Grabbing one of the Galaxy shirts, a favorite pair of jeans, and some socks, I head back out.Almost ready.Throwing my clothes on the bed, I start with the socks. “So, if you don’t mind, can we go through the different races who work for the circus first? Then you can tell me about the actual people that are from each one. Start with you and Mr. Grumpy. Grandpa John said you guys were shifters from the planet Flux.”
Once I pull my socks on, I grab my jeans and put them on too, waiting for Dylan to start, but he doesn't. When I look up, he’s casually resting with his hands behind his head, watching me with wide eyes.
“You okay?” I ask him, and he sort of shakes his head and nods.
“Ah, yeah, sorry. Yes, we’re shifters. Just about any animal you can name would exist on our planet. In fact, I think the Earth legends of dragons and unicorns and things come from Fluxxians not being careful when they've been on your planet.”
After I button my jeans and pull the zipper up, I throw myself down next to him and impatiently wait for him to tell me more. But again, it’s almost like he’s mesmerized by the globes of my tits, almost spilling out of the top of my bra, his eyes locked onto them.Poor guy, I must be making him uncomfortable.I guess I just thought a gay dragon wouldn’t be all that bothered by breasts. I quickly grab my top and pull it on, which breaks his staredown with the girls.
“Ah, right, where were we? Yes, shifters. Our race has three forms. We have a humanoid form which is what you’re looking at now.” He gestures to his body. “That also has the ability to glamour as I showed you before. We have our full animal form which I can’t show you in here because my dragon is about the same size as your room. And then we have our hybrid form which is what you saw Caspian wearing last night. It’s a half-form.” He sits up and slides off the bed. “You want to see?”
I bounce up and down like a kid at Christmas. “Fuck yes!”
He smiles widely at my enthusiasm. “You are a real treat, Lila. I never would have guessed a human would be so excited. The usual reaction is terror and aggression, and then we need to make them forget everything they've seen.” He pulls off his shirt, and I basicallyneedto admire his body now that it’s right there in front of me. I mean, it would be rude not to. The guy is ripped, practically all muscle, no body fat whatsoever, but not with that overly bulked up look like so many of the musclebound bodybuilders that used to frequent the bar I worked in. He’s sleek and elegant and… A throat clearing has me looking up to find him smirking at me.
“Ready?” he asks, and I nod, discreetly wiping my mouth in case there was drool.Girl, get with the program. You've looked your fill. Just be happy with that. He’s probably got a boyfriend, and goodness knows we don't want to upset someone with otherworldly power. Not until we can at least get a handle on our own to defend ourselves. For all I know, Caspian and him could be a thing.My mind goes straight to the gutter, and my panties get damp as I imagine them entangled within all of Caspian’s tentacles, bodies writhing, practically a scene straight out of my alien porn books made real.
Again, he clears his throat, so I shake my head to clear the image and sit up straighter, paying attention. His chest moves as if he just inhaled deeply, those eyes of his lighting up in flames. This time, I’m not imagining it because they stay like that. I’m transfixed as he grows slightly taller, his body becoming bigger. His jeans must be magicked because they grow with him. Wings explode from his back, and the scales don't just ripple across his body this time; they ripple and stay there like he’s covered in armor. His cheekbones sharpen, and his nose flattens out a bit, the fangs in his mouth lengthening. He shimmers like there’s silver glitter sprinkled all over him, the flames in his eyes glinting with that shine.
But there’s still a wary look on his face and a blatantly obvious tension to his body like his fight or flight response is ready to act. Like he’s waiting for me to freak out. But I don't. I didn't think he could get any sexier than he was, but this… this is, excuse the pun, out of this world. My vagina practically weeps in dismay that this sexy being can never be ours.
“Lila! Are you okay?” I can hear the caution in his question, so I shake myself out of my mesmerized state of lust. Hopping off the bed, I walk toward him and reach up to touch his face, stopping before I make contact.
“Sorry, that was rude. May I?” I ask him, and he grabs hold of my hand and puts it against his cheek. Slowly, I run my fingers across the sharp ridges of his cheeks. His cheekbones are sharp, and his face is scale free. I trail down to his lips and prick my fingers against his sharp fangs, both of us gasping loudly as I pull away. He licks the drop of blood I left behind, and maybe, just maybe, I could be imagining the shudder that follows that action.
“Wow, D, this is awesome! But which one is the most comfortable for you?” He shrugs and steps back from me, his wings tightly tucked against his back.
“This is the form I assume whenever we are off Earth, and apart from my beast, it’s the one most familiar to me. The one you saw me in before was really done for just you. I didn't want to frighten you, but it does take a lot of concentration.” While he talks, I circle him to get a closer look at his wings. Unlike the scales covering his arms, his wings look like leather with bony protrusions spaced between the membranes for support. They flutter ever so slightly under my gaze, and I reach out a finger to touch them, finding the surface is smooth and warm. A shiver flows over Dylan’s whole body at my touch, and I quickly pull my finger away.
“Sorry,” I say to him as I finish my inspection and step back toward the bed. “Okay, I’m starving. How about you escort me back to the dining hall? I want to grab something to eat since I missed dinner last night, what with everything that happened.”
Grabbing my tablet off the bed, I slip my feet into my sneakers and walk to the door. As I pass Dylan, I notice he’s got his eyes closed and is breathing deeply. I leave him be, figuring all of this must be just as overwhelming for him as it is me. Either that or maybe touching his wings was a mistake on my behalf. Maybe it just isn't done? I’ll have to add that to my questions that need to be answered.
Pushing open the door, I slip out into the hallway which is bustling with people. All of them look human-like to me, so I guess that these people must be Skarrians like the grandpas and, I guess, me, or a race somewhat similar.
A few cautious smiles are thrown in my direction, but I’m mostly ignored. That is, Iwasuntil Dylan steps out of my room, seemingly in control of himself again. The hallway falls into silence, and people stop and stare.
“What did we do?” I whisper to him out of the side of my mouth as he pulls my door closed and puts his hand on my back, guiding me in the right direction.
“Ignore them. They’re looking for something that isn't there,” he instructs me, and I just shrug and follow his suggestion. Who am I to care if they stare or gossip about me? I’m sure it won’t be the first time since I arrived, and it definitely won’t be the last.
I link my arm with Dylan’s, appreciating the comforting contact with him. “Come on, tall, dark, and sexy, feed me. The way to this woman’s heart is through her stomach. Well, one of the ways.” I stop there, figuring it might be in bad taste to talk to an actual alien about my gigantic alien dildo. We might need to get to know each other better first.
He chuckles, and the tension drains from his body. Did he think I was going to reject him in front of the crowd of people? Perhaps the Skarrians are just as judgmental as humans when something is perceived as different.
Maybe the rest of the galaxy isn't as enlightened as I had thought.
Unlike last night’s entrance, nobody pays much attention when we enter the dining hall for breakfast. It’s a noisy cacophony of sound, and as we make our way to the head table, I try to take in as much of it as I can.
All three of my grandpas are already sitting down, eating their breakfast, but all stand as we arrive.
“Ah, Lila, there you are. I was wondering if Dylan had managed to wake you or not.” John is smiling broadly as he looks between the two of us. He puts on an aura of calm, but his hair is tousled like he’s been running his hand through it in agitation. What’s upset him? “Grab yourself some breakfast, and then we will get to work on establishing what powers you may have. I also want you to make sure you take time to read up on all the races and acts in the circus. We’ve got lots to go over during the next few days before we start getting into the practical side of things.”
“You also need to drink more water. It’s going to be an everyday thing from now on,” Eric says, gesturing to the glass sitting in front of an empty space. “All Skarrians in the circus drink at least one a day. You should probably drink it at every meal for the next month or so since you’ve been without it for so long.” The grandpas all sit and continue with their food, William not saying a word to me, though he does shoo me in the direction of the replicators.
“Dylan, can you show her how to use them? No tricks.” He growls the last bit, but Dylan shrugs it off.
“I wouldn't do that to her, unlike some,” he promises, receiving a grunt and nod in thanks.Maybe he’s not a morning person. Alien? Maybe he’s not a morning alien. Is that the most politically correct thing to say?
