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With a deep breath, I started to climb up on his back. It was easier than I thought it would be. His scales presented natural handholds, and I was able to scramble over his shoulders in far less time than I thought it would take. As I swung my leg over and settled into place, I was surprised at how well I fit. The ridged scales edged up all around me. When I leaned forward, it was almost as if his body was holding me in place. I could even hold onto the thinner spires on the back of his neck, which made me feel far more secure as he took a few steps backwards.
I could feel the muscles of his body moving beneath me, and the strength of each muscle fiber and tendon flexing was more evidence that this was the real deal and not just some vivid dream. With a measured breath, I allowed myself to relax against him, sinking my body into the place that felt like it was seemingly meant for me.
Without any warning, he leapt off the cliffside. His wings tore through the air with ease, lifting his massive form up into the sky far more quickly than I could have anticipated. My stomach flipped, unused to the different feeling of suddenly being thrust up into the air rather than having my feet safely on the ground.
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my lungs started to burn. When I finally took a breath, there was a certain chilliness to the air that made me quake, and I tucked the edges of my fur mantle in all around me to keep warm.
He soared through the air smoothly, choosing not to spiral or take any sort of sharp turn of any kind with me on his back. It made the whole experience less terrifying, and the gentle swooping turns lulled me into a relaxed state, so much so that I ended up falling asleep.
When I woke up, we weren’t in the air anymore, and the sky overhead was dark. Grateful to be back on the earth, I noticed a fire flickering next to me. He was sitting next to it, cooking what appeared to be a pot of boiling stew. I pushed up from the ground, only just noticing that he’d laid his mantle underneath me, protecting me from the icy chill of the cold dirt. He wasn’t wearing anything to protect him from the cold, and the sweetness of that wasn’t lost on me.
“I thought you said you were bringing me to the castle?” I began, looking at him with a bit of incredulousness. I glanced around, seeing a trove of tall trees all around us. The tree cover was thick, but there was still a heavy layer of snow on the ground. Somehow, he’d happened upon a clearing protected by several low-hanging, leafy boughs that sheltered the ground from the falling snow.
“You started shivering and I chose this spot so that I could build a fire and get you warm,” he replied.
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to come up with some explanation of why this strange man not only cared if I lived or died, but for my comfort and wellbeing as well.
“Thank you,” I finally managed to whisper, needing to voice my gratitude even if I didn’t quite understand it. I sat up and drew my fur cloak closer before I warmed my hands by the fire. There was an easy silence that followed, but eventually my curiosity won out.
“You called this place Icegard? This isn’t somewhere on Earth?”
Somewhere deep inside, I was still holding out hope that I’d been kidnapped and transported to some secret place in the Arctic, and that I’d find out a way to get to an airport and escape back home to reality as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
“No. You’re in another world. The only way back to Earth is through magic,” he replied.
“Magic…” I echoed, not really able to hide my disbelief.
“Is it really that much of a leap to believe magic is real here, especially after seeing me?”
“You do have a point,” I murmured thoughtfully. In terms of unbelievable things, dragon shifters were at the top of the list, and magic was far beneath that.
My gaze searched his massive form, trying to find answers. His attention had been focused on the pot of stew, stirring it slowly until his dark broody stare locked with mine.
My pussy throbbed to life all over again. I couldn’t keep myself from glancing down at the broad expanse of his hands, knowing full well he’d used them to punish me only hours earlier. My bottom was still slightly sore. Even though I couldn’t see it, I’d bet it was still bright pink.
I drew my knees inward and wrapped my arms around my legs. He didn’t take his eyes off me, and I couldn’t help but fidget a little in an effort to relieve my sudden unwelcome desire. It didn’t help at all. Somehow, it made it worse.
“Can you tell me about this castle you plan on taking me to?” I asked.
“It is a place where you’ll be safe,” he answered.
I scrunched my noise, annoyed by the simple, vague nature of his words. “Why should I trust you?”
He cocked his head towards me at the directness of my question. “You are human, and I am Dragonborne. It is my duty to protect you from harm. It doesn’t matter if you hail from Earth or Icegard.”
It was an honorable answer, yes, but there was still something that put me on edge. In some ways, the vast difference in strength and power seemed to stretch wider with his answer. I swallowed hard, feeling as though I was prey backed into a corner, in danger of being pounced on by a predator at any waking moment.
I stood up, and he tensed. I stiffened in response, stopping myself from taking a step back to protect myself if he decided to strike.
“I’m going to take a walk,” I said curtly. I needed some time and space to figure out what was going on. I knew that he hadn’t hurt me, that he’d used an incredible amount of restraint with me thus far, but a part of me felt like he was a tiger on the prowl, just waiting for the opportunity to be let out of his cage. I didn’t know if I could take that chance. What if he lost control and snapped my neck in a fit of anger? What if he decided I was more trouble than I was worth?
I didn’t know what to do.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he stated, his voice ringing out over the clearing with expectation.
“I can protect myself. I’ve been doing it all my life,” I countered.
I scowled in his direction. My whole world had turned upside down in a single day, and his expectation of my absolute obedience tipped me over the edge.
