20 A dinner party

Thorin's father looked exactly like him up close. Except older and more dignified looking. He is tall and handsome too, with salt and pepper hair. His mother, on the other hand, is fair, very delicate looking with auburn hair, Caucasian features and startling green eyes. Zi Mei was slightly taken back. She noted that Thorin had the same straight narrow nose like his mother. Then she remembered. They are dragon shapeshifters. Of course they can change their looks and look like whoever they want.

"Hello auntie, uncle," she said respectfully after Thorin introduced her as Tan Zi Mei, the girl her 'found', to them.

His mother took her hands and squeezed them. Her green eyes were soft and kind looking.

"You are the one to give us grandchildren one day, Thorin told us," she said. Her voice is soft and like tinkling music. "Come with me, lets leave the men with their business talk," she said and she pulled Zi Mei with her to an alcove with comfortable seating.

"Here, sit down, you must be so confused by all this," she said kindly. Zi Mei sat and waited.

"I'm human…well, I was a long time ago," the older woman said. Zi Mei was surprised but didn't interrupt. She can be a good listener if she wanted and Thorin's mother, Celestia, obviously wanted to talk.

"Just like you, Tien found me and asked me to be his wife," she said. "He saved me from being ravished by these group of disgusting men and took me with him. I was scared of him at first, I thought he only wanted the same thing as the those men but he was so gentle and kind. He took care of me and asked me to marry him. I married him a few days later and it has been a few thousand years, we are still so in love. I really hope the same for you and our only son, Thorin," she said.

It sounded like a classic love story. So, Thorin is an only child and his mother is human. Was human. She must be an immortal now. Does marrying a dragon shapeshifter makes you immortal?

"But…Thorin didn't ask me to marry him…he is already married to Jessica," she told Celestia.

"He made me sign this contract to become his mistress and to bear him heirs," she added.

Celestia looked surprised.

"Oh dear. Thorin didn't handle this very well. He and Jessica aren't married. She's a lower rank young dragon and dragon shapeshifters don't usually marry each other from the same clan," she said.

"When Thorin told us about you, I assumed you will be getting married soon…I didn't know he made you sign a contract! That is ridiculous," she said. She looked personally affronted.

"But, tell me, how do you feel about my son? He can be a handful sometimes and I know, I am his mother so I am biased, but he has a good heart underneath all that arrogance," she said.

Zi Mei doesn't know what to say. She has only met Thorin for a few days and this is not some romantic fairy tale where you fall in love after a few days of being kidnapped by a gorgeous man who turned out to be a dragon shapeshifter. She is certainly attracted to him. The sexual tension between them is unmistakable but she can't talk about this to his mother. It would just be too embarrassing.

"I don't know what to say…I've only just met him," she said honestly.

"Oh it's okay dear. Take your time…Thorin has wasted a few hundred years, we had all but given up on him ever finding his perfect match and then he found you. I do hope it works out, or he might lose his position in the clan and some of his powers," she said. "Although…that's not a bad thing either,"

"Whatever you decide, just think over it first…and if you want to know more about the clan and the shapeshifters, you can always ask me," she added. Then she got up. The conversation is over.

The dinner party was a flurry of introductions to a number of people, most of whom are dragons. Most of them are from the Heaven's Descent clan but there were a few from other clans. There was a couple from the Sea Jade clan, Dashen Long and his human partner, Meera.

They looked so perfect together, laughing and so obviously in love. While most of the guests were friendly, Zi Mei found herself standing out. She felt so out of place among these shapeshifters and their immortal partners. She is not a shapeshifter nor an immortal nor officially a partner to a dragon. The other humans in the room are immortals who are married to the dragons.

By the time dinner was over and the crowd was dispersing, she wanted to crawl up to her room, whichever one she is sleeping in and go to sleep. She is exhausted. Who knows pretending to smile and make small talk to a bunch of strangers can be so tiring? It is even more tiring than being a waitress at such an event.

She had worked a few part time jobs as a waitress at banquet events before and it wasn't as tiring as this. Who knows talking about the weather, global warming and the latest pandemic to hit the mortal world can be so exhausting?

After the last of the guests have left, she sink into a chair gratefully. Her feet hurt from standing around talking. Her mouth hurt from smiling too much. Everything hurt. She wanted to lie there and sleep. Thorin came strolling towards her, looking fresh and not in the least worn out. He must have the stamina of dragons, she thought and laughed inwardly at her own stupid joke.

"You look tired," he remarked.

She rolled the eyes.

"Wow. Wonderful deduction Sherlock, I would clap if I'm not so tired," she replied sarcastically.

"Come, the night is still young," he said and reached down to pull her up. She resisted. She is too exhausted to move.

"I can't move…you will have to drag me like a caveman to wherever you want me to go," she muttered and closed her eyes.

Thorin looked at her. Then he bend down, held her waist and in one smooth motion, flung her over his shoulder, with her head hanging down his back and his arm holding her under her butt securely. The slit of her cheongsam slide open, revealing the whole length if her legs.

She gasped and flailed weakly as blood gushed straight into her head. She was even too exhausted to fight him.

"What are you doing!" she said.

"Let's go then," he said. He patted her butt affectionately and started walking. She continued to flail about, only to work her cheongsam higher up her hips, the slit going higher and higher. Realising what she was doing, she stopped and let him carry her.

He was whistling cheerfully as he carried her along the corridor and then they entered a large dimly lit room. It is filled with some musky flowery fragrance and she noticed some lighted candles. Then he threw her down on a bed. A large soft springy bed. Her cheongsam flipped up, revealing her legs and her lacy panties underneath.

She gasped and pulled it down. He began to undress. Slowly. His eyes, dark and filled with desire, held hers intently. She swallowed nervously. Does this mean they will be doing it tonight? Right now? She scrambled back and found her back against the headboard of the bed.

He has already taken off his shirt and pants, his smooth muscled body gleaming in the candlelight. There was a large bulge underneath his underwear. He climbed onto the bed and crawled towards her on all four.

"Let me help you,"he said and he reached out to her. He pulled down the side zip of her cheongsam. Then he pulled the silk gown up over her head and off. He threw it on the floor. She crossed her arms to cover her breasts, the creamy mounds of soft flesh partially covered by her sexy lacy bra.

"I…I…am …tired," she stammered nervously. "Can…can…we …er…do…it…another time?"

"What? After what we did earlier today and you want me to wait?" he asked. He pulled her hands off and held her wrists. He grasped her wrists in on of his hand and placed it on the pillow above her head, effectively making her arch up her breasts to him. He stared at her breasts and licked his lips. She gulped. Her pulse is now racing and her blood thrumming with arousal. She could feel her body yearning for him to touch her. For his hands to cup her breasts. For him to bend down and kiss her.

"But…I am sticky and sweaty…can I at least take a shower first?" she scrambled for another excuse. Any excuse to delay this. All her exhaustion is gone but she is still nervous. She is still scared. This is her first time and he is still little more than a stranger.