The Dragon Comes (The Serpentine God #1) Read online

  “We are repressed, denied, they want to eliminate us. We cannot breed, it is only randomly that, I guess the gene, whatever it is we carry that makes us this, is dominant, and we change. I found the urge beyond anything I could bear, I nearly went mad, until I discovered sex. I had sex all the time, I had five lovers at any one time, and I was with most of them each day. The urgency will leave you, as you adjust, you need to acclimatise, and you will.”

  “Not soon enough.”

  Dunalin laughed. “It comes with instinct my friend. But a little advice. Choose wisely. You know you need a fair amount of satisfaction. Woman here grow tired of the constant demand. Pick someone very willing, do not take a meek woman. Strong in the mind as well as the body. Oh, and make sure they agree, do not take anyone reluctant, or against their will, no matter how much you like them.

  “You need to seduce, make them happy, a satisfied woman will fuck you again.” Dunalin grinned.

  “Seduce. What is seduce?”

  Dunalin threw his head back. A few heads turned at his laughter. He noticed mostly they were women, looking them both up and down.

  “Do not worry, you’ll see, just remember, do not get carried away, your instincts will take over, be measured. Focus.”

  “Remember training.” It may have been a lie, but there was truth in the exercises they undertook.

  They entered the club, it was large and poorly lit, and music throbbed. Petrio shouted over it.

  “What is this place?”

  “English, remember, in English.”

  “What it this place?” He spoke again struggling with the cadence of his pronunciation.

  “Nice place, expensive.”

  He turned the box of condoms in his pocket. He remembered that strange conversation.

  Dunalin had slipped the box into his hand. “Condoms, you put them on you before you have sex, we do not want to get anyone with child.”

  He read the box brows raised. “Can we have children, and I did not use these with your ladies?”

  “Firstly, my ladies take other precautions, and are tested for disease. Should we risk children?”

  “No.”

  He followed Dunalin, finally warming up. He tasted the beer Dunalin passed to him, it was okay.

  He thought about the unsuccessful first evening. He had been so eager, but was disappointed. They had sat a bar, not unlike this one, and Dunalin pinned him down.

  “So, we need a cover story.”

  “A what?”

  “If you are asked where you are from, what do you say?”

  “A lie?”

  “Right. So, we are from a small isolated village in…Finland.”

  “Finland. Got it.”

  “You have managed to get out and are staying with me, your cousin. You have been sheltered all your life, and are only now learning about the world.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good, now look around.” Petrio looked across the room. The women slowly dawned on him. Their legs, hair, and clothes were inviting.

  “See, there it is, the instinct.”

  “Yes.” They found a table, Petrio scanned every woman in there, and though they were pretty and attractive, none really sparkled for him. He turned back to Dunalin, only to see a woman talking to him. He observed them for a few moments, she was smiling, biting her lip, and he was leaning forward, a predatory grin on his face.

  Petrio was unsure, he had no idea what he was doing. He nudged Dunalin.

  “What about that thing you did to the nurse.”

  “Don’t use that. I think it’s our eyes, they just, I don’t know, make people distant, sleepy, don’t use it. It took me a while to realise I could do it, and I save it for when it is a necessity.”

  He had looked at every woman in there, and every one he saw since. Not one woman appealed to him. Dunalin had offered his women again, but Petrio declined.

  He turned and looked at this bar, the latest in a long line. He finally took his coat off, resigned to the inevitable failure. Dunalin was tall, six foot two, but Petrio towered over all and drew the eye of everyone, he stood and left Dunalin to find his own fun.

  He steadied his breath as he looked to the dance floor. He tilted his head as he watched everyone moving to the thump of rhythm. They were all in groups or couples. He moved on, making a circuit of the place. He hated being still, his skin was burning underneath, he was jittery and itchy.

  He rolled his shoulders, they were tight, and he was increasingly annoyed. He made a circuit of the room, various groups of women looked him over, he must have appeared on the prowl by the reactions of most of the people around him. Men felt the threat of him, and women looked either afraid or lustful. He sighed, preparing for disappointment. A large group of women caught his eye as he leant on a column.

  They were laughing, a large party of them, all beautiful by the accepted standards there. For him they were too small, too delicate. Then he noticed one of the women, sat at the end of their table, not paying attention. All the others were openly staring at him. The woman that caught his eye was looking on her phone, he shook his head at it. These people were addicted to their little boxes of information, and he was becoming the same.

  He studied her body, his heart sped up as he realised that she was physically perfect. She was much taller than the woman next to her, she was broader, and her physique was toned and shapely, but still womanly, her breasts were full, and figure curved, but lithe. He tilted his head again, suddenly unsure.

  Her hair was golden coppery red. It was swept down over one shoulder in waves. She wore a blue fitted dress that ended mid-thigh, and his eye followed her legs down, bare and pale, they were long and sculpted. He wanted her.

  He approached and all the women watched, all laughter gone. He couldn’t tell if they were watching in horror or fascination.

  A shadow fell over Caitlin. She frowned into her phone, and lifted her glass to take a drink of her whiskey sour. Her hand paused midway to her mouth in surprise.

  Her eyes noted the legs before her. Large, no, massive booted feet, and thick muscular legs clad in black jeans. She blinked and wondered if she was having a stroke.

  He smiled when she slowly looked up at him, taking him in gradually as her neck went up and up.

  “Hello.” His head was still tilted and his brows raised in a little question, but as he said hello he took in a sharp little gasp. Her eyes were a pale aqua blue green, made of light. They shone out at him. When she blinked, all the light went away.

  Her mouth fell open at the picture of the man looking at her. He was extraordinary. She looked either side of her. The others were silent, just looking at the guy. He looked strange, he was beautiful and terrifying, and the way he looked at her made her shiver.

  This didn’t happen to Caitlin, gorgeous godlike men did not approach her. He looked about for a chair, and sat on it, his long muscular legs sprawled out, as if he didn’t know what to do with them.

  “I am Petrio.” His dark eyes held hers, he was utterly still as he held her gaze.

  “Caitlin.” Part of her wanted to try to flirt and be sexy, she only managed a slightly strangled sound.

  He repeated it quietly. There was a part of him that wanted to take her where they sat, but this was frowned upon. He watched her for a few moments, and neither spoke, but their eyes held each other. He wondered what she was thinking. He suppressed his urges, the itching desire that was burning under his skin, and he made himself amenable.

  “Caitlin, would you like another drink?”

  She looked at her whiskey sour, and drained it. She nodded. Petrio stood, and held out his hand. She pursed her lips, but stood and took his hand.

  His eyes widened as she unfolded her tall body, she must have been six foot. He grinned, the serious intense look melted away, and he was genial and warm.

  Caitlin had never seen his like, there was a sharp meanness to his face. It was his eyes that were as unsettling as he was handsome. They were comple
tely black, there was no light or colour to them.

  The way he studied her, she felt as though he had taken off all her clothes and inspected her. She liked it, he made her feel a prickling fear, something unknown, but at the same time, she felt desire, not unlike a burning sensation through her body. She blushed, she always did. She followed him to the bar, her feet unsteady.

  “It’s a little quieter here.” His words were slow and measured, and accent strong, but his voice was deep and velvety. She could listen to it all night.

  She nodded, and looked back to her friends. Well, they were sort of her friends, when she was permitted to be in their vicinity. They watched her intently.

  Caitlin had been to uni with them, she hadn’t seen them for a few years. It was the annual get together. She was asked, and out of curiosity, she went. They were exactly the same as they were five years ago. They had secretly, and sometimes not so secretly, made her feel like shit. She was an easy target, she always had been.

  She shouted her order to the woman behind the bar who looked at the Petrio with awe. They stood for a few moments, neither knowing what to say.

  “Where are you from?”

  “An isolated village in Finland. I have managed to escape at last, and I’m staying with my cousin,” he pointed to Dunalin, who was now draped in women, “so, he wanted to show me London. I’ve been very sheltered. He thinks I need socialising.” This was okay, he was smiling, speaking, to a woman. He had no idea what to do now.

  “What do you do?”

  “Do?”

  “For a job.”

  “Oh, I’m still learning, sorry.” This had never come up. He thought about Dunalin, he seemed wealthy, he had said as much, investments he’d said. Seemed good enough.

  “Dunalin invests, I’m going to do the same.”

  She smiled, and he thought she was laughing at him.

  She shook her head, he was adorably awkward as well as incredibly powerful and chilling, who’d have thought it, a godlike man like that. He was tall, she liked that, she was six foot, ‘the ginger giant’ for most of her teens. The imagination of others was depressing.

  This guy was big enough to make her feel small, which was odd, and odder still was that he was sweet too. She tried dating bodybuilders, men taller than she was, and while they physically suited her, she didn’t actually like them.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had sex. Actually she could, eight months ago. When her boyfriend complained that she was too tall and it was like shagging a giant, she told him to fuck off, she wasn’t too tall, it was that his dick was too small.

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a history researcher at a university.”

  “A place of learning?” she nodded. “I love history. Where I come from, we spent most of our lives in a lie. I’m only learning the truth of things now. I have been trying to find out about the world.”

  She frowned, and he looked down, struggling with something. He looked in pain.

  “Are you all right? I mean, thanks for the drink, but if you don’t want to hang out with me, I’ll understand.” He frowned and turned to her fully. He felt an odd predatory need when he looked at her. He leant forward, and brushed his lips along her cheek to her ear.

  “I think you’re beautiful. I’ve never seen hair quite like yours, or eyes. They’re so clear. There’s a pool of water where we would swim, and it had pale stone underneath, so the water was clear and perfect. That’s the colour of your eyes.”

  “Wow. That’s some game right there.”

  “Game?” he leant back.

  “It means that’s a hell of a line to say.”

  He scowled. She thought he was lying. Maybe it was too much. He gave her a little smile and took a drink.

  “Was it?” She desperately wanted him, it was strange and sudden, and not something she ever did, but she wanted to grab his well fitted shirt, and pull him outside. Her eyes glanced down at the thought, she could almost see his body through the shirt. She wondered if he had to have his clothes made, he was so big.

  “What?”

  “Was it just a line?” she swallowed as she looked back up to his confused expression.

  “No. Your eyes are the same colour as that pool, I won’t tell you what I thought when I saw your hair.”

  He wanted her, the need was ferocious. He closed his eyes. He would lose control soon, he needed her.

  “I know this is sudden, but this place is too loud. Do you want to go somewhere?”

  She wanted to, and although there was a small cautionary voice telling her to be wary, she looked him over, knowing that she would go with him. Even if he was a shit shag, at least he’d look nice, and to be fair, he was ten thousand times more attractive than she was, he’d be a memory, something to think of when she was alone at night. Fuck it.

  “Sure.”

  She downed her drink. Petrio picked up his coat, a little grounded by the heavy wool. Maybe he could sew weights into it. Dunalin gave him a small smile, and spoke in their own language.

  “Remember what I told you.”

  Petrio nodded.

  He sighed as they hit the cold air.

  “Better?” she couldn’t help but watch everything he did.

  “Much. Thank you. Where would you like to go?”

  “Yours?”

  “Yes, but I should warn you, Dunalin shall be there soon, with his lady friends.”

  “Friends, as in more than one?”

  “Yes”

  “Oh. Have you done that?” she was mortified that she had asked, but Petrio turned to her, with a small smile, and a gleam in his eye.

  “Yes. He is teaching me about the world. There is a lot to learn. Women are important to him. I agree. We were never permitted to be with women at home. He said I needed to learn how to please a woman. So I learnt.”

  “Why would you pick me up? I mean, I might not be enough, just me on my own.” She was half-serious, half turned on, and partly confused.

  He laughed. “I think one good woman would be enough for me. Tall, strong, someone that I do not have to treat like a tiny fragile flower. If you want that, of course. I’ll be as you need me to be. That is important.”

  “Come on then.” Her eyes were wide. That was it, she was done, she didn’t care if he turned out to be a dickhead, she was having him.

  Dunalin had given him some money, he used some to pay for the cab, he fumbled with the wad, as if he was unused to handling money, and Caitlin did it for him. She wondered at this strange man, he should be suave, but he looked shy in moments and incredibly predatory another. From what he said, he’d lost his virginity to several women at once. Christ on a bike. How would she measure up?

  “Are you well, you look unsure. You must be sure.”

  He followed her to her building once the tense taxi ride was over, it was out of the centre of town, but close enough to still be ridiculously expensive, and she lived in the upstairs of what used to be a large semi. There were three floors and a basement, and the main door was up a set of steps.

  “I am sure, but I can’t imagine that it’ll be very good.”

  “Why?”

  “Come in, I don’t want the neighbours to hear.” They went up to her flat, and she poured them both a drink.

  He sat on the little couch, filling it, looking at all the books. He liked books. They had rolls of thin hides that were endless and annoying, but books were wonderful.

  “Men don’t look at me in a club or pub and think, her. They don’t. I’m never picked up. I’m pretty crap at sex. Men never seem to be satisfied.”

  “Maybe they are the wrong men. You are beautiful, your hair is…um, I can’t remember the word. I want to hold onto it when I am inside you.” His eyes flashed, and desire shot through him. “You are tall, and strong, all the women I see are small and fragile, look at me,” he gestured at his body, she couldn’t help but look, “I’d snap them in half.”

  He stood up, and stepped right befo
re her. “Your skin, these.” He ran his finger along her collarbone, and the light dusting of freckles there, making a noise between a moan and a growl. “I want you, I saw no other.”

  Her heart was in her throat, his eyes took on a lusty haze, and she felt the heat creep up her. She reached up, and as his full lips met hers, heat funnelled through them both. It was hard to hold back, but he wanted to rip every stitch of fabric off her body and take it.

  He took a fistful of hair and held onto her as they kissed, his tongue was hot in her mouth. She pushed away from him, but took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

  She pushed his coat off his shoulders. He suppressed the need to cry out. She didn’t stop, and she unbuttoned his shirt. He blinked as he watched her, coming back to himself. She ran her hands over his body, feeling every ridge of firm muscle, and he hummed at her touch.

  He only watched, with a little smile on his face as she undid his jeans, she held his eye as she pushed them down, but her eye caught his erection.

  “Holy shit.” The size of him was impressive, and she was surprised to see him without any hair.

  “What?”

  She cleared her throat, furiously blushing. “Nothing.”

  “Is it wrong?”

  “No, just, well, I’m not sure you’ll fit.”

  “Can we find out?” she laughed, suddenly nervous, and went to take her dress off. He stilled her hands, and finished undressing. When was completely naked before her, he let her look at him, he enjoyed the look on her face, she put her hands on his chest, and he almost purred.

  His skin was so hot to the touch, the muscle hard, but his skin was smooth, almost polished.

  Petrio centred his thoughts when the sensation of her fingers on his skin became too much, and unzipped the navy blue dress, it fell from her back, and he pulled it down. She stepped out of it. Her eye went back to his hard on pressing against her stomach. He inspected her bra, and managed to undo it. His eyes fell to her breasts. He smoothed his hand over one.

  “These are…wonderful.” He grinned as he ran his hands over them. He dipped and kissed her, she put her hands round his neck and deepened the kiss. He felt incredible, if this was as good as it got, it was hotter than everything she had experienced with a man.