Releasing the Dragon Read online

  Dru was more than happy to give her what she asked for. As he took her other nipple in his mouth, he slid his hand down and entered her with two long fingers. As he thrust up into her tight, wet channel, he began to suck, pulling the sweet, syrupy honey from her other breast as he fucked her with his fingers.

  Annie moaned and rocked on his fingers as he pumped inside her. Dru wanted to groan—and would have if he hadn’t had his mouth full. Gods, she was gorgeous—his little full-figured Annie with her pale skin dusted with goddess-kisses! And the way she was gasping and begging as she rode his fingers was making him so hard he could barely stand it. He wished he was inside her—wanted desperately to be filling her with his cock instead of his fingers…wanted to be hooking his Pleasure Barb into her flesh…shooting his seed inside her…bonding her to him…

  His Drake roared in agreement but somehow he managed to push it away. He couldn’t deal with his other half now—he had to be completely focused on Annie. Already he could feel her inner muscles tightening around his fingers as she fought her way towards orgasm.

  “Dru,” she begged breathlessly, her small hands digging into his shoulders. “Dru please—so close…so close but I can’t quite…get there. I need…need…”

  I’ll help you get there, sweetheart. I know what you need, he thought.

  Twisting his hand, he found the slippery button of her clit and rubbed it firmly with the pad of his thumb. At the same time, he thrust up inside her hard, finding the end of her channel and sucked her nipple deep into his mouth.

  Annie cried out and stiffened for a moment, going as still as a lovely, erotic statue frozen on his lap. Then she seemed to go wild—crying and gasping and bucking against his fingers, riding his hand as she rubbed against his thumb and moaned his name over and over.

  “Dru…Master. Oh, Dru! Yes, Dru!”

  Her nipple slipped from his mouth but Dru found he couldn’t stop watching her. Gods, she was beautiful when she came! So fucking gorgeous it took his breath away and made him want her even more—which he’d been certain would be impossible just a few heartbeats ago. He wanted her so badly he felt like his shaft was going to explode but there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing but ride out her orgasm and help her come as hard as she could.

  At last Annie collapsed against his chest, her bright head pillowed on his shoulder. She was panting for breath and seemed to be coming back to herself.

  “Oh, Dru,” she whispered at last. “I’ve never…no one has ever made me come that hard. It was…incredible. Thank you…thank you for helping me.”

  “You are more than welcome, teeska,” he growled hoarsely, withdrawing his fingers. He sucked them clean, savoring the taste of her honey and looked her in the eyes. “Gods, you’re beautiful when you come.”

  Annie blushed bright red and looked away.

  “Thank you. I, uh, wasn’t intending to want…to need…”

  “It’s all right,” Dru cut her off. “The fault was not yours. Clearly you were reacting to whatever was in that damn dessert confection.” He looked around the room and saw that most of the other x’aan-chows and masters were still at it…hard.

  “My, my… It’s like a Zaldian Pleasure-pump in here,” remarked a familiar voice to his left.

  Turning, Dru saw that none other than Zar’ren was sitting beside him on the couch. His two pets were at his feet, seeming unaffected by the frenzy going on around them. Which made sense—Dru was fairly certain none of them had partaken of the dessert they’d all been served.

  “You,” he growled, glaring at the other male. “What in the Seven Hells did you give Slo’vv to put in that cake?”

  Zar’ren grinned at him, revealing sharp white teeth, and the lights in his silver eye patch blinked rapidly.

  “Well, I’ll tell you, Drugair of the Drake Kindred. Oh yes—I know your true identity and why you’re following me. I’ve known for some time.”

  Dru felt a shock run through him but he did his best to keep his face completely passive.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a merchant from the Galerx system, as you well know.”

  “Deny it if you want.” Zar’ren shrugged, as though Dru’s denial didn’t matter to him a bit. “If you’re truly interested, the secret ingredient in the cake is Xi-46. It’s distilled from the Lust Blossom on Carnal Four—a world given up entirely to sexual pleasure.”

  “So they use it there to boost their libidos?” Annie asked, joining the conversation for the first time. When Zar’ren started speaking to them she had quickly rearranged her clothing to cover herself and now she was doing her best to appear composed, though she was still sitting on Dru’s lap.

  “Oh, no.” Zar’ren shook his head. “No, they don’t use it for anything. Xi-46 is completely illegal on Carnal Four—and in most of the known universe.”

  “Why?” Dru demanded. A knot of fear had begun to grow in the pit of his stomach as an awful suspicion formed in his mind. “Does it have long term effects? Is it lethal? So help me, Goddess if you’ve given my Annie anything that will harm her in any way I will tear you limb from limb!”

  He could feel his Drake rising as he spoke, the burning flame in the back of his throat and the way his vision was suddenly the reddish-orange of burning flames. If Zar’ren had hurt Annie—if the stuff he’d given her was going to…going to kill her—

  His Drake roared in anguish and its shadow wings beat fiercely, starting a small whirlwind in the room. Annie’s hair blew in the wind like a red flag and she gasped.

  Zar’ren’s one visible eye—which was dark green—went wide and for a moment Dru almost thought he looked alarmed.

  “Be at ease, Brother,” he said hastily. “The effects are in no way lethal or harmful…though they may be long-lasting.”

  “If it’s not lethal or harmful then why is it illegal?” Annie demanded, frowning at Zar’ren.

  “Because, sweetheart—it’s unpredictable. Xi-46 is known to cause instant, almost painful sexual need in any woman who ingests it or breathes it in. So—”

  “Breaths it in?” Dru growled, interrupting him. He’d had a fierce struggle with his Drake, which had almost forced a shift at the idea of Annie in danger. Even now his other half was restless within him. “Calm,” he told it. “Be calm. Annie is fine.”

  “Oh yes. Xi-46 can be distilled into a liquid, formed into a solid, or heated until it forms a vapor,” Zar’ren answered casually. “It’s very like water that way and so it’s very easy to administer. In this case, I simply gave Slo’vv a tiny bottle of the stuff and told him to put a few drops in the dessert batter.”

  “Just a few drops?” Annie shook her head. “I’d hate to see what happens if people took more.”

  “Yes, it’s amusing, isn’t it? Fucking hilarious, actually.” Zar’ren smirked as he nodded at the orgy going on around them.

  “Ha-ha,” Annie said dryly.

  “I do not find myself amused,” Dru growled. “But how is it unpredictable when you know it will cause instant lust in females?”

  “Well, because we don’t know what form the lust will take,” Zar’ren said. “Some females feel the instant need to be filled—their pussies need something to grip as they come. With others, like your lovely little sex-pet there, their breasts fill with sweet nectar which must be sucked out.”

  Annie’s cheeks went red and she looked away for a moment, clearly overcome with embarrassment.

  “Do not let him bother you, teeska,” Dru murmured to her. “This was not your fault. You have no need to be ashamed.”

  “No, indeed you don’t,” Zar’ren said briskly. “As it happens, you had one of the milder reactions. Other females can’t be cured of the effects of Xi-46 without a male’s seed.”

  Dru frowned. “What do you mean? They need a male to come inside them? To breed them?”

  “Only in the most extreme cases,” Zar’ren assured him. “Often what they need is to taste it—to drink it straight from the source. Li
ke her.”

  He nodded at a petite blonde x’aan-chow across the room who was sucking frantically on her master’s limp shaft.

  “A pity,” Zar’ren remarked indifferently. “It appears her master comes from a species where males can come only once and then need a significant recovery time before they can orgasm again. She’ll be coaxing him back to life and sucking him off all night to get enough to satisfy her craving.” He laughed softly. “Of course, there are combinations of all the symptoms—and new ones appearing all the time. You just can’t tell what effect Xi-46 will have on a female—only that it will be dramatic.”

  “That’s awful!” Annie exclaimed indignantly. “Why would you give an illegal aphrodisiac to a room full of strangers? Just for fun? What kind of sick bastard are you, anyway?”

  Zar’ren leaned towards her, his single green eye blazing intensely, his casual air dropped like an un-needed cloak. Annie drew back and Dru put a protective arm around her.

  “The kind of sick bastard who hates the Kindred,” Zar’ren snarled. “And I didn’t give it out ‘just for fun’—I was testing it to make certain it will be effective when I release it on the Mother Ship.”

  “You what?” Dru put Annie quickly from his lap and surged forward. “You would not dare.”

  “Why should you care if I did? You’re just a merchant from the Galerx system, right?” Zar’ren taunted, not flinching a bit. “It should be quite an interesting social experiment for the Mother Ship,” he continued conversationally.

  “But the females aboard—there are families, children—” Dru protested hoarsely.

  “Xi-46 only affects females of mating age, of course. No children will be harmed—I’m not a monster, whatever you may think.” Zar’ren raised a dark auburn eyebrow at Dru. “The effects on mated females can be eased by their males. But the unmated ones—ah, that’s where things are going to get interesting. I only wish I could be there to see it.” He laughed softly. “The unmated females—they are going to be instantly attracted to whatever male—or males—they’re near. Especially if they’re touching at the time.” He shook his head. “Such a beautiful mess…”

  “You bastard,” Dru growled. “You will never be able to do such a thing!”

  Zar’ren opened his one eye wide.

  “Oh won’t I? But my dear, Drugair—I already have.”

  Eighteen

  “You son of a bitch!” Dru surged forward again and Annie was certain he would punch the other man. But Zar’ren abruptly whipped out a tiny silver spray bottle and pointed it in their direction.

  “I don’t think so, Drugair,” he said in a low, even voice. “I have a very concentrated batch of Xi-46 in this bottle in liquid form. If even a droplet lands on your lovely little pet there, you’ll be servicing her for days. The sexual pain won’t kill her…” He winked at Annie. “But it will make her life a living hell for quite some time. Is that what you want?”

  “Bastard.” Dru’s voice had that low, double growl in it and his eyes had slitted open again to reveal the flames just beneath their surface. He looked almost as frightening as he had when he’d been worried that the Xi-46 might be in some way fatal to her.

  Well, it might not be fatal but Annie certainly didn’t want to have to go through its effects again! Looking around the room at the sex-pets who were still trying to get some relief, she was glad she’d had one of the milder reactions to the aphrodisiac. It could have been much, much worse.

  “Calm. We must be calm.” Dru’s voice was low as though he was talking to himself—or maybe the thing that lived inside him. His Drake, Annie thought, watching him. “You must not come out—do not force a shift. It will do no good,” he went on in a low, intense whisper.

  The slits in his eyes began to close and he took a deep breath. The hot, dry wind which had been blowing died down.

  Annie gave an internal sigh of relief. Good—he has control again.

  “Come.” Dru grabbed her hand abruptly and pulled her to her feet. “We are leaving this place—we must go now.”

  “Have fun back aboard the Mother Ship, Drugair,” Zar’ren drawled. “You won’t be in time to stop the release of the Xi-46 but it should be quite a show once you get there.”

  The slits in Dru’s eyes opened wider, like a cat’s pupils expanding, and a hot wind swirled through the room. Annie didn’t know where it came from but it almost felt like a pair of huge, invisible wings was beating the air around them. Before she could ask Dru about it, the big Kindred was pulling her out of the private salon and down the long corridor. Presumably they were going back to the Mother Ship although if what Zar’ren claimed was true, it would be too late to stop the damage. Still, Dru seemed determined to try.

  As they went past the door of the room Dru had been assigned, Annie balked.

  “Wait!” she cried, dragging back against Dru’s firm grip. “Nutter Butter—I have to get Nutter Butter!”

  “What?” He turned incredulous eyes on her—eyes that flamed like fire—and Annie almost shut her mouth and went with him. But she couldn’t.

  “Nutter Butter—the little dog in the nut,” she explained rapidly. “He lives in a nut and he has fur the color of peanut butter so I thought…” She broke off, feeling her cheeks get hot because Dru was still staring at her incredulously. “Anyway, If we leave him here, that awful Slo’vv will get him and kill him!” she snapped.

  “We must get back to the Mother Ship before—”

  “I have to grab him—it will only take a second.” She slipped loose of his grip and ran into the room, intending to grab the purple walnut and run back out again.

  She got the nut from the nightstand, thinking it was too bad that she and Dru had never gotten to spend a single night in the vast, opulent bed with its silver and gold spread, but when she turned back she froze in her tracks.

  Slo’vv was standing in the doorway, between her and Dru, and there was nothing on his blank, black oval of a face but the red-lipped mouth. As Annie watched, the lips thinned away to nothing, leaving long, yellow, needle-like teeth.

  “God!” She backed away. “Uh, excuse me,” she said in a low, shaking voice. “I’m sorry—you startled me. Could, uh, could you let me get past? I need to get to Dru—I mean, my Master.”

  “He isss no more your master than you are a true x’aan-chow.”

  The Shadow-being’s voice was an angry hiss. Annie bit her lip and took another step back.

  “I…he…we…” She didn’t know what to say. That cold sense of dread Slo’vv seemed to carry with him had permeated the entire room and it was growing stronger by the minute. Annie could feel the tiny hairs on her arms rising and a sick sensation was growing in the pit of her stomach.

  “You owe me a gift,” Slo’vv advanced on her, gliding noiselessly over the plush carpet. He extended one long, black arm from the center of his chest, tipped with gleaming onyx claws. “A pressent. Give it to me.”

  “No!” Annie clutched the purple nut to her chest, desperate to protect it and its miniature occupant.

  “If you do not intend to let me tassste you, you mussst give the little canine to me.” The yellow jaws yawned open and a long, pointed red tongue lolled out. It made Annie wonder if he intended to swallow the nut whole…or crush it between those sharp yellow fangs first.

  “No!” she shouted again but somehow her voice came out in a whisper. The sense of dread…of dead things come back from the grave…of hurt and pain and horror just about to happen…was so strong she could barely breathe.

  “Annie?” Dru called from the other side of the doorway. Annie saw his face appear. When he saw Slo’vv menacing her, his eyes grew hot again. “Touch her and die, Slo’vv—if a Shadow Demon can die, that is. If not, I’ll make you fucking wish you could!” he growled

  Looking around the Shadow Demon, Annie could see the big Kindred getting ready to attack. The slits of his eyes were nearly all the way open, leaving nothing but a thin ring of black around their flaming centers and t
he hot, dry wind was back, whipping her hair around her face.

  His Drake, she thought, feeling an even greater chill rush through her than the one Slo’vv had provoked. His Drake is about to come out when he gets like that. And he doesn’t want it to—he thinks it would shame him in some way to let that part of him out.

  She couldn’t let that happen to him—couldn’t be the cause of his humiliation and pain. She remembered how Slo’vv had drawn things into his body and brought them out again…how the arms and hands he manifested seemed to drift away like smoke on the wind when he was finished using them.

  “Smoke,” she yelled at him. “All you are is a nasty big bunch of black smoke!”

  Taking a deep breath, she clutched the nut to her chest, praying it would protect the tiny dog within, and barreled forward, like a linebacker.

  “Annie, no!” She heard Dru’s anguished shout but it was too late, she was already rushing forward, into and through Slo’vv’s featureless black torso.

  It was like running through death.

  A Bible verse ran through her head—“Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil…”

  That was what it felt like—like the shadow of death was on her. A cold hand was stroking her heart—a hand made of iron and ice that was ready to squeeze the beating muscle in her chest and snuff her out as easily as a candle flame is snuffed.

  For a moment Annie felt stuck—frozen with fear. Even worse than the icy hand on her heart was the feeling of dread all around her, beating down on her, threatening to consume her completely.

  No, she thought desperately. I can’t give up—I have to get out of here! Keep going, just keep going!

  Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward and somehow found herself breaking out of the awful blackness and falling into Dru’s arms.

  “Annie! Teeska!” He sounded as close to panic as she had ever heard him as he swooped her up and held her close to stop her trembling. “Are you all right? You should not have done that—you could have been killed!”