by Bianca Cole
I’m worried that we are going to face dangerous people in this prison. The thought of any more danger today makes me want to turn around and wait with my family, but now I’m with Aiden, I’m going to have more responsibilities than I could ever imagine.
As he says, I’m his queen now—the queen of the dragon shifters. That alone is dangerous. Dragons won’t accept a witch as a queen willingly.
Jared glances back at us. “All species are in one main cell. It was only the witches and warlocks kept apart to use on the machine.”
I meet Jared’s eyes. “How many witches have died in here?”
A flash of fear enters his eyes. “Countless have died... I’m sorry, I don’t know a figure.”
I shake my head. “Estimate then. A thousand, ten thousand, hundreds of thousands. You must know a rough number.”
He swallows hard. “Over the ten years I’ve been working this place, it would be in the hundreds of thousands.”
His answer bowls me over. “How long has this place existed?”
Aiden’s mother answers, “At least twenty years, that’s how long I’ve been here.”
Jared nods. “About twenty-five years in total, I believe. This place is the sole reason for the witches’ loss of power.”
Anger rises inside me. It’s the reason why we’ve been weak and driven close to extinction. I can’t wait to leave it and never come back.
Jared stops in front of a door and grabs a key out of his jacket pocket. “Brace yourself for this.” His brow furrows. “They’re not going to be happy. “
Jared swings open the door to a giant dungeon room full of people. As we enter, they all stare up at us and smirks curl onto some of their lips.
One vampire shouts out. “Pretty fucking risky to come in here while we’re not behind a magic screen.”
Aiden holds his hands up. “My father captured you and put you in here. I did not know this place existed until he died a week ago. I’m now king, and I wish to set you all free. Dragon shifters are going to be ruled differently in harmony with the fae and all other species.” He signals at Flynn, who steps forward.
“Aiden and I have worked together to free you today. We have high hopes for the future and integration amongst the species.”
There’s a stunned silence. Even the vampire looks surprised. “Are you saying we’re all free to go, just like that?”
Aiden nods. “Yes, any grievances my father had with any of you have been forgotten. A clean slate. “
A few cheers break out, and Aiden nods to Jared to open up the doors entirely. There are about five going into the vast room that exit onto a lower level. They all come up. “Please go and return to your lives. I will do all I can to make amends in the years I’m the king.”
From the looks on some of their faces, they aren’t going to let go being kept captive so easily. Even so, they turn and leave. King Kendall’s actions will mean Aiden will have to look over his shoulder while he’s king—both of us will.
Jared clears his throat. “Well handled, sir. What about us now?”
Aiden tilts his head slightly.
The guards were doing their jobs, so he can’t punish them for that.
“You will have positions in the king’s guard should you want them. If not, you are welcome to leave.”
Jared smiles. “I’d be honored to join the king’s guard.” He bows his head. “Thank you, sir. I’ll pass on the information to the rest of the men here.” He leaves in search of the rest of the guards.
Aiden turns to me. “Time to reunite you with your family.”
I smile. “Yeah, and you’ve got to meet them.”
He looks uncertain. “I should let you see them first, maybe later—”
“No, I want you with me, Aiden.”
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, before allowing me to pull him out of the vast prison.
Flynn clears his throat. “I will see you all at the next meeting. I must return to my home.”
I smile widely at the fae king. He isn’t at all like I expected. “Thank you, Flynn. Thank you for everything.”
He nods. “You’re welcome.” Suddenly he’s engulfed in royal blue lights and disappears.
A guard walks down the corridor. “Where are the witches?” I ask.
He nods behind him at the door we’d gone through to find Aiden’s mother. I enter the room to find a couple of witches I don’t know sitting on chairs, head in their hands.
My brother is awake and sitting on the side of a bed with his head in his hands. My parents are still unconscious on that bed.
“Eric,” I say his name, and he looks up at me, eyes widening.
“Ilsa, you found us.” He stands, wobbling a little on his feet.
I rush toward him and wrap my arms around him. “You’re okay. Do you remember everything?” I pull back and look into his eyes.
He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah, although my memories of getting here are a little fuzzy. That bastard, King Kendall, lured us here.”
I hug him again. “I know, but he died not long after. I came searching for you when you didn’t come home.”
He glances over at Mom and Dad’s lifeless bodies. “Are they going to wake up?”
I grab his hand and squeeze. “Yes, the machine has only been turned off for twenty minutes. It can take up to two hours for them to wake up.”
His attention goes behind me, and I know he’s noticed Aiden. “Who is that guy staring at us?”
I glance back, smiling at Aiden. “Come on.” I hold my hand out.
He walks forward and takes it.
“This is Aiden, my mate.”
My brother’s eyes widen. “What?” He shakes his head. “B-But, he’s... I-”
“Yeah, I’m a dragon shifter.” He holds his hand out to my brother. “Nice to meet you, Eric.”
He looks at Aiden’s hand with uncertainty before grabbing it and shaking. “Nice to meet you. “
They shake for a few moments before letting go. Eric often tried to act protective of me.
Aiden nudges me in the side. “Your mom is waking.”
Eric and I rush over to her side, and I grab her hand. “Mom, are you okay?”
Her eyes flutter open, and she groans. “It feels like I’ve been put in a blender on the highest setting.”
Dad groans by her side. “Tell me about it.”
I smile, as they both struggle to sit up. “Ilsa, how are you here?” Mom asks when she finally gets a handle on her consciousness.
“When you guys didn’t return, I had to come looking for you.”
My mom’s eyes widen. “That was dangerous. You could have ended up a prisoner. How did you find this place?”
I sigh. “It’s a long story, and I’ll tell it to you in full later.” I glance back at Aiden and hold my hand out. “First, I’d like to introduce you to someone.”
Aiden steps forward and takes my hand.
“Mom and Dad, this is Aiden, and he’s—”
“The son of the man that locked us in here.” She shifts further away on the bed. “Ilsa, that man is dangerous.”
I shake my head. “Aiden helped me find you. He’s my mate, and he did not know of this place.”
My mom looks a little wary as she narrows her eyes at him. “Mate? Witches don’t have mates.”
I shake my head. “No, but dragons do. He found me, and we saved everyone in here together.”
Aiden offers his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
She shakes his hand and nods slightly. It makes sense that she would be wary of any dragon shifter after what his father did to them. I’m sure in time they will come to love him as much as I do.
It’s insane the speed at which our love has blossomed, but I guess that’s what happens when you are soul mates. Our destinies have been bound by fate before we even knew each other.
My dad shoves his hand forward. “Good to meet you, son.”
I don’t miss the flash of pain
in Aiden’s eyes at the word choice. He has recently lost his father and then found out he wasn’t the man he knew. It must be hard. He takes my dad’s hand and shakes. “You too, sir.”
My dad raises a brow at the sir. A dragon king calling a random warlock sir is a bit odd, but I guess one day, he might be his father in law.
The thought makes my stomach twist, as I never saw myself as the marrying type. However, royalty always marries. Aiden’s mother joins us. “Looks like we’re all going to be one family.”
“H-How, what... I-” My mom looks utterly shocked as she stammers in front of the queen. She shakes her head. “Everyone believed you were dead twenty-years ago.”
Eleanor nods. “Indeed, thanks to my dear husband. He faked my death and locked me away, too much of a wimp to finish me off.” Eleanor’s eyes fill with tears. “I just wish Elaine had been here to be part of all of this. She would have loved it.”
Aiden puts an arm around her. “She would have. I’m sorry, I was too late.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not your fault Aiden. Enough of that, let us be thankful for what we do have. I think a celebration at the castle is in order.”
I smile as she turns away. My family stares after her in shock. There’s going to be a lot of people confused by her reappearance. Her burial was a very publicized event because her death was suspicious.
Aiden’s arm snakes around me instantly, naturally. I look up at the man I’m sure to spend the rest of my life with. He makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. A feeling I’ve never felt before, but I never want it to stop.
19
Aiden
I open the door and step into my bedroom, stopping in awe of the sight in front of me. Ilsa is standing in front of the mirror, entirely naked.
She jumps when she notices me and spins around, shaking her head. “You scared me half to death, Aiden.”
My eyes wander down her beautiful body, relishing the sight. It’s hard to believe we’ve only known each other a month.
The rebellion in the north is no longer since the death of Charles. He was the reason for all of the hardship that has fallen our kind since it started eight years ago, along with my father.
“What are you thinking?” Ilsa asks as she wraps a robe around herself, hiding her stunning body from me.
I narrow my eyes at her. “Take that off, now.”
She smirks at me and runs a finger across the bare skin over her collarbone. “I’m not sure what you are talking about.”
I growl at her teasing and rush toward her.
She giggles as I crash into her, ripping the fabric from her body.
“Don’t push me, love.”
“Or what, Aiden? Are you going to punish me?” There’s a hint of excitement in her tone. We’ve been pushing the boundaries together day by day.
“Do you want me to?” I breathe, my lips inches from hers.
Her eyes search mine before she answers. “Yes.”
I meld my lips to hers in a hot, desperate kiss, before bringing my hands down to her firm ass cheeks. I spank them, making her gasp. “If you want me to punish you, then I will.” I bite her bottom lip softly. “But, are you forgetting about dinner?”
She glances over at the clock. “We still have half an hour.”
I raise a brow. “This is going to take much longer than that.” I lift her in my arms and carry her over to the desk in the corner of my bedroom. “Bend over,” he says.
She bites her bottom lip before slowly bending over the desk.
I take a step back, enjoying the view—she is perfection.
My hand slowly traces the curve of her buttocks before moving to her back.
She gasps as I slowly move my hands across her skin, dragging out the anticipation.
I move my hand back to her full ass and spank softly.
She moans, arching her back and spreading her legs wider.
My cock throbs in my tight boxer briefs as I tease my hand between her thighs. She’s soaking wet—she always is.
I spank her softly there, before moving back to her ass cheeks. The desire to paint her olive skin a pretty pink sends me wild. I spank her right ass cheek firmly first, three times.
She bucks her hips with each spank, getting needier.
I move to her left ass cheek and do the same, before kneeling and kissing her there.
“Oh, God, Aiden,” she moans, digging her fingertips into the wood of the desk.
She glances over her shoulder back at me, eyes filled with hunger. Her desperation is on another level, as she digs her nails into my desk. I move my fingers between her thighs, brushing the sensitive skin either side of her perfect pussy. Her body visibly trembles in anticipation, as I move them slowly higher and higher to where she wants them.
I halt only an inch away from her, making her whimper.
“Aiden, please.”
I spank her ass cheeks again. “That’s it, love, beg me.” I kiss her pink skin on her ass before moving my fingers back to her inner thighs.
She jolts when I finally slide my fingers into her dripping wet entrance, groaning as I feel how wet she is. A satisfying moan comes from her lips, sending move desire south. It’s almost impossible to control myself around this woman, but I love nothing more than making her needy.
I begin to move my finger in and out of her, pushing her higher. She’s so wet that the sound of my finger sliding in and out of her fills the room. I rub my thumb over her clit in slow, lazy circles, trying to drive her insane.
She makes a frustrated sound, before finally snapping. “Please, Aiden, fuck me, now,” she pants, watching me over her shoulder.
I shake my head. “No, love. I’m not finished punishing you.”
She makes a move to glance at the clock. “What about the—”
I spank her ass harder this time. “Don’t question me.” I move back to get another good look at her dripping wet arousal. “So beautiful,” I groan, gripping my hard length through my pants.
Ilsa gasps as I pull her clit into my mouth, sucking on it suddenly. Her thighs visibly shake, and I know if I’m not careful, I’ll send her over the edge too quickly.
I lick a path through the center of her pussy, making her moan. “You taste so fucking sweet,” I growl.
My control is slipping through my fingers as her scent goads my dragon to the surface. As I lick her pussy, delving my tongue as deep as it can go, I move my finger gently in circles over her clit.
She shudders, and I know she’s getting close the way her muscles tighten around my finger.
I move my tongue to circle her clit and add another finger into her pussy. She groans as I stretch her more with two fingers, sending her higher with each thrust.
Whenever we’re together, it feels like everything fades to the background. We have got a dinner to attend with the council members and our family. We’re the damn hosts, but I can’t drag myself away from her. We were doomed the moment I stepped in here and found her naked.
Her body shudders, and her muscles clamp down around my fingers. “Oh, God, Yes,” she cries out.
I don’t let up, guiding her through it and licking every drop of her sweet, honeyed juice. “That’s it, love, come for me.” I spank her ass again, as she comes undone.
I stand and slide my arm around her waist, pulling back against my clothed chest. I let my fingers move to her erect, hard nipples, and toy with them. “You are amazing.”
Her eyes roll back in her head as I press my clothed cock into her pink, stinging ass cheeks.
“Are you ready for me now?” I ask, kissing a path down her neck to her shoulders.
She nods her head. “Please, I need you inside of me, Aiden.”
I’ll never get tired of her begging me for my cock. It drives me wild. I reach for the zipper between us and pull it down. I free my cock from my pants and push her back down over the desk. “Naughty girls get fucked over the desk hard,” I growl.
She gasps as I keep my weight on her an
d keep her pressed against the hardwood surface.
I run the tip of my cock through her wetness. My dragon wants to lose control and fuck her hard and fast, but I want to drag this out. I want to make her crazy for me.
She arches her back in an attempt to push my cock inside of her.
I grab her hips hard and stop her from moving. “Stay still, love, or you will be waiting longer.”
Ilsa whimpers and then stops moving, waiting patiently like a good girl.
“That’s it, love. You know I’m in control. “
She groans as I let an inch of my cock slip inside of her. I don’t go any further. “Stop teasing me, Aiden.”
I smile, and my dragon indulges as I slide every inch deep into her.
Ilsa moans a satisfying moan, bucking her hips.
I’m not sure if she thinks I won’t notice the movement if it’s not hard, but she’s greatly mistaken. I tighten my grip on her hips, digging my fingertips into them hard enough to bruise. “I told you not to move, love.”
A frustrated sigh escapes her, but she doesn’t complain.
I move in and out of her, feeling my dragon’s impatience building too. All that’s on his mind is getting his mate pregnant. That’s been the case ever since I was deep inside of her that night in our cabin.
The thought of seeing Ilsa’s belly growing round with my baby inside makes me crazy. I start to fuck her hard and deep.
Ilsa moans softly, loving everything I give her.
“Fuck, baby, you are so tight,” I grunt as the muscles in her pussy grip me hard.
She’s moving toward climax already. I just made her come only a few minutes ago.
I spank her pink ass, painting it a darker pink.
“Yes, Aiden, just like that,” she moans, arching her back more.
My cock is as deep as it can go with every thrust, but it’s like she wants it harder and faster. The woman is insatiable.
I feel my dragon rising, as my control on the reins slip.
Ilsa digs her nails into the desk, as I start to fuck her more roughly.
I slip my arm around her stomach, pull her back into my naked chest, and move in and out of her deeply. My lips move across her shoulder and neck, making her needier.