She dropped down atop him, his cock still inside of her; she couldn’t imagine wanting it anywhere else.
“Zala,” he said, kissing her, his intensity gone and only tenderness remaining. He stroked her face and rubbed her back. “I’m so glad you told me your name.”
“Me too.” She kissed him back, though such a satisfied weariness filled her that she soon wanted nothing more than to lie on his chest, limbs entwined, claiming each other.
“I knew you would be wonderful,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear.
She chuckled, too tired to protest. Praise for her sword-fighting ability, she understood and accepted, but praise for acts in the bedroom—or on a cot? What a silly thing. Yet his words warmed her soul, the fact that he had clearly enjoyed himself making her happy. One day soon, he would be a dragon again, and he would forget her and human lovemaking, but for the time being, he was hers.
“You laugh, but I knew.” He ran his hand down her back to cup her ass. “I’ve known since you killed Scarkoft in the pit.” His voice grew harder, almost intense again. “My interest was for you, only you. It’s always for you.”
She shivered at that intensity, but liked it. Whether she should care this much about him was debatable, but she liked his words very much. “Good.” She lifted herself slightly, so she could look down into his face, into his eyes. She could lose herself in those eyes. “I want you to be mine. Only mine.”
The responding rumble in his throat might have been a growl or a purr, but there was no mistaking the satisfaction on his face or the swell of his cock inside of her. A moment ago, she had been thinking of rest, but now she kissed him again, realizing they wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.
Chapter 11
Talon did not have any nightmares about Scarkoft that night, so he woke smiling. The gesture faded when he realized Zala no longer lay curled in front of him on the cot. When he opened his eyes, he spotted her next to a lantern in the corner of the tent. The faint promise of dawn crept in around the edges of the door flap, but she sat, studying a game of tiles spread out on a blanket as she nibbled leathery trail rations.
Talon’s smile returned. This was a much more pleasant way to awaken than on the cold, desert ground, with the taskmasters cracking their whips. With the smirking Scarkoft always nearby. Last night, Talon had worried that the similarities between that enforced mating with Scarkoft and mating with Zala might cause him to falter, but being with her had made everything so different. The acts had shared no similarities at all. He hadn’t been helpless. He had been equally in control, albeit happy to take suggestions from her. His smile widened at the memory of how well those suggestions had been received.
A pleasant aroma teased Talon’s nostrils. A mug resting by Zala’s knee seemed to be the source of the scent.
Though curious about it, Talon lay on his side, unmoving as he watched Zala with a feeling of contentment. She had donned her uniform again, so he had no view of her exquisite body, but he had memorized it with his eyes and his hands the night before. He looked forward to seeing it again, to having her ride him like a horse again. Or like a dragon. Not that dragons had ever been ridden by humans, but perhaps he could be the first. He felt pleased that she wanted to ride him. A day earlier, he had wondered if she would ever let him touch her, but then she had invited him into her tent and shown him passion and pleasure such as he had never known as a dragon. Even better, she’d told him she wanted him to be hers and only hers. He did not know how they could make that happen, but he planned to find a way.
“Do you want some coffee, Talon?” she asked, glancing at him as she flipped one of her tiles.
Of course she had known he was awake. She was always alert, always the soldier.
“That is what you’re drinking? I will try it.”
He pushed himself to his feet, wondering if he should put that soldier’s uniform on again. He found it scratchy, and it simply put obstacles between them when they wished to mate, but clothing seemed a requirement for human society. Zala had folded the garments and left them beside the bed. As he picked them up, he noticed her looking at him, her gaze sliding up and down his body. That simple look sent blood flooding into his groin and brought thoughts of last night rushing to his head.
He paused before donning the trousers, knowing they would be uncomfortable to put on with a burgeoning erection.
Zala rose to her feet.
“You wish to mate again?” Talon asked hopefully.
“I think you wore me out last night. And there’s no time. The camp is stirring, and we need to head out. I’ll get you a mug of coffee while you dress.” She headed to the door flap, but paused to kiss him on the way out, her lips leaving fire where they touched. Far too soon, she drew back.
Her jacket brushed his penis, and it sprang from partial awareness of her to fully awake and aroused. Before he knew what he was doing, Talon stepped after her and caught her arm, stopping her. He watched her, not wanting to anger her by presuming too much, but he believed the expression that flickered across her face was more one of consideration than one of annoyance. He closed the distance, capturing her from behind and kissing her neck.
“Talon, there isn’t time for—”
“I would rather have you than a beverage,” he said, nuzzling her ear. He pulled her back against him, his erection pressing eagerly into the back of her jacket. “Perhaps if we skipped the drink...”
“This is what I get for starting a relationship with a young man. You’re hornier than a teenager.”
He didn’t quite know what that meant, but he offered an agreeable, “Yes.”
Noises came from outside the tent, the bang of a pan, the voices of men helping each other take a nearby tent down.
Zala looked toward the flap and shook her head. “There isn’t time.”
“I very much liked when you used your mouth on me,” he said, trying once more. If she was tired and did not want to take off all of her clothes, perhaps she would consider bringing him to his climax. That could be done quickly. He could use his hand, but her mouth had been so much better. It had been better than flying, and he hadn’t thought anything could be better than flying.
She did not answer right away, and he dared hope she was considering it. “You like negotiations, yes?” He kissed her neck again and massaged her through her uniform. “I’ll let you ride me whenever you want.”
She snorted. “I rode you last night.”
“As a dragon,” he breathed in her ear.
“Whenever I want?” She sounded intrigued. “I assumed you would go back to your kind once I freed you.”
“I prefer spending time with you.” His groin throbbed in agreement. He fought the urge to rub against her, though the idea of having Zala on his back and showing her what it was like to fly had him almost as excited as the idea of her wrapping her sweet lips around him.
Her breathing seemed quicker than it had been before. Were his words getting her slightly excited too? He inhaled her scent, trying to decide if she smelled of arousal, then lowered his hand from her waist to her thighs. He slipped his fingers between her legs, rubbing her through her clothing. She drew in a long, shuddering breath, leaning her head back against him.
“If you wish to join with me, we can both find satisfaction,” he whispered.
Another clank came from nearby. She straightened and pushed his hand away. “No.”
Zala stepped out of his arms, and cold air replaced the warmth of her body against his groin. Even though the rational part of his mind knew they would have another chance to join, maybe even that night, a powerful disappointment flooded him.
But she didn’t walk away. She turned to face him, a smile curving her lips.
“Just you, Dragon Eyes.” She stepped closer, grasping him lightly, her fingers teasing him. “And I want that ride later.”
His entire body swelled with pleasure. “You shall have it, as often as you like.”
Judging by the wistful expression that
crossed her face, she doubted him. Did she not believe he would wish to be a part of her life after he was freed? Once the collar was off, he would show her that it would change nothing between them, but for now, she was lowering herself to her knees, her eyes locked onto his as she rubbed him with her hand and took him into her mouth. All thought stampeded out of his brain. For a long time, he gazed down at her, relishing the sight of her touching him so intimately. But the pleasure sweeping through him grew too much, and his head fell back as his fingers clenched and released at his sides. She handled him more expertly than his own hands ever had, sucking and licking, teasing and tracing, the mixture of moist and hot utterly delicious.
He was seconds from finding his release when the tent flap lifted, and a man stuck his head in. “General, we’re ready to, uh... Uh.” The man’s eyes bulged as he spotted his commander on her knees in front of Talon. “Never mind.”
The man scrambled back, the tent flap falling shut. All Talon wanted was for Zala to finish, but she swore vehemently and jumped to her feet.
She grabbed her sword belt, paced in agitation for a moment, as if she didn’t know where to go or what to do, then gave him an exasperated look. “Get dressed, Talon,” she said and strode out.
Talon looked at the clothes that had fallen to the ground when he had hugged her, and at his erect penis, still hoping for attention, to find release. It wouldn’t come from Zala, he realized, and he couldn’t blame her for that. Admittedly, he had not been worrying about her troops before, because they meant nothing to him, but now he imagined what would have happened if he had ever been caught mating with some prisoner, some human prisoner. He would have been ridiculed and shunned, if not to his fangs, then certainly behind his tail. Perhaps for her it would be even worse.
Part 2
Chapter 12
A faint light came from ahead, from around the bend in one of the myriad tunnels Zala’s infiltration team had spent the last four days navigating. It brightened the uneven earthen walls, the passages carved out by picks and shovels over several years. Dampness moistened those walls, water dribbling down and joining a tiny stream that ran down the middle of the tunnel, trickling past the boots of Zala and her infiltration team.
These were not the passages beneath Mount Slash, not the ones they would need Talon to guide them through. These were a part of the extensive subterranean network that her people had been using for years. Copious tunnels led to and around the outskirts of the underground warrens where humans had found safety.
The journey was taking longer than it normally would since Zala hadn’t wanted to bring Talon through any of their settlements or into well-traveled areas, especially when everyone on her team was questioning her and her decision to rely on him. Oh, they didn’t openly question her, but she heard the whispers, saw the looks exchanged when they thought she had her back turned. The gossip had spread, and everyone knew their general had been having sex with their prisoner. Because of that, they now doubted her, believing Talon held some magical sway over her.
They also regarded him with more wariness than they had before, and even though these were familiar passages where dragons had never been seen, they seemed nervous every time they came to a dark intersection. They fingered their weapons and peered into the dim recesses as if they expected an ambush at any moment. Nobody had tried to get out of the mission, but she could feel her people’s loss of confidence in her, and that stung. She even caught Colonel Sandirr giving her concerned glances whenever Talon stood close to her. As if he hadn’t been the one to suggest that she seduce Talon. Apparently, he hadn’t meant for his suggestion to include the sucking of cocks. He probably considered that degrading, something prostitutes might do for money, not something a general should do for anyone, certainly not some prisoner.
Zala had not thought of Talon as a prisoner from the beginning, from that first instant when her sword alerted her that he was a dragon. They’d had a deal. That was all. She had not considered him someone she controlled or should control. She wasn’t sure if it should bother her that he had caught her arm back in that tent, pulling her close and asking for her to use her mouth on him. He hadn’t insisted—it wasn’t as if he controlled her—but she had wanted to please him, even though she had known she should have been attending to her duty then. He might not control her, but he definitely had a hold over her, and that did worry her a little. Her body tingled at the memory of their night together, and she found herself looking back to make sure he wasn’t far.
She had ignored his brushes against her during the days of this journey, and the way he had propositioned her with his eyes even though he did not speak of sex. She had resisted the urge to skulk off into an alcove with him at night. She didn’t want her people thinking that she couldn’t keep her hands off him, or that they couldn’t trust her because her lust was controlling her. A ludicrous notion.
Zala slowed to a stop at the bend. She peered into the gloom behind Talon, who stood by her shoulder, as he usually did now, and waved for Vorkan to approach.
Twenty-five men and women made up the infiltration team, including Vorkan and Lieutenant Salena. The group had heretofore passed silently through the tunnels, under the desert and then under the mountains, even their own people never knowing of their passing. But the jungle waited up ahead, and that was a dragon stronghold these days. The great, scaled creatures seemed to love the lush foliage, the humidity and heat, and the plentiful water sources. They would be all over out there, and unfortunately, this was as close as Zala’s team could get to Mount Slash without walking in the open. When they reached the extinct volcano that held the dragon headquarters, they should be able to slip into another set of tunnels, the ones Colonel Sandirr and his spy team had discovered before. Once inside, she hoped it would be hard for the large dragons to swoop in and attack them. Talon could lead them to the top of the mountain, and they could put to use the black powder explosives her team carried. She had not mentioned them to Talon and hoped he would not be angry when he found out, that he wouldn’t resent them trying to take out as many dragons as they could, not just the king.
“Need to get there before worrying about that,” Zala muttered to herself.
Vorkan trotted up to join her, his bow on his back, the tip scraping against the low ceiling as he neared.
“Ma’am?” Vorkan eyed Talon, then pointedly turned his back on him.
“Scout ahead,” Zala said. “Not far, but let us know if you spot any dragons and what time of day it is too. We’ll wait until dark to make the crossing to Mount Slash, but I want an idea if anyone is waiting for us.” She glanced at Talon—no, at his collar. “I’m hoping that the female wasn’t able to track him while we were underground, but it is a possibility.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Vorkan trotted for the end of the tunnel, Colonel Sandirr finished a conversation with a couple of junior officers and walked up to join her. “A word, General?” He looked at Talon, the only person standing close, then tilted his head toward a spot farther up the tunnel.
Zala followed him, glancing back to make sure Talon did not follow. He often reminded her of someone’s bodyguard in the way he stayed close, watching her and glaring to keep the rest of the world away. But she didn’t need a bodyguard.
“Some concerns have been voiced to me, Zala,” Sandirr said quietly. “Concerns I thought you should hear about.”
“Go on,” she said, though she was cringing inside. She had already heard the gossip and could guess the basis for these concerns.
“Some of the men worry that this has all been a set up, that your prisoner is leading us into a trap.”
“Coming here was my idea. With that collar, he can’t communicate with his people, so he couldn’t have warned anyone of our plans.” Or so she hoped.
“Dragons have mind powers. Perhaps the collar isn’t real. You and I don’t have magic, so we have no true way to know. It could all be an elaborate ruse to rid us of two storm swords.”
“It’s just... without precedent.”
“I know, but he seems to be unique among his people.”
Sandirr looked frankly at her, but he kept his mouth shut. If he thought she was talking about Talon’s cock being unique, she was glad he didn’t voice the words.
Vorkan returned sooner than Zala had expected.
“Trouble?” she asked.
“It depends.” Vorkan’s gaze flicked to the storm sword sheathed at her waist. “Would you consider four dragons waiting in front of the entrance to the tunnels to be trouble or a warm-up battle?”
“Dragons are always trouble.” Four of them. Zala grimaced. Even with her team behind her, there was no way she and Salena could handle so many.
“Tell me about it.” Vorkan frowned at Talon.
Talon had been the recipient of a lot of frowns these last few days. Zala understood her people’s concerns, but she wished they would treat him better. He would be a dragon again one day. Why didn’t they realize that treating him well now might make it so he would hesitate to attack them later? Or was she a fool for believing that? No, she couldn’t believe he would be so different just because he occupied a different body later. His mind was still his mind, wasn’t it?
“Tandoir,” Zala called. “Salena.”
Her lieutenant ran up to join them, along with a short, wiry man with a heavy backpack.
“Four dragons,” Zala said.
“I have many explosives if you wish for me to set a distraction somewhere, ma’am.” Tandoir reached over his shoulder to give his pack a loving pat.
Talon’s eyebrows rose, but he appeared more puzzled than angry. He might not know the word.
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