The Witch and the Dragon Ch. 17

"It was no big deal, baby. It happened this morning." Remi tugged out a shorter piece of hair from the nape of his neck. "The piece he tried to color fell off. It was only a few inches from this strand."

Rowie grasped the short piece with a scowl. "You are never to do anything to yourself without asking me first. Do you understand?"

Remi snickered until she yanked his hair harder. "Alright-alright." He kissed her scowling face. "Whatever my mistress desires. Don't get riled, baby. I don't like seeing you upset. That's why I hadn't said anything. I'm sorry." He leaned over her belly to kiss her lips, but she winced gripping her belly with two hands. Remi's hand opened over her belly as he leaned down to it. "Hey, you two. Stop kicking mama's kidneys every time she gets excited for daddy. You're screwing up our sex life."

Zak watched, amused, as Rowie swatted Remi, aghast. "Don't say that to them."

Remi frowned. "But it's the truth."

"They're going to think you don't love them."

Remi grinned caressing her squirming belly. "Oh, they know daddy loves them. They just like seeing daddy horny and frustrated, but I plan on getting even when they're big enough to get laid." All movement in Rowie's belly ceased and Remi's grin grew broader. "Thought that would grab your attention," he snorted.

"Shit," Seth gaped. "They understand you already?"

Remi chest literally puffed out. "Of course. These are Red Dragon babies."

Zak rolled his eyes. "Getting back to our problem. We obviously can't change our hair and eyes, so what can we do now?"

"Wait," Remi interrupted again. "I didn't say we couldn't change our eyes."

Zak shook his head. "Just changing our eye color won't make us look much different."

"But it's a start. Would you be willing to cut your hair?"

Rowie gasped and almost shot out of Remi's lap. "Remi is not cutting his h—"

"Easy, baby," he scolded her softly. His gaze leveled on Seth again. "If we go short, when we shift into dragon form our horns will be shorn. I'm pretty sure my dragon side will go insane without horns."

Zak frowned. It all clicked inside his head as he remembered how he'd break out in a nervous sweat whenever he went for a haircut. His father had hated that he never cut it shorter than waist length, and he knew that when he was a child he had freaked out so badly they never pressed the issue.

Seth scratched his chin, deep in thought. He suddenly leaned forward, staring at Zak. "Most people shy away from Seraphs. How do you feel about wings?"

Zak mouth fell open. "Wings? That's how you plan on hiding me? I'm six-foot-seven—"

"Built like a starfreighter," Remi added.

"Two hundred and sixty pounds," Zak continued ignoring Remi's chuckle. "You put a pair of fluffy white wings on me and you might as well sell tickets."

Seth grinned. "I didn't say the wings were going to be white."

Zak gasped.

"Fuck—you're evil, Seth," Remi laughed.

***

Eriel had flown away, saying he needed to find Zakreel and Lucien. Alluna decided to help with chores and assisted Niggit collecting kindling for the kitchen stove and ovens.

"Was your family killed by raids too?" Niggit asked.

Alluna pondered the thought. She didn't know about any family other than mama... and this aching void inside of me. Did I have family... ever? "I can't seem to remember," she finally answered.

Niggit nodded. "My family immigrated here from Maroogsh. I was very small, but I think our planet was struck with old debris from alien battleships from the big war. A virus broke out from the contaminated debris and the dead were getting back up and attacking the living." Niggit's shudder echoed Alluna's as she imagined the horror of such a thing.

"How awful," she said sincerely.

"Yeah. But when we got here, our little town was run over by these strange creatures with glowing red eyes. They killed almost everyone before the wolves came in."

"Wolves?" Alluna stared fascinated at the boy.

Niggit nodded. "My mum and da hid me beneath the floor boards of our cabin. I remember peering out through a crack under the porch and saw when they ran into the village and started tearing up the ugly red-eyed monsters. They didn't reach my cabin in time though and mum and da were killed."

"Oh, I'm so very sorry, Niggit."

The boy shrugged. "It was a very long time ago. The wolves found me and took me out of my hiding place along with a few other children... including Red."

"Red?" Alluna frowned.

Niggit motioned with his chin toward the forest.

Alluna followed his narrowed gaze. The young girl from that morning strolled with her red cape flapping in the breeze into the forest. In her hand, she held the large basket she'd taken from the cupboard.

"She's up to no good, that one."

Alluna blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

Niggit scowled, his lips tightening in anger. "She's cruel. She blames the wolves for her family being killed. There's this young omega pup she's been teasing. He won't go near her, but she's trying to get him to...to do naughty things with her."

Alluna's jaw dropped. "B-but if she hates wolves... why would she...?"

Niggit shook his head. "I think she wants to hurt him. He's docile enough for her to hurt him and I don't want to begin to imagine what horrid tortures she has in mind for that pup."

Alluna shot to her feet. "That's awful. A puppy? How could she hurt a cute little puppy?"

Niggit grimaced. "Well, he's usually in human form and is about a year or so younger than us, but he's a big boy really. Most werewolves tend to be bigger than the average humanoid."

Alluna looked to where the girl had disappeared. "Shouldn't we try to stop her?"

Niggit looked uncomfortable, and Alluna realized he was scared. "She won't do anything to us, Niggit. We really need to stop her. What if she lures him to her this time? We need to stop her and tell mama Goose about this."

Not waiting for his answer, Alluna gripped his hand and headed into the forest.

"She usually heads to the river," Niggit whispered taking the lead now.

"What does she do there?"

Niggit scowled. "You don't want to know."

Alluna bit her lip, but followed him quietly through the woods.

The trees weren't very thick here. They looked like saplings with their silvery trunks no thicker than one of her legs and their bright yellow-green leaves. Clouds covered most of the sky giving a soft white glow to the daylight while birds twittered merrily around them. Up ahead, Alluna heard the rush of water as the scent of it began to fill her nostrils.

The foliage around the river grew denser, the trees looking older and larger. Niggit reached back, gripping her arm in a signal to stop. He turned, his brown eyes wide as he put a finger over his lips. He then jerked his thumb over his shoulder and crouched behind a bush.

Alluna moved in next to him and peered through the leaves of their hiding place.

Fifteen paces away, Red spread out a blanket and then proceeded to reach under her short dress. She'd changed into a white blouse with a pale rose corset and another very short pleated grey skirt. Alluna saw the black leather garters that held up her lacy white stockings and the scrap of satin pink panties she slid down her legs.

Alluna's jaw dropped. When the girl bent over, her ass to the river, she caught sight of another boy on the other side. He was tall, as Niggit had said. Muscles bulged on his young... naked and aroused body. Oh no.

The boy's face was flushed, his mouth hanging open as he stared in obvious fascination at the naughty girl.

When he took a step toward the river, Alluna rushed out shouting, "No. Stop."

The boy jumped in fright and then disappeared in a flash.

Red reared up quickly, rage in her eyes as she stared daggers at Alluna.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alluna demanded of her.

The girl's expression turned innocent. "What are you talking about?"

Niggit stepped up next to Alluna, wringing his fingers.

"You were flashing that were. Shame on you."

Red gasped in feigned horror. "I was going to go for my afternoon swim. I didn't know there was a dirty little werewolf there."

"That's not true," Niggit blurted. "I've seen you strip yourself bare and touch yourself so that he can watch."

Red's eyes narrowed. "Hmmm. So you watch me masturbate too, Niggit? Does it get you hard? Does it make you cum?"

"Stop it," Alluna gasped. "You're too young to be teasing boys that way."

The girl sneered at her. "Young? Just how old do you think we are, stupid? Niggit and I are well over a hundred sun orbits. Besides, you should talk. You reek of dragon, you're obviously pregnant from the scent I smell coming off you, and last night you slept with a reaper and a devil. Slut. At least I'm still a virgin," Red spat.

Alluna reared back. Pregnant? She was pregnant?

Red gathered her belongings and stomped away.

Alluna crumpled to her knees.

"A-are you okay?" Niggit asked timidly.

Alluna opened her mouth, wanting to answer, but her throat failed to function.

Pregnant.

The ache in her chest bloomed tighter. Her lover had deflowered her, gotten her pregnant, and then obviously abandoned her. She wrapped her arms around her middle feeling her eyes well. Did he not love her? How could she love someone whose face and name she could not remember? Did he erase her memories of him so she wouldn't demand anything from him? Anger stirred along with grief.

If that's the way the bastard that had left her, abandoned and pregnant, wanted things to be... then so be it.

"I'm fine," she got out through clenched teeth, wanting with everything she had inside to hate the father of her poor baby. Instead she doubled over and sobbed at the loss.