Chapter 102: Tahr

For the next two weeks, I keep Pepper so busy she falls into bed each night and sleeps soundly. I know this because her ankle is now tied to mine and I feel every move she makes. Betty has found a young man to help her serve me. Mikael, the young man who delivered the rope, irritates me to no end. Pepper acts shy around him and I don't like the way he looks at her. He is far too friendly. And even though I know in my heart that I should allow their feelings to blossom, I cannot. Pepper is mine. It's entirely unreasonable. She deserves a human to grow old with and one who makes her happy.
I don't care!
Pepper shakes her head causing the headpiece she's never without to tilt to one side. My frustration rises. I've grown to dislike the thing and want to see her beauty uncovered. I want to slide my hand over the smoothness of her scalp and her large expressive eyes to close in delicious anticipation of where I will touch her next.
As I stare at her, a bewildered expression replaces her slight smile. She is teaching me her confounded language and I try the hand signal again. She grabs my fingers, stopping me. The tingle of magic is still there, but I ignore it. It's not just the magic I ignore-heat rises in my blood whenever she touches me. I'm failing at pretending it doesn't affect me. I'm no good at this bloody speaking with my hands and it only adds to my frustration. Pepper carefully bends two of my fingers and brings my hand to my mouth and then to my shoulder before releasing me. I try again and judging by her smile, I finally get it right. Now I wish I could remember what the hell it means.
Oh right. Would you like to go outside?
I successfully make the sign again and when she smiles I speak aloud, "I'm actually asking if you want to go outside. We need to get away before I go crazy."
She looks longingly out the window. Her heartbeat and breathing increase and this propels me to add even when I know it's a bad... no, horrible idea, "Ride me. I will fly you to the lake."
Her face is always expressive, but now it lights up from within and I'm able to push aside all the reasons this is so wrong. Brides ride dragons, only brides.
Well, until today.
I'm a dragon on a mission and I march into Meagan's old room and enter her garment chamber. The saddle I had made for her sits in the corner. The saddle itself is small; built for Meagan. The long, thick leather straps are rolled up and secured beneath it. I would whisper a plea of forgiveness to Meagan, but I know this wouldn't bother her. She always wanted me happy and I can't deny the thrill I feel at having a woman on my back again. A special woman-friend. And if I repeat the word enough times I might believe it.
I walk from the room and almost run into a smiling Pepper. She's wearing another of her ugly, scratchy gowns. I need to have clothes made especially for her-soft, colorful, revealing. I stop my thoughts there. I don't need the added temptation.
I toss the saddle through the window onto the ledge and began undressing. Pepper turns her back, which I find cute. I've noticed her doing this these past two weeks. I am quite at home with nudity and I didn't notice it bothering her before. Now her cheeks pink and she spins away. She's charmingly cute.
I carry the saddle outside and unwrap it. I can't help remembering the last time I did this for Meagan. It was a short ride because she'd grown old and frail. She wanted a last look at the surrounding mountains. Even knowing how badly it would tire her I couldn't deny her request. The ride was bittersweet because we both knew it was the final time she'd sit atop me. I shake off the sad memories and look at Pepper. "You will need to climb up my tail once I have the saddle on. You also need to adjust the straps so it doesn't slip. Stay in the seat and hold on tightly."
I look up and can't believe that she's admiring my backside. She blushes brightly, but doesn't look away. I shouldn't want her to see me as more than a friend, but there's no denying that more than friends is exactly what I want. The hardest part is not acting on my feelings. I won't. Or at least I tell myself this a hundred times a day. Pepper is not making it easy on me and her innocence only attracts the dragon inside of me more.
I enjoy watching her take in life here within my tower. She becomes animated about the smallest things and her expressions enthrall me. I've been teaching her to play chess. She's horrible at it and she bites her lip while concentrating. Her puffy lower lip, after she bites it, keeps me interested even when the outcome of the game is a forgone conclusion. She takes her sweet time and analyzes each move and what will happen after she makes it. Her expressive eyes run back and forth across the board in calculation. Then, for some reason I can't fathom, she makes the dumbest move ever. When I take advantage, she gives me one of her sexy grins and a slight shrug. I actually wonder if she does this on purpose.
I finish the task of sorting out the straps to the saddle and my heart beats faster in anticipation. Our brides riding us is extremely intimate. Before the curse, it wasn't done because our mothers became dragon after the first bedding.
No matter that Pepper isn't my bride, I want her on my back and I refuse to deny myself the pleasure. I want the delicious tightness as her thighs squeeze me and the solid weight of her in the saddle.
It's time. I place two of the leather straps between my teeth, hike the saddle onto my back, and dive from the tower. I shift, adjust a bit, and fly back to the ledge. Pepper is peering over with absolutely no fear of the long drop.
"Step away, Pepper, or the ride is off." I shout into her mind. I've told her she is not to go near the edge. Like most of my commands, she has ignored me again. I can't hold onto my angst because she looks so alluring even in her shapeless gown. I land once she has moved far enough back. "Be sure to tighten the cinch down," I say in a lower voice once I'm facing her.
She does as I say. I can feel the excited trembling in her fingers. I don't think there is much this pint-sized human fears. I sweep my tail across the ledge until the tip is at her feet.
Both her hands go from her heart and then to her chin, thank you, in sign.
"You're welcome. Now it's time to ride, my lady."
A thrill shoots through me as she takes her first tentative step-placing one foot between the spikes. She's shaky for about three more steps, then runs the rest of the way. Why does this not surprise me? Meagan was always cautious until she was seated and it took her years to be comfortable when we were flying. I never did any death-defying acrobatics with Meagan. I have a feeling Pepper will be another story.
After she takes her seat, I whisper into her mind, "Hold on," as I plunge over the edge. I'm expecting to hear her scream and it's a few moments before I realize I won't hear it. What's wrong with me? How could I forget something so basic? It saddens me that I have no idea what she's feeling because I'm unable to read her expressions while she rides.
This is a reminder that no matter how badly I want her, Pepper is a human of earth's realm, given into my safe-keeping and not for me.