Dragon's Challenge - D. R. Rosier Page 0,25
two centuries of his walkabout, but his instincts wouldn’t allow him to relax and just take it for granted. He’d be happy when it was filled and done, but his heart already ached at the thought his grandchildren with Stephanie will have already returned to dust when that happened.
He wouldn’t let that color his joy in his bride, however.
The week went quickly. Outside of taking care of his monster’s appetites in bed, he spent every single moment in her company. They often touched and were affectionate, and they made love at the drop of a hat. More than once he’d taken her hand and walked with unseemly haste to the bedroom, so he could ravish her. His princess was breathtaking, and her appetite for sex was insatiable during that time. He knew that would cool eventually, she didn’t have his drive or his other lover’s monstrous libido, but he suspected that wouldn’t happen for a long time.
Or maybe not at all, if Shar’s influence through lust projection kept her on edge.
His other ladies were with them almost half the time, the other half of the time they went down into the city to research business opportunities and to take care of the ale empire they’d built. So far, there hadn’t been any foolish attempts or attacks made against any of them, though he was aware not everyone was as sanguine about Shar. Most people seemed surprisingly fine with it though, and those that weren’t also weren’t brave enough to face him.
It was a relaxing and fun week in his life, where not much else happened until the last day they were together. They were in bed, and he loved the feel of her warm silken supple skin against his body, as he cradled her after their lovemaking.
“I’m going to miss you.”
He smiled, “I’ll be gone a couple of days, for the ride out from Arrowreach to Highpass.”
Highpass was the last village to the east, very close to the shore, and a couple of days south of the port city.
He added, “No nights in inns though, just on the road. As soon as I get there we’ll come home for a night, then deal with any monsters and move on the next day.”
She pouted.
He kissed her lingeringly, “I’ll miss you too.”
She commanded, “You’d better.”
He nodded, “There’s something else we need to discuss, something April and Willow told me last night.”
She bit her lip, “What is it?”
He said, “It’s been long enough to discover the truth since I bonded you last week. You’re aging has slowed significantly. In two hundred years you’ll barely look thirty, and you’ll have at least another thousand years to live. So, you’ll have to decide if you’re coming back with me or not, you’ll also have to decide when to step down in favor of our children.”
She bit her lip, “Do you want me to come?”
He chuckled, “Desperately, Steph. But there won’t be any other humans around, they give our lands wide berth.”
She sighed, “But I’ll have Nysa, April, Willow, Tansya, and Shar, won’t I?”
He nodded, “Yes, but you’ll also have your great, great, great, and maybe great, great, great grandchildren here.”
Her face blanched, “I’ll outlive my children, and grandchildren.”
He nodded, “I’m afraid so, though I’m selfish enough to be thankful for that. My heart will darken the day you leave me.”
She melted against him, and nibbled on his neck, “My first thought is I’ll come with you, but I need to really think it through. Your monsters are growing on me, and in a lot of ways they’re wonderful companions. I can’t imagine ever being apart from you like that, but two hundred years is a long time.”
He growled, “You’re mine.”
She giggled, and said a little breathlessly, “Prove it.”
He pushed her onto her back, and got between her legs, and did just that. Twice, and quite forcefully and wildly, to her delight.
They were snuggled up again after, and she said, “I will come with you, always come with you, always be yours, love. As for our children, I will step down when they are ready, and not before. Be they twenty-five, thirty, or even older. We’ll see what happens then, we might move to the smaller castle in the port city, to give them room to rule as they will. Otherwise I’ll be worrying and fretting over their every decision. We could still visit once a week.”
He nodded, assuming life was accommodating to their plans and wishes that sounded fine. No one knew how many days