Chapter 67: Sierra

I've always loved the sense of freedom I get when I'm in wolf form. No human could ever understand. Now, I'm on the back of a dragon as we shoot through the sky and I'm envious of what Sarn can do. My freedom is nothing compared to this. The wind swipes my hair back and causes my eyes to water. Everything about flying is magnificent. My beastkind blood keeps me warm, and I could fly on Sarn for hours without tiring.
He performs a quick roll and I manage to hold on with my stronger-than-human legs and arms. I yell with the gloriousness of what he is capable of doing. My wolf needs to feel the full effect of what is happening. "May I shift, dragon?"
He gives me one of his grunts again before answering. "Can you shift and remain on my back?" he asks.
I can't believe he's going to allow it. "No more somersaults, but yes I think I can." I gain my knees, resting against his neck where it joins the larger section of his body. I pull in the magic and instantly I'm on four legs instead of two. I crouch down in order to maintain my balance. My wolf loves it. The wind ruffles my fur and my heightened smell appreciates the pure, clean scent of Father Sky. Even as wolf I'm envious of my dragon's marvelous flight. What would it be like to be dragon and have this ability?
"I hope no one in your realm takes a picture, or Goddess forbid a video of a wolf on my back," Sarn says into my mind with feigned disgust.
I ignore his grumbling. I've been away from my Florida clan for more than a year and have only communicated telepathically with my brother. I miss the familiarity it offers, so I attempt to cast my thoughts to the dragon.
"No, I haven't shifted to this form in a year," he responds.
I'm thrilled he can hear me. It must be his magic, though I'm sad at his answer. To have this ability and not use it would cause too much suffering for me. I must think positive thoughts while around him, so I start asking questions while we swoop through the sky. "Tell me the colors of the other dragons."
"Goddess have mercy," he growls. "Bastian is red, Laryn blue, and Tahr silver."
I'm on a roll. "Do you ever fly together?"
"Yes..." he responds like I'm a halfwit.
I go on without a care. "It must be a splendid sight. Do your brides ride with you?" His scales ripple a bit and I think maybe I've overstepped my bounds by asking about the brides. I'm so curious, though, and want to know everything about his life and the dragon realms.
He's quieter when he answers and I know I've made him sad. "They ride while they're vigorous enough to handle it. We have special saddles made for them so they can keep their seat. They're not like you; they are simply human. When they grow too old, we carry them within our talons if we fly to another dragon's realm."
My poor dragon. I can't help but think of the brides in his realm as mates. To lose a mate is more suffering than I can imagine. To lose as many as Sarn has-devastating. The loss of my mother destroyed my father for many years. I know I'm pushing Sarn, but I can't stop myself from asking. "Tell me of your last bride. I would like to know of her." I did this for him. My wolf rumbled in my belly at the thought of hearing about another woman. I quieted her down with an internal mind slap.
Sarn doesn't hesitate in answering, which surprises me because I know he still misses her deeply. "Her name was Calista and she was beautiful, brave, and intelligent. She lived each day to its fullest. Even in her waning years she refused to allow age to interfere with the things she set her mind to." He chuckles slightly and smoke trails out of his nostrils and floats away with the wind. "A few years before her death, when she was quite old, she decided to replace the curtains in the library. I walked into the room to find her teetering on top of a twenty-five foot ladder. I remember being so angry that she could have fallen and broken her neck. She looked at me with her large eyes and called me a silly dragon."
My exact words I spoke only a short while ago. My voice softens when I say, "I was told brides cannot bear children. Is this true?"
His reply is so low I can barely hear him. "Yes. Only a true mate can bear a dragon."
His sadness swells within me and it actually hurts. I have no explanation for the deep connection I have with him. It's like there's an invisible string attached to our hearts. His vibrates the string and sends messages into mine. I'm being the silly one now, so I speak to help dissolve the very real ache I feel right now. "That is much like it is for beastkind. Well, I guess not exactly. Before we figured it out, beastkind mates could only have sex with humans to procreate. After thousands of years of prejudice against other beastkind species, we discovered different species can mate and produce offspring successfully."
His response is instant. "No, it is nothing like dragons. If any man touched my bride, before or after me, or if I'm lucky enough one day to mate, it would mean the man's death."
One part of his sentence doesn't quite make sense. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean by before you mate."
He huffs out a loud breath. "All brides are virgins. It is the only way they have a chance at transcendence to dragon."
A laugh escapes me. "You're kidding. Your bride is expected to be a virgin?"
His skin heats under my paws and I know he's angry. His reply travels through my brain with a sinister feel. "It's nothing to laugh at. This is why we were cursed to begin with."
I'm hoping that because he's still speaking to me he isn't that mad. "Tell me of the curse, dragon." Sarn gives a heavy sigh and I know I'm causing him additional irritation, but I cannot contain my curiosity. "Please."
With another grumble, he begins the story. "Drakon, the king of dragons, fell in love with the daughter of a Goddess. He courted her knowing she was his true mate. When he finally consummated their union, he discovered she had given her virginity to another. He was mated to a woman who would never transcend. In his great rage, he killed her."
We both remain quiet until he speaks again a few minutes later. "A dragon's rage is incomparable to anything you've ever seen. Mine is worse. You cannot want to be around me if I'm ever in that condition."
I shift to my human form and stretch out on his neck so I can wrap my arms about him. "Don't be silly. I trust you. We're friends." His scales become too hot for me to touch, so I unwrap my arms and slide down a bit.
"During one of my rages, I all but killed Laryn's bride. I burned her with my fire and her flesh melted to her bones. The pain I caused her and Laryn cannot be denied. When I tell you to get away from me because I'm going into a rage I mean it."
His story stuns me. I have trouble believing he would harm a woman. I don't feel threatened by him in the least. "You said all but killed her."
"Bastian came to earth's realm months ago and told me Roxanne, the bride I burned, has transcended to dragon. That's impossible for you. I am dangerous and out of control in a rage. You cannot trust me at those times. Please promise you will leave when I say."
I can't accept this. "And did you lose Calista shortly before this disastrous event happened?"
He doesn't answer. He flies to the clearing where we started our flight and lands in the center of the copse of trees. His shift is so sudden I have little time to find my balance as my feet hit the ground. I place one hand down to stabilize myself before I stand and face him. His violet eyes blaze from his human face.
Smoke trails from his nostrils and he's clenching and unclenching his hands. He no longer speaks into my mind and shouts aloud instead. "It matters not. I tried to kidnap Bastian's son. The only dragon child alive. When Laryn's bride discovered what I was up to, she tried to stop me. I offered to exchange her freedom for the child's. And, my intentions were not good. After the child flew away, the foolish woman thought to fight me. She almost paid with her life." His breathing is deep and heavy as additional smoke escapes his nostrils. "I'm a despicable man and an evil dragon. You should not be my friend or anywhere around me at all. There is no good..." he slams his fist on his chest, "left inside this heart." He turns and heads toward his cabin.
My poor Sarn. I decide to give him some time alone. He shared many truths with me and we've made headway into our friendship. His pain is so deep the least I can do is let him come to terms with all he has told me. Even knowing what he's capable of, I have no fear of him. I want him like I've never wanted another man. My wolf shivers inside me and I feel her yearning too. So, I will never transcend to dragon. We are of two different worlds, but we have time. I would hate to lose out on what we could have. That includes being more than friends. I never thought it would be easy to seduce a dragon, but I will persevere.