by Haley Weir
“Just what, Belle? Just let you leave? Let you test fate and chance that you’ll be fine on your own? What about the first time you shift into your dragon form? Do you know what to do then? Do you know how to keep yourself concealed? Do you know how to shift back?”
Belle turned away from him, not ready to contemplate all of his questions. It still seemed completely impossible that she could shift into a fire-breathing dragon. She took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, and then let it out slowly before she turned around to face him. “I may not know how to be a dragon, but like with everything else in my life, I’m sure I’ll figure it out. What I do know is how to be an independent woman who doesn’t need a knight in shining armor to protect me!”
“I’m not the knight, those guys are the snacks.” Belle froze, then fought with herself not to crack a smile at his humor.
“This isn’t funny, Scyros! How do we annul this marriage? Is it even legal?”
“The marriage is more binding than any human laws or paperwork. I understand that we’ve only just met, but there will be nothing for the rest of eternity that will keep me from protecting you.”
Belle felt her fury rise again. It wasn’t that she was concerned for herself or her safety. She knew how to say no, and had a handy can of pepper spray in her jacket pocket if necessary. What bothered her was knowing that there was a male who would be pining for her forever. She hadn’t asked for that responsibility. She didn’t need the constant guilt of rejecting someone for the rest of eternity. She knew what that rejection felt like.
“I don’t want that. I release you from your oath. Go find someone who won’t bring so much drama to your life.”
Scyros tipped his head back and laughed. It was the most gorgeous sound she had ever heard. It was like coals were being fanned and rolled themselves back into an inferno of heat that lanced straight down to the core of her. She had only felt minor twinges of lust for some of the men who had approached her, but she was too much of a pragmatist to entertain what they were offering. There were too many risks of getting involved with someone; it never felt worth it.
With Sky though, she shifted from side to side, uncomfortable as she felt the ache between her legs. Sky’s nostrils flared and his eyes lit on fire from within in an instant.
“It doesn’t work like that,” he said softly. His voice was low and he was watching her so that she felt like a deer in headlights. She worried that if she moved, he would pounce.
“It does work like that. Don’t ask me to shoulder your vendetta.”
Before she was aware of his movements, Sky was across the room and standing in front of her, lifting her chin up with his fingers. “Believe me, you are anything but a vendetta, Belle.”
Before she could argue with him, he had lowered his head and she felt the heat of his kiss scorch her to her very soul.
Chapter 8
Scyros felt the tension in Belle’s body as it began to ebb. He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. He’d only known her a few hours, but he figured he’d throw all his chips into the pot and bluff the hand he was holding. If she wanted to walk away, she was certainly entitled to do so. But what he could do was make her think she wanted nothing more than to stay. That would buy him some time to start building trust between them. He knew what he was doing was borderline questionable on the ethics front; she was most likely still reeling from everything that had happened that night. As they were nearing the dawn, however, Sky realized that he desperately wanted to watch the sun rise with her. There would be time to explore the inexplicable bond that occurred between a dragon warrior and his mate. By kissing her now, he was trying to show her that he was more than a warrior. He could be a lover as well.
Sky felt her soft lips part under his as she sighed. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips and explore her mouth. She moaned, and he felt her body tremble as she experienced intimacy for the first time. Sky moved his arms around her and cupped the back of her head with one hand and let the other rest on her waist.
Sky broke the kiss off, daring to look in her eyes; he was satisfied to see they were hot with desire. He was having a hard time keeping his body in check. The last few hours with Belle were an emotional rollercoaster.
Sky felt his hips pressed to her and he sucked in a breath, trying to control his overwhelmed senses. The result was an erection that threatened to bust the seam on his jeans. He needed to calm down, as he wasn’t holding out hope that he would get away with anything further than the kiss.
That was, until she practically launched herself at him. Sky caught her as she locked her legs around his waist and he felt her hands on his face, tilting his head back as she started kissing him again. He felt all the emotion of uncertainty pour from her into the kiss, and he gladly accepted all of the emotions that followed. The fear, anger, passion, curiosity, and pure lust. It went beyond the physical; her lust was for intimacy, a place to belong, and a person to accept her. Sky related to that on a visceral level.
He strode with her towards the bed and when he felt his knees bump into it, he fell over on top of her. The mattress cushioned her fall and then she was clawing at him and kissing him all at once. It was like something broke open between the two of them, and they had nothing but need for one another. The uncertainty, the fear, the rejection, would all be healed in that moment, because they had each other.
Sky felt his t-shirt rip as she caught the hem and tugged. He made short work of reaching down and tugging her own shirt up over her head. He took a moment to appreciate her perfect breasts, then bent his head to capture one of her nipples through the fabric. Belle arched her chest towards him, and he took that as a sign to move his attention to the other nipple.
Sky sat back on his heels and reached down, unclasping her bra at the front and freeing her breasts from the cups. He groaned as he held them in his hands, and hissed when she reached down to cup his cock through his jeans. He tried to back up, but Belle tightened her legs around his waist and held him in place.
Sky continued to knead her breasts, and was loathe to let go, but he trailed his fingers down along her stomach and stopped at her own zipper. He paused and watched her face as he carefully popped the button on her jeans. Belle didn’t reach out to stop him, for which he was grateful, because Scyros didn’t think he could stop even if he wanted to.
He helped her slide her jeans off and groaned when he looked down to see her fully exposed to him. Her caramel skin was flawless, and he could smell the arousal wafting from her. Her eyes were wide and she shivered. She seemed to come to her senses and realize she was naked and he wasn’t, because she tried to sit up and cover her chest with her arms.
Sky smiled and clasped her wrists, pinning her back down. He made short work of unzipping his own jeans and kicking them off, but when his hard flesh met the soft mound between her thighs, they both moaned and shivered as he slid along her cleft. He didn’t push any further, wanting her to make the next move, but instead settled between her thighs so that she cushioned him. It was nearly torturous to hold still, but he knew that she needed to take control and make a choice.
Sky kissed her softly, dipping his tongue in between her lips and tasting her. He kissed along her jaw and along her temples and cheeks, trying to express how beautiful she was to him without words. She let her fingers trace the lines of muscles on his chest and abdomen, and as her fingers dipped near his navel, he had a hard time holding still.
She paused and bit her lip. Scyros wondered what she was thinking about. Before he could ask, she tilted her hips and reached between them, taking the head of his cock with her fingertips, and guided it to her entrance. Sky froze above her, caught between a tremor of pleasure and the desire to make sure she was okay with her decision. When she began working her hips on him, slickening his shaft so that when the head of his cock dipped into her soft wetness, he met little resistance as he sank deeper and deeper. Sky groaned and dropped his head, forcin
g himself to go painfully slow as he rocked back and forth. There was a pinch as he took her virginity, and she gasped and then shuddered. He paused until she pulled on his hips with her hands and then he was gently gliding back and forth again.
Sky looked in her eyes and finally recognized vulnerability within them. He smiled and kissed her forehead in reassurance as he rocked a little faster, feeling the pressure of her muscles squeezing against him.
“Are you okay?” he whispered. She nodded, and he kissed her lips. He permitted himself to skim his fingers along her belly, reached down, and began gently rubbing at the swollen bundle of nerves. She shivered and gasped against his mouth, and he maintained a consistent tempo until the tell-tale signs of her orgasm became apparent and she was clenching around him. He gave her another thrust and sank to the depths of her. She exploded around him. Her muscles squeezed so hard that Sky saw white spots in front of his eyes as he struggled to control himself. This was all about giving something back to her. He had already taken so much from her so quickly.
Only when she was jerking on the bed underneath him as she came down from her orgasm did he allow himself to fall over the edge of pleasure himself. He let his head fall between her neck and shoulder, and she laced her fingers through his hair as he shuddered on top of her. When he was done, he fell to the side and pulled her with him.
He felt the tension and anxiety ebb when she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. He hoped through the gentleness of his actions, he had shown her that he was sorry, and that he could show her he was serious when he said he meant to show her tenderness and affection in their bond.
Scyros was just starting to fall asleep when he felt her jerk violently in his arms and cry out. One instant, he was holding her, content in their postcoital bliss, and the next he was hugging the tail of a thrashing, massive dragon that had burst his bedroom to the seams, splintering the bed and the sheet rock in the house. Her sudden transition knocked pictures from the walls as they buckled and her body filled his room. Shouts sounded from somewhere in the house, and Scyros struggled to wiggle out from under her as she began thrashing around and decimating more of the already demolished room.
When Scyros was finally able to free himself from the weight of her tail, he tripped over one of her massive feet as he struggled to make it in front of her to calm her down.
Sky whistled through his teeth, as her panicked roars shook the rafters of the house, and the ear-splitting sound penetrated her panic. She finally lowered her head and looked at him. Sky wanted to hug her and comfort her when he witnessed the deep fear that was present in her eyes.
“Belle, love, look at me. It’s going to be okay. The first shift is always the most nerve wracking, but you need to calm down if you are going to transition back, okay?”
Sky should have realized the error of asking her a question, because when she opened her mouth, instead of controlling her internal fire like all seasoned warriors, a jet of fire issued forth. Sky ducked just in time to avoid being scorched, just as his brothers burst in the door, or rather, burst through the hole in the wall where the door used to be.
Chapter 9
Belle busted out of the seams of the room like an ill-fitting dress. She felt the crunch of the room breaking under her, and as she tried to call for help, all that came from her throat were roars of agony. In her panic, she began thrashing around, trying to free herself from flesh that felt alien to her. She had often imagined what it would feel like to be in this body, but it was a fantasy. Now that she was in it, she didn’t know what to do.
Sky whistled to her and she picked up her head to look at him. He asked her if she was okay and when she opened her mouth to tell him no, a jet of fire shot out past Sky’s head. Thankfully he ducked in time, but the far wall caught fire and flames licked up toward the ceiling. Belle turned her head to see the rest of the household burst into the room. She began beating her wings in panic, trying to shield them from the danger, but the breeze from the busted out window only fanned the flames. Sky was in front of her again, and she felt the press of his hand on the front of her face between her eyes. It felt like he was trying to massage a headache out of her skull, where panic was threatening to burst through.
“It’s okay, Belle. You need to calm down. It’s the only way you can focus on shifting back. Belle, love, look at me. Look at me.” Belle focused her gaze back on Sky instead of watching Ari, Laine, Drake, and Corey, who were working on extinguishing the fire. Sky continued stroking between her eyes, repeating soothing words to calm her down.
It took about half an hour before Belle felt her body begin to morph and warp, filling in her skin but overflowing her essence. She felt larger than life yet confined; her skin felt tight. She recognized this feeling, she had carried it her entire life. She felt ashamed by her panic. Bella always thought she was ready for something more, but when change finally came, she was totally unprepared.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into Sky’s chest. He was holding and rocking her. He grabbed a blanket from the wreckage and wrapped it around them. Everyone else in the room sank to their heels once the fire was out, looking around at the ruins. Belle hid her face in his neck from embarrassment.
“What triggered her to shift?” Drake’s voice was full of concern, and although Belle was grateful, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what had caused the transition.
“Umm...” Sky searched for the words that would spare Belle, but the group came to the right conclusion quickly.
“Uh, right,” Drake said. The room went silent for a long moment, and Belle peeked out to see Claire, Jennifer, and Riley looking around in awe at the room.
“Please make them go away,” Belle whispered to Sky.
“Can we have some time, please.” Sky looked over her head at his brothers and Corey.
“Yes, we will go fend off any law enforcement that might come to question…” Drake continued, still at a loss for words.
They walked out of the room as the first sob took over Belle and her whole body began to shake. It was too much...it had all been too much. Scyros seemed to sense there were no words that were going to make this better, so he just held her, and she let him. She needed the strength of his arms to ground her. Belle felt like her world had been ripped out from under her, and she was flailing. She realized her only stability was coming from Scyros. Unlike the others, he didn’t appear to be shocked or angry. He was eerily calm, like he had expected something this drastic to happen.
Belle finally stopped crying. The future felt terrifying and murky. She dried her eyes and sat up, getting her first proper look of the room, and wanted to start crying all over again.
“It’s just a room,” Scyros assured her, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. “It’s just stuff. All stuff that can be replaced.” Belle was soothed by his tenderness, and took a deep breath.
“I’m so sorry, I-”
“No apologies. You should see a male warriors first transition,” he chuckled. “I wrecked an entire house, not just one room.”
“You did?” She sucked in a laugh, not wanting to offend him.
“Yeah, it was actually the local tavern. It’s how dragon hunting back in the day began.”
“Get out!” Belle looked at him. He was grinning down at her and she shoved him away, suddenly realizing her state of undress.
“You didn’t!” She crossed her arms over her chest and his eyes snapped down where she was trying to cover herself.
“You’re right, it wasn’t a tavern, but it made you laugh.”
“What was it?”
“It was my parent’s house. But we rebuilt it.”
“Your parents, where are they now?” Scyros’ face hardened, and Belle instantly felt bad for overstepping. “I’m sorry, that was personal.”
He turned back to her and smiled. “No, it’s okay. If we are mated, we need to learn how to communicate.”
Belle nodded but didn’t press him further. Scyros answered her af
ter taking a deep breath.
“My mother was one of the last Serpentina to turn,” he began. “I know now that it wasn’t biological. My best guess is, after learning about you and seeing that the Serpentina turned on the male warriors, she was blackmailed. They likely threatened us, and came for Cairne. My mother would have stopped at nothing to protect us. It’s the only reasonable explanation for her turning. She must have told my father, and it destroyed my father to kill her, but she must have known. She must have been blackmailed before that conversation.” Sky wiped at his eyes, and Belle reached out and touched his arm. He looked at her hand and his lips twitched. “It was just Cairne and me until he was killed by the Serpentina.”
“I understand why you have such strong feelings about them. I’m sorry for your loss. It almost feels like I have lost family that I haven’t yet been introduced to.”
“I can understand that. We both come from histories that are full of pain and loneliness.”
Belle squeezed his arm and then began to pull her arm away, but he grasped her hand and intertwined her fingers with his own. They sat in silence and looked at the charred wall together, a testament to the cinders of their shared past.
After a long while, Scyros looked at Belle and smiled down at her. “So, my little Serpentina shifter, are you ready to go someplace that isn’t the bedroom and learn how to fly?”
Chapter 10
Scyros searched around the rubble and gathered enough clothing to dress them both, and led Belle out into the hall. They made their way down the stairs where Belle saw the other warriors and their mates perched on chairs in a sitting room just inside the door. Scyros stopped and announced his intention to take Belle out for flying lessons.
“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” Laine asked, peeking around Scyros at Belle. She still looked like she was ready to bolt out the door. At first, she had outright refused his offer to teach her to fly. But Sky convinced her she would do fine once outside, and explained that if she tried to deny what her body was naturally born to do, she would likely destroy much more real estate.