by Leela Ash
Tentatively, Archer’s hands raised. His trembling fingers reached out to her, waiting to feel the unbearable pain of whatever barrier was there that night. Would invisible hornets sting his hands? Would a sudden bolt of lightning divide them?
He stopped his hand just short of her fingers, flinching as he braced himself for the impact. But to his surprise, nothing happened. The woman’s round eyes stared at him. She also seemed to be bracing herself for his pain, watching him in fear and suspense as his fingers strained against his impulse to throw himself into harm’s way to reach her.
“Nothing happened,” she whispered.
Her voice was like honey. Archer closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, willing himself to believe what was happening.
“Why?” he asked.
“I know who you are now,” she whispered, coming forward. Her gown dragged behind her on the floor. Archer realized they were in an extravagant room with high ceilings and huge, open windows. It was as if they were inside a palace. A huge, golden moon was shining in through the gossamer curtains, and the woman’s voluptuous body was gliding slowly toward him, simply glowing from the moon’s rays. He had never seen anybody so beautiful in his life.
“There’s no barrier.”
Suddenly, it was as if a switch was flipped in Archer’s mind. He immediately registered what this meant. They could be together. At last. Their fingers could touch. Without giving her the chance to reach him, Archer barreled forward and laced his fingers into hers. She gasped in surprise at his strength and suddenness; the way he lifted her from her feet and held her tightly in his arms. He took her breath with a hot, passionate kiss; his entire body on fire with a longing that had been haunting him since he had first learned the power of the feminine form. Since the first day he had seen the girl of his dreams.
“Archer,” she gasped as he carried her to her bed and laid her down, climbing on top of her and dropping reverent kisses on every inch of her body that he could reach. She buckled under his touch and closed her eyes in rapture.
“Tell me your name,” Archer begged. But he didn’t give her the chance. He planted another hot kiss on her lips, lingering tenderly as their lips sent explosions of pleasure throughout their bodies. They were swept up in another surge of ecstasy as Archer lifted the gown over the beautiful woman’s head. Neither of them were very concerned with propriety. It was what they had both wanted for so long. There was no denying it any longer.
She, too, began to strip Archer, fumbling with the leather pants so common for dragon shifter men to wear. She ran her hands up and down his hard abdomen, caressing his muscles as his tongue set to work pleasuring her, drawing circles around the mound of her nipple until it was hard enough to submerge with his mouth. She gasped and gripped his strong shoulder.
Archer’s thighs were on fire. He had never been more hard in his entire life. She groaned as he rubbed the throbbing shaft across her clit. All signs were showing she was ready for him, and he wasted no time plunging deep inside of her. The beautiful woman’s lips parted in pleasure and she closed her eyes as her body enveloped him. He pulled himself out and plunged in again and again, enjoying his ability to re-live the same intensity of the first thrust’s pleasure.
His hands and eyes roamed all over the woman’s beautiful, pale body, and soon she surprised him by rolling over and using her powerful hips to roll him with her. before he knew it, Archer was beneath her, watching his cock disappear deep inside her body, only to re-emerge seconds later and slowly disappear again. He moaned deeply in pleasure as she had her way with him, dragging her hips and squeezing him with muscles he had never considered a woman might have. It was the deepest pleasure he had ever experienced and he couldn’t help but cry out in bliss, running his hands up and down her long, beautiful arms.
Soon, he remembered the power and lust that was pent up deep inside of him and he grinned at her. He was done playing games with her now. It was nice to feel her take charge, but he was restless on the bottom.
Archer gripped her wrists and flipped her on her back, getting to his knees without ever leaving the hot cavern inside of her. She cried out in surprise as he held her legs up around his waist and began to thrust powerfully, with all of his force, deep inside of her. He could feel the walls of her insides contracting tightly around him and filling with a hot, delicious liquid. The harder he plunged inside of her the wetter she got, and the more it seemed she could take.
Archer was nearly crazy with pleasure as he made love to the gorgeous woman. He thought he would never be able to get enough of it, until suddenly she unleashed a great moan. He watched in amazement as her beautiful eyes began to flutter and she lay her head back, arching so that her breasts were high in the air and she was drawing deep, labored breaths. In an instant, he knew exactly why.
The heat around his cock intensified, and began tugging and pulling at him, sending wave after wave of erotic pleasure through his body. Archer moaned, trying to stay in control of himself. His hips moved more powerfully than he knew himself to be capable of, and he begged himself to tap into something to bring her to her climax – something powerful.
Suddenly, he felt the wings sprouting up on his back and a surge of energy unlike anything he had ever felt before. The woman of his dreams began to shriek in ecstasy as her orgasm caused her to quake. His body couldn’t get enough, and it refused to stop. The friction of her gorgeous body contracting in pleasure around his cock was too much to handle and finally, with a buck of her hips, he unleashed a powerful explosion deep inside of her. She let out a cry as she felt his climax intertwine with her own, and apparently it sent her into a deeper state of ecstasy because she shuddered beneath him, her insides pulsing so violently that he thought he would never be done emptying himself inside of her.
When his load was finally exhausted, he looked into her eyes and gently brushed a blonde lock of hair out of her face.
“My name is Alana,” she whispered. “And I’m coming for you.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Archer awoke, he was embarrassed to find that he had cum all over his bed. His cock was still hard, and he moaned to himself, shoving his hand deep into his pants and squeezing his aching member. He pulled his hand up and down slowly, basking in the remembrance of the unbelievable pleasure of the dream from the night before. He had just about ruined his pants anyway, so what would it matter if he came just one more time in them?
He closed his eyes, trying to collect the broken fragments of his dream so that he could re-live them again. The woman’s name. he knew it at last. She was Alana. And she said that she was coming to him.
But that was impossible. How could she? Even if she knew who he was, it was probably just a trick of his mind. A way to deceive himself because he had been feeling particularly lonely lately. Everything about that dream had felt different. So he shouldn’t let himself trust it.
Still, the feeling of her hands on his body, his cock disappearing inside of her…he couldn’t get the images out of his mind. He needed relief before he set out with his men. And it was still early. He had time before breakfast.
He slowly gripped the sensitive head of his penis in his hands and used his thumb to administer long, steady strokes to himself. His erection was massive. He could see it right through the blankets. Since he had already made such a mess, he didn’t hold himself back and simply groaned as the immense pleasure overtook his body.
Before long, his palm was covered in a hot new round of cum, and he rose from the bed and kicked his clothes off. He shoved them under the bed so that nobody would find them while he was gone and attempt to launder them. That would be embarrassing for everybody involved.
Once he made it out of the shower and into the mess hall, the severity of the situation at hand once again penetrated him. He had to find Tanna and rescue him before the Guardians did anything to harm him. He would need all of the help that he could get, and it was going to take all of the manpower he had to get through the barriers that were
undoubtedly blocking his free entrance into the Guardian’s new home base.
“Everybody ready to go?” he asked once they were all done with breakfast.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Thom said, moving forward and leading the way. “Let’s go!”
Archer felt glad that Thom was going with them, but he was worried about his friend. There was a very real possibility of danger. And he’d had a bad feeling ever since he’d seen the vicious silhouette of the beast in his dreams. Normally, they were torturous enough just because of the wall between himself and Alana, but now they had an added depth of uneasiness. And he wasn’t so sure about the trip to rescue Tanna, but there was no choice now. They couldn’t go back. Not if one of their own was going to be left behind as a result.
The group headed out without much ceremony. The remaining Lonis saw them off, staring sullenly as the group made its way further and further away from the underground tunnels that they all called home. If Archer was going to be honest with himself, he wasn’t too sad to leave the tunnels. They always felt dark and oppressive to him; heavy with the memories of the people who had left him behind and moved on to Kaldernon. He missed them more than he knew how to say. But he knew he had a job to do. And if anybody could get rid of the Guardians once and for all, it was going to be him. That’s all there was to it.
Maybe someday he would be able to find his way back to his family. He missed his father fiercely, and his mother…well, just the mere thought of her was enough to bring him close to tears. She had been horrified when she realized she was going to be leaving her son behind. He had ducked behind at the last second and she’d turned to reach out to him. But it was too late. They were in Kaldernon before he could even finish hiding himself in the brush behind the portal. How could he have done that to her? His mother had always dreamt of raising him and seeing him grow. He had ruined all of her motherly dreams. But he knew that if they could speak again, she would understand. The idea was too painful to think on for too long, though. And so he directed his thoughts to the best possible way to ambush the Guardians and bring Tanna back home.
***
“You can re-open the portal?” Alana breathed. Lopu smiled widely.
“There is very little we couldn’t do if we set our minds to it. Remember where you come from, child. We are the miracle workers of the galaxy. In our world, nearly all things are possible if only we believe them to be.”
Lopu’s words reminded Alana of the mystical hopes and flights of fancy that growing up under Lopu’s wing had subjected her to. Everybody seemed to think that the world was a restrictive little box. But those who dared to think beyond that mindset quickly found out just how much control they truly had. The ones who were able to master this became Loni mystics, capable of some of the most spine-chilling feats imaginable. Some of which could even include bringing certain people back from the dead, though the price for that was nearly insurmountable.
“We can open the portal again, but it will close of its own accord. And when you are there, it isn’t likely that you will be able to communicate regularly with us again after that. Unless you can find us in your dreams, we won’t know when to open the portal for your return. It will open again in the same place where it did to drop you off on Earth. If we don’t hear from you beforehand, the date of the portal’s opening will be three days after you are placed on Earth. If that doesn’t work, you will have to wait another ten years before we open it again on Tribute day for the millennial celebration of Rallah.”
“I understand,” Alana said.
Clayton and his wife were both in attendance during the private meeting of the council. Lopu had called it as quickly as possible, and because it possibly concerned their son, Clayton and Krista were both eager to come to the palace and share all they knew.
“Alana?” Krista asked, coming forward. She was a straightforward and respectable Loni woman, who had a shifter’s bold disposition and a Loni’s incredible talent for music. Even her voice was musical and melodic, whether she meant it to be or not.
“Yes?” Alana asked, turning to her. The woman’s eyes were downcast, and when she turned them onto Alana, she was able to clearly see the pain she was in.
“If you can…do you think you could bring Archer back with you?”
“I…I can’t make anybody do anything. But I certainly hope I will.”
Alana didn’t say what she was truly thinking. She didn’t know for sure if Archer would even make it out of whatever battle was to come alive. She couldn’t tell his mother how much she feared for his life. Only that she may know where he was and that he would need her help. Too many details could quickly put a mother into hysterics, and Alana didn’t want to leave on a negative note.
“Thank you. If what you say is true, and you’ve dreamt of each other for this long…that can only mean…”
“Mean what?” Alana asked as Krista trailed off.
“You are our fated daughter, too. You may belong together in some way none of us will ever understand. Even if Archer doesn’t want to come back, you will be a daughter to me.”
“Oh Krista, I–“
“It is time,” Lopu interrupted.
“Tell him I love him,” Krista whispered.
“Of course,” Alana said as Lopu ushered her away, impatiently leading her to the platform where the ceremony was to take place. “I would do anything to make sure he comes back to Kaldernon.”
She would do anything to make sure he stayed in one piece.
It had been a strange and elating feeling when Lopu had realized that she had made a mistake in dismissing Alana’s visions, but now that even Lopu was taking them seriously, the grim nature of her task was starting to feel overwhelming. She stood on the platform with butterflies hurling themselves against her stomach. If anything went wrong, she would never be able to forgive herself. Assuming she even survived the mission.
The powerful Loni elders gathered in a circle around her and held hands. Each bowed down to the ground and began chanting. It was quiet at first, and then reached a fever pitch that Alana hadn’t expected. She had never seen them open the portals before. It had happened during the blur of her youth when she was mourning the loss of her parents. It was nice to have Lopu on her side acting as a mother, but she was so young that she was much more like a high-maintenance big sister, who had a big heart full of unconditional love and too many responsibilities to ever fully make herself available. The idea that Archer’s family now considered her part of their small, private unit was overwhelming. She wanted so badly to belong to a family again, but if she wasn’t able to save Archer from whatever danger was going to befall him, there was only going to be that much more of an aching gap in her heart where a family should be. She would have ruined her last chance to be loved like that.
Suddenly, a white light began to raise and swirl around her. Clayton lunged forward, clearly hoping he might be able to return back to Earth and accompany Alana on the journey. Two shifter guards caught him by the arms, restraining him.
“She may need help!” Clayton bellowed. Krista dissolved into quiet tears and two Loni women from the sidelines rushed to her side to bestow as much comfort as they could to her. “Let me see my son!”
Before she could see how the situation resolved itself, the portal fully opened, and Alana began to disappear.
CHAPTER NINE
There had been no time for her people to warn her about how different it was to be on Earth, nor how difficult it would be for her to eventually get acclimated to the climate and the strange single sun in the sky. The air felt thick and heavy with smoke, and she cringed as her psychic senses began to pick up on the overwhelming feeling of fear, anger, and sadness that filled the planet around her.
The people on this planet were sick, and there was nobody out there willing to help them. Maybe the shifters and Lonis of Kaldernon would have been able to manage it, but the unfortunate fact of the matter was that she would be unable to convince anyone in the galaxy to c
ome to Earth after what had happened to her people here. Although they were suffering immensely, they were going to have to bring themselves and each other down in a cloud of smoke and fire before they would ever change anything. And that was something she was going to have to live with.
Was it the planet in general that had been represented by the terrifying beast in her dreams? Was something going to happen with the humans? Some kind of civil war perhaps? A war to end all wars, and all of life on Earth? Probably not, she decided, fingering a wildflower that had managed to maintain a reminder of the beauty of the rest of the universe even though it was stuck in such a miserable globe. No, it was more likely that the danger was personal. Or else their last encounter wouldn’t have been so…erotic.
It had shocked her when Archer had come into her dreams again that night, after Lopu had been alerted and set off to round up the councilmen. She had fallen asleep back in her chambers, a short nap until everybody was assembled. But what started as an innocent need for sleep quickly turned hot and heavy when Archer appeared and somehow, there were no longer any boundaries between them. She had been so overtaken by his powerful body and the deep, sincere love in his eyes that nothing seemed more natural than when they made love. She had never felt anything quite so thrilling before, and doubted she would ever forget the experience. Even though they hadn’t met in person yet, she could feel every single thing that happened as if it had been going on right in the world she was sleeping in. She didn’t even consider herself a virgin anymore after that.
But now she had to find Archer, and quickly. The portal had opened in the same place it always did, and she had received brief instructions and a small map of the area where she was expected to land. From it she was able to find her way with ease to the underground settlement of the Kersh clan. Standing outside were two Lonis, a man and a woman, and a small child playing in the dirt. They seemed shocked to see her.
