Wyvern Protection Unit - Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Zircon hauled boxes of groceries into the kitchen, where his father was currently unloading and putting them away. The old man surely had better things to do, but ever since Medjed had cured him of the cancer that had been eating away at his cells, he’d decided on a more hands on approach to living, or so he’d said.
“Did you get the potatoes?” Arthur asked.
“Yeah, Dad. Eighty pounds of them,” Zircon replied, shaking his head.
Honestly, if he never saw a French fry again, it would be too soon.
“Great. Put them in the pantry,” he instructed, and Zircon nodded.
When he returned with the potatoes and a bag of onions, he brought them to the walk-in pantry where they housed roots and dry goods. The kitchen was designed for his mother, and she’d always liked the idea of having an old school storage system, which she believed was better for the food.
Thank goodness she had, because with all the people living there lately, they needed the room. Gods, he missed Mom. Especially now when he could use her advice.
“Something bothering you, son?” Arthur asked from right beside him and Zircon startled hard.
“Just thinking about mom,” he murmured, leaning into the comforting pat of his father’s hand on his shoulder.
“I think about her all the time, son. She was one of a kind.”
“How did you, I mean, how did she, well, I guess what I am asking is when did you two get together officially,” Zircon said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
Arthur’s face broke out into a smile as he related stories of the first few times he’d seen his wife. Oh, Zircon had heard them all dozens of times, but there was just something comforting in knowing some people came together easily. What he wouldn’t give for a little bit of ease with his own woman? Shit. Could he even call her that?
“So, I know you’ve heard me talk about Mom before. What’s this really about? Is it Jennifer?”
“It’s always Jennifer. I love her, but she just doesn’t want me,” Zircon muttered.
His Wyvern scratched and sliced at him, the beast furious and blaming it all on Zircon’s human half. Maybe the creature was right. Maybe if he was a better man.
“Let me stop you right there, son. I can see your gears turning, but this isn’t your fault. And it isn’t really hers. What you two need is some honest dialog, but I know you are both stubborn people. Hang in there, okay?”
“I’m trying, Dad. I am really trying.”
After he finished with the groceries, cursing the shenanigans those two idiots Ox and Xabat had gotten up to, Zircon went outside for some exercise. He needed to release all his pent up energy and a few hours in his Wyvern’s scales would be good for him.
“Take them to the grocery store on senior discount day she said,” he muttered, stripping off his clothes and tossing them in one of the empty lockers they kept outside for such purposes.
“Did something happen at the store?”
How he did not scent her approach, Zircon would never know. The second he noticed her, it filled his senses. She was all cool mountain air, sweet honey fresh from the hive, and ripe berries on the vine. She was temptation and sin. She was light and hope.
Jennifer. Mine.
“Oh, the usual,” he replied nonchalantly.
Fuck. When did he learn to be a liar? Probably the second he’d met her. That was when he’d started to hide his true feelings and nature. The monstrous need inside of him to possess, claim, and completely fucking own this woman.
It was a dark, primal instinct to claim and assert dominion, and fuck knew that was more his beast than the man. Yes, he wanted her. But he wanted to be with her as equals. Zircon did not really want to own Jennifer, but since she already possessed him already, mind, heart, and soul, he figured a little of the same was not unwarranted.
Fine. He was obsessed. Completely and totally obsessed with the female. Still, he continued to undress and acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like he was completely unaffected by her presence. His boner, however, that was a dead giveaway.
As if she could hear his thoughts, her gaze dipped to that part of him, and the fucking thing throbbed of its own accord.
“Something I can do for you, Jenn?” Zircon asked, fisting his dick, and giving it a long hard pull.
Hell. He should be used to it by now. Seeing as how the only woman he wanted wouldn’t come near him, Zircon had spent many a night jerking himself off just so he could get some shuteye. Jennifer’s eyes darkened, and he smelled her arousal from there. Fuck. If he didn’t stop, he was going to come all over the place.
“Oh, um, fuck, Conny, really? I mean, I was just taking a walk,” she said, trying to look composed and making a gallant effort to meet his gaze.
He licked his lips, noting the increase in her arousal, then abruptly stopped working himself. Jennifer moaned involuntarily, trying to cover it up with a cough, but he just grinned. Knocking her off balance might be the way to win the cautious Owl’s heart.
If being naked around her disturbed her, he could use that to his advantage. After all, they were both Shifters. Nudity was not all that uncommon. Zircon kept that thought foremost in his mind and went back to putting his clothes in the locker.
“Okay, so you went for a walk, but what about a flight?”
“Sorry?”
“Fly with me, Jenn. What have you got to lose?”
The sounds of others coming reached both their ears and Jennifer’s eyes narrowed. He scented the Drakein as they neared, and something about that seemed to spur Jennifer on.
“Fine. Good idea,” she growled, removing her clothes in angry but precise motions.
“Greetings! We thought we would go for a fly. Mind if we join you?” Kizzy called to them.
She’d stopped in front of another row of lockers they’d recently installed for their guests. Flying was safe over Wessex lands since they had the whole place under a powerful illusion cast provided by Draco Fortis.
“You know the boundaries of our land, yes?” he asked.
“Indeed. Thank you, my prince,” Kizzy replied, and nodded.
She was with two of the other females, Aliza and Luna. Zircon frowned, wanting no replay of the other night, but the blue haired female barely acknowledged him with a tight nod and that was fine with Zircon. Jennifer, however, looked pissed as hell.
“Then, by all means, we’d love the company,” he replied jovially.
Zircon’s Wyvern scratched at his skin, the beast demanding to know what he was doing pissing his mate off. But he had a plan, well, one his brothers had advised. Now, he would not go as far as they’d suggested, since deceit and jealousy were not his favorite things. But a little misunderstanding might lead to something he’d been waiting years for. It might just be the thing to get Jennifer moving.
“How about a race?” Luna asked.
She and the other women were already disrobed, but no, he did not look at them. Had no desire to, plus it would be rude. He turned his back, nodding at Jenn.
“Fancy a race?”
“I fear the bird will be no match for us,” Aliza said.
There was a little bite to her voice, and Zircon scratched his neck. These women might think they were all powerful seeing as how they were Wyverns like him, but he’d seen Jennifer fly and there was nothing more stunning than her in her feathers.
“You’re on. Let’s go,” Jennifer said, dropping her panties into his outstretched hand.
Fuck. He didn’t even know why he’d been standing like that. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Doubt began to surface, but he shook it off as one by one the female shifted into their Wyverns.
They were smaller than his beast. More compact, but no less lethal. Jennifer grinned, and he knew she was determined. Fuck. This could be bad.
“Jenn, you don’t have to race anyone. We were just going to fly,” he said.
“You know me better than that, Conny,” she replied, and winked.
Fuck if his cock didn’t go hard a steel, throbbing with need all over again. The saucy little minx was driving him wild. Being that close to her without any clothes on had him losing his mind. He had one last glance at her supple peach of an ass before the air surrounding her skin began to shimmer and glow.
One minute she was all creamy skin and dark tresses, and the next she was her enormous Great Horned Owl with a wingspan of over ten feet. Her feathers were so damn beautiful, a symphony of creams and dark browns, varying in length and thickness, but all serving a purpose. The darkest colors formed at the tufts of her ears and the tips of her powerful wings.
Her eyes were enormous and golden brown. She seemed to see right through to his very soul, and he often wondered if she could see right to his heart. To his undying love for her.
She was beautiful, his Jennifer. Beautiful and deadly. Cunning and swift. But he worried about the Drakein females. Did they play by the same rules? He didn’t know for certain, but he would never let anyone harm a single feather of Jennifer’s.
The woman was nature’s finest aerial predator. An apex hunter with keen eyesight, deadly talons, and a beak that could crush grown men’s skulls. He’d seen it. And he’d been amazed. She took his breath away as she soared above him. Then he saw Aliza’s blue Wyvern nosedive straight for her.
Fury tainted Zircon’s vision, but it got him moving. His Wyvern burst from his body, shredding his human skin as he blurred to Jennifer’s side. His intention was to force Aliza from her path, but he needn’t have bothered.
Jennifer’s Owl was faster than she looked for all her size, and she lifted her wings, moving silently out of Aliza’s path. The blue Wyvern screeched as she pulled up, she was miffed at missing her target. But her annoyance was nothing compared to Zircon’s anger. He roared loudly, sending lightning bolts flashing through the sky.
The other Drakeins growled softly, each flying below them, baring their throats to his dominance. He did not enjoy cowing anyone, but he needed one thing understood and he needed it understood very fucking clearly. Anyone trying to harm Jennifer would have to deal with him.