Chapter 9

9

R ares handed me a sludgy drink, which I immediately sniffed with caution. “What the fuck is this?”

“This is how you will shift into a Dragon,” he huffed, displeased with my lack of enthusiasm. Given our history and all the shit he had experimented on me as a child, I had every right to be wary – even if I’d requested that he mix me this very drink.

Drazen stood beside me, crinkling his nose after the disgusting scent hit his nostrils, too. “The other Dragon Félvér really drank this?”

Artur, Drazen’s second in command, looked like he was going to be sick from the smell alone, and his throat worked as he held the drink at arm’s length. All the Dragon Shifter Félvér in the Iron Realm had gathered in this valley far away from Radence, and the ones who had allowed Rares to test his potions on them nodded in affirmation, a few plugging their noses before they downed the liquid.

Izidora, Liliana, and Zuriel perched on an overhang nearby, watching the scene unfold from above. The valley was secluded enough that all the Félvér could shift and fly without being spotted by unwanted voyeurs, and hilly enough to give us a running start in our fully shifted forms. Taking off from two legs was easy, but four? Well, none of us had done it before.

“Cheers,” I said, lifting the drink in Drazen’s direction before following the lead of the other Dragons and plugging my nose. The liquid was thick as it coated my tongue, and despite holding my breath, the bitter taste still hit my senses, nearly making me gag as the concoction entered my throat. I managed to get it down, though for a moment I thought I might not keep it down. “Fuck, Rares, can we at least get a chaser?” I griped as the threat of gagging subsided.

“Shit, really,” Drazen spluttered beside me, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “That was disgusting.”

The old Mage rolled his eyes. “You wanted it to work, not to taste good.”

“Why can’t we have both?” Artur muttered, looking green and clutching his stomach.

“Hold that shit down,” Drazen ordered, noticing the pallor of his second in command’s skin.

Empty containers were collected and placed in a bag near the tethered horses while we waited for the potion to take effect. Rares had told us that it could be anywhere from half an hour to an hour, and that we’d start to itch uncontrollably when the time was right. We mingled about, some lounging in the grass, others tossing a ball back and forth while we waited for the inevitable. I winked at Izidora, sending her a wave of passion down our bond. She sent one right back, and I grinned like a maniac as I gazed up at my mate.

She was beginning to look like the female I’d first met. With the help of the Demon drinks, her muscle tone was reforming quickly, and her normally pale skin was tanned from time spent in the sun. Every day, she and Liliana lay on the roof and forbade us from flying up or popping through the hatch. Side by side, the two females were stunning with their sun-kissed skin.

The itch started between my shoulder blades, and I smirked as the potion began to take effect.

“Do you feel it?” Drazen asked, reading my expression.

“Fuck yeah,” I replied, ripping my shirt over my head and tossing it aside. The bond heated as my mate perused my muscled torso covered in tattoos. Drazen’s teeth flashed with the thrill of the power rushing through us, and he stripped moments later, his own change overtaking him faster than mine. Blue scales erupted across his skin, and a moment later he was running, trying to get clear of everyone surrounding us. Without taking my eyes off him, I shucked off my pants and raced down the hillside.

Drazen reached a low cliff just in time for his wings to unfurl, and in the blink of an eye, an enormous lapis lazuli dragon burst from his skin, flapping its massive wings and lifting him into the air. The roar he released echoed around the peaks, and I felt my own inner Dragon rising to meet his. My skin felt like someone was peeling it away with pumice stone, the desire to claw at it nearly unbearable. I focused on breathing as I raced toward the ledge, hearing several pairs of footsteps following in my wake. Plush grass gave way to rock, and I closed in on the edge. Releasing a roar of joy, the shift tore through me, and I was airborne, soaring among the peaks in a way I’d never been able to do before.

“You are breathtaking,” Izidora said down our bond, her voice brimming with wonder and awe.

“Show me what you are seeing.”

Izidora projected the image soaring in front of her eyes into my mind. Two massive Dragons flew through the sky, one blue, the other blacker than the night during a new moon. My Dragon form seemed to swallow the light around it, and my scales shone with a dark luster. Beside me, Drazen glittered like a gemstone, the light catching the iridescence of his blue scales. We roared together, releasing blue and black flame into the sky above us as we soared higher and higher. Beneath us, the Félvér shifted and leaped, joining us in the sky. Within a minute, a horde of Dragons flapped their wings wildly to catch up to their leaders.

“We’re going to win.” Izidora’s pride and thrill were palpable down our bond.

“If what you’re showing me is true, we absolutely will, sprite.”

“Can I ride you?”

The snort that ripped through my nostrils contained a hint of smoke. “Think you can hold on?”

“I thought you said you would always be there to catch me if I fall?”

If my Dragon form could smile, that was what I would have been doing as her words soothed that part of me that felt responsible for everything that happened to her.

“Be prepared to jump on.”

Her inner squeal was headier than any herb or whisky, and I snapped my wings shut, plummeting toward the earth in a dizzying spiral that left me wanting more of the thrill.

Who needed pain when this exhilaration existed?

Banking hard to my left, I floated on a draft toward where Izidora, Liliana, and Zuriel perched. My mate leaped to her feet, her white wings appearing at her back, and she stood, poised and ready for the leap as I passed by.

“He’s going to let you ride him?” Liliana exclaimed, her mouth popping open, and I chuckled to myself at her jealousy. Maybe Drazen would get the hint once he saw Izidora on my back.

“Ready, sprite?”

“Ready.”

Flaring my wings, I slowed my pace slightly, drifting as close as I could without clipping my much larger than normal wings against the rock. Just as I was about to pass, I tucked my wings close, and Izidora pushed off the ground with all her might, feathered wings flapping as she sailed through the air and landed atop my back with a heavy thud.

“Find something to hold on to.”

She scrambled across my back, and with as much care as I could, I snapped my wings out, catching a drift and allowing her time to settle.

“All good now.”

“I’m not going slow.”

“You always say that.”

“This time I mean it.”

And truly, I did. There was nothing like being fully shifted into a Dragon, and I wanted to suck every bit of time out of this potion. Well, there was one thing that was better – my mate riding me. Our bond hummed excitedly as my wings beat faster, sending us climbing into the sky. A scream tore from her lips, and I smelled her fear and her arousal, the perfect cocktail for my nose.

Glancing below us, I saw dozens of other Dragons drifting lazily through the valley, learning their new forms and preparing for battle. It was unfortunate that we could not communicate with one another in this form, and I would have to put Rares and Drazen to work on a solution.

“This is incredible,” Izidora said, shifting to one side to peer down with me.

“The second most incredible sight I’ve ever seen.”

“What’s the first?”

“You. On your hands and knees. Crawling toward me.”

The scent of her arousal flared, and I knew she was thinking about it too.

“Later we’ll have to play. I need to be inside you after a day like this.”

“Play how?” Even speaking mind to mind, the lust was thick in her voice.

“You tell me. Your body is strong enough for a lot now.”

Leaving her to her wild imagination, I roared at the Dragons below me, and they all looked up simultaneously at their alpha. I dipped my head and started climbing, hoping they’d understand that I wanted them to follow.

Drazen scooped up Liliana, leaving Zuriel and Rares alone on the ground as he raced to join me. A loose formation formed behind me as Dragons took their place based on rank, and we soared together past snow-capped peaks, banking together like we would have in our Fae forms. Izidora and Liliana alternated between screaming in excitement and screaming in fear, both of which pleased me greatly.

Circling back to the valley, I began a slow descent, allowing the group to fall in line as we landed in various positions throughout. The thud as one Dragon after another landed shook the ground beneath my talons, and I craned my long neck around to ensure everyone had arrived and landed safely.

“Tell everyone I want to practice taking off and landing from here until the potions wear off. We have no other way of communicating.”

Izidora stood on my back, balancing between the spikes on my spine, and shouted, “Your emperor wants you to practice taking off and landing until your potion wears off!”

Dragon heads dipped in acknowledgement, and Izidora and Liliana both slid down our scales and onto the plush green grass. Lowering my head to her level, I realized just how massive our shifted forms were. My head was nearly as big as her petite frame, and one giant gray eye was the size of her head.

“Your scales are so pretty,” she cooed, stroking them lovingly.

I growled low. “I am not one of your horses. I am a fearsome beast.”

“Sure,” she said, planting a kiss on my nose. Then she patted it and walked away, pressing her lips together to hide a smile.

Lashing out, I hooked a fang onto her loose tunic and tugged her back to me. Her heart skittered against her ribs, even more audible in my fully shifted form. “How about now?”

“You proved your point,” she said, smacking me on the nose after I released her. But the smile that spread across her face told me she liked when I pushed her limits, and I planned on pushing them again that night.

I waited for her and Liliana to rejoin Zuriel before beginning my own practice, propelling myself airborne with the force of my claws against the earth, using my larger wingspan to force my heavy body higher. Around me, the Félvér began to fade one by one, their bodies shrinking in on themselves until only a dusting of scales covered their bodies and they searched for their clothes.

Drazen and I were some of the last to fade, and as my Fae body returned to me, the high of the shift came crashing down. “Rares!” I barked, scanning for the Mage.

He appeared moments later, notebook in hand. “What?”

“You will address your emperor with respect,” I growled, not in the mood for his usual bullshit.

“What, My Emperor?” he replied, finally lifting his gaze.

“Find a way to make the full shift ability permanent, instead of potion-dependent. And we need a way to communicate in our shifted forms. I am assuming the others are having a similar issue?” I raised a brow, waiting for his response.

It was Drazen who confirmed my suspicion. “That has been a major complaint from the new units, yes. You can still communicate with Izidora through your bond, yeah?”

I nodded, glancing at the female watching us closely.

“A few of the other Félvér shifters have mates too. We should utilize them for now to help with direction. That will give us time to find another solution,” Drazen suggested.

“I agree with Drazen,” Rares commented. “As for permanent… I’ll work on it.” He sighed as if it were a chore to him, when really, it would be a major accomplishment in his experiments. The Mages on Nugati would laud his praises across the ocean, and for centuries to come. Even I could acknowledge that would be impressive.

“Fine. These abilities will turn the tide for us. We’ll need to leave soon for the Day Realm, but while we are gone, put all your effort into it, Rares.” Izidora stole my attention as she approached with my clothes in her hands. “I think we’re done for the day. See to it that everyone makes it back to Radence.”

I strode in my mate’s direction, snatching her into my arms and kissing her roughly, not caring that my cock hardened for all to see. Her mouth tasted like vanilla, undoubtedly from all the cinnamon rolls she’d eaten this morning, and I groaned into her sweetness. Breaking our kiss, I whispered, “I need you to ride me in another way.”

The flush that graced her cheeks was divine, and I murmured the spell that bent space and time and allowed us to move quickly to our bedroom at Roc Palace. The second our feet touched the polished floor, I grasped her waist and threw her onto our bed, following immediately with my body and pinning her beneath me.

“Ruslan,” she panted, lifting her hips to meet mine. There were far too many clothes between us. I shifted one finger into a talon and shredded every bit of fabric covering her flushed skin. Her pants I ripped away first, not caring where they landed so long as my mate’s soaking center was bared to me.

“So fucking wet already. Did flying atop my back turn you on?” I purred, dipping between her thighs while the light tunic she wore slipped away from her breasts, the torn lace beneath thin enough to expose her hardened nipples.

“Yes,” she admitted, scooting her hips close to my face in a silent plea to touch her there.

My fingers clutched the insides of her thighs, massaging the tense muscles as my hot breath fluttered against her perfect pink slit. “Did you think of how you’d like to play?”

Her pussy visibly clenched, and a wicked smirk spread across my face. “Can we go to Steel?”

“Mmm,” I replied, planting my lips above my hands but nowhere close to where she ached for me. “What do you want to do there?”

“I want to watch–” I interrupted her words with a flick of my tongue against her clit, eliciting a gasping breath.

“Watch what?” I said, my lips hovering over her most sensitive spot.

“Watch the others fuck,” she moaned, wiggling beneath me in an attempt to relieve the tension coiling inside her as she remembered what had happened during Béke.

I rewarded her honesty by sucking her clit into my mouth, then flattening my tongue and working it over and over until her chest heaved with pleasure.

“Please, I need more,” she begged, pushing back into my face.

Izidora was absolutely soaked, her arousal coating my mouth and stubble, but I still needed more of her delectable taste. Dropping my tongue away from her sensitive nerves, I parted her folds and dove inside her core, lapping directly from the source of my light.

“Oh Goddess,” she swore, back arching off the bed.

I paused my ministrations, causing her to whimper. “She’s not here to save you, sprite. You will fall apart by the hands of your dark God, and it is my name that will slip past those pretty lips.”

And with those words, I dipped two fingers inside her, stretching her out as my tongue worked every inch of flesh between her thighs. The sounds she made were intoxicating, and my cock was painfully hard as it dug into the soft mattress. Her walls began fluttering, signaling she was close to coming.

My fingers moved faster, curling against the spongy spot that I knew would cause her to soak my face further. “Scream my name as you break over my fingers.”

And she did, arching off the bed with the force of her orgasm, and I did not stop stroking her until she trembled beneath me. “Good girl,” I praised, capturing her mouth in mine and forcing her to taste herself. She moaned into my mouth, and I stole her air with a swipe of my tongue across hers.

“Ride me,” I ordered, lifting my weight off her and flipping to my back. The tip of my dick was soaked from my own arousal, and when Izidora grasped it to line it with her entrance, I thought I might die from pleasure.

“Fuck, yes, sprite, I need to feel you.”

She ran the tip along her sopping center, teasing me in the worst way. “Maybe I should wait a moment.”

My blood heated and a wicked grin formed on my face. “Do you think you’re in control here?” Like lightning, two hands dug into her ass and I impaled her on my cock. “Because you’re not.” I bucked my hips, sending her head snapping back and a moan catching in her throat. “When I say ride me, I expect you to ride me.” She whimpered as I brutally thrust up into her, our skin making a slapping sound. “Tell me you understand.”

“I understand,” she panted, sweat beginning to form on her brow.

“Good girl. Take the rest of your clothes off and ride me like you did my Dragon form.”

She wasted no time throwing off her shirt and the lace underneath, baring her breasts to me. Goosebumps skittered across her skin as the cool air touched it, hardening her nipples. She circled her hips, taking me deeper, and I groaned as her pussy clenched around my cock. Between thumb and forefinger, I grasped each nipple and tugged, sending her a hint of pain to mix with her pleasure, just the way she liked it.

“Mate,” she moaned, and a word had never sounded so good to my ears.

I repeated my actions, earning another breathy word. She bounced up and down on me, and sliding in and out of her felt even better than soaring among the peaks in my Dragon form. “That’s it, ride me, mate.”

I moved a hand to her hip to help guide her, and each time she sank down, her clit ground against my abdomen. “Touch me,” she begged, her brow furrowing in concentration.

Releasing her nipple, I placed the pads of my fingers against her sensitive bud. She shamelessly ground into my hand and cock at the same time, bracing her hands on my shoulders to get just the right angle. The hand on her hip migrated further behind her until my fingers dipped toward her puckered hole, rubbing it lightly in time with her clit.

“Ruslan!” she gasped as I applied pressure, and I smirked, loving that she wanted the extra sensation to get off.

“Fuck my cock and hands,” I commanded, and she obeyed like the good girl she was. Her movements became erratic as she chased another release, and my balls tightened as her pleasure heightened. She was so damn beautiful moving above me, her chestnut hair falling in pieces out of her intricate braids, and the way her breasts bounced with her movements was hypnotic.

“I’m going to–” she started, her breath hitching as her orgasm tore through her. Maintaining pressure against her holes, I thrust up into her, allowing her nails to dig into my tattooed chest as wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body. Her walls milked my cock, and with a roar, I shot hot ropes of liquid inside her, throbbing with the strength of my release.

Breathless, our gazes collided, and our bond hummed contentedly, satiated at least for the moment. “You ride me so well, sprite,” I praised before lifting her off of me and strolling to the bathroom to clean up. I returned with a glass of water and towel for her, smoothing her sweaty hair and kissing her forehead. She looked up at me with sleepy aquamarine eyes that stole my breath and made me want to burn the world down to avenge the wrongs done to her.

Crawling into bed beside her, I tucked her against my chest, rubbing soothing circles into her back as she drifted off. She’d never admit it, but she forced herself to stay awake far too often, and she needed the rest to recover from all the training she’d been doing. When her breath finally softened, I allowed my eyes to close as I drifted to the land of sleep, with the lazy afternoon sun spilling across us.