Wonderland Ch. 14

"Talon..." I began, trailing off at the shimmer his silver eyes took.

"If I had had the time, I would have pitched your tent for you," Talon said quietly, gesturing towards a small roll of wrapped buckskin beside the fire. "It's much sturdier than your lean-to. Warmer as well," he added, with a hint of a smile.

I swallowed rocks and looked over at my little lean-to, already blown down by the wind. "But my pack is there," I said lamely. "I'll go get it and‒"

"I will," Talon interrupted gently. "There's a spare roll inside. It's yours," he told me when I tried to speak again. "Take whatever furs you need."

It was futile to argue with him. We both knew my lean-to wasn't worth much and that the rising wind only promised more snow and perhaps even a freeze. He was offering me a warm place to sleep and a pile of fur besides. I'd be an idiot not to take it.

Swallowing my pride, I nodded and stepped into the tent without meeting his eyes. The fur dropped behind me, barring the cold air from getting through. Like a ghost, he moved silently away from the tent and into the darkness, where his shadow cast by the fire could no longer be seen.

Shivering, I dropped down and fumbled with the ties of the spare sleeping bag, my numb limbs prickling painfully with awareness as warmth began to creep in. By the time I had even undone the knots of the bag, Talon was already stepping through the entry, shaking snow off his wings.

"It's coming down already?" I asked in surprise.

Talon nodded. "The weather has been worse in these parts than in our valley. We were lucky there."

We both understood the implications of that but said nothing. If Raspans hid in these mountains, I wasn't surprised. I just hoped that our group would be able to find a place to hide as well, and that food held out. Nothing was worse than a cranky party of Elites, we all knew that.

Talon handed me my small pack jammed full of provisions before turning to his own. His pack had been modified considerably, due to his proportions, and his bed almost consisted entirely of furs. It looked far comfier than my meek pallet, but I didn't quite have the courage to test my theory.

When I had finally settled in, I looked to see Talon holding out a small bag from his pack. "It's jerky," he told me when I eyed it with contempt. "I would've made stew, but considering the weather, this will have to do for tonight."

I smiled a little then, understanding his frustration. Jerky and Lunar bread had been our fare for the past week. I couldn't even remember what homemade stew or fresh baked rolls even tasted like anymore.

"Thanks," I told him honestly. Talon merely nodded and relaxed onto his furs, gesturing me to take first dibs.

I divided up the loot and we ate silently, listening to the sound of the rising storm outside. The tent whipped back and forth, especially up at the top where it was exposed to the wind's full force. But inside, I was warm, and the silence was a blessing.

I hadn't even realized my eyes were closing until Talon murmured, "Tempest, lie down and rest. You're nodding off where you sit."

I merely tipped over onto my side and kicked the furs over me, drawing a low laugh from Talon.

Just before I slipped off into dreamland, I felt his tail creep over to mine. Through slits I peered across the furs at him, not surprised to see him reclined back, his silver eyes watching me. A tingle went up my tail to the base of my spine as Talon's tail gently grazed my new appendage before delicately draping over it.

I was too tired to pull away and too tired to keep my eyes open any longer. With a sigh, I greeted sleep with open arms.

The next morning, Talon and I woke to find our entire tent surrounded by a wall of snow. After Talon dug a tunnel (with his magic, the big showoff), we found the entire camp already awake -- and furious.

Sometime during the night, droves of Lunar had fled to the mountains, seeking shelter or fleeing to safety, no one was sure. Now, Lennox and other scouts were bringing back frozen bodies in carts intended for the wounded. Some of those wounded had died during the night, only adding to the body count.

"This is costing us another day on the walk," Kynan told Talon and me in a hushed growl, his orange eyes flashing with aggravation and sorrow as he watched his son bring in another cart full of bodies. "Until we have all of the missing accounted for, we can't press on."

"I'll go with the next search party," Talon told him, already tightening the bindings of his elk fur around his neck. "The snow isn't falling yet, so I can fly over and see in the distance if there are more."

Kynan nodded and walked towards Lennox to get numbers.

Talon turned to me, his expression softening as he took in my shivering frame. "Go back to the tent," he murmured. "You'll freeze if you stay out here too long."

I was in no condition to argue and I obediently hurried back to the tent as fast as my stiff legs could carry me.

The search parties continued well into the day, the last one coming back just before another round of snow and ice hit. The death toll was only a little over a hundred, but the impact that made on the people's morale was astounding. The wails from the mass funeral were nothing compared to this. I went throughout the camp, trying to console, but it was of little use. Mutinous grumbles and narrowed eyes followed me wherever I went. No one wanted the freaky dragon child near them, and I had a keen feeling that my words of encouragement or solace fell on deaf ears. Finally, I admitted defeat and entombed myself in Talon's tent sometime around midday.

But no matter what I had bundled up in, or how big I made the fire, the cold was still getting to me. By the time Talon came back from the search at dusk, I was numb to my core and I couldn't move.

"Gods, Tempest," he swore softly when he saw me, quickly stepping inside the tent and throwing the fur across.

I tried to protest as he pulled my cocoon of furs away, but my tongue wouldn't work. All I could do was hum angrily at him. Talon gently shushed me and stripped me bare until all that was covering me were my clothes. I shuddered out a cry when he pressed his warm body against mine, the heat so intense that my scales actually sizzled upon contact. His wings folded around the two of us, acting as insulation. Talon held me close as he piled the furs back on, his soothing words a gentle low growl against my ear, the actual content of them incomprehensible to me. I pressed my body into his, abandoning all pretense of pride or humility as my body tried to understand what it felt like to be warm again.

After an hour, maybe even longer, I'm not sure, I was warm enough to chatter out, "W-Why a-a-am I-I-I s-s-s-so c-cold?"

"Dragons hibernate in the winter," Talon murmured against my ear, his voice coming deep from within his chest. "You are only half dragon, so you can't hibernate safely. You aren't meant to get this cold, ever."

I pressed my face against his neck, apologizing to him when he swore about my cold nose.

"G-Good thing I-I have you t-t-then to-o w-warm m-me up," I stammered.

Talon said nothing, but his arms tightened around me, so much so I almost couldn't breathe.

Those next few hours were the longest of my life. Torn between wanting to sleep and being incapable of doing so had me fidgeting in his arms, restless and irritated so much so that I wanted to cry.

Finally I had enough.

"T-Talon, I c-can't do t-this anymore," I sobbed. "I can't s-sleep, I c-can't get warm..."

Talon sighed softly against the top of my head. "Then we'll stay awake," he told me, his voice low and rough.

When our eyes met, something warm stirred below my belly button and my skin began to tingle.

Our tails tightened around one another, his fighting for dominance over mine, and then I knew.

"Talon," I breathed as his body settled on top of mine, the weight foreign but yet familiar.

"I don't think..." I whispered, losing my train of thought as a single claw caught the neck of my sweater and pulled like a knife through melting butter to the hem.

His silver eyes glowed as he did the same to the fabric of my bra, his nostrils flaring slightly as he took me in.

I still had a mind to protest until the smooth curved back of a single claw ran down the center of my torso, starting at the dip of my throat, trailing through the slight valley between my breasts, and dipping over my belly button to trace the top of my jeans.

By then my body was on fire and I wasn't that naïve to not understand why.

"Don't," I told him when he began to pull away, his eyes shutting down.

"Tempest, I'm not in enough control to..." Talon swallowed thickly and met my gaze, his eyes molten and swirling with heat. "I'm not in control," he said firmly.

I lifted one of his hands and rested it on my breast, licking my dry lips nervously. "I'm not asking you to be," I whispered.

Talon closed his eyes with a deep growl, knowing that the decision ultimately lied with him.

"There have to be...rules, or guidelines or something," Talon grit out almost desperately, his tail lashing across the furs as I pressed my hips against his loincloth, brushing over his swelling need.

"There doesn't have to be any," I replied shakily, noticing vaguely that my chattering was gone, but that my body still trembled.

After I hooked my legs around his waist and tugged his lower half down on top of me, Talon closed his eyes and growled out, "Dear fuck."

The curse was so absurdly human and male that I couldn't help but laugh.

Talon slowly opened his eyes and the laughter bubbling up in my chest grew at the indignant expression on his face.

Suddenly, Talon leaned down and covered my mouth with his, silencing my laugh for good. His mouth gentled when he felt me go slack beneath him and soon the fiery tingles in the pit of my stomach grew to fever pitch.

When he broke the kiss, I was tugging on his muscled arms, wanting him closer. "Talon," I murmured softly against his full swells.

Talon responded with a light growl and lowered himself to his elbows, his hips grinding against mine in a slow, rocking rhythm. His growl deepened when my nails caught the skin of his shoulders and the responding thrust to my thighs was so sharp that it cut out my breath.

When our eyes met, I was almost positive that Talon would jump me then, the look in his eyes told me he wanted to very, very, very much. But when he slowed his hips and gently stroked my hair away from my face, I knew he had controlled himself enough to give me what I needed.

After placing a soft kiss on my lips that had my bones melting, Talon continued to undress me, though his claws were too much of a hassle with my jeans and I had to do that myself. My underwear though, he almost lovingly pulled away, though I had no idea why.

I swallowed hard as his mouth followed the same path his hands had taken, my need overriding my insecurities as his lips, tongue, and hands explored my small breasts. His talons gently flicked my budding nipples, playing and pinching them between the nails and fingers in time with the long dexterous tongue that seemed intent to lather my entire chest, as though tasting me.

When I stroked his hair back from his face, carefully to avoid the sharp spikes, Talon shuddered and pressed his cheek against my palm, his silver eyes practically pleading that I not stop.

I didn't.

I stroked as far down his body as I could, only able to reach his upper back at best. His muscles rippled beneath the soft scales at the touch, jumping beneath my fingers when I used my nails.

Talon reluctantly left my breasts to explore the valley between the soft red curls at my thighs, a smile never leaving his lips as he ran his knuckles over my inner legs, ultimately avoided that aching, tingling area that I wanted him to touch the most.

In recant, I used the tip of my tail to run along the hard, veined length that had escaped the confines of his loincloth, lingering on the swollen tip. I smirked down into his face when his eyes shot up to meet mine in surprise.

"Tease," I accused him with a giggle.

"Impatient," he parried back, his smile broadening.

Before I could ask him what that ridiculous grin was doing on his face, something blunt pressed against my folds and slipped between to run along the center of the hot silken valley. When his tip playfully flicked at the swollen, hard nub at the top I knew I was finished.

"OHMYGOD," I blubbered frantically, clinging tightly to his arms to anchor him right where he was.

Talon flicked his tail again and again and again, the tip driving me insane within no time at all. He pulled back his tail when I came down from the high shaking and gasping for air, the lights still exploding behind my eyes. He pushed up on his arms and pressed his tail against my lips, seeking entry.

At the question mark that was undoubtedly written all over my face, Talon smirked, his half-lidded eyes suddenly smoldering down at me. "Taste," he said simply.

A different kind of flush came to my cheeks as I tentatively parted my lips and captured the tip of his tail between them. Talon growled hotly as my tongue flicked out along the dewy scales, tasting myself. His hips jerked forward a little when I drew it into my mouth and began to softly suck, a growl escaping his throat when my hands undid the knots of the loincloth at his thighs and pushed the fabric down long trim legs. Talon watched with slowly darkening eyes as I licked and nibbled over the end of his tail, his hips jerking slightly in time with my bobs.

Without warning, Talon pulled his tail from my lips and captured them with his own in a wet, passionate kiss, stealing away my breath as his tongue slipped between the swells to duel with my own. Talon growls rumbled around in his chest, the sounds making him vibrate against me. I reached up to wrap my arms around him, needing him much, much closer. My hands gently rubbed the space between his wings, making him shudder out a gasp.

"And you called me a tease?" he growled huskily, his silver eyes dancing. I grinned up at him and nipped on his lower lip, earning another throaty groan.

"Says the man who is keeping me waiting," I teased against his jaw.

Talon sealed his mouth over mine in a bruising kiss. At the same time, one of the hands on my breasts slid possessively down my belly to my thighs where he tested my dripping apex with his knuckles before leaving my skin completely. Something larger and hotter slipped between my folds and slowly drug up and down the path, gathering my excitement as he went. I closed my eyes as he breached me, my breath caught somewhere in my throat.

The pain was indescribable.

I was stretched beyond my limit to accommodate just the tip of him, and the more I tried to relax, the more the pain seemed to grow. Talon's kiss was making my head dizzy with lack of air, and soon my thoughts were nothing more than a jumble of words.

Talon broke the kiss just before I thought I was going to faint to capture the tears on my face, still pressing his hips forward until it felt like he was going to split me in two.

"You have all of me, little one," he shuddered out hoarsely a minute later, his breath hot and ragged against my forehead.

Thank God, I couldn't help but think.

Suddenly, Talon was moving again, this time away from me. The dull ache in thighs became sharp pain again and I couldn't stop the cry that escaped my lips.

"It'll be better soon, Tempest," Talon promised throatily against my ear, his breath catching in his throat when my body tensed around him.

I hissed when Talon thrust forward his blunt tip again, but I couldn't help but to gasp softly at the loss as he pulled out. Soon, a rhythm began to build and I found my body rising up to meet his, despite the pain. His lips distracted me further with soft, teasing kisses on my ear and along my jaw, his tongue sweeping out to collect the sweat behind my earlobe. When his lips pressed against the curve of my neck, suckling hard on one tender spot, a wave of heat flashed through my body again and my hips snapped up, knocking us off the groove he had made. Talon chuckled darkly against my neck and sucked harder with teeth, bringing waves of pleasure rolling back through me.

This time when Talon began to move in slow, gliding thrusts, I gladly kept up with him, no longer afraid of the pain because it simply wasn't there anymore. Soon, the tingling heat in my thighs started to take control of my better sense and without thinking I whispered, "More."

With a smile, Talon began to thrust, hard and deep until I was begging him to never, ever, stop, no matter what I threatened or if the sky fell on top of us or if a giant furry yeti came barreling into our tent with the intent to kill.

When Talon rose above me to set a faster, more brutal pace, I couldn't help but marvel over his glistening muscled chest and his almost feral silver eyes. He was something out of a horror novel, but yet, he was so fucking beautiful.

And he was mine.

Digging my nails into his strong hips, I pulled him harder into me, ignoring the soft pain as he battered my womb. "More, Talon," I whispered thickly. No sooner had I strangled out the words did he obey, his hips snapping forward harshly. Only his tight hold on my hips kept me from sliding across the furs, and the hold only tightened more so when I began to shake beneath him.

"T-Talon..." I stammered, digging my heels into the tight, bunching muscles of his lower back. It was coming, fast and hard and I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to. The tingling grew into white-hot flames, so hot that sweat began to bead and run down my body.

"That's it, Tempest," Talon growled deeply, his fangs flashing as he spoke. "Come for me, little one."

Something about his command moved me. As I stared up into Talon's eyes, I felt my body come apart at the seams. As I shattered, Talon's hips moved like a piston into me, faster and faster, each thrust bringing me closer to the brink until finally...I was there.

My body jerked sharply beneath his and an explosion like I had never felt before rippled through my limbs.

"TALON!" I cried out as pleasure like nothing else I had experienced consumed me.

Gasping hard against his chest, I clung tightly to his body, as though to reassure myself that he was real, that what had just happened to me wasn't some dream. The soft tingles and jolts inside me continued, unintentionally squeezing my muscles around Talon's steel-hard length.

Talon lifted up my chin and kissed my trembling lips sweetly, a counterpoint to the even less impatient thrusts that he speared into me with.

Rolling his hips once, then twice, Talon suddenly tilted back my neck so our eyes could meet. At that moment, Talon came with a powerful thrust, his head snapping back as he released a tumultuous roar.

As he swelled and gave inside me, his wings flew out from his back with two loud snaps, the forceful flurry scattering clothes and furs hard against the sides.

When Talon lowered his head again, his eyes locked onto the raw and still damp flesh on the curve of my neck. Without needing to be told, I reclined my head back for him and waited.

I didn't have to wait long.

As soon as his fangs sunk into my skin, a strong surge of energy passed from him to me, the potency of it increasing with every pull on my veins. I found myself trembling beneath him again in no time at all, writhing and tingling with need once more.

Talon began to thrust sharply, the wet slap of our bodies meeting only heightening the tension between us. Talon gently extracted his fangs from my neck a few moments later, the soft tug against my skin sending lightning bolts straight to my thighs. Almost instantly I peaked again.