Dragons Don't Love (11 page)

I smile with a shyness I’ve never
felt. “You know I don’t want better aim when it comes to lopping
off one of your body parts.”

“
That’s good to hear.” He
gives me a tender hug. “I had a back sheath made for the halberd
and I want to see if it works or needs adjustments. Flying is the
perfect way to test it.” He slaps me on my bottom and I yelp in
surprise. “Come, bride, we have a full day ahead and I will want
you again if we stay in bed.”

I’m okay with his having me again,
until I move. I’m sore and try not to wince. My face heats thinking
of what caused it.

He notices my discomfort. “I have a
saddle that will keep your tender areas protected if you wish
it.”

I shake my head as my face grows even
hotter. “Never. I like the feel of you.” Between my thighs is what
I don’t say, but that sparkle appears in his eyes and I know he
knows.

He turns his naked back. Satisfaction
rolls through me when I see the furrows caused by my nails trailing
down his back. He marks me and I mark him. He’s mine and I feel
quite possessive.

I quickly dress. He adjusts the straps
to hold the sheath against my back. I will need to practice
releasing the strip of cloth that holds the upper part and drawing
the halberd in one move. Another day. This day, I wish to spend
time with my dragon and learn more about him. So many questions I
didn’t have the courage to ask because they were of a sexual
nature.

We stand at the edge of the perch and
I jump on his back while he’s in human form. With his powerful
legs, he launches himself into the air. His shift occurs so fast
but I now know what’s happening. I pull my knees beneath me and
slide down slightly to accommodate the large back and long neck of
his dragon form.

This is him in all his undeniable
glory. I have a moment of envy for Acasia. What must it be like to
fly beside her dragon? Feel the wind beneath her wings and swoop
through the sky without a care. Riding my dragon is close; I would
just like to feel, for one moment, what Laryn experiences as the
fiercest predator in the sky.

“
Hold on,” he says into my
mind. That’s another thing we need to discuss. This mind talking
thing drives me crazy.

He shoots upward and I stop thinking
about anything other than holding on. I tighten my thighs while
digging my hands into the slight indents where his wings meet his
back. They are perfect for holding. Of course he turns completely
upside down and I lose my seat. He laughs in my head as he flies
underneath me and I slam onto his back.

There is pain between my thighs at the
impact and my teeth rattle. It doesn’t matter because the thrill of
this feat cannot be contained. I need more practice and encourage
him. “Again, dragon. Give me a little more time to prepare for
you.”

“
If my bride wants to go
again, we shall.”

Again, and again, and again. By the
time I’m trembling with exhaustion, I can tuck into a tight ball,
flip, and land on my feet, locking them into the same wing
handholds that I use when we fly normally. Learning to bend my
knees and find my balance during sword play has given me the
ability to do this. My dragon is magnificent in… well…
everything.

He slows down as we travel through
hills and valleys of his kingdom. “Will you speak of your other
brides, dragon?” A long silence fills our pleasant day.

His voice is soft when he finally
speaks into my mind. “Each one is unique. Some I have enjoyed more
than others. I learn from each of them. I have been gifted with
incredible brides.”

I shouldn’t feel jealous of women who
lived long before me. I do, though, and I know I must shake it off.
“Is there one who stands out in your memory—the last perhaps?” He
remains silent again and I feel bad. “I understand if it hurts to
remember her. I know she’s not been gone as long as the
others.”

“
It isn’t that…” His sigh
fills my head. “She probably taught me the most about women. Not
that I took all the lessons to heart as you can attest to. She was
gentle and giving. She loved me deeply.”

And he loved her. I can hear it in his
voice. My soul feels his anguish, and more than anything I want to
comfort him.

I thought he was finished speaking
when he goes on. “I should have died with her.”

I caress my hand along his scales
before hugging his neck as hard as I can. “Never say that, dragon.
If she was giving, she would want you to live.”

“
You don’t understand,
bride.”

I’m suddenly afraid and maybe it’s
best that I don’t understand. It’s not what he needs, though. “Tell
me of this bride, dragon. Explain to me why I should miss out on
someone as special as you.”

I’ve laid it on thick and I get a bit
of fire with his laugh. “As you wish, bride.”

He remains quiet for a long time. I
give him room to sort his thoughts. “She hated me for years,” was
the first thing he said. “I took her to bed on the day of claiming
and I’m not sure she ever forgave me. We still had many good years,
but many wasted too. The brides don’t understand those years
between one dying and choosing the next. We go a little insane. The
three years before I claimed you were actually the worst. Time
stands still when usually it goes so fast that we choose a bride
and the next day she dies.”

My dragon grows quiet again. I feel
the pain in his words and I continue petting him.

“
Maleah was her name. It
matched her soft sweetness. When she increased in age, a strange
illness made it painful for her to do so much. At first it was
bearable, but as the years went on she could no longer fly on my
back or even stay upright for long periods. She finally asked me to
end her life. I told her no.”

Oh my precious dragon.

“
I woke one night and she’d
thrown herself from a perch.”

He couldn’t see my tears. I could do
nothing but hug him.

“
I vowed to never return to
a claiming. The years of loneliness start eating at you. I finally
knew I could not stay away. Our brides are not just sexual
partners, they’re companions. When a bride’s body is old and frail,
unable to perform sexually, it matters not. Friendship fills all
voids and a dragon is satisfied. The terrible part is knowing our
time is limited once it reaches that point. I flew to your claiming
vowing to never love again. Forgive me, bride, for it is you who
will suffer the most. Please. Just… be my friend.”

How could I not love my
dragon?

Chapter Twenty

Laryn

Each night that passes and she isn’t
in my bed, the yearning builds. She shares an hour or two with me
before falling asleep. She tries to stay awake. I push her hard
during the day for this reason. She’s been with me for two weeks
now. She’s settled so quickly that it feels like two years. In my
life the brides are but a blink of time. If just once time would
stand still.

She’s feisty and funny. Grumpy on
occasion and a smart-ass on others. She’s not whiny and isn’t given
to tears. It’s refreshing in a bride. I hate to think that Bastian
might have the right of it. They come to us with no knowledge of
what a new life will hold and worried that they may be a dragon’s
evening meal. Not that my new bride wanted anything more than to
kill me. She is far different than all the others. My little
warrior.

Tonight we travel to Bastian’s realm
for cards. I’ve missed Ashrac and know his parents keep him away to
give me time with my bride. The little red hellion has burrowed
into my heart. Unlike a bride, he will live forever. I will never
suffer the pain of losing him.

I’ve given my bride a new set of
leathers to wear tonight. They are a little less revealing with an
added gauzy material that splits on the sides and enables her to
fight if needed. She’s in her bathing chamber changing while I
impatiently wait.

A gentle blush covers her cheeks and
the tops of her breasts when she comes out. She’s breathtaking. Her
hair is down as I requested. The material shimmers around her legs
without showing too much flesh until she walks closer. The white
leather belt that holds the material has only thin strips at her
hips. The skirt parts and shows bare skin on the sides of her
thighs. The breast piece is the same white leather with jewels
surrounding the edges that barely cover her. I want the dragons to
see my marks and know who she belongs to. Yes, I’ve always been
possessive. With her there is great pride thrown in the
mix.

“
Do I not look as what you
want?” she asks timidly. It’s so unlike her.

She’s nervous about meeting the other
dragons. I step forward and enjoy the skirt even more when I’m able
to touch the bare flesh of her upper thighs and bring her closer.
“You are more than I hoped. Tomorrow we will spend the day in bed
so I may prove it to you.” It’s a joke between us. Several times
we’ve had that intention. My bride enjoys our bedroom play but she
becomes antsy after a few hours and we always end up flying or
training.

“
You truly like
it?”

I have no idea where this shyness
comes from. “You are radiant. I have something else for
you.”

Her smile lights up her face. “What is
it?”

I’ve brought my saddle bags so I can
stow clothes to change into. They also hold her surprise. I pull
out another sheath for the halberd in the same fine white as her
outfit. I want my brother dragons to see my warrior bride and know
she is no one to trifle with.

“
Oh, Laryn,” she breathes
huskily.

She’s never spoken my given name
aloud. It hurts to hear it pass her lips because I want to hear it
endlessly and not just during her human lifespan. I rein in my
emotions because they have no place in our future.

“
Turn around and I will help
you put it on.” We’ve all but given up on plain sword training. My
bride is a halberd girl. She’s good with it—deadly, in
fact.

The sheath fits perfectly. I drop the
handle through the leather and adjust everything so it’s tight and
the weapon readily available. I hastily remove my clothing and fold
it for the saddle bags. I heft the large bags over my shoulder and
head for the door.

“
I’m not happy about a
saddle.”

A burst of laughter escapes me and I
wink at her. “Tomorrow I shall examine your inner thighs to see
what it is that makes you love wrapping them around my dragon form
so much.” I’ve never seen the shade of red that settles on her
cheeks and my laughter explodes. She punches my arm and laughs too.
We still need to work on making her comfortable with her body, but
it’s a job I look forward to.

We’re halfway to Bastian’s when I
bring up Sarn. “He’s the one I’m worried about. Stay close to me
and if for some reason we are separated and he tries anything,
don’t hesitate. Kill him.”

She’s shocked. “You want me killing
your friend?”

“
I’ve never seen him grieve
as he has with his last bride, Calista. The fool loved her deeply.
Too deeply. When Acasia transcended, Calista was still alive. He
begged the Gods and Goddesses for her life. It’s harder now that we
know turning a bride into a dragon is truly possible. I’m a
realist, though. It took thousands of years for one of us to break
the curse. It will be thousands more before it happens again. Sarn
is angry and lonely. I can tell you from experience that it’s a
lethal combination. Yes, if you have no choice, kill
him.”

My bride is quiet after this speech.
This needed to be said, though I’m sorry it has upset her. We
finally arrive. “Are you ready?”

“
Yes, quite
ready.”

I’m glad to hear excitement in her
voice.

After I’m clothed, we enter the front
door, which is rarely used. A servant lets us inside. I’ve seen him
before. As with so many of them, I have no idea of his name or
where he’s from. My bride seems a little taken aback when she
greets him and he doesn’t speak or look at her. The silent humans
are hard on the brides and I haven’t covered why they are as they
are. I will broach the subject another time in the near future. Not
tonight. This evening is for merriment and winning back gold I’ve
lost in previous games.

We are the last to arrive and everyone
stands when we enter the large den. I’m surprised when Ash runs
past me and launches himself into the arms of my bride. She laughs
as he fills the room with his child’s voice. “Mother and Father
would not allow me to visit. I had to swear on my new collection of
gems that I would not travel to Uncle Laryn’s. Is he being nice to
you or is he still a mean old ogre? Do you wish to see my gems? I
stole them myself.”

I pry his arms from my bride and toss
him into the air and catch him. “You must allow her to make the
acquaintance of the others, Little Ash.”

“
Uh, oh,” Acasia
says.

I have no idea what upsets her until
Ashrac hits me in the nose. “I am not little. I am the deadliest
dragon in the land. I will smite you with fire and dance in your
ashes,” he yells into my ear.

I set him down and place my hand on
his forehead to keep him from kicking me. “I see. I must agree that
you are not as small as I remember. I’m shaking in my boots that I
have insulted a dragon as great as yourself. If you will forgive
me, I have a present for you in my bag.”