When Midnight Comes

A/N: Yes, yes. The last chapter was boring. But I swear this one is better. The whole chapter is one big fat third person flashback.
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Chapter Two: Cursed and Tainted

“Tara! Come away from the forest, there are wolves in there! It’s just not safe,” Tara’s mother called, dipping a blown glass swan in a pail of water to cool it. Her only child made her nervous sometimes.

“Just this once, please? There’s something out there I’ve never felt before. It has a lot of magick to it. And there aren’t any wolves around, or I’d be able to sense them,” the fourteen-year-old replied, pleading. She wanted to go explore, she wanted to see what was out there…

“All right, but come back and get your father’s shotgun, just to be safe,” the adult conceded. Whenever Tara felt magick, however big or small, it was usually a good idead to send her to it before it came searching for her. It had happened on several occasions, and the glassblower wanted her wares to be intact for her customers.

Tara skipped back to the house, grabbing the gun, it’s holster and a canteen of water before flouncing out the door again, giving her mother a big kiss on the cheek and grinning impishly. Her red hair sparkled in the sun, and her sea-blue eyes glinted with mischief.

“Put the swan back, I haven’t colored it yet,” her mother sighed, not to be fooled. With a pout, Tara returned the piece in question, smiled, and trotted off into the forest. “Be cafeful!” mother yelled.

“I always am!” Tara called back, rolling her eyes. She closed her eyes, took a couple of deep breaths, and emptied her mind. The feeling of power came as a tug on her inner senses, almost a call. She shook her head to clear it and pulled the gun out the the holster, clicking the safety off. She didn’t like surprises, but chances were, she was going to get one. She might as well be prepared.

“There’s uch uch power… It’s so honed, concentrated. And I know all the ley lines around here. This isn’t one of them,” she muttered to herself, still walking after the surge of magick. “Sidhe? I doubt it. Hm.” She froze suddenly, hearing the barest of rustles behind her. She whirled around, pointing the pistol at the bushes. Nothing. Tara sighed and continued walking.

After about a mile, her head started to hurt at the magnitude of the power. She stopped and sat down, thinking while she took a drink from her canteen. There were only three forces she knew of that had that much magick. The Sidhee Dre Dragons, and power wellsprings. She’d worked with Sidhe before, and she knew the location of the one wellspring in the area, so that left one choice.

There was a dragon ahead of her in the brush.

The rustle came again, this time ahead of her. She stood and pointed the gun again, only to drop it when he emerged.

Twice as tall as she was, his head brushed the tof tof the trees. He was covered in deep crimson scales, almost black in some places. Curved silver claws dug into the dirt. But the thing that scared her was his eyes. His eyes were blood-red, slit-pupiled, and cruel. She could see the intelligence, the calculating look in those eyes. She could see the malvolence, and the lust, and the hunger. She picked up her gun and ran.

Tara could hear him runing along behind her, though she had to strto dto do so. His movements were incredibly quiet, and he didn’t really seem to be trying. Only when she started to stumble did he leap forward and knock her to the ground, pushing the breath from her lungs. She squirmed around and flipped onto her back, pointing the gun point-blank at the center of his chest.

“Silly human. You cannot kill me with any weapon. I can only be killed by magick, more of it than you posess,” he growled, baring his fangs at her. Tara ignored him and fired three rapid shots into the dragon’s chest, then brought her gun up and fired two more between the eyes.

“Now let me go,” she demanded. He voice was shaking like a leaf, her body was quivering. Her heart raced, she was close to hyperventalating.

He laughed at her. The sound made her shake even more. The bullet wounds closed like they had never been there. “You are either very very foolish, or very very brave. Either way, you are in no position to demand anything,” he sneered. He crushed her gun with one paw before flipping her onto her back again. “But you must have Sidhe or Dragon blood in you, or you would not have been able to find me. Yes, you have a feel for magick. It woue a e a shame to simply kill you.” Tara nodded, hoping he would see.

“The people around us know me as the Fey girl. They all thing I have Sidhe blood from my mother’s side,” she answered, her voice still shaking. /I have to keep him talking. If I convince him I can be useful to him, maybe he won’t kill me. Oh God, I hope he won’t./

“Good. Then you will make a wonderful mate. Yes. I will make you a dragon, like me. Hold still and it might not hurt much…” Tara could almost hear the sadistic delight in his voice. The hem of her shirt was yanked up above heouldoulders. She heard him chuckle before one claw sliced through her bra.

Then her mind went blank. One of those silver claws dug into the flesh of her back. She lost control and screamed, struggling to get away from him. He growled, and she froze, gritting her teeth against the pain. She could feel him tracing something into her skin, her blood following the design. It felt like she was on fire, agony burning into her very soul. This was torture, and he was enjoying it.

And as suddenly as the pain had begun, it stopped. Her blood wasn’t flowing anymore, but what blood he had already drawn was still there. She panted, shuddering, remembering his cold laughter as he listened to her screams.

“Now the change is complete,” Tara heard him say. His voice wasn’t as deep as it had been a minute ago. she stood, an effort that took all the strength she had left, and turned around. “The curse has made you into a dragon. You are also bound to me.”

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice no longer shaking. He obviously didn’t want to kill her, so she was safe, for the time being. she looked up, expecting to see a dragon, and jumped.

He was in his human form, that much was obvious. But he looked nothing like an ordinary human. His irises were blood-red and slit-pupiled still. His deep crimson, almost black hair reached past his waist. His fingernails were long, and looked like they were stronger than normal fingernails. she could see, because he was smiling, that his canine teeth were longer than normal. His ears were pointed, like Sidhe. All in all, his appearance was more Draconic than human.

His grin widened, and he came forward, gripping Tara’s wrists in his hands. He held her hands up for her to see, and she saw that her nails were like his. Her eyes betrayed her confusion, and he dropped her wrists and grabbed a handful of hair, making her yelp as he pulled it roughly into her veiw. Lavander.

“And your eyes are gold, and yes, you have fangs. You are a dragon. You are also mine. My name is Myshinekilinatinanut. Your full name is now Dracilanitarikatiranif,” He informed Tara, leaning in a little closer than was comfortable. She took a step back and overbalanced, falling right back down on the ground. Her instinct before she fell was to grab his shirt, which only brought him toppling down on top of her. He smiled slowly, his eyes glinting. The look in his eyes made her gulp and begin to struggle once more. He put all his weight on top of her, growling.

“You’re only encouraging me,” he told the newly christened Tari. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own. Tari froze, to surprised and scared to do anything.

“Mmmph!” she squeaked, and he released her. “I’m only fourte she she cried, correctly interpreting his intent.

“But you can bear children, and I need an heir. Plus you are my mate now. You should be grateful. Humans have the lifespans of mayflies compared to dragons. You’re immortal now, and you won’t age past twenty,” he replied, his tone impatient. He kissed her again, more demanding, and pushed her mouth open so he could deepen it. She struggled wildly now, but he was too strong. He broke the kiss and licked her jawbone, traveling down to her neck, which he grazed with his fangs.

“Please don’t,” Tari whispered, desperate now. He only growled, his claws ripping her shirt away. “Stop!” still, he ignored her, pulling what remained of her bra off and tossing it away, tracing a claw over her breasts. Despite how hard she tried to ignore the sensations he was giving to her, she couldn’t stop a tiny whimper. She hated herself for enjoying what he was doing to her.

His hand traveled down to the buttons on her blue jeans, fiddling with them before ripping them off and pulling her pants off her. He ripped her underwear with his claws, leaving her completely naked beneath him, since her sandals had been lost in the chase. She fought him with what little strength she had left. He growled.

“Stop fighting me!” she snarled, backhanding her viciously across her face. The pain made her dizzy, and she momentarily went limp. His hands still played with her breasts, but he wasn’t gentle anymore. He lay on top of her with all his weight, so that she could barely breath. He pressed his lips against hers in a vicious, bruising kiss. He bit her bottom lip, savoring the taste of her blood in his mouth. He pressed her down with one hand a rem removed his own clothing, laying back down on top of her.

She squeaked in fear as she felt the tip of his arousal pressing against her opening and resumed her struggles. “Please!” she whimpered, begging him to stop. Her eyes filled with tears, knowing what came next.

He shoved into her and she screamed, pain unlike enything else ing ing over her. He didn’t even wait until she got adjusted to him, moving quickly in and out of her. He pounded her with all his strength, letting her know that he was dominant here. He would decide when they would stop. She whimpered at each thrust, feeling her body respond to what her mind fought against. Her hips bucked upwards even as the pain made itself known to her. He chuckled, liking her reaction, and drove into her still harder. She felt her breath come in shorter and shorter gasps. Something was building inside her, pressure so intense in hurt. Her walls tightened around him and she screamed as she reached her climax. After a few more thrusts, he too was thrown over the brink. His claws dug into her shoudlers as he came, drawing her blood once more.

With a smirk of satisfation, he pulled out of her, transforming back into his draconic form anclosclosing her form in his paws, a roar of triumph echoing through the forest. He took off, flying towards the center of the trees.