by Logan Jacobs
However, we currently had an audience, and as much as I wanted to show Nerissa my love, I also wanted to introduce her to my new women and Jemma’s pet dragon.
So, I pulled away, kissed the queen gently on her forehead, and smiled as her aquamarine eyes glistened in the sun.
“Welcome back, my king,” she whispered. “We would have met you sooner, but we weren’t sure if you were an orc ship or not.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled, “I was just talking to Mira about that. Do we have any good seamstresses on the island? Because now that we’re out and about on the high seas, we could really use our own flag. Like a jolly roger.”
“A what?” the mahogany-skinned woman pondered aloud.
“A Jolly Roger,” I repeated. “It’s a flag we can fly to let our friends and enemies know who we are from far away.”
“I will get Isla working on that right away.” Nerissa nodded. “She has quite the affinity for--”
“Wait,” Ainsley interjected. “Not to skip over all the pleasantries, but what in Nira’s name is that thing?”
Nerissa’s eyes followed Ainsley’s finger and suddenly went wide, and a gasp escaped her mouth as she tried to keep her jaw from hitting the ground.
Well, hello to you, too, Tirian grumbled telepathically.
“Don’t be afraid!” Jemma reassured our queen. “This is Tirian. He’s a friend. My friend. Actually, he’s my dragon, to be exact.”
“A dragon?” Nerissa whispered to herself, and her voice was full of awe.
“He doesn’t look anything like George, though,” Talise observed, and her aqua eyes shimmered as brightly as her blue scales. “Are you sure he’s a water dragon?”
“Not a water dragon,” I corrected. “A fire dragon. We rescued his egg from a band of orcs who tried to kill his mother and take him for their own selfish purposes.”
“‘Tried’ to kill his mother?” Ainsley went rigid. “Does that mean she’s still alive and will come looking for him?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted with a frown. “But I know she understood he was safer in our possession than in the orcs’.”
“You spoke with the other dragon?” Talise questioned. “Does that mean you bonded with her, as well?”
“No.” I shook my head, “It’s hard to explain, but as she was fleeing the battlefield she gave me a… knowing look? I guess. I just knew deep down in my heart she wanted us to protect her child, so we did.”
“And once he hatched, the little guy took a liking to me!” Jemma stated as she proudly scratched Tirian between his wings.
“So, now you have a dragon bond, as well?” Nerissa’s eyes narrowed. “But you’re not a dragonkin.”
“Apparently, you don’t have to be dragonkin to bond,” I explained. “Though I think it worked for Jemma because she’s pregnant with my child, so she has a dragonkin growing inside of her. Still, Tirian thinks there might be more like him out there. Which means if we can find them, we could potentially have an entire small army of fire-breathing dragons!”
“If we can get to them first,” Mira noted. “If there are more dragon eggs out there for the taking, then the orcs will surely be looking for them, too.”
“Those braindead buffoons don’t stand a chance,” Sela scoffed. “Especially with our growing army.”
“Speaking of which…” Nerissa took a step toward the Coonag women and extended her hand. “My name is Nerissa, queen of the dragonkin.”
Nadir cautiously ambled forward and looked down at the woman’s scaly hand, unsure of what to do. Then, in an instant, she threw out her furry arm, clasped it around Nerissa’s inner elbow, and yanked the queen in for a rough hug.
I could tell by the look on Nerissa’s face that she was mortified, and the sight got a chuckle out of her subjects.
“Nadir,” the Coonag woman introduced herself when she stepped back. “I suppose you could say I’m a queen of my people, as well.”
“You could say that,” Lezan spoke up with a smirk, “but that’s only because she was the king’s mate when he was killed.”
Nadir bared her teeth at Lezan, who returned the gesture. Then the two Coonag women let out deep hisses as they stared each other down with narrowed eyes.
Meanwhile, the deer and dragon women watched the scene with confusion and concern.
“Should--Should we break them up?” Talise whispered.
“Nope,” I said with a half-grin. “This is just how they express their disagreements. It’ll stop in a minute or two, and then they’ll go back to acting like nothing is wrong.”
“Lezan wants to be the leader,” Mira added in a hushed voice. “Even though she loves and respects Nadir, she disagrees with a lot of what she does, and wishes she herself was in charge.”
“A power struggle?” Nerissa grumbled. “We can’t have that in our kingdom, Draco Rex.”
“I know, I know.” I nodded. “I’m working on a solution, but it’s probably going to take some time.”
Even though I didn’t say it out loud, I already had a solution in mind. I needed to show these two who was boss, and the best way I could do that was by getting them into bed together so I could dominate and fuck both of them at the same time. That was going to take some finesse on my part, but it would be well worth it for both of them.
They needed a strong man to guide them.
The two Coonag women continued to hiss at each other for a solid minute before their faces went slack and they turned back to Nerissa.
“Like I was saying,” Nadir continued as if she hadn’t just been in a hissing contest, “I am the leader of the Coonag people. We can’t even tell you how happy we are to be here on your island, though, with your king.”
“We are pleased to have you here, as well.” Nerissa smiled. “Any ally of Draco Rex is more than welcome in our paradise, any time.”
I grinned at how graceful and diplomatic my queen was, and then I went down the line and introduced the Coonag to the rest of the women, one-by-one.
“This is Talise,” I explained as I gestured to my pale lover, “one of the best healers on this island, if not in this entire world. She’s also the mother of my child, Marella. Where is the little princess, anyways?”
“She’s inside, playing with her siblings.” The dark-haired dragonkin woman smiled. “They will all be excited to see you. The caretakers will be excited to see you, too, Sela. The twins were starting to drive them crazy.”
“I warned them Lizzie and Amaria had lots of energy.” Sela shrugged.
“This is Ainsley,” I went on, and I winked at the deer woman. “The wise.”
A blush creeped up the deer-woman’s cheeks as she rolled her eyes and then gave a small bow.
“Nice to meet you,” she greeted the Coonag people.
“You know Nadir,” I announced as I placed a hand on the dark-haired woman’s shoulder. “These are Lezan, Malak, Trin, and Jira. I haven’t really worked closely enough with the rest of these women to know their names yet, but I promise I really, really want to.”
A collective giggle washed over the crowd of Coonag women, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. The thought of making love to each and every one of these beautiful creatures was something that was on my mind twenty-four seven. All for the greater good of repopulating their species, of course…
“Did the orcs kill all of their men, too?” Talise frowned with realization.
“They did.” Malak hung her gray-haired head. “Every single one of them was slaughtered by the invaders. If it wasn’t for Ben and the rest of his crew, they would have eventually slaughtered us, too. Or we would have been forced to live in exile for the rest of our lives. I’m not sure which one would have been worse.”
“Don’t worry,” I promised, “I’m going to have our people set each of you up with a nice hut over on the east side of the village, and then you’ll never have to worry about hiding ever again.”
“Indeed,” Nerissa concurred with a stern nod. “We shall get to w
ork first thing in the morning. However, here on our island, it is customary to prepare a feast for our king’s glorious return. Would you care to join us, Coonag people?”
“Depends.” Trin crossed her arms over her chest, and her amber eyes narrowed. “What kind of a feast is it?”
“Our cook, Hali, has truly gone above and beyond this time,” the queen explained. “It is currently mating season for Blaclaws, so our hunters were able to gather up dozens of them to go along with the vegetables from our garden and speared fish.”
“Blaclaw?” I questioned.
I’d been living on this island for months now, and I had yet to encounter one of those creatures. Judging by its name, I assumed it was something harder to catch, probably because it had some sort of claw-like defense mechanism.
“They’re creatures that live in the depths,” Nerissa continued. “Down on the ocean floor. They’re very delicious, but we’re only able to capture them for one or two moons when they come up to the shores to mate.”
Almost immediately, my mind wandered to the way the other Coast Guardsmen and I would go fishing for crabs when we were out in the open sea. Whatever these Blaclaw creatures were, it sounded like they behaved similarly to the delicious crustaceans I knew from my world.
“You know, I could teach you guys how to capture them year-round,” I offered. “In fact, we wouldn’t even need any sort of wood or stones or anything like that… You can make a crab trap out of literally nothing but some water, mud, and the right kind of grass. If we can do that, we can start adding Blaclaw to our menu on the regular.”
“You mean to tell us there’s a better way to catch Blaclaws?” Mira wondered with her head cocked to the side.
“I’m not sure if it’s ‘better,’’ I admitted, “but it’s a hell of a lot easier.”
“You’re always so smart, Draco Rex,” Nerissa cooed and ran her delicate fingertips down the cream shirt on my chest. “We’d be lost if you weren’t here to pass on all of your wonderful knowledge to us.”
“Yes,” Talise added, and her aqua eyes sparkled, “plus, there would be nobody to give us their strong seed and keep our species going.”
“Or protect us from all the orcs,” Jemma chimed in. “Or fortify our islands.”
“Guys, guys.” I stuck out my hands, shook my head, and chuckled. “You’re the ones doing all that stuff on your own. Well, other than the impregnation… But the rest of the stuff is only happening because all of you are pitching in and doing such an awesome job of making it happen.”
“We’re only doing that because you taught us,” Mira stated. “As the queen said, we wouldn’t be able to do any of it without you.”
“All the more reason to celebrate!” Nerissa announced with a grin. “Now, let us go into the dining hall and feast on Hali’s wonderful creations.”
“You guys have a whole room just for eating?” Nadir asked, and her brow furrowed over her narrowed gray eyes. “What purpose does that serve?”
“Where else would you eat?” Nerissa chuckled. “You’re not going to take your tables and chairs on the go.”
“Tables and chairs?” Lezan echoed, and her face scrunched up in confusion, too. “For eating? Why don’t you just consume your prey right there on the spot?”
“Raw?” Nerissa gagged and put her hand over her mouth.
I knew from first-hand experience that the queen had a weak stomach, and it was surely made ten times worse by her pregnancy.
“Oh, that’s right,” the gray-haired Malak spoke up. “Your species likes to cook its meat before you scarf it down. Is this ‘dining room’ where you do that?”
“No… that would be the kitchen.” Nerissa continued to explain as her face paled even more.
The Coonag people just gave each other knowing looks and chuckled.
“Two rooms dedicated to something you could just eat on the spot.” Nadir whistled. “Your cultures are very different, but in a good way.”
“Ben has already introduced us to the concept of cooked meat,” Lezan added as she flashed her sharp teeth, “and personally, it’s starting to grow on me.”
“Then you’ll love Hali’s cooking!” Talise interjected to try and steer the conversation back in the right direction. “As much as I hate to say it, the things she makes are a million times better than whatever our friends here could make in the wild.”
“Wooooow,” I teased my mate with a wink, but she didn’t seem phased.
“Don’t you agree?” The woman’s aqua eyes narrowed.
“Oh, I do,” I admitted. “But let’s get inside. My stomach is going crazy right now, and I’ve had a hankering to put something other than gator in my belly.”
What about Tirian? Jemma asked me through our mental connection. Shall he join us, as well?
He can come with Nixie and me, if he’d like, George offered all four of us at the same time. We can show him the best spots to go to sleep, play, and use the restroom.
“Great,” I chuckled. “Who wouldn’t want a tour of the latrine?”
You may joke, dear one, the water dragon shot back, but it’s better to know where it is before you need it.
“Fair enough,” I conceded to my companion. “While you’re at it, maybe show Tirian the ropes about finding food? We’ll have plenty of leftovers you guys can have, but he should definitely know how to catch his own, too.”
The water dragon bowed down on his front legs like an obedient puppy, and his mouth stretched up into a goofy smile as his eyes glinted with determination.
We will show him the way, he chuckled, and then he turned around and began to lumber back down the pathway with his mate. Come along, Tirian. I have much to show you.
However, the silver dragon didn’t look like he wanted to go. He just hovered above Jemma as he looked down on her with sad eyes.
“What’s the matter, buddy?” the deer-woman asked as she reached up, scratched him underneath his chin, and tried to calm him down. “Don’t you want to go exploring with George?”
Of course, I do, Tirian sighed. But I also don’t want to leave you. What happens if those bad men come back while I’m away?
“Don’t worry about those creatures,” Jemma promised the dragon. “If they decide to rear their ugly heads, then one of the guards will alert us, and we’ll be ready for them before they can even make landfall.”
Are you certain? The dragon sounded concerned.
“I’m sure,” she reaffirmed. “We’ll be fine. You just go with George and have some fun.”
Tirian gave Jemma a longing stare as he floated backward, but eventually he turned around and joined George and Nixie on the path.
I watched the three scaly creatures lurch down the pathway, toward the beach, and out of sight, and then we turned our attention back to the castle.
It was time for a homecoming like no other.
Chapter Six
Nerissa led our group into the palace, and soon we came to the massive picnic courtyard that us dragonkin were all too familiar with. Deer women and dragon women were scattered around the space, some of them in straw chairs at bamboo-esque tables, while others simply lounged on blankets on the ground.
They were all chatty as a clam, though everyone seemed to go silent when they saw us enter with the Coonag people.
Nerissa, however, was more than ready for this development. The queen raised her hand as if to calm everybody down, and then she made her announcement.
“Draco Rex has returned!” she proclaimed, and everybody in the courtyard let out a resounding cheer. It took a second or two to die down, and then Nerissa continued. “And he has brought along some new friends. These are the Coonag, the last of their people, whose men were all slaughtered by the same orcs who took our sons, husbands, and fathers. They are now a part of our family, so please welcome them as if they were your own sisters.”
With that, the queen waddled over to the dais, the raised platform where she normally sat when feasting, and sat down.
“Normally, I would,” I explained, “but today is a special day. Like she said, today you guys are the guests of honor. So, I’m going to hang out with the Coonag people and make sure you have everything you need.”
“You’re too kind, Ben,” Jira sighed as her black eyes found mine. “But you should be with your mate.”
“Which one?” I joked and slapped the white-tailed woman on the back. “I have kids with Nerissa, Sela, Careen, and Talise. And I’m pretty sure Sela will be sitting with--”
“Daddy!” I was interrupted by the most adorable, angelic voice I’d ever heard.
I spun around to see Marella charging straight toward me like a madwoman. In the short time I’d been gone, it looked like my beautiful child had grown nearly a foot taller. Still, she was small enough for me to snatch her up into my arms and lift up into the air with a warm, loving embrace.
“What happened to my little girl?” I gasped as I spun her around and then set her back down on the ground. “I swear you get bigger every time I leave and come back. Gods, I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too, Dad,” Marella looked up at me with her amethyst eyes, which were only a shade lighter than her scales. “And if you think I’m getting bigger, you should see Arrick.”
My daughter pointed over to the other side of the courtyard, where Nerissa’s and my child were putting on a show. Arrick stood in front of the crowd, gesturing wildly as his tan skin glistened underneath the sunlight. He looked like a ten-year-old, though he was actually much younger than that. His three younger siblings, Lizzie, Amaria, and Oshuna, were all sitting directly in front of him, and their eyes were focused as they watched him perform. Behind my kids were a handful of dragonkin and deer women, including the pixie, pink-haired Careen, plus two young water dragons.
George and Nixie’s two baby dragons had grown to adolescence, and they took up an ungodly amount of space at the rear of the pack. Cerin, the little girl dragon, swayed her head back and forth atop her scaly purple body as she watched the play. Meanwhile, her copper-scaled brother, Malkey, was completely enamored with what was going on at the front of the crowd.