The Unexpected Pet

Dragon Pumpkin Carving 

Tuesday howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

A BIG WOLF HOWL of thanks to everyone who stopped by and participated in The Bewitching blog hop.

This Flash Scene continues Sio and Dallas Red Cloud's story. Hope you enjoy.
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The Unexpected Pet

"Punkin' Chunkin'," Dallas explained to Sio, then slipped his arm around her waist.

His naive, 'from another world' woman stared, enraptured as one of the catapults launched another large pumpkin. Cheers and howls erupted as the plump giant sailed through the crisp chilly air. Missing the target, it bounced on the hard ground, bursting in great messy chunks.

"Oh, splat!" she yelled under her breath. Heedless of his arm, Sio hopped up and down with the enthusiasm of a child -- certainly a match for the Talbot's Peak's youngsters surrounding them.

After their first long lunch together, Dallas had lured 'the loveliest woman he'd ever seen, and smelled' into an official date. But, only by promising to be her guide during the various Halloween-Samhain events around town.

He'd discovered during their conversation that Sio -- while highly knowledgeable about American Earth culture -- was a total newbie when it came to trick-or-treat.

She'd tilted her head, a puzzled frown on her radiantly beautiful face when he talked about costume parties and other spooky celebrations. With her chin planted on palm, a smile on her rosepink lips, she'd eagerly listened to the stories he told about the wacky weirdness that gripped adults like a slavering werewolf, which included humans, shapeshifters, and the supernatural crowd.

After much reflection about their punkin' chunkin' date, Dallas decided to bring Sio to the kiddie-land version of the catapult war zone.  War zone, because he was damn certain pumpkins would be flying fast and furious, given the recent the family feud between the McMahon werewolf boys and the Ewing bighorn siblings.

That is, if he knew Nick McMahon at all. And he did, having surveilled the editor of the G&B Gazette since arriving.

"Smack! Crash!" His Sio Rio bounced beside him.

Even through the padding of their coats and clothing, Dallas felt the shapely curve of her hip and thigh. Whoa there, he silently reminded himself and his rising cock.

He'd have to move real slow and easy with her, if he meant to win her affection, her heart. Besides, Sio possessed the zapping power to knock him off his feet. Should she want to.

"What is this odd obsession with hurling fruit?" She leaned against his side, her small frame a pleasure Dallas couldn't find words for.

'Course, his blood was busy flowing elsewhere other than his brain. "Obsession?"

"First the tomato hurling art at Rattigan. Then those boys used my apples as play weapons. Now, it's flying bombastic pumpkins."

"Bombastic. Yep, they sure are." Dallas searched his uncooperative faculties for a quick answer. "Something primitive about it. And good for the soul. Better than smashing heads, don't you think?"

"Violence avoidance. Yes, that makes sense. And it's fun, too."

Her little hand found his, and she held on sweetly. Dallas watched her follow the flight of several pumpkins flung toward the large cardboard castle. Since not many had struck, the makeshift construction still stood proudly, banners waving.

"What about the seeds?" she asked long moments later. "Who is going to plant them?"

The concern in her voice had Dallas inspecting Sio's flushed face to make certain she still felt well. Her scent told him she was just fine, and enjoying herself.

Before answering, Dallas took a moment, indulging in her fragrance. Lifted by the brisk breezes, her feminine perfume filled his lungs, and invigorated his cock. Once again.

"Tell you what, Sio Rio," Dallas spoke as inspiration came to his rescue, "if no one claims those seeds we'll just have a picking-up party, and save them for next Spring."

"Oh, can we? I could have my own pumpkin patch. Like I saw in all those pictures on the internet."

Dallas was about to reply when he heard her softly squeal, "Oh no."

Rigid now, Sio stared skyward. Following her gaze, Dallas had to blink several times. But damn he saw what he saw.

Not that he hadn't ever seen a dragon before. He and his super soldier team had encountered them on their giant slaying missions. So far, there'd never been a reason to tangle with one.

Dallas telescoped his gaze automatically switching to his eagle eyesight. The small dragon's scales mirrored the color of the sky as he winged swiftly, diving toward the launched pumpkin.

"Hey! Daddy, what happened to our pumpkin?" the young girl demanded.

"He ate it," Sio whispered.

"He did eat it," Dallas echoed, marveling at the dragon's agile maneuvers, and the quick final snap of his jaws.

"Don't worry, honey lamb," the sheep shifter father assured. "Here's another one. Let's get this baby in the air."

"No! Gnothos, stop," Sio loudly whispered. "Stop."

Dallas watched as the dragon circled the large park, clearly intent on devouring the next pumpkin. "Gnothos?"

"My pet dragon. He must have followed me here... somehow. He wasn't supposed to. My sister promised to watch him," his Sio explained in a rush of words.

Gnothis rode the afternoon thermal, his long neck snaking as he scanned both sky and ground. "He's not dangerous to anyone, is he?"

"Not unless I'm threatened. No. But, he adores aerial sports... Gnothos is what you call a vegetarian. I have to make him quit before..." Sio squeezed his hand hard. "Oh, no!"

"What the --" the older boy managed to control his tongue. "Mine's gone too. I swear the castle was in my sights, and about to go down."

"It's probably stuck in a tree, moron. You couldn't hit the side of a barn. Remember the baseball game you lost us?" another boy taunted.

"Mickey, I warned you about your manners. One more word and we're going home."

As Sio turned to face him, Dallas removed his gaze from the cavorting dragon. "How do I help, beautiful?"

"I'm not certain how to direct Gnothos to my house, once I make contact..."

"Will he wait in the bed of my truck? He can munch on the pumpkins beneath the tarp."

With a smile that lit him up, Sio spun around. Hell, Dallas figured he'd been blasted by a blowtorch, the way her eyes became bright as the sun.

Sio stilled inside his arm, and Dallas sensed her vibrational change as she telepathically spoke with her pet. Dallas sure as all get out, hoped the dragon wouldn't prove to be an obstacle. No matter hell or high water, he intended to make Sio his own.

"What is that, up in the sky?" an older girl shouted.

Wondering what his next move should be, Dallas watched her point to the thermal, where Gnothos had been.

"I don't see anything," her sister mocked. "You need eyeglasses like the teacher said."

"It's not there anymore. And I did SEE something. And I am not wearing glasses. They'll only get lost or stepped on when I shift. Dummy."

Glad Sio whirled to face him again, Dallas witnessed the triumph in her gaze. "Gnothos is waiting for us," she whispered. "I better get him out of Talbot's Peak."

"Something wrong?" Dallas questioned as Sio hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder.

"I don't want to, to leave all these seeds." Her palms lightly landed on is chest, thrilling him down to the pointed tips of his boots. "They need to be planted."

"We can do some seed saving later," Dallas drawled. "How about collecting them beneath the moonlight, once we put your pet to bed."

She nodded, and her expression became a mixture of seriousness and happiness. "See, Dallas, you're already better than the men on my world. None of them would deign to help me... seed save, is it?"

"That's right. We're seed savers."

Dallas roped her shoulders with his arm, pulling Sio close as they walked toward his truck. He wouldn't tell her he celebrated inside like a dang drunk fool because she'd been forced to leave her homeworld, after denying marriage one too many times -- and celebrating because she preferred him.

Not yet, anyway.
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Wishing you shapeshifting love on the wild side…

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~