Chapter 21

The Monster side of the city looks similar in some ways, but so different in others. I'm able to see everything, seated in the front seat of Sebastian's truck.

I can tell that we're in a nice part of town. We're currently driving through streets of pretty town houses, all with their own modifications. A selection have rooftop terraces, others have elaborate water features or fire pits.

Sebastian tells me that they are all a symbol for what type of Monster lives there.

He switches gear, his hand coming to rest on my thigh as we go down a bit of straight road. "And this is my place." He squeezes my leg and lets go, turning into the drive of one of the town houses.

We pull right into a garage, the door closing behind us. I did catch a glimpse of the outside though. It was the biggest on the street, from what I had seen, three floors tall I think. Dark brown brick and an industrial looking black metal. This is all certainly a far cry from the bachelor pad apartment that I had been expecting.

Sebastian gets out of the truck, opening the back to grab my bags for me. I hop down too and take stock of my surroundings. It's a neat space and pretty bare. There is a steel shelving unit with some boxes, but overall I can safely say that he's not a car guy. There are no tools or grease stains to be found.

The door from the garage leads us through a laundry room and then into a hallway off his kitchen. His kitchen must be as big as my entire apartment. There are sleek black cupboards and clean marble counters.

The ceilings are high and the furniture is all a little bigger than I'm used to. I guess that makes sense. I remember how huge Sebastian looked in my little kitchen and I giggle to myself.

"You're making me nervous," he says as he sets my bags down. "Why are you looking at my kitchen and laughing?"

"It's called getting a taste of your own medicine." I sidle up to him, my hands on his chest. "You were so weird, looking around my apartment. And if you have to know, I was remembering how huge you looked in my kitchen. This one suits you much better."

He leans down and kisses me, his hand on my waist.

"Speaking of my kitchen, we should probably eat something."

I look at the clock, it's far too late for dinner, but I also had barely eaten anything today. My stomach groans loudly.

"Well, your stomach agrees with me, at least."

"It's so late, I feel like my eating habits are all over the place at the moment. Maybe I'm becoming nocturnal," I giggle. "Are you nocturnal, is that it?"

"Flora!" He over exaggerates acting offended, hand on his heart. "Do you know nothing of my kind?"

I giggle again as he leans forward, trapping me against a counter.

"I'm a Dragon, Flora, not a weird little lizard… Of course I'm not nocturnal."

"Sebastian," I try to add my own dramatic flare. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean, or why we're talking about lizards. But to answer your question, no. I actually have no idea about your kind. A crash course would be great, thank you."

"Is that so?" He lifts me up to sit on a high bar stool and kisses me. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know while I cook."

He does. Sebastian potters around his kitchen, looking every bit at home. A glass of wine is placed in front of me, and as I sip I feel brave enough to ask him questions.

"So, why the lizards?" I tease, taking a sip of my wine. The berry taste bursting on my tongue.

"That's a common misconception, and an insulting thing to call a Dragon. Because Dragons are not reptiles, we're mammals."

Sebastian pulls out a deep pot and brings some water to a boil. "What do you know already, Flora? It might be good to know what we're starting with."

"Embarrassingly little," I admit. "My manager sent me a text at one point to tell me that you were a Dragon Shifter. That was all, no context. And that was after me begging for any kind of information before we signed up to the whole PR thing. I tried doing some research online too, but that was a dead end."

His hand falters, the pot lid making a crashing sound as he sets it down. His jaw is tight and he's gripping the counter hard.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? Are you mad?" I ask, worried that I've fucked something up.

"I'm not mad at you, Sunshine." He relaxes a little, turning to face me. "I'm just really angry that no one ever prepared you for anything. They took advantage of my m—" He cuts himself off, not finishing what he was saying.

I wasn't taken advantage of, was I? I think back over the fashion shoot and the PR stunt. I was given a choice on both things… or was I? It was always assumed that I would do as I was told, that I would get there eventually. I take a bigger sip of wine, wishing I hadn't thought about this too deeply.

"Sorry, I'm angry for you, not at you. And I don't want to ruin the mood." He pulls out a chopping board and gets started on what looks like a salad.

"No, it's good for me to think about…" I sigh, kicking my legs back and forth. "I hadn't thought about it like that before. But you're right, no one ever really prepared me for anything…"

Sebastian appears before me, his hand cupping my cheek. "I'll look after you now. I'll tell you whatever you want about my kind, about the Monster world."

I smile, nodding up at him and I realize that I believe him. I trust him with this.

"How about I show you more about the Dragon stuff after dinner? It's definitely more of a show and tell kind of thing…"

I grin, excited about the prospect.

Sebastian makes the most delicious meal. It's a seared tuna steak with this really nice puree and a green bean salad. It's light and refreshing, and I don't feel too full afterwards.

"I'll take you up to the roof to show you all about how my abilities work in a little bit. But before then, there's another conversation that I would like us to have while we're in a more relaxed setting."

We're siting at one end of his dining table across from one another.

"Oh, OK. What is it?"

"We kind of got a bit into it and carried away last night. But we probably should have chatted about our limits before hand. What we both like in the bedroom…"

I squirm a little in my seat as he looks across at me. His head resting on his folded hands and I feel prized under his gaze.

"Do you want me to go first?" Sebastian asks.

"Umm… no. Can I go first? I always feel awkward going second with these kinds of chats." His eyebrows raise at my response. Did he think I wouldn't have had a conversation like this before?

"Of course, go ahead."

"I want to start by saying that if you're not into any of the same things as me, that's OK, it's not a deal breaker for me. I'm open-minded, and I will try other things… I just happen to know what I like." I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"I'm sure you picked up on it last night, but I'm a submissive. I'm not a brat, really. I might have fun sometimes, but I always do as I'm told, it's what makes me feel good."

"I did notice," he grins, his teeth showing a little.

"And I like it when… I like a little pain, but it's more the control aspect. I like to be manhandled a little bit, to be put in my place. You can smack me, and move me around roughly… I really like that.

"I also love to be choked. I know not everyone is into that, and that's OK if you're not—"

"Oh, I am very into that." He lays a hand out on the table for me to hold. "Don't worry, Sunshine. I am very much into the lifestyle. You're not going to scare me off. Tell me what you know you like, and what you'd like to try. Don't hold back, you can trust me."

"OK," I sigh, gripping his hand tightly. Staring at my plate, I continue. "So, yeah, I really like to be choked. I want you to take charge and fuck me roughly, pick me up like a doll. I'm really into being praised too, I want to do as I'm told and be a good girl."

I bite my lip and look up at him. He is looking at me intensely, with approval in his eyes. I preen a little before continuing.

"I'm also really into being fucked while I'm asleep… Just the thought of waking up and already being fucked or licked out makes me so wet."

"What about a safe word, do you have one already?" He asks, stroking his thumb over my hand.

"Yep. I use the traffic light system."

He moves to speak, but I cut him off.

"There's actually something else, something I've wanted to try." I steal myself before admitting it. "I've never found someone else who was into it, so it's OK if you're not. But… I've always wanted to be chased."

I look up at him, judging his reaction. Most people think this one is weird when I bring it up.

"I want you to clarify that a bit more for me."

"Umm… OK. So, I've had dreams like this before, and I think about it sometimes when I masturbate. I like the idea of being chased, like I'm being hunted, and that when I'm caught they'll fuck me. Even if I kick or scream at them to stop."

Sebastian gulps, "I know I said I would hold off on the Dragon stuff for a little bit. But the predator in me would love to do that with you."

I try not to get too excited… "Really? You're not making fun of me?"

"Definitely not," he shifts a little in his seat. "I'm hard as a rock thinking about it."

That made him hard? Thinking about chasing me? Fuck, I need a fan, it is getting too hot in here.

"Let me tell you mine?" I nod, gesturing for him to tell me about his kinks.

"I'm not sure how much you will believe me now… You're right, going second sucks. But we're matched pretty well, Flora.

"For me, it's about the control, yes. But I don't take that lightly. I want to look after you too. To make sure you've received lots of pleasure, along with a little pain. But I'm not out to hurt you, either. I only use pain when I know the recipient is also into it.

"Controlling someone's breath is a big thing for me too. Not just choking in the traditional sense, but using my submissive's body how I please. That could mean I fill up your mouth with my cock until you choke on it too."

I can't help but cut in. "Yes, please."

We both laugh at each other. Just talking about this has make the room thick with sexual tension. I'm glad he chose to do it while we are sitting across a table from one another. Otherwise, I think I would be already fucking him.

"I am into everything else you mentioned, too." He squeezes my hand gently. "I'm sure constraints, like bondage are something that you're into too?"

"Actually, not really." I reply. "I want to be a good girl, like I said. So if you tell me to stay still or in a certain position, I want to prove that I can do it on my own."

"Fuck," he runs his hand through his hair. "You are a good girl."

I can't deal with him praising me like that, I can feel my panties getting wet. I know he's about to show me the dragon stuff too, I need to keep it together.

"What do I call you?" I ask him.

"Well, that kind of leads me onto the Dragon stuff again." I shift forward in my seat, eager to hear what he means. "Did you know what my knot was?"

"I don't know that word apart from like, trying a rope? But I remember you saying something about it last night."

"The bigger part of my cock, towards the base. Do Human men have that? Maybe they use a different name…" I shake my head at his question. "Oh, so you didn't know what it was?"

"No. But so much of you is different. I like it though." I don't want to insult him. "Is that your knot? What is it for?"

"Yeah, that's my knot. If I can fit it inside you, when I cum it swells up and locks us together. It's called knotting and it can last for a while…"

Oh, that sounds very interesting. I really like the idea of that.

"So you would stay inside me even after you cum?" I cross my legs , trying to create some friction without looking like it.

Sebastian agrees, "Which leads me to the name. I'd like it if you called me your Alpha… it's a Shifter thing and has to do with the knotting. Only Alphas have knots."

"Oh, OK. I'll remember that." I decide to save my first time calling him Alpha for when we're fucking later.