She holds it out to me on a thin, straight arm. “Here.”

I carefully take the stone from her hand. “There is plenty of room in my pocket for this. The other items are broken. Thank you. When can we get married?”

She scratches her chin. “Pretty soon, I think. It’s usually me that weds people. Officiates. Because I’m the shaman. But it would beunusual to officiate at your own wedding. We’ll find a way. Now, my love, my future husband. I have a question.”

“You probably think that surprises me.”

She tightens her grip on my hand. “No, I have asked you many things. So you should be used to it. You know it’s a weakness of mine. But those other dragons you talked about, who are married to women like me. Now that you’re a full dragon, too, would it be possible to see them? Meet them? Not the dragons,” she adds quickly, seeing my face darken. “The women! Their wives. I don’t care about seeing any other dragon than you. But it would be interesting to meet those other ones. And I happen to know that you can fly.”

I look away. “Dragons hate each other. I am only one, while they are four. It would be dangerous for both of us. Usually they wouldn’t fight together, but these ones… they’re married to Earth women and may act in unexpected ways. They’re fiercely defensive about their wives.”

She gives me a little smile. “All right. If it happens, it happens. If not, that’s fine too.”

I think about it. There was that other one… “Perhaps there is a way. I will see about it. But right now I want to stay with my fiancee.”

“You better, dragon man. How far can you fly with me on your back?”

I shrug. “Any distance. It will only be limited by what you can stand for hours and hours.”

Her hand goes to her behind. “Yeah, I can already tell you were built for speed, not comfort. We’re not that far from the village,my love. Do you mind if we walk the last bit? That dragon… you’re just the tiniest bit overwhelming in that form. It’s a little much. I’ll get used to it in time.”

“Of course,” I graciously accede. “I will use that form sparingly, despite the joy it brings me. And will also bring you. Did my scales make you sore? It was only a short flight.”

“They have sharp edges,” Astrid whines. “Maybe I can use a cushion to sit on.”

“Show me the damage my scales have done,” I demand.

She half turns. “Okay. Can you just lift the dress in the back?”

I put a claw under the hem and lift, revealing her long legs and lower curve of her behind. “I see no soreness here.”

She looks over her shoulder. “Maybe if you look higher…”

I lift the bottom half of her dress to her hips and examine her delightful bare behind with great interest. “While your skin tone makes it harder to see any mild soreness, I have dragon senses and I can see that my scales made absolutely no mark on you.”

“What if you check with your finger?” she suggests, a hint of a rasp in her voice.

I pull the dress all the way off her, and she obligingly puts her arms in the air to make it easier before she bends a little at the waist. “Can you reach like this?”

There’s a familiar and highly arousing scent in the air.

“Oh, I see how it is,” I growl. “You’re not sore at all! This was a ruse to make me undress you and prepare for some other activity!”

“It was,” my fiancee purrs. “A total trick. Can you blame me? You make me all crazy with that dragon thing you have going on. You said you influenced me to be more devious.”

I cup her heavy behind in one hand. “You dare trick Praxigor the Devious himself?”

She arches her back and sticks her irresistible rear further out. “Uh-huh. I dare lots of things, it turns out. What are you going to do about it?”

I squeeze the soft flesh with two fingers, just short of causing her pain. “You cloud my mind with your attractiveness! How am I supposed to think? But one action occurs to me.” I lift her into my arms and loosen my pants, letting my aching rod out. “We have no soft flower bed to use. But I like this way.” Holding her securely, I push Astrid back into the smooth tree trunk and hold her up while the tip of my cock plays at her slick entrance.

“I like this way too,” she gasps and looks at me with glassy eyes. “Take me, my love. My dragon:”

I slide smoothly into her. “Mine.”

26

- Astrid-