Trusting the Dragon Prince

by Rinelle Grey

  A deep need grew in him, rising up until it blocked out everything else. He would make Rylee his mate, and he would be able to spend the rest of his life with her.

  The desperate look on Rylee’s face spoke of the same need. He could see it reflected in her eyes, feel it in the way she clutched at him, pulling him closer as though she couldn’t get close enough.

  Calrian knew exactly how she felt. He thrust more urgently, more desperately, the rising need overflowing as he felt Rylee spasming around him. Her orgasm set off his own, and he called out her name as he buried himself as deeply in her as he could.

  Rylee clutched at him, breathless. “That was amazing,” she gasped out.

  Despite his exhaustion, Calrian lifted himself up to look down at her, his eyes misty. “It was,” he agreed.

  “Do you want to do it again?”

  “I want nothing more,” Calrian said immediately. The need to complete the mating bond surged through his veins, pushing him past the usual need to rest and recuperate.

  He couldn’t wait to make Rylee his mate.

  Chapter 50

  Rylee couldn’t believe it. She felt completely satisfied and desperately needy at the same time. She would have thought she’d feel like a break after their frantic lovemaking, but she just wanted to repeat the experience. Immediately.

  She’d never experienced anything like this before. It was even greater than the craving she’d felt for Calrian when they’d been tied together in the Mesmer bond.

  That had been a wild, enthusiastic demand, but it didn’t have the depth this need did. She wanted more than just sex. She hungered to connect with Calrian in a way she couldn’t even describe. In a way she hadn’t even known existed until now.

  This dragon mating bond must be pretty potent.

  She should have been scared. She was, after all, playing with magic she knew nothing about. But when she looked up at Calrian’s earnest, tender face, all she felt was love.

  This was right. She knew it from the bottom of her heart.

  And as Calrian bent to kiss her, his lips soft and tender now, she knew this was what she wanted. What she needed. She could feel it to her core.

  And as the desire and need rose in her again, her own mind rose to meet it, and she felt stronger than she ever had in her life. Together, she and Calrian could do anything.

  Without even withdrawing, Calrian began to thrust, and immediately Rylee’s desire was at full strength. She wanted him. She needed him. But nothing was enough. Each thrust sent her hunger higher until she thought she might scream with frustration.

  Her fingers dug into Calrian’s back, like she was trying to pull him closer, even though their bodies already touched completely.

  Something rose within her. She could feel it reaching out to Calrian as though they would indeed become one. She welcomed the thought.

  Then blinding ecstasy washed over her, pulsing through her body, setting every part on fire. And through it all, all she could see was Calrian. His face above hers, bathed in the same joy she was experiencing. His body touched hers, and his mind connected with hers.

  “I love you, Rylee,” he said into her mind.

  “I love you too,” she replied in kind, directly into his mind. The communication felt very personal, very private, and very special. Rylee’s heart soared at the very obvious evidence of the magical connection between them.

  A slow smile spread across Calrian’s face. “Now there’s an advantage I didn’t expect.”

  Rylee stared at him, confused. “You didn’t know mating would give us the ability to talk telepathically?”

  “Well, dragons already have a dragon voice so it makes no difference in dragon matings,” Calrian pointed out.

  That made sense. Rylee nodded. “Well, I bet it will come in handy.”

  “Oh, it will,” Calrian agreed. He kissed her slowly and lazily, but even so, the intimate connection caused a surge of desire in Rylee. “It means we can do this and talk at the same time.”

  Rylee couldn’t help giggling against his lips. “So it does.”

  Not that they were focused on talking for the next few minutes. Rylee felt like she could kiss Calrian all night. In between mating him, of course. She was shocked at the fact she still wanted too, even though her body languidly protested that sleep would be a good idea.

  Apparently being a dragon mate had lots of advantages.

  Calrian didn’t even seem tired. His kisses were as enthusiastic and amazing as they had been earlier in the night, and before long, any ideas of being tired fled Rylee’s head.

  Chapter 51

  Calrian smiled at Rylee over breakfast, trying to keep the amorous look out of his eyes or at least toned down since Rowan was present. But the truth was if they were alone, he would happily be mating with her again right now.

  She looked a little tired though. It was true they hadn’t slept much, and humans apparently didn’t cope with that as well as dragons. He’d have to make sure she slept plenty tonight, even though he was more than ready for another night of mating.

  Even he was a little surprised at how much he desired her. He’d heard that the mating bond was strong and the initial mating period was even more intense, but he hadn’t quite expected this level of attraction. Did it have anything to do with the fact that he and Rylee were already in love before they’d mated? He wished he could talk to his clan elders about it.

  The realisation that he’d never be able to ask his clan elders anything ever again hit him, sobering him somewhat. He hadn’t realised how much he’d relied on their wisdom when he’d needed it.

  But even though the grief was there, his bond with Rylee had dulled it. He could cope. He could even push it aside to focus on their day together.

  “So, what is the plan now?” he asked Rylee.

  She looked over, and there was heat in her smile as she met his eyes. Calrian warmed at the idea that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. “Uh, I don’t know. Drop Rowan at school, then..?”

  Calrian knew exactly what he wanted to do once they had some time alone, and from the blush on Rylee’s face, she wanted the exact same thing. For a moment, he lost himself in that thought. There was nothing he’d like more than to spend all day mating.

  But that wasn’t what he’d meant. He forced his mind to focus. “Not for today. I mean what are we going to do with our lives?”

  Rowan’s ears perked up at that. “Does that mean you’re staying?” he asked, his eyes wide and bright. He looked back and forth between Calrian and Rylee.

  Calrian smiled at Rylee, then nodded to her son. “I am,” he confirmed. “Rylee and I are mated, and in dragon terms, that means we have a magical bond. We will be together forever.”

  Rowan’s eyes grew even more round. “Really?” He looked to his mother for confirmation.

  She nodded. “Really. Calrian is part of our family now.”

  Rowan jumped up from the rug they were sitting on to eat, and threw his arms around Calrian. “I’m so glad,” he said, burying his face in Calrian’s shirt.

  Calrian hugged the boy back, a little overwhelmed. Having him and Rylee here definitely helped him feel like he wasn’t alone, like he hadn’t lost all of his clan.

  In fact, that gave him an idea.

  “How would both of you like to become part of Rian clan?” he asked, smiling at Rylee over Rowan’s head.

  Rowan’s response was immediate and enthusiastic. “Be part of a dragon clan? Of course I’d like that. Can we, Mum?”

  Calrian felt a bit bad for asking in front of Rowan. It didn’t really give her a choice.

  But she was smiling. “Of course. That sounds wonderful. What do we have to do?”

  His question left Calrian stumped. No one had ever really joined Rian clan, they were born into it. Technically, Rylee, and by extension, Rowan, were now part of Rian clan since she’d mated him. But looking at Rowan’s shining eyes, he suspected that wasn’t going to be enough.

  He
thought quickly. “You need to place your hand over your heart and repeat after me.”

  Rowan put his hand on his heart, his face filled with excitement. Even Rylee looked a little misty eyed as she did the same.

  Calrian couldn’t help smiling at her as he made up the words, hoping they might inspire her as well as her son. “I promise that as a dragon of Rian clan I will always be true to myself and speak my mind as a dragon should.”

  “I promise that as a dragon of Rian clan I will always be true to myself and speak my mind as a dragon should,” Rylee and Rowan repeated.

  From the look in Rylee’s eyes she was taking his words to heart, and Calrian was glad. They were words she needed to hear. If they also helped Rowan, then that was a bonus.

  “I promise I will stand up for what I believe in and defend it if necessary,” Calrian added. He wasn’t sure if that bit was for Rylee or her son, who was nodding his head. He suspected both of them needed it.

  Now he needed an ending. Calrian searched around for something that sounded fitting.

  “I will not give up hope, no matter how bad the situation seems, for as long as I’m alive. I know love will find a way.”

  Yeah, that last bit was for him. He could see the recognition of that in Rylee’s eyes. She already knew it and had lived through it when she’d left her husband. Now he was the one who needed to hear her repeating it.

  Somehow, together, they’d find a way. Calrian didn’t doubt it. Rylee was his hope.

  “You’re now both dragons of Rian clan,” Calrian announced. His voice may have wavered a little. But as he stared at his small clan, he knew he needed to look forwards, to his future, not dwell on his past.

  With that thought in mind, as they sat back down to finish breakfast, he asked Rylee privately, “I was actually asking what you wanted to do for our future? I’m your mate now, and I want to help you achieve your goals, whatever they are.”

  Love and gratitude shone in Rylee’s eyes as she looked back at him, but what she said was, “It’s time for us to make some new goals together. Because that’s what partners do. They work together for something they both agree on.”

  Calrian knew, in that moment, he couldn’t have hoped for a better mate. Rylee might not be a dragon, but she had a wisdom and a determination he wasn’t sure even a dragon could have matched.

  “I can agree with that. What shall our first goal be then?”

  “First we need to decide where we’re going to live.” Rylee hesitated, then said, “Would you prefer to stay here? It is your home, after all?”

  Calrian looked at Rylee and Rowan and knew they would stay if that was what he wanted. But it wasn’t the ideal home for either of them. For one thing, they couldn’t get in and out on their own. Besides, if he looked forward, not back, there was nothing to recommend it.

  “No, I think we need to find a new home that’s ours. One that isn’t filled with memories of what I’ve lost. But I don’t know anything about human homes. I assume we will need money to get one?”

  “Well, actually, I have another option. It’s not great, but it would be a start.”

  Calrian listened as Rylee told him about the caravan Martha had offered to let them borrow. She was apologetic, listing all the things wrong with it, but Calrian could see she thought it was the best option, so he interrupted her description.

  “If I’m there with you and Rowan, then it will be home,” he said simply.

  Rylee’s smile told him she felt exactly the same way.

  Chapter 52

  “I’m going to go down the street and get the papers and mail,” Rylee announced to Calrian. “Do you want to come?”

  Calrian looked up from where he was finishing washing the breakfast dishes at the small caravan sink, his hair mussed, and smiled at her. “Sure.” He washed the last dish and put it on the drying rack, and Rylee couldn’t help thinking what she wanted to do was take him back to bed.

  They’d been mated for nearly a week now, and that urge hadn’t seemed to fade any. Possibly because the only time they could indulge it in the small caravan was when Rowan was away at school. But she could pause her desire for a bit now since she knew they’d be able to make love all they wanted later, not to mention for the rest of their lives.

  It was the only way they were managing to get anything done. It had taken two days to clean out the caravan enough to move in, and there was still some maintenance that needed to be finished. But it didn’t matter. Rylee was happier than she’d ever been, and she wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

  Rowan seemed happier too, at school and at home. He’d told her, excitedly, that he’d done what Calrian said and told the bullies to leave him alone, and it had worked. Rylee wasn’t quite sure why, except that Rowan had changed. Her quiet, intense little boy had grown, and his confidence showed. Perhaps the bullies had sensed it? Calrian was obviously a good influence on him.

  As she and Calrian walked the short distance down to town, something Rylee had done thousands of times before, everything felt different, as if new colours had been added to the world.

  Calrian’s presence in the back of her mind made everything seem better. Maybe as well as dragon speech, as he called the telepathy that allowed them to communicate, she also had some of his advanced dragon senses?

  Or maybe it was just that she was in love. Rylee smiled at that thought.

  They walked into the newsagent, and Calrian picked up the local and the state newspaper. He’d become very interested in reading them and keeping each one. If he kept up this way, they were going to need a bigger caravan just for the newspapers.

  But Rylee didn’t mind. It made him happy, and it was good to see him immersing himself in the world. He still had moments when he missed his clan and was depressed at the thought of never belonging again. Rylee could always tell when he was thinking about them. But she hoped the feelings would grow less frequent over time.

  “Is there anything you want?” Calrian asked.

  Rylee looked around the store. They didn’t have much money, but she was determined to do her best to make sure no one felt its lack, even herself. But there was little she wanted. She had all she needed with Calrian and Rowan. She felt very lucky.

  Her eyes fell on the scratchie rolls on the counter, and for a moment, she let herself imagine what it would be like to win some of the prizes. What a difference that sort of money could make to their lives.

  The urge to buy one hit her, but she fought the temptation. They were just a money making scheme. The chances of winning were almost non-existent. They were just a waste of money, and it wasn’t as if she had much.

  Except… that was Eric’s voice in her head, not hers.

  Rylee hesitated. She knew the facts were still true, the odds of winning were very low, but she wanted to believe there was a chance. She wanted the few minutes of hope the gamble gave her. What did a few dollars hurt anyway?

  As she hesitated, Calrian asked, “Did you find something?” He was watching her, his head tilted slightly to one side, that smile on his face.

  Well, against all odds she’d found a dragon and true love.

  Taking a risk on a dream was always worth it, even if you failed. Because it was taking the risk that kept the dream alive. “Yeah, I’ll have a scratchie,” she said, stepping up to the counter and waving to the rolls. “Just a two dollar one.” Then she paused. Why not go big? “No, actually, make that a five dollar one.”

  The man behind the counter smiled and rang up the newspapers and then handed Rylee the scratchie.

  Calrian was watching her curiously. “What’s that?” he asked privately. Rylee had suggested he ask any questions about what things were in dragon speech. They received fewer strange looks that way.

  “It’s a scratchie,” she explained. “I’ll show you when we get home.”

  Calrian didn’t ask any further questions, just put his arm around her and nuzzled her neck on the short walk home. By the time they arrived back at th
e caravan, Rylee had forgotten all about the scratchie. She was far more interested in taking all of Calrian’s clothes off.

  It was only a few hours later, when Calrian picked up the paper to read through it, that she remembered.

  “So, how does this work?” Calrian asked again, holding up the scratchie.

  Rylee felt kind of silly for buying it now. She justified it with the thought it was another human custom Calrian should understand.

  She sat down beside him. “It’s a game,” she explained. “You scratch off these panels, and if you get three of the same number, you win that amount of money.”

  Calrian grinned. “That sounds like fun. Maybe we can win a fortune and you can buy that bed and breakfast.” He bumped his hip up against hers.

  “There’s not very much chance of that,” Rylee said dismissively. “The odds of winning that much are very low, like a million to one. More likely I’ll get another five dollars, and the lotto company hopes I’ll spend it on more scratchies.”

  Calrian patted her back. “Still, you never know.”

  His attitude made Rylee feel a little better about wasting the money on a gamble. She pulled out a coin and started to scratch off the squares one at a time. Calrian watched over her shoulder. “Two hundred and fifty thousand? That’d really help with buying that B&B,” he said.

  Rylee shook her head. “They always put one or two of them in just to excite you. But we won’t win that much. See, the next one is ten dollars.”

  She kept scratching, hopeful when the next number was a thousand dollars. That would be a nice windfall and not too far out of possibility.

  “Another two hundred and fifty thousand,” Calrian said, his voice expectant.

  Rylee shook her head, grinning. Maybe they needed to buy a few of these so Calrian could realise it was just a tease. She kept scratching.

  “That’s another two hundred and fifty thousand,” Calrian said. “Doesn’t that make three?” His voice was distant. Rylee barely heard it because she was so busy staring at the scratchie in front of her.