TahrHer expression changes from delighted to worried and I wish more than anything that we could truly communicate. "Come on, it's time we return. I will pick you up in my talons and carry you back."She adamantly shakes her head no and begins walking back to the castle. It's my turn to roll my eyes in exasperation. "Stubborn human," I mumble under my breath. I could shift and carry her anyway, but for some crazy reason I decide to give in. I walk beside her until we reach my tower. Her neck stretches back as she gazes up to the top. I can't help but notice her irritation when she realizes I'll be carrying her anyway. I bite my lip to keep from grinning. Pepper huffs, which is absolutely adorable, and places her hands on her hips. Her headpiece is tipped low over one ear again but I wouldn't dare try to adjust it. It's her large, expressive eyes that hold me captive for a long moment. What is this hold she seems to have over me? A human. A human with something more.I back away so I
PepperTahr hasn't said a word since reading my note and I'm worried. I finally got tired of waiting for his response and went to my room to lie down. He followed me in a few minutes later with the rope in his hands-still silent, still running his fingers through his hair, and still as gorgeous as ever. He's dressed in tight trousers and no shirt. There's nothing about his body I don't like and in his current state of silence, pacing and making no eye contact there's nothing for me to do but scrutinize him.None of the humans I know have muscles quite so defined. They flow under his skin and make my mouth water. Other parts of me water too but it's embarrassing. Meagan told me of such things but I didn't believe her at the time. "It's like an itch that needs scratching," she once said. Now I know it's more like an out of control fire that needs extinguishing.Is his silence because I called him foolish? Or is it telling him of my dream? He must think I'm crazy and it's actually a good
TahrBastian is as concerned as I am. We decide that we will bring Ashrac with the adults so everyone can meet Pepper. Hopefully, Bastian can figure out the source of her magic.Bastian whispers into my head as we fly. "Because a Goddess has helped three of us, it doesn't mean that I trust her." I understand his tone. We try to be careful when we speak against any of the Gods.We fly side by side with Acasia and Ashrac slightly behind us. "Thank you for returning with me. It's possible she's simply dreaming and sleepwalking, but with the mention of Pegasus, I'm worried.""It would be quite a coincidence," Acasia volunteers. "I just don't understand why a Goddess would care about a human. Not that there is anything wrong with humans," she adds quickly.A strangled sound comes from Bastian's throat. "Acasia has a soft place in her heart for our servants. I believe she acquired the habit from Meagan."I see the humor in this conversation and the mention of Meagan's name doesn't hurt as m
PepperThe dragons speak of me as if I'm not present. Just because I cannot use my voice doesn't mean I can't hear them or understand what they're saying. I have no way to convince Tahr that the woman on the Pegasus is no dream. She came to me while I was awake. For some reason I don't think she wishes me harm. I feel more alive beneath the light she casts.The young, red dragon mentioned a Goddess. Is that what she is? I agree with him-what makes me so special? A yearning for scales and wings is not enough.Tahr's arms comfort me. He says he wants me in his life; so what exactly does that mean? I'm here and fully healed. It's time to begin my duty and serve him.What if he hadn't caught me? As I fell, a painful burn erupted across my back along with the pressure under my skin. When Tahr grabbed me, his energy burst between us and soothed the pain. And I was devastated. Something waited and it was so very close. How stupid is that? I'm nothing to a Goddess."You will begin teaching me
Tahr For the next two weeks, I keep Pepper so busy she falls into bed each night and sleeps soundly. I know this because her ankle is now tied to mine and I feel every move she makes. Betty has found a young man to help her serve me. Mikael, the young man who delivered the rope, irritates me to no end. Pepper acts shy around him and I don't like the way he looks at her. He is far too friendly. And even though I know in my heart that I should allow their feelings to blossom, I cannot. Pepper is mine. It's entirely unreasonable. She deserves a human to grow old with and one who makes her happy. I don't care! Pepper shakes her head causing the headpiece she's never without to tilt to one side. My frustration rises. I've grown to dislike the thing and want to see her beauty uncovered. I want to slide my hand over the smoothness of her scalp and her large expressive eyes to close in delicious anticipation of where I will touch her next. As I stare at her, a bewildered expression replace
Pepper I'm flying. The wind slides across my skin and leaves goose bumps behind. I'm not cold, just excited. Tahr turns sharply and a heavy gust pries my headpiece up a bit. I pull it back down and keep a tight hold on the saddle with one hand. Tahr can't see my smile or my tears of happiness. I'm flying and this is miraculous. As Tahr flies me through the clouds, a heavy ache settles between my shoulder blades and reminds me of the discomfort from the last time I jumped from the tower. It's not enough to ruin the moment, though. I bend over and press my finger against one of Tahr's scales. Very slowly, I spell out, in very large letters, a word. HAPPY Tahr sighs inside my head and I think he understands. I've never been so happy in my entire life. I hug his neck before writing again. FREE This time his response is a low groan. He understands the word, but he can't possibly understand all that it means to me. I've been trapped my whole life. Trapped with no voice, in a land with
TahrYes, I'm being punished. The Goddess must be dancing with glee at my predicament. I want Pepper so badly it hurts. All the hand jobs in the world won't take care of my erection. I recite the reasons why I cannot have Pepper and "I want her" replaces each one. My want is not important. Pepper is.She's not Sarn's wolf shifter. They suffered for love and their pain was unavoidable. I'm not Sarn. I would never give up my dragon and I'm not in love. I'm infatuated and turned on. I'm dragon and these are things I can control.There is a solution to this dilemma. It pains me greatly and I grind my teeth, but my decision is made. We've been back from the lake for an hour and Pepper is in the library reading. I send a telepathic message, "Mikael, Betty, come to my rooms immediately."I pace while waiting for their arrival. The longer I wait the more my irritation grows. I kick the chair and watch dispassionately as it topples over. I glance up and Pepper is standing in the doorway."I'm
PepperMy anger burns deep. How dare Tahr give me away? Mikael trailed behind me and Betty until I made it very clear that if Mikael touched me again, I would cut off his thing. I pointed right at it so he understood exactly what my hands were saying. I meant it too. And after I cut his thing off, Tahr's would be the next one on the chopping block.The damned dragon.I didn't even want Betty touching me and I shrugged her off when she tried to comfort me. I went to my old, empty room and sat on the bare floor while I stewed. Within a very short time I had a plan. My stubborn resolve kept me from returning to Tahr and removing his thing anyway. If I died this night, the dragon could live with the guilt. He deserved it for being so stupid. And to think he once called me an idiot. He loves me, he just doesn't deserve me. The Goddess has shown me the way and this will prove it.All noise in the human tower stopped an hour ago and still I wait. I'm not afraid. If I die, so be it. Death is
Flora "I'm Acasia." She gestures behind her. "This is Bastian. We're very pleased to meet you. We just didn't expect you after what Jewel told us." I drop her hand and interlock my fingers in front of me so maybe I won't strangle her son in front of her. "I didn't expect to be here either," I reply honestly. "Mother." We all turn to Ashrac. "I'm in the middle of a kidnapping here and it would be better if we had this conversation another time. I haven't gotten to the having my wicked way with her part yet." My elbow slips and lands directly in his ribs. My cheeks burn. Boiling oil's too good for the ratfink. His father steps closer, his expression filled with concern and more than a touch of anger. "Flora, I will take you back to Earth if you wish to return." A loud rumbling growl leaves Ashrac's throat. "She is my mate, Father. No one will be taking her anywhere but me." Bastian's eyebrows arch. I'm guessing Ashrac doesn't usually speak to his parents this way. Decisions, dec
FloraMy eyes peel open to sunshine. I'm in Ashrac's room, in his bed, and he isn't. I look around and still no Ashrac. I stretch my arms and I'm about to rise from the bed when a shadow passes in front of the window from the balcony. Dragonbreath went for a flight without me. We'll be discussing this after he comes back to bed and welcomes the new day with me like he should have.The dragon's shadow shifts to a smaller human than Ashrac and before I can put together what human it is, Jewel pops her head in the window. She looks at me questioningly. I pull the cover over my bare breasts that were perky and waiting for my mate. "Come in," I say because what else can I do? The strange expression on her face isn't what I'm expecting, and for a moment I wonder if I should have read more into her friendship with Ashrac.She sits on the end of the bed and continues staring at me."Is there something you need?" I ask.She gives a small smile that in no way reaches her eyes. "Ashrac sent me t
FloraI've chosen my mate and so has my eagle. I can no longer fight that he's the one. Seeing Ashrac with the kids melted my heart and changed something deep inside me. Ashrac caring about the humans and trying to make their lives better blew my world apart.He's about to do it again.His body against mine is firm, powerful, and incredibly sexy. His muscles ripple beneath my touch. I'm barely able to think and what I'm thinking is that I should tell him I've never done this before. Then, he releases my mouth and his lips travel down my body, kissing every inch of flesh along the way. I stop thinking at all and just feel. His tongue circles my bellybutton before dipping inside. I actually giggle over the sensation. My fingers go to his glorious hair and I pull slightly to make him stop. His head comes up and he's grinning. There are also flames dancing in his eyes and all I can think of is sensual fire.He lowers his mouth back to my flesh and continues on his merry way. Flames lick a
AshracA light bulb went off in my brain at the table. It was the strangest feeling. The bulb then exploded into a million shards and sent an electrical current throughout my body. The feeling's been described to me many times, but I had no idea how instantly my world would change.Flora is my mate.My mind knows and my body knows. It no longer matters what her clothes hide. It no longer matters that she turned me green or that she hasn't told me about being an eagle shifter.She's mine.I have no idea how or why it happened, but it did and nothing will stand between me and this woman. No mountains or dragons or Goddesses.Flora follows us as we walk to the lab. The kids don't bother shifting to fly because she's here and they have no idea she has her own wings. I'm actually proud that they're considering her feelings. We enter the lab and I walk over to my latest experiment. The electrical circuit is within a plastic shield made up of melted cell phone glass. I have cell phone batter
PepperBotan gives me sad eyes and says, "Something smells really good and I'm a very hungry growing dragon."Cute is not a good enough word. I like this little guy."No," Ashrac says with a frustrated look. "Your mother will expect you home."Inside my head I'm calculating how much more food I need to make. "Okay," I say aloud, "I'm not cooking this alone so if you help, you can eat with us."Cheers go up at the same time Ashrac raises his hands in defeat. "It's on you," he says to me. "They'll eat me out of house and home and leave a huge mess behind."Kettle, black? "Why don't you run off to your little lab? We'll handle dinner.""Fine." He spins and marches off grumbling."Botan and Rotan, you're in charge of setting the table. Drayce, Ejder, I need you peeling potatoes. Zara and Zora you're backup and will be doing what's required to get this meal on the table. Right now I need more meat and potatoes brought up from the cellar."The kids hop to it and we have a meal for six growi
FloraI slog into a dense part of forest and remove my sopping clothes. I tie them into a small wet package that I can carry in my beak. My shifting powers are different than conventional shifters because I need words to start the process. I whisper the sacred words in my head that my mother taught me and her mother taught her. The world goes from blurry to crystal clear. In human form, without my glasses, I can see for miles if the view is unobstructed. Close up is another matter; all eagle shifters are far sighted when in human form. Shifting to eagle brings everything into focus."Stupid dragon," I mumble in my head as I scoop up the bundle and fly out of the tree line. I can't help turning and flying over the lake. There he is deep in the water bathing, thank the goddess. At least when he flies me back to my realm he won't smell like a dirty old shoe.I don't think about what I'm doing, it just kind of happens. He plunges his soapy head into the water and I swoop back around. My g
AshracShe's been hiding from me. Now that I've seen her eyes I know there's more. Taking her to the lake to bathe is the only way I can think to see her naked body and decide for myself if she's worthy of mating a red dragon. I catch sight of myself in the lake as we fly over; Flora is riding in the saddle. Maybe the green will wash off.She's right about bathing, though. I do smell. I would say it's not a normal condition, but when I'm engrossed in a project, I forget about everything, including food and especially bathing. My mother still smacks me upside the head when she visits and I'm filthy. She also feeds me.Flora has no fear of being on my back. She's an eagle and I'm still flummoxed that I didn't know she was a shifter. I sensed her magic from the beginning but there are so many kinds. From precognition to witchcraft to vampires and weres it just never occurred to me that she could shift. Our children would be double shifters and could choose which form to take. Not that th
FloraHe's consuming me-his mouth, his touch, his very presence. The world around us stops revolving, or at least it feels that way. It's as if I've been waiting for his lips my entire life. They're firm where mine are soft. I consume right back. He plays with my mouth and I realize he understands the finer finesse of kissing. Who would have guessed that an egotistical megalomaniac would take the time to learn to kiss a woman properly? He explores my lips like they're an exotic treasure. When he bites my bottom lip, I open for him and he accepts my invitation. His tongue twirls and parries with mine. His head moves slightly and he pulls me closer to deepen the kiss. I swear my brain rolls out of my head, across the floor, and out the door.There's something else going on too. His incredible body, which is now fully pressed against mine, burns a trail of fire everywhere we touch. My hands go to his forearms and they're as big as my thighs but not soft at all. He's pure corded muscle wi
AshracI haven't provided any and maybe that's what this woman is upset about. Interesting. I'll have to think more on it. Without the glasses, she's passably pretty. Maybe if I could see her entire body, she would be a lot more interesting.Bowls hit the small side table off the kitchen. Eating in this room should be done by servants, which I don't have, so I guess I can lower myself to eating in the kitchen as long as the woman will be here too. Flora, that's her name. She might like it if I called her by her name."Flora," I say louder than I intended to. She jumps and turns in my direction. "Does it bother you if I eat like this?" I make a motion with my hands to show her I mean my naked body. Her eyes go straight to my big green appendage that isn't at its most attractive at the moment even with its great size. She keeps staring until I startle her again. "You like it?"Her eyes snap to mine and her face goes from yellow to red in mere seconds. "It's, um, very nice as far as gree