The Christmas Dragon - Viola Grace

Viola GraceThe Christmas Dragon

CHAPTER 1

Maggie listened to the gentle crackle of her fire and hummed along with the Celtic Christmas Carols that were playing. It was a solitary Christmas for her this year. Her sister had succumbed to breast cancer during the summer and it had been hard for her to keep her mood cheerful during the holidays.

Mandy had been bright, happy and the kind of sister one could only dream of. She had caught the tumour too late and the rounds of chemo had only slowed her inevitable death. Until the end, she had tried to keep Maggies spirits up, the sick ministering to the depressed and hopeless. It would have been funny if it hadnt been so bittersweet.

This Christmas, instead of friends and family, Maggie was at her mountain cabin and watching the wonders of the winter world. Each day of life was a miracle and the constant references to her sisters demise were a quick way to wrench her out of the holiday spirit. She remembered Mandy with every breath that she took, but wanted to remember her life, not her death. Life in the mountains did just that.

She had decorated the cabin just the way she liked it, with fresh boughs of evergreens and big blue bows. Judicious dashes of red and silver completed her décor and created a beautiful effect. More than one tear fell as she decorated, but she pushed on through until she had a home that felt and smelled like Christmas.

Her last step was to go and find a tree. That would wait for the morning. Only an idiot wandered around the mountainside at night.

It was odd to be woken with a crash, but that was definitely the sound that went on and on through the otherwise silent night. What the hell?

She was out of bed and slithering into her jeans and boots in a matter of seconds. Her coat went on over her nightshirt and she pulled her earmuffs on while she made for the door and grabbed the high-powered flashlight. Whatever had made that crash was big and if an aircraft had landed in the area, she wanted to offer what help she could. Outside, she grabbed her toboggan and hauled it behind her. There was the noise of still-falling trees to follow and a bright blue glow that radiated from the crash site.

Something had hit hard. The path she was following was large enough for a commercial aircraft, but when she got within two hundred feet, the glow suddenly winked out. It was obviously not a fire. She moved as quickly as she could with the toboggan banging along behind her.

The snow had been planed flat so she didnt have to watch her footing as carefully as she otherwise would, but she still stumbled to a halt when the crater appeared in front of her. Inside the vast hole in the snow was a figure. As she stumbled down the slope, it turned into a man. A very naked man.

Well, he wasnt naked precisely. He was wearing a Santa hat and that was all.

She rolled him over and checked him from head to toe. Part of her would have considered it a fun occupation under other circumstances, but for now, she breathed a sigh of relief at his lack of broken limbs and discoloration.

He should have been blue or white with cold, but he wasnt. That worried her. His pulse was strong so she took a chance and loaded him on to the toboggan and tucked her jacket around his torso, and with a twist of her lips, she put the Santa hat over his endowments. It would keep her gaze on the path in front of her.

She hauled him back to her cabin, smiling with relief as they regained the warmth provided by the banked fire. With only her pyjama top to heat her torso, she was shivering and sweating at the same time. Not a good combination in cold weather.

Maggie pulled her cargo into the area in front of the fireplace and stoked the blaze. The embers flared to life and she added wood slowly to the fire until it was crackling happily again. With the matter of heat taken care of, she turned back to her guest and removed her jacket to replace it with the blanket she kept on the sofa.

Steeling her nerves, she shucked her gloves and muffs to start checking his limbs for breaks that were not obvious. His muscled limbs felt wonderful and shockingly warm under her hands, but they were intact. His arms and shoulders would have done credit to a Greek statue, but they were whole and very hard.

She tilted her head and assessed his cleanly chiselled jaw line and the light curls of his wavy, black hair. It was so dark as to be blue and it set off the bronze of his complexion perfectly. The wings of his brows arched over his deep set eyes and blade of a nose. It was kind of fun to examine him as he was unaware, but as she touched the locks on the side of his face, the point to his ear stunned her. Her fingers reached out to touch and at that moment, his eyelids flew open.

Her hand was caught in an iron grip and he turned to one side, dropping both the hat and the blanket. Where am I?

You are in my cabin in the mountains. I found you in a crater.

A crater? Really? I must have been hauling. He blinked his deep blue eyes and his thick lashes caressed his cheeks. His gaze raked over her from head to toe and he quirked his mouth. Interesting fashion choice.

Blushing, she followed his gaze to the almost transparent top, well-worn and well-loved with a kitten on it. His focus seemed fixed on her visible nipples so she crossed her arms. I was asleep and I heard this crash. I went to see if I could help.

And you found me and dragged me back here on this conveyance? You are a brave woman to be running out into the dark and cold to offer help to strangers. He shifted toward her and freed himself from the wooden bars of the toboggan. His obvious erection was now within touching distance.

With her face flaming from his proximity, she grabbed for the hat and flipped it onto his stiff cock. Put that away. Its a little early in the morning for me.

He reared back and then laughed loud and long.

Maggie started out enjoying his laugh and then got a little creeped out when she saw the canines that her boy was sporting. Fangs and pointed ears? This was a little intense for her. She must have frostbitten her brain. Whats your name?

Syrus. What is your name, my lovely rescuer? He knelt in front of her and, though she was on her own knees, he towered above her.

She had known that he overlapped the toboggan, but anyone who wasnt a toddler would have. He was huge and that damned hat was pointing straight at her. Maggie. Maggie Konrad. Are you sure that you are alright? You were probably exposed to whatever crashed there. Maybe a meteor or something.

He chuckled, a deep rich sound. I am afraid that I was the cause of that crash. The explanation will have to wait until I get something to eat. I dont suppose you could accommodate me?

Of course. I will warm up some cinnamon buns and then make you a proper breakfast. Is bacon and eggs okay with you? She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the buns she mentioned, popping them into the microwave for a few seconds. The generator and power supply had been one of her favourite renovations. It made coming to the cabin so much more comfortable.

Anything relating to pigs and chickens is fine. Thank you.

Blinking at the mental image that he brought out of a barnyard breakfast, she set the buns on a plate and handed it to him, then scampered back to her bedroom to pull on a bra and shirt.

Aw. Did you have to? His mouth was crammed with pastry, but he spoke perfectly clearly.

Have to what?

Cover your breasts. I think they are lovely and they certainly increased my appetite.

In a move that she could not have predicted, he licked a crumb off his cheekbone. There was no way that a human tongue could have reached that spot. She picked up knife from her block and stood with her back to the counter. He was looking at her curiously when she blurted, What are you?

CHAPTER 2

Please calm down, Maggie. The knife wouldnt hurt me anyway. He sat and kept munching on the cinnamon buns. Did you really not see me?

The knife stayed pointed at him. See you? Sure I saw you. I saw you naked in a crater.

Ah. Well, I am a dragon. I was practicing for Christmas when I ran out of energy and fell asleep. He shook his head dramatically. I swear I dont know how Sahn does it.

What?

Sahn-Tah Kelas. Your Santa Claus. He has requested this year off his regular duties so that he and his wife can have a belated honeymoon. I was doing a dry run of the route last night when I crashed. His grin could have melted concrete. Fortunately, you found me and are taking wonderful care of this poor, scaly creature.

He was nuts. That had to be it. You dont seem to have scales.

You are not seeing me in my proper form. This one is easier to get assistance in. Part of me must have been able to sense you coming.

His tongue did that flick again and although she was frightened, part of her was fascinated. With a body that buff and a tongue with that dexterity, he could keep a woman warm in cold weather for hours or possibly days. Shaking her head violently, she put the knife down carefully, glaring at him. You are a nut and I need you to return to the naked snow commune where you came from or get out of my imagination.

He laughed. If that is your wish I will be on my way. Thank you for the food. Next time, I look forward to a proper breakfast.

There will be no next time. You will disappear and I will be able to get on with my Christmas. I have planned to be alone this holiday and once you go, I will have everything that I want. So go. Poof. Turn into ether. She flapped her hand at him and waited.

Syrus crossed the distance between them and took his hand in hers. I thank you for your kind heart and your hospitality. Be well and Merry Christmas. He brought her hand to his lips.

The warm kiss and flick of his tongue sent heat flaring through her that rivalled the flames in the fireplace. He gave her a jaunty salute, put the red hat on his head and splendidly naked, he walked to the door. One more wave and he was gone.

She blinked furiously, then moved to the window. His nude highness stood in her front yard in the light of false dawn and changed into a blue dragon larger than a greyhound bus. Maggies knees buckled as he took off and headed north. His great wings scooped pillars of air that made the snow dance and cover his tracks. Soon all traces of him were gone.

All except his half-eaten cinnamon bun.

Syrus, what the hell took you so long? Walther was the soul of courtesy, normally. This close to Christmas, he got a little testy. With Sahn-Tah away from the Pole, nothing was running as smoothly as it should.

Shifting from his dragon to human form was difficult when he was this exhausted, but the bit of warmth and sustenance he had received from Maggie had gone a long way to helping recharge him. I collapsed after the trial run. Making it to all the drop points is a tricky proposition and I may have to do the run once or twice more to make sure I can do it on the day. He stretched and tossed the hat over to the butler. The stealth charm on this thing needs to be turned up if it is to hide me.

I will get the elves on it. The butler flipped a velvet wrap to Syrus.

Smiling slightly, he wrapped it around his hips. Walther was a bit of a prude, but no sense antagonizing him. With Sahn gone, the staid elf was in charge.

Were there any additional difficulties?

No. Well. I was seen by a very attractive human. She thinks I am a figment of her imagination, but she did feed me. He was still intrigued by Maggie and it was showing. The wrap around his hips was rapidly becoming a tent.

You were seen by a human? You will need to take her memory. They were walking through the halls, dodging the frenetic delivery elves and passing the Nice and Naughty room.

How do I go about that? He knew the answer, but wanted to play a little before he agreed to go back to Maggie.

Walther sighed heavily. You take some of the crystal snowflakes and put them under her pillow. She will sleep and when she wakes, she wont remember you. Wear the hat while you plant them and you wont have a problem.

Ahead of them was the Wish Room. Westa the spirit of Luck, was already inside with her husband, Henry, the dragon, Kevik, and his wife, Holly, working on bringing the wishes of children into the real world with touches of Christmas Magic. Holly was the spirit of Judgement and as such, was ideally suited for the job of granting wishes from children who needed more than a simple present during the holidays. Sometimes life was not as simple as adults liked to think and children could not be pacified with a simple toy.

It was something that Syrus was glad he didnt have to deal with. This was a one time trip for him. He had crossed over from the magic world of Underhill for the purpose of helping out an old friend. Once that was done, he would return through the portal and have this as a memory of a good deed. A good deed and the memory of Maggie.

That one human woman kept teasing at his senses. Her taste was incredible, fresh and magical. If he didnt know better, he would think that she was something more than human. Her body was perfectly suited to his hands and that was just judging by eye. If he actually got his hands on her, he would be able to confirm it in a most pleasurable manner. He looked forward to being proven right.

What are you thinking about? You are pitching so much wood I am going to fetch an axe.

Walthers irritated voice came to him and Syrus stilled the churning maelstrom of his thoughts. Time to create a plan of attack that would allow him access to his human while he went through the motions of executing the Christmas deliveries. I was thinking about human women and their curves. It is a topic that springs to mind from time to time. He grinned. And so other things spring up. Dragons have needs, you know.

As do elves, but we engage in a courtship before surrendering to rampaging lusts. The sneer was unmistakable.

I am not surrendering to lust. I am merely becoming intimately acquainted before I go any further. Chuckling at the knowledge that he had to see Maggie at least one more time to wipe her mind, he embraced the possibilities. It was truly a magical time of the year.

CHAPTER 3

Her preparations for the day were almost complete. Maggie only needed one more thing before sundown to gear up for the holiday and then it would be all warm cider and a night by the fire. It was time to get her tree.

Maggie pulled on her boots, parka and gloves with a jaunty toss to her scarf. She was on her way to kill a tree. She had her toboggan and her with her, nothing else was really needed for her procedure. Time to choose the best pine for her purpose.

The red glow of the sun threw marks in the snow into sharp relief. Upon further inspection, the snow had formed large Godzilla style footprints. They were mostly filled in and were probably the reason for her weird dream that morning. Dragons. Yeah right. It was about as likely as having her garden gnomes come to life and doing her yard work.

Shaking her head at the fanciful turn her thoughts had taken, she moved away from the dragon prints and off to the stand of trees. The first tree was too tall. The second was too lopsided. The third reminded her of her fourth grade teacher. The fourth tree was just right. Six feet tall with a big bushy base. She started hacking at the base and it shook snow on her with every stroke. When it dumped down the back of her shirt, she squealed and jumped back. Dropping her axe, she shook it out as best she could with her parka in the way.

What is it? What is wrong? The deep baritone hummed out of the darkness.

Maggie shrieked and looked down for the axe. It was deep in the snow and she couldnt get it out in a hurry. Who is there?

Syrus. We met this morning. He came out of the shadows to meet her wide-eyed gaze with his own.

You are dressed. I distinctly remember you being naked. She was stupefied. His dark shirt and pants looked centuries out of date and yet perfectly suited him. His hair blended with the fabric and framed his face. She was going to say more when the tree she was working on shifted alarmingly. She squeaked in surprise when he swept her into his arms and away from the falling pine.

Why are you chopping a tree in the dark? It is most unwise.

I started when it was light. I would have been done if you hadnt surprised me. She was a little defensive and mildly irritated that the thickness of her clothing kept all contact with his body in her imagination. Damn it.

You are very light, he said it almost absently as he shifted her to one arm and grabbed the tree with the other. Where did you want this tree?

Ideally, in my house in one piece. Its my Christmas tree. Tomorrow, I decorate it and put the presents my friends gave me under it.

He began striding to her cabin, her cradled with one arm and the tree with the other.

My axe, the toboggan

I will retrieve them later. A holiday tradition isnt something to die over and you cannot see in the dark like I can. Irritation coated his tone and he stopped at her door.

She could opened it for them. Inside, he slid her down his body, the puff of her coat seemed to frustrate him so he removed it. Maggie shucked her gloves and touched his skin for the first time. She cupped his jaw line and stroked his flesh, amazed at the smoothness of his skin. No five oclock shadow or trace of a beard dared to interrupt the texture of his skin.

She traced the outline of his wide mouth with her fingertips and his tongue flicked out to touch her, taste her. Evidently he liked what he tasted because he sucked her fingertip into his mouth and twisted his dexterous tongue around it. He stroked her digit for a moment and then released her.

I see you are less frightened of me this evening.

I have decided that if I have gone insane I am going to enjoy it.

Well, far be it from me to deny you your hallucination.

Apparently, for an imaginary dragon, that constituted foreplay because he lifted her up and wrapped her limbs around his waist, then walked her to her bedroom with his erection rubbing against her clit through her jeans.

They hadnt even kissed, but her body was pulsing with arousal at his nearness, his touch. She wanted him inside her and he wasnt even real. Perhaps her mind had truly gone around the bend, but at this point she didnt care.

I dont know if I care for this current fashion of women wearing trousers. It does restrict my access somewhat. Syrus worked at her clothing closures and peeled her shirt back while letting her jeans fall to her hips.

You are a fast learner.

I have incentive and I love your underwear.

The clothing in question was a brilliant red with green bows. It was her holiday set and her dream had left her in a hormonally active mood. She loved lingerie when she was already feeling sexy, it made the mood last longer.

She was going to blush at his frank and assessing stare, but he flipped her onto the bed and got rid of the boots that were impeding her progress to nudity. A startled yelp was all that she managed before she broke out into giggles. His hands werent even cold and they should have been from his time outside. He had to be a dream.

He removed his shirt and Maggie was once again treated to his rock hard pecs, biceps and rippling abs. He seemed to have muscles on his muscles and she was not complaining. She leaned up on one arm.

He pressed her down with a hand to her collarbone. Stay down until I tell you to move. It is important or I may lose control while feasting on your delectable body.

That sounded like both a threat and a promise, but she reluctantly did as asked. He didnt disappoint her trust. His hands stroked her over her festive underwear, awakening nerves between her fingers, toes, breasts and belly. Her entire body was singing with fire and sparks of heat that had her skin pebbling and her limbs shaking.

Everywhere his fingers touched her, fire bloomed. Her panties were wet, her breasts taut and heavy and all he had done was touch her. Oh God, I am in trouble here.

He knelt at the foot of the bed and hooked his thumbs beneath the sides of her panties to strip them off her completely. Once she was exposed to Syrus, he widened her thighs and pulled her to the end of the bed, right at mouth level. All of her early morning fantasies were coming true as he pulled her into position and heated her core with his breath. He was breathing her in.

Her suspicions were confirmed when he said, I love your scent. Fresh and sweet with a hint of the wild ocean. I think I will love your taste just as much.

It was all the warning she got. That long and bifurcated tongue burrowed into her channel and lapped against the upper edge of her womb. It took him only three strokes to find her g-spot with that long tongue and then her world dissolved in the heat of arousal and need. She wanted release, wanted more and wanted him inside her. Something had to give.

She gasped and locked as her orgasm hit her, waves breaking in her body, separating heat from release, inch by inch. His tongue kept stroking, drinking up every spasm as her body shook in silence.

When her back lowered from its arch, Syrus sat back on his heels and licked his lips. That was wonderful, but I wanted to make you scream. Instead, I got silence. Why is that?

She was dazed and let him take off her bra and lay her against him. I had a boyfriend. He hated noise, hated to hear me. So I dumped him. But the habit stayed.

Would you mind if I helped you to break that habit?

His hands were stroking her, lazily waking the fire in her body one touch at a time. I think that breaking bad habits should be a laudable pursuit. Feel free to pursue it.

Maggie twisted to move his hand where she wanted it and when he didnt get the hint, she grabbed his hand and moved it onto her breast. She led him to massage her gently, the way she liked by massaging his hand over hers until he was doing it just right.

Remember, if you stop making noise, I will stop touching you and I dont think you want that.

His voice was rich and dark in her ear and before she knew it, she was lying face up on top of him with his erection weeping gently against her spine.

He massaged her hands, arms, breasts and belly. Each limb and body part getting a full contact treatment until she was giving him every gasp, sigh and groan that she could muster.

She came again when he nibbled his way down her neck, this time she shrieked in reaction at the double stimulus of the pointed teeth on her neck and his fingers circling her clit.

Maggie could feel the precum coating her lower spine as she writhed against him. She wanted him inside her so badly that if he hadnt been holding her down with one hand on her belly, she would have been astride him and riding him to a second orgasm.

That was lovely. You make the most wonderful noises when you get close to your precipice, all high and desperate. If I hadnt wanted to listen first, I would be in you right now.

She chuckled weakly. It is currently my fondest wish that your slick cock be sliding into me with deliberation and yet I am on my back and held in place. This dream sucks.

Unceremoniously, she was dumped onto the bed and he was holding her wrists above her head as he slowly thrust into her. Her body yielded reluctantly but enthusiastically to the heat now stroking her from within. It was fabulous, beautiful and just the tiniest bit uncomfortable. She moaned in pleasure and he groaned in response.

Sweat coated them both as they moved together, strove together to reach the pinnacle of intimacy in the shattering moment. He surged against her faster and she gripped his hips with her thighs, pulling him into her as hard as she could. Her hands were restrained so she arched her breasts against him to get some friction on her sensation-starved flesh. He moved up her body, almost hovering over her, but pressing his cock against the base of her clit. They rocked together and she gave him all the sounds he wanted, demanded, forced from her.

When she came again, he swiftly moved down to bite her again and her moan moved into a shriek as her body arched and spasmed from the conflicting signals it was receiving. He kept moving in her as her body shuddered in reaction until every single ounce of pleasure was drained from her.

She slumped under him and felt the hard press of his weight on her chest. It would have been suffocating if he hadnt been bracing himself on his elbows. Dragons must weigh more than humans because she could not remember being crushed into bedding like this with another man.

Despite the discomfort, she still made a noise of complaint when he moved off her and curled her against him. She was suddenly cold without the flame of his presence inside her.

It was peaceful curled against him with his body touching hers from shoulder to calf. She breathed deeply, evenly and all too soon, felt herself slipping into darkness.

Damn it. It was too quick. Syrus was speaking out loud, but Maggie was lost to the world. An hour in her bed would feel like seconds. The crystal snowflakes were his first task when he arrived, before he went into the woods to find her. The damned things were too quick.

His lover was now lost in a dream of ice castles and crystal mountains. When she woke, it would be with a memory of a dream and nothing else. He would have been wiped from her memory and he didnt care for that.

At least he could finish her errands and retrieve her axe and sled. She might not remember where she left them the next day.

He yanked on his clothing, cursing the tight fit over his reawakened erection. Just being close to that woman shook the edges of his control and he liked it. He liked it far too much for his own peace of mind.

The bracing air of the winter night didnt faze him. It was a brisk reminder that he was the Sahn-Tah for this year. He had to get back to the workshop, but he couldnt make himself leave this woman until she was settled and prepared for the blizzard he could taste on the wind.

Syrus easily located the axe and sled, hauled them back to Maggies cabin and then went to split enough wood to last her for a few days. He didnt want her to have to brave the storm with no one to depend on.

If he couldnt be with her, he needed to know that she was safe. A perverse instinct that he engaged in by splitting enough logs with his shifted form to last her most of the winter.

Back in his human shape, he opened her cabin as quietly as he could, delivering several armloads in a relay that took up a good portion of her living room by the time he was done. At least she would have wood.

Wood. The Christmas tree. Maggie had laid out a metal stand or frame, it was fairly obvious that the tree was to go inside it and be supported by the screws. Grumbling, he lifted the tree and inserted the trunk into the base, screwing the supports into place. Satisfied that it would hold, he let go and watched the tree sag to the left.

Shit. He straightened the tree and tightened the bolts again. Better, but still not straight.

Fiddling with the tree took hours before he was satisfied that it was perfect for Maggie. He had cheated a bit and used magic to hold the tree in place as well as keep it fresh, but he was pleased with the end result.

The last time he had been this proud of himself, he had just learned to make the shift from dragon to human. The tree did look splendid though. He sat back on his heels and admired his work, distracted by the precision until he heard Maggie stirring. Hell.

It would ruin the effect of the snowflakes to have her see him when she woke up. Cursing quietly, he let himself out and shifted forms.

He lifted off as silently as he could, circling until dawn exposed him in all his scaly glory. It wouldnt do for him to be seen, despite him desperately wanting her to break the magical hold of the mind wipe.

He would have to chalk their one encounter together under fond memories. He had to go and practice delivering toys. The Workshop beckoned.

CHAPTER 4

Being hung-over had never felt like this. Maggie staggered into the bathroom, running the water for the shower. Her whole body ached and it was with great relief that she stepped under the pounding spray. She felt sore, sticky and rumpled.

The twinge between her thighs made her think of the last time she had had sex, but that had been over a year ago and her body didnt have that accurate of a memory. Shampooing and then soaping her skin made her aware of every bruise, raw patch and even a few punctures. What the hell?