RAST

The human female known as Gwen does not believe my Amy at first. To her, dragons are enormous and scaly, and I do not match her image of such things. She has never heard of a dragon taking a human form. I think of the male I saw in her fort and wonder if she is truly so clueless or if it is an act. But when I lean over the table and breathe fire, she looks frightened enough to believe.

After that, she calls in the human female that has been our guide—Andrea. The two sit with Amy and discuss how they will protect the others in Fort Shreveport. It is clear that the human nomads will need to be dealt with, Gwen's sister will need to be rescued, and the dragon will need his mate.

For such a small population, they certainly have a lot of problems.

It is interesting, though, because my Amy is in her element. Her eyes shine as she tells her story to Gwen and Andrea. She speaks with such authority that the other females listen to her without protest, and when she gives them ideas of how to lure the nomads in, they agree quickly. I am proud of my mate. Who would think that my gentle Amy had such a strong streak of leadership? But I know her best of all, and it makes sense to me. She has a fierce heart despite her fragile exterior, and she cares deeply for all that she meets. She truly wants the best for Gwen and her people and does not even mind that they tried to trick us. She understands it, and every time Gwen makes water fall from her eyes and mentions her sister, I can feel Amy's sorrow in missing hers.

I realize I have made a mistake in keeping my mate from her family. Amy would choose to be with me, I think, but there is no reason why it must be one or the other. Surely she can see her sister and still be my mate. As for these humans…while I am not pleased with them, they are cleaner individually than they are as a group. In small doses, they can be tolerated. And as they tell my Amy their sad stories, I see a community between them. Caring. Family.

It reminds me of my own people. The drakoni are fierce but close-knit. And it makes me ache with homesickness.

The females talk while I hover over my mate. I do not participate in the conversation unless my mate asks me a question directly, and I never address the other females. I do not like the human spoken tongue. Amy can convey my thoughts to them easily enough, and I have no desire to speak to the others. I will let my mate take the lead and merely support her.

Amy is not all sweetness and understanding, however. She makes demands of the group. If we are to stay and help them, we must have trust. We must have supplies, and they must listen to what Amy says. We must have quarters big enough to house a dragon, and so the females take us to an enormous room called a “gymnasium” that they have been storing items in. Gwen asks if the room will do.

I decide to show them. I shift immediately, my itchy human clothing shredding in a heap at my feet as my wings flare outward and I flick my tail. I stretch, because ahhh, it feels good to be back in my battle-form after a day of playing human.

As I do, Gwen stumbles backward. The other topples over in shock and must be revived. And my Amy? My Amy just stands there proudly, strong and unafraid.

I have a mate that any drakoni warrior would be fiercely proud to claim.

The females scatter, with Gwen promising to send messages via her birds to the nomads. Amy wants to send one to her sister, but changes her mind at the last moment. I don't know if she'll even see it, Amy tells me, and there's sadness in her thoughts once more. She misses Claudia and wishes she could talk to her.

I feel my guilt like a stone around my neck. It lingers even after the humans bring Amy real food and blankets, and a bed is set up for her near my feet. My mate thanks them graciously, and I am amused at how they race about to please her.

One would think that this is her fort, not Gwen's.

They fuss over Amy and make sure she is comfortable, and then all three women turn to me. “Do you have any questions before they head out for the night, Rast?”

I lean down and nudge my sweet mate. Ask them about the male that was in hiding here. The one who disappeared.

Amy turns to them and speaks. She describes him and the women exchange a look.

Gwen says his name is Liam, which is not a drakoni name. Then again, neither is Sam. But I notice that Gwen looks uncomfortable. She speaks again, telling my mate that the male has been with them for a few months, but she has not seen him this day.

Did they not know he was a dragon? I ask Amy. No one saw his eyes? His teeth?

They speak a bit longer and then Amy sends up to me, They thought he was sick. Skin condition. He always stayed heavily covered and did not talk much. Gwen is hiding something though. She knows more than she's saying. Look at how flustered she is.

Maybe she is his mate, I suggest. And he is playing at being human to protect her.

But that doesn't explain why she was so surprised when you shifted. You can't feign that.

A mystery, I agree. One for another night. I nose her hair. You are tired.

As if my words prompt it, my mate yawns. I am. But I need to ask more about who the other dragon's mate is. We need to find out which girl it is. Vaan can’t attack the city again. We need to flush her out and have her talk to him.

He will want more than to talk to his mate. He will want the connection that I have with my Amy, the soothing layer of her thoughts against my own, her spirit twined with mine. I am not sure these females will agree, though, and so I nose my mate gently again. That can wait until morning. He has touched my thoughts several times today but is content to wait.

Oh good. Man, this place is just a dogpile of problems. But she sounds happy, content. It is as if she is thriving being of such use to the others. I thought I would be jealous of such a thing, but…I love to see how happy my mate is. How much joy this brings her. Perhaps I have been selfish in wanting to keep her all to myself. I have thought about what I wanted and not about what she wanted. Now, I am starting to see that we can both be happy in such an environment, if it is the right one.

As long as she is at my side, I do not care how many humans surround us.

The doors shut and then we are alone in the echoing room. My mate sighs and lies down on the blankets, gazing up at me. “Alone at last,” she murmurs and gives me a sleepy smile. “This has been an interesting day.”

I think the most interesting thing is how you took over, I tell her with amusement. My fierce little commander of a mate.

Amy just chuckles, closing her eyes and rolling over on the bed they made her until she can reach my claws. She puts her hand on one and strokes it, as if she has to touch me to relax. I like that. “I think Gwen never wanted to be a leader. I think she just didn’t have anyone else to take the job. And I think that if we had a choice, she’d give herself up to save her sister Daniela, but I bet she feels like she can’t because she’s in charge. It’s a sticky situation.”

We can leave, I suggest. Fly out of here and leave them to their problems. It would be what they deserve.

“No, I want to stay and help,” she tells me with an absent caress to my scales. “It’s funny, because once upon a time I might have screamed about how wrong and evil they were for trying to sell us out, but the After changes things. Now I just see them as people in trouble trying to make the best decisions they can. I’d probably do the same thing if Claudia was in danger.”

Her thoughts drift back to her sister. She wonders how Claudia is doing, the young in her womb…and she worries her sister is distressed.

I lean down and let my breath trail over her hair, fluffing it just so I can feel it against my nose. The scent of her calms me, even when I feel the fires lick at my mind, like they do now at the thought of Amy leaving me. You miss your family.

“I can’t help it,” she murmurs. “For so long it was me and Claudia, and she took such good care of me. She was the mom when we didn’t have anyone else. I feel like I’m betraying her a little every day I don’t tell her that I’m fine. I can’t imagine how worried she is.” She bites her lip and looks up at me unhappily. “I’m sorry to bring it up. I’m trying not to think about it. I know it’s stressful for you.”

It is more stressful that my mate is upset, I tell her.

“Can you shift so you can hold me?” she asks, gazing up at me. “I’d really like that.”

She need not ask again. I immediately switch forms and move to her side in the bed, pulling her soft body against me. My senses fill with the scent of her and I stroke her hair even as she presses her cheek to my chest and her arms go around me.

“Much better,” she says with a little sigh of contentment. “I don’t think we’re in danger here, and I like touching you like this.” She finds it comforting, and she needs comfort.

I feel a stab of guilt. I have kept her from her family. I am the one that causes her unhappiness.

“It’s okay,” she whispers, and I realize she has read my thoughts. I must have broadcast them too loudly. She strokes a hand up and down my arm. “I know it takes time for your brain to feel like yours again. We’ll figure something out.”

I am selfish, I admit. There is a fierce, possessive part of me that wants to fly far away from all humans and hide you away in the mountains. Find a nest high up where no one can ever find you and just keep you safe and secret from the world.

She chuckles, her breath fanning over my skin. “Not the worst idea. But I can’t just disappear and not say anything to my sister. I’d miss her, and it’s not fair.”

I know I am unfair. I run my blunted claws through her hair. I realize this now. I have kept you to myself because it made me happy, but it does not make you happy. You like being around other people, other humans.

“When they’re decent enough? Yeah. I do. I’ve met some really awful ones back in Fort Dallas. Gwen and the others…I actually think they’re a lot like me. They’re doing what they can to survive. It makes me want to help.”

That is because you have a kind heart.

“Mmm, maybe. I just have knowledge that I feel I can share for once. It feels good to be an active part of a community that works together. When we were back in Fort Dallas, there were so many days I just sat around, doing nothing because I couldn’t physically do much. Claudia would go scavenging, and Sasha would barter, and I’d…well, I’d sit at home and wait for them to get back. I accepted it because that was just how things were, but now that I see I can have more, I want to do more. I like being helpful. I like that we can give back to the world. If we can make just one small pocket of humanity happy, then we’ve done a good thing, you know? It’s important to have safe places in the world, especially for women and children. Fort Dallas is too far gone, I think. The militia has it in a stranglehold. And Fort Tulsa sounds awful. But maybe this small fort can be something better than it is.”

Her unhappiness flares again, and I sift through her thoughts. She worries she has to choose between three things now—this fort, which she wants to help, me, who she loves, and her sister.

You can have it all, I tell her gently. We will help these people. I will not abandon you. And after we are done here, we will go and find your sister.

She sits up in the bed, her eyes wide with hope as she gazes down at me. “Really?”

Truly. I caress her cheek. Just swear you will not leave me.

“Leave you?” Her expression softens. “Oh Rast, I would never leave you. I love you. We’re two halves of the same whole now. A team. Bonnie and Clyde. Peas and carrots. Wonder Woman and…whoever Wonder Woman was dating.”

I do not grasp any of what you just said, but I am glad. There will always be part of me that worries I will drive you away with my selfishness. I am not a good male—

I am surprised when she rolls her eyes. “You always say that, but you are always good to me. You’re like Gwen, babe. You did what you had to do in order to survive. It wasn’t like you woke up and decided you wanted to serve Salorians because it sounded like fun. You did it to feed your family and because you were hungry. Why would I judge you on that?”

I think of Hitaar and the last time I saw him alive. My spirit aches. I worry about family because…mine betrayed me. My brother tried to kill me, I admit to her, and take her small hand and press it against my throat, where the white scars dance along my neck. You asked about these marks. He gave them to me. He tried to end my life.

Her eyes go wide with shock. “What happened?”

What always happens with Salorians. They crept into my mind and took over until I was a mere shell. I understood what I did even if I did not like it. I could not protest their orders. They owned me right down to my spirit. My thoughts fill with bitterness. I never allowed myself to return to my family’s nest. I did not want them to see what I became. Even though I was a great general in the Salorian army…to them, I was a monster. My brother saw me when I was visiting a neighboring nest. I destroyed them in the name of the Salorians, because they were withholding tithes that had been promised to the overlords. I close my eyes at the memory. Hitaar was a gentle spirit, like you. They were his friends. He could not believe what I was doing. I saw in his eyes that he loathed me. I shifted back to my two-legged form to show him that I was yet his brother and offered him my hand. He turned away. When I turned my back to him, he attacked me. Tried to kill me with his claws. A wry smile touches my mouth. Even in his rage, he was a terrible fighter. He tore at my throat but not enough to kill me.

“That’s so awful,” Amy whispers, and I can feel her hurt as she aches for me.

It was. I remember the feeling of utter betrayal. Of hollow, empty anger as I realized what my brother had done. I was truly lost in that moment, covered in my own blood and that of a neighboring nest. Of a family I had known when I was young and unblooded. I slaughtered them without a second thought, all because my Salorian overlords commanded it.

“What did you do?” she asks, her mind gently probing at mine.

My masters did not like what happened, of course. It is against Salorian law to attack a general. Even though I was bleeding from my wounds, and even though my heart was breaking, they forced me to subdue Hitaar and bring him back to Salorian lands. He was conscripted and forced to serve in the army like me, his mind cracked open by their foul magic. I think of my gentle brother and my spirit aches so fiercely I cannot stand it. Dragging him in was worse than any wound in my throat.

It was because of me that he died. I will always remember that.

“It wasn’t your fault,” my Amy tells me, her voice sweet. She caresses my face, her touch grounding me, forcing the fires of despair to the back of my mind. “He made his choice, just like you did. He knew what he was doing was wrong.”

Or he simply felt he had no other choice, just like the humans here. I catch her hand in mine and press my lips to her palm. This is why I do not trust. This is why I am afraid I will lose you if your family finds you.

You’ll never lose me, she sends fiercely.

Her thoughts are so full of love and understanding that I ache with the realization of what I must tell her. Even if I am the one that holds you apart from your sister? I know they have searched for you. I felt it.

Amy goes still beside me.

I can feel her hurt, her confusion, and the possessive, furious flames surge ahead in my mind. The rage threatens to boil over.

What do you mean? she asks, her thoughts faint as my own threaten to go wild.

I felt the touch of a mated male’s mind back at our old nest. I knew it must be your sister’s mate, and I sent him away. I show her the signal I sent, the wordless warning of a mated male’s territory and for him to leave. I knew it was wrong and I did it anyway, because I wished to keep you to myself.

She is silent. I am afraid to probe at her mind, to feel her dismay and her betrayal. I do not want to feel her love for me dying away. It will break me completely and I am already tenuous.

Moments slide past with aching silence. All the while, the fury builds in my thoughts, waiting to overpower me. Waiting for my mate to reject me so I can lose myself to the madness once more. I will let it reclaim me, too. I have no wish to be aware of who and what I am if she hates me.

“Oh, Rast,” Amy says softly. She moves forward and presses her mouth to mine. “I could never, ever hate you. Never think that. I’m hurt, yes, but I understand what you did. I love you. In the future, we need to talk these things over, though. Like I said, we’re a team. I would never abandon you to stay with my sister. You’re my soul and I’m yours.” Her smile is achingly beautiful as she gazes at me with trust and love.

I am not worthy of such devotion. I hold her close, not kissing her, just pressing my face to hers. The fires die back, soothed by Amy’s love. Was ever a drakoni male so lucky? Never. They have never had my perfect, wondrous, beautiful Amy.

Wherever you wish to go, I will follow, I vow to her. If you wish to return to your sister, I will take you there. If you wish to escape this place, I will be your wings. If you wish to stay, I will be at your side. You are my everything. There are no thoughts, no words that can express what you are to me.

Maybe we can show it with touches instead of words, she tells me, and gently brushes her mouth against mine once more. Her hand slides low on my belly, and she caresses my cock. Let me love you the way I’ve always wanted to.

I go still underneath her. You mean—

Yes. I want that. Her thoughts are bright, shining with devotion. There is no ugliness between us, Rast. A mating—any mating—can be nothing but beautiful. I choose you every day. I choose you for all time. And I choose to have you in my body, so why not in my mouth? It loves you as much as the rest of me does.

I growl low, because she makes it sound so enticing, and yet it feels forbidden. It is not a drakoni thing.

I am not drakoni, she reminds me, and begins to press light, teasing kisses to my chest. Does that make you sad?

It does not. I would change nothing about her. I thread my claws through her soft hair and hold her close even as she lets her lips move over my skin. You know it does not.

Then let me love you like a human would. Lie back and let me pleasure you. Her eyes gleam with enthusiasm and I cannot deny her this. I cannot deny her anything.

With a sly little grin, my mate moves lower, kissing and licking down my stomach. My entire body tightens in response when her tongue flicks at my navel, because I know where she is heading. It feels like the most wrong and decadent thing ever…and I cannot deny that I want to feel her mouth there.

That's because it will feel amazing, she tells me. You like mating face to face, don't you?

I do. I like being able to look into my Amy's eyes as I plunge into her and bury my cock in her tight cunt. I love seeing the look on her face. I love being able to kiss her when I thrust into her. Both ways are equally good ways to mate, but there is an intimacy to her way that has a special appeal.

This will be very similar, she promises even as she slides a hand to cup my sac. It will be different, but so good. You like putting your mouth on me. Of course I'm going to like the same.

How do you know? You have never done it. My thoughts are strained, because all I can think of is the feel of her hand against my sac, caressing it.

She giggles and lightly strokes my sensitive flesh. Because it's you. I love kissing you. I love your scent. I love everything about you. Why wouldn't I love this?

Why indeed? I have no answer. I cannot think of anything but my sweet Amy's mouth as she kisses lower. Part of me wants to bolt from the bed, to flip her onto her hands and knees and claim her. The ache in my cock tells me it would be good, so good. But a more curious part of me wants to experience this. Am I not changing to meet her needs, I reason. I have shorn my claws, something no drakoni would do. I have mated with her face to face. I can let this happen.

Her fingers curl around my shaft and she gives it a slight squeeze. “You're so hard here, but your skin is so soft. It's amazing. I've wanted to touch you like this for so long.” Her little sigh fans her breath over my length, and I realize how close she is to taking me in her mouth. She is but a finger-length away, and I am straining not to grab her head and push her lovely mouth toward my cock.

“I'm going to explore you first,” she whispers against my skin, and her fingers slide over my length, touching and learning my shaft the way she has wanted to for days on end. I am in her thoughts as she caresses me, and I can feel her wonder and pleasure at how it feels, how she is attuned to my responses, my sharply inhaled breaths. It makes the sensations that much more intense, and I do not realize I am growling with pleasure until she chuckles. “Shall I stop?”

No. I do not want that. Not anymore.

Amy runs her fingertips over the head of my cock. She traces the rounded head of it, then moves one fingertip along the ridge of thicker skin along the top of my shaft. “It's almost like you're scaled, but in a different way than when you're a dragon. Like you're so tightly overlapping that it feels like skin, but when I see this, it looks like scales. It's fascinating.”

My cock jerks in response to her touch, and she breathes a pleased little sigh when droplets of my come bead atop the head. She drags her finger in the wet spend and circles it along my cockhead, teasing me with every moment she does not take me in her mouth as she promised. I never thought I would want something so much. I want to watch as she takes me onto her tongue, I want to see the look on her face, feel her thoughts when she tastes my flavor…and then I groan aloud when I feel the excitement in her mind at the thought of doing such a thing.

She feels powerful right now. Sexy and powerful. Her arousal scent perfumes the air, making my cock even harder for her. It takes everything I have to remain lying down on the bed next to her, because the mating urge is strong within me. But how can I take such pleasure from my mate? How can I reject such pleasure myself?

“I'm going to put my mouth on you now,” Amy murmurs.

Why are you telling me before you do so? My thoughts are strained with the effort of remaining still so she can touch me as she likes.

She chuckles again. “Because I don't want you rearing back and knocking me over?” She leans in and her breath fans over my lower stomach, my cock. “And because it's fun to tease you.”

My mate, my sweet, lovely Amy…is being a tease and enjoying herself. It makes me want her all the more. Do with me as you like, my fires. I am yours.

“I know,” she says in that coy, flirty little voice of hers, and more pre-cum beads atop my cock at hearing that. I love seeing her so confident, so playful.

My perfect, beautiful mate.

Amy's long pale hair slides over her shoulder as she sits up and grips my cock, wrapping her fingers around my length. She gives me another light caress and then leans in, the tip of her tongue between her lips in anticipation of tasting me.

Before I can draw another breath, her mouth is on me. Hot. Wet. Indescribable. She makes a little sound of enjoyment at my taste, and I can feel the pleasure spiral through her mind. She likes my flavor. She likes the feel of my cock against her tongue. She flicks the tip of it against my shaft and then traces me with her tongue, exploring me with it like she did her fingers. I groan and fist my hand in her soft hair. It is all I can do to remain still under her ministrations. I do not want to disturb her, because she might stop.

I want anything but that.

This is…one of the most incredible things I have ever felt. It is almost as if my cock is sheathed in her cunt once more, she is so hot and wet. But instead of the unrelenting tight clench of her cunt, I feel the slick drag of her tongue against the underside of my shaft, the tickle of her lips against my skin, the suction of her mouth as she tries to take me deep. It is different, and it is exceedingly pleasant.

No, more than that. It is intense and could shatter a male's control in a matter of breaths, especially when she makes those little sounds as she suckles me. Amy makes it seem as if she has no pleasure greater than taking me into her mouth, and it only makes my cock harder. I want to thrust into the sweet warmth of her mouth, to fuck it like I fuck her cunt, but I dare not. I am hers to claim like this.

Amy moans and glances up at me even as she slides me deeper into her mouth, her hand curled at the root of my cock. The sight of her like that is almost too much to bear. My breath hisses from my body and my sac tightens as if I am about to spill, and I quickly pull her off of my cock. It is too quick, too soon.

She casts me a hurt look as I pull her away. Did I do something wrong?

I shake my head. I am panting. Incredible. It is too much. I will spill in your mouth if I lose control—

Good. That's what I want. She lowers her head again.

No, my fires, wait—

No, she tells me stubbornly. Let me love you like this. Her mouth descends on my cock once more and her hand pumps at my shaft. She suckles me again, teasing with her tongue and then taking me deep, so deep that I can feel the back of her throat tighten against my cockhead. Feel how good it makes me feel to touch you like this.

I cannot. If I touch her thoughts like that, I will explode.

Don't you like this? she cajoles. The sight of me taking you into my mouth? The feel of my tongue? My hands? The—

I growl and wrap my hand in her hair again, my hips bucking involuntarily forward, as if my body has a mind of its own. I can feel her gasp of surprise when I thrust hard into her mouth, but then she moans around my length and her arousal sweetens the air. Oh, she moans, both in her head and aloud. Do that again, Rast. I love that.

I can deny my mate nothing. With a groan, I slide back and then push into her mouth again, careful not to harm her with my strength. Her eyes close with bliss and she tightens her mouth around me. She loves this as much as I do. I grit my teeth, determined not to spill too quickly, and begin to fuck her mouth with my cock, using my hips as I hold her head steady to receive me. With this angle—me on my back and her over me—I can watch every expression on her face, and it only adds to my pleasure.

Perhaps too much. I feel my body tighten once more, my sac drawing up. I try to pull her back, to extend the pleasure, but she wraps a hand around the base of my shaft and squeezes, even as she tightens her mouth and sucks hard, unwilling to let me go. With a mental shout of her name, I come, spilling into her soft, delicious mouth. She releases me then, and as I pull out, my seed trails over her lips and tongue, and down her pretty chin. It is the most feral and obscene thing I have ever seen, and I am riveted by the sight, even as my release sucks the breath from my body. I lie panting in bed, struggling to recover from how hard I have come even as she licks every bit of my seed clean from her face.

And then she gives me the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. Now I carry your scent everywhere, don't I?

She is the most perfect creature ever. Never have I felt so content, so at peace with who and what I am. It does not matter if I am fully drakoni or not. All that matters is making my Amy happy. Growling low, I grab her by the waist and flip her onto her back on the bed, pushing up her skirts.

Now it is your turn.

The only thing better than her sigh of happiness are the other sighs I wring from her moments later.