by Zara Zenia
I bounce up and down a couple more times, each time getting so close, like I’m on a trampoline trying to pick an apple from a tree that’s just out of reach. But then Trylor’s lips lock around my nipple and my back arches, the apple firmly in my grasp.
A scream reverberates off the walls, and I soon realize it’s me making that sound, crying to the heavens as my entire body shudders and convulses with endless waves of pleasure. I feel Trylor explode in me and that triggers another orgasm, though this one isn’t quite as loud, it’s no less incredible.
Trylor wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest, cradling me like I’m the most precious thing in the world. He strokes my damp hair and I listen to the steady thump, thump of his heart beat as it lulls me into a state of relaxation so deep I’m not entirely sure I don’t fall asleep.
At some point, he lifts me out of the tub, wraps me in a big fluffy towel, and carries me to my bed with more tenderness than I’d ever think possible out of a guy that looks like him. He gets in with me, and wraps his big arms around me, pressing his lips to my temple as I finally get the sleep I was denied last night.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Eva
When I first wake, Trylor is still by my side in the bed. He stirs, his eyes blinking blearily at me before he smiles and kisses me.
“Good morning,” he says, even though I’m not sure what time it is. When he came to my room it was morning and then we’d… Well, we’d done a lot since then and slept, but I’m not sure a whole day has gone by.
“Good morning,” I say anyway, smiling and snuggling into him. I still can’t believe that I’ve now slept with three different men. Me! The girl who’d never even been touched by a boy before they showed up in my woods.
It’s crazy to think about, but I don’t regret any of it. It seems like every woman’s fantasy to be with big beautiful dragon shifters like Trylor and Brandt, or sexy suave vampires like Morgan and Lucas… Though I still haven’t been with Lucas. It’s strange to now think of it as inevitable, but there’s really no use in fighting it. Whether it’s fate or free will or something somewhere in between, I know Lucas and I will end up together, I just don’t know when.
I feel guilty for thinking things like that with Trylor in my bed still, so I kiss him again and try to push those thoughts aside.
But his smile soon fades and he sighs.
“What? What is it?” I ask, dragging my fingertips up his chest gently.
He shakes his head. “I just wish I could stay here with you forever.”
I frown. “But you have work to do, don’t you?”
He nods solemnly. “The work of a king is never truly done.”
“That hardly seems fair,” I pout. He should have the chance to live his life like anyone else. And if he wanted a day off, he should get it.
He smiles, dragging his fingers through my hair, still so soft from whatever oils he’d put in it earlier. “It’s a small price to pay for the life of luxury my position affords me. I know I’m privileged.”
“I guess,” I say, still frowning.
He drags his thumb over my bottom lip before leaning in to kiss me softly once more. “Don’t worry. I will return to you as soon as I’m able.”
I nod, already wrapping my arms around myself as he pulls out of the bed. His clothes were lost with the shift, so he goes in my closet and finds a unisex Desergan robe that I’ve never even worn because I know it would swallow me it’s so huge. But it fits him like a normal robe and he circles the bed to give me one last kiss.
“I promise. As soon as I’m able.”
I throw my hands around his shoulders and cling to him until I feel him starting to pull away. I know I can’t hold on forever.
“Until then,” he says warmly, bowing on his way out of my room.
I sit in the bed for a long time, taking inventory of my sore muscles, the wonderful aches deep in my body that remind me of our time together last night. Finally, I get up too, and head to the window, pulling the curtains back.
The fires in the distance are still burning, the sky a deep russet with spots of dark clouds. I think it’s nighttime. It’s hard to tell when darkness never truly falls, but it’s much dimmer than usual, so that’s what I go off of.
Night time or not, I’m wide awake after that long nap with Trylor, so I get dressed in something simple, but elegant — a far cry from my old style, but I’m starting to appreciate dresses that make me actually look like a woman.
I head out of my room without any real destination in mind, but it’s not long before I spot a familiar figure in the distance.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I say, sidling up beside Lucas. Did he feel that I was thinking about him not too long ago? He doesn’t seem to be going anywhere with a purpose either, just wandering down halls, looking at statues and inscriptions and art. There’s a lot to learn about the Desergans and their planet for anyone who’s interested enough. But reading about it and experiencing it are two different things. And I still haven’t had a chance to do the latter. I still haven’t been outside these palace walls and I can feel myself starting to go a little stir-crazy. I’m used to wide open spaces, no borders or walls, just me and nature and anywhere I want to go at my fingertips. But here, I feel a little like a caged bird — precious and cherished, but caged all the same.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he says, his voice soft and warm like sun-drenched velvet.
Silence hangs between us for a long moment and then Lucas looks down, almost looking ashamed.
“Eva, I’m sorry for how things went the other day. I was careless in how I approached the subject.”
I wave his apology off, shaking my head. “It’s okay. There’s not really a good way to break that kind of news. I just needed time to come to terms with it.”
“And have you?”
“More or less,” I shrug. I don’t feel like I need to get into the intricacies of my internal conflict.
“So, what brings you out of your chambers on this night?” he asks, resuming his stroll down the hall.
I step in time beside him, staying close but not touching even though his very presence pulls at me like a magnet. “Couldn’t sleep, you?”
He grins and I spot the pointed ends of his fangs and I curse myself again.
“Right, vampires. I don’t know why I keep forgetting that part.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “It’s endearing, honestly. I’m so used to being seen as a monster, it’s nice to be seen as only myself.”
“Morgan said something similar,” I say nodding, before realizing that maybe talking about my intimate conversations with his companion might be inconsiderate.
But Lucas just nods sagely. “Yes, we have much in common. I sired him many centuries ago, he’s one of the few I turned. And the only still left.” At that, his voice turned bitter and harsh, but I don’t want to focus on the bad things that brought us all here. We’d all been through something tragic and heart-breaking before coming together in this place. And we can dwell on the past, or we can look toward the future. Even if that future does come with the promise of a baby.
Yeah, I don’t really want to think about that either.
“Have you been outside at all?” I ask, changing the subject before I can fall back down the hole of my own self-pity.
He shook his head, his hands clasped behind his back. “I haven’t had the opportunity yet, no. But I have been considering taking the journey.”
“I was thinking about asking Stella if she’d take me out, but I’d rather go with you,” I say, feeling heat rise to my cheeks with the admission. It’s innocent enough, but knowing what I’ve already done with the other three, I’m pretty sure I know what I’m signing up for, even if Lucas isn’t fully aware.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. I’ve been itching to explore and since it’s currently night, I won’t need any protective covering.”
“Right, that’s what I was thinking,” I say, hoping he buys it. In r
eality, I’d forgotten the vampire thing again. I don’t know why it’s so hard to see these men for what they really are, but all I can see is someone I care about, someone I want to know better, someone I want to spend more time with, learning about them, their likes, dislikes, the way they kiss, the way they make love… I don’t see the monsters they expect me to. I just see incredibly sexy men that make me melt with the simplest words or touches.
“It’s probably still wise to find a guide of some sort. If neither of us have been out of the palace, it seems foolish to set off on our own on a strange planet.”
I know he’s right and it makes complete sense, but I can’t help but feel a little deflated at the suggestion. Already I was looking forward to time alone with Lucas. Just the two of us. His icy blue eyes making me shiver, is velvety voice sending tremors of need to my toes while his cool fingers tease my bare flesh.
Yeah, I’d already been thinking about it a lot. But now we’re going to have company. And of course he’s got a point. Getting lost on the dragon planet is not something I want. Especially not with an ocean of blazing fire on the horizon and the evil still possibly lurking in the shadows after the massacre. Remembering the massacre erases my hesitance and firms my decision.
“You’re right. No need to put ourselves at risk.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about,” Lucas answers, his hand gently curling around my waist. His touch is so light it’s like it’s almost not there at all, like his hand is hovering, but when I walk, I feel his fingers on my hip, sending electricity to my core with every step forward.
This is definitely going to be an interesting excursion.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lucas
Two large Desergan guards wait for us at the front door to the palace. They’re in their human forms, but that doesn’t stop them from being huge and imposing. Eva looks at me uncertainly, her warm hand in mine, our fingers laced together. It’s hard to understand how we arrived here, but I’m not going to question it too thoroughly. Not when Eva is at my side and not furious with me.
That’s still a surprise too. After the other day, I was certain that Eva would never want anything to do with me again. I was sure that all hope for fulfilling the prophecy was lost because we’d been so callous. Even Morgan wasn’t sure that she would change her tune, and he’d already been with her.
They all had, now. I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little jealous. I don’t think it’s anything to do with preference, I don’t think I’m Eva’s least favorite, but it does bother me that I’m the last one to be chosen.
Of course, I know better than to believe I’m owed something, or that I’m entitled to her just because she’s been with the other three. I know this is still ultimately Eva’s choice and she can still back out whenever she chooses. I just hope she won’t, because she’s nearly all I’ve thought about since she appeared in my life.
“Good evening,” I say, nodding at the guards.
They each offer a stiff nod in return. That’s about the best I can hope for. Ever since the tense meeting with the king’s advisers and his declaration that we’re welcomed guests in his palace, the guards have been cordial, but I can still see the wary suspicion in their eyes. I can still see how their grips tighten on their weapons as I approach.
“I expect you’re our envoy into the city?” I ask, trying to be as pleasant as possible. They’re welcome to offer only stony silence, but I consider myself to be a bit more civilized.
When neither of them denies it, I smile brightly and squeeze Eva’s hand. “Well, shall we, then?”
The guards exchange a quick look before stepping aside and opening the huge double doors, letting in a flood of warm night air tinged with the smell of smoke.
The palace grounds are immaculately groomed, with sprawling lawns and manicured foliage. How any of it survives this unbearable heat, I’ll never know, but it’s lovely to look at and Eva takes her time strolling down the path, stopping every so often to bend and sniff a bloom. I don’t mind. Every time she bends over I get another tantalizing view of her creamy thighs as her skirt rises up. The sight makes my mouth water, but I rein my libido in. This is my chance to spend time with Eva. My chance to form a relationship with this captivating woman. I’m not going to ruin it by focusing only on her attractiveness.
The guards eventually lead us to a large, solid iron gate set into a stone wall that had to be at least fifty feet tall. With the palace on a hill like it is, it’s impossible to see the wall, but at this distance, it’s impossible to see anything else. Even the distant burning ocean is blocked out. The gate lifts with the sound of clanking chains and grinding gears, and Eva looks to me for reassurance. I squeeze her hand and stroll through the open gate, trying to hide the fear that it’ll come crashing down on me at any moment.
And then we’re on the other side, the rolling hills and steep cliff sides of Desergan spread out before us. There’s a town far below, down a winding switch-back path that looks almost too steep to navigate, but it’s the only way I see down. And now, past the huge wall surrounding the palace, the flames of the eternal fire ocean lick high into the sky, keeping the night from ever being truly dark.
“Wow,” Eva breathes, her eyes wide to take everything in, her mouth open in wonder. “It’s beautiful…in a kind of terrifying way.”
I nod. “Not quite like home is it?”
“No,” she says, her voice still breathless. “But that’s not really a bad thing. Wouldn’t be worth exploring if it was just like home, would it?” She flashes me a grin that’s like a punch to the chest.
If I had use for my lungs, I’m sure they’d be without air right now. That smile is like an earthquake inside of me and I know without a doubt that I’m hopeless when it comes to this girl. She’s already got me trapped in her web. Now it’s just time to weave one of my own.
“Come on! Let’s go!” she says gleefully, skipping off down the steep path, almost losing her footing more than once.
I jog to catch up to her, damned if I’ll let her wind up with skinned knees or a broken bone because I’m not there to catch her.
The guards aren’t far behind, but the path is too narrow for them to flank us, so they have to be content with their current position. Not that either of them lets on that they’re less than pleased.
The path has little of interest beyond the sweeping vistas, but once we near the town, Eva frowns, her eyes roving over the place from her bird’s eye vantage.
“What are those walls for?” she asks, turning to the guards. I see what she’s talking about. All throughout the town, and stretching into the fields and villages beyond, there are walls. But not like the palace walls. They don’t form a contiguous line or a complete circle. They almost look random, starting and stopping in odd places. I’m not even sure what good a wall like that does.
“To keep the evil out,” one of the guards says gruffly. “They put up walls where there have been attacks.”
I squint, looking closer at the piecemeal walls, this time, looking past them. Around each piece of wall, there was a similar break. On one side there’s houses, gardens, shops and even dragons flitting around. On the other side, nothing but charred remains. I didn’t see anything lurking in the shadows or creeping out of the rubbish. That’s enough to give me a sneaking suspicion that the wall’s true purpose is to keep the Desergans from going back to ruined areas, not to keep the evil from getting in. I know from personal experience that seeing that kind of devastation can break a person. Hiding it behind walls is probably the best Trylor can do for these people until the threat is eliminated completely.
“Oh,” Eva says, her expression falling. She looks upset enough by that explanation that I’m not going to offer her my theory. This is supposed to be a pleasant trip. A fun excursion. I don’t want it ruined with woe and gloom. I don’t want her reminded of the prophecy or the unwieldy task asked of her.
She continues on, distracted as the path’s slope flattens
out and we enter the very edges of the village. Desergan houses are huge and it’s quickly obvious why — most of these people took the form of dragons, stomping around on their hind legs, taller than Oak trees. Not all of them are huge, but they’re all large by human standards. Even the smallest dragon is Eva’s size.
I expected the town to be mostly asleep at this hour, but that doesn’t seem to effect the Desergans. Perhaps some of them are nocturnal, or this planet is more similar to Earth in that it never really sleeps. Whatever the case, the streets are not deserted like I expect, but rather there are handfuls of dragons littering the streets, carrying out their daily business.
And as we walk past them, the dragons stop and stare at us, their eyes narrowing, some with teeth bared. It’s almost difficult to believe that all these varied people could be of the same race. They came in all sizes and colors, from glittering green scales, to bronze, blue, black, and silver. It seems no two dragons have the same color scales and Eva can’t stop herself from gawking at them, her head on a swivel.
“Wow… I knew they were dragons, but I didn’t expect them to be…”
“Dragons?” I say with a chuckle.
She laughs with me, the sound light and effortless. “Yeah,” she giggles, shaking her head. “Silly isn’t it?”
I don’t say so, but I was just thinking the same thing. After spending so much time with the king and prince, living in the palace, I half forgot that the people of this planet are shifters. And from what Trylor has said, that skill is fairly rare amongst them. So most of these people have never even taken human form. Which probably explains the stares.
“They’re all looking at us funny,” Eva whispers, squirming and clinging to my arm.
“Well yeah, it’s not every day you see a couple of aliens walking down the road.”
She stops, her mouth dropping open, her eyes widening, then she bursts into laughter. “I guess you’re right. We’re the aliens here, aren’t we? That’s so weird.”
