by Haley Weir
“There are reports of seismic activity in the Hudson Valley area, but nothing about battling dragons.” Crylaine bit into a lamb chop after answering him.
“Thank the stars for that. What happened after I passed out?”
“Arrlien and Scyros shifted along with you and dragged you out of the cave. They dog-paddled down the river until they reached the SUV and got you into the back. I dismembered the Serpentina and weighed her down with rocks. There was a cave in from the damage inflicted from the two of you smashing around, but it’s for the best because it covered up the blood evidence.”
“ No one was hurt? You are all okay?” There were collective nods and Crylaine answered again.
“We are well and pleased to see you’ve healed so quickly.” Drake was glad to hear it, but there was still the risk that the Serpentina would come after them, which was why he made the decision he did next.
“We are all moving to the city. The entire household. Hudson House is to be shut down for a while, until the Serpentina are eradicated. We will have to travel to meet them in battle, so the humans don’t find us out, but we can’t risk staying here anymore. Corey, you will accompany us as well. Find us a single dwelling to purchase so that there is room for us all. Be discreet with the purchase so the Serpentina can’t easily track us.”
The threat was abated for now, at least until nightfall. That was only a few hours away, but if the Serpentina didn’t hear from their fallen by tomorrow night, they would come looking for her.
“I already have a few dwellings here on RetailHomes.com my Lord.” Corey held out his tablet and Drake nodded to them. Any of them would do.
“Crylaine, Arrlien, you will fly with me tonight with Claire to reach the city. Scyros, you will keep safe Corey and drive the SUV to the new house. How soon can we purchase this house, Corey?”
“A couple of hours, my Lord. I can push it through quickly for an additional fee to the seller and the sales brokers and we will have it by nightfall. In the meantime, I will load up the SUV.”
“Thank you, Corey.” His thanks weren’t merely for handling the estate so swiftly, but for whatever he said to Claire as well. He was certain Corey had something to do with the warm welcome Claire had given him.
“You are most welcome, my Lord.” Corey bowed and scurried from the room.
“She is a woman of worth, Drakkain,” Crylain said. “She was ready to give her own blood if it meant saving you.”
Everyone’s eyebrows raised and turned to Crylaine. “Truly?” Drake asked.
“Yes, she is fierce about those she considers her own, and whether she has admitted it to herself or not, you are hers.”
Drake couldn’t have suppressed the smile even if he wanted to. His brothers were also looking bemused, and it seemed they had come to accept her. Drake suddenly found himself unable to tolerate being away from her any longer.
“Come and find me when all is ready. Pack only what you can fit in the SUV. I don’t want you encumbered by anything on the flight to the city tonight in case there is trouble. We can always make a few trips here to collect our belongings.”
His brothers nodded, and he returned to his bedroom. Claire was still sound asleep on the bed and he crawled in behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. She stirred in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open again. When she craned her neck to look back at him, she made a simple demand: “Kiss me.”
Chapter 9
Claire felt the hard press of Drake behind her, and she turned to demand that he kiss her. He obliged immediately. She lifted her leg and he pushed himself back inside her. His rhythm was slow and tempered like his kisses. It was both what she needed and what was driving her crazy, because she wanted it hard and fast, but Drake seemed to anticipate that her body was sore from the amount of tension she must have felt over the last 24 hours. .
Drake worked them both to orgasm. Instead of falling asleep this time, Claire played with his fingers which he held out in front of her. His arms were wrapped around her, cocooning her into his chest and she wanted nothing more than to stay like that forever.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
“Hmm?” he mumbled. His eyes were closed when she looked up at him.
“When you shift. Does it hurt?”
“No,” he began. “It is uncomfortable fitting myself back into a human form from a dragon, but it doesn’t hurt.”
“I would think it would hurt growing scales and wings and a tail. Like you split open,” she said.
“Quite the contrary. It is a relief, a release, like an orgasm.” Claire giggled and he kissed the top of her head. “By that I mean the pressure is relieved for a time.”
“I think I follow. You hold yourself in for so long, the pressure is bound to build until you shift and release.. I get it, I think.”
“Have you ever considered releasing yourself?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“What I mean is, whatever hurt you in the past needs to be released as well. It seems like it has started to release already, whether you would like it to or not. You lash out at people, and push others away to avoid getting hurt again,” he explained. Claire couldn’t argue with him, but didn’t know where to begin with all of this.
“There was someone in the past. He hurt me a lot. He used me, and then discarded me like I was nothing to him. After that, I told myself I wasn’t going to love anyone again the way I thought I loved him, because it hurt too much.”
“I see,” Drake said thoughtfully. Claire felt a rumble in Drake’s chest behind her. “And have you figured out that you are not the kind of person who can deny love?”
“Umm…I guess so. I never really saw myself as the lovey dovey type.”
“I wouldn’t say that you are the lovey dovey type, Claire. I would say that your love is explosive. It bursts out of you in almost volatile ways. It isn’t something that can be contained inside of you. Much like my dragon, your passion for life and the things you love cannot, and should not, be sheltered and kept hidden. I see it in your passion for history. You love people and you love the study of ancient cultures. You appreciate where they came from, and how we all got here.”
“I do love old things,” she responded. Claire stiffened when she felt Drake chuckle behind her..
“Are you saying you love…” Drake started.
“Let’s not push it, ok?”
“Fair enough.” He kissed the top of her head again and she settled back down. “I don’t expect passion to come bursting out of you at the drop of a hat. Since your midterm paper was burnt, you can just consider this your new project for the semester, opening up to people.”
“I hardly think that’s fair,” Claire pouted.
“All’s fair in love and war, or so the saying goes.”
“Yes, but this is school we are talking about, not war,” she argued.
“Same thing. An education is a constant battle for those willing to fight for it.”
“Why do you have to be so reasonable all the time?” she asked.
“For the same reason you have to be so irrational all the time. And stubborn, and…”
“Ok, I get it.” Claire hid her smile into the pillow and felt his lips on the side of her neck. She figured now was as good a time as any to ask the important questions, the ones she had since he returned from battle. “So, are we going back to the city? What is going to happen now that the midterms are burnt to a crisp? How am I going to explain my absence today? What are we going to do now?” she whispered the last question and felt Drake’s arms squeeze around her tighter.
“I will take care of your absence today. I can be very persuasive with the Dean,” Drake smirked.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“No, she’s not my type.”
“What is your type?” she asked.
“Claire LaFaevre,” he said confidently. Claire grinned, but fell silent. If he was willing to address all of her concerns, she would shut up and list
en. “We will return to the city tonight. Corey is purchasing a townhouse in Manhattan where we will all be moving. Hudson House isn’t safe until the Serpentina have been eradicated.”
“Understandable. Can he make a purchase that quickly?”
“Yes, he has built important contacts and resources over the years. Our Corey is a special person,” Drake explained.
“That he is. He told me what you all did for him.”
“Humans are every bit as important to me as dragons are, Claire. I lost touch with that for a while, in hiding. I will miss this home, but it is important to get back in touch with society Keeping our existence a secret was easy when I lived outside of the real world. But I have come to learn that only makes things more dangerous being so out of touch.”
“It will be hard for your warriors to leave home though, won’t it?” she asked.
“There’s the compassion I knew you were hiding,” he said. Claire couldn’t argue with him. She genuinely cared what happened to Corey and the warriors, but she was also concerned about what was going to happen with her and Drake. She still had reservations about letting people in. It would take a long time to fully overcome her pain and fear. The sting of it was still too raw, but she was immersed in Drake’s world now. he wanted to be part of it with him. She could sense the deep need for him to preserve his species and she could respect that. She wasn’t sure she was ready to actively participate in growing the numbers, but she wanted to be around to see them all safe. For her, that was a start. She didn’t have to voice this, she supposed he picked the emotions off her face.
“I want you to be around too. There is no need to rush anything between us, Claire. I want us to worke. I want our chance. We can go back to our routine at the college. I know that is important to you. I have the names and grades memorized, so even if the papers were destroyed in the fire, I remember them.”
“I suppose your excellent memory is compliments of centuries of living. I explored the house and saw the evidence,” she admitted.
“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you love old things.”
“Yes. But it doesn’t change the fact that you never read the papers. Now they are gone, and the students won’t get fair grades.”
“Do you honestly think I didn’t read them?” he asked, and hugged her tighter. Claire frowned in confusion.
“How? I had read one and you were almost halfway through all of the others.”
“Claire, I have the abilities of a dragon. Reading and processing is faster than humans. Memory is better than humans. I read all of them, I just wanted to put that passion of yours to the test. You fought hard for your fellow classmates, and I can appreciate that.”
Claire remained frozen in his arms as she took her human time to process what he was saying. Then she began to laugh. “Of all the tricky things anyone could pull on me, you had to pull that trick?”
“I’m a dragon, remember? We are clever and tricky, and when humans displease us…”
“We are crunchy and taste good with ketchup? Yeah, I’ve seen the bumper sticker,” Claire laughed and enjoyed the rumble of his chest. She closed her eyes, half convinced that all of this was just a dream. But the heat emanating behind her was a testament that she never had to feel the coldness of detachment again. She knew that in the days to come, learning about dragons and where she fit into their world was going to be a challenge. Claire found that was excited to learn about it all, and she couldn’t wait to see the world that Drake opened her up to.
“We need to get up. As much as I wish we could lie here like this for the rest of the night, Corey will be ready to go soon. We need to move before the Serpentina come after us. I want you safely back in the city before we re-engage with them,” Drake said.
“Ok, I understand. But I want you to know that I meant what I said. I’m used to taking care of myself, Drake.”
“I know. But we are warriors for a reason. So how about we compromise? My warriors need to acclimate and learn to survive in Manhattan. We could use someone to take care of us and teach us how to survive in the city amongst the humans.”
“That sounds like a fair trade to me. You sure your warriors want me around, though? I haven’t been the friendliest person to be around,” she worried.
“They will grow accustomed to your presence and I can assure you, they already respect you.”
“They do?” she asked, shocked.
“Yes, your loyalty impressed them. You stayed even when it would have been easier to run.”
“I never thought of it that way,” Claire admitted.
“I believe Corey had a hand in explaining that our ways are more complex than they seem?”
“That he did.”
“Good, I am glad to hear it.”
Claire turned in the bed to face Drake and gave him one more lingering kiss before they were forced to get dressed. They returned to the kitchen where the rest were waiting. Corey was ready to go with the loaded car.
Claire was all set with the idea of a leisurely trip back to the city in a luxury SUV. Then Drake shifted into dragon form in the foyer next to Crylaine and Arrlien and lowered his back so she could climb on.
“Absolutely not! No way!”
Chapter 10
Drake snorted at Claire, who stood with her hands on her hips. He hoped she would completely trust him after their candid conversation in the bedroom. He shifted back to human form.
“Claire, this is the best way to get you back to the city safely,” he told her.
“Why can’t I ride with Corey and Scyros?” she asked.
“Because if the Serpentina target the SUV, you would have nowhere to go to escape,” Drake explained.
“So, it’s okay for Corey and Scyros to do it?” she objected.
“There’s that compassion showing again. Look, they know the risks of being involved with dragons. Corey especially. He has the option of opting out at any time. He isn’t our prisoner, he is our brother.”
“Drake, the last time I rode on a dragon, it was one of the most terrifying rides of my life. You can’t really expect me to just hop on and hope for the best,” she explained.
“Do you trust me?” He sincerely hoped her answer was yes, and she was just having hesitations about the ride itself.
“Well, yes, but that’s not the point.”
“Please trust that I will keep you safe. Compromise, remember?” he reminded her.
Claire sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Drake could tell she didn’t see any way around this, and that she would go along.
“Alright. What do I do?” she asked.
“Sit between the ridges on my back. It will be the most comfortable place to sit, will leave my paws free in case of an attack. You can hold onto the ridge, they don’t get sharp until they reach my tail.”
“I only have a t-shirt and jeans on. The last time I just about froze to death.”
“Trust me, you won’t be cold.”
Claire glared at him for a moment before nodding. He shifted into his beastly form, and she marveled at the dragons standing before her. She blinked a few times, like she was trying to bring reality into focus. Drake’s scales stood out the most. They were silver, threaded with ebony. It indicated he was the oldest.
Claire used the crook of his paw to climb up and settle herself between the ridges on his spine. The flesh there was soft. She wrapped her arms around the silver ridge in front of her and he could feel her weight shift as she settled herself. He knew she couldn’t see straight ahead, so he turned his long head so that when she peaked around she could see him staring at her. He snorted in her direction, blowing warm air across her. He was trying to reassure her that everything would be alright. She shivered from a slight tremor of fear as he began to work his wings and take off from the platform. He felt her move slightly as the scales under her shifted and then he felt her slide back and bump into the ridge behind her, but she didn’t need to worry about falling off. She was cocooned in between the tw
o ridges and it was as secure as any ride. He knew she was safe because he could feel the slight nuances of her equilibrium shift to accommodate her balance. It reminded him of when she had climbed on top in bed and used his hands to balance herself. He was determined that once they were in the new house, he was going to take her straight to the bedroom so she could do it again. Drake bobbed his head to clear his mind and sharpen his focus so he could sense impending danger.
Once he was airborne, the ride itself evened out. He looked back and she sat upright, watching the land and the river below her glide past. Her arms developed goosebumps from the breeze, so Drake inhaled a large breath and held it. His insides warmed significantly, and the ridges in front and behind her began to glow. He slowly exhaled, giving her the sensation of a heated seat. He glanced back again and she was grinning. She looked happy and carefree. He saw the stars shine in her eyes as they flew higher and higher. When he reached a comfortable crusing altitude, he evened out the soaring of his wings and glanced back occasionally to watch her look at the moon.
If it were possible to take her to the moon, he would. He was the luckiest dragon of all time. He couldn’t believe that he had found someone he connected to so deeply. It meant everything to him. Lore said that dragons coveted gold and gems, and he had the best of both in this woman. She had a heart of gold, and was a true gem. He only hoped he had the fortitude to keep her safe and could win her over fully. Drake continued to lead the procession, flanked by Crylaine and Arrlien who kept close watch at his side. The trip was uneventful, and he perhaps shouldn’t have breathed the sigh of relief as they flew in over Central Park, because that was when disaster struck.
Chapter 11
Claire jerked and almost lost her grip when Arrlien’s body slammed into the side of Drake. She looked over and found a Serpentina had purposefully collided with him to throw him off balance. Claire screamed as Drake rolled into a dive. She clutched the ridge with every ounce of strength she had as he dodged another body slam. She felt the breeze of a huge claws swipe past them, barely missing Drake’s side.