Fix Me Up (Unknown Succubus Series book 2)

Dragons

Fear still sat heavily on my chest and my throat was too dry to breathe comfortable as I woke up. The air was still around me and my limbs relaxed slowly. I opened my eyes to see dark green scales bigger than both of my hands just inches from my face. Thankfully, I was no longer caged in his claws and instead I laid on my side just inches from a wall of scales that could crush me with the slightest movement.
   Upon further inspection I realized I was in an actual cave and living a cliche that made me want to gag. Judging by the loud huffing coming from winged Godzilla next to me I deduced that he was fast asleep. Silently, I sat up and inched away from Jasper and towards the direction I hoped the opening to cave was. I was not at all surprised to see my leggings had become a ripped mess from my eventful day. However, I was surprised to see dried blood on one of my arms. It was accompanied by a nasty scratch and I had a feeling it came from a certain dragon shifter's talons.
It was dark but a dying fire gave me just enough light to see in the darkness of the cave. I quietly stood up and tiptoed past the sleeping lizard. Fresh air blew my hair back as I neared the entrance. Right outside there was a giant boulder half buried in sand and gravel. It offered me a great place to do a silent victory dance for my freedom. Right as my feet settled atop the stone a warm band of pure muscle wrapped around my waist and I was lifted off the ground.
"Shit!" I cursed as I dangled in the air. Scales shimmered on the tail that was twisted around my body. The ground moved as the dragon stepped forward. A surprised squeal escaped me when he lifted me up higher until I was eye level with him. Those large golden brown orbs were narrowed in annoyance.
Running away already? Not the smartest move considering you have no idea where you are and there is no food or water nearby. He was right and he certainly sounded smug about it. Jasper lumbered back into the cave and relit the fire. I was dropped onto my butt next to it. He shifted and I watched a very muscular back disappear further into the cave. He reemerged with rolled up blankets tucked under one arm and two pillows under the other. Jasper had put on a pair of pants while he was gone and after setting up a makeshift bed he disappeared back into the darkness once again. This time he came out with water bottles and he tossed one to me along with a bag of beef jerky. He was lucky I wasn't vegan.
"Lay down, feisty girl." Jasper gave me a firm look and I obeyed the giant man because he could crush me with his damn pinky finger. I downed the entire water bottle after eating the beef jerky and then laid down on half of the blankets. He settled down behind me and I had a feeling he was blocking another escape attempt.
Luckily, I could be very patient and my sleep schedule was messed up enough that I could stay up for quite a few more hours. It was well into nighttime by now and he looked tired enough to fall asleep soon. Jasper didn't touch me or place an arm around me to keep me still which I was thankful for yet it was his mistake. I watched the fire for what had to be ten minutes before I was sure he was sound asleep again.
"Idiot." I whispered into the still air inside of the cave. The blankets softened the noise of me getting up and the sandy ground muffled my footsteps back to the cave entrance. This time I didn't pause outside, instead I took off running for the trees just a few feet away. An angry roar shook the ground beneath my feet and vibrated through the balmy night air. A cold sweat slid down my spine and I lost my footing momentarily. I wasn't fast enough to get into the tree line as a familiar thick tail of scales slid around my body and yanked me backward violently. My brain hit the inside of my skull painfully from the force of the jerk pulling me in the opposite direction.
No more antics tonight or I will leave you to fend for yourself all on your own. Jasper hissed into my mind before dropping me roughly on the blankets and curling around me like a wall of living scales and muscles. He kept his tail wrapped firmly around my abdomen and his huge head rested a foot away from me. He stared intently at me and I released a petulant huff before throwing myself backward onto the blankets.
   "Win the competition and you'll be fine, Aspen. No one is going to kidnap you if you're a queen, Aspen. You're safe Aspen." I spat to myself under my breath, bitter that I was once again trapped against my will. I was thrilled to be away from Luke and his hell hole of a castle but I didn't know who Jasper was or even anything about dragon shifters in general. I was clueless which usually landed me in bad situations. After burying my face in a pillow I forced myself to fall into a dreamless sleep.
I awoke to hot air whooshing over me as though I had just opened an industrial sized oven and stood myself directly in front of it. Jasper was sound asleep and breathing evenly over me. His giant head sat perched on one of his arms facing me as thought he had fallen asleep watching me intently. I was able to slide his tail down my body and replace my spot with one of the pillows. The lizard really was huge and he blocked off the way out almost entirely with his body.
There was the smallest space that I was able to squeeze through between his head and the side of the cave. I remained completely silent as I moved past and jogged back to the cave entrance. I remained paused for a moment to listen for Jasper. It was silent and I took off through the trees. Early morning sunlight warmed the ground as I moved. I glanced around wildly, choosing to look behind me instead of where I was running. My foot caught on a rock and I tumbled to the ground panting and sweaty. There was a rumble that drew my attention.
"Oh my god." I wheezed out as the rock I had tripped over whipped sideways and the ground shook apart. My jaw dropped as I realized the rock was attached to a dragon tail that was attached to a very scary looking dragon. His scales resembled boulder like armor and his eyes were pure black.
What is a rare creature like you roaming about for? His voice was gravely and frighteningly fascinated. I winced in pain as my features shifted. My hair became a curly red mess and my body became more curvy as my hips widened and my bust gained a cup size. My eyes remained green but they became more slanted and wider apart, giving me a doelike appearance. My nose became a bit smaller and freckles sprinkled across it. My mouth and height stayed the same but I was definitely in trouble if my appearance was changing without my control. I raised a hand to tuck my hair behind my ear and froze as my fingertips touched the pointed tips of my ears....I was an elf. Probably some type of nymph but I was still in the body of a damn elf.
"Just exploring?" My answer came out as more of a question and I cursed myself under my breath. This was a very bad situation.
You're a very valuable girl here, rare and beautiful and all mine. He lumbered closer and his tail reached out to grab me. I darted under it and stumbled a few feet away. He released a smug chuckle and I climbed to my feet and ran like a pack of hell hounds was closing in once again.
I was so focused on running that I didn't see the small cliff coming up and I ran right off of it. I fell through the air so fast I couldn't even scream before splashing into a pool of water. After breaking the surface I sputtered for air as I doggy paddled. What I hadn't realized was that as I had surfaced my features shifted again.
My hair was now down to my hips in length and as black as a crow's feathers. My skin took on a healthy tan and I grew two inches in my legs. My cheekbones became more pronounced and my nose more angular. My eyes darkened but remained green once again while my brows became thicker and darker as they arched proudly. My lips became fuller and plumped out into a sultry pout. My ears lost their pointed tips and I resembled a human once more. I remained curvy and my butt rounded out more. I looked like a gypsy or a belly dancer, sultry and exotic.
A wave of water hit me right in the face as something large emerged from the depths. "Are you fucking kidding me right now!" I spat out as the giant purple scaled reptile rose up. His wings were webbed as were his clawed feet. Bright blue eyes stared down at me curiously. Well, aren't you a gorgeous treasure. He was quick to wrap his tail around me and drag me closer.
"Let go of me!" I snarled, my voice sounding musical and sweet despite my nasty tone. Suddenly, the dragon took off under the water and I was dragged along behind him. There was a waterfall that he was beelining straight for. I shrieked as I was yanked through the harsh spray of water. After passing through it I was once again inside of a cave. I hovered at least four feet above the ground as the dragon carried me deeper into the cave. He plopped me on a ledge that was too tall and smooth for me to get down on my own without injury. I watched while cursing up a storm as he stuck his head into a tunnel and returned with a bundle of clothes in his jaws.
Dry off and dress in this, I don't want you getting sick so soon. He ordered before dropping a towel and some type of wrap style dress next to me. I did dry off but I refused to change with the glorified alligator in the cave watching me. Which I said to him, he was less than amused but he did leave the cave. I kept my torn leggings on but my jacket was ruined. By now I was regretting my choice of a sports bra and leggings but it was too late to do anything now. I used the dress to slide off of the ledge and onto the sandy ground. So far I had run into way too many dragons that were perfectly fine with keeping a random female they found. I certainly was not impressed at being equated to treasure.
"Thank god I'm good at escaping." I grumbled to myself before jumping under the waterfall and into the pool once again. I made it to the bank and crawled out of the water without an incident. Without looking back I strolled away from the water. This time I did not carelessly run and I checked for dragons regularly before stomping near them. I broke free from the forest and warily stepped out into an open field of waist high grass. A few yards away the grass thinned out to nothing and I wandered off that way. My feet were sore but I kept moving. My heart sunk as I reached the edge...as I looked over I saw nothing but clouds and blue sky. I was on a floating island surrounded by dragons. This was how I was gonna die.
I was too busy looking over the edge to see the large shadow nearing me at high speed. A scream ripped from my throat as my body shifted back to normal and I was grabbed by talons and lifted into the sky. I told you not to run, Aspen. Jasper sounded furious and I released a small startled noise as I recognized his voice.
"What did you expect? An obedient little girl that is going to listen to every word you say? I'm a Succubus with her own kingdom, I listen to no one but myself you overgrown lizard." I exclaimed angrily as he gained height in the sky.
You sure are thankful I rescued you from Luke and broke my treaty with him for you. He was less than impressed with me but I was ready to argue.
"I didn't need to be rescued because I can save myself. Besides who wants a fucking dragon keeping them hostage!" I screamed out.
You are a dramatic and rude little thing, I do not appreciate your behavior at all. Jasper approached another floating island only this one was much bigger and had what looked to be a town and a castle on it. He landed on top of the castle and shifted into his human form. I was dizzy and slightly motion sick from the ride so I couldn't move away when he wrapped an arm around my waist.
"Where the fuck am I?" I asked after regaining the sensation of actually having internal organs.
"You're in the dragon realm, more specifically you are in my home." Jasper led me into the castle and down a few stairwells and hallways.
"Realm? Like another world...there are other worlds? How does that work? How did we get here? How do I get back?" I bombarded him with questions that he ignored. Jasper opened a door and pushed me inside, he grabbed a servant from outside and ordered her to ready a bath. Apparently I stunk from my adventurous running spree away from him this morning.
I had thought my kingdom and Luke's were old fashioned...this felt like I was stepping into medieval times and time traveling completely unprepared. There was no shower just a large tub that three servants filled with hot water. Jasper left me with the strangers despite my physical protests and fighting. The women had no trouble stripping me down and pushing me into the tub. I sulked as they scrubbed my body raw and washed my hair. I came out of the bath smelling like a box of jasmine tea.
They thoroughly dried me off and dressed me in a chemise, corset, and dress. The dress was beautiful but extremely constricting. It was a beautiful emerald green with gold embroidery and a laced bodice that showed more than enough of my bust. The servants left me in the bedroom that connected to the bathroom and a platter of fruit, bread, and cheeses had been left for me. I snacked because I was genuinely hungry.
"I would like to see the female my brother brought here. I want to find out what is so special about the Succubus that he would break the peace treaty to take her." A female voice snapped outside of the door. Two of the servants were braiding my hair up intricately as I ate while the third stood outside the door to keep me inside and others out.
"I am sorry my lady, but he has forbidden anyone of coming in here and disturbing her." The servant answered in a scared tone.
"You will let me past or I will..." The woman didn't get a chance to finish her threat because I had crossed the room and ripped open the door. I pushed the servant aside and leveled a glare at the blonde beauty in front of me.
"You will leave her alone and take your problem up with your brother, got it?" I growled, feeling my power snap to life around me. The woman nodded and took a step back. That was when I noticed the group of people behind her. An older woman with similar features to her, a man that resembled both of them and a few servants and other people dressed in extravagant clothes.
"Feisty temper." The older woman observed before a smile crossed her face.
"I like her already." The man gave me a thorough once over with his eyes and looked impressed.
  "This is Aspen? Succubus ice queen?" Someone else questioned and honestly I didn't blame them. I looked like a delicate little girl wearing the dress and having my hair done up.
   "Jasper won't mind if we talk with the girl, after all she'll be here for awhile." The woman that I assumed was Jasper's mother approached me and wrapped a hand around my arm. Her daughter grabbed my other arm and I was led down the hallway and away from the growing crowd of spectators. Time for some family bonding with giant reptiles.