Page 20 of Stripped to the Scales

“Now that I have your attention, I want to introduce you properly to someone very important to me. He’s squirming in his seat right now because I didn’t tell him I was going to do this, but he has something to tell you all. I’m not sure how things work on Earthside, but I was raised by a carrier who’d march in here and beat me with the nearest wooden spoon if I tried to take away an omega’s voice or credit for something I had little to no hand in. Now, some of you might remember him from the other day, but I’m not going to tie him up this time. I know everyone came out for a good time and I think tonight will be the best of times – if a little different from my normal routine.”

All eyes fell on me and for a second I wished I was invisible. Only, I couldn’t be invisible and help them at the same time. I took a deep breath and stood up as Axlin said my name. I turned and waved to the crowd.

“Do I get to walk this time? No brutes with white scales to kidnap me?” I teased.

The crowd laughed and Axlin beckoned me to him with the wave of a finger. The audience cheered as I made my way to the front of the stage and held up a hand for him to pull me up. Pull me up, he did. Right into his arms. He kissed my forehead and whispered over our mating link that everything was alright.

“This is Castor. He’s mine. Remember that.”

“Hey!” I laughed. “No, he’s mine.” I said and made a show of running a hand down his chest and stomach to appease my dragon’s streak of envy. The crowd cheered and Casimir rolled his eyes at me, but even my cousin seemed to be having an okay time. Melon had taken up my chair and was sitting next to him now, sharing my virgin drink between them.

“Never gonna get one,”my dragon rolled his big eyes inside his inner sanctum.

“I’m going to hand the mic off to him now,” Axlin said. “Listen to him. Hear him out. I think the dilemma he presents is small compared to what our flight accomplished by building not one but three worlds from nothing. Any other dragon flight may be lost at sea with a challenge like this, but we’re Starscales! We are the problem solvers!”

The audience stopped their feet and a few dragons let out roars. The building shook and I slid my hand in Axlin’s afraid I might topple over from nerves and vibrations. I hated public speaking. I almost wanted to call the showboat Fred up to tell them about it, but I was the captain of the Medwin 2. I was the one with the mate who got us on stage. So, I bit the bullet and told them everything I knew about the Other World gateways and what one here could mean for them. They were quiet and thoughtful. The white-scaled staff handed out sticky note pads and those tiny pencils that I never knew who made or where they came from for those who wanted to take notes. Sprinkles watched from the back of the room by the door, proud of her loyal patrons for taking an interest in the well-being of the flight and of future generations. I was proud of them too. Back home, any time something like this was pitched arguments inevitably broke out. The Starscales were a different breed all together. Perhaps that was because they did build everything from scratch and only had each other to rely on out here in the dead of space.

I closed my talk by letting them know that their very own Marsin had set up an email for them to submit ideas and theories to. When I handed the mic back to Axlin he apologized that he wasn’t going to dance for them tonight, but instead planned on showing me a proper good time in the purple district.

Before parting ways with the group, I warned the single dragons that no pregnancies better come of tonight. Sunny rolled his eyes and Casimir asked over the family link if I brought condoms with me. I hadn’t, but Axlin knew that every place handed them out if they were needed.

I didn’t pause long to think about who he might use those condoms with. Instead, I left hand-in-hand with Axlin. We walked down the purple paved roads, winding through the crowds of talkers, kissers, and those who made it a lot further along than the previous two groups. He nodded and said hello to everyone who looked in our direction until we reached Hot Tails. I thought it was another strip club, but when he pushed open the doors, he revealed a candle lit restaurant beyond the hostess stand.

With its hardwood floors and sleek metal walls it could’ve been any fine dining restaurant back home. Well, almost. Maybe a nudist restaurant. The diners were in various states of undress and the host was a tall omega dragon who only wore a bow tie and dress shoes. He let everything else hang out. A sign behind his stand read “PLEASE REQUEST A BEDROOM FOR INTIMATE ACTS BY REQUEST OF THE FOOD SAFETY COUNCIL.”

“Another council,”my dragon chuckled into my thoughts.

“Hey, Ax, finally got around to bringing your mate in, I see,” the host said with familiarity that made me a little jealous. How was it fair that everyone knew him before I did? I wanted those years with him too. Even holding his hand, I pined for more of him. Would I always be this desperately in love with him? I prayed to Frost, Juda, and their little babies that I would be.

“Castor this is Raye,” he introduced me, and we shook hands before he led us back to a table for two in the corner.

The servers all wore g-strings in colors that matched their star scales. Ours was a perky blond with equally perky breastswearing a gold bottom. She introduced herself as Maxi and took our orders. Axlin ordered a jumbo lobster. I was ever the Moonscale and ordered a steak which the menu and the server called a cow loin. They really did call their food what it was over here.

We ate in companionable silence, watching each other in the candlelight. Hot Tails felt so damn high class even with all the nude bodies parading around. It felt safe. Safe was a strange word to my tongue in this situation. I’d always been one who could hold my own in a fight or at least get the fuck out of dodge if I didn’t have a chance of winning, but safe wasn’t what I’d call that. That was awareness of my environment and being able to survive. This was a whole new feeling.

Hot Tails buzzed with conversation and a few other tables sent us desserts or drinks we might like since we were newly met. I blinked back tears. I’d always been a Moonscale. I’d die a Moonscale too, but maybe, just maybe I could be a Starscale as well.

“You are a Starscale now, mate,”Axlin said over our mating link.“You were as soon as your star showed up.”

“You guys just did society up proper,” I said, blinking away the tears.

I usually wasn’t the overemotional sort or even the emotional sort. I had emotions but fortunately knew how to process them without big hurrahs. I was privileged that way. I could sink them in and let them dissolve and then solve the problem. I knew I was lucky. Not everyone’s brain worked that way. I watched Casimir struggle for years after what happened.

“Thanks,” Axlin smirked at me as we finished up a piece of what was called cheesecake here. It was richer and creamier than the ones on Earthside, but not as sweet.

After dinner we walked around the purple district, holding hands, while Axlin showed me around and pointed out allthe things one could get done while visiting. Everything from tattoos and piercings to less permanent body paint. They had tanning salons and waxing salons. There were bars and clubs that specialized in BDSM and other adult entertainment. Places that were known for group sex or therapists who specialized in sexual issues. There were quiet places and places that vibrated with music. The Starscales didn’t shove away or hide their needs or desires. Instead, they built places for the primal parts of themselves and invited anyone with that shared desire to come and enjoy it with them. This world built for and by dragons was starting to feel a lot like home.

Chapter Ten

Axlin

Over the next few weeks, I settled into the Medwin 2 with my mate. Our lives wove together along with the crew and Fred’s family. Castor and I woke together every morning. We spent our every free minute that we didn’t need to devote to our jobs together. Some days Castor accompanied me to work and watched from the crowd. He hung out with Melon and Casimir who swore they weren’t an item and they probably weren’t. It wasn’t uncommon for dragons to have a favorite playmate for a while before the chemistry fizzled out. Whatever they did when we weren’t around improved Casimir’s mood. Maybe that was just the fresh start he so desperately needed even if he wouldn’t admit to it.

Life was smooth sailing between work and intimacy with Castor. A few afternoons a week we helped Marsin and Elio go through all the emails sent in by our fellow flight members. Some were rubbish. Some the others thought were promising. Sometimes I wondered if the elves just didn’t like us. Maybe it came from some ancestor of ours eating one of them or something. I didn’t think elves would taste good, but how was the first wild dragon to try one supposed to know that?

Everything changed when I woke up to Castor retching in the bathroom before the purple sun even popped up above the horizon. He’d cut back on coffee and hadn’t a drop of liquor since the night Casimir stole his drink. We hadn’t talked about it, but we both knew you could only go in bare so many times before you had an egg on the way. Morning sickness wasn’t the most common symptom of pregnancy here, but looking back I knew it wasn’t the first my mate showed. He was emotional. Every goodthing made him teary eyed and if not for the respect he held from his crew they might’ve teased him about it. Sure, he would’ve knocked their lights out if they had, but I was glad it hadn’t come to that.

Without bothering to turn on the bedside lamp, I clambered into the bathroom half asleep as Castor flushed the toilet and sank onto the floor against the wall. I turned on the tap and found a washcloth to clean up his face with. I worked in silence, tending to him, grateful he hadn’t chosen this moment to suddenly not accept help.

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