Creed

The witch left me in a trance. Who would put black magic on me and when could have this possibly happened? Rubbing my chest, I realize it could be none other than my brother, but I could not speculate so quickly. It would take a witch to procure the spell and for however long this spell had been upon me, I wasn't sure.

Was it even a spell that blocked the mate bond or another spell entirely? I growled outwardly, causing several elves to jump in their seats. I soften my eyes the best I could to keep the elves from becoming too distressed. They were jumpy creatures besides their leader, but now they have just become more curious about Odessa's and I's relationship.

I've heard the many whispers, especially the ones directed towards me. His face is hideous. What does that human see in him? He's powerful, but he isn't powerful enough to catch a human of her beauty. I was used to all the talks behind my back. They no longer stung like they did in my former years.

Now that I was hearing talks of Odessa, my dragon became angry and possessive. "I bet I could steal her away," one elf at the far end of the table raised his ale. "She seems to like the dangerous type and I am one of the best warriors! Look at my scars! If I show her one look of the scar on my chest, she would melt into my palm!" My eyes narrowed, looking at the oblivious elf. He did not know what he was getting into.

"Well, I think it's silly," another Elven whispered. "She is giving up her chance at a true mate bond. What if this vampire is really sorry? What then?" My body flinched, my one foot already planted into the ground to raise to my full height until Daine spoke.

Of course he would.

"You all are a bunch of idiots!" he slurred his ambrosia. His mate was holding him steady as he rose to his feet. "You seriously think that after all the abuse and shit she went through for six months, she would crawl back to the blood-sucker! The whole thing screams red flags! 'I'm sorry, baby,"" he acted out with his partner. "I didn't mean to suck your blood, make you feel pain, give you scars, and throw you in a dungeon. Be my mate and I'll treat you better!" Daine put his hands together, pleading.

Daine stands up, changing his demeanor and flips back his hair, "oh yes, baby, I forgive you!" he speaks in a high pitch voice. "That, my friends,..." he pulls a large glass up to his face to drink another.. "Is what we call an abusive cycle because if he hurt her once, he could hurt her again. Now, mind your own damn business before I spill all of your,..." he hiccuped, "... gossip so Creed can have a laugh!" The elves retreated, grumbling obscene things to Daine, who had not a care in the world.

"You treat her right," Daine raised his glass again. "And kill that motherfucker." I chuckled, nodding as I sat back down on the cushions. Maybe Daine wasn't so terrible after all.

Odessa continued to dance with Willa, the ambrosia taking full affect of her body. She was no longer stiff like she was before around the crowd. Now she danced freely among the others. Most of the elves were showing kindness, teaching her new dancing techniques and learning them with ease.

My Fawn was graceful. She floated around the fire as if she was one. Her dress would blow up to her knees, showing the beautiful painted gold pattern on her legs. Her eyes were now sparkling with mischief as Leaf, the small boy with the unruly hair, demanded he dance with her. She picked up the small thing, swinging him around in her arms. They both laughed as she tried to scold him about his hair.

As soon as she put him down after the song, he pulled on her arm, causing her to bend over. The sweet kiss the boy left on her cheek made her blush furiously, almost as much as my kisses did. The little boy ran away screaming, "Lore! I kissed her cheek!" Lore began laughing, waving at Odessa while she stood there with her mouth hanging open.

Odessa, kicking up the dirt around the fire and her feet finally hitting the lush grass she comes up to me. "I need a drink!" Daine's attention was now diverted from his mate, who he was now passionately kissing.

"Have this!" he winked, going back to Tangle, who pulled Daine to straddle his lap. Odessa looked inside, first with both, then one eye, focusing on the liquid. She shrugged her shoulders and gulped the whole thing down in one go. I pulled the cup away from her quickly, realizing it wasn't ambrosia, but now an elven drink that will surely have her sleeping soon.

"Creed!" She giggled excessively. "You are so handsome. Did you know that?" My body stiffened as she straddled my lap. Her hands running through my pulled back hair and around my shoulders. "I thought you were a Viking God when I first saw you. So tall, handsome, rugged. Even my dreams couldn't picture a better looking specimen." My heart scrambled. She thought I was so appealing, even with my scars.

No one has told me I was handsome, yet she continued to do so.

"And you have the biggest thingy I have ever seen!" It was my turn to blush, feeling not the heat of my dragon but of my face. "I mean, I haven't seen many, just yours actually, but I think you are above average. No, wait, well above average. In fact, I'm not sure if it would even fit me!"

Gods, I didn't think of that.

What if it doesn't?

Odessa giggled louder, pecking my face with her lips. "Silly Lizard, you worry too much. Women can push a baby out, why could you not put it..." she threw her head back, pointing between our lower bodies, "in?" Odessa's breasts heaved heavily, the music picking up once more.

Her eyes fluttered back to the fire.

"Dance with me?" Many mated couples, children and their families came around the fire. A final fire dance I used to be left out as a child. Not even the other male children asking me to join in a warrior dance with them while the mated stayed together. This would be my first, my first time to dance and with my mate.

My lip curled, Odessa stood up from my lap, pulling on my arm. "Come on now Prince Charming, don't leave your damsel in distress all distressed-like!" Her dilated pupils glistened with the light. Her dress hugging underneath her teats as both her arms pulled mine. My heart lightened seeing her so carefree, I would be sure to give her the life she has always wanted to see her like this all the time.

Standing to my full height, I towered over not only Odessa but the elves as well. Many watched as I approached. I became nervous as people watch me, but I had to remind myself this was for Odessa. I would have to use my body to seduce my mate.

This was for her, and her alone. Many nights I thought about what I would do if I was granted such a gift as a mate. This day should have never come, yet here she was dancing before me. Her soft hips rolled and her arms waved into the air freely, as if she was a siren in the sea. I capture her waist, pulling her back close to torso. Swaying my hips with hers in the music's beat, she followed eagerly, finally turning around pressing her ample teats next to my chest. My hands roamed her body, my dragon taking over. My tail had already emerged, wrapping tightly around her ankle.

I dipped and twirled her, just as the elves did with their mates. Odessa tried to dance away, but I always pulled her back so my nose goes right into her neck. My dragon's tongue licked her shoulder, my teeth itching to sink into her beautiful, slender neck. Her soft moans, her hands behind my head had me capturing her lips. Her warm mouth tasted of the ambrosia she had drank, my tongue tasting every corner of her mouth.

"Creed," her eyes clouded with desire while my hands roamed her back, feeling the two dimples that had me constantly circling. My mouth didn't let go, becoming hungry pulled her around my waist. The music sped up. Bodies danced around us in erotic waves of tension.

My dragon vibrated, smelling the heat of her arousal even with the many bodies that trailed their own scents. Many elves dispersed, but Odessa paid no mind as the music finally came to a stop. We were in our own world, and didn't care about anything else. The fire continued to roar into the minutes we now sat kissing by the fire.

It was the perfect moment, the moment I always wanted, to feel included, loved and most of all have a mate I never thought I would have. My fawn curled up in my lap, her eyes growing heavy from the ambrosia slowly leaving her body. "It's so beautiful here," she whispered. "I never would have thought that just seven months ago, but it really is. The best part about it, though, is you were here. I would have sat in darkness for much longer if I knew you were on the other side waiting for me."

I craved to tell her, with my voice that I loved her, not that voice of my dragon. The many things I would say to her, such as how beautiful she was, and I did not deserve such a mate. How her body makes me feel things I've never felt or understood and how I was relying on my dragon to show me the way.

My Fawn's body became limp, her head lulling into my shoulder. As much as I wanted to make love to her, it had been a long day. I had also wanted to mate with her in our nest, the one I had meticulously renovated since she had arrived in my life. Many more furs for comfort, my most prized possessions around the bed. If I was a rich dragon, I would have the finest jewelry hung with care. Her picking whatever she wanted to wear every morning.

However, all I had were the snow white furs, several broken pieces of mirrors and my traditional decorative weapons. My nest proved to be subpar than that of my brother's and Amora but it was the best I could give.

Razak trotted up next to us, his head pushing under my elbow. His gentle whine, nudging Odessa, had her bury her nose further into my chest. Looking up into the sky, the translusent leaves now parted since the rain and left earlier today was now showing the blue moon in the sky. I wanted to pray to the Goddess for blessing Odessa to me, but technically, she wasn't supposed to be mine.

She was to be another, and I thanked Hades for that.

Picking her up tenderly, I carried her to the platform to our temporary nest. It was small and in a traditional 'bed,' as the elves called it. Only a few furs and a cotton padding shielding us from the wooden table. Odessa's eyes, still adorned with the beautiful paints, I gently washed away. Her beautiful skin was still marred with the gold paint.

I hesitated, wanting to find my name amongst the tangles. Waiting, I smiled to myself. I'd wait until dawn until she was ready for me to trace every inch of her body and find it. Placing my forehead to hers, I kissed her lips. Her body immediately reacting wanting to come closer.

Tucking her in tightly, like a newborn fledgling, I took my leave from the bed. It was now time to find out what black magic had been cursed upon me. Leaving my vest on the nearby chair, watching Razak curl up beside her, I shut the door, hoping to return a new dragon.

....

I kept quiet, trampling through the fallen leaves. The soil was thick between my toes as I entered the small clearing where I had met Glinda on my first day. There she stood, with her black cloak with the golden swirls. Three other figures with the same cloaks stood close by.

"He's here," she whispered to the other three. They all took off their hoods. They all had similar facial features, the small faces and the overworked hands. As I entered, they all had smiles on their faces. "These are my sisters. Gloria, Gemma, Genesis. We are going to combine our powers to relieve you of this black magic. It is strong and it will be difficult to rid of your body." My body towered over the four. They all stood back a few steps, realizing the height at which I stood. "I think we may need another. Would our brother come?" Glinda shook her head. "No time. There is a war upon us, and Creed and Odessa are right in the middle of it. If he is to protect the humans, he needs to have this removed." Glinda began dropping salt into a large circle around the group. "There is only one thing I ask, Black Dragon," her body shook as she completed the circle. "That once the war begins, know that not all vampires, witches and sorcerers are not evil. For there may be few of us, but we remain loyal to the Moon Kingdom and the Light Kingdom."

This was true, Glinda had shown no malice, and keeping this in mind would be vital, especially when my dragon goes into his battle mind-set.

I bowed my head, crossing my arm over my chest. The rest of the witches visibly sighed with relief. "Thank you," they all whispered separately.

"Now, another gift." Glinda held a vial attached to a necklace. Beckoning me to bow, I held my head over so she could place it around my neck. "This potion will give you an hour, maybe two, of regaining your voice." My eyes widened, my hand gripping the vial like a precious gem. "There are no more of the flowers to create a potion powerful enough to permanently fix your voice, but I'm sure Odessa would love to hear your words leave your lips, even if it was for a few hours." I purred, my dragon pleasantly appreciative of such a gift. My hands gripped hers and had them touch my forehead. A sign of alliance and friendship. She smiled widely for the first time, now pulling me to the center of the circle. "Please lay down here, in the circle," Laying on my back, I stayed perfectly still as the sisters gripped their hands together, all look at one another and then to me.

"Be prepared for some pain, Creed. We are going to rip the black magic from your soul."