by JL Madore
“She wanted to reconnect with the avian’s brother and assess her footing to continue with her plans in the Human Realm.”
“Yeah,” Hawk says from outside. He rounds the open door and looks inside. “Glad you’re still with us, Dragon. You did well to get away with what you did.”
Brant joins his mate and chuckles. “And ripping off her hand is classic. I would’ve loved to see her face.”
“Me too, actually,” I say, replaying the moment in my mind. “Sadly, I was standing behind her and started running the moment I yanked the briefcase free. I didn’t even realize I had her hand until I paused for cover.”
Doc finishes with his checkup and sits back on his heels. “I don’t like your pulse rate. It’s sluggish even though you just woke in a panic. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” I say waving away his concern. “Dragons get like that when we need to feed. Losing that much blood, it’s not surprising.”
“But it’s also not good, is it?”
I close my eyes and the world spins. Cutting that off quickly, I open things up and shrug. “I’m sure it’ll be fine after a while.”
“How sure?” Doc’s gaze narrows and I know he’ll assess my response for any hint of me lying.
“Yes, I need to feed, but I can wait. Vik and I have females… right, I guess I won’t be feeding back at the castle anymore.”
“No. I think your time there has ended.”
That thought is both liberating and terrifying.
“So, without your usual food sources standing by, you’ll need someone to be your blood bank, yes?”
I see the look in his eyes but… “I’m sure Creed will be back soon.”
“Are you? I’m not. They went to find out about the queen’s visit. Odds are, they’ll be a while.”
I lay back down and stare at the ceiling of the van. “That’s fine. I’ll wait.”
“Why? I guarantee you I have blood in my veins and it’s wildling blood. It’s probably better for you than random females back at the castle.”
“Yeah, but you saw how raw I get when I feed. Random females at the castle fulfill other needs as well as topping up my strength.”
The bear arches a brow. “That’s what this is about? You get horny while you feed and are holding off for what? A sense of decency? Propriety? Aloof pride? That’s stupid.”
“And is it less stupid that you’re pissed at me for trying to do right by you?”
“Yeah, it is. Obviously, I have what you need, and not only am I worried about you as a doctor. I’m worried about you as your mate. Like it or not, we’re bound by your claim on Creed. There are no more random females in your future, so welcome to your new normal.”
I chuff. “My new normal doesn’t have to mean me rocking cock with you in a van like a teenager.”
He has the nerve to chuckle. “Let’s start with the feeding and not worry where things go after that.”
“I don’t have to worry about it. I’m not strong enough to hold back. Feeding is raw and intimate… I’ll take more than your blood.”
“Then we both know the score.” Doc looks me over and dips his chin in a quick nod. “Hey, Hawk. Do you mind shutting those doors for a bit? We’ve got some mate business to take care of in here. And if the van’s a rockin’…”
“Got it,” Hawk says. “I’ll knock twice on the side if you need to wrap it up.”
“Good enough.”
When the tin can shuts tight and the bear peels off his shirt, I shake my head. “This is a bad idea. You’ve got no idea—”
He barks a laugh, drops his jeans, and lowers himself onto the blanket in only his boxers. “I watched what you did to Creed when you fed off him. I can take that kind of punishment. Don’t you worry about me. You just feed and take what you need.”
Doc
Stupid dragon. The guy is lethargic, and his speech is starting to slur. His pulse rate has dropped from ten minutes ago which dropped from twenty minutes before that. Sure, Calli’s tears are healing his wounds, but the guy needs to feed and he’s too stubborn to realize it.
“Where do you want me?” I ask, shifting onto my back next to him.
He’s still sitting up, glaring at me, but I don’t care. To save the man’s life… there’s no question. Add to that fact he’s our fourth—even though it’s awkward and early days—I’m all in.
Reaching up, I hook my arm over his shoulder and pull him down across my chest. With a bit of shifting, I get him settled and tilt my neck away to give him my throat. “Feed from me, Dragon. Take what I’m offering.”
Lacing my fingers into his hair, I pull the back of his head and force him toward my vein. His lips brush the skin on my throat. He is tentative at first, his tongue brushing a reluctant sweep over the blood racing through my jugular.
I sense his wild side rising to the fore but it’s taking some coaxing.
“That’s it. Feed your dragon. Forget everything outside of this van and take what you need.”
“I hate that you smell so good.”
“I’m your mate. What I have is yours.”
The man might be weak, but the animal within is strong. Rhylan’s dragon knows what it needs and isn’t shy about taking it. His hands run across my bare chest and then he grips my shoulder and pushes up to climb on top of me.
I swallow and steady him, caressing his muscled back and down his uninjured side. The muscled contours of his body are sexy as hell and so is his body’s natural response to whatever is happening here.
To show him I’m all right with whatever happens, I stroke over his hard cock and squeeze his length.
His dragon groans and his hips kick against my hold. The frustration of his scent is replaced by hunger.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “That’s right. I’m here for you.”
His grip tightens and the strength of his dragon ascends further. “Take what I need? You’re sure?”
Fuck. With the rugged hunger of this guy and the way he’s grinding on me and laving me with his tongue, I’m hard and hungry too. “I’m sure.”
With strength and speed I didn’t realize he still had in him, Rhylan pushes up onto his knees and switches directions. Instead of laying on top of me with our bodies aligned, he spins around, crawls down my body, and shoves my boxers out of the way.
I scissor my legs and kick my legs free but am a little confused. There’s no time for a sixty-nine suck-off. “You need to take my vein, my man.”
His dragon growls and it’s a rough and possessive sound. My cock jumps against my abdomen and then he’s dropping his head. It doesn’t take long for me to catch up with his intentions. He’s licking along the crux of my groin and nuzzling the inside of my thigh.
The femoral artery.
He’s going to feed on me down— “Oh, fuck,”
The strike is fast and brutal. My body shutters and my first reaction is to push off and get some distance. I wasn’t kidding when we played two truths and a lie. I’m a freaking wimp about needles. But I fight the instinct to bolt and settle. He needs this.
And if I’m being honest, now that we’re here and it’s happening, I want it.
Relaxing under his hold I draw a deep breath and focus on the sensation. The initial sting of being pierced has subsided and now it’s all about pleasure.
“Fuck, that feels good.” I send a hand along the curve of his spine and palm the round of his ass.
The dragon has an amazing ass.
The damage from his blaster wound is almost completely healed but I steer clear of it anyway. “You’re rocking an impressive cock here, Dragon. I like the piercing. How about I help you with that?”
He moans and I take that as a yes.
Gripping his hips, I use my bear’s strength to lift him over my shoulders. When he splits his knees, I set him down so he’s straddling my head.
Damn. The scent of his arousal zaps me right in the balls, his desire thick in the air. It may be a side-effect of the feeding and
not about me personally, but with the pulsing of my cock as he drinks from me—I don’t care.
Gripping his cock at the base, I prop it out and take that thick, blunt head into my mouth. His suckling stops as he goes rigid, and then he’s back to drinking. My bear surges forward as he returns the attention, shifting his hand to grip my erection in turn.
“Fuck, yeah,” I groan, easing off his shaft. Arching my hips, I take advantage of his vice grip. “Don’t be gentle. Yeah, that’s it.”
Distantly, it dawns on me that this isn’t about me but like Jaxx says, It’s easier lettin’ the cat outta the bag than it is stuffin’ the thing back in.
Flicking my tongue, I toy with the metal ball piercing the crown of his cock and get a feel for what he likes. Once I get a sense of his body, I open my throat and suck him down deep.
His growl rumbles in my chest. I’ve never had a lover with a piercing and it’s kinda fun.
As the sensations bombard, I close my eyes, and enjoy the gentle spin the world is taking. I’m on what I suspect is a bit of a blood buzz and it makes everything seem out of control and a little dangerous.
It probably is a little dangerous. He’s been drinking with solid pulls for a while now. Not that I have any interest in slowing things down—I don’t.
After a few more sucking gulps, he retracts his bite. I feel every fraction of an inch as he withdraws his teeth and it’s a hollow victory. Then he’s licking over the puncture holes with his tongue and my focus shifts back to how fucking hot this is.
“Better?” I ask, around the hot flesh of his shaft.
“Drinking you is like an infusion of strength.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
With the task of feeding taken care of Rhylan adjusts his position and then it’s the two of us sixty-nineing like animals. Everything bursts into a fast and furious exchange of hips pumping up and down, and cocks gliding in and out. The suction has the pressure in my balls tingling and my brain misfiring and then—
My orgasm rips free and my abs clench. I thrust upward and it’s lucky he’s on top and can back off or I’d come straight into his stomach.
The dragon hisses, his cock kicking hard.
He comes in great spasms, his release filling my mouth in waves of salty heat. I take everything he’s giving, milking him while he rides out every last moment of his orgasm.
I’m still a bit dizzy when Rhylan’s body goes slack, and he tilts to the side. Rolling onto the floor of the truck, he collapses beside me.
The combined scents of our arousal create an intoxicating aroma in such an enclosed space and since the two of us needed some get-to-know-you, I figure we’ve made good use of our time.
Saving the guy’s life is a solid foundation.
The sound of two wildlings catching their breath after a couple of fierce orgasms is almost as sexy as the sex itself. “Just what the doctor ordered,” I rasp.
“You’ve got one hell of a bedside manner, Doc.”
“I try.”
It takes a moment for the adrenaline rushing through my veins to slow enough to sit up. Grabbing my duffle, I pull out my spare pants and a hoodie and toss them to him. “Are you ready to resume life?”
“Where do I begin? The life I had crumbled and the ruins were set on fire.”
I chuckle. “I don’t suppose ripping the queen’s hand off will win you any favors in her circles, but I gotta say, I think it’s funny as hell.”
He chuckles and tosses me my boxers. “I wanted to do more than that. The bitch had her blood witch do something to me so I can’t take her life.”
“Not as dumb as she seems, then.”
“No. Unfortunately not.”
When we’ve pulled ourselves together, I open the back door of the van and we join, Jaxx and Brant.
“You look better,” Jaxx says, assessing the dragon.
Rhylan swallows and sends me a half-smile. “I needed to feed more than I realized.”
Brant’s brows arch as he tilts his head side to side, studying me. “I don’t see any of those little vamp marks on your neck, my brother. Where did he sink those fangs of his into you?”
“None of your fucking business.”
His deep chuckle is irritating as hell. “Touchy, touchy. Never mind, I’ve got a good imagination.”
I flash him my middle finger and change the subject. “Where are Kotah and Hawk?”
“They were gettin’ antsy about Calli and how long they’ve been gone. Kotah shifted to wolf and they’ve gone to track them down.”
I turn toward the manicured grounds of the Citadel. “All right then, let’s go track down our mates.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Keyla
I hate seeing Creed lying there, so still. Logic dictates that if a person projects their consciousness out of their body they won’t be active, but it’s unnerving to see my prince lying there so lifeless.
“How long will it take for him to track Honor’s memories?” I ask.
Brizbin flaps his wings and lifts himself into the air to read the readouts on the screen. “Not long. He’s on his way back now.”
I don’t know when I’ve ever been so relieved.
Taking Creed’s hand, I step closer to the side of the traveler bed, watching and waiting for him to wake up. When his eyes flutter open, his gaze is hazy for a moment and then focuses on me. “I told you not to worry,” he says, brushing a finger over my cheek.
“I think that’s a mate’s prerogative.”
He sits up and swings his feet to the floor. I move back to give him space to stand up but he splits his knees and pulls me against his chest. “Thank you for worrying about me. It’s been a long time since anyone cared.”
I rise onto my tiptoes and brush his lips with mine. “I more than care, my prince.”
That earns me a soul-aching look. “Me too.”
“Congratulations on your awesomeness,” Calli says. “I mean that, sincerely, but can we get to the part about whether or not you found my BFF and where she is?”
Creed eases back and smiles. “I did. She’s been taken to a compound in the badlands of Travon.”
“Do you think she’s still there?”
He nods. “I do. The last image I saw was her being shoved into a lead-lined room.”
“Bingo,” Calli says, turning and pointing to the stairs leading back up to Brizbin’s office. “To the badlands.”
The four of us thank our little miner gnome helper and head outside… only to run into Kotah and Hawk coming our way. Kotah’s wolf grins at me and then jumps up onto his back legs, shifting as he catches Calli in his arms. “Hello, Chigua. How are my girls?”
Calli giggles and rolls her eyes. “Your brother is convinced we’re having a girl.”
“Because we are,” Kotah says, grinning.
“What did you find out?” Hawk asks.
“My sister was taken from here to a heavily guarded compound in the badlands of Travon. We know she’s locked in a lead room and is alive, but don’t know much more than that.”
Hawk shrugs. “That’s enough to get us going. Once we get geared up and find ourselves some weapons, we’ll be good to go. Does StoneHaven have gun shops?”
Creed shakes his head. “No. After the devastation suffered here, there’s a weapon ban in StoneHaven. We’ll have to get what we need in Travon.”
The van we used earlier to rescue Rhylan rounds the end of the building and follows the paved driveway to stop not far from where we’re gathered. Jaxx parks and he and Brant get out of the front. Then, the back doors open and Rhylan and Dillan get out.
“Oh, he looks much better.” As I remark on Rhylan’s improved health, Creed strides off to meet him chest-to-chest. Pulling our dragon into his embrace, Creed slaps his back and lets out a long breath. “You look healthy and whole.”
Rhylan pulls back and tilts his head. “Thanks to the good doctor.”
I draw a deep breath and can’t help the shock I know Doc
is reading in my expression.
“Uh… yeah,” he says, clearing his throat. “Rhylan lost a lot of blood and needed to feed. Things got a little heated…”
I wave away his guilt and move in to hug him. “Don’t apologize. Creed’s right. Our dragon is healthy and whole and that’s what matters.”
“What am I missing?” Creed asks, searching our faces. “All I’m getting is anxiety and embarrassment.”
I can’t imagine a world where I couldn’t smell the subtext of life, so I fill him in. “Our mates have gotten to know one another more intimately since we left them. Rhylan’s need for blood seems to have forced the issue of bringing us together as mates.”
Creed’s silver brows arch. “I suppose whatever it takes to get us on the same page works to our favor. We’re a bit of a patchwork when it comes to mating.”
“But we’re getting there,” Doc adds.
“One orgasm at a time,” Brant says, chuckling.
I roll my eyes. Brant seriously has no filter. Trying to save the boys from further embarrassment, I point to the van. “Back to the problem at hand. We need to get out of here, to the portal hub, find our way to Travon, get weapons, and then rescue Honor.”
Kotah blinks. “Oh, is that all?”
Creed
The ten of us pile out of the van in the back lot of the StoneHaven portal hub and make our way toward the main entrance. Before we get far, the buzz of the searing flairs hot in my mind, and I buckle, grabbing my head. “Hold up. Something’s wrong.”
“Keyla? What is it?” The concern in Doc’s voice has me twisting to check on my wolf.
She’s doubled over too, her eyes gold with the ascension of her wolf. “We can’t go in there. I feel it with everything in me. We mustn’t go inside.”
“Is it your beacon?” Doc asks.
I nod. “Yes, and Keyla’s right. It’s more than a feeling of foreboding. The energy we’re receiving is a definite warning not to enter that building.”
“Good enough for me,” Calli says. “We’ve learned to listen to the fae magic mojo. It’s never lead us astray.”