---Lane's POV---
"A bit more baby." Jethro purred, making me swallow before dutifully opening my mouth further. The sudden flood of saliva forcing me to swallow before I moaned when another morsel of finger food was placed on my tongue.
Jethro seemed amused as I chewed and swallowed, kneeling at his feet. He gave me a curious look at my soft, subconscious sigh before I licked my lips and responded.
"With all due respect, you're gonna make me fat cooking that good, Sir." I stated, shuffling my weight slightly when my lower back and hips protested slightly.
Jethro had insisted on feeding me after the phone-call and the following rut on the couch. We didn't have enough time to perform a scene yet Jethro had made good on his promise of bending me over and fucked me straight into oblivion.
A strung out scene would've gotten me higher, sure. But it would've also left me weak and exhausted by the time we arrived at Zander's place.
Which is also the only reason why I had even considered to drink that healing enhancer. The glass that had once contained the vile liquid now sat empty on the tray while I was being rewarded by one of Jethro's freshly made meals.
A chuckle rang through the air before Jethro presented another morsel of that puff pastry filled with cheese and meat. "If anything, I need to feed you more. Your shift only just developed and we're working off quite some energy throughout the day."
His smirk grew as I flushed, shivering when he petted through my hair. Everything we needed was already packed and it wasn't like we needed to plan any transportation either.
As soon as the plate was emptied, Jethro moved us outside, where he shifted into his magnificent draconic form. I smiled, not a hint of fear in my body as he reached out, holding me firmly before he set out to fly.
During the flight, I blinked as a curious thought popped to mind. Jethro seemed to sense it, as a hummed chuckle rasped through his chest before he conversed over the mind link.
"What is it, little one?"
I brushed over his scales, murmuring curiously "I was wondering why you never fly with me on your back. You always hold me..."
Jethro chuckled, the wind battering with each motion of his wings. "It is quite simple; I wouldn't wish to harm you."
That wasn't a response I had expected, and it must've shown on my face as Jethro further explained. "The scales on my back are stronger than the ones in my hands. Gently press a finger to where one scale overlaps the other. You'll see what I mean."
I blinked before doing as told, hesitating when he urged "Gently." Assuming Jethro meant his scales were sensitive, I carefully applied pressure.
My finger slid off the scale with a sudden dampness and I drew it back, shocked to see blood coating the surface.
Yet the skin wasn't cut like I expected. Instead, it seemed as if a small layer of superficial skin has been skimmed off with that slight movement.
And then I understood.
Without a saddle to protect me, I would be skinned alive from the hips down by Jethro's slightest motion. Considering that I'd have to clench my thighs to hold on...
I cringed and he hummed, smoke puffing from his nostrils. "Indeed. If mere fish scales can be used as weapons, imagine the damage a dragon's scale could do. It is much more convenient to carry you than to have a saddle made, just for the trip."
He didn't need to mention that we'd have no place to put the saddle the second he shifted back to human. We'd be stuck carrying a dragon sized saddle around or find some magical way to store it.
Plus, there was no way his dragon wouldn't feel like a beast of burden the second anyone so much as mentioned a saddle to it.
Though, I guess it could be persuaded if it meant I wouldn't be harmed. Still, we had the entire issue of storing the saddle if we didn't need it.
"Maybe we'll look into it. I'm sure that Zander has a few contacts."
Looking up at Jethro, he replied quickly to my questioning thought. "While he may not be a dragon, Zander is equally as rare as he is dangerous. He was forced to find help early in his life, otherwise he would end up destroying what he loves most."
A shiver darted over my spine, suddenly wary to meet this Zander. But if Jethro trusted them, not only with himself but his mate, I wouldn't be in any real danger.
"Zander is one of the ancient bloodlines, even a pureblood at that. Deinosuchus, one of the ancient crocodilian bloodlines." Jethro murmured pensively as I shivered.
I hadn't met any of the ancient bloodlines, however I knew that the Elders back at the Pride had been foaming at the mouth for them. Trying to find anyone with a hint of ancient blood in their veins and forbade them from mating if that meant diluting such a powerful breed even further.
Hell, they even went as far as to segregate those bloodlines, keeping them away from the common populace. Less chance to meet their Fated mate either.
Still, the most ancient bloodlines among my former tribe wouldn't stand a chance against a Deinosuchus. A gigantic ancestor of alligators, measuring up to a staggering 34.9 feet would turn most shifters in a snack.
Without being enraged.
Jethro nodded, dipping lower to enjoy the warmth of the sun. "Indeed. Zander had a hard time controlling his shift as a child. Had little to no friends out of fear that he'd eat them if his shift took over. I was one of the few people he trusted, simply because he knew his shift wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"As an adult, Zander is one of the most levelheaded Dominants I've encountered with an impeccable level of self-control. I'd say the only way to make him snap, would be to go after his subs."
I shivered again, knowing that whoever was foolish enough to do so, wouldn't make it out in one piece. That is, if they weren't swallowed alive by the enraged beast.
Nerves sparked to life as Jethro started to head down after a few minutes, heading towards a gorgeous house in the distance. I swallowed thickly, leaning in his hold as I felt suddenly nervous to meet Zander and his subs in the flesh.
After all, this had been one of Jethro's friends, knew my master longer than anyone. Our quick introduction had only been through a single video call, without any interactions between us.
What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks Jethro deserves someone better?
The scars on my face pulled as I grimaced against the unwanted, intrusive thoughts that bounced around in my head. And then lowered my head with a frustrated sigh when Jethro landed instantly and shifted.
Hands gently grasped my chin, lifting my face until our eyes met. And then they cradled my face as Jethro lowered himself until we were eye to eye.
"Darling, if anyone here is undeserving, then I don't deserve you. I've been alive for far longer than I wish to remember and I've done things in the past that were necessary back then but I wouldn't wish to repeat now." Jethro's eyes glowed with honesty and his dragon's presence as he spoke.
"I've killed people. Without remorse. And I wish I could say all of it was self-defense but that would be a bold faced lie. I'm a dragon, born and bred. Among all the shifters, you won't find anyone who hasn't been forced to kill. We are raised in a cruel world where if we want something, we have to take it, claim it and defend it with our very lives."
That was something I agreed with. Any shifter community had to defend themselves from rogues, out of control shifters who lost their sanity.
I had seen plenty of the pride take down feral shifters, even if that meant having blood on their hands for the rest of their lives. In fact, I too had killed a shifter, remembering the wolf that had been attacking the young child on Jethro's territory.
He sighed deeply, kneeling in front of me as I gasped and tried to pull him back to his feet. "I don't deserve you sweetheart. I have more blood on my hands than you do. Why should a monster like myself be mated to someone as pure as you?"
My eyes dampened, tears trickling down my cheeks as I shook my head. "You're not a monster. A monster wouldn't take in an injured trespasser, nor would they meddle with a pack's business just to save a pup and she wolf."
Jethro sighed, burying his face in my stomach as he hugged me while I held him closer before sagging in his lap. I whined, leaning closer against him.
This wasn't a confession out of the blue. Jethro had noticed my self-doubt and self-hatred before. Had heard fragments of my thoughts as I had hissed venom at myself.
Honestly, I had expected him to punish me for degrading myself like that. For always thinking the worst of myself and my abilities. Instead, he had sat down beside me and opened up about his past, the actions that he was ashamed of.
I knew Jethro had killed in the past, just as well as I knew that almost everyone I've encountered had killed, besides the pre-shift kids. For some shifters, killing others and taking lives was just daily business. Over and forgotten.
The more potent one's shift, the harder it was to control. And with shifters, who's instincts were telling them to attack the offspring of another, a life of solitude was often forced upon them.
A magnificent shift like Jethro's meant that my master and mate has been alone for decades, if not centuries. Shunned by those who feared him and desired by those who wished to manipulate him.
Only with a select few could Jethro be himself, instead of Lord Jethro the dragon. And I was blessed to be considered to be among those select few.
"You're not a monster." I reassured softly, nuzzling against his warm skin. "You are my mate, my master. Someone I trust implicitly with my life."
He hugged me tighter, pressing a kiss against my forehead. "That goes both ways precious." He murmured before slowly standing upright. "Let's meet up with Zander and see what he can teach us both."
I smiled, eagerly standing beside Jethro as we started walking up to his friend's house. Somehow our bond had only improved, strengthened with each little heart to heart we shared.
And with the gentle murmurs of Jethro's consciousness in my mind, I felt powerful, loved and cherished.
I can get used to this...
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