Until now.
I grabbed Kira around the waist, feeling her curves under that thin robe, and picked her up, wrapping her legs around me. She let out an excited laugh, then settled into my arms as I carried her to the bed. I set her down on her back and grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the bed. I loomed over her body, caging her in, giving her no way to escape.
“Now you’re mine,” I said.
She looked up at me with open desire and complete trust. “What are you going to do with me?”
Her robe had fallen open and I raked my eyes down her body. “Everything.”
My gaze lingered on her full breasts and narrow hips, before dipping down to that triangle between her legs, already wet from my touch. Damn, she was stunning. Why had I resisted her so long?
That was over now. She was impossible to resist, and I was done trying to fight it.
Still holding her wrists, I bent my head to those perfect round breasts and flicked my tongue across her hard nipple. She arched her back in response, begging for more, and I sucked one of those dark buds into my mouth. The soft moan from her lips turned me on even more, as did the taste of her. I’d never considered myself a lucky man, but I was starting to change my mind about that.
I worshipped each breast until she was begging and writhing under me, desperate for more. An overwhelming need to be inside her took over, and I released her wrists so I could tear off my clothes. Her eager fingers reached up to help me, her eyes hungry as I removed my shirt and tossed it aside. The rest of my clothes hit the floor, and then I moved over her again.
“I never thought this moment would come,” she said, as she gazed up at me.
The intensity of her eyes was too much. She wrecked me, and I was going to fall apart if she kept that up. The urge to claim her as my own grew too strong to ignore, and I couldn’t wait a second longer. I grabbed her waist and flipped her over onto her stomach, making her gasp. I yanked her hips up so they were level with mine, and then I rammed myself deep inside.
She let out the most beautiful scream I’d ever heard as I filled her from behind, the sound echoing throughout the room. I grit my teeth at the feel of her tight, damp heat. My hand wrapped around her thick red hair, tugging her head back, forcing me deeper inside. I arched over her to press my lips to her neck, and she trembled under my touch.
“I have a secret,” I said into her ear, as I held her there. Not moving yet, just enjoying the feel of her body squeezed tight around my cock.
“Only one?”
I nipped at her shoulder. “I think you know all the rest by now.”
“Tell me,” she said, her voice husky.
“I’ve never done this before with anyone I actually cared about.”
With that, I began to move. I rocked into her with hard, rough thrusts, and she pushed her hips back at me, taking me deeper. With one hand gripping her hair and the other on her hip, I completely controlled her body, forcing her to accept whatever I gave her.
I took her hard and rough, slamming into her again and again, and her moans of pleasure only grew louder. I reached between her thighs to find her clit, and each time I pushed forward, my fingers rubbed against her there. She tightened around me, her body close to the edge, and I was right there with her. I’d thought I was claiming her, but she was the one taking everything from me and still demanding more—and I wanted to give it to her. Not just tonight or in the bedroom, but for the rest of our lives.
I felt it when she came apart. Every wet inch of her clenched around me, and it felt so good I couldn’t stop the pleasure from cresting over me too. Water shot into the air around us, while ice spread across our skin, locking us together. I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her, while our bodies rocked together through it all.
The ice melted away and the water sank back into the pool around us. I kissed the back of her neck, as I pulsed inside her, before gathering her in my arms and lowering us to the bed. How had I ever lived without Kira? She made me feel so damn alive.
“I love you,” I said, the words slipping out of me. I couldn’t stop them anymore. I didn’t want to.
She touched my face and smiled. “I know.”
20
Kira
I must have dozed off in Reven’s arms, because at the sound of rushing water my eyes snapped open. I yanked my robe up around me, covering my naked skin. Reven sat up and shoved me behind him, protecting me with his body. Water poured into the dome in front of us, and I worried that the entire thing would crash down and crush us under the weight.
The water rushing in began to take shape, forming a large body with four legs, a long tail, a head with a pointed snout, and great wings that rose upon its back. A huge dragon arose in front of us, a creature of pure swirling water with glowing white eyes and fangs made of ice shards.
“The final binding is complete at last,” the Water God said.
I reached for my magic, finding the fluid grace of water deep inside me alongside the other three elements, and summoned a snowball in my palm. A large smile spread across my face as it slowly melted against my fingertips. We’d done it. I was bound to each of my mates now, able to use all four elements, along with my own life magic.
“Can I turn into a dragon now?” I asked aloud.
“Not yet,” the Water God said. “Not until the Spirit Goddess gives you her blessing.”
“The Spirit Goddess is trapped inside Nysa,” Reven said dryly. “Something the other Gods failed to mention.”
The great dragon flexed his watery wings. “When you defeat Nysa, our Goddess will be freed. Only then will you be able to unlock your true powers.”
“But if we free her, the Death Goddess will turn this world into another realm of the dead,” I said.
The glowing eyes narrowed. “Doran told you this, but he is also the one who imprisoned us for nearly a thousand years. Nysa and her mates wanted unending power and immortal life. Now they lie to spread doubt through your hearts.”
I glanced at Reven warily. “Is it true that the Spirit Goddess is actually the twin Goddesses of Life and Death, bound together?”
“That is true. One cannot exist without the other. Life and death. Dark and light. There must be balance.”
“If we free her and the balance shifts too much to one side, can the Gods help us split the Spirit Goddess apart and banish the Death Goddess from this world?”
“We can. If it comes to that, we will.”
I nodded. It was the most we could ask for.
The dragon’s tail swished back and forth in the low pool. “Do not forget that to defeat Nysa, Doran must be destroyed first. He will tell you anything to protect himself and his mate. You cannot trust him.”
That was true, but could we trust the Gods either? I wasn’t sure. “I understand.”
“The time of the Black Dragon is over, and now the ascendants must rise. Do not fail us.”
The Water God began to flow back into the dome, losing shape, but Reven called out, “Wait!”
The huge dragon paused, reforming instantly, and asked, “Yes?”
Reven’s brow furrowed. “Why me? I’m not a hero. I didn’t want this. I rejected my fate at every turn. You must have known I would, but you picked me anyway.”
“The Fire God looks for courage. The Air God chooses one with wisdom. The Earth God seeks out stability. I value change.”
“Change?” Reven asked.
“Adaptability. Resourcefulness. A certain fluidity in morals. The world is never as simple as black and white or right and wrong. It is always shifting, and my Dragon shifts with it. I did not want a hero. I wanted someone who would survive, and change, and grow, and show the ascendant how to do the same.”
“I see…” Reven said, although he sounded more confused than ever. I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. I was certain he was the perfect person to be the next Azure Dragon and my mate, even if he wasn’t. He’d made me wait and doubt and nearly tear my hair out plenty of times, but t
hat had only made it even better when he’d finally admitted his feelings for me. Jasin and Auric had loved me from the start, but Slade and Reven had made me work for it—and I’d learned something from each of them. I couldn’t have gotten to this point with Reven if not for the other men, and I saw now how each one complemented me and made me become a better person. Including Reven.
“Trust in the Gods,” the dragon said. “We created you. We chose you. And we have reasons for everything we do.”
With that, he collapsed with a huge splash, and was gone. I had to give the Gods credit, they were good at dramatic entrances and exits.
Reven turned toward me and slid his hand around my waist, bringing me back to him. “Now that that’s done, it’s time for round two.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled open my robe and eased me back onto the bed. “Is that so?”
“I’ve waited a long time for this night. The other men have been with you multiple times, but we have some catching up to do. I’m not letting you go until I’ve explored every inch of you. Multiple times.”
His head bent to my chest and he ran his tongue in the valley between my breasts, making me gasp. For once, I didn’t have to rush off after speaking with a God. No one was waiting for us or coming to attack us. We could spend the entire night in the bonding room if he wanted.
And as Reven kissed his way down my body, I had a feeling he wasn’t in any rush to leave either.
21
Kira
In the morning we met for breakfast with the others in a dining room with windows that looked out to the ocean. Opea and her priests served us fruit and pastries, which they said they traded for when they visited a nearby island once a week. I didn’t question it too much. Despite the remote locations of the temples, the Gods always found a way to provide for their priests somehow.
As Opea and her priests left so that we could have privacy, I thought of Calla, the High Priestess of the Fire God, and wondered how she and her mates were doing. The last time I’d seen her had been in the capital of the Air Realm, but I wasn’t sure if she planned to stay in Stormhaven until it was safe for her to return to her temple. Sark was her grandfather and he’d kept my presence a secret in exchange for Doran keeping quiet about her. Did that mean Sark actually cared about Calla in some way? I’d always assumed he was heartless, but maybe even the worst Dragons had something or someone they cared about.
I gazed across the table at my father. Was I his weakness too? Or was he playing me this entire time?
Reven must have seen my troubled look because he reached under the table and gave my thigh a squeeze, reminding me of our night together. My worries melted away, and I gave him a grateful smile.
“I’m guessing the bonding went well,” Jasin said with a smirk as he took his seat across from me.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
Slade began to load up his plate with food. “You look content. Less troubled.”
I smiled and looked down at the plate in front of me as color flooded my cheeks. “I suppose I am. Everything feels like it’s as it should be.”
“Now that you’ve bonded with all of us, what is the next step?” Auric asked, as he folded a napkin across his lap.
I sighed. “I can access all of your powers now, but the Water God told me I can’t become a dragon myself until the Spirit Goddess blesses me. Which could prove difficult.”
“You need to confront Nysa,” Doran said, before popping a piece of melon into his mouth. “I suggest we do it at the Spirit Temple near Soulspire, since that’s where the blessing needs to take place.”
“Somehow I doubt the other Dragons will let us just walk in there,” Reven said.
Doran nodded. “Once they learn you’ve obtained all four elemental powers, they’ll know you’re heading for the Spirit Temple next. I would expect it to be heavily defended with both shades and soldiers from the Onyx Army, along with the Dragons themselves.”
“We’ll never get in there,” Jasin muttered.
“Not alone, no,” Doran said.
I picked at the food in front of me as I considered. “We need to call upon our allies.”
“What allies?” Reven said. “We have the Resistance, who just lost their leader and… Oh wait, that’s it.”
“I can speak with my father,” Auric said. “He has no love for the Dragons but was scared to turn against them. I might be able to convince him to change his mind, if I explain how close we are to defeating them. Perhaps he could lend us some of his soldiers.”
Jasin arched an eyebrow at me. “What about that bandit gang you were once a member of, Kira? Would they help us?”
I took a long sip of orange juice. “Cadock’s men? I asked before and he said no, but it couldn’t hurt to try again. We are desperate, after all.”
Reven rolled his eyes. “They’ll never say yes. I’d have better luck convincing the Assassin’s Guild to join us.”
“Do you think you could?” I asked.
He opened and closed his mouth, then scowled. “Maybe. They might do it if we paid them well.”
Jasin dragged a hand through his auburn hair. “Even if they all said yes, which is unlikely, it still won’t be enough.”
I glanced between my father and my mates, then spoke the idea that had been brewing in my head for some time. “We need to ask the elementals to help us.”
“The elementals?” Doran asked with a sharp laugh. “Why would they ever agree to that?”
“The elementals hate the Dragons and the shades, according to Enva,” I said. “They might be willing to side with us if we explain that we’re planning to defeat them.”
Jasin shook his head. “Just because you saved one elemental doesn’t mean they’ll fight beside us.”
I shrugged. “It can’t hurt to ask.”
“It can if they attack us.”
“He’s right, it’s a big risk,” Slade said. “Even asking them to help could be dangerous.”
“We have to try,” I said. “Humans think the elementals are our enemies. Elementals think the same of us. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There were times when our two kinds were at peace.”
“You think you can unite elementals and humans and erase hundreds of years of hatred and fear?” Reven asked.
“Not overnight, no. But this would be a good first step. I just want to talk to them. I know it’s dangerous, but we need them. I don’t think we can do this without their help.”
Auric drummed his fingers on the table with a thoughtful expression. “How would you even contact the elementals? There are different types of them spread across the world.”
“They have a capital, of sorts, past the Fire Realm,” Doran said. “There’s a council of leaders, one from each type of elemental. I could take you there.”
“Won’t they be suspicious if we show up with one of the Dragons we’re planning to replace?” I asked.
“So I’ll keep out of sight,” he said with a shrug.
“There’s another problem with this plan,” Auric said. “It’ll take a long time to visit all these different groups and try to convince them to help us.”
I glanced between everyone at the table, weighing the options, before saying, “We’ll have to split up. Slade will go to the Resistance, Auric will speak with his father, Reven will ask the Assassin’s Guild, and Jasin will try to convince the bandits. Doran and I will find the elementals.”
Jasin shook his head with a frown. “I don’t like the idea of splitting up.”
“Especially if it means none of us will be with you to protect you,” Slade said.
“I’ll keep her safe,” Doran said. “You have my word.”
“But can we trust your word?” Reven asked.
Doran’s eyes narrowed. “I would never do anything to harm my daughter. Surely you know that by now. Have I not done everything I said I would?”
“Forgive us for being cautious,” Auric said. “We’re just trying to make sure Kira sta
ys safe.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting off an oncoming headache, probably from the stress of this combined with the lack of sleep. “I know this plan isn’t ideal, but this is the only way. The longer we take, the longer the Dragons can prepare to stand against us. We have to recruit allies, and we have to do it quickly. We must split up, even if it puts all of us in danger.” My voice softened as I looked at each of them. “I’ll have Doran, and I can control all four elements now. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Slade reached for my hand. “We always will worry.”
“It’s settled then.” Doran pressed his palms on the table and stood. “But before we rush off to the four corners of the world, you each need more training first. Meet me in the courtyard in an hour.”
After he was gone, Reven fixed me with a dark look. “You know you can’t trust him.”
“I don’t trust him,” I said, remembering the Water God’s comments last night. “But he has kept his word so far, and he’s helped us a lot. We would never have found this temple without him. He might betray us in the end, but we’ll be prepared if he does.”
Slade rubbed his beard. “I have another idea. I’ve been wondering if it’s possible to imbue a weapon with all of our magic.”
“How would that work?” Jasin asked.
“I’m not sure, but it might be effective against Nysa once we’ve defeated her mates, or perhaps even against the Spirit Goddess.” Slade shrugged. “I’d like to try, but I’d need my forge.”
“We could plan to reconvene in your village,” Auric said.
The plan was set. Now we just had to find a way to pull it off.
22
Jasin
Doran waited for us in front of the temple, where he leaned against the large dragon statue. He stared at the fish swimming outside the dome and something in his expression reminded me of Kira. She often got lost in her thoughts too, especially when something was weighing heavily on her mind, which was often lately. Although after her night with Reven she was smiling a little easier, at least. A few days of peace and rest at the Water Temple would be good for her too, even if I was itching to get moving and take action.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 55