“I’ve been dreaming of this,” he growled as he thrust into her, filling her, stretching her. They stayed like that a moment, breathing heavily.
Their first time had been hurried; this time, she wanted to experience him. To enjoy the touch of his skin as he pressed the pad of his thumb against the knot of nerves at the apex of her sex. He started to move slowly at first, letting her feel each inch of him slide in and out, then he thrust inward, hard. Gradually building momentum, and he’d do it again. She met him thrust for thrust, back arching, pressing her rear against his abdomen, feeling her climax building with each steady movement of his body until she was nearly ready to explode.
“I’m afraid if we go further, I’ll never be able to let you go.” He gasped, falling over her with his breath hot against her neck as he rammed his cock into her over and over.
“You can’t stop,” she gasped.
She would go mad if she didn’t reach her release right this moment with him.
She arched her back as he stroked against her inner walls, her hands curled into the soft earth as her body throbbed around him. Her climax struck her suddenly, and she was trembling, body pulsing, crying out his name, the goddess’, and a thousand other expletives.
Erich reached his climax moments after her, pulling out to spill onto the grass beside them. They both collapsed onto the ground next to one another, panting for breath.
Their limbs tangled together as he enclosed her in his embrace. She felt as if they’d always been meant to be this way. She’d never wanted to open up to someone or seen herself with anyone for the long-term, not when she’d been convinced they’d go on to hurt her. But Erich had come back, and he’d saved her. And, for the first time, she thought that maybe she’d found her forever.
29
Erich had felt the dragon’s power as he climaxed. For now, its desires were satisfied. But the specter of its obsession still lingered at the back of his mind. When would pleasure turn to pain, when would devotion turn to destruction? For her sake, he never should have slept with her, but he couldn’t say he regretted it. In fact, he relished the feeling of her body curled against his, and he took assurance in the steady rhythm of her heartbeat as she traced her fingers over the hairs on his chest.
“Your scales faded,” she remarked.
“You’re not repulsed by them?” he asked.
“I find them fascinating.” She sighed, nuzzling closer to him.
Their legs were tangled up in one another, and she hooked her leg around him to half straddle his leg.
“Though I like you both in flesh and with claws.” She brushed a hand against his stubbled chin.
Erich looked away from her. A monster like him didn’t deserve her, and even if she were understanding, his time was limited. He couldn’t give Liane forever, and wasn’t it crueler to string her along for whatever weeks and months he had left, only to abandon her when he became a dragon entirely?
“Something wrong?” she asked.
This was the moment he should confess it all. End things before she got so entangled with him that she couldn’t get away, but like the monster he was, he couldn’t say the words out loud.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful you look in the moonlight.”
The silvery glow illuminated the lighter strands of her auburn hair that fell across her face. She giggled and pushed her hair behind her ears. Erich cupped her face, wanting to memorize her in this moment. If any part of him remained human when he became a dragon, he’d hold on to her.
Liane had a destiny to uphold, and he had a hard-to-contain monster inside him. Because once she’d drawn the sword and was free of the church, his role in her story would be over. But for tonight, until the sun rose, he wanted to pretend that things could be different before their interlude ended. She’d hate him for walking away again. Perhaps even curse his name. But eventually the novelty of him would wear off, and she’d find true love. The thought made his chest ache, but like he’d told her, he’d do anything to protect her. Even if it meant keeping her from him.
She lay her head back down on his chest, and they lay in the nest of tall grass they’d flattened with their copulation and stared up at the ancient oak tree above them. The night stretched on for a little while longer as they spoke of nothing of import. The words didn’t matter; it was the magic of that moment, where they were both suspended in time. He was nearly dozing off when he heard a twig snap, and he sat upright.
Liane sat up as well and tugged her clothes back on. Most of his clothes were torn by the transformation, but shreds of his pants remained, and he covered himself as best he could, before drawing his weapon.
A couple of shadowy figures approached. They carried no lamps, which meant they were either guards doing a sneak attack or Fritz had found them.
When the figures got closer and Erich could make out their features in the moonlight, he lowered his weapon. Fritz and the oracle they’d rescued from the dungeon looked unharmed, and Fritz had a bundle under one arm.
“We would have been here sooner, but she insisted I find clothes for you,” Fritz said. He cleared his throat as he thrust the clothes toward Erich and looked away from Erich’s mostly naked body.
The oracle’s glassy eyes scanned both him and Liane up and down, and he felt compelled to cover up Liane, even though he was less clothed than her.
“Believe me, if you’re uncomfortable around a bit of exposed flesh, you wouldn’t have wanted to be here when they were rutting like a couple of deer during mating season,” the oracle said.
Liane yelped in surprise.
Erich had seen many frauds in his search for a cure, but his gut told him this woman was the real deal. He hadn’t asked Leonhard why she was in the dungeon, but now he was curious.
