A Dragon's Heart: (Dragons of Paragon - Book 1)

by Jan Dockter

  Isabel could feel a weight being dropped to her chest. It’s not like she didn’t know it from the very beginning: this whole thing, start to finish, rested on her, and her only. Everyone else was at the periphery, or at least that’s what it seemed like. Ultimately, when Oz had done his part as the orator, when Jared has done his part as the loyal follower, when Ava has done her part as the gutsy rebel, it was only Isabel who remained.

  “And what about Presten?” Abeo asked. “Isn’t he the chosen one, too?”

  “Ah, I’m glad you asked,” Oz said, his lips curving to a wry smile. “Do you know why I never mentioned him, even though he’s the chosen one?”

  “Because no one knows him,” a voice said from the far end of the room. Isabel turned around to see who it was. To her surprise, it was a girl she had never spoken to before; she was one of the people they had summoned outside the old mansion, but she hadn’t really gotten the chance to get to know her.

  “This woman is a goldmine,” Oz said, his pearly teeth showing through his smile as he looked at the woman who had spoken. “Tell me, what’s your name?”

  “Abigail,” the woman said, hugging her knees to her chest.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Abigail. Do you mind telling us a little about yourself?”

  “I’m a shapeshifter,” she said, her hands clasped around her ankles. “That’s pretty much it.”

  Isabel opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She and Oz exchanged brief glances before he smiled again, trying to conceal his confusion. Isabel was weary of shapeshifters, especially after what happened with Mikael. This woman was dangerous and she had to be recognized as such. “Interesting,” Oz said after a long pause. “I’d love to get to know you after our meeting… if that’s okay with you, of course.”

  Abigail just nodded and looked away. It wasn’t like she was uninterested, but there was something weird about her, something peculiar. Isabel thought maybe she was just introverted, but then again, she knew nothing about her or where she came from. It was a bit worrying.

  “Now, back to what we were saying… the council doesn’t know Presten. Or, of course they ‘know’ him, they just wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him,” Oz said, searching their faces for a reaction. “And so, that makes him our secret weapon. What do you think, Presten?”

  “I think you’re absolutely right,” he said, peering at Isabel. She was still stuck in her own head.

  “So basically, I’m the front, Presten’s our secret weapon, the hostages are the bait,” she said finally.

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, I think we’ve got most things sorted out,” Ava said, rising to her feet. “I have a good feeling about this.”

  “Will you sit back down?” Oz asked, agitated. “We still have a lot to cover, right now we’re just trying to figure out where we are.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were my college lecturer,” Ava said, folding both arms across her chest. Of all the girls that Oz knew, Ava was probably the sassiest.

  “I’m sorry,” he said after a pause. “I just don’t want us to screw this up, because if we do, we might never get another chance.”

  “We’re not going to screw up,” Ava said, slumping back down on the floor. She sat cross-legged, gawking at Oz as he tried to gather his thoughts. “We’re a strong group, I think we’ll be okay.”

  “Alright, well, the night is still young, ladies and gentlemen! We have a lot of time on our hands… and a lot more planning.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Isabel was dead tired. It was approaching four AM; she had been stuck in the same position for hours now. She rose to her feet, cursing under her breath, as her legs seemed to have fallen asleep. When she peered out of the window, all she saw was the blue dark seeping into the room. “I think we should call it a day,” she said finally.

  “I think so, too,” Ava said, rising to her feet as well. “I’m gonna go out for a walk right now, anyone wanna join me?”

  “I do,” Abeo said, getting up on his elbows and bouncing to his feet. Solange followed, and so did Abigail. One by one, the rest of them began pouring out of the room, flashing Oz a coy smile as they did so.

  “Well, I guess that just leaves the three of us,” Presten said, cocking his head towards Isabel. She smiled at him and averted her gaze to Oz, who had finally settled in one place. At one point during the night Isabel began to wonder if he would dig a hole in the ground just pacing back and forth. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming urge come over her. She could see Presten out of the corner of her eye; he was gawking at her, following her every move. The bed looked tempting despite the spotted sheets and she could see herself crawling under the covers with not one, but both of them. Silence settled in the air; Isabel knew something was going to happen. She said to herself that she wouldn’t even try to stop it.

  “Well, what do you feel like doing?” Oz asked, his eyes fixated on Isabel. He didn’t even look at Presten; it was like he wasn’t even there.

  “What do you feel like doing?” she asked, her eyes darting from Oz, to Presten, and then to Oz again. The two men couldn’t even stand being in the same room together, let alone the same bed, with the same girl. Oz was so protective over Isabel, but then again, so was Presten. They had both grown so fond of her, that it was difficult, almost impossible, for her to imagine them allowing her fantasy to come true.

  “You tell us what you’d like us to do, and we’ll do it,” Presten said boldly. He eyed Isabel with such lust, such passion, that she felt the need to be fucked by him, right then and there. But not only him… Oz was just standing there, gawking at them, biting his bottom lip and then clenching his jaw. He couldn’t stand the idea of another man being with her, but the thought of fucking her with Presten around was so compelling. He wanted to blow her mind, to make her wish she never even considered another man in the first place. He could see it in her eyes, how much she wanted to be fucked by him. And he could see it in Presten’s eyes, too. He wasn’t all that competitive. In fact, he didn’t love Isabel half as much as Oz did. Oz just wanted him to be a bystander, to show him that nothing and nobody could make Isabel feel the way she did when she was with him.

  “I’m hungry,” Isabel said, her lips barely moving. The words slipped out of her mouth like dark confessions and when she raised her eyes to Oz, he was already smiling. He had been waiting to hear her say these words.

  “And what do you want us to do about that?” Oz asked, stepping in closer to her. His hands were stuffed inside the pockets of his jacket, and when he came close enough, Isabel went ahead and kissed him. She felt his lips caress hers softly at first, and as her hunger grew, her hand wrapped around the back of his head and Oz’s hands grasped her waist as their kiss intensified.

  Presten watched the couple with a small smile on his face, but deep down, he knew there was no way he could just sit back and watch. The scene in front of him was mesmerizing and when Oz’s hands slid Isabel’s robe off her body, her naked curves on full display, Presten felt his cock instantly grow hard in his pants. He got up, slowly, calmly, straining to maintain his control as he walked up behind Isabel and rested a hand on the small of her back.

  Isabel broke the kiss and looked back at Presten. A part of her longed for him, while the rest of her body itched for Oz. She remembered the last time she had been between two men, when Gavin had shared her with the angel, but something told her that this would be different. She could feel it with every goose bump that broke out across her skin.

  Presten pushed up against her, his hardness nestled against her cheeks as Oz brought her face back to him and kissed her again. Her hands quickly stripped him of his shirt and as she was about to remove his pants, she felt herself being turned around forcefully to face Presten.

  She gazed into his eyes and the smile on his face reflected exactly what he was thinking. He knew how hungry she was and exactly how far she was willing to go to quench that feeling. With a strong hand on her shoulder, he
pushed her down onto her knees in front of him. He slid his pants down, revealing himself to her and she wrapped a hand around his thigh as she let her tongue slide up and down his shaft. She heard a sharp intake of breath from above her and she smiled seductively before taking him into her mouth. Her lips wrapped around him, sliding him in as far as she could take him.

  There was a flutter of clothes behind her and she slipped Presten’s cock out of her mouth to turn and look at the chiseled nakedness of Oz. She felt herself get instantly wet at the thought of running her hands across his skin, the feel of his muscles at the tips of her fingers. She wrapped a hand around his cock, bringing him closer, and swallowed him into her mouth. Isabel looked up at the angel and she could see the challenging smile he shot at Presten.

  She alternated between the two, hungrily attacking them, a feeling of unbridled sexual desire racing through her. She made her mind up quickly as she watched the reactions on their faces, the mix of smile and desire, the tension that was building up. She was going to have them both, right here, right now.

  Isabel stood up, quickly jumping to her feet as she pushed Oz back and onto the couch. She wasted no time straddling him and with a quick motion guided his cock to her pussy and slid him in. He entered her easily, effortlessly, penetrating deep inside her as she moaned in pleasure. She looked back at Presten and gestured to him and when he was close enough, pulled him onto the couch beside Oz as she began to ride the cock inside her.

  Isabel bent down, taking Presten’s cock into her mouth as her hips moved against Oz. Her pace quickened, the fever and lust inside of her growing at the feeling of both men inside her and she felt a tingle race up and down her spine. She hadn’t expected how much pleasure this would give her and despite her conflicting feelings for Oz and her hunger to be satisfied by both men, she found herself reveling in the rush of emotions coursing through her.

  Presten suddenly stood up, his cock sliding out of Isabel’s mouth, and he moved behind her. She looked over her shoulder, knowing fully what he intended to do as her hips bounced up and down on Oz. She met his eyes and as he positioned himself directly behind her, she pushed a hand against his chest and slowed her pace.

  “Slowly,” she said, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling. She felt Oz’s lips wrap around one of her nipples and suck hard, and she closed her eyes against the needed distraction. She waited, losing herself in the attention Oz was giving her breasts, and inhaled sharply as she felt Presten push against her from behind.

  Slowly, carefully, he slid inside, and she clenched her teeth against the pain of being stretched in places she had never been stretched before. Presten’s hands squeezed her cheeks as he continued to enter her. Fire shot up from her asshole and through her body and she wrapped her arms tight around Oz’s neck.

  Then Presten stopped. She waited for the pain to subside and Presten was patient enough to give her the few seconds she needed to get accustomed to his cock inside her. She opened her eyes and gazed into Oz’s and he gave her a reassuring smile.

  “You’re okay,” he said, brushing the hair from her face.

  Isabel nodded, and Presten began to pull out slowly, and then push back in. He took it slow, and after a few strokes, the pain had subsided and all Isabel could feel was the pleasure that came with his movements. She began to move her hips against him and gasped at the dual feeling of both Oz and Presten inside her. Presten picked up the pace, reacting to her movements, knowing that she no longer needed the gentle treatment.

  Isabel pushed up against Oz’s shoulder, staring down at him, their eyes locked as she moaned in pleasure. A mix of emotions raced through her then. For some reason, she was almost glad she couldn’t see Presten. She was loving every inch of them inside her, the feeling she was getting as both man slammed against her, faster and harder. Yet, she could only see Oz, and it was almost as if this fulfillment was an intimate feeling between the two of them alone.

  Presten began to slam harder against her and Isabel knew it was more a way of reinforcing his presence than sexual desire. She let him have his way with her and soon she was screaming in orgasm, both cocks sliding in and out of her and sending bolts of electricity shooting through her.

  She looked down at Oz, his eyes rolling in their sockets, and knew he was close. She picked up the pace, and Presten picked up his, and with a few more grinds, Oz grabbed her by the waist and exploded inside her. She felt Presten bulge, as if growing in size, and soon he too was coming hard, thrusting deep as he emptied himself. Isabel felt another wave of orgasms course through her, and she collapsed on top of Oz just as Presten pulled out of her.

  “What do you say we move this somewhere a little more comfortable?” Presten asked.

  Isabel looked at Oz, his chest beaded with sweat, his breaths coming in deep inhales and exhales.

  “Still hungry?” he asked her.

  Isabel smiled and licked her lips. “Always.”

  ***

  “Today’s the big day,” Isabel said, climbing out of bed, slipping into her robe and preparing to step out into the world again. Presten had already left a few hours ago and she was alone with Oz, who had been cuddled up beside her. He got up and looked at her, a triumphant smile on his face.

  “I have a feeling we’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ve already spent a whole night planning… I know what I’m going to say, you know what you’re going to say. Our thoughts are in order. What could possibly go wrong, right?”

  “You know what happened the last time a man said that?” she asked with a smirk on her face.

  “He died?” Oz asked, putting his shoes back on. Isabel smiled and nodded at him. She got up, dusted herself off and took his hand, leading the way out of the room. They made out a little in the hallway, until Abeo appeared around the corner.

  “Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said, his lips curving to a smile.

  “No, no,” Oz said, shaking his head frantically. “We’ve got to go now, all of us. We need to start making our way to the council.” It took a couple of minutes to assemble everyone out in the courtyard, and once Isabel had made sure everyone was present, she led the way to the bus station again. They got on the bus and immediately retreated into their own little bubble of silence. They knew better than to speak of their lives in public. Isabel was lost in her own little world, her eyes growing more accustomed to the surrounding landscape. She told herself that, as soon as they get that visit to the council over with, she would reward herself with a day on the beach.

  “Let’s get off here,” she said, getting up. “Alright, you guys, we’ve still got a long hike ahead of us, so before we start up the hill, I suggest we have a coffee here,” she pointed to a small coffee shop nested under the trees at the bottom of the hill.

  “I’m dying for some coffee,” Abeo said, practically sprinting to the shop.

  “I’m gonna go stand in line,” Isabel said, making a beeline for the cashier. She got on her tiptoes and peered at the people standing in queue. “That’s a long ass line,” she said to herself. Suddenly she felt like something was tugging at her robe, so she turned around, and, realizing it was only a little girl, she smiled and ignored it. Wait, what the fuck? A pair of bloody eyes stared back at her; Isabel didn’t know whether to run or ask the mother if her child was okay. She almost resembled a porcelain doll in the way her curly hair fell down her back. Her eyes were glazed over, her lips were slightly parted and her skin was the palest Isabel had ever seen. Something told her to get away, to ditch the breakfast while she still could. Suddenly her eyes darted to the mother; there was nothing comforting about watching her, either. Isabel felt a strange sense of recognition towards them, like she had seen them somewhere before, in another dimension, perhaps. But there was something unsettling about the way they stared at everyone, how they seemed to be gawking at the people in line like predators stalking their prey.

  “Isabel, you’re taking too long!” she heard a voice say. She recognized it as Abeo’s, who was pr
obably just joking with her.

  “I’m coming!” she said after a long pause. She poked out of the line like a splinter and walked back to them, a worried look on her face. “Guys,” she started.

  “Alright, I think that’s all of us,” Oz said, not paying any attention to Isabel. It looked to her like no one could hear her cries for help. It was like she had just come in contact with the devil, like she was forced to be in his presence for what felt to her like an eternity. Nothing had ever made her more uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. As they exited the coffee shop and started walking and she found herself peering behind herself every couple of seconds, trying to make sure that no one was following them.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Presten asked, worried. His eyebrows were knitted together, and he looked at Isabel like her water had just broke. “Isabel, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she said after a long while of staring out into the distance.

  “Isabel, you seem distracted,” Oz said, glancing at her briefly before he led the pack to a large patch of shade at the very bottom of the hill. His eyes darted from one person to the other, as if counting all the kids at a field trip. “On our way up, please be careful,” he said, his hands clasped behind his back. “We’re here to make our presence known, but that doesn’t mean we should cause a racket on our way up.”