Scales (Shifter Rescue 1) (2 page)

The dragon’s breath was fruity and surprisingly cold.

“I’m a shifter. I have an animal form as well as this one,” Drill told Az. He was a great big wolf-bear hybrid.

“They’ll hurt you if you tell.”

“No, no, they won’t. This is a safe place. Everyone here is a shifter.” The outside world was another story, but that’s why the Old Tavern Club was set up as it was. Just kinky BDSM went on here, nothing else. Just look away. It really was a great cover.

He kept staring at the beast, who watched him distrustfully. Did Az ever blink? Ever?

“Do you want to see me?” Maybe Az would feel better if Drill proved he really was a shifter.

“What do you want?”

A question answered with a question. “I want to help you.”

“Why?”

“Because Pirou asked me to. And because I agree with him that you should be free.” It wasn’t right for any creature to be caged, bought and sold into slavery. And Az wasn’t just any creature.

“So I can go? Now?”

“If you want to. But you’re safe here. Those people can’t get you here.” Drill didn’t want Az to leave. He wanted to get to know this beautiful, shining beast.

“Good.” The wings unfurled and then the dragon took one step before crashing to the ground.

Drill hurried to the dragon’s side, fingers stroking scales on the large head. They were like live metal beneath his fingers. “Az?”

The big eyes looked at him. “I fell down.”

“Yeah.” He kept stroking. “I imagine there’s still a lot of that shit in your system.”

“I’m frightened. I don’t want them to cut my tail and wings off.”

Drill gasped, then growled. “Nobody’s taking anything off you. I won’t allow it.”

“You swear?” Those eyes glowed, the light sudden and sharp.

“I swear, Az. You’re my dragon now and nobody touches you.” The words felt true, right. He’d never claimed any of the rescues he helped with, but Az was different. Az was meant to be his.

Az reached out, bit his hand, the bite sharp, quick, nearly painless.

“Did you just mark me?”

Az put his head down, the motion at once satisfied and submissive.

Drill went back to petting Az, looking at the tooth marks on his hand. This promised to be more interesting than anything he’d done in a long time.

It was entirely possible that instead of Pirou owing him, he owed Pirou.

Az had a keeper. Him. A keeper. His brothers wouldn’t believe it. The big not-human smelled sweet and right and, he knew it was impulsive, but all the others had screamed
Not His
. This one felt right and who knew when he’d have
right
again? Nothing had been right in… however long since he’d been stolen from his family clutch.

“Are you hungry, Az?” His keeper had a deep voice.

Az looked at the keeper. The others didn’t feed him much, so he wasn’t hungry much. It was better not to be hungry if there was no food.

“I’m hungry. I eat a fair bit. I like meat. Do you like meat?” the keeper asked. The keeper had green eyes that didn’t match each other, one darker than the other.

“I like sweets.” A lot. And crunchy things.

“I’m going to ask Pirou for some dinner with dessert then. He’ll bring it down here. Do you remember Pirou?”

Az remembered stings, darts. He didn’t want another sleeping sting. He’d been so isolated and protected all his life. This was why his kind rarely, if ever, ventured out into the world.

“Pirou saved you from the slavers. He’s a good man. He’s my friend -- you can trust him.”

The room didn’t have a place to hide, not really, so Az slipped under the bed, pulled the blankets around him.

“You trust me, though, right? You marked me, so I’m yours and you’re mine. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m calling Pirou now, asking for food.”

He heard indistinct talking then. His keeper. His eyes closed and he focused on the sound of the deep voice, rising and falling.

“Okay, Az, he’s going to bring us a tray himself. And some more blankets, maybe a blow-up bed. I figured you’d want to stay down here for now.”

Where would he go? He had a keeper now. His place was with Drill.

“I have more comfortable rooms upstairs, if I can convince you to come up with me. But we can make do down here if you don’t trust me enough to move.”

“I don’t know what happens next.” Az had never had a keeper before, but keepers were supposed to know, weren’t they?

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you,” Drill promised.

There was a knock on the door. So loud. Az hid behind his wings, going silent.
Please. Please, no more stings
.

His keeper strode to the door. “Hey, Pirou, thanks for this.”

“Is everything okay? All is well?”

“He’s awake. He’s hungry. Well, I’m hungry, and I’m guessing he must be too. We’re going to be fine.”

“I brought water, beer, milk, juice. I don’t know what he likes.”

“Good thinking. You brought me steaks, too, right? And something decadent and wonderful for dessert? He likes sweets.”

The keeper had such a nice voice.

“Fruit, tarts, chocolate.”

“You’re the best, Pirou. It’s no wonder my brother pays you the big bucks.”

“I’d do it for nothing.”

Az peered out, eyes squinting.

“I know you would.” His keeper kissed the man on the top of his head. “Now go so I can feed my dragon.”

“Call me if you need me.” The man waved and Az watched.

Drill turned away from the door, holding a full tray. The scent of food flooded Az’s nose.

“Are you hungry, Az? I have lots of food here to share with you.”

“No stings?”

“No stings, Az. Never again, okay?”

“Yes, keeper.” He eased out, his back legs still clumsy, dragging.

“I like that. Keeper.” Drill put the tray down on the bed. “Come and sit and eat. We can get to know each other -- take turns asking questions.”

Az climbed up, curling his tail and wings carefully.

Reaching out, his keeper touched him gently. “Such beautiful scales.”

“I’m the only blue one. My brothers are red.” He liked his color, so bright.

“Blue is my favorite color.”

His scales rattled, the words pleasing, even if life was strange. “Yes? I will always be blue. I am fully grown.”

“Are you blue when you take your man form? You do take a man form, don’t you?” Drill put a plate in front of him. It had a steak and broccoli and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Az didn’t know if he should tell about that. That was secret, but… He’d chosen his keeper and they were meant to be together, so it should be okay to trust him.

Drill looked at him expectantly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. One day, hmm?”

“I don’t know what the right things are anymore.”

“We’re a right thing. That’s why you marked me, why you trust me. So eat, okay?” Drill picked up a knife and fork, and began to cut his own steak.

Az touched the meat with his claw, poking it before tearing it in two and snapping it up.

Grinning, Drill nodded. “There you go.” Then Drill cut his steak in half and put one of the halves on Az’s plate.

“For me?” That was… Oh, dear keeper.

“You have to be pretty hungry. Go ahead and eat, Az.” His keeper kept eating, one bite after another. Many little bites to eat up the steak. Men were not efficient at eating at all. Not like dragons.

Az’s bites were big. Very big. He snapped up the meat, licking his claws clean.

“I’ll have to remember to tell Pirou that you need bigger steaks.” Grinning, Drill stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork. “Are you going to eat your vegetables?”

“Are they good?” They looked like flowers.

“You’ve never eaten any? Really? Huh. I like them. Some people don’t. I liked the mashed potatoes even more.”

Az picked the stalk up with his claws, sniffing. Huh.

“It won’t bite.” His keeper looked like he was trying not to laugh.

He stuck his tongue out, licked it. Bitter. It was bitter.

“You don’t like it? How about the mashed potatoes?”

He looked at them and simply lapped them up. Those were nice. Slick.

Laughing, Drill cut his mound of potatoes in half and put them on Az’s plate, just like he’d done with the steak.

“Are there berries?” Az dared to ask. “Fruits? Please?”

“There are.” Drill gave him a huge bowl filled with all different sorts of berries. “There’s also chocolate and tarts.”

“Chocolate and tarts?” He moaned at the berries. His favorite. He loved them.

“You don’t even care about those as long as you have the berries, do you?”

“Mmm… “ He picked up a clawful and ate, licking and lapping happily.

Drill laughed and stole one of the berries, popping it in his mouth. “Now we have a reward, I do believe.”

He wasn’t sure what Drill meant, but Az trilled happily, tossing a berry up and snapping it out of the air.

“Oh, that was wonderful. Do it again.”

He chuffed softly, and then tossed and ate, again and again. Drill ate too, more slowly, watching him, smiling. His keeper made him feel so good, just by watching. Az preened, showing off a bit, eating one berry after another.

Drill stole another berry out of Az’s bowl, so Az handed a berry over, the best blackberry, fat and shiny and glossy. Smiling, Drill took the berry from him and bit down on it, juice going everywhere, including dripping along his keeper’s chin.

Az flicked his tongue out and caught the drop of juice. Drill’s eyes went wide, surprise and pleasure fighting there.

“You dripped.” Was it right? To lick?

“So I did. Should I drip again?” Taking another berry, Drill put it between his lips and bit down again.

Az tilted his head, and he leaned and lapped the juice away, balancing on his claws.

“Az… show me the man I can kiss.”

The words were barely breathed at him.

“You swear to not tell?” This was his keeper. Az had to trust the bond.

“I won’t tell anyone until you’re ready to share. I’m on your side, Az.”

He nodded and thought about his most private self, his vulnerable self. His man self.

“Oh… look at you.”

His skin was tinged with blue and, unlike his keeper, he was completely bald, bare. He didn’t look like everyone else. He was special.

“You’re incredible.” His keeper reached for him.

He scooted closer, curious, drawn by the look in Drill’s eyes. There was hunger there, and pleasure. Promises.

Drill’s hand was big and it wrapped around Az’s skull, so warm. Az’s eyes crossed, heart beginning to pound in his chest. Bringing him closer, Drill pressed their mouths together. Az could feel the heat of Drill’s lips against his own, and feel the flow of Drill’s breath as it moved from Drill’s mouth to his. The whole thing made him tingle, all the way through.

Az stayed still, fascinated, curious. When Drill slid his tongue along Az’s lips, the tingles turned into electricity -- like he’d been zapped by lightning. He found himself standing across the room, his body vibrating, so awake.

Drill blinked. “What are you doing all the way over there?”

“I don’t know,” Az admitted.

Drill’s laugh was soft, but not mean. “Come back. I want to explore every inch of you. Would you like that? Would you like to make love with me?”

“Make love? Do you mean joining?”

Smiling, Drill nodded. “I imagine I do.”

“You only do that with your keeper. I haven’t… I know dragons should be trained, taught, but… I only started my training and no one… No one wanted me.” He’d only learned to change to this form when he’d been taken.

“That’s because they were all stupid. But I’m glad they are because I got to be your keeper.” Drill came to him, touched his shoulder, fingers so warm as they trailed across his chest. “What did the training you got involve?”

“How to change to this. How to please. Our keepers are important, special. Only ours. We take care of each other.”

“That’s just how the Dom/sub relationship that I’m more familiar with works. Obviously you learned to change. How much of the learning to please did you go through?” Drill asked.

Az ducked his head, embarrassed. How was he supposed to come to his keeper so unprepared? What if Drill rejected him? What if he offended? “I’m sorry.”

“Does that mean none? Because it isn’t a problem for me. In fact, I’m glad you weren’t ‘taught’ such a thing.” Drill stroked his abs. “I would rather you were taught by someone special.”

Lightning shot through Az, his belly jerking, his cock filling so quickly he got dizzy.

Groaning, Drill stepped up closer, pressing against him. The sensation of clothes against his skin felt weird. “Taught by me.”

“I… I wouldn’t offend. I promise.”

“I’m not the least bit offended, Az.” Drill pushed their lips together, kissing him again.

He reached up, touching Drill’s shoulders. Humming, Drill vibrated against his lips. Kisses. They were so much wetter than in stories. And Az hadn’t expected to be able to feel them all the way to his toes. He shifted his feet and moved, his body unable to stay still.

Stepping back, Drill traced Az’s lips with warm fingers, then his eyebrows, his nose, his ears. “You’re stunning, Az. In both forms.”

“Stunning is good. I will be stunning for you, keeper.”

“Stunning is very good.” Drill kissed him again. “Tell me what kind of home you like, Az.”

“I grew up on a mountain with snow. It sparkled and the winds blew, but there were huge fires and we weren’t scared.” The clutch had been a lovely place to grow up, and then he’d gone down the mountain to train. There had been flowers there. Everywhere.

“Well, you’re out of luck on the snow, Az.”

“There’s no light here, too. Is there no sun in your land?”

“There is. We’re in the basement, Az. Out of the way from people and safe. We can request a room with windows. I know the owner of the club.”

Az smiled, but he was completely confused.

“I take it you’ll be in your dragon form except for when you’re alone?” Drill asked.

“It’s the safest, yes?”

“I don’t know. I’d never seen a dragon before you. I imagine that’s why you were taken by the slavers. On the other hand… You’re blue.”