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The Persistent Dragon Turns up Missing

"Excuse me ... you want me to what?" Jasper gawked.

Jacob let out a sigh of resignation. "I ... need you to act like you're in a relationship with my dragon," he muttered, eyes cast downward.

Jasper's head whipped back and forth to look at the pair. "Her ... me ... mates?" As Jasper looked Penelope's way, he saw the female dragon moping with head down and a pathetic frown on her face. The aquamarine-colored drake collected himself with a ruffle of his wings and cleared his throat. "I must say, this is quite the odd request! What, may I ask, is the occasion?"

Jacob swallowed down the anxiety forming in the back of his throat. He couldn't answer without exposing what himself and his dragon had been doing. "It's rather complicated ... see, the thing is ..."

As Jacob relayed the details to his new partner-in-crime, Penelope couldn't help but sulk to herself. The dragon felt positively miserable. There was just something about Jasper that was just so ... so off, so odd and awkward. It was in the way he talked, his mannerisms, his haughty, regal gait. The drake was nearly insufferable to be around ... and to think that she was to pretend to be mates with him!

"I don't like this plan ..." Penelope muttered.

"Oh, hush, Nel," Jacob retorted, starting to feel slightly peeved at her unhelpful attitude. "Now listen, Jasper," Jacob continued, turning back to the drake. "My father is a tad paranoid Penelope's gonna run off with another dragon and leave the family. I-"

"Ah, yes," Jasper nodded profusely. "A common fear amongst humans. After all, that's what I did when I was a whelp!" Jasper took on a proud grin. "Fed up with the quiet life of being a pet, I was. I wanted to stretch my wings, see the world, stake out my own path! So I-"

"Yes, that's great," Jacob hastily interjected. "But with Penelope, here, she's content living at home, with me. The only thing is ... my father doesn't trust her. He thinks she'll fall for some drake and run off. He's really harsh on her and he's even got her locked up in her stable most of the day."

"I don't understand," Jasper began with a quizzical expression. "How will playing to your father's fear help unpuzzle this quandary?"

"Ah, well ..." Jacob bit his lip. "We're going to have my father see Penelope choosing to stay at home rather than run off with you. I'm hoping that when she gains my father's trust, he'll give Penelope her freedom back."

And maybe give back more than that, Jacob thought. He wasn't giving Jasper the whole story, of course. Penelope was locked in her stable not for trying to fly away, but for having sex with him. And the real point of Jasper was to get his father to believe that separating the pair had caused Penelope to run off with a male dragon instead. As much as he disliked her, Jacob knew his father desperately wanted to keep the dragon home, but for what reasons, he wasn't quite sure. He only hoped that playing to this fear was enough to coax a lifting of Penelope's punishment.

"Ah, I see, I see. Very clever, that is." Jasper effusively nodded. "Terribly so! Very well then. What will you have me do?"

"I just need you to start hanging around Penelope when she's out in the city, That's it. It's just a matter of making an appearance and when you're sure my father is watching and ..."

"What?"

Jacob gesticulated awkwardly. "You know ... show some affection or something."

"Of course." Jasper nodded. He then turned to the other dragon. "And Penelope, how do you feel about this?"

The purple dragon turned away and put her chin up in the air with a stubborn, "Hmph!"

Both Jacob and Jasper frowned. Jacob scratched the side of his head. "Nel, can you do it for me? Please?"

With her back to both of them, Penelope sat down on her haunches and tucked her tail around her feet. "I don't like this plan," she repeated.

Jacob set his teeth at his dragon's continued defiance. "You don't have to like it," he grumbled, then immediately cursed himself for sounding so much like his father. With a finger at the tip of her snout, he gently guided Penelope's face towards his.

"What I mean is," he began, softly, taking her head in his hands. "This is our best shot at getting things back to normal. And sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do in order to get what we want. Do you understand?"

He watched Penelope's expression slowly soften. She dropped her gaze to the left, avoiding his eye contact with those cyan-blue eyes of hers.

"... Okay." She unhappily whispered.

Jasper padded the ground with his feet in uncertainty, wanting to dispel the tension. "Ah, Jacob, if I could ask but a question ..."

"Yeah?"

"Where exactly will me and Penelope be-ah ... putting on our performance?"

Jacob furrowed his brow as he thought for a moment. "Hmm, most of the time he's at the office, but twice a week my father goes down to the docks to inspect the shipping, the crew, and make sure everything is going smoothly. That might be the best spot for it."

"Oh?" Jasper cocked his head. "Is he a foreman of some sort?"

"No, he's the owner."

Jasper blinked. "Of what? One of the schooners?" he asked, referring to the ships.

Jacob shook his head. "Of everything. My father is Desmond Broyal. He runs the Beratti Mountains Trading Company."

Jasper's jaw dropped. "The Desmond Broyal? One of the wealthiest humans in all of-"

"Alright, alright, yes!" Wincing from embarrassment, Jacob put his hands up. "That Desmond Broyal! You don't have to go shouting it!"

"Ah ... right," Jasper squeaked, as if his voice was caught in his windpipe. He padded the ground with his feet. "It's just that ... well, you know ... he is him. And you ..." he put on a pained expression. "You are ... that makes you ..."

Jacob nodded calmly. "His son. Yes." He let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, just listen: who my father is doesn't matter. You don't have to talk to him or meet him up close. You're not doing anything illegal. And besides, you're a dragon! What's he going to do, chuck gold bars at you until you fly away?"

"Right. Ah ..." Jasper let out a little nervous laugh. "Well ... he could pay someone to do something far more sinister than that!"

"Oh, nonsense!" Jacob dismissively waved his hand. "He's a businessman, not a mob boss! The only thing this really influences is ..." Jacob presented a small leather pouch and shook it, letting the contents clink and ching together.

"You can be sure I'll be able to pay you well for your troubles." Jacob opened the pouch and removed the contents, holding them out for the drake to see. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for a response.

"Is that ..."

"Gold coins. A modest week's worth of wages."

Jasper eyed the coins with an almost mesmerized gaze as Jacob turned them over in his hand to let the light play off the sides. Jacob tried not to laugh: as quirky of a dragon Jasper was, it seemed he was still a dragon after all.

In seeing he had the drake's attention, Jacob abruptly snatched back the bag of coins and put them back into the pouch, causing the dragon to flinch and blink.

"But only if you accept the job," Jacob guardedly reminded him.

Jasper frowned. "Well ... uh ..."

The drake took a moment to deliberate. After making his decision, he sucked in a deep breath and puffed out his scaly chest. "Well , a dragon is only as good as his word! And I said I was available for work, didn't I?" Jasper nodded to himself with confidence. "No turning back."

"Wonderful." Jacob smiled in relief. For a brief moment, he began to wonder if his father would be proud of the way he had played to the drake's weakness. Wasn't that what a shrewd tradesman would have done?

"Ah, now where was it I am to meet, again?" Jasper asked, slightly befuddled.

"The city docks. On the southeast end. You know where that is, right?"

Jasper nodded.

"Good. My father will probably be on site for the morning, checking up on crew and cargo. That's where I want you to be."

The dragon gave a confident nod. "Got it."

"Can you be up early tomorrow, Jasper?" Jacob asked. "Be on the docks at around seven in the morning or so?"

"Oh, that will be easy to manage." Jasper shook his head profusely. "Quite so. And once there ...?"

Jacob let his hands fall to his sides and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I don't really know what dragons do together. Just ... get to know each other for a while, help Nel with her deliveries if need be, and ... act like mates. Okay? Oh, and if my father approaches you, scram."

"Of course." Jasper ruffled his leathery wings. "I must say, this has most definitely been one of the oddest jobs I've taken. Faking a courtship to keep a human and his dragon together ... it's almost romantic, in a way." The dragon gave a slight smile. "Jacob, I'd like to say that I am happy to help you."

A warm buzz of relief spread over Jacob. He smiled, putting a hand on the drake's scaled shoulder. "I appreciate it. Together, we should be able to pull this off."

Jasper blinked and smiled. "Right-o! So, tomorrow morning, then?"

"Yes."

The aquamarine dragon bowed. "Then I shall take my leave. It is nearing supper and I am hungry. Jeniveve is cooking beef stew for the two of us. Not a type of meal I find easy to eat without getting everywhere ..." Jasper leaned in close to Jacob. "You humans take your lips for granted," he confided in a half-whisper.

The remark caused Jacob to laugh.

"But, it's a nice change of pace from the usual, and heartily appreciated! So without further ado, Tootles to you two!" Jasper then flinched and cocked his head. "Or-ah ... since you are my employer now, I suppose something more formal should suffice ..." the dragon politely bowed his head with a splay of his wings. "Until I am needed again, my master!"

With that, the aquamarine and tan-bellied dragon turned with a flick of his tail and trotted to his living quarters. Jacob stood there a while, watching him, wondering if this whole plan was the right thing to do, or if it would even work.

There was a sudden nudge of a snout on his arm.

"Jake? I'm hungry too." Penelope glanced at the waning afternoon sun behind the clouds. "Maybe we should get going," she muttered.

Jacob turned to the lavender-hued dragon, seeing a forlorn expression on her normally chipper face. Jacob sighed and put an arm around her neck in comfort. He rubbed her along the firm scales on her cheeks and behind the ears. "Yeah, let's go." He began to say more, but decided to stop for now, figuring there'd be plenty of time to reassure and console Penelope on the long walk back home. As the pair made their way to the exit of the stable grounds, Jacob thought long and hard about how to get his dragon to cheer up over the idea.

Meanwhile, Jasper made his way to his den, aiming to remove his flight vest before supper. He reached out with the claw of his left wing and opened the door with a pull of the latch. But not even two steps were taken before the dragon stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air in peculiarity. An odd expression crossed his face.

-=-=-

"That's it. You're done for the day."

"Already? No more letters or packages or anything?"

It was next afternoon. Penelope was standing half-in, half-out of the foreman's office tucked inside the corner of a large shipping hangar full of wooden crates. Desmond used the office frequently when he came to check in on his employees. There was a single window on the far side of the wall, letting in some light, where it cast golden rays on the desk.

"No. Go ... go sunbathe or something. It's a bright day out," Desmond off-handedly suggested with a gesture towards the window.

Penelope blinked and hung her head. "Alright," she tentatively meeped.

Desmond looked up from the shipping orders he was cross-checking. He wore a suspicious frown. "Are you ... looking for more work to do?"

Penelope wanted to say yes. She wanted more work. Something, anything to keep herself away from Jasper. The drake had been tailing her all morning in-between errands: chatting, talking, asking questions, and making things generally unpleasant for her.

Penelope folded her ears flat. "Yes," the dragon reluctantly forced out.

Desmond shuffled the papers in his hands without looking up at the dragon. "Well, I don't have anything for you to do. You're free for the rest of the day."

Hanging her head low, Penelope let out a tiny whimper. "Okay." With dark claws clicking on the wooden floor, she let herself out of the office, letting the door shut on its own. Weaving her way past a throng of talking shipmen and sailors, she turned the corner and made her way out of the building. By all accounts, seeing a dragon poking around inside the shipping hangars might have made a few heads turn, but by now most of the dock workers were familiar with Penelope's presence. A few would even occasionally stop and say hi.

Penelope walked past rows of large cranes-meant for lifting untold numbers of cargo crates off the ships and onto the docks--and made her way to where she had left Jasper, which was on the far side of dry storage: the place where delicate things such as cloth, foodstuffs, and other perishable items were kept. Movement and bustle were all around: sailors cleaning their ships, merchants eager for a peek at their incoming goods, and overhead, noisy seagulls chattering amongst themselves.

"So now what?" the drake asked with a pleasant smile.

"Nothing." Penelope plopped her rear on the ground. "Dessie said I'm done for the day."

"Well then, sounds like a great time to put on our show!" Jasper nodded.

Penelope once again questioned Jacob's plan in her mind. Why couldn't she just-

"Come on, Penelope, you lead me some place where we can have time to ourselves, and we'll start ... err, working."

The lavender-hued dragon pouted. "Fine," she muttered.

The pair needed to find a spot in viewing range of the office Desmond was currently in. Leading Jasper, she returned to the foreman's office. Circling the building, she came near the side with the window that had been shining bright sunlight on his desk. Penelope looked around. Near the wooden docks was a wide, flat, brick-lain strip that was currently being used to keep barrels. Barrels of what, Penelope neither knew nor cared, but hundreds of them were all neatly stacked on their sides, which left plenty of flat ground for a dragon to lay. And the spot was not even fifty meters from Desmond's office window. The place was relatively free of bustle and movement. Most of the dock workers were closer to the barges or busying themselves transporting boxes and crates via moving dollies to their respective storage locations.

Penelope sat down on her haunches and glanced back at the window. "Here is good, I suppose." The dragoness breathed in a deep breath, taking in the scent of the nearby ocean, and let it out mournfully.

"So ..."

A period of silence ensued as neither could find any words to say.

"Ahem," Jasper began. "If I may, I suggest that I make the first move, if that be alright with you?"

Penelope hunched her shoulders. "Okay," she whimpered. The dragon had no idea what she was in for ... all the "moves" she would put on Jacob usually amounted to tussling with him and teasing him until he relented, and doing lots and lots of-

"Ah!"

Penelope flinched in surprise as Jasper drew his nose across her snout slowly. He began to let out a low hum as he drew next to her, drawing his cheek against her own.

"W-what is this?"

"Just some rubbing." Jasper replied, wearing an innocent smile.

Penelope stood stiffly as she was stroked and felt, not knowing how to react. Oh, why did Jacob have to put her up to this?

"Don't look back at the window," Jasper came around to the lavender dragon's side. "It'll appear suspicious."

Penelope blinked and pried her eyes away from Desmond's office. It was hard not to peek.

"Now come on, my dear: reciprocate." Jasper goaded her with a smile as he began to once again nuzzle her cheek.

"I ..." her eyes fluttered. "Okay."

Awkward feelings were rushing through the female dragon's mind. Reluctantly, she began to rub cheeks and necks, and listened to the male dragon's quiet hum.

She began to think of Jacob, imaging him here instead, as Jasper circled the female dragon, making an effort to rub his flank against her own. Penelope watched with guarded suspicion as scales dragged across scales.

"What are you doing?" she asked the drake as he came round once more.

"Just pretending to court a dragoness." Jasper replied with a chuckle, his tone almost flippant to her ears. "Come now, let's sit."

The pair laid down in the brick-paved clearing, side to side. Jasper extended a wing over Penelope's back - an action that made the female dragon rather uncomfortable. He leaned in for another cheek rub, humming softly. Penelope was stiff as a board.

"Oh, do you think you could relax just a smidge?" Jasper remarked, noticing her demeanor.

"I-I don't like this," Penelope mumbled as Jasper rubbed snouts with her. He placed a paw on top of hers, to which she pulled away in an instant. Jasper let out a huff.

"It's just an act, remember? That's all we're doing." He rested his chin on the female's forehead.

Penelope closed her eyes and sighed in frustration. If only Jacob were here instead ...

"Come on, now, show some affection back, dear dragoness."

Flustered and annoyed at how she was being addressed, Penelope glared Jasper's way, seeing a calm and patient dragon staring back at her. His aquamarine scales glinted in the strong sun, and his lips were slightly parted as he waited for a reaction. He smiled reassuringly.

"Ohhh, fine!" Penelope whined in frustration, snapping and giving in. With the first thing she could think of, the dragoness closed her eyes, ducked in for a kiss on the drake's lips.

"Mmf!" Jasper pulled back with a surprised sputter when he felt a pair of dragon lips on his own. "What was that?" He asked, flaring his ears out wide.

Penelope cocked her head. "A ... a kiss?" she replied at his confusion. She ducked her head down and folded her ears back, feeling like she had just done something wrong.

"Quite an oddly human thing to do for a dragon, don't you think?" Jasper replied with a chuckle, smacking his lips. "Never done one before, I must say! Quite odd, hmm." He paused in thought.

Penelope stared at the ground in embarrassment for looking foolish and clueless. Of course dragons don't kiss ... well, not normally!

"Hmm." Jasper smiled. "I'd wager your keeper must have taught you."

Penelope went rigid. How did he know, she wondered? Jasper chuckled once more.

The drake drew close, whispering into Penelope's ear as he rubbed cheeks. "So, how long have you two been mates, you and your human?"

Penelope's cheeks burned. Her jaw was slack and open. Her surprise in the drake knowing was deeply buried under the uncomfortable feelings she was starting to get from all the doting and affection.

"I dunno ... it's been a couple months, now?" she peeped.

"Mm. Fascinating. I must say, I've never heard of such a thing happening before!" Jasper drew his snout up the length of her neck. "And I'll also wager you've never had another dragon for a mate," he churred, rubbing affectionately. "Correct?"

"Never." Penelope whispered, almost, as if in a trance, as Jasper continued to nibble and dote. All this affection was starting to make her feel weird ...

"That explains quite a lot." Jasper chuckled. He pulled away, leaving the lavender dragon feeling wanting. "I would say, though ..." He looked at her frankly. "I'd rather the two of you not use my den to mate in the future."

Penelope went to ask how he knew, but the answer immediately came to her. The lingering smell of sex in his pen. He must have smelled it. Oh, what a foolish dragon she was, Penelope told herself. She had been so busy trying to figure out how to jump Jake that she didn't think about the consequences!

"I ..." Penelope meeped. "I'm sorry."

Jasper waved her off with a paw. "It's fine, my dear. I am not upset over the matter. Actually, the revelation caught me as rather humorous. But let us return to the present instead of dwell on the past. Do you think Desmond is watching by now?"

Penelope went to turn her head towards the foreman's office.

"No, don't look," Jasper pressed, catching her under the jaw with a gentle pull of a wing claw. "Eyes on me."

"Sorry," Penelope whimpered.

Jasper smiled. "It's quite alright. Just focus on the two of us. Remember, we're supposed to be acting like mates."

Lowering her snout, Penelope looked at him from the corner of her eyes. All the rubbing and touching was beginning to make her feel warm. "What do you want me to do?" she innocently asked.

"My dear, just listen to your instincts."

"Listen and do what?" Penelope cocked her head.

Jasper shook his head. "You poor thing ..." he said, ears drooping. "You're about as sheltered as I could possibly imagine. Why, you've never had anyone teach you how to be a dragon!"

Penelope reared her head back a bit and let out an unhappy whine at the remark. It was true, though. Penelope had been reared by humans and tended to shy away from meeting her own kind, and she had never given herself the opportunity to pick up on how other dragons act. Jasper mulled over his thoughts for a bit before letting himself smile.

"Well, I suppose a little demonstration couldn't hurt, since we're already here ..."

"W-what?" she asked, unable to say much more, as Jasper immediately ducked down to her neck. Penelope froze in place as the aquamarine drake began to nuzzle and lick.

"Think of these as dragon kisses," he encouraged, churring softly. "Relax and learn."

"Ah!" Penelope's eyes shot wide open as she felt him began to nibble at the loose, scaly skin under her chin. Those sweet little bites and tugs felt surprisingly good. She never knew the area was so sensitive ... Jacob never did any of this!

"I ..." Penelope stuttered. Slowly, she felt her muscles begin to relax as the drake showered her with physical affection.

"Now, more questions," Jasper continued as he went back to nibbling along her neck and chin.

"W-what?" Penelope asked. She found herself breathing harder, her chest feeling tight. Those nibbles ... those little licks! Why did they feel so ... so exhilarating!? A bite and gentle pull had her letting out a tiny groan.

"One thing I just still don't understand is ... why is Desmond afraid of you leaving if Jacob and you are mates? Does he know?"

"He ... he knows, and he was really, really upset when he found out, and I ... I don't know." Penelope shut her eyes tight. Before she knew what was happening, the dragon found herself beginning to rub snouts with the drake at her side. Her tongue flicked out, licking here and there, tasting the drake's waxy scales. The dragoness felt herself becoming so warm, and it wasn't from the bright sun overhead!

"He thinks I'm going to fall for another dragon instead and fly off with him."

"And will you?" Jasper asked. He found Penelope's tail gliding over his own, and before he knew it, Penelope wound her tail around the drake's own with a giddy excitement in her chest.

"Nnnno!" The dragon nearly shouted as she began to dote and nibble on Jasper's neck in a feverish trance. Feeling adventurous, she bit down on the drake's ear and pulled. "I won't!" she heatedly growled. "I like being with Jake!"

Surprised at the female dragon's growing provocative behavior, Jasper opened his eyes wide. He pulled away slightly, causing Penelope to feel a twinge of dissatisfaction. Instantly, she leaned in closer. The feel of another dragon beside her, the strong wing wrapped over her shoulders ... the purple dragoness could hardly focus on anything else!

"Do you think this plan of Jacob's will work?"

Penelope ducked in for more cheek rubs. "I ... I don't know. I'm mostly worried about being punished for ..."

"For what?" Jasper asked as he let the female dragon explore his neck and chest.

"For doing this ... with you. Dessie won't like it. "Penelope leaned in and rubbed snouts once more with the drake, churring in pleasant contentment. She felt herself leaning into Jasper's flank, yearning to feel the press of another dragon's body against her own. She began to lick under the male's chin, causing Jasper to let out a hollow chuckle.

"Becoming rather amorous, are we?" Jasper chuckled as he remarked at the chin licking. "I think you're starting to feel it now, how to listen to your instincts. Licking under the chin is an intimate thing for a dragon to do." Jasper scooted away from the dragoness another inch or so, loosening his tail from her own. "On that note, I do believe we're starting to get ahead of ourselves just a tad."

Penelope paused and blinked as she became aware of her own actions. "Jas ..." she meeped, looking back at him.

With a grunt, Jasper abruptly stood back up and removed the wing from around her flank.

"Well, at any rate, I think that might be enough. You would think your Desmond would have noticed by now, hm?"

"Wai-wait!" Penelope froze in place. Her front legs were splayed out and ready to spring up, her neck was low to the ground. She was softly panting.

"Don't ... don't stop," she forced the words out between pants.

For the first time, Jasper looked unsure.

"Penelope, I do think that's enough of a show. Let's not take things out of hand, here, my dear." He took back a step.

In a flash, the lavender dragon was on her feet. She approached Jasper, and padded the ground with her feet in exasperation.

"Teach me more," she whispered, looking as innocent as could be. "Please."

Jasper gulped and folded his ears back in uncertainty.

"Show me ..." she panted. "Teach me more."

"Penelope!"

The shout came from afar. The pair looked back towards the foreman's office to see Desmond's head leaning out the open window. He was too far away to make out his facial expression.

Jasper jumped and ducked away from the lavender dragon. "Err, I do believe that's my cue to leave." The drake spread his wings and broke into a sprint. "Tootles!" he cried over his shoulder, and took to the air in a flash.

-=-=-

At the end of the day Jacob's chest was tight with expectations. He had gotten a brief moment to talk to Penelope before dinner, and was happy to hear their little "show" had gone off without a hitch. It sounded like their plan was moving along smoothly. But dinner came and went, and the evening continued by without Jacob's father mentioning the incident for the entire night, leaving Jacob more than a bit perplexed.

Late in the evening, just before bedtime, Jacob snuck out of the house to talk to his dragon. Her door was still kept locked from the discovery of the two having sex, so Jacob instead went to the window on the side of the Penelope's den and leaned his head in.

"Nel!" he cried out in a whisper. "Are you still up?"

"Yes!" came the reply. In a moment, Penelope appeared at the open window and stuck her snout through the bars to meet her keeper.

"Hey ..." Smiling, he gave Penelope a short snout rub. "How are you holding up?" Jacob asked, referring to the dragon still being on house arrest. The two had rarely seen much of each other over the past week.

Penelope's eyes blinked away. "Fine."

Jacob frowned. He could tell the dragon was anything but.

"Did Father say anything to you about being with Jasper today?"

"No. What about you?"

"Nothing." Jacob furrowed his brow in confusion. "That's weird... You sure he saw you and Jasper together?"

The dragon nodded. "He yelled at me and then told me to fly home. That's it."

Jacob stood there and said nothing, thinking hard.

"What do we do now?" the dragon asked.

Jacob shrugged. "I don't know. I can't approach him on the subject without looking suspicious, so ... I guess we'll continue with the plan until he says something."

"You mean...?"

"Do you think you can stand to be around Jasper for another day?"

Penelope let out a sudden meep. Her eyes shot open wide.

"No?" Jacob cocked his head.

The dragon shook her head yes. "I'll do it!"

Jacob, a bit surprised at her decisiveness, merely smiled. "Really? Great!" He gave the dragon's snout an affectionate pat. "Thanks, Nel. I know you don't like being around him and all, so I appreciate it."

"It's okay," she nodded, putting on a smile for her keeper.

"Alright, I gotta get back inside," he whispered, glancing back at the estate. A few windows were still lit, causing him to worry. "I'll try and catch up with you tomorrow, okay? We'll make our plans for Jasper to meet you in the city."

"Okay!" Penelope chirped.

And with that, Jacob returned to the house, leaving his dragon alone with thoughts of what might happen tomorrow.

-=-=-

Two more days passed of Jasper tagging along.

It wasn't until the late evening of the third day that Jacob was called into Desmond's study. He walked in to find his father out of his chair, standing at the window and looking outside at the darkening sky. He was holding a teacup in one hand, and bore a troubled look on his face.

Desmond kept his gaze at the window as he spoke. "I have some bad news. Sit down."

Jacob said nothing. He did his best to keep an emotionless face as he took the chair opposite of his father's desk, feeling pretty sure what this talk would be about, and almost excited to finally breach the subject.

Jacob's father was a competent business man, but even more than that he was a shrewd talker who had a knack for reading people and manipulating a conversation to his advantage. It was one of the reasons his trading empire had grown so successful, but at the same time it made talks and arguments an intimidating affair for Jacob. He had wondered and imagined how the talk would go and had more than a few lines prepared to say, and found himself running through them in his mind even as he took a seat in the chair in the corner of the room. Somehow, he had to use the coming conversation to end Penelope's house arrest, and maybe do more than that, even.

For a moment Desmond stood still and said nothing. His face was taut and emotionless and impossible to read. After a short pause, he set the tea cup on his desk and cleared his throat.

"It's about Penelope ..."

"Yes? What is it?" Jacob asked, nearly on the edge of his seat.

"Today, after her errands ... she never came back home."

"What?!" Jacob shouted, the words catching him in total surprise. He rose out of his chair. "Where is she?"

Desmond frowned. "I was hoping you might know where she would be."

"No!" Jacob waved his arms out. "I haven't seen her all day! In fact," Jacob bitterly added, "I just assumed she's been locked up in her stable like usual ..."

Desmond sunk his head. "Great ... just wonderful," he grumbled.

Disappearing all day and staying out so late was entirely uncharacteristic for the dragon, who preferred the comfort of home and rarely wandered off on her own. Moreover, she always had enough sense to be back by dinner time, as the dragon simply adored food and wouldn't miss a meal for the world. A thousand thoughts rushed through Jacob's head, sending his mind reeling. Where could she be? What could have happened to her? Maybe she's out because she didn't want to be locked in her stable again? Could she be hiding in the gardens or in the surrounding woods, enjoying a temporary freedom? Maybe she went flying to stretch her wings and got lost? Or did she get into some kind of trouble? Maybe she forgot her flight vest again, causing someone to mistake her for a wild dragon and call the city guard. Wild dragons flying over the city usually meant trouble, and more than once Penelope had gotten herself into potentially dangerous cases of mistaken identity after forgetting the laws in place for her kind.

"Sit back down, I have more to tell."

Flinching, Jacob quickly sat, feeling rigid as a board.

"These past few days I've been seeing another dragon hanging around her on the docks and in the city. This drake's been following her all over while Penelope runs her errands. I've seen them touching snouts, rubbing necks... acting affectionate." Desmond closed his eyes and sighed. "You know what this means, right?"

Jacob was silent.

"It means your dragon has found a mate."

"You can't be serious ..." Jacob swallowed and bit his lip, hoping he was doing enough to show appropriate concern.

Desmond took a seat in his office chair and dropped his chin to his chest. He let out a long sigh, a weary sigh. Jacob was perplexed. He figured his father would be angry, upset, or enraged. But right now he looked distressed. As if he was genuinely bothered by Penelope's disappearance. Jacob didn't expect nor understand why he would take the dragon's circumstance so.

"My guess is she's probably with him now. I don't think she's gone for good, though. Not yet." Desmond wryly muttered. "She may show up in a few days."

A moment of epiphany came over Jacob, followed by a rush of relief that he tried hard not to show. Of course. She could be at Jasper's place, still pretending to be together. That must be it! Jacob felt proud of the dragon for such a clever idea.

"But you know what this means." Desmond continued. "It could be only a matter of time before she decides to choose him over family for good."

"Father?"

Desmond rubbed his brow for a moment as he decided on his next words. He leaned his elbow on the desk and cradled his forehead in a hand. "Jacob ..." he let out a sigh. "This is complicated. Your little ... incident aside, I know how much the dragon means to you. Your mother is also fond of her, as is Millie and the rest of the house staff. It's like she's a part of the family. And I don't want to see our family broken up."

"And you?" Jacob bitterly asked. "What do you think of her?"

Desmond broke eye contact. He said nothing for a while.

"I don't hate her, if that's what you think."

"Hmph. Coulda fooled me," Jacob callously remarked.

Desmond pursed his lips. His face bore a pained expression. "Jacob, I didn't call you in here to exchange heated words. In fact, I'm surprised you're not more worried about her."

Uh-oh, Jacob thought. "I am worried," he hastily backpedaled, "very worried. But I'm not so convinced she's going to be leaving us. In fact, her finding a mate could be a great thing. Now she has someone else to express her affection to. You know, instead of ..." Jacob winced. "Me."

Desmond sighed. "Penelope's a dragon, Jacob. She's meant to be with her own kind. Sooner or later she'll come to that conclusion, and she'll want to go off and live her own life. These things can happen fast. I don't want to resort to keeping her locked up during the day, too. I'm already disciplining her ..."

"You mean you've been cruel to her," Jacob corrected.

Desmond shook his head. "You don't understand, Jacob. I know more about dragons than you think. You know I had my own dragon when I was your age, as did my own father. And when we first got Penelope ... when you were but a young child, I went all over the city, talking to dragon owners about their pets. I consulted dragon breeders about how they raise their whelps. And I have been doing everything they say you're supposed to do with a pet dragon: I tried keeping her servile by having her work for me, tried to discourage any stubbornness and defiance, tried to suppress her sense of freedom, tried to limit her contact with other dragons. And I tried reinforcing submissive behavior. The only problem is, none of that is working anymore."

Jacob's teeth clenched as rage welled up inside. "You ... you've been treating her like dirt on purpose?!" He rose out of his chair.

"Jacob, sit down."

"You've been yelling at her and bullying her and locking her up on purpose?!" he shrieked.

"Jacob ... sit down."

Jacob threw his hands up in the air. "And all this time I thought you simply didn't like dragons! That you merely hated Penelope for having scales and wings and a tail! But no, here I find it's all been pre-meditated! How could you be so-"

"JACOB!" his father shouted so loud that it scared him. Jacob forced himself to sit back in his chair. Though still, on the inside he was smoldering with rage.

Having his son's attention, Desmond fell back in his chair and let the anger slowly fade from his face. The hot breath Jacob had been puffing from his nose grew quiet, and the room was silent for a brief moment.

"I did what I had to do."

"That is bullshi-"

"You watch your language." Desmond waved a finger at his son. "And yes, I did what I had to do. Dragons are stubborn. They're strong-willed and haughty and assertive creatures. They'll walk all over you if you let them."

"Penelope wouldn't do that to me. She's not like that."

"Oh?" Desmond cocked his head. "And wasn't it you who told me how she manipulates you for sex and won't take no for an answer?"

Jacob felt his cheeks turn hot, and cast his eyes down in shame. Internally, he tried to reason out of the statement, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt true. Penelope had indeed manipulated him for sex many times, whether it was through feigning injury to receive a sensual massage, getting filthy to force a soapy bath, or by leading him into Jasper's hovel and blocking the door. And he had lost track of how many times he had said no to her, only to watch the dragon ignore the word. All this time Jacob had chalked it up to the stubborn nature of dragons, but to think it was actually because of the reasons his father said ...

"I know you care for the dragon, but you've been too soft with her, and because of that she doesn't respect you, Jacob. This is why I've had to discipline her in your stead." Desmond leaned back in his chair with a smug look of satisfaction in his face. "You should be thanking me, if anything. If I wasn't here to keep a tight rein on her, she'd probably be gone months ago."

Jacob winced. "Stop. Just stop. Stop ... talking about her like she's just-"

"Just what? Just some animal?" A flash of anger sparked Desmond's demeanor. He leaned forward in his chair. "She's a dragon, Jake. That's what she is. She doesn't think like a human, doesn't act like a human, and she sure as hell doesn't look like a human. Maybe, if you hadn't forgotten that," Desmond raised an accusatory finger. "You wouldn't have been so quick to lie with her."

Jacob sat still, silent, as his anger began to boil. His lips tightened over his teeth.

"Then why do you care?" Jacob spat out. "If she's just an animal to you, why not let her go and get a replacement ... some simple-minded dragon whelp that's willing to listen to everything you spoon-feed it?"

Desmond looked away, out the window. "I just ..." he reluctantly began, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't want to repeat the same mistakes I made when I was a boy. I thought I could do better."

Something about those words seemed off to Jacob. In his anger, he decided to press.

"That's not it." Jacob shook his head "And I bet it's not because you'll miss the letters and parcels and orders she runs for you, either. You could hire an errand boy off the streets for mere pocket change."

Desmond pursed his lips tight and noisily dropped both hands on his desk. "I don't want the purebred Southern Whispwing that I paid good money for running off when I need her, okay? What difference does it make?" he snapped.

There was something about those words, and why his father became so defensive, that clung to Jacob's mind. And then, in an epiphany, it all began to make sense as to why his father was so upset over Penelope running off. It wasn't that he would deeply miss the dragon if she were to leave. It wasn't because he desired to keep her errand-running duties, and it wasn't due to the money she cost, as that was one thing the family had much of. It was because he no longer had control over the situation. Over Penelope. And that bothered him. The man that single-handedly built and ruled over a multi-national trading company couldn't control one young little dragon at home.

After all the shame and humiliation over being exposed for having sex with the dragon, and after all the feelings of resentment and helplessness in seeing her locked up every day like some caged animal, Jacob couldn't help but begin to feel a tad spiteful over his father's situation.

"You know why she's gone and done this ..." Jacob calmly began, having prepared these words far in advance. "It's because you've been driving a wedge between me and her."

Desmond twitched as the stake of blame was hammered deep in his chest, giving Jacob a taste of sweet schadenfreude.

"Penelope saw me as her mate, Father. Do you think it's some coincidence that right after you told her that was wrong and separated us, that she goes and finds this other dragon to be her ... her new mate?"

Desmond was silent.

"Well?" Jacob impatiently asked.

Jacob's father slammed an angry fist on the desk, causing his empty teacup to clink and tip over. "What do you want me to say, Jacob? That I should have just let my own son continue to fuck his dragon?"

Jacob winced as he felt the harsh sting of embarrassment and shame. He internally swore. Just when he had found an opening, his father had forced him back on the defensive. "I ... I ..." Jacob's mind raced. "I want you to say that you ended up hurting the situation more than help it!" he retorted.

Desmond looked away with a huff, letting his pride get in the way of admitting the truth in Jacob's words. His reaction caused a swell of confidence to stir in Jacob's chest. There we go!

Desmond was silent for a moment, choosing to dwell on his thoughts. Jacob took the time to focus. Perhaps, now that he had the initiative, it was time to guide the conversation to lifting Penelope's punishment.

"If she was home right now, you'd have Penelope locked in her stable like a prisoner," Jacob began.

"That's only until I can find a dragon handler to take care of her for a while." Desmond gruffly responded.

"And that's the other thing! You're stripping her away from home and separating her from the family because of this stupid punishment! She's miserable, Father! It's no wonder she hasn't come home yet!"

"It's not a punishment. It's solution to a problem." Desmond coldly replied. "The dragon has become infatuated with you ever since reaching sexual maturity. Hell, you should hear how she talks about you, the things she says! Penelope needs some time to clear her head and remember that dragons are supposed to lie with their own kind."

Jacob felt almost giddy as he scooted to the edge of his seat and sat up straight. "Oh, I think she remembered already, Father. Because of your punishment, she remembered enough to go and find a male dragon to court and run off with."

Desmond visibly flinched as another wound of blame was struck on his heart. "It was for the dragon's own good," he unhappily muttered.

"Yeah? And look what good it did!" Jacob countered in anger. "Maybe if you didn't treat her like some mangy dog she'd-"

"I don't like your tone, young man!" Desmond growled. "And I think we're done having this conversation." His glare deeply intimidated Jacob.

But Jacob seethed with indignation. No. Not again. He wouldn't let his father get away with it this time. "Speak to me like an adult, I'm old enough!" he demanded. "Don't pull the 'I'm your father' gig to jump around the issue! This is your fault that Penelope is gone! Your fault!"

Desmond's eyes flashed with burning rage as his trump card was overruled, and Jacob was sure he had him right where he wanted. He watched as his father puffed out hot breaths from flared nostrils as his temper steamed. But he did not speak up. He did not reply. He did not offer a retort or counter. Tearing his eyes away from his son's incredulous stare, Desmond instead wrinkled his nose and said nothing.

An odd chill ran down Jacob's spine. He felt gooseflesh on his arms and neck. Did he ... did he really just put his own father in his place?

Jacob sat still and waited. He watched as his father's heated temper began to dissipate. After a long silence, Desmond dropped his shoulders, ran a hand through his thinning hair, and collapsed back in his chair, looking defused.

"I ... part of it is that I don't know what to do with her," he muttered.

Jacob let out a huff and let himself relax the tensed up muscles in his shoulders. That was probably the closest he would get to hearing his father admit defeat.

"You know, I never liked the idea of getting you a dragon," Desmond began. "You can never tame a dragon, never fully control them. They're too stubborn, too strong-willed. Too much of a hassle. But Penelope ..." he sighed. "She's like a naïve little child. I thought that, maybe, if I could just keep a stern grip on her free will, keep reinforcing the idea that she has an owner, that'd she'd be less likely to run off. But all the signs are there and now, I..." He shook his head. "I'm at a loss for what to do. The harder I push, the more she resists. It's like being a boy and watching my own dragon leave all over again."

The old black and white photograph of his father as a teenager standing alongside his dragon flooded Jacob's mind, and for a brief moment, he felt pity.

Desmond leaned both elbows on his desk and took his head in his hands. "I ... I don't want the same thing to happen to you, Jacob. This is ... harder on me than I thought it would be."

The transformation Desmond had undertook almost fascinated Jacob. The father that he saw sitting before him looked no longer angry or upset, but defeated and downtrodden, like a man who befell upon a horrible misfortune.

No wait, that wasn't right ... it was more like a man who had caused a horrible misfortune. Perhaps, Jacob thought, there really was some truth to his words after all, that he wanted to keep the family together. Seeing his own father so broken like this had an odd effect on Jacob that he couldn't quite describe. He sucked on his tongue for a moment as he tried to gauge a response that would guide the conversation towards his goals.

"I don't think punishing her more is the answer. Maybe if you could just let me talk to her, I could find out what's going on..."

"And how are you going to convince her to stay away from the drake?"

"You know she's upset over being locked up, and upset over the threat of having someone else take care of her. Plus, you know she likes to be around me. So ..." Jacob shrugged. "Giving the dragon what she wants will make her more inclined to stay."

Jacob studied his father as he considered his son's words. It was evident that he had not liked what he had just heard.

Jacob decided to tread softly. "Telling her you're unlocking her door might be a good first step," he leaded.

"Fine." Desmond grumpily waved his son off. "I'll take the locks off. But from now on, if you're going to spend time with the dragon, it is to be spent outside her stable at all times. Do you hear?"

"I understand." Jacob nodded. Feeling hopeful he decided to press his luck. "And what about sending her away to some dragon handler to 'cool off'?"

Desmond could not look up to meet his son's gaze. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I ... suppose I can hold off on that for the time being."

Jacob felt elated and it took some effort to not show it. His plan was working! He could barely believe it but it was actually working! He couldn't wait to tell Penelope the good news. Now all he needed to do was show his father that Penelope would rather stay at home than run off with Jasper. That should be easy, he told himself ... Penelope doesn't even like Jasper; all she has to do is act normal. And then ... then everything else would turn back to normal. Finally. He would have his dragon back, Penelope would stay at his side, and ...

Well, he didn't know if sex was still an option. At this point it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. But the possibility did not prevent Jacob's cheeks from warming at the thought.

"Thank you, Father," Jacob nodded, his mind returning to the present. "Honestly, I don't think Penelope will be going anywhere once she hears her punishment has been lifted."

Desmond curled his lips in a curt frown. "Well for your sake... I hope you're right."

"Alright," Jacob began. He stood up to excuse himself. "We'll see when she comes back. And she will come back." He turned his back to his father and headed to the door.

"And Jacob ..."

Desmond's voice stopped him just as his hand had begun twisting the doorknob.

"Yes?" he asked without turning around.

There was a period of silence. Jacob kept a steady grip on the doorknob. Finally, Desmond cleared his throat.

"I ... was letting my temper get the better of me. But tonight you stood up to me, like a man. I respect that."

Jacob closed his eyes as he felt his throat tighten. He took a moment to collect himself.

"... Thank you."

He opened the door and quickly closed it behind him as his eyes began to well with tears.

-=-=-

Penelope did not return until half past eleven.

Jacob was the first to know. After filling in his mother about Penelope's disappearance, he had spent the rest of the night staying up and waiting. As soon as he saw movement across the moonlit back yard he rushed downstairs in a flash to greet her. The dragon was in the process of nudging open her stable door with her snout when Jacob called out to her from the house.

"Penelope!"

At once, the dragon flinched and froze in place, as if being caught doing something bad. She ducked her head down, avoiding Jacob's gaze as he came running barefoot on the flagstone path that lead to her stable.

"Penelope, where have you been?" Jacob asked as he came up to the dragon. He put a hand to her scaly cheek.

Penelope turned away from his touch. "Jake, I'm so sorry ... don't let Dessie know."

"He already knows. The whole family knows you've been gone all night."

Penelope winced and ducked her head down further. "Am ... I going to be punished?"

"No."

The sound of Jacob's father came from afar. Penelope looked up in surprise to see Desmond, lantern in hand, followed by Jacob's mother, Lucille, both clad in their nightgowns.

"Oh gosh, Penny, where have you been?" Jacob's mother ran to the dragon and gave her a hug around the neck. "Are you okay?"

The dragon nodded. "I'm fine." She looked guardedly at Desmond, who bore a tight-lipped frown.

"Dessie ..." She meekly whined. The dragon presented herself submissively before him with a lowered snout and ears flat against her head. "I'm sorry."

"You had the whole family upset."

Secretly, Lucille squeezed her husband's hand tight. Desmond let out a terse grumble. "But ... you're not going to be punished. We're just glad you're okay." He gave a somewhat forced smile.

"R-really?" She raised her head a bit, blinking in surprise. "Oh, thank you, Dessie!" she bounded up to him to nuzzle his chest. Desmond gave the dragon a cordial pat and rub on the head.

"Nel... where have you been?" Jacob asked.

Penelope darted her head away. "Can I just go to bed now? Please?"

Desmond frowned. "No." Angrily, he raised the lantern up to the dragon's face. "Penelope, I-"

"Father ..." Jacob interjected, his tone of voice pleading.

Desmond pursed his lips tight and took a step back, giving a disgruntled snort. Lucille took him by the arm in concern.

"Hmph ... fine. Go ahead," he grumbled.

"Thank you."

Gently, Jacob took the dragon's head in his hands. He looked at her cerulean eyes in the dim light of the lantern and gave a reassuring smile.

"Nel... where were you?"

Penelope frowned. "With Jasper."

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that the drake you've been hanging around lately?" Desmond angrily asked.

Penelope fluttered her eyes away. "... Yes," she meekly replied, causing Desmond to let out a peeved huff.

"And why didn't you come home like you were supposed to?" Desmond demanded. Penelope's fearful eyes flashed his way.

"Dear!" Lucile chided him, squeezing his arm tighter. Desmond angrily grumbled something inaudible to Jacob's ears as he let his son continue.

Jacob gulped. The tension in the cool evening air was getting to him. Reassuringly, he gave Penelope a comforting stroke along her cheeks. "We're all just worried about you, Penelope, okay? So why didn't you come home?"

"I ..." the dragon pulled her head from Jacob's hands and turned away, hanging her ears low. "I... I didn't want to," she flatly stated.

"Didn't want to?" Jacob repeated in confusion.

"Yes ..." Penelope meeped, not wanting to elaborate.

Jacob gave his dragon a strange look and opened his mouth to say something, but could not find the proper words. What was going on? This didn't sound like a part of the ruse ... Penelope seemed all too sincere for it.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because ... I was having fun with Jasper. He wanted me to stay even though I knew I should have come home."

"And you just listened to him? Just like that?" Jacob asked in disbelief.

Penelope dashed her eyes to the ground.

There was an awkward pause as silence filled the void left by the lull in conversation. Jacob stared at the dragon, completely flummoxed by her behavior, and found himself unable to put his feelings into words.

It took a while before Lucille cleared her throat. "Well, I think we can all get some rest now that Penny's safe and sound. Right, Des?"

Desmond reluctantly gave in to his wife's strong hint. "Fine. We'll talk more tomorrow. Jacob, Penelope? Go to bed, both of you."

"Okay," both dragon and human replied.

Penelope, with tail down, ears back, and looking as guilty as a dragon possibly could, made a break for her stable door and quickly let herself in. Jacob tried to stop the dragon, but she made no pause when he called out her name.

"Come on, Jacob," his mother's soft voice called out.

"Right..." he mumbled, turning back to the house and following his parents inside, finding himself utterly perplexed at his dragon's behavior. He felt nagging little thoughts and ideas trying to fill his mind, all filled with possible explanations. And as he climbed into bed Jacob could not shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation. Penelope's abrupt disappearance, her guilt-ridden demeanor, her unwillingness to talk ... Penelope was never much of a good liar, either.

It wasn't until much later that Jacob found the intoxicating pull of sleep begin to grip him, and as the concerns and worries slowly fell from conscious thought, he drifted off into a light, uneasy rest.

-=-=-

Morning came. Today was a Sunday, which meant no university classes to attend, and no reason to wake up early. It wasn't until almost ten that one of the housemaids woke Jacob up, politely knocking and asking through the door for bed sheets so they could be washed.

"Yeah, yeah," Jacob mumbled. "Give me a second."

Jacob rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned, feeling as if he had stayed in bed for far too long. Slipping into some daytime clothes, he went downstairs, rushed his breakfast, and as soon as he could, made his way to the back yard and his dragon's stable.

"Penelope!" He called out, knocking on the dutch door of her living quarters and letting himself in. "Penelope I-"

Inside, the dragon was nowhere to be found.

Perplexed, Jacob closed the door of the empty stable and gave a quick glance round the expansive back yard with a tight-lipped frown. She couldn't have gone off to run errands with Desmond: he didn't go into work on Sundays. A brief thought that she went to see Jasper jumped into his mind, and he immediately cast it out, scoffing at the ridiculousness of the notion.

It wasn't until he made his way to the gardens that Jacob found the dragon, resting on her back. With her forepaws resting against her chest and wings fully spread along the ground, Penelope was contentedly sunbathing on the soft patch of grass between the stone path and the lily beds, looking positively innocent and serene. When she noticed him, the dragon arched her neck to look Jacob's way and greeted him with a warm and beckoning churr.

"Jake." Penelope cooed to him, her scaled hips wiggling a little. "Come here."

Jacob couldn't help but smile a bit as he approached the dragon. "Morning, Nel. Enjoying your freedom?"

The dragon closed her eyes and gave a blissful smile. "Yup! Millie took the locks off this morning and told me I was free again."

Adopting a stoic expression, Jacob sat down in the grass next to the dragon. Penelope wriggled herself a little to the left to press up her flank against her keeper and rested the top of her head on the ground.

"Nel ..." Jacob sighed and put a hand on the dragon's scaled knee. "Can we talk?"

Penelope, who lay with closed eyes and a blissful smile, dropped her grin at the question. "What?"

Jacob paused to collect his thoughts before speaking. "What's been going on with you lately, Nel? What's with the guilty show you put on last night?"

Penelope said nothing, but let out an unhappy whine at the question.

"How come you didn't come home and stayed out all night with a dragon you barely know?" Don't tell me it's a part of the act you two were putting on ..."

Penelope opened her eyes and rolled to her side, turning away from Jacob.

"Things just ... happened."

"What things?" Jacob pressed, feeling exasperated at the dragon's ambiguous answer.

Penelope said nothing for a moment, which gave Jacob a horrible feeling. Closing her eyes in resignation, she finally relented.

"Jas said he wanted to show me what living like a dragon is like. He said I'm too pampered, I'm around humans too much. So he suggested we spend some time together ... as dragons. Go hang around our kind. He introduced me to a lot of them."

"What!?" Jacob gawked.

Penelope frowned. "Dessie always tells me I shouldn't talk to other dragons when I'm out in the city, that most don't like domesticates like me. But Jas was there ... he said it would be okay if I was with him."

"So he's Jas, now? Not Jasper? And why did you listen to him?" he angrily pressed.

Penelope rolled onto her stomach and gave her wings a flutter before tucking them against her back. She avoided Jacob's eye contact.

"I ... I was curious. Jas showed me what being around other dragons is like. And I ... I wanted to see more of it. So I didn't come home."

Jacob stared off into the distance and took a moment to come to terms with what he was learning. Penelope ... hanging around other dragons? The same Penelope that was so timid around her own kind that she actively avoided them in the city? The same Penelope that said she didn't even like to be around Jasper, let alone stay with him a whole night? This behavior was the first of its kind, and Jacob was so unprepared for it that he wasn't sure how to react.

Jasper ... a twinge of disdain invaded Jacob's heart, and he pursed his lips tight. What kind of things was that dragon telling Penelope to make her tag along with dragons she didn't even know!? He felt as if the drake was trying to lead Penelope away from him, and at once Jacob felt protective of her as anger and worry filled his heart.

"Penelope ..." He scooted close to the dragon. "How could you just go off with him like that? For cripes sake, you know you're not supposed to be out by yourself that late!"

Penelope ducked her head down in guilt. "I knew I should have come home. I knew ... but a part of me really didn't want to." The dragon shut her eyes tight.

Jacob shook his head in disbelief. "Nel ..."

"Jake, I'm sorry! I know I did something bad and I feel so bad about it, too." Penelope put her head in Jacob's lap and looked up at him in misery. "Can you forgive me?"

Jacob's mind was still fuming over Jasper, but the question brought him back to the present. He did his best to stifle his smoldering anger and took the dragon's head in his hands. "Nel ..." He sighed and smiled when he saw her genuinely sorrowful face in his lap. "Of course I can forgive a face like that. But you can't go off like that again, okay? Your place is here, with me ... and the rest of the family. Not with Jasper, or any other dragon you met last night."

Penelope dashed her eyes away. "... Okay," she reluctantly muttered.

Jacob sat there in the grass with his dragon's head in his lap and said nothing for a moment, still in shock over Penelope's sudden spark of independence.

"What were you two doing last night, you and Jasper?" Jacob asked. "Nothing suspicious, I hope!" He let out a guarded chuckle. Deep, somewhere in the back of his mind, the idea that Penelope's guilty behavior was due to having sex with the drake was lingering.

The purple dragon sat up. "He was showing me around parts of the city where dragons are welcome, and Jeniveve cooked us dinner, and we talked and flew around and talked more and ... stuff."

"And stuff?" Jacob quizzically repeated. He didn't like those two words at all. "What kind of stuff?" Surely, she couldn't mean ...

"Stuff like ... Well, I said he introduced me to a few draakin--that's a dragon's word for another dragon." Penelope nodded to herself. "It was really scary at first. But Jas made me feel better about it."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Draakin ... wait, you're learning dragon tongue now?" he laughed and playfully shook his scaly companion. "Who is this dragon and what have you done with Penelope!?"

The dragon let out an effusive giggle. "I'm still me!" She wrapped a leathery wing around her keeper. "Don't worry!"

"Well that's great news," Jacob began. He wrapped his dragon in a tight hug. "Because if you weren't the real Penelope, I would have searched the whole entire world until I found you again."

Penelope let out a warm churr as she was embraced by her keeper and nuzzled his cheek with her snout.

"Good ..." she purred in contentment. "Good."

THE END

Post-story notes:

~I said I'd get two more stories out by the end of the month, and this was the second one. Turns out I went over that promise by a single day. Still pretty good, in my opinion!

~Protip: Draakin isn't a funny way of spelling dragon, its actually a portmanteau of dragon and kin. If I have to make up any other "dragon speech" words in future chapters, I'll probably be deriving them from german. Because of reasons. I imagine "dragon speech" from a wild-born dragon will probably be a mixture of "traditional" words in dragon tongue, and pidgin english.

~Oh fuck, I really did it, didn't I? I reached the point in my story-telling and world-building where I have to make up words and languages. ._. I'd never thought I'd ever let myself get to this point.

~I went through about three or four revisions of the argument between Jacob and Desmond, but it never really came together until I developed the ending. The short exchange where Desmond tells Jacob he respects him for standing up for himself, and Jacob getting emotional over it, was something I was very happy with. Desmond is not a man that's good with expressing affection, and those few, short words he uttered meant the world to Jacob. Personally, my father is nothing like Desmond, but nonetheless that scene felt incredibly cathartic and satisfying for me to write.

~I apologize for the lack of Penelope in this chapter. There should be more of her next time. But the new few chapters might prove to be a bit ... challenging. I'll say this much: this whole mess with Penelope, Jasper, and Jacob isn't over yet. I may struggle to find ways to add in porn scenes given the amount of plot I want to write, but I will do my best to accommodate.