by Angel Black
Usually he quite enjoyed his rough tumbles, but lately he had lost interest in them. Sure, sex was still fun. Wasn’t it always? But it didn’t quite satisfy him the way it used to. It had become mundane, to his sad surprise.
Bunched around his waist were the cream colored silk sheets that were very well used in the throes of passion. The fine fabric did little to hide the outline of his well-endowed bulge that never seemed to go away, despite it being thoroughly enjoyed and used. In the pillows, the dragon shifter let his head hang heavily, his thick, black hair spread among his features, making him look oddly sacrificial-- an oddity since he was always the predator and never the prey.
“Valonis,” the female dragon shifter purred. “Are you sure you’re done? Your member looks as if it’s ready to go to battle yet again.”
The beautiful female dragon shifter turned from the wall length gilded gold mirror and smiled coyly at the handsome shifter still sprawled in his bed. As always he had appeared fierce and consuming during the hours of their dark love making, but afterwards it was always the same. It wasn’t that he was rude. It was more that he was not finding the satisfaction he always hoped for, and it left him detached.
Gloria, the tall, thin dragon warrior that now stood in his chamber, had been bedding Valonis for over a year, and knew the royal Earl’s insatiable taste for the opposite sex. Unlike other dragons his age, Valonis had, against his father’s ardent wishes, sworn off marriage.
As a royal, Valonis had a certain responsibility to produce an heir. There was only one problem. Dragon shifter females had stopped being able to reproduce within the last few centuries. No one quite knew why, but it was true. To appease his father, Valonis had promised his father that if he were to actually get a female pregnant, he would marry her, whether he loved her or not. Unlike humans, dragons didn’t have any sexual diseases to spread. The only thing a female risked was getting pregnant, which seemed to be the hope of every female at the time, including Gloria. Yet despite the willingness and lack of protection, no baby was yet to be fathered by him, or anyone for that matter. Except Falon, the youngest of the Dragons who now has the youngest of the dragons.
When Valonis didn’t reply to her for several moments, she padded closer to the bed, smiling coyly as she added extra swishes to her hips.
“Come now my lord,” she whispered temptingly, her pouted lips promising another intense round of sensual fun. “Surely you have another bout in you. Don’t send me away just yet.”
Valonis lifted his head from the pillows, his solid jawline set in a straight line that showed neither amusement nor lust. Yet even in his ill temperament he appeared darkly sexy in his brooding. His dragon eyes slowly studied Gloria, taking in her dark glistening flesh, well-toned muscles, and sharp, brilliantly white teeth that sparkled greatly through her dark red lips. Her pale green human eyes winked at him with seduction, and for a moment he felt another stirring within his groin.
Still, he ignored it and changed the subject.
“Tell me Gloria. In all of your patrolling, have you seen any humans ever make it into our portals?” He asked.
Sighing, Gloria rolled her eyes and walked over to the elegant, red velvet old-fashioned chaise that sat between two of the large fiery wall sconces. Picking up her undergarments, she began to dress. It was not often that she was refused in bed, and she didn’t like it very much at all, especially when a refusal had something to do with a new curiosity of the female humans of the other world.
“No. I haven’t.” She paused for a moment, as if she was going to say something. But her temper got the best of her.
“So,” she started haughtily, pulling on her long dark blue evening dress. “Not only will I have to wait my turn with the other half dozen or so shifters you’re sleeping with, but now I’ll have to share you with human women too?” With an indignant snort she pulled the corseted strings to the dress tight, accentuating her tiny waist and thrusting up her perfectly proportioned cleavage.
“I don’t even understand what the excitement is about anyway,” she went on. “They’re human. Mortal. They’re born. They live long enough to destroy something. Then they die. They are useless.”
Valonis rolled his eyes and slid out of bed, tying the silken sheet around his chiseled hips. Now that the passion had ebbed down, his scales were completely gone, and his eyes shone their warm amber yet again. Like most dragons, he couldn’t quite control certain shifts in his body when he experienced an intense emotion.
“Now you sound like my father,” his deep voice roiled in frustration. “Thinking that these humans are less than us. Why do they bother you so?”
Gloria turned on him, her florescent yellow dragon eyes shining brightly in anger. “Why? You know damned well why! They’re a completely useless species that do nothing but destroy their planet. We’re lucky we live on a different plane than them or we would have been forced to kill them off centuries ago.”
“Not all of them could be bad,” Valonis countered. “Besides, we’ve destroyed things too. Gods know we’ve taken lives to save our own. Have you even met one?”
Flicking her long black hair in impatience, Gloria shook her head. “No, but why would I? Besides, you shouldn’t even be considering them anyway. You know that the pressure of taking a mate isn’t going to stop, Valonis. Your father wants you to stick to tradition. After everything your brother nearly ruined”-
Gloria gasped, cutting off her own words as a deep blush filled her cheeks. She was close to Valonis, perhaps one of the closest females that would be considered an acquaintance, but even she knew it was forbidden to speak of Valcone, the oldest brother of the Drekaris line. She waited for an explosion, but none came. The only display of emotion Valonis awarded her was a slightly raised eyebrow that resembled more of a dare for her to continue.
“As I have stated before,” he said, keeping his voice calm and steady. “I will not marry. There is no need to anymore, now that our non-existent fertility rates have us nearly extinct. I will not tie myself to someone in a loveless marriage for a purpose that can no longer be carried out by us, save for the rarest of occasions. You may hate humans but we are like them in that we only get one life, albeit a much longer one. I don’t want to spend it pretending to be someone I’m not with someone I don’t care about.”
Gloria lowered her head in silent shame. Valonis never kept a female in his cue for longer than three months, yet she had somehow managed a year. Though they had never discussed it, she had seemed to think that perhaps that made her special somehow. It clearly did not.
“The older dragons are”-
“Do you think I give a damn about what the other dragons are saying about me?” He asked, fed up with the conversation. “Go,” he commanded, not waiting to hear her reply. “I’ll send for you when I need you.”
Sensing that she wanted to leave the room as much as he wanted her to, Gloria dropped in a small curtsy before heading towards the great double doors of his chambers. As soon as she was gone, Valonis pulled the sheet away from his hips, balled up the fabric, and tossed it frustratingly at his bed. He was beyond tired of hearing from the royal council about his ‘alternative’ lifestyle, but to hear it from one his bedding dragons? It was beyond infuriating! He refused to live a life like that, no matter what tradition stated. Feeling pent up, he began to pace back and forth. He wanted to shift, to fly, but doing so would only draw unwanted attention. Instead, he pulled the lever by his fireplace, releasing a space in the floor that began to fill like a hot tub.
“I will not end up that way,” he murmured aloud, walking towards the underground hot spring that ran through his chambers. He sank into the hot mineral waters of the earth, sighing. No matter what, he was going to live the life he wanted, not the life that was being pushed upon him.
I will to die standing; rather than to pass away kneeling. Let them come for me.
Chapter 3: Of Slavery
Valonis had climbed the steps to his upper most chamber; a cave
-like structure that reached above sea level to overlook the vastness of the ocean. On most days, he preferred to stay in the underground portion of the palace. With the warmth of the volcano heating it, he often found solace in the warm lava glow they used to light their rooms. Though the dragon shifters were humanoid in their relaxed form, they still preferred warmth and darkness, much like their dragon counterparts.
Today was different however, and with a stick of charcoal and a pad of papyrus, Valonis perched himself on the stone balcony, letting the cool air from the dome vents drift over him as he watched the last remnants of the digital setting sun bathe over him. Sometimes he wished for a real ocean, but the lifelike technology human scientists had built their world with would have to do. Closing his eyes, he let his hand guide the charcoal into creating the objects he saw in his mind. Not even ten minutes after he had begun however, he heard a familiar voice behind him that made him stop in mid-motion.
“I’m surprised to find you up here,” his father said, his deep, royal voice bouncing off the cavern walls. “I thought you had sworn off this place since Valcone left us.”
“I don’t make a habit of it,” Valonis replied dryly. He tossed the pad paper down onto the dirt floor, making sure his father couldn’t see the sketches. “What about you?” He asked, sliding off the balcony. “What brings you up here?”
Vilhelm Drekares eyed his youngest and now only son with jaded eyes. He made no attempt at pretending to understand or respect his son or his choices, but he did respect the royal bloodlines that they had both been born into. Whether he wanted to be or not, Valonis would be the one of the next Earls of the Imbris Kingdom, and have the huge responsibility in helping the Supreme Aedan care for their kingdom and all that lived in it.
If it weren’t for the salt and pepper gray that streaked through the sides of his dark hair, and the very small crow’s feet at his eyes, Vilhelm could have passed easily for Valonis’ twin. Dragons aged much slower than humans, and if they were smart enough to survive, could live virtually forever. They could be killed though, given enough time and torture and silver. It was, as they both remembered, a very painful process.
“What do you want of me, father?” Valonis asked, crossing his arms. “Is it time for another lecture? Did Gloria come to you with complaints? Or was it Brynn? Or Laudia? Maybe it was”-
“Shut up, boy,” Vilhelm commanded, his eyes flaming gold in their dragon form.
Valonis opened his mouth to reply sarcastically, and then realized he was acting childish. He may be a lot of things, but one thing he wasn’t was a young shift-ling incapable of carrying on an intelligent conversation.
“Forgive me father,” he replied, bowing his head. “What do you need of me?”
The Earl breathed smoke through his nostrils, letting some of the frustration with his son seep out of his body.
“I grow tired of your indiscretions. There’s no denying that. But that’s not why I came up here to talk to you. Something has happened among our species,” he began to explain. “As you know there’s been a drop in portals and none of our scientists know why. Our dragons are able to cross into the human world. Not just us royals anymore. Anyone who comes across one can now pass through. The same goes with the other side. A human has been able to cross into our world.”
“That’s not possible,” Valonis countered, becoming all business-like. “For centuries only royal blood was able to pass through portals. And humans- they’ve never passed through.”
“Very rarely,” his father said softly. His eyes gave away that he was thinking of something long ago, but before Valonis could question him, his father smiled at him devilishly. He became his old self once more.
“This is what you get for not attending council meetings my son,” he chastised. “You are missing many important things. The smile quickly faded however, and his eyes grew serious again.
“There is more to the story about the human. It seems that one of our dragons has fallen in love with her. Falon...”
Valonis drew up short, unable to respond. Falon had been his best friend since childhood, and everyone suspected Valonis had had a hand in helping his old friend procure his new mate. No one had dared question him about how Falon had managed to accomplish his feat. But he saw suspicion in his father’s eyes whenever the topic came up.
“What of the human woman?” He asked, getting back on subject.
A look of arrogance crept over his father’s face. A sneer formed on his lips and he let his eyes drift away from his son and back towards the ocean.
“Some of our people---males-- have found the human woman and seduced her. An annoyance, yes, but nothing illegal, except, something unusual has happened.”
Valonis laughed darkly, not quite sure what his father was getting at. “What, is the female pregnant?”
“Actually yes,” his father answered flatly.
Valonis deadpanned. It was impossible. Inconceivable. And yet, he hadn’t seen Falon since he had helped him leave. He had just thought Falon had gone mate crazy.
“Pregnant,” Valonis repeated. “With a dragon shifter child?”
“From what our priestesses tell us, yes. The child that grows in the woman is both human and shifter. We’re keeping her to monitor her process, but so far the child is growing in an unusual way. The child gets bigger, stronger, with every day, yet we can’t quite determine when the birth is going to take place. It’s all very fascinating. And for us, hopeful.”
“What do you mean, father?” Valonis asked. Dread was filling him. He knew whatever was about to be said would not be good.
“We’ve decided to try and take some more females and try to breed them. We want to see how high the fertility percentage is between dragon and human.” The Earl said it so matter-of-factly that a bystander could have safely assumed he was speaking of livestock such as sheep or goats.
Fury sparked in Valonis. Consensual sex with females was one thing, but holding them captive as slaves was entirely not okay. Nor was it okay to go into their world to farm them for reproductive purposes. Their people were becoming desperate, yes, but they weren’t savages.
“You have no right to keep her like an animal,” he growled, his fists tightening by his side.
Vilhelm lifted an amused eyebrow. “We have every right actually, seeing as she’s carrying one of our kind. And calm yourself, it’s not like we’re keeping her in a cell. The dragon she coupled with, Falon, is clearly in love with the woman in her and the child. He’s been by her side through all of it. He’s practically doting on her. It’s disturbing.” He rolled his eyes in disgust then added, “If this is possible, Valonis, then we must consider going into the human world to look for more of these compatible women. Our species is dying, son. If there are human women that can carry our ancient bloodline, then we must find them.”
“You’re talking about an invasion,” Valonis countered. “An enslavement for breeding. We haven’t been to war in centuries. The human world has finally forgotten about us. And now you want us to go over their borders and take their women to rape them?”
“I thought you would be thrilled,” Vilhelm answered dryly. “After all doesn’t that mean more women for you to stick your sword in? Besides, it wouldn’t all be forced. The one that is pregnant now appears quite happy with the dragon who impregnated her.”
Valonis bared his teeth in a vicious snarl. “So one woman’s consent speaks for the entire species?”
“It’s funny that you care for these women you’ve never met but have no regard of your own kind,” his father replied without emotion. “Why haven’t you married Gloria yet? She’s a good warrior and a strong dragon. She could carry your son, I’m sure of it. Plus she would be a good equal for you. The entire palace knows you’ve been bedding her for over a year, and we all know how unheard of that type of record is when it comes to you and your women.”
“Enough, father.” Valonis growled, feeling fed up. No matter how serious their conversations were, they w
ould always turn back to marriage.
“What about some of the other ancient families? Talios would die to have you marry his daughter. Or Henrique! With your title son, you could have any wife you wanted. You just have to pick one!”
“Even a human one?” Valonis shot back with a grin.
His father’s face grew dark, and the old dragon finally had enough of the conversation. He would win the battle of the bride eventually, but this was not his night. He made his way towards the stairway, and then turned back at the last minute.
“You may think I don’t know a lot about your life but I know this. You are sleeping with over eight female shifters who would practically give their lives to be your bride and help you carry on tradition, but I truly believe that you would see them all die before doing what you’re actually told to do. You are selfish, Valonis.”
Valonis opened his mouth to fire back an insult, but stopped himself. If that’s how his father felt about him he wasn’t going to be able to change his mind. He knew he wasn’t going to produce an heir, not with a dragon at least, and even if he did start mating with willing humans there was no guarantee that ones he coupled with could produce an offspring. He would be damned if he was pressured into a loveless marriage when there was absolutely no reason to other than tradition or propriety.
Deciding not to say anything, Valonis bent down to scoop up his sketch pad, and then silently left the room. He had to find Falon, and see for himself what this pregnancy thing was about.
I’m sorry old friend. I should have visited you sooner. May the fire of our people warm both your mate and child.
Chapter 4: Genius Strikes Where it Pleases
“Come on Rachel!” Edmund slurred into the phone. “You passed the test! We both did! We should be celebrating!”