by Naomi Sparks
When I break the kiss, Galen isn't the only one who is breathless. I'm still grinning through, despite my heart beating so fast it feels like it might explode.
"Did you like that?" I ask, locking eyes with him.
Galen holds my gaze and nods. His lips are curved up into a smile, but he doesn't speak.
I reach out and run my right hand up and down his chest, feeling the thin sheen of sweat now covering his muscles. "Think you can go again soon?"
My throat goes dry as I wait for his response. He still doesn't speak though. His grin widens, then he leans up and kisses me again. It's soft and gentle at first, making me tingle. Then, he adds more force and the fire inside me swirls around, lashing out randomly, making me shudder. When Galen reaches up and wraps his arms around me again, he lifts up, moving me with ease. Then, he flips around until I'm the one laying down, Galen on top of me.
I squeeze my eyes shut. That fire inside me grows even stronger now and I give myself over to Galen, let him take control and have his way with me. He keeps kissing me and it doesn't take long before I feel his hardness pressed between my legs. My heart picks up speed again, something I didn't think was possible. When Galen starts rocking back and forth, his cock sliding against my pussy, coating himself in my juices, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold on.
Pushing Galen gently, I break the kiss, sucking in deep breaths and trying to get myself under control. I want him to continue, but this isn't how I want to come. And there's no doubt in my mind, if he keeps this up, I'm not going to be able to hold back.
When I open my eyes, he's grinning down at me, looking like he wants to devour me. I shudder again, but I refuse to break his gaze.
"Fuck me," I say, once I have control over my voice again. "Please, Galen."
Galen swallows, then he nods. I can see the conflict in his eyes. Some part of him is trying to resist this temptation, but just like I can't stop myself, neither can he. He reaches between the two us with his right hand, using his left to continue bracing himself atop me. Moments later, I feel the soft, warm head of his cock pressing right against my entrance.
I suck in a breath and close my eyes, bracing myself for what I know is about to come. Then, before I'm completely ready, he pushes forward, his entire length sliding into me and knocking all the air out of my lungs. My hands ball into fists, nails biting into my palms. Those little pinpricks of pain help keep me grounded. Without them, there's no way I would've been able to hold on.
"Oh gods," I moan out as my entire body shakes. It takes everything I can to keep from coming, even with my nails biting into my palms. Gods, I have no idea how I will last more than another minute or two, but I'm determined to try.
I close my eyes and take deep breaths. Thankfully, Galen pauses for a moment, giving me this chance to get myself under control. I wonder if he's doing it for my benefit or if he's just as on edge as I am. Part of me really hopes it's the latter option because then I won't feel bad about coming right away if he does, too.
When I finally open my eyes again, I can see the struggle behind his gaze. I grin at him, a thrill going through me, knowing he is just as turned on as I am. Even though I just made him come only a few minutes ago, he's already barely holding himself together. Have I ever had that effect on a guy before? I didn't think so.
Galen leans forward and presses his lips against mine for another quick kiss. It sends a little jolt through me, jarring me out of my thoughts. There will be plenty of time to reflect on tonight later. I have no doubt I'll be remembering this night quite often. Until then, I need to keep grounded, stay in the moment. This way I can give Galen a night he'll remember too.
I push up off the bedroll as best I can, just enough to give him a quick kiss. That kiss is all I need to convey what I'm thinking to him, no words necessary. He locks eyes with me and nods. He pulls his hips back, his cock sliding almost completely out of me. A tremor shakes me through to my core and I fight to keep my breathing even.
Then, before I've gotten ahold of myself again, Galen slams his hips forward, impaling his entire length inside me once more. I moan out loud. My body shakes as he stokes that fire raging in the pit of my stomach. Gods, there's no way I will last very long.
But I barely have time to think that thought before he's slid his cock back and then slammed it forward again. Over and over he repeats the motion, his hips becoming like a jackhammer as he fucks me hard and fast. I squeeze my eyes shut once again, my hands tightening into fists.
Earlier Galen looked like he was just as on edge as me, but with the way he's fucking me now, you'd never know it He fucks me relentlessly like he's slowly losing control of himself, becoming more and more wild with each passing moment. It should probably worry me a little, but it doesn't. I barely know Galen and yet I trust him implicitly, knowing he won't do anything to hurt me.
Unless you count turning me into a puddle as he fucks me into the bedroll.
It takes a minute or two, but soon I'm able to regain control of myself. I'm still teetering at the edge, but I'm able to enjoy Galen's ministrations without using all of my energy to keep from coming. Instead, I'm able to move my hips, lifting them up off the ground in time with Galen's thrusts. The fire inside me is still lashing out randomly, but I ignore it. Eventually, it will become too much to ignore, but for now, I don't worry about focusing on the inevitable.
Our moans fill the small tent. They're probably audible all around this area of the camp, but I can't bring myself to care. Maybe later the embarrassment will catch up with me, but for right now, it's barely even a thought. My mind is filled with Galen and nothing else. I force my eyes open and lock gazes with him, my own lust reflected right back at me in his deep eyes.
He looks like he wants to devour me. And I can't deny how much the thought of him devouring me turns me on right now. I want to feel those lips of his all over my body. I want to feel him kissing and suckling all over.
That thought is too much for me to handle. I wrap my arms and legs around Galen and he easily lifts me off the ground, his cock still pounding at my pussy. I moan into his ears, unable to control myself, as the fire inside me seems to explode with enough force to knock the sense right out of me. My fingers dig into the tight muscle at his back, but Galen doesn't even seem to feel it.
As I start to shake, my pussy clamping down around his cock, Galen seems to fuck me even harder. I lose all sense of reality as my orgasm overtakes me. The only thing that keeps me somewhat grounded is Galen's cock, continuing to slide in and out of me. I have no idea how long he lasts before I feel him push himself as deep inside me as he can, letting out a primal sound as his cock throbs and explodes inside me.
After that, everything becomes fuzzy. My vision whites out, my hearing reduced to a low ringing. It's like Galen has literally fucked me insane, and I just can't bring myself to care. All I care about is this sensation never-ending, this bliss going on for the rest of my life.
But that doesn't happen. Far too soon, I come crashing back down to Earth. My body feels like it weighs a ton. The only thing keeping me from collapsing against the ground is Galen's strong arms. All of my muscles are Jell-o now, and I can't even so much as raise a finger, much less sit up straight.
Galen gently lowers me to the ground. He's panting, gasping for air, but he's grinning the entire time. And I grin right back up at him. That had been amazing, by far the most amazing sex of my life. For a long while, the two of us just lay there in silence, basking in the afterglow of the sex. I want to just curl up against him, close my eyes, and drift off to sleep. But I know if I do that, I'll never leave. And I need to leave.
I wait as long as I can before sitting up and searching for my clothes. Galen watches me the entire time, sadness is evident on his face. But I meant what I told him earlier. This is just about tonight. No matter how badly I want it to last longer, I can't just think about myself. I need to be the needs of the others above mine. That's what a leader does, even if it hurts.
&nbs
p; I glance over at him one final time as I kneel at the entrance to his tent. His eyes are full of such sorrow, that it nearly changes my mind. But I take a deep breath and steel myself. I'm not going to change my mind, I tell myself. Then, I say "I'm sorry," my voice low, before turning and slipping out, not waiting for him to respond.
9
Galen
Laying there, staring up into the darkness, I can't bring myself to fall asleep. No matter how many times I close my eyes, I just can't drift off. My mind won't turn off, my dragon won't stop wrestling inside me. It had taken all of my self-control not to grab Katia when she'd left early, to drag her back into my tent and not let her go. Even now, I want to cross the small space between our tents and bring her back here.
But no matter how badly my dragon wants to possess her, I refuse to give in to the instincts. This is my true mate, the woman I'm destined to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want to force her into anything she truly doesn't want, no matter how I may feel about her.
She wants it though! My dragon screams inside me. If she didn't want it, would she have just come crawling into your tent in the middle of the night?
It's hard to argue with that, but Katia hadn't been lying when she said she had responsibilities here, ones she can't just walk away from. Besides, what about Surem? Isn't she supposed to be engaged to him? If she is, then why had she come to me? Does she not want to wed him?
Gods above, I'm so confused.
At this rate, I figure, I'm destined to spend the entire night awake and in turmoil.
"Help!" The shout has me sitting up in an instance. All of my senses go on high alert as I search for the source of the yelling "Wake up! Help!"
It's Ezra shouting, and I grab a pair of pants, pulling them on as I stumble from my tent. My head is on a swivel as I look for him. My hands have already shifted into claws, my dragon preparing for battle. Had the Fae done something to Ezra? He'd been flirting with one of them, and I wouldn't put it passed Surem to decide to intervene, forcefully.
The others all come running out of their tent, along with Katia. The entire camp seems to come alive, fires are reignited. Ezra continues to shout until he comes stumbling over to us, hands up against his head. He drops to his knees and starts gasping for air. The way he's holding the right side of his head tells me he's injured, but I can't see the injury.
Then Ezra lets out a loud growl, his head shifting into that of his dragon for a moment before going back to normal. I wince, knowing the injury must've been bad for him to require a partial shift. In an instant, we're surrounding him, helping him to his feet. I can feel the rage emanating off everyone, wanting revenge against whoever hurt our friend.
The crowd of Fae that gathered is talking anxiously now, though their words all seem to blend together, and I can't make them out.
Katia appears at my side. I take in a deep breath, my dragon roaring up inside me. She still smells like sex, and I take a moment to get my head together, to focus on the issue at hand.
"What happened?" Lex demands once Ezra catches his breath.
We're all waiting for his answer, Dragon and Fae alike. When Ezra opens his mouth to speak, everyone goes silent. "I was out walking with Lysandra. She didn't want to go back to her tent since Katia would be there." He locks eyes with my mate, looking slightly embarrassed. It's definitely a new look for him. "We were inside the boundary. We should've been protected by the barrier, but the next thing I knew, dragon's fire cut right through it."
The chatter from earlier resumes, louder and more urgent. I force myself to tune it all out though as Katia goes stiff beside me.
Ezra locks eyes with Lex now. "It's Amasis. He's here with Meroe..." He goes quiet for a moment, his eyes going to the ground. "I... I tried to fight them, but they took Lysandra."
Katia stumbles, and I reach out to catch her. Her entire body is shaking, and I have to hold her just to keep her upright.
"How did they find us?" Surem demands from behind me. In all the commotion, I hadn't even heard him arrive. His voice is dripping with anger now.
"Amasis said he saw someone flying earlier," Ezra says something else, but I don't hear it. My brain goes to static, and I fight back the urge to start cursing.
This is all my fault. If I had been thinking, I'd have known how dangerous moving around outside the barrier is. Katia stiffens again, and I know exactly what she's thinking. I squeeze her tight, then let go of her and step forward.
"It was me," I admit. "I... I needed some time to clear my head earlier. I didn't think anyone else would be out there, be able to see me."
I refuse to tell them Katia had been with me. This is all my fault, not hers. She doesn't need the blame from everyone. She has enough to worry about.
"Why... why would they take Lysandra?" Katia squeaks out. She's still shaking, and I worry she might collapse soon.
When Ezra looks over at Jerrick, I immediately know what he's going to say. "He said he won't return her until we hand Faith over. If we turn her over willingly, he says they'll walk away from the enclave with no further attacks."
"Fat chance of that," I say with a snort. There's no way Amasis is just going to walk away, even once he has Faith. Not after everything that happened in Seattle, not now that he knows there's an entire enclave of Fae here, ready to replenish his stores.
Katia looks up at me with a shocked look on her face. I can tell she wants to trade Faith for her sister. It's not a thing she may normally consider, but this is her sister, and I know she'll do anything to keep her safe. It must be killing her, knowing she can't go up against Amasis and take her sister back by force, knowing that as strong as she is, she's still no match for a dragon.
"Galen's right," Lex says with a sigh. "There's no way Amasis is just going to walk away even if we do turn over Faith."
"You don't know that for sure"! Surem shouts, pushing through until he's standing right in front of Lex. "This is all because of you and your little crew. He's offering us a chance to save our people. Why shouldn't we take it?"
Before Lex can respond, Faith steps forward. She glares up at Surem, not the least bit cowed by the taller man. "If you think Amasis is going to just walk away, you're a bigger idiot than I thought. Amasis uses the Fae as his personal slaves. They feed off the Fae, using them as breeding stock. His supply is getting low after years and if you think he will pass up a chance to restock with fresh blood, then you're a fool. There's no way he's going to walk away from here until he makes every one of you a slave or kills you."
Katia's face goes slack as she listens to Faith. I know she's thinking about her sister, about what fate awaits her in Amasis's hands. While Surem continues to argue in favor of turning over Faith, Katia seems to wilt.
They continue to argue until a soft voice interrupts. "Lex..."
I turn to see Hannah stumbling forward, bleeding. She's gone paler than ever. Lex runs over to her, scooping her up into his arms in the blink of an eye. I watch as he bites her, injecting more of his venom, but it doesn't seem to do anything. She continues to shake and gasp for air. Lex marches over to Surem and glares at the man.
"Look at her Surem. We don't have any more time. She needs blood, and she needs it now."
Surem purses his lips and shakes his head. "I will not ask my people to make such a sacrifice for you. We do not know what this transfusion will do."
Fire rages behind Lex's eyes. If he wasn't holding Hannah, I know he'd have attacked Surem. The foolish man had no idea the enemy he was making...
But instead of attacking, Lex pushes him out of the way and turns to address the crowd of Fae that have gathered. "Please," he shouts, pleading with them. "My mate will die if she doesn't get help. Surem refuses to aid us. Please. One of you, help us."
The gathered Fae look around nervously. Many of them look like they want to step forward, but they're scared. Not only do they not know what the transfusion might do, they fear retribution from their leader.
That bastard, I think
, looking over at Surem and glaring at him. Hannah is going to die at this rate, and Lex along with her. And without Lex, none of us stand a chance against Amasis. At this rate, Surem is dooming all of us to death or servitude.
I feel Katia stiffen next to me. Then, she pushes away from me and walks over toward Lex. "I will do it," she says, her voice loud and clear. She is trembling, but the look on her face tells me she's not going to back down, despite Surem glaring at her.
My heart swells as I watch her. Even though her sister is in danger, even though this procedure is unknown to all of us, she still has the courage to step forward. This is the person who deserves to be called a leader. One who puts others' needs ahead of their own. She's a much better leader than Surem ever could be.
I'm scared for her, not knowing what might happen, but I'm proud as well. I just hope the process is as easy as we've been led to believe.
"Katia, you can't do this," Surem says, stepping forward once again.
Katia doesn't even look at him. She turns to the crowd and shouts. "Tyko! Are you here?" Her voice echoes across the camp, and moments later, the crowd parts as an old man steps forward.
He walks over to Katia and takes her hands into his, looking up into her eyes. "You are sure about this?" When she nods, Tyko lets out a breath and smiles up at her. At that moment, he looks like a proud father, looking up at the woman his daughter has become. "Then let's get back to my tent. The sooner we begin the process, the better."
Tyko turns and walks off, the crowd parting before him once more. No one hesitates for even a moment before following him. Lex and Katia are at the front, only a few paces behind the old man. They lead us through the winding encampment, once more making me glad we have a guide. Did they design this place to be a maze on purpose?
Eventually, we're led to a large, white tent. It's one of the biggest I've seen in this place, though not nearly as large as the one Surem uses as a throne room. There should be plenty of room inside for everyone, but when I step in, I find the interior filled with books and other equipment. This Tyko must have been collecting all of this for centuries.