Chapter Eight: The Third Move
Being with Az was worlds different from being with Temos. Where Temos was all hot hands and teeth, his mouth everywhere, bearing her down to the bed and keeping her there until he'd taken what he wanted from her, Az was softer. He was gentler. When he kissed her, it didn't feel like he was trying to devour her. It felt like he wanted to melt with her, and instead of trying to control the kiss, he coaxed her into giving as good as she got, kissing him back until they were both breathless.
There was no point in trying to form a preference. Both were so good.
Temos made her blood burn and her skin hot. He made her feel small and soft under his hands, and she wanted him to leave bruises and bite marks until she felt like she belonged to him.
Az, on the other hand, made her feel like she was a part of something. He worked her with his hands and mouth until her blood felt slow and sticky like molasses and her whole body was limp with pleasure.
They were currently in his quarters, and she was spread over his bed with her legs open. He was on his knees, hands holding her thighs, fingers digging in just enough to be a constant presence. And his mouth--oh god, his mouth.
It was hot and clever, and it worked between her legs and had her shaking with pleasure.
Az ate her out like he flew the ship: with single minded determination. And it was amazing.
She'd had human men down there, of course. Some of them had even been good at it. But none came close to Az.
"Oh my god," she moaned for what had to be the hundredth time. She was once again on the edge of her climax, and Az had been keeping her there for a while now, working her up and then bringing her back down before she could tumble over the edge. "Az. Az, please. I need it. Oh my god, I'm so close."
The sensation was hot and thick, and it filled her from her core all the way down to her fingers and toes. It felt so good, and it wouldn't take much for her come at all.
But clearly Azaniston had other plans.
He lifted his head and grinned at her, making a show of licking his lips. "You're very wet," he teased, eyes sparkling.
Where she was half clothed, he was naked, and she could see his erection, jutting out proudly from the thatch of pubic hair.
"And you're a tease," Nat snapped back. It lost some of its venom because her voice was so shaky with need. "I want to come."
"Do you really think I'm not going to let you come?" he asked. "Would I do that to you? Have I ever?"
They'd only been sleeping together for a few days, but no, he had never denied her. It was always, always worth the wait, but she didn't want to wait.
"I should just finish myself off," Natasha groused, pouting.
Az just grinned. "You could, and I would enjoy watching it. But I don’t think you will."
"And why is that?" Nat asked. She was smiling in spite of herself. There was just something about Az's good humor that made it nearly impossible to be upset with him.
"Because you know how good it will be when I give you what you want."
There was nothing domineering in it. Not like there would have been with Temos. Instead it was just...an offer. She was perfectly able to finish herself off, and Az would no doubt watch and be aroused by it. But he was offering her the chance to get what she wanted from him, if she could just show a little patience.
Which...wasn't always her strong point, but for this, she would try.
"Oh, alright," she said, heaving a dramatic sigh.
Az smiled and sat up so he could pull her down into a hot kiss.
Their mouths melded together, lips brushing and pressing in sync. Kissing him was as easy as breathing, and it never failed to make her feel warm all over.
Her hands went to his shoulders, and his were in her hair, sliding through the strands and brushing them out of her face.
"You really are very beautiful," he murmured against her mouth, and Nat hummed in response.
"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself," she said.
He laughed and then pulled, and before she knew it, Nat was falling off of the bed and on top of him in a rush.
She screeched and then burst out laughing.
He was flat on his back on the floor, and she was basically on top of him. Without missing a beat, he pulled her back into the kiss, consuming her senses.
When she could think again, she pulled back. "We're on the floor now."
"Yes."
"There's a perfectly good bed up there."
"Yes."
"You don't plan on moving, do you?"
Az just smirked.
His cock was under her now, and in a lovely show of revenge, she scooted until her bare crotch was on top of it, and then rolled her hips.
The moan she got in response was good, but not good enough. Natasha was soaking wet from being so keyed up and having his mouth down there for so long, and when she moved this time, she spread her legs just enough that she could drag her wet sex over his cock.
"Now who's a tease?" Az asked, and when he spoke, there was a low growl to his voice that Nat enjoyed thoroughly. "You're trying to force my hand."
"Who me?" she replied, fluttering her lashes innocently. "Would I do that?"
"You most certainly would. I've heard all about you from Temos."
Now that made her blush. "You two have talked about me?"
"We have. Does that bother you?"
She shook her head, fighting the urge to cover her face in embarrassment. Actually, that wasn't even the right word. Something about knowing that Temos, who had had her on her back, naked and begging for him, had told Az what they'd done... It got her right in a tender place and made her even wetter than she'd been before.
"What did he say about me?"
"He said that you knew what you wanted. And that you were not ashamed to beg for it."
Natasha whimpered and then blushed harder.
"You like that," Az said, delight on his face. "You like knowing that we talked about you, don't you? You like knowing that I already knew what you were going to be like."
"Maybe," Natasha managed, biting her lip.
Az was still smiling, but his eyes were soft. "Well, Temos and I, we are different," he said. "I don't want you to beg for me."
"No?"
"No. You're going to be too busy enjoying yourself to beg. You'll be lucky if you have the breath to say my name."
They were bold words, but Az's cock wasn't much smaller than Temos' and she knew from experience that the massive length was going to fill her up so much that would barely be able to move on it without coming.
As if he could sense the direction of her thoughts, Az pushed his hips up, grinding that hot hardness right against where she was the most sensitive.
Pleasure exploded through her. Not enough to make her come, but enough that she was once again fully aware of how much she wanted to.
He didn't hold her down, but instead just coaxed her with his hands on her hips until she could lift up and sink down onto him in one fluid motion.
She was wet enough that his cock met no resistance, and once she was seated again, just the slightest rock of her hips had her crying out, head tipped back in pleasure as she came for him.
Az was smiling at her when she managed to focus on him again. "There you go," he said. "Did that take the edge off?"
She nodded, still too breathless to speak. The fullness of him inside of her didn't make it any easier, and she swallowed hard while the aftershocks of her orgasm rocked through her.
Az waited, gentleman that he was, until she could breathe again before he tightened the grip on her hips and rocked upwards, pushing his cock even deeper into her if that were possible.
"Oh god," Natasha moaned, and any complaints that she'd had earlier about him being a tease had flown right out the window.
This felt amazing, being impaled on his hot, hard length, feeling him pushing up into her.
The head of him bumped against her sensitive places, and the thick shaft rubbed her walls in a way that sent shivers up and down her spine.
His hands were so big that they held her securely, pushing and pulling her into each thrust so she felt every inch of him.
When she had more of a control of how good it was, she moved on her own, riding him with smooth movements of her hips.
Az's eyes were dark as he looked up at her, watching every movement. "You're so beautiful," he breathed, groaning when she sank back down once more. "I cannot get over it."
"Oh my god, stop," she said, laughing as she kept moving. Already she could feel the pleasure mounting inside of her and it was going to be another amazing orgasm, she could already tell.
"I won't," he said. "You deserve to know how amazing you are. How good you make me feel."
Before she knew it, she was coming again, moaning and shaking on top of him.
It was too much, and it was too good. Az was close, she could tell from how his fingers tightened on her hips and how he started pushing up faster and faster, driving himself deeper inside of her with each thrust.
His eyes were closed, and he was breathing hard. "Natasha," he groaned, and then shoved into her once more before he found his release.
And then he was lying on the floor under her while they both fought to get their breath back.
"Well," he said. "I think I might be dead."
"Oh no," Natasha teased. "Should I do mouth to mouth?"
"I’m not sure what that means, but you shouldn’t do anything to my mouth, unless you want to start something else right here on the floor."
"Mm, maybe in a bit. I'm tired."
Natasha winced when she got off of him, and she could feel his eyes on her as she stood up and went to collapse on the bed. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly, and she could feel her eyes fighting to close.
"Go to sleep," Az said, getting up himself and moving to tuck her in. "I'll wake you when we get somewhere interesting."
"Promise?" Nat mumbled, already half asleep.
He stroked her hair out of her face and bent to kiss her forehead. "Of course."
It was a couple of days later before they reached some place new, and Az was right by her side when they disembarked from the ship
Seeing things with the two of them as her...boyfriends? Lovers? Something like that. Seeing things with them was amazing.
It still had all the wonder of the newness of whatever planet they had landed on, but now there were hands to hold and strong bodies behind hers while she examined the new places and all they had to offer.
When they landed on a planet called Sortaq, home to the white cliffs of Morella, she was as eager as she always was to see something new and exciting.
As soon as they stepped off of the ship, her mouth dropped open.
It was such a contrast to the lushness of some of the recent planets they had been on. Sortaq was dry at first glance, all glimmering white sand with the cliffs stretching high above.
But once they had started walking some, it as easy to hear the sound of water in the distance.
"What is that?" she asked, head cocked as she listened.
"Alashi allumvey," Az answered. "Translated into English it would be something like...The Glorious Falls."
"Waterfalls?"
"Exactly. They cascade over the cliffs in one area, the Weeping Spires, and feed the wide river that flows to the rest of this area."
Of course she had to see that. With their help, she managed to climb to the top of a smaller plateau, and she could see out over a good portion of the land. Crystal blue water snaked its way along one of the cliffs, growing wider until it cascaded over the edge in a...well, glorious fall. It was aptly named.
"Why are they called the Weeping Spires?" she asked, glancing at Az.
He came up behind her and took her hand, wrapping himself around her. "Legend has it that once the maiden Morella lived here and it was as lush and green as all the other planets in this system. She lived here alone, hiding from the man who wanted to marry her and keep her as his mate and his prize, and while she was here, the land was happy. But soon enough, the man found her. He took her away, and kept her locked in a tower on his lands. The water slowly started drying up here, and the greenery died and withered, like Morella's heart. Somehow, she escaped, stole a shuttle and made her way back to this place. When she saw how depleted and desolate it had become, she wept and knew that there was nothing more she could do and she had nothing more to live for. So she threw herself from the Spires, and now they weep forever for the loss of her."
“Well,” Nat said, taking in the story. “That’s depressing.”
“It is,” Az agreed. “But this place is still beautiful, and Morella’s sacrifice has something to do with that.”
Natasha leaned back into him, just enjoying the view. After a moment, she felt eyes on her, so she glanced over to where the other two had wandered off, giving them a moment. Temos was absorbed in the sight before them, but Alaran was looking at them with inscrutable eyes.
He didn’t say anything, so she didn’t either, just filed it away to wonder about later.
They climbed down off the plateau and kept exploring, because there was plenty more to see.
They stopped to eat lunch on another plateau, and then decided to take a walk through a sort of canyon nearby. It was going well for a while, but then Natasha could tell the instant the other three realized something wasn't right. Temos noticed first, his back ramrod straight. His hand went down to his waist where the hilt of his sword would have been if he had it.
The other two were just as alert and just as weaponless.
"Here of all places?" Alaran said, swearing. "And us without our weapons."
He and Az traded looks.
"Go back to the ship, Nat," Az said.
"No," Temos cut in, voice tense. "There isn't time. They'll catch her."
Az growled at the words, and Temos spared him a glance.
"Not to be the token oblivious human here," Natasha said. "But could someone tell me what's happening? What are we worried about."
"Cliff harpies," Temos said, saying the name like it was something dirty. "Worse than scavengers."
"They hide in the cliffs," Alaran said, pointing to the sheer white cliffs above them. "And they wait before they swoop down and take their prey."
"If she ran..." Az offered.
Temos shook his head. "They would snatch her. She cannot outrun a harpy."
"So what do we do?" Alaran wanted to know.
The two of them seemed to be looking to Temos for answers, and Temos sighed. "We have no choice."
"But she's human. She isn't meant to see."
"She is ours," Az pointed out. "Seems like it's allowed, then."
"It's breaking the rules."
"It's necessary."
"Hush," Temos said. "We cannot argue. They know we are here." He looked over his shoulder at Natasha. "We will have to transform. To kill them. To keep you safe."
"Transform? Into what?" Natasha asked, feeling the cold lick of fear in her belly. She'd watched the three of them spar on the ship, but there had never been cause for a real fight before. And they didn't have their swords, and she was right there in danger, which seemed like a real bad place to be.
"We will protect you," Az said, touching her shoulder. He cupped her face with one hand and tipped it up so he could look her in the eye. "Do you believe me?"
"Yes," she said, sounding breathless to her own ears. "I believe you."
"Good. Stay low. If anything tries to grab you, scream."
As one, the three of them stepped away from her. This was the most serious she had ever seen them, and there was something in the air.
At first she thought it was something to do with the harpies, but then the dust on the ground started to swirl around the three of them. The wind kicked up, and it almost seemed to howl unnaturally as it whipped around, blowing their hair and their clothes.
It didn't touch her, though.
And then, they changed.
Temos was first. One second, he was a man, granted a larger than usual man, but still. The next, he was...a dragon.
It had happened faster than a flash of lightning, and it was nothing like the transformations she saw on TV of werewolves and the like. No, this was instant and magical.
Az and Alaran followed, and where her three friends had stood now hovered three enormous dragons. Their coloring was the same as the skin colors of the three, and those scales that had decorated their skin were now everywhere on them.
They looked just like dragons from the books she'd read as a kid. Reptilian, long tails, huge leathery wings, elongated faces, and nostrils that looked ready to breathe fire.
Natasha couldn't hold back the gasp that the sight brought out of her, and three sets of eyes looked to her. For a hot second, she was worried that they wouldn't recognize her and that she was about to have a lot more problems than cliff harpies, but there was intelligence in those eyes, and they were almost the same eyes that she looked into whenever she talked to them.
They knew her, they would keep her safe.
A screech from up above drew their attention back to the harpies. A second later, a black blur was diving down from the cliffs, heading straight for the biggest of the three dragons: Temos, she was willing to bet.
The blur resolved itself into the form of a naked man with tattered wings, claws, and matted hair. It was more a bird with a man's head and torso than anything, and it was streaked with white dust from the cliffs and other things that Nat didn't really want to contemplate at all.
The claws looked sharp, even from where she was standing, and the harpy moved to strike out at Temos with them, only to find himself knocked out of the air by a massive clawed foot.
Temos ground the creature under his feet and then looked up in time to see a stream of them coming down from the cliffs, screeching a battle cry.
As one, the three dragons lifted their head and answered with deep, resonating roars that made the ground tremble and something tighten low in Natasha.
They were magnificent creatures, and they were fighting to keep her safe.
The harpies didn't stop coming. They dove and slashed and tried to fly off again, attempting to use their numbers to overwhelm the dragon three.
But they weren't enough.
Not even so outnumbered did Natasha's dragons have an issue with this threat. They bit and stomped and swung their tails, knocking harpies out of the air.
Whenever one of them got a lucky shot in with their filth streaked claws, one of the others would dart in and slam a harpy out of the way.
It was teamwork, and it was lovely to watch. Clearly they'd fought like this often enough that they knew how to guard each other’s backs.
One of them, Alaran, was overwhelmed, and the other two were engaged in their own battles. Nat watched as rage flared in those dark eyes and then smoke started to stream from his nostrils.
In a flash, blue flames were pouring out of his mouth in a devastating jet, burning the harpies around to a crisp.
The smell of their flesh burning was awful, as were the screams they emitted as they died, but it was enough to get the remaining few to take off, screeching all the way back to their nests in the cliffs.
They waited, just to make sure it was actually a retreat and not a ruse, and then, with that same swirl of wind and energy, the dragons turned back into the three warriors.
Alaran stumbled, and she could see that there was blood soaking his tunic where he stood.
He swore, and his voice was raspy and sounded like the strain of sending out fire had carried over to this form.
"Back to the ship," Temos said. "They won't attack again soon, but best not to chance it."
He supported Alaran and Az guarded Natasha, and they made their way back to the ship.
Az pulled out the med kit once they were on board, and he tended to his own wounds and Temos'. After that, he handed it to Natasha and nudged her in Alaran's direction.
He was sitting on the cot in the med bay, looking exhausted and still bleeding.
"Can I help?" Nat asked.
Alaran didn't seem to like her, no matter how many days passed and how many things she learned to help pull her own weight. And now he had been hurt trying to keep her safe. That wasn't going to help things at all.
"I suppose," he rasped.
"You don't have to talk if your throat hurts," she said. She'd watched Az do this, and knew what she needed. First, to clean the wounds.
They had a wand that siphoned off the blood and momentarily stopped the bleeding so the wounds could be cleaned properly, and she waved it over Alaran's chest and arms.
"I am fine," he replied. "This is hardly the worst that I've had."
"I'm sure," Nat said. "You three were amazing. I didn't even know you could do that, but I guess it makes sense, since you're dragon warriors and all. I just thought maybe that was like a symbolic thing."
Alaran shook his head. "No. We are descended from dragons and take their form when we need to."
"Well, I was very impressed." She finished getting all the blood and then moved to the disinfectant. Apparently not even alien tech could make it into something more than a sharp smelling liquid that was going to sting on open wounds more than likely. "Can I ask you something?"
Alaran winced as she dabbed at the gashes on his chest, and then inclined his head.
"Was I not supposed to see that? You transforming, I mean."
For a moment he was silent, letting her clean his wounds. Then he sighed. "Our draconic forms are sacred," he said finally. "We are to fight with all the other weapons are our disposal first. They are a last resort when it comes to shedding blood. And even then, only our kind should live to tell what they saw."
"Wow, so kill all the enemies so they can't talk about it?"
"Yes."
"But you're different," Az said from where he was leaning against the wall. "You are not our enemy, and you won't be hurt because you saw."
“You said that it was alright because I’m yours.”
Az smiled at her, eyes warm. “Well, you are, aren’t you? So then it isn’t breaking any rules. You are a part of us.”
“That is not how it works, and you know it,” Alaran pointed out.
Temos made an impatient noise. “What are you going to do, Alaran? Are you going to report us to the High Council? Are you going to kill her?”
“Of course I’m not.”
“Then why are you arguing about it?”
“Because she isn’t mine, is she?”
Az and Temos exchanged glances at that. “Alaran—” Az began, only to be cut off by Alaran lifting a hand.
“I’m tired,” he said. “I would like to rest.”
The two of them exchanged another look and then nodded and left. Natasha didn’t move, though. She was...irritated. Alaran had never given her any reason to think that he liked her at all, and now he was sitting there, basically pouting, because he didn’t have her.
Once the other two were gone, Natasha propped her hands on her hips and stared Alaran down. “You have a problem with me,” she said, and it wasn’t a question.
“I do not,” he replied.
“Obviously you do. And now I’m supposed to believe that you want me?”
“You may believe whatever you wish.”
“Oh, well, thank you so much for your permission,” Natasha snapped. “You wanna know what I believe? I believe that you’re jealous. You didn’t want anything to do with me until Az and Temos made their moves, and now you don’t want to be left out. I don’t know if it’s a dragon thing or just a pigheaded male thing, but it’s stupid.”
Alaran looked at her, and his eyes were burning. “That is not true.”
Nat was immediately reminded of how he’d roasted those harpies before, and she felt a cool stab of fear in her gut. But she didn’t back down. “Oh, please.”
“Do not speak as if you know me or how I feel. You don’t.”
“Then tell me! What’s your issue? Because I feel like I’ve been trying really hard to get along with you and pull my weight around here, and you just don’t seem satisfied by anything I do.”
For a moment it seemed like he wasn’t going to say anything. “It’s...difficult,” he said finally, voice low. “To accept how I feel about you. I have never felt like this about anyone before. This mixture of confusion and longing and...awe.”
Natasha blinked, surprised. "You feel awe? Towards me?" Now that was some of the strangest news she'd gotten all day and she'd just found out that she was sleeping with two people who could turn into dragons.
"How could I not?" Alaran said, not looking at her. He stared down at his hands, almost like he didn't recognize them. "At first I thought you were foolish. Leaving behind all you knew, all you had, just to come along with us. I knew that you would long for your home and we would have to take you back. But here you are."
"I told you I wouldn't want to go back," she said, feeling stung.
"You did. And I did not believe you. But...I have seen you thrive. I have seen you learn. You have taken to this journey the way that we have taken to it, and I did not expect that. You are the only one out here of your kind, and yet that does not bother you. You have captured the hearts of Az and Temos, and...and myself, if I am honest."
“You want me.” It wasn’t a question because she was just repeating what he’d said. Still, it was hard to wrap her mind around. “I thought...I thought you didn’t like me.”
“I didn’t, at first,” Alaran admitted. “I do now.”
“And this isn’t just because the other two have me and you want me?” It was close to what she’d asked Az when he’d made his confession to her, but she had to know.
“No,” he said. “I...if anything that makes this harder. I know that Az and Temos have much to offer.”
“So do you, Alaran.”
He looked at her. “Enough so that you would have me?”
Honestly, she couldn’t believe this was happening. All three of them wanted her. All three of them looked at her with eyes that hid nothing and told her that the things they said were true. How was it possible that no one had wanted her on Earth, and now there were three accomplished warriors who thought she was wonderful?
She was flattered and overwhelmed and didn’t know what to say, but she...was interested. One of the things that had made Alaran’s coolness towards her so frustrated was that he fascinated her and she wanted to be close to him.
And if she was already involved with the other two…
Surely there was no harm in exploring another possibility?
He was waiting for her answer, trying to look like he wasn't sitting there anxiously, but Nat knew him well enough now that she could see the tension in every line of his body.
He was hurt and he was anxious, and in a way it was baffling that these strong warriors were all so eager to have her favor.
Who was she that they were so interested in her?
It was strange and flattering, and Natasha decided to take a leap. Already she was out here doing things that she had never done before, why not this? Why not see where it could go?
"Enough that I am definitely willing to try," she said and smiled warmly.
Alaran's eyes lit up and his whole face transformed as he smiled at her. She had never seen him look so carefree before.
"Thank you," he said. "I will try to be worthy of your faith in me."
Natasha smiled back and moved in to kiss his cheek. "I'm not worried about it."
He hesitated, and then pulled her in closer so that he could press a kiss to her mouth. It was one of the more tentative kisses that she'd had from one of the dragon three, but it still thrilled her all the way to her toes.
He kissed her again, and all of a sudden she was on a whole new adventure.