by Angel Black
His hand gently rested on the small roundness of Rachel’s belly. Beneath it, he could feel the heartbeat of the tiny life growing inside. He wanted to protect the baby. He loved it immensely already. But if it came to a choice of saving Rachel or the child, he knew he would save Rachel at all costs. She was his world, and he had crossed realms to find her.
“Have faith, husband,” Rachel pushed. “We are already starting to change minds about this stereotype, and we still have several more months of pregnancy.” She paused, nuzzling further into Valonis’ chest.
“I know that we upset some people with the ceremony,” she whispered. “But I also know without a doubt, that in the end that you, me, and our miracle baby are going to live happily ever after.”
Valonis tilted her chin up and kissed her passionately. He appreciated how optimistic she was, and how much faith she had in him to be a good man. She was right though. Even though there was a vast show of support, several groups of dragons had been aggravated about the human touches added to the ceremony. They claimed that it messed with tradition. Yet wasn’t it tradition that led them to ultimately be unable to reproduce healthily? He was done with tradition, done with all of it. For years his father and his people had attempted to pressure him into an unloving marriage of anyone that would take him. And now, that he was not only able to marry out of love, but also able to produce an heir, they no longer wanted that for him?
No. It was exactly why he didn’t allow them to dictate his life in the first place. Deciding to focus his mind on better things, he caressed his hand down the delicate curve of Rachel’s spine. He loved how her hips bucked sensually against him at the touch. They had found out, after finally being able to make love, that they both had quite the insatiable appetite. Rachel’s mind was deliciously open, and together they had found a multitude of erogenous zones on one another. In fact, he was sure that exploring Rachel’s body was his new favorite thing to do.
He could feel the hardening of his cock, and she hadn’t even touched him yet. As his hands continued to massage, Rachel giggled playfully, spreading her legs so that his hand could continue its explorative path.
“Again my love?” She asked. A moan escaped her lips as Valonis slipped a finger inside of her tight wetness, and all playfulness disappeared. She looked up at him with lust filled eyes, pleading him to continue. He almost groaned simply from looking at her. When her eyes were shining like that, he knew that he was the only thing she saw and felt. It was a look of utter devotion and it pleased him to no end.
“Yes, again,” he whispered, claiming her lips as he moved to position his hips under hers. “Always, always again.” Lifting her as if she weighed nothing, Valonis repositioned her hips a bit so that she slid right on top of him.
He growled as he thrust his thick cock inside of her, loving how wet she was for him. In all his years as a player, he had never felt someone so perfect, so delicious. It was as if her body was made specifically for him to love and enjoy.
“Wrap around me,” he commanded. She obeyed immediately, wrapping her shapely legs around his waist as her hands went to his back and hair. Together they rocked their hips, slow and sensually at first. Then, as their hunger grew, hard and rough. He loved how she responded to him taking ownership of her body. As he kept driving himself into her she moaned for more, begging him to take her in any way he wanted. Needing to be in control, he flipped them so that Rachel lay beneath him.
He chuckled darkly, lifting her legs up so that her ankles rested on his shoulders. “As you wish my love.” He made love to her savagely, claiming her over and over again until she screamed for him and came all over his cock. He loved the way her tight, wet walls vibrated and clung to him as he made love to her. The deeper he went, the more desperate her moans became. She filled his ears with her seductive sound. It was only after he felt her explosive orgasm that he let his own orgasm go and filled her with his seed. His cock jerked as he felt his orgasm drain into her, becoming one with her.
Breathless, he fell down beside her, his arms automatically going to out to wrap around his beautiful bride. He loved how easily she relaxed into him. She fit perfectly against his chest, as if they were two pieces of a puzzle.
When her breathing began to deepen, he smiled into her hair and placed small kisses over her ear and neck. She mumbled something about being exhausted from their lovemaking, and he chuckled as he whispered for her to go to sleep.
“I love you,” he whispered,” holding her close. For the first time in his life, he allowed himself to feel something for another person. “I love you so much.”
Stay safe for me, always.
Chapter 20: Alive In his Arms
Rachel
1 Month Later
Rachel knew it was a dream. She could feel it in her skin that it wasn’t real. And yet despite that knowledge, she couldn’t shake the mounting fear she felt as an oily, unkempt middle aged man came towards her cage. She was not in a palace at all, or even with Valonis. The sale went through. The purchase had been made. And her new owner was not a kind one.
“Come out of your cage, pretty bird,” the old man said, jingling his keys. “It’s fun time. I know how much you love our fun time.”
Her stomach rolled in disgust as she felt tears wash down her dirt-streaked face. She was often left unclean, unkempt, and unfed. Her shining brown curls were matted into dreads, and her ribs stuck out like piano keys on her torso. Her belly showed no signs of life in it, and it made her cry even harder. She thought of what she was about to be forced to do, and it made her want to hang herself from the rafter.
“Leave me alone,” she sobbed, cowering at the back of her cage, “Just leave me alone!”
Rachel gasped as she sat up in bed, her entire body trembling in fear from her nightmare. It wasn’t her first one. Though in reality Valonis had saved her and professed his love, her mind could not shake the horrifying possibility of what could have been had he not fought the Battle of the Rites for her.
Glancing down, she immediately felt better as she saw Valonis by her side, sleeping peacefully. Sighing once more, Rachel brushed a gentle kiss against his temple before sliding out of the bed. On the table by the hearth sat a pitcher with water, a bowl of fruit, and a small dish of nuts. She smiled down at them. Her appetite had started to pick up, so Valonis had made sure that she always had snacks ready for her. She poured herself a glass of water and drank it slowly, hoping to calm herself down.
Although life had been different since she was set free, she was still very much looking forward to moving away from the palace. Aside from her visits to the kitchen or the library, she ventured nowhere else in the vast building. Even with Valonis by her side, it seemed like a cold, loveless place to live. Valonis knew this, and he too wanted a fresh start for them. She knew that the paperwork for their new place was nearly finished, but she wanted it to move faster. Being in the palace made her extremely uneasy, whether Valonis was with her or not. She craved the ability to feel safe again.
“Rachel?” Valonis’ deep voice rose from the bed, filled with concern.
Turning around, she felt her heart begin to heal a little more as her protective husband left their bed to come to her.
“I felt your fear,” he whispered, gathering her up in his arms. He sprinkled kisses over her hair and whispered, “What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare?”
Struggling to choke back tears, Rachel nodded her head as she burrowed herself deeper into his chest. In one fell swoop she felt her body being lifted up and held to his chest as he carried her back to their bed.
“What can I do to make it better?” He asked.
Fear was slowly ebbing away as she felt the beginnings of a small smile spread across her lips. For someone who was once an arrogant playboy, Valonis had grown into an amazingly caring husband.
“This is perfect,” she replied, turning her cheek so she could press a kiss into his chest. Immediately she felt a warm tingle slide through her as she
felt Valonis’ warm, muscular pectoral under her lips. She loved how she could feel the electricity between them; a feeling she had not felt ever with anyone else. Wanting more, she kissed his chest again. Then a third time, this time using her teeth to gently nibble his nipple.
A growl rumbled through Valonis’ chest as she continued her exploration, but he didn’t stop her. Instead, he only continued to stroke and massage the back of her head as her lips began to form a trail from one nipple to the other. Freeing one of her hands, she gently pressed against his shoulder. Immediately he followed, allowing himself to be pushed back into the pillows as she repositioned herself over his body.
A small moan escaped her lips as she continued her exploration of him. She licked and kissed and nibbled her way over his muscular abdomen, loving the feel of those rigid muscles between her lips and teeth. His body began to hum for her as she continued going lower. Inhaling deeply, she drew in his scent. Ever since she had gotten pregnant, she had fallen even more in love with it. She loved how heavy and masculine it was, especially when they were making love.
Valonis moaned as she flicked her tongue over the head of his sensitive cock. Though she hadn’t touched it yet, it had grown hard and thick for her. She loved how ready he was for her at practically any time.
Rachel took her time tasting Valonis’ heavy cock. She loved the way it felt under her tongue and in her mouth as she lavished attention upon him. Because of his size, it was impossible to fit the entire length of him in her mouth, but she didn’t mind. She rather enjoyed teasing the head of his cock as drop after delicious drop of pre-cum met her tongue.
“Rachel,” Valonis moaned, his hips beginning to buck, “You’ll make me cum if you keep this up. Are you- fuck you feel so good- are you sure you want to do this?”
Rachel rose up between his legs like Aphrodite herself. She could feel her own need building between her legs, making her wet and sensitive. She smiled seductively down at him as she settled herself over his hips, positioning herself so that his turgid cock was pointed directly above her most private parts.
“Yes,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss his lips. He met her hungrily, kissing her with intense passion as she began to tease his cock by gently rocking her hips back and forth so he could feel her wetness run down his shaft.
I feel you, Valonis thought to her as they continued to kiss. I feel your need to be in control. Take it, my love. It’s yours. As you are mine, I am yours, and will give you willingly anything that you may need.
Tears pricked Rachel’s eyes as Valonis showed his understanding for what she needed, but she pushed them away. She adored that even as an Alpha male, he still let her know that she was always in control of her body. Slowly, she lowered herself down on to her husband, taking her time to allow her body to adjust to his size until he was nestled deeply inside of her. Valonis didn’t push her, but instead, waited for her to choose the pace.
She loved how his hands felt as they ran slowly up and down her back as she rode him. She still felt a slight prick of pain when they made love. She was not used to his size, but as always, it faded away almost immediately when she began to go to a little faster.
“Touch me,” she begged, moving his hands to her breasts. He did so happily, moaning in pleasure as she began to move in deeper, quicker thrusts. She could feel her orgasm building inside of her, pushing away all fear and replacing it with willing pleasure. The more she felt his pleasure build with hers, the more sensitive she became; building until she was sure she was going to shatter into pieces.
“Yes, my love,” Valonis moaned, his pleasure blatant in his glowing gold eyes. The velvet of his voice was the final piece she needed to feel complete, and as she tossed her head back and screamed, she felt her orgasm flood through her, sending her into a fit of trembles as she came over and over again. Not even a breath later she felt Valonis release as he moaned and growled into her ear. She loved how tightly he held her as they stayed locked together, both of their bodies trembling in the aftermath of their lovemaking.
Chapter 21: Hatchets & Politics
Rachel
Four Months Later
Laughter overtook Rachel so much her face was turning red. Across the couch from her, Alexandra was laughing just as hard, their faces hurting from smiling so much.
“Stop,” Rachel begged, wiping tears from her eyes. “Stop I can’t breathe!”
The two women erupted into another fit of giggles then, after a spell, finally started to calm down.
“I can’t believe Falon did that!” Rachel sighed, picking up her cup of tea.
“Well he did,” Alex chuckled, putting a comforting hand on her large belly.
After the Supreme’s decree at the royal wedding, Valonis had told Rachel the story of Falon and his human soulmate, Alexandria. Thanks to the decree, they were allowed to come and go from the palace as they pleased, as long as they returned for Alexandra’s appointments. But the moment the two women met they instantly became friends. It had become a custom that Falon drop her off with Rachel every day while he and Valonis went to the palace. Together they would lay on the couches, snack, and talk about their men and their hopes for the dragon realm.
She was beyond happy to talk to another woman, human or not. Though she had been great with her books, Rachel had figured out long ago that she wasn’t so great with making friends. But with Alex there was an instant connection. Their similar twists of fate had brought them together.
Like her and Valonis, Alex and her dragon moved away from the palace as soon as they could. The stress of the palace and restricted living quarters had not been good for either of them, and they were both happy that they finally had a place to be free and stretch their legs.
A knock on the door startled them both. Rachel noted it, and the doctor in her labeled it as a side effect of PTSD. A moment later however they heard Falon announcing his presence, and they both sighed in relief. Though no one had shown up at either of their houses yet, they were still feeling quite uneasy about everything, especially when the only protection they had was themselves and their telepathic connection to their mates.
“I still get nervous,” Alexandra confessed, giving Rachel a sheepish grin.
“Me too,” she comforted. “We’re in here!” She called. A moment later Falon strode into the room, his face full of smiles as he spotted Alexandra. He wrapped his arms lovingly around her and as always, kissed her on the lips.
Rachel couldn’t help but smile as she watched, for she knew that Valonis would greet her the same way.
“Hello ladies,” Falon greeted, after finishing his kiss.
“Falon,” she greeted, nodding her head. “How is the progress going?”
“Well,” he replied, his tone enthusiastic. “This trade cannot go through, I’m sure of it. As hard as the Earl may try, I really believe that he has a snowball’s chance in hell in actually winning back a popular vote. Valonis is doing very well. Oh, and by the way, he wanted me to tell you that he was going to be just a little later, about a half hour.”
Her smile dropped a little, and she sighed.
“Don’t worry,” Falon encouraged. “It has nothing to do with stalling tonight, I promise. He just got held up with some business.”
“Thank you for letting me know,” she replied. The three of them chatted some more briefly, and then the couple took their leave.
Once alone, Rachel looked down at her stomach and groaned. Resting her left hand affectionately on her very pregnant belly, she gave it a small pat. Beneath her palm a foot kicked out to say hello.
“I am not ready for this night baby boy,” she admitted, watching as the other tiny foot pushed on her.
She smiled as her son did a somersault in her stomach. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, she let her head fall back on the large, well cushioned couch in her new living room. She inhaled the fragrance of dragon lilies as dozens of them wafted their scent through her house. Out of all the places in the kingdom, this was her most re
laxing retreat.
Since her marriage with Valonis, many things had changed. Wanting as much independence from his father as possible, he had moved them to the outskirts of the city as quickly as he could. Not even a week after Rachel’s intense nightmare the paperwork had been finished and they had moved into their new home. She immediately began to feel better after their first night away from the palace. Although she missed the human world, Rachel loved their new home. Although not nearly as gargantuan as the palace, the one that Valonis had picked for them was large, with four bedrooms, three baths, a miniature version of the palace’s kitchens, a study for Valonis, a library for Rachel, and a jacuzzi on their back porch.
After they moved and Valonis had filled their home with new clothes, furniture, and everything else that Rachel could possibly want, he started going back to the council meetings full tilt. Though he had to commute now, Valonis spent anywhere from eight to ten hours out of his day with dragon shifter politicos and royals. He began the push for equal love, and to his surprise and Rachel’s, the number of supporters was growing incredibly fast. Of course, that did not deter the extremists; namely Valonis’ father.
So of course, after months of refusing to talk to or even acknowledge Rachel, it caught the couple both by surprise when they received an invitation from the palace, asking them to dinner. At first they had both agreed not to even consider it. But as weeks went by, Rachel found Valonis pulling the invitation over and over again. He studied it as if there was a hidden key or message on it, even though they both knew there wasn’t one. Then, after a week of watching her husband walking around in confused turmoil, she finally sank into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“My love, I’ve been thinking. We should accept this invitation from your father, to see what he has to say.”