Chapter 36: Her Excitement!

Hydra froze when Jax shifted beneath her, and before she could even process what was happening, his arms slipped around her with an ease that stole the breath from her lungs.

He pulled her gently but firmly, guiding her onto his lap as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Huh?” She gasped as she landed on Jax’s lap, feeling his firm hands wrapped around her, and her entire body went rigid for half a heartbeat before heat flooded her face.

Her emerald eyes went wide, then instantly darted away, cheeks glowing a vivid, luminous green as her poison reacted, a vast amount of poison emitting from all of her pores, enough to instant kill almost anyone, but thankfully, Jax was immune to it.

Still, Hydra was completely confused by emotions she had never been allowed to feel in the past. Feeling someone holding her, it shocked her to her core.

“M-My King!” she squeaked, hands instinctively pressing against his chest, not to push him away but simply because she didn’t know where else to put them.

Jax chuckled quietly, low and warm, completely unbothered as faint wisps of green mist curled around them and vanished the instant they brushed his aura.

“Relax,” he said calmly, one arm settling around her waist while the other rested comfortably along her back, “You’re not hurting me. You already proved that.”

Hydra swallowed hard, painfully aware of how solid he felt beneath her, how real. She could feel his warmth through her clothes, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the overwhelming presence of his mana surrounding her like an invisible embrace.

“I… I’ve never…” she stammered, words failing her completely.

“I know,” Jax replied softly.

She felt him shift slightly, his posture relaxing, making it clear he wasn’t about to let her fall or pull away unless she wanted to. His golden eyes met hers again, calm, confident, and strangely gentle for someone who radiated such terrifying authority.

“There’s something I can do for now,” he continued. “It’s not a permanent fix. Not yet. But it’ll let you live without fear while I work on one.”

Hydra’s breath caught.

“What… what is it?” she asked quietly.

“A spell,” Jax said simply. “I’ll wrap your body in my aura. It’ll burn away the harmful effects of your poison before it can reach anyone else.”

Her eyes trembled.

“You’d… keep your aura around me?” she whispered, “All the time?”

“For as long as you need,” he answered without hesitation.

Hydra’s eyes widened as she heard that, her hands clenching as she held Jax’s closes before a sob tore free from her chest. But this time, it was a sob of job instead of pain.

She surged forward, burying her face against his shoulder and hugging him tightly, arms wrapping around him with a desperate strength that spoke of years spent holding nothing at all.

“Thank you,” she cried softly, voice muffled against him, “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Her poison flared instinctively, green light flashing brightly, and then calmed completely.

Hydra felt it instantly.

The familiar pressure, the constant fear of losing control, vanished as Jax’s aura expanded smoothly around her, warm and dominant, forming an unseen layer that filtered her power without rejecting it, protecting the immediate environment from her power.

She pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes shining with awe and tears.

“It’s… it’s not hurting anything,” she whispered in disbelief. She lifted one trembling hand, watching as faint mist curled from her fingers only to dissolve harmlessly into nothing inches from her skin. “I can feel it. I can finally feel myself without fear.”

Jax smiled.

“Told you,” he said lightly.

Hydra let out a breathless laugh that turned into another soft sob, and this time she pressed herself into him without hesitation, holding him even tighter, legs tucking instinctively closer as if afraid the world might steal this away from her if she loosened her grip.

“I don’t care if it’s temporary,” she said earnestly. “Even a single day like this is more than I ever dreamed of.”

“You’ll get more than a day,” Jax replied calmly, his hand smoothing reassuringly along her back. “You’ll get a life.”

Her blush deepened at his closeness, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she leaned into him more, resting her head against his chest as her breathing slowly evened out, the tension draining from her body piece by piece.

For the first time in her existence, Hydra allowed herself to relax in someone’s arms.

And Jax held her there, unshaken, already planning how to make sure she would never have to fear herself again.

Hydra stayed there for a long while, long enough that the ocean’s distant roar faded into background noise.

Eventually, Hydra lifted her head.

Her emerald eyes were still damp, lashes clumped slightly from tears, but the fear that had lived there for centuries was gone, replaced by hope.

“M-My King…” she said quietly.

“Jax,” he corrected gently, “When it’s just us. I’m not a tyrant, calling me that all the time is awkward,”

Her cheeks warmed again, but this time she smiled instead of flinching.

“Jax,” she repeated, testing the name like it was something precious. “I… I want to show you something.”

He raised a brow. “Oh?”

She nodded, then hesitated. “Will… will you be alright if I transform? I can suppress it better now, but, ”

Jax placed a reassuring hand against her cheek, thumb brushing away a lingering tear. “Hydra,” he said calmly, “I already told you. You don’t have to fear yourself around me.”

That was all the permission she needed.

She took a step back from his lap, reluctantly, then another, drawing in a slow, steady breath. Mana surged outward, no longer panicked.

Instead, it was a controlled and majestic transformation.

Green light erupted around Hydra, spiraling upward as her form expanded, bones and mana reshaping seamlessly.

Scales emerged like polished emerald plates, gleaming with layered toxin-runes etched naturally into her body. Her arms became massive wings, membranes glowing faintly with venomous sigils that pulsed in harmony with her heart.

Her tail unfurled last, long and powerful, the air hissing softly as poison condensed along its edge—then stabilized, held perfectly in check by Jax’s aura still wrapped around her.

In moments, where Hydra once stood was a colossal Emerald Dragon.

She lowered her massive head toward him, eyes still the same gentle green, now glowing like twin stars.

“Is… is this alright?” she asked, her voice deeper, resonant, yet unmistakably her.

Jax grinned.

“Alright?” he said, stepping forward without hesitation. “You’re stunning.”

Her wings twitched, clearly pleased.

She crouched low, carefully lowering her body so he could climb up. “Then… would you ride me?” she asked shyly. “I’ve always flown alone.”

Jax mounted her smoothly, settling between the ridges of her neck as if he belonged there. His presence anchored her instantly, aura syncing with hers in a way that made her entire body hum.

“I didn’t take you as a mount for nothing. Take us up,” he said, “Let’s enjoy it.”

Hydra spread her wings. With a single powerful beat, they soared skyward.

The island fell away beneath them as Hydra laughed, a real, joyful sound that echoed across the sea. She twisted playfully through the air, diving toward the ocean before pulling up at the last second, spraying mist everywhere as she climbed again.

Jax laughed with her, one hand steady against her scales, the other resting comfortably as if he’d done this his entire life.

“I didn’t know flying could feel like this,” Hydra said breathlessly. “It’s… fun.”

“That’s because you’re not alone anymore,” Jax replied.

She banked eastward, excitement thrumming through her wings.

“Where to?” she asked.

Jax looked toward the distant forests stretching along the horizon, moonlit canopies shimmering with ancient magic.

“The Dark Elven territory,” he said. “Next clan to convince.”

Hydra’s wings beat stronger.

“Then hold on,” she said with a grin in her voice. “I’ll take you there faster than any Dragon ever has.”

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