Acasia
A meal waited for me. I needed to ask him who cooked. The door at the end of the hallway remained locked. My only contact was with my dragon; my dream man didn't count. I fisted my hand and stretched it a few times. It was still a little sore from hitting the dragon's nose, but it didn't keep me from eating. I noticed a jar of cream and a missive at the other end of the table. After the meal, I read the note.
Rub this in where you need it most.
The dragon must have had the note delivered when I changed my clothes. I couldn't help wondering who wrote it for him.
Standing from the chair and walking to the end of the table had given me an idea of where I needed the salve most. I could feel heat rise in my cheeks. I made my way to the bath, shed my clothes, and submerged myself in hot water. I couldn't help the sigh of relief for my tender backside.
In just two days, I was falling for a dragon, no longer thinking of him as my enemy. I soaped my hands and ran my fingers over my breasts. It felt good. I pinched my nipples slightly and heat rushed between my legs. I forced my mind off the red eyes and scales, picturing my dream man inside the steamy room. One of my hands smoothed down my belly and found that forbidden place between my legs. I'd never touched myself there. As a claiming bride, touching oneself was prohibited. I wasn't sure of the rules now, but refused to feel guilty, because it felt so damn good.
My flesh was soft and swollen, and I wondered if the puffiness was an aftereffect of riding the dragon. The heat flaring in my cheeks had nothing to do with the hot water.
Riding the dragon.
I might be a virgin, but I'd listened to females talk about sex. When the dragon explained I could ride him, I almost died. Sex with a dragon... impossible. But I could dream and pleasure myself. I had my man of shadows. He touched me in just the right ways, though I wanted more. I needed to work on my sexual fantasies. The fleeting thought to check the library for books about sexual information entered my mind at the same time I slipped one finger to my center. Tight heat, too tight to go farther unless I wished to disrupt my hymen. I arched my body, rubbing my breasts and the softness between my legs. Pressure built. Elusive, but so close.
My eyes had closed with thoughts of my dream man, but I opened them to see the effects my hands were having on my body. My nipples were tight little buds and I touched them again. Movement from the corner of my eye startled me. I jerked my head sideways. It was him, my dream man. He stood naked, holding his enormous erection.
I screamed, uselessly trying to cover myself.
He backed quickly out of the doorway.
Jumping from the bath, I grabbed a clean robe left on the back of the door and ran from the room. He wasn't there. I searched throughout the chamber rooms, but found no sign of him. As I headed to my room, the dragon's loud roar had me turning toward the tower. For once, I didn't notice the smell. I felt his pain deep in my gut. My dragon suffered. I stopped at the top of the stairway and slowly walked to the end of his perch to look down to the bottom. Nothing. I looked up. He swooped just under the ceiling with another roar.
Oh my.
My dragon had an erection. The scales of his underbelly pulled back farther and a giant red cock displayed proudly. I shivered. It would never fit, was anatomically impossible. But that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate his endowment and fight jealousy over the female dragon who would eventually take on his cock.
He swooped low and roared again. Fire spewed upward. I stepped back out of its path. I heard a loud clatter and peered over the ledge. He swiped piles of bones aside, shattering them against the wall. I fought a smile with relief; he was throwing a temper tantrum. A lust-filled rage, I thought. Smoke puffed from both nostrils, but he didn't release fire. The smell began to upset my stomach and finally it looked like he calmed a bit. I turned and ran back to my chambers and didn't think about the naked man until I closed the door behind me.
Curious.
I walked into the bedroom with the huge bed.
Go into my room and wait at the window.
It clicked.
Go into my room and wait at the window. That's what he said to me before we took our ride. This was his room, the dragon's. The only way he could fit in here was if he was also human. My dream man. Mortification almost overwhelmed me, but anger won and simmered slowly. I wish I could roar and eject fire. The jerk tricked me. The longer I thought about it, the more devious my thoughts turned.
Payback was a bitch.
***
Bastian
My rage centered on my own stupidity. I'd snuck into my bedroom and heard the splash of the bath. She'd left the door open a crack, and once I looked inside, some unseen energy drew me closer. She pleasured herself-her nipples stiff peaks, her body arching up seeking a deeper penetration with her finger.
I wanted it.
Wanted to be the first inside that tight passage.
She'd stopped, but I had no way of knowing if I was too late. It was stupid really. I knew the rules unfair for the claiming brides. Hell, we dragons had made those rules out of jealousy. I'm not sure which of us would actually kill the families of those who broke the decree. We'd never faced the predicament. Our brides always proved virgins. This was why the annoying females needed quick deflowering. Sarn, Laryn, and Tahr, my brethren, argued with me continually. I had a problem with taking an unwilling bride before she settled. I'd learned through trial and error that if human females had a mental connection, they took to bedroom activity with more zest.
My talons clicked on the stone. Sucking in air, I noticed the putrid odor of decaying animals. My thirty-two year period of mourning had turned me into a slob. I gathered the first pile, which was harder to pick up now that I'd smashed the bones. I flew my garbage out of the upper parapet. It took hours, but I cleaned the tower and finally sanitized the floor and walls with fire.
Black soot now coated the room, but the odor was more pleasing. My anger dissipated while I swam in the closest lake and removed the smell of death that clung to my scales. Cleaning my mess gave me a clearer view of what I wanted, and a certain young human was at the top of my list.
AcasiaI lay in bed and practiced keeping my breathing as even as possible. Where did he stay while I slept? I wondered. For my plan to work he needed to stay in the room next to mine. It was hours later that I heard someone open my door. I completely froze. The door closed softly. I waited another hour before slipping through the bathing and garment rooms, entering his chamber. In the soft glow of light from the moons, I could see he slept on his side, facing away from me, a powerful arm cast over his head. The bedding dipped at his waist, and a firm ass cheek caught my attention. This was only the second time in my life I had seen a totally unclothed man. Him standing naked and watching me in the bathing chamber being the first. As a claiming bride, the male body was hidden from me. When older women spoke quietly of erections and the changing male body, I could only imagine the phenomenon. It was almost like I was born with a brand on my forehead.No self-control; cannot see naked m
BastianShe took the gift of her virginity from me. How dare she! I jumped from the landing at the end of the hall into my eating tower. My roar was loud; the burst of flames and smoke would incinerate anything in its path. My wings pulled me up to the parapet and out to the open sky. The moons shone bright, and I flew fast, heading for her town. Because she didn't know how many men despoiled her, I would kill them all. The crash through realms was painful. It didn't need to be, but I craved this pain, relished it.The town slept, the lights off. I swooped in low, my wings grazing the tops of their houses, and I roared. She made me crazy. I wanted death, blood, a fight. Killing these humans would give me two of the three. With a burst of flame to their public building, it exploded. Humans poured from their homes, women screamed, children cried. I made one last pass before changing my course. Was anyone inside the burned building? A small part of me didn't want a human death on my hand
BastianHer uncertainty was precious. "But a moment of pain-a lifetime of ecstasy."She looked around the field. "Will you take me here?""I leave the choice to you. Here, or in ten minutes, a bed."Her smile grew and I would swear it blocked the sun. She was my sun... bright, beautiful, mine."Here, dragon.""My name is Bastian.""Here, Bastian. I fear this, let us get it over with."I walked forward and cupped her face, my thumb running across her chin. Soft... calling to me. I stepped closer so only inches separated us. Lowering my hand, I used both to lift her gown over her head. She was bare beneath."So beautiful." Each curve was soft and delicate.Desperation showed in her eyes. "Hurry, Bastian, please."I would not give in until she was ready. "No, my sweet. Your first time is better slow. Did you like your finger?" I loved the red flush that traveled over her breasts, up her throat, blossoming on her cheeks.I would never forget her look of need. "No... it wasn't you."I turn
BastianShe passed out, which was usual for the first time. I should have warned her, but I was too impatient to make her mine. I stood up and moved away, shifting to dragon so I could fly her back to my lair. I lifted her, snagging her dress in a talon and taking off. She stirred as I entered the tower."You cleaned it," she said in a dreamy voice."I did. It was time. The smell repelled me."I loved her laugh. So full, so perfect. I released her on the perch at the top of the stairs and shifted to my human form. "Are you hungry?""Starving.""I shall eat with you."She gave me a quizzical look. "You can eat human food?"I laughed at her funny face. "Yes. I like to hunt as dragon, but I like the finer foods also.""Do you cook?"I shrugged. "No, I have servants for that.""You mean there are other dragons here?""No." I removed a piece of grass from her hair. "They are human.""Human. You have humans here?"She wouldn't like this. Most of the brides did not. "They serve me and now yo
BastianI watched her read, her legs curled on the settee, pillows propped behind her shoulders. "Do you play chess?"She gave me another treasure I hoarded-her smile. "I play checkers.""Humph. Chess is the game of kings. I do not play a child's game."She innocently gazed around the room not looking at me. "I see no kings here."That was why I enjoyed her so much. She liked teasing me and keeping me on my toes, or talons depending on my form. "I shall teach you and maybe in twenty years, you shall be competition.""Twenty years?" she scoffed."It will take at least that long to train your human brain in the game of warfare.""Only if I may teach you checkers.""Humph, when you beat me, I shall learn your silly game."We moved to the table holding my chess set. The pieces were heavy gold and silver, the board black and white marble. I'd stolen it from a king in a faraway realm. The fool thought he'd captured a dragon. I challenged him to a game for my freedom. He'd agreed, and I won.
AcasiaSarn's lair was different. Not as comfortable as Bastian's, barren actually. Calista, his bride, welcomed me with a soft melodic voice. She was much older than I was, her hair long and grey, her face wrinkled but the beauty she once held was still evident. It was surreal meeting a claiming bride whom I'd studied in school. The other, Megan, belonging to Tahr. She was middle aged, with graceful beauty and still full of life. The dragons seemed relaxed, friendly, and curious of me until Laryn arrived. I received a sharp jerk to my hand, which brought me closer to Bastian's side within seconds of the devastatingly handsome man's approach. With gentler and more subtle moves, Sarn and Tahr brought their women nearer too.Laryn nodded his head in greeting. "Tahr, Calista, Sarn, Megan." He looked at Bastian, but then his eyes wandered to me.Internally, I winced. Not from the leer he half-heartedly gave me, but from the pain I saw deep within his dark eyes. They had a blue spark; wher
BastianThe days became weeks and weeks, months. Acasia fit into my world and blossomed from sexually shy to the erotic bride of my dreams. I knew she missed her family, but I didn't let that bother me. She entertained me, made me laugh, and sometimes vexed me. Overall, I was calmer. It was always like this once my bride settled.I'd caught Laryn entering my territory one night. I needed to be more vigilant with my shiniest treasure. I also understood his pain, so I didn't kill him."Why are you here, bastard blue child of Cookie Monster?" Tahr came up with the nickname after a trip to the earth realm. We all laughed after our own inquisitive travels when we discovered the reference. It stuck."I can't do this, Bastian. Not again. I'm lost." The words sounded as if they were retched from his gut.I swooped in beside him and stuck close as he glided through my territory. I had no doubt he'd steal Acasia if given the chance. But he came for company- anything to combat the grief and lone
BastianHer excitement kept us awake most of the night while she pestered me with questions. I would almost be asleep and she'd think of another one. But I didn't regret telling her. I knew she got lonely, I just didn't like thinking about it. The following morning, she fluttered around preparing herself and asking more questions as I watched. We would be gone for two earth days, but the time between realms was strange and impossible to pinpoint how much time would pass here. During these trips, I rarely stayed more than a few days. It could be hours or days later once I returned. No rhyme or reason, but that was the gods' doing."Have you known your friends in this realm for a long time?""Yes," I snapped, my impatience to leave making me cranky.She ignored the tone of my voice. "What will be the strangest thing I see?"I sighed; it would do me no good to put her off. "Technology. The dragon realm exists on magic. Earth has very little magic, so they are able to build and control to