Reincarnated as a Dragon – The path of the Dragon God

“Come in,” Yula said curtly as she opened the door and beckoned for Henry to enter. She was wearing a grey hoodie that was much too large for her. Henry had assumed the hoodie belonged to her ex but it looked new and upon catching the heavy scent of hers on the garment, he knew the hoodie had been worn by no one else but her.

“What’s wrong?” Henry asked as he entered the room and ambled to the bed, where Yula was sitting and all curled up with her chin resting on her knees.

Yula stared deeply into Henry’s eyes. “Tell me everything.” Her voice was firm but there was a tinge of sadness somewhere within.

“Um… what?”

“Tell me what you have been hiding from me.”

“A lot of things? We have only just met, no?”

Yula squinted and scowled at him.

They had only met just today but Henry already felt like he was interrogated by a girlfriend of many years. But he wasn't the only one in trepidation. He could smell fear and anxiety gushing from her.

Did she find out somehow?

“Are you not gonna tell me?”

“I don’t understand your question, Yula.” Henry decided to play it safe. “That’s a pretty broad topic. No doubt I am hiding a lot of things from you but is it that surprising considering we have only just met? Not a day had gone by, no less.”

Yula reined in her scowl and sighed. “True… We have only just met…”

Henry could do nothing but smile.

“I know not even a day has passed. However… I felt a great sense of closeness with you. I have never felt this way for anyone before.”

Henry kept smiling. He didn’t know what else he could say.

“Greg isn’t my first boyfriend… There were others before him.”

“Others… How many?” Henry had to ask.

“Greg is my fifth boyfriend…”

“Fifth?” Henry exclaimed. “And I was your first partner in bed?”

Yula nodded with a gleeful smile. 

"You did anything at all with your other boyfriends?"

Yula shook her head.

"Not even..."

"Only kissing. No blowjob, cunnilingus, fingering, or anal. Just kisses."

“How did you manage?”

“It’s quite easy… I broke up with them when they started heavily insisting on doing those acts with me. They started asking me not even a month into the relationship. I can see it in their eyes then… They just wanted my body. They just wanted this.” Yula emphasised her point by squeezing her boobs together. "I was afraid I was just some conquest to them, something they use and throw away afterwards."

“But you have sex with me just hours after we met.”

“You’re different. You are special. I can’t explain why… You just are. I felt safe and at ease when I was in your embrace. I have felt that ever since I bumped into you. At first, I just wrote it off as my desire to cheat on Greg as revenge. But as we spent time together, I realised I was simply too infatuated with you. I believe we are meant to be together, Henry. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Henry. I have decided.”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Pump the breaks, girl. I like you too, don’t get me wrong, but we are moving too fast here.”

“So what if we are? I don’t care. The amount of time a couple spends together doesn’t denote their closeness or compatibility. Our bodies are compatible, so I’m sure all the sex to come will only be more and more amazing. I can’t stop thinking about you, Henry. I want to be around you all the time. Without you… I feel so empty and hollow…”

“What the fuck… Nadea, help, please?”

Nadea was just giggling in his head without offering any advice.

Henry sighed. “Look, Yula, I’m over the moon for you too and I’m glad to know you feel the same way but… can we take things slow… I feel like we would only regret it if we go at this too fast.”

“Is it because of Chloe?”

Henry froze with his gaze locked on Yula’s lips, which had just uttered something completely unexpected. Henry was sure he wasn’t followed and if Yula did follow him, he would surely know. But he didn't sense her presence at all. A coincidental mutual acquaintance was Henry’s second guess but somehow, he doubted that to be the case.

“How do you know about Chloe? Is she your acquaintance or a friend?”

Yula shook her head. “I have never met her before.”

Henry frowned. Her words only made the situation even more confusing. “Then how did you—”

“The phone that I gave you… it’s bugged…” Yula confessed with her face buried into her knees. “I heard everything… Well, nearly everything.”

Henry fished the phone out of his pocket and looked closely at it. He couldn’t see anything wrong with it but then again, this was a matter of technology, not magic. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to tell what was wrong. At first, he thought she was joking but knowing the heavy affection she had for him, he didn’t think she was joking at all.

“I was planning to give this to Greg after I began suspecting him to be cheating, but I ended up catching him in the act instead before I was able to.”

Henry swallowed a lump in his throat and sat down in front of Yula. “How much have you heard?” he asked, glaring at the flushed Yula.

“Enough to know that you have some secrets so bizarre that no one would have believed.”

“But do you believe the things you heard?”

“I don’t mind if you have another woman. I only ask that you do not abandon me. I’ll do anything you ask of me, Henry.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, idiot. I’m talking about the other things you have heard. Do you believe them?”

Yula raised her head and a smile touched her lips. “I do, Henry. I always have.”

“Always have?”

“I suppose it could be one of the reasons that I feel so strongly for you…” She got off the bed and stood with her back straightened. “It’s only right that I let you know my secrets before you let me know yours. You see, I'm different and bizarre too.”

“What are you—”

Suddenly, tendrils of darkness rose from Yula’s shadow like ropes of smoke.

Demonic was the first thing that came to Henry’s mind but he did not feel any Demonic presence coming from her. In fact, he could barely feel anything from her at all. The magic presence was so faint that he could easily miss it if he didn’t know about it beforehand.

“Yula, you’re—”

“I’m just like you and Chloe, aren’t I? I have superpowers too.” She leaned forward. “Superpower, that is what you call them, right?”

Henry shrugged. “Not officially, at least,” he answered nonchalantly. His gaze was focused on the shadow tendrils fluttering around her like vertically placed flags. “Who else has superpowers?”

“I don’t know. Just a few hours ago, I thought I was the only one. When I found out that you might just be someone like me, I was thrilled. I was so thrilled. We are meant to be together, Henry.”

He wanted to say no but he couldn’t find his voice to refute her. She was his mate after all, albeit her not knowing that fact. Still, he found it difficult to accept things as they were. He didn’t want to take matters of the heart lightly. They didn’t even know a thing about each other. All they knew was that their bodies were compatible and a relationship like that usually comes to end quickly and abruptly.

“Anyway, I have shown you mine. Show me yours too, Henry,” Yula jostled with a gleaming smile.

Henry sighed and climbed off the bed. “Promise me you won’t scream, okay?”

“I won’t,” her reply came immediately. "I have seen already seen the beast you have down there after all."

He rolled up his sleeves and splayed his arms forward for Yula to see them much clearer. Then, his arms began to transform. Dark red scales grew all over his arms and his nails turned into claws. Anyone would have screamed or shrieked at this point but for Yula, she was watching the transformation with an astounded gaze and a bright smile.

“Amazing… So beautiful…” she praised with bated breaths. Her hands were reaching out towards Henry, slithering to his arms. She touched those monstrous claws of his but instead of frowning with disgust, she was appraising them with awe. “A transformation ability? Are you a shapeshifter?”

“No, but I can shapeshift.”

“Into what?” she asked enthusiastically.

“I don’t think I can show you here.”

“But why?”

“This room won’t do. If I show you, you will no longer have any place to leave.”

“That’s okay. I can just move in with you!”

Henry blinked. “No, that’s not okay. You can’t just move in with someone you barely know. And did you even consider that I might be living in someplace very far away?”

Yula gave a sorrowful smile. “I don’t mind,” she said. “It’s not like I have anything here. My aunt, my only remaining family, has passed away. I don’t have friends. If I die in this room, I doubt anyone would know until my corpse begins to rot and smell. If anything, I will be glad if I can leave this place with you.”

“Well, ain’t that convenient,” Nadea remarked.

“I appreciate your sentiment but you’re missing the point here. My true form is… huge.”

“Huge?”

“Gigantic. I will break through this room and the next if I assume my true form.”

“Your true form… Does this mean you are not human?”

“Depends on how you define humans. The way I see it, I’m more human than your ex.”

Yula giggled. “You certainly are, Henry.” Twiddling her fingers, she sat back onto the bed and patted the spot beside her.

Henry smiled and took a seat by her side.

“What are you, really?”

“A Dragon.”

Yula immediately burst out chuckling. “R-really?”

“Really.”

She was still chuckling. “You’re a Dragon taking the form of a human?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“So… I fell in love, hard, with a Dragon?”

“It would appear so.”

“Do you… l-love me too?” she asked, stammering.

“I do,” Henry answered without any hesitation. The answer came so naturally to his tongue as if he was already holding those words at bay, waiting for the moment to let them out.

“Not even a stutter…” Yula muttered in response to Henry’s answer. “I bet you say that to all the ladies… Greg sure did…”

“Only to the ones I love.”

“You mean my body, not that I mind…”

“What makes you think that I love only your body?”

“Who would ever love a girl that would bug her crush’s phone and eavesdrop on everything he said?”

“I won’t deny that I find that unappealing and revolting but that’s not enough for me to dislike you.”

“You’re not lying to me?”

“Never.” Henry somehow knew he could not lie to her. He could hide secrets from her but if she asked, he didn’t think he would have the heart to lie. A part of him found it reassuring but another part of him found it terrifying of the fact that his affection for his mate had that much hold over him.

“Hey… what else are you hiding?”

“A lot of things,” Henry answered without batting an eyelid.

Yula couldn’t help but chuckle at his brazen response. “Will you be telling me all those secrets of yours? If this room is too small… maybe we can go somewhere else?”

“It’s late now. We should get some rest for the night. Let’s leave the rest of the exposition for tomorrow, shall we? I’ll show you everything tomorrow, okay?”

“Are you trying to run away?”

“No. Do you have that little faith in the man you love?”

“I can’t help but think you would disappear and never be seen again if you leave now…”

“Alright then, I won’t leave you. I suppose I can sleep on the floor.”

“Really? You will be staying for the night?”

Henry grinned and shook his head. “How can I leave when a certain someone wants me to stay so badly?”

In one fell swoop, Yula took off her hoodie, her gigantic mounds springing free from the constraints of the fabric. She pounced on Henry without any warning and they tumbled onto the bed. “The words you say are exactly the same as the one Greg said but… why does it feel so much more tantalising when you said it?”

“Maybe it is as you said? We are meant for each other, perhaps that’s why?”

“That sounds crazy but… I am crazy for you after all,” Yula said and buried her tongue into Henry’s mouth.

He reciprocated her affection by wrapping his arms around her head and pulling deeper into the kiss. Deep into the night and until the first light of dawn of the morrow, they shared their love in nearly every way possible within the constraints of a human. Marks of their obsession and affection were left all over each others’ bodies but only Henry’s marks remained on Yula as Henry himself had quickened healing.

Yula wasn’t able to move properly until the late hours of noon. Even then, she could only limp.