Aurora

by B M Griffin

  Gregor ran his hands under her shirt scraping his fingertips over her skin igniting a fire beneath her skin that went straight to her core. Aurora reached for his shirt, grabbing the bottom and yanking it over his head. Gregor took the hint and made quick work of removing his pants and boxers, and then it was her turn. Aurora started ripping off her top but Gregor grabbed her hands stopping her. He brought his mouth up to her neck running his tongue up to the spot just below her ear before grazing her overly sensitive skin there with his teeth as he brought his lips up to her ear. “I want to do that,” he said.

  The yearning in his voice sent electricity through her limbs and Aurora melted into him wrapping her arms around his neck to keep herself upright while moaning her agreement, unable to speak words as desire took over every sense in her body. Aurora closed her eyes as he ran his hands down her sides stopping at the bottom of her shirt. Gregor peeled her shirt off and groaned as he stood before her taking in her topless form. She hadn’t worn a bra and she could see the appreciation glowing in Gregor’s eyes as he ran his eyes over her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Gregor groaned.

  Aurora purposely ran her eyes over his body taking in every single inch of him, and there was much to take in, before bringing her eyes back to meet his. “You aren’t half bad yourself,” she said eliciting a smirk from Gregor.

  In the next second his body was once against pressed against hers, one hand caressing her breast while he buried the other in her hair and kissed her until she swore she could feel the heat from his mouth caressing hers between her legs. Feeling his skin pressed against her own lit her body up like fireworks and she needed to feel him against all of her.

  Aurora broke their kiss, both of their chests heaving pressed against one another. She took a step back and concern flashed across Gregor’s face as he reached for her. Smiling she said, “I’m not going anywhere, Gregor. I’m done fighting this bond between us.”

  His smile was bright enough to rival the sun on its best day as he reached out for her. “Then get back over here.”

  “Not yet.” He looked confused but Aurora didn’t say more. Instead, she just kept her eyes locked on his and bent to remove her pants.

  When she stood back up, completely bare before him, Gregor’s eyes were glowing that unique color she’d recently decided was her new favorite color. She expected him to move right in on her like he’d tried a moment ago but he just stood there taking her in. Aurora took a step-in direction and Gregor’s gaze snapped back up to hers. “I love you.”

  Aurora froze. A new kind of warmth filled her, encompassing her heart and damn near bringing tears to her eyes. Gregor closed the space between them and cupped her face between his hands lightly wiping under her eyes with his thumbs, a frown marring his handsome face. “You’re crying.”

  Apparently, the tears had come. She brought her hand up to his cheek and ran a thumb over his mouth. “Don’t frown,” she said, “it’s not what you think. These are the good tears.”

  “Yeah?”

  Aurora gave him her biggest smile. “Yes.” Leaning in she gave him a quick kiss, then pulled back slightly so she could look him in the eyes again. “And I love you.”

  Gregor slammed their mouths together at the same time he gripped her waist and lifted her up so she had to wrap her legs around his waist. She could feel his hardness pressing into her and the way it moved against her as he walked them over to her bed had her moaning into his mouth.

  He laid her on the bed gently and slowly crawled up her body, worshiping her with his mouth as went. Aurora arched her back and cried out when Gregor sucked her left nipple into his mouth, grazing it lightly with his teeth and rolling his tongue around the sensitive tip. Gregor kissed her breast after he released her nipple from his mouth, but before Aurora could catch her breath he moved to the other breast inflicting the same exhilarating sensations once again.

  Reaching down, Aurora brought her hands to the back of his head, threading her fingers in his hair and urging him to continue his move up her body. Gregor needed no further instruction, bringing himself over her so he was settled heavily between her thighs while using on to hold himself up as he traced her face softly with his other hand.

  Aurora ran her hands up his back until she was gripping his shoulders so she could pull him down closer. When his lips were so close she could almost taste him, she met his gaze. “Make love to me, Gregor. Make me yours forever.”

  A growl rumbled up Gregor’s chest. “You are mine, and I’m yours. Forever.”

  With that, he claimed her mouth just before she felt the glorious sensations of being filled in the best way possible as he pushed deep inside of her. He took his time and she could feel him as he ignited every nerve in her body, inch by pleasurable inch.

  Gregor buried his face in her neck as he continued to fill her repeatedly. “Agh,” he groaned, every word he spoke punctuated by a grunt and heavy bursts of air passing through his clenched teeth. “Fucking. Beautiful. Amazing. Love. You.”

  Aurora nearly fell over the edge with those words. Soon his thrusts grew harder and deeper and Aurora dug her nails into Gregor’s back, arching into his thrusts and moving in time with him as he drove her pleasure to unimaginable heights. “Gregor!”

  As soon as his named passed her lips Gregor drove himself into her deeper than before sending her into a crescendo of pleasure as her climax ripped through her body. Aurora held on to Gregor’s shoulders as her release rippled through her.

  Gregor thrust his hips two more times before he buried himself deep inside of her and stilled, then Aurora felt his release fill her as he buried his face in her neck and groaned her name, “Aurora, agh…”

  Gregor stayed like that for a few minutes, buried inside of Aurora, and they both clung to one another as they let their heavy breathing slowly come to a lull. After a few minutes Gregor rolled to his back, pulling Aurora with him until her head was resting on his chest. She had never felt safer and loved than she did right then in his embrace. He was running his fingers through her hair when Aurora lifted her head to look at him. “I love you, Gregor.”

  His smile could light up the greatest depths of Hades in that moment. “I love you too, Aurora. I say we go ahead and do this bonding thing to make it official. I’m ready to make you mine forever.” Aurora laughed and Gregor’s smile was replaced by confusion. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  Aurora shook her head. “Maybe I should have explained bonding to you before we did it.” Gregor raised an eyebrow in question. “Bonding is completed by the physical act of making love, which means I am now officially yours. Forever.”

  Gregor’s smile was back in an instant and brighter than she’d seen it before, then he was moving, rolling her over and hovering above her once again with a mischievous smirk playing at his delicious mouth. “Maybe we should do it one more time. You know, just to make sure it took.”

  Aurora smirked but nodded her agreement. “I think you’re right. We need to be sure.” She laughed again, until he brought his mouth down over hers once again and the only thing she could do was feel.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Camille

  Pain. Throbbing, pain as Camille’s eardrums vibrated with a loud ringing that seemed to come from all around her and from deep inside her head. She lifted her arms to cradle her head but they were yanked back by something cold and hard cutting into her wrists and biceps. Camille fought against the weights holding her eyelids in place and slowly peeled her eyes open. She blinked a few times clearing her vision, then she took in her arms and legs which were chained to a stone wall, and the blood that was splattered all over her torso; it wasn’t hers, or at least most of it wasn’t, but it was the black blood of her enemies.

  Realization slammed into her and she jerked her head to the right. “Luka!”

  The shackles next to her hung loose; her brother no longer occupying their ties. She could feel an emptiness inside of her, like an important part of her had been r
emoved. How long had it been since Matthias showed his true face and ordered her brother taken away?

  “Matthias.” Camille’s teeth ground together as she practically spit out her former Maharani’s name. All this time everyone believed he had died fighting for their people when he’d really been conspiring against them. Aurora was going to be devastated.

  She summoned all of her strength and snatched against the chains but no matter how hard she tried they wouldn’t budge.

  “Oh, Camille, you shouldn’t waste your strength like that.”

  Camille’s head shot up and her glare locked with the eyes of her former Maharani. Her blood boiled and her gargoyle rippled inside of her, fighting to come to the surface but Camille was unable to make the shift.

  A small smile formed on Matthias’ face as he made his way up to Camille. “You didn’t think I would allow you the ability to shift while I held you captive, now did you my dear Camille?”

  “Where’s Luka?” she demanded through clenched teeth.

  Matthias sighed, “I’m afraid Luka is no longer with us.”

  A lump formed in Camille’s throat making it hard to breathe, and her heart all but stopped inside her chest. Forcing her words past the lump taking up the passageway in her throat she croaked, “What?”

  “I’m sure my daughter is arranging his end of life ceremony as we speak.”

  The pain in Camille’s body was nothing in comparison to the agony that tore through her heart in that moment. Her body swayed, the only thing keeping her to falling to the floor were the chains that held her captive. All of the air had been sucked out of the room and the walls were closing in around her as the realization that the emptiness she’d felt had been the loss of her twin; Luka was dead.

  Camille picked her head up and leveled her eyes with Matthias’, refusing to show him weakness even when her world was ending. “I will not rest until I see the life drain from your cold dead eyes.”

  A cold laugh rumbled from Matthias and he brought his face so close to Camille’s she could taste the evil essence his soul had become. “I don’t believe you’re in the position to make such threats, dear Camille.”

  Camille did not drop his stare. “Not a threat, just stating a truth. Take it however you wish.”

  Matthias smirked and gave a slight nod of his head. “I admire your commitment, Camille, even if it is severely misplaced.”

  ****

  Aurora

  Bang, bang, bang!

  Aurora jumped out of bed ready to fight and Gregor was by her side just as quickly, a growl ripping from his throat as the door swung open and slammed into the wall behind it with a crack.

  “Andros!” Gregor shouted. “What the hell man! Do you ever enter a room without ripping the door off the hinges and putting everyone on alarm?”

  Aurora relaxed her stance and narrowed her eyes her friend. “You’ve got to stop barreling into my room this way,” she chastised.

  Andros’s averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t expect you to be, well,” he motioned his hand toward her and Gregor standing side by side in all their naked glory.

  Gregor quickly grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her, not bothering to worry about covering himself. Aurora wanted to smile and melt into him but she turned her attention back to Andros knowing there had to be a reason he’d nearly knocked her door down again.

  “Andros, tell me what happened?”

  Andros met her eyes with his, locking onto her stare. “I found it,” he said.

  A surge of hope and adrenaline rushed into Aurora with those three words. Without taking another breathe or moving her eyes even slightly away from his, she asked, “Are you positive that it is their true lair?”

  “Certain.”

  The sincerity in Andros’ tone, and the weight of his stare on hers nearly made Aurora drop to her knees, but it was not the time to go weak. “How did you find them?”

  Anger consumed his face as Andros spoke between his grinding teeth, “Silas.” The way he said the serpent’s name made it sound blasphemous.

  Heat flooded Aurora’s body as the change took over without her consent for the first time in her life, her dragon forcing its way to the surface with a thirst for blood unlike any fury she had ever experienced. She could sense Gregor beside her, shifting forms in tandem with her and she knew her anger had forced the change on him as well. “Call everyone to the great hall, immediately,” she ordered. Andros just nodded an affirmative and hustled out of her room, his heavy footfalls sounding off as he ran down the stairs.

  She could feel Gregor’s eyes on her and she slowly brought her eyes around to meet his. “Let’s take these assholes down and bring Camille home.” His words reflected her thoughts and she nodded before leading the way out to deliver the news to her people and end her father’s vindictive scheme.

  Chapter Twenty

  Aurora

  Entering the hall, filled with the people of Tanzahar, Aurora darted her eyes toward the high Council table in the center of the room. There he sat, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug grin gracing his ugly, narrowed face. Before she could make a move to rip out the throat of the traitor, Gregor was across the room with his claw wrapped so tightly around Silas’s throat the snake’s eyes were bulging out of his skull, and his already pale skin was turning a ghostly ash.

  “You betrayed your own people!” Gregor yelled. “Betrayed Aurora!”

  The bond was so strong that Aurora could feel Gregor’s anger amplifying her own and she was certain the same went for him; likely the catalyst to his current death grip on Silas. Aurora found that she enjoyed seeing her mate defending her people and her, but as much as she would love to stand back and watch him rip out Silas’ throat, the asshole might have important information on the Shaitan’s lair that would help them get Camille out safely.

  “Gregor,” she spoke calmly. “Let’s not kill him, yet. He may be of some use to us.”

  She felt Gregor’s hesitation, but he met her eyes and when she gave him a slight nod his grip around Silas’ throat eased and Silas began gulping in air, his chest rapidly rising and falling.

  Silas reached up, pawing at Gregor’s claw and arm. “What the hell is going on here?” he spat out between gulps of air.

  The table shook and a loud crack sounded as Andros brought his fist down. “Don’t try to play us with your bullshit, Silas! You know what you’ve done. Traitor!”

  Silas’ eyes grew even larger before he got a grip on himself and made a weak attempt at removing all emotion from his face. A task that was proving hard for him to achieve as Gregor’s menacing claw still gripped the flesh around his neck.

  “How dare you accuse me of such a blasphemous treachery.” Silas tried to sound superior as he stared at Andros, but the rasping sound of his voice coming from his compressed windpipes made his snide remark sound weak and pitiful.

  Andros moved so fast a human would have missed his fist aiming for Silas’ ugly face, but Aurora was faster. Before Andros could reach Silas, Aurora had his arms in a vice lock behind his back holding him in place.

  “Let me go,” Andros growled between clenched teeth, his eyes never leaving Silas.

  “No,” Aurora commanded. Andros cocked his head back to look at her while she continued to hold him in her grasp. “First he will get us into their lair. Get us to my father.” Her eyes softened as she met his. “To Camille.”

  Aurora felt the tension in Andros subside and she freed his arms knowing he wouldn’t risk a chance to save Camille from the torture Aurora’s father and the Shaitan were surely putting Camille through. Moving around Andros, she stepped up to Silas and with a nod to Gregor he released his hold on Silas’ throat.

  “Thank you, Maharani. Thank…”

  Aurora cut Silas off as she replaced her mate’s grip around Silas’ throat with her own before slamming his back against the nearest wall, all of the air quickly rushing out of Silas when his back met with the solid s
tones. Aurora got right in his face. “You’re going to come with us, and you will do whatever you have to for us to get into that lair. I suggest you don’t try anything stupid because the pain that I will put you through will make you wish I’d allowed Andros to rip you apart just now.” Aurora brought her arm back and slammed Silas into the wall once more for good measure as she drove her point home.

  Aurora turned to Andros. “Gather our soldiers. We’re going to end this tonight.”

  “What do you need me to do?” Gregor asked.

  Aurora met her mate’s stare and Gregor wrapped his arms around her. “You’re already doing it,” she said, “but as much as I’d love to stay here in your arms we have a big fight on our hands.”

  “I know,” Gregor said. He kissed the top of her head before backing up, but he didn’t release her completely as he brought his right arm down hers and laced his fingers with hers holding her hand. “We will win,” he said. Aurora met his gaze and he flashed a bright smile her way that made it hard not to accept his confidence as truth. “We have so much to live for now that we have found each other. Nothing and no-one can tear us apart.”

  “It won’t be easy,” Aurora’s voice was raspy as the reality of everything they were about to face hit her. “My father is strong and cunning. We can win, but we are going to lose people tonight, Gregor. You don’t have to come with us. This doesn’t have to be your fight.”

  Gregor brought his hands up to her face, then he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Aurora, I am one of you now. Wherever you go I am going to be right by your side, even if that means I walk with you into war. This is my fight because it’s your fight.”

  Aurora smiled at him. “I love you.”

  “And I love you.”

  Gregor kissed her again. He let his lips linger against hers, sweet and consuming, and Aurora could feel all of the love they shared flowing between them and she knew he was right. They had way too much to live for and they were going to win this battle together.