Their drive was quiet. The mountains and trees flew past the windows, the suspension of the car was so tuned that she felt like she was floating on air. Their drive could have lasted two hours or two days, all she knew was that when he pulled up in the rotunda of the home that was still under construction, she whistled in amazement.

She was home.

Her soul recognized the structure jutting from the stone as its resting place, a place of peace and introspection.

When she looked over at Zenner, she saw the same thing in his eyes. He knew that she belonged here. He had built this for her before they had met.

"Cordis Exitor. The soul's awakening. I named it the day that they first cut the earth to lay the foundation. Would you care to see inside?"

"I would love to. Please. Show me your soon-to-be home."

He held his elbow out to her and she took it, unsurprised as the doors to the house opened without his touch. The air was thick with magic up here. Fewer humans to dilute and waste the purity of the energy.

"Wow. The entry hall is amazing. Those staircases are hand carved? They look incredible."

"Everything here was done by hand. Few craftsmen around that will do it my way, but I pay very well."

"I imagine that you do. Where do you get your money? A huge pile of gold that you used to sleep on?" He was silent and she started to laugh. "Seriously? Wow. Stories about dragons are not exaggerated."

"Only a few of them. The rest we put out there for propaganda." He twirled her into an arc that had her laughing. When she swung back, she was flush against him and her laughter quickly stilled.

"Would you care to see the bedroom?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Of course. But if it is a thorough tour, will I lose my maiden's status?"

"Not until you are free of your clan and can come to me willingly and eagerly." He wrapped his arm over her shoulders and steered her up the left staircase. There were no carpets in the home, but the smell of polished wood was everywhere. The entire house was made of granite and oak and it seemed to be made of light as well.

"The goblins that I hired to work here only work nights. Their craftsmanship is better after dark."

"Goblins? Goblins are real?" A whole new world was starting to open to her. Not just the insular world of werewolves, but she was here with a dragon and his contractor was a goblin. Life just kept getting weirder.

"Yes. Most mythical or fairytale creatures are real." The double doors to what must be the master bedroom swung open at their approach.

"That's a nice touch."

"The bedroom and the kitchen are the only finished rooms so far. I like to fly up here and look out over the mountains. The view is amazing." He steered her past the enormous bed in the centre of the room and out onto the balcony.

With the wind blowing, the sun setting and the mountains keeping them safe, he went to one knee and proposed.

"Arabel Marx, once we have freed you from the mire of you clan, will you marry me? Will you be my wife, my partner and my lover forever and ever?"

"I will see how long forever lasts for me, but Zenner-Arial-Ifical, I will marry you until my last and final day passes."

Before she could lean down to kiss him, he took her left hand and slid a ring of incredible beauty into place. "A mere trifling of the wealth at my disposal, but a rock that I dug out myself for the woman who would take my heart and hold it within hers." He stood and lifted her at the waist for a kiss. She wrapped her arms and legs around him to return the kiss and the friction as he walked was driving her out of her mind.

If sex is off the menu, why is he dropping me onto his bed?

"You know, even though I intend to save the best for our first official night together, I have been dying for a taste of you."

With only a few quick movements, her sweatshirt and bra went flying and he was working at her jeans with incredible dexterity. She was leaning back on her elbows and watching him, then looked away and blushed furiously as her jeans were removed and her underwear with them. She had no idea when her boots and socks had disappeared.

She couldn't make light of the intent look in his eyes as he stroked her shoulders, collarbone and trailed his way down to her breasts. He leaned forward and nuzzled her breasts, warming them with his breath as he moved from the left to the right. Ary brought her hands up and caressed her own flesh gently as he worked his way down her torso to rest between her thighs.

His breath heated her sensitive core, the petals of her sex opening with moisture under his intense scrutiny. The embarrassment of having her body getting slick with someone watching went out the window when she first felt the touch of his tongue.

She gripped the bedding with both fists as his mouth began to stroke her in places that her own fingers could never reach. When he licked her, she mewled and as his tongue worked into her and started to undulate. She cursed his dragon heritage.

Unlike the ones generated by her own hands, this orgasm caught her by surprise with both its suddenness and its strength. A keening cry came from her mouth as she arched her back in abandon. Zenner kept licking her until he had licked her dry. Her body was sweaty, exhausted and singing with the tune he had taught it.

She didn't know if she would be able to move again. Ary didn't know if she wanted to. "This is a good place to die. I think I will just lay here forever."