Dragon Flux

By Emily Carrington

When Luke, a genie, figures out that his husband is depressed because they’ll never have children, Luke takes on the ultimate challenge and becomes a female dragon.

His husband, Mark, is put off by breasts and a vagina at first… but then he realizes it’s still Luke under the new curves and his lust for Luke can never be assuaged.

With all the struggles presented by pregnancy and prejudice from the magical world, will Mark and Luke bring their baby into the world amid joy or stress?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: Apr 19, 2019

Book preview

stress?

Chapter One

Luke was in the kitchen, inflicting his worry on innocent, but dirty, dishes. New Year’s Eve Day was supposed to be a time for planning a party. Or at least an all-night sex-a-thon between two loving husbands. But for Luke Tavery, there was nothing celebratory about the end of the current year. Mark Tavery, Luke’s husband of nearly three years, was at the office. On New Year’s Eve. On a Sunday.

Luke could read the signs. Not of boredom, as he’d seen on many a soap opera, but of depression. Mark had spent many hours at the SearchLight campus in Tampa after he was sexually and psychologically abused by his ex. He’d spent overtime beyond counting at that same office after he was kidnapped and almost raped by that same ex. Now, almost four years after that terrible stretch of time, Mark was depressed again.

Luke was fully prepared to seduce or tease his lover out of the darkness, but what he needed to know was what caused this latest bout. Mark wasn’t one to usually linger in depression; he’d been cleared by SearchLight therapists, two of them, and he didn’t have a chemical imbalance.

At least not as far as the SearchLight psychiatrists can tell, he said to the empty, single floor condo. He talked to himself a lot when Mark wasn’t home. Hell, even when Mark was. It was a habit he’d developed after long years in his genie lamp. And there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t spare at least one prayer to the One-Who-Decides to thank Him/Her for Mark’s appearance in his life. If Mark hadn’t wished him free two years ago, Luke would still be confined to his lamp for twenty years at a stretch.

He refocused on the problem before him, scrubbing the pot under his hands fiercely. When psychiatrists don’t even know how humans work all the way, let alone a dragon… Maybe Mark needed medicine after all.

Nope, Luke told the pot. Every time he’s been depressed, there’s been an external reason. Reese, Reese again, and now? He began to puzzle it out as he finished the pot and reached for the next one. He could have easily washed the dishes by magic -- freedom had increased his powers exponentially -- but he needed something physical to do.

He started volunteering for extra shifts about two weeks ago. We’d been back from Charlie and Luis’s wedding for about two days. He smiled a little, remembering the marriage ceremony between one of Mark’s best friends, Charlie, and the psychic vampire Mark still couldn’t quite bring himself to like.

At least the animosity went both ways.

The wedding had been beautiful despite Luis’s mother’s interference. Luke’s favorite part had been getting to know the trio of werewolf pups who’d been part of the ceremony. They’d been awesome. Ten years old and full of vim and vigor, they’d made Luke smile the whole time he was there.

Well, it can’t be the wedding, Luke murmured as he used a cloth to clean plates in the spacious, light-filled kitchen. Our wedding was full of just as many people and Mark’s niece and nephews were angels. Maybe there’s something going on with Dan.

Dan was Reese’s ex-lover -- ex because Reese was dead. Dan still worked at SearchLight, which meant Mark ran into him occasionally. But Dan’s been bending over backward to stay out of Mark’s way, and Mark got over his anger a while ago. I doubt it’s that.

Luke frowned down at the empty sink. Oh hell. He dried his hands and wandered into the large living room. One of the pillows on the deep blue microfiber couch was askew and he straightened it. He could try asking Mark, of course, but his husband was clueless about the inner workings of his own heart. He probably had no idea he was avoiding himself.

Knowing the master bedroom was clean and that went double for the never-used guest room, Luke decided to bounce his ideas off someone else. And because he would rather cut off his own index finger than have this little bit of trouble get around the office, that meant he couldn’t talk to any of his friends from work. That left either Elizabeth, the older woman who owned a restaurant in Gulfport, or Mark’s family up in New York. And since the latter knew Mark better…

Luke returned to the kitchen and scrawled a quick note in case Mark decided to come home early. Fat chance, he muttered to the empty condo. Then he used his magic to disappear and reappear at the head of the driveway to the Tavery homestead.

He swore colorfully. It was witch’s-tit cold. He’d forgotten that the air, which felt like a kiss in Tampa, was a punch to the face a couple miles from Lake Ontario. He snapped his fingers and was properly garbed. He could have just transported himself into the house, but Mark’s mother and the rest of the household weren’t magical creatures -- at least not fully magical creatures -- and he’d likely startle them.

He skidded down the icy driveway, holding his arms out for balance. When he reached the door, he rang the bell. To his immense pleasure it was Tabitha, seven years old and full of energy, who answered.

Uncle Luke! She leaped into his arms and Luke made an oomph noise even as he called on his magic to support the squat, sturdy kid. Hey, Tabbykins. He heard running feet from inside the house and knew her brothers, David and Daniel, were also here. Let’s get in before you freeze. He stepped into the house and used his magic to shut the door. Then he put Tabitha down so he could pick up each of his nephews in turn and hug them. By the time he was done, Naomi, Mark’s sister and the kids’ mother, stood in the doorway between the living room and dining room. She was glowing, though not in a magical way, unless it was the ordinary magic of happy humans.

Good news? he asked.

You always show up at the best times. She kissed his cheek. Shawn proposed.

Her three-year-long boyfriend. Luke grinned. That’s wonderful, Na-mi, he said.

She giggled, probably to hear Mark’s nickname for her coming out of Luke’s mouth. But then she sobered. Where’s Mark? And we weren’t expecting you for New Year’s.

Mark’s working.

On a Sunday?

Luke sighed and wanted to add, Yeah, and we haven’t had sex in two days. This was even more proof of Mark being down in the dumps; he usually jumped Luke at least once a day. Luke returned the favor just as often. Instead, aware that there were little ears present, Luke said, I’m worried about him. I was coming to see if your mom has any suggestions.

Come on into the kitchen. She disappeared in that direction and Luke heard her calling, Shawn?

Surrounded by little ones, Luke followed. He heard Naomi asking her fiancé if they could take the little ones sledding a bit early.

Twenty minutes later, with the three kids and both adults dressed for being out in the freezing weather, Luke sat in the yellow-painted kitchen with Miriam, Mark’s mother. Not by blood but in all the ways that mattered. The human woman had raised another’s baby without any complaint when her now-dead husband had brought him home.

Miriam brought him a cup of peppermint tea. All right, now that the galloping hordes are gone, what’s on your mind?

Luke sipped from the mug with Love me, love my dragon printed on its side. He happened to know it was a custom order; he’d ordered it. Mark’s depressed.

She nodded. He’s cut short his last two calls, citing work. Do you have any theories?

She knew better than to ask if he’d talked to Mark about it. But then again, why would she when she knew full well that Mark was as unaware of his inner workings as much as he was unaware of the geography of eastern China? Then Luke had to smile. Mark actually did know about eastern China. He’d been there while on