Love of the Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 4) (20 page)

Endless minutes passed while they explored each other. There was no holding back now, there was no need. The first moonbeams shone through the window high above them. As if this was his cue, he picked her up and carried her to the stone altar. Her stomach lurched in anticipation when she felt the cold stone beneath her. Zoah placed a cushion down for her to lay her head on, and then stepped back to strip.

She pushed herself up on one elbow to watch him, taking in the full magnificence of his body. For the first time she saw him fully, from his strong arms down his hard, toned chest to his erect cock. Swallowing hard, she watched him move towards her. Damn, she felt sick with nerves: not exactly filled with passion, more with fear.

However, when his fingers stroked her calves and then continued further up, along the back of her knees, before slipping across her thighs, her arousal returned. Unconsciously, she parted her thighs for him, allowing him access to her body. He took full advantage, stroking her sex with his fingers, a touch so light it was as if he tickled her with a feather.

With his free hand he undid her robe, letting it fall apart, leaving her body completely exposed to him. He leaned down and blew softly on her breasts until her nipples hardened. Each in turn, he sucked the hard little buds into his mouth. Her breath hissed on her lips as the sensations connected, driving her body wild.

She stroked his back and then lower, covering his butt with her hand. Moving it around to the flat of his stomach, she touched him, exploring his body until she found her prize. His incredibly hard cock. Now he gasped against her breasts as she took him firmly in her hand. Sliding up and down, she stimulated him, his erection growing harder until the first drop of pre-come appeared.

It was then that he stopped her, his hand covering hers. “It’s time.”

She looked directly up. The moon had moved so fast, or had time speeded up, while they sought pleasure in each other’s bodies? It didn’t matter; they had waited for this moment for long enough.

In one lithe movement, Zoah lifted himself onto the altar. Charlotte spread her legs to accommodate him and Zoah slipped his body between her thighs.

First he helped her sit up, removing her robe completely. His mouth planted soft kisses over her skin, pressing forward to encourage her to lie back down. Then he lifted himself up on one elbow so he didn’t squash her and stroked her arms, moving down over her stomach and lower. Slipping one finger inside her, he made sure she was wet and ready for him, while the moon continued its journey in the night sky.

Zoah guided himself towards her, looking at her face and neck when the moonlight illuminated her skin. It was time; she grew anxious in case they missed the right moment. But Zoah had things under control. He lifted his body and eased himself forward, pressing against her outer lips. She tensed, waiting for the pain that she knew would follow. But as he pushed forward and he breached her outer lips, all she felt was a fullness. He filled her slowly, taking his time to enjoy every second of their bonding.

He hesitated for a moment and then pushed forward. Now it hurt, a stinging pain shooting through her body. She tensed and cried out. Zoah eased himself back and she thought he was going to pull out, to spare her any more pain. She wanted to tell him to carry on, but her voice had disappeared. Instead, she put her hand on his butt and encouraged him forward. He moved again, in and out, slowly going deeper inside her until the pain had passed and she felt intense pleasure in its place.

Zoah moved in a slow rhythm that took her higher and higher. His mouth sought hers and she kissed him with passion and love. All the time chasing something elusive that was just out of her reach. Only when his mouth moved to her breasts, his tongue flicking over her nipples, did she catch sight of it.

He sucked on her nipples until they were swollen and sore, in such an exquisite way that it confused her brain. How could something so intense be so enjoyable? Yet the feelings connected until every part of her wanted to explode. Zoah’s thrusts became harder and more urgent. He was chasing his own high. And in the last moments, their bodies became so attuned that they became one in their quest.

Above her head the moon shattered into tiny pieces; she closed her eyes to blot it out, her body tensing. At that moment Zoah came, his cock pulsing and throbbing deep inside her. It caused a chain reaction in her, her sex gripping him and then releasing as spasms of pleasure took hold of her. It was almost unbearably intense, like the man who had driven her to her climax.

He cried out, burying himself deep inside her, filling her with his seed. She dug her nails into his back, her own voice mingling with his as she came around him. He reached forward and gripped the edge of the altar as he thrust hard and deep. Impaling her on his cock, he lost control, burying his face in her shoulder as he cried out in a primal way.

If she ever doubted he was a creature from the beginning of time, this dispelled those doubts. It was raw, animalistic, yet the man always tempered the dragon’s actions. Zoah lunged forward one last time before collapsing down on her, completely spent. The bonding was complete. She was a woman.

This thought stayed with her while the moon passed across the window, taking its ethereal light with it.

They lay together while the stars continued their eternal path. The night wore on while they kissed, their hands stroking each other’s skin. There was so much he wanted to say. But if he was to fulfil his next desire, they couldn't stay here.

He sat up, although she tried to pull him back down beside her. It was tempting, but there was time for that where they were going.

“Now for my next surprise,” he said.

“There’s another one?”

“Yes. It’s a big surprise.”

She smiled. “Really. How modest.”

“I promise you’ll love it.”

“I’m sure I will, Zoah.”

“OK. First you have to get dressed.”

“I told you I don’t have many clothes here.”

“I had a rummage, and I’ve put something together for you.”

“Why does that worry me?”

“Don’t worry. I’m the only person who’s going to see you.”

“That makes my only guess totally wrong.”

“What was your guess?”

“That you were taking me to Spellholm.”

He laughed, but then saw her face drop. Holding her closer, he said, “This is the equivalent of our wedding. And what comes after a wedding?”

“A honeymoon.”

“Exactly. Now, I know I am not terribly good with human traditions, but I’m fairly certain that honeymoons are not meant to be about visiting family. They are for going somewhere warm and exotic.”

“What are you up to, Zoah?” she asked, the excitement returning to her voice.

“Get dressed and I’ll show you.”

“I look ridiculous,” she said, looking down at herself. She was wearing an item of clothing from every era, and possibly from every continent. The worst was a fur hat that smelt of the animal it once was.

“Mongolian,” he said, pulling it down over her ears. “May even have been worn by Genghis Khan.”

“Let me guess, you knew him too?”

“No, we stayed clear of him. A dragon head does not make a good trophy.”

“Is this part of the bonding ritual I never knew about?” she asked, indicating her clothes.

He laughed. “No. Not at all.” He took her hand, which was warmly clad in sheepskin gloves, and pulled her towards the tower. “I guarantee you’ll think it’s worth it.”

Charlotte wasn’t so sure. She had imagined a romantic getaway to somewhere warm. Not to have to wrap up like this, in odd bits of clothing scavenged from the house exhibits.

“What is all this stuff?” she asked when they reached the top of the tower. The now-familiar bags that the dragons wore to carry goods lay on the ground, looking very full.

“Supplies.”

“We’re going camping?”

“Not exactly. Look, I’m going to show you how to attach this to me, and then I’ll change. You put the packs on me, and then we fly away into the sunset.”

“Sunset was hours ago,” she said, but the excitement thrilled her. They were going away together. She didn't care where, as long as she rode on his back.

“Do you want to do this?”

“Can I ask where we’re going?”

“You can. But why not leave that as a surprise? I promise you'll love it.”

“Where do we start?” she asked, wanting to let him have his fun.

Over the next ten minutes, he talked her through the process of attaching the bags to him. Then, when she was confident, he told her to move away.

She stood back, closing her eyes and using her other senses to experience him changing. Her skin prickled, as the electricity flooded the air, a tingling sensation rushing up her spine. A faint hissing came to her ears while the change began. She imagined him slipping out of this dimension and into the place where his consciousness was able to switch bodies. Then, a rushing in her ears told her the dragon was appearing. Particles and atoms drawn together as they formed the cells, then grouping together to make organs until finally the finished beast became real.

Opening her eyes, she looked upon the magnificent dragon that was Zoah. Whole and complete.

“Right. I can do this,” she said. Heaving the bags onto his back, she pulled the buckle tight around him, hoping she didn’t hurt him. Next, she tied a blanket and a large water container to it. Then it was time to mount him herself. Zoah made it easy for her, and soon she was seated in a secure position waiting for him to spring up into the air.

Power rippled through him as he launched himself up into the night sky. The downward beat of his wings lifted them up higher and higher until the world below disappeared. He turned and headed across the edge of a huge cloudbank, the full moon their constant companion. It didn’t take long for her to be glad of her strange outfit. It was freezing above the clouds and only her warm clothes stopped her from becoming an icicle.

He flew on tirelessly until Charlotte began to worry that they would still be flying when dawn broke. Behind them, she was sure she could see the first faint pink glow of morning. Then they were dropping down under the clouds; below them she could not make out any features of the land, only dark shadows. There were no streetlights, no sign of man.

She gasped as the first faint tendrils of dawn covered the land and she realised why it didn’t matter. They were in a wilderness filled with high peaks and valleys of green. The higher the sun rose, the more features were revealed.

“Amazing,” she gasped. Wishing she could speak to Zoah, and share her joy with him.

However, he had a joy of his own; he tilted his wings and began his descent, sweeping past a high peak before plunging down into a ravine. She held on tightly and screamed with joy, the feeling of being alive, of being free, consuming her. It thrilled her senses until she buzzed with energy.

Almost hidden, she didn’t see the cave until he turned ninety degrees and stuck his feet out. Then he landed, so precisely she knew he had done this a thousand times before. There was no room for error on the small ledge. He wouldn’t have risked her life, if he hadn’t been certain he could manage it faultlessly. Because the drop below was deadly.

He turned around so that she could scramble off safely into the mouth of the cave while he stood patiently on the ledge. Once she found her courage, she went back to him and began to unbuckle the bags from him. She had to drag them off and walk backwards into the cave while he changed into his human form.

“Where are we?” she asked. Her head filled with so many questions she didn’t know what to start with.

“This is where Connor and I escaped to more than once. Go inside, it’s home away from home.”

She left the bags where they were and went deeper inside the cave. Expecting it to be dark, she was surprised to find it cleverly lit, with mirrors.

“When did you do this?”

“Over the years. There are natural tunnels leading down into parts of the cave, into several chambers that we don’t use. So we used the mirrors to reflect the light. It’s brightest now because it’s dawn. Later, it can be dim. But we don’t spend too much time in here. The valley below is fairly well hidden, so we spend a lot of time outside.”

“Can we go and explore?”

“I thought you would be tired.”

“Not at all. We can sleep in the sun if we want to, anyway. Come on.” She pulled him back out to the entrance and, feeling braver, looked down over the edge. “That is quite a drop. I suppose the only way up or down is by dragon.”

“You guessed it.” He came to her and pulled her tightly against him. “It means that when you are up here you are my prisoner.”

She kissed his lips. “You won’t hear any complaints from me.”

He sighed. “I miss the days when damsels in distress were terrified of a dragon.”

“I bet you do. Now let’s go.”

She retreated to back into the cave while he transformed and then carefully climbed on his back. If she lost her balance and went spilling over the other side of him, she would fall to her death. Once in place, Zoah took off, spinning around and around as he spiralled towards the floor of the valley.

At some point, she lost the fur hat, unable to hold it on her head and hold onto him as he spun around. They could no doubt find it later. While he plummeted towards the ground, all thought of its historic value left her. To immerse in this new world, she threw back her head and laughed as the rocks gave way to trees. He tipped his body to fly horizontally before coming in slow to land beside a pool of water. There she climbed off his back and stood by while he changed.

“I can’t believe it’s safe here to fly in the day.”

“As far as I’m aware there is no one for miles. I scouted the valley out when I was last here.”

“When was that?”

“I left here with Connor a few days ago.”

“This is where you came?”

“Yes. I needed to see if I could get you out of my head.”