by Delta James
Bridget snorted, but smiled, her eyes softening as she watched him with their little girl. He might not have sired the bright and inquisitive child, but he could not have loved her more if he had. He pulled her close and kissed the side of her head as she wrapped her arms around him and looked him in the eye.
“Are you angry with Mama?” she asked sincerely.
“I was but I’m not anymore. She has been told not to fly beyond the breakwater and did so again this morning to talk to our fishermen so she could write to your aunt Ari.”
“Are we going to see Aunt Ari and Uncle Ruari?”
“No, poppet; they are to visit us here at Tintagel along with Rowan, Alaric, Sloan, and Gareth.”
“What about Kellan?” Bridget asked softly.
“I have sent his messenger back to Raicleach with word of the meeting and asking that he join us here with all haste...”
“What is it?” she asked.
Gideon set Ciara on her feet.
“Why don’t you ask Demelza to make your mother something to eat and then bring it up to her?” he said, stroking her hair.
“Can I have some too?” Ciara asked him.
“Of course,” he said, watching her head to the kitchens.
“She adores you,” said Bridget, not trying to hide the love she felt for her mate and the wolf-child that was now the dragon’s daughter.
“And I her.”
“Gideon, what troubles you?”
He chuckled. “Kellan. I fear, my drakaina, you will despise him. I sent his messenger back to him, but he may not join us.”
“Because you’re meeting with wolf-shifters?”
“No, Kellan is like I am. He will see the rightness of that act. But he is newly mated and his man seemed to think he might well be within the throes of the rut and not wish to be disturbed.”
“And did his drakaina agree to be turned or did he too just ignore that common courtesy.”
Gideon grinned. Bridget liked to remind him, whenever she was annoyed with him, that he had turned her from wolf-shifter to dragon without even asking.
“That’s what fascinates me. His man said that Kellan’s mate was dragon-born.”
“But you said all the drakaina were dead.”
“We thought they were. I am quite curious about how this came to be. That is part of the reason I go to meet with Kellan before meeting with your old pack. Kellan can be formidable when interrupted during a rut. If she is his true heart, and after more than a thousand years, more so I would think.”
“Have I told you lately how very much I love you for putting our daughter’s need to be close to me ahead of your own need to rut.”
He chuckled. “There was no other choice to be made. Besides, her mother is a drakaina with a well-developed libido and indulges my need to mate with her often performing the breeding ritual even now as our child grows within her.”
“We could go with you...”
“We?”
“Ciara and I. Then if she had any bad dreams, we would be with her, and you would know that I was safe and being your ever obedient mate. Besides...”
“Besides what?”
“If you don’t take us with you, I shall beat you about the head with a dead mackerel and have Ciara foul your sword scabbard with the same.”
Gideon laughed. “I am defeated. We will give Kellan’s man three days to reach him and then will fly to Raicleach. But I warn you, Bridget, I will not hesitate to punish you if you misbehave.”
* * *
The Western Coast of Ireland
Caitlyn had managed to hide herself within the cavern system when the dragon had removed the other women. When Míorúilt had failed to return, the women had managed to learn of her capture. They had feigned ignorance when confronted by Kellan. Two of them had chosen to try to make an escape from the bolt hole. They had taken a vow that if one was successful, she would not try to aid the others, but would live her life free of male domination in honor of all the rest. Caitlyn was one of those two, but instead of bolting at the first sight of the mighty Lord of the Seas, she had chosen stealth instead.
When she realized that her comrades had been captured, Caitlyn had found a place to hide within the deepest recesses of the cavern. It was only as darkness fell the next day that she was able to make her way to the village and to Kayleigh, the woman who had directed her to Míorúilt and the Sanctuary when she had first come looking for them.
“Cat!” Kayleigh exclaimed as she ushered her into the small cottage she was preparing for her life with her fiancé, Donnacha, when his time at Dragon’s Galloglas was over. “Are you all right? Are you the only one to escape?”
Caitlyn nodded. “I fear so. I wasn’t sure where to go... where they might have taken them.”
“There’s no help for them. They are up at the citadel and Lord Kellan has decreed himself their guardian and protector. Besides, I always thought the idea was that if the Sanctuary was ever defiled, that anyone who managed to escape would do so and live her life for the rest.”
Again, Caitlyn nodded. “I know, but I’m finding it difficult to just leave them...”
“There’s nothing to be done for them. And other than having their freedom curtailed, Donnacha says that Lord Kellan will ensure they are not ill-treated. Where do you think you will go? What can I do to help? Míorúilt left a small casket of coins and gems in case this happened so you can buy passage away from here.”
“I suppose I’ll return to Wales. If the dragons are returning, perhaps the Lord of Fire will return to his stronghold, Storm Fire.”
“Why would you return there? Do you fancy yourself mate to a dragon?”
“Hardly,” Caitlyn snorted. “My family has a long and bloody history with dragons. The legend, which is also law, has always been that anyone who breaches the defenses of the fortress, kills the dragon lord, and cuts his heart out becomes lord of the realm. I’ve been preparing for that eventuality all my life. My family figured out long ago how to get in, but there were no dragons to slay. If that has changed, I can reclaim my ancestral home and use the castle as a new sanctuary for women.”
“And if you die in the attempt?”
Caitlyn shrugged. “So be it. Better to live and die as mistress of my own fate than be subject to the will of some man, regardless of whether he is human... or dragon.”
“But Míorúilt is a dragon.”
Caitlyn nodded. “Not dragon, but drakaina. My family was dispossessed of our home by the Dragon Lord of Fire. As I said, we have a long and bloody history...”
Kayleigh said nothing more but allowed Caitlyn to stay the night and then arranged for her to book passage on a small fishing vessel that was to leave with the morning tide.
* * *
After delivering Lorcan to the citadel, Kellan returned to the Cave of Tears. He braced himself at the edge of the cavern before entering. The last time he had seen this place, it had been littered with the remains of the last clutch of eggs. Míorúilt’s parents had named her appropriately; it was indeed a miracle that she had survived.
Kellan made his way to the deepest part of the Sanctuary and found the annex Míorúilt had described. It was obvious that the women of the Sanctuary had taken great pains and a lot of care to make it a peaceful and beautiful place. He tried to quell the anger that arose when he saw how few of the shards of the eggshells remained. But they were all there—the various colors of the dragon clans. Of the elemental dragons—Seth, Gideon, Duncan, and himself—only the deep sapphire blue of Duncan’s would have been there, as the others had not sired offspring. There were only small chips of the stunning cobalt color. Perhaps it was best, but in any event, Kellan vowed to never tell the others that it appeared that the remains of their eggs had been plundered for treasure.
Adjacent to the egg annex was the room Míorúilt had described as her own. In it he found a gown, a pair of breeches and shirt, and several corsets. He grinned. While his mate’s outer clothing spoke of a practical nat
ure, her undergarments betrayed her love of beautiful things. Kellan opened the small casket that was placed by her bed. Wondering what it might contain, Kellan opened the lid and bit back a gasp. Inside, at the very top, was an amulet made of dragon egg. Not all that surprising given that Míorúilt’s parents had once lived here and had removed the last remaining egg from the cave. What was a shock was the color of the pendant itself. Kellan lifted it by its silver chain and watched as the ambient light glinted in the color of the egg shard found within. He watched as the stunning cobalt blue color caught the illumination and refracted it. Unless he was very much mistaken, Míorúilt was of Duncan’s clan, and he suspected might well be the daughter of the Lord of the Skies himself. Kellan collected her things, wrapping them and the small container in a blanket and took it to the front of the cave.
Deciding that he would prefer to limit how many men explored the cave looking for the women’s belongings, he gathered their meager possessions together. Kellan placed them in individual bits of fabric or bags, putting them at the foot of the ladder that came down from the bolt hole above. His men would be able to come down and retrieve them before sealing that entrance. Kellan himself would seal the one contained in the rock face. Once he was done, he picked up Míorúilt’s things, looking at the other five sad little packages... wait, five? Kellan stopped and counted again. No, there were in fact five, and not four—one smaller than the others, but five, nonetheless. Míorúilt and the others had lied. They had kept the truth about their numbers secret.
Chapter Eleven
Míorúilt watched as Donnacha brought down the pieces of the bed in which she had lost her virginity and found such pleasure at Kellan’s hands. She had to admit that it had not been at all the way she had been led to believe. Granted, he had left her exhausted and a bit sore, but very well pleasured. She blushed as Donnacha brought down the bedding from above and folded it as she realized the evidence of Kellan’s taking of her maidenhead could be easily seen.
“That sheet is ruined. You may as well burn it. In fact, give it here and I will do so,” she said, reaching for it through the bars of her cell.
“That I cannot do, milady. My lord Kellan was most specific in that he wanted the sheet that bore witness to his taking of your maidenhead to be carefully set aside.”
“That’s disgusting,” she spat.
“Nay, milady,” Donnacha said, shrugging his shoulders. “It is not uncommon for a man to want to keep it as a token of that momentous occasion.”
“And how do you know it was momentous for me?” she said, only becoming vaguely aware that Kellan had returned.
“Because, my sweet Míorúilt, the prowess of dragons is well known, and it is obvious to even the most casual male observer that you were well served last night.”
“I despise you!” she cried as she turned away and tried to hide in the shadows of her cell.
She didn’t want the deep rumble emanating from him to be so soothing... or seductive.
“Donnacha, if you would leave my mate and me alone and close the trap door, I would be grateful. As you can see, my drakaina has only recently lost her virginity to me and is still somewhat shy about the depth of her response to my lovemaking,” Míorúilt heard him say, cringing at his words.
She whirled around and streamed dragon fire through the bars trying to injure him, if not outright kill him. He dodged away, chuckling at her fit of temper.
“How dare you humiliate me that way!” she accused.
“I do so in much the same way you and your ladies have humiliated me with your deception.”
“What deception?”
“How many women were at the Sanctuary, Míorúilt?”
“Over the years there have been forty or more,” she said, beginning to worry that perhaps he knew the truth and Caitlyn had not escaped.
“At the present time, Míorúilt. How many were there?”
“You said you removed four...”
“Do not play me false, my drakaina. I gathered the possessions of those now in my safekeeping. Imagine my surprise when there were six. Yours, the four women at the citadel, and...?”
“You have my things?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
“I do and have made note of your apparent love of beautiful undergarments. I do wonder about your choice of outer apparel—nothing fancy there, just serviceable clothing, and do not seek to evade my question. Who is the girl we are missing and where is she?”
“I’m sure I don’t know...”
“You will answer me, Míorúilt. Now or once I have taken my sword strap to your bottom.”
“What does it matter?”
“It matters because you and the others lied and because she is out in the world alone and unprotected when I have stated that the women who were once at the Sanctuary are now under my protection.”
“She died,” Míorúilt lied.
The women of the Sanctuary had always agreed that if their position was ever overrun, the survivors would only admit to the number of those caught. They would tell their captors that anyone not taken would be labeled as dead in order to give her the best shot at freedom.
Kellan searched his face for the veracity of her statement. Míorúilt could tell he was not convinced.
“May I have my things?” she asked.
Kellan nodded and brought the package forward, unlocking the door and handing it to her, grasping her arm and jerking her forward and into his body as she reached for it. His mouth came crashing down on hers, and all thoughts of anything other than her need to be possessed by him flew from her brain. He reached under the shirt and kneaded her sore bottom, squeezing it in his strong hands. Without warning, he removed the shirt from over her head and looked down at her beaded nipples and flushed skin, obviously aware of the effect he had on her.
“If I find out you have not been truthful with me, Míorúilt, I will be most displeased, and your backside will pay a high price.” He turned from her and back to the bed. “Come and make the bed. I need you to prepare it while I arrange with Donnacha to provide us with food over the next several days. You will get little rest and will need your strength to endure the rut.”
She leaned down for the shirt but released it when he growled.
“You will have no need for the shirt or anything else for the next few days. Your place will be in our bed, servicing my need to rut. I will ride you hard and long and even though I am sure my seed has taken root, I will breed you several times. I will return shortly. You are to have made the bed and gotten into it. I expect to find you on your back with your legs spread showing me your arousal.”
Míorúilt watched him head up the stairs and choked back a cry. She was torn between feeling how her body responded to his dominance and wanting to never see him again. She looked around the dungeon; escaping from him at this point was very unlikely. She only hoped that if and when the opportunity presented itself that she wouldn’t lack the will to do so. Míorúilt turned her hand to doing as he’d ordered. Getting the bed ready wasn’t difficult; what she did find difficult was the idea of crawling up into the middle of it and spreading her legs lewdly for him. Instead, she got into bed and waited.
* * *
“I said on your back with your legs spread. I expect you to present yourself to me for my use.”
“Kellan,” she said quietly, her voice straddling the line between desire and tears.
There was something about the way he issued orders and expected her to obey. There were no flowery words, no honeyed phrases, just a statement of what he expected of her and/or intended to do. He’d made it plain that his need to have her even more often and strongly than he had the previous night should have been intimidating or at least annoying. Instead, it called to some deep, feral part of her she had never known existed. The fact was that she was desirous of having him rut with her. She wanted to lose herself in the throes of passion and be one with him.
Kellan growled at her seductively as he tore his clothes
off and stalked her from the entrance of the dungeon, his staff jutting proudly away from his body. Míorúilt found herself staring, mesmerized by the sight of him, and returning his call.
“So, my drakaina would call me to her, knowing that my need to rut and breed her will see her sore and well used over the next several days.”
Míorúilt didn’t trust her voice; she simply nodded and slid down in the bed on her back, parting her thighs in invitation and submission. She could feel her pussy pulsing as it produced the creamy elixir to make his mounting and using her more satisfying to them both. Kellan crawled up from the end of the bed, sliding up between her legs, lifting her by her buttocks and surging forward, ramming his cock to the end of her channel and making her cry out as she orgasmed.
She writhed beneath him as he grasped her so that he controlled all of her movements. He began to pound her pussy with hard, rhythmic thrusts. He seemed to revel in her coming apart in his hands each time she climaxed for him. He held her in such a way that she could do nothing but act as a willing vessel for his lust. He continued to ram his cock into her over and over. Her orgasmic spasms only inflamed his need.
Míorúilt felt every inch of the hard ridge twisted around his cock as it scored her sheath. The combination of his thrusting and his iron grip on her lower body increased her wanton, carnal need for his possession. She roared as he rode her through a series of climaxes, her inner walls being etched in the way that would allow his seed to take root, if it hadn’t already. As she called his name, clinging to him, he withdrew just enough that the ridge detached from behind the head of his cock before he drove his shaft back into her in a brutal yet imminently satisfying manner. She screamed his name as she clawed his back.
The detached dragon’s tongue slithered from her pussy to her dark rosebud, entering and filling her as he stroked her in both holes. One orgasm followed another, making it difficult to catch her breath, much less process what he was doing to her. Míorúilt felt the ridge as it expanded, latching onto the delicate tissue of her dark passage and limiting her ability to move. Kellan rutted with her for what seemed like hours. Her body was impaled by both cock and the ridge that was unique to dragons. She wailed her need as he groaned in pure, hedonistic pleasure. Other than that, he did nothing but ride her to further fits of ecstasy. She clung to him as exhaustion began to overtake her. His plowing of her pussy seemed endless as he plunged to her depths and his cum began to prepare her pussy for the actual breeding process.