Eternal Beasts

Truths Revealed

Fully intent on taking the first opportunity to explain why he now hid the fact he could speak to their dragons to Kaylee, Jared found himself thwarted time and time again as the flight stayed in the common room after their meal to drink and socialize. Ironically it was only when he took a moment to visit the inn's toilet that he got the chance. And it was Kaylee herself that seized the opportunity.

He grunted as, almost immediately after stepping out of the toilet, she was pinning him against the wall.

"Okay, what was that about, Jared?" she demanded to know, her expression hard as she looked up into his face. "Why make me look the fool for claiming you can speak to our dragons, then you denying you can?"

"I'm sorry about that, Kaylee," the tall human said with no little sincerity. "But one of the flight's dragons suggested we keep the fact that I can speak to their mounts without a bond a secret from their riders to avoid one of them accidentally letting slip to the cholim of my ability. Which would ..."

"Trigger an inquisition filled with torture to find out why we were hiding you from them!" the beautiful vahndim rider finished for him with a gasp, eyes wide with realization. Jared nodded in confirmation.

"Precisely. Your dragons don't want to see any of you get hurt and I agree. Neither do I." He reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Again, my apologies for making you look foolish. That wasn't my intent."

Kaylee nodded, her expression thoughtful now that she knew the reasoning behind his actions.

"Apologies accepted," she said before she looked back into his eyes. "Now we need to craft some sort of explanation as to how you were able to speak to Magnus, as I am unable to recant my own words and not look like a complete idiot!"

Jared slowly nodded as he considered a few possibilities himself. And in doing so, noticed she hadn't stepped back from pinning him against the wall, her body pressed deliciously against him still.

"There's still so much we don't know about the dragons," she began with a shake of her head. "As demonstrated by having no awareness of the Primary Dictum. If we had that, and the hundreds of books written afterward about the Beasts, maybe we could ..."

Abruptly she snapped her fingers.

"That's it, Jared!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with realization once again.

"What's it?" he replied with a frown.

"The angle we play. How much we still don't know about the dragons! We could say Magnus initiated the conversation when you physically touched him, using the contact to speak into your mind where a rider would only need to think of speaking to the mount and hear them in their mind, even from a great distance. That way we can protect the unique nature of the bond and reassure my comrades at the same time that they haven't lost what many consider so precious and dear to them."

Jared chuckled.

"You know, that could totally work," he said with a smile. "Well done, Kaylee."

"Thank you!" she said brightly, looking up in his face. Then, before either of them could speak further, she was standing on tiptoes even as her hands pulled his head down and her lips were warm and wet against his.

Caught by surprise, Jared could only do what came instinctually. He kissed her back, his arms going around her athletic form to hold her close.

Then, as abruptly as it had happened, she was pulling back out of his arms, her eyes filled with astonishment as she stared at him, hand over her mouth.

"Jared," she breathed through her hand. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. You were just there, and I was ... there, and ..."

Jared pulled in a quick breath, mostly to clear his thoughts of visions of kissing the beautiful vahndim rider more, along with a bunch of other things, and to calm down his pounding heart. It had been far too long since he had the opportunity to even talk to a woman as incredible as Kaylee was, little yet kiss her.

"It's okay, Kaylee," he managed to say. "I wasn't offended."

"No," the vahndim woman replied, her eyes wide as she drank in the vision of him standing in front of her.

Jared frowned.

"No??" he said, confused.

"No. I'm not sorry," she said. Then she was back up against him, her lips moving hungrily against his, her arms around his neck and head to hold him against her.

His passion surging, Jared took hold of the athletic rider and spun her around to be the one pinning her against the wall, lifting her off the ground to do so. In response, Kaylee groaned low in her throat and hooked her leg around his, the kiss deepening in a sensual surge of motion and effort.

His heart pounding so hard with building passion, he could feel it in his throat, Jared broke the kiss to make his way down onto her throat, licking and kissing over her throbbing carotid.

"Oh gods, yes!" she moaned, the light biting and kissing sending her hands roaming over his shoulders and the back of his head, pulling him closer. "Is your room upstairs? We need to get there now!"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked against her soft, sweet skin between kisses.

"Yes," she moaned. "And quickly, before I start taking off your clothes in this damn hallway!"

The morning's first light was tumbling through the room's only window when Kaylee sagged against him, breathing hard yet completely and finally satiated.

"You, sir, are gifted," she panted, rolling off him to let the big human curl around her, pulling his arms tight to her breasts and body. "I loved everything you did to me!" As she snuggled into him, she kissed his arm, licking off his sweat and kissing his skin again.

"That ... was incredible!" he agreed, barely managing to speak against his own panting, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal as the passion transformed into sensual afterglow.

"Mm," Kaylee replied, reaching around his arms to pull her hair aside so he could reach her neck. Seeing that, he obliged her and reached over her shoulder to gently bite and kiss the back and side of her neck, making her slowly writhe with pleasure against him in response.

They cuddled like that for a long while, slowly cementing and confirming what they had experienced during the night. Until:

- Forgive me, Kaylee, Jared, for interrupting but it is our rotation to fly patrol this morning, - Magnus apologetically said into both of their minds. - We must be a-wing in less than a half hour! -

"Damnit," Kaylee growled, pulling Jared's arms tighter around her. "I totally forgot I had a rotation this morning. That's your fault, you know. You've addled my mind with your unnaturally amazing skills at lovemaking."

"Just trying to keep up to you," Jared replied, kissing her neck, his touch eliciting another sigh of pleasure.

"Ha. I was barely holding my own. Speaking of, if I draw a bath, will you join me in it?" she asked, turning her head just enough to look at him. Jared nodded.

"I'll even wash your feet, if you like," he added, making her giggle.

"I knew I liked you for a reason!" she said with a delighted laugh.