by Naomi Sparks
At this rate, I might end up blowing my load all over the grass beneath me. But I don't care. As long as Faith is happy, as long as I can still make her crazy, I don't care what happens. Finding Faith is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I want her to know that. I want to show her just how happy she makes me.
"Oh God!" she yells out. Her voice echoes around us. Her pussy is pushed right up against my face now, making it nearly impossible to breathe, but I still don't care. I'm right where I want to be, making my woman scream with happiness. She yells out again, and that's all the warning I get before her entire body tenses up and I feel fingernails digging into my back.
Her excitement floods into my mouth as her body shakes. I don't stop, either. I keep tonguing her slit and suckling on her clit. I keep going, extending her orgasm as long as I possibly can. Even after she starts to thrash and tries to push me away because it's too intense, I keep going until I feel another hard shudder go through her body.
Then, I let go of her and quickly move back up her body to press my lips to hers. It's time for her to taste herself in my mouth, just like she did to me. And when she wraps her arms around me and kisses me back, I move to place my cock right at her entrance. I don't give her any warning before I push forward and impale my entire length inside her all at once.
She gasps into my mouth as the air is knocked from her lungs. She’s had barely a moment to recover from two orgasms, and now I'm fucking her, pounding away at her pussy harder and faster than I've ever done. My dragon is starting to take control, and I'm so turned on that I can't fight him back. Nor do I really want to at that point.
Faith is mine and I want to make her mine permanently. I want the entire world to know she's under my protection, want everyone to know to stay away from her.
And before I know it, I've broken the kiss, my lips at her neck. Faith continues to writhe beneath me, her hips rising and falling in time with my own. When I press my teeth to the tender flesh of her neck, she doesn't try to stop me. She doesn't speak out, doesn't push me away, even once my teeth elongate into fangs and pierce her skin. She just moans even louder, bucks even harder, as the venom slips into her.
It seems to drive her wild. Her screams are nearly deafening me as she continues to fuck me. Her hands are on my back, her nails digging into my own flesh again, sending little jolts right through me. But not once does she try to stop me, not once does she do anything other than fuck me for all she's worth.
And then, she tenses up again. I just keep fucking her, harder, faster. It's all I can think about. Everything else is pushed completely out of my mind. Only Faith exists now. She's the only thing that matters.
When her pussy clamps down around my cock, her entire body spasms. I bite harder, trying to hold myself back. But it's too much. No matter how hard I fight against the fire inside me, I can't contain it anymore. I release Faith and let out a roar that seems to shake the entire landscape around us as I push my length as deep inside her as possible, feeling my cock explode and coat her insides with my seed.
In that moment, I feel an even deeper connection with Faith. She's mine now. I'm hers. The life-mate bond is complete. We're joined together from now until the end of time. And nothing can make me happier than that. Nothing I want more in this world than the woman right there beneath me.
"I love you," I get out between breaths as I come down from my high.
Faith smiles up at me, giggling a bit, then says it right back. The look in her eyes tells me she means every word.
As I struggle to catch my breath, I try to roll off her, but Faith doesn't let me. She twists and turns until we're both lying on our sides together, facing each other, my softening cock still inside her. Then, she looks into my eyes and kiss me again before laying her head against my chest and drifting off to sleep.
A low, rumbling sound emanates from my chest. It's almost like a purr, and I pull her tighter against me. Nothing will take her from me now. Nothing.
When the sun finally rises, it's nearly blinding. At least at the house, when it shines through my window, it's not the direct rays of the sun. Now though, the sun is shining directly on us, enveloping us in its warm embrace.
I groan as I try to turn my head and shield my eyes, but there's no use. Out here in the open, our clothes still scattered around, there's not much I can do to block the light. Resigned, I rub my eyes, giving up all hope of going back to sleep.
"Morning," Faith says with a giggle.
"I'd rather it be night again," I grumble, which makes Faith giggle.
The two of us separate, and the moment we're apart, I yearn to have her back in my arms again. But I know that's silly. Just because she's my mate now doesn't mean we have to be together at all times.
A yawn slips from my lips as I stretch. As much fun as it had been making love on the grass last night, my entire body is stiff from sleeping on the ground. I must be getting soft, I think. Too much time at that rental house, sleeping on a real bed.
"I can get used to this," Faith says. When I open my eyes, she's looking my bare body up and down, licking her lips.
I grin at her and lean back, giving her a full view of everything. I've never been shy, but letting her look at me like this right now, out here in the open, does give me a certain bit of a thrill. And I have to admit, I don't mind the view of her, either. She's absolutely gorgeous, and I find myself wondering how I got so lucky to find her as a mate.
"I need a shower though," Faith says next as she wrinkles her nose.
I laugh and shake my head. That's my woman all right. Tough, and strong, but still a woman. God, I love her.
"I think there's a stream not far down there," I say, nodding behind me. "I can just barely hear the rushing of the water, so it's probably not very large, and it will be cold, but it's better than nothing. There's a towel in my saddle bags."
Faith nods and goes to retrieve the towel. I find my pants and fish out my phone, staring at it for a long while. I need to call Lex and talk to him about everything. I can't just run away from him without at least giving him a chance. He's been our leader for so long now, never once given me a reason to mistrust him. Now that Faith is my mate, I need to at least try to make things right with him.
Once Faith is out of earshot, I let out a sigh and press the button to call Lex. He answers on the first ring, like he's been waiting for my call. "Where are you? Is everything alright?" he asks, his voice gruff.
"I’m with Faith," I say, not seeing any reason to lie to him. "I found her yesterday. She was with Leon. I killed him."
Lex curses, then I can hear him taking a deep breath. "Where are you now? Why didn't you come back to the house?"
I ignore his questions. "I claimed Faith last night. She's my life-mate now. You can't turn her over to Amasis without killing me." I hold my breath as I ask the next question, the question I so desperately need the answer to. "Are we on our own now?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Lex yells into the phone. I have to yank it away from my head to avoid going deaf. "You are part of this family and so is Faith. Did you really think I would turn her over to Amasis like that?"
"Look, Lex. I get it, really, I do." I let out my breath and close my eyes, leaning back against the hard tree. "I know what it's like to have a mate. I know that need to do anything and everything you can to protect her. I don't blame you for considering Amasis's offer. You'd have been a fool to not at least consider it."
Lex is quiet. He doesn't deny having considered turning Faith over. Then, he lets out a sigh of his own. "Just wait for us, okay? We've got everything wrapped up here. We'll meet up with you in a couple hours, okay?"
"Okay. I'm gonna see if we can find a diner or something nearby. We're both starving. I'll text you the address. Do you know where we're going from here?"
"New Mexico," Lex says simply.
"New Mexico?" I blink and try to think of any reason we'd go to New Mexico specifically. "What's down there?"
"
Bren got word from Billy. Apparently, there's been talk about there being a Fae enclave somewhere down there. I'm hoping we can find someone who can help Hannah. Then we don't have to worry about Amasis or any of his offers. I don't want anything to do with him. I don't want to be indebted to him. It's not worth the cost. I'll do anything to protect Hannah, but I won't sacrifice my morals to do that. Hannah wouldn't want that."
"Thank you," I say, feeling relief wash over me. "We'll meet up with you once we get some food. See you soon."
I hang up and take a deep breath, glad to know I'm not alone. Faith will be safer if everyone is watching out for her, rather than just me. And I don't want to give Amasis the satisfaction of knowing he's chipping away at us. We need to stay strong, stay together, if we want to beat him.
"Everything okay?" Faith asks, coming back through the trees, a towel wrapped around her.
I smile at her, then realize I'm still naked and go to retrieve my clothes. "Everything is great. We'll get some food and the guys will meet up with us. We are headed to New Mexico."
Faith raises an eyebrow, but she doesn't ask any questions. I figure I can fill her in on everything once we've got some food in us.
But there is one thing we need to talk about first. I button up my jeans and pull my shirt on, then turn to face her. "About last night...." I take a deep breath before continuing. "I should have talked to you before I claimed you like that. I'm sorry."
Faith smiles at me and shrugs. "I don't care. I wanted it. I want to be your mate." She walks over and wraps her arm around my waist. "I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you."
My heart pounds. Then, I lean down and kiss her again. "I love you so much, Faith. I will do everything I can to keep you safe."
"I know you will." She stands on her toes and kisses me. "And I love you, too."
16
Amasis
Epilogue
"We found traces of the one named Jerrick," they tell me. But then they tell me they lost his scent and can't find any traces of him or any of the rest of Aleksander's group in town. Then they tell me that Leon has been killed.
Not only have I lost one of my most valuable tools, but now one of my men is dead, too. The loss of Leon isn't such a big blow. I was prepared to kill him myself for losing Faith. But it's annoying that someone else killed him for me. As incompetent as he was, he was still one of my men. Not much I can do about it now.
"Any sign of where they went?" I ask and frown when both of the men kneeling in front of me shake their heads.
Again, I frown. I was so close to having Aleksander back in the fold, so close to having him back by my side. And Leon had to go and ruin that for me. No doubt Aleksander believes I'm behind kidnapping her after making that deal. I doubt he'd believe me even if I told him Leon went rogue. He doesn't understand that I'm a man of honor. I don't go back on my word.
The door opens and I glare up at the interruption. Then, I sit up straight as I realize it's Meroe, leading another man in. I sniff the air and grin, smelling the magic in his blood.
"Who have you brought me today?" I ask, grinning as the young man is forced to his knees in front of me.
"His name's Billy. He's got witch’s blood. Apparently, he's one of Bren's main sources here in town." Meroe smirks up at me. He's pleased at having returned with better news than the others. But I'd expect nothing less from the general who commands my armies. He's loyal to the core, and I can't ask for a better follower.
I lean forward and study the man before me. He's small and weak, probably not living a great life. And the magic in his blood is weak, probably generations diluted. Still, he could be an interesting asset, depending on what he can do and how cooperative he's feeling.
"Tell me, Billy. Where did Aleksander and his friends run off to?" I ask, keeping my voice light and airy.
But Billy just glares up at me. "I won't tell you anything, asshole."
Long ago, arrogance like that would have angered me. But I've since learned better. Men like him don't know what I can offer them. I wave an arm, showing him the luxurious room around him. "Just think. If you're willing to help me, you won't be living on the streets. I doubt Bren pays much for your information. I will reward you handsomely. You will never want for anything. All you have to do is help me."
Still, he glares at me. His mouth remains shut, and my anger gets the better of me. My power leaks out as I stare down at him. Once again, I wish Faith was still here with me. She made this so much easier, so much cleaner. Without her, I need to do things myself.
“Such a shame. If you don’t want to be rewarded with riches, then I shall reward you with pain, instead.” I stand and walk over to him, placing my hand on his head, letting the power flow into him. Moments later, he lets out a gasp. He resists it for a little while, then he collapses onto his side, curling up into a ball as he screams out in agony.
“Enjoying my power?” I ask. “That’s only a taste. I’d be happy to reward you again and again until I get the answers I want.”
It doesn’t take too long. This one breaks, just like all of them do, eventually.
Satisfied he understands now, I take my seat and ask him once more, "Where did Aleksander and his friends go? Tell me everything."
He tells me everything about the enclave in New Mexico, and I grin. “Thank you. Allow me to reward you again for your help.”
I raise one finger and let a pulse of my energy flow into him. Instantly, he’s seizing and shuddering on the smooth tiled floor, flopping around like a disgusting fish. It really is humorous to watch him suffer, but soon my mind settles back on what he’s told me about the fae and their little hidden enclave.
The fae we keep have been growing weaker over the years. Most are no longer able to have the dragon-halfling children. Pure-blood Fae offspring have become rare as time goes on. Most of them haven't been good for anything other than injecting blood into the humans to improve their chances of successfully carrying a child to term. Some fresh blood could go a long way to revitalizing our stock.
If we can find this enclave, the women will make good breeding stock. The men will be useful for giving blood to the human mothers. It could be just the thing I need to ensure the survival of our race.
I grin at Meroe and nod. Once again, he's exceeded my expectations. "You've done well. Get your men ready. It seems like we have a trip planned."
If I can get to the enclave first, Aleksander will have no choice but to come back to me. He's going to need that Fae blood if he hopes to save his precious mate. Otherwise she will most likely end up dying, rather than giving him an heir.
If everything goes to plan, within a week or two, I'll have him back by my side. And, I will also have Faith back as well. She makes things like this so much easier, I think, looking at the man laying crumpled on the floor. He’s no longer seizing. Now he’s simply looking at me, frozen in place, with fear in his bloodshot eyes.
I sigh and lean back against my chair. Soon, everything will be the way it should be. I will have my most valuable tool again, I’ll have the man who I consider a son back alongside me, and I will have ensured the survival of dragonkind.
Nothing is going to stop me. Anyone who gets in my way, even those so-called friends of Aleksander's, will be eliminated.
Finally, it's all coming together.
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Thanks for reading!
Galen & Katia’s story is next!
Betrayed
Even if I must go against my entire tribe, I will save this dragon baby.
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Also by Naomi Sparks
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Survivor — Jerrick & Faith’s story
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Betrayed — Galen & Katia’s story
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Prisoner — Bren & Saphira’s story
I may be his captive, but I will never belong to him.
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Forsaken — Ezra & Saphira’s story
I must trust a dangerous dragon to save my baby.
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