side view as his eyes flared with gold and a ripple of scales moved over the side of his neck and down his arms. She wondered separately if that happened to all dragons when they became stressed. The thought quickly disappeared when she saw the way the other man looked at her, however. Whatever was about to happen, it was not going to be good.
