Endangered Ch. 09

As he kissed Annabel goodbye until the evening, he made another little lump of magic for Bartholomew. Immi eyed the little tattoo jealously, but the morsel was devoured so quickly she didn't have time to intercept it. The sprite collected a smooch of her own before climbing up on Annabel's arm and slipping delicately into the wide mouth of Annabel's calf-leather handbag, disappearing completely. Chris stared wide-eyed in wonder at the blatant use of magic. There was no way that should be possible. How had she done it? Annabel laughed happily at his reaction, shrugged as if to say, 'what of it?' and left. Susan kissed him goodbye and followed her out, collecting the meagre, dragon-savaged remains of their lunch to dispose of.

Claire and Petra departed around two in the afternoon after a delightful little dragon-nap nestled one on each flank. It was a squeeze, but thankfully they just fit if the ladies lay on their sides. They left with no real explanation but suspiciously knowing smiles, putting him on guard. His prime suspicion was that some sort of invisible shenanigans with Lillian were afoot.

Quiet footsteps in the hallway alerted him to someone's approach. It didn't sound like Lillian's boots, it might be Michelle, but the gait lacked... confidence? There was a long pause as the soft footfalls stopped before he finally heard a quiet knock at the door.

"Come in," he ventured, tensing in his half-reclined position as the handle turned.

A small, blond goddess peaked into the room.

"Hailey!"

"Your afternoon's entertainment has arrived," she smiled at him, taking a theatrical bow. She came in and removed a heavy looking backpack from her shoulders. Rectangular outlines bulged against the sides from within.

"It's good to see you," Chris enthused. "I knew the girls were up to something, but this is a wonderful surprise. Are those books in there?"

"Yup, lots of books and I'm your demanding tutor. Scooch over."

She set the bag at the end of the bed by his feet and promptly jumped up as well, swinging a bronzed thigh over to straddle him.

The lust in her blue eyes should have alerted him but Chris was surprised to find her soft lips planted firmly on his own. He really hadn't expected to be kissed, let alone so thoroughly but couldn't find it within himself to object.

She teased and tugged a reaction from him as the rest of her bombshell body settled down on top of him. Their tongues slid tentatively against each other as his hands came to rest around her waist, rubbing slowly up her flank through the thin, clingy fabric of her shirt. Firm, large breasts moulded exquisitely into his chest as she pressed down into him, her passion rising. He felt her whole-body shiver and tense. Her hips twitched. A beautiful little gasp escaped their kiss, her eyelids scrunching tightly closed.

His nose was filled with her rich arousal as she opened her eyes and began trailing her kisses down towards his ear. She rested, panting, breathing deeply of his spicy, pheromone-laden, scent.

Chris closed his eyes, too. She was so warm and soft and small under his hands, clinging to him. His cock rapidly caught up to the situation, swelling and twitching between their bodies.

Finally, Hailey let go of him and pushed up onto her palms. She searched his handsome features seriously, for what, even she didn't know.

"I thought we were taking things slowly?" he asked, smiling devilishly up into her halo of short, golden hair.

Somehow his carefree response seemed to soothe her because she slid down the bed a little and lay back down, her cheek above his heart.

"I missed you, Chris. I missed your touch, your voice, your smell..." she whispered. "That night at the club I was so excited to be yours, I could have screamed. I just wanted you to take me home with you, even if it was just to talk or cuddle or something. Then Lillian broke your heart and those men attacked you and... I didn't really see you again. You went off to catch the people responsible and got hurt. I thought... It's silly but I thought you might have forgotten about me or didn't care, especially when I heard about Lillian's pregnancy."

The dragon rumbled underneath her, his arms wrapping her up possessively.

"I didn't forget, my beautiful little werebison," his voice was deep and rich, vibration rolling into her body through their contact. "I'm sorry, in hindsight it seems heartless but none of it was on purpose. Lillian's pregnancy came out of nowhere and is causing quite a stir. On top of that, I was busy helping Michelle. Regardless, we are here now, and I think you can feel that I want you very much."

"I know. It's stupid, but it's just the way I felt. Insecurities, ya' know?"

"I do," he leaned up kissed the tip of her adorable nose as she wriggled tighter into his embrace.

"Hmm, it does feel like you want me an awful lot," Hailey teased, the heat and solidity of his erection obvious against her tummy.

"Don't you start with that, too," he groaned playfully. "I get innuendo thrown at me from every direction these days. Aren't you supposed to be helping me study or something?"

Hailey opened her mouth to reply but paused mid-breath, her happy expression turning quickly to mortification. She practically vaulted into the air and off the bed, one arm pressed firmly across her chest.

"Hailey?" Chris was left wondering as she turned away and began fossicking desperately in one of her backpack's top compartments.

She didn't reply, and it was like she was trying to block his view as she pulled something out and angrily re-zipped the backpack. Chris thought he caught a flash of deep purple, possibly fabric of some kind clutched in her hands as she rushed around the end of the bed and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.

"What did I say?" he wondered aloud, part bemused, part concerned.

When she returned, she played off the entire episode. Chris let it go as she grabbed a heavy chemistry text book and settled down beside him to read and discuss.

***

Lillian came to him that evening. His extended family had gathered in his room for dinner and they'd barely finished eating before she arrived and kicked everyone out. He could see the predator lurking in her dark eyes as she stripped unceremoniously and pounced on him.

Her take on the doctor's orders of him 'avoiding exertion' was simply that she had to be on top, doing all the work. She silenced his objections with a huge mouthful of creamy tit-flesh as she quivered, flexed, and bounced on his steel-hard manhood. All the while she cooed throaty praises and moaned loudly as she quickly peaked. Robbed of his attention for almost a week, the pregnant, buxom vampire was beside herself with lust. She easily drew out his own release, milked him for all he was worth, and continued her avaricious fucking without respite.

What little rest he got that night was interrupted every few hours when she insistently mounted him and rode to the heights of passion again and again.

Scant hours before dawn, Chris became fed up. He rolled on top of her, pinning her to the hospital bed. He forced her thick, soft thighs wide and wrangled himself into position against her play struggling. He entered her steaming, messy, pussy savagely, thrusting deep as she screeched her approval. Lillian soon found herself with her heels over his shoulders as he pistoned forcefully down into her lush body with his glorious cock, sounding her limit. He bit her perfect skin and mauled jiggling flesh wherever he could reach it, being far more unrestrained than he ever was with his other lovers. His roughness and passion set off her vampiric desires, drawing her quickly to a shuddering, squealing orgasm. Covered in sweat and breathing like a steam train, Chris finally succumbed. One last time, his voluminous ejaculation spewed from the fat, throbbing spear buried deep within his keening vampire mate.

They collapsed together in a tangle of stained bedding and sweaty limbs, her inhuman lust satiated at last. She took a small sip of his blood before catching a few rare hours of sleep in her dragon's loving embrace.

In the morning, Dr. Chang arrived with Emilia Mayer in tow. She was escorted by two members of Compound security. Lillian had showered and dressed by then, but Chris had to put his semi-ruined gown back on to be decent. Still, there was an awkward moment when the four entered. The place must have reeked of sex and Chris' hurried efforts to make the bedding more presentable were laughable.

Dr. Chang gave Lillian, fresh out of the shower, a disapproving glare but it was like water off a greased duck's back.

"Hello, Chris, I'm Emilia Mayer," the researcher boldly introduced herself and sat on the edge of his bed, unfazed by the mess. She watched his eyes narrow in assessment and anger, but he took her offered hand and shook it tersely. "Firstly, I'd like to apologise for this situation. I needed to assure my survival and you were the most valuable hostage I could think of, nothing personal."

"Huh, I think I'll reserve my right to take it personally," Chris grunted. "You should have just surrendered and cooperated, it would have earned you a lot of good will."

"That is essentially what I am doing, is it not? I've given Agent Hamund and Lady Narlakis all I know about the workings of Riker Pharmaceutical and accepted their conditions for my continued existence. I just couldn't take the chance that in the heat of the moment I would be killed out of hand. My work, especially involving your biology is too important."

"What work?" he asked warily.

He'd heard the woman had been experimenting on the captured Beings. That made him angry from a moral standpoint and a little violated on a personal level. However, having never met her before this, her face and presence didn't illicit a strong reaction and it was difficult to mask his curiosity.

"Oh, all sorts of things really. I was barely scratching the surface when I was so rudely interrupted by your pet vampire." She watched him scowl and chided herself. "Sorry, I jest. I was mostly focusing on your amazing regenerative and disease fighting capabilities. I could make you a very rich man if you allowed me to continue my work, not to mention all the good such cures would do if available to the broader population. All I would need is a few samples every week."

The two body guards shuffled nervously in the pause that followed. They were tasked with keeping the human out of trouble but what could they really do if the dragon or Lillian for that matter decided to take offence against the stubborn old woman.

"That sounds almost exactly like every other offer I receive on Maginet," Chris finally replied. "A scale or two, a vial of saliva, a few ounces of blood. I'll make you rich. It couldn't possibly do any harm."

He sighed, watching the older woman as she opened a leather satchel and began assembling a shiny but rather archaic looking syringe gun.

"Now my species is on the verge of extinction and the first human who begins to understand my abilities wants exactly the same thing."

"I didn't peg you as one to indulge in melodrama," Emilia said matter-of-factly as she loaded a vial of clear fluid into the gun and squirted a little from the tip. "I don't do any of this for my personal gain, I want to advance science, our understanding of the universe. I wouldn't expect someone so young to understand that drive but if you think curing cancer, AIDS, or unlocking the secrets of telomere degradation aren't worthy enough rewards for a little discomfort once or twice a week, then you're more callous than I imagined."

His stunned look let her know that her hook had struck. She took advantage of his silence and adeptly inserted her needle into his shoulder. He winced only slightly as the plunger pumped the antidote into his muscle for slow release.

"That's quite enough out of you for one day," Lillian came to Chris' defence. "Next you'll be telling us how the Nazi's experiments in the Second World War were justified."

Emilia ignored the vampire, instead packing away her equipment. Only Chris noticed her weathered hands tremble slightly and a firmness settle in the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth.

"I'll think about it," the words came from him almost unbidden.

"Thank you." Emilia's surprised smile stripped decades from her appearance as she met the young man's eyes for a long moment.

"You're done. Out!" Lillian hissed, perched like a menacing hawk on the other side of his bed. She pointed threateningly at the door before rounding on the woman's two minders. "One of you two knuckleheads needs to get down to Eddard's Apothecary right now for some pheromone cancellation potion. The boy's mother will know what you need."

The two burly shifters glanced nervously at each other and began bustling their charge away from the advancing vampire as she chased them from the room.

"Consider it an order."

Once everyone had filed out, Lillian stalked toward her sheepish young lover and leaned over him until their noses almost touched. It was quite distracting for Chris, lying half upright in the bed. Her heavy breasts hung between them and with several buttons of her crisp white shirt open, there was a lot of kissable pale skin and intriguing geometry on display.

He yelped, released from her jiggling spell as she struck like a coiled snake, grabbing his flaccid cock through his gown.

"I am not sharing with that geriatric psycho," she almost purred, her husky voice full of both menace and promised delights. He was hasty to nod agreement as she held him captive, like a cat with her prey. "Good."

She kissed him then, her lips soft but insistent. His breath hitched out raggedly in relief, his mind struggling to deal with her swinging mood but much happier with the current direction. The grip on his member melted instantly from threat to skilled caress.

In stark contrast to the previous night, she was gentle and loving as they made out. Her hands in his hair, her shallow breath, the way she nibbled her lower lip so sexily as they finally untangled; it all had him hooked on this Amazonian goddess and hinted at a softer, more vulnerable nature. It drew out his feelings of love and protectiveness for her, his friend, the mother to be of his child. That she shared body and soul with a dark, parasitic entity was almost unfathomable in that perfect moment. Then her wicked, extra-wide and fang-filled grin split her face and she latched onto his shoulder like a hungry lamprey.

"And they say men only want one thing," Chris winced and chuckled as she lapped and sucked at the two shallow puncture wounds. She moaned something incomprehensible back into his skin, her body shivering in appreciation.

"Mhhhhh," Lillian purred as she finally surfaced, wiping a stray line of bright red fluid from her chin and sucking the stained finger with obvious relish. "Just remember you can have that thing whenever, however, and wherever. Now, rest and get your strength back, my studly young dragon. In ten days you'll need to answer to the vampire council for rewriting the rules on my fertility."

"I, ah..."

"Hush," she soothed. "Don't worry overly, they think you're some sort of golden goose only I'm the one with the eggs."

Someone wrapped on the door.

"Who is it?" Lillian asked.

"It's me," Michelle answered, coming inside. Chris saw several faces peeking in curiously behind her before she shut the door. He thought Kat might have been among them.

"Please, do come in," Lillian's sarcasm was dripping.

"Good morning, Michelle," Chris was much cheerier.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Michelle's nose flared adorably and her eyes widened as she spotted the stain on the bed that Chris was avoiding. "I wanted to introduce a few more members of our team."

"I suppose we were pretty much finished," Lillian admitted.

"Give me five minutes to shower and I'll be ready," Chris nodded. "And, um... maybe you could ask a nurse for a change of sheets? Please?"

"Of course, they have a nice foyer here and the place is abandoned, so why don't we meet out there when you're ready," Michelle smiled. "Though you two might consider that your medical bill is going to be enormous if they have to keep burning mattresses."

Lillian punched her playfully in the arm for that.

***

Having availed himself of the bathroom's amenities, the toiletries, and clean clothes Annabel had packed for him, he sallied forth. His steps were initially unsteady, having been unconscious and bedridden for so long. It was hard to place a finger on what he felt, but something inside him was off, his body knew it. Still, his strength and confidence returned gradually as he walked barefoot up the hallway towards the nurse's office and reception. Annabel had supplied him with a comfortable pair of baggy sweatpants as well as several t-shirts and pairs of underwear. He was glad he didn't have to face Michelle and her posse in his hospital gown.

Nurse Ruth tutted in mild disapproval as he passed her station. He managed to escape with a dazzling smile, a light caress of her forearm, and reassurances that he would be taking it easy and sitting in plain view of her post.

The clinic lobby was surprisingly nice. It didn't have that characteristic hospital starkness and disinfectant smell which spoke of unthinkable cycles of ill people inhabiting the same space. The colours were warm and dark, the armchairs and other furniture looked like they belonged in someone's well-appointed living room. The lighting was soft, not blaring fluorescents. There was art on the walls and a rock garden of succulents on the large coffee table in the centre. All in all, a very welcoming feel.

Everyone rose when he entered, making him feel self-conscious. Michelle seemed to sense this and guided him to meet the two late arrivals to their little team, Samantha Patel and Pamela Smith.

"It's good to meet you two," Chris shook their hands in turn, smiling and trying to seem friendly. "Lisa and Kat had to help save my ass on the second day of the job, so the more the merrier."

"It wasn't like that, Chris," Lisa chimed in. "It was very brave of you to go undercover in that situation. Getting you out is the least we could have done. Those poor people they'd been snatching for weeks are all at home now because of you."

"Brave-stupid," Kat added cheekily.

"That's my signature move, don't you know?" he shot back, grinning.

"Okay, everyone find a comfortable perch and relax," Michelle said as she shepherded Chris to a plush recliner and took the adjacent chair for herself. "Samantha, Pamela, why don't you tell Chris a little about your backgrounds. Then we can get the debrief signed off and you can ask the dragon all the questions you've been bottling up."

"Me first," Samantha started in with enthusiasm. "Everyone can call me Sam by the way. I was born in the States, but my Mom and Dad met in Mumbai when he was stationed at the Consulate there. I grew up in several places around the world, we moved a lot with my father's work. I ended up following in his footsteps and joined the Air Force, became a pilot, and flew transport helicopters for half a decade. I met my husband there and we quit and moved to Oregon. I joined the Portland Police Bureau and began working my way up the ranks and eventually became a homicide detective. We had my little angel, Amy. Sadly, my husband died in a construction accident only a few years ago. Now, four years later, I'm approached with a mysterious offer to move to Denver for a 'life changing,' exciting position with stupid pay. Here I am."

Chris nodded along with her story. Her mother's Indian heritage was obvious in her lovely brown skin and thick dark hair. He couldn't help frowning as her story took a terrible turn with the death of her husband. It must have been difficult for her and her daughter.