Endangered Ch. 04

"This is my mate, Elizabeth."

"It's nice to finally meet you Christopher," Elizabeth added. "I've been excited all week."

The female was beautiful, blond and full-bodied, her clean scent tantalizing him. Her accent wasn't the same as John's, rather a more mingled combination of several European regions with French slightly dominating.

Chris felt his dragon sizing up the smaller male. There was an urge to bluster and fight but there was also a sense of deep respect for his age and knowledge. The mated pair shared a look, a feel of being completely in tune with each other.

"Hello," Chris said a little lamely. "It's nice to meet some other dragons. Um... could we please go inside, my mother is very cold."

"Yes, yes, of course. I'm sorry. " Elizabeth turned and called to the woman by the door. "Catherine, get some blankets, please."

"Thank you. I'm Susan," she introduced herself, teeth chattering. "The vampire with the bags is Lillian, Chris's bodyguard."

"Welcome," Lord Guthrie said warmly. "Rest easy now, you're safe here."

The Guthrie's house was warm; they were guided into a living area and with a modern fireplace. The floors were a light colored hardwood with rugs strategically placed under the couches and furniture. Dim natural light flooded through skylights and the numerous long windows against the two exterior walls, which appeared to be plaster over stonework. The light, open-modern theme seemed out of place to Chris; he would have expected dragons to live in an underground lair.

Their hosts guided them to couches near the fireplace, and Susan decided to stand in front of it rather than sit. Chris, clothes slightly tattered around his half form with his wings poking out through the back of his shirt, slumped into the offered couch, resting his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. His body was still calming down after the attack, leaving him a slightly drained and tired, a little like Susan.

John and Elizabeth watched the young dragon with interest as they questioned Lillian about the attack. The invisible vampire explained how they had been shot at while their car's engine lost power until Chris phased onto the back of the car and destroyed it.

"May I see the video, Lillian?" John asked, and by the way he approached her, the request was more a formality. Chris tensed at his tone and John noticed, perhaps smelling something in the air he turned to reassure the boy. "I am a member of the Synod, Christopher, and a fellow dragon. It is an obligation to get to the bottom of this, as well as a personal concern."

Lillian relinquished her phone, showing him the video and John was impressed with her assessment. The two humans were the key to finding out what was going on. "I promise you my backing if you need it, Lillian, and I will start my own investigation forthwith. We can't have unregistered humans attempting kidnapping. It's a huge breach of the Secret."

"Thank you, Lord Guthrie," Lillian realised how helpful Synod backing might be. "Unfortunately, after the attack, both Lady Narlakis and I think it's important to return to Denver as soon as possible. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, perhaps we can return when things settle down a bit. Or you could visit Chris if your business takes you to the States."

Catherine, a Being Chris couldn't place, came back with some thick wool blankets for Susan who stripped unceremoniously down to her underwear and wrapped up tight.

For a moment she had considered if it was appropriate but decided she didn't care; she shuffled over to the couch and snuggled up next to Chris. He made her feel good, comforted her, which was exactly what she needed right now. He wrapped an arm around her and as she warmed, she began to doze off, attempting a few times to keep up with the conversation but finding it futile. The vibrations of his deep voice sent her right to sleep.

"Your mother must have been quite terrified," Elizabeth commented. "It's good you comfort her like that."

"Yes." John agreed. "Witches and wizards may have quite admirable control over magic, but they do lack the constitution of the more physical races."

As if knowing she was the subject, Susan wriggled closer to him in her sleep, burying her face under his arm and attempting to put a leg on top of his. Chris looked around the room nervously, the act was a little too intimate for the company.

"You don't need to feel awkward, Christopher," Elizabeth added with a cheeky smile. "Your relationship with her has changed. We understand."

"You know? How?"

"The way she smells of you and the way she went straight to you," Elizabeth explained soothingly. "There's no shame in that, it's natural."

"Yes, indeed," John reminisced. "A young dragon like you needs a good brood. I remember before Elizabeth and I settled down I had six beautiful women. Loved them all dearly, too."

"It just seems wrong," Chris almost muttered. "I've been raised as a human my entire life except some memories I can barely recall of my mother and father."

"Yes, but that's why you're here," said the older dragon. "I'm very sorry about David and Marie. I begged your father to go through official channels to get justice for your mother's death, but he asked me what kind of man would sit by as his mate's murderer walked free. He was grief-stricken, I can understand that."

Chris was saddened to hear of his parent's deaths but perhaps, in the future, Lord Guthrie could help him get to know them a little better than what he remembered in his young, foggy memories.

Lord Guthrie continued. "We'd thought you were dead all these years too. Now we want to help you. We had planned for you to be here at least a week, to teach you about dragons, about yourself. We have this evening at least."

"Even a little now would be great," Chris sighed. "These things keep happening to me that I have little control over or seem so foreign. It's like my dragon is a separate entity inside my mind with his own ideas and thoughts."

"Yes, that's an unfortunate effect of being awakened suddenly," Elizabeth said, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear. "It usually it happens over several years in our children when they're about six or seven. The two minds have time to blend and become seamless. It will take a while for you." She shook her head, looking concerned. "You poor boy. You must have gone through so much this last week."

"You'll need to get used to the effects of our physical changes, too," John said. "You're stronger, faster, much more durable, and you'll heal faster than you're used to. Not to mention your senses are well above human level."

"Yeah, I've figured all that out. The pheromones were a bit of a shock, though." Chris chuckled.

"I imagine so." Elizabeth returned a smile. "Yours are particularly pleasant, Chris, very spicy and masculine."

"...Thanks?" Chris looked nervously towards John as his wife pecked his ear and whispered something even he couldn't hear before she got up and approached him. John winked at him, making Chris even more nervous, as Elizabeth ended up kneeling on the couch at his side not occupied by Susan, her knees touching him.

"Relax, it's okay, Chris." Elizabeth soothed. "I'm just getting to know you a little better. I think you'd be perfect for a frustrated young woman I know, maybe even her mother, too."

"Wh...Who's that?" Chris stuttered.

He was entranced as he experienced his first physical contact with his own species. She leaned in to sniff delicately at his neck. He automatically cocked his head to allow her better access, and she gently kissed his creamy throat.

"Females have our own pheromones, too, you know. They indicate we're receptive. Would you like to smell them?" Elizabeth cooed.

She could easily get a little caught up in her examination. She was trying to gauge his strength, his vitality, his temperament from the way he smelled and tasted. She wasn't disappointed. Slowly, she released her pheromones as she kissed up his neck, determined to also have his lips.

Chris leaned back and let it happen, she felt great kissing up his throat, soft and yet confident in her actions. He brought a hand up to stroke her side through her blouse, just below her full breast. He smelled her simple, clean scent become warmer, earthy, heavier. Instantly his dragon knew what it meant and purred happily, the female wanted to mate with them.

Then he realized he was actually purring somehow, a low kind of growl coming from his chest. It stopped as soon as he thought about it.

"That's the smell of a ready female. Remember it when you meet others. It's an invitation, but it might be the only warning you get."

Elizabeth took his face in her hands to look deeply in his eyes. She enjoyed his gentle touching for a few moments but noticed he seemed concerned, confused, maybe.

"Your colouring is very attractive and you're strong but also gentle. Yes, I think you'll be perfect."

"What's your colouring?" Chris murmured, captivated by her green eyes. "And what am I perfect for?"

"I'm a blue, a water dragon. John's a brown, earth. I go nearby to Loch Turret to recharge, John melted a hole deep into the earth for himself to be close to his aspect. You're an anomaly though, unique, and we don't actually know what to do with you other than let nature run its course. Hmm... does your dragon take you to the Ether?"

"Yes, I go there when I sleep sometimes." Chris sighed, the earlier mention of John had him look briefly towards the other male, who was watching intently but seemed perfectly confident that his wife was teasing another male. Elizabeth brought his attention back by brushing his cheek.

"Why won't you tell me who you meant?" he asked.

"Because I haven't finished yet."

Elizabeth leaned down to place her full lips softly on top of his. She moved them experimentally for a few seconds before he responded naturally. Soon their tongues met tentatively, just a flick between their lips but their mouths opened to accept each other and they slid together slowly. They each savored the essence of the other; to him she was wisdom and beauty, tasting slightly sweet and pure like a spring; to her, he was youthful, exotic power, unsure of himself but capable of so much. He tasted spicy and also slightly smoky. She could tell he would make an excellent mate if she wasn't already spoken for.

Breaking the kiss somewhat hesitantly Elizabeth was almost certain now. "You'll make the perfect mate for Clair Godran."

"Who's she? " Chris asked, catching his breath slightly after their long, drugging kiss.

"She's the next youngest after you, a female red. She's met all six of the other males but doesn't want them. I'm sure she'll like you though, you're strong enough to handle her temperament but you'll be tender. She needs that, too, because she's inexperienced."

"You're setting me up? Don't I get any say?"

"What's there to say?" Elizabeth asked, patting his chest. "She's beautiful and fiery, a challenge for you. She's given up hope of having a mate in her lifetime, which is such a sad fate for one so young. She and her mother can teach you about being a dragon."

Chris didn't know what to say as Elizabeth extracted herself from him.

"Thank you Chris, that was lovely."

Blinking, the younger male looked at the senior, wondering why he had remained silent during all that.

"Don't worry, Christopher," John started as his wife came to sit by him again and took his hand, smelling of another male. "We don't force matings but Elizabeth usually has a good sense of these things. It's important we find you mates as soon as possible. You're the seventh male dragon we know of. There are twenty-two females but less of them are breeding. Conception is so hard for us."

"Why's that?"

"We're at the top of the food chain, Chris, and almost immortal so the balance of nature insures we bear few children. There have always been more female dragons, too, some artefact of our reptilian essence and our polygamy. The problem is, it sometimes takes decades or centuries for females to become pregnant, even with regular coupling and itch injection."

"Itch injection?" Chris queried.

The older male looked bemused. "Itch is what we call the male's second venom. All dragons have a deadly poison we can inject through our fangs but males also have itch. It induces fertility, engorging the female's womb with magic for our seed to take hold. It... ahem... also makes them more tractable and insures they stay around long enough to become pregnant. It's somewhat addictive."

"You mean it turns me into your mewling, little sex doll, husband?" Elizabeth tittered teasingly.

"Well, if that's how you want to word it." John blushed at her intensity, then returned the playful, almost randy look, as if he was accepting a challenge. "It also makes sure only one male can impregnate the female while they're working at it."

Elizabeth puffed up a little. "Yes, I'd word it like that, you snarly, old brute. It makes me so hot and needy. I love it!"

John actually growled in response, despite trying to act the polite Lord of the Manor. It looked like they might attack each other and rip their clothes off for a second.

"Wait, uh," Chris almost was almost desperate to interrupt what felt like foreplay between the two. "How addictive is the itch? Is it permanent?"

Elizabeth turned to Chris and shook her head, her face still a little flushed. "It's not permanent. If I were to be separated from John and far away from him for a month or so, then the itch would wear off and I would in theory be receptive to another male." She looked at her mate with a very warm smile. "I do not see that happening, however."

The young dragon pondered that over as the older dragons cooled off. He needed more answers however, and cleared his throat to continue.

"My dragon told me some of that stuff when my girlfriend asked if we needed to use protection. He seemed to think that as long as I don't bite her, she'll never get pregnant by me."

"Yes, male dragons can't impregnate females unless they bite them with itch a couple times first," Elizabeth laughed, seeming especially giddy with the topic. "Doesn't stop them trying though."

"I took my girlfriend as my familiar, ended up casting a living spell on her actually... don't ask me how. Can we even have children at all? What will they be?" asked Chris.

"A living spell?" John queried, distracted from his actual questions. "I remember the shockwave the other day but none of the reports mentioned it was a living spell. This is very interesting, Chris, could you tell me about it?"

Chris tucked aside his questions about children for the moment, explaining what happened and how Bartholomew appeared to be there to protect Annabel but also gave her some magical influence on her surroundings.

Lord Guthrie grunted in thought, nodding to himself for a few moments. "This is very impressive, I can feel that you've got a lot of raw power but livings spells are rare. And to cast one without even trying to? You have potential to achieve greatness among us."

"I don't want greatness, why does everyone seem to think that?" Chris muttered.

"Well, you're a Class One Being and a dragon. Greatness is expected."

The young dragon frowned in though before reminding him. "What about children with Annabel?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, you do need to know what you're doing, don't you." He chuckled and nodded. "You can indeed have children with your human familiar. All beings except vampires and other undead can bear children. Sorry, dear." John looked apologetically at Lillian.

"Pffft, no apology needed." Lillian brushed it off with apparent honesty. "The idea didn't appeal to me much when I was human. Now it's an impossibility."

"Indeed. Anyway, if two different species mate - a male dragon and a lycan female, for example - the children will be either one or the other. Werewolf pups or dragon whelps. Our world doesn't work in hybrids and half-breeds. What determines which species the children will be is again up to nature's balance and therefore, in this situation, Werewolves would almost always be born. The pups would no doubt be healthy and powerful from such a strong father but they would be completely wolf. Their offspring, too."

"So Annabel and I can have children but they'll be human, not dragon?" Chris clarified.

"Exactly," Elizabeth chimed in. "They would probably make competent wizards or witches but the chances of a dragon child would be astronomical."

"Okay, but why would they be magical humans? Shouldn't they be normal humans?" He was a little confused with the somewhat illogical Being breeding system.

"Dragons overflow with magic, direct conduits for their aspects," the female dragon picked up where her mate left off. "Your children with a human would receive some magic and be able to control it, making them a witch or wizard. This is the same reason we're endangered, other Beings want to use this magic themselves. It's why you're the best a woman can expect to ever have outside of another species' mating bond, it's why your vampire friend can barely stop herself from sinking her fangs into your neck."

Elizabeth didn't stop as Chris's head snapped to look at Lillian. "Indeed, successfully impregnating a female dragon is all about building up enough magic inside her to overcome the barriers nature has in place to limit such individually powerful Beings breeding rampantly. Now that we're so few, it will be our downfall."

"Lillian?" Chris asked, reminded of how difficult it must be for her, especially with his dry blood around his healing wounds.

"I'm fine, Chris," She said firmly, maintaining her professionalism in the wake of Elizabeth outing her like that.

They talked a while more as the afternoon light faded into evening. Chris had a bit more explained to him about dragon aspects and how every so often, dragons should go back to their element, recharging their magical potential. John said that because the Ether usually drained Beings who entered, being recharged by it would make him unique among Ether users.

He also encouraged Chris to pursue his education in both Ether and traditional magic. It was often difficult for dragons to master specific incantations or spells like humans easily could. They were more instinctual, relying on their aspects. However, if he could also perform magic outside of his aspect it would greatly increase his versatility and surprise any enemies who prepared specifically to fight an Ether user.

When Chris asked about his true dragon form, Elizabeth explained how it was a process of asking the dragon forward, ceding more control to that part of himself.

"However, I discourage you from trying it too soon," she said. "It would be best if you became more comfortable with your dragon first."

When a slight lull occurred in the conversation, Elizabeth looked at the clock, making a quick calculation before pulling out her Maginet phone and dialling. Chris watched with interest, thinking he should call Annabel also, but deciding to wait until bedtime. John and Lillian seemed to be discussing some Synod politics about "turning" restrictions when someone answered Elizabeth's call. Chris listened intently to one side of the conversation.

"Hello, Petra. Yes. Yes, it has been too long. I know. Look I doubt it's common knowledge yet but we've discovered a new male. Yes, he's listening to me right now." Elizabeth smiled over at Chris. "No, he's young. He's unique, Petra, his aspect's the Ether. He's delightful, a bit young but huge potential. He's gentle, too.

Chris squirmed under the older dragon's praise, feeling a growing sense of pride. He tried distracting himself by repositioning some of Susan's lovely dark hair while she slept, but made sure to keep his ears trained on the conversation.