"So now that you have brought your stuff here, let your apartment go and settled in I think it's time we demonstrate our dracons forms," Dave told Cassie about a week after she had moved in with them.
"I was wondering when you are going to bring that up," Cassie said. "I thought you had forgotten your promise and I was all prepared to remind you."
"No, we never would've forgotten we've just been very busy getting you settled," Monica said and Cassie nodded.
"I know which is why I haven't mentioned it," Cassie said. "So I've been wondering where you have the room to transform, particularly all three of you, as you would take up a lot of space I'm sure."
"Very logical and of course you're absolutely correct," Aaron said. "We're at least five times the size and dragon form."
"So that means we need a lot of space," Dave said. "We are going to show you a secret that nobody outside the family knows. The main reason we have our home out here other than the ones we stated."
Cassie nodded and she followed Dave and the others. They led her to what looked like just a shelf filled with knickknacks and books. Dave produced an odd looking key and moved a couple of the knickknacks to the side. Once he had done that Cassie saw a panel on the wall and behind that was keyhole in the same shape as the odd looking key.
Dave inserted the key and immediately turned it in several different directions. He turned the key right and there was a click, then he turned it to the left and there was another click. Finally Dave turned it right again and there was a third click on what must've been the last lock as the door opened a little, enough anyway that Aaron was able to pull the door back enough for them to slip though.
Monica who was the last one through the doorway carefully closed the door behind them. Cassie thought it would be pitch black but there were lights placed every few feet, so while it was dim in the tunnel that was more than enough light to see by. It was also a bit chilly but she supposed that was to be expected, as they were underground.
Cassie wasn't afraid, as she trusted the three not to do her any harm. The four of them walked silently but finally, they arrived at another door, which Monica opened. "This is where we transform," Dave said even as he entered the room. The room that Dave had led them to was massive, with a high ceiling and the floor was paved in what looked like flagstone. There wasn't much else to the room other then some shelves probably to put clothes on so they wouldn't get torn up, as Cassie couldn't see the three of them transforming with their clothes on unless they had to as they would be ripped to shreds. Why ruin a good outfit unless necessary?
"I'll go first if you like," Monica said with a smile
"Sounds fine, sweetie," Aaron said kissing her cheek.
Monica removed her clothing and put it neatly on one of the shelves. Once she was naked a golden light enveloped her and it rapidly grew in size. Finally, the golden light faded and crouching before them was a huge red dragon.
Cassie stared in awe at Monica's gorgeous form. She was at least five, maybe even six times the size she was as a human.
"Wow! You're magnificent!" Cassie finally said in awe.
"Yes, she is," both Dave and Aaron said at the same time obviously meaning it. Both of them stepped forward and stroked her scales on opposite sides. Monica seemed to like that Cassie noticed as she had closed her double lidded eyes in pleasure.
"I think it's time for us to transform as well," Aaron said.
"I would appreciate that," Cassie said. "Though having one of you transform in front of me is more than enough evidence you were speaking the truth, I'd like to see what you look like in your other forms."
"It will be our pleasure my lady," Dave grinned leaning over and just enough to kiss the back of Cassie's hand.
"Go on, you scoundrel," Cassie said blushing, something she'd been doing a lot when in the presence of Dave and Aaron.
Monica in her dragon form snorted in what sounded like laughter and small puffs of smoke came out her nostrils and Dave simply grinned.
Aaron also snorted at Dave's antics, but began to take off his clothes just as Monica had done minutes prior.
Cassie tried not to blush as Aaron and Dave finally got out of his clothes as both were fine male specimens, which she was hardly indifferent to. Both men begin to transform several feet apart. The glow around them was golden just like when Monica had transformed only bigger.
Cassie immediately noticed that both Dave and Aaron were bigger then Monica was and she wasn't entirely sure why that was.
She would ask once they transformed back Cassie decided, even as the two men finished turning into their dracon forms. Cassie saw she had been right that both Dave and Aaron were considerably larger than Monica was, which might mean nothing at all. It could simply be that females were smaller than the males. It could also have to do that there were different species of dragon shifters and some were smaller than others.
She knew she still had a lot to learn, but was looking forward to it
"You two are magnificent," Cassie said even more in awe at what she was seeing, even as she walked forward unafraid of this huge forms that were looking down on her, as she knew they would not harm her. Her dad had said as much in the journal about how her mates would never hurt her, not even in their dragon forms, as every instinct would be geared to protecting her from danger, which included themselves. Cassie patted both black dragons on their sides and both Dave and Aaron seemed to relish the affection and even went so far as to flicker their long tongues over her cheek making her giggle because it tickled.
"You can transform now if you like," Cassie said stepping back.
All three did, as they rapidly shrunk until it was clear that they were human again.
"Every single one of you was magnificent," Cassie said once there were back in their human shape although still naked.
"I'm glad you think so," Aaron said grinning from ear to ear as he came forward to give Cassie a kiss.
"I do," Cassie said. "It makes me want to be an to transform with you. Unfortunately, that's not possible."
"It might not be as impossible as you think," Monica told Cassie.
"What do you mean?" Cassie asked, even as they headed through the tunnel so they could slip out the secret panel after everybody dressed.
"Just that you are probably at least half dracon, due to both your parents, maybe even more," Monica explained.
"Due to the fact, that you are the mate of two dracons, we all think it's possible that you could transform with a little help," Dave continued Monica's explanation.
"You see, us dracons have magic in our blood, as it's what helps us transform easily and painlessly," Aaron continued. "It is also what allows us to live for thousands of years and keeps us young."
"There is also magic in our semen, as well as our DNA and considering how much lovemaking we've been indulging in and I have no doubt that it's changing you already."
"So if I understand you right, you think that I'll be able to transform once I absorb enough of your magic," Cassie said.
"Most of what you need to transform is already part of your DNA," Monica explained. "If you weren't already at least 60% dracon then it would never work. Basically, all Aaron and Dave are doing are giving your body a boost. Your dracon form is already a part of you. You just need the power boost to complete the process."
"That would be really nice, but I'm not sure I believe it until I can actually do it," Cassie said. "This is just a theory on your part after all. Since I had no idea that dragon shifters existed until recently I'm not sure what to believe. You might very well be right, but I'm not going to hope until I can actually do it."
"None of us can blame you for that," Aaron said. "Cassie is right you know, it is just a theory, but it makes sense."
"In what way?" Cassie asked.
"Just that if you weren't at least 60% dracon, as Monica suggested, there's no way you could be our mate, as you wouldn't have enough of the blood to transform, even if you need help with it the first time." Dave explained gently. "There's no way that any of us could just let you die when you reach the end of your supposed human lifespan. No one, male or female that wasn't at least mostly dracon would be a suitable mate for a species that is so long lived."
"There's no way that one of our mates could live and die in less than a 100 years as that would not be a good match, not for a species that can live for thousands unless we are knocked off. There's also no way that our instincts would have activated if you weren't one of our mates. I'm not saying that we wouldn't have found you attractive because we are men after all, just that we would have known if you weren't the one. There is no way that I would've turned up the charm if I hadn't already known that you were one of us, even if at the time you didn't know it."
Cassie considered that silently, even as Aaron opened the bookcase that led out to the main part of the house after checking the security screens that had been installed just to make sure no one was there. While it wasn't likely that someone had invaded the house in their absence it was still wise to check just in case.
"You have quite the setup here," Cassie said impressed.
"You can't be to careful," Dave said. "Back in the Middle Ages it was easy to hide. There weren't things like video cameras. We sweep our home regularly for bugs, the electronic sort."
"Well, I can't blame you for being cautious considering the technology today. It would be all too easy for someone to plant bugs around your home, even though your home is so distant from the city it's still possible," Cassie said. "Of course, you would probably notice some signs of invasion if they picked the lock something."
"Only if we were paying attention," Monica said. "You never expect somebody to invade your sanctuary, so you might not expect to have intruders. People tend to relax when they're coming home after a long day and don't think to look for signs that somebody has been there."
"Monica's right, you know," Aaron said. "Dave and I don't always think to check for signs when we come home from the shop as all we think about is getting some dinner and relaxing."
"That's true," Dave said. "We need not get careless. Getting careless could get us killed."
"Including any children we have," Monica added. "The Order is absolutely ruthless and they won't spare a child's life."
"They'd consider it getting rid of vermin, basically," Dave said with a grim expression.
"So they won't grow up and breed," Aaron added in a grim tone.
"That is so evil," Cassie said with real emotion in her voice. "How any decent human being could do that to someone, especially a child..."
"But you see, the Order has no compassionate understanding human beings among it's soldiers," Monica said with venom in her voice. "That's one thing you need to understand right now. The Order is ruthless, completely evil and amoral. There's no one with a conscious among them."
"They truly believe they're ridding the world of evil and that they have a calling from God to rid the world of our kind. They believe we are demons created by the devil and so they need to kill all of us to stop our evilness from spreading," Aaron said, his disgust quite apparent.
"You can't convince them that all of us are not evil," Dave told Cassie, even as they sat down on the comfortable furniture in the living area. "Basically, they've formed into a cult, though I'm sure they don't see themselves that way."
"They see themselves as disposing of vermin, long overdue," Monica said.
Cassie said nothing.
If all three of her new family said that the Order was completely without conscious then she believed them. She knew that there was real evil in the world and even though she had never met anyone that depraved she knew it existed. She watched the news, read the paper every day and there was always something people in it that was completely evil. Just the other day she'd read about how a wife and mother had drowned her children in the bathtub thinking they were demons in disguise. It had turned out the woman had schizophrenia so Cassie supposed that she wasn't evil just sick, but that didn't mean there weren't evil people in the world. Like the shooting at the mall about 6 months ago where about a dozen people had died including a store clerk. If that wasn't evil she didn't know what was.
"So I meant to ask why such a big space with just the three of you?" Cassie asked changing the subject.
"We have had children in the past," Dave told her with a smile. "We needed a big place so that the children can join us, as they'll be able to transform as soon as they're six months or so."
"There's no way we could leave them here in the house without some kind of adult present, as just like human babies they're basically defenseless," Monica said and Cassie nodded.
"It takes time for them to develop any sense," Aaron said.
"While we don't necessarily have to transform we do like to every few weeks or so," Dave said. "It releases some of the tension of having to watch ourselves every second. We can get quite restless if don't transform every once in awhile at least."
"That makes sense if you ask me," Cassie said. "I mean why be able to transform into something else if you never have a chance to use it? I would say that was probably your dragon form getting restless inside your human skin. I would say it simply wants to be released for a few hours anyway."
"That makes a good deal of sense," Aaron said. "We might stay human most of the time, but we need to release our other forms occasionally."
"At least we don't absolutely have to transform if there is some kind of situation to where it wouldn't be safe," Monica said. "We might be bit grouchy if we can't just because we are uncomfortable, but it's better to be grouchy then to be dead."
"We can all agree to that," Cassie said. Both Dave and Aaron nodded in agreement grimly.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"So I've been wondering why you two men are bigger then, Monica?" Cassie asked several days later. "I meant to ask you the night that you showed me your forms but I got kind of distracted."
"I can explain that," said Monica sitting down at the kitchen table. "You have noticed that Dave and Aaron are fairly tall and their bodies are also bigger," Monica began. "I, on the other hand, am several inches shorter, more petite. I also don't have their broad shoulders or their musculature."
"So you're saying that just because they're taller and more muscular is why they're dracon form is so much bigger," Cassie said.
"That is certainly part of it," Dave said. "Monica was fairly average height for the time in which she was born. She is only 5' 2' which is a little short for this time, but then not everyone can be 6 or 7 feet tall."
"She's also slender, which also affects her size in her dracon form," Aaron said.
"The thing you forgot to mention is the reason I'm a red dragon is because of the color of my hair," Monica added smiling at the three of them while fluffing her red hair. "It's also why Dave and Aaron are black dragons and as for you, well, I suspect you'll be kind of a golden brown because of the color of your hair, which is like deer hide, many different shades of brown."
"We'll see," Cassie said noncommittally.
The doubt her voice was obvious to the other three, but there was nothing they could do about it until she actually transformed for the first time.
"So what's on the agenda for today?" Aaron asked in order to distract Cassie from her thoughts. Cassie's doubt would not help her transform for the first time and in fact, it could hold her back because she didn't believe she could transform into a dracon. Cassie needed to believe deep in her soul that she could do it, as it would only help her in the long run.
"Well, I was planning on going into town to see Gerda, since I didn't manage to do that when we went to clean up my apartment a few days ago. I did call her to let her know I was alright, but she'll be happier when she sees me for herself. After that, I don't really know. If you have any errands to run this might be a good time to do it while I'm in town or you're welcome to come with me," Cassie said.
"There is a pool at Silverthorne Manor," Dave mentioned. "We don't have a pool here but there is a lake not too far away that we sometimes swim in. It makes a good playground for us and they aren't usually any people around."
"It's our own private swimming pool," Aaron added.
"The one at Silverthorne Manor though is heated, which would be really good when it's winter," Aaron said.
"It sounds really nice," Monica said
"It is," Cassie agreed. "My parents put it in when Rena was about 10 and was old enough to be responsible. People drown in pools all the time, particularly children. They didn't really have anyone that could watch us, a lifeguard in other words, when we were swimming, as that would've taken the servants away from their own duties and put them behind and we were too old for a nanny or a babysitter."
"Still it must've been nice to have as you were 12 or so?" Monica said.
"About that yeah," Cassie agreed. "It was certainly fun to take a dip in the pool, especially in the summer when it was always so hot. I remember some days it was almost like sitting in a steam bath."
"Well, I do need some stuff from the store," Monica said. "I might as well go with you and meet this Gerda that you all talk about so fondly."
"I guess we'll go to," Dave said and Aaron agreed.
"Maybe we can see a movie of something while we're in town," Aaron said.
"That's not a bad idea," Cassie said. "There's been this action flick that I've been wanting to see for awhile. Even you boys should enjoy it."
"Sounds good," Dave said happy to go along with what his family wanted. At least the women weren't forcing him and Aaron to go to some kind a chick flick as that would've been embarrassing if there were other men around.
"I know I'm going enjoy having you around Cassie," Monica said smiling. "I finally have someone to go to a romance movie with.
"It's no fun going by yourself," Cassie agreed. "I go with Teri or Rena."
"I still went by myself as you know, but it'll be much more fun with another female. One who likes a good chick flick just as much I do," Monica said smiling.
The two women chuckled at their men's expressions of horror, as they so loved teasing both Dave and Aaron a whole lot.
It was all in good fun after all.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"It's good to see you, Cassie," Gerda said. "You said you were okay when you called, but I still was worried."
"I knew you would be," Cassie said simply giving the older woman a kiss on the cheek. "I know you'll worry about me regardless, but believe me, I'm very happy where I am. Dave and Aaron are worlds better than those idiots that tried to convince me to marry them just because I was a woman, which meant I was supposedly too stupid to run my father's affairs."
"Yeah, I know," Gerda said with a dark chuckle. "You sure did send them packing."
"They're lucky I didn't punch them for their condensing attitudes," Cassie snorted. "No, all I did was threaten them with a lawsuit for harassment. If they want to marry some stupid bit of fluff then that's fine with me, but I'm not about to marry someone like that. I'd probably be ignored while whoever I was married to had a piece on the side. They'd probably try to pressure me to turn over my part of the company to them and then they'd probably rob me blind if I was stupid enough to After all, I'm only a woman and I supposedly don't have any brains, at least not for business."
Cassie's voice dripped contempt and disdain.
"Yeah, I know, some of the older wealthier families really need to come into the 21st century," Gerda sighed. "In those type of families the women whether wife or daughter don't have a voice. The man runs everything and often doesn't take his family's feelings into account."
"Well, I sent them packing a long time ago and that's what matters," Cassie said, even as she took a bite of the cookie dough that Gerda was rolling flat so that they could be shaped into cookies. Gerda had some really cute cookie cutters, rabbits, cats, dogs, lambs and shapes like hearts and stars.
"Would you mind spreading the word to the longtime servants about my new living arrangements? You'll be able to tell if they disapprove or not. If they want to leave my employ and find a job elsewhere let me know."
"I know of a couple that may disapprove," Gerda said, even as she continued to work.
"Well, if they are obvious about their disapproval and don't know how to keep it too themselves tell them to seek employment elsewhere. It just shows that they have no loyalty to the family. I know that puts you in a bit of a bind until someone else can be hired, but I'm not about to put up with anyone's disapproval whenever we're here."
"You can't help who you fall in love with," Gerda said with a serious expression and Cassie nodded.
"I had no intention of falling for both of them," Cassie admitted. "It just sort of happened. I simply refused to make the choice between them, as they lived in the same house and are best friends. Neither minded when both of them fell in love with me. I know it's unusual to have two men as lovers, especially as a permanent thing, but that's simply too bad."
"You always did know what you wanted, even as a little girl," Gerda smiled softly in remembrance. "You've never let societies conventions get in the way, especially those of the wealthy set, who have some old fashion ideas sometimes."
"That's the truth," Cassie said with the contempt clear in her voice. "I didn't see the point of going along with some of the wealthy families ideas. I only would've been miserable. I'm sure I would've been treated like a non-entity with no true voice in any decision that had to be made." Cassie shrugged, even as she pinched another bit of raw cookie dough. "If the Silverthornes weren't as wealthy as we are I doubt anyone would care, except perhaps, those moral busybodies that just can't mind their own business. I'm not breaking any laws and neither are they."
"That's true," Gerda said. "Even if anybody cares they won't say anything. They'd be too afraid of being sued."
"I know that already," Cassie said. "It's going to be my own class that's going to be the problem. I've already made up my mind if they become too much of one I'll sue their butts off. Luckily, I don't think I'll see any of them much as I live out near the city limits now.
"So what's the home like?" Gerda asked.
"It's really nice and spacious," Cassie said. "It's probably even a little bit bigger than this place. There are several levels, though a lot of those are bedrooms. You'd love the kitchen as it's probably three times the size of your normal kitchen and has everything you need for cooking delicious food. The cook Monica lives with them and is quite good at preparing a meal."
"I can actually understand the cook living with them if they live that far outside the city," Gerda said. "It'd take forever to drive there every day and there is also the trip home to consider. Besides, it's no different from me and my husband and the other servants living here, even if we are more centrally located."
"Exactly, but mostly they take care of themselves and only have Monica. There are no other servants to help look after the place, dust, clean the bathrooms, vacuum that kind of thing," Cassie said completely truthfully. "Dave can also cook and he and Monica often share duties."
"Well, a man that can cook," Gerda said smiling. "Tony couldn't cook to save his life."
"Yes, I know many men don't," Cassie said. "Some just don't want to learn, as they consider it a woman's job and others have absolutely no talent for it like Aaron who couldn't cook to save his life. To be fair though some women can't cook either and for the same reason as the men."
Gerda nodded, because there was truth in Cassie statement.
"So when are you going to tell Rena about your new relationship?" Gerda said.
"Soon," Cassie said. "She's been traveling, as you know, so I really haven't had chance too. Besides, you know if she learned of me dating two guys before we solidified our relationship that she likely would have interfered at the wrong time and she might've wrecked things."
"True," Gerda admitted. "She has improved you know."
"Maybe, but I wasn't going to risk it," Cassie said.
"I can't really blame you," Gerda admitted. "You're right, she could have interrupted things between you Dave and Aaron and messed things up, unintentionally of course, but the damage would've been done."
"And it might not have been repairable," Cassie said with a catch in her voice. "Dave and Aaron are pretty understanding though, so it might not have damaged anything. They want to meet my sister, but know that we have more important things to worry about right now."
"They'll meet her eventually," Gerda said.
"Yeah, they will. I only hope that she doesn't try to flirt with either one of them," Cassie said knowing how her sister was hardly indifferent to a handsome man. She had flirted with Cassie's boyfriends in the past.
"Rena would never try to steal them from you," Gerda said.
"She has flirted with my boyfriends in the past," Cassie reminded Gerda.
"Well, yes, but she was much younger and much less mature than," Gerda said. "Besides, she could tell you weren't in love with them. You might have thought you were, but your sister is very perceptive and knew you really weren't."
"I suppose," Cassie said.
"So any children in the near future?" Gerda asked with a wink
"Not right now," Cassie said smiling blushing a little at Gerda's regard. She knew that Gerda loved children and hers were long since grown. "We've decided to wait at least a year, as that way some idiot can't accuse them of staying with me just because I got pregnant on purpose."
"They might still try that," Gerda said knowingly. "Sometimes I think there isn't an intelligent bone amongst the entire lot. They'll likely try again to get you to marry one of their sons. They are certainly set in their ways at least."
"Oh, they're very intelligent just very set in their ways as you indicated. It doesn't help that they consider women beneath them. They basically ignore the fact that there are many successful women in the world and probably believe there's a man in the background running things behind the scenes," Cassie said. "Did I mention they were arrogant as well? Unfortunately, a lot of their sons turned out just like them, which is why I'll never marry one of them. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life then be treated as if I didn't exist."
"The sons have a chance of growing out of that mold though," Gerda said.
"I don't think that there's enough thinking for themselves for them to do that. I believe they are completely under their father's control. I could be wrong I suppose," Cassie shrugged. "In order to turn out differently they'd have to do introspection something I don't think they're capable of."
"You may be right," Gerda said, even as she slipped the pan with the cookie dough shapes into the oven.
"I need to get going," Cassie said looking longingly at the different shaped cookies that had just been put in the oven.
"Surely you can stay long enough for these to finish baking," Gerda said
"I suppose," Cassie said finally. "There should be enough for me to take home to the guys if you don't mind."
"Of course not," Gerda said. "You just tell those two men of yours to treat you right or they'll face my wrath."
"You don't need to worry Mrs. Gerda," Cassie told her smiling. "There's nothing like those idiots that supposedly wanted to marry me just to get control of my portion of my father's fortune. Even if I had been stupid enough to marry one of them I never would have given them control of what belonged to my father. Besides Rena owns fifty percent, so they wouldn't have full control anyway. Even if they didn't run the family business into the ground, leaving me and Rena penniless, it doesn't mean they wouldn't have robbed us blind. Both Dave and Aaron are in a very lucrative business of their own, so they have no need of the money. They're not the greedy types like so many people."
"That's good," Gerda said, even as the two of them sat at the kitchen table and talked while the cookies were baking. Cassie could already smell the delicious scent of baking cookie dough permeate the kitchen. It was in many ways her favorite smell, as it reminded her of her childhood. The many hours that she, Teri and Rena had sat at this very table while Gerda had prepared lunch or a snack for them. They would chat to her, even as she worked and she would respond every once in awhile to let them know that she was listening. She would even offer them advice if they were having a problem.
"I did like them a great deal when I met them the first time. I'm glad that my instincts were correct," Gerda said, as she took the cookies out of the oven a few minutes later. "I look forward to those children but take your time and don't rush on my account."
"I'll let you know when I'm pregnant," Cassie promised, even as she chomped on a cookie that had just been taken out of the oven being careful to burn her fingers. She also took a sip of her glass of milk that Gerda had fixed. Milk and cookies sure did bring up a lot of happy memories of childhood. Life had been so simple back then. Far less complicated.
"I'll be expecting that announcement," Gerda said. "Make sure you tell your friend Teri to come and visit me. I miss her just as much as I miss you and your sister."
"I'll tell her," Cassie promised. "Let me know what you think about the servants reactions once you tell them the news. Let me know if I need to replace anyone, so the staff isn't short handed."
"I will," Gerda promised.
The two spent some time chatting before Cassie took her leave with a container of cookies for the guys and Monica.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~