As I strolled around the quaint streets of the town, I could see that it was mainly a tourist place. A leisurely resort town that was an escape for nearly everyone there, except for the workers in the shops and restaurants. I was so glad that Brock had thought to get me a winter coat, too. I hugged it tightly around myself as I walked. The lake—Whitefish Lake, apparently—made for bracing air. At least the sun was in the sky, giving us some warmth. Garen stuck to his plan and flew high above me. Occasionally his black shadow could be seen against the pavement or the façades of the buildings I passed, and it was comforting to see him still there watching closely over me. It was a reminder that I wasn’t really walking alone down the street.
Eventually, I found a seafood restaurant that I thought looked really good, so I waved up at Garen—which must have made me appear rather psychotic to others—and checked out the menu that was posted out front. He disappeared from view, which I knew meant he was shifting somewhere safe, and after about ten minutes, he reappeared in his human form next to me.
He took one look at the menu and then got a mysterious sort of smile on his face. “Seafood?” he asked me. “I think we might want to hold off on that. I’ve got things up my sleeve for this week, you know. I saw an Italian place while I was up there.”
I furrowed my brows at him. “Really? I’m never going to get my damn fish tacos, am I?”
We went to the Italian restaurant that he’d picked out and it was quite good. It wasn’t just the normal pastas we could make at home; it was fancy things like crab stuffed ziti and lasagna that wasn’t from a box. At the end of the meal, I hobbled back to the cabin and he flew above me, watching over to make sure that I made it back in one piece.
We went to bed with happy, full bellies that first night and I was eager to keep looking around and enjoying this simple, laid-back lifestyle that was there for the taking. The air may have been cold in Montana, but it was fresh and new and exactly what I needed.
The following morning, I awoke to find Garen sitting on the floor in the bedroom, putting some of our things into his duffel bag. I finally saw the sleeping bag that he was talking about. It was bright red and it looked like it would be just big enough for the two of us. He noticed me watching him and smiled mysteriously. “Get dressed,” he said. “We’re going fishing.”
A lightbulb went off over my head and I let out a laugh. “No wonder you were trying to avoid seafood!” I got out of bed and changed into some green corduroy pants and a black sweater with a squiggly red line across the front—a goth Charlie Brown design. I knew that normally fishing trips involved shorts and orange life vests, but I didn’t think we’d be going out in a boat or anything. He hadn’t said to dress for something like that, and he calmly watched as I got dressed, a smile still on his face. He was dressed similarly in a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved white knit t-shirt that resembled the top of a pair of long-johns.
“Please tell me we’re not going out on the lake,” I said as I slipped my sneakers on. “I have a feeling it’s way too cold for that shit.”
Garen laughed, throwing his head back a little and shaking his head. “No, I wasn’t planning on doing that to you. There’s a place a little up the road—a lodge—that has a hot tub, that’s why I asked Brock to make sure you had a bathing suit with you. We can head over there another time, to warm up and have some indoor fun. But it is way too cold… for that shit. You’re right.” He gave me a loving, playful look that said he was both amused and enchanted by me.
I blushed. This man had done so much for me already, but every time, I was blown away as if it was the very first time he’d done something nice for me. “That sounds nice.”
“We’re going to pitch a tent by the lake. That’s as close to it as we will get. And like I said, we’ll be sharing a sleeping bag and letting the warmth of our bodies keep us from freezing.”
“I get the sense that dragons don’t like the cold.”
He nodded quickly and fervently. “You’re very correct about that.”
I allowed him to finish packing up the various things that he thought we’d need for a brief fishing trip. The lake was big enough that we’d be a decent distance away from the cabin, which could be a good thing, but it could also be quite annoying if I needed electricity or a running toilet. While Garen packed up the duffel and his camping and fishing supplies, I worked on filling the small blue and white cooler with sodas and snacks. Just because we were planning on eating fish didn’t mean that it was all we could eat out there. And suppose we’re unsuccessful. I don’t want to starve.
My stomach growled and I realized that we hadn’t had anything to eat for breakfast yet. I ducked my head into the bedroom to find Garen there, wrestling with some fishing line. “Do you want some waffles or something?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “We should go as soon as we can. It’s best to get out there while it’s quiet and the fish don’t suspect anything.”
My stomach rumbled but I nodded so he wouldn’t take that as a sign of me complaining. “Okay,” I replied. “Fish will probably make a good lunch. I packed some snacks, too, so we’re not too hungry in case it takes a while, you know?”
“Good plan,” he said with a smile.
We carried the supplies, duffel and cooler out of the cabin and Garen locked it up. Then we walked down to the lake and around it to the other side, as far from the cabin as we could be, while still staying right beside the water. I knew we’d be this far, I thought, missing my laptop and hating myself a little for caring that much about something I’d only had for a few hours.
There will be plenty of time later on to play with it, I told myself.
Garen spent the next hour pitching the bright red tent that matched the bright red sleeping bag, and then it was time to take our rods and go sit directly by the water. He taught me how to prepare the fishing line with a worm on its hook and how to cast the line out into the water. Then we sat together quietly, waiting for the slightest tug on our fishing poles.
“It surprises me,” I said to him, after some time spent with just our thoughts.
“What?” he asked, smirking a little.
I smiled back at him. “That you know how to fish,” I said. “You seem like you’ve done this a lot, which, no offense, is kind of weird. I’m just an average human and I’ve never fished before. You, on the other hand, could catch a fish with your bare claws if you wanted to, and you’ve learned all about this.”
Garen laughed. “I don’t live my whole life as a dragon. I’ve done a lot of normal human things in my day, too. I was raised that way. I went to school until it was too dangerous to expose me to enemies. I had hobbies, I played with friends. Til I couldn’t. So you can imagine how much of a surprise it was when I was about ten years old and learned that not only was I a dragon shifter, I was supposed to be the next in line as leader of the Believing dragon shifters. I thought my power was just a neat backyard trick until then.”
I regarded him with some confusion. It struck me as odd that he could’ve possibly grown up not knowing that he had such a destiny. But maybe it was better for him, when he was little, to not know about all of the horrors that faced him. I really couldn’t fathom what that was like.
“And once I knew about my place in all of this, I was always under such pressure. To be as strong and powerful as my old man. To be a good leader: smart and diplomatic as possible. To keep my shit together.”
I gave him a sympathetic look, biting my lower lip slightly. As rough as it all sounded, I was glad to hear about it from him. He never really opened up about his personal life so much. This was the first time I’d had the chance to talk about him and his past. “This is nice,” I said to him, which was such an oversimplification.
Garen looked back at me and seemed oddly embarrassed by his life story. “It is,” he said with a nod. “It’s been nice to have you to talk to and go through this with now. I wish I’d met you sooner, honestly. I’ve felt so alone, not just when my fat
her died, and I was forced to take up the mantle. Throughout my training, it seemed like I was the only one who was going to have to take care of things and save everyone. I split my time between thinking that and praying that the task would pass over me like it had for my father… But. You know. The prophecy. It essentially said my name, just like it said yours.”
I felt a sudden tug on my line. We both hopped up from our sitting positions and went to grab the fishing rod and start reeling in whatever was pulling on it. I took the rod in my hands and then Garen stood behind me and placed his hand on top of mine, helping me pull with his tremendous strength. As soon as we had my fish off the line and it’d stopped flailing around on the ground, gills no longer moving, Garen’s line was pulled and he caught a fish for himself.
Pleased with our bounty, even though the fish weren’t exactly bass or anything, we carefully packed up our fishing gear and the fish and brought everything back over to the nearby tent. Using his natural fire-lighting power, Garen started a fire in the little pit that had been set up there for that purpose. Although people normally used charcoal and gasoline. We carefully grilled the fish on the fire and cuddled each other a little as we watched the flames dance below the pan.
“I never thought that camping could be so romantic,” I said, closing my eyes as I rested my head against his shoulder. “Who knew that it’d take a dragon to show me that?”
Once the fish was done cooking, he carefully placed each one onto a paper plate, and we sat there happily eating. He’d added all kinds of spices and sauces while he cooked the fish—he’d clearly packed more into the fishing supply bag than just tools for catching fish—and it ended up being a very satisfying meal.
Garen kissed me once our plates were empty, letting his tongue find its way into my mouth. Using a bit of water from the lake, he put out the fire and then, taking me by the hand, led me into our tent.
Chapter 8: Ransacked
As soon as we were inside the tent, Garen zipped it shut and turned towards me, pulling me against him and bringing his hot lips to mine once more. There wasn’t a surface to press me up against standing, so he dropped me to the grassy floor and got on top of me, moving his tongue swiftly and deftly against mine. The red sleeping bag was on the ground beside us, but he seemed intent on getting me nice and covered in slightly damp grass first. Making out on the grass was nice and brought me literally down to earth. He pulled back, gasping for air for a moment, and smiled a sexy smile at me. “This camping trip isn’t just about fish,” he said, as if he needed to let me know that he had other motives for getting me alone in a tent with him.
I soon realized that this wasn’t the only tent he’d pitched. His large cock pressed against his jeans, making his inner thigh appear swollen. Right away, I brought my hands to his jeans and unzipped, reaching in and stroking his erection as he continued to kiss my lips, neck and clavicle. “Mmph,” I moaned, throwing my head back and giving him further access to my neck. “Are you sure we’re safe here like this?”
He nodded his head, his mouth too preoccupied to say anything to me. I took the top of his jeans into my hands and pushed them down so his legs were exposed. Garen kicked them off the rest of the way. He was wearing black boxers and those were easily disposed of. Fumbling a bit with my fly, he finally unzipped my corduroy pants and pulled them off as I wiggled in order to help him. Next, he yanked my sweater off.
Our clothes lay on the ground in a heap beside us. Blades of grass clung to his legs and my ass. I laughed and smiled up at him as he gazed down at me with lustful hunger in his eyes.
“This isn’t motivated by dragon powers, is it?” I asked him softly.
He shook his head.
Craning my neck up towards his face, I kissed him passionately, letting my tongue move against his and then nipping at his lower lip. He got up then, bending over because the tent wasn’t as tall as he was, and he went to the waiting sleeping bag. He got inside, removing his shirt as he went in. He held the bag open for me and I joined him. The inner lining was blue and made of fleece, which would definitely help to keep us warm overnight. We both took off our underwear and Garen moved on top of me. He nudged my legs apart with his hips and then plowed his cock inside me.
I raised my legs up so they rested atop his shoulders, threw my head back, and moaned some more, feeling grateful to not be overheard by the servants this time. Brock was much too far to hear us. This really was going to be vacation sex. Garen placed his hands on my hips, digging his nails into my flesh in a way that hurt without being unbearable. “Ahh!” I shouted in a whisper, still not used to the idea of being free to be completely loud.
I rolled myself over and Garen rolled with me, allowing me to get on top of him. I bounced up and down against his girth, feeling every inch as I pumped him. I smiled darkly at him, loving this power that he allowed me to have over him. He may have been the Master and the one who called the shots most of his life, but I wanted to make it clear that I wouldn’t let him take over so easily. He wanted to share some of this burden with me, so he was going to give some of the power, too.
“Mmm, you like this?” I hissed at him, placing my hands onto his pecs and kneading them like they were muscly dough. I leaned down and kissed the front of his neck, gently biting the side of it and sucking til I was sure I’d left a mark in his pale skin.
“You’re so good,” he practically purred at me, looking at me with complete desire in his eyes. He grabbed me and rolled me back underneath him. He sped up his thrusts and took charge again, keeping me pinned down while he fucked me faster and faster. I let out a yelp and felt myself coming hard against his hard, firm cock. My pussy contracted and I closed my eyes, feeling warmth and electricity radiate through me.
Garen growled loudly as he continued to thrust. “Aaarrggh!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the wilderness as he came inside me. He was almost as loud then as he was when he was much, much bigger. Panting, he waited there a moment on top of me, and then he rolled off, breathing heavily as he did his best to calm down from the exertion.
I rolled onto my side and kissed his arm and chest, smiling at him. My long black hair was sticking to my back and shoulders with sweat. It was easy to forget that it was cold outside tonight. “You’re amazing,” I complimented him.
“So are you,” he replied, smiling back at me.
I lay back down next to him and stared up at the top of the tent for a while, waiting for the excitement that my body felt to pass and for sleep to overtake me. In that moment, I was so overcome with happiness that I thought I really could love him, if I’d just stop worrying and give it a chance.
The sleeping bag proved to be plenty warm and cozy. I didn’t know how long I slept, but when I finally woke up the next morning, the sun was shining down on the tent, and making me feel extra warm in my little cocoon. I pulled the zipper down and got out of the sleeping bag, standing up and stretching. I could reach my full height in the center of the tent and that was exactly where I went to get the kinks in my bones and muscles out. I looked down and Garen still slept peacefully in the bag. Giggling a little, I nudged him with my sock-clad foot. There was no set time for us to wake up, but I had a feeling he didn’t want to sleep the day away. He clearly had lots of plans for how this trip should go, and I wanted to help him with that.
“Are you ready to wake up?” I asked him softly. “It’s morning.”
He got out of the sleeping bag and did his best to stretch as well, though his height made it so difficult that he just went to the zipper in the front and opened it, stepping outside to fully greet the day.
“Garen, you’re naked!” I yelled after him, giggling louder now that he was awake—though maybe he was barely awake.
He looked down, realized his blunder, and came back into the tent to put on some pants at least. Even though he was cold, his penis didn’t shrink much; a testament to his inner warmth. There was fire within him. That much was obvious.
I put my corduroys back on an
d changed into another sweater—this one a light green color that matched my pants probably too much. I felt glad that we were going back to the cabin, so I could shower and dress more appropriately for whatever he had in mind for the day. Garen put his sweater and coat back on and then we worked together to pack up our things and take down the tent. The walk back seemed much shorter than the walk there.
“If you don’t mind, I’m probably going to take a bath and nap in the tub for a little,” I told him as we walked, only partially kidding.
When we reached the cabin, we noticed things were clearly wrong. Garen dropped the duffel bag and the bag of fishing gear and ran the rest of the way to the front door. It was hanging open on its hinges.
“No,” he said, bringing his hands up and mussing his hair as he looked around the interior of the cabin. I joined him in the doorway and gazed around, wide-eyed and too stunned to say anything at first.
The place had been completely ransacked—the furniture was thrown around all over the space, drawers were yanked out of tables and hastily left sitting underneath. The TV was lying on the floor in front of the wall where it was supposed to be, the cables left hanging out and disconnected. Papers and feathers were everywhere. Whoever had been here was clearly looking for something. The couch had been poked and sliced. I hesitated to look beyond the living room area, but Garen went the rest of the way through the doorway and into the kitchen. I followed closely, not wanting to be left standing there. I was frightened that somebody—or somebodies—could still be in the cabin, but I didn’t voice this concern because terror had stolen my voice.
“The food’s gone. All of the food is gone,” Garen said in a voice that gave away his absolute disbelief. I peeked behind him and saw that the pantry had been forced open much like the front door, except that the pantry door wasn’t even strong enough to need forcing.
I started to cry. “Who did this?” I managed to squeak out, knowing that the bottom floor of the cabin wasn’t the only floor that had been ransacked.
Abducted By The Dragons: The Complete Series Page 15