Page 23 of 3013: Hellion

She smiled. “I am simply sharing my knowledge with you. In return, you will teach me to fly.”

He shook his head. “Like you need anyone to teach you. You are a sly one, mate. I really like that about you.”

“I am glad to hear it. I know you still have an aversion to delving into my memories since you have spent so much time avoiding the same with other people, so I am trying to figure out a different way for you to learn how to use your new magic.”

“I don’t mind being in your head,” he corrected “It doesn’t feel the same as it did when I used my seeker abilities on other people.”

“Then, you will be able to see my memories and learn from my experiences. It is the easiest way to understand what being a Dragon Warrior truly means.”

What he’d said to her was true. He didn’t feel an aversion to being in her head like he did with other people. It was simply a habit to avoid it. Even so, he was willing to do anything that would help him keep her happy and safe. If that meant he had to study her memories to learn how to use magic, then that was exactly what he’d do.

“We have time for that,” she assured him. “There is no need to rush. Now, I want to fly.”

“Okay. Watch and be amazed,” he teased as he released his wings.

The massive white wings sprung out of his back. He flapped them a few times, then spread them wide to show them to her. When she stepped toward him and hesitated, he pulled her closer.

“Go ahead, mate. You can touch them.”

Jaya expected to feel feathers, but his wings were made of something else. It felt soft and velvety to the touch, but it was also hard and durable like armor. Circling behind him, she ran her hands over his wings in soothing strokes. When he shivered at her touch, she recalled how he had reacted the same way when she had touched the hard patches of skin on his back.

“Your wings are so beautiful,” she said as she came to a stop in front of him. “I cannot wait to fly with you.”

Without warning, he scooped her into his arms and launched himself into the sky. Delighted with him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. As he flew through the clouds, she tilted her face toward the wind. He spun in the air and flapped his wings to increase his speed, and she let out a shout of pure joy.

She loved flying as a dragon, but this was a whole new experience for her. It gave her a similar thrill, but she wanted more than just hitching a ride with her mate. She wanted to soar through the sky by his side.

Turning his face toward her, she pressed her lips to his in a hard kiss.

Then, she grinned at him and pushed out of his arms.

“Jaya!” he shouted as he reached for her.

She watched as his expression of concern switched to a mixture of relief, exasperation, and a hint of excitement as a pair of silver wings burst out of her back. She flipped and did a circle in the air, then flapped her new wings until she was hovering directly in front of him.

“Damn it, Jaya! You could have warned me!”

“But this way was more fun,” she teased. “Take me on a tour, mate. Show me your home world as you remember it.”

Xian took control of the dream, creating a replica of the dwelling that his mother had grown up in and where he’d lived with his great uncle. As he gave her the tour of his past, he showed her the neighboring isles and his favorite spots that he would escape to whenever he’d wanted to be alone. He told her about his family and shared what it had been like growing up on the D’Aire home world.

In return, she shared stories about her own family. Some of those tales made him a little apprehensive about meeting all of them. However, the sheer love and longing in her voice whenshe spoke of them made him want to take her back to Arcadia as soon as possible.

As they soared through the sky laughing and playing together, he realized it was the most carefree and relaxed he’d ever been. Even a second with her was better than an entire lifetime alone. The entire time they were within the dream felt like foreplay, and when their desire for one another grew too strong to deny, they shed their clothes and came together in a clash of passion and love.

Their mouths fused together as she wrapped her legs around his waist, hips pumping to meet his every thrust. Their lovemaking was wild and uninhibited. And when they found their release, their wings got tangled together, and they were caught in a spiraling tumble toward the sea. Before they plunged into the water, she got rid of her wings, allowing him to take them back up into the sky. She threw her head back and laughed as he muttered a vicious curse.

“Remember, this is a dream. All of this is merely an illusion. We will not get hurt,” she reminded, pressing kisses all over his face.

“We said the same thing about the holos, but remember the clusterfuck waiting for us back in the real world? I would rather not chance drowning here.”

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I shall try to behave.”

He snorted at that.

Xian had a feeling his little hellion would have done the same thing back in the real world, regardless of the risks.

“Come on, let’s find somewhere to land. Even though this is a dream world, I’m not exactly keen on having my bare ass exposed like this.”

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