The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1)

by Drako

  Andreas sighed. Seeing Kazarian again was like a blow to the gut. It brought back so many memories, of the good times after battles and of the last battle they were in together. He'd wanted to ask his father to see Kazarian so many times, but he was afraid to find out if Kazarian had been reincarnated. He was afraid to find out he'd been missing him out in the world. But now he knew. Kazarian had been left in the Elysian Fields and had stayed there all this time. But why? Why hadn't he been reincarnated? He'd deserved a real life, a happy life with a family and friends and someone who loved him.

  Andreas let out a low growl at the last thought. Perhaps that was pushing it a bit far. Kazarian was his, damn it, but he still deserved to have lived a full life at some point.

  Speaking of Kazarian, Andreas could actually smell him as he came into the room. That was strange. He could have sworn the dead had no smell in the real world. He turned his head to look towards Kazarian and winced in pain. Kazarian held up the vial.

  "Your father told me to put this on your burn," he told him.

  Andreas softened his gaze. "You're acting shy, Kazarian. You were never shy before."

  "Well, this is weird. I've been gone a long time."

  Andreas turned to lay down flat. "I can't put it on myself."

  Kazarian made his way over to the bed and sat next to him, then opened the vial and poured some of it down his back. The liquid was cool, definitely the desired effect. Andreas' skin across his back was red and raw from the burn and Kazarian hesitated to touch it.

  "Don't worry, it won't hurt me," Andreas assured him. "My father gave you this, so it's a healing oil. As you spread it, it will begin to repair the damage."

  Kazarian began to spread the oil across his back. He noticed that Andreas had actually gotten bigger since they were together. His muscles were far more defined and a different type of heat radiated from him. As he ran his hands across the broad back, he could practically feel the power in Andreas.

  "Don't you have questions?" Andreas asked him after a while.

  "I have lots of questions. I want to know so much, but some things you probably don't know the answer to."

  "Like what?"

  "Why you never tried to move on. I mean, you knew I was gone. You never looked for love. Only sex. Why?"

  Andreas sighed. "You know the answer, Kazarian. My heart and soul belong to you. Since I never found you, I never got attached."

  "But you didn't know for sure I was your soul mate. So why give up?"

  Andreas scowled even though Kazarian couldn't see it. "You died in my arms, Kazarian. I don't even know how I went through life at all after that. Nothing else hurt me that bad. Losing you was like losing half of myself. I've spent eleven thousand years lost, without you at my side. There has never been any doubt that you are my soul mate."

  Kazarian remained silent for several seconds before speaking. "I watched over you from the Elysian Fields. When we didn't meet up on the other side, I asked to be able to watch you here and there. I watched your first meeting with your father and the training you went through. I watched your first hunt. I watched you merely exist. It was hard for me, but I didn't want to be reincarnated. I didn't want to meet you again in life and be different from what you know."

  Andreas remained silent this time. He could feel the oil healing the burn, relieving him of the pain. When Kazarian stopped, Andreas sat up and looked into his eyes. They were clear again, not filled with rage and not tainted by pain. His skin was clear and Jarel had apparently conjured him some clothes, as he wore blue jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. He was smaller than Andreas, but that still made him pretty big by human standards. He was slimmer but still as toned as he was the day he died. Nothing had changed in his appearance at all. And even if it had, Andreas' wouldn't care. No one was more appealing than this man to him.

  "You have that look in your eyes," Kazarian told him.

  "What look?" Andreas asked, his eyes never leaving Kazarian's.

  "That look that means you want to pounce me."

  Andreas smiled a slow, seductive smile. "Dragons don't pounce. They tackle or maul."

  Kazarian rolled his eyes. "What's the difference?"

  Something flashed in Andreas' eyes, something animalistic and possessive. Kazarian smirked at it, seconds before Andreas did indeed, tackle him. Kazarian laughed softly as he found Andreas on top of him and Andreas leaned down, bringing their lips together.

  Right away, Kazarian felt a strange yet comforting heat come over him. The fire spread from his lips and went down through his chest, stomach, loins and all the way to his feet. It took several seconds for him to realize that this wasn't his hormones playing tricks on him, but a real heat flowing from Andreas into him. This heat was arousing, and he felt himself hardening.

  On top of him, Andreas felt the hardening and hardened himself, almost to the point of pain. As he pulled back just enough to look down into Kazarian's face, he exhaled slowly, realizing he'd actually held his breath in for the past few seconds. His breathing was already heavy, though not from being tired. The response of his body, the strange heat he was emitting and felt reflected back from Kazarian, this was the mark of a bonded dragon. He could pull back, halt the process, but he didn't want to. He wanted to be bound to Kazarian. This was his true soul mate, and there would be no turning back.

  It was getting quite warm in the room. Pretty soon they'd begin to sweat. Andreas rose up enough for Kazarian to sit up, and pulled his shirt off for him. Kazarian returned the favor and once again, their lips met. The heat intensified. The kiss, filled with the hunger born of long separation, was nonetheless soft and passionate. There was no struggle for control, no need to dominate. Andreas again broke the kiss, moving to the side of Kazarian's face and kissing down his jawline, to his neck. Here, he lingered, then lightly bit down, careful not to pierce the skin.

  Kazarian arched his back, enjoying the sensation and experiencing a strange hunger for something more, something he couldn't explain. But his mind was blurring as Andreas moved lower, kissing down his throat and to his chest. He came to his left nipple and flicked it with his tongue. He smiled as it hardened and he took it into his mouth, playing a bit more before he moved lower.

  Andreas stopped, just long enough to unfasten Kazarian's pants and pull them off. He waited several seconds, just looking at him. Kazarian was completely naked, and even more gorgeous. His skin so smooth, not much hair covering his body, even around his groin. He was certainly above average sized and now his skin was beginning to glisten.

  Kazarian sat up and reached for Andreas, unfastening his pants and springing him free. Andreas stepped out of his pants and took Kazarian's mouth again, lowering them both back to the bed as he did. Andreas positioned himself between Kazarian's legs so Kazarian wrapped his legs around Andreas' waist. The head of Andreas' member slid down and was poking at Kazarian's entry. Kazarian clenched down reflexively, though he was anticipating the connection. Andreas pulled back just barely with a smile.

  "I felt that," he commented.

  "So do something about it," Kazarian responded.

  Andreas laughed. "Yes, sir."

  Andreas pushed Kazarian's legs up around his head, and then lowered his own head down. Kazarian had only a few seconds to wonder what Andreas was up to before he felt something long and wet enter him. It wasn't Andreas' member that entered him as it was too short for that. No, it was his tongue. Kazarian couldn't deny the enjoyment of the feeling as Andreas swirled his tongue all around him, leaving his entrance wetter with each swirl. Andreas placed his hands under Kazarian's backside and lifted it up, giving him better access. He stopped for a moment, using his finger to spread the moisture around, then dove back in. The moans of Kazarian fueled him further until at last he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled back and lowered Kazarian back to the bed.

  It was sweltering in the room now, the heat an indication of the arousal of the two bonding males. Andreas leaned down, capturing Kazarian's mouth again while posit
ioning the head of his member at the entrance. He ran the head up and down, adding some of the moisture in it. He broke the kiss as he positioned himself again, then slowly eased the head in. Kazarian winced slightly at the intrusion and Andreas held back, keeping only the head in and letting him adjust. After a few seconds, he slowly eased in further, torturing himself as he tried not to hurt his lover. He stopped again when he was about halfway in, figuring his size might be too much for Kazarian to handle all of.

  Kazarian actually growled at him, noticeably irritated. Reaching forward, he grabbed a hold of Andreas' ass and pulled him in, forcing Andreas to go all the way in. It took a lot of willpower for Andreas not to explode right then, but he succeeded. Kazarian wrapped his legs tightly around Andreas' waist, his legs crossing right above Andreas' butt, making it easier for him to control the action. And finally, slowly, Andreas began to move.

  Kazarian couldn't hold back his first moan, enjoying a sensation that in all this time he'd forgotten. But he could remember now just how much he loved this feeling, this connection he shared with Andreas.

  Andreas began to pick up a little speed. He rose up on his arms, looking down into Kazarian's face, watching for any signs that he might have hurt him. Instead, he saw only a pleased look as Kazarian opened his eyes to look at him. From here, he couldn't resist the urge to pick up the speed a bit more.

  Andreas' sex drive was kicking into overdrive, and he couldn't be satisfied with just this one position. He stopped, and scooped Kazarian up, never once pulling out as he stood up with him in his arms. Kazarian wrapped his arms around Andreas' neck and held on. Andreas stood in the middle of the room and captured Kazarian's mouth again. Kazarian used his legs to move himself up and down, sliding himself up to the tip of Andreas' rather large member and then back down again. The sensation was pushing them both to the brink and the kiss was making it even harder to pull back.

  The inner beast roared and Andreas responded, pinning Kazarian up against the wall. Andreas could no longer hold back and began to ram into Kazarian while burying his face in his neck. Another urge could not be ignored as Andreas' fangs extended and he bit down, piercing the skin on the side of Kazarian's neck. To his surprise, blood flowed, and it was unlike any he'd had before. His brothers and sister all had a mild taste to their blood, at least on his tongue, but Kazarian's was like liquid fire, for lack of a better description. So many flavors danced across his tongue and his inner beast roared again in pure satisfaction. Kazarian moaned in ecstasy, as he felt no pain after the initial bite. The two exploded together as Kazarian's blood hit Andreas' tongue, an orgasm unlike any they'd had together before. It seemed to go on and on, as Andreas emptied himself inside Kazarian and Kazarian emptied himself all over Andreas' chest and stomach.

  After the aftershocks cooled off, Andreas stood holding Kazarian up the same as before. He'd pulled back from Kazarian's neck, and licked the wound, watching as it sealed itself again. He raised his head to look Kazarian in the eyes again.

  "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

  Kazarian smiled. "I'm fine."

  Andreas rested his forehead against Kazarian's. "This raises so many questions. I knew I was bonding myself to you, and I wanted it. But you bled. I didn't think this was possible to do with..."

  "I'm not exactly dead right now, from what I understand."

  Andreas looked up. "What do you mean?"

  "If I guess right, your father gave me my actual human body, at least for the duration of my stay."

  Andreas studied him for several seconds, then kissed him deeply. A few seconds later, he released him and slowly pulled out of him, then sat him down on his feet. Kazarian wasn't very steady on his feet, and Andreas held him up.

  "I guess now we'll have the time to do what we didn't do during our mortal life. I can actually hold you for a while after sex," Andreas commented.

  Kazarian smirked. "Yeah well, my legs seem to not be working, so how about helping me to the bed first?"

  Unseen by the two, Aphrodite stood looking over them with a smile.

  "Must you peep in on my son having sex? I'm sure that qualifies as some sort of incest, being that he's your nephew."

  Aphrodite turned to see Jarel next to her. "I'm the goddess of love, both emotional and sexual. I'm fully within my rights to make sure that all goes well. I do not peep."

  Jarel distinctively avoided looking at the two men lying in bed together. "It's still wrong. And why are you here?"

  "I've never seen a fully bonded dragon in action before. I must say, he does have some of his father's technique." Aphrodite grinned.

  Jarel rolled his eyes. "I do not want to know about my son's sexual capabilities."

  "Then why, Black Dragon God, are you here?" Aphrodite asked.

  "Because you're meddling," Jarel answered. "And at least I came after they were done. I'm sure you've been here the whole time."

  Aphrodite shrugged. "I'm merely doing my job. It was staggering to see a bonded dragon in action with his soul mate. But there is a problem, isn't there? Kazarian is dead. Though he has a body now, what happens when he returns to the Underworld?"

  Jarel sighed. "You know the answer to that well enough, Aphrodite. Andreas cannot survive in this world without Kazarian, not now that he's almost completely bonded to him."

  Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. "Almost?"

  "There is one last step to complete the bond, one that Andreas will not pursue. He must receive the blessing of both myself and Hera for their union. Then and only then is the bond fully complete."

  "You would certainly give your blessing, wouldn't you?"

  Jarel's face remained stoic. "With or without my blessing, when Kazarian returns to Hades, he takes my oldest living son with him. It's irrelevant what choice I make."

  Aphrodite's beautiful face turned into a frown. "Well, something must be done."

  "The only thing to do is ensure the safety of Odele and deal with the goddess protecting Kalos. From there, it's out of my hands."

  Twenty Seven

  Jarel returned to Solaris somewhat distracted. Appearing in his throne room, he took his usual seat. Covering his eyes with one hand and resting his head, he sat in brooding silence. That is, until he sensed the entrance of another presence in his abode.

  The Black Dragon God looked up as Cassandra entered his throne room.

  “To what do I owe the honor of your presence here?” he asked.

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “You speak strangely for a god.”

  Jarel smiled at her. “We Dragon Gods are not like the Olympian gods.”

  Cassandra studied him. “Yes, you are different.”

  Jarel gave no reply.

  “To answer your question, I merely came to speak with you. There’s something bothering me as of late.”

  Jarel straightened up on his throne. “I’ll answer what questions I can.”

  Cassandra stopped at the base of the throne platform. “I asked you before why you’ve never found love and you said you had, but she was out of your reach. Why is that?”

  Jarel gave a slightly pained look. “Some things even I can’t control.”

  “You’re lying.”

  The Black Dragon God’s eyes flashed. “You’re bold to stand and insult a god.”

  Cassandra stood her ground. “It’s not an insult if it’s true. As one of the oldest beings in existence, there is nothing and no one beyond your reach. Even if the woman was mortal and had died, you’re a god that can harness souls. You could merely retrieve her from Hades and let her reign here with you.”

  “Even my powers have limits. And my love was not mortal, though I cared for each of the mortal women that birthed my children. She was in fact a goddess, and nothing like those that mothered my children. She was not so needy or demanding.”

  Cassandra felt her curiosity grow. “What happened to this goddess?”

  Jarel looked down at her. “She exists still, though I cannot find her. She is a very powerful goddess and o
ur union simply cannot be.”

  “Why not?”

  Jarel sighed. “The goddess I love sealed herself away in a realm of her making, a realm beyond my reach. In order for us to be together, she would have to allow me to enter her realm. I have no idea where her realm is. Even Zeus doesn’t know.”

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “She must not be a goddess I’m familiar with.”

  Jarel gave a nod. “Most don’t remember her. Even most of the reigning gods have forgotten her. Those that know her fear her, and rightfully so.”

  “Who is she?”

  The god’s eyes flashed. “You’re awfully curious, Odele.”

  “That’s another question. Why do you only call me by my last name?”

  Jarel mumbled something that sounded like, “Habit.”

  “What?”

  “It’s nothing. I merely feel better calling you by your last name. Do you wish to be called only by your first name?” Jarel’s eyes seemed to bore right through her.

  Cassandra felt like squirming but managed to remain where she was. “I was just wondering. It’s rather strange. You don’t refer to anyone else by their last name.”

  Jarel gave her a bland stare. “Everyone you see me interact with either has no last name, or has my last name. If I call everyone Damone, how will they know who I’m talking to?”

  Cassandra had to concede that point. “It doesn’t make it any less weird.”

  Jarel shrugged. “Unless it seriously bothers you, I’ll continue to do it. But to answer your question, her name is Verlaine. She too is as old as the earth itself. As I created all that I have created, she created several other mythical entities. However, you rarely see them in the mortal world.”

  “What are her creations?”

  “Man has long believed in angels, fairies, elves, and the like. She is the goddess that created all these beings. They reside mostly in her realm, although angels appear frequently in the mortal realm.”