by Julia Mills
Continuing to talk to himself, Rian made his way through the dense forest towards the cabin he’d built almost seventy years ago. It was the only place he could be sure not to be interrupted during his all too brief monthly visits with Audrey. It had taken over a year to build and was where he planned to bring Audrey as soon as she was free of her possession.
He came every full moon that clan or Guard business didn’t keep him at the lair. The basement in his house was secure enough, but there was always a chance someone would sense the flair of magic when Audrey appeared and then disappeared. Not to mention the fact that his brother’s mate was the most powerful white witch ever born and living just a mile from his home while they all searched for the rest of Drago’s men.
His mind making his way back to the Assassin’s return, the Dragon Leader mused, “I’m sure the dragon shifter referenced in the journal is Kayne. I remember my dad, Alexander, and Drago talking about how he walked away from his crown to be a Guardsman. I know Drago trained him. He’s the only of us I’m aware of who had royal blood from our ancestors and also a much more powerful faction.”
Once inside his cottage in the woods, Rian locked the door behind him and took the first deep breath he could remember taking in almost thirty days. Letting his enhanced senses fill the space to make sure he was alone, the Dragon Leader then reinforced the wards Eleanor had taught him to construct. The glittering shadow of the last rune still hung in the air as Rian dropped to the couch and let his head fall back onto the cool leather. Opening one eye and looking at the clock on the mantel, he noted there was still four hours until he had to prepare to summon Audrey.
Smiling as he patted the Focus Stone through the leather of his bag and its protective silver casing, Rian couldn’t wait to show Audrey that after all this time they were one step closer to her release. Allowing himself an hour to rest, the Dragon Leader drifted off to sleep. As always, dreamy memories of his mate awaited him.
Lying on the pallet he’d made for them to share prior to summoning Audrey, Rian simply ran his fingers through her long ebony locks while listening to the soft sounds of her sleeping on his chest. These few stolen hours every month were the only thing keeping him sane.
At first, it had simply been the distance that made both man and beast crazy, but Rian soon learned it was so much more. He missed the ability to feel her thoughts and emotions through their slowly growing mating bond. Cursed when her scent disappeared from his flesh. Felt lost when he turned to speak to her only to remember she wasn’t there. But the worse was when he thought about his Audrey locked away with a Demon Lord, battling for her very life, and him, the mighty Dragon Leader, stuck on earth with no way to defend his mate. It was emasculating. It was infuriating. And most of all, it was eating away at his soul.
There were days when it was all Rian could do not to summon his mate against the moon, haul her to a holy man for exorcism, and then hide her away until he could slay the Demon Lord holding her captive. He’d actually gone to his basement and lit the candles before his good sense had returned. It took several minutes of an especially ferocious inner dialogue to talk himself out of it and walk away.
It had been eighty years since he’d first laid eyes on her, seventy since he’d first summoned her and an hour since he’d kissed her lovely lips. His dragon chuffed in his head, the same thing he’d been doing since the scent of brimstone filled the room proceeding Audrey’s entrance. Rian had barely gotten hello out of his mouth before his lips were on hers. His beast had once again pushed him to make love to his mate, to claim her as theirs in the most primal way, but it was not to be. Rian would not damn their eternal souls to hell.
Eleanor had warned Rian that if they should consummate their union, the demon squatting inside his mate could and most likely would possess them all. Once there, the malignant spirit would take control of his dragon and there would be no turning back. With the old witch’s words echoing in his mind, the Dragon Leader had pulled upon his many years of training and somehow found the strength to only give his mate pleasure. Knowing someday he would be able to love her as the Universe intended.
“What are you thinking so hard about, lubirea mea? I can hear the wheels turning.”
He loved that she spoke to him in Romanian, her mother’s native language, but was thrilled that her grandfather had taught her Gaelic. Answering in the language of his ancestors as he slid his hands under her arms and pulled her up his body, Rian repeated a line of the song his father had read to his mother on their wedding day. Ronin was a romantic for sure, but not much of a singer.
Tá gach mo smaointe de tú mo ghrá.
Tá gach anáil ar do shon mo stór.
Beats mo chroí ach amháin le mise.
Is tú mo , m'anam , mo ghrá go deo.
The last syllable was barely out of his mouth before Audrey began to sing the same words.
All my thoughts are of you, my love.
Every breath is for you, my darling.
My heart beats only with yours.
You are my heart, my soul...my love, forever.
She paused to breathe and Rian could wait no longer. He would be the air she breathed. He was helpless to be anything but. Trying to be gentle but needing her more than life itself, the Dragon Leader slammed his lips to hers. His heart and dragon soared as she opened to him, giving all that she could. He moaned deep in his throat when her nails scratched his scalp. His dragon howled as her elegant fingers grabbed at his hair, his back, his arms, holding tight as he made love to her mouth so that she would never doubt to whom she belonged.
Their kiss was never-ending, all encompassing, and life changing. Her hand moved over his back and across his hips until just the tips of her fingers ran the length of the underside of his erection.
Tearing his mouth from hers, Rian grabbed her hand. “Audrey...” he moaned with what little breath he could find, wanting nothing more than to find sweet release with his mate but knowing it simply could not be.
Snatching her hand from his, she wrapped her fingers around the base of his shaft and looked him in the eye. Fire burned deep in her hypnotic violet eyes. “The Priestess said we couldn’t consummate our love. She did not say I couldn’t give you the same pleasure you have so freely and so beautifully given me for all these years. I am tired of being denied. I am tired of feeling helpless. I am tired of waiting. I dream of nothing else but watching you come apart in my arms as I know you have watched me. I will wait no longer, my wonderful dragon mate. Do you hear me? No longer. I need this as much as you do.”
He could see the impish grin on her beautiful lips. Went to argue but was cut short as the words were stolen from his mouth just as the breath was taken from his lungs.
Audrey stroked up his throbbing erection slowly and with great purpose while holding his eyes hostage with the intensity of her gaze. Just as the side of her finger touched the underneath of his swollen head, his little minx rubbed her thumb through the warm, wet proof of his excitement.
“Do you know how much I love you, Rian O’Reilly?” she asked while sliding her hand back to his pelvis and up again so quickly, the Dragon Leader was unable to do anything but shake his head.
“Let me show you, mo leannán Dragon.”
Without waiting for an answer, her lips claimed his. He could feel her pouring all that she was, all that she felt...into him. Her hand worked his erection with a perfection born out of love and the need to share who she really was with her mate.
He could hear her thoughts. Knew that this was her way of consummating their love, of showing him that no matter what happened, she would always be his. There never was nor would ever be another. Not even hell could keep them apart. She believed in him, believed he would save her.
Pushing him beyond all limits, Audrey tore her mouth from his and commanded, “Come for me, mo ghra’. Let me feel the power of our love as you have felt mine so many times.”
Helpless but to do what his mate commanded, Rian screamed his lover�
�s name over and over until his throat was raw, his body was empty, and his heart so incredibly full of love he was sure it would burst. His wits slowly returned to the feel of Audrey’s lips tenderly kissing first his cheek, then his neck, and finally whispering in his ear, “I love you, mo chroi, so very, very much.”
Rian smiled at her use of the old language and even more so at how much he felt when she said she loved him. Sitting up and pulling her into his lap in one fluid motion, the Dragon Leader held her body to his. The feel of her hardened nipples rubbing against his chest as her breath quickened threatened his focus, but Rian would not be deterred. He could feel the impending sunrise and knew their time was limited.
“And I love you, mo maite’. I love you more with each passing moment. There is not a force in all of the Universe that will stop me from bringing you home and making you mine...forever.”
Kissing her hard and fast, Rian opened all his senses to Audrey. He prayed with every ounce of faith he possessed that she would retain at least some small part of their bond upon her return to hell. All too soon, his dragon chuffed, alerting Rian to the nearness of the sun.
Hesitantly setting Audrey away from him and standing, Rian picked up her dress and petticoats from the chair where he’d thrown them in his hurry to bare her satiny skin and turned to his mate. Chuckling he asked, “When are you going to stop wearing these crazy underskirts. I can get you modern clothing if you’d prefer.”
Letting the sheet fall as she rose, Audrey stood before him in all her splendid naked glory. “Well, my love, I can’t very well show up in hell wearing the latest fashions, now can I?”
The rise and fall of her beautiful breasts was hypnotic as Audrey spoke with her hands, something he found absolutely adorable, and walked towards him. She stopped just out of arm’s reach and furrowed her brow. He saw her lips move, but the roar of the blood rushing to his lower extremity left him deaf and mute.
Only when she tried to rip her clothing from his hands, rolled her eyes and snapped, “Rian, stop gawking at me and give me my dress,” did his sanity finally return. Only now, Audrey was laughing at him and shaking her head. “Silly man, you think you’re not distracting standing there looking good enough to eat.” The smile fell from her lips as she stepped into her petticoats.
Her next words broke his heart. He could feel her sadness even though she kept her gaze on the floor as she whispered, “If only we had more time.”
Closing the distance between them with his jeans still open and riding low on his hips, Rian put the tip of his fingers under her chin and gently lifted her head until he could see her exquisite face. Tears filled her eyes as he pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
As the first rays of the morning sun hit the earth, Rian kissed the top of her head and pledged, “I will save you, Audrey my love, on that you can be sure.”
Rian jumped off the couch, still half-asleep and madder than a wet hen. Shaking the last of the fog from his nap out of his brain, he cursed, “Fucking memories. Love them. Hate them. Either way, they’re gonna be the death of me.”
The chime of the clock told him he’d overslept and had less than an hour and a half to set up and begin the Summoning Ritual. Gathering his duffle from the closet, Rian set the circle and drew the pentagram in the center with purified salt then placed the white taper candles at the points and the large purple pillar candle in the center. Using the copper pot Eleanor had made and blessed for him, the Dragon Leader ground the herbs as he had so many times before. His mind wandered as the pestle hit the dried leaves and the scent of Lemon Verbena, Arabic Gum, and Belladonna filled the room. He ground them to a fine powder, added three drops of Lavender oil, and set the mixture on the iron grate covering the small flame from a can of Sterno.
As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Rian spoke the Summoning Spell. As he recited the words that would bring his mate to him, the Dragon Leader sliced across the palm of his right hand and let seven drops of his extremely powerful, very magical dragon’s blood drip into the boiling mixture. Plumes of deep purple smoke rose from the copper pot. A sweet burning scent filled the room, quickly followed by brimstone.
“Teacht! A bheith le feiceáil!” Rian bellowed just seconds before Audrey shimmered into view.
Using his enhanced speed, the Dragon Leader raced into the circle, catching Audrey just before she crumbled to the ground. Carefully making his way to the couch he kept within the Devil’s Trap, Rian couldn’t help but smile as he held the one most dear to his heart in his arms.
Sitting with Audrey on his lap, the Dragon Leader simply stared into her gorgeous face as she adjusted to the effects of traveling through time and space. Slowly, her eyes opened. She gasped right before smiling a smile that lit up not only Rian’s heart, but his entire existence.
Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek and sighed. “There you are. There is the man I love.”
Leaning to touch the lips he longed to kiss every second of every day, Rian stopped short as a noise outside the back of the cabin drew his attention. From the furrow in Audrey’s brow, he knew she’d heard it too. She opened her mouth to speak but Rian lifted his finger to her lips and mouth. “Shhh.”
A single nod and she quickly and quietly crawled off his lap. Vowing to draw and quarter whoever dared to interrupt his time with his mate, Rian stood, held up his index finger to indicate he’d be right back, and stalked toward the back door.
His hand touched the knob as the sound of a limb breaking under a footstep echoed from the silence. He could hear Audrey telling him to be careful through their link and sent back his love as he turned the knob and threw open the door.
Opening his enhanced senses as wide as he could, Rian bared his teeth and snarled, “Come out, you stupid bastards. I swear to the Heavens I’m gonna kick your asses into next year, but first I want a fucking explanation.”
One by one, Rory, Royce, Kellan, and Brannoc came into view. Rory started to speak, but Rian never heard his brother’s words as a shriek of sheer terror rent the air.
Turning and running toward his disappearing mate, Rian bellowed, “Audrey!”
But it was all for naught. His foot hadn’t even reached the threshold of his cabin when Audrey shimmered from sight, leaving only the maniacal laughter of her Demon Lord echoing in the darkness.
Chapter Three
Being pulled away from her mate after just arriving to the haven of his cabin was bad enough, but landing ass over teakettle in one of the torture dungeons of hell was worse...way worse. And the hits just kept coming...
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You have been a very bad little poppet, my sweet,” Adramelech sing-songed as he stood in front of her still dressed up from the party.
A British accent today? That’s new.
A barely discernable tick in the scale-like skin around his yellow eyes told Audrey all she needed to know...there was going to be punishment and it was going to be bad and she was going to be on the receiving end. As if reading her mind, the Chancellor lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Magic instantly filled the chamber as Audrey was yanked from sitting on the cold stone floor to hanging from huge iron shackles with just the very tips of her toes touching the ground. It was a familiar position but one the princess had avoided for several decades. Hanging her from the ceiling and teasing her with pain used to be one of the Chancellor’s favorite pastimes. However, it had gotten old when she yawned during one of his tirades about her insolence for doing only the good Lord could remember what. After that, he’d found new and inventive ways to discipline her.
Looking at her captor, Audrey watched him pace to the very edge of her peripheral vision first on one side, and then the other. It didn’t take a crystal ball to know that Adramelech was deciding exactly how close to the brink of death he could bring her without actually killing her. It was the first time Audrey truly thought he might go through with it.
He might actually kill me...
She wanted to smile. T
here was actually a chance she might escape hell. Of course, it would be in the jaws of a hellhound, but beggars can’t be choosers and at this point, any escape was worth the price. Audrey was done being a prisoner.
She thought of her mother’s favorite gypsy saying—Îngropați-mă în picioare, mi-am petrecut întreaga viață în genunchi. It sounded prettier in Romanian but more to the point in English—Bury me on my feet, I have spent my entire life on my knees.
Audrey’s anger threatened to boil over. It was the cold hard reality of her life. She was about to be one-hundred-and-nineteen years old and about a hundred of those had been spent serving a demon. No, not just a demon, but a Demon Lord. Not just a Demon Lord but the Chancellor of Hell. If her only hope of ever getting out of the messed up life she’d been thrown into was as hellhound chow, then she was more than ready.
As if they knew she’d thought of them, in skulked the Chancellor’s pack of hounds, led by Bás and Balor, the two almost always at Adramelech’s side. It was hard to tell their gender but Audrey was sure they were both male. It did appear that Bás, who was just a wee bit taller, was the leader and Balor, whose chest was as broad as a barn door, his second. Audrey thought of the stories her grandfather told about the werewolves the villagers thought were stealing the children from their community when he was a child and knew the elderly man could’ve never imagined the beasts now standing before her.
The pack of seven circled where Audrey did her best imitation of a ballerina on pointe while being suspended from the ceiling. When they were all in place, Bás growled. As one cohesive unit, they sat, staring at her as if she was a big yummy doggie treat. Adramelech smiled as he said something in Latin she couldn’t quite make out and Balor jumped to his feet.
The hellhound trotted to Audrey’s side and stopped. His shoulder touched her hip, reminding the princess exactly how big he really was. She’d seen the entire pack stand on their hind legs, and even the smallest among them was at least an inch taller than her five-feet-eight inches.