FOREVER KNIGHTS: #15 Insatiable Beasts

Whitwood, Isle of Wight

LUCIEN

Meralee was face to face with enigmatic amber eyes. The eyebrows lowered over them and the expression of them soft, as if in concern.

Is she going to reject the sight of my beast?

When she stopped crawling backwards, the dragon’s head lowered to slowly follow her without taking a step. Eventually, his bottom jaw rested flat on the ground. The head alone seemed as big as a ship.

She stood slowly and tentatively moved toward the massive head.

Come closer. I won’t hurt you.

The beast snorted in greeting, and she squeaked involuntarily.

The musty smell of sulfur emitted from his nostrils at the sound.

She wrinkled her nose at the smell but didn’t retreat.

The bottom of his eye was level with her hip and the eyelid began near her shoulder. With a slitted pupil with rounded as it dilated before retracting into the slit again as it turned its head to see her better. His snout, which dipped between two peaking nostrils rose to her thighs. His jaws were big enough to snap her up in a single bite.

No more than a snack if I did.

She neared and involuntarily reached out toward his snout.

What’ll she do?

When her palm made contact with warm scales, she pulled her fingers back in fear. Flexing them into her palm.

They’re smoother than they look. He knew.

She touched him again. Caressing fingertips along his snout toward between his eyes up over the smooth, curving expanse of its neck. She twitched when rumbled in pleasure. Brow furrowing as she met that big amber eye. Tentatively walking along the dragon’s side and feeling the ripple of muscle.

When his neck arched too high for her to reach, he lowered his body. Moving almost imperceptibly to keep from startling her. He tucked his muscled legs beneath him and dropped the weight of his wide belly, crunching nearby foliage.

Nearby, trunks creaked ominously, and the ground shook slightly as he shifted. His side bumping her as he moved. Head up as he looked around alertly.

She leaned and hesitantly rested her cheek on his scaled side. “Your hot.”

Lifting her head, she smoothed the scales into the same direction. So their sharp edge didn’t dig into her face. The mist chilled his scales. Making them feel nearly metallic.

He blinked sleepily. Rumbling in a vibrating purr.

She was suddenly so tired she slipped down his side to sit on the ground. Nestling into the crook of his elbow and resting her back against the inside of his leg. Her side warmed by his neck.

We’ll see if she can keep this secret.

If mankind were to know about us, we’d never know peace.

Through everything she’d dealt with he’d trailed after her. Allowing her to go through the trials of escaping the knights while he ensured no harm befell her.

She sighed contentedly. She fell asleep. Not hearing the rush of great wings above them.

Lucien did, merely glancing up to acknowledge the golden beast flying lazy circles above. The edges of his wings occasionally visible as they stirred the heavy smog with each flap. Bast.

A human wouldn’t be able to see their hand before their face right now. But the eyesight of a dragon cut through it like fine silk.

Bast looked down on him laying peacefully in the small clearing framed by trees felled at the border, from his change. The woman resting in the cradle between his arms. The golden beast snorted to ascertain if there was any danger of Cimmerii before rising in loops until high enough to be above the fogbanks. Sunlight touching him and shimmering off his scales in blinding flashes.

A warning signal to everything for miles. He’s letting the other knights know she and I are safe.

He’s content with his check on me and headed back.