Dragons Don't Cry

by Suzie Ivy

  “Humph. I am dragon. Fix her or I will burn your home down.”

  The woman had the gall to laugh at me. “I’ve been dealing with shifters for years. If you threaten me again, I’ll kick you out on your ass. Do you want me to treat her or not?”

  My frustration overwhelmed me; I looked at Acasia and knew I needed to allow this woman to do her job. “Continue, human.”

  She rolled her eyes again and began asking questions.

  “When’s the last time she ate? Could someone have poisoned her? Could she be with child?”

  If the woman hadn’t have been examining her while asking the questions, I’d have breathed fire. Acasia was lethargic and not answering herself. That more than anything showed how ill she was.

  “I need to draw blood and take a CT scan.”

  I could not keep the impatience from my voice. “Do what you must, but fix her quickly.”

  “I may be able to give her something for the pain, but I’m not sure how it will work on her humanlike body. This is my first patient from another realm.”

  “Sleep, Acasia.” I felt a great relief when her eyes closed and I could no longer see the pain in them.

  The doctor’s steady gaze locked with mine. “I need you on my team. It makes things much simpler if you support me instead of fighting me. I want to help her.”

  I didn’t answer, but managed a small nod. Another woman walked into the room and I watched as blood was drawn. Acasia was then moved to another room and placed on a rolling bed that entered a cylinder. I almost lost it.

  The doctor had no fear of me. “It will be over quicker if you back off. You are keeping me from finding out what’s wrong.”

  I stayed near the cylinder taking deep breaths to keep from tearing the machine apart and removing her. When the test was finished, I picked Acasia up holding her close. I needed her scent to calm me. I was close to losing any semblance of control.

  “Follow me and you can wait in a more comfortable room. Let me check the test results and I’ll be back as soon as possible. Right now, my biggest concern is her temperature. I will give you a cool, wet cloth to rub her down with.”

  I held Acasia and used the cloth provided. I had removed her clothes for the machine to examine beneath her skin. I was unfamiliar with the process but I had to discover what harmed my bride. I wrapped her in a light covering, and made her comfortable in my arms while I wet her down feeling her entire body shake. I found it difficult to breathe. She had to be okay; there was no other option. I had no idea how long the doctor was gone, but when she returned, I saw the bad news written clearly on her face.

  She sat on a stool, looking to me with sadness in her eyes.

  No. This could not happen.

  “I’m sorry. Her organs are shutting down and her bones are dissolving. It’s a very fast spreading cancer, one I’ve never seen before.”

  “What does this word cancer mean?”

  “It is a human disease. If caught early, it can sometimes be slowed. In some cases stopped completely. I’ve never seen cancer come on this intensely. I am so very sorry, she will not survive much longer.”

  I looked down at my beloved. The lines of pain did not show right now, but her face was thinner, a gray tinge on her skin. I couldn’t lose her. I buried my face in her hair.

  “You can remain here and we can keep you both comfortable, maybe run more tests, but I don’t think anything I do will change the outcome.”

  I didn’t say a word. Walking out of the building, I sat in the backseat of the waiting vehicle holding Acasia. I hadn’t bothered dressing her, but kept the cloth around her. Brunya had come on the airplane and sat next to the new driver. She asked no questions.

  Traveling home to my lair took longer. I kept Acasia asleep. I never let her go, touching some part of her at all times. If I released her for only a moment, I knew she’d be gone.

  Back in my room, I rested against pillows holding her throughout the night. The following day she opened her pain-filled eyes.

  Her words were so soft I could barely hear them. “I’m sorry, Bastian, for breaking my promise.”

  No, I wouldn’t let her back down. “Then don’t break your promise, my love.”

  She smiled so sweetly. “Take me to the glen, Bastian. I wish to see it one last time.”

  “No, Acasia, do not say that.” Everything inside me screamed in anguish.

  “I love you, dragon.” She gasped for breath, closing her eyes. I didn’t think she would say any more, but she continued, “The glen is where you made love to me for the first time. Hurry please.”

  And like so many times before, I could deny her nothing.

  She was barely breathing when we arrived. I couldn’t even roar, my pain so great it crippled me. She gazed at me, but didn’t speak again. The smell of grass and flowers surrounded us.

  I watched her chest rise and fall at a slower and slower pace. “I love you, Acasia. There will never be another for me. You are my only treasure.” She smiled slightly then stopped breathing.

  “Noooooo,” I yelled. “Please, Goddess, no.” I rocked Acasia in my arms, kissing her face, trying to bring her back with the power of my love. Nothing worked; she was lifeless in my embrace. I finally lay her down and stood, walking a few feet away, looking into the sky.

  “Why, Goddess, why? Take me. Please take me.” I cried out with everything I had. The sky remained the same and desolation rolled over me, through me. I could not do this.

  Thunder crackled in the clouds and a bolt of lightning hit the ground a few feet in front of me. The power of the burst so strong, I barely remained standing. A shimmer of light took shape and a female stood before me. It was the goddess.

  Without thought, I fell to my knees and took ahold of the bottom of her gown. “Please, Goddess, I beg you. Spare her and take me.”

  I felt the weight of her hand on my head. “I am Angelos, daughter of Hera. You sacrificed much, dragon. You stayed with your bride when I thought you would chase your friend and kill him. Your greatest treasure has long been your pride, but you gave it up for her.”

  I looked up, tears clouding my eyes. I couldn’t stop them.

  Dragons did cry.

  She gave me a soft smile. “To be reborn we must die first. Look behind you, dragon.”

  I turned slowly, so afraid this was a dream. I could feel the pressure of the magic building in the glade and could see it encompassing Acasia. It was red, like the power of our love magic. Acasia took a sudden gasp of breath then screamed. I tried to rise, but I was thrown back. The red glow around Acasia burst into flame. Black smoke billowed.

  I saw her front leg first. From out of the smoke and flame, a red dragon appeared. Her eyes slowly opened and I was looking at my mate. More beautiful than anything I’d ever seen, she threw open her jaws, sharp teeth flashing, and breathed fire.

  Acasia laughed.

  “I’m like you, Bastian.” Her words whispered into my mind.

  I don’t know how I found my voice. “You are my true mate.”

  More flames and smoke spewed from her jaws, and I laughed too. I remembered the Goddess and turned around. She was gone, but her words entered my mind. “Each dragon must find their own mate. Your brethrens’ journey is not your own.”

  The words faded and without another thought, I shifted, tearing my clothes, bursting into my true form. I approached my red dragon mate.

  “You are no longer as large, Bastian.” Her red eyes shown with merriment.

  “You are tiny compared to me, female.”

  She looked to the sky. “I want to fly.”

  “What’s stopping you?” I watched as she spread her wings.

  “Gather the magic, pull it from within yourself and help your wings.”

  She cast a red glow. She knew what I spoke of, because she carried the magic deep inside. Acasia lifted from the ground and I followed.

  “Thank you, Goddess,” I whispered.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

 
Acasia

  I was a dragon.

  Fire breathing. Flying. Awesome. Dragon.

  The pain I’d suffered was but a memory. Thoughts swirled through my mind. I would never leave Bastian behind. We would be together for all eternity. I swooped down to the lake like I’d seen Bastian do a hundred times to skim my talons through the water. I over calculated and too much of my body hit the surface. My wing caught and I tumbled, rolling across the top before sinking under.

  “Stupid female.” Bastian’s talons hooked beneath my wings and brought me to the surface while I sputtered. His great wings flapped with my weight and he flew me to shore.

  “Show off,” I muttered, though I wasn’t at all upset. Bastian would catch me, he always had. “How do I shift to human?” I asked.

  “Humph. Pull the magic in and think of your human body.”

  I ignored his snort and did as he said. There was a short burst of pain, but nothing like the past few days, and I stood on two feet. I looked at my hulking dragon. He shifted before I could ask.

  His kiss was a million times better than his first one. It was only for me and my lips for him.

  “I love you, Acasia.”

  “I want to fly again.” I smiled when he groaned.

  “No lakes.”

  I laughed loudly. “You’re no fun.”

  “Stay in human form and I will show you fun.”

  Desire flared through me. “I will shift and we shall fly home. I want a soft bed.”

  Bastian changed form. “What are you waiting for, mate?”

  My transformation was slower. I had to think about it, and Bastian’s laughter floated into my head.

  “Last one to the lair is the red spawn of a demon.”

  I pulled the magic in and shifted. Used it again to lift off and flew through the air to catch Bastian. He stayed only a few feet in front of me. I still couldn’t believe I had wings—huge, red, glorious wings.

  We landed on the bedroom perch and I moved away from the edge. I wasn’t confident enough in my ability to shift quickly and didn’t want to take any chances. Yes, I knew Bastian would catch me, but I desired him too badly to play games.

  I pulled the magic in and thought of my human form. This was awesome. Bastian stood at the doors waiting. I ran into his arms, throwing myself at him from a few feet away.

  “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I said covering his face in kisses.

  His fingers threaded through my hair and by pulling it, he stopped my crazy sporadic lips, taking my mouth in a soul-shattering kiss that went clear to my toes. He backed us up until he fell backward on the bed, bringing me with him. Never releasing my mouth, he lifted my hips and thrust into me. Yes, I could fly, but nothing compared to the feeling of Bastian inside of me. My mate, my everything.

  He wasn’t slow or gentle. He was perfect. The pressure before my release took me by surprise. Magic thrummed inside my center. Was this what Bastian felt before the red light exploded? We were two dragons now. What would happen? The magic built and I could feel it pressing outward from beneath my skin.

  “Don’t be frightened,” Bastian rasped against my neck before licking and biting.

  My heart thundered loud in my ears, the smell of him enflamed my senses. The magic grew.

  “Ahhh,” Bastian yelled out.

  That was it, all I could take. I let go. My skin turned to flames. Fire burst from our joined bodies. It didn’t hurt. It was the most exquisite feeling I’d ever known. My loud cry echoed his. The flames rose higher until we were an inferno of pure power. I didn’t pass out, but as my body calmed, I worried that we caught the lair on fire.

  Bastian laughed. “No, it’s a fire only the two of us can feel. Though I’m sure it was seen from realms away.”

  My laughter filled the room. “You knew this would happen?”

  “I’ve heard of it, but never thought to experience the magic of joining with a mate.”

  I started kissing him again, moving my lips down his body. His neck, chest, and abs, slowly moving to the part of him I wanted to kiss the most.

  “You are a greedy mate.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “No,” he groaned as I kissed the tip of his cock and swirled my tongue around him.

  It’s hard to describe the jolt I felt. It was like a small burst of electricity running through my body.

  Bastian sat up. “The dragons come; they’ve crossed into my territory.”

  His glorious cock would need to wait. “Our territory, mate. I felt them too.”

  He looked at me, his teeth flashing with a smile. “Our territory, but it may take a while for me to remember.”

  “I’ll remind you each and every day. What do we need to do?”

  “You will stay here and I will go out and speak to them. They are too close for you to go out on the perch without them seeing you naked.” He gave me his dragon look. “They are not seeing you naked.”

  He stood from the bed, leaving me behind. His cock continued at full mast, and I smiled as I smacked my lips.

  “Naughty dragon,” he said over his shoulder.

  After he walked through the doors, I jumped from the bed, ran out of the room and through the library to the tower perch. They wouldn’t see me naked, but they would see me with my mate as dragon. I pulled the magic in. In was easier, my shift and liftoff more fluid. I rose to the columns and flew through, grazing the tip of my wing on the stone. They’d spread farther than I could feel them, though I felt the scrape.

  “Ow.”

  I lifted up over the lair and could hear the men talking.

  “There is another dragon in our realm. Where did he come from?” demanded Sarn.

  “We will kill him for entering without requesting permission.” This came from Tahr.

  I noticed Laryn staying back, not speaking. The four men stood on the perch in all their naked glory. Ah oh, my mate would not be happy, but I couldn’t help my laugh. As one, they turned toward me, leaping from the perch. All except for Bastian. He shook his head in obvious exasperation.

  “Hi, boys. Did the new little dragon scare you?” I breathed fire with my laughter.

  “Acasia?” This was the first word Laryn spoke.

  “Yes, it is I, the dragon coming to throw a little terror in your male-dominated world.”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Bastian shift. He charged the other dragons, scattering them away from me.

  Sarn wasn’t intimidated by Bastian’s charge in the least. His stunned voice held reverence as he looked to Bastian. “You’ve mated.”

  “Yes, he’s mated, you ignoramus. I’m right here. Don’t speak around me or I’ll burn your balls off.”

  Bastian coughed a small burst of fire, but now I had everyone’s attention.

  “May I touch you, Acasia?” Oops, Laryn was an idiot.

  Bastian’s roar, complete with a huge burst of fire, placed a cloud of smoke around us. “Move away from her, Laryn. You and I have unsettled business and I do not wish to kill you in front of my mate.”

  “You’ve truly mated, Bastian. I’m sorry for what I did, but you’ve given us hope. Please may I touch her?” Pure need sounded in his voice. Unabashed, stupid, deadly need.

  The roar thundered through the skies, and my dragon attacked.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Bastian

  I’d been through too much over the past few days. Laryn took me over the edge and nothing but fury clouded my vision. I hit him, causing the two of us to spiral downward. I vaguely heard Acasia’s cry, but I had one goal—Laryn’s head separating from his body.

  I managed to flap my wings a few times before we hit the ground, but it didn’t help the pain of the impact. Laryn rolled, and instead of coming up on his feet, he shifted, making himself completely defenseless against me. He lay awaiting certain death. My roar vibrated through the air and the ground beneath us, but he didn’t move or shift.

  I stopped, shook my head, and fire spewed from betwe
en my jaws. My eyes almost popped from my head when Acasia landed in front of Laryn.

  Laryn, his voice defeated, spoke out, “No, my lady, let it be.”

  Acasia looked over her shoulder at a naked Laryn, which only ignited my rage to a higher level if that was possible.

  “Shush, Laryn. Your grief makes you an idiot. I have trouble believing you’d have survived this long if you were so stupid all the time. If you ever touch me without MY permission, I will bite off your hand and swallow it whole. Now be quiet while I calm my mate. We were in a wonderful sexual position when three dragons interrupted us. I would like to get back to pleasing my dragon and not saving your worthless hide.”

  She walked closer before finally stopping to face me. The other two dragons landed. No one spoke; they waited for me to kill Laryn. As quickly as my anger had risen, it melted. My brain started working again. I’d proven my worth for my mate by not seeking immediate vengeance and placing her before my pride. Now she stood between that same pride and my lifelong friend.

  I turned away. “Sarn and Tahr, would you mind seeing Laryn out of my territory? As my mate said, we have unfinished business.”

  I rose into the air leaving the others behind. Acasia rose too. It felt as if an invisible thread ran between us; I just hadn’t realized what the pull was. Instead of flying to the perch, I headed to the tower. There was another way my mate could please me.

  I slowed as she swooped through the columns. Her great head turned in curiosity, and I flew up close behind her. My talons sank into her shoulders and I nudged her long neck with my chin.

  “What are you doing, dragon?”

  “Claiming my mate, and it won’t be complete until it’s happened in dragon form.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” Holding my laughter back after the shocked tone of her question was difficult.

  “I have a rather large erection that needs taking care of.” I pushed her lower inside the tower as I spoke.

  “Bastian, you cannot.”

  “Oh yes, my fair lady dragon, I can.” Our landing was a little harder than expected, but her startled gasp gave me a chance to curl my legs under her back ones. My jaws opened and clamped on her neck.