by Cynthia Sax
“Holy shit.” Perla blinked back tears. “What was that?”
The waitress laughed, brushing the glass onto her tray. “That was the Master.”
Chapter Two
She is here. Frey, Master of the Lair, prowled around his office, an excitement he hadn’t felt in hundreds of years, if ever, coursing through him. Finally.
“My Master demands you give her choice,” Oro’s henchman, Kerrick, argued.
Vasile, Frey’s business partner and friend, stood behind him, his arms crossed, a venomous look on his pale face. The two vampires hated each other.
“Your Master demands?” Frey planted his scarred knuckles on his desk and leaned forward, smoke curling from his nostrils. Of all of the fuckin’ nights for this visit… He roared his frustration, releasing a wave of intense heat.
The rival dragon’s vampire swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his hair swept back. “He wishes for you to give her choice.” He smoothed his black tie. “Females are rare…
“She has made her choice. She chose my territory, didn’t she?” Frey glanced up at the video screen. His little dragon sat on the couch, her knees primly pressed together, as she glared at every male in her vicinity, her fingers caressing the flame before her. God, she was fierce. His cock hardened.
“Then you have nothing to lose.” Thin lips stretched into a sinister smile. “All he wants to do is meet her.”
“No.” He didn’t care about the younger dragon’s wants. “He had his chance when she was on his turf.” Frey surged toward the door Vasile had opened.
“She hadn’t showed signs --”
“Because Oro isn’t her mate. I am.” Vasile stepped aside to let him pass. “Show him out,” he instructed the bodyguards waiting outside the door. “Vasile, we have business elsewhere.” He moved through the club.
“Ahhh…” His friend nodded. “You need my help wooing your beloved.” The idiot preened. “You have been in a dry spell.”
“I need your help looking after her friend.” Frey resisted the burning urge to tell his flippant business partner off. “And it has been a self-imposed dry spell. Unlike vampires, dragons are loyal to their mates.” He scowled, and the club patrons scurried away from him -- prey’s natural reaction when faced by a predator.
And Frey was the biggest, baddest predator there was. He flared his nostrils to inhale more of her delectable scent as he stomped down the wire stairs to the lower level, his shoes ringing on the metal. The vampire glided soundlessly behind him.
“I can’t imagine being loyal to one female,” Vasile mused. “Fucking the same ass, night after night, for all eternity. Sounds tedious.”
It sounded like paradise to Frey. Not the ass fucking -- he wasn’t as fixated on that body part as Vasile was -- but the being together for all eternity part. Dragons were fiercely territorial, and he had spent centuries utterly alone.
No longer.
Perla, his mate, his everything, lifted her head, her short, dark hair framing her white, porcelain face, and their gazes met, her eyes glowing electric blue. Frey surged toward her, needing to touch her.
He stopped short, close enough to reach out and grab her, and they stared at each other. Fuck. She was beautiful… and tiny. Frey loomed over her like a hulking brute, and all the slick words he’d rehearsed over the past few months disappeared from his brain.
Her plush mouth flattened into a thin, white line. “You must be the Master of the Lair.” She bit her words off, clearly angry at him for some reason.
Frey couldn’t remember the last time someone had spoken to him with such open hostility. He nodded, enchanted by her response. “Call me Frey, Perla.”
“I’ve been waiting for hours.” Her bottom lip curled.
He wanted to suck on that sweet flesh. “I’ve been waiting three months, nine days, fifteen hours, and” -- Frey turned his wrist to check his watch -- “thirty-two minutes.”
Silence stretched. She tapped her thumb to fingers as she counted backward. “That’s the date I moved into the Bronx. How did you know that?”
He knew everything about her, his mate. “How did you know I was the Master of the Lair?”
She narrowed her eyes, flames dancing in the sky blue. “I don’t like you.” She ignored his question.
She was adorable. “I don’t want you to like me, Perla. I want you to love me.” Frey laid his feelings out for her to trample upon.
“You can’t love me.” She tilted her head as she studied him. “Because although you may know some things about me, you don’t know me.”
“Then show me who you are.” The couple to her left switched positions, the male’s thigh resting dangerously close to Perla. If he touched her… “Come, little dragon.” Frey held out his palm.
She placed her small hand in his and a connection zinged between them -- a static shock flowing up his arm straight to his heart. Her widening eyes told him she felt it also.
“I can’t go with you. My friend…” Perla looked over her shoulder at the blonde panting under a stripling vampire.
Frey grinned. She was a true dragon, defending her territory and her people. “Vasile, my business partner, will protect her.” As he would protect his mate.
Her lips curled into a smile. “If that’s him” -- she nodded to his right -- “he looks very pissed off about the job.”
Frey glanced at the vampire. He was glowering at Perla’s friend, his fingers clenched into fists, his body stiff. She was right. He did look pissed off. “That’s his happy face,” he teased.
Perla laughed, the infectious sound like the babbling of a brook, and he pulled her to him, needing to capture her joy. Her small breasts brushed against his arm, yet she wasn’t close enough. Frey swung her into his arms.
“I…” She froze, staring up at him with wide eyes, her right hand on his chest. Her gaze dropped to his mouth.
He bent down and she reached for him, their lips merging in a hungry kiss. Frey spilled centuries of wanting into her mouth, sharing his loneliness and his need. She succumbed to his passionate assault, opening, and he attacked, thrusting into her with his tongue. She tasted like him, his cum sweetening her fresh flavor, and he savored every nuance and every note as he conquered her. They ravaged each other’s mouths, sucking on tongues and flicking teeth, their heat escalating until steam poured from their lips.
“Strong,” she murmured, and when she gazed at him, he was stronger. He walked with her upstairs toward the private rooms. “But I should tell you to put me down. I don’t know you.” She stroked his neck with her fingertips, sending tremors over his skin down to his cock. “You could fuck me, hurt me, maybe even kill me.” Her voice was low and husky, rasping against his control.
“I’d never hurt you.” He kicked open the door to his sanctuary, carrying her to a black leather couch surrounded by flickering candles. He set her down gently, enjoying the contrast of her white skin against the darkness.
“Never?” She turned onto her stomach and peeked over her bare shoulder, her top backless except for two slender ribbons holding it in place. “You’d never hurt me?” Perla extended her arm, flitting her fingertips over a lit wick. Small, blue scales glistened on her hand.
“Never.” He sat down beside her, needing to touch her. “Not unless you wanted me to.” He played in the flame with her, larger black scales covering his skin.
She sucked in her breath and brushed her fingers against his. They entwined and then parted, fingers and hands flying over and under and between, tanned skin, black scales, pale skin, blue scales, their colors swirling and mixing and bonding. Frey’s excitement escalated, and scales crept up his wrist.
“These aren’t really scales, you know.” She touched his palm. “It’s a trick of the light.”
“It’s a trick, but not of the light. We’re dragons, Perla.” He bent over and kissed her heated fingers. The candle flame licked over his chin, caressing his cheeks.
“No.” She tugged her hand free, and she turned her head aw
ay from him, hiding her beautiful face in the couch back, her shoulder blades shaking. “I don’t know what you are, but I’m human.”
Fierce. He picked up the vial of oil he’d mixed especially for her, his little human-wannabe dragon. He poured the liquid into his palms, rubbed them together until his hands were hot and slick, then ran them down her spine. She twitched.
“Easy,” he rumbled, leaning into her, sliding his palms over soft, pale skin, her blue scales shimmering underneath her frail human façade. He stroked deeper, under her halter-top, folding his fingertips over her side, nudging the curves of her breasts, and she relaxed into his touch, a dragon hum vibrating her lips.
Frey untied the fragile ribbons at her neck and lower back, then spread her halter-top open, accessing more of her. She shifted to face him. Although her eyelids were lowered, he felt her gaze upon him as he caressed, soothing her with his touch. He circled the dimples above her ass cheeks, and he ran his thumbs along her backbone until he reached the waistband of her short, black skirt.
She reached around and unzipped that barrier, revealing the shadowed valley between her ass cheeks. “My sexy little dragon.” He grinned at her glower, her darkened expression holding an erotic promise seasoned with the slight risk of retribution.
“I’m human.” She wiggled her ass, and he tugged her skirt down, obeying her silent request. “So no freaky dragon stuff.”
“Ahhh… so none of this?” He breathed fire over the small of her back, and her protective scales rippled over her tight little body. She arched, pushing her ass upward, submitting to his dominance. “Or this?” He licked the heated scales, and the oil sizzled under his hot tongue. She whimpered and dug her fingers into the couch cushions. “That freaky dragon stuff?”
He straightened and calmly poured oil on her ass, her flesh trembling as the blue liquid slid into the crevice between her curves. She was gorgeous… and stubborn. He rubbed and kneaded, waiting, and waiting, and waiting for her capitulation.
She moaned -- a deep, sexy sound that pulled at his control. “Maybe a little freaky dragon stuff, but no wings or claws or whatever.”
He grinned. “I won’t shift if you don’t shift.”
“I won’t shift. I’m human.” She glared at him, dragon flames dancing in her blue eyes, and he bit back his chuckle. His mate was truly adorable.
He blew fire over her ass and licked her, her scales soft and hot against the flat of his tongue. She tilted her hips, offering more skin for him to warm. He massaged, and she responded, her pants, his breathing, and the hiss of wet mouth on heated flesh, the only sounds.
“Hmmm…” Her humming made his cock bob. “That feels so good.” Her lips curled up into a dreamy smile. “You must be very popular with the ladies.”
“Few humans are into fire play.” He ignored her pointed remark and wedged his hand between her ass cheeks, spreading her open to him. “Their skin is so fragile.” He lit up the shadows with his flames.
“Mine isn’t.” Her voice lowered to a rumble.
“Yours isn’t.” My little dragon. He circled her puckered hole with his fingertips around and around and around, before dipping into her. Fuck, she was tight.
Perla stiffened, protective scales cascading over her entire body. “I don’t do backdoor, so don’t even think about it, dragon boy.” She scowled.
Message received, loud and clear. He retreated, returning to rubbing soothing circles. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.” That included mating in shifted form. Although that would bind them together permanently. Frey sighed. He’d guard her from other dragons until then. He blew flames on his fingers, heating his scales until they were red hot. She tensed, her gaze on his hands.
“And I’m no dragon boy.” He slapped her ass, and she cried out. Leather ripped, shredded under her fingertips. His little dragon had unsheathed her talons. “I’m a full-grown dragon.” He smacked her blue scales, alternating butt cheeks until both glowed and the scent of her arousal hung in the room. “Your dragon.”
“My dragon,” she called out, claiming him verbally for her own.
He’d claim her physically. Frey reached under her and cupped her bare mons. She dripped for him, her pussy juices like molten fire. He strummed his fingertips over her folds, up and down, up and down, drawing a welcoming stream of liquid from her body, Perla’s ragged pants music to his ears. “You’re tight all over, little dragon.” He ripped his shirt off, eager to feel skin against skin, scales against scales.
“Human,” she huffed, defiant to the end.
And he’d have her no other way. Frey unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. Let vampires keep their submissive pets. Dragons valued strength. He pulled his remaining garments down, freeing his cock. “Spread your legs for me, Perla.” Although he needed her so much his balls ached, he gave her an opportunity to deny him. He wouldn’t rush their mating, as they had centuries to find pleasure.
She met his gaze, and then she looked lower, her blue eyes rounding, her mouth dropping open. “Holy shit.” She straddled the couch, widening her stance. “You’re going to tear me apart.” She lifted her ass higher, her pink pussy lips glistening with moisture.
His mate was fearless. “I’ll fit. You’re made for me.” He positioned himself behind her, dipped his cockhead into her moist heat. She inhaled sharply, her body stiffening.
“Easy,” he soothed as he pushed into her. Scales traveled up her ass along her back. Fuck. She was small. Frey fought his own shift, the urge to claim her permanently almost overwhelming centuries of carefully crafted control. He buried his cock deeper and deeper, and she whimpered, the bump of a tail nudging against his stomach.
“Easy, Perla.” He leaned over her, clutched her shoulders with clawed hands, and pressed his chest scales against her back as he thrust forward, fully lodging himself in her tight pussy. She shrieked, rattling the shatterproof windows.
He lowered his head and roared his reply, rolling his sound and heat over her in comforting waves. She felt fantastic. Nothing in his long life had prepared him for this moment, being inside his mate, the only female he could love fearlessly.
Frey blew fire over her skin, the flames licking them both, and she undulated underneath him, her grip on his cock easing, her tail and wing stubs retracting. He rocked into her sensuous movements, riding the ripples of her body, following her unspoken directions. Her heat rose, her pussy growing deliciously hot.
“My little dragon,” he rumbled into her ear, her hair tickling his nose. No human could give him this inner fire. Only a fellow dragon could, his dragon, his mate.
She panted, swaying back, and he drove into her deeper and harder, needing more of her, more of her heat. He grunted, smoke curling from his nostrils, his chest heaving against her rounded spine.
They battled for dominance, for passion, for their satisfaction, scales slapping against scales. He curled his talons into her shoulders, and she pulled forward, digging the tips deeper, her blood scenting the air. Frey inhaled her aroma, his balls drawing tight to his body. “Mate.”
She shrieked, and her pussy coiled around him, squeezing him. He needed. He wanted. He wrapped his arm around her, placing the tip of his talon over her clit. She writhed frantically under him, trying to escape.
She couldn’t escape him. He blew hot fire over her body and tapped her pleasure spot.
Her cry shook the furniture, flames bursting from her parted lips, and she convulsed, bucking, her savagery driving him over the ledge with her. He roared her name, pumping his scalding cum into her dragon pussy, finding heated release for the first time within a female’s channel, his female’s channel.
“My little dragon.” He collapsed upon her, flattening her small body against the shredded couch.
“I’m…” She stretched out her hand, rippling her talons.
Frey waited, yet she said nothing more, his dragon stubbornly silent. “You’re perfect.” He kissed the back of her neck, nuzzling his nose into her
hair.
Chapter Three
He wasn’t human. Perla stared at the man lying on the floor beside her. Smoke curled around his flared nostrils. Humans didn’t exhale smoke… or breathe flames. She touched the charred rug by his head, the remnants as black as his hair. Silk crumbled in her fingers.
“Hmmm…” His left hand slid down her body to cup her bare ass. His eyes didn’t open.
He wasn’t handsome, not in a pretty-boy, magazine-cover way, or in any other way, not truly. His face was too angular, his nose too flat, his chin too broad. But he was strong and commanding, and when he looked at her, flames dancing in his dark eyes, she couldn’t look away.
She looked away now, taking advantage of this stolen moment to study him. His chest was wide and tanned and covered with muscles. A cascade of ridges flowed down his stomach. She stroked each one, measuring their depth, the heat of his skin warming her fingertips.
The heel of her hand brushed against his hard cock, and he bobbed, the motion drawing all her attention. He was huge, dragon-sized. She smiled and softly stroked his shaft. A dab of precum formed on his dark tip. She bit her bottom lip. Was last night’s drink sourced from his body?
There was only one way to find out. Perla leaned over him and flicked his cockhead with her tongue. He shuddered, opening his eyes. She coated her mouth with his sweet, delicious essence. “You’re so hot.”
“Only for you.” His black-as-night gaze tracked her movements, as she licked his shaft up and down. “With the others, the humans, I’m cold.” He shivered, goose bumps rising on his tanned skin. “So very cold.”
Their gazes met. She understood. With other men, sexual encounters had ended with a cold satisfaction. It was like eating second-day pizza. Her needs were filled, but there was no delight.
“I’m human,” she declared to both Frey and herself, the smoke wafting from her mouth making a mockery of her words. Perla swirled her tongue around his cockhead, caressing the rim, before sinking down on him, drawing him into her mouth. He groaned, and ink-black scales crept over his abs and down his thighs.
