Carissa had done more than he could ever have hoped for. It was the perfect ending to a tense day. Now, if only she’d relent on the sex thing. He didn’t count what had happened in the bath as anything more than a little tease for them both. Brent lowered himself down onto his stomach and tried to relax. He was usually the one giving the massage, not on the receiving end. It felt odd to him, and yet he was looking forward to it. His dragon on the other hand, wasn’t keen on the massage; it just wanted to fuck—and now! And it wanted him to shift while doing it.
Brent refused to do that. Not until she understood.
“And when will you tell her?” it asked.
“As soon as I’ve established a connection between us. Now shut up,” he replied.
The dragon didn’t like that, but it wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize a possible relationship with Carissa. They would both have to just relax.
Brent hissed when he felt Carissa’s warm palms against his shoulders. It was an even pressure that forced him to focus on what she was doing to him. She started off slow, dragging her heels down the sides of his spine, working away any knots of tension she found. Bursts of pain were overwhelmed by waves of heat. The stress melted away as she worked. Orange and sage with hints of lemon and vanilla drifted by his nostrils as he let out a groan of satisfaction.
“Tell me,” he mumbled. “Why aromatherapy?” He didn’t want to forget why he was here and what he was doing. “Tell me more about you.”
“I love scents, and with aromatherapy, you can make a person feel good by perfume. And I love bath things: salts, oils. But also mood enhancers, relaxers…everything.” She moved away to pop a top. The phfft sound came, and within a few seconds she returned to him. Carissa straddled his thighs once more, the heat of her sex reminding his body that he couldn’t forget the desire. His dick wouldn’t let him. Tension filled his shaft and flowed around his balls. Each muscle relaxed with her touch until he was just a pool of fire and arousal. He was putty in her hands, and his thoughts had become a cloud of nothing.
The dragon roared, taking advantage of his slackened defenses, and it surged under his skin, power rippling through his body. Before he could do anything to push it back, it rushed the defenses a second time. He could already feel the change in his skin, scales rippling over his arms and legs. His spine hardened.
Brent buried his face in the covers to muffle the whimper of pain as twin spikes burst through the skin, but still Carissa continued to massage him, working her fingers and the heels of her hands around the pained areas. Her touch soothed away the throbbing patches but also enflamed his need. The shift continued as his tenuous control slipped away, until he—Brent—was trapped in the dark swathed cage, and the dragon was free. He pushed against the bars as the paranoia and fear of being trapped in there indefinitely began to rise.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Carissa cooed. “Relax and let it come. Don’t fight it and you’ll be fine. I’m here.” Her hands continued to massage his body, from his shoulders to the base of his back and all the points in between.
Pain tore his body into a million pieces, as he felt the punch of his wings bursting from his shoulders. Tears leaked out the corners of his eyes and his perspiration soaked through the coverlet. He bit down on the blanket and tried to keep from sobbing. This wasn’t like any change he’d ever been through. He and his dragon were normally one, taking the shift in parts, not like this. His body felt as if it were being ripped apart and stitched back together to become a human-dragon hybrid. He didn’t want this. Weak protests filled his mind, but the dragon ignored them. Brent had let his defenses slip and the dragon had taken advantage of the opening.
“Please,” he whispered, unsure of who he was talking to. Recognizable sentences slipped away into the pain-soaked ether of his mind. “Why?”
“Shh, it’s okay. Your dragon just wants out, to meet me. It’s okay. Let him,” Carissa said.
The fact that she seemed to understand what was going on should have shocked him, but he was beyond understanding. His muscles quivered and jumped as the shift took hold of the rest of him, all of him except his face. Brent felt the push of his tail at the base of his spine. His bones felt as if they were melting and reforming, being reshaped by the dragon. He felt the barbed tip of his tail caress the backs of his calves, and tickle the soles of his feet. Sweat coated his face, his throat, and the back of his neck. His hair was completely wet, as if he hadn’t dried it after the shower.
Brent lay on soaked bedclothes, lacking the energy to move. His body was wracked with shudders of pain. His blood sizzled, and yet his core felt as cool and cold as the deep ocean. Humiliation consumed him. And yet he was still erect, very much so. His arousal had turned into something animalistic. The threads of his frayed control fluttered in the wind, as the dragon took control of his sex drive and ramped it up to the point where it became painful.
He didn’t want to have sex with Carissa this way. It wasn’t right.
“Dragon claiming…” he rasped out.
Carissa’s fingers threaded through his wet tresses. Soothing waves of cool relief flooded the white hot lava that filled his blood. It was like finding an oasis in the dessert. He latched onto the sensations her touch elicited, until he found himself in the darkness.
“I know,” she whispered, and she pressed a kiss to the center of his shoulders.
Brent shuddered at that simple touch, so light and yet so sweet. He was a monster and she had kissed him, was still touching him. It awed him at how patient she was being with the situation.
“I’m going to massage your wings, back and tail. You’re probably in a lot of pain due to the shift. Just lie there and relax. It’ll be okay, I promise.” Carissa gave him another kiss and started to do exactly what she had said.
Brent almost cried. His and the dragon’s emotions felt overwhelming. She had felt no fear whatsoever. The dragon realized, now that it was out, that it could have truly scared the shit out of Carissa and driven her away from them. But instead, she was being sweet and gentle and understanding.
“Our mate is truly unique,” the dragon murmured.
All Brent could do was continue to lie there and let her administer some soothing relief to his throbbing body. He closed his eyes. The scent of the massage oil she was using was like balm to his fear, nudging it away in soft waves, and allowing him to take back some of the control he’d lost. Gradually, he exerted his will, until he and the dragon shared his mind. They both marveled at how good they could feel, simply by being touched. He shivered as her hands worked over the rough skin that coated the spines on his back, beside his wings.
Once she was done with the spines, she rubbed the oil over the thin membrane that formed the wings, with gentle brushes of her hand. Brent felt completely safe and taken care of. Even the wetness of the cloth under his body didn’t bother him. All that mattered was that Carissa was here and she wasn’t going to run away from them. He closed his eyes and floated away, with her hands on his body.
Chapter Twelve
Carissa marveled at the sight before her. Scales covered Brent’s body in different shades of blue, from the lightest robin’s egg to the darkest midnight. As her hands moved over the thick boney spine, she admired his wings. They were covered in velvety soft skin, which shocked her. She’d expected that it would feel rough, but the softness caught her off guard. As her fingers danced along the membranes that webbed his wings, she could feel the warmth, even where she expected coolness. As she traced a fingertip down his spine, she felt the pointed bumps of spikes covered in marbled blue bone. This was totally different from a wolf. Wolves had thick fur that could be as soft as suede or as rough as dried leather. Wolves were also compact in size. They were only just a bit bigger than your average wild wolf. Dragons were so alien to her.
“You can get bigger, right?” she asked, feeling foolish for letting the question slip out.
“Much bigger. As in the size of your whole house,” he replied in that gravelly
voice that sent a shower of sparks to her core. She shivered as her nipples tightened to hard points and sent pulses of pleasure to her clit. Her nether-lips had become so sensitive that each brush or shift of her body against his legs shot threads of pleasure to her pussy. Wetness dampened her inner thighs.
“Whoa, big lizard,” she joked, as she tried to take her mind off the throbbing in her vagina.
Brent let out a jagged laugh. “Yeah.”
“How are you doing?” She had to know if he was in any pain.
“Less pain,” he whispered.
“Good.” Carissa continued to massage his body, working his back, the base of his wings, his spine, his shoulders. “Just relax.”
“Trying,” he murmured.
She could only imagine how the shift felt to him. When an animal took control over the human, it could drive the person insane with pain.
“Let me have control. I can help you,” she urged. The wolf wanted to help too. It brushed against her skin, giving her more strength and presence. A soft breeze brought up the scents of moonlight, forest, earth and woods. It all helped her keep calm and relaxed, while giving Brent something else to latch on to with his senses. He needed the distraction.
His emotions were all over the place, seeping into the atmosphere like steam. They clouded around her until she could breathe it all in. He was fighting for control, trying to pull back the fear and pain as well as the sexual hunger the dragon exuded. Her body responded to the animalistic need. Her wolf wanted out too. It wanted to fuck the dragon, to be claimed by it. That desire was like hot broth, sliding down her throat and coating her insides, taking her arousal and enlarging it.
A heavy pulse started deep in her gut. Brent needed her and she wanted to get him through this so he could sleep without worrying about losing control. There had been cases of people shifting in their sleep—like sleepwalking, only far more dangerous.
If the dragon remained in control, he wouldn’t be able to be out in public for a while. She moved down his body, crawling backward until she was at his feet. She started to massage his calves. The scales reached all the way to his feet. His toenails had become talons as well. The only thing human about him was his head. He must have taken control to prevent the full shift.
She could only imagine what would have happened if he had allowed the shift to continue. If it was anything like werewolves, his dragon instincts would have taken over, which would mean he would be fucking her into the ground right now. Her pussy rippled at the thought. Carissa silently cursed him for holding back, but she smiled anyway. He was still trying to take care of her. Stubborn water dragon. She shook her head and continued the massage. The tension in his body had been taken down a notch, but the sexual need remained.
She worked on his feet, mindful of the sharpened nails. “Do you want me to do a pedicure while I’m here?” she joked.
He let out a rough laugh. “No, the dragon would hate it. I, on the other hand, don’t mind a mani/pedi on occasion, especially for summer.”
“Oh really? What would you think if my store did that?” It would be good to have a man’s opinion about things. And since he liked aromatherapy it would help to get the man’s point of view on things.
The tension in his body continued to drain away. All that was left for her to do was work over his neck and his front. She started to move up his body, working over the knots that she found until he was completely relaxed.
“There, much better. Now my question?” she pressed.
“That would be good. Men do like to take care of themselves, especially to look good for themselves and the person in their life. My friend Tor manscapes. He thinks his mate Louisa doesn’t know, but she does.” He chuckled. His voice wasn’t as rough now. It sounded less stressed.
“So you live with your friend? What about the other one? The one from the shoe store?” She wanted to know everything about him.
“Fletch? Yeah, we live together in a house on Goldenrod Lane. It’s a nice place Tor owns. We don’t do rent, but help out with the house chores and such.” Brent sighed. “Tor’s at Louisa’s more than at home.”
“I’m guessing your neighbors are pretty forgiving.” She let her fingertips drift over one of the cheeks of his buttocks.
“Huh?” He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at her. His wing blocked half of his face, but she saw confusion on his features.
“No tan lines.” She gave his buttocks a smack, which drew a hiss from him.
“But I wasn’t naughty!” He groaned.
She laughed. “Maybe not that time, but I’m sure you were thinking naughty thoughts. Now, do you tan in the nude?” Carissa began to massage the round globes, feeling the strength in his buttocks.
“If I could, I’d do everything nude. Well, except cook. But yes, I do tan in the buff. Not healthy, I know, but dragons don’t get skin cancer.” He shifted on the bed. “Do you moon-bathe during the full moon?”
Carissa thought about it. She could remember the cool kiss of the moon on her bare skin and the chill as the sweat became cold after her shift. “I kind of have to. It’s an exhausting process to shift, as you know. And I’m usually alone. So I only have the energy to lie there and pray that I have enough willpower to get to my car.”
“Maybe next time…” Brent hesitated. “I could come along and take care of you?”
She paused as she took in his words. She’d didn’t even shift with the pack. Normally, she went out alone, found a site that was devoid of any trace of humans or other shifters, shed her clothes, and waited for the change to happen.
“Why would you go with me?” she asked. “You aren’t beholden to the moon.”
Dragons could shift at will, or be forced to change by magic or their dragon counterparts as a point of defense or offense. But wolves needed to shift at every full moon. The idea of him being with her was both shocking and intriguing. A person to keep her safe, take care of her after the process—it sounded so wonderful. Warmth washed over both woman and animal.
Brent rolled over onto his back, his wings flattened under him so that he didn’t look the least bit uncomfortable. “Yes, I want to be with you when you shift, so I can support you and take care of you at your most vulnerable.”
Not even her parents had done that for her. They were usually off exploring or something. Her parents believed that she needed to learn to fend for herself from an early age. Once she could shift safely, Carissa had been on her own. It had allowed her to hone her fight-and-flight instincts, and become closer to her wolf, but sometimes she wished she’d had more supervision. Because of her solitary upbringing, she had never felt comfortable shifting with the pack. Would they take offense if she decided to shift with a dragon instead? Shifter politics were so volatile.
“I’ll ask the packs if that’s okay. Dragons, are… Well, you guys can be very unstable while shifting. If you really want to do this, we’ll have to go into the mountains.”
As soon as she said it, she started to have second thoughts. He was sweet to offer to be there for her shift and the aftercare, but they were just starting to build their bond. To bring him in on something so intimate so soon was just too fast for her, no matter how tempting it might be. A bit of her wall rose back up.
“Okay, but if you want me there, let me know and I’ll pack a bag. My parents have a cabin in the mountains close to the bear shifter property line, so you’ll be safe and have a lot space to roam and allow your wolf to really stretch her muscles.” Brent’s features were relaxed. There was no tension to be found. A small impish smile played on his lips. He looked much more comfortable.
“Do you feel better?” She tried not to let her gaze slide down on all that exposed skin. There was now a leashed energy in the air, a sense of Brent holding himself back, but the distress was gone, replaced by a predatory atmosphere that sent shivers down her spine and sparked heat deep in her core. Need continued to sluice through her veins as her clit continued to throb, reminding her that she n
eeded to satiate herself.
“No.” His voice had taken on a raspy tone again. “I don’t feel better. Not by a long shot.” His nostrils flared and he groaned. “I can smell your desire, honey. You need me.”
“I can take care of myself,” she smirked.
“Oh, I know you can—and I’d love to watch that—but I want to help you,” he purred. “With my mouth, my tongue, my fingers, and my cock. And if you want to throw toys in there, those too.”
Sweat slipped over her brow. Her mouth went dry as her vaginal walls fluttered. Tingles raced along her inner thighs and around the base of her spine, up her back and floated around her head to run back down again. Her wolf surged forward, trying to push her in the direction it wanted her to go. She tried to shrug off the suggestion, but the fire in her belly flared too hot. Besides, she reasoned, sex would take her mind off of the far-more-intimate act of shifting in front of Brent. She needed to give the wolf this release, or it would keep insisting and distract her during daylight hours. She could feel its anxiousness and need to be more at one with its mate in this way.
“I know you’re trying to make this about me, and I appreciate it. I was a wreck when I arrived, but I’m much better now and I think I could help you. Let me.” His tone brokered no argument.
Brent’s gaze was a heated caress against Carissa’s skin. Her stomach muscles clenched and her nipples tightened further. The ache increased in the turgid tips, sending threads of sensation straight to her clit. She tried to think up new reasons not to just let him help her find release, but couldn’t think of a single one.
Carissa smiled as her shoulders sunk. “You win. Where should we begin?”
A wicked grin spread on his lips as his eyes darkened to pools of midnight. He sat up and his wings retracted, folding up until they disappeared. The scales that decorated his chest and abdomen and arms began to recede. His thick cock thudded against his stomach. The dragon was allowing his human counterpart control again, but she could still feel its presence in the air. Water, male musk, sexual desire, and sweat floated on the breeze. She inhaled deeply and smiled.
Dragon Ugly (Dragon New Year) Page 11
