Ember (The Dragao 1)

But then she woke my dragon, allowing me to shift into my beast for the first time. Fates, to know my female was so close, to know so soon I’d hold her, stroke her, caress every inch of her, had a low rumble leaving me.

Go to her. She’s ours. Ours! my dragon demanded, but I beat the beast back.

I opened my eyes when the instinct finally subsided—marginally—when my dragon knew I couldn’t break right now. I needed to make my home—our home—perfect. I wanted her to have everything she’d ever desire.

I wanted to keep her in our den until she was satiated and unable to walk because I’d fucked her so good. I want her in our den, in our furs, until she’s pregnant with my young.

I curled a clawed hand around a large boulder as I watched my tiny human mate walk arm in arm with another small female.

Go to her. Go. To. Her. She’s ours!

It had taken all my willpower not to claim her and throw her over my shoulder, shifting into my dragon and flying us far away where no one could ever take her from me. At the very thought of that happening, a primal growl erupted from my throat, one so vicious I felt the ground vibrate beneath my feet.

After long moments, and once I felt more like myself, I stared at the fields the humans cultivated for their food. Even though they were weak, with life spans that were over in the blink of an eye, they knew how to survive and were clever creatures. But I’d never given them much thought. No Dragao did. Humans were seen as an annoyance, nothing more. Certainly not a threat. Even without being in our dragon form, we were stronger, bigger… more vicious. I could break their necks without a thought.

And yet I found my precious female among them. Purely happenstance.

Only when she was underground was I able to feel safe enough to leave her. I hated doing it, but I knew I had to get my den perfect for when I brought her there. Food, fresh water, enough amenities to keep her warm and in comfort. I wasn’t a fool to think she wouldn’t fear me, but maybe if she saw how I could care for her and protect her, she’d one day see she truly was mine and mine alone.

I moved away from the large boulder I’d been standing behind as I watched my mate and left the human encampment. When I was hidden enough that the humans wouldn’t see me, I shifted into my dragon. Although I didn’t care whether they saw my beast, I did worry their fear of my ferocious beast would get back to my mate. I didn’t want my female thinking of me as a monster before she even saw me, before I could show her how precious she was to me.

I let the change take me over in a rush of pleasure and freedom. The feeling of finally being one with my beast was unlike anything I could have ever envisioned, although I knew it wouldn’t come close to finally claiming my mate. No, that would truly be the greatest experience.

I took to the skies and just soared, the setting suns allowing a cloud of darkness to conceal me from prying eyes.

My den was in the far distance, but facing the humans’ settlement, letting me watch them complete their strange daily ways. I found myself doing that lately, standing in the outcropping of my cave entrance and watching as they gathered their strange leafy food.

As a Dragao we were a meat-eating species. And it seemed humans were carnivorous too, so I needed to make sure I had it for my female. Maybe they couldn’t eat flesh as Dragao did? There was much I didn’t know about my mate’s kind.

I didn’t go back to my den at first, just enjoyed the freedom of soaring in the air. All the Dragao males kept their distance from one another. We were a solitary species and very territorial. There were two other males who had dens in the mountains I resided in, but they were smart enough to keep away. We were a vicious group, going so far as fighting to the death to keep other males away.

After a long moment of stretching my wings, of feeling the heat from the suns wash over my big body and warming my flesh, I headed toward my mountain. I landed on a rocky outcropping, my massive body vibrating the ground, pebbles falling off the edge as my huge fore- and hind legs landed on the terrain. Instinctively my razor-sharp and deadly claws that tipped my front and back paws dug into the mountain. I shifted midstride and headed to my cavern but immediately stopped. My muscles tightened as I craned my head back and inhaled deeply, scenting the air.