4. Four

I hate that they're leaving again.

Dinner was so perfect and I'm not ready to be without all of them. As we ate, they gave me a lesson on what the sight is, but we eventually put a plug in that conversation when I said I'd read up on it in my journal later. Needless to say, I was getting overwhelmed.

Then I told them about the rest of my day and everything I learned from Gaster with such animation, they'd shift from loud laughs to sexy smiles and sweet words. I swear I could feel my skin glowing under their praises. But now, watching them walk farther into the lawn to transport to the academy, I just want to shout at them to stay home with me.

I'm so damn needy.

Me and my needy bond.

Between their hungry kisses and constant touches, I'm so worked up, it's almost unbearable.

"Don't worry, little wanderer, they'll be back soon."

Linking our hands together, Draken pulls me into the house, and I lean my head against his shoulder, filling my lungs with his scent. A fireplace burning on a cold snowy night. I let the heat of him seep into every inch of my body, relishing how it lights me up from the inside out.

The comfort and warmth that radiates off him, invited me in the moment I laid my eyes on him, and I'm ready to be consumed by his fire.

Fully, completely. I want to burn in his flames.

"I'm going to go change and will be back in a minute. Go enjoy your bath," he orders with a small kiss. Nodding, I back into my room, trying to shut the door as casually as possible.

Fuck me.

Pressing my ear against my door, I don't release my breath until I hear his door shut, then I haul my excited and nervous ass to the closet. Smiling down at the drawer that stashes away a variety of sexy little nighties, I feel so much better knowing that Tillman made these and not Gaster.

The first time I opened this drawer, I slammed it shut in absolute horror and didn't open it again until Draken told me about the guys having a hand in my wardrobe.

Which one? Which one?

Come on, Willow, it's not going to matter.

He's going to rip it off you anyways.

Hopefully.

I'm not satisfied with just grabbing one and going, though. This moment is special for me. I know Draken's been holding back on making any sexual advances since I've been back so he could give me time.

Well, time's up.

I want him. I want him bad.

Finally, at the bottom of the drawer is a red nighty, his favorite color. The see-through lace, deep V-neck reveals enough without giving it all away and is held up by thin satin spaghetti straps that will perk the girls up just right. He's seen it all before, of course, but I know seeing me in this will make him feral.

Racing to the bathroom with my nighty in hand, I lock the door behind me as I strip my clothes and climb into the tub. Exfoliating and scrubbing every nook and cranny, I send Oakly a silent thanks for teaching me the hair removal spell just as I hear my bedroom door shut and my heart jumps into my throat.

It's silly to be so nervous when I know that Draken's going to take care of me, but I can't help the butterflies wreaking havoc on my stomach right now. This is my first time having sex for pleasure, and I want this to be just as good for him as he's going to make it for me.

And I know he will. That tongue of his can make me have multiple orgasms alone.

Fixing my hair and staring at my reflection in the mirror, I feel beautiful, sexy, powerful. And I'm ready to claim what's mine.

Deep breath.

You got this. Go get your bond, girl.

Smiling to myself, I step out of the bathroom, the door shutting behind me, and I freeze at the sight of Draken lying in my bed with his eyes closed, a small smile on his lips. He's so comfortable, happy, home…

With one arm tucked behind his head, the muscles in his forearm and bicep flex, portraying his true power and definition. His chest, a painting of smooth, sun-kissed perfection and strength, expands and contracts with each measured breath.

My eyes devour his shirtless body, mapping out his taut abs to the groove of his deep V-cut. Following the lines of his body down to where his sweatpants sit loosely on his hips, my mouth dries as I trace the outline of his dick and a needy sound falls from my lips.

"That was a quick ba—" He freezes mid-sentence when his eyes take me in.

"Draken."

In seconds, he's on me, shoving my back against the bathroom door, slamming his hands on both sides of my head. His dragon peeks through the surface to get a look at what's his as well.

"Little wanderer. You can't get into bed with that on." His voice is deep, raw with desire. I can feel the rumble in his chest as he crowds me more, leaning his forehead down to touch mine.

Heat pools in my lower belly from the need in his voice. Throbbing between my legs starts, and rubbing my thighs together doesn't chase away the friction I desperately want.

"Why not?"

"I won't be able to stop, Willow. I'll want it all. I'll want to claim all of you." He pulls back enough to look me in the eye. The intensity of his vivid cobalt blue seems to flicker like a flame, radiating a mixture of promise, passion, and love.

"I'm already yours, Draken. Claim me."

The words barely leave my lips before he lifts me off my feet, makes it to my bed in two strides, and tosses me down. He prowls back and forth at the foot of my bed, the predator within him emerging.

Then he pounces…

As soon as our lips meet, the world ceases to exist. The kiss starts with a tender exploration, a delicate balance of uncertainty that swiftly ignites into an all-consuming flame. The longing that's been building between us is about to combust.

My breath hitches as he breaks the kiss, making his way down my jaw, moving to my neck. Sucking, biting, marking me. I whimper once he stops at my chest, needing him to keep fucking going.

"As much as I love this sweetness, it's in my way." I hear the fabric rip and my eyes widen as Draken holds the remnants of my nighty up with his claw. "Much better."

"I wore that just for you." My complaint is all for show. He did exactly what I wanted him to and by the smirk on his face, he knows it.

"And it's mine now, sweetness." He swears, shoving the torn lingerie into his pocket.

My body grows feverish as I watch his eyes darken at the sight of me naked, laid bare just for him. It's a look of pure, raw, unfiltered need, one that makes me feel confident, sexy, desired. His gaze alone is driving me mad, my body shivering, begging for him to touch me.

Growling, he ducks his head down, sucking my nipple into his warm mouth, flicking his tongue in a tortuous, unpredictable pattern that has me panting in seconds. Running my hands through his hair, I arch my back, pleading for him to take more.

A dark chuckle falls from his lips as he releases my nipple with a loud wet pop.

"Greedy little wanderer. Tell me what you want."

"More, Draken."

"Tell me. I'll give you whatever you want." He slowly starts laying kisses down my belly and I lift my hips, silently encouraging him to keep going, but he stops.

"Your words, Willow."

He knows what I want, he always does, but he wants me to say it out loud for him. He always lets me get away with just using my body as a means of direction, but not tonight. Tonight, he's going to force me to swallow down my insecurity and say it out loud.

"Your tongue. I want to fall apart on your tongue. Eat me out, Draken." I moan and his resolve shatters as he spreads my thighs wide and licks my pussy in a long, slow stroke. I've never dared to try to talk dirty to him, but my words drive him wild.

The heated pad of his tongue circles my clit, over and over and over. My head is dizzy in a frenzy of need, all coherent thoughts gone. One of my hands flies into his auburn hair while the other tangles in the sheets, grounding myself as I grind against his face, chasing the heat that's building and spreading throughout my body.

He glides two of his thick fingers through my wetness, pushing them deep inside of me. I'm gloriously stretched already and thinking about how much more I'll have to stretch for his dick to fit in me has my body growing hotter. I try to push it off, force my body to wait, but Draken won't allow it. He likes my pleasure to come fast, powerful, and multiple times over.

His tongue never relents, licking me up like I'm his favorite flavor of ice cream, and as soon as he curls his fingers upward, knowing exactly what it does to me, I fucking explode.

My thighs quiver and my legs tense, causing my toes to curl into the sheets. I can't even see the ceiling through the black spots clouding my vision and I shout his name to the heavens like he's the god who'll give me my sight back.

He doesn't bother coming up for a breath. He just slows the pumps of his fingers and lazily licks me as I come down from my orgasm.

A deep, guttural moan falls from my lips as I push against his hand, wanting him deeper. I can't form a lucid sound, just wanton cries and moans.

"I have to get you ready for me, then I'll give you what you want, sweetness. Just come on my tongue one more time."

The mixture of promise and command in his tone already has the pressure of my second release building. Every pump, curl, lick, bite, he knows every move to make me fall apart for him. When he reaches up with his other hand and pinches my nipple between his thumb and finger, that sweet sting of pain sends me tumbling into blissful ecstasy, coming apart completely in seconds.

I watch through hooded eyes as he pulls his sweatpants off, freeing his cock from the confines of his pants, and the sheer size of him has my pussy clenching in anticipation. I need him, want him, crave him.

I'm greedy for him.

Crawling up my body, he leaves a trail of searing kisses, stopping short of my lips.

"There's no going back after this, Willow. Are you sure?"

It takes all the mental strength I have to break through the lustful haze to form a logical sentence, but I finally breathe.

"I'm gonna spend forever with you."

A seductive smile takes over his face as he sits back on his heels and lines himself up at my entrance. He slowly pushes the head of his cock in and out of me. It's a tight squeeze and I whimper at the mixture of pleasure and pain.

I need him fully seated in me, but damn, I don't think he's going to fit.

"Fuck, you're soaking wet. Open up for me, little wanderer. You were made perfectly for me, including this tight little pussy." His dirty words cause another flood of desire to course through me, and my body relaxes.

Pumping in and out slowly, I can feel my walls contracting around him, trying to suck him in deeper as he stretches me so fucking deliciously. It feels so perfect and I'm hungry for more.

Lifting my hips, I rock against him, hard and fast, causing him to fully slam himself inside me. When I cry out, he lets out a surprised hiss that's followed by a deep groan that has my entire body shivering.

I'm so damn full. I feel him everywhere.

"So impatient for me. Are you okay, sweetness?" he asks through gritted teeth. He's holding himself back, but I don't want that. I want it all, everything he's got.

"Give me all of you, Draken."

His control comes crashing down as he pulls almost all the way out then slams back into me in one stroke, stealing the air from my lungs. But I'm so wet for him, there's no resistance. He glides in and out easily. Just like he said, my pussy is perfectly made for him.

I meet him thrust for thrust as the room fills with the sound of our bodies slamming together and my screams of pleasure. Energy is cracking around the room. Every thrust of his hips feels like fire slithering across my skin.

Caging me in with his body, all I can see is him. He's all I smell, all I taste. He's everywhere, everything, imprinting on the very essence of my soul. Washing away every bad experience I've ever encountered and replacing it with the pleasure he's pounding into my body.

The sensation is a whirlwind of heat and need, an intoxicating blend of surrender and dominance. I'm giving my body and soul over to him willingly, and he's owning every piece of it, protecting it, putting it back together.

He peppers me in kisses, strokes my hair from my face, and worships every inch of my body he can lay his hands and mouth on. I wrap my legs around him tightly and tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as if to merge us into a single entity.

Our bodies gravitate, drawn together by an unspoken force that defies the limits of any normal relationship, and I can feel heat building in my chest, my bond begging to be set free.

"Fuck, you're everything. Come with me, Willow." He breathes my name like a prayer and as if my body's his to command, I fall right over the edge as wave after wave of pleasure crashes into me.

He grunts, slamming into me one more time, his body shaking as he holds me in place by my hips and fills me with his cum.

Blinding light flashes between the two of us and the bond shooting out of my chest into Draken's is so powerful my back arches off the bed. It steals both of our breaths as we feel it snap in place, leaving a single wisp of red rope connecting my heart to his.

Laying his forehead on mine as we both pant, our breaths fill the space between us, and the rope attaching us dims, settling in its new homes. A lightness fills Draken's eyes like a piece of him was missing all along and now he's whole.

"You feed my very soul, Willow. Every part of me burns for you, and I'll singe the fabric of this realm to make sure you're always mine. You're my home, and I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I'll spend the rest of my life loving you the way you deserve to be loved."

"I will always be yours, for eternity. I'll give you all of me forever, Draken. I love you." Tears fill my eyes as I run both of my hands up his arms, his neck and cup his cheeks.

Pulling him down to meet my lips, it's a devouring feast of emotions and desires, leaving us wanting, needing, yearning for more. I can feel him growing hard inside of me, ready to worship my body all over again.

And that's what he does, for hours into the night.

"Cut that shit off." I groan, burying my face in Draken's chest as the blaring sound of one of our timekeepers echoes throughout the room. His raspy morning chuckle vibrates my whole body, sending heat down to my core.

Down, girl. You're sore and need a break.

Draken couldn't get enough of me last night. Tossing me around, twisting my body into whatever position he wanted. I couldn't do anything but hold on, enjoy the ride and the multiple orgasms he tore from my body.

I tried to take charge a couple of times, wanting to try some things out on my own, but his dragon was not having that. All it got me was "It's my night to own you, your body. You can explore later." His growly, possessive dominance only turned me on more, and the more I submitted, the more pleasure he gave me.

Which I didn't mind. I'm highly inexperienced, but I have no qualms with him doing pretty much anything he wants to my body. He's proven time and time again he'd never do anything to hurt me. He knows exactly what to do to take care of me, so as long as we're both getting satisfaction from one another, I'll listen. I'm safe giving him my pleasure.

"Time to get up, little wanderer. I already kicked Tillman out when he came to get you for training this morning. Next, it'll be all of them."

Kissing my forehead, he picks up my naked body and carries me to my bathroom. After sitting me gently in my bathtub, he walks over to the cabinet and grabs a healing vial and my healing oils.

"Thank you. How did you know I needed those?" Despite the discomfort, my core clenches with the memories of last night.

"I want to take care of you. And I can feel your discomfort through the bond." He shoots me a sly, satisfied wink.

My heart flutters as I feel his love and care for me flood my system. It's a heady and intoxicating feeling knowing he isn't just saying it to say it. He means it wholeheartedly.

I wonder if I'll feel the others' emotions so keenly too.

Shit, the others.

"Are they going to be mad?" I ask Draken as he kneels beside the tub, pours the healing oils into my bath, and starts washing my body for me.

"Of course not. Jealous, fuck yes. But mad, no, little wanderer. Don't worry about that, I swear they'll be happy for us."

I let his words and magical hands soothe me as he massages away any lingering pains and aches. After he has me cleaned and relaxed, he leans down and gives me a kiss before heading to take his own shower and get ready for the day.

I can feel the distance between us right now, and I don't have to focus hard to catch his feelings as they're flowing through the bond easily. I read in my journal how to control the flow of my emotions and theirs so I don't become overwhelmed, and it's something I'm practicing now.

I'm head over heels about bonding with him. It was the best night of my life and I feel as close to him as two people can possibly get, but there's something nagging me in my chest right now. I don't want him to catch that and think it has something to do with him.

Even last night I felt like pressure was sitting in my chest, but I figured it was our newly fully formed bond, plus the sensual all-night workout, so I paid it no mind.

Now, I can't ignore it. There's an agonizing weight sitting there, like the saying, it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

Spending as long as I can in the bath, attempting to force this feeling to go away, I decide to get out and get ready when that doesn't work.

Maybe I just need to see the others.

Maybe my other bonds are feeling a little jeally, so they're causing me problems.

Flying through my routine, I walk out my door and straight into Draken's chest. "Whoa, little wanderer. You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I was just coming to find you. I need coffee," I say, gripping his arms to steady myself from falling on my ass.

"You don't feel fine, Willow. What's wrong?" he asks as he looks me over for any visible injuries.

Damn, I thought I was hiding that better.

"Really, I'm fine. I have a little pressure in my chest. I think my other bonds are giving me a fit," I tell him honestly. There's no point in trying to hide it if he can feel it anyway.

"Come on then. Maybe seeing them will calm it down." He speaks my exact thoughts as we make our way to the breakfast room.

As soon as we walk in, all three of the guys turn to look at us and my face reddens. Not from embarrassment, but from arousal. Having all their attention on me, knowing they're thinking about how me and Draken spent the night bonding, is turning me on. I want them to think about me spread out, withering in pleasure.

Great, I'm getting worse.

Clearing my throat, trying to ignore the inappropriate thoughts at breakfast, I speak to break the building tension.

"Good morning."

"Her other bonds are giving her trouble right now because they're jealous, and she has pressure in her chest. You all need to make it better. Now," Draken growls from behind me, surprising the other three. "Sorry, my bad. My dragon's going crazy with her discomfort."

All three of them instantly surround me, boxing me in the middle like a Primary sandwich. My chest does lessen slightly, but there's still a raging pressure rippling through me.

"Are you okay?" Corentin asks, tilting my chin up to his concerned face.

"I'm okay. Maybe some coffee and just spending some time with you all will help."

He nods and links our hands together, leading me to my seat, where my perfect sugary delight waits for me.

"How did last night go?" Draken asks the table as I take a large gulp of piping hot coffee. The burn does nothing to distract the pain that's becoming overwhelming.

"Jamie can't find any trace of anything on Jarod's body, and since the rune burned through his chest, he isn't able to study it. He's going to run some blood test, see if anything comes up that could help, but it looks like we'll get nothing from that. Lyker and his Nexus were a little harder to convince.

"With keeping Willow's name out of it, we couldn't tell him everything. So we just told him someone with a touch of the sight told us we had to tell him to enter the Alpha Trials. And he finally agreed. They'll be leaving this morning."

I barely focus on the words coming out of Corentin's mouth. I'm too busy focusing on blocking Draken from sensing the pain I'm in and blocking some of the pain out for myself. It's taking everything in me to stay put in my seat.

"Willow, there's something important I need to tell you. I've been trying to discuss this with you for some time, but we get interrupted every time…"

"Corentin," I slur, trying to get his attention. My voice barely flutters above a whisper.

"So I don't want you to think I have been hiding this. The right time just hasn't come up…"

"Corentin."

"Will, what's wrong?"

I hear Tillman's voice, but I can't speak as the pain's unbearable.

Pain.

"Something's wrong. She's in pain. Draken, what happened?" Tillman yells.

Someone tries to touch me, but I sling them off as I fall from the table, landing on all fours, a scream tearing from my throat. Agony, pure agony takes hold. It feels as if every nerve ending is on fire, sending waves of searing heat ripping through my body.

One minute I'm on the floor, the next I'm landing gently on all fours outside on the back lawn and the cool wet grass soothes the burn slightly.

"Draken, you have to dominate her, just enough to calm her down," Corentin orders.

He already dominated me, plenty.

I could be dominated again.

Whether it's the transport or my inner dirty thoughts, it distracts me from the pain enough to open my eyes. All four of the guys are squatting in front of me, looking at me in concern and anticipation.

"What's happening?" I pant out as I have a brief, pain-free moment.

"You're about to shift, little wanderer. Corentin wants me to use my dominance to calm you down enough to shift, but I'll never do that to you without your permission." Draken has tears in his eyes as he grips my chin in a gentle but firm grasp.

"What do you mean shift? Like you do? I'm a shifter? Will it make the pain stop?" I ramble off. I can't focus too much on the shifting part. I need this pain to stop so I can think clearly again.

"Yes, kitten, you're apparently a shifter. And not completely. This first time will be painful no matter what, but it'll end as soon as your animal takes over. It won't hurt after this."

"Do it."

"Willow, are—"

"Do it!" The pain is taking control and I'm willing to do anything to make it stop. I wish I could feel bad about yelling at Draken, but that will have to wait. I can't take this much longer.

Tilting my chin and forcing my eyes to lock on his, Draken releases a deep, pure, animalistic growl.

"Calm down."

Whatever my animal is, does not like that shit at all. How dare our mate attempt to command us? From the depths of my chest, a growl, menacing and powerful, rumbles up and falls from my lips as I hold Draken's eyes.

"Looks like my sweetness is just as strong as me. Of course you are. You're so fucking perfect, Willow." His eyes widen in awe as he strokes my cheek gently. I can feel his magic reach out to caress mine in a loving, tender embrace. Mine responds instantly, rubbing and intertwining with his.

"We'll try this another way. Close your eyes and listen to my voice. I'll push my dominance again, but differently, just listen to my voice." His command is sweet, and he's pouring admiration, excitement, and pride down our bond. I make another strange sound, a purr almost, as the animal inside of me agrees more with his softer tone.

"Relax. Remember the freedom you felt flying on my back, the wind blowing your hair, the sun on your skin, the feeling of my scales beneath you. No stress followed you to the sky, we had no worries, just the two of us, wild and free. Let the pain consume you, then let the freedom burst free, little wanderer."

His dominance coats me in a blanket of warmth and comfort, lulling my body and mind into a peaceful state. I can feel the air blowing across my face from where we raced through the sky. The hours we spent diving through rings of smoke, my fingers running through the clouds. The freedom.

Freedom.

Taking a deep breath, keeping my eyes closed, I calm myself and with the next wave of pain, I don't fight it, I embrace it.

Flames shoot from my palms into the ground before engulfing me completely, dancing and weaving around me, excited to be free from their restraints. My other two elements, along with my magic, all respond, welcoming the other element home.

My flames grow higher as the pain feels like every bone in my body is breaking all at once. I throw my head back on a silent scream, fighting with myself to just allow it to consume me.

My will wins out, and a bright flash of light shoots out of my body. For a few blissful moments, there's nothing, no pain, no fire, no noise, nothing, then all my senses return tenfold.

Throwing my much larger head back, I release a roar so loud, so powerful, it shakes the ground as my claws dig into the earth. The sound echoes behind me as it travels through the forest, warning all its inhabitants that there's a new predator amongst them.

The world looks and smells different through my senses—colors are more vivid, scents more potent. Scents. Turning toward the scents, I find the source of them immediately. They're all standing a few feet back, looking up at me in a mixture of shock and astonishment.

Lifting my snout, I take a deep breath.

Allspice and chocolate. Corentin.

Mahogany and sandalwood. Tillman.

Whiskey and books. Caspian.

Fire and snow. Draken.

After a few more sniffs, I try to take a small step toward them and instantly become unbalanced. For a second, I internally panic, not knowing how the fuck I'd stop myself if I fell over right now, but then I feel my much heavier limbs begin to open, preparing to straighten out my stance instinctively.

My wings unfurl from my back, stretching wide with newfound strength. Naturally, I give them a few beats, getting a feel and sense of control over them. The animal instincts aren't taking over the way Draken described happening his first time. Instead, it feels like my animal's giving me gentle nudges, encouraging me to take to the sky.

It's incredibly difficult to explain the relationship between us, but we are one. The moment she burst free, I felt like I've known her my entire life. She has no logical thinking, no complex use of language, nothing like my very human nature. She's just pure animalistic instinct, and she wants to soar.

I shoot what I assume is a smile to my guys and beat my wings harder, propelling myself up way faster than I thought possible with my twentyish-foot size.

Misjudging how high I am, I attempt to level out too early and take down quite a few tree canopies, my wings flapping around like that of a baby bird who has no clue what the hell to do.

I have absolutely no control, no stability, and a huge tree is approaching my line of sight. I'm internally freaking out, knowing good and well I'm about to crash my very first flight.

Shit, shit, shit. Do something, please!

Instincts flood my senses, instructing me to straighten my tail and adjust the angle and position of my wings to catch the air. Like it's second nature, I completely give myself over to the instincts, slightly tilting my wings upward and pushing against the air to lift myself up. My claws just barely nip a few leaves as I force myself over the tree.

Way too close…

The sun's just cresting the treetops as I soar higher, finally leveling out and getting a good balance. Bursting through the veil of white fluff, the rays reflect brightly off my scales, giving me my first glimpse of the color of my beast.

Gleaming like a living cascade of liquid silver, I glide in and out of the clouds, and the sunlight refracts off my massive body into a spectrum of colors, creating an ever-shifting display of iridescence. I stare mesmerized at my wings, like a rainbow after a brutal storm.

After a few minutes of flying alone, beating wings and a warning roar echo through the clouds from behind me. Glancing my head over my shoulder, a massive auburn dragon is catching up to me quickly, and I urge my dragon to the forefront of my mind, sharing the space of control so we can play a game.

Come on, Draken. Catch me.

We take off at unimaginable speeds, a breathtaking pursuit unfolding through the sky. I attempt some wild-ass acrobatics, spiraling and diving to evade him, but he's undeterred. Matching each move with calculated precision and years of experience, his cobalt eyes blaze with the desire to catch me.

Turning to the right sharply and propelling upward, gliding above the clouds, I think for a minute I lost him, but then I feel his much larger body drift under me, holding my weight on his back and letting out a victory roar.

My laugh echoes in the form of musical roars that reverberate through the open air as he drops back, then flies up beside me. His eyes alight with the joy of the moment, locked onto mine in a shared understanding.

He's no longer alone, no longer the only dragon to soar the skies of Elementra. I'm here with him now.

Our wings beat in perfect harmony, creating a symphony of wind as we weave through rings of smoke in a playful dance. He intertwines our tails briefly in a loving embrace before letting out a small roar and leading us in a descent back down to the ground.

Draken shifts back almost as soon as his claws touch down. A brilliant smile crosses his face as he jumps up and down, pumping his fist into the air.

"Fuck yeah, little wanderer. That was amazing. You're so much faster than I thought you'd be on your first flight. You were incredible, perfect," he yells as he ambushes my snout in a series of kisses and rubs. A sneeze falls from my nose, causing him to go flying backward. Three loud laughs grab my attention, and I swing around, looking for the sound.

"Whoa, whoa, little one. You're going to take us out with that tail," Tillman hollers, a huge smile crossing his face as he throws his hands up, encouraging me to take it easy.

My men look so small from up here. I want to nuzzle into them and have them enjoy this moment with me, but I'm clumsily stumbling around on wobbly legs, making it impossible for them to get much closer without potentially getting squashed.

Unconsciously, my magic takes hold, morphing my body without my command. Feeling the sensation run through me, I figured I'd be left standing on two feet, back in my human form, but instead, I'm a much, much smaller version of my dragon. I'm around the size of a small eagle, maybe two feet tall, judging by how my head barely rises higher than Tillman's knee.

"Well, that's new," Draken says, grinning as he approaches us, dusting himself off, not the least bit upset with me.

"There's my little one. Let me see you."

Tillman squats in front of me, and I gently crawl into his embrace, careful not to stab him with my claws. He cradles me tenderly to his chest, running his fingers down my scales, causing my whole body to shiver, and a purr passes my lips at the sensation.

"Stunning. You're a work of art, Will." He lays a soft kiss to the top of my head before slowly passing me off to Corentin.

"You continue to defy everything we've ever known, Willow." His calculating eyes take in every inch of my small body.

I don't appreciate the observation he's giving me. He's supposed to be mesmerized, astonished, stunned. Not analyzing me. I attempt to roar at him, but it just sounds like a small squawk. Chuckling, his eyes soften with wonder as he runs the back of his finger down my slender throat.

"None of that, baby. Your eyes are violet, matching the purple of your Memoria stone to perfection. You're captivating, Willow."

That's more like it.

Turning us to face the last of my men, Caspian stands a few feet away and beckons me with his finger. Corentin calls forth a small ball of air that I use to glide myself over to him, landing on a bed of shadows in his arms. Folding my wings neatly against my body, I rustle softly and nuzzle deeper as tendrils whisk around me, taking in every inch of detail of my new form.

"You continue to impress and surprise me, Primary. Glorious," he whispers just for me to hear.

His words wrap around me like velvet, smooth and soft, the opposite of his usually dark demeanor that the rest of the realm gets. I get a gentler side of all of them that they don't share with any others, only me.

His shadows continue to massage me into a drowsy state, but before I can fully close my eyes and fall asleep in his embrace, Draken tells him to let me down so I can shift back.

Floating me toward the ground a few feet from where Draken is kneeling, his shadows circle me in one last exploration before calling them back.

"Time to shift back, little wanderer. Call your magic forward and picture your human form." Following Draken's simple instructions, my body morphs once again and the bright light blinds us all momentarily, leaving me sitting on the ground back in my body.

"That was exhilarating," I exclaim as four sets of hands pull me to stand in the middle. They caress me in soft strokes, whispering their praises of pride and excitement for me. I glow under their affection, my smile stretching across my face in unfiltered happiness.

I'm a dragon. Holy shit.

Bursting at the seams, I want to throw myself at each of them, pour my feverish elation into them through affection, but I don't get the chance. Bone-deep exhaustion takes hold. I try to lock onto the sweet, wise whiskey eyes in front of me to ground myself against the call of darkness, but I can't fight this. This is a power far superior to mine, to my Nexus, to Gaster, to any other power I've experienced since coming here.

I have no choice but to give in.

As the darkness begins to steal my vision, all I think about is how I need to warn them. This isn't the normal fainting spell. This is so much more. All I get out is one breathy word.

"Corentin."