***Hello all. I'm still self-editing so I apologize in advance for anything I missed. I think I'm a decent writer, but editing definitely isn't my calling so I ask for your patience. Enjoy!***

CHAPTER 16: Friends, Lovers, and... Necromancers?

"My lord the king?"

The king opened his eyes as he woke, once again lamenting the need to be able to rouse himself from a dead sleep at a moment's notice.

"Approach." He said sitting up on the bed. His lovely wife was visiting her sister, and thus he had the bed to himself. It was a shame; he slept better with her next to him. Though, that was often because of the vigorous lovemaking they undertook before bed. Alas, she wouldn't return for another few nights.

"My lord." Delabor said with a deep bow, just as tradition dictated was the proper way to greet a king. "Don't I have news from Arcanum of your wife's niece, and also the dragon?"

Just as tradition dictated was proper, Delabor phrased his statement as a question because anyone knowing something that the king didn't would dishonor the crown, and thus their ancestors. Dishonoring one's ancestors was absolutely unthinkable.

"Oh?" The king replied, his desire for sleep waning as his interest grew.

"Haven't the Dryads reported witnessing a wedding between the dragon and a Fey girl just this evening, mere hours ago?"

"The dragon married to my wife's niece." He stated as a fact, though it was intended as a question. He couldn't make it a question without dishonoring the crown. Again, that was unthinkable.

"The very same your majesty." Delebor said, and then swallowed.

The king took a long, slow breath and exhaled slowly. "And my wife's niece knows."

"Begging your pardon majesty, but wasn't she in attendance and encouraging the union?"

The king resisted the urge to throw something. He settled for clenching his fist so hard his knuckled turned as white as the driven snow.

Delabor took a step backwards. "I'm sorry my king."

The king unclenched his fist and took a deep breath. "Her shame is not your fault Delabor, neither is the disgrace she has brought - and seemingly is determined to continue bringing - to our entire race."

"Thank you your majesty." Delabor said with a bow. He parted his mouth slightly, then closed it and bowed his head too.

"You have something to say." The king stated.

"My thoughts are hardly wise enough for the king's ears." He said with another bow.

"I grant you Logioi Liberatus; speak your mind."

The herald straightened up, standing much straighter than usual because he had been granted such a prestigious benefaction from the king.

"The shame of your wife's niece is undeniable, even from birth." He began with the customary preamble of listing the subject's sin. "The circumstances of her conception are likewise disgraceful, and because of it we rightly don't speak her name aloud. To this unforgivable origin, we add the further disgrace of using our secret magical arts in stave-crafting to peddle staves to mages far and wide; staves of such potency that they shouldn't be available outside our forest."

"Her sins are numerous indeed." The king nodded. "Were it not for the houses of Kalon and Nalfigar, we would've been dealt with her long ago, and the stain of her shame would've been wiped from any association with the crown."

"You are most wise my king." Delabor bowed again. "Tradition requires nothing less to honor the ancestors. Yet she has dishonored the ancestors not only through the circumstances of her birth, but also through the unspeakable act which she was present for - and in approval of - earlier this night."

The king took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

"But my king, might we still turn this to our advantage?"

"We might." The king replied, having not considered that yet. "However, she has trespassed on my good graces for too long now. And with her direct insult to the ancestors, the crown, and our entire race earlier this night..." He shook his head.

"Of course my king." The herald agreed. "And yet, she has a connection - however tainted - with this dragon who wields lightning and raises the dead. The balance between the Houses of Kalon, Nalfigar and the crown is delicate, yet all three can lay a claim to this dragon, as you already know." He ended by assuming the king was already aware, again to preserve the honor of the crown.

"Yes, House Kalon has her mother, House Nalfigar her father, and the crown's claim is that she's my wife's niece. Extending royal protection so far is rare, but not unprecedented."

"Your insight is boundless my king." Delabor said with a slight bow, as befitted someone speaking with Legioi Liberatus. "Perhaps Illuminar - Blessed be He - has smiled on the crown by giving Your Excellency a connection faint enough not to tarnish your honor - as she isn't your blood - but close enough to gain access. Could Illuminar - Blessed be He - have done so?"

"Hmm." The king mused. "Are you privy the priest's opinion on the dragon?"

"I was so honored my king, as news of this dragon who wields lightning and raises the dead is beginning to spread throughout the Ten Kingdoms. Some say the dragon is a prophet of Illuminar - blessed be He - and some say he's a servant of Saidow masquerading as an angel of light."

"And for now, only Illuminar - blessed be He - knows which." The king said, recognizing that Illuminar was supreme even over the king, just as tradition dictated was proper.

"My king, you are well aware of the ancient saying that 'one should keep their wood-kin close but their enemies closer'; would this be an appropriate application of that sage advice?"

The king smiled. "You are wise Delabor."

"Thank you your majesty." Delabor bowed low to the ground before rising again. "If in your esteemed wisdom it would be wise to apply that saying in this situation..." He paused, clearly slightly nervous. "Would it also be a wise to dispatch summons to bring the dragon and your wife's niece here? Perhaps then the favor of the dragon would fall upon the crown and not upon House Kalon or House Nalfigar?"

"It might be wise indeed." The king replied, his mind alight with the possibilities. "And if this dragon is indeed an agent of Saidow, then our priests will discover it once he arrives."

"You are very wise my king." The herald said with another slight bow.

"Very well, alert my High Steward to make the necessary preparations to send an envoy not many days from now." The king said, then considered what it would mean to their traditions and added. "Obviously we cannot house my wife's niece in the palace, nor can I see her personally; we cannot bring such dishonor on the crown."

"Of course not my king." Delabor replied with a bow.

Tradition dictated that housing honored guests in the palace after a personal greeting from the king was proper. But a shameful visitor would never be allowed inside the palace; he couldn't tarnish the crown's honor by meeting his wife's niece personally.

He was slightly disappointed not to meet her, dishonor notwithstanding.

He was rather curious to meet a wood elf who was the offspring of both House Kalon and House Nalfigar. The kindness, goodness, and courage of House Kalon combined with the cunning, perception, and willfulness of Nalfigar would surely make for an exceptional elf.

* * *

Rachel woke up feeling something that she hadn't felt since she was a little girl; the exquisite sensation of waking up next to someone. She wasn't sure what had made her ask if Alana would mind sharing the hammock, but she was glad she had asked. The wood elf was currently sleeping half on top of her, her soft breath was making a slight wet spot on her upper chest.

Rachel couldn't help but smile.

The elf's chocolate brown hair was splayed all across the redhead's chest and its silky smoothness felt wonderful. Her body was warm and comforting too. It felt like what she imagined that having a sister might be like and Rachel relished the feeling. It was something she'd always wanted. Alana wasn't actually her sister, but it was fun to pretend.

She understood why Ethan liked waking up next to her, though obviously he had other reasons that she didn't share. Those reasons had been on full display the previous night with Taloni, as her ears could attest. Taloni had been quite... vocal about how much she enjoyed herself. The noises coming out of the captain's cabin had actually made Rachel get slightly wet between the legs, not that she would ever admit that to anyone.

She settled back into the hammock and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of closeness and not wanting to get up right now.

This morning, dozing sounded perfect.

* * *

Ethan slowly returned to the waking world despite his best efforts. He'd been immersed in a dream where he was hunting something with only claw and fang. After catching it, his adoring wives had been so impressed they'd begged him to take them to bed... together... all at the same time They hadn't gotten very far before he felt the dream begin to fade.

He sighed; C'est La vie.

As he lay there with his eyes closed, he noticed that the weight on his chest was extremely light. A brush of his fingers revealed it was a naked woman with wings.

He smiled.

He really liked Taloni. She was incredibly caring, sweet, and trusting. His mother had occasionally described something by saying it would "make her heart smile"; the Fey teen fit that description perfectly.

He loved waking up with her there, but something was missing. Something about this wonderful morning wasn't quite right. It only took a moment to realize it was:

Alana.

He cocked his head to one side. No, even with Alana here it still wouldn't be quite perfect. It would still lack one thing.

"Beth, are you there?" He whispered into the air so as not to awaken the Fey girl. There was several seconds pause, then.

Tap, tap.

He smiled. "I know we can't talk, but I'm glad you're here anyway."

Tap, tap. He took that to mean, "Me too."

"So you know, the very next thing we're going to do is bring you back. As soon as we find a portal, we're going to Earth to save you."

Tap, tap. This time it was very excited.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you again too." He whispered again as the sleeping Fey resettled on his chest. "Are you doing okay? I mean, do you need anything that we can help with?"

There was a long pause, then "Tap, tap" a short pause, then "tap".

He realized his mistake in asking a question that was too complicated for a simple yes-or-no answer. "So, you are doing okay, but don't need anything that we can provide right now?"

Tap, tap.

"I miss you." He sighed. "Even with Taloni sharing my bed and Alana close by, it just doesn't seem right without you here. Is that weird?"

Tap.

He looked down at the mess of honey-blonde hair splayed across his chest. Below that, her naked back, butt, and legs were pressed up against him. He felt so happy right now; so content. He missed having Beth there in person and would've liked Alana in the room. However, he still felt remarkably serene and content.

"So Beth, I have a question." He said after a moment of looking at the naked woman in his arms. "Does it bother you that I'm married to two other women?"

Tap.

"Why?" He asked, then realized she couldn't really answer. "Okay, let me rephrase."

He thought for almost a minute before deciding to narrow things down a bit. "So, it doesn't bother you that I just had sex with Taloni last night."

Tap.

"And it doesn't bother you that Alana and I have been going at it rather frequently?"

Tap.

"So, you're really okay with this then."

Tap, tap.

"Are you happy about it, or just okay with it?" He asked, and then realized that it was too complicated a question. "Let me rephrase; are you actually happy that I'm married to two other women?"

There was a long pause, then "Tap, tap."

"Really?"

A short pause, then "Tap, tap"

"I don't understand it, but I'm glad you all are. Life would be pretty miserable if my wives were at each other's throats constantly."

Tap, tap.

"Hmm?" Taloni groaned, still clearly mostly asleep, Ethan's whispering having finally woken her.

"Good morning beautiful." He said, then kissed the top of her head.

She mumbled something that didn't sound like English.

"Come again?"

She looked up at him, yawed, and kissed him softly. "Sorry, I said 'good morning handsome' in the Fey tongue." She stared at him for several seconds. "Is this real, right? Am I really waking up with you?"

He nodded.

"And, I won't have to go into the mines today?" She almost looked like she was tearing up.

"No."

She fluttered her wings. "And last night wasn't a dream, and I can really use my wings to fly?"

"You can, and you look beautiful doing it."

The broad smile on her face stood in sharp contrast to the tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "And I can stay with you because we're married. You won't leave me again?" She looked expectant and hopeful.

He nodded and grinned at her. "I believe the deal was 'until death do us part', so you're stuck with me."

She wrapped her tiny arms around him and hugged him incredibly tightly. "I feel like I'm in a wonderful dream and I'm going to wake up."

"It's not a dream." He said as he wrapped his arms around her tiny body. He was struck by just how small and fragile she felt in his arms. It was almost like she had been holding herself together for a long time and only now felt free to show how frail she was.

She cried into his shoulder for a few minutes while he held her. He stroked her hair and kissed her head occasionally, but mostly just held her.

"It wasn't really that bad at the mine." She eventually said. "I just, I don't want to go back there."

"And you'll never have to." He assured her.

She sighed and smiled.

He reached down and used a single finger to gently brush away the moisture on her tear-streaked cheeks. "Taloni, you're my wife and I'm never going to let you go. If anyone tries to take you away from me, I swear I'll tear them limb from limb." He finished with a low growl, his dragon instincts seething at just the thought.

She looked shocked, appalled, slightly scared, and yet very relieved all the same time. "Really?"

He nodded fervently with another growl. "Or beat them to a bloody pulp with my hammer, or stab them with-"

"I get it." The Fey girl interrupted in a higher pitch than normal, clearly being unsettled by his casual references to violence. She laid her head back down on his chest. "I feel safer knowing you'd fight for me."

"I would."

She sighed. "Thank you master."

Ethan stiffened slightly, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Is it still okay if I call you master?" Taloni lifted her head again and stared into his cat-like eyes with her lilac ones. "Please? I won't if you don't want me to, but I would really like to."

"Why?"

"Because it just feels right when I do." She replied. "I can't explain it, but I really like doing it, please let me?"

"And you understand you're not a slave and I'm in no way your master?" He felt a tiny bit of uncertainty over their bond as she hesitated. "Taloni, you understand I'm not your master right?"

She bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"Right?" He asked more forcefully.

She nodded. "I know you aren't technically my master."

"Technically?"

"Well, you didn't put a slave collar on me which makes it impossible for me to run away, or to disobey your orders." She glanced at him, then looked away again. "But..." Her voice trailed off and she finished her sentence so quietly that even his dragon ears to hear.

"But...?" He prompted.

"I did vow to follow and obey you." She said quietly. "And if I keep my vow - as Illuminar says we should - then shouldn't I obey you? Doesn't that make you sort of like my master?"

His jaw dropped. "You really see it that way?"

She glanced at him again, then buried her face in his chest. "I did say like my master." She said with a guilty tone in her voice, though it was muffled because she was talking into his chest.

Ethan was speechless.

Taloni looked like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Are you mad at me?" She asked very quietly, as if afraid she would be in trouble.

"No, no I'm not mad at you." He said, and wrapped his arms around her to reassure her. "I'm very confused and don't understand why you see it that way. Heck, I don't understand how you could be okay with seeing it that way. But I'm not mad."

She bit her lip and didn't met his eye. "Promise?"

He gently lifted her chin with the side of his index finger so he could look into her lovely lilac eyes. They looked just shy of scared and were a mountain of anxiety.

"I promise I'm not mad." He said sincerely.

Her whole body relaxed against as the tension drained out of her. "Good." She breathed a sigh of relief and nuzzled his hand with her cheek.

He still felt like they needed to address the elephant in the room though. "So how much difference do you see between 'master' and 'husband' based on what you just said?"

She gave him a shy smile then rocked her hips against him slightly. "There's an enormous difference." She moaned slightly. "Absolutely enormous, and not just in bed. I chose to be your wife, no one ever chooses to be a slave. I want to be your wife, I never wanted to be a slave."

"But you still want to call me master?"

"Please?" Her eyes were pleading.

No, her whole body was silently pleading.

He could feel her yearning over their bond. It did seem to have dramatically strengthened since last night and he could clearly make out emotions. They didn't come over the bond quite as strong as with Alana, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they did.

She wanted this.

No, she craved this.

She was so innocent, honest, and genuine in her desire that he didn't have the heart to say no... Yet he also didn't feel right about saying yes. He vacillated for a while as she snuggled up against him. He wanted to make her happy, but he didn't want her to see him as her master.

"Let me think about it for a while." He finally said, then remembered his conversation with Rachel the previous day about how his dragon side might influence his wives. . "And do you mind if I get Rachel's or Alana's opinion? They're both pretty insightful about these sorts of things."

She nodded and said dreamily. "You can tell whoever you like master."

He almost corrected her, but just couldn't bring himself to ruin the perfectly contented smile on her face. They laid in bed enjoying the closeness for a few minutes until Taloni picked her head up and looked around.

"There's something missing here." The Fey said as she looked around the room.

"Oh? What?"

The Fey teen sat up, unconsciously displaying her breasts to Ethan. He took advantage, letting his gaze rove around her entire naked torso. He felt the blood rush to his loins.

"I don't know, but there's something..." She trailed off, looking around again. "...yeah something is missing but I just can't figure out what."

"I can." He said with no small amount of lust in his voice.

Taloni glanced down at her exposed front, then at his rapidly growing cock, then grinned sheepishly.

* * *

Alana was enjoying dozing in the hammock when a burst of arousal coming from her bond made her fully awake. She yawed and made to stretch, her movement once again making her acutely aware of the beautiful redhead sleeping beside her.

She sighed.

She was a strange combination of super relaxed, content, and mildly aroused. The arousal was only partially because of the lust coming from Ethan. Taloni was about to visit heaven in bed. The wood elf was slightly jealous she wasn't in the Fey's place, but was quite happy for her otherwise.

But no, her mild arousal had a lot more to do with the redhead in the hammock next to her than what Ethan was doing with his second wife... or was Taloni his third wife and Beth his second?

Hmm...

She put it out of her mind and turned to look at Rachel. The redhead was asleep and Alana noticed that she had long, attractive eyelashes. More than that though, she had a wonderful spirit.

She sighed again.

She wished she could wake up next to her best friend more often. Not that she wanted to be separated from Ethan at night. She would've preferred that Rachel was waking up next to Ethan too, plus herself, Beth, and Taloni. However, she didn't think Rachel would ever want to share a bed with Ethan.

She hoped, but it seemed unlikely.

She dozed for a bit, alternately dreaming, daydreaming, and looking at Rachel; the redheaded teen was before her eyes in all three. Given the lust coming over her bond with Ethan and her attraction to her friend, some of her imaginings had Rachel in more provocative positions than she might assume in real life.

If only...

*Good morning beautiful.* Ethan's mental voice came not long after Taloni's cries of passion subsided.

*Good morning handsome.* She replied sleepily. *It sounds like our young Fey friend enjoyed herself last night... and this morning... repeatedly."

*You could hear her?* He asked, and she could just picture the grimace that would be on his face.

*Honey, half of Arcanum heard her.*

There was a short pause, then he replied. *So, she might not be leaving the captain's cabin this morning... Or ever. Her face is doing a very good imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.*

*Who's that?* She asked.

He explained, and Alana chuckled when she understood. *Yeah, I try to keep it down for exactly that reason.*

"Hmm?" Rachel stirred beside the wood elf. The redhead covered her mouth, yawed, and then made the most adorable little sigh as she finished. Then she settled back down and seemed to fall back to sleep.

*So, you'd be louder?* Ethan asked.

*Possibly...* She replied with a hint of mischievousness in her tone. A part of her really did want to cut loose, but wouldn't do so on the Argo; not with Anthiel, Serif, and especially Raklan on board.

*So, I want to ask you about something.* He said a little more seriously. *Taloni wants to call me master.* He then explained about his conversation with the Fey teen the previous night and that morning.

Alana felt herself get even more aroused as she listened.

*Judging by the feelings coming over our bond, it doesn't bother you very much.* He said after he had finished explaining.

*Not really, it sounds like the same reason I call you 'sir'... sir.*

*Why do you call me sir?*

*Because it doesn't feel right not to.* She replied. *I just feel like I need to address you in some way that shows how much I truly respect and admire you.*

*And I appreciate that.* He said fervently. *Taloni calling me master however... That doesn't sit right with me.*

*Why not?*

*Because I'm not her master, nor do I wish to be.*

*Well,* the wood elf thought for a moment. *In a way you're not too far off. I mean, we both vowed to follow and obey you. So while you don't quite own us, we did swear an oath to Illuminar that we would obey you. So there's a sense where it's not very far off.*

*Yeah, Taloni said the same thing.* He said, and there was a bit of resignation in his tone. *And you're okay with that? You don't feel like it violates your free will?*

*Of course not, we both chose to make that vow. You didn't force us, trick us, or even mislead us into making it. We made it of our own free will. We made a choice; can you respect our choice?*

*Come again?*

*We chose to make our vows, which include obeying you. But if you try to make us not abide by our vows - by not obeying you - wouldn't that be much more a violation of our free will? Wouldn't you be trying to force us to change what we vowed to do?"

*I never thought of it that way.* His tone was pensive. *But still, I'm not sure I'm happy with that.*

*Okay, but wasn't it our choice to make? If your concern is free will, wouldn't it make more sense to respect our choice - and our vows to obey you - rather than try to make us change our choice?*

There was a brief pause, then. *You make a really good point. I don't like it, but you do.*

*And there's always your vow to consider.* Alana said as another thought occurred to her.

*Oh?*

*You accepted our vow, so wouldn't that mean you need to abide by it too? You know, let us obey you.*

Another brief pause, then: *Wow, you don't pull any punches.*

*I'm absolutely committed to making sure you're perfectly fine with all of your wives obeying you... sir.*

There was amusement over their bond as he replied. *I'm not perfectly fine with it, but you've left me little room to not accept it.*

*So you'll let her call you master?*

*Probably?* He didn't sound sure. *I still want to talk to Rachel and get her opinion. No offense, but you're rather biased and my dragon side is possibly influencing you a little.*

*It's not, but it tried.*

*What do you mean?*

She then explained how on their wedding night the dragon had tried to make their relationship a true master/slave dynamic and how she had rejected that.

*I don't remember any of that.* He said when she finished.

*That's because I don't think it was you, or at least it wasn't you on a conscious level.*

He was silent for a minute, and she could feel his uncertainty and nervous trepidation through their bond.

*Don't worry, I was able to resist fairly easily, I'm sure Taloni was too.* The wood elf tried to console him.

*Alana, you may not know this about yourself, but you are a woman with absolutely iron willpower.* He replied. *I don't know why, but your will is as strong as anyone I've encountered, probably stronger. Taloni is a wonderful girl, but she doesn't have the iron willpower that you do. In fact, I'd wager almost no one does.*

*Oh.* Was all Alana could say. *So you think that... that maybe...?*

*I don't know.* His tone was concerned. *Could you maybe slip off the Argo and find her friend - Prayla I think - and ask her how she was before our wedding yesterday. See if she had any of these tendencies before? The submissive ones I mean.*

*I will, and I'll be quick.* She said, looking wistfully at the still-sleeping redhead next to her. She had hoped to be there when Rachel woke, but perhaps that was for the best anyway. She slipped out of the hammock as gently as she could so the redheaded teen didn't wake.

Miraculously, she didn't.

She seemed to roll, looking for where Alana had just been. The wood elf felt her heart soar. She paused before leaving and then, on impulse, leaned over gave Rachel a tender kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well." She whispered, then left.

* * *

Kendra lashed her airship to the branches of a tree so it wouldn't drift away in the early morning breeze. She didn't want to fully ground it because it might cost her precious seconds if she needed to escape in a hurry. That dragon had been livid the last time they met, and she didn't want to put herself in a position where she couldn't flee his wrath.

Of course, dragons were much faster than airships anyway, so perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

She stole through the forest towards the small mining camp above which his airship was anchored. They had been there since she arrived early that morning, and she was hoping they would stay long enough for her gather some intelligence. She made her way to the road and started walking towards the mining camp.

A short walk later, she had arrived.

The mining camp itself was a collection of dilapidated shacks clustered around a nicer building in the center. There were several women out cleaning up after what looked like a wedding the previous day. There were also children out playing in and among the buildings.

The only men in sight were the guards, who regarded her - a lone woman who appeared to be unarmed - with nothing more than mild interest. They let her pass with nothing more than a nod of the head in acknowledgement, which she returned. She had purposely 'dressed down' to make herself look as plain as possible, and that was always the best policy when one wanted to remain incognito.

She had intended to head for the main building and talk to the head of the mine, but something caught her eye before she made it there.

It was the wood elf.

The chocolate-haired elf that she had knocked out using enchanted chloroform the previous day was walking through the camp. That was the woman who the dragon had protected so fiercely. The woman for whom the dragon's eyes had been filled with care, concern, and even - possibly - love.

Kendra was absolutely determined to keep her presence a secret from both the elf and the dragon because she didn't want to risk the dragon's wrath; not again. She headed toward the gap between two of the shacks and slipped between them. Then she then started circling around the camp toward the building that the wood elf had been walking towards.

A minute later, she was pressed up against the wall to the building, out of sight of everyone in the camp. She pressed her ear to the wall, hoping to catch a snippet of conversation.

"...and she's always wanted to help." One voice said, and it didn't sound like the wood elf.

"Oh?" Said a second voice, which - from Kendra's recollection of their brief meeting in Illuminar's temple in Arcanum - did sound like the elf.

"Yes, she was even annoying about sometimes." The first voice said again. "A few of the mothers in the camp would get annoyed because she was always underfoot trying to help. Why did you ask?"

"Because I was just looking for a sense of who she was before bonding to Ethan." The elf said. "Did she let people push her around?"

"Oh Illuminar yes." The first voice groaned. "If I'm perfectly honest, it almost seemed like she was looking for someone to tell her what to do. She got better as she got older, but she always let people push her around."

There a was a brief moment of silence, then the sound of creaking floorboards as someone stood up and then the elf spoke again. "I should get going, we've looking to leave today, though I'm not sure exactly where we're headed."

"Is Tee okay?" the first voice asked.

"I think so. She seems to have started looking at Ethan like he's her master, and he's not very comfortable with that."

Kendra frowned.

A dragon not being comfortable with being someone's master? That didn't add up. One of the most defining traits of a dragon was their drive and desire to dominate everything they considered inferior; which was everything. Well, everything except for other dragons.

"That's been normal for most of her life though." The first voice said. "Maybe it's just habit?"

"Maybe." The elf said, and she sounded just a touch concerned. "Anyway, thank you for talking to me, and may Illuminar bless you."

"And you also."

The floorboards creaked as someone left the shack and Kendra removed her ear from the wall. Curious. This dragon was unlike any dragon she'd ever heard of. He almost seemed... human.

She pondered this for several minutes before deciding that she needed to do what she came here to do. The dragon's airship was leaving soon, and someone in the camp probably knew where they were headed. She often found the best place to start was at the top. Even if they didn't know, they usually knew who did know.

If she knew where they were going, she didn't need to worry about losing them.

* * *

Ethan stepped out of the captain's cabin onto the weather deck of the Argo and took a deep breath. He smelled the crisp scent of fresh morning air mixed with the smell of the boiled ham and oatmeal that was cooking for breakfast. Life was good. Havorleth was defeated, Taloni was freed, and they were going to bring Beth back as soon as they could find a portal.

"Good morning." He said to everyone who was gathered around the breakfast pot.

They all looked at him, then behind him to where Taloni was standing. Hailey and Rachel both wore slightly embarrassed looks, Anthiel look amused, Serif was unreadable as ever, and Raklan was leering... until Serif casually smacked him upside the head.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"One of you was rather..." Anthiel seemed to be searching for the right word. "Vocal last night... and this morning." She finished delicately.

Taloni let out a little gasp and hid behind Ethan.

"Uh sorry." He replied remembering what Alana had said. "We'll try to keep it down in the future."

Raklan opened his mouth, but closed it as soon as he saw Serif casually move his hand into position to smack him again.

*Don't keep quiet on my account.* Alana said telepathically as she appeared at the top of the Argo's rope ladder and climbed onto the deck. *I certainly didn't mind.*

*Yeah, but they did.* He looked behind him to where Taloni was beet red and hyperventilating slightly. *And she certainly did.*

*Good point.* she said as she looked at the Fey. An expression of sincere compassion crossed her face.

She then turned to the rest of the crew. "Okay, stop teasing the poor girl. I know you all heard Ethan and I and you never teased me about it this badly. Give her a break will you?"

There was a general murmur of agreement from everyone except Raklan, and then everyone went back to their breakfast. Alana walked over to Taloni and gave her a great big hug.

"Well done." The elf whispered to the Fey. "You totally blew his mind and have nothing to be ashamed of. I felt it over our bond and trust me, he had no complaints."

Taloni was still red, but looked slightly less mortified that the entire crew had hear her in the throes of passion. Ethan threw her a toothy grin, because it certainly had been an incredible night; and morning.

"Thank you, both of you." The Fey said quietly, then turned to Ethan with a hopeful expression and whispered. "So, I really pleased you last night?"

"Absolutely." He replied with a wide smile.

The Fey beamed.

The three of them joined the others around the breakfast fire and helped themselves to some breakfast, Taloni sitting just a bit further behind Ethan than she might ordinarily have done.

"So, the next order of business is finding a portal to Earth so we can revive Beth." Ethan said after wolfing down his first ham steak.

"Actually, Hailey already took care of that." Anthiel said.

"Really?"

Hailey nodded, finished chewing, then spoke. "It occurred to me that since Taloni was a slave, Thaltien must've gotten her from somewhere. So I thought he might know some of the slave dealers around here."

"Good thinking." Rachel said, then looked at both Hailey and Anthiel. "Is that why you were talking to him last night?"

Anthiel nodded. "He never dealt with the men who took Hailey because they have a nasty reputation, but he knew approximately where their camp was."

"And he gave us directions." Hailey added with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Perfect." Ethan said with a huge smile.

"Well, perhaps not." Anthiel said with a worried look on her face.

"Oh?" He had never seen the usually calm high elf look this worried before.

She nodded. "I knew they must have a mage because the portal requires some deep magical knowledge to construct. However, I assumed the slaver was employing a mage."

"He's not?" Alana asked.

Anthiel shook her head. "The camp is run by a mage and from Thaltien's description-" She took a breath. "-from his description it sounds like this mage is a necromancer."

Rachel and Alana gasped, Taloni grabbed Ethan's arm, and Hailey had a grim look on her face.

Ethan grimaced. "So... is that as bad as you all seem to think it is?"

"Yes." Alana, Rachel and Taloni all said at the same time.

"I remember you telling me about them before." He said. "Aren't they the ones who draw magic from dead bodies or something?"

"From living things which have just died." Rachel corrected. "When a living being dies, all the mana it held is released as negatively charged mana, which the necromancer then absorbs and uses to power spells."

Alana nodded. "Negatively charged mana is also the only thing that can power spells dealing with the dead, like reanimating corpses, a Death Shaman's spells, and the like."

"It's strictly forbidden by Illuminar too." Taloni said in a fearful voice. "He mandated that anyone who uses dark spells like that must be put to death."

"That sounds a little harsh." Ethan commented.

Taloni shook her head. "Negatively charged mana erodes the soul. They soon stop caring about morality or right and wrong. It makes people... evil." She shuddered.

"Taloni isn't wrong." Anthiel said. "I once knew a fellow who turned to it to save his village from attack. He was a kind, caring soul who used it out of desperation, but it thoroughly corrupted him even though his intentions were originally good."

"What happened to him?" Ethan asked.

"He went on a rampage and killed a dozen men before he was killed by the guards."

"Negatively charged mana equals bad." He exhaled slowly. "Got it."

"It's also called dark mana because it's easier to say." Rachel added. "No self-respecting mage who cares about others would even consider using it; the corruptive effects are too strong."

"And this guy uses it?" He suddenly wasn't as keen on the idea.

"That's the definition of necromancer; a mage who uses dark mana." Rachel answered. "Though they usually end up delving into the area of magic called necromancy, which involves reanimating the corpses of people or animals."

"So this is one seriously bad dude." Ethan summarized.

"That's putting it mildly Double-O-Seven." Hailey said in an impressively good imitation of Desmond Llewelyn's Q from the older James Bond movies.

"Who's Double-O-Seven?" Alana asked for the rest of the confused-looking crew. That led to Ethan and Hailey explaining - or trying to explain - the iconic character of James Bond and his famous quartermaster.

"I can't say this enough; you come from a strange world." Alana said.

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"One last thing." Rachel said. "Necromancers can pull all the mana - including the deep mana - from anyone who dies. That gives them an incredible advantage in a fight because as long as people are dying, they have nearly limitless amounts of mana to draw from. That's what makes them so dangerous."

"That, and their tendency to turn into homicidal maniacs." Hailey added.

"That too." Rachel acknowledged.

"So, don't piss off this fellow because he's super powerful." Ethan said. "Got it. I'll be my usual charming self."

"I'd rather avoid necromancers entirely." Anthiel said. "If there's no other way, then we can go, but they are incredibly dangerous. They are widely feared for a reason."

"Does anyone know of another portal to earth?" He asked.

Everyone either shook their head or replied in the negative.

"Then I don't think we have a choice." He said. "Beth's life depends on it and I promised to help Hailey get home. We'll be as careful as possible, but I don't think we have another option to save Beth, unless anyone has any ideas?"

No one spoke up.

Ethan took a moment to think. The last thing he wanted to do was put the crew of the Argo in danger, especially his wives. But Beth's life was on the line, and while this necromancer was dangerous, as a slaver he was also a businessman. A wicked businessman to be sure, but a businessman none the less. He hoped they could come to an agreement.

"There really isn't another option to save Beth." Ethan finally said, then turned to Anthiel. "Set a course. How far is it?"

"Aye, aye captain." The high elf replied. "And we should be there tomorrow mid-afternoon."

"So close?"

The high elf nodded. "Would you travel farther than necessary to sell your wares? It makes sense it wouldn't be far from Arcanum where Hailey was sold."

"True." He agreed and turned to Hailey. "Do you know anyone who could do a blood transfusion?"

Hailey shook her head. "Not really, but my best friend Melinda might though. She's one of those people who knows everyone."

"You never mentioned her before." Alana observed.

Hailey shrugged. "She's really nice. She, Jason, and I used to hang out all the time. I think she might've liked him, but never acted on it because he was taken; she's a good friend."

"Interesting." Ethan said. He hoped for her sake that her friend and Jason weren't romantically involved now that she'd been gone for so long. It had been a few years and Hailey was missing, probably presumed dead. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

He discarded the thought. "Can you introduce us to her when we get to Earth; I'd like to bring Beth back as soon as possible."

"Sure." She nodded.

Ethan felt an excited "Tap, tap." On his shoulder

He smiled in that direction before turning back to the rest of the group. "Now: the next order of business. Those grenades were incredibly effective in dealing with Havorleth. If we run into trouble again - necromancers for example - then it would be good to have some on hand. How does everyone feel about spending the day replenishing our supply?"

Alana and Rachel groaned in unison, but nodded anyway.

"If you all are doing that, I can clean up from breakfast." Taloni volunteered. "But I want to get a few things from my old home and say a final good bye to Prayla if that's okay."

"Go for it." Ethan nodded, then turned to Rachel. "That reminds me, could we talk for a few minutes at some point today?"

"Sure." The redhead said with a curious look, then she glanced at Taloni and raised an eyebrow.

He nodded.

* * *

Newly minted FBI agent Selene Dawson cursed her choice of shoe as she hiked up the trail to the place where she and agent Mason were supposed to meet the local sheriff. She'd worn flats perfectly suited to walking around the town all day, which is what she thought they'd be doing. Alas, agent Mason had wanted to go directly to the crime scene and she hadn't gotten a chance to change shoes.

Fortunately the trail was well worn. But when they went off trail into the forest it had become painfully obvious - literally - that she needed to rethink her footwear choices in the future.

"Keep up boot; we're almost there." Agent Mason barked.

"I'm not a boot." She said, correcting his choice to use the slang for rookie cops and applying it to her.

He glanced back and looked at her footwear. "You look like a boot to me." Then he kept going. He was wearing what looked like combat boots under his slacks and was handily outpacing her.

She sighed, gritted her teeth through the pain, and picked up her pace. Mason didn't seem like an unpleasant fellow, just tough and no-nonsense. She figured she could learn a lot once she got past the gruff exterior.

A few minutes later, they came into a small grass-covered clearing maybe fifty feet in diameter. There were a dozen men in various law enforcement uniforms clustered and talking. At the periphery, just behind the crime-scene tape, were a few reporters for the local news.

"I'm special Agent Mason, FBI." He announced when he entered the clearing. "Who's in charge here?"

"That would be me." An older fellow in a sheriff's uniform said and approached them. He looked like he was in his sixties, but also tough as nails. He had an almost Clint Eastwood vibe and his age only seemed to add to his toughness.

"I'm Sheriff Anderson." He said holding out his hand. "I'm glad you're here, we could use the help. CSI has already been through the crime scene with a fine-toothed comb, so feel free to look around."

"Take a look boot." Mason said tersely and then headed up to where the collection of law enforcement personnel that had congregated.

Selene shook her head and headed towards the crime scene.

There was a muddy trail leading to the center of the clearing which was marked off by more crime scene tape. The muddy trail looked like it was made by about a dozen people, some of whom hadn't come willingly. The curious thing was where it ended though.

The muddy trail ended in the middle of the clearing.

She frowned and leaned closer to get a better look at the footprints. They were all heading in one direction, toward the abrupt ending of the footprints. None of them were facing the opposite way, which would indicate someone had walked out of the clearing. No, they were all going in the same direction.

If that wasn't weird enough, they all ended abruptly.

It was like someone had drawn a line in the ground and beyond it there were simply no footprints in the formerly muddy earth. Well, there was one set that looked like a child had run around the line where the footprints ended, but an adult - probably male - had caught the child in a few steps and then carried the child back around the line, before their footprints disappeared too.

Selene knelt down and touched the earth where the footprints abruptly disappeared. There was a long furrow in the ground exactly. It looked like part of a very large circle about two inches wide had been cut out of the earth and removed surgically without disturbing any of the surrounding ground.

She pulled out her phone, found an online calculator, and figured out the circle was about ten feet in diameter.

The furrow was perfect.

It was exactly two inches wide the whole way down with no variation. It was like someone had cut it with a laser and just vaporized all the earth. She even saw a few earthworms which had been severed in its creation.

"What do you have boot?" Mason said tersely.

Selene jumped, then stood up. "I've never seen anything like it sir. The tracks just stop, with no indication where all the people went."

"Obviously they got into a helicopter." Mason said.

"But look at this set of tracks here." Selene pointed to the adult-chasing-child set of footprints that led around the furrow. "The helicopter would've made that impossible."

"Unless that happened before it landed; use your head boot." Mason replied. He wasn't being condescending, though from anyone else it would've sounded that way. Instead, it almost sounded like he was trying to be encouraging.

She looked at the scene again. If a large helicopter had landed, and it had a ramp that came down, that could explain how the footprints disappeared so abruptly.

Or could it?

She took a closer look around the furrow and saw some of the footprints would've stretched across the furrow, but only the heel was present. It was like everything behind that furrow was transported to another world. She pointed this out to Mason, who also took a closer look.

"Yeah, that's strange alright, but what else could've transported them out of here except a helicopter?"

Selene nodded, but wasn't entirely convinced.

"I want to take a closer look and talk about the scene with CSI." Mason said. "In a few days, I want to start talking to witnesses of the earlier kidnappings, so start a list."

"Will do." Selene replied, but her mind was preoccupied with the strange furrow and the abrupt disappearance of the footprints. How could there be a heel print but nothing from the front half of the foot?

It didn't make sense.

* * *

"I see why you are worried." Rachel nodded when Ethan had finished explaining about Taloni wanting to call him 'master', and how Alana had successfully fought off his dragon's will trying to enforce a master/slave relationship on their wedding night. They were sitting in the captain's cabin while Anthiel built up the breakfast fire so the redhead could start creating more wooden grenade bodies.

"Yeah." Ethan replied as he ran his hand over the top of his head. Were he human, he would've been running his fingers through his hair. "I was hoping you would have some advice."

"Advice on what specifically?"

"The last thing in the universe I want is to change Alana, Beth, or Taloni; I like them the way they are. I'm just worried my dragon side has other plans and I don't know how to stop it."

"I'm not sure I can help." Rachel said. "I don't know much about dragon bonding or how your dragon side is causing these changes. It does seem to be linked to the first time you... uh, you know." She blushed slightly.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." He nodded. "In which case I suppose the damage is already done to Beth and Taloni." He growled.

Rachel considered.

She had absolutely zero experience in marriage and less in counseling those who were married. Adding the dragon aspect of their relationship made her totally lost. She had no clue how to prevent the dragon from doing what it was doing, nor how to repair the damage that had already been done. What they needed was someone who knew about these sorts of things. Someone skilled in magic who also knew about dragons. Someone like...

"Oh!" Rachel exclaimed. "What about Elder Goman? Didn't he give you a portal stone so you could contact him?"

Ethan's face lit up and he smiled broadly. "Perfect, I knew I asked you for a reason. You're pretty brilliant, you know that?"

"Thank you." Rachel smiled at the compliment. It felt surprisingly good to be complimented by him and she didn't know why. Compliments from anyone were nice, but they just felt different from him. Like they hit her on a slightly deeper level and meant more.

She didn't know why.

She put it out of her mind and turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

As it turned out, Ethan had never written with a quill pen and ink bottle before, so Rachel took dictation while they composed a letter explaining the situation to Elder Goman. When it was done, Ethan fished out the portal stone, rolled up the letter, and slipped it through.

"Now we wait." He said with a sigh.

"You wait; I'm going to make more grenades." She said with a slightly sour expression. "You might want to consider training with Serif or Raklan though; you'll need to be in top shape if we end up fighting with this necromancer."

It was his turn to look slightly sour. "You're probably right."

He left and Rachel sat on the bed trying to figure out why compliments from Ethan meant so much to her. It didn't make sense, but she couldn't deny the reality.

She checked her mana and discovered that the chunk of mana he had given her to save her life was still there. It had worn down significantly, but it was still there. For some reason, the fact that she had a piece of Ethan's mana inside of her gave her great comfort. She felt like she carried a little bit of him everywhere, and she liked that.

She couldn't explain why, but she did.

She almost felt disappointed that her own mana would eventually wear his dragon mana down and it would be gone. For some reason, that made her feel incredibly sad.

She sighed.

She could do something about it, something to keep his mana around longer. She knew it was a silly idea but she wanted to anyway. It wouldn't change anything - not really - but she liked the idea. It couldn't hurt... could it? No one would ever know, so why not?

Before she had really thought it through, Rachel took a portion of her deep mana and hardened it around the remaining bits of Ethan's deep mana. It would form a sort of protective 'shell' that would allow his remaining mana to last much longer. Not forever, but a longer.

She didn't know why she did it.

It didn't make much sense.

Actually, it didn't make any sense at all.

She shook her head; what was she doing? Ethan was Alana's husband, and now Taloni's too, plus he might be able to bring Beth back. There was no way Rachel was willing to share him with three other women. She just wouldn't do it. She was a lord's daughter and - despite her talk with Alana the previous night - had no desire to share a husband.

She decided to undo her work and let his mana fade naturally, but couldn't bring herself to. Now that it was done, she couldn't bring herself to undo it. Some part of her just couldn't bear the idea of not having that tiny part of Ethan with her anymore.

She wasn't sure why.

* * *

Beth remained in the captain's cabin for quite a while after Ethan and Rachel had left. The purple hues of the Astral Plane made the entire room seem ethereal and other-worldly. Technically it was another world, but one she was thoroughly sick of and couldn't wait to leave.

She sighed and sat down on the bed to think about the conversation between Rachel and Ethan. Assuming they were right, she didn't know what to think if Ethan had changed her. Surprisingly, it didn't bother her much at all. In fact, there was a part of her that liked the idea that he had changed her to make her a better wife.

She wasn't sure if that should bother her either.

It didn't bother her, but she got the feeling that it should bother her. But why was it a bad thing if he made her into a better wife? As his wife, wasn't it her job to be the best wife she could be? So why should she be upset if he made that easier?

Resolving to talk more about it with Alana, Rachel, and Taloni when she could speak to them again, she stood up and left the captain's cabin.

Alana and Rachel were working side-by-side to make more grenades while Serif whittled wooden pegs for them. Anthiel was up on the quarterdeck playing some sort of stringed instrument. Hailey was next to Taloni, encouraging the Fey to stay aloft using her wings to get the most out of her exercise. The Honey-Blonde teen was clearly exhausted from the effort of using her weak wing muscles to stay aloft, but looked very happy anyway.

Ethan was sparring with Raklan. They were using training weapons, but otherwise were pulling no punches. He had improved so much since he first started training with Heinrich back in Gralden. He was actually holding his own against Raklan, which was a first.

She sat down to watch the rest of the crew, desperately wishing she could talk to any of them. Well, maybe not Raklan. Ethan had been so good about talking to her and she was extremely grateful. He made her feel included even though no one could see her.

Still, it wasn't the same as talking to him for real.

* * *

Kendra was following the dragon's airship from an extreme distance using her enchanted telescope. She truly hoped she was far enough back to protect her from the dragon and elf's eyes aboard the airship, because she didn't want to be discovered and face the dragon's wrath again.

She was also trying her level best not to jump to conclusions, but it was hard. According to Thalitien, he was heading toward a slaver's camp. The mine's owner had told her with a minimum of fuss and confirmed all her assumptions: this dragon was no different than any other.

She clenched her jaw and reminded herself that she was trying to give this dragon a fair shake. She was trying to allow for the possibility that he might be different.

But a slaver's camp?

There was no reason to go there unless you wanted a slave. If the rest of the crew was going along with it, they must be as bad as he was. Plus, this slaver was rumored to be a necromancer according to Thaltien. She was trying not to assume it wasn't exactly what it looked like, but it was hard.

* * *

Ethan flopped down between Alana and Taloni on the Argo's weather deck by the pot containing dinner. He felt like his entire body had been used as a punching bag for a heavyweight boxing champion after sparring all day. Given Raklan's size, he wasn't far off.

The sun was low in the western sky, casting orange, pink, and red hues over the deck. Everyone looked slightly tired except for Hailey and Anthiel. Alana didn't look physically tired, but her eyes were definitely drooping. Taloni similarly looked like she was ready for bed. Rachel yawed loudly, covering her mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle it.

Almost everyone follow suit.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as talking seemed to be more effort than most were willing to put in. Alana and Taloni rested their heads on his shoulders on a regular basis, clearly practicing for sleep tonight.

The diminutive Fey had spent half the day practicing flying without the weight reduction necklace in order to strengthen her wing muscles. She could barely get off the ground as they were now, but she practiced like a woman possessed. He'd finally told her to take a break after worrying she would do more harm than good by working her weakened wing muscles too much.

She'd reluctantly agreed.

Afterward, she spent the latter half of the day learning everything she could from Anthiel about airships and how to operate them. The Fey had an almost Beth-like curiosity about them, and he was surprised her brain could absorb all that Anthiel shared.

When he and his wives had finished eating, he nudged them. "Come on ladies, time for b... b..." He interrupted himself with a yawn. "Time for bed."

"I was going to help clean up." Taloni said after similarly yawning.

"I've got it." Hailey volunteered. "You've been working yourself ragged all day and I've been a couch potato; get some rest."

"What's a couch..." Taloni yawed in the middle of her question, then seemed to think better of the effort required to repeat it.

"Come on." Ethan said to his wives as he stood up. They looked a little nervous for some reason, but followed him into the captain's cabin.

Once there, he flopped down on the bed ready to sleep the entire night and preferably half the morning. He was slightly surprised when neither of beautiful wives join him. He looked up to see them both standing near the bed looking sheepish and nerous.

"What?" He asked.

They both looked at him, then at each other. The moment their eyes met, they averted them and looked at the floor. There was a rather significant amount of trepidation and embarrassment coming from both of them over his bonds.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, you want both of us to sleep next to you?" Taloni asked.

"Well, he does have two sides." Alana said as her face went beet red.

"Oh." Ethan said as he realized they'd never talked about sleeping arrangements, he'd just assumed they would both sleep in the bed with him. "You don't have to sleep here with me if you don't want to. We can come up with something else if it makes you uncomfortable."

They both glanced at each other sheepishly again.

"Come one, what's up?" He asked as he raised himself up on his elbows.

"Would that mean I'd have to sleep away from you?" Taloni asked, clearly not fond of the idea.

"Yeah, because I'd rather not do that again." Alana turned to Taloni, "It sounds like you don't want to either?"

The Fey shook her head vigorously.

"So what's the problem?" He asked.

Taloni bit her lip, then looked down at her dress. Alana did something similar, and that's when Ethan realized what was going on.

"Ladies, you don't have to undress." He said. They both let out a sigh of relief so he continued. "I'm not going to lie; I love the feel of your naked skin. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I'm perfectly happy to have two fully clothed gorgeous women in my bed."

Alana smiled and hopped onto the bed next to him. Taloni hesitated.

"What?" the wood elf asked.

"Um." The Fey seemed to be extremely nervous and said something so quietly that Ethan didn't hear her.

"What's wrong Taloni?" He asked sitting up fully.

She bit her lip as her face turned almost scarlet. "Were you planning to... I mean, did you want to... um, 'have' one of us tonight?"

*Sounds like fun.* Alana said telepathically with a sultry, but very embarrassed smile.

"I'd love to, but I'm utterly wiped." He replied to the Fey. "Seriously, my arms feel like limp noodles. Tonight, I might just relax."

Taloni's face returned to a somewhat more normal coloring and she nodded. "Of course master."

He almost corrected her use of the word 'master', but just didn't have the energy. He figured he'd deal with later. Maybe in the morning after a few hours - or years - of sleep.

He flopped back on the bed, scooched to the middle, and closed his eyes. He was dimly aware of Taloni climbing onto the bed on his right side opposite Alana. It felt good. Something just seemed right with the world now; as if everything was in its proper place.

"This was it." Taloni murmured.

"Hmm?" He asked.

"What was missing this morning." The Fey said, followed by a yawn. "Alana wasn't here and she should have been. It just feels better with her here."

"I'm right here." Alana said sleepily. "But yeah, I agree."

"Me too, and it's perfect." Ethan said. "Surely this is how man was meant to live; a beautiful, loving woman on either side of him."

Both Alana and Taloni sighed softly, almost subconsciously. They clearly weren't opposed to the arrangement in the slightest. They both snuggled closer to him and he wrapped an arm around each. They both rested their heads on his shoulders.

They laid like that for several minutes before Alana spoke softly. "I wish Beth was here too. This is amazing, but it somehow doesn't feel quite complete without her."

"Yeah." Ethan murmured.

"Master, would you like three women sharing your bed?"

"Mmm." He said, but it came out more like a purr or growl. The idea of having three women in bed with him - all of whom loved him and he loved them back - was intoxicating. His loins began to respond and he felt his cock begin to grow as it slid from its protective covering.

"You seem to like the idea sir."

"You do like it master, don't you?"

He nodded.

He felt a small hand from his right side - so Taloni - touch his semi-erect cock. "Would you like to have one of us master?"

"Too tired; no energy." He said sleepily, though it did sound amazing.

"But if you weren't tired, would you want to?" Alana asked.

"Absolutely."

"Master, please let us take care of you."

He glanced at both of them. They were still fully clothed because they seemed to be slightly embarrassed at the thought of being naked in front of each other. Both of them were beet red, yet he could sense some mild arousal from both too.

"You don't have to." He said. "I know being naked would make you uncomfortable."

"Um, master." Taloni said quietly. "I have an idea which wouldn't require that. Prayla told me about it, and it might allow me-" At a look from Alana, the Fey corrected herself "-us to take care of you. But it's... it's somewhat... well it's rather..."

"What?" The wood elf asked.

"It's kind of..." Taloni lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "It's kind of dirty."

"What is it?" Alana asked with a combination of extreme interest and more than a little trepidation.

"Um, well since I wouldn't be using my..." she glanced down toward her hips. "Well, you know. Prayla said I could also do it using my..." She swallowed and looked extremely guilty, as if she was discussing the worst of taboos. "My..." She tapped her chin, pointing to her mouth.

Ethan had to work very hard to keep from laughing out loud. "You mean you could use your mouth?"

Taloni nodded, then went even redder and buried her face in his shoulder.

Alana inhaled sharply and her eyes went wide, then she parted her lips slightly and started smiling like the cat that ate the canary. She certainly didn't seem opposed. Embarrassed yes, but not opposed.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Taloni. Women have been doing that to men for thousands of years. It's not bad, dirty, or wrong; in fact, most men love it."

"They do?" Alana asked with interest.

He nodded. "Some more than others, but yeah."

"So, you don't think I'm dirty for suggesting it?" The Fey asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

He used the side of his index finger to pull her face up so he could look into her beautiful lilac eyes. "No, you aren't dirty for suggesting it. In fact, I think it's really sweet."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I do."

"Then may I please do it for you master?"

"You really want to?"

She nodded vigorously.

He smiled. "Well, I certainly won't stop you."

*Neither will I sir.* Alana added with a smile. *Neither will I.*

Taloni nodded, then slid down his body so her face was level with his now very erect cock. She paused for several moments, shame, embarrassment, and determination written all over her face and their bond.

"Taloni." He said. "I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Just remember, it's not bad or dirty."

The Fey nodded.

*Well, it's slightly dirty.* The wood elf said with a sensual smirk.

Ethan gave her a mock-threatening look. *Quiet, or I'll make you join her.*

The wood elf snuggled closer to him and pressed her breasts into his side. *Promise?*

He smiled, rolled his eyes, and then they both looked down at the very embarrassed but very determined Fey. Her face was beet red, but she also wore a resolute expression. She reached out and touched the soft, sensitive skin of his cock almost experimentally.

"Is this okay master?"

He nodded. "Take your time, I'm in no rush."

*She really likes calling you 'master', doesn't she sir?" Alana observed telepathically.

*Yeah, I think she-*

He thought was interrupted by him letting out a slight groan as Taloni wrapped her hand around his cock and gave it a gentle stroke. Her dainty fingers weren't long enough to reach all the way around it, but she was most of the way there. She gently stroked it again.

"Is that good master?"

He smiled. "It's great."

She smiled faintly under his praise and her cheeks got slightly less red. She gently stroked his cock a few more times, then leaned forward and placed the lightest kiss on its underside, just where the shaft meets the head. Her lips were incredibly soft, and by sheer luck she'd targeted one of the most sensitive areas possible.

He growled in pleasure.

She gave him a smile, then kissed it again. Then again. She began to gently kiss all around the tip, slowly and gently stroking the shaft as she did so. Her kisses were light and gentle, seeming to convey a profound sense of care and concern for what she was doing. She wasn't doing this out of obligation; she was deeply interested in making sure he truly enjoyed it.

Alana scooted behind him then gently nudged for him to lean up. He did, and then she slid forward so he could rest his head on her breast. He made sure not to poke her with his horns as he watched and felt Taloni continue her work.

"Just relax sir." Alana said as she gently massaged his shoulders. "Let us take care of you."

"Yes master, we really want to do this." The Fey agreed. "Thank you for letting me."

"Uh, you're welcome?" He replied, thinking the thanking should go the other way around.

Taloni smiled and began to kiss his cock once again. She moved down, planting light kisses all over the shaft and working her way around until she had kissed every inch of it. Her lips were so soft and smooth, and they felt incredible.

"You ladies are going to spoil me." He said as Alana's strong fingers gently massaged the kinks out of his shoulders while Taloni kept his cock at full mast.

"I hope so, you've certainly spoiled us." Alana replied with fervor.

Taloni nodded, then started slowly kissing up the sensitive underside of his cock.

He let out a contented sigh. "How so?"

"Ethan." Alana leaned forward so she could look down into his eyes with her gorgeous hazel ones. "You're the best man I've ever known and you treat me - treat us - better than I ever imagined a husband could treat a wife."

"She right." Taloni paused her gentle kissing to add. "Until I met you, I had no idea that men could be so wonderful."

"You two are pretty amazing yourselves." He replied, then closed his eyes to enjoy himself. Moments later he felt Alana's lips press tenderly against his own, as Taloni resumed her gentle lovemaking to his cock.

The Fey clearly had no experience, but more than made up for it with her affection and sincere desire to please him. He could feel that coming over their bond and could hardly believe the depth of her affection. She wasn't doing this out of obligation or duty; she was doing it simply because she wanted to do something for him.

It felt like heaven, especially when you added Alana's soft kiss and tender massage.

He reached down and stroked Taloni's cheek after Alana broke their kiss to resume massaging his sore shoulders.

The Fey looked up and smiled. "You really like me, don't you?"

He nodded. "Honey, I love you."

Both Alana and Taloni sighed at the exact same moment. The Fey glanced at the tip of his cock, then with gratitude overflowing from their bond, parted her lips and took him into her mouth.

It was perfect.

Her mouth was extremely warm, almost hot. Her lips were sealed around the head, and she bobbed up and down shallowly as she seemed to be getting used to having something so large in in her mouth. Fortunately, she knew enough to keep her teeth out of the way.

"You're so big." She said after releasing his cock. "You barely fit."

His smile transformed from 'wide' into 'ear-to-ear'. "Thank you; you feel amazing by the way."

"I do?" She asked, hope glistening in her lilacs eyes.

"Absolutely."

"Good." She smiled sheepishly then, looking slightly embarrassed, engulfed the tip of his cock with her lips again.

Her complete lack of experience and naiveté was obvious, but they were also endearing, especially since she was working so hard to pleasure him. The sight and sensations of her going down on him in love was more arousing, more erotic, and more pleasurable than anything similar he could remember seeing in porn or feeling in real life.

There were just no words.

She seemed totally focused on him and his pleasure.

She bobbed her head up and down while at the same time gently stroking his shaft with her hand. The timing was strange, but that just made it better. He could feel his balls beginning to boil and knew - despite her inexperience - that he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Umm." Taloni stopped and looked up at him. "Where should I... I mean, if you're going to..." She looked at the tip.

He restrained himself from telling her to swallow it because he knew she would listen to him even if she found the idea repugnant. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Fortunately, Alana beat him to the punch.

"Umm." The wood elf turned beet red. "You could always catch it in your... your mouth."

Taloni turned an equally bright shade of crimson. "I thought of that, but isn't that kind of..." She looked equally horrified and turned on by the though. "Isn't that dirty?"

Ethan opened his mouth, but once again Alana beat him to the punch.

"Absolutely; in the best possible way. Come on, don't tell me it doesn't appeal." She finished with a sultry smile.

The Fey looked like she wanted to either attack his cock with renewed vigor or hide under the bed. She looked at him, uncertainty written all over her face. "What would you like that master?"

"Taloni, you really shouldn't call me master."

She looked down and bit her lip. "If you want me to stop, I will mas-" her face fell slightly. "I mean... um, Ethan."

*Maybe you should let her?* Alana suggested telepathically.

*Oh?*

*She clearly really wants to, and I'm fairly certain she's going to think of you that way anyway, no matter what she calls you. Since it won't change anything and she really wants to, why not?*

He nodded, too tired and aroused to argue tight now. Besides, Alana had made a fairly compelling case earlier and knew she would push the point.

"Hey." He said to the Fey kindly as he gently lifted her chin with the side of his index finger. "You can call me whatever you want, as long as you don't call me late for dinner."

She looked confused. "Why would I call you late for-" She stopped as realization crossed her face. She rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly.

"Ugh, dad jokes." Alana groaned. "They're a plague on every world apparently."

"So, you'll really let me call you master?" The Fey said hopefully.

"If that's what you really want, yes." He nodded. He still wasn't sure it was the right move, but the smile that lit up Taloni's face almost seemed worth it.

"Thank you master, I really appreciate it."

"One suggestion." Alana offered. "Maybe don't do it around the rest of the crew; it might make them uneasy. Maybe just keep it for the bedroom; like a secret." She ended with a conspiratorial whisper.

"I can do that." She said with a massive smile, then glanced at Ethan's cock. "May I please finish master?"

"I would like nothing better." He said as he leaned back against Alana's breast.

"Me either... except maybe taking a turn when she's done." The wood elf said with longing in her voice.

Taloni let out a soft, almost unconscious sigh, then parted her lips and slipped them over his cock. She resumed her previous rhythm, stroking him with her hand while bobbing her head up and down. She tightened her lips, sealing them around the shaft and creating a glorious friction and sucking sensation as she worked.

He groaned as the wood elf's relaxing massage and the Fey's tender mouth did wonders for his state of mind. He completely relaxed, letting the sensations fill his mind as the cares of the world slipped away.

As he relaxed, he felt Taloni increase her pace. It was like his relaxation and enjoyment were a narcotic or aphrodisiac. She started to emit soft sighs and moans as she worked on him. She was clearly enjoying herself immensely; possibly as much as he himself was, though he didn't see how that was possible.

She increased her pace yet again, her long honey-blond hair bouncing and falling waves onto his hips. For some reason, her long, silky-smooth hair made the sight all the more arousing as she focused entirely on his cock.

All too soon, he felt his cock swell that final bit just before his impending release.

"I'm about to cum." He warned her.

She moaned loudly and kept going.

Moments later, he also groaned - almost growled - in pleasure as he felt his seed erupt into the waiting Fey teen's mouth. She started sucking, as if determined to drain him dry. She continued bobbing furiously as he emptied the contents of three of his balls into her waiting mouth. The fourth refused to release as it seemed inextricably tied to Alana, and she wasn't the one worshipping his cock right now.

At his peak, just as he was beginning to wind down, he felt a surge of pleasure come over his bond with Taloni. He looked down and saw a gentle quiver in her body that had nothing to do with her vigorous bobbing. It almost looked like she'd had a mini-orgasm just from him cuming in her mouth.

When they had both calmed down, she pulled her head up, pausing for just a moment to give the tip of his cock the lightest, sweetest kiss. She sat up and visibly swallowed before wiping her mouth and looking at him with a sheepish smile. She looked incredibly happy, though extremely embarrassed.

"Thank you for letting me do that." She said with sincere appreciation in her voice.

"I should be thanking you; that was amazing." He said fervently.

The Fey beamed.

She crawled up and laid down at his side, resting her head on his shoulder. It was a slightly odd angle, as he was still leaning against Alana.

"I love you." Taloni said softly.

"I love you too." He gently kissed the top of her head. "And thank you. That really was wonderful."

She let out a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and squeal of delight before snuggling up closer to him.

"Hmm." Alana mused. "You don't seem quite done."

"What?" He looked up at her.

She had a very thoughtful expression on her face as she looked back at him. "Well, I was just looking at our bond and I can feel..." She closed her eyes, reached out her hand and rested it on his chest. "You feel different that after we make love. It's mostly the same, but there's something..." She cocked her head to one side. "I don't know; I can't place it."

"Well, it might be that some of my testicles are specific to each of you." At their confused looks, he explained how he'd grown a new testicle after bonding with each woman, and how Beth's had disappeared after her death. He also explained how each wife-specific testicle would only release for that woman, and no other.

"So, there's a part of you that only works for me, and me alone?" Alana said, tears of joy collecting at the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"I love you." She said. Before he could reply, she leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

He was going to reply the moment she moved, but her lips were replaced with Taloni's in an equally deep kiss that thankfully had no trace of his seed. "I love you too." The Fey said when she stopped kissing him.

"I love you both." He said, not believing his good fortune to have two such wonderful women doting on him and loving him so.

"Hmm." Taloni mused.

"What?" Alana asked.

"Well, if Ethan can only release all of his..." She turned slightly pink. "...stuff if he's intimate with all of his wives, then that means none of us can ever completely satisfy him."

"Ladies believe me, I've been nothing but satisfied by you both."

"But fully satisfied master? Truly? Do you feel completely satisfied, even though you aren't completely released?"

"Well, I suppose there's a tiny part of me that's still game for action."

"There's nothing little about that part sir." Alana said looking down at his still erect cock sticking into the air at full mast.

Everyone chuckled.

"Alana." Taloni said. "I can't finish pleasing our husband. Would you please do the honors?"

"It would be my pleasure." The wood elf replied with a wide smile. She slipped out from behind Ethan, then crawled down and turned around so she was kneeling on all fours between his legs facing him.

"Thank you for being a wonderful husband." She said.

"Thank you - both of you - for being such wonderful wives." He replied.

The wood elf smiled, then leaned down took the head of his cock into her mouth. She took a completely different tact that Taloni though. Instead of bobbing her head and stroking the shaft, she did almost the opposite. She stayed almost completely still, using only her tongue to slowly and tenderly stroke the head of his cock.

But she made eye contact.

She looked at him almost unblinking with his cock in her mouth. She barely moved except for her tongue, but instead let her deep devotion and love for him show on her face and over their bond. She didn't say a word - either audibly or telepathically - she just sent her incredibly deep feelings of love and devotion over their bond and did nothing else as she slowly licked the head of his cock with her lovely soft tongue.

It was a completely different experience to Taloni's eager ministrations, but just as wonderful.

Her tongue moved so slowly, languidly, almost torturously over the sensitive head of his cock. She explored every square millimeter with the tip, focusing on the sensitive underside, underneath the head, and especially the tip. All the while, she was flooding their bond with her deep devotion, love, and reverence for him.

She looked into his eyes, almost unblinking as her chocolate brown hair framed her beautiful, feminine face. She loved him and it was written all over her eyes, face, and their bond.

He didn't last long.

It only took a minute for the sensations to near overwhelm him. Just as he hit the point of no return, Alana reached down and put a hand over her womb, as if to silently say 'I'm carrying your child'.

He growled in pleasure as his last testicle released its contents into her waiting mouth. As with Taloni, she quivered slightly in a mini-orgasm as his seed filled her mouth. She continue to gently suck and swirled her tongue for nearly a minute afterward, tenderly milking every last drop out of him. Then she arched her head backwards and visibly swallowed.

"Delicious." She said with a genuine smile. "Thank you for letting me do that."

"No, thank you." He replied. "You're welcome to do that anytime you'd like."

"You looked so beautiful doing that, didn't she master?" Taloni said with a sleepy sigh.

"Absolutely." He nodded.

"Thank you." Alana said as she crawled back up to flop down on Ethan's left side opposite the Fey girl.

Ethan closed his eyes and relaxed, realizing that for the first time ever - well, since arriving in this world and becoming a dragon - all of his balls were well and truly empty. The two original ones always emptied regardless of the woman, but the wife-specific ones only emptied for that wife. Tonight was the first time he'd emptied all of them at the same time.

It felt good.

A curious kind of calm settled over his mind. Something was different in a good way, he just couldn't place it. Something felt... Hmm. He thought about it for nearly a minute before he realized what it was.

"My dragon side is... well it's like it's asleep." He said aloud.

"Hmm?" Taloni murmured, clearly on the edge of sleep.

"What do you mean?" Alana said, and then yawed.

"I've always been able to feel my dragon instincts hovering at the edge of my thoughts." He explained. "They're always there and I've learned to resist their constant allure. But now... Now it's like the dragon is asleep; contented and not bothering me very much."

"Do you know... kno..." She yawned again. "Do you know why?"

He explained about all his balls being empty for the first time since he became a dragon.

"Interesting." The chocolate haired elf said. "We should definitely talk about this more, but can we do it in the morning sir? Right now, I'd like to fall asleep snuggling with my husband."

"Me too." Taloni said sleepily.

"Sure thing." He said, enjoying the relative peace in his mind. It really was like the dragon was asleep. He could still feel its presence, its instincts, its desires; but they were muted under a seeming veil of contentment. He didn't often agree with his dragon side, but right now they both felt content, happy, and more than a little sleepy.

He kissed the top of a chocolate brown head and honey blond head, then relaxed to let sleep take him.

Just before he drifted off, he had the presence of mind to whisper: "Goodnight Beth."

* * *

"Good night Ethan." Beth whispered back, though she knew he couldn't hear her.

Moments later, his breathing patterns changed and she was sure he had fallen asleep. She watched all three sleeping, wishing that she had her body back so she could join them on the bed. It was strange, she had married Ethan almost a month ago. Back then she would've been livid the idea of him sharing a bed with another woman.

Now...

She had watched their encounter with interest, trying to understand what Alana had done to get such a reaction out of him. She was certainly jealous, but not because she didn't want him to enjoy them. Rather, she wanted to be right there with them and couldn't be.

They lay on the bed without blanket or sheet as the warm summer air and shared body heat meant they didn't need either. The two women were nestled up against Ethan's side. They were both holding him almost possessively, though not selfishly. The combination was very interesting and just seemed right for some reason.

Before long, both of the women seemed to get a little uncomfortable in their clothes. They both were pulling and tugging at their dresses in their sleep. Over the next few minutes, the dresses were pulled up higher and higher until they both sat up - still asleep - and pulled them off, before laying back down next to him completely naked.

They were both so beautiful.

They were even more beautiful snuggled up naked against her - no 'their' - husband. Strangely, she wasn't jealous; she only wished she could be with them right now.

"That's because you're maturing." A familiar melodious voice said from behind her. She turned to see Gabriella, still radiantly white unlike the purple hues that covered everything else on the Astral Plane.

"Thank you." Beth replied. "And it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too." Gabriella gave her a tender hug, then stepped back. "I can't stay long, I just have a quick message from my Lord."

"Oh?"

The other woman nodded. "He suggested that after you return to your own body you should properly apologize to Alana before you go to bed with Ethan.

Beth considered. She definitely could've been nicer to the lovely wood elf, but certainly wasn't mean. She couldn't really think of what she needed to apologize to Alana for. At least, nothing specific. Her general attitude though...

"I probably should." She admitted. "I couldn't been nicer; more kind."

Gabriella smiled radiantly, though Beth wasn't sure the woman knew how to smile any other way. She was slightly jealous of how wonderful the woman's smile was.

"My Lord also had a suggestion for how to properly apologize to your husband's first wife."

"His first wife? But I thought..." Beth stopped, cocked her head to one side and stared at the angel for a moment as realization dawned. "Oh, because he bonded to her first. She's his first wife and I..."

"Oh." The blonde teen covered her mouth. "Oh no. I was... She was already married to him and I... I took him away from her."

"Go on." Gabriella nodded. Strangely, while the other woman was acknowledging her obvious error, she didn't feel condemned.

"I acted like she had no right to him when I was the one who was intruding." Beth turned to look at the sleeping wood elf. "And through all of that, she was only ever perfectly nice and kind to me."

"All true."

"I don't deserve him." Beth felt tears collecting at the corners of her eyes as she looked at Ethan sleeping with his other wives. "Alana and Taloni are so wonderful, so selfless, so caring; and I'm just... I'm just me"

"Beth, calm down." Gabriella said. It wasn't quite a command, yet it was more than a suggestion. "It's not a question of 'deserving'. No one can 'deserve' to have the affection of another. Don't you think Ethan has made mistakes? Alana? Taloni?"

Beth nodded.

"Of course you don't 'deserve' Ethan; no one does. Just as no one 'deserves' Alana, or Taloni, or anyone else for that matter; you included."

Beth looked down and couldn't meet the angel's eyes anymore.

Gabriella bent over slightly so she could look at Beth anyway. "You can't deserve someone else. But I will say this, Illuminar Himself - blessed be He - guided Ethan to you."

Beth glanced up. "He did?"

"He absolutely did." She nodded. "Illuminar - blessed be He - has great plans for Ethan. He has plans for him so great that the man would run if he learned them now. The Great God of Light - the all-knowing, all-loving, all-wise God who created the earth and everything around you - He Himself decided that out of all the women in the entire land, that you would be a good wife for Ethan. He decided that you - Elizabeth Ejder - were a crucial, vital part of Ethan fulfilling his destiny. And He decided that you could help him achieve incredible things."

"He did?" Beth asked weakly. She felt like crying again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

Gabriella beamed. "He did."

"But why me?" Beth said shrinking back slightly. "I'm nothing special. I'm barely more than a child; I was playing with dolls a few years ago. Surely there's someone older and wiser who can help."

Gabriella shook her head. "That's not what worries you, is it?"

Beth averted her eyes again and shook her head.

"Say it out loud."

"I can't."

Gabriella chuckled. For some reason, that was the perfect thing to do. The angel's laughter was a soothing balm on her frayed nerves and anxieties.

"I'm afraid..." Beth bit her lip. "I'm afraid that I won't be good enough. That I'll fail and drag Ethan down with me."

Gabriella sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Beth to sit next to her, on a spot which Taloni's leg had conveniently vacated only moments before. Beth broke down crying as she sat next to the luminous woman.

It was too much.

It was all too much.

Gabriella pulled her into her arms as the tears started to fall. The blonde teen couldn't believe how badly she'd messed things up with Alana. The wood elf had been so nice and she'd reacted so badly. Plus there was all her time on the Astral Plane and all the mistakes she'd made here. And finally, there was Ethan.

Dear, sweet, kind, Ethan. She knew he was a good man, but she had no idea of the plans Illuminar had for him. She wanted to help; she wanted to help so much. But what could she do? She was barely out of her child years. She wasn't especially kind like Alana, or powerful like Rachel, or wonderful like Taloni. She was just... her. What could she possibly do to help Ethan?

What if she wouldn't help?

What if her youth and inexperience would lead him astray from the plans that Illuminar had? What if she got him hurt - or worse - because she was so young and naïve?

"Beth." Gabriella said kindly after the teen had cried herself out. "Illuminar - blessed be He - chose you. You may not have confidence in yourself, but He does. Who do you think is better qualified to decide if you can help Ethan: You or The God of Light?"

"He is." She sniffled.

"Then trust His judgement. You may not understand His reasons, but you don't need to. Besides, do you want to be separated from Ethan?"

"Never!" She sat bolt upright with a horrified expression, then she let her shoulders slump slightly. "I'm just worried I'll mess up and ruin everything."

"Oh, let me put your fears to rest." The angel said. "You will mess up; repeatedly just like everyone else because you're mortal... but you won't ruin everything."

Beth breathed a sigh of relief. "Promise?"

"Promise." Gabriella replied, then added with a wink. "Unless you eat pickles on a Thursday; then Illuminar - blessed be He - will be totally powerless and the entire world will come crashing down around you."

Beth chuckled as she wiped her eyes. "So it'll be okay?"

The other woman smiled. "Everything will be okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end."

The blonde teen breathed a sigh of relief. "And I won't mess everything up?"

"My dear girl," Gabriella said with a motherly 'you-should-know-better' expression. "You simply aren't that powerful."

"Okay." Beth looked over to see Ethan and his other wives snuggled up on the bed. Her eyes were drawn to Alana as the wood elf slept peacefully. "You said your Lord had a suggestion on how to apologize to her properly."

"He does. He said to: 'use your words, and then your lips and tongue'."

"Huh?" The teen shook her head. "I don't understand; what does that mean?"

"You'll understand when the time comes." Gabriella said standing up. "Until then, think on it. I must go."

"Do you have to?"

She nodded. "My Lord calls and your husband needs you. You'll feel his arms around you by midnight the day after tomorrow."

Beth sighed. "I can't wait."

"Just remember, it would be best to fully apologize to Alana before Ethan takes you to bed."

"I will, once I figure out what 'using my words and then my lips and tongue' means."

* * *

Taloni slowly felt sleep fade despite her best efforts. She had been having a wonderful dream. Ethan had returned and set her free, Alana had helped with her wedding, she'd flown with Ethan before he made love to her in the sky, she'd woken up next to him, spent an entire day with him, then used her mouth to please him before falling asleep next to him.

She dreaded waking up and going to the mines. She hated the dingy makeshift medical area and hated going down into the mines even more. She loved the grass-covered earth, the trees and the people, but the dead underground was just awful.

As she slowly woke, she realized she could feel a bit of a draft on her back. Wait, what about her dress? And she could feel bedsheets. She reached around with her left arm to feel her back was entirely naked... and her butt... and her legs. She moved her face, and that's when she realized she wasn't leaning against her makeshift pillow made of old clothes.

She opened her eyes.

She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.

She wasn't.

She was looking at Ethan. His head was flopped at a strange angle and his long draconic tongue was hanging out of his mouth slightly, but it was him. Her head was resting on his upper chest, almost onto his shoulder, using his strong pectorals for a pillow.

Opposite her was a beautiful head of chocolate brown hair, which was attached to a peacefully sleeping wood elf. Her pointed ears poked out of her hair and she wore a contented, peaceful smile on her face.

"Please don't be dreaming, please don't be dreaming." She thought to herself repeatedly.

It seemed too wonderful to imagine that her dream of the previous two days had actually happened. That she was actually married to Ethan. That Alana had accepted her, and that they had both pleasured him the previous night.

She lifted her head and looked around.

She was in the captain's cabin of the Argo. The dark blue-grey light of the pre-dawn hours was just seeping in through the massive bay window.

As she looked backwards over her shoulder, she saw her beautiful wings. She tried to move them, and her surprise and delight, they actually moved. She played with moving them for several moments, enjoying how they caught the light in beautiful rainbow patters.

She also noticed that both she and Alana were naked.

Completely naked.

The Fey felt a surge of embarrassment as she noticed the elf's cute little bubble but and shapely, toned legs. The embarrassment wasn't so much from noticing them, as from noticing how attractive they were.

Deciding to protect both their modesty, she used her foot pull up the bedsheet and cover herself and the elf. The movement seemed to have disturbed Ethan, who grumbled slightly. She froze, trying not to wake him. However, after few moments later he yawned, blinked, then opened his eyes and looked down at her.

*Good morning.* He said, but his lips didn't move at all.

She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. She started mouthing soundlessly, trying not to wake Alana up.

He smiled. *We can communicate telepathically, just think of what you want to say and direct the thoughts toward me.*

*Like this?* She said doing as he instructed.

He nodded. *Perfect, now we can talk and won't wake Alana up.*

She looked at him in disbelief. *Tell me I'm not still dreaming. Tell me this is real and I don't need to go back to the mine again.*

*You're not dreaming.* He confirmed, then looked at her and Alana. *In fact, this might be my dream."

*Then I'm glad I get to share it master.*

*Me too.* He smiled, pulling her close and putting his arm around her as she rested her head on his chest. She was so glad that he had decided to let her call him master. It made her feel so safe and protected when she did. She loved the idea of belonging to him and knew he would protect her.

She liked that.

No, she loved it

She'd never really had that before; someone who was willing to protect her just for her. Thaltien would because she worked for him, but Ethan took care of her just because he cared about her.

She really liked that.

They laid there snuggling for several minutes before Alana began to stir. She raised her head after a minute. She was bleary eyed and her hair was a bit of a mess, but in a beautiful way.

"Good morning." She mumbled to them both, then flopped her head back down on Ethan's chest.

"Good morning." He replied, putting his arm around the wood elf too.

"Good morning Alana." Taloni said tentatively.

The chocolate-haired elf looked up at the Fey with her sleepy hazel eyes. "I don't bite you know."

"I know, I just sometimes have a hard time believing that you're okay with sharing Ethan."

She shrugged and put her head back down. "He's not mine to share or not share; I'm his."

"I've never met a woman who thought that way before." The Fey replied, though she certainly thought the same way herself.

"Well, last night I was encouraging you on when you were..." She went slightly red. "...were using your mouth, so no; I'm not jealous and I don't mind. Well, as long as I get a turn regularly. We'd have a serious problem if you tried to keep me away from him."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Taloni said fervently, and she meant it

"Then there's no problem." Alana smiled. It was a genuine smile which reached her eyes.

Taloni couldn't help but be both surprised and delighted. "Thank you." She reached out and gave the elf's hand a little squeeze.

"I am so glad you two get along so well." Ethan said. "This could be hell if you didn't."

"Well, this little Fey is cute as a button and very charming too." Alana beamed. "I don't see any reason we wouldn't get along."

Taloni blushed.

"It's true." Ethan nodded, then glanced down. "And damn sexy too."

She blushed even redder.

Alana glanced down to where the sheet was hugging the Fey's curves and got a mischievous grin on her face. "It looks that way from here too."

The Fey buried her face in Ethan's shoulder then pulled the covers up over her head. Ethan chuckled, rolled toward her and put both his arms around her. His laugh was calming for some reason, though her cheeks still burned fiercely.

"You know we're just teasing you, right?" He asked as he held her.

She nodded and was even rather happy they were. But that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed by it. Like, really embarrassed. Of course, after what she'd done the previous night with Alana watching - and what she'd watched Alana do - she probably shouldn't be embarrassed. But the previous night she had been incredibly horny, which went a long way toward lowering her inhibitions.

And there was the fact that she was naked...

"Um, Alana, could you turn around so I can put my dress on?" She said half into Ethan's shoulder. She peeked up to look at the wood elf, who looked surprised, but wore an indulgent smile.

"Of course." She turned around and Ethan let the Fey teen out of his arms.

Taloni slipped out of the bed and - staying low just in case - picked her dress up from the floor and pulled it on. It always took her longer than other women because she needed to fasten the ties or buttons at the top of her dresses which allowed for the twin slits through which her wings poked out.

We she was done, she stood up feeling slightly more comfortable. At least until Ethan nudged Alana and they both looked at her with amused smiles on their faces.

"What?" The Fey asked.

"I don't know if you noticed, but we fell asleep with clothes on and woke up with clothes off." Alana replied. "I get the feeling that waking up naked will be a regular occurrence." She paused, then added with a confused and thoughtful expression. "I don't mind for some reason though. The idea of being naked around you doesn't bother me too much."

Taloni was sure that half her blood must be in her cheeks. She must've looked like that 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer' character that he had explained the previous day. Part of her embarrassment was because she didn't mind the idea of being naked around Alana either, she just couldn't bring herself to do it... yet.

"It doesn't bother me either." Ethan said, then turned to the Fey. "But it's perfectly fine if it bothers you. We-" He gave Alana a look. "-won't pressure you either way. Do what you're comfortable with."

She nodded.

Alana sat up, holding the sheet so it didn't reveal her small but shapely breasts. "So, I think we can agree that it's best if we sent our husband off to meet this necromancer with as clear a head as possible, right?"

Taloni nodded.

"So that means we both need to take care of him, and I haven't had this man inside of me in nearly two days." She looked at him mournfully before looking back at the Fey. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so how about this? How about you use your lips and then I'll use my hips."

The wood elf gave Ethan a smoldering grin before turning back to the Fey. "And you don't need to stay for the hip action if you don't want to, or if it'll make you uncomfortable."

She nodded, wanting to stay but realizing that she was too embarrassed to stay. She knew she would be able to eventually - and soon - but not yet. A part of her wanted to though.

It wanted to very much.

* * *

Agent Selene Dawson breathed a sigh of relief. The clearing in which the crime had taken place was pretty, but there wasn't any shade and she'd been working all day. It was midafternoon and they had just finished processing the crime scene.

Finally.

They'd taken so many pictures you could've reconstructed a complete 3D model. They'd also made molds of all the footprints which were intact enough to be useful. It had been a long two days and she was looking forward to getting out of the heat.

The late summer air was too warm for comfort even in the shade. It was miserably hot in the full sun of a cloudless sky. She stood up, pulled off her agency issued FBI ball cap and wiped her brow. She desperately needed a shower.

"You guys done?" The local sheriff - Anderson - asked with a slight southern accent.

"Pretty much." She nodded.

"Okay, we'll start packing up." He said and turned. He stopped, then turned back. "Keep your eyes out for suits."

"Suits?"

Sheriff Anderson nodded. "Every time we get one of these cases, a couple government types in expensive suits always show up. They don't make a fuss and don't interfere, but they're always here and I suspect up to no good. I'd keep an eye out ma'am."

"I will, thank you."

"Ma'am." He tipped his hat and walked away.

"Boot, get a move on; we don't have all day." Mason barked. He had been right there working until the very last moment. He had a reputation as a hard ass, but he certainly didn't have a problem with hard work either.

"Coming." She called, dearly whishing that she could spell that with a 'u' instead of an 'o'. Sadly, she probably wouldn't get a chance for a few days because this case was taking all of her time. Her trusty vibrator was stowed in the bottom of her luggage where there was no chance of it accidentally falling out.

She sighed.

They hiked to the SUV in slience. Once there, she climbed into the passenger side and flopped down on the seat.

"Seatbelt." Mason said tersely.

She buckled herself in and turned the AC up as high as the dial would go.

"What did you learn?" He asked once they were underway.

"There's something strange with this case. I know it's my first field assignment, but something doesn't feel right."

"What?"

She adjusted the car vents so they blew on her face and chest before turning the fan up to its highest setting. "The tracks for one, and that strange semicircle for another. I still can't imagine what made that."

"Helicopter." He grunted. "There's nothing else that could get them out without leaving a trace like that."

"Yeah, maybe." Selene replied. It did make logical sense, but it didn't fit.

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains - no matter how improbable - must be the truth." He quoted.

"Sherlock Holmes?"

He nodded. "It's impossible for anything else on this world to get them out of there; therefore - despite the strange looking skid marks - it must have been a helicopter."

"Yeah, I suppose..." She still wasn't convinced, but he was right. Of course, the famous quote from Sherlock Holmes assumed you were capable of coming up with every possible scenario and then eliminating the impossible ones.

"When we get back, rest up." Mason said. "We're going through the evidence tomorrow and from all the previous cases. Day after that, I want you to start doing interviews with the previous victim's families. Listen for anything that stands out in their testimonies."

"I will." She said.

They talked about the case most of the rest of the drive and Selene learned a lot about how to look at a crime scene. When they got back to the hotel, she ambled to her hotel room, took a cold shower - which didn't help alleviate the tension between her legs - and flopped down on the bed, finally feeling somewhat human. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the soft feeling of the comforter...

RING! RING!

Selene jolted awake. Her clock told her that she'd drifted off for about twenty minutes. Almost on autopilot, she answered her phone. "Agent Dawson."

"Selene, is that anyway to greet your mother?" Her mom said, the usual disapproving tone in her voice being the last thing she wanted to hear right now.

"Hi mom." She sighed.

"You sound tired, are you getting enough sleep?"

"Yup." She lied. "I just worked all afternoon."

"You know, you wouldn't need to work so hard if-"

"Mom, let me stop you right there; I don't need a man."

"Of course you don't need a man, but-"

"I don't want a man right now either." Selene sat up, letting the towel remain on the bed. "We've talked about this remember? My career is important to me."

There was a long silence, then: "Well, okay. I just want to make sure you're happy."

"I am." Selene said as she stifled a yawn.

For the next fifteen minutes, she listened to her mother relay innumerable inane things, mostly concerning her new dog. It was a yellow lab mix that she had literally no idea how to train, and she was complaining that it kept wanting to eat the furniture.

"Hey, is that our daughter?" She heard her father's voice in the background.

"Hey mom, can you put dad on?"

Her mother reluctantly let go of the phone while trying to finish a story about how the neighbors weren't being considerate for not wanting to put up with her dog's constant barking. Eventually, she did give the phone over though.

"Hi angel." Her dad said in his deep, calming voice.

"Hi dad, I missed you."

"You too angel, you too." He chuckled. "Has your mother got you married off yet?"

Selene groaned. "Not for lack of trying."

"If you are interested, I do have a thought on that. Only if you're interested."

Selene considered. Her dad had never pushed like her mom and had mostly stayed out of her love life. When he shared an opinion, it was usually worth listening to.

"Go ahead." She said.

"I'm glad you became an FBI agent." He said. "You've been working toward that since... well, since it happened. I'm glad you made it."

"But?"

"No buts angel; just an 'and'. And don't forget that you fully planned out your wedding every other week since you were four. I'm proud of my little FBI agent. I'm not saying you should quit your job, like mom does. I'm saying keep an eye out; you don't want to miss Mr. Right when he crosses your path."

"I won't miss him; I scored expert in marksmanship remember?" She said tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Her dad laughed.

It was a deep from-the-heart kind of laugh that you couldn't help laughing along with, which she did.

"I understand what you're saying, and you're probably right." She admitted. "But I need to do this job because it's more than a job to me. It's more than a career. I need to do it because... well, you know why."

"I do baby girl, I do." He replied with undeniable sadness as her reasons assuredly dredged up some painful memories. "Wanting to get justice for others is a noble goal, and I'm proud of you for it."

"But?"

"No buts. Just don't get so buried in your career and giving happiness to others that you forget to find some of your own."

"I won't daddy." She said.

"Good." He replied. "Now tell me about your first case."

They talked about it for a while as she explained a few of the things that made it unique. Eventually, he had to go as her mother was putting dinner on the table.

After they hung up, Selene caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom. She once again thanked her lucky stars for her Japanese mother, Brazilian father, and fondness for fitness.

One of her girlfriends had once said that Selene had 'won the genetic lottery'. She thought that was going a bit far, but she didn't want for male attention. In fact, she usually 'dressed down' to avoid emphasizing her looks. She'd learned that from her mother, who was pushing fifty and could easily pass for thirty. Her mother even sometimes got carded when she replenished her impressive wine collection.

She thought about what her dad had said and couldn't deny he made a good point.

Despite her youthful looks, her ovaries aged at the same rate as every other woman. She still had plenty of time at twenty three, but in a mere ten years she would be getting up there for children. Sadly, her biological clock didn't adjust to her life choices.

Putting that out of her mind, she settled down with the files for the witnesses she needed to interview the day after tomorrow. The first on the list was a Jason Stiles and Melinda Estelo. They had filed the missing person's report on their friend Hailey Oswald almost four years ago. According to the file, they had been very persistent in lobbying for movement on the case.

She looked through the files and made a route based on their locations in the city. Jason and Melinda were up first, and she figured she would visit bright and early at nine the day after tomorrow. Her father always said never visit someone earlier than nine unless it was an emergency, and he was rarely wrong.

That made her mind swing back to his earlier comments about men.

What if he was right?

* * *

Ethan grabbed the satchel with a dozen of the wooden grenades and slung it over his shoulder. He took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, wondering if he was making a huge mistake.

Anthiel - with Taloni eagerly watching - had just expertly piloted The Argo up to a large earthen ramp that was obviously created to allow larger airships to dock. Beyond the earthen ramp he could see the necromancer's slave camp. It wasn't large, but even a glance left you in no doubt as to its purpose.

He took another deep breath.

"Problem?" Rachel asked while Serif and Raklan threw mooring lines over the bollards to secure the Argo to the dock.

"The necromancer." He replied with a grimace. "We're going to be worlds away and if he decides not to reopen the portal, or attacks while we're gone, or even won't let us use the portal..."

Rachel nodded. "It's a risk, but it also seems like the only way to get Beth back."

Ethan nodded. "That makes it worth the risk, but that's another thing. How are we going to explain carrying Beth through the camp? We're planning on raising her from the dead. I think a necromancer would be interested."

"Good point." Rachel admitted.

Ethen shook his head. The more he thought about this the less he liked it. He supposed that this first excursion into the camp should probably be more of a fact finding mission. He needed to know who he was dealing with and decided not to tip his hand about what they were doing. The right information in the wrong hands could be devastating.

Everyone else gathered near the gangplank where he and the redhead were talking. He activated his disguise gem and looked around at the crew of the Argo. They all looked a little trepidacious.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright, let's go meet a necromancer."

TO BE CONTINUED...