Kissed By The Dragon (Paranormal Shifter)

by JJ Jones

  The bear kept swinging, but the dragon only blocked and nipped at the limbs and face that closed in on him. I watched as blood was drawn and dripped onto the ground.

  “How.” I wondered and once again began to doubt my sanity as I watched the bear tear a chunk of flesh out of the dragon’s face.

  He was injured and it wasn’t getting any better. I rooted for the dragon, hoping that it would use its massive strength to stand against the bear that was attacking it. I knew the dragon should be able to beat a bear, but it wouldn’t fight it. I wanted to see the aggressor pay for his attacks, but the truth was, I didn’t know the entire story. I tried to remind myself of that fact. I tried to make myself see that the world was not always the way I saw it, and sometimes, there were things going on behind the scenes.

  I climbed into my car. I don’t know when it happened during the scene I had been watching, but somehow, I ended up in the driver’s seat of my car, watching with awe as the dragon backed into a statue, knocking it slightly off balance. The people around reacted to the groaning sound and started to point at the teetering metal image of a man. They started to open up their phones to call for assistance and I knew something had to happen soon. It was too public here and soon people would be in danger as they rushed to repair the hobbled metal giant near the fountain. The dragon must have noticed it too, but I didn’t know how it could have.

  It lumbered higher on its feet, spreading its wings and started to flap. I could see the buffet of wind affect everything around it. The world was struggling, flying to shreds and the heavy wind caused the bear to slide back almost ten feet before it could dig its vicious claws into the ground. The great green dragon continued to flap, and I was thrilled to see its feet start to lift off the ground. It was going to get away. Nothing in that moment could have made me happier to see that dragon escape from the combat.

  Once the bear realized that its foe had left the field of combat, it turned to me as I turned on the engine. It was coming toward me and I slammed the door of the car closed and left the parking lot as quickly as I could, watching the pursuer slip further and further away in my rearview mirror. I was exhausted and excited and ready to be safe inside of my own home.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I took about an hour to calm down when I reached my home. I had been watching over my shoulder for attacking bears the entire time I was out of my vehicle, but managed to make it into my apartment safely. I checked every room, every place something the size of a bear could hide in and quite a few hiding places that it couldn’t fit into. I was shaking and poured myself a glass of wine after securing my windows and doors. I had to do something. I had to say something, but I couldn’t figure out what I would say and who I would say it to.

  The world was drifting a little, sideways and the blurriness was starting to fade. It was becoming a little strange to think of it that way, but that didn’t matter. I was seeing things that I had only dreamed about before. I had touched a dragon, spoken to it, seen its pain and felt its heart. There was something intimate about that. It was strange, but I felt close to the creature in the park, the beast that had shielded me from the approaching bear and bowed its head to me.

  I had to call someone; I couldn’t be alone in a moment like that. And so, I called Alistair. I had to thank him for the flowers, anyway, and he had been at the party with me. He must have known that all of this existed somehow. Maybe he was the one who sent me the invitation. I glanced out the window as the phone rang and rang. There was something in the shadows again; something with glowing orange eyes staring up at me. I was certain it saw me and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  It was the bear. I knew it. The great furry beast had followed me home. Thinking about it while the phone went to voicemail I hung up. It was as if I knew the bear from somewhere, but I couldn’t place it. What kind of person would do something like that?

  Alistair hadn’t answered, and I didn’t like to leave messages so I watched the phone, hoping he would find it in himself to call back. I knew I had made a fool of myself at the party, but it didn’t matter. He had sent me flowers. He should return my call. I had to talk to someone and I knew that if I called one of my girlfriends, I would want to blurt out what happened at the park and they would probably have me committed. I didn’t want that to happen.

  I puttered around the house for a while, trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself. I decided on doing the dishes as I waited, hoping Alistair would call me back. I didn’t know why I felt the need to call him then, but I do now. Still, I was conflicted about it. Would I have the nerve to tell him about what I had seen? I didn’t know; probably not.

  I finished cleaning the kitchen when my phone rang. I ran to the living room where the phone sat on the couch waiting for me. My hands smelled of cleaning products, harsh, yet covered in some flowery scent.

  It was Alistair. “Hello!” I nearly shouted. I cleared my throat and started again. “Hey.”

  “It’s nice to hear from you again.” Alistair’s voice was thick. I could hear the pleasure in his voice. It was almost like he was purring, but not quite. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

  “I just wanted to thank you for the flowers.” I could hear my own voice echoing in my ear. I noticed that I was starting to mimic his speech patterns and made a conscious effort to stop doing that. It was creeping me out.

  “I hope we didn’t scare you too much.” He honestly sounded worried about it. There was something going on in the background, beneath his voice. Things were moving around, sharp metal sounds and the shifting of heavy objects.

  “It was a little freaky.” I congratulated myself on being able to maintain myself when I talked to him.

  “I’m sorry about that. It must be overwhelming for you.” He actually sounded like he was sorry. I had never heard that in a man’s voice before. I have to say that I liked the honesty behind his words.

  “I guess I just need to figure it all out. That’s going to take some time.”

  “I’ll be there to help you with whatever you need.” He promised, and I had no doubt that he would keep that promise.

  I didn’t know how to broach my next question, but I had to ask someone. “Is what I saw real?” I didn’t want to say the word to anyone else yet. I wasn’t sure if I was able to verbalize it by myself, even if no one else was listening.

  “The dragon?”

  “Yes. Was it real?”

  “It was very real.” His voice was grim.

  I think that he expected me to freak out, but I was already beyond that point in my life. I had seen too much and it was too late to turn back. I was stuck on this path for better or worse. “How do you know?” I was starting to shake.

  “I’ve always known.” There was confidence in his voice. He knew what he was talking about. It made me feel strange, off center somehow. I didn’t like it. I had to know.

  “Can you explain it to me?”

  “Do you have the time? It could take a while.”

  I gulped. “Maybe you should just come over and talk to me about it.”

  “Give me half an hour.” He kept his promise. A half hour later, he was at my doorstep, ringing my bell. If I had a doorman I might have had a chance to back out but there was no way to stop him from getting into the building. No security in my tiny apartment. I never felt like I needed it before. I looked through the peephole. Alistair was carrying a bag. I opened the door, gingerly with the chain still on.

  “Are you alone?”

  “Of course.” He made the promise again and for some reason, I knew it was the truth. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I picked up a lot of options.

  I sniffed deeply. “What is it?”

  “I know this great Chinese place on the way.” He grinned at me.

  “It smells fantastic.” I smiled back and unhooked the chain, letting him in. He walked in and I closed the door behind him, reattaching the chain and making sure everything was locked up tightly. I didn’t want that c
razy bear waltzing right in and disrupting my conversation.

  “Let me know what you want to know and I’ll try to answer.”

  “What does it all mean?” I blurted it out.

  “That’s a little broad.” He chuckled. “Can you narrow it down a bit so I know where to start?”

  “I don’t think I even know how.” I forced a smile. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “I didn’t have anything planned, no.” He smiled back at me. He was warm and genuine and I started to feel guilty for feeling so cross with him. “Let’s eat something and we’ll get to it.” He indicated the food that he had placed on the coffee table.

  “The kitchen.” I waved and walked in, looking out of the window again. The eyes were still there, staring at me. I shuddered and closed the blinds.

  “Is something wrong?” He walked up behind me, looking over my shoulder. My back brushed his chest and a warmth started to fill me. What was wrong with my body? I felt this incredible attraction to him and didn’t know why his touch did that to me.

  “Nothing.” I lied, but it didn’t matter. I could tell he had seen the eyes before I hid them from view.

  “How long has he been out there?” The humor had left his voice. There was something serious going on.

  “I don’t know. Since I got home, at least.” I shrugged, trying to play it off as less serious than it actually felt.

  Alistair didn’t respond at first, instead, he pulled out his phone and sent a text message. “I’ll have someone come by and run him off.”

  “Can you do that?” I was bewildered.

  “Sure can.” The non-formal language felt a little awkward coming from him, like he wasn’t used to saying it.

  “How?” It seemed like a natural progression.

  “I have a little pull.”

  “You’re being deliberately vague.” Frustration rose. “I want answers, not more questions.”

  “I’m fine answering questions, but those kind of questions are a little hard to answer if you don’t have some background.”

  It made sense, but I didn’t like the sound of it. “Fine, tell me about dragon blooded. Did someone go and do it with one of those things?”

  He laughed. “I never thought of it that way, but the answer is yes and no.”

  “Vague again.” I warned him, tapping my toe and shaking my head with a frown.

  “I’m sorry, let me explain.”

  He started to tell me that dragons had a human form, one that allowed them to take human lovers. The problem was, these human lovers wouldn’t be able to see the dragon when they took that shape. The children of these marriages could see them though, even the ones that weren’t able to take the form of the dragon. His explanation made sense. He told me that the dragon-blooded, as they were called, would often be linked to a specific dragon. They would feel a connection. It had actually become a part of their society and the way that they were born. It was something like a curse as well, because the dragons found they could only mate with the dragon-blooded that had been born linked with them. It was a strange way to keep a family tree.

  I still didn’t understand, but things were starting to clear up. My body started to react to these stories. I felt like there was a fire inside of me. I wanted to dance, to move, to do anything to get it out of me. I started to twitch as he moved through the story. I couldn’t help but notice the soft tint of his hair. My lighting was bad, but even in the horrible florescence made his hair take on an almost magical tint.

  I wanted to ask him if he was a dragon, if he was my dragon, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. I know that I had already met my dragon. I don’t know how I started to think of him that way, but I did during that talk. Or whether he was the beast in the park, in the courtyard, flying overhead while I drove down the street. No, I didn’t want to know who my dragon was yet. I wanted to wait to find out through experiments and careful planning.

  I looked at Alistair. He looked fantastic, in an old soft cotton t-shirt, probably vintage, and jeans that clung to his muscled thighs. I wanted him; there was no denying that.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, I’m sorry. Just distracted.” I licked my lips, my mouth was starting to feel dry as I answered him and embarrassed about the out of control turn my thoughts were starting to take. “How will I know if I am near the dragon that I’m supposed to be linked to?”

  “There are some ways to find out.” He told me, his voice growing a little deeper. “They say that when a dragon-blooded person comes near a dragon they’re linked to they get a strange increase in sex drive.”

  “Is that constant?” I was starting to understand.

  “I don’t know. There aren’t a lot of dragons left.”

  “What happened?”

  “It’s the natural order. Species die out when they can’t support their own populations.” He shrugged. “There’s only one in the area.”

  “Have I met the dragon?” I hoped he wouldn’t blurt out a name, but my mind was toying with possibilities.

  “Yes.” It was all he said but he looked embarrassed about it.

  “I think he’s close.” I let the hint clatter to the ground and he looked a little shocked by the possibility.

  He recovered quickly. “Really?” I didn’t know if he was happy or saddened by the prospect.

  “Really.” I was starting to feel a tugging in my groin and I sauntered over to him. When I leaned in to kiss him, he met me half way. My body tugged toward him, and he lifted me up, still tangling his lips on mine. I pointed and he carried me to the bedroom, following my silent instructions. He laid me on the bed and climbed over me. I spread my legs for him, and he settled in, fully clothed and began to kiss my neck, one of his hands running patterns under my shirt, reaching up to my side. I was still in office attire, a business suit with a skirt and black tights. My purple blouse was already untucked. I knew that I wanted more. I wanted him and all of him right in that moment. I felt insatiable, animalistic in my passion as he began to touch me. I liked the feeling. I felt free, unbridled by societies expectations, yet still bound enough to fully enjoy it.

  It didn’t take him long to get the hints my wiggling body was sending him and he worked my tights off of my body, taking my panties with it. I bit my lip to suppress a moan as I watched his jeans slip down over his thighs and his shirt peel off his perfectly chiseled chest. I loved it, every inch of his body touching mine, even through the clothes I was wearing. The silk of my shirt heated up between us and I could feel the friction of the buttons starting to chafe, but I didn’t care as his body started to move with mine as we thrusted and moaned together. We were in unison, two people speeding toward one climax, faster and faster we moved, fighting for breath and touch. We needed this, this release, this moment in the sun. Even though it was night, I felt the brightness start to take over and I started to separate two distinct parts of my body, fighting for control of the waves of passion that were tearing me to shreds in the most delectable way.

  He was starting to grunt. I had been screaming and I could feel him start to twitch, little jerking motions that let me know that the moment of passion was about to end. I knew that was going to miss it, but it was ending in the most bittersweet way. I couldn’t picture it any better than to see the passion on his face, making faces that spoke of pure unbridled pleasure as we crested the last hill together.

  I fell asleep in his arms after that, with a smile on my face, exhausted and sore in a great way.

  *

  I woke up in Alistair’s arms and knew that I was going to call into work that day. I wasn’t going to go in; instead, I had the wild idea to spend the day in his arms. My heart started to race at the idea. I had never played hooky before. It would be first time that I had ever missed a day of work and it would be for the most selfish reason known to man, in order to stay in bed with the handsome man next to me.

  Alistair must have felt my body start to stir. He moved his arm, pulling me closer. �
�Don’t wake up yet.” It was a sleepy voice, whispering in my ear.

  “I have to get my phone and call into work.” I told him.

  “Just don’t go in.” He was nuzzling my neck. “I’ll take care of you.”

  My heart thumped into my jaw. I kind of liked the idea, but that also bothered me. “No, I have to.”

  He groaned and let me go. “Hurry back.” I rushed out of the room, pulling my phone off the table and walking back into the bedroom.

  “Stay quiet.” I rubbed my eyes and dialed the number.

  He followed my instructions, but his hand reached out towards me. I batted it away while I recounted imaginary symptoms to my boss and he told me to stay home. He had no reason not to believe me. I had enough credibility for him to believe me. I put the phone down, ignoring the blinking battery light. I could charge it later. The blankets and the man called to me physically and I snuggled in next to him.

  “Glad to have you back.” There was still sleep in his voice.

  “Do you have to call anyone?” I made the offer.

  “Nope, one of the joys of being the boss.” His fingers started to trace circles on my arm and I snuggled in against his body. I had to admit that I was enjoying this. Our night had been crazy, full of romps and laughter. I had forgotten about dragons and it felt good to be stress free for the few hours that I had achieved. I didn’t want it to end.

  “Don’t get out of bed again.” It wasn’t an order, but it wasn’t quite a question, more like a statement about what he wished was going to happen. I was fully willing to give in to his request.

  I was still lounging in bed, somewhere between asleep and awake when the thumping started. I jumped, startled and noticed that Alistair was sitting straight up in bed beside me, the sheet held up to cover his nakedness. I thought that it was cute and tried not to snicker.