Breeding Program 4

Breeding Program Part 4: Replication of Results


The first thing Brian became aware of was the sudden brightness. When he fell asleep, it had still been night (or at least, very early morning) and he was snuggling into Nox to keep out the cold. Brian wasn't used to sleeping outside on the ground, certainly not while completely nude, but luckily for him, his dragon mate was very warm. After the night's activities, he had been exhausted enough to fall asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

He stood up, yawning, pressing his hands up and into the air; he stretched his entire body, hearing several creaks and pops from his spine. Ngh. Next time he'd bring a bed. It was just late enough for the sun to have chased away all the mist and fog of the night, but it was still hanging low — just over the treetops — and there remained a chill in the air and on his bare skin. It was December, after all. The morning birds were beginning to call, and the variety of rabbits and weasels were starting to rustle around in the bushes.

For the first time in several weeks, Brian hadn't woken with raging morning-wood. It had been like a constant (though unwanted) companion every time his alarm went off. Whether he'd been groggy, sick, hungover, or whatever else, it greeted him with a throb and a drip and a howdy-do. But not today. No, today it was shriveled and spent and sore from hours upon hours of attention. Little wonder...


Brian had responded immediately to Nox's invitation. The wet opening of the Drake's slit, the very tip of his penis poking out below it to remind him of his mate's enduring maleness, it all beckoned him. He rose to his hands and knees, crawled over on weak legs, reached up to hold Nox's tail, bent down and began to lick and kiss at the protruding anus once again. It was much wetter than before. Were Night Drakes self-lubricated? There was still so much to learn... But Nox took a few steps forward with a snort, leaving Brian kissing empty air.

"Right," he thought. "He wants to be fucked, not worshipped."

The idea of it was almost crazy. Reciprocation of mating position was common for Night Drakes, true, but it still seemed wrong to some part of him. Nox needed to cum, and now he had; what more did he have to gain from this?

He looked over, and his mate was looking back, waiting. He whined. Despite attaining his desperate release, the dragon still seemed very needy. Brian had placed himself on a slight rise on the ground, and he shuffled closer to Nox on his knees, his erection near. Nox didn't wait, he lowered his back end and pushed right against his mate, his wet slit shoving into Brian's crotch. The Drake's warm and wet donut ended up pressed to the underside of his cock, pinning it to his stomach. It pulsed and squeezed.

Nox whined again, much louder.

"Okay, okay! I get it. You do want this."

Starting to pant with anticipation, he grasped at his painfully hard cock, pressed the tip to Nox's opening. The soft ring seemed so big, and his penis so small compared to it. How could he even please Nox when he was so small? He didn't have a big dragon's malehood. But the heat was enveloping him. His own need was throbbing through his whole body, overflowing from his penis. The hole was dripping wet, aching for him, and he felt a sudden rush of need to fill it, whether he was sufficiently large or not. His mate's sex was so hot and pretty, and his own cock so hard and full.

He pushed his tip in, and was seized by a wave of pleasure. Nox was squeezing so tight, pulling his length inside in a few moments. Groaning, closing his eyes, he wrapped both arms around the bulk of Nox's tail. He paused for a moment, just savoring it, loving it. Without thinking, his hips started to move on their own, humping into that delicious heat. Within seconds, he was on the knife edge of orgasm, and the world fell away. There was nothing but his swollen cock and the warmth and wetness it was buried in. Nothing else mattered but that feeling, and he greedily enjoyed himself with it.

Brian was practiced at edging, had topped in sex before, and planned on making this last a long while. He'd spent a month holding back this orgasm, and wanted it to be a good one. He thrust into the heat, ignoring all else. But there was movement against him, a sudden squirming, and... loud noises. Brian's selfish tunnel of lust opened wide in a moment, and he heard Nox. He'd been staring unseeing into space, but now his vision focused on his mate. The dragon had his eyes closed, his claws were digging into the dirt, and he was groaning and growling hard, drooling onto the ground, pressing desperately back into the human.

Was— was all this just from him? His small penis? Was Nox really enjoying it so much? The realization came in a moment: he felt the Drake's own erection, fat and throbbing and exposed, the base pressed against his balls. He could smell its thick musk, its dripping pre. When he slowed his thrusts, Nox practically screamed, grinding hard against Brian. The feeling of it all was just too much. Brian lost all concentration, and a sudden love poured from his heart, filling his whole body with a soft and pleasant warmth.

This dragon, this beautiful wonderful dragon, now seemed so small and vulnerable underneath him. His hand looked so much larger and stronger caressing the ridge along his spine. He'd given himself to Brian, and Brian was mating with him. Yes. Nox, his mate, it was— it was—

It was too much. Too much feeling and love. From that moment of intense clarity, Brian didn't last more than a few more thrusts. He leaned forward, pushing to the side of Nox's tail, rested his head on the dragon's back, and cried out with his orgasm. He gushed inside with such volume that each spurt barely finished before the next sprayed out. He gripped his arms around Nox's thighs, bucking inside the tight hole. His screamed and saw stars and saw Nox, saw a world made of nothing but green-and-turquoise scales and an instinctual animal love. It washed through him, wave after wave of gentle pleasure, not dropping away, but just fading slowly over several minutes.

He was barely aware that it was over by Nox's purrs, the same sounds he'd made when he had cum inside Brian. He couldn't move, just settled down on top of the heat of Nox's back. The Drake reached back and grabbed Brian's wrist in his mouth, surprising him. He pulled it forward and shoved back against the human, keeping his penis buried down to the hilt, then let go of his hand and nuzzled it and licked it.

Brian panted, moaned, said: "S... sorry. M'done already. Can't... s— squirt anymore. But I'll stay, if you want me to."

Nox did. His tight opening constricted around the base of Brian's penis, keeping it there, milking a few more drops out. Brian stayed hard, but after ten or so minutes, when the time seemed right, he pulled himself from Nox's heat.

They cuddled and licked each other for a while more, before it became apparent that Nox needed another release. The Drake was erect and starting to get pushy again. The second time being mounted was even better for Brian. He was still stretched open from before, and so he let Nox pound him hard. They were loud and rough and they growled and slapped into each other, and it was very good. Brian was in a fog of lust and wonder, enjoying dragon sex, feeling for every moment consumed by ecstasy from his mate and his mate's cock.

When they finally separated, and Nox had filled him with another load of Night Drake cum (and just as immensely voluminous as the first), Brian was ready to try again from the other end. Some nagging doubt had him convinced that he could please Nox even more if only he'd had a thick nine- or ten-inch penis just like a dragon. It occurred to him that his mate might enjoy being fisted — being properly filled.

He approached Nox from behind, and pushed two fingers gently into the tight ring. It was still squeezing a lot, but seemed able to expand. His coated his hand with a combination of his own spit and Nox's natural lubricant, and gathering his fingers and thumb into a close bundle, eased them into the opening. The ring stretched and stretched, the big donut quivering around his fingers, but then Nox started to whine. He was trembling, and his engorged penis started to pull upward into his slit. Brian's hand met a powerful resistance, and the dragon's opening wouldn't stretch any larger. He stopped, pulled his hand out.

"Did that hurt?"

His mate grunted, squirming around.

Brian looked at his hand, wonderingly. It actually made sense. Juvenile Night Drakes mated with females. Their anuses were still immature and small, and it seemed that they couldn't comfortably take the penis of another male. At least, not a dragon male. He had to laugh.

"I guess I'm just the right size for you, after all."

When he mounted Nox, filled his hole with his own penis, the dragon sighed with contentment. Brian dominated him gently, slowly this time. He ran his hands over every part of Nox that he could reach, caressing his rump, rubbing his sides, tracing fingertips over the delicate bones and striations of his wings. He lay on Nox's back, gripped his waist, rocked gently back and forth and in and out, while the dragon cried out with pleasure and moved with him. He reached around, grasping at Nox's own cock. He played with it, stroked it, still marveling at the size and firmness. He rubbed the underside of it against his balls, then pulled it gently to an angle where it pointed backwards. The whole of Brian's crotch was dripping with wetness from both their fluids, running down his legs. Gently, lovingly, he pressed the length of Nox's sex between his slick thighs, squeezed it in between. The hot press of his skin stroked at the stiff cock while Brian continued humping into the dragon's hole.

This combined stimulation was wonderful, the throbbing of the big dragon cock under his tight balls, pulsing with the same rhythm as the squeezing around his own. The intensity at which his efforts were making Nox growl and whine and cry out brought him to orgasm, and he didn't fight it or hold back. Nox wanted his cum. He let it out, and thought it wasn't as much as before, it was enough for Nox, who purred and loved it when his human mate filled his insides.

Brian didn't remember pulling away; there was just an impression of warmth, of being held and licked, and then he was asleep.


Brian looked over at his mate, who was also just starting to stir. For a moment, Nox seemed confused at his solitary state. The soft form of the human who had been nestled against his belly and tangled up in his limbs had suddenly gone. His eyes snapped open wide, scanned the area, then found Brian and softened, content. Brian smiled back. The Drake wriggled around on the grass, opened his maw wide in a powerful yawn, stretched his limbs, and unfurled his wings to their impressive full span before folding them back to a resting position on his back. As if ready to go back to sleep, he laid his head back on the ground, but still continued to look up at Brian, waiting.

"What?"

Nox whined.

"You, uh, want something...?"

The hesitation from Nox lasted only a few moments, before he stood up and approached Brian with obvious purpose. The human had no idea how, but his dragon mate was aroused again, dripping again, needy again. They touched and licked one another, cuddled and held one another, and then mated again. As per their established pattern, Nox mounted and released first.  Brian then followed Nox's action (somehow getting erect through his passionate love alone) and penetrated the Drake. At one point during his thrusting and loving caresses, a small part of Brian's mind felt a nagging worry about the light of day. Without the cover of darkness, he was feeling a little exposed and modest about both his nudity and the sex. But these thoughts did not last. It just felt so good. There were nothing but bird and bees out there to witness their lustful embrace.

When Brian came, he screamed with the almost-painful intensity of it, and his climax was nothing more than a few weak dribbles. Nox seemed to interpret this reaction fondly, and pushed back into his human mate with a purr of satisfaction. He clearly enjoyed allowing his lover to feel good, over all else.

They stood up and separated (but by no more than a few feet), and Brian stretched again, yawning. After yet another wonderful hour of sex, he could have curled up with Nox and dozed away the rest of the morning, but he did not want to. His body was tired, but his mind was spinning with activity. There was so much to do. Now that it was daybreak, he itched to go back to the Blind and start writing down his experiences in full detail before he forgot them.

He looked over at Nox, and said: "Or before you fuck me into a drooling, useless mess."

Nox chortled, tilted his head over and looked back. He was so damn cute, so damn sexy, so much the most perfect dragon to have ever lived. Despite everything, just one look into the Drake's pretty eyes made Brian's penis throb. He winced.

Nox blinked and whined with concern, padding over and nuzzling Brian's arm.

"Urgh. Ow. I think we're gonna have to wait until late tonight before I'm ready for more."

The dragon grunted, accepting this, even if he wasn't happy about it.

Brian smiled broadly. On some strange level, they were communicating. There was no way Nox could understand the intricacies of human speech, so it had to be non-verbal, or perhaps just by the tone. He knew dogs could understand how their master was feeling toward them whether they yelled out "Bad dog!" or "Good dog!" in the same tone, or even if it was some gibberish. A dog who knew how to sit would usually do so if they were told to sit in English, Spanish, or German. In the animal kingdom, there were no such things as words, only broad concepts and intentions telegraphed through body language and a variety of noises.

There were just so many possible explanations! Brian found himself looking around in futility at the dirt and grass around his feet, wishing he had something to write on. He wished that he had somehow managed to bring a notebook and pen along so he could record his observations and theories as they came to him.

Into his mind came the image of him bent over Nox, humping deep into his mate's hot slit... and using the flat of his back between his wings as a desk for his notebook, scribbling away research data while in the middle of sex. It brought out a boyish titter of giggles, and Nox glared at him in response, as if he knew he was the butt of that particular joke.

"Well then. We should be getting back to the Blind and...,"

He looked over at the forest. It stretched on out of sight in both directions. All the trees looked the same. All the paths looked the same. He knew the right way to go was on this side of the river, but that was still roughly 180 degrees of unknown.

"...and, shit."

A momentary shiver of panic crawled up his back. There was no way he could navigate that forest. Even if it was only a half-mile to the Courting Grounds, he'd end up getting lost and walking in circles. He had no woods savvy, no compass, no GPS (his phone still in his pants pocket).

But he had Nox! Brian perked up, but then frowned. No, no good. After mating, natural Night Drake behavior would be to leave the area and head to either of the two partner's territory to spend the next six months together. There was no reason to head back to the Courting Grounds. Even if he WANTED to go off into the wilderness with his dragon mate, naked and free like Mowgli, the fence gates were also still closed and locked, and he had no tools to force them open. Besides, he still had to write down his damned notes! He needed to collect the cameras, upload their data, gather his clothes scattered about, and most importantly: selectively erase security camera footage of his courting session with Nox. He didn't want anyone to know what had happened between them, at least not yet. He had to get back, and his dragon mate was the only one who knew the way.

Brian spent a few minutes "talking" to Nox, to no avail. Every attempt he made at trying to describe the Blind just left the young Drake confused. There wasn't any simple and non-verbal way to indicate what he wanted: no method for illustrating a building, or the Grounds, or weird human things like radar or cameras or electricity, much less a concept like time, as in "the past" or "yesterday". He couldn't even figure out how to draw a distinctive clearing. Both of them were just getting frustrated.

Fed up, he walked over to the river and kicked in anger at the water. To spite him, a large clump of slimy weeds and branches stuck to his foot. He fell backwards on his butt trying to shake them off, and they wrapped almost completely around one leg. It was like a green and brown pant leg, and this image gave Brian an idea. Clothes. He'd left his clothes on the ground back near the Blind, and Nox had watched him take them off; he had recognized that Brian showed up wearing clothes and then became naked when they courted and mated. It could work.

He grabbed more clumps of weeds from the river, and made a pile. Once he had enough, he draped some over his shoulders, wrapped some around his waist and his legs — he looked like the goddamned Creature From The Black Lagoon. The whole time, Nox watched him do this, with that adorable tilted-head quizzical look that made Brian lose concentration and want to have more sex. He pushed those feelings away.

"Okay, pay attention!" he said. He pointed to the weeds on his shoulders and said: "Clothes!"

Nox grunted, his head tilting the other way, eyes narrowed.

Brian pulled off the weeds, piled them back on the ground, took a step away, and pointed at them. "Clothes!" he said again.

Nox blinked, paused, tilted his head back the other way and grunted again.

Walking over to the edge of the trees, Brian pointed off in a vague direction and said, "Clothes!"

Immediately, Nox churred with happiness, and trotted over to Brian's side. He pressed against him, and then started to walk into the forest. Brian followed him, smiling widely again. That had taken no time at all. If Nox took him to the right place, it proved dragons were even smarter than was previously thought.


Their walk through the woods took more time than Brian remembered it taking the previous night. He was worried that Nox wasn't going in the correct direction, but felt that it was okay to put his full trust in his mate. When the forest started to thin, he was suddenly able to see the spreading expanse of the Courting Grounds. It worked! Nox had brought him back, which meant he had understood Brian's description of the clothes, which meant... oh, there was so much to write down! Giving a whoop of triumph, he ran into the Grounds. His clothes would be lying on the ground right next to the Blind, which would make locating the door trivial. His eyes scanned the short grasses, and then he stopped. Where were they...? He could have sworn that—

A chill ran down his back. He felt eyes upon him, behind him, and there was a sudden fear as if he were a prey animal caught in the gaze of a predator ready to pounce. There were two of them, two predators, he knew; but how could he know that? How?!

He spun around, and his mind blanked out. Deer in the headlights. He couldn't move or think. There were two: his fellow researchers.

"Brian?!" blurted out one of the men. It was Marco, a kindly tall Hispanic with dark hair and eyes that were as wide as saucers.

All he could do was remember that he was naked as a jaybird, and bring his hands down to cover his private parts. It hurt to suddenly feel human shame again.

"What the Hell are you doing out here playing Tarzan?" asked the other, Taylor, a shrimpy and hot-blooded, blonde-and-blue-eyed American. "You fucking moron!"

"We found your clothes and thought you were dead! Eaten!" said Marco. "Mister Daywell is here, too. He's inside looking at the camera footage trying to figure out what happened. Oh, thank Christ you're safe."

The brush behind Brian rustled, and all three men heard it and looked. There was a shimmer of light, and then Nox appeared about twenty feet away. His head was down, eyes narrowed, wings shaking, and he was growling with rage. Brian spun around, realizing for the first time that both his fellows were holding rifles. Not stun guns; real ones loaded with live ammunition.

"Wait, wait! Don't!" Brian yelped out with a voice that was too weak and had no authority.

The men raised their guns in concert, one of them shouting: "Dragon! Get down!!"

Brian's vision went red at the edges, and once again he was running toward Nox, his mind screaming. Shot in the back while running toward a dragon, his gravestone would say. The feeling of the guns behind him seemed to burn the bare skin of his back. Would they really fire? Would they hit him or Nox?

'Ohh, please let it hit me!' he thought to himself. 'I can go to a hospital. I'll survive. I'll be okay. Let it be me!'

Every step was an eternity. Nox seemed too far away. Brian's legs felt heavy like in a dream. Slow, distorted yelling echoed in his ears, and he couldn't understand the words. Every moment he was sure he would hear the sound of a gunshot, and he prayed that his body would still be between his mate and the hunters behind them.

He reached Nox, wrapped his arms around his neck, threw himself partially on top of the dragon, touching him, feeling him, needing to know he was still there and still alive. He'd never felt so scared. Nox was still growling, still concentrating on the humans.

"Wait! Don't shoot! PLEASE!!" Brian screamed. "It's okay, we're okay! He's harmless, see?!" And he clung to his mate as if Nox would disappear into smoke if he let go for a second, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

The two men had run toward them, closing the distance, still pointing their guns and trying to get a clear shot. Nox spread his wings, and his growl became a roar. Despite being a juvenile, his sound was still loud and heavy with dominance and aggression. If Night Drakes could breath fire, those humans would already be toasted. Somehow, Brian recognized the tone, knew Nox's thoughts, and turned to face his mate.

"Stop! Nox! They won't hurt me! They're my FRIENDS!" and he tried to make the last word sound positive.

Nox stopped, shut his mouth with a snap. He looked at Brian with those big pretty eyes, then back at the humans, and growled again. His tone was different now, and Brian knew it, felt it.

"Don't... move...," said Marco, who was still creeping closer, aiming carefully down the sights of his rifle. "I've almost... almost..."

Brian paid him no heed, but grabbed the sides of Nox's head and pulled the Drake's gaze back to him. "It's okay. YOU are my mate. They won't take me away. I love you. Only you." He nuzzled his forehead against Nox's, and the dragon pushed back. His wings dropped, his body relaxed, and he purred with understanding and contentment. Brian let out a sigh of relief.

The two men heard Brian's words, and now Taylor said: "Just what the fuck is going on here?"

An authoritative voice suddenly cracked across the Grounds like a whip: "Lower the guns!" It was Martin Daywell, the project director, standing at the open door of the Blind. He called out: "Both of you, look down at the ground. Good. Now, turn around and walk back toward me, slowly. Repeat in your heads 'I submit', and 'I lose'. Slouch."

The men did as they were commanded, and Nox watched them go with satisfaction. Too far away for Brian to hear, Martin gave both the men whispered instructions. They entered the building, opened the trapdoor, and headed down the ladder.

Martin looked over, at the dragon and the trembling naked man clinging to him. Keeping his voice neutral, he said: "Get inside here, and leave your... mate... behind. I don't care how." He reached back into the building and came out with a fistful of crumpled clothing, which he tossed on the ground. "And for God's sake, get dressed before you come in." His face was scrunched up with disdain.



It took Brian some time to convince Nox to stay outside instead of trying to squeeze into the office after him. The dragon in question was currently lying outside the door, staring at it and ever so often letting out a soft and plaintive whine.

Brian sat on a chair in the Blind, his back to the far wall near the door. He was uncomfortable and itchy in his wrinkled clothes, and couldn't stop fidgeting. Across the room, standing with his back to Brian, looking over at the bank of monitors, was Martin, the director. His hands were clasped behind him. He looked much bigger and stronger than a man of sixty had any right to be, his thin grey hair that of a proud commander instead of an aged invalid.

On the various monitors were freeze frames of the recordings of Brian, naked, courting and worshipping Nox. The pictures were as clear as daylight, all the lurid details of their activities fully exposed. Brian felt as if all the most embarrassing moments of his life, and everything wrong he'd ever done, were being closely scrutinized, as if by Saint Peter.

Martin turned slowly, settling into a seat facing Brian. The remaining chairs had been lined up between them to form a makeshift desk and barrier.

Martin crossed his arms, let out a exasperated sigh, looked at Brian as if trying to read his mind. Finally, he said: "Don't bother confessing what you did; I watched the courting process on the security cameras and can infer what you two have been doing all night in the forest. Don't bother telling me what you were thinking; I can guess well enough. One half scientist and one half goddamn pervert. Anyone else would have just gotten killed by the dragon, but you went and formed a mating bond. I don't know whether I should be congratulating you as a scientist, or condemning you to Hell for bestiality."

"He is NOT some dumb animal!" Brian yelled, and he jumped to his feet with anger.

"Sit. Down," said Martin.

Brian did.

"How dare you," the older man said simply. "You're just some kid who fell into here a week ago. You know who I am. You know what the Daywell Foundation is. You know I've been researching Night Drakes for twenty years before your parents even started courting. I know dragons. I've touched them while they're sedated, done surgery when they're injured, performed autopsies when they've died. I've analyzed their brains in vivo and ex. I dissected his great-great-grandmother down to her bones. I know what they THINK, and that they do think.

"And you're going to sit there and tell me you know them better than I do, just because you've got a belly full of dragon semen?"

His frank vulgarity made Brian blanch and then turn red with shame.

"I've touched a Night Drake's penis, too," Martin continued. "Held one and observed its function, and even cut one into tiny pieces: analyzed the gross anatomy, and the tissues to the cellular level. So tell me. As a scientist. Which provides more information? Examination via microscope... or via tongue?"

Brian could not find any words. Could barely restrain his conflicting emotions or the tremble in his hands.

Director Daywell's stone look softened just a little, and he sighed again. "Look, Brian. I know this isn't easy. This isn't what you wanted. As upset as I am, as much as I can't forgive you for tainting the natural environment with your actions, you saved that Drake's life. The method was unorthodox, but I can't say with certainty that it was objectively wrong.

"But the simple fact is: while HE may be valuable, YOU are not. I could hardly care less about your feelings in this matter. My only concern is this program. If it would suit the greater purpose, I would send you on the next plane out of here and cover up this debacle no matter what had to get destroyed in the process."

This time, Brian stood with enough force to send his chair tipping over, and he marched over, shaking his fists, yelling: "If you hurt him, I swear to fucking God I will—"

"You will what? Kill me? Kill everyone? Burn the Blind and go gallivanting into the wilderness with your mate?"

"I-I... I would..."

"Stop acting like a child. Please. Face reality. You're not a dragon! You can't fly and can't hunt. You don't have claws or sharp teeth, or feet that can stand walking on rocks. You can't fight other Drakes for territory. Your mate can't protect you every second, so you won't even get chance to starve or freeze before you end up getting killed and then eaten. I give you two days, maximum, before you end up being the first researcher to explore the digestive tract of a living dragon from the inside."

"I'll tell someone, everyone. I'll go public," Brian mumbled. "Tell everyone that you split us up, split up two true mates."

"Oh, good," Martin said with an exaggerated nod. "Tell the media. Glorious. There's just one problem."

"What?"

"The public is ignorant. They don't know what happened here. They don't know a damn thing about Night Drake courting; they don't know the level of trust that has to be built. They will think it's IMPOSSIBLE for a human and a dragon to become mates; Hell, just a few hours ago I would have thought the same, and I'm the foremost authority on them. So, do you know what they would think?"

"Wh- what would they think?" Brian repeated like a schoolchild.

"That you raped him." He let those words sink into a shell-shocked and pale Brian for a few moments. "They would think that you tied him down, somehow, and brutally violated him for your own twisted enjoyment. They will say that you took advantage of an innocent dumb animal... who, by the way, is still a juvenile. Who is to say that they are wrong? There is camera footage of your courting activity, but nothing of the actual sex. They will think you fooled him by dancing, lured him into the forest, caught him in some kind of trap and then raped him."

Brian was starting to cry again. "That's— that's not...! I would never, never!"

"I know, Brian. I know. I'm not the idiot public. I know how you feel about him, and how he feels about you. But they don't know and they don't CARE! It's illegal to have sex with an animal, dragons included. They'll drag him out of here in chains, probe his slit to gather material evidence and find a match to your DNA. They'll say you raped him. They'll say he's been tainted by humans and has to be put down."

"No! Oh, please no!"

"And it won't just stop there. I can see the headlines. They'll accuse us all of similar crimes. The news will discuss rumors at length, about how everyone here took turns gang-banging Night Drakes. You, me, Taylor, Marco, Billy, Sandra, even Juliet in Records! We'll all be tried in a sensationalist court. We'll all go to jail until the investigation is complete. And as for the Night Drake Breeding Program? It will end. I guarantee it. This center, and all the other ones, will get shut down and destroyed. The Drakes will all get released back to the wild. You know what that means, right?"

Brian nodded weakly, looking down at the ground.

"Say it. I want to hear you say it!"

"They- they will all... die out there."

"Why is that?"

"B-because they're not ready. We haven't had time to acclimatize them. They can't... survive among other dragons. They haven't developed enough camouflage or the ability to defend themselves."

"But does the public know that? Hm? Who are they going to listen to? The expert opinion of a bunch of suspected pedophile dragon-rapists?"

Brian continued to cry, tears dripping silently to the wooden floor.

"So. Are you going to sit there and tell me that you will single-handedly be the herald of the extinction of the entire Night Drake species?"

"No. No, sir."

"Good. Are you willing to admit that I know better than you about dragons, and do EXACTLY what I say to prevent this?"

"Yes, sir. I will."

"Alright. So this is how it's going to go. You will continue with your bond with the dragon, including frequent mating as is healthy for him. I will not risk damaging his psyche by ending it prematurely. But don't forget that you are a scientist; this will be a hands-on scientific investigation, not a loving relationship, and the sooner you accept that, the better off you will be. We will closely observe ALL your activities and take notes, then examine you, and you will assist us by providing information to fill the gaps. If you can't sexually perform while being watched, you will be provided drugs to help.

"The only people that will ever know about this are you and me, and Marco and Taylor. That's it. When the investigation is over, we will figure out a way to arrange the data so that it appears we gained it through careful observation of natural dragon-on-dragon breeding. This information will be highly valuable for the future of the program. For all the public will know, no human has ever touched a dragon, much less mated with one. That is how it must stay. You can still have some good come out of this; I would accept having your name next to mine on the research notes. You can still have a bright future in dragon research... provided you learn to keep your pants on."

"Don't worry," Brian said weakly. "It wouldn't happen with any other dragon. Just Nox."

"Since this will be over in six months, there isn't a lot of time to do the study. We will have to be efficient and plan out each encounter. Are you even listening to me?!"

Brian was staring off into space. "Six months? But after that I can still be his mate."

"NO!" Martin thundered, knocking over one of the chairs. Some papers fluttered to the floor. "Now you listen to me. Listen very well. This next part is going to hurt, but you need to hear it. After the six months are up, and the Spring breeding season begins, 18-7 is going to go into heat again. When that happens, you will be on VACATION. In Europe. In Asia. I don't care where, but it will be very far away. He will choose another mate: another Drake. Given his age, it will very likely be a female. As time goes on, he will happily and proudly father many healthy hatchlings, who will pass on his favorable genes."

"But- but Nox wouldn't just...!"

"Just WHAT? Leave you?? Because he will. He may be intelligent but he is still a dragon. There is no such thing as permanent monogamy among Night Drakes. You know that as well as I do. He may be attached to you now, and maybe it even IS something more than just a biological hormone cocktail; maybe he even loves you. But when he goes into heat again and you aren't here, he will select a new mate. We know it. We've observed it. This is FACT. He will FORGET ABOUT YOU."

Brian's tears wouldn't stop flowing. He said nothing.

Martin walked over, and stood towering over Brian. He placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Brian. I really am. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but you chose this. You could just have run away, but you had to indulge your curiosity. Everything I've said is the truth. You just hadn't considered it, yourself. It will be probably another half-hour before the other two come back with the equipment. Take that time to compose yourself."

Brian stood up on shaking legs, wiping the wetness from his face, sniffing. "I want to see Nox."

"No, not yet," said Martin. "We need to observe his reaction to being reunited with you. Wait for the others. Go sit in the bathroom if you want to be alone. Or, if you would rather make yourself useful, record an account of your first mating." He handed over a large notebook and a pen.

Brian took them, reluctantly. "Okay."

"And remember, you're a scientist. You're not writing erotica. Keep it bland and don't talk about your feelings; that is irrelevant information."

"Yes... sir."


After a short briefing to fill in Taylor and Marco (and ensure their professionalism, especially from the often-immature Taylor), Brian was allowed to go outside and be with Nox, but not before stripping naked once again. The scientists took some notes on the dragon's behavior. While Brian ran around with and played with the Drake, frequently cuddling him, the other three men quickly cut a large hole into the door and installed a pane of one-way glass. Several cameras were also installed just outside the Blind. The researchers stood inside, and with the lights off they couldn't be seen. They watched and waited.

It was only early afternoon, but as expected, the long period of being apart from Brian put Nox in the mood to mate again. If he had noticed the humans lackluster attitude, he didn't show any signs of slowing down. Nox was perfectly willing to mount his mate wherever Brian chose to bend over and offer himself, even when it was right in front of the Blind's now-glass-fronted-door. Brian could hear the humming from the cameras, could feel three pairs of eyes on him, and when Nox penetrated him, he let out a sob.

Nox stopped, whined, licked at the back of Brian's neck.

"Keep going. I'm fine," Brian forced himself to say. His heart was heavy with the lie.

Night Drake number 18-7  bred his partner with haste, reached climax almost immediately, and his ejaculation appeared to have completed after a period of seventeen minutes and forty seconds. Immediately following, the human reciprocated the mating process (able to maintain his own arousal with the help of a vasodilation drug) and ejaculated after nine minutes. After this activity was concluded, the two mates rested for a period of a half hour; they continued to grant affection upon one other in the form of shared tactile contact, mostly of the mandibular, maxillary, and occipital areas. The human was previously encouraged to not utilize his forward limbs during this contact, and successfully restrained himself from doing so.

Following a protracted (and inappropriately verbal) separation ritual, the human was led into the Blind and examined. Semen was pumped from his rectal cavity and found to be approximately 714mL in volume (with an estimated 4% loss across the osmotic gradient and 10% loss to the environment). Samples were also taken from the urethral meatus for later microbial agar culture. A wide area of the skin overlaying the posterior cervical spine was sampled for salivary cultures. The action of a "mating-bite" on the part of the dominant male of this area on his mate may indicate a forceful breeding activity or induced-ovulation action, as was not previously observed or known. The presence of pheromones (of the P14 variety — indicated in pair-bonding) in the saliva, if found, and lack of any physical trauma to the dermal layer may contraindicate this.

During the examination, the human continued lacrimating, and was not forthcoming with a cause for his discomfort. Irritation of anal tissue was suspected, and an oral anti-inflammatory was administered along with a preliminary round of antibiotics, after a closer exterior inspection and colonoscopy. This was unsuccessful in abating the symptoms.

The cause is now suspected to be wholly psychological. Disregard in the future.