by Leela Ash
“Yeah, right,” Krista said with a grin. “You guys just want me to make babies for you.”
“Well, that would be convenient,” Clayton said with a laugh. “But really, we realized that we can’t force you to have a child with one of us. We know how primitive that would be. You have a choice here, but I really hope that you choose to get to know us a little bit before you make up your mind.”
“All right,” Krista said, “I guess we can see how things go. I’m pretty sure I’m having some kind of nightmare anyway, so it doesn’t really matter either way.”
Clayton chuckled and stood up, curving his lips into a sexy smile. He nodded at her and headed toward the entrance of the room.
“Well, you cope with this however you need to. We’ll keep you safe until there’s another option. Maybe I can show you Kaldernon once you’re feeling better. As for now, I’m going to get some sleep. I’m long overdue.”
Krista nodded at him, watching him with curious eyes as he moved gracefully out of the room. Her eyes lingered on his taught, muscular body, and suddenly she knew what men meant when they said: I love that ass. She laughed softly to herself, shaking her head in bemusement. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
Everything that he was telling her sounded so outlandish and ridiculous. But, for some reason, she felt like he was telling her the truth. Something deep down inside resonated with him, and she decided that, at least for now, she was going to trust him. And not just because he was pretty.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
About a week later, Krista was standing up and able to breathe without any problems at all. It had felt like she had a terrible case of bronchitis, but now that her lungs and throat were feeling better, she was curious about the strange place that the handsome man had taken her to.
Clayton. The man who had been following her before she had been attacked. The man who saved her, twice, from the terrifying bald men with soulless eyes. Fundamentalists, he had called them. Men with a mission to protect the world from beautiful men like Clayton.
Krista laughed at herself. Just because he was beautiful didn’t mean that it wasn’t dangerous for him to be on her planet. Or was it her planet? The claim was that they were from the same place. How was she supposed to know whether or not these interdimensional beings were safe to coexist with?
These were the kinds of questions that she had never even thought to pose to herself. Although she had always been very interested in stories about time travel and people who could jump through different space time continuums, she had never even considered the possibility that there was any truth to them.
But now, this beautiful creature, who could turn into a dragon and save her at will, was telling her that she had better believe everything that he was saying. It was kind of terrifying, but it was also exciting.
“I think that you’re ready to join the community for dinner now,” Dr. Mason said, shuffling around in the underground medical room with a pleased smile on his face. “You have made some remarkable progress. I know our technology is advanced, which has a lot to do with it, but it also helps that Lonis heal well. I’m sure you’ve noticed that throughout your life; it probably felt like you never got sick.”
“Actually, that’s true,” Krista said, a little bit surprised. She wasn’t sure she believed that her family was from the same interdimensional world, though. Clayton had come in to visit her every so often while she was recovering, and they had grown close very quickly. Not only was he handsome, but he was kind and smart and funny. And he seemed fascinated by her. He had admitted that they had been trying to protect her for a long time, which meant that they had probably seen each other more than once. That would explain why he felt so familiar.
“Well, that doesn’t surprise me one bit,” the doctor said, interrupting her thoughts. “A lot of people would have the symptoms for longer, but you have recovered very quickly. I can even see that you had gotten burned, but it left very little mark on your skin. For most people, that would scar, but for you, it’s almost gone. It’s really remarkable, isn’t it? You should be very proud of your heritage.”
Talk of her heritage made her uneasy, and she simply looked into the distance quietly as Dr. Mason made all of the necessary adjustments in her room. She was excited to be able to leave the room and meet more of the dragon shifter people of the Kersh clan.
“Hello there,” a silky woman’s voice said, peering in at Krista. “Dr. Mason told me that you’re feeling much better now, but you’re going to need something to wear while you are here.”
Krista wasn’t sure what to say, and so she simply nodded. She was pretty depressed about how all of her clothing had probably been ruined in the fire, and what she had been wearing had been singed and ruined as well.
“My name is Jasmine,” the woman said with a smile. She had curly red hair and a kind face, and she looked as if she might be in her late thirties. “I’ve come to take some measurements; I’d like to make you some traditional attire. I thought it might help you to feel a little bit closer to your Loni ancestry.”
“All right,” Krista said uncertainly. “Thank you.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I just wanted you to be dressed appropriately for the first time that you see Kaldernon. I have a feeling that you’re going to understand everything perfectly in that moment, and you might want to feel like you’re dressed for the occasion. I know I would feel miserable if I had that same opportunity and I squandered it wearing robes from the little hospital.”
“I appreciate your consideration,” Krista said with a laugh.
“I think it will help you feel better to look better,” Jasmine said with a wink. “Loni attire is traditionally very beautiful and elegant. It’s going to suit you spectacularly. It will be a great way to honor you when you join the clan for dinner this evening.”
“Honor me?” Krista asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Yes, honor you. We are all very excited to meet you. You’re one of the last of your kind on Earth, you know. That makes you a very coveted person to us. We have been working for a long time to protect you and keep you safe. It is the highest honor to be able to welcome you into our clan, even if it is just a brief recluse from danger. We will do our best to protect you at all costs.”
“That’s a little bit extreme,” Krista said, shifting uncomfortably. “You guys don’t even know me.”
Jasmine seemed amused by this. She laughed, and her eyes crinkled kindly as she pulled out a tape measure. She beckoned Krista toward her and began taking her measurements.
“We don’t have to know you to honor you,” Jasmine said. “You may not be used to being honored, but trust us, you have been revered from the moment you were born and so you shall remain honored by the Kersh clan.”
Krista was quiet as Jasmine finished taking her measurements, and gave her a silent nod as she left to begin work on the gown. She had doubts that it would be completed by the time dinner was ready that night, but she was surprised when a knock came at the door around five in the evening.
“Here it is,” Jasmine whispered, presenting Krista with the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. It looked a lot like the dresses worn on Earth, but it was a lot more flowing and elegant. It was made of a fabric she had never seen before, a sparkling gossamer, almost like silk, but even softer to the touch. It made her whole body glow when she put the gown on, and Jasmine helped her to tie it up in all the necessary places. There was a piece of cloth, almost like a sash, that she wore between her breasts, and Jasmine was able to talk her into letting her do her hair in the traditional Loni fashion.
“I’m sure, by now, the styles have changed on Kaldernon, but we were able to salvage the material that we needed to make this dress. Some of us took with us the last things that we were touching. It was the only way we were able to survive so long on Earth before we understood how the planet worked.”
“That must’ve been terrifying for you,” Krista said with a frown.
; “It was difficult,” Jasmine said with a nod. “But things are much better now, and they’re certainly looking up. We may be able to find our way back after all. Lonis are blessed with sacred intuition.”
Krista sighed and allowed Jasmine to lead her into the dining hall. She hadn’t been out of her room in the medical ward since she arrived, and as they made their way through the halls, she found herself very saddened by the impoverished lifestyle that the Kersh people had been forced into. As soon as she walked into the dining hall, her eyes met instantly with Clayton’s. He gave her a nod of acknowledgment and motioned her toward him.
“Everybody, I would like your attention please,” he said in a loud and booming voice. “This is Krista, the last remaining Loni on Earth.”
The room was filled with quiet murmurs as Krista walked toward Clayton. There were two seats at a large banquet table on an elevated platform where Clayton was sitting. The platform was looking over everybody else. He was apparently their leader, something that she had not considered before. The look in his eyes when he gazed at her made her heart skip a beat. He was so handsome, and couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of her.
She thought back to one of the days when he had visited her in the medic’s room, and he had stumbled all over himself and his words, trying to complement her on how nice she looked, despite the fact that she was bedridden. She would never have guessed that he could speak with such ease and authority to a large group of people, when he seemed to be too nervous to look her in the eye sometimes. He was sexy and fierce, but he was also uncertain and shy.
“I hope you enjoy your meal,” he said with a private smile to her once she was sitting down beside him. She nodded, feeling more beautiful and welcomed than she had ever felt in her life. The clan was ecstatic to finally meet her, and she saw that many of them were shifting for some reason, turning into half-dragons and half-people before finally relaxing back into their human form and continuing to cheer for her.
“You bring out the dragon in us,” he said with a wink, laughing and looking down at his plate of food. A woman and a man were beginning to serve the crowd, and a large plate of steaming food was placed in front of Krista. Her stomach rumbled loudly and Clayton laughed.
“It’s been a while since you had a real meal, hasn’t it?” Clayton said.
Krista nodded, and peered down at her plate. The food smelled better than anything she had ever smelled before, but she had never seen anything like it. Clayton saw her staring at it and grinned.
“This is a specialty from Kaldernon,” he explained. He leaned close to her ear and began to quietly explain the cooking process. The deep sound of his rumbling voice brought goosebumps to her arms, and she hoped that he would never stop talking. However, of course, he had to, and soon, she was digging in to her plate, enjoying the meal with a deep relish that she hadn’t known was possible.
They chatted casually as they ate, Clayton’s deep, soothing voice seeming to pay attention only to her. She had never felt so intimate with another person before and enjoyed the meal more than she thought that she would. After dinner, Clayton announced that he was going to take her to view Kaldernon. Everybody murmured in excitement and agreement, but didn’t follow him when he took her by the hand and led her outside of the underground tunnels.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Her heart pounded in her chest as his strong hand pulled her forward, leading her through the maze and out into the sunlight. She peered up into the sky, excited to finally see the clouds and sunshine. It had been far too long, and she was starting to feel depressed. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she gasped. There was a shimmering in the sky, almost like the aurora borealis. She had never seen anything so beautiful before, and the colors seemed to match those that were in her gown.
“You look so beautiful,” Clayton said, tugging her hand toward his hot lips and pressing a soft kiss to it. “Do you see the world up there? That is where we come from. And if you’d like, that is where we will try to return. If we find a way, before the Guardians destroy us all, I could take you with us.”
Krista’s eyes filled with tears. She had never witnessed anything so beautiful, or felt so fully loved and accepted by anybody before. She felt embarrassed for being overcome with emotion, but fortunately he didn’t laugh at her. Instead, he seemed to understand exactly how she felt, and wrapped his strong arm around her shoulder.
“I met you before, after my father died. Sure, you don’t remember,” he said softly. “But I have never forgotten.”
“What are you talking about?” Krista asked, confused.
“I’ve been protecting you all this time, all these years. We were young, maybe around ten years old. You were singing that beautiful Loni song that never leaves you. I was enraptured by it, of course,” he said with a laugh.
She listened, intrigued, her heart pounding as Clayton spoke. His gentle eyes looked at her, uncertain and shy. She smiled at him and prompted him to continue.
“Well, you dropped a piece of paper, and you didn’t realize it. So I felt like I should take it to you. And I did. I wanted to stay and talk, but then I got scared. I knew that you weren’t supposed to see me. And so…”
“You left,” Krista said softly. “Actually, I do remember that, and I’ve thought about you for a long time. I can’t believe that you’re the same person. All of this seems so unbelievable.”
“I wish that we were just making it up,” Clayton said, running his hands through his black hair. His glimmering green eyes gazed upon Kaldernon, and she took the opportunity to allow her own eyes to roam up and down his body, resting on his chiseled face. “But that’s the truth, we’ve been protecting you. There is nobody else like you left here. But in the other world, you won’t be alone any longer.”
“Do you wish you didn’t have to protect me?” Krista asked.
“Of course not, it’s the only thing that gave my life any meaning after I lost my father. You have been my whole life all this time. Without ever knowing it.”
Krista turned to him, opening her mouth and closing it, unsure of what to say to him. His handsome face broke into a bright smile, and he pulled her close to his muscular body.
“Can I do something a little strange?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure what to say, but she nodded anyway. Clayton turned half-dragon then, and breathed a warm breath against her neck. He turned back to his human form and grinned.
“How did that feel?”
She swallowed hard, shocked by the unexpected rush of longing that he ignited within her.
“What the hell was that?” she whispered.
“I wanted to see if we’re a pair,” he said with a small smile. “How did it make you feel?”
She looked down at the ground, her face flushed a deep red. She’d never been with a man before, but that one seemingly innocent gesture had been more pleasurable than how she imagined sex would be. Clayton’s eyes danced. He had his answer.
Her breath was taken away as he pressed his hot lips against her mouth, and she shuddered as his tongue began to massage hers. He gripped her tightly in his strong arms, steadying her as her legs became weak.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, his reptilian eyes glowing sensually. She moaned in pleasure as he lifted her up and held her tightly, pressing her back against a tree and kissing fervently down her neck. She could feel the intensity of his longing, as they continued to kiss, and roamed her hands up and down his large biceps. She had wanted to touch his muscles for a long time, and she gripped them hard, closing her eyes in bliss as she felt him grow hard against her thigh.
“I can’t believe that you’ve cared about me all this time, and I never knew who you were,” she whispered into his ear, gripping a handful of his hair. She always felt like she had been saving herself for something, but she never would have guessed that it would be anything like this.
“I always wake up and go to sleep thinking about your safety,” he said, dropping hot kisses on her clavicl
e and running his strong hand up and down her side. She tensed up as her body was overtaken by tendrils of pleasure. He rested his hand on her thigh, kneading it until she was gasping for more. He allowed himself to slip his hand under her skirt as he freed one of her large breasts from the confines of her gown. A deep, guttural moan escaped his lips when his fingers grazed her wet opening.
“How are you doing that?” Krista gasped, her full lips hot and breathy in his ear. He was doing his best to restrain himself and go slowly, knowing that if they were a pair, as his father and mother had been a pair, then this would be the first time for both of them. The pleasures were new and immense. There was suddenly a warm weight on his groin, fingers gripping his shaft and daring it to push the boundaries of his flesh. He moaned as his member grew swollen in her grip, throbbing with a need he had never known before.
She buckled her hips against his hand and he allowed her to drag her wet mound down his wrist while she slid her hand over the length of his shaft, exploring all of its curves and ridges with gentle, maddening strokes. Krista finally couldn’t resist her curiosity and pulled his hard cock out of his pants, pressing it against her thigh and bringing a moan to her lips. She had never wanted anybody so badly before, and he hissed as the head of his cock met the hot, inviting cavern between her legs.
His hands roamed up and down her body, caressing her every curve until his fingers brushed the hard mound of her nipple. She bit back a cry of ecstasy, tightening her grip on his shaft. He closed his eyes as a surge of pleasure jolted through him. She finally released her grasp on his cock and drug her nails down his back, giving him more room to ease himself between her legs. She leaned her head back in ecstasy as he began to introduce her to the whole of him. He went slowly, relishing every moment. Krista groaned deeply as she felt every curve of his shaft pushing the boundaries of her body, pressing hard inside of her until she was choking on a gasp that was a mixture of pleasure and pain.