A'tony counted the stores, carefully making a note about how many were left. He felt arms encircle him and a warm body pressed against him from behind. A'tony smiled and relaxed back into the embrace. J'thro's chest was hot and firm even beneath the leathers he wore. It was nice to feel safe, wanted, cared for - it was all there in those arms. He lost the ability to think as J'thro's mouth found the join of his neck and shoulder, sucking the flesh into his mouth, and then he was biting down with enough force to make a new mark.

"I couldn't wait until you were done. I needed to put that mark there now," J'thro's voice was throaty and quiet in his ear.

A'tony shuddered as arousal surged through his veins. J'thro was feeling it - Thread was Falling tomorrow. In the few weeks since Abigaileth's mating flight, A'tony had learned that J'thro's passions were more intense the day before Thread Fall. It wasn't like the dragon mating, but he'd still be a bit bruised and marked before they were both spent. And A'tony loved the marks, loved the way J'thro lost control, and loved being controlled.

All he had to do was to surrender to J'thro. And feel. J'thro's hands had slid under his tunic and began teasing his nipples, pinching them both followed by a gentle soothing rub. A'tony tried to think, to move them toward their weyr, but J'thro's hands kept up their teasing play.

"J'thro..." A'tony started, only to end in a groan as those hands perfected a really hard pinch, sending a spike of arousal down to his cock, making him harder still.

His mate bent to trace the new mark he'd put on A'tony's shoulder. His tongue was gentle as it slid over the tender flesh. His nipples were receiving no mercy as they were pinched again and again. A'tony felt another shudder shake his body, just enjoying J’thro’s touch.

A'tony felt the hands halt their play even as J'thro mouth began to wander up his neck. J'thro's hands flew over his clothes, and before he could really think, he was naked, aware of the cooler air against his overheated flesh. J'thro's hands settled around his cock, teasing and tempting him, jacking him lightly while holding his sac. A'tony felt a whine slide from his lips, unable to keep silent. J'thro chuckled, his chest shaking with his mirth.

"Love the sounds you make," that was kissed along his neck as J'thro's lips wandered.

A'tony made another whine as J'thro's hands mapped his flesh, tracing his inner thigh -- he'd never thought of that as one of his special spots, but J'thro hands never failed to make it so. J'thro bit at the back of his neck -- A'tony whimpered, lost to amazing waves of heat that flooded his body at that very dominant move. He loved that particular gesture. One of J'thro's work-toughened hands slid up to slow jack his cock up and down while the other slid up over his chest to rest at his heart, pressing him back with a firm gesture.

A'tony groaned; his senses were really working over-time. The leather against his back, the smell of dragon, the heat of J'thro, his hand on A'tony's cock, all of it was just a great gift he'd never thought he'd have. J'thro's hands slid down with a purpose now -- to ready A'tony to take him. J'thro had brought something to ease his entrance, and he used it as his fingers parted and stretched A'tony. A'tony widened his stance, parting his legs more, anything to aid J'thro.

J'thro slid into him with an authority that drove A'tony wild. He loved the way J'thro took him. In this new position, with both of them standing up, everything felt deeper, more intense: the angle was just enough different to make it mind-blowing from just the mere presence of J'thro in him. But J'thro was more than in him as his hands gripped A'tony's hips, holding him steady as J'thro thrust powerfully into him. A'tony couldn't do more than mewl in appreciation, completely breathless from his reactions. He leaned back and tilted his head to the side and up, baring his neck, begging for J'thro to claim him again. J'thro didn't disappoint - he surged forward, managing to draw in the center part of A'tony's neck, biting it. A'tony felt his world explode as he came, his body clamping down on J'thro's cock, sending him to his own orgasm.

J'thro held him up as he felt boneless from his release. Their matings all had a wonderful afterglow that made him more than a little weak in the knees. A'tony let himself drink it all in.

J'thro helped him dress, giving him a few lingering touches. He was so relaxed and happy it was hard to pick up his inventory tasks. It was even harder to kiss J'thro and to let him leave to complete his own tasks.

Then he ran into F'nell.

"So it's the newest queen. And fresh from another mating rut with his Bronze Rider."

The words themselves were on the edge of rude, but the tone threw it over the edge, making it completely inappropriate. And it was the mildest thing A'tony had heard from F'nell since he'd walked out of his weyr after the mating flight. F'nell was careful never to make the comments where any but A'tony could hear.

A'tony stiffened; he really wanted to pound the snide out of F'nell.

Not a good idea, Rider mine Abigaileth's voice scolded him. That is what tomorrow is for â€" showing stupid Riders that we are more than we seem.

A'tony pushed down his anger, allowing Abigaileth's calm settle over him. He ducked his head, continued walking.

F'nell had some parting shot, but A'tony didn't stop to acknowledge it.

Finally, he was able to return to the weyr. A'tony was just settling the meal tray down when something made him look. J'thro stood there, watching him, a light in his eyes that signaled his own hunger but for A'tony, not the food. A'tony smiled his welcome; J'thro came forward with a predator's stalking grace. A'tony found himself pulled forward into those strong arms. His mouth was claimed with a brutal efficiency that sent his own blood straight down, filling his sex. J'thro was wild now, in the privacy of their weyr. A'tony didn't try to keep up; he merely took what he was given. J'thro wasn't a gentle lover, biting down his jaw, sucking on the mark he'd made earlier. A'tony was the only one who got to see this side of him: J'thro had a reputation with the ladies of the weyr, but he'd never marked one of their skins. Lessa had been amazed enough to share that after their mating flight when A'tony had been covered in marks. J'thro, without the dragons, was still an intense lover, prone to making his marks visible. A'tony relished the look that shone in his eyes when he saw A'tony wearing his marks.

A'tony lost his train of thought as he felt J'thro's cock slide home in his ass. He whimpered, his legs up on those powerful shoulders, J'thro's cock deep inside his still-tender ass. Then J'thro purposely pegged his prostate, and liquid heat surged through A'tony's body again and again as he took thrust after thrust. J'thro wasn't speeding up his thrusts, taking A'tony with a familiar speed that showed him they would be quite a while. A'tony groaned his need. J'thro's eyes glittered in response, showing A'tony that he loved the sounds he was making, but it wasn't changing his plan.

That strong body was covering A'tony completely. The sleeping furs were soft against his back as A'tony lay there, pinned beneath J'thro. He could feel the waves of heat from his ass where his prostate was being powerfully stimulated. Sweat soaked him as the time passed, but he didn't know how long. Nothing mattered except the man riding him.

J'thro had reached his own breaking point. His thrusts grew rapid, slamming again and again into A'tony. Then he bent down, kissing A'tony, eyes glittering still. And J’thro bit A’tony’s lip hard enough to bleed, and A'tony came uncontrollably at the pleasure of the bite. J'thro was moments behind him, enjoying A'tony's orgasm before finding his own. He gently slid A'tony's legs down, but J'thro stayed in him, kissing him through the blissful haze. J'thro pulled back a bit, and A'tony ran his tongue across his lip, feeling the split, and it reminded him of their first mating when J’thro had bit his lip.

J'thro watched him intently, making sure he was alright before gently pulling out. He cleaned them up, brought their meal into the huge bed, and fed A'tony who was still flying. Afterwards, A'tony was asleep before he had time to make one more check.

J'thro woke him with a goodbye kiss on his way to mount Duckoth for fighting Thread. As soon as he was out of the weyr, A'tony was up, dressing in his own leathers, then fastening Abigaileth's gear. A'tony and Abigaileth were away to their cache of firestone and the meeting with the green dragon Kateth and her rider T'mothy. Kateth and Abigaileth had made a pact to help A'tony have a chance to fight thread. T'mothy had been reluctant to leave his assigned patrol, but Kateth was a force to be reckoned with!

A'tony had trained with the other weyrlings - he knew all the maneuvers. It was so liberating, soaring through the air. Abigaileth was magnificent, turning, drafting, diving, flaming thread. A'tony had never loved her more as he did what they'd both been born to do.

A'tony was about ready to give Abigaileth the go ahead to return to Benden Weyr when he saw a dragon heading straight for the last line of Thread, obviously in distress. Abigaileth saw it at the same time he did, and she headed over there with a tight bank and a roll. She flamed the Thread, but A'tony lost his hold on the strap. He fell forward, tumbling toward the ground.


******************************************************************

J'thro had finished the last his sweep when Duckoth spoke. Abigaileth wants us to see something. He banked and doubled back, heading to the where Thread was still falling. He got there to see a bronze dragon do a clever sweep, flaming Thread very effectively. J'thro grunted and looked closer, wanting to compliment the rider and dragon on their flying when he saw the bronze was gold - Abigaileth and A'tony.

Duckoth turned sharply, having to dodge and flame as a last strand fell toward them. When they were back where J'thro could see, Abigaileth was doing a bank. J'thro had a bad feeling and sent his desire to follow. Duckoth complied. That's when he saw Abigaileth roll and A'tony falling forward into the Thread. His heart fell, and Duckoth was diving, diving, tucking his wings and legs in tight to be as fast as possible. J'thro was leaning forward and out, desperate to stretch far enough to catch A’tony, urging Duckoth for more speed. Just before they all crashed into the ground, J'thro caught A’tony’s arm as J’thro tried to keep them both on Duckoth’s back, hearing the snap, even as he sent Duckoth Between.

They popped out at the rim of Benden Weyr, and he asked Duckoth to call for help as scrabbled to keep them both on the dragon, wrapping one arm around A’tony’s chest. A'tony was not responding, probably unconscious. The healers were waiting as he landed, handed over his precious burden to another rider who could easily manage the weight of A’tony’s big frame over the relative tiny healers. Once he was down, he looked up to see Abigaileth tilting wildly, but she would likely land safely in a few minutes.

A'tony was awake. The numbweed had been slathered on his Threadscore. They were setting his arm.

"Of all the stupid things I have ever seen, that has to be the stupidest. I can't believe you did something that careless. Not only did you put yourself in great danger, you put Abigaileth at such a risk. And the firestone she had to ingest!" J'thro's temper stuttered to a halt, unable to comprehend how close he'd come to losing them. "Now that you've been tended to, I'll tend your dragon and then my own."

He swung around, stalking out. Abigaileth was in her weyr, Threadscored. J'thro began slathering the numbweed on her injuries. Her injuries weren't as bad as he had thought. J'thro noticed she hung her head, embarrassed. He patted her soothingly, "You'll be okay, lady mine."

Duckoth was a little longer in tending; he had flown hard and accomplished so much and more. J'thro was thankful to his dragon. Duckoth was quite proud.

J'thro was bone tired as he doubled back to check on Abigaileth. He stopped when he heard A'tony speaking.

"... didn't work out like we thought huh, beautiful? I was so proud of you out there though - you were so wonderful. You fly so gracefully. As usual, I screwed it up - I got you hurt. There just aren't words to say how much I hate myself for that."

J'thro wanted to move forward to comfort his mate, but he didn't want to disturb a private moment between A’tony and his dragon. So he stood still.

"I thought it would make things better, but nothing is worth you getting hurt."

There was a dry, bitter laugh. Abigaileth was obviously speaking to A'tony.

"As far as F’nell or the rest of weyr goes, I'll never be more than a toy for J'thro."

A'tony's tone was defeated. Another pause. J'thro couldn't have moved if he wanted to.

"No, Abigaileth, there isn't anything to be done. I'm the only one who has a gold. Thanks for trying to help... but I wouldn't trade you or J'thro for my pride."

A'tony's voice held a tone of resignation. J'thro closed his eyes. He hadn't realized that A'tony was suffering. There wasn't much he could do about the rest of the weyr now, but he could help A'tony.

He moved forward, seeing his mate against dragon's side, petting her gently. A'tony looked up startled. J'thro scooped A'tony up in his arms, and carried him easily to their bed.

J'thro pressed his lips gently to A'tony's. He traced his tongue over A'tony's abused lip. J'thro took his time, making the trace slow and gentle. His hands slid slowly up to A'tony's neck, slowly tracing his bite mark. A'tony's eyes were already a green haze. J'thro worked both sets of their leathers off, enjoying unwrapping his mate. He craved the touch of skin on skin.

A'tony was such a wonder. He was a gift, a cherished mate. His touch drifted up and down. J'thro shifted them onto their sides. A'tony raised his leg. J'thro slicked and stretched him.

Their mating was a tender, slow affair. J'thro didn't rush. He made sure to be take care of A'tony, not touching the injured flesh or arm. J'thro wasn't very good at words, but his touch sent his love, his adoration. A'tony was his own bright star.

Tomorrow he'd set the weyr straight.