Page 31 of Red Fury

Steel’s disappointed face. Harrison’s threats against our people. The fact that Shadow and I are supposed to be enemies.

That last one does the trick.

“Ready?” I ask, trying hard not to stare at her tits or the thin strip of hair between her long, toned legs.

Fuck me!

“Do it already,” she says, and there’s a thread of humor in her voice that I think is born from nerves or maybe from seeing how uncomfortable I am.

I let my dragon surge forward, the shift happening smooth and fast. The relief of being in my scales again is immediate. My form takes up much of the clearing.

I turn toward Shadow and rumble softly, encouraging her to join me. She stands frozen for a moment, just like last time, but then something changes in her expression. Determination replaces fear.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets go.

10

Shadow

I close my eyes and reach for my dragon. For a moment, nothing happens. She’s so deep inside me, buried under weeks of suppression, that I have to dig to find her.

Once she realizes that I am actually trying to shift, she surges forward with a vengeance.

Despite the surge, the shift starts slowly. It’s normal after such a long wait. It’s like my body has forgotten what to do.

My bones begin to lengthen, and instead of the usual sharp pain, there’s a deep, rolling pleasure that starts in my core and spreads outward. Every nerve ending comes alive as my muscles stretch and expand.

Good.

So good.

I groan as scales begin pushing through my skin, and it feels like pure ecstasy. Each one that emerges sends waves of sensation through my body that have me gasping. My spine elongates with delicious pressure, and when my wings finally unfurl, the feeling is so intense I nearly collapse.

It’s from suppressing my beast for so long. This time, though, the pleasure is even more intense, and I think I know the reason. He’s standing, watching me; his black scales seem to shine like ink. His eyes fix on me with an intensity that sends shivers through me.

My entire body tingles as the transformation completes. My scales are gray with an iridescent sheen. My wings easily span the entire clearing.

I expect to feel the usual feral hunger, the desperate need to fly and hunt and destroy. Instead, I feel something else entirely. Something that makes me want to crawl out of my own scales in embarrassment.

My dragon is focused on Fury, drawn to his huge form like a magnet. Before I can stop myself, I’m moving toward him, a deep rumbling purr emanating from my chest. I press my side against his, rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

What the hell!?

I need to stop this, only I can’t since I don’t have any say in the matter.Sheis in charge, and she wants him.

Noooooo!

He’s the enemy.

You can’t!

No! What the hell are you doing? Down, girl! Down!

It doesn’t work. She rubs up against him again, a deep rumble leaving her throat. This has never happened to me before. Ever. My dragon has always been wild when she’s free. She likes to fly and hunt. Not…whatever the hell this is.

Fury rumbles back, a sound that’s gentle but filled with a hint of surprise. He moves away, putting distance between us, but I follow him.

Of course I do.