AnyasDragons (4 page)

“She’s beautiful,” Yerith said, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Yes.”

“I can see you’re lusting for her, my friend.”

Cyton looked at Yerith. “And you’re not?”

“I won’t lie about it. Yes. Did you see her naked?”

“Yes. So did you when we found her.”

“That’s when we thought she was a child. Now we know she’s a full-grown woman. So when you took her to the pool, did you mate with her?”

“No. She was raised very differently than us. She’s innocent. A virgin.”

“I admire your self-control. I don’t know if I could have stopped myself.”

“Yerith, promise me you won’t do anything impulsive, nothing to hurt her.”

Yerith was quiet for a few minutes. “All right, I promise. But it’s going to be hard. She’s sharing our home.”

“I’ve made a bed for her, away from ours. She’s not like our women, Yerith.”

“I know. She’s pure royalty. All you have to do is look at her grace, her quiet manners and the way she deals with everything to know she’s different. I spoke with Uleirlel while you were gone. She told me the girl can lay claim to the throne if everyone else in her family is dead. Uleirlel believes she was meant to rule. She told me the Goddess spoke to her.”

“And then she’ll have nothing to do with us. Once she’s a queen, ruling our world, she’ll choose her consort from any descendants from the royals still left alive.”

“Cyton, I have nothing but admiration for her. She must be weeping internally for the loss of her loved ones, yet she shows no emotion.”

“She hides it well.”

Darkness fell. The women filed out of the smokehouse one by one. Cyton watched Anya appear in the doorway carrying her bags that were bulging. She approached the two waiting men.

“I hope you’re very hungry or this food will go to waste. I’m small, so I managed to get between the women and got a whole lot. I grabbed the best of the meat.” She peered around, apparently just realizing how dark it had become. “Darkness seems to fall fast here.”

“Yes, Anya, it’s because of the mountains surrounding our city. Where you come from, it will still be full sunlight.”

“Well, I’m starving, so let’s go home,” Yerith said and shifted into his dragon.

Cyton shifted and carefully picked Anya up with his talons. He hoped the bags weren’t too heavy for her. He set her down on the platform and took the bags from her. He noticed the red marks inside her palms. “Are your hands sore from carrying the bags?”

“A bit.”

“Inside, we have grains, bread and vegetables. You’ve got two hungry men on your hands.”

“Lon taught me some things today, but I don’t know—”

“We’ll help,” Yerith offered. “It’s not usual for males to help their servants, but you’re more than a servant.”

“Right now, I’m your slave. But I won’t be for long.”

“Girl, you’re not a slave. Don’t use that word,” Cyton said.

“How many other mortal women have you captured in the past?”

He had to admit. “You’re the first.”

“So why am I to serve you both if you’ve never ever experienced capturing a mortal woman? Are there rules for such an event?”

Yerith jumped into the conversation. “Yurkis would have had us bring you back to the place we found you. You wouldn’t have lived. We are following his orders.”

“Are you going to hunt tomorrow?”

“We hunt every day. We are the hunters for our clan.”

“Don’t the other men hunt?”

“Sometimes, but too many have been killed by the Gonks. We are the only ones who have killed the beasts. If any of the warriors go to hunt, they have to come with us.”

“Tomorrow, can you go as far as the castle and see what’s happening there?”

“Yes. I already told you I’d go and see if I can find clothing for you. Now how about we make our evening meal?” Cyton said.

Cyton and Yerith helped and showed her how to heat the vegetables and toast the bread over the open fire they’d made. It didn’t take long before the three sat cross-legged to eat their dinner. Cyton watched her eat, noticing how daintily she picked up the meat and vegetables with her fingers and the small bites she took from her bread. Their women could learn something from Anya, he decided.

“We sleep early,” Yerith told her as he licked his fingers clean. “That was good.”‘

“I made a bed for you over there,” Cyton said, and pointed at the pelts he’d spread out for her.

“I’m tired, too. It’s been a long day. If you don’t mind, I’ll bed down for the night,” she said while picking up their dirty plates.

“You can clean those in the morning. We burn the bones and leftovers,” Cyton told her. “I hope you sleep well. Oh, and I put a comb beside your bed for your hair.”

“Thank you. Goodnight.”

Cyton and Yerith lay on their own pelts close to the fire. “I hope she’s warm enough over there,” Yerith said.

“There’s an extra pelt she can pull over herself if she is cold. Goodnight, Yereth.”

Cyton lay awake for quite a while gazing into the flames that would burn until morning. Every now and then, he glanced at Anya, at the curves of her body, her petite frame.

He was just dozing off when he heard soft sobs coming from the girl’s direction. He glanced at Yereth who was fast asleep, then at Anya. Her small body shook. He quickly rose and went to her.

“Anya?”

One last sob and she turned to him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Yes?”

“Come here.” He held out his arms and she fell against him, the sobs resuming. Her body shook in his arms and it ate at his soul, his heart. Never in his life had he felt such sorrow along with someone who’d lost loved ones. Sure, he’d mourned, but not like this. He didn’t even know the people she’d lost, but he absorbed her sorrow as if it were his own. He stroked her hair, not knowing what to say, what to do.

“I’m so sorry, Anya. Let it all out. You’ve been very brave, but you need to voice your grief or it’ll eat you up inside.”

“Every…one…is gone…and…”

“Hush, little one. You’re in good hands here. No harm will come to you. I can ask Uleirlel for a spell to take your pain away, if you like. But I think you need to grieve and come to terms with your loss. Remember, you’re alive and you need to look to the future.”

“I don’t want a spell to kill the pain. I want to feel every stab to my heart, cherish my tears, and remember everything that’s happened. One day, I’ll avenge their deaths. I swear. If there are any of our scientists left alive, they’re going to invent weapons to equal or better those of the aliens, and our ships need upgrading badly. I loved my father, but he let matters go that he shouldn’t have.”

“The old king and queen had a good relationship with us. I don’t know what happened to stop that when your father was crowned.”

“He was weak. He lived for joy and pleasure only. I loved him because he was my father, but I did not admire him.”

“I’ll stay with you, Anya. Lean on me,” Cyton whispered and pulled her into his arms. He let her weep softly until she cried herself to sleep. Lying with her on the pelts, he kept her in his arms but for her comfort, he also undid the tight belt and bra. She spooned into his body naturally as if she’d slept with others. She probably had shared beds with her sisters. Her delectable buttocks pressed against his groin and he groaned inwardly as his cock rose and throbbed. He felt beneath the metal bra and cupped a breast while he managed to get his cock between her ass cheeks. Massaging her breasts very softly, feeling for her hard nipple, he moved his cock back and forth between her tight buttocks. When he came, he spurted onto the pelt beneath them and he cursed softly. Would she smell it in the morning? Did she even know what it smelled like? With his hand still on her breast, the nipple between his fingers, he managed to doze off.

Chapter Five

Anya woke with a start. She felt confined, trapped. Wiggling, she suddenly sensed the hand on her breast, a man’s body against hers. She wriggled out of the arms holding her tight and jumped up.

“How dare you take me while I slept!” she shouted, waking Cyton.

“I didn’t take you. Calm down.”

“How did my bra get undone and my belt?” She desperately fought with the clasps, striving to do them back up.

“Think back, Anya. You were upset. I comforted you. I didn’t take you. That surely would have awakened you. You’ve seen the size of my cock.”

Yerith stood up sleepily. “What time is it? What’s with all the noise?”

“Anya had a bad dream.”

“I did not. I don’t want either of you in my bed without an invitation. Is that understood? If I’m to be your slave, then so be it, but I won’t be your whore or used at your whim.”

“Oh, my. She’s a spitfire. Did you use her, friend?”

“No. I merely tried to calm her. She was upset.”

“I slept so soundly I didn’t hear anything.” Yerith’s gaze raked her from head to toe, making Anya uncomfortable. Did he really think Cyton had taken her?

Anya strode away from them to the platform and stood looking down. When the men joined her, she shied away. “I need to go home and find out if any of my people are alive.”

“I promise we’ll find out for you today,” Yerith assured her. “Won’t we, Cyton?”

“Yes, I’ve told her a few times already.”

“Good. I need to go and bathe,” Yerith said and called out his dragon.

Anya watched the fantastic green dragon descend and admired it. Seeing them high in the sky as small specks, they really didn’t look much different from birds. Seeing them up close, she had nothing but awe for them.

“Why are you all different colors?”

Cyton shrugged. “I don’t know. The Timeless One is all colors. Then there are bronze, gold, blue, green, and black dragons and even white ones, although I’ve never seen a white dragon.”

“Do all of you have magical powers?”

“We do. They develop as we age. But your people should have magical powers, too. I’m surprised you haven’t displayed any besides hearing the Goddess speak.”

“I’m sorry for shouting at you. I think you meant well. I was grieving last night.”

“Yes, and I heard you so I knew you needed me.”

Oh, Goddess, she needed more than just his support, but she’d been taught it was bad to have such feelings.

“Have you ever been in love, Anya?” Cyton asked.

“No. Have you?”

“Not until now.”

A thrill coursed through her. He was in love, but with who? “Lon?”

“Lon and I have been together, but we’re not mated. I don’t love her.”

“She seems to think you do.”

“She’s wrong.”

Dare she hope he’d fallen in love with her? How could she ever claim him for her consort? If she were the only survivor of the slaughter, then she’d be next in line for the throne. The thought scared her. She was strong, but ruling a world was a completely different matter than just displaying strength of character. What did she know about ruling, about being a queen?

“Uleirlel is not only our medicine woman, she is our spell weaver. She can help you unlock your hidden magick.”

“Really? I need to know what caused the rift between your people and mine. Are there many others on the planet like your clan?”

“Yes, there are. We are all at peace with one another. But none were at peace with the king. None of us wanted war. We could have waged war on your people many years ago, but the council voted we would merely stay separated, live our own lives, and let the royals and their subjects live theirs.”

“Uleirlel knows what happened. I want to talk to her. Can you fly me to her home?”

“After I clean up a bit and eat breakfast.”

“What do you eat for breakfast?”

“The leftovers from the night before. Yereth has returned.”

Anya walked back into the cave. “I’m amazed you found this mountain cliff with so many caves—enough for all of you.”

“We’ve always lived here. I don’t know who found it in the first place, but it’s served us well. We could never live among mortals in their habitat. We need the mountains.”

She had her answer. If she was the only one left and could claim the throne, she could never claim him or Yerith as her consorts. Yerith? He hadn’t shown any interest in her, yet, although she admired him as much as she did Cyton. Then again, she’d spent more time with Cyton and she’d only been there a very short time.

“Will you check on what’s happening to the castle and my people today?” she asked again.

“Yes, I promised you we would. If you ask one more time, I’ll spank you. Let’s eat.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Don’t tempt me, Princess.”

They ate bread and leftover bird. Anya missed her usual fruit, eggs, and biscuits. She wondered what she could do with what was available. “Do you eat fruit?”

“Yes, when we bring some home. Yesterday we only brought game back with us.”

“I miss my fruit.”

“Then today we’ll bring fruit back with us,” Yerith said and smiled.

She felt his gaze on her and knew he also had an interest, though he wasn’t as forward as Cyton.

“I’ll be back for you in a little while,” Cyton said after depositing her in front of Uleirlel’s cave.

“What is this?” Uleirlel looked angry as she stood. “I don’t like unannounced visitors.”

“I’m sorry. I asked Cyton to bring me here so I could talk to you.”

“Talk to me about what?”

“I need to know what happened to cause the rift between my people and yours.”

“It’s not talked about. But since your father apparently never told anyone and you’re going to be our queen, you have the right to know.”

“It must have been very bad.”

“Sit, child. Here, have some of my herbal tea. I just made it.” She poured some liquid into a cup and handed it to Anya.

“Cyton also told me you can help unlock the magick hidden within me. Why did none of it surface? No one in my family had special powers.”

“So many questions. I’ll start with your first one. Many years ago, your father courted Yurkis’ daughter. They were to join in marriage and Theldaia was to be his queen. At least, that’s what he led Theldaia and Yurkis to believe. They mated many times. When your father kept postponing the official ceremony, Theldaia tried to force the issue by removing the birth control spell. She told him she was expecting his child and thought he would finally set the date for their official joining. He was very angry. He shouted he wanted no dragon child and banned Theldaia from the castle. Within a few months, your father took his first bride, and shortly afterward, another. As you know, your father had many wives.