by Keri Kruspe
The big man tightened his hold. “Yes, but normal birth control doesn’t work with me because of Grirryrth.” He cleared his throat with a sheepish grin. “The Solaherra dragon would just ignore it whenever he felt like it.”
Sherri’s heart started racing. “You mean I could be pregnant?”
“No.” He shifted behind her. “The time isn’t right now.”
When he didn’t say more, Sherri decided to tackle Ki’s earlier concern. “Ki, I have to be honest here. I believe your reason for not wanting children isn’t based on logical facts, but on the insecurity and memory of a young child.” With a pat to the back of his hands, she turned to look at him…yep, he was grimacing. “You know you’d make a great father.” She considered not only what he said but also the feelings behind the words. “What I really think is you’re terrified of giving unconditional love for fear of it being taken away.”
Ki frowned and glanced away. “Maybe. I don’t know.” His eyes unfocused before several blinks brought him back. “Grirryrth agrees.” A rumbling chuckle vibrated against her. “You’ve repeated something the dragon has been saying for decades. I just never wanted to believe him.”
“So, what’s changed? Why are you here?” Yeah…pick the scab and make it bleed.
A smoldering smile bloomed before those masculine lips nuzzled between her neck and shoulders. “When I heard Cheithe’s cry, I realized I’d made a terrible mistake.”
His light lick caused a shiver to run down her back.
“You’d already gotten past my impenetrable defenses. I am no longer whole without you.” When she was silent, he nudged her. “Well? Do we have a chance?”
Heat bloomed in her chest as the corners of her mouth turned up. Never in her wildest dreams did she think a man would want to have the “relationship” talk. Not only did he want to have the conversation, but he also wanted to dive deep.
How refreshing and disturbing all at the same time. However, the time had come to play “devil’s advocate” and poke at the proverbial elephant in the room.
“What if I’m not sure?” The flickering light on the rocky wall caught her attention as she organized her rambling thoughts. “I was furious at your rejection. One moment you enjoyed being with me, and the next I was dismissed without a second glance. I mean, I was just getting used to being with you, then you left.” She shifted her knees to adjust for the lack of circulation. While she wasn’t sitting on the dirt floor, Ki’s firm thighs had little give. “I have a hard time trusting people in the first place. And once that trust is broken, it takes a lot for that person to get it back.”
“That’s a fair statement.” He shifted, but his hold didn’t loosen. “And I have to admit, I feel the same way. For the most part, I’ve lived separate for that very reason.”
Ki’s massive shoulders shrugged, and he rubbed a warm palm across her back. Again with the shivers.
“I believe the more time we spend together, we’ll learn to trust each other. I’d like us to be partners in every way possible.” He lifted her arm and brought her attention to the iridescent sheen overlaying her tan. “There is an advantage TrueBond mates share that you humans have no concept of.”
Wait…was she feeling the finger caressing the top of her hand and feeling her skin under his finger? The twofold sensation of their shared experience tightened something low inside.
Sherri squinted at the possibilities. If she could feel what he did… Shit, she was way out of her league. Sucking in a breath, she rasped, “Why didn’t this happen before?”
She didn’t have to see the smug, male smile to know he had one.
“The TrueBond hadn’t been completed before.”
Warm breath nuzzled the bottom of her neck again, the sensation amplifying her responsiveness.
“Plus, because of my Crart heritage, we will revel in an intense gratification that even full-blood Zerins don’t experience.”
It was hard to understand a word he said. Sherri’s entire focus was on the tactile pleasure of his touch. “Cart? Wha’?”
“Car-art.” He nibbled her receptive skin. “I am the last of an extinct species that can cohabit with the Solaherra dragons that share our existence.”
Sherri was immersed in the shared desire of wandering male hands across her lower stomach. What was he saying? It was impossible to concentrate with his mouth licking and caressing her neck and shoulders. Hang on…something didn’t make sense.
“Wait.” She grabbed a roaming hand before it reached her breasts. She glanced back and relaxed at his indulgent smile. “I’m not a Crart.” Maybe her pronunciation didn’t sound like his, but she’d gotten the point across. “So how can I change into Cheithe?”
With a grunt, he sat back and took her with him.
With relaxed muscles, she snuggled into his wide chest. Yeah, plenty of room for her to lean in warm comfort. Now all she had to do was find something for her butt…
“First, let me give you a little history lesson. Thousands of millennia ago, the Crart and the Solaherra races lived in harmony on the thriving planet of Aonia. An unexpected betrayal tore the two species apart in a devastating war. The fighting was so severe, it left Aonia uninhabitable.” He paused.
Sherri closed her eyes and enjoyed his fresh male scent. The tantalizing aroma was better than the tang of sea brine on a summer breeze.
“The next part of the story is pure legend, but it’s the only explanation that has lasted throughout the generations.”
Sherri opened her eyes as he spoke.
“Before the last of the Crart and Solaherra died, the All-Knowing Goddess interceded. ‘You have destroyed that which I have created,’ she told the two remaining leaders as they lay dying. ‘I will spare your lives, but each will depend on the other for your existence. From this day forward, you Solaherra will live within the Crart—and you Crart, you are responsible for the continued life of the Solaherra. From you to each generation thereafter until such time the Solaherra will be strong enough to call forth his female to begin his race anew.’”
“At this point, she infused the Solaherra battle suit on the Crart male. Since the Crart people were dead, the male left the dying planet of Aonia and wandered the galaxy until his descendants ended up on Zerin. There, they found Zerins had the ability to merge with their females in a TrueBond. That gave them the hope a Solaherra female might be born. With each passing generation, Grirryrth tried to call forth a mate, only to be disappointed.”
He hugged Sherri. “Until you. Even though we hadn’t completed the TrueBond process, your human heritage allowed Grirryrth to become strong enough to call Cheithe into being.”
Well, that was a nice fairytale. Chock full of myths and legends, but some truth had to be in there somewhere. For now, Sherri had only one question. “Um, so how are they going to begin their race ‘anew’”?
He chuckled. “Afraid you’ll have little dragon eggs, yofie-na?”
Rat-bastard. “Well, it’s a legitimate question, buster,” she retorted.
There is no reason to be scared, child. Cheithe whispered. I cannot breed for several generations since I am not strong enough to exist alone. The battle suit carries the essence of both Grirryrth and myself until I am able to be on my own. Your firstborn child will carry the battle suit after Ki transfers us. Once that child finds their TrueBond, Grirryrth and I will separate as I join their mate just as I have done with you.
Sherri blinked. Well, wouldn’t that be something to endure—two dragons inside instead of one. She couldn’t even imagine.
Ki’s loud laugh shook her. “I know what Cheithe told you, but remember any child we have won’t carry the battlesuit with the dragons until they are mature enough to understand. Hopefully, well into adulthood.” He was quiet before he spoke again. “At one point, the two dragons will become strong enough to escape the bonds of the battlesuit and separate on their own.” He shrugged. “It probably won’t happen in our lifetimes.”
“Hmm.” What could
she say? Hard enough to absorb all the strange information at once. A silky caress whispered across her forearm. Startled, she gasped when a long, mahogany lock of hair wrapped around her arm. With tentative fingers, she touched it. What in the world?
She followed the tresses with her gaze to Ki’s head, and a gasp escaped. Even in the dim light of the dank cave, it was easy to see the heavy curtain of his hair that pooled on the dirt floor around him. The auburn highlights scattered throughout would have cost a fortune at the expensive salon she visited. The blended hue gave the glorious tresses a combined depth.
Oh, yeah… why the sudden transformation in his hair? She scooted back and sat on her heels facing him. Not only was it longer and with an added color, but his eyes were also altered. Instead of the blue/green irises, the hunter-green ring was now interwoven with bronze—giving it a bright hazel hue. The blue ring stayed the same, maybe a little darker navy than before. His iridescent green pupils hadn’t changed, but were wide as they roamed over her. If she wasn’t mistaken, the dark tan of his skin had lightened underneath the pearlescent sheen.
“Why do you look so different?” She spoke behind splayed fingers. “Are you okay?” What if he’d caught a virus here on Earth? Was he sick?
Ki’s eyes crinkled as his full lips curled into a slight smile under the close-cropped beard, now highlighted with auburn strands. “What you see are the effects of the TrueBond. My body has adapted some of your characteristics,” he nodded toward her. “Just as you have taken on some of mine.”
“Wha’?” Sherri scrutinized her arms and the tops of her legs. Sure enough, her normally tawny skin was a shade darker with a light sheen to it. She touched her face, nothing weird, thank God. But when she’d moved, her hair flowed across her shoulder and settled in a dark pile on her thigh. She picked up an inch of the wavy strand to consider its complexity. While the overall color of reddish-brown remained the same, now it held a rich blend of mahogany.
The most disturbing part was it was longer than ever before. There was a reason she’d kept her style in a short bob for years, but now the thick mane flowed past her waist. What was odd, though, was as she rubbed her tresses, her hair experienced the touch of her stroking motion.
With a squeak of alarm, she dropped it and landed with a thud on her butt. A puff of dry dirt wafted from beneath her and tickled her nose. After a hard sneeze, she became aware of a stinging pain somewhere. She moved her head to the side, trying to figure out where the pricking came from. The ache only deepened.
“You’re sitting on your hair,” Ki stated in a reasonable tone.
He’d raised a knee and rested a big forearm across it, blocking her view of those interesting man parts. “Huh?” Sure enough, she had a large chunk of hair trapped under her. Lifting her butt, she swept the pile out before sitting back down on the hard ground. Gathering the heavy mane in one hand, she put it over her shoulder to rest over her chest. Damn, long hair had always been a pain in the ass, but she doubted she’d be cutting it if sitting on it hurt.
She peered at the relaxed Zerin in front of her. “Did anything else change?”
A masculine smile came out slow and sensuous. “Of course. Your eyes look lovely with the added ring of blue around your pupil. I have to say it’s quite striking.”
Damn, where was a mirror when you needed one? Speaking of which…
“Can we get out of this cave anytime soon?” Sherri scanned the bleak surroundings. “Why are we here in the first place, anyway?” Loose stones littered the dusty ground, with the jagged edge of the opening several feet away. The cavern was void of any sharp stalactites, but the area retained a dampness that paired with the smell of rotting mold.
Why wasn’t she cold? There was a reason she preferred the desert climate of Arizona.
Ki shrugged his massive shoulders. “After Grirryrth and Cheithe’s…ah…flight, they became tired and found this place.” He waved a finger, encompassing the cavern in all its glory.
“Great. Any chance we can leave soon?”
Yes, we will take you back. Cheithe’s voice projected.
From the expression on Ki’s face, Grirryrth had echoed Cheithe. He stood and went to the mouth of the cave.
Sherri followed right behind him, her gaze hooked on the firm globes of his scrumptious ass. Once she reached his side, she peered down the edge at the sheer five-thousand-foot drop. “Holy shit!” She jumped back. With a quick grab at Ki’s upper arm for support, she leaned over. They were so far up, they’d passed the tree line as puffy white clouds dotted the sky below them.
“Do not worry yofie-na.”
The joy in Ki’s voice surprised her.
With a gentle touch, he took her hand off his arm and kissed her knuckles before taking two steps back. “We are dragons and we own the skies!”
With that exclamation, the crazy, naked idiot ran to the edge and jumped off.
Sherri screamed and stumbled after him only to fall on her ass when the gigantic eggplant color of Grirryrth’s underbelly swooped past. A bark of shocked laughter replaced her suffocating fear at watching Ki take a dive off the steep cliff.
Sherri rushed to the threshold and gawked, trying to find the crazy man. There…there he was! Just above her, his magnificent body with the enormous purple membranes of his wings caught the early morning light. He swooped and looped with a dance of masculine grace. He was the embodiment of a dominant and dangerous predator high above the clouded landscape.
Cheithe trilled her approval and scrambled to take over to join her mate.
“Damn hussy, wait a minute!” Sherri no sooner shouted the words than the female dragon had her jumping off the cliff to transform into the Solaherra dragon.
Shit! One of these days, she’d have a say in what form she kept.
The dragons played all the way to Sherri’s house. First, it was a game of chase, then mock battles and ending with a competitive race. Cheithe won, but Sherri suspected the frisky male dragon had another agenda on his mind as he flew close behind.
Twilight bathed her rustic home in a warm glow. The driveway lights twinkled and gave a sense of welcome.
Grirryrth and Cheithe landed in the wide front yard before giving up their control.
Once again, Sherri stood naked next to an equally naked Zerin male. A naked and happy Zerin male. His erection was stiff, with a small drop of pre-cum seeping out the tip. Sherri flipped her eyes to his, which narrowed in response. She enjoyed his regard as shivers of anticipation made her clasp her hands behind her back and straighten her spine to thrust her breasts higher.
The lowering sun glinted on the crystal at Ki’s temple and the need that blazed out of his eyes. Without a word, he lumbered to her before he swooped her into his massive arms as if she weighed no more than a child. The big Zerin locked his lips to hers and gave her a searing kiss of a lifetime.
In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck, entangling her fingers in the luxurious hair at the base of his neck. Their combined tresses mixed and stroked together. Sherri returned his passion with a dance of tongues and wallowed in his masculine flavor.
She loved the way he kissed. He was a methodical, intelligent man who was thorough in whatever he did. His kisses weren’t any different. Full, sensuous lips mastered hers while his tongue worked in concert with hers. Breath became secondary as she became engrossed in the prelude to the coming pleasures.
With long strides, he gripped under her knees while the other cradled around her back.
An adept multi-tasker, his kiss scrambled her senses as he carried them into the house.
With powerful lunges, he sprinted up the stairs, his feet jumping over every other step. The jarring broke their lips apart as they approached her master bathroom.
The room was large, with a huge glass-walled shower enclosure sporting multiple showerheads and a pulsating spray on the ceiling. Once she was on her feet, he closed the door as she activated the spray with the temperature automatically programmed.
/> Warm, clear water washed away the dirt and grime of the cave. The soothing pulses of the showerheads lent a lush rhythm to their lovemaking. Ki’s large hands caressed and stroked every part of Sherri’s body, his palms filled with neutral-scented soap that filled the air with the spicy tang from the oils seeping out of his pores.
With each pass of his hands, sexual tension tightened her lower body, as her oil-soaked palms slid over him. With special attention, she grasped the silk-covered steel of his erection and massaged the soft skin.
Several times, he hissed out a breath and rumbled a male groan. The soft, warm water added to the sensuous feel of his skin against hers.
God! He was so responsive. Yeah, baby…right there. His big body trembled as she stroked his oval-shaped ball in a gentle motion. The ecstasy swarming through him echoed through her. As if she needed extra encouragement to continue.
Touching wasn’t enough. Sherri lowered to meet his eager cock as it quivered in a happy greeting. When she opened her mouth, she became airborne and was thrown over a broad shoulder. When she squealed and thumped on his broad back in protest, she got a light smack on the globe of her ass. The water turned off as Ki took them out of the shower and headed to her bedroom.
“Female, you are not allowed to bring me yet.”
With a toss, she became airborne again before bouncing on the soft mattress of the king-sized bed that might end up being too small.
“I will taste you first.”
Sherri flushed at the highhanded statement. But, why argue when his warm mouth latched onto the quivering slit of her sex?
Ki pulled back and stared. “I’ve wanted to ask you,” With a nod, he indicated her glistening pussy. “Did you mean to do this?”
Resting on bent elbows, she tried to figure out what he was talking about. Did he mean the color of her pubes not being as bright red as before? When a thick forefinger brushed along the short landing strip, she smiled. “That’s how I like it groomed.” Sherri wiggled her hips. “You don’t like?”