Vollen was flying when he heard the scream. He turned towards it before he consciously recognized it. Then he realized it was Sarah, and started beating his wings faster. The great iridescent dragon shot like an arrow through the night sky, towards the sounds of his mate screaming in pain.





By the time he arrived the fight was already over. The humans were scattered on the ground, dead or quickly dying. The scent of blood was in the air, mostly human, but unmistakably to Vollen, the scent of gryphon blood was mixed in. He growled, the humans were lucky they were already dead. If he had his way they would suffer for days for daring to touch his love, much less draw blood. He couldn't see Sarah though, until he heard her voice call out to him.





"Vollen. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." In an instant he was by her side, looking over her. Her feathers were coated with blood, and her beak had a thin crack near the tip. The cuts were bad, and his heart bled with her, but it broke when he saw her wings.





"Shh, shh, don't be sorry. What are you sorry for, silly bird." Sobs wracked through her body, but Vollen fought back his own tears. They could come, he promised them, but not until his love was safe.





"I didn't, I couldn't see them, and then there were dozens of them it seemed, and they, I'm sorry."





"Shh, shh, come on. It's ok, it'll be ok." He gently pressed his head against hers and churred, the vibrations passing from his skull to hers. "You're gonna be ok." He whispered to her. Slowly, her sobbing stopped and Vollen pulled his head back. Sarah was looking up at him, tears still in her eyes, but the panic was gone. "I'm gonna clean you up, alright. Then we'll get you home." The gryphon nodded, and Vollen gave her one long lick, from the tip of her beak to her forehead, then got to work. His tongue swept over her body, lightly at first. The blood was mostly still wet, so it easily came off her silky feathers. At a few places, he tasted her own hot blood, and dug in deeper, cleaning the wounds the humans had left in her body. Sarah winced when he did this, but otherwise didn't complain, at times even enjoying her mate's gentle touch. Until he started, even more gently, brushing against her left wing, and she screamed.





Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to lose control again. So she slammed her beak and eyes shut and tried to think about something, anything else. Vollen had pulled back when she screamed, but after seeing her face went back to work, as gently as possible. Sarah winced, but managed to think about the sound of the river near their cave, swift and constant. the way the water bounced off the rocks and sloshed around the banks, the way the light played between the water. She focused on that, and pushed her beak closed tight, and didn't even realize that Vollen had stopped until he spoke up again.





"Are your legs ok?" She opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her. She almost burst into tears again, but instead just nodded.





"I can walk."





"Lets get you home then. We should be able to make it before dusk."





Sarah nodded again, then stood up. Her legs were, miraculously, almost untouched. The humans had focused their attacks on her wings, trying to keep her from flying off. Well, they had succeeded at that, she thought ruefully. They had grounded her and forced her to fight, not that it had done them any good. She felt a grim sort of satisfaction knowing how dearly her wounds had cost them.





The walk was painful, every step jostled her wings, but she refused to stop until they reached the cave she and her mate called home. She heard the river, faintly, and blocked out the sound, wondering how long it would be before she could hear it and not think of pain. Vollen had been quiet on the walk, and Sarah was happy to return the silence, focusing on each step, but when she lay down in her nest, she needed something to distract her.





"So how was your day?" She asked, then laughed gently at the dragon's face. He laughed too, after a moment, realizing what she wanted.





"Not too bad until the end. Looks like the herds are coming back in the plains, should be good hunting for a while."





"Good, good." Sarah said, casting her mind out for something else to talk about. Vollen was looking at her, concern in every line of his face. She sighed, deciding there was no point in putting it off. "It's broken Vollen."





"It might not be." He said quickly.





"I think I'd know. Trust me, my bones don't bend like that."





"Well, maybe it'll heal."





"We both know it won't Vollen."





"It might." He said desperately. "It could get better." The look in his eyes almost made Sarah start to cry again, but she refused to. Not now.





"Vollen..."





"It might!" The dragon insisted. "And even if it doesn't, I can take care of us both." The look in his eyes, Sarah almost believed him. Wanted to believe him.





"Alright. Maybe I'll get lucky. But if I don't, if you can't..."





"I can." he said, as if daring the world to prove him wrong. He sat down beside her, nuzzling her lovingly. "You're gonna be ok, I promise."





"Ok." Sarah said. She wished she had as much faith as Vollen did, but maybe he was right.

___________________________________________________________________________________





The next few months were hard on them both. Sarah couldn't hunt with a broken wing (Healing wing, Vollen insisted on saying. Less and less as it became painfully clear that it wasn't in fact healing), and Vollen spent most of his time hunting for them both. At first, it was manageable. The herds had come back, and Vollen was able to come back with enough food for both of them most nights. Sarah started learning how to fish in the river too, it wasn't enough to feed them, but it was a nice supplement as the herds started leaving again and food became harder to catch. And it gave her something to do instead of lie in the cave feeling sorry for herself while Vollen was gone. Something that made her feel a little less useless. Then winter started reaching it's icy hands against their home, making it even harder to find food. Winters were always hard, and with only one of them hunting...









Vollen insisted on giving Sarah full meals. She needed her strength to heal, he said, and wouldn't hear a word against it. The fear in his eyes broke Sarah's heart every evening when he came home, just for a second before he managed to hide it from her, so she let him feed her, but insisted he eat something every night. Then Vollen started losing weight, his skin sagging off his bones, and she couldn't take it any longer.





She woke up one morning to Vollen's warmth slipping gently away from her. He was getting up before dawn, and coming back after dusk, each night with less to show for it. The big game had all left by now, and Vollen was having trouble catching enough raccoons and rabbits to feed Sarah, let alone himself. He was fading away before her eyes.





"Vollen," she called out. Her mate looked back at her, and smiled. After all this, he still loved her. Had never resented a mouthful she cost him. "Vollen, don't go." She said, smiling back at him.





"I have to." he whispered, gently pressing their heads together. "I need to hunt or we'll starve. I'm sorry to leave you here but I don't have a choice."





"You're starving anyway." Sarah whispered back.





"I'm fine." Vollen said for the hundredth time. "We always lose some weight during the winter, you know that. But we'll get through."





"No we won't." Sarah said, pulling away from him. "We can't. But you can."





"WE can." Vollen insisted. "You can't expect me to just feed myself and watch you starve, can you?"





"That's what you're doing to me." Sarah said gently.





"I'm fine" Vollen said again, but Sarah pressed on.





"Vollen think about what's going to happen. You are starving. Without enough food, you'll have an even harder time catching anything, and you'll starve faster. And if you keep feeding me until you starve to death, then I'll start to starve too. We'll both die, slowly and painfully, wasting away. Please don't let that happen."





"I'll catch enough." He said. "Just one big meal, that'll set us both right. I'll find something, you'll see."





"I agree. You need a big meal. But you aren't going to go hunting for it Vollen. It's already here"





"I don't..." realization dawned in his eyes. Sarah looked down, away from his gaze. "NO." he said simply. Finally.





"Vollen please." But the dragon was already leaving, and Sarah knew she couldn't stop him. She cried as he flew away, for the first time in months.





Vollen came back that evening with hardly any food. Sarah took a breath as he walked into the cave with 3 rabbits he had managed to catch, small and scrawny. He shoved one of them to Sarah and kept the other two for himself. "Since you're so convinced I'm starving and all." he said. Sarah gulped hers down in about a second. By the time she was done so was Vollen.





"You feel nice and full?" she asked him sarcastically. His stomach growled in response, upset at the paltry offering it had received.





"Stuffed." He said, then lay down where he stood. "I need to sleep. I love you Sarah."





"Vollen, please don't do this to me."





"Dont do this to you? Sarah, what's the alternative. Don't!" He said as she started to speak. "What you said this morning isn't an option."





"It's the only option." Sara said, standing up and walking to her love. "Look at me" she commanded, placing a talon gently under his chin. "The option is we both starve, or one of us lives and the other goes much less painfully. It's a better outcome for us both."





"I can't live without you." Vollen had tears in his eyes as he spoke. "Don't ask me to. Please don't."





"If it was the other way around, wouldn't you rather I live?"





"Of course! But..."





"But nothing. I know that you'd do the same for me, and you know that I'd hate it just as much as you do. I know it's awful, but this is the best option we have." She looked into his eyes and saw the pain, the rage, all the strength and passion that she fell in love with years ago.





"Fuck me" she said suddenly, surprising herself as much as Vollen.





"What?" he asked, not sure he understood.





"This is our last night together." she said. "Don't argue, it is. I swear to you Vollen, if you leave tomorrow morning I'm going to find a nice tall cliff to jump off of while you're gone and hope that you find my body before some damned scavengers do." Vollen winced. "With that in mind, I want it to be a good night, one you can remember and maybe smile about some day. You know what no, that's bullshit, this night will suck for you no matter what. But you've been gone or tired, and we haven't mated in months. If this is my last night, then I want to spend it showing you how much I love you, and I want you to spend it giving me as much pleasure as possible. I don't want to die all pent up like this. So fuck me, please. And then, you'll get a nice big meal, and time to sleep it off."





Sarah knew she was nearly dripping already. She couldn't remember the last time she had even thought about sex, she had been too hungry, too worried, too cold. But now that she had, her body was responding with its full agreement. She needed him right now, desperately.





Vollen drew in a breath to argue, then stopped as his eyes grew wide. He could smell her need, it hit him like a wave. Like her, he had been to worried and too busy to even think about pleasure, but with her pheromones suddenly pounding into him... suddenly his cock was poking into his belly, bouncing with each pulse of his heart. He didn't even feel hungry anymore- the only thing in his mind was his need for her. He sniffed again, and could almost pinpoint her warm cunt just from scent. Another breath, and Vollen was gone, replaced by a being of pure lust.





Sarah was hardly in control either. She had turned around and presented her dripping slit to her lover- no, to the virile male who was here with her right now. She didn't want control, she didn't want to think, only to feel as Vollen pressed against her, desperate thrusts driving his cock into her thighs, her belly, and finally, wonderfully, piercing into her depths in a quick sudden stab. She screamed in pleasure as she felt him enter her, and squeezed tight around him, insanely fearful that he might try to leave. Her claws flexed against the cold stone floor as the male behind her desperately bucked and humped into her. She came without warning, and it felt like a wonderful warmth spread from her sex, filling every inch of her body, stopping just below her skin. She panted as she rode out her climax, not from heat or exhaustion but from pleasure, realizing in her daze that Vollen had stopped thrusting into her. He had come too, filling her with his seed and his love. Less than a minute had passed since he had entered her, and already his quickly softening cock was starting to slide messily from her depths.





Vollen fell back from his mate, landing squarely on his ass behind her. He was laughing, and Sarah was too. "Did, umm, did..."





"Neither of us lasted long my love. God, I needed that though. It's been far too long." Sarah collapsed in front of him, and Vollen was dissapointed to see the view go. With her ass in the air, her pussy had been at just about eye level for him, and he could see his seed starting to seep out before she fell to the ground.





"Thank you." Sarah said, her eyes closed. Every muscle felt like mush, not even her wings hurt. "That was... well it's nice to go off on a good note at least, right? Get one last good thing in?"





"Who said that was the last good thing?" Vollen asked behind her. Sarah turned on the ground to look at him.





"My love, I meant what I said. You need food, and I refuse to be a burden any longer."





"I know." Vollen said. "And you're right. I can see that now, I always could I guess, I just didn't want to. But you also said that you wanted to spend your last night sharing as much pleasure as we could, right? Well the night is still young."





"Vallen, you're exhausted. I don't want to force you to waste more energy on me."





"You're right. What a horrible mate I have, wanting me to spend all night fucking her silly before she sacrifices everything for me. How selfish of her. I should just lie down right now, force her to feed herself to me."





Sarah giggled and shakily stood up. "Well, if you insist." She ducked her head down and lightly butted Vollen's mouth. "Open up at least."





Vollen raised his head above her. "No. I'll suffer through and give her what she wants, because that's the kind of mate I am." Sarah rubbed against his chest, her soft feathers tickling his hard scales. They stayed like that for a long moment, longer than they had fucked by far, just feeling each other's warmth. After a while, Sarah looked up and saw that Vollen's eyes were closed. His breath was slow and steady. The dragon had fallen asleep sitting up. She slowly pulled away from him and gently guided him to the floor. He rolled over and curled slightly, and Sarah happily snuggled inside his curve. She heard his stomach growl again and lightly nuzzled it. She fell asleep resting her head against it, listening to his body make quick work of the rabbits he had had for dinner.





She woke up before him for once. It seems like his knowledge that he wouldn't have to hunt today let his body finally shut down and get the rest he needed. Or maybe he had woken up already and fallen back asleep, not wanting to wake her. Either way Sarah slowly lifted herself off of him and looked at her mate. What she saw only strengthened her resolve- his muscles once so powerful now looked saggy, his scales no longer shown with their rainbow glow in the first few rays of dawn peaking through the entrance to their cave. He looked old, she realized. He is still young, but he looks ancient. He had sacrificed so much to try and save her, she was glad to be able to sacrifice for him. She had a brief moment of panic where she thought he wasn't breathing, that they had waited too long, but then she saw his chest expand again and she breathed a sigh of relief. She snuggled back into him, resting her head against his belly again. It was completely empty now, she could tell. Ready and waiting for her. She shivered at that thought, but not with fear she realized. She was excited for it, for a chance to be useful again, to give back to the one she loved with her entire being. She cooed lightly at the thought, and Vollen stirred for a moment, but didn't wake. She drifted off again, not fully to sleep but in a kind of stupor, waiting for her mate to wake up and claim her, fully.





Finally Vollen did wake up. Sarah pulled off him again and looked into his open eyes. "Hi." She said.





"Hi." Vollen replied, looking down away from her. "I fell asleep didn't I?"





"You were tired. It's ok."





"I wanted to give you a good night."





"Give me a good day then." She said. "Unless you're hungry now."





His stomach growled just then, and they both laughed. Vallen sat up, looking at his mate. "I think I can hold off for a bit."





"Not much longer though. Promise me." Sarah looked at him. "You won't fall asleep again without eating, ok?"





"I promise." He licked Sarah's face, then her neck. The gryphon stood up and fell onto her side, letting her draconic love run his tongue along her belly, working steadily down, nuzzling into her feathers every few inches, until he slowly reached her waiting slit. He ran his tongue across it gently, then lifted his face from her sex. "Stand up."





Sarah complied, turning over and raising her rear in the air for him. He mounted her again, not with as much need as the night before. He wasn't lost to his instinct this time, and as he slowly pushed into her warm depths, feeling her slick and ready for him, he stayed in control.





"You feel so good." He whispered, slowly rocking his hips back and forth. "I love you so much."





"And I love you." Sarah whispered back, pushing against him, wanting to keep his cock inside her each time he pulled away, pleasure wracking her body each time he slid back into her. "Harder." she said. It wasn't a question or a request, it was a command that Vollen gladly obeyed, picking up speed and force with each of his thrusts.





The dragon was already growing tired, he had so little energy left, but he could give her this. Sarah moaned beneath him and he pushed into her and ground against her. He lifted himself up a bit and Sarah screamed. It took him just a second to recognize that it wasn't a scream of pleasure, that she was in pain. He had pushed against her broken wing and twisted it, stretching her sinew. He pulled out and went to her side instantly.





"I'm sorry I'm sorry" he began, but Sarah's glare stopped him.





"Fuck me." She said. There were tears in her eyes and her voice was hard. "Fuck me one last time Vollen. Now." So the dragon obeyed, getting behind Sarah again. His lust was gone, as was his erection, fled with the knowledge that he had hurt her. So instead of mounting her, he dipped his tongue back into her depths. This was no teasing like before, he knew what she liked. He was using his tongue as he would his cock, shoving it as far into her as it would reach and slurping it back to swallow her fluids. His hand came up to paw at her flank, he felt Sarah shudder as he squeezed, and for a moment was worried. But then she started squirming, riding his tongue and squeezing around it. She gasped and came, and Vollen pulled his tongue out of his love and quickly mounted her again.





His hardness was back, coming out of hiding at the taste of his mate's sex and the sound of her pleasure, and he plunged it into her and held on as the walls of her pussy rippled around him. Once they stopped, he began thrusting into her again, faster than before, needing his own release. He came and collapsed at almost the same time, his cock popping out still pulsing, his seed spilling on the ground even as the first spurt started to drip from his mate. He fell to the ground, spent, pleasure and exhaustion fighting for dominance in his body. His eyes closed again, and he wasn't sure how long it was before he felt Sarah nuzzling against his neck. Then his cheek, and finally, gently working open his jaws. "I shouldn't have pushed you." he heard just before Sarah pried his mouth open and pushed her face inside of him. She didn't waste time, worming her head into his throat and pushing herself into him with her back legs. Her front legs lifted up and Vollen relaxed his throat, letting it expand to take her. He had eaten bison whole before, the sensations of his maw and throat expanding brought back memories of their delicious taste, but this was something else. He didn't know if it was his hunger, his love, or simple preference but the taste of Sarah pushing into his throat was exquisite. She had always tasted good but this... he ran his tongue against her belly and gulped, helping her in her quest to save him.





Sarah wasn't afraid. She had expected to be, at the end, but she felt nothing but love and determination. And pain, when her wing finally came into Vollen's maw with the rest of her back. But that passed quickly, the soft flesh of her love's mouth and throat were surprisingly gentle, almost comfortable. She gasped as she felt his questing tongue lap at her sex again, and stopped for a moment to enjoy his ministration. But that was selfish she knew. He needed her, needed her body, in a much more immediate way than their sexual desire. So she continued slowly squirming her way into his belly. She felt his tongue pass by her slit as Vallen took another gulp, the last bits of her were inside his maw now. He closed his jaws and she felt the heat of his body fully envelop her, and smiled. A girl could get used to this, she thought. The rippling flesh around her felt like a massage, the heat relaxed every muscle in her body. The smell, well nothing's perfect, she decided.





She couldn't squirm anymore, his flesh was soft but tight around her, so she let his body do the final work of sliding her into his waiting stomach. It was entirely empty, and she curled up comfortably inside him. The air was stale, and she was tired. She wasn't sure if she'd pass out or fall asleep first. But until she did, she could make sure that Vollen still knew she loved him. She nuzzled the inside of his belly, churring happily. Becoming one with the being you love most in the world, helping them to survive and giving them everything? Sarah could think of worse fates.





Vollen looked as his engorged stomach. He felt guilty, he felt sad, and loss, but the most pressing thing was that he felt full, and good. He could feel his mind drift in and out as his body tried to shut down and work on this meal, this gift of life that his love had given him. He fought to stay conscious, wanting to be there for Sarah's final moments, but he wasn't sure he could. Then he felt a gentle prodding, rubbing really, from his stomach. He rubbed the spot and felt his love. He laid his head on the ground and felt her outline, slowing her motions as sleep overtook them both. "I love you" he whispered as his eyes closed again. "Thank you. And goodbye."