Ascend

Corey felt like such a lech sitting across from Racha and struggling not to imagine how open her book might be just then. Was it some trick of the air currents that he could imagine the lush scent of her sex in his nostrils? He was at least grateful that she’d covered up, though her wispy gown left little to the imagination.

Now she sat looking attentively at him, waiting for him to speak to her, to tell her what it was he wanted to know.

He couldn’t think of a damn thing to ask. All he kept thinking about was his first date with his ex and how they’d hit it off so spectacularly that they’d ended up in bed forty-five minutes later. He hadn’t needed any prompting for conversation with Jill—they’d had too much in common already, including both professional and extracurricular interests. Not to mention there had been that amazing spark of attraction he’d felt instantly when they shared a joke. He’d always been that easygoing with women. It wasn’t until after she’d left him for some corporate executive a few months later that it became pretty much impossible to carry on a conversation with another woman without comparing her to Jill.

He owed this lovely young woman something.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you have no idea what a ‘date’ is, do you?” he asked.

She frowned and shook her head. “I admit I will have to reacquaint myself with human conventions, but I’m hoping you’ll be the one to show me.”

Corey was struck by her unassuming attitude, now that they were seated across from each other and on fairly equal ground. He took a fresh look at her, trying to shed the preconception of her as a dragon queen. Her sleek, black curls were a little mussed and one of her gauzy straps had slipped off her shoulder. Her almond-shaped green eyes watched with intelligent curiosity, maybe just a little eager for him to move things along.

“We’d be having sex right now if things were going your way, wouldn’t we?” he asked softly.

She lowered her dark lashes until they brushed the tops of her cheeks and nodded. “Yes. You don’t understand the effort it takes to wait, but we will wait if it makes it a better experience for you.”

“Tell me what it feels like … to be … like you are.”

“Like a dragon? Or like the Queen of Dragons?”

He shrugged. “Both, if you want.”

“You observed the others, did you not? Being a dragon is like that. Giving pleasure to as many as we can, or to one person many times. It’s that energy which sustains us, allows us to perform our magic. Even this gown I wear for you required energy. Maintaining this form requires energy, but it is second nature. Some of my energy is innate, but not all of it. What my brother gave me does not belong to me; it belongs to the others. I must give it to them soon.”

“The others … Do you mean this brood Kris mentioned?” Corey couldn’t disguise the apprehensive tone in his voice. He still didn’t quite know what to think about the idea of a multitude of magical flying, fucking creatures taking over the world as a result of what he might do today.

Racha smiled proudly. “Yes, the brood. They’re my children.”

“Hang on,” he said, shifting backwards a couple inches. “You’ve gotta have a … a … mate, or whatever you call it to have kids, right? How many are there in this brood of yours?”

“Corey, no, they are not my blood children. We are all of the same generation. I’ve never mated. I’ve never even played at it like other young dragons do. But as Queen, I am both mentor and caretaker of all of them. I spent my early life training for this honor before I slept.

He relaxed again. “So you’re like the CEO or something. Or maybe a cult leader,” he muttered.

Racha laughed, the sound low and melodic. “I know of cults. We used to rely on a cult to awaken past generations, but the mates from that group made poor parents. I had the good fortune to have two dragon parents, but most dragons aren’t so blessed. Luckily, the imperative to breed is strong enough that most dragons have multiple mates so the dragonlings don’t want for adequate role models.”

“Right, and a parent dead set on fucking everything in sight is an adequate role model?” He’d seen the male dragons in the group earlier. With the exception of Hallie’s Kol, who he’d actually come to respect, he found it hard to stomach how comfortable the others seemed to be with fucking—well, anyone. He wasn’t sure if their tenderness during the act was enough to justify the promiscuity.

There was that laugh again, the sound catching his attention and holding it like his favorite song always did. It sank into his mind, calming him.

“Don’t let the ritual give you the wrong impression of how we behave. Yes, sex is one of our key methods of survival, but if you could only conceive perhaps two children in as many decades, wouldn’t you try to take advantage of every opportunity you could?” She cocked her head cutely, but the words still sank in.

“So you’re telling me that the whole purpose for this ritual was to knock up all our women?” Corey’s voice rose in pitch. He was about to run out of the room and force condoms on all the other men, if he had to.

“Knock up?” She shook her head and stared at him, uncomprehending.

“Yeah, you know … impregnate them.”

“Oh, Sweet Mother, no! The ritual’s sole purpose is to awaken the brood. Impregnation is not possible until we leave the temple. And even then it’s not guaranteed for dragons, even if their mates are willing.”

“Oh.” Corey deflated and the rest of what she’d said finally caught up to him. He did the math. Five hundred years, the dragons had been here. In twenty years of what she suggested might be sex every bit as enthusiastic as what he’d just witnessed, they might conceive only two children? “Geeze, I’m sorry. How many dragons are there, anyway?”

“Several hundred. Our numbers are strictly monitored. There are never more than a thousand of us in any generation.”

“Christ. I’m one of seven kids. I have about a dozen nieces and nephews, too.”

Racha’s eyes widened at his confession. “How many humans are there now? When we slept there were maybe a few hundred million.”

“Ooh, there’s a lot more of us now. A lot more. More than seven billion, last count.”

Racha froze and stared at him, her mouth working, but no words came out.

Corey relaxed, the wide-eyed wonder at what was in store for Racha giving him the upper hand for the first time. He might still have an incredible hard-on for the beauty, but seeing her flustered over the idea of how outnumbered she and her brood were at least gave him some comfort. It didn’t make him stop wanting her, though. On the contrary, it made Racha—the Queen of Dragons—even sweeter to him. Suddenly she wasn’t this unusual creature who could do magic beyond his imagining, who could very likely command his cock with a twitch of a finger. Now she was just a young woman, embarking on a new life and very much out of her element.

His protective instincts kicked in and he shifted closer to her, reaching for her hands and holding them gently between his. She jumped at the sudden contact, and he realized it was the first time he’d touched her.

“Shh,” he said. “It’s really not so bad out there. You guys seem to like having more of us anyway, right?”

She recovered quickly, but didn’t remove her hands from his. Her grip tightened around his fingers and a jolt of pleasure shot between his thighs, reminding him of the perpetual hard-on he’d been sporting since the last room.

“Yes, but right now, I have you. Will you show me the ways of this new world? I know human nature well enough, but conventions shift. Will you help me, Corey?”

Was it crazy of him to want to say yes? She was just a girl trying to find her way, and she needed his help. Given that he had four younger sisters, he knew how thankless the task of older brother could be, but also how rewarding. Except he didn’t feel particularly fraternal toward this pretty young woman.

He sensed a strength in her that his sisters never had. Something iron-hard and probably razor-sharp that kept him from giving in and trusting her. He was attracted to that glimmer of strength, but wasn’t the least bit fooled by her plea.

“No, because I don’t trust you.” He grimaced and released her hands. He regretted having to disappoint her, but he had to tell her the truth. “I just can’t do this. I’m sorry. I’ll help if I can, but you’ll just have to find someone else to do the deed.”