Page 46 of Storm of Blood and Shadow

“Is it supposed to leak?” asks one of the dragons.

“Leak?” exclaims another. “What do you mean?”

“When my woman is present, my human cock lengthens and leaks,” confesses the first dragon.

Jaerix speaks up. “Mine lengthens too, especially if the two dots on my chest are touched.”

“That’s because you’re a grotesque little pervert,” snarls Zaedian, his black shoulder spikes bristling. “All you ever think about is mating.”

“And allyouthink about is touching what doesn’t belong to you,” Jaerix growls back.

“You can’t lay claim to a person with a mind and free will,” interjects Runaris, a dragon with iridescent purple scales.

The woman who gave me Jessiva’s food last night mentioned these three dragons making her life complicated. Their feud is unproductive in this moment, so I shoulder my way between Jaerix and Zaedian.

“What of that dangling sack behind the human cock?” I say, by way of redirecting the conversation. “Does anyone know what it does?”

“It produces seed,” replies someone.

“And touching it feels good,” echoes another dragon.

“Touching almost any part of my human form feels good,” adds Runaris.

“But you must be careful,” warns another dragon. “Because if you touch your human cock too much, it sprays seed on the ground, which seems wasteful.”

“It’s not very much seed, either,” says one of the older dragons, who has seen a couple of mating seasons and experienced the heat in dragon form. “I don’t think it’s nearly enough to impregnate a female.”

“Is it harmful for a human female to… swallow male seed?” asks Runaris.

Silence falls after his statement. If any of the other dragons wondered the same thing, they’re too embarrassed to say so.

“There will be many new experiences,” I tell them. “The best thing we can do is talk about this together and communicate openly with our women. They can teach us more about their physiology, and as dragons, we can support each other.”

Emboldened by my words, another member of the clan speaks up. “Does anyone else worry about their cock when it is soft? It seems so vulnerable and prone to damage. I feel as if I should create a protective shield for it.”

The conversation continues, and gradually some of them begin to reveal more details of how they have interacted with their humans. There have been more sexual encounters than I expected, which makes me feel less self-conscious about my interactions with Jessiva.

When Kyreagan returns, the other dragons fall silent, as if they’re afraid he’ll rebuke them for the thoughts and feelings they’ve confessed to me. He notices the abrupt quiet, but rather than commenting on it, he reminds them to fly lower than usual and pay attention to any sensations that might indicate a reversion to human form. He sends Rothkuri and Runaris to let the women know that they’re free to wander outside the enclosure as long as they’re accompanied by a dragon for their protection.

“We need to hunt and forage for supplies now,” Kyreagan says. “And we need to ensure that we have the means to repair the barrier tonight, to prevent fenwolves from entering the cavern area.”

The other dragons depart to follow his instructions, but Kyreagan makes no move to join them yet. Instead he sits on the short grass near me. I get the feeling he wants to have a conversation and isn’t sure how to begin it.

“How was it?” I ask. “You and the Princess, in human form? Did you mate with her?”

He shifts his front feet. “It is not mating season.”

“Sex doesn’t have to be solely for breeding purposes.”

Kyreagan glances at me sharply. I avoid his gaze, but my wings arch, betraying a joy and pride I can’t conceal.

My brother makes a low, gruff noise in his throat. “How did it feel?”

“Unspeakably wonderful.” I glance at him. “You didn’t even touch her?”

“I—” He chuffs out orange smoke and his tail thrashes. “Of course I fucking touched her. She was rightthere, so soft and smooth and beautiful that I could not stop myself. But we did not couple as mates.”

“And have you given her the special food and the tea you procured from the mainland?”

---