by Rachel Jonas
“When you’re ready, start by bringing your dragon forward.”
At Rayen’s command, I closed my eyes to focus my attention inward, until I identified her. The idea of having two new shifted forms lying dormant within me at any given time would take some getting used to, but it was a welcomed change. For one, the added power and abilities were convenient.
Warmth moved from the center of my chest outward, spreading down my arms to my hands, my legs to my feet. By the time I reopened my eyes, my entire body was engulfed in bright flames. Outlining my figure, my dragon form was significantly larger, even before considering my wingspan.
“Excellent,” Rayen said with an impressed grin, not needing a moment to gather his thoughts before calling his own dragon forward.
Right before my eyes, with what seemed like zero effort, he shifted. Cloaked in fire, his eyes burned white as his wings stretched high and wide. He was beautiful.
Or rather, we were both beautiful, I guess.
I’d watched my parents do this a million times, but the thought of being miles above ground, relying on my own ability, made me just a tad concerned.
But the worse that could happen was I’d plummet from the atmosphere, smash every bone in my body, and then have to wait hours for it to heal itself. It would hurt like hell, but a fall wouldn’t kill me.
Bright side, right?
“Okay, so the important thing to remember is that this is natural for you. It doesn’t matter that you’ve never done it before. Just let your dragon guide you, let her take the lead.”
I nodded, shaking off my nerves. “Got it.”
“Taking off can be kind of rough, but don’t let that scare you,” he warned. “Let’s give it a try.”
My limbs felt heavy and it dawned on me that I shouldn’t have been fixated on them, on anything having to do with my human form. This was all about my dragon.
Readjusting my focus, I concentrated on moving my wings.
You’ve got this. Just let go.
A sudden burst of energy swelled within me and I did what my body told me to do, not what my mind tried to rationalize. Crouching when it felt like the power I contained would shoot from my body if I didn’t move, the next thing I knew, I took off into the air.
My eyes were wide with amazement, watching as the ground seemed to spiral away from my feet, and the tall palms were eventually beneath me as well. Climbing higher, I could see a ways off into the distance. Flickers of orange light glowed sporadically, wherever there were other bungalows with life buzzing inside them. Eventually, the shoreline and ocean came into view as well, putting the height I’d soared to into perspective.
Shooting upward like a missile, Rayen joined me in the air as I peaked, feeling myself running out of momentum with gravity’s pull.
“Now, move your wings,” he instructed, yelling loudly to be heard over the atmospheric sounds.
I heard him loud and clear, but … my dragon didn’t cooperate. I think Rayen realized that when I flashed him a panicked look, as I slowly came to a stop midair. That was the precise moment my worst nightmare began to come true.
Frantic, and now plummeting toward the ground, I turned head over heels. I tried commanding my wings, but I’d gotten it in my head that I couldn’t do anything but fall.
So, that’s what I continued to do.
Everything tumbled around me, and had it not been for Rayen spearheading toward me like a fireball, I might not have known which direction was up. A line of flames marked the dock, which meant I was coming dangerously close to the ground, and there was only one thing left to do.
Brace for impact.
Squeezing my eyes tight, every muscle in my body tensed as wild breaths puffed from my lungs. I could practically feel my bones breaking, my skin grating against the terrain.
Only, what I felt instead were arms. A large set that gripped my waist before flipping me toward the sky. Somehow, Rayen had caught up, and had me locked against him. He stretched his wings and the change in our speed was slight, but I felt it. The maneuver created a bit of wind resistance, likely his attempt to somewhat cushion our landing.
And quite a landing it was.
We toppled through the sand, rolling so far it felt like it went on forever. The only thing that brought us to a stop was my back slamming into a post at the entrance of the dock.
The impact knocked the remaining air right out of my lungs, and I was afraid to move. We’d just fallen miles out of the sky, and I had no idea how I screwed that up so badly.
Rayen turned onto his back beside me, spitting granules from his lip. Covered in sand just like I was, he let his eyes fall closed while his large chest rose and fell with each heavy breath.
“Yup,” he groaned, now facing the stars above us. “It’s broken.”
“What is?” Concerned, I stared at him even more intently.
“Everything,” he answered with a long breath.
Out of nowhere, a pained laugh left my mouth, despite being winded and in so much agony I could hardly see straight.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re on my leg and I’m not completely sure it’s still attached to my body.”
He chuckled—a quiet, labored sound. “Yeah, well, I ain’t moving anytime soon, so get comfortable.”
One last puff of air left me, and I fell still beside him, staring skyward as we lie there, entangled with one another.
“What … the hell … was that?” he asked with a dim smile.
Somehow, my head found its way onto his arm while we recouped. “I guess I freaked out a little,” I admitted, knowing I should feel embarrassed. Only, with him, I didn’t.
“That was you freaking out … a little?” he groaned.
I ignored his question and asked one of my own. “Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t try it alone, right?” When I glanced over, he met my gaze for a moment.
“Yeah … good thing,” he grunted, lightheartedly rolling his eyes. “For one of us.”
Smiling when he added that last part under his breath, I turned to peer over at him. “I already said I was sorry.”
He kept his eyes trained on me when I moved, managing to get up on all fours. Slowly, of course.
“This apology must have been given in sign language, because I didn’t hear a thing,” he countered, dripping with sarcasm. “But I’m all ears now if you want to give that a go. I’m always game for a good groveling.”
I snickered and finally stood to my feet, deciding I’d help him into the house if I was able. “Mmm … maybe I’ll get around to that later,” I teased. “For now, just give me your hand.”
After a deep breath, he did as I asked, pressing his palm to mine. “Ok, try to stand,” I instructed next. “Use me to pull yourself up.”
“I suppose this is the least you could do. You know, after landing on me,” he joked, still sounding winded.
“Yeah, yeah. Your hands,” I said with a grin. My heels dug into the sand as we worked together. I gave it all I had to help hoist him from the ground, and once he was on his feet—the giant composed of solid muscle—I tossed his arm around my shoulder.
He winced. “Easy.”
“Sac up,” I teased. “I’ll get you inside and on the couch in a second.”
He stepped gingerly, and while I gazed down at our feet, I took note of the purple bruise already forming on his calf—likely the result of a deep fracture, or even a break.
“I can do a spell that will take the pain away, too,” I offered.
“Got a spell to make me forget that you landed on me?”
My side was sore, and only ached worse every time he made me laugh. “Stop being a baby about it. Most guys would have been overjoyed to have a girl on top of them.”
“Trust me, had it been under different circumstances, you’d have no complaints from me right now,” he chuckled. “And let it also be known that I wouldn’t be the one limping away.”
Hearing him say those words, I drew in a shallow
breath, imagining that to be very close to the truth.
We shuffled across the dock, and once on the porch, I let go of Rayen for a second to open the door. He stumbled in beside me and I lowered him as carefully as I could manage to the couch.
“I’m sorry,” I told him, hearing him wince again when I hadn’t been able to support his weight all the way down.
“It’s fine,” he panted.
“Close your eyes,” I instructed as I knelt at his side.
In time, he would’ve healed on his own, but I wanted to speed along the process. I recited an incantation over and over until I felt the healing light warm my hands. It brightened the room enough that it could be seen even through my eyelids.
When it faded away, I met Rayen’s gaze. “Better?”
He looked skeptical, and I understood why when he moved the injured leg. He was still in pain. The bruise had faded, but apparently the break had yet to heal all the way.
“I probably just missed something because I’m still a little out of it. I can try again,” I offered, but a hand on top of mine halted me.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll mend on my own in a few,” he reasoned. “For now, mind helping me to the shower? I’m … kinda filthy.”
He glanced down at his clothing, prompting me to look over my own. Like his, they were covered in wet sand.
But what did he mean help him? Like, get him there? Or help him with … everything?
“If it makes you feel any better, you have my word this isn’t a setup,” he said with a grin, cutting into my thoughts.
It dawned on me that he must have read my expression and drawn his own conclusion as to why I hesitated.
“I wasn’t thinking that,” I answered in a rush when embarrassment began to set in. “Of course I’ll help you.”
The words came out sounding confident and casual, not at all like they’d just short-circuited my brain.
Reaching for Rayen’s hands again, I hoisted him back onto his feet. One of his arms went around my shoulders and we hobbled down the hallway together. The bathroom door was already ajar, so I was able to nudge it the rest of the way with my foot. Two candles—one resting on the counter, another on the windowsill—lit this space, just like every other in the bungalow.
I propped Rayen’s heavy frame against the wall for a few seconds. The showerhead sprayed powerfully when I turned on the water for him.
“Well, there you go,” I announced, backing toward the hallway again. Part of me still wondered what he’d meant by his use of the word ‘help’.
“You’re leaving?”
The question made me pause, so close to escaping. “Well, I thought … don’t you … I mean, I just assumed—”
“I can’t really put pressure on my leg,” he cut in, pointing at the one I hadn’t been able to heal fully. “Can you just help me with my shorts?”
He stared innocently, contradicting every single thought that fluttered through my dirty mind.
Your shorts? Sure! No big deal.
Clearing my throat, I pretended not to give his request a second thought. Pretended it didn’t make me uncomfortable in all the right ways.
“Of course.” That sounded casual enough, I think.
Rayen, still bracing himself against the wall, reached to grab the back of his shirt, removing it over his head and then down his arms. It fell to the floor while I held my breath, acknowledging the sheer size of him as he dwarfed me. Now shirtless, he lowered his shorts just to his hips, enough to reveal the black fabric beneath them.
Slowly, he dropped to the edge of the stool beside him. With his limited range of motion, it was on me to remove them from that point.
I leaned in and gripped his waistband, easing it the rest of the way down. Beneath them, black boxer-briefs that only covered his upper-thighs clung to the mounds of smooth muscle beneath his tan skin.
Clung … everywhere.
My pulse quickened with every part of him that was revealed to me, until the shorts were on the bathroom floor beside his shirt. He wasn’t shy, and rightfully so.
My mouth felt dry, so I swallowed deeply, still staring despite myself.
“Well, I guess that’s it.” This time, I didn’t move toward the door as quickly. Although, I had no idea why I stalled.
Rayen used the edge of the counter to lift himself again. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Standing close, he stared down on me in the flickering candlelight, and something within me stirred.
“I um … I think I should go,” I stammered, pushing loose strands behind my ear.
Letting his gaze slip to my lips, Rayen nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
So, if we both agreed, why hadn’t I moved?
Steam condensed on the mirror, matching the heat that swarmed within me. We stood close, but we only breathed one another’s air as our charged surroundings nearly sent up a smoke signal. I stared with bated breath, listening as water pelted the tile beside us.
As I peered up at him, I was aware of our bond’s strength, like an invisible chord linking my heart to each of theirs. It was stronger than any vows we could recite, more commanding than any piece of paper. Our souls were one entity, and in that moment, our flesh longed for the same.
I held Rayen’s gaze and, behaving totally out of character, I took the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. When I tossed it to the floor, panting as I awaited a response, the look in his eyes was wild, conflicted. It was crystal clear he wanted this, but there was something else.
Something that made him hesitant.
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe my timing was all wrong and…
A kiss quieted my reeling thoughts. Even more so when I was backed into the shower, into the warm water that covered us both. My back fell against the tile where Rayen’s palms were flat at either side of me, boxing me in. His lips moved to my neck and I faded in and out of awareness, catching glimpses of him when I was able to open my eyes.
His jet-black curls clung to his back and shoulders, while water trails curved down his inked skin.
Impatient, I pushed my shorts down my hips and let them drop to the shower floor. Then, without asking, I slipped Rayen’s boxers off as well. He stepped out of the soaked fabric when it fell to his feet, and then came closer, pressing his body flush against mine.
The Omegas burned me alive, from the inside out. I didn’t stand a chance of resisting them, so the rawness of this moment didn’t surprise me even a little.
My hands touched him everywhere they could reach, exploring without reservation. Because he was mine to explore. His body was like a foreign land to me, uncharted territory, and my fingers were on a journey of discovery.
Both palms slipped over the hills of muscle at his back, and then around to his chest, before trailing down his stomach where water rippled lower. Suddenly inspired, I reached lower too, gripping him, drawing a deep groan from his lips to my ear. It let me know how much he enjoyed being touched this way—by someone who wanted him in ways words could never express.
A strong tug to the back of both my thighs brought them higher, to Rayen’s waist as his forehead pressed to mine. Wedged between his massive body and the wall, I sought his lips again, lulled into a trance by their fullness. However, the welcomed distraction left me unprepared.
With one impatiently powerful push, he groaned with relief as our flesh became one. My fingers wandered up, through the back of his soaked hair, and I held him closer. It almost terrified me how connected I felt to him. It was so natural it was … unnatural.
Alone, situated in the middle of the lagoon, no one could hear how our voices carried through the window, and out into the night air. As the minutes passed, I was aware of Rayen’s full strength returning, aware of him being less focused on pain as pleasure took its place. There was so much we’d kept inside, it threatened to explode from us both now, every time his body crashed into mine.
Air puffed from my lungs and grazed his n
eck. Neither of us could hardly catch our breath as it became abundantly clear how well we fit together. In every way possible.
His hands tightened at my waist and what little self-control I still held on to slipped away. Within seconds, I rushed into ecstasy, and Rayen wasn’t far behind. As the high began to fade, what remained was raw emotion, making it hard for us both to let go.
Our hearts beat wildly as the reality of what had just taken place seemed to take hold. I was left with a sense of wholeness I hadn’t realized was possible.
My face cooled a few degrees when he pulled his cheek away from mine, and we stared into one another. I could have wondered if he felt it too, could have asked if he was aware our connection had just evolved once more, but I didn’t need to.
It was so obvious from the way he stared, the way he held me long after I was lowered back to the tile.
Eventually, we turned off the water, and then stepped out onto the rug. A towel was handed to me, and I covered myself. Although, being honest, I felt so comfortable with him, I would have been fine without it.
I gathered my things from the floor and turned when I took the knob, expecting to find Rayen still in the moment, but instead …
“Everything okay?”
That seemed like a strange thing to ask him, considering what we’d just done. Yet, there was no missing that he was troubled.
He offered a dim smile when his gaze met mine. “Everything’s perfect.”
He brought me close after speaking to place a kiss in the top of my hair. Still, something seemed off.
“What is it?” I asked. “You can talk to me.”
The forced expression finally left his face, and I prepared myself for the unexpected.
He kept his eyes trained on my arms where they folded across my chest, as if he couldn’t look me in my eyes. “We can’t tell the others about this,” he sighed.
“But … I don’t understand.” And I didn’t. From what I’d seen, there was no jealousy among them. Besides, it wasn’t like I intended to plaster ‘I had sex with Rayen!’ posters all over Sanluuk, but he seemed genuinely concerned about this.