I enter the ballroom on the first floor. Like everything else in the castle, it’s beyond enormous. I’ve never seen anything so big, so decorated, so perfect. I feel like a fairytale princess and for just a moment, I can forget about how things have turned out for me.
For just a moment, I’m not the girl Hal pulled from the gutter.
I’m not the girl without a family.
I’m not the stranger on a new planet.
For just a moment, I’m the belle of the ball and I am covered in warmth and contentment.
For just a moment.
I’m supposed to socialize, but I don’t have to stay by the King’s side tonight. He’ll likely have a date, according to May, which is fine. It’s just another woman in his string of conquests. Personally, I would have thought he’d be tired by now, but apparently they’re really good in bed.
I know for a fact that he is, based on how much he makes his woman scream.
Yeah, His Majesty is a little bit kinky. Jenika suspected that he was. She hinted at it several times before she finally told me outright and tied me to a post on the ship. I was tied up with a vibrator strapped to my clit and forced to come over and over while the crew watched.
That was a fun day for everyone, including me. I was too far gone to be embarrassed with what was happening. It felt too good for me to be shy.
The things that happened on the ship during my training are nothing compared to what I think the Dragon King likes, though. His tastes are much more eclectic, much more refined. He likes to tie his women up, but he also likes them to fight him.
He likes to conquer, like a true warrior.
Stepping further into the ballroom, I push through the crowds of people. Despite my beautiful dress, I manage to move unnoticed through the crowd. Everyone looks beautiful tonight.
Everyone is a star.
Toward the back of the room is a bar and though I usually don’t drink with meals, tonight is an exception.
Tonight I need something to take the edge off.
I’m still a little bit nervous about being here. This is my first formal event on Taneyemm. There will be many more as time goes on, though I’ll probably have more time to prepare for the next event. I hope so because I’m looking around and I don’t know a single person.
The other castle workers are all…working.
As far as I can tell, I’m the only one here socially and it feels strange to me. I’m not in the castle to flounce about attending parties, only in actuality, I am. I’m the King’s human. It’s my job to attend these functions and make him look good. Maybe I’m supposed to appear like a well-behaved slave. I’m not sure.
The only thing I know is that there’s a glass of something alcoholic with my name on it.
I slip through the dancing and the couples talking and chatting and make my way to the back of the room. There are several glasses on a tray and I take one as I pass a waiter, sipping it gingerly.
“You look beautiful tonight,” a familiar voice says, and I turn.
“Lee!” I squeal, almost dropping my glass. He gives me a dashing smile and I step forward to hug him. He seems surprised.
“I know it’s not your tradition,” I whisper in his ear. “But I’m an Earth girl, after all.”
“So you are,” he says. “You’ve cleaned up nicely,” he comments, looking me up and down. Maybe it’s because I have a drink in hand or because I’ve gotten a little bit comfortable on Taneyemm, but I take a moment to appreciate just how handsome Lee really is.
His dark eyes are piercing. They seem to see right through me. His hair is dark and short, like the King’s. They could almost be brothers, I realize.
“So the party tonight,” I motion at the room. “I heard it’s for a friend of the King’s.”
“It is,” Lee nods and grabs his own glass from the tray. He takes a sip. “Dane and Zeke have been friends for a very long time.”
“Zeke?” I ask, but wish I hadn’t. Lee’s eyes flash orange before returning to their original color, and his face suddenly looks pale.
“Fuck,” he mutters. “Forget you heard that.”
“Um, okay.” The King’s true name, I’m guessing. He’s so cautious about letting people know it, but I don’t know why. It’s a fine name. King Zeke. Fuck, a girl could get used to that. Maybe it’s sort of a silly name for a dragon, but it’s a strong name, as my father would have said.
“No, Riley, I’m serious. If he knew that I told you, he would kill us both.”
“Surely, he can’t be that extreme.”
He raises an eyebrow, and I realize that yes, he absolutely could be. Dragons aren’t like humans. Or maybe the problem is they’re too much like humans. After all, Taneyemm wasn’t immune from war. They shared two of the same wars we did, but their armies were better, stronger, more prepared.
Earth didn’t want to admit there were other planets, let alone planets that were inhabitable.
Our ignorance got us killed.
“I won’t say anything,” I promise, and he nods.
“Dane,” Lee points, and I turn. A tall man is entering the room. He has a beautiful woman on his arm who waves and smiles. Her long, blonde hair flows past her shoulders and her strapless pink dress accentuates her long neck and beautiful shoulders.
“Is that his wife?”
“Sister,” he chokes the word out and I turn to him.
“Do you have a thing for her or something?” I ask. Then I realize that Lee and I are not friends. We aren’t even really acquaintances. We certainly aren’t close enough that I can ask him questions like this.
“Riley, you’re smarter than you look,” Lee comments. “I think if our lordship realized it, we’d all be in trouble. Be careful.” He sets his drink down and walks away, leaving me to my own endeavors.
“Well then,” I say to myself. “Time to find someone to fuck me.”
***
As the evening wears on, I grow tired. Different groups of dragons do choreographed dances together. Dane and his sister, whose name is Star, do a dance together, too. It’s beautiful and fast and I have no idea how she managed to do so well in those heels.
The one person I haven’t seen much of is the King.
Zeke.
The Dark Dragon.
Maybe he didn’t come.
I don’t blame him if he didn’t. These things basically completely suck. The only reason I’ve managed to stay so long is that I’m now drunk.
I have no idea what the weird purple drink is that I’ve been downing all night, but it sure as hell isn’t champagne.
My feet are killing and there’s a new group doing a dance performance, so I decide to find a quiet corner to rest in. I sit down and kick my shoes off, then rub my sore feet. It’s a bit unladylike, but they hurt, and rubbing them relieves some of the pain.
From my little hidden spot in the corner, I can see the dance floor and some of the guests tonight. It’s amazing how so many people were able to come to this event on such short notice.
Is that what it’s like to be the overseer of a freaking planet?
People just do whatever you want them to?
Focused on rubbing my feet and watching the dancers, I don’t notice when I’m joined by someone very tall, very dark, and very handsome.
“May I?” A deep voice says. I look up and see Dane.
The King’s friend.
Time to make a good impression.
“Um, of course,” I say. One thing Jenika taught me is that if a dragon offers to do something, you let him. Taneyemm men don’t offer to do things out of the kindness of their hearts. They might have ulterior motives, but you still always say “yes.”
He sits next to me and the scent of his cologne wafts over to me. Dane is in the corner now and I’m on the outside portion of the bench, the part that’s closest to the walkway. We’re both tucked away, but we can see part of the room. I stop looking at the dancers, though, and now I look at him instead. Dane lifts my foot and places it in his lap, so close to his cock that if I just moved, I’d be able to feel it.
I wiggle my toes.
“Feisty, are you?” He laughs and begins to rub my toes.
“Oooh,” I let out a moan and my head falls back. All thoughts of teasing or taunting vanish as he massages my feet. “That feels so fucking good.”
He laughs and continues touching me. I let out another moan as he rubs my foot a little bit harder.
“You know,” he says, his voice low. “If you keep making those noises, someone might get the wrong idea.”
“What idea is that?”
“They might think I’m over here fingering you beneath that lovely gown.” I glance up and realize that my gown has indeed poofed up around us. Anyone walking by will definitely get the wrong idea, especially with my sex noises.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “Can’t have that happening.”
“Can’t we?” He asks, and his hand moves up to my thigh.
Dane looks into my eyes as his fingers roam around my soft legs. Ruby did a great job removing my hair permanently. I don’t worry about stubble or strays as he touches me. I know I’m soft everywhere, but I’m surprised at just how much I enjoy him touching me as his hand continues to move up.
“You’re the King’s friend,” I murmur.
“And you’re his human, aren’t you?”
I nod, gulping. This is far too intimate for someone I’ve just met. Oh, I wanted to fuck someone tonight, wanted to feel them plunging deep inside of me, but not the King’s friend. That’s pushing things a little too far.
Only as Dane touches me, I realize I don’t want him to stop. It feels too good and I’m too needy to ask him to stop. His hands feel like magic against my skin. They feel good.
They feel naughty.
“Tell me, love, why hasn’t he fucked you yet?”
“How do you know he hasn’t fucked me?” My voice comes out in a sort of low whine, heavy with my arousal.
“If he was fucking you, you wouldn’t tolerate me touching you here.”
“Is that so?”
Dane nods, slowly. He doesn’t drop his hands, though. He keeps moving his fingers in soft, massaging circles. Slowly, he moves up my dress.
“If he was fucking you, he wouldn’t let you out of his sight.”
“That’s not true,” I comment. “He fucks lots of women. He doesn’t care about them at all.” It hurts a little that Zeke doesn’t want to fuck me, but do I really want to just be one more girl who throws herself at him?
“They aren’t you,” Dane says simply, and for the first time, I get the impression that he actually thinks I’m worth looking at. Dane looks at me like he could eat me alive and enjoy every second of it.
“He says I’m fat,” I finally manage to say, and Dane laughs.
“Does he now?” He chuckles. “Sweetheart, you haven’t got an ounce of fat on your damn body. He can’t appreciate your curves? That’s no worry. I know someone who loves curvy little humans.”
“Who is that?”
His fingers inch up my thigh, slowly, steadily moving higher and higher. Dane’s eyes never leave mine as he gently rubs my skin. At some point, I must have stopped breathing because Dane stops moving his hand for a second and smiles.
“Take a deep breath, sweetie,” he whispers.
I can only nod, but I do what he says. I breathe. Inhaling slowly, then exhaling. Once he’s convinced I’m not going to pass out, Dane’s fingers resume their slow journey upward, toward my core.
The music fades and the crowd disappears. Here in the corner, no one can see us unless they’re very close. We’re behind some potted plants on a little bench. I can still peek out and see the crowd, but the corner is dark. We’re hidden.
And Dane, King Zeke’s best friend, is touching me.
My pussy is soaked with the idea that he might slide his fingers into me. I’m dripping wet as he moves higher and higher.
“I can smell you, human,” Dane says. He leans forward and sniffs the air. His other hand cups my cheek, and I lean into his touch. He’s so different from Zeke that for a moment, I wonder how they became friends.
But then Dane’s fingers reach my panties, and I catch my breath.
“The King’s virgin human,” Dane chuckles. “Hiding behind a plant at the party with the bad boy of the group. Who would have thought?”
“I thought the King was the bad boy,” I say. I almost forget and use his real name. Luckily, I catch myself in time. The last thing I need is for Dane to tattle on me.
“Oh, honey, he’s got nothing on me.”
Then he plunges two fingers into me, deeply, stretching me, and I open my mouth to cry out.
Only I don’t make a sound because at the same moment, Dane’s lips press against mine and he’s kissing me. And oh, Dane can fucking kiss. He doesn’t waste time playing. There’s no sweet tracing of my lips. There are no soft, teasing pecks. No, he plunges his tongue into my mouth and shows me that when Dane wants something, he gets it.
His fingers play with my pussy, sliding out to tease my clit before he thrusts them back in again.
In and out.
In and out.
He stops kissing me and bites my ear, whispering to me.
“Fuck, Riley, you’ve got a tight pussy. You have no idea how I want to pull you into my lap and fuck you right here.”
“I…” I can’t even think straight. An orgasm is coiling inside of me, threatening to explode. My whole body is wound tight and Dane could be the one to set me free.
I’m tired of being the only virgin on Taneyemm. Jenika and Hal convinced me that it was some sort of special prize, something to be revered, but it’s not. Once I’ve passed this stage, the “first time” stage, I can really come into my sexual awakening.
I can start to have some fun.
Right now? Right now feels pretty fun.
“What do you think about that, Riley? Do you want me to fuck your sweet, tight little virgin pussy?”
I open my mouth to say something, but he kisses me again, and then I’m coming. Oh, fuck, I’m coming. I can’t make a sound as my body shakes because Dane has my mouth covered. He doesn’t let up, kissing my mouth and stroking my clit until he’s pulled every quiver, every shake, every ounce of pleasure from me.
And as the haze of lust begins to lift, and my eyes meet his, there’s a hint of something there, only it’s not lust.
It’s…humor?
Is something funny right now?
Then I hear it. Slow, loud clapping. Turning my head to see where it’s coming from, I see him.
Zeke.
He’s standing a few feet away, far enough that I didn’t notice him, but that he had a perfect view of everything that just happened.
And the King?
He looks fucking pissed.
“That was quite a show, Riley.”
I don’t say anything. What is there to say? I’m his human, but I’m not his concubine. I wasn’t aware I had to get his permission before I slept with someone or touched someone. I don’t have to get his permission.
And despite the fact that Zeke has no interest in me, he suddenly seems very pissed about the fact that Dane and I just…whatever.
“I think she looked gorgeous,” Dane says. He strokes my cheek again, offering me a little bit of comfort. I’m sure my cheeks are flushed: a combination of arousal and embarrassment. Dane’s look tells me without words that everything is going to be okay, that I didn’t do anything wrong, that it’s going to be fine.
I don’t even know Dane.
But somehow, I trust him.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Dane?” Zeke clenches his jaw. I’m surprised his teeth don’t crack as he grinds them loudly. “Do we need to take this outside?”
Really?
What the fuck kind of schoolyard fight is this?
What’s he going to do – breathe fire on Dane?
Dane just chuckles and gets up. He offers his hand to me and I take it. Once I’m standing, Dane picks up my shoes and gives them to me. I accept them carefully, not sure what to say now. If Zeke wasn’t here, I’d invite Dane out. Maybe I wouldn’t take him back to my room, not with Zeke’s chambers right there, but we could go back to his place. Surely Dane has a room in this giant castle.
Hell, he probably has a whole suite like Zeke does.
“Riley, it was a pleasure,” Dane says. He kisses me on the cheek, then pushes past Zeke. Dane disappears into the crowd of people and I’m left with one very angry, very red, very about-to-go-nuts dragon.
I didn’t do anything wrong, but I suddenly feel very much like the naughty schoolgirl whose professor is about to spank her. I gulp, but don’t say anything.
Never show weakness to a dragon.
Instead of crying or acting embarrassed, I meet Zeke’s gaze head-on. He stares at me, his eyes flashing, like he thinks I’m going to break or cry, but I won’t. I’m stronger than that.
Zeke didn’t want me. Wouldn’t have me. I found someone who did, if only for a little while, and it felt so good. It felt so good to be needed, desired, taken. It felt so good to be possessed by someone, even for just a few minutes.
Dane made me feel beautiful, like I was floating, like I was a princess.
And now Zeke is trying to make me feel like a whore.
“Go to your room,” he says through his teeth. I don’t think he even moved his mouth at all when he spoke.
“What?” I ask, completely confused. “Why?” I motion at the crowds of people. Some are still dancing, but most are just drinking at this point. “The party is still going on.”
“Go to your room now.” Zeke punches the wall as he says now, and suddenly, I’m not feeling so brave anymore. Suddenly, I’m not so happy I taunted the dragon.
Suddenly, I’m not so pleased Zeke caught me with someone else.