Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon's Bait

Soon it would be dawn. Silently, Selendrile looked over his shoulder and to the east. He had little time now, an hour at the most to end their journey.

Softly, so as not to wake her, the dragon carried his human charge three miles in his limited mortal form. It was not the most pleasant of trips, or the fastest, but it was necessary. Especially if he intended for Alys to remain asleep.

He knew what he had to do.

Frowning, Selendrile looked down to the girl in his arms. He could almost smell her blood. Almost taste it. Almost taste it again... Her warm, life source leaking out of her system to be slowly lapped by his tongue. Teasingly slipping down his throat and tempting him for more.

Fighting the urge to just lift her a little closer and bite her neck, the dragon closed his eyes. His imagination was betraying him, as was his blood lust.

So help him, he would not eat her or ravish her or do any other defiling deeds. Still, he knew that there was no other way. Eventually his fey needs and hunger would overpower him. It was only a matter of time before he harmed her and while he regretted his decision to leave her, he knew it was best.

Shifting her slightly in his arms, Selendrile traveled to the bottom of a steep hill. At the top was a farm house. Slowly he headed towards it with Alys still in tact.

Looking down at her was almost as painful as restraining his hunger. She was fairly attractive for a human, he decided. In her two years that she had traveled with him, her hair had grown out and shined at a rivaled similar length to his own. Her pale skin had colored to a decent shade and her face had filled out nicely, making her once sagging cheeks more defined and higher.

Her lips were more full now too, he noted in an afterthought. Where they were once pale and chapped from hours of biting them in frustration or anger, they were now ripe and full and decidedly too alluring in the departing moon light.

Aggravated by where his dangerous thoughts were taking him, Selendrile quickened his stride and decided against studying the rest of her profile.

Unbeknownst to her, Alys was becoming his own demon.

His dark seductress.

If only he hadn't tasted her blood.

She was his temptress who was alluring him into a trap that would lead to regrett if he gave in, or drive him into madness if he resisted longer.

In no time, he was standing at the entrance to the farm house but after a moment he stepped away from it and headed towards the barn behind it. Better let the humans discover her on their own. Let them make their own assumptions. They could help her.

In unbelievable silence, Selendrile made his into the ragged structure, pausing only momentarily to take in the scent of the rural animals lodging their. As appetizing as their scent was, Selendrile found himself easily resisting. Alys's scent was still much more seductive.

If only he hadn't tasted her blood! None of this would have happened. He wouldn't be craving her blood and scent. He wouldn't be forcing himself to leave her. She could have stayed with him...

Her wound had been rather deep, the thief's knife had come close to her heart. Thankfully, Alys was somewhat swift and had been fortunate enough to dodge the attack. The wound on her shoulder was much more easy to repair than a heart that had been stabbed.

Still, the guilt to aid her in someway had plagued Selendrile. He had not been there when she needed him and now he was left to face the consequences from his lack of action. He had failed to protect her. The sight of her wound disturbed him and the stench of her blood stung his nostrils. It compelled him to act and drove him to his most primitive instinct to lick the blood away.

After all, his saliva had a special healing quality that would guarantee no infection or trace of scars.

Unfortunately, he had miscalculated. While human blood, or any other kind of blood aside from his own tasted of a tempting meal, Alys's had a different affect.

Hers tempted him a different way and cruelly reminded him of who he was and who she was and what he could do to or with her...

Resolved now, Selendrile sailed his way farther into the barn before stopping in front of a human sized stack of hay. Carefully, he lowered the human into it, wary of being caught upon her waking.

Dawn was approaching fast.

Absently, Selendrile entertained the thought of keeping her. In her present state, she would be a hindrance to him, but if he were to make her an equal she would be no threat to his blood lust. He could bind her to him, grant her the status of a mate. For dragon's never killed their mates. Her life span would adapt to match his own and he would take good care of her. Giver her anything within his power -

No, while the thought wasn't nearly as repulsive as it used once was, it was still frowned upon for a human and a dragon to have intimate affairs, never mind becoming life mates.

Though in truth, he not only tolerated Alys's company but had begun to enjoy it as well. He suspected she felt the same, and while it would be no inconvenience to him, he thought it was unfair to tie a human to such a fey as himself. Alys deserved the chance at a normal life.

If only he hadn't tasted her blood. In her present state, she would drive him mad.

Hurriedly, he turned to go. Only pausing a moment before turning back to study Alys one more time. Kneeling down to face level with his human companion, he slowly reached out the back of his hand and ran it lightly over her left cheek; bidding her a final, silent farewell.

On an impulse, Selendrile leaned in closer and inhaled her sweet scent. His nose was pressed into the crook of her neck and left shoulder and before he knew what he was doing, Selendrile bit down lightly into her soft skin.

Alys grimaced in her sleep.

Slowly, the dragon pulled out his canine teeth only to flick his tongue out at the punctured wound on her neck where his teeth had grazed her skin. Just as he once did, Selendrile began to lap at her rich warm blood, enjoying the rhythm of her pulse beneath him.

Only too soon, did the wound begin to heal itself and before he knew it, Selendrile used his teeth to reopen it, at the same time adding his own saliva and magic venom to the wound. Consequently, Alys cried out on her sleep from this and Selendrile forced himself away with a sudden jerk.

In a combination of anger and horror, Selendrile watched as the wound on her neck sealed itself with a glittering light. Simultaneously, a gold light stretched out as a thin line and worked itself into a glittering patterned design onto her skin where he bit her.

A familiar blanket of his magic settled over her in a thin sheet and it became impossible for anyone to not recognize Alys as his.

A new obstacle presented itself but before Selendrile could farther act, the sun began to etch across the sky with a dim light. He could not deal with this now. Even for a dragon, this was too much to understand and handle. Alys would be well for the time being.

So, in a speed that could match no mortal, the dragon flew out of the barn and into the sky. The burden of possibly dying in his human form all but forgotten. Behind him, he faintly heard the loud cries of betrayal as the girl with his mark on her skin woke up and cried out his name.

Circumstances made it unavoidable. Alys made it impossible.

He could never escape from his human.

He would return for her.

One day.