Drakon's Prey (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

She tasted like tea and crisp apple—sweet and fresh. He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she welcomed him. He canted his head to the side and deepened the caress. All his fears came crashing down around him.

  He’d almost lost her.

  Riggs would have killed her as soon as he’d learned everything she knew. Tarrant had no doubt about that. He’d been paid to kill any enemy of the Knights, regardless of who they were. Being Karina’s sister wouldn’t have saved her.

  Valeriya gave a small cry and surged forward. He caught her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The position was making it difficult for him to touch her as he wanted. He stood and strode toward the bedrooms. He went to her room this time. His bed had bloodstained covers. She might not be able to smell her blood on them, but he could.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. Their lips never parted as he carried her to the bed and took them both down to the mattress.

  …

  Tarrant obviously had more questions, and so did she. But all that paled when stacked against her need to reconnect with him on the most basic level. She’d been shot. She could have died. Now she wanted to reaffirm life in the most primitive way. She wanted to make love with the man she loved.

  She had no idea if he felt the same, but she knew he cared deeply. Why else would he risk his life for her, put his home and everything he’d built in jeopardy by confronting Riggs and his men when he could have let them take her? Why else would he make her drink his precious blood?

  He’d cried for her. Drakon tears, rare tears that turned to gemstones. That had to mean something, didn’t it? She’d never ask him. Tarrant was a proud man and would abhor any sign of weakness.

  No, he might not have told her he loved her, but actions spoke much louder than words ever could. And his every action told her he considered her precious, someone to be protected.

  Giving free rein to her heart, she kissed him. Their tongues tangled. The muscles of his back rippled beneath her hands. When he’d walked inside wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, she’d wanted to jump him then, but had managed to restrain herself. At least until he’d kissed her first.

  Then all bets were off.

  He was on top of her with most of his weight resting on his forearms. He kissed her again and again, stealing her breath. He left a hot trail of kisses down her neck and over her collarbone.

  He started to unbutton her shirt, swore, and then ripped it open. Buttons pinged off the walls and floor.

  He made a low growling sound in his throat as he peeled back the fabric. The expression on his face was hard. She’d have thought he was angry if not for the heat smoldering in his eyes. His jaw was like granite, and a muscle pulsed just below his eye.

  He nuzzled the undersides of her breasts one at a time before lapping at the distended nipples. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” he asked.

  Was he nuts? “Don’t you dare stop,” she warned him.

  One corner of his mouth kicked up into a sexy smile. “I won’t. Not unless you tell me to.”

  She caught his hair in her hands and dragged him back to her breast. He chuckled and then captured the nub between his lips and sucked. This was what she needed. His touch. His heat. Just him.

  She raked her fingers lightly over his shoulders and down his back. He arched his spine as if seeking her touch, silently asking for more. She stroked him wherever she could reach him, but it soon became apparent it wasn’t enough.

  Valeriya thumped on his shoulder. He immediately raised his head. “Am I hurting you?”

  She shook her head. “No. But we’re both overdressed.”

  He laughed, rolled off her, and kicked off his jeans. This certainly wasn’t the first time she’d seen him naked, but each time it was such a visceral impact. The swirling silver tattoo that covered half his body seemed to pulse with life. It seemed deeper in color than before, especially the blue outline.

  She’d never seen a man as sexy as Tarrant. There was something primal in him that spoke to that part of her.

  Admitting she loved him had added another layer to the passion he stirred within her.

  “Now you.” He dragged the flannel pants over her legs and skimmed off the socks she wore. Now they were both completely bare.

  He knelt beside her and ran his gaze over her from head to toe. He paused on her shoulder, and again on her calf.

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “I need you.” As if those were the words he needed to hear, he straddled her and covered her breasts in his large hands.

  “I’ll be gentle,” he promised.

  “I know you will.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tarrant prayed he’d be able to keep his promise. He wasn’t a gentle man by nature. He wanted to fuck Valeriya until she’d never think about leaving him. He wanted his scent on her skin and the marks of his possession on her body.

  Darius would tell him he was being an idiot, that he shouldn’t trust her. But Darius had been an idiot over his Sarah. Tarrant knew that trust had to start somewhere. She’d had the chance to give him up to Riggs in order to save herself and hadn’t.

  His blood ran cold thinking about how close she’d come to being killed.

  She belonged to him. He’d waited for thousands of years to find a woman who made him feel the way Valeriya did. Yes, she was dangerous to him, a weakness that could be exploited, but she was also a gift. And right at this moment, she was waiting for him to make love to her.

  Her breasts were full and firm, her nipples hard kernels that dug into his palms. Her eyes put the emeralds he’d given her to shame. The expression of longing and need shining from them was more valuable to him than a million gemstones.

  The dim baseboard lighting was the only illumination in the room, but the door to the hall was open, filtering light in from out there. There was more than enough for her to be able to see him, and he certainly didn’t need the light to see her perfectly.

  He kissed her, loving the small, sexy sounds she made. She skated her hands over his chest and shoulders, down his arms, and over his back. He loved the hint of desperation he sensed in her touch.

  She really wanted him.

  Her lips were moist when he broke their kiss. Their mouths were so close they were almost touching. Her breath puffed against his skin.

  Valeriya touched the side of his face with her fingertips. It was a tender, poignant moment that made him catch his breath.

  His heart was racing, his muscles quivering with the restraint he was exercising. He licked her bottom lip, and she sighed. He kissed her jaw, her throat, and her shoulder, drawing a gasp. It was music to his ears.

  He could spend hours licking and sucking her breasts, but only gave himself a taste before kissing a trail down her slender rib cage. His restraint would only last so long. He stroked his hands over the curve of her hips and around to her full ass.

  She didn’t object when he lifted her and buried his face between her thighs. He tasted her with his tongue. She moaned his name and dug her fingers into his hair. He found the tiny nub of nerves and sucked. She bucked against his face, moaning and whispering his name over and over.

  He knew he’d never get enough of her like this. Never.

  He eased one finger into her slick channel. She was wet and ready and sucked him into her body. He withdrew and inserted two fingers.

  Valeriya tensed and then her core rippled around his fingers and coated them in her release. She cried out and quivered beneath him. He didn’t push her, not this time. He withdrew and lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms.

  His cock was pulsing hard, straining for release. His balls felt as though they were about to burst.

  She snuggled close, throwing her leg over his thighs. It was the most exquisite torture. Finally, she raised her head. “What about you?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” The more primal part of his nature wanted to claim her, but it wanted to protect her more, even if that meant protecting her from h
im.

  “You won’t.” She pushed upright and eased herself onto his thighs. He gripped her hips to help support her. His dick flexed, as if trying to get closer. “That has to hurt.” She pointed at his erection. He shrugged, not about to lie to her.

  “We can’t have that,” she continued. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and pumped. His hips came off the bed so fast she almost toppled over and would have, if he hadn’t had such a tight hold on her.

  She licked her lips and then rose up onto her knees. Tarrant stopped breathing. She scooted forward and fit the head of his shaft to her opening. Bracing her hands on his chest, she lowered herself over him.

  He wanted to be gentle, wanted to let her lead, but he was too far gone. He pulled her down until she was seated to the hilt. They both groaned as their bodies fit together the way nature intended.

  It was perfect.

  Valeriya was panting for breath. So was he. She ran her fingertips over the tattoo that swirled over his chest and left arm. “This is so beautiful.”

  He wasn’t sure he liked her description. “It’s fearsome. Barbaric.” Those were both words that had been used over the centuries to describe it.

  “That, too,” she assured him. She squeezed her inner muscles and robbed him of breath. “But beautiful, too. Like you.”

  God, she was going to destroy him. He dragged her down until their mouths melded together. He used his hands to guide her into sliding several inches up and down his shaft while they kissed.

  He loved the feel of her lips on his, and her full breasts rubbing against his chest as she rode him. This was what he wanted, what he needed.

  He swallowed her small cry of pleasure. Then he pulled his mouth from hers and roared as his release shot through him. Valeriya buried her face against his shoulder. He felt the nip of her teeth as she bit him. He roared again and pumped his hips against hers.

  He surged upward, clamped his mouth on the vulnerable curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. He paused, forcing himself to be gentle as he returned her biting caress. She cried out his name, and her wet channel rippled around his shaft. He released her and fell back against the cushions, barely swallowing another roar.

  Valeriya’s heart was racing and her breath was coming in hard pants against his neck. He held her as they both calmed. Her entire body relaxed and melted against him.

  He was content to simply lie there and hold her. The immediate threat to them was neutralized. There would be more trouble, but at this particular moment in time, they were safe.

  Finally, she raised her head. “We haven’t been using protection.” He could see the concern glowing in her eyes and hurried to reassure her.

  “You can’t get pregnant unless I allow it.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “What?”

  “In dragon culture, they decide when they procreate, so it’s ultimately up to the female dragon. As drakons, we’re a bit different. Since there are no female drakons, we decide if and when we get a woman pregnant. I’ve never personally known of a drakon who’s gone that far.”

  She nodded and rested her head back on his shoulder. “I can understand that. Trust is a big thing.”

  He trailed his fingers up and down her delicate spine. “Yes, it is. Our fathers always knew they could leave this world and go back home. This was just an experiment for them, an adventure.”

  “But they left you all behind.”

  He thought he’d controlled his bitterness, but obviously not. “Yes. They thought their genetics would override that of the humans they impregnated, but we are only half dragon. Our base form is human. The dragon half of us lives inside us, a part of us, but not fully integrated. Our fathers’ base form is that of the dragon. They used their powers to assume the form of a human for a short time. They saw us as inferior.”

  “That’s not right—”

  “That’s life.” There was no point in going down that road. It was over and done. Now he had more important things to discuss than his past. “Why did you leave?”

  She sighed and the small puff of breath tickled his skin and made his cock jerk. He was still semi-erect inside her. She shivered, and he grabbed one edge of the comforter and yanked it over her. It didn’t totally cover her, but it would keep her from getting cold.

  She dragged the tip of her index finger over his chest in a random manner. “I woke and you weren’t there. I realized the door had been opened, because my bra was stuck inside. I figured I could take a quick look around to see where I was.”

  “You planned to be back inside before I discovered you’d left.” That made his heart ache, but he appreciated her honesty. It made perfect sense from her point of view. He’d kidnapped her, after all. They’d come so far in such a short time it was hard to remember how she’d happened to be there in the first place.

  She nodded, her hair brushing over his skin. “Yes. I was shocked when the door at the top of the stairs opened.” She sat up so she was looking straight at him. “I had no idea your home was under the cabin.”

  …

  Valeriya wished she could see Tarrant better. His chest was visible, lit by the glow filtering in from the hallway, but his face was in shadow.

  She wanted to make him understand. It wasn’t easy to order her thoughts, not with his cock still throbbing inside her. She’d come twice and was sated, but it probably wouldn’t take much to get her wound up again.

  They needed to talk first. There were too many secrets between them. She couldn’t expect him to tell her everything—he had lived for thousands of years. But there needed to be honesty between them.

  “I know,” he told her. He tightened his grip around her hips. She wondered if he was going to pull her down and kiss her. It was almost disappointing when he didn’t.

  “When I realized where we were, I got worried about why you went outside.” She didn’t like remembering the fear that had swamped her. She peered down at him, trying to see him better. His eyes glowed, a reminder he wasn’t quite human.

  “All the more reason you should have stayed inside,” he informed her.

  She thumped her fist against his chest. It was like hitting a rock. She pulled her hand back to her chest and fought the urge to shake it. “All the more reason for me to look around,” she corrected. “If I’d known we were still at the cabin, I doubt I would have ever climbed the stairs. I truly only meant to see where I was.” It was important to her that he believed her.

  “I was just going to take a peek, but I was already in the cabin when I realized there was someone out there, someone dangerous.”

  “So you left anyway, instead of going back where it was safe.”

  She raised her chin and gave him a nod. “I accidently closed the door behind me. Besides, I couldn’t let you face whatever danger there was alone.”

  He nodded and shifted enough that she could see his jaw and mouth in the light. He was frowning. Not a good sign. “What did you think you could do?”

  “I don’t know.” She was human and he was a drakon. That meant he was stronger, faster, and more powerful than she could ever hope to be. But none of that had mattered when she’d thought he might be facing his enemy alone. “I just wanted to help.”

  Tarrant swore and dragged her back down. He kissed her forehead. “Promise me you won’t ever do that again.”

  She wanted to give him what he wanted. Truly, she did. But she wasn’t about to lie. “I can’t.”

  He stilled. “And why not?” She though she caught a thread of hurt in his voice, but she was probably mistaken.

  “Because if I think you’re in danger, I’m not going to stay locked inside the tower like some princess from a fairytale while you face the enemy alone.”

  “You’re protecting me.” He rolled her onto her back and loomed over her, managing to keep their bodies joined as he did. She could see the incredulous expression on his face. From his perspective, she supposed it did seem a bit ridiculous.

  But she was determine
d. “Yes.” Whether he accepted it or not, she loved him. That meant doing everything in her power to protect him. “I thought maybe I could lead the men away.”

  “You’d have gone with them.” The words came out as a low growl. Her drakon wasn’t happy about that.

  “If it meant they’d leave and never know you were here, yes, I would.”

  He framed her face between his large hands. “They would have tortured you, killed you.”

  “I know.” Her sister had obviously decided she was too much of a risk to have running around on her own, especially since it was apparent now whose side she was on in this war.

  He groaned and pressed his forehead against hers. “What am I going to do with you?”

  She wanted to suggest he love her, but managed to keep her mouth shut. It was bad enough she’d admitted she loved him and he hadn’t responded. From now on, she’d do what he did—let her actions show she cared. It didn’t make her any less vulnerable when it came to Tarrant, but it did make her feel as though her heart had a slight bit of protection.

  Who was she kidding? Her heart was already his. But at least if she didn’t say the words again, she could pretend to have some distance. She’d put her heart on the line. It was his turn to say the words, or not.

  The memory of the drakon tears flitted through her mind. Maybe he had told her he loved her in his own way.

  They were obviously done talking, as Tarrant began to flex his hips. His shaft was full once again and stretching her in the most wonderful way. It was just as well. She’d had enough talking for now, too.

  She opened her legs wider and took him more firmly into the cradle of her hips. He slid deeper.

  “Valeriya.”

  She loved the way he said her name. There was a hint of possessiveness in the tone that should rankle her independent soul, but she couldn’t deny she loved it. And why not? She was possessive about Tarrant.

  Whether he believed her or not, she was willing to die for him. She would have gone with Riggs, but she would have taken her secrets to the grave. Her family and the Knights had done enough harm to the drakons. She’d do anything to help balance the scales of justice.