by G. K. DeRosa
The king exchanged a glance with my aunt, and they both smiled. Though I didn’t know my aunt and uncle well, I’d grown up hearing stories about my mom and prince Drake on the supe slayer squad. I felt a weird connection to them almost immediately. “Thanks for letting us stay here.”
“Of course.” King Drake motioned to the towering palace in the distance. “I trust most of my staff and soldiers, but unfortunately they all have loose tongues. To ensure your safety, I’ve had a room made for you in the bathhouse. I’ve sealed it off, informing the staff it is closed for renovations. No one knows you are here except for the three of us. Ella will take care of your needs, and no one else will enter the bathhouse but you.”
“Thank you, again, for the hospitality, Your Highness,” said Talon.
“Anything for Luna’s daughter.” The king’s gaze was heavy on me, and it was all I could do not to squirm behind Talon.
“Where’s Queen Bella?” I asked when an awkward silence prevailed.
“She, Brock and the boys are attending the wedding of one of the Autumn princesses.” He waved a dismissive hand. “We can never escape courtly politics around here, Azara.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” The queen rolled her eyes. “Anyway, you must be tired from your travels. Ella will escort you to your temporary home. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask and you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”
“Thank you again, Your Highnessess.” I dipped my head in a feeble attempt at another curtsy.
The king chuckled and took my hand, helping me up. “Uncle Drake and Aunt Tempest is just fine.” They retreated into the spiraling maze, and Ella motioned for us to follow.
Here goes nothing.
“Why would Ella have ever chosen to leave this place for the SIA?” I sipped on a crystal goblet of faery wine, my toes dangling in the ginormous hot tub. A heated waterfall spilled over the alabaster wall running into the tepid waters. Fragrant flowering vines climbed the stone, perfuming the water in a delicate bouquet of scents. The bathhouse was more like a bath mansion, complete with separate living quarters, an infinity pool overlooking the palace gardens, three jacuzzis, steam room, sauna, massage chambers and basically everything a pampered Fae royal would want.
Talon leaned on the gilded lion sculpture at the edge of the pool and smirked. “Maybe Ella wanted more.”
I snorted on a laugh. What more could anyone want? After a day in captivity at the Spring Court, I was certain I never wanted to leave. I’d be happy to live out the rest of my sentence at Darkblood Prison right here.
Talon watched me from across the bubbling pool, a relaxed smile gracing his lips. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. You deserve a little downtime after the past few months.”
Yes, we did. My demon’s sultry voice echoed in my mind. And I know what else I’d enjoy. She hadn’t made an appearance since the attack at the prison, and I was thankful for that. It was almost as if rekindling the blood bond with Talon had satiated her constant hunger. As if Talon’s dragon presence had opaqued her somehow. I always felt her, but she seemed oddly content. Maybe it was Talon or maybe after months of therapy with Dr. Ollie, we’d finally figured out how to co-exist peacefully. For now, anyway.
“What are you thinking about?” Talon’s voice drew me from my inner musings.
“You.” The confession popped out unbidden.
His eyes lit up, the smoldering silver ablaze, and he tugged his shirt over his head. All the moisture evaporated from my mouth as my eyes raked over his perfect form. His dragon danced across his muscled chest, the scintillating silver scales shimmering over his carved abs. He dropped into the pool a second later, putting an abrupt end to my blatant ogling.
Swimming across the warm waters, his heated gaze remained locked on mine. He reached my side of the hot tub and wrapped his arms around my legs. “Come in, swim with me.” The rough edge to his tone sparked a flame in my core.
I finished off the wine and dropped the goblet at the edge of the whirlpool. Adjusting my bikini top, I slid into the warm water. Ella had provided us each with a new wardrobe, but since arriving we’d practically lived in the swimwear. The moist heat of the bathhouse was a welcome change to the frigid temperatures in the mountains of Draeko. I weaved my arms around Talon’s neck, and he guided my legs around his waist. With a firm grip on my hips, he held me in place, his mesmerizing irises trapping my gaze.
“I wish we could stay like this forever,” I murmured.
“Mmm, me too.” His lips brushed mine, then moved to my jawline, and skimmed down my neck.
Talon’s touch, coupled with the soothing heat of the bubbling waters, enveloped me in absolute bliss. I leaned my head back, baring my neck and he continued to drop kisses along my heated flesh, down to the sensitive skin of my collarbone.
Memories of a similar exposed position ran through my mind. The day we’d been in the SIA command center and we’d nearly completed the mating bond. With the way things were progressing, we’d find ourselves in an identical situation before long. Keeping my hands off my dragon blood buddy was like asking my lungs not to breathe.
My hands roamed down the muscled planes of his back as my legs tightened around his waist. His hardness pressed against me, and a muffled groan squeezed through my lips.
Talon lifted his gaze to mine, and my breath hitched. The raging silver eclipsed his irises, nothing but tiny slits of pupils remaining. A wild storm of emotions hid behind the luminescent depths, whispers of the intensity surging through the bond. I could feel his desire, his overwhelming need for me. It mirrored my own, and the uncontrollable sensations compounded between us.
His fingers dug into my hair, fisting the wet tendrils and he claimed my lips once more. Unlike his initial gentle caresses, his movements were desperate, ferocious. His dragon was struggling to take charge, to claim his mate. I could feel him with every nerve ending. The beast’s presence electrified the air and spurred on our frantic movements.
Talon’s hand trailed from my head, down my spine, tracing a sizzling path over my flesh. His fingers locked on the clasp of my bikini and with a flick of his deft digits, the catch came undone. I nearly did as well. My breasts tumbled free, and Talon’s gaze darkened. He sucked in a breath as his eyes lanced over my exposed flesh. “Oh gods, Azara, you are incredible.”
A shudder raced up my spine, and I trembled in his embrace. As his lips grazed the swell of my breasts, I reached for his swim shorts. My fingers dipped beneath the waistband, skimming the soft skin.
He let out another hiss and cupped my behind, pressing me against his arousal. A soft moan broke free as his hardness brushed the building storm below.
Mate. Mate. Mate. His gruff dragon voice bounced across my skull.
Mate. My she-demon responded to the call, jerking me from the lust-filled haze. Mate. My eyes snapped open and met Talon’s from beneath hooded lids.
“What’s wrong?” he rasped out.
I shook my head, grinding my hips against his. “Nothing. Everything is perfectly right.” I crushed my lips to his mouth, matching his enthusiasm with each stroke of my tongue. It was never enough, despite how hard I pressed my body to his, I needed more. I needed to eliminate every breath of space between our flesh.
I slid my hands beneath his swim trunks, cupping his bare cheeks. My fingers dug into his perfectly toned flesh, and I drew him flush against my wet skin. A sexy growl vibrated his throat and he rocked against me. I snagged my lower lip between my teeth as the devastating pleasure intensified.
Returning my hands to his waistband, I slowly dragged his shorts down over his hips. His mouth withdrew from my lips, and his eyes searched mine.
“I want this, Talon. I want to be your mate. I’m more sure now than ever. There’s nothing I’ve wanted more than to bind my soul to yours.”
A mischievous smirk flashed across his scruffy jaw. “If I’m not mistaken, there was supposed to be some begging.”
“Seri
ously?” I panted out.
“My dragon wants to be wooed.” He brushed his arousal against me, and I hissed out a breath.
“Right…” Framing his face with my hands, I locked my eyes to his. “Dragon Talon, would you please do me the honor of being my mate?”
“Weak.” Talon smirked.
“This is exactly why you’re the one that’s supposed to be doing the wooing.”
He secured my legs around his waist and turned for the steps of the gigantic whirlpool. Towing me through the bubbling waters, he stopped at the gilded handrail and lowered me onto the top step. My body ached from his sudden absence. Talon dropped to his knees, kneeling below me and entwined my fingers through his. He seared me with that piercing gaze, and my body hummed.
“I love you, Azara. I love you more than I thought possible. My feelings for you are unquantifiable, they stretch farther than the tallest peak in Draeko and are more profound than the deepest oceans of Atlantis. You are my breath, you are my heartbeat, you are my soul. I would never be complete without you, and therefore, today I ask you to make me whole, to become my mate so I can spend the rest of our lives showing you exactly what you mean to me.”
An impossible knot of emotion clogged my throat, and hot tears stung my eyes. The swell of emotions battering my ribcage squeezed my lungs, stealing my breath away. All the words stuck in my mouth, the intensity of his declaration too grand to top.
“I love you, Talon. So much.” It was so lame after his beautiful words, but it was all I could manage. “Forever.”
A devastating smile split his lips, revealing the elusive dimple I loved. “I’m the luckiest male alive.”
“No, I am.” I pressed my mouth to his and closed my eyes. Talon had loved me unconditionally from the beginning. He’d looked past my demon’s sins time and again. Anyone else would’ve given up on me long ago. Maybe his dragon had recognized something neither of us saw when we first met. Tilting my head, I exposed my neck. “I’m yours, always.”
A tremor surged through Talon, the intensity so powerful, its echoes thrummed through the bond. His eyes shifted, quicksilver consuming the human pupils and giving way to the dragon. Shimmering scales rippled over his arms, and his fangs descended. He leaned in, and his nose brushed my neck. His nostrils flared, his ragged breath puckering my skin.
My fingers rolled into tight fists as my heart beat out an erratic staccato.
Talon nuzzled my ear. “Relax, amó, I promise it’ll only hurt for a second.”
I drew in a breath and stilled my racing heart. Warm fingers entangled with mine, and the tension in my shoulders dissipated. I sagged into the heated pool as Talon’s lips skimmed my neck.
Ready? His dragon’s rough voice echoed in my mind.
“Yes,” I murmured, allowing my lids to flutter closed.
A sharp prick pierced my skin, and I chomped down on my lower lip to keep from squealing. His soft tongue swept over the wound, and the pain vanished. Fire swept through my core, and my eyes popped open as an overwhelming need pooled down below. Closing my hands around Talon’s face, I lifted it to meet my gaze.
A lusty haze blanketed his reptilian eyes as he licked his lips, a trickle of blood dripping down his chin. He swept it away with his thumb and offered it to me. A part of me was horrified, but a larger part was enthralled. I took his thumb in my mouth and sucked. Talon’s eyes widened, his pupils enlarging.
A growl ricocheted across the sultry bathhouse, and my heart leapt to my throat. He moved up the steps, revealing his bare lower half. I gasped as I took all of him in. Mine. His hands closed around my waist and he lifted me off the top step, folding his large frame where I’d been sitting. He lowered me across his hips, my legs straddling his massive thighs. His arousal brushed against me, and I shuddered.
“Now for the fun part.” His brow arched, and he threw me a devious smile before his lips captured mine. There was nothing gentle about his kisses this time. They were demanding, wild and all consuming. I matched his fervor devouring his mouth as my hands skimmed the hard dips and valleys of his torso. I writhed against him, the pounding of my heart resonating in my lower half. One more stroke, and I’d topple over the edge.
He halted the delicious grinding and gripped my hips, his eyes meeting mine. I nodded slowly and he lifted me up, slowly settling me over his arousal. In and in and in. His dragon filled every inch of me, and I nearly came undone on the spot.
“Together,” he growled in my ear.
I nodded, my brain too filled with desire to form words. I could feel his dragon invading deeper with each thrust. Mate. Mate. Mate. The mad chant thundered across my eardrums, meeting the tempo of our bodies.
Tightening his hold on my hips, Talon lifted me up and down at a feverish pace. I groaned as the pleasure built to an insurmountable peak. “Talon…” I moaned.
“Now,” he rasped out.
He bucked beneath me, and my core tightened before the molten volcano exploded, spewing fiery lava through my veins. Holy dragon babies! My heart juddered in my chest, the manic throb easing to a normal pace as I sucked in ragged breaths. My body sagged, and I collapsed on top of Talon’s glistening chest—my mate.
He laced his arms around my back, his fingers dancing along my spine. A lazy smile split his lips as he regarded me. Despite the electrifying release, energy still surged through my veins, every inch of me singing. It was as if my Talon senses had been magnified. I could feel the pulse of his heart in my own chest, hear each and every steadying breath, every minute touch amplified a hundred-fold.
“How do you feel?” he whispered.
“Amazing.” My nostrils flared as his intoxicating scent filled the air between us. “I actually feel like I’m a part of you, like you’re still inside me.”
He took my hand and pressed it to the left side of his chest. His heart bumped my palm, as if it were desperate to escape, to join together with my flesh. “You are,” he murmured. “From now until I take my dying breath.”
The depth of his words hit me like a runaway freight train. A world without Talon had always frightened me, but now it was inconceivable. Losing him would be worse than losing an arm, a leg, a lung. It would be like losing my very heart and soul.
I caressed his cheek, running my thumb over the prickly scruff of his jaw. “Which won’t be for a very long time.”
“Of course. I just got you, I’m not going anywhere.” His hands lowered, until they cradled my bare bottom. He stood, lifting me up with him. The warm waters receded, and a chill skirted up my spine, eliciting goosebumps over my sensitive, heated flesh.
“Where are we going?” I giggled as I clung onto him like a baby monkey.
“Oh, I didn’t tell you?” A mischievous gleam flickered across his irises. “It’s dragon tradition that new mates spend all day in bed. That was only the beginning.”
I cocked a brow at the grinning dragon as heat uncoiled in my lower half. “Oh really?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, amó.”
“What does that mean?” I’d been so wrapped up in pleasure when he’d used the name before, I hadn’t asked.
“It’s a term in the ancient dragon tongue that we only use for our true mates. It means my love but more than that too.” A slow smile settled over his face. “My father used to call my mother that. In fact, when I was little, I thought amó was her name. The first time I heard him call her Seraphina I was distraught.” His eyes lit up at the memory, and a faint chuckle rumbled his chest.
My heart swelled at the love reflected in his eyes as he spoke about his parents. He rarely mentioned them, and I’d always assumed the memories were too painful. Maybe the mate bond had opened his heart more fully to mine, allowing me unfettered access to the dark, raw parts.
I nuzzled his ear, tightening my hold around his neck. “I’d love to hear more about them.”
He dipped his head and pressed his cheek against mine. “Thank you,” he whispered against the shell of my ear as he carried me throug
h the misty bathhouse and into the bedroom.
Chapter Seventeen
“Hello? Everyone decent?” Ella’s voice echoed through the cavernous bathhouse.
I stretched out on the silky sheets and rolled toward Talon. Muscles I didn’t even know I had ached. Since we didn’t have much going on, we’d extended the dragon mating ritual from one to three days in bed. And it had been glorious.
“Hello?” Ella’s annoyed twang reached the back bedroom.
“I guess we should answer, huh?”
Talon squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head in the pillow, muttering something incoherent.
“Fine, then, guess I’ll go see what’s going on. It’s a good thing it’s not the SIA…” Shoving the comforter back, I slid out of bed and slipped into a soft cottony robe and fuzzy slippers. Yup, it was official, I’d died and gone to heaven. After months in prison at Darkblood and as a prisoner in the Underworld, how had I ended up in this luxury? A part of me knew I should enjoy every second as it could be ripped away at any moment.
“Talon, Azara? If you don’t come out here, I’m coming in. I don’t care how naked you are.”
I darted out the room, wrapping the tie around my waist as I rushed toward the pool deck. “Coming!”
Ella stood at the edge of the whirlpool, her hands firmly planted on her hips. “It’s about time,” she huffed.
“Sorry. I was asleep and had to get dressed.” I tugged my fingers through my mess of tangles.
“Right…I came by yesterday, but you guys sounded busy.”
Heat swept across my cheeks, and I tossed my hair over my shoulder to hide behind the dark curtain. So embarrassing. Thank the gods it had been her and not the king or queen. “Thanks for dropping the food off,” I finally answered, completely breezing by her comment. Though nothing had ever happened between my cousin and Talon, I knew she had feelings for him. Hopefully not anymore, but it had been obvious when I’d first met her at the SIA.