Desired by Dragons (Dragon Shifter Mega Bundle)

by Scarlett Grove

  Reese cups my face in his hands, gazing into my eyes. His aqua blue orbs penetrate me to my depths. He comes out to meet me in the dark, quiet waters of my heart and caresses the deepest tenderness of my soul. I feel our spirits entwine like the vines of the tiniberry that grows deep in the evergreen forests of Arcadia.

  My legs find their way around his waist as we sit on the long bench in the front seat of his speeder. He pulls me on top of him, and I feel him rising between my legs. He licks my neck, twisting my head to the side for a better taste. I grind against him, sucking his thumb into my mouth.

  “My star shine,” he whispers. His tongue finds its way down my neck to my shoulder as he pulls my jacket away. I let the jacket fall on the floor behind me. Reese cups my ass, holding the globes tightly in his sensitive hands. They slide down the cleft, teasing out new sensations with his gentle touch. I flick my finger down my wrist com and deactivate my nanotech suit, but I’m still wearing my leather ankle boots.

  Reese sees my body before him and his eyes widen. He moves his hands to my breasts, staring at my body as he squeezes and fondles as if for the first time.

  I place my hands on his shoulders, looking down into his face. Reese presses a button on his wrist com and slowly shifts out of his clothing. His body moves into half shift form. I find myself seated on his fish tail, a form only water dragons possess. Water begins to fill the cabin of the ship, and I gasp as it reaches up around my hips. His member is hard under me, but now, it seems to be formed out of the base of his long tail.

  “Now we will both experience something new together,” he whispers in my ear.

  “You’ve never been to a pleasure house?” I ask.

  “I’ve been waiting for you. I’d wait for eternity to be with my fated one.”

  My mouth drops and he kisses me, pulling me over the hard nub of his member. It’s spongy and moist, and it meets my pleasure buttons like it was made for him to touch. I groan, bucking against him.

  “Yes, My Queen,” he whispers.

  I move over him as the water sloshes around us. The windows above his speeder show the vast sea life that roams the deep oceans of Umbria. Inside the ship, we are in a pool of warm water that reaches to my hips.

  Reese is so sweet and gentle and kisses me with such passion I’m lost in it. Reese enfolds my nipples in his mouth as his fingers pull the twist out of my hair. It falls down my back in a wave and he threads his fingers through it. As his hand cups the base of my neck, he begins to gyrate his hips. The intense sensation shocks me with electrified pleasure.

  His spongy wet member begins to pulse under me as he holds me tight to his body. I groan as the orgasm strikes me. He comes under me, hot and thick. His semen coats my core, even as the water begins to wash it away. I gasp as I catch my breath, looking at him with surprise in my face.

  “That was…unexpected,” I tell him.

  “I am not surprised you are so beautiful when you climax,” he says into the crook of my neck.

  He kisses me a dozen times across my neck, chest and face before returning the ship and himself to normal. I slide away, restoring my own nanotech outfit. My shoes are wet until I place them on the ground and the ship’s drying system sucks the moisture out.

  My hair is a mess, but I twist it up into a messy bun that looks just as good as it did in the tight one.

  “I don’t want to take you back, my darling,” Reese confesses, taking my hand in his.

  “I know how you feel. Sometimes I wish I could just run away from it all.”

  “I wish I could take you away. But I cannot ask you to do that, My Queen. The others would weigh on your soul forever.”

  I gaze up at Reese, his dark curls falling around his face. I cup his sleek green cheek in my hand. He is so sweet and considerate to me. It’s like he feels my emotions better than I do.

  “You love them, don’t you?” he asks me gently.

  “I do love them. I love all of them.”

  “I love that you love them all. It shows me what a big heart you have.”

  “You aren’t jealous?” I ask him.

  He turns away and looks out the window. When he turns back he smiles and gazes at my eyes for a long time, brushing a stray lock of hair back from my face.

  “No,” he finally says. “Jealousy would mean I don’t understand that you were given these mates because they belong to you. Why would I want to take away what is yours? What makes you who you are?”

  “Oh Reese, when you say it like that, it’s like I can finally accept why I have them all myself. That is a true gift.”

  I kiss him softly on the lips and rest my forehead against his. “Thank you,” I say.

  “Thank you, sweet queen,” he whispers, moving to press his lips against my forehead. “Now, let’s get you home.”

  Chapter 15

  I wake in the night and leave my palace without telling anyone. I spent the entire night tossing and turning, thinking about my neglected research. My experiments are still running at the lab, but I’ve been too distracted by my mates to even check it.

  My curiosity won't be turned down, and I feel like I'm on the edge of a breakthrough. All thoughts of my mates and the dates I'm supposed to go on disappear from my mind when I arrive at the lab.

  I hurry to my terminal and dig into the readouts before I even make it into my chair. The findings are surprising. I’ve found sequences in the human genome that are in fact dragonoid. These genes suggest a prehistoric link between our species.

  I also find a cluster of dormant genes the military scientist was unable to locate. The expression of these dormant genes is being repressed by a total lack of transcription factors, which are required for genes to express.

  If I could isolate the proteins that could alter gene regulation using the appropriate transcription factors, there might be a way to activate the dormant dragonoid genes.

  I dial my computer into the dormant DNA, searching for a common transcription factor protein between all the dormant dragonoid genes.

  I also want to study exactly what expression these genes would take. For example, would it give humans a recessive dragon tail? I scratch my chin, thinking about the implications. If these genes could tell us what they do, it could give us a clue as to how the two species could mate. What form would the human take? Would she become a dragon?

  The biggest question is what is the protein needed to regulate the correct transcription factors. In other words, what will activate the dragonoid transformation in a human?

  I’m excited by my findings and quickly send my data to my brother’s shipboard science officer.

  "We were supposed to have a date today," I hear Mika’s voice say behind me.

  I swivel on my chair to look at him, reminded of the time. My stomach grumbles and my brain itches. I've been sitting in this chair all night and need to stretch my legs.

  "You're right."

  I stand for my chair and follow him out of the laboratory. The cool ocean breeze blows across my tired face, waking me up. I fabricate a pair of nanotech sunglasses and slide them over my eyes. Mika takes my hand and we begin walking toward the center of the Arcadia Academy campus.

  "There's an Air Spree game today at the Academy arena," he says. "I thought we could watch the game and get a bite to eat."

  "I would like that," I say, growing more excited by the prospect of a date. It was just what I needed. I'm glad he came to find me.

  We walk across the Academy campus to the arena, order two gow meat stuffed loaves, and two cups of wasp honey mead from a vender and find a comfortable spot at the top of the bleachers.

  Air Spree is a popular game among the Draxos, especially on Academy campuses. I know Mika played on the Air Spree team for the Academy of Bones before he graduated.

  As the players take the field, I notice the game is between Arcadia and the Academy of Bones. We'll be rooting for opposite sides!

  "Did you know that my school was playing your school today?" I ask him, nu
dging him in the arm with my elbow.

  "I didn't until I looked it up this morning. After you weren’t at the morning meal, I decided to find you and see if you wanted to go.”

  "I'm sorry I disappeared last night."

  "You're a busy woman with an important mission. I don't hold that against you."

  “Attending to everyone has been hard for me.”

  “You’re good,” he tells me with a smile, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

  The players run through the ritual of tapping each other on the shoulder before the game begins. A singer steps on the field to intone the Arcadia fight song and then the game begins.

  The dragons take their positions on the field and the air spree puck is launched into the air. The dragons charge for the ball and the first possession goes to Arcadia. I stand in my chair and cheer along with the rest of the crowd. When I sit, I smirk at Mika.

  "That never would've happened if I was playing," he says, taking a sip of mead.

  “That’s what I like about you, Mika. You are confident and bold, but you aren’t demanding and aggressive.”

  “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Of all my mates, you seem best able to handle the thrall.” I sigh and bite my meat loaf. “Unlike Uri, who seems to have another outburst every day.”

  "It's all that fire dragon aggression," Mika says over the roar of the crowd.

  When the crowd quiets down, I ask him. "Why is it so much easier for you?"

  "I doubt it's any easier for me than anyone else. But I'm only twenty-five. I thralled at my first tournament."

  "It is pretty amazing," I say.

  I never would've expected it. But I'm glad it was you. Even if I have to share you with four other dragons."

  “I wish it weren't this way either. If I had my way I would just have one mate. Or none at all."

  "None at all?" Mika asks me, raising an eyebrow.

  "I still have so much work to do, finding a cure for the plague. And now, I also have a mission from my brother. The new mission is just as important to the survival of our species. Having one mate, let alone five, is distracting me from my work."

  “That sucks," he says, placing his hand over mine.

  "I might be an accomplished scientist, but I just became an adult myself. I've been working all my life for one goal and that was finding a cure for the plague. Now I have males fighting in the dining hall. Yesterday I went to Umbria and met Reese's parents, the King and Queen. It’s a lot of pressure for me. I don't know how to handle it."

  "Well, what I always do when I get stressed about school or whatever is watch a game, drink a glass of wasp honey mead, and try to relax," he says.

  The catcher from Arcadia has the puck and charges toward the goal. I stand and scream for him to keep going. The crowd is chanting the Arcadia fight song and I'm swept away in the energy of the crowd. The catcher makes the goal and everyone cheers. I sit, feeling my heart lighten and the stress begins to melt away from my shoulders.

  "I think you're right, Mika. This was exactly what I needed."

  I gobble down the rest of my lunch and we watch the game, cheering for our teams. The Academy of Bones takes the lead for half a round and the crowd grows restless. But Arcadia takes possession of the puck and draws ahead in the very last seconds of the game. I expected Mika to be disappointed, but I think he's just happy that I enjoyed myself.

  We leave the arena with the rest of the crowd. The anonymity and the crush of bodies brings me back to myself. It isn't such a big deal, I think, all the things that are pressing down on my shoulders. Not when I have someone like Mika to remind me what is important in life. Fun, friends, loyalty.

  “I had a wonderful time today, Mika. I only wish we had a private moment together before we return to the palace. I’ve given the other males so much of myself.”

  Mika pulls me under the bleachers where the light falls over the ground in stripes of darkness. He encircles me with his arms and looks down into my eyes. His golden skin and halo of golden hair brighten the gloom.

  “I only need for you to feel happy,” he says, caressing my temples with the pads of his thumbs. “We have all the time in the world to be together.”

  “Don’t you want me?” I ask, confused.

  He smiles at me and kisses me gently. His youthful energy doesn’t seem to make him rush. It makes him careful and sensitive. He brushes his lips over mine, kissing my cheeks. I can feel his mouth smile against my flesh. The sensation makes me smile as well as I tilt my head back, giving him room as he explores my neck with his tongue.

  “I don’t want you. I need you.”

  We are deep under the bleachers, in a dark corner. The din of people is all around. Mika slides his hand under my skirt as he presses me to his hardness.

  “I need you, Mika,” I gasp between kisses.

  His fingers slide up the slit between my legs, pressing through to thump against my top most pleasure button. I groan and he claims my mouth. My climax comes almost too quickly, but I’m overwhelmed by the situation of the public place and the energy of the Air Spree game.

  As my body throbs between my legs, Mika brings his fingers to his lips and sucks the juices from his hand. I bite my lip as I watch him savor the taste of me.

  “I should give you more,” I say, rubbing his shaft with my hip.

  “No. This is all I need,” he says, holding me close. “I’m taking you home to get some rest.”

  As we drive back to the palace, I tell him how happy I am that he is my friend.

  Chapter 16

  As soon as we walk into the palace, I hear the echo of aggressive male voices and the crash of furniture. I storm down the hall with Mika at my side and find all four of my mates engaged in an aggressive wrestling match in the palace library. Books have fallen from the shelves and tables are overturned.

  Anger rises from my chest and burns into my cheeks. Books are strewn across the floor, some partially burned and some soaked in water. Others crushed under stone and some scorched with acid. I stomp my foot.

  “Stop it!” I scream. "This behavior will end, right now!”

  They all look up at me with surprise in their eyes. Donte is the first to stand and start across the room to me. Reese follows with Flume and Uri behind him. They look apologetic and remorseful, but I'm furious. The things that are most precious in all Draxos are our books, and these fools have destroyed my library.

  "I solemnly apologize, My Queen," Donte says, bowing low.

  The site of Donte bowing in apology to me doesn't lessen my irritation or make me feel I should be soft on them.

  "You will no longer fight in my home," I say, raising an eyebrow. "Do you understand?"

  "Yes, My Queen," they say in unison.

  "Come with me, now," I say, tearing out of the library and to down the hall.

  I exit the palace through the back door and charge into the open field beyond. The grass is manicured by the servants and the space is quite large. I turn back to them and cross my arms over my chest.

  "If you fools need to fight then you can do it out here. If one more piece of paper is burned or one more crystal glass is smashed, the person responsible will not be my mate. Do you understand?"

  They all nod their heads silently in acceptance.

  "Good," I say.

  I hate how emotional I feel. I hate this snapping rage, or dealing with my mates like this. Ever since I was covered in oils to help excrete my pheromones, I have not been able to get a handle on my emotions. Everything seems a thousand times more serious than usual, and I don't like it one bit.

  I can only imagine how intense my males’ emotions are. But I can't have them breaking my house apart. If they can’t control themselves, there has to be consequences.

  I walk away without another word. Mika stays beside me and escorts me to my room. I thank him as I close the door. I’m glad he walked with me this far, but I'm in no mood to speak to anyone, even my new friend. I have no idea how to run a
house or how to control five aggressive males. I have never been trained for these things.

  I need to be alone with my thoughts. I learned much today.

  I pour myself a glass of spiced merrow wine and sit at my table by the big windows that open onto the patio. The sun sets on the water, and I contemplate what I learned this morning at the laboratory.

  As I pour myself a second glass of spiced merrow wine, something occurs to me. I remember a passage I once read that mentioned a reference to genetic regulation in an unknown species in an old book of mythology. I always thought it was odd.

  I flick over my wrist com to bring up my link to the external databases at the lab. I have them linked to me personally. It’s behind multiple firewalls, but once I log in with my thumbprint and eye scan, I’m allowed into the isolated data stores.

  From there, I do a quick search and find the reference I’m looking for. The book in question is called Tales of the Ancients and is said to be stored at the library of Remotis, in the Beta 2 system, at the furthest reaches of the Draxos territory.

  The library is not connected to our mainframes in any way. Since the cyborgs corrupted our network and bombed our mainframes, we keep our most vulnerable and valuable databases disconnected from the collective grid to prevent further data loss by cyborg attack. This keeps the databases safe, but also makes them highly inaccessible. The work of making copies and creating backups has taken generations.

  I wonder if I should visit the library of Remotis. As I finish my second glass of wine. I know it is the right course of action. I need to find the protein that will switch on the humans’ recessive dragonoid gene.

  Chapter 17

  Our morning meal buffet is served in the refurbished grand dining hall. The room is even lovelier than before and has been refurbished in a more feminine style that I appreciate. The walls are covered in pink silk brocade fabric. The floors are white marble and the table is a light stained wood.

  I sit at my high-backed chair dressed in a thick wrap dress and knee-high boots. My hair is worn down and my makeup is fresh and youthful. My mates enter and start down the buffet. I have something to tell them, but I still feel nervous in directing these males. Snapping at them and threatening them yesterday didn't sit well with me.