Sylvie tried to hold off as he began to move, but it was such a tight fit that the friction was unlike anything she’d imagined. She’d never thought sex could be intense like this, searing her to her very soul. As he varied his movements, muscles flexing, breath coming roughly, she dug her nails into his back and knew she was close. She wanted to last longer, but clearly, her body had other ideas.
Cobalt braced himself against the bed and stayed perfectly still as everything coiled into a tight ball of heat that released in all directions and exploded within like a bomb of pleasure.
By the time she was finally finished, Cobalt looked pretty close himself. His deep-blue eyes were intensely focused, and his muscular body was rigid and taut, ready to let go at any moment.
Which was good because she didn’t know how long her body was going to last.
Or how long her heart could last either.
Luckily, Cobalt began to move again, finding the perfect movements to pleasure her with every part of himself, fitting them together in the most exquisite way, then withdrawing in one aching movement before doing it all over again.
It was sex on an entirely new level, and without even going fast, he was pushing her to the best release of the night. Or maybe ever.
She’d never felt so close to another human being. Even if that human being was really a giant dragon man whose sole purpose seemed to center on her somehow. And in spite of herself, she couldn’t help responding to him, answering him on some soul-deep level she didn’t understand.
“Come with me,” she pled, grasping desperately onto his shoulders to brace herself for each thrust pushing her past her ample self-control.
“Anything you want, mate,” he replied, moving faster and doubling the slick friction that was like fire in every vein, every cell right now.
It was that word again. The word other dragons and shifters used with their significant others. The kind of word reserved for partners, not just casual lovers.
But any doubt or thoughts of anything other than sheer pleasure were blasted upward as Cobalt filled her completely one last time.
Instantly, everything went white and black and bright as her vision blurred and her body tensed with the pressure of her own orgasm. Everything burst at once with such force it was hard to breathe, let alone think, for several long moments.
A second later, Cobalt came with her, the sensation of him jerking and tensing deep within her throwing Sylvie even further into the throes of her already mind-blowing orgasm.
Time seemed to stop, then slowed, then returned to normal as reality slowly seeped back into her pleasantly exhausted muscles and senses. And as the fevered intensity of the moment drifted away, a heavy stillness in her heart slowly penetrated through the warmth of a moment ago.
Cobalt, ever caring, slowly and thoughtfully slid out of her. Then, first pulling some blankets over her, went to the bathroom and cleaned up before coming back to bed.
“No leaving.” He looked down at her expectantly, and she nodded in assent.
“Tonight?”
“Forever.” He wrapped his arms around her possessively, and she wondered if it was just the alcohol talking or if the alcohol was merely letting him be who he was.
“You’re amazing, Sylvie.” He placed a kiss on her hair and relaxed slightly, holding her close, and Sylvie almost died from the sweetness he showed. But as he slowly drifted off to sleep, Sylvie’s thoughts were left racing.
Sure, she was connected with Cobalt. In just a few days, she’d gotten closer to him than maybe anyone else. She trusted him. Had slept in front of him. And of course, from the start, had wanted him.
But words like “stay” and “forever” haunted her mind as she lay there in the darkness.
She’d always been the one to stay and fight. The one left to cover the rent. The one who tried to convince her mom to believe her but got left out in the cold as a result.
She knew what happened when someone claimed to care about you and how quickly the tables could turn.
But turning in Cobalt’s arms to face him, watching his gentle features as he slept, she thought that no one could hurt her like he could.
She’d never meant for it to come to this when she’d first acted on her attraction to him. She’d thought they could just pass the time while she was in the mansion with nothing to do.
But she realized now that was denial. He’d always been more to her, right from the start.
She rested her cheek on her hand and looked around the room. Her torn dress was on the floor, heels strewn about. It had been a fairy-tale evening, and she winced as she thought about the awkward moments when she’d been out of her depth.
Cobalt might like her for now, but he struck her as someone innocent, new to love. He didn’t really know anything about her past, though that was somewhat her fault for always keeping people out.
But eventually, he’d realize she wasn’t right for him. Wasn’t worth fighting for. Wasn’t healthy like him.
She was damaged.
She quickly crept from the bed, moving and replacing his arms so as not to alert him to her leaving.
She’d said she wouldn’t leave, but she was sure he wouldn’t mind eventually. He’d realize he just got caught up in the first girl to come on to him. That he fell too hard, mistaking sexual attraction for love.
After all, people who’d known her far longer and far better had known better than to love her. How could he be any different?
Her heart hammered with a stoic resolution as she crept out of his room in the dark. His breathing was deep and even as she closed the door softly, and she hoped the alcohol would keep him asleep for a bit.
As she went to her room and quickly packed a few things, she looked out the window and noted a road that wound around the mansion and led down a hill and through a forest. She thought she could see faint lights in the distance. If she followed the road far enough…
She didn’t really have a solid plan, but she’d always been able to take care of herself. His face flashed in her mind, asking her not to leave him, and her heart felt cracked as she forced herself to push the image away.
She’d never forget him or the great times they had together and, hell, would probably love him the rest of her life.
But she was getting out before he could turn the tables on her.
For once, she would be the one to run before getting hurt.
Chapter 14
Cobalt slowly awoke to the sound of silence, vaguely aware of the fact he was in his bed, and it was totally dark.
And acutely aware of a terrible headache throbbing at the front of his skull.
He shook his head, swiftly remembering the sequence of events last night. The food, the dancing, the alcohol.
And the sex.
Looking at the clock on his bedside table, it had been only hours ago, so why was he awake?
The dragon within, unaffected by hangovers or sleepiness, growled possessively for its mate. But on quick inspection, to his dismay, he realized Sylvie was gone. He glanced around the room, double-checking for her and finding nothing.
Crap, she’d left again.
Ignoring the headache and his body’s desire for more sleep, he jumped out of bed and pulled on some jeans and a shirt. He knew the hangover would pass fairly quickly, given his dragon’s constitution.
And even if all Sylvie needed right now was some privacy, he couldn’t help wanting to see her again just to know she was safe.
Their night had been so wonderful, so perfect. The closest they’d ever been together, both in body and mind. And even though he knew that by normal human standards, things were going very quickly, Cobalt also had seen his companions’ mates come around fairly soon once they’d realized their feelings.
But he could wait. Even if it meant the constant pacing of his dragon at the back of his mind, wanting to claim Sylvie and make her his own forever.
Cobalt first peeked into the library and then the gym in the off chance she mig
ht be in either place, but no luck. He then went upstairs, poking around the kitchen and living room in the event she’d just come up for a midnight snack. But his search there came up with scant clues as to her whereabouts.
By now, he was beginning to worry a little. Yes, Sylvie came and went as she pleased sometimes, but she’d never fully disappeared before.
Unable to wait anymore, he went upstairs to the far corner of the mansion where her room was located. He moved quietly so as to not wake anyone else in the house, lest he reveal the true nature of his relationship with Sylvie, and approached her door, listening closely for any sounds of life within. For several long moments, he pressed his ear against the wood frame, but heard nothing.
For a short moment, he debated whether he should intrude or not. But Cobalt figured it would be better to ask forgiveness for impinging on her sleep if he did in fact wake her up than it was to lie awake worrying about her all night.
Besides, after what they’d done last night, he didn’t feel it was too audacious a request to want to know where she’d gone.
He tested the door handle and, to his surprise, found it unlocked. Slowly, he opened it, then peeked in.
To his shock, the bed was completely empty. And aside from a few open drawers and a couple discarded articles of clothing on the ground, there was no other sign of recent activity in the room. He quickly felt the bed and, upon finding it cold, determined that she probably hadn’t been in here for some time.
His mind was going fully haywire with worry now. Had she been taken through a portal? No, Marina had assured them that since Lead’s mate Brittany had been taken that way some time ago, it couldn’t happen again. What if she suffered from bouts of sleepwalking, as some humans did?
Cobalt needed to get help. But the last thing he wanted to do was alert the entire household that his mate might be gone, spilling all of his dirty secrets all at once, just to have her appear from some corner of the mansion where he might not have looked yet.
His best bet was Chromium. He trusted his cousin. And even if Chromium had been a little too familiar with Sylvie the past few days, he couldn’t fault his cousin for acting that way when Cobalt hadn’t told him anything about his own feelings toward her.
Cobalt strode toward Chromium’s room and knocked on the door several times, just loud enough to wake his cousin, but hopefully not loud enough to wake everyone else. There was no answer, and he knocked again, a little more deliberately this time.
In worry and exasperation, he let himself into the room, ready to give Chromium an earful for not answering his damn door, when he found that his bed too was empty.
Where the hell was everyone tonight?
And why were Chromium and his mate both gone?
Cobalt tried to push away any overblown, jealous ideas he might have. But given the circumstances, things were looking bleak.
He rushed down the stairs, headed for the back deck, when he noticed the deadbolt on the front door was undone. That was odd. Someone always checked all the locks in the house before going to bed (usually Arsenic or Lead). But maybe it was a coincidence.
When he opened the door, though, he caught just the faintest hint of Sylvie’s scent on the cool midnight wind.
Shit, where had she gone?
He rushed past the entryway and then walked toward the street leading away from the mansion. In the soft dirt at the side of the road, he saw small footprints that looked like they were sneakers making a faint trail heading south.
Cobalt took a deep breath and began sprinting in the direction the footprints were heading.
Chromium checked his watch impatiently, wondering why the always-on-time bus was currently late.
He didn’t have a lot of time on these outings outside the mansion, and he resented having any of it wasted.
He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the bench, enjoying the wind rustling and lifting his hair. It was a cool, dark night, and he couldn’t wait to get back to the human world again.
He knew Cobalt and the others would disapprove, but he was a warrior, and he couldn’t just sit on his ass in the mansion anymore.
Not that he had been for a while.
He was surprised no one had picked up on it. Then again, everyone was caught up with their mates, and since Cobalt usually went to the library at night, no one was there to see he’d left his room and didn’t come back until early morning.
He smiled to himself as he stretched, wondering which restaurant he would visit tonight before completing his “business.”
Despite Cobalt’s warnings that Chromium was smarter than he looked, the other dragons were constantly underestimating him.
They seemed to correlate his silence with agreement, his mild nature with submission.
That couldn’t have been any further from the truth. The truth was he got away with what he wanted because of his perceived state of innocent purity. The quiet, thoughtful Chromium dragon.
He laughed to himself, thinking about what an uptight dragon like Zinc would say if he knew Chromium was going vigilante at night.
Chromium cracked his knuckles, thinking with satisfaction of his nightly activities. He didn’t have to tell the others about it, but he was a warrior, and he wasn’t alive unless he could fight.
He checked his watch once again and groaned, as he didn’t see any sign of the bus coming down the road, but then he heard something that made him prick up his ears.
He glared into the darkness, thinking maybe he saw a shadow moving along the road.
Squinting harder, he knew he was right. Someone was coming. He got up from the bench and strode forward, unafraid of anything that could come out of the night, and frowned when he saw the person that stepped out of the darkness.
“Sylvie,” he said in a low voice. He sat back down on the bench in shock as she walked forward, a huge backpack slung over her shoulders and a look of shame on her face.
He wanted to yell at her, shake her for being so stupid as to come out here alone at night. Of course, he had, but he was a dragon, a strong one at that. It was different.
But as she came closer, he recognized the broken look on her face. The defiance of someone who is utterly terrified, but not able to show it on the outside.
How he had felt before Cobalt stood up for him back on Drakkaris and made him feel like he wasn’t worthless after all, despite not living up at all to the demands of his family.
He patted the bench next to him, and she came warily over but stayed standing.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“What are you doing here?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You really want to ask that?”
She folded her arms and slumped onto the other side of the bench, as far away as possible, and let out a sigh. “I guess not.”
Chromium studied her carefully, waiting in case she wanted to say something. He liked Cobalt’s mate. He didn’t have many people he could hang out with in the mansion now that the other dragons were mated, and she reminded him of himself in some ways. Perhaps that was why she got along so well with Cobalt.
Not that well, however, if she was leaving.
“Not that it’s any of my business, but did something happen to make you run? Did Cobalt say something to hurt you?”
“No,” she said quietly.
Chromium nodded. He was pretty sure that would be the answer because his cousin was far too kind for something like that, but he’d also seen his cousin act absolutely stupid over this human and make a lot of mistakes.
Cobalt had been jealous of him. Chromium. He shook his head at the thought, wondering how crazy Cobalt would have to be to think Chromium could ever betray him. The last thing he wanted was a fight with his cousin, but he could tell there was tension anytime he spent time with Sylvie.
He’d also been unnerved by Sylvie’s total denial of the situation, saying there was nothing between her and Cobalt, when clearly there was.
He’d been blocking her thoughts si
nce that first time, but he was pretty sure at this point they were fucking.
He’d tried to make the point to her that she was making Cobalt jealous by hanging out with him, but she hadn’t really picked up on it at all.
And he was kind of angry with Cobalt for trying to keep a secret from him when they’d always trusted each other with everything before.
Cobalt should know Chromium would never make a move on his mate. That even if they hung out, it was only as friends and for Chromium to put in a good word for his cousin.
He was slightly rankled at the fact that Cobalt seemed to have forgotten who Chromium was altogether in this crazed lust over his mate.
Then again, Chromium hadn’t found his mate yet and so didn’t really understand what mate lust was. Only that, in watching his friends, he’d gathered it was pretty much the most powerful force in the universe, based on how all of them lost their minds.
So he knew that wherever he was, Cobalt was probably hurting and worried about Sylvie, or would be when he woke up.
He wanted to yell at Sylvie and tell her to get her ass back to the mansion, but he also knew, based on her downtrodden expression, that it wasn’t the right tactic for now.
“So where were you planning to go?”
She shrugged. “Away from here.”
He leaned back, hoping to look casual. “You’d break his heart, you know.”
She looked up at him, and he was struck by the hollow look in her usually fiery eyes. Where was the fighter he knew so far?
“I don’t think so. Nobody falls in love that fast. He’s just infatuated, and when he snaps out of it, he’ll realize he’s lucky I left. He can find some beautiful, perfect lady who is a better match for him.”
Chromium wrinkled his nose. “So they can be extra boring together?” He put his hands behind his head. “Personally, I think you were good for my cousin.”
She bit her lower lip. “Naw. But thanks.”
There was no way he was going to let Sylvie leave tonight. She’d been in far too much danger. Yes, his night was pretty much shot, but he didn’t mind if it helped her and his cousin.
Cobalt Dragon (Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Book 5) Page 11