Taming the Beast

“How did you reach your back?” she asked, leaning against his tail and letting her hand slide down the sides of his body.

He tried his hardest not to laugh. “Stop tickling me,” he said through broken giggles.

“I’m not doing it on purpose.” His laughter was infectious. She tried to force it again by repeating the same movement with her hands. “Answer the question.”

“I used to be more flexible and could easily reach. I’ve gotten a bit stiff with age.”

“How old are you?”

“I stopped counting somewhere after 800.”

“Eight hundred! How is that even possible?”

“Very slowly,” he said.

“I’m twenty-six, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t.”

Grumpy. She tried pulling on one of the scales with her hands. That’ll teach you some manners.

“Ouch!” he growled.

“Oopise.” Madeleine was surprised at how comfortable she was beginning to feel. Maybe it was because she was staring at his rump and not exposed to his teeth. She wanted to know more about him and started to speak when he cut her off.

“That will be all for now.”

“You don’t want me to do your wings?”

“My wings are fine,” he said abruptly.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I dripped some on the floor. I’ll just wipe it up.”

“Panzan will do that for you. Please retire to your quarters.”

Her scent and touch were causing his natural dragon urges to bubble up. Javelin thought those feelings were dead forever, but now he found himself wanting to mate. What would she want with a dragon who couldn’t fly? These feelings will pass.

Madeleine bowed and exited back to her room. Did I just fucking bow? Ugh. I’m in full servant mode now. She sat on the edge of her bed and tried to wrap her head around her current situation. The mirror caught part of her reflection and caused her to shriek at the sight of the now see-through tunic clinging to her body. “That was probably on purpose. Jerks.” She made a mental note to wear three layers of clothing the next time.

I just rubbed my hands all over an enormous dragon and lived. Magic, green goo. She tilted her head and stared at the green moss on the walls. “Magic, green goo! We don’t have this in the settlement.”

Madeleine threw on a second tunic for extra coverage and made her way down to find Panzan. She dragged her hand along the wall, petting the fresh specimens. No doors were in sight, so she kept walking until a voice called out, “Madame.” She jumped and whipped her body around, but couldn’t find him. Panzan stepped forward and came into focus.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack? You have to stop blending in like that.”

“I can’t stop that which is my nature.”

“Well, at least tie a bell around your neck.”

“I will do my best.”

“Do you have more bottles of the moss gel?”

“We have an endless supply.”

“Would it be possible to have some delivered to my family in the settlement?”

“That won’t be a problem at all.”