by Rachel Angel
“Can I come in with you?” Jasper said as Ally entered the room she was so familiar with.
“I’m not sure,” she said with a teasing smile. “What do you want?”
He grinned and his eyes suddenly turned dark with passion. He leaned in closer and whispered, “I want the same thing you do.”
She pulled in a long slow breath as her body reacted to his words. Of course, to keep up her energy she needed to have sex every so often. She’d come to realize that the dragon part of her not only craved sex, but desperately needed it.
His eyes remained on hers, intense with desire. He reached out and trailed a finger down the opening of her shirt and over the swell of her breasts. Licking his lips, he slipped his hand inside her shirt and gently pinched her nipple between his thumb and index finger.
Her knees buckled. It was unexpected. She had wanted to play with him, to draw the process out, but her need for him took over.
She pulled him into her room and pushed him up against the bed posts, pulling his hands behind his back around the post. With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out the thin leather strap that held her pants up and wrapped it around his wrists.
Jasper chuckled deep and low, as she pulled his pants down, exposing a rigid cock that beckoned her.
“You’ve rendered me helpless,” he whispered. “What are you going to do now?”
She walked away from him, swaying her hips as every step let her unbelted pants fall a little bit lower, until they were at her feet. She daintily kicked them away and turned to face him.
Pulling the bottom flaps of her shirt apart, she gave him a peek of the crux of her thighs, then slowly unbuttoned the shirt, slowly exposing her breasts, her navel and finally, all that she had to show him.
He drew in a long shaky breath and his jaw went slack as he watched her movements. Completely naked, she stood a few paces from him.
“What is it that we both want, Jasper?” she said in a sexy, husky voice.
“Sex,” he said.
“Sex like this?” She reached for her breasts and hungrily caressed them.
He grunted.
“Or maybe, sex like this?” She brought one hand down and ran a finger between the wet folds of skin, paying careful attention to her clitoris.
“Yes,” he groaned.
She put one foot up on the chair at the desk, offering him a better view of what her hand was doing. While one hand continued to massage her breast, her other hand catered to the needs of her clitoris. Occasionally she shoved her finger inside her warmth, drawing another hungry groan from Jasper.
“Come here,” he growled as his arousal became painful.
“Not yet,” she said. She ran her tongue over her lips as she continued to fuck herself with her fingers.
Kicking the chair away, she hopped up onto the desk and spread her legs completely apart, offering him the best view yet.
“Shit, Ally. Are you trying to kill me?” Jasper said. “Get over here and fuck me before I…”
She ignored him and rammed her finger inside her again while her thumb ran repeated circles around her clitoris. She groaned, thrilled and excited by her own pleasuring.
“Ally,” he grunted again.
Her eyes narrowed hungrily as she looked at him, her orgasm building up and taking over her. She closed her eyes as her breathing became more and more labored. Grabbing her breast tightly as her orgasm took over, she shuddered and shook, and closed her thighs over her hand as she gasped in surprise at what she’d done.
Jasper, his hard cock bobbing up and down at the sight of her, was tortured. “Get over here, you vixen.”
Ally hopped off the desk, still shaken by her orgasm, and went to him. Grabbing the bedpost behind his head, she pulled herself up and planted her feet on the mattress on either side of him. Looking hungrily into his eyes, she settled her weight on his cock which slid into the heated wetness of her orgasm.
Pushing off the mattress with her legs, she rode him. He was already so close to orgasm just from watching her that he was almost instant there, grunting like a wild animal.
Remaining where she was, with her hands on the bedpost and her feet on the mattress, and his cock still deep inside her, she looked at him. “Feeling better now?” she said with a naughty smile.
“Much,” he whispered.
She carefully disengaged herself from him and headed to the bathroom. “I need a shower.”
“Hey,” he called from the bedpost. “What about me?”
“I didn’t even tie a knot, Jasper,” she called from behind the door. “Just pull and you’re free.”
***
Ally hoped the flush of making love wasn’t still on her cheeks as she made her way down to join the queen for tea by the garden.
“I’m happy you could join me,” Queen Jade said as Ally sat down. She poured two cups of tea. “Sugar?” she said, holding a cube aloft over a teacup.
Ally nodded.
The queen smiled knowingly as she set a teacup before Ally. “Yes. There’s nothing like an afternoon romp to color one’s cheeks and there’s nothing like a sweet tea to settle one down.”
Ally felt the rush of even more blood to her cheeks. Was it that obvious?
“No need to be embarrassed, my dear. It’s all part of nature, and it certainly is a part of you.”
Still, there was something uncomfortable about making love to a man then sitting to sip tea with his mother who was well aware of what you’d just done.
“You know, Ally,” Queen Jade said as she sat back. “I was once young, too. I remember the effects of a playful romp. I remember that sense of being energized, of feeling indestructible. It was always so invigorating.”
Ally sipped her tea but said nothing.
“In fact, I made love to at least one of my husbands every single day.”
“You did?” Ally gasped, fascinated.
“Ah, yes. It was all quite amusing. Sometimes I would awaken with Nero and make sleepy love to him, then meet up with Rodan for a quicky in the garden, then perhaps fall asleep in Granite’s arms after a thrilling ride on his… Well, you know how it goes.”
“I’ve sometimes felt strange, making love to one prince, then another.”
“Guilt,” Queen Jade said.
“Yes.”
“Don’t. Guilt is a worthless emotion that serves no purpose. Instead, be kind, be thoughtful, be mindful of their feelings, and be respectful of them as individuals. All of them. Love them and let them love you.”
Ally swallowed a sip of tea and considered the queens words. It seemed so easy.
“Consider this,” the queen said. “You need energy, their energy. I hate to say it, but one dragon is not enough. I hate to admit it, but there were times when even my multiple husbands were not enough. On a few occasions I had to gain powers from occasional lovers.”
Ally’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Don’t be shocked, dear. It’s all part of life…and our kind. Like me, you are of a rare dragon breed, Ally.”
“You became the queen of all of Wyvern,” Ally said, setting her surprise aside. “Is it all due to the powers you attained?”
The queen nodded. “But I see that you’ve also been adorned with the tokens of your lovers. That ruby is from Rose Cliff, is it not? And the silver ring from Flint. And, of course, I recognize that exquisite strand of emeralds from Jasper. Let the essence from those gems and metals flow into you. They will always be there so long as you wear them.”
Ally absentmindedly fingered the emerald necklace. “There have been times when I’ve felt that certain dragons didn’t like humans. How do you feel about humans?”
The queen set her cup down in her saucer and clasped her hands together. “I think it’s like with anything else; there is good and bad. For the most part, I appreciate humans, but there are some that I could do without. When I was younger, much younger, a friend of mine, a woman of the same dragon species as myself, married a human.”
&
nbsp; “Really.”
“She was so in love with this man. I’d met him and he was a striking man. I wished her all the happiness in the world, but his human family was not kind to her. We never understood why, but they mistreated her horribly.”
“Did she stay with him?”
The queen shook her head. “Yes, but they ended up leaving his family and living somewhere else.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, who was this friend?”
“Rose,” Queen Jade said simply.
Ally hid her surprise but considered this new information. Her mother had been friends with Queen Jade. What a small world.
“You must have been terribly angry,” Ally said.
“Angry isn’t quite the word for it. I was enraged. How dare they treat her the way they did? She was a beautiful and gentle soul; the type of woman who would give a helping hand to anyone, even someone who’d been unkind to her.”
“Did you retaliate?”
The queen huffed. “I can’t tell you the number of times I fantasized about burning down that tiny castle.”
Ally almost choked on her sip of tea but managed to hide from the queen how shocked she was.
Was it possible? Had the queen destroyed her family?
Chapter 18
Queen Jade took a final sip of her tea and stood. With long elegant steps, she circled around the small garden table and stood behind Ally.
A chill went down Ally’s spine and she stiffened. She could see the queen’s shadow as it loomed over her, see her hands as they reached out to stroke her hair.
“Such a beautiful child,” the queen said softly. “A beautiful, angelic child.”
Without warning, the slight figure of the regal queen shifted to the familiar form of a dragon, her wings already out and ready to take off. The hands that had stroked Ally’s hair were now claws that clamped down on Ally and carried her away.
“What are you doing?” Ally shouted as she tried to fight the queen’s hold.
Queen Jade flew quickly, sweeping her huge wings through the air as she deftly flew through the mountains and on through narrow canyons.
Settling on a mountaintop, the queen dropped Ally on the ground and shifted back to human form.
Ally frowned, partially confused by the queen’s actions and partially angry. She was ready to fight, and if it meant killing Jasper’s mother to avenge the death of her own mother, she would.
Holding a fighting stance, Ally stared at the queen.
“Take it easy. I didn’t bring you here to fight you.”
“Then tell me you didn’t do it.”
“Do what? Kill your parents?”
“So, you know? You know that I am Rose’s daughter.”
“There’s little about this kingdom that I don’t know, Ally. Of course, I know that Rose was your mother. All one has to do is look at you to know.”
“Then why did you bring me out here, in the middle of nowhere?”
“There are very few of your kind left,” Queen Jade said. “But descendants of the dragon forger species all have that special multi-colored hair; well that is, the female descendants do. You see, Jasper will never absorb energy the way you can.”
Ally stared at her, still uncertain.
“Jasper told me of the effect you had on the monsters; how they were repulsed by you.”
“Yes. They were.”
“That’s due to the energy you obtained from the monsters themselves. You essentially turned their toxicity against them.”
Ally nodded her understanding and waited for more.
“Don’t think for a moment that I could ever harm your mother, Ally. Rosie was like a sister to me, and I miss her terribly. That first day, when Jasper brought you home… My, it was like seeing a ghost. Seeing you brought back so many wonderful memories of the times I’d spent with your mother. What a spirited woman she was. Damn,” she cried. “I miss her so much.”
Ally felt the queen’s pain and suddenly wanted to hug her and hold her, but she still had so many unanswered questions. Her stomach turned at the thought of her parents’ death and she hoped finding the culprits would calm it.
“I need to know,” Ally said softly. “I need to know what happened to them.”
“Trust the powers of the dragon,” Queen Jade said. She turned away and started down the mountain. “Come with me, dear.”
Ally followed her down a narrow path and they soon came up to two large slabs of rock that blocked the way.
“This is a special place, Ally, and it is only because you are Rose’s daughter, and I trust you immensely that I’ve brought you here. As you can see, the path from below is barred. The only way here is to fly. In other words, this is reserved for dragons only.”
The Queen turned to her left and squeezed through a narrow opening, disappearing into the dark hollow.
“Don’t be afraid,” she called out from inside. “Come.”
Ally squeezed through the opening, scraping her back against the sharp rocky wall in the process. Once inside, the queen led her deeper into the cave until they came to a brightly lit opening. The walls were made of every type of gem imaginable and of every color. They glistened in the light; a jeweled rainbow.
“What is this place?” Ally said, running her fingers over huge chunks of emerald and raw rubies.
“This is the Cave of Clarity.”
Ally looked at the queen. “And why have you brought me here?”
“For centuries Dragon Forgers have been coming here. They seek knowledge and they often find mental strength. The power of these gems, clustered together as they are in this cave, is extraordinary.” The queen looked sympathetically at her. “You have questions, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, this is the place to find the answers.”
“You think I can find the people responsible for the death of my parents through these gems?”
“Here,” Queen Jade said, coming around Ally and holding her shoulders to guide her down on a large stone. “Sit here and clear you mind. Forget about me. Forget about your lovers. Think only of what troubles you. Concentrate only on what you want to know; what you want to see. I’ll leave you and wait outside.”
The queen left and Ally closed her eyes. She thought of her mother and of the last time she saw her. She’d worn a beautiful gown of daffodil yellow and had allowed Ally to put a few tiny yellow flowers in her hair. They’d giggled together and hugged.
“I love you, Mommy.”
She heard her father, his voice stern but his smile playful as he pushed her on the swing he’d set up on the sturdy branch of a huge tree in the garden.
“Daddy,” she whispered.
She wiped a tear away.
“What happened to you two?”
She saw them suddenly, so clearly and vividly, she wanted to reach out to them.
“Kate! Bilbo! Get Ally! Get her out of here,” her father shouted.
Her mother screamed as the intruders finally made their way through the door. Her father fought them, taking a poker from the fireplace while her mother took the large and heavy sword that had decorated the mantle.
But it was no use. The intruders were merciless.
Ally didn’t want to look. Didn’t want to see how her parents had died. It was too painful. She shifted her view and saw through her mother’s eyes.
She saw the intruder, his scorn-filled eyes, his hateful grin and his murderous desire.
But there were others.
What were they doing there?
Chapter 19
“I don’t like the idea of you heading out there alone,” Jasper said.
“This is something I have to do alone,” Ally said. “Please understand.”
After her time at the Cave of Clarity, she had indeed found clarity and many answers.
“We could at least escort you to the outskirts of Wisteria, Ally,” Flint said.
“That sounds good,” Razor said. “At least we’d be close by.”
“No.” Ally walked outside with them all following behind her. “You guys head on to Wyvern Academy. I’ll meet up with you when I’ve settled this.”
The princes reluctantly accepted her decision.
“Thank your mother for me, Jasper. I appreciate everything she’s done for me.”
He nodded, but said, “You can thank her yourself when you come back.”
She smiled and deployed her wings. “I’ll see you guys later.” And she flew off.
The air was chilled that morning and it felt good on her heated skin. The idea of returning to Wisteria was unnerving, but she made good speed, eager to get there.
As the sun climbed in the sky, she suddenly saw a shadow cast over her; a dragon.
Prepared to fight, she tensed up and spun around, her claws out and ready to face the attack.
“Hey! Hey! Take it easy,” Tar said.
She sighed with relief and retracted her claws. Turning back around, she resumed her flight path. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry for disobeying your orders, but I couldn’t. I can’t go back to Wyvern without you.”
Ally looked straight ahead, looking for the castle of Wisteria, and as they flew over The Borders, she looked wistfully down.
“Ally,” Tar said. “I don’t think you understand how I don’t exist when you’re not there. You’ve become the person that I feel at home with. You’re my security, and I want to go where you go.”
She remained silent.
“Ally?”
She looked at him and nodded. “Might as well. You’re a part of this, too,” she finally said.
“A part of what?”
Once again, she scanned the horizon. “There it is. The castle of Wisteria. Come on.” She tucked her wings back and dove down into the inner courtyard, flapping her wings just enough to softly land, then shifting to human form.
Tar had a slightly rougher landing then also shifted.
With no guards around, they quickly made their way inside the castle. Boris wasn’t around either, but they could hear quiet conversation in the distance.
