One piece of the curse was designed to punish the remaining dragons for the sexual excess of our fathers. Bastian, Laryn, Tahr, and I came up with the claiming idea after the curse was put upon us. We, the younger generation of dragons and the last of our kind, had no desire to kill innocent women. It was easy to put the fear of the Goddess into the village. Burning a few buildings and breaking a few legs with the swish of our tails did the trick. It assured that the women who came to us were pure. It was our only hope of breaking the curse.
Two of my brothers have now found mates. I can’t help wondering what they did that made their union so special that their brides could transcend to dragon. My brides were each unique and I loved them in my own way. But it’s obviously been the wrong way. Or, maybe the Goddess just knows that I’m no good.
I’ve never enjoyed the first years after the claiming. I always hated when a bride cried and longed for home. It was quite vexing and my patience wore thin more often than not. When they finally settled into their destiny, the good years began. As they aged, my fondness grew to love. Maybe it was knowing my time with them was limited or maybe it’s because without sex in the later years, the relationship turns to a deeper friendship. Then, after their death, the lonely years begin again. Each time I swear I won’t make the same mistakes. It all starts over again and I don’t change. Did Bastian and Laryn somehow figure out how to alter their ways and treat a bride as something more than a beloved possession? After Acasia transcended, Bastian told me each dragon must find the answer for himself. Acasia was so very different from Laryn’s bride. I only met Roxanne once before I burned her, but she was quite feisty for a bride, and Laryn was so very proud of her. Laryn was different that time too. He obviously changed his destiny by going against his hereditary traits. I’m not that strong.
I sense Sierra before I see her. My eyes zero in as she stands on a high cliff on an outcropping of rock above the lake. I stop breathing when she performs a graceful dive and enters the water. I don’t breathe again until she bursts upward with a large smile on her face. She’s naked of course and her impish laughter only makes her more beautiful.
“Did I scare you?” she asks with a sensual, teasing laugh. Without waiting for a reply, she splashes me before diving below the surface.
I love to swim, so I follow her beneath the water to try to locate my spirited she-wolf. The water is murky and it’s difficult to see her. A sharp pinch on my ass is not a fish. I manage to grab a handful of hair and bring her against my body. As soon as her mouth clears the surface, she begins laughing.
Her lips are too much to resist. I grant her a hard kiss for scaring me. Our teeth clash as our lips adjust and our tongues tangle in sensual mating. She wraps her legs around me and threads her fingers through my hair demanding more. I’m not yet ready. Oh, I’m ready to fuck her, but I want this to last more than sixty seconds, which is the course we’re now on. She tastes wild and passionate, sweet, and spicy all at once. It’s all I can do not to ram my cock inside her. I twist her hair more fully around one wrist and pull her head back while releasing her lips. I stroke my tongue along her lower lip and all the way to her neck.
Delicious.
“I want you, dragon,” she whispers as I flick my tongue against her throat.
I palm one of her breasts and suck her nipple between my lips. Pure honey. I could eat small bites of her for years and never assuage my sweet tooth. Her head goes back, hair floating in the water and surrounding us. I want her too. So badly. My cock sizzles with need and my heart burns with longing.
I put aside my guilt and all the heavy feelings I’ve carried for so long. I need to escape if even for only a short time. The precious treasure between her thighs can help me do that. I skim my free hand down to her waist and lift her slightly higher against my chest so I can suck more of her breast past my lips. Her legs tighten around me and sweet sighs travel up her throat.
“Love me, dragon, please.”
I know what she asks. It isn’t that I truly need to love her just that I fuck her. The problem is that I’ve fallen just a bit. I can feel a small place in my heart open for her. Calista has been gone little more than a year and this she-wolf is pushing aside the memories of my dead bride. It’s happening too damn soon, but I can’t seem to stop it. If I’ve learned anything about taking a bride and caring for her, it’s to never waste a day. It doesn’t matter that I screw that up with each bride. I have so little time with Sierra and she comes with none of the virgin baggage I’m accustomed to so why waste a single minute?
I release her breast and take the other into my mouth, sucking until her sighs turn to heavy moans. She’s more than beautiful. When I release her this time, I give a gentle tug to her hair and watch as her eyes slowly open. My voice is throaty and filled with emotion. “Are you sure, Sierra? I want you badly, but I’m not a good man.”
Her lips form the naughtiest of smiles. “The last thing I want is good. Be very, very wicked with me, Sarn, because that’s what I will be with you.”
Her whispered words careen straight to my cock. Her pussy is lined up perfectly. I release her hair and take hold of her hips. Our eyes stay fastened to each other’s as I press her down until she takes my entire cock within her warm folds. Her eyes are glassy, dark pools that draw me in. She takes my cheeks within her hands and kisses me. Our tongues dance as our bodies melt together in a slow friction burn.
Her eyes go dreamy with need as the passion heats between us. She feels so damn good. I have an ethereal connection with her, similar to how I feel with a bride. It’s nothing like the mindless release I’ve had with the women I’ve fucked this past year. Sierra is different. Our connection is deeper, and a little more of my heart makes room for her.
When I can no longer control myself, I thrust harder and faster into her warmth. Her fingernails rake across my shoulders as her legs clench tighter. The flame between us grows hotter until she pulls her lips away and shouts her pleasure. She pulses around my cock, which makes my balls tighten further. With a final groan, I let myself go and release my seed deep within her.
We cling to each other as cool water laps around us while we settle. Her head rests on my shoulder and my hands cup her ass to keep her close. I should be happy. She gave me the gift of escape. I should cherish this moment and always remember it as special. That’s not what I feel, though, because sadness grips me.
When I reach orgasm with a bride, violet light bursts from my body and bathes us. It’s unique between a dragon and his bride. This didn’t happen with Sierra. I’m very stupid for holding out hope that she could be the equivalent of a bride and help me escape the curse. She wasn’t a virgin. I didn’t choose her at a claiming. She is not a bride and this realization, the absolute understanding of what it means, casts a shadow over my soul. She can never transcend to dragon and be my mate. All the pain of the last year rears its ugly head and carries me into the dark torment I created for myself when I tried to kidnap Ashrac and I burned Roxanne. Death is preferable to this endless mental torture I cannot hide from. I can’t escape it even in the incredible loving arms of a very special wolf shifter.
Chapter Eight
Sierra
Our joining was too amazing to even put into words. I feel different somehow—older, wiser, settled. Maybe now I am truly a woman and no longer the child I run from. The only other man I’ve been with was pleasant enough after the first time we had sex, but it was nothing like this. What I just experienced was a joining of more than two bodies. Sarn completed me in some indescribable way. My blood pulsed to the beat of his heart and I felt a current traveling from me to him and back again. I could rest within his arms for centuries and be satisfied.
The only thing strange is that my wolf is surprisingly quiet. Maybe for once, she’s as content as I am. I finally pull my head from Sarn’s shoulder and look into his eyes. He immediately avoids my gaze.
What the hell?
He will not turn away from me after what we just shared.
“Sarn, are you all right?”
He laughs, but it’s not a pleasant sound. I reach up and jerk his hair so he’s forced to turn back to me. “You will tell me what’s wrong,” I demand.
His stare makes me cold. There is no violet in his eyes; they are black and filled with despair. His words turn my warm body to ice. “Joining with you should be different. I thought maybe you could replace my dead bride. I was wrong. I’m bound by a curse that will haunt me forever.” He looks away and I see the tears he’s somehow holding back. “I told you I was no good,” he whispers.
I can’t believe he has said all of this after our incredible joining. Are all men this dense? I think about my brother and father. It makes me realize that yes, they are. Sarn’s words hurt, but I also see and feel his pain. I need to take his suffering and wrap it in my love so tightly that none escapes.
I run my fingers over his jawline and just the corner of his lips. The electrical current when we touch is still there. Can’t he feel how special this is? I tip his head so he must look at me. He closes his eyes and I wait. He inhales deeply before he finally gazes at me again.
I give him a soft smile. “If you think a few hurtful words will scare me away, you’re wrong.” I lean down and bite his shoulder hard enough to make my point before meeting his gaze again. I watch the outer circle of his pupils go violet once more. “I don’t care about curses and mates and brides.” I kiss him softly on the lips before pulling away just a bit. “I care about you and me for as much time as we can find. Don’t be stupid and try to take that away, Sarn. I have no intention of letting you go just yet. And…” I pepper several small kisses on his lips. “I would much rather make love than fight.” I smooth back his hair and trail my fingers down his cheek. “I will cook dinner and tame your savage beast. Then we will return to bed and I will give you another try at how to act after sex.” My smile is teasing. “You failed this time, but I’ll let you make it up to me.”
The pain in his eyes diminishes as my words sink in. The ache is still there, but a small spark of hope is growing. His lips take mine in a desperate kiss. I give him back what he needs—understanding, love, and most of all forgiveness. My poor dragon must stop this foolishness and cherish what we can have for however long we have it. We kiss for what seems like hours, our bodies are locked together in an intimate dance that ignites a fire inside me once more. I’m more than ready to adjust my legs so I can ride him and bring release to both of us. He pulls away and I growl in irritation.
He’s smiling at me with relief written on his face. I thrust my pelvis against his cock, which has hardened again. He doesn’t take me up on the offer and walks us from the lake with my legs tightly circling his waist. “Thank you, Sierra. I don’t deserve you,” he whispers as I slide down his body and my feet touch the ground. He takes my hand and pushes me back so I’m lying in the tall grass. He follows me down and begins kissing me once more. I’m incredibly relieved that I won’t be left with this aching burn that needs to be soothed. I want him inside me and try to wiggle into the needed position. He’s having none of it. His lips begin a slow descent over my neck to my breasts. I’m flooded with desire and not happy. Enough with the buildup. I. Need. Him. Now. Deep inside me so this ache will crest.
When he gazes at me, his eyes are a darker violet that I’ve yet seen them. “Relax, Sierra. I need to make something up to you.” His voice is husky velvet as his warm breath tickles low over my stomach. He kisses my belly and spreads my thighs with strong hands. His lips move lower and I can’t gather air into my lungs until he finally touches me. There.
He licks over my center, which makes my hips lift up from the grass. I gaze down and he’s watching me. He sucks just a bit and I can no longer keep my eyes open. His hands are now splayed across my stomach and are holding me in place. One hand glides slowly down across my flesh until he rubs against my sensitive clit. I moan when his lips replace his hand and he sucks once more. His finger enters me and he presses hard against my belly because my hips are starting to buck with my need. He’s strong and demanding as another finger enters me. My head goes back and forth and I don’t even recognize the sounds coming from my throat.
I need!
It’s a flame that has risen so high I’m about to burn from the inside out. “Sarn,” I yell.
“Let go for me, Sierra,” he licks along the seam of my sex and I can’t take any more. A wave of pure pleasure envelops me and stars burst behind my eyes. Sarn’s tongue laps at me with the rhythm of my release as his fingers pump in and out. I’ve never felt anything so exquisite.
I come down slowly and realize his head is resting on my belly and my hands are in his hair. I feel a flutter in my womb at the need I have to hold onto him forever. He finally peers up and smiles.
“Is that making up for what happened earlier or should I try again?”
I laugh and he resituates himself so I’m half lying on him with my head against his chest. “No, you don’t deserve me, Sarn, but you are stuck with me.” I tilt my head back a bit so I can meet his eyes. “But you can make up to me like that anytime you choose.”
A short while later, Sarn stands and pulls me up beside him. His cock is jutting out before him and I realize he’s in need. He shakes his head and gives a small tug on my hand. “No,” he says and leads me back toward the cabin. We remain quiet, each lost in our own thoughts until we enter the front door and I head to the kitchen area. Plates and cups are stacked in the sink along with two dirty pans. “Did you have company?” I question curiously.
He wraps his arms around me and I feel his heart beating against my breasts. He rests his chin on my head as he speaks. “Dmitri early this morning and your brother after I returned from our ride.”
I snuggle in close. “Dmitri I would expect, but my brother not so much.”
He chuckles and it vibrates through me. “We had a pleasant discussion that left us both bruised and bloody. After we settled our differences, we shared a meal.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “I didn’t notice bruises,” I whisper against his warm skin while smiling so big I’m lucky my jaw doesn’t break.
“Dragons heal quickly. Your brother might look a little worse for wear for a few days, though.”
I kiss the skin at his collarbone. “If it’s too bad, he can go to Dmitri. Don’t think you’re getting away with pummeling my brother, though.” I pinch the tight skin on the side of his abs. Or at least I try to. There’s nothing to pinch. “You are washing these dirty dishes while I cook or I’ll be eating you instead.” His cock is already hard and it jumps slightly at my words. I’m more than willing to turn him into my evening meal.
He grabs my wrists and brings them from around his neck. He gently kisses the back of each hand before releasing me and stepping back. “First we eat and then I will be your dessert.”
I love seeing him smile wide and it deepens his laugh lines. I will always remember him with this wicked grin and his glorious body standing in the light from the window. His eyes are sensual stars flashing with the hottest violet fire imaginable. A desperate ache fills me.
“How will we ever let him go?” I whisper internally to my wolf. I don’t get an answer. No whine. No brush of fur inside me… nothing. I feel so incredibly lonely. I need my wolf to help me keep away the thoughts of losing Sarn and she’s unresponsive.
“Why are you crying?” he asks as he wipes a tear from my cheek. He brings his finger to his lips and licks it away.
I offer a trembling smile. “I don’t exactly know, dragon. You make me happy?” I reply leaving it as a question because I cannot tell him that it will kill me to see him go. For so long I’ve dreamed of him—his arms around me, our bodies smelling of sex, and the sweet ache between my thighs. To actually have this happening and knowing it can’t last is too emotional to handle right now. I also have no way of explaining all these feelings flooding me. He gives me a long glance and for some reason doesn’t ask more questions. I’m relieved and take a
cleansing breath in order to shove the bad thoughts away.
I start grabbing what I need to feed us. I cook and Sarn cleans. I think of everything possible that has no relation to me and Sarn. I need to ask the she-bears to restock the kitchen. I have a small cabin here too. The bears take care of me because I work at the nightclub. I thank them constantly but they always brush it aside. I should probably ask them for additional towels and bed linen too. These thoughts keep me stable and the tears at bay.
I cook a meal from the scrounged food. We sit at the table and Sarn eats like it’s the best food he has ever tasted. “Before we go to bed, do you think we could fly?” I ask hopefully. I want to soar with him above the trees. I’ve craved it since our flight this morning.
“I’ve missed my dragon form.” He gives me his most sensual look. “I would love to have you ride me.”
My body heats and I do my best to ignore the desire that floods my bloodstream. I change the subject or I’ll never finish my meal. “I have no idea how you could control your shift for that long. My wolf refuses to obey me if I don’t give her free time.” Thinking of my wolf makes me realize that she’s still dormant. It’s very odd, but I have other things to think about, and her absence is a worry for another time.
Sarn leans in close and flicks my chin with the very tip of his finger. “My dragon and I are one and the same. I’ve heard bear shifters speak of their alternate form as other. Dragon is the purest form of the man. It’s the difference in our magic.”
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