Flushed with embarrassment, I forced myself to cooperate as Ciarra scratched my ears, humming happily to herself. Overwhelmed and exhausted, both physically and emotionally, I cuddled into her arms, as she carried me along the abandoned road between the fort and Gravestead. I was so weary of fighting the fates. Surrendering had granted peace that I hadn't felt since childhood.

I was happy back then. Protected by my parents, free to run and play when I finished my chores. Father and mother sometimes went hungry, but I never did. Back then, I felt caged, and longed for my freedom. So I ran away, and spent years cursing myself for not knowing real freedom when I lived it.

My life turned into a nightmare. I fought, when the adventurers that I thought were my friends betrayed me. I killed them all, even though I was only a 13-year-old runaway. I thought I had become an adventurer, that's how it worked in the stories, but my class didn't match my stats, and they rejected me. I fought, but they beat me, and left me broken and bleeding on the streets. I fought, attempting to join the thieves guild, and they held me down and sliced open my face for daring to waste their time with stats like mine.

Starving on the streets, I learned the harsh truth. Don't fight battles you can't win. Swallow your pride. I fought. For scraps found in trash tossed on the street. For a corner to beg on. For a ragged blanket to sleep in. I had learned to avoid fights I couldn't win. When the first city guard cornered me, I swallowed my pride, and let him take what he wanted. It was a fight I wouldn't have won. A year later, I ran when it became to much to bear. Then I fought to prove my worth to the bandits, not with daggers, but by taking the worse jobs and spreading my legs for their leader.

Ciarra changed everything.

She's the ultimate example of a fight I can't win.

The oathbinding stops me from running away, deceiving her, or betraying her. Now it gives me what I needed most.

Hope.

When I swore the oathbinding, it granted understanding of how Ciarra interpreted my oath. I had hope because I felt the complete contempt she had for anyone who misleads someone in an honor bound agreement. That belief had infused her interpretation of my oath.

Ciarra wouldn't deceive me about anything that touched my oathbinding, and she promised more than I dared hope for, all for the price of willingly submitting to what I couldn't stop anyway.

I tried to ignore the quiet part of me that longed for her touch, but it still reminded me that their were other benefits to serving her. I shivered again, this time from memories of mindless pleasure where nothing existed but her touch and pure ecstasy, it had lasted for an eternity. Part of me wanted to experience it again, but I didn't think my mind would survive.

Without breaking stride, Ciarra flipped me onto my back, and I looked up from her arms into the eyes of an apex predator focused on her prey. Heart suddenly thumping in my chest, I froze.

[Content removed per request.]

Spoiler: Spoiler

Short version: Vixen begins to activly invide Ciarra's attention, especially when the dragon engages her in a game of cat-and-mouse with exicting concquences for being caught.

The full scene is available here: https://storiesonline.net/s/20605:216244/chapter-8-ciarra-the-cold

[Continued scene...]

"Enough. It's morning." Ciarra said.

Feeling disappointed, but completely drained, I nodded my head. Cuddled against her, and closed my eyes. "Thank you, that was…" I didn't have the right words, so I finally just said, "You are incredible," and left it at that.

"That I am," she said as exhaustion dragged me into darkness.

Ciarra's fingers stroking my ears slowly woke me from my slumber. I looked up from her lap and saw her smiling face. Judging from the sun, I had only slept a couple hours, but it had been enough. "Ciarra," I whispered, stroking my hands along her side. "I'm sorry, I should have let you sleep first." I felt as though I had failed. I had sworn to serve her to the best of my ability, and I had slept while she kept watch.

She looked at me, and I was abruptly staring into the eyes of an apex predator. I froze, suddenly terrified. The fingers gently stroking my ears twisted them painfully and flipped me onto my back.

Her lips still curved with the same smile she had worn while gently stroking me.

She gripped me tightly, fingers spread wide and digging in painfully. Talons slowly extended themselves from her fingertips, and pierced deeply into my flesh. I screamed. Her smile widened. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, she released me, and licked my blood from her talons one at a time.

"Let me? You forget yourself. You are my pet, not my equal."

I nodded my head frantically, and said, "I'm your pet."

She is a force of nature. As unstoppable as a volcano. I shivered, remembering her other form ripping the room open, monstrous head larger than my entire body. I would never forget how helpless I was when she lunged forward and snapped me up in her jaws. I should hate her, but that's as foolish as railing against the tide.

Besides, how often does a mere mortal have a chance to lay with a goddess?

I shivered, remembering the intense pain and pleasure of being trapped under her. Rolling onto my hands and feet, I presented myself to her. I wasn't really sure if I wanted her to take my offer, but I wanted to offer myself to her either way.

"Good girl!" she said, scratching between my ears.

She casted [Heal], and the wounds left by her talons vanished. Storage magic flashed, and I was instantly dressed.

"I'd love to play, but we've reached the city wall"

"What?" I said surprised, "that doesn't make any sense. Gravestead is over 200 miles from the fort, we can't be there already!"

Ciarra chuckled, "Both of us have over 100 agility, and we ran through the night. I just wish I had thought about it on the first leg of my journey. I could have arrived here weeks ago."

If you had arrived weeks ago, I wouldn't have met you.

I can't help feeling happy that she hadn't thought of it earlier.