Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

CAYE

F allon, Hayden’s mate, joined them. “And that is an important question, but one that will wait for tomorrow. The guest quarters have been set up for the two of you. I will send word to the elders and healers. We can discuss the matter at length in the morning.”

“I don’t know that we should wait,” said Caye. “If nothing else, we need to share this information with the Resistance.”

“That, too, can wait until morning,” said Hayden. “I will ensure Deke has it first thing. Knowing Colby, they may already know, but before we spread the word far and wide, I’d like to get an idea of how large the problem is and see if we can propose a solution.”

Caye led Andreas to the guest quarters as she knew where they were. “I’m sure they’re not as luxurious…” she started before he whirled her around, pressing her up against the door and kissing her with a hunger she had never known before, as it called out one just as ravenous in her.

He grabbed the neckline of the dress she’d put on and ripped it asunder. No man had ever done what he’d done to and with her. Maybe that was what had been missing. Somehow, having sex with Andreas was far different than with anyone else. Before it had been merely a biological need or a way to work off stress, but with Andreas, it was so much more.

Lifting her now naked body up into his arms, he strode to the large bed, tossing her onto it before stripping himself. He loomed above her, his cock hard and pointed at his navel. She’d fallen onto the bed with her legs spread and didn’t bother to close them as he stared at her. With a speed she should have expected, Andreas swatted her swollen sex.

“I told you to stay put,” he said, his voice a mixture of anger and lust.

She thought about arguing the point with him and then decided that arguing with an aroused dragon might not be her best tactic.

“Yes, you did, but I was afraid for you, although it seems unnecessarily so, but I, too, am a warrior. I won’t be left behind. Don’t expect me just to let you go off and get killed.” So maybe not her best tactic, but the only one she could come up with.

The smack to her pussy had been sharp, but not truly painful, and it had left her hot and stinging—with an even more swollen clit and weeping slit. She was hot, ripe, and ready for him, and the look in his eyes said he knew it.

Everything about Andreas called to her—his muscular physique, his large hard cock, his handsome face, his soulful eyes. There wasn’t one thing about him that didn’t call to a deep, dark place she’d never known she even possessed, but she knew now.

She would wonder later if he’d meant to lift her up by her thighs and just have at her—not that she would have objected. Oh, she might have, but she wouldn’t have meant it. But when she opened her arms to have him join her on the bed, it seemed he couldn’t resist her any more than she could him.

Andreas covered her body with his, giving her his entire weight, making a home for himself between her thighs as she wrapped her arms around him. They were as close as any two people could be—closer than they’d ever been. He stared down at her, his cock poised at her entrance.

“You are my mate, and I will love you from now through all eternity,” he whispered as he started to push his cock inside her slowly.

“I love you, too,” she sighed, as he filled her with absolute perfection.

It was almost scary how easily and quickly they found their own perfect rhythm. He dragged himself back before thrusting up into her. Over and over, he repeated the pattern, driving her quietly crazy with need. She raked his back with her nails, and he hissed before chuckling, understanding he wasn’t the only one who meant to mark their territory.

Her orgasm crashed over her, making her body tense as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, crying out his name as her pussy clamped down on him. He slid his hands beneath her, holding her steady while he plowed her with a relentless energy and need that only served to reawaken the same within her.

As she came the second time, unable to stop herself, Andreas ground into her, his own climax just as powerful, just as complete. His cock pounded into her in short, sharp strokes until he’d given her all of his cum. He collapsed on top of her, their bodies slick with sweat.

The following morning, Caye slipped out from beneath Andreas, careful not to wake him. He’d fallen asleep on top of her after they’d made love the…she’d lost count of how many times. Just as she drifted off, she thought she remembered a book in the old library that had talked about the reapers and the physical laws that bound them to the In-Between.

She managed to get dressed without waking Andreas and made her way to the archives.

“I thought I might find you here,” said Talos. “Your brother is worried about the reapers.”

She nodded. “Aren’t you?”

“Had this happened before the dragon claimed you as his own, perhaps I would have been.”

“What’s changed?”

“The wizard you defeated and whose soul Hayden destroyed gave the reapers agency into the land of the living. In order to send them back and to keep them confined to the In-Between, there will need to be a guardian at the gate, so to speak.”

What Talos was saying and what would be needed was immediately obvious. “Do not tell the others.”

“I cannot lie to your brother. He is my alpha.”

“True, but you can protect him and all the rest by making yourself scarce so that he can’t question you.”

“They will not thank you for what you do.”

She smiled. “Not at first, but they’ll have to get over it. We can’t have the reapers wandering around the land of the living. The hellhounds have always been the ones to keep them checked. Hayden and the others have always done so much. The responsibility lies with me.”

Talos said nothing but nodded. Caye turned away from him and left the Hollow without a backward glance. This needed doing, and she would be the one to do it. Had she not freed Andreas from his curse, Xenos may not have summoned the reapers. Even if he had, they may not have heeded his call.

She hurried back to the surface, emerging into the icy plane. Her hellhound shivered, as did she, but her dragon puffed itself up and Caye realized it was time to stretch her wings… literally. She summoned her dragon and felt a strong, fiery mist begin to envelop her. She’d seen the beauty of the maelstrom before as others around her shifted, but hellhounds didn’t have anything so flashy; instead they just shimmered between the worlds.

Thunder, lightning, and a cataclysm of color surrounded her as she felt her body morph and change from human to dragon. The swirling cloud began to dissipate, and she could feel and then see she had become a dragon—not copper in color like Andreas, but one of crimson and gold—the colors of hellfire.

The transformation from human to dragon was both exhilarating and overwhelming for Caye. Sure she’d been a hellhound, but it hadn’t felt like this. As she unfurled her wings for the first time, she realized how massive they were and yet how delicate. The feeling of raw power coursing through her new form was electrifying. Her scales shimmered like polished armor, catching the faint glint of sunlight that peeked through the heavy snowy clouds.

She took a running start and then, with a powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, feeling the cold wind rush against her face and under her wings. The sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced—a heady mix of freedom and adrenaline. Each beat of her wings propelled her higher, the ground rapidly falling away until the world below became a patchwork of white and gray.

Caye had never cared much for heights, but being in control as she was made her feel as if there was nothing that could harm her. She knew that wasn’t true, but it didn’t take away from how she felt.

The snowy mountains stretched out endlessly before her, their peaks piercing the sky like jagged teeth. The landscape was a breathtaking tapestry of pristine snow, dark rock, and ice, unmarred by human presence. The air was crisp and biting, filling her lungs with a sharp, invigorating chill, and yet she could feel the fire burning in her belly and wasn’t cold.

As she soared over the mountains, she marveled at the serenity of the world below. The silence was profound, broken only by the occasional whistle of the wind and the soft rustling of snow being disturbed by her passage. The vast expanse of the sky and the endless horizon made her feel both insignificant and immensely powerful.

Caye dipped and weaved through the peaks, testing the limits of her new form. The agility and strength of her wings allowed her to navigate the narrowest of passes and soar above the highest ridges with ease. The sense of control and unity with the elements was intoxicating. She had heard of newly-made dragons becoming sky drunk and flying until their body failed them and they plunged from the sky. She understood the phenomenon, but she knew better than to fall for the allure and intoxicating feeling.

Besides, she had a job to do. She needed to find the place where the reapers were coming through to the land of the living, force them back, seal the rift between the realms, and then ensure it was never opened again.

Looking down, she saw a herd of mountain goats, their coats blending almost seamlessly with the snow, moving gracefully through a valley. The sight filled her with a sense of connection to the natural world, a reminder of the delicate balance of life. And it was that balance she had come to restore.

Caye felt an overwhelming sense of freedom and awe as she continued to fly, testing her wings, teaching herself how to fly. The icy wind ruffled her scales and the vast sky opened up before her. Every sweep of her wings, every gust of wind, every snowflake that brushed against her scales added to the exhilarating experience.

In that moment, she understood the true meaning of being a dragon. It was not just about power or fearsome strength; it was about the freedom to soar above the world, to witness its beauty from a perspective few could ever dream of. It was about embracing the primal connection to the earth and sky, feeling the pulse of the natural world in every beat of her wings.

As she banked towards a particularly majestic peak, she realized she’d been drawn back to the cavern in which Xenos had made his lair. The sun broke through the clouds, casting a golden glow over the snowy landscape. As she set her sights on it, a peaceful sense of calm and purpose settled around her. She flew down and landed on the edge, knowing she had found the place to make her stand.