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She still starts a bit at the volume. She says, “Is that woman a dragon?”
“She is.”
“And is… Do all dragons have arranged marriages?”
“Do not be shocked,” I say. I shift back and stand before her naked.
She looks at me and then smiles softly. “You think a dragon turning into a man is going to shock me any more than a man turning into a dragon? At least you didn’t ruin your suit this time.”
“You are not afraid?”
She puts her hand back on my cheek. “No. I feel like I should be afraid. I mean, like if you eat something that doesn’t look appetizing but then you taste it and it’s very good. It’s like that. I feel like I should be terrified but I’m not.” She puts her other hand on my chest and asks again, “Do all dragons have arranged marriages? Can dragons not marry humans? Can… I’m sorry. I’ll let you answer.”
“I am not just a dragon,” I say.
She does something hilarious. She reaches down and takes my dick in her hand. “Well, obviously.”
I intend to laugh but the touch, especially after the worry about her, is profound. She notices the gasp and strokes. “We’ll get back to my questions but I have a new one for you. Is it being a dragon that makes you so good at sex?”
I don’t know the answer to that but both of us end up naked and I think very hard about making it good for her. A while later, I’m still naked but she has her clothes back on. “I don’t understand why I’m not afraid, why I’m not angry you kept this from me, and why it seems perfectly fine to me? Do you… do dragons have mind control?”
I chuckle. “No. No mind control. There are some scientists who believe we have chemicals similar to pheromones that make us more terrifying.”
“Well, I’m not terrified of you.” She looks at me for a moment and then says, “I asked if all dragons have arranged marriages so they couldn’t marry humans. You said you’re not just a dragon. What did you mean.”
I say softly, “I am Aiden Tan Vipera, Sixth of the Name, Inheritor of the Three Kingdoms, Keeper of the Flame of Nar, and Protector of Destiny.” Her eyes get wide as I speak, probably because I’ve taken on the regal, very majestic tone that comes unbidden when I act in a royal manner. “I am the son of Declan Tan Vipera, Second of the Name, Master of the Three Kingdoms, Guardian of the Flame of Nar, and Protector of the Earth.”
She swallows and says, “That’s… that’s a lot but what does it mean?”
“My father is king of dragon kind, and I am the crown prince.”
She stares and says, “So the arranged marriage is a marriage between royals.” I nod and she says, “Is Courtney telling me the truth? Are romantic relationships with others not frowned upon?”
“Relationship with humans are not frowned upon because they are not romantic. That is… They are cordial but romantic relationships… They are unheard of.”
“What do you… unheard of?”
“This is difficult to explain,” I say, “but a human must be involved in order for a dragon to have a child. It is not only acceptable that a dragon will have human lovers but expected. A dragon would think no more of his mate sleeping with a human male than he might about what she ordered for dinner. The same goes for a female dragon. Not all humans can produce dragon offspring. When they can, we refer to it as the calling. We feel it.”
“Did you feel it with me?” she asks.
“I did. Far more strongly than with others.”
“Do you…” I can hear the hurt or, rather, the potential for hurt in her voice. “Am I here because you need me for children? Are we… Is that all I am?”
“I felt the calling the first time I saw you but I hired you before I felt it. You’re here because I believed you were the right candidate for the job. I was correct. Any fool can see there was no better choice.”
“You know I wasn’t talking about the job.”
“I know,” I say, “and the answer is similar. The calling tells us a human can produce a child. The calling tells us that. Dragons often keep men or women with the calling close at hand. Essentially, they keep harems of surrogates on standby. These are humans with whom the secret has been shared, and someone with the calling will usually think of that as fulfilling but the relationships are not…” I shrug. “Romantic. There’s no other word. At the very most, you might use the term friends with benefits.”
“You’re avoiding the question,” she says and I can tell she’s getting a bit peeved. “Am I your breeding stock? Am I a friend with benefits?”
“No,” I say sharply. Then, gently, I say, “You are an anomaly because you are not those things to me. What I feel for you is not utilitarian. You are an anomaly because how I feel for you and what I want with you is unheard of.”
“Unheard of,” she responds with a tone of… I don’t know, shock, I think. She responds with that tone and adds, “a romantic relationship with a human.”
I don’t respond but she no longer displays concern about being hurt. Instead, her arms encircle me and I hold her tightly.
