Page 16 of Fur-Ever Home

Ben raised the back of his head from my chest to look at the dark scales flaring out behind us, ending in Shen's spiked tail.

"Did this thing eat Shen?" he asked.

"This thingisShen," the creature below us rumbled. "Will you two stop moving back there? I need to concentrate."

Ben started to chant "Ohmigod" again. I did my best to comfort him, but I had a bad feeling this landing would hurt, since my spine was resting on Shen's protective plates.

"Be gentle, big guy," I said.

Shen roared. In agreement, I hoped.

I wrapped my arms around Ben to provide as much comfort as I could while the cold wind rushed past us. It burned my ears. I pulled Ben's hood up the best I could with my teeth, since the harness straps held our arms together. I wished I could better protect him from the icy air. I should have strapped us front to front. I had not been thinking clearly, and besides, it had been easier to adjust the straps with him sitting on my lap.

Even with the frigid air chilling every part of me that wasn't covered by Ben, I was only aware of his body vibrating against mine. I coaxed his arms to move with mine so I could hold him to me with one arm and cling to his suitcase handle with the other.

"Going down," Shen said. We banked steeply to the left, and all the blood rushed to my head as we dove. Then, we landed with a sickening thud. I bounced along Shen's scales and landed again with a crack.

At least one something in my back was broken, and possibly some ribs, too. I whimpered as I patted Ben down. "Are you all right?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "Are you?"

"Need to shift."

I clawed at the buckles holding our arms together, and Ben helped me take them off. Then, he sat up on top of me, crushing my balls into my thigh. I stifled a groan.

We fell to the hard-packed snow a moment later, and my back flared with new pain. It was now or never. I carefully lifted Ben off me, rolled onto my side, and shifted into my white wolf.

I healed faster in this form. After a few seconds, I backed my way out of my shirt and large winter coat. Then, I pulled at the stretchy shorts cramping my tail with my teeth until I was naked.

Free, I rolled onto my back and shimmied from my shoulders to my tail on the snow-packed concrete. Once I was certain I had healed all the broken bones, I flipped to my feet.

Mate. Must play. Must claim.

I stretched my forepaws out before me and lowered my head to Ben, staring into his gorgeous brown eyes. He was so pretty, even with windburned cheeks and snow stuck in his eyebrows. I wagged my tail at him and hopped closer, begging him to play.

"Connor?" He asked. "Is that you?"

I nodded and gave him my best wolfy smile with my tongue lolling out of my mouth. "Woof."

"Car," Shen said.

Ben waved his arms. I thought he was motioning for me to jump into them, so I did, knocking him off his feet, into a pile of unstable snow chunks. I stumbled on the ice and jumped, landing a few feet from where Ben slid to a stop at the bottom of an embankment.

Shen followed us, shaking his head. "That's one way to get off the road."

"Why did you land on the road?" Ben asked.

"It was the only place clear enough for a dragon my size," he said. "Did you want to bump through the trees on the way down?"

"No." He looked so sad. I hopped back over to him and rubbed my flank along his front, trying to cover him with my scent. I placed my paws on his shoulders and licked from his neck to his forehead.

"You're lucky you smell nice," Ben whispered. He buried his hands in my fur and ran them along my flanks, teasing all my ticklish spots. I wriggled until I had him where I wanted him,with one hand between my shoulder blades where I couldn't scratch, even when rolling on the pavement. His other hand rested on my flank, dangerously close to slipping under and grazing my cock.

"Car's gone," Shen chided. "We need to walk to the nearest town before your boyfriend freezes to death out here."

Ben stood up. Before he could take a step up the embankment, I bounded between his legs, bouncing my hindquarters up so he was fully seated on my back. My ribs still ached a little, but I didn't care. I had my mate where I wanted him. I grabbed his suitcase by the handle and dragged it up the embankment, too.

Ben hopped off my back onto the roadway, almost tripping over one of my shoes. Shen held out my shirt and coat, and I gave him a nod of wolfy thanks before I shifted back into my skin. Once I had hands, I took the clothing from him, finding my boxers shoved in a coat pocket. I'd lost my socks somewhere, but I couldn't worry about them now. It was time to get my mate to safety for the night. We could regroup in the morning.

---