Chapter 2

Falkon

T he cold was unrelenting and draining. I tried to explain this to my last therapist. Not being able to bask in the sun was physically painful. Exhausting. Reptilians of all types need the sun for energy. And there is never enough food in prison. Prisoners are kept as tired and weak as they can get away with. After years in this place, all I wanted to do was sleep. Being too tired to get into trouble seemed to have worked though, because I'd been approved to join in exercise lessons out in the yard. My first class was therapeutic yoga. I had no idea what that was. A dumb human invention, I imagined. But I went for the novelty of being outside. For the glimpses of sun that it would give me. For the hope of having even a bit of energy again.

I dragged myself out of the darkness of my cell to wait. There was one small window in the seating area and a small sliver of dull light beamed through it, hitting a table. I lumbered onto it, positioning myself in the beam and curled up, wrapping my tail around me. It was a large table, but I was nearly too big for it. The sliver of light barely felt warm, but I hoped it would give me the energy to get out to the yard at least. Monsters milled around and chatted, but no one paid any attention to me. I was just the sleepy dragon. Tired enough not to bother anyone, but too big for anyone to risk upsetting me.

"Time to go to your class."

A baton prodded me in the side. My eyes flickered open, and I took a moment to glare at the guard. He flinched. Almost imperceptibly, but I caught it and grinned before pulling myself up. I followed him, keeping my wings tucked in tightly. Whoever built this prison had done so for tall monsters, not wide ones. I was both, even at my young age of 50. I'd size out of this prison one day. Maybe sooner that I would like.

Fresh air hit me the moment I stepped outside, and my scales twitched. The skies were grey, but it was brighter and warmer than inside the grey stone building. Monsters stood around the yard, some chatting. Some awkwardly trying to look tough in the corner. I glanced up. A metal net covered the yard. No flying away, even if my wings worked after all these years of inactivity. I wanted to curl up and sleep. But I walked to the middle of the yard and lined up the way the other monsters were starting to do. The smells in the air tickled my nose and I inhaled deeply. There was a hint of flowers.

"Ok, guys. Are you ready?"

I looked for the chirpy voice. She was up high on a platform in front of us. The moment I saw her, it was like being hit by the full force of the sun on the brightest summer day and then having it try to pull you in. I wanted to rush to her. Wrap her in my wings. Breathe in her scent. Blonde hair glinted like gold as she reached back and pulled it into a ponytail. She was tall for a human, but still looked tiny compared to all these monsters. A host of terrifying monsters. But she smiled at us and looked around the yard, seeming to want to make eye contact with everyone. When her green eyes met mine, I couldn't breathe. She looked shocked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and turned to fiddle with one of those music players that humans have.

She might have looked away, but I couldn't. I was mesmerised. Warmth ran through my body, like I was being infused with energy just from being near her. I heard the faint vibration of my belly as it churned into action, creating a deep purr. I'd long ago given up on having enough energy to produce fire again, but this woman was a miracle. My body ached to fly. To soar. To pin her down and mate her vigorously. My cock twitched, but it remained hidden inside my body, tucked away.

"Now, let's start with some gentle stretches. We are going to put our arms out to our sides, so make sure you all have enough room."

The surrounding monsters all shuffled away. I reached and for the first time in years, I stretched out my wings. Every muscle around them shook and screamed with pain. But I pushed into it and let out a roar with the glory of it.

"Good! Doesn't that feel good?"

Voices around me murmured agreement. I saw her looking at me and hoped she was impressed with my wingspan.

"Now small pulses up and down to get the blood moving."

I eased my aching wings up and down. For a moment, I couldn't imagine how I had ever used them to fly. It was such an effort to do anything with them. Memories of gliding through the skies flooded in. I wondered if this beautiful, perfect human would like to fly with me. My momentum eventually kicked up the dust around me and a wendigo nearby sneezed.

"OK, arms… and wings back into your sides, then. We are going to… errrr…."

She paused and looked at me, thrown for a moment. Her eyes glinting in the sun as she thought. I'd never seen anything as beautiful as her. A human! I'd never have believed that I could find a tiny human so captivating even half an hour ago. But now… she was everything.

"Well, those of you who move on two legs are going to get on all fours and those of you who move on four, just stay there."

She let out a laugh, and it was music I could have listened to forever. The other monsters around us also laughed and glanced at me, smiling. I grinned back. I was the only one naturally on all fours and I guessed I was throwing out her usual routine. She continued leading us through the yoga routine and it felt good to have my body come alive again for the first time in years. I marvelled that in a place of such misery and aggression she had created this little corner where monsters laughed together and smiled. There was no aggressive posturing or undercurrent of violence. She was true brightness creeping in the shadows of our lives.

"Last downward dog, so make it a good one."

I stretched out, keeping my hind legs straight. It felt so good that I let out a little groan as my bones clicked and popped. I saw the little human looking at me. My little human. She was so small. I wasn't sure how I was going to mate her. But I was going to. As she demonstrated her own downward dog, I could barely stop myself from flying over there and sliding her over my cock. The lingering gaze seemed to last an eternity, and the electricity that crackled between us made me feel more alive than I ever had before. In 50 years of life, I'd never been so entranced. I'd heard of the idea of fated mates, but until now I'd never understood how, with one glance, you could be so certain of your future. I was a flighty creature, both physically and in temperament. But I knew this was it for me. She was it. Every fiber of my being longed for her. I craved her.

I broke my gaze to look around. Two guards. One on either side of the yard. Each holding large guns. They didn't carry them inside. This must be considered a high-risk situation. They would never allow me to take her here and now. To fill her with dragon seed. I felt a drip from my cock and, once again, was glad I could keep it hidden. I had no qualms about my body. But I knew humans could be strange about it. As she stood back up, I thought I might explode just from being near her.

"Well done everyone."

She climbed down from the platform, and monsters milled around her. I saw the guards tighten their grips on their guns. I tensed as I glanced around. All these violent creatures were so close to her. I knew, guns trained on us or not, I would rip every one of them apart if I even got a hint that they might hurt her.

She chatted freely with the monsters that wandered over to her, completely relaxed. Asking them questions and taking an interest in them. Many showed interest in her sexually, but she only responded with kindness. She was glorious. Brave. A wonder. I wanted to chase them away, but I waited patiently until most of them naturally walked away to make the most of their time in the yard. Some doing more exercise, a lot just sitting down and feeling the wind on their faces. I got closer to her and finally got to breathe in her scent. She was like a wildflower meadow on a summer's day. It was intoxicating, and I felt dizzy for a moment.

"You're new?"

Her lilting voice shook slightly as she gazed up at me. I took another deep breath. The smell of arousal blooming made me almost feral. I wanted to have her now. Gods, I needed her. I didn't care how many other monsters were around. Let them watch me claim the sun herself. I would ravage her until she was too senseless to even beg for more.

"Yes. It's been a long time since I got to stretch my wings, thank you."

"Everyone deserves to have time to move their bodies and quiet their brains."

"Even monsters who have done unspeakable things?"

"Yes."

She said it kindly but with a certainty that threw me for a loop. Inside this beautiful sun was a forceful personality. Oh, I was going to enjoy that. I dropped my voice to a whisper.

"I must say something."

She leaned in to hear me as I had hoped.

"What's that?"

"I strongly believe you're my mate and I would like very much to claim you. But I think that the guards would shoot me if I was to do so now. Is that right?"

Her mouth fell open. It would look so good around my cock.

"I… well…. I… yes, they would."

"A shame. Some of these monsters desire you. I would like to take you in front of them, so they know who you belong to. Would that give you pleasure?"

My mate's face twisted, and I realised with horror that I'd offended her.