by Mary Auclair
He looked back down at her sex, exposed just in front of him. She was so pink, so wet and quivering. His finger traced the opening between her soft lips, pausing at the seal that made her innocent, pushing until the resistance became taut. She gasped and he could feel the fear coursing underneath her skin as he flattened his hand over her stomach.
He could break that seal with his cock, spill his seed inside her and make her a woman. His woman.
His beast raged inside him, pushing him to take her, make her his by releasing his seed inside her. Take her like no other man had before, and no other man would after. But he restrained the beast, knowing that taking her the way he wanted to, savage and wild, unbridled in his passion, would lead to hurting the one he had sworn to protect and keep. Making her afraid of him. And if she feared him, he had already lost her.
Fedryc lifted himself above her body and met Marielle’s pure gray eyes, rendered dark by passion. Her delicate face was flushed and her hair was spread over the sand, a stray ray of sunlight caught in her red curls, illuminating them like a flame.
This woman was his, by all the rules of the universe, and by the dragon’s vitalem coursing through her veins.
Fedryc rested his weight on one of his elbows, then positioned himself over her exposed sex. His cock pulsed and ached with the need to possess her but he controlled himself and pushed only until he felt the resistance of her innocent seal. Her wet little hole closed around the tip of his shaft, hot and ready for him.
“Are you ready for me, little firebrand?”
“Will it hurt?” Her big eyes were full of fear and she looked up at him with gut-wrenching trust. “You’re so big. I’m scared.”
“Only for a moment. Then I’ll make you want me so much you’ll embrace even the pain.”
He bent down and kissed her, long and deep. Her small hands closed around his buttocks and he knew she was ready. He pushed in one steady motion until the resistance at her entrance broke. Marielle whimpered against his shoulder, a tiny moan of pain and fear, but she didn’t protest. He waited a few seconds, then he let gravity pull him down inside her until he was embedded deep.
Marielle broke the kiss and breathed hard and fast as her body accommodated him. He could feel every inch of her squeeze around the intrusion of his cock. His beast roared and thrashed, wanting to take her harder, faster, but he restrained himself.
When she relaxed, he pulled out almost completely, then went back in. This time, Marielle accompanied the motion with her hands, squeezing his hind cheeks, trying to make him move faster, deeper. But he didn’t. He wanted her wild and full of need. He wanted her desperate for another release, for the possession of her flesh by his flesh. He wanted her to need him so much that she would never be satisfied.
Fedryc moved inside her, her greedy channel sucking him as he pulled back, then pushed in, agonizingly slow. Marielle breathed hard against his flesh, the pain long gone from her memory, her hips pushing back against his cock.
She was ready for the beast.
He gave her what she wanted, pulling out almost completely, then slamming into her again, each time losing a bit more of his control, each time harder, until he was pounding inside her like the animal he truly was.
Then Marielle closed her small, even teeth at the base of his neck, and he lost it.
His hand pinned her hips down and he took her, hard and deep, with a harshness that only paralleled his need of her. He needed to find release inside her body, to put a brand on her so she was as entirely his as he was hers. His hand reached between them, and he pressed his thumb on her little bundle of nerves.
Marielle let go of him and her scream filled the air as her slick walls squeezed around his cock, milking him dry as another wave of pleasure washed over her. As she unraveled with pleasure under his touch, Fedryc finally let go.
His release came, as powerful as the link he had with this woman. Pleasure took over his body, savage and male. Fedryc bent down over Marielle’s shoulder, her small teeth still holding on to his neck. He bit down, his fangs embedding in her flesh like his cock as his seed spilled inside her body.
Finally, long after she had stopped screaming, he pulled away from her and lay down at her side. He cradled her in his arms.
As she lay there, her face nestled against his chest, her magnificent hair spread over her naked shoulders, a heart he had believed long dead woke up between his ribs. Marielle’s eyelids closed as the sheer exhaustion of the recent days washed over her, and Fedryc watched with fascination as her golden eyelashes lined the silk of her cheeks.
Emotions coiled inside him at the sight of his mate, his Draekarra, his life. His arms closed around her naked skin, pulling her closer, and she moaned in satisfaction. His heart beat hard, harder than it ever had, and Fedryc knew.
For the first time in his lonely, sad life, he had found something worth fighting for. Not his honor, not his duty, but a person he could cherish all for himself. All for the bliss of spending his long Draekon years at her side.
And he would murder the entire world to keep her safe.
“What now?” Marielle asked, her voice full of sleep.
“Now, we go back and take what is ours.”
Chapter 9
“Wake up, little firebrand.”
Marielle swallowed, then groaned in protest as she lifted her head from the comfort of his warm, soft skin. Blazing sunlight hammered over the desert, blanketing her body in searing warmth. She blinked, staring into two blazing silver eyes so beautiful, she couldn’t breathe. Fedryc’s mouth lifted in a devilish, sexy smile, and it transformed his entire face.
His eyes lit up with a humorous glint and a dimple creased his left cheek. His dark, almost black hair fell over his brow, softening his face, giving him a carefree, boyish appearance.
It was the first time she really took the time to look at him and see more than the High Lord, more than the all-powerful Draekon who descended from the sky on a beast of nightmares.
She saw the man he was. A man who wore his need for her plain on his face.
“I’m up.” She bent and kissed Fedryc’s warm chest, then pulled up her face, horrified.
“Yes, you drooled.” He chuckled, wiping the moisture from his skin as Marielle pulled away. “And you also snored.”
“No!” She protested in fake outrage. “You’re lying. I don’t snore.”
“Like an old drover.”
Fedryc lifted a brow high, and made an awful sound in imitation of her snoring, then he laughed. Then he laughed some more as Marielle sat on the sand beside him. She tried to be offended, but couldn’t. This felt too good, and Fedryc was too handsome. The laughter that came over her felt better with every second. A cold weight lifted from her chest and finally, both of them quieted.
Fedryc locked gazes with her, and his face lost all traces of humor. Instead, his eyes filled with heart-wrenching tenderness as he reached out to touch her face. His touch was light as he trailed a finger over her lips, up her jaw, then to her wild, tangled hair.
Marielle pressed herself against Fedryc’s warm body, sliding one leg over his. A hard response pressed against her stomach and she smiled. Arousal filled her belly, but Fedryc shook his head.
“We have to go back.” His eyes went to the horizon. “I can’t stay away from Aalstad too long.”
He moved and Marielle sat up on the sand. Fedryc’s eyes trailed over her naked body, his male hunger obvious, as was his impressive erection. He looked at her for a long time, then turned away and walked to his leather pants.
Marielle watched his powerful legs, the strong muscles in his thighs, rolling under his honey-colored skin as he walked, admiring his round buttocks and lean hips. He was, simply put, mouthwatering. He was a sculpture made flesh.
“I can feel your eyes on my ass.” Fedryc turned his head sideways as he grabbed his leather pants, then pulled them on.
“I can’t help it if you’re distracting.” Marielle chuckled. “It’s your fault.
”
“And how is that?” He turned, his eyes still full of humor and hunger. “You wicked woman.”
“After all the pleasure you gave me this morning, I want more.” She leaned back on the sand, her hand trailing between her breasts, then down her stomach suggestively.
She knew the pleasure and safety she felt were just illusions, but she wasn’t ready to wake up from her dream just yet. Fedryc’s eyes flashed under the direct sunlight like mirrors, and his pupils went vertical and hungry as he looked at her. His mouth hung slightly open.
“I would like nothing more than to lie with you all day, but we cannot stay.” His voice was raspy and heavy, and it turned Marielle on instantly. She wasn’t scared of the beast in him anymore. She craved it.
“How come?” She frowned, sensing this was a rare time when Fedryc was opening up to her. “You’re the High Lord. You can do anything you want.”
He watched her, his face suddenly serious. He seemed to hesitate, then nodded, more to himself than to her. “My position as High Lord is precarious.”
“But you are Lord Aymond’s only son.” Marielle frowned. “You are the heir.”
“I am High Lord by the laws of our lands, that is true.” Fedryc nodded, his eyes far away although he was still looking at her. “But I am new to this land. Normally, a Draekon rules beside his father long before he is handed power.”
“That is why Lord Aymond summoned you, so you would rule at his side,” Marielle said. This made sense. The strange world of Draekon was filled with danger. “But if he wanted you, then why would he take a mate? It makes little sense to prepare to retire from power and plan to have more children at the same time.”
Fedryc smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. His expression turned possessive as his stare trailed down Marielle’s body. “My father never intended to mate with you. You were mine all along, little firebrand.”
Marielle paused at the revelation. At what it implied. “Do you think this has anything to do with your father’s murder?” She chose her words carefully, watching Fedryc’s reaction.
“I have no doubt that the killer has Aalstad in his sight.” Fedryc’s expression turned feral and dangerous. “Lord Aymond was a powerful Draekon. Nissar was feared far and wide. No one would dare challenge him, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have enemies.”
“The murderer wanted to take control of Aalstad?” Marielle sat up straighter and she reached for her discarded dress. This conversation had taken a turn she did not expect. “But why frame me for it? I’m no one.”
Fedryc looked at her, frowning, then he scoffed.
“You have no idea, little firebrand, how important you are.” He reached for her hair, his finger running absently over her red curls. “No one knew you were compatible with me apart from Lord Aymond. By framing you and killing him, the killer made sure not only that Lord Aymond died but that the very rare woman compatible with his bloodline died with him. With me far away on Dagmar, this would have been a perfect opportunity to grab power. That was clever, very clever.”
Marielle brought her dress over her naked breasts, her eyes set on Fedryc. He was right and she knew it. She was at the center of a dangerous power play between Draekon lords, whether she wanted to be or not.
“If the killer knew you were on your way, he would not have killed Lord Aymond.” The warmth she had felt waking up in Fedryc’s arms was long gone, and she shivered despite the desert heat. “He would have waited and killed you instead.”
Fedryc nodded, his face grim and taut. Gone was the young man who had been laughing carelessly. “And now that you are my Draekarra, you have given me a hold on power no one saw coming. I might have foiled his plan in rescuing you, but make no mistake, Marielle, dangerous times await us. Whoever killed my father is still too close to us for comfort, and I doubt they will renounce their plans.”
Silence descended on them both as Marielle took in the immensity of the threat. Fedryc looked up to the sky at a growing red form, flying fast toward them.
“Nyra is back from her hunt.”
Marielle cradled her gown against her chest, watching the large form of the dragoness grow in the sky. They had to go back to the viper’s nest that was Aalstad castle.
Flying was a wonder.
They soared through the sky, as high as an eagle and twice as fast. Fedryc was at her back, one arm around her waist and the other extended to maintain physical contact with Nyra as she soared over the desert, casting her great shadow far down.
Marielle never thought she would feel anything as great as flying on Nyra’s back. The dragoness’ strength traveled through her thighs as her muscles moved those formidable wings up and down. On her face, the frigid wind of high altitude made her cheeks numb, but the exhilaration filled her with the sense that nothing could touch her. As long as Marielle was on Nyra’s back with Fedryc, she was free of the gut-wrenching worries that plagued her.
Far away, the capital and its tall buildings shimmered under the sun, far beyond the edge of the desert.
“Not long now.” Fedryc pointed to the distant face of a hill. “Aalstad castle is just there.”
“It’s so far away.” Marielle frowned, confused. “And it looks like I was walking north of the castle, away from the capital.”
“You wanted to go to Gelmor?” Fedryc asked behind her.
“That is where Ignio Marula is keeping Devan.” She stared blankly at the fast approaching capital in the distance. “But I was so sure. She pointed the way.”
Fedryc tensed at her back. “Who pointed you north?”
“Silva.” Marielle admitted after a long hesitation. “But please, don’t punish her. I begged her to help me.”
Fedryc stayed silent for long minutes and Marielle could almost feel the anger rippling across his skin. She turned to look at his face, all hardness and male fury.
“She’s just a girl.” He shook his head, his lips pursed tightly. “She thought she was helping you. I won’t punish her, but if she ever disobeys me again, she will regret it.”
Reassured that the young Draekon girl wasn’t going to pay for her mistake, Marielle relaxed a bit. “I was so exhausted, I must have been traveling in circles for a while. It’s an easy mistake to make in the desert.”
Fedryc stayed silent as Nyra began her descent. The sound of wind and wings flapping would have obliterated any hope of a conversation anyway. Nyra flew down until Marielle could see an impossibly small landing platform atop the cliff. Aalstad castle was carved straight into the face of it.
Her breath was short and her stomach flipped as Nyra finished her descent, landing on the platform with a clean grating of her talons on the polished stone.
Fedryc jumped down, then Nyra bent until he could lift Marielle in his arms and place her down gently at his side. Nyra looked at her, her wide wings shading Marielle and Fedryc from the harsh sun. There was no more savagery and violence in the dragoness’ gaze, only a deep tenderness and a fierce devotion that left Marielle’s throat closed up. Swallowing hard to push the knot down, Marielle stepped toward Nyra’s formidable snout and extended her arm, then flattened her palm between the nostrils, just as she’d seen Fedryc do. A rush of feelings traveled down to Marielle; love and protection mixed with that awe and devotion she had seen in the beast’s eyes.
“It’s the bond,” Fedryc whispered in her ear as Marielle felt her eyes fill with tears. “She’s showing you how she feels about you.”
“It that what you do when you touch her?” Marielle’s hand slid over to Nyra’s jaw, and the dragoness purred in pure delight. “You share feelings?”
“That and more.” Fedryc nodded by her side. “My life and Nyra’s are linked down to our vitalem. When we touch, we share everything. Our feelings, our thoughts, our present and our past. She is a part of me, and I am a part of her. As are you, now.”
Marielle locked gazes with Nyra’s jewel blue eyes and she tried her best to concentrate on what she felt for the dragoness. The aw
e and the slight fear made their way to her mind and Nyra’s eyes filled with a mischievous humor as two columns of smoke rose from her nostrils.
“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?” Marielle chuckled, then shook her head.
“You can show her much more. Try, concentrate on an image you want her to see,” Fedryc said simply. “You cannot share thoughts with her like I do, but you share her vitalem. She can see what you see and feel what you feel.”
Marielle closed her eyes and brought back the image of Devan, bloodied and full of terror on that day Ignio Marula came to her house. Pain and fear, anger and despair filled her as she saw Devan’s face etched in her mind, clear as day.
The dragoness growled in fury and Marielle brought her hand down, breaking the contact.
“Please.” Marielle put all her hurt in her words. “Help Fedryc save him. He’s all the family I have left.”
Nyra lifted her head and shook it vigorously, then shot another piercing glare at Fedryc and Marielle before taking to the sky again. Behind Marielle, Fedryc closed his hands on her shoulders, then gently turned her around to face him.
She was stricken by the beauty of his face, by the warmth in his silver eyes. She had thought them so cold only a few hours ago, but now she saw they were not. They could be full of kindness, of passion and of need.
“Nyra and I are your family now.” He brought his hand to cup her cheek. “But I will free your brother as soon as Henron finds Ignio Marula for me.”
“I can find him for you.” Marielle scoffed at the idea of staying behind while Fedryc rescued Devan. “I grew up as a street rat in the capital. I know where he’ll be.”
“You are my Draekarra.” Fedryc shook his head and his eyes lost all trace of warmth. He was the High Lord again, and he was making it clear she had to obey. “You are too precious to be exposed to the dangers of the capital. I will find your brother on my own.”
“But Devan will never go with you,” Marielle insisted, and was rewarded with a deep scowl. She didn’t care. “You could be too late. I can’t let you do that.”