The Shifter’s Prisoner

by T. S. Ryder

  He was hard between her legs. She could feel him straining against his trunks and a heady rush filled her. This had been something she had been considering ever since that day when her parents refused to ransom her back – or, if she was being honest with herself, even longer than that. This was one delicious hunk of the dragon and she wanted a taste.

  She moaned as she teased his mouth open, her eyes fluttering shut. His mouth tasted of smoke – of fire and passion. Her body seemed to move with a mind of its own, grinding softly against him. Her core came to life, burning in a way she hadn’t known was possible. The heat of the pool was nothing to the heat inside of her, begging – no, demanding – more.

  Was this Stockholm Syndrome? She couldn’t think of what that really meant besides kidnapping victims falling in love with their captors. But this wasn’t love. This was lust, pure and simple. And, she realized, she wasn’t doing this because she was hoping for anything in return. For the first time in her life, she was able to actually act on her impulses. To do what she wanted without thinking about consequences or how others would judge her. She rocked her hips harder, panting now.

  “You claimed me,” she whispered. “You own me.”

  “Not really,” he started, but she cut him off with another kiss.

  She wasn’t sure what was taking possession inside of her, but she knew that she wanted this. “You own me. But right now, I’m your master, understood? You belong to me.” She kissed him again, grasping his hands. She pulled them to her breasts as she continued to rock. “You will do everything I say.”

  Asa grinned at her. “And if I don’t?”

  “Then you’ll be punished.” She scraped her teeth on his collarbone and nipped at his throat. It earned her a surprisingly throaty moan, and her desires kicked up another notch. “I own you,” she growled.

  Asa moaned, rolling his hips up to maximize contact as she came down on him. “You own me.”

  His submission surprised her. It did not, however, lessen her need for him. As she pulled back and stared at his flushed face, droplets of water clinging to his lashes, he had never seemed more attractive. Her nostrils flared as she took in the scent of him. His woodsy, musky scent mixed with the smell of the hot springs had her head spinning. She increased her tempo, biting her lip against the arousal that strengthened with her increased speed.

  She moved away suddenly, panting for breath, and smiled at him. “Take off your trunks.”

  She made sure to keep her voice low and sexy. Her lover smiled back at her and obeyed, stripping off the trunks at once. He put them on the edge of the springs and reached for her again. Instead of letting him touch her, she slipped through his grasp and shook her head. Her eyes twinkled as she moved to the side of the hot springs. There, she lifted the top of her tankini over her head, then removed the skimpy bottoms. She loved the way his heated gaze roamed over her.

  “Do you know what I want?” she whispered as she moved to drape her legs over his shoulders. “I want you to worship me.”

  Asa grinned, his pupils wide. He kissed her thigh and she gasped in anticipation. Her head fell back and her eyes drifted shut as he made his way to her core. From the first touch, bolts of pleasure moved up and down her body. Her fingers grasped at the stone beneath her as she held herself in place. Her legs shivered, her core tightened and the heat inside of her flared to new heights.

  “Do you like that?” Asa whispered into her.

  Willow clamped her teeth down on her lip, rocking against him to increase the friction. She understood now why he had been ‘submissive’ to her before. He knew that as soon as he started to touch her, this tenuous control she had would be shaken. Her whole body felt like it was going to explode, everything too tight inside of her. Leaning on one hand, she grasped his hair with her other. She wanted to press him deeper inside her but held herself back, instead merely holding him in place as he did his work. Both of his hands grasped her hips, keeping her from writhing away from him.

  “Don’t stop,” she begged as he began to move away.

  Asa chuckled. He slid a finger into her while his thumb focused in on its target, moving in soft circles. Willow’s body hunched inwards as a cry was torn from her. Asa moved up, taking the hand wound into his hair and wrapping it around him. Willow marveled at the size of him, then began to move her hand. She was rewarded by her lover’s soft gasp as his hips came forward. Together, they stroked one another, the heat from the pool and each other pushing everything to a breaking point.

  “Kiss my breasts,” Willow blurted, desperate for some sort of control.

  Her dragon instantly obeyed. His head dropped to her chest, and with his free hand, he massaged one breast while kissing the other. Her nipples were already hard little points when he sucked on one and then the other. Her head fell back again and she rocked herself against his hand, unable to stop panting cries from coming out of her. She would have finished right then with nothing more if she hadn’t suddenly seized his hand, stopping him.

  Asa kissed her gently. She rested her head on his shoulder while his hands moved down her damp back, bringing her closer to him. She reveled in their closeness as she centered herself again. His smell was even more intense, and when she licked his pectoral for a taste, he shivered. She liked that, so she licked again, moving down until she got to his own hard nipples. He moaned, thrusting towards her when she took one into her mouth. The reaction surprised her – she had never thought men might like that, too. She sucked gently and both of his hands wrapped in her hair.

  “Let’s put that mouth to other uses,” he growled.

  Willow laughed as she slipped out of his grasp. She wagged her finger in his face. “Nope. I’m your master, remember.”

  Asa’s eyes were so focused and intense it was almost frightening. “I remember.”

  “You will obey me.”

  “I obey you, master.”

  She tugged on his arms. “Come lie down on your back.”

  He emerged from the tub, hard, erect, so beautiful that it took her breath away. Staring into her eyes, he laid down on his back as though he was a lamb, not the fierce dragon warrior she knew him to be. She straddled him. Part of her wanted to continue to tease him as she had before, but her own need was too intense. She took him in her hand and eased him into her as she came down. The sensations were enough to take her breath away, and once he was fully inside, all she could do was sit there for a moment, her eyes half-closed.

  Willow put her hands on his chest, his huge broad chest, bracing herself as she began to move. All the tightness and heat from before came back on her tenfold and she cried out. Asa’s hands gripped her hips, his heated gaze locked on her face. Soon, it was him moving her, his firm grip unyielding as he rocked her back and forth over him. Willow gasped and panted, all thought fleeing before the flood of intense pleasure.

  Everything came undone. Her head dropped back and she let out a howl. Asa jerked beneath her and then yanked her down. His hips thrust upwards madly as he pinned her close to his body. Somewhere in her own pleasure, she felt him release and then lay still.

  After several minutes wherein they panted and fought to catch their breath, they eased off each other. Their skin suctioned to one another but released long enough for them to slip back into the hot water. Her muscles were so loose that the buoyancy granted by the springs was the only thing keeping her head up. Willow smiled as she stroked her dragon’s chest and arms.

  “I’ve never met a man who would give up control like that,” she told him.

  Asa laughed. “What makes you think that I gave up anything?”

  She hummed. “Next time we’ll see.”

  “Next time?” Asa buried his face in her hair. “Yes. Next time. Next time, you’ll call me master and beg me for mercy.”

  “Unlikely.” She giggled, pressing her face into his chest. She was tempted to take him again right there, but she could feel a slight ache between her legs and knew she needed rest.

  Her min
d suddenly turned to what Sherwood had told her. That women stayed for the dragon children they had given birth to. More likely they stayed for the children and their fathers, she thought. If I had a child binding me to Asa, I would never leave . . . I don’t think I ever want to leave regardless . . .

  Chapter Eight – Worth More than Gold

  Quinn wanted to see him.

  Asa frowned as he made his way through the palace. He had just had a meeting with the king about the wingless dragons. His group of bikers was improving dramatically, and he was considering putting his second in charge of his own group. The wingless were a group that had been ignored for too long. Even if the other clans mocked Cendas for having a raiding party dedicated to them, their success rates were consistently climbing upwards. But that couldn’t be what Quinn was wanting to discuss. What else could be it? It wasn’t time for tax settlement . . .

  Willow.

  The dragon stopped. His eyes widened as he realized what he had done. The previous day, he and Willow had spent the entire day in the hot springs together, making love and talking. She was a demanding woman and knew exactly what she wanted him to do. But he had broken protocol.

  With a curse under his breath, Asa continued. He’d messed up. Big time. Since he had captured her, he was meant to have to talk with a specialist before any sort of sexual relationship developed. It was law that humans needed to prove their desire to sleep with a dragon under special circumstances. He hadn’t done any of it.

  That must be what this was all about. Asa could have kicked himself. What sort of bonehead was he to let himself get caught up in the heat of the moment? It wasn’t that he was regretting being with Willow – she was so sensuous. Just the memory of the way she grinned at him had him stiffening. But he needed to have gone through the proper channels first. Now there was going to be hell to pay. He wouldn’t be surprised if she was taken away and he was banned from every having human captives again.

  His fires were flickering low by the time he got to Quinn’s study. His mistake would cost him, but he would accept whatever the king and Shante decided to do. Willow would be able to tell them that she wanted it as well and eventually, they might be brought back together. In the meantime, it was best just to toe the line and not cause waves.

  The king nodded to him when he entered the study, a large room with a side desk, plenty of bookshelves and a space for a computer and printer. Asa bowed to the king, then glanced around. They were the only two there.

  “Is Lady Shante going to be joining us?”

  Quinn arched a heavy brow. “Shante?”

  “Yes. This is about Willow, isn’t it?”

  The king leaned on his desk, resting his elbows on the thick slab of wood. “Well . . . yes. It is about the human. But this case will not include Shante. Why? Did something happen between the two of you that she ought to know about?”

  This wasn’t about them sleeping together. A rush of relief washed over him, but it was quickly overpowered by a churning in his gut. If this wasn’t about their night of passion that they had together, then what was it? What else would Quinn be calling him about in regard to Willow? Asa took a seat, a heavy frown on his face.

  “What is this about?” he demanded.

  Quinn pressed a buzzer on his phone. “Send in the fairy.”

  The fairy? Asa’s eyes widened. Willow had told him that Sherwood had been the one to get her out of the city when she attempted to escape. He had been debating about bringing that to Quinn’s attention, but there were no laws against human captives escaping their masters to find their way home. In fact, if a human did manage to get home, it was against the law for the dragon to take them again. Why Sherwood had such an interest in Willow was another question, though.

  Sherwood entered the study moments later. He bowed first to Quinn and then to Asa, then stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his gaze on the floor. The fairy had been a permanent fixture in Cendas since before Asa was born. He had grown up listening to Sherwood’s songs, and his father had told him stories about the things Sherwood would do when he was a boy. A being so ancient was difficult to conceptualize.

  Maybe it was his extreme age that made it so Asa didn’t trust him. In any case, his flames rose a little higher. “Sherwood. Is this about how you got Willow captured by The Spear?”

  “My lord, it wasn’t my intention. I was merely trying to help a miserable girl be reunited with her family.”

  Quinn looked at them. “What?”

  Asa shrugged. “He helped Willow attempt an escape a few days ago, which ended with her being taken to the Spear. I told you about that.”

  “You should have told me about why it was necessary, too.” Quinn frowned at him. “Sherwood, you have been forbidden from interfering in Dragon business. I don’t want to lock you in the dungeons the way my father did.”

  Sherwood bowed towards him. “Forgive me. The tears of an angel always overtake my good sense. The girl was drowning in sorrow – a blind man could see that – and I just wanted to help her smile. I understand why my actions would be construed poorly. However, I would like to make up for it. As you know, Lord Asa, the kings have set aside a small payment to me for my services for three generations. I have squirreled the gold away and have a treasure trove now. I wish to purchase the human from you.”

  Asa’s jaw dropped. “What? Are you insane?”

  The fairy placed a hand on his shoulder. “My lord, please listen.”

  Asa wanted to tell him no and that was the end of it, but instead, he nodded.

  Sherwood smiled. His grip tightened. “I will give you my entire fortune for her. Her tears have taken hold of me and I just wish to see her happy. She had a great destiny – a destiny she cannot fulfill here. Why not give her her freedom? Think of how happy she will be in the bosom of her family again. Think of how her parents must weep for her.”

  “They didn’t, though.” Asa pulled away and shook his head. “I arranged for a ransom and her parents refused even when offered a payment plan. She wouldn’t be happy with them. They don’t care about her.”

  Sherwood looked shocked. He swallowed and forced a smile. “My lord, there has to be—”

  “No.” Asa shook his head. “No. I am not going to sell and trade her. I promised her that I would care for her and I intend to keep that promise. Willow will stay with me as long as she wants to. If she changes her mind and wants to leave, then I will grant her freedom to her. You don’t have to be concerned with her tears, Sherwood. She’s not crying anymore.”

  The fairy stared at him for a long moment before bowing. “It gladdens me to hear. Thank you, my lord. My king. I am most grateful for your audience.”

  He swept out of the room without another word. Quinn watched him go with a frown, but when Asa stepped towards the door, the king cleared his throat, stopping him. The king cocked his head to one side and rose a brow as he looked at him. There was a knowing smile on his face that made Asa blush and duck his head.

  Quinn chuckled. “All the treasure trove of a fairy turned down. Hmmm. I wonder why that is.”

  “My king, with all respect—”

  “And then you expected Shante to be here.” Quinn stood and rounded the desk. “Let me guess. You and the human had a little . . . connection? Some spark that roared to a flame and you didn’t go through the proper channels of approval before bedding her?”

  Asa’s blush deepened. “My lord, I—”

  “Asa. Come on. Drop the ‘my lord.’ You and I are talking as friends right now. So tell me. Did you sleep with her?”

  “Yes,” Asa reluctantly admitted. “I let my feelings carry me away. I fought for her. And then when I attempted the ransom and her parents flatly refused . . . I just wanted to protect her from them and from anybody else who might hurt her.”

  Quinn laughed softly. “You care about her.”

  Asa nodded. “Yeah. I do. But I know I shouldn’t have slept with her. Not without her going to the specialist and making
sure that everything was in order.”

  The king hummed under his breath, then shrugged. “Well, the incident will have to be investigated. Who made the first move? You or her?”

  “Her.”

  Quinn slapped him on the back. “Then I’m sure it’ll be fine. You’ll both have to go to post-sex counseling and, like I said, it’ll be investigated by an impartial third party. But given that it’s you? I’m sure everything will work out. I’ve been wondering when you’d settle down, bro. I’m glad you found yourself a woman. Now get out of here. I’ll arrange for Shante to come to your place to talk with the two of you soon.”

  Asa nodded. He bowed to his king and left, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it wasn’t quite what he had expected, but at least he knew he could say it out loud. He cared about her. A smile still spread across his face as he headed home to Willow.

  Chapter Nine – Willows in the Wind

  Shante’s office was gorgeous. Willow had expected some sort of white, sterile environment like the therapist offices she saw on TV from time to time. This was richly decorated in bold geometric patterns, bright blues and yellows that had distracted her for several minutes when she first entered. Shante had chatted a little about life there with her – Willow was surprised when she learned that Shante was human, like her – before Willow was hooked up to a lie detector.

  “Now.” Shante leaned on her desk. “You and Asa have slept together, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “When was that?”

  “A couple days ago now.” Willow smiled as she remembered it. “We were in the hot springs below his house and I decided that I wanted to sleep with him. Normally, I wouldn’t have acted on it, but given the situation, I decided that it was as good a time as any to start creating a new life. A new identity.”

  Shante smiled at her and nodded. “It can be quite a heady feeling, knowing that you can do what you want. But could it be that you wanted him because he was there? And if it had been anybody else . . . ?”