23. Jaiyana

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

JAIYANA

I t was late, and Rehan hadn't returned from his family dinner. I studied my new uncracked phone screen, wrapped in a race car red case. It oddly matched the solid blue boxers I'd stolen from Rehan.

You like them both.

Fuck me.

The bubblegum-pink-haired shifter from TECH finished up an hour ago, and I found myself swinging in Rehan's sky chair, reading…or at least thinking with a book opened. I turned to the final page of a short story written by a dragon shifter for shifters. The adventure took me all over the island in search of a magical egg that would give birth to a dragon able to wield all the elements.

I'd read hundreds, possibly thousands, of books about ordinary humans wanting magic or discovering they had it. To read a similar story from a dragon who already had it but wanted more was too relatable. I sighed, thinking of my own life.

Maybe I don't like them…I just want to be a dragon shifter.

You can fly without turning into a lizard. You want to play with their snakes.

I snorted.

The door to the hut banged open.

I jumped out of my chair, ready to fight. Rehan's rich, rum-spiced scent washed over me. He enveloped me in his tense arms, running his hands all over my body as if looking for injuries.

"TECH didn't touch you, did they?" He asked, his forehead coming to rest against mine.

I gave Rehan a moment to feel my completely uninjured body before pulling away and picking up my phone to elaborate. Before I could finish typing, he pulled the red case off and chucked it across the room.

Giggling squeaking, I took the phone back and finished my thought. ‘The kid was awkward and very quiet. She just did her job and left. Relax.'

After a moment, I switched to my messages with Tyson, showing Rehan my ‘advanced' warning. I flipped to the next message, and Tyson's schedule for me popped up.

Rehan leaned into me. "I tried to change it."

I nodded, hoping he understood it was all okay, and pointed out the ‘upgrades' TECH installed. As fast as I identified them, Rehan pulled plugs out of sockets and cords out of the walls. Even the TV and PlayStation Tyson left me were unplugged and pushed into a corner.

I scowled at the toys I'd been excited to use and decided Rehan didn't need to see the fancy new high-speed internet. My memes had been loading so slowly with his old router.

Last, I pointed out the motion sensors he'd put around the building. Rehan hesitated on those. "Maybe some extra security wouldn't hurt on the outside."

I coaxed him onto his bed before he obsessed over Tyson's changes and straddled his legs. In the pitch dark, I felt the scaled shorts, which he'd definitely not needed when he went to dinner fully clothed, drop. I couldn't ask, so I left it and dug my palms into his tense back muscles.

He let out a long, satisfying groan and relaxed. Under my touch, the mountain of a man turned into putty. He trusted me, and despite my situation, I silently promised never to break his trust. After chasing out the last of his stress, I wrote, ‘I keep score; back rubs are never free' across his broad shoulders.

"Are you drawing on my back?" Rehan snorted. "Is it a dragon or something?"

I rolled my eyes and slid off his hips so he could envelop me in a hug. For once, the little voice in my head didn't have anything to add. I drifted off to sleep in the safety of his embrace.

The following morning, I stirred first. Unlike Tyson, Rehan rolled during the night. Our feet were still tangled, but he now slept on his side with his back facing me. I molded myself to his muscles and kissed his neck.

"Don't do that." He half swatted and half caressed my hip. "I don't need to spend the day taking cold showers."

I grinned and rolled him, kissing down his body of solid muscle and stripping him of his boxers. Without warning or warm-up, I swallowed his large dick whole, moaning as white chocolate filled my mouth. His dick sprang to life at my attention, and a flurry of murmured words fell out of his mouth.

"Please, ah, oh, Love, I can't return the favor, stop, no, fuck, don't stop.…."

Giving Rehan a BJ when he didn't want it but really did want it was probably one of the biggest turn-ons I didn't know I had. I relished making his toes curl until he rewarded me with a shot of dessert.

Why the fuck does it taste like dessert?

Just enjoy it. You don't have to understand everything, Jay.

I closed my eyes and called on my magic, but nothing came. I let out a disappointed breath. Another shot of Rehan hadn't helped my magic, and neither had our second kiss. Each layer of the curse had to be unraveled by something new.

Fuck, I need to kiss Tyson again, maybe even blow him.

You need to bang both of them, possibly more based on the percentage of magic sight you got back – and still not your original powers.

I can use Rehan's water element, so that's something.

There are four elements, Jay.

What kind of a fucking curse is this?

One that knows how lonely you've been.

Rehan stirred from his pleasure coma and pulled me into his arms. "I'd give anything to know what you were thinking right now."

Four elements, four dragon dicks.

I shook my head. No, you really would not.

Although I loved the safety of Rehan's arms, I couldn't stay still. After a quick freshen-up, I pulled him out of bed and walked him through my fitness routine before taking him on a good old-fashioned human jog along the beach.

I'd never missed my sports bras so much in my entire life. The bikini top didn't keep my girls in place, and my nipples hardened painfully with the extra movement. My only consolation was the number of times Rehan tripped on nothing, watching my girls bounce instead of his feet.

By the time we returned, hot and sweaty, Tyson's entourage was due. While I showered, Rehan's security officer brought us a late breakfast.

"I've got a team set up around your house," I overheard the officer say while I pulled on a clean t-shirt and bikini bottoms. "Tukaqu has a team set up around my team. He's watching and expects you at the Ley Line."

I cocked my head to the side and leaned toward the door. It sounded like Tukaqu didn't trust his grandson.

Rehan didn't comment on Tukaqu's security around his own. "I don't plan on letting Tukaqu down." Rehan sighed. "I hope he's wrong, like usual, but it's too many coincidences. Did you double-check the magic supplies?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"It's basic spell components," his security officer answered. "There's nothing dangerous here or any combinations which could be dangerous. Should I be worried?"

"No," Rehan said quickly. "I'm not much of a spell caster, and I got the list online. I just wanted to know if I was on the right track."

I let out a relieved breath. Rehan was checking on me but keeping my secret. Despite our connection, we'd barely known each other for a week. If he hadn't double-checked my actions, I'd be worried about him: stranger danger and all.

"As far as I know, you are," his officer added. "Spell casting is tricky and mostly used by earth dragons these days. I don't know of a water dragon still practicing other than Tukaqu, but you obviously don't want to ask him; otherwise, you wouldn't be asking me."

Rehan growled. "Thanks."

I stopped eavesdropping and exited Rehan's bedroom.

He looked up at me with a stupid smile on his face, and my heart fluttered. His security officer took his leave, and we slipped into the conversation pit, linking our ankles as we ate with the sound of the ocean washing over us. He gazed at me like I could do no wrong while l wondered what was actually running through his head.

No one trusted this quickly, right?

At precisely ten o'clock, an annoyingly patterned knock rapped on his door. Rehan grimaced but stood and pulled it open. Three human women walked into the hut, their arms filled with large sacks. I recognized the Nymph-like redhead from the social.

"It's you!" the woman squealed. She ran forward like we were best friends and hugged me around the waist. "I had a feeling." She pulled away and bounced. "You disappeared, then Tyson disappeared. It wasn't until Tenzin took me back to fire that we could see Prince Tyson circling and roaring into the sky. It was amazing and frightening at the same time!"

I chuckle-squeaked, picturing Rehan circling the hut after Tyson pissed him off. The two had that in common, at least.

My phone beeped, and I pulled it out.

Water loser: Your entourage is what Tyson said, and no more. Call my officer if you need something immediately. I'll be back to walk you to the border.

I scowled at the name change Tyson had TECH program into my phone before responding.

Wiggles: Thanks.

Wiggles — aww, he still thinks of you as wiggles.

I don't wiggle!

But you even noticed you doing it. De-Nial is not just a river in Egypt, you know.

I'm changing both of the names.

Although I wished Rehan had stayed to say goodbye, he was already late to meet with his grandfather. We were just friends, and he could come and go as he pleased. I wasn't hurt at all.

Liar.

The redhead introduced herself as Caoimhe. Although her eyes still sparkled, setting off every instinct I had that she wasn't human, without a voice, I wasn't sure how I'd even ask her. If I managed to, how could I trust her answer? She could be keeping tabs on me. Or even the person who brought me here in the first place.

She giggled as one of the older women showed her how to plug in the sewing machine.

I don't think she's the mastermind.

Yeah. Not gonna argue with that.

The third woman prodded me to stand. She draped me in white muslin while holding sharp pins between her lips before extracting them like teeth to mold the fabric to my form.

"Now, we got your measurements from Tyson's moms," Caoimhe explained. "It takes too long to order clothing, so we're going make you some. Ah, I'm also learning how to do this for the first time, so yeah, um kay?"

I sucked in a deep breath but nodded. A reel of red silk came out of a sack. I raised an eyebrow and typed: Rehan's going to shred the red.

Shred the red, nice.

Caoimhe didn't notice my rhyme and gave me a solemn nod. "We brought some neutrals as well. Sienna here is an expert with colors. We'll figure it out."