Chapter 57: Roxanne

I am sitting on Laryn's knee wearing an indecently tight gown with practically nothing holding my breasts in. My dragon lifts my hand and brings me to my feet. "Roxy, baby, go and find another lovely to share our bed tonight." He slaps my ass and I jump away from the gaming table with a very feminine squeal. Laryn said he would give me an excuse to leave the room and steal my treasure. Two women, though. He knows I'd cleave his cock right off. I giggle and the men give me wicked leers as I leave the room.
Dancing and revelry fill the entire downstairs of the huge mansion. Laryn has taught me well and I start my search in the owner's bedroom. When I don't find what I need, I search for the office. A massive safe takes up one entire corner. "Gotcha," I whisper with glee.
My hearing is such that I have the old safe open in less than three minutes. There are trays of jewels, stacked gold bars, and even some jewelry. I scan the items until my eyes fall on a large blue amethyst that matches Laryn's eyes. It's exactly what I want. I grab a few other baubles to wager against Ashrac so he doesn't win my finest pieces.
I need to hurry back to the gaming room so Laryn can finish taking money from these fools and we can leave without anyone the wiser. When I turn the corner into the ballroom, a servant is in front of me. She's old with gray hair tied back in a severe knot. She smiles politely and I know she's perfect because she's missing several teeth and she doesn't smell so great.
"Put the tray down and come with me." I take her hand as soon as she rests the tray on a nearby table.
"My lady... please."
"Hush. I just need you to make googly eyes at my mate. He won't harm you, but he's really into older chicks."
She tries digging in her heels, but I won't release her. Right before we enter the room, I place a gold coin in her hand. "Sit on his knee and touch his shirt collar. A few kisses on his cheek will earn you another one of these." I show her my other coin and watch her eyes light up. "What is your name?" I ask.
We enter the room and all conversation stops. I lead her to Laryn and nod toward his lap. His eyes are practically glowing and he bites his lip to keep from laughing aloud. I ruffle his hair and take my voice to a husky level. "Sweetness, this is Mildred. She's perfect for tonight and I know how much you enjoy a woman without teeth sucking you off."
Several men cough as Mildred gives Laryn her biggest smile and proceeds to do exactly what I paid her for. The men feel so sorry for Laryn that they don't seem to mind that he wins all their money. I have the best time and Laryn throws me covert death glares when Mildred drinks a little wine and becomes bolder in her pursuit.
I can't stop laughing as we cross our second realm heading back to our own.
"You will pay for that, bride," he murmurs into my mind. It's all he's said since we left. Another round of laughter rumbles from my chest and fire shoots from my mouth.
I'm still unused to the ability to make fire and actually have a little trouble controlling it. This wouldn't be so bad if I could forget the agony to my flesh caused by fire. My transcendence to dragon magically repaired the damage caused by the flame. It did not remove the memory. I'm still furious at Sarn. Not because of what he did to me, I know it was an accident, but because of his rough handling of Ashrac. We haven't seen Sarn in six months. He's not at his lair and I'm not sure if he will return until it's time to choose a bride.
Like Acasia and Bastian, we are now unable to cross to the bride village's realm. I don't think I would wish to see my parents age and die while I remain the same. This is easier. I also realize each dragon must break the curse in their own way. I heard each word of Laryn's promise at the top of our cliff. He was doing the right thing by ending my life. The bravest thing. And by promising to love his brides every day for as long as they live, he broke his curse.
We enter our realm and Laryn puts on a burst of speed. I'm just about to follow when he suddenly curves his neck up and flies over me upside down until he's behind me. I know what his plan is and it involves his large blue cock. Dragon form is the only way to mate and produce a child. We've worked diligently at it. Our time will come. I'm not looking forward to the two years of nesting. I enjoy our forays into other realms and the treasure we bring back. I have my own treasure room now and I'm slowly filling it.
Bastian recovered the chalice and the painting that Laryn swears he will steal away someday. I want no reminders of the day I burned. Though being dragon is the best possible outcome, the memory of the pain is too great.
Laryn comes down low and covers me. Ecstasy floods my senses. When the blue light of our release explodes, the entire sky fills with different shades of blue flame. This time the light is slightly different, but I just can't place my finger on it. One thing I absolutely know is that Laryn will need to begin constructing our nest.
"I love you, Roxy my fearless warrior," he whispers into my mind.
"I know, Laryn, and I love you," I whisper back.
***

Sarn
The bottle tips over and the whisky spills to the floor. No worries, I have another within reach of the bed. One of the two women lying naked beside me mumbles in her sleep. I pick up a lock of her hair and let it fall back to cover most of her face. The women are faceless anyway. If I drink enough, their memory is fleeting too.
Bastian came a few weeks ago and tried to talk me into returning home. It did no good. I could see his anger at what I had done even when he explained that Laryn's bride is now dragon. Lucky Laryn. After my behavior with Ashrac and almost killing Laryn's bride, I will never break the curse. I don't deserve to.
As I lie in my drunken haze, the image of a wolf shifter enters my mind. I try not to think about her. She avoids me, but I catch her watching me at odd moments. In this strange realm of wolf, bear, and cat shifters, not to mention vampires, I've made a semi-home below Dmitri's club. The wolf I'm thinking of works the bar with her twin brother. The only person she seems shy with is me. I've heard her take on a group of drunken men with calm authority and a few curse words thrown in. I want her. I look at the women in bed with me. The wolf could do much better than me fumbling at her body. I'm no longer even good at sex. Drunk is better.
I open a full bottle of whisky and drink a fourth of it down in one swallow. The burn is exactly what I need in order to forget. I fear the smell of Laryn's bride's scorched flesh will haunt me forever. I take another drink and sink back against the pillow*s.
Through my bleary eyes, I gaze at the door when I hear it open. She's lovely. She also appears angry when she looks from me to the two women. I think her name is Sierra.

Sarn's story next...
END OF PART TWO