Fire In His Spirit: A Post-Apocalyptic Dragon Shifter Romance

by Dixon, Ruby

  Maybe with his love and my humanity, we can save each other. I like the sound of that.

  I turn to him on the bed and clasp his hand in mine. "I love you," I tell him, and I mean it. I don't know if I've said it to him before now, but the moment it's in the air, it feels right. It feels good.

  "Gwen," he rumbles, and I suspect he's just responding to my soft tone, but it's okay. He knows what I'm feeling even if it's not said aloud. I reach out and touch his cheek, caressing his face. Funny how he doesn't strike me as the enemy anymore. Dragons really don't. Different and wild, yes. But the enemy? Never.

  He's strange and feral and beautiful…and mine.

  He touches my face and I turn in to press a kiss to his palm.

  Now he's mine to touch and no one can stop us. There's no Mara, no Dee, and no guilt hanging over my shoulders like a shroud. Vaan watches me curiously, hunger simmering in his eyes, but he makes no move to close the distance between us—probably because I've pushed him away and delayed so many times.

  "I'm really yours now," I promise him. I lean forward and move my mouth toward his for a kiss.

  He makes a hungry sound in his throat and his mouth slicks over mine in a fast, hard kiss. Once. Twice. Then he pulls back, watching me. Waiting for me to push him away.

  I put my hand on his stomach, admiring the contrast of our skin. He's golden and dappled and I'm a light, creamy brown. He's all hardness and fierce strength and I'm wiry survival.

  I lean in and brush my lips over his collarbone. When he goes still, I move farther down and kiss the hard line of one pectoral.

  "Gwen?" he asks roughly, his voice hoarse and full of need.

  I look up at him and smile. "I'm not stopping you this time." And I put a hand boldly on his cock and caress him.

  He growls understanding, and then a split second later, I'm on my back in the bed. Vaan's claws go to my shirt and with one flick of his wrist, the fabric slices apart and falls open. A moment later and he's tearing my clothes off my body. My shorts fall apart like butter, my bra practically disintegrates, and my panties shear apart as if they're made of paper, and then I'm exposed in front of Vaan's suddenly covetous gaze. He growls as he gazes down at my naked body, devouring me with a look.

  Then his gaze flicks to mine. "Gwen," he breathes, a ragged question.

  "Yes," I tell him. "Oh yes."

  With a groan, he descends onto me. Instead of kissing like we always do, he heads straight for my breasts. His mouth descends on one, his fingers teasing the tip of the other. Utterly insatiable, his mouth is hot and hungry and frantic.

  I gasp at his touch, utterly shocked at the intensity of it—and utterly drenched with need at the realization of his hunger and just how badly he wants me. My body feels like it's pulsing in time with my heart, thrumming between my thighs in an ache that feels so good even as Vaan's mouth goes lower, licking down my belly. He laps at my navel for a brief moment before continuing downward and savagely pushing my thighs apart.

  Then that ravenous, hungry, wild mouth is on my pussy, going straight for my clit.

  His intensity explodes through my brain, the heat and passion of his touch firing my body up impossibly fast. I moan, rocking under him as the breath hisses from his throat. There's a violent edge to our touches, as if we've waited so long to do this that all the tenderness has left the room. Instead of scaring me, though, I'm excited. I want this as badly as him, and when his raspy tongue flicks against my clit in an urgent touch, I snarl his name back at him and drag my nails over his scalp, then push his head down to let him know I want him to keep going.

  Fuck waiting. For that matter, fuck anyone who thinks that Vaan isn't a hundred percent mine or that I'm not his.

  "Gwen," he growls, nuzzling at my folds before returning to his furious licking.

  "Don't you dare stop," I tell him between panting breaths. There's an urgency between us that's sexier than any kiss, and when he snarls and lowers his head so he can move his tongue over me with faster vigor, I arch and grind my pussy against his face, needing that friction and the edge of pain. I'm so incredibly wet that his tongue slicks over my flesh with downright hedonistic sounds, and I only encourage him to go faster, harder, to give me more. I cry out in surprise when a tiny orgasm hits me, a fresh round of wetness coating my folds.

  Vaan snarls my name again, and this time he rises over me, moving toward my face to claim my lips in the hottest, wettest kiss yet. His mouth is insistent, his taste musky as he fucks my mouth with each stroke of his tongue. I love every bit of it and whimper my pleasure with each stroke.

  His frantic hands move over my shoulders and then to my waist, and he hauls me against him as he rises up, and it's clear he wants me to flip onto my stomach. I do as he asks without thinking, utterly breathless and so full of excitement that I can't stand it. Why did I wait so long for this? "Vaan," I whisper. "My Vaan."

  Vaan's big hand seizes a handful of my hair, anchoring me even as he pushes my thighs apart with one knee. Then his big body is looming over mine, and I can feel the press of his form along my back and my bottom. His thighs push against my thighs, and every inch of me feels covered by his hot, hard body.

  I barely feel the nudge of his cock-head against my core before he surges against me, and I suck in a breath as he's seated to the hilt in my body. It's like all the air's left my lungs, and I remain utterly still, trying to adjust to the sensation of his thick cock invading me. It's been a while since I've had sex, but it's never felt as intense as this, and everything feels new and different with Vaan.

  He nuzzles against my neck, and my pussy clenches and ripples around his length in response. I moan, because I'm close to coming—so close—but he's not moving. He's wedged deep inside me, but it's like he's waiting for something.

  So I buck up against him, trying to create friction.

  Vaan hisses, and that's the only warning I get before his teeth sink into my neck. I gasp in shock—and come, too. In fact, I'm coming so hard, every bit of me tense with release, that I don't realize that the world is fading around me even as liquid heat floods through my veins.

  All I know is that I feel damn good.

  36

  VAAN

  I lick at the puncture wound my teeth have left in Gwen's lovely neck as I wait for the fires to work through her. Already her scent is changing, melding with mine, and I stroke her springy hair back from her face and wait for her to return to me.

  My mate.

  I have waited so long for this day.

  Pleasure coils in my belly, and it is a constant struggle with willpower not to thrust into her unconscious body. Instead, I remain still, because I will not take her while she is unconscious. I want her awake, her cunt gripping my length with her reaction to my invasion, her need. So I wait, kissing and licking at her soft, lovely brown skin.

  Soon.

  I press my thoughts against her mind, seeking entry. There is nothing yet, but I feel a gentle giving, a yielding, as if the walls that have kept me out are thinning even as I hold her against me. I want this more than I want release in her body—I want her mind touching mine, as closely and as intimately as I touch her flesh.

  Gwen, I chant inwardly. Gwen. I am here, waiting. Gwen. Gwen.

  No response.

  Gwen. I run my nose along the elegant line of her nape. My Gwen. My human, fragile Gwen.

  Vaan?

  Joy, hot and fierce, bursts through my spirit. I am on fire with need for her, but I ignore it, focusing entirely on her thoughts. Her mind is gentle and confused but growing stronger by the moment. Gwen! I am here. It is your Vaan. We are one, finally. You have taken my fires.

  Vaan, she murmurs again, and this time her lips move even as my name echoes in her mind. Her eyes open slowly and she blinks her long lashes before looking over at me. You…oh. You're still in me.

  Of course. Amusement rumbles through me, and I am as giddy as an unblooded fledgling. I want to hold her against my chest and just drink in her scent f
or days, endless days. We are not done.

  Oh, we're not? Her sweet shyness floods my mind. I thought I came so hard I passed out.

  My own laughter rumbles in my chest, and I feel…hope. Hope for the first time for as long as I can remember. I brush her hair back from her skin and lightly run my lips against her shoulder—and feel the tremor of pleasure as it runs through her. Feeling her mind with mine…it is like coming home.

  Gwen is my home now. My world might be gone, everything I knew before the madness…but I do not need it any longer. I have my mate.

  How…how long was I out for? Gwen's thoughts grow stronger, and she looks up at me, then gasps when I lick her shoulder. I can feel her response, and it adds another layer to my joy.

  Not long. The fires will take at least another day to finish burning through your system, but I am here with you, in flesh and in spirit.

  You feel like fire inside me, she admits.

  I feel like fire. It is as if the flame in my soul that was embers has surged back into the inferno of long ago. I feel whole.

  And I want my mate. My cock throbs and aches with the need to spill, to fill her cunt with my seed. Do you hurt? I ask first, just to be certain. If she needs for me to wait, I will wait, though it might destroy me.

  No, I'm all right. Her thoughts flicker, and I can sense her worry. She knows my seed is hot and she doesn't want to be scorched from within.

  That is why a drakoni male must give you his fires first. I lick her shoulder again and then rock my hips against her, unable to resist the small movement. I can feel the tremor of pleasure as it ripples through her and repeat the gesture, moving with only the slightest gyrations of my hips. Just enough to grind our bodies against one another, to make the spark of desire flare back to life.

  She moans. Drakoni. That's what you are.

  It is.

  Oh, Vaan. I'm so happy we're speaking! You have no idea how long I've waited to talk to you.

  I sense nothing but joy in her thoughts and it fills me with wonder. I slide a hand to her breast, teasing one stiff nipple as I lightly thrust into her again. There is no joy greater than this, I tell her. So long, I have felt lost, alone in the storms. Alone in the silence.

  Alone? She arches against me, her thoughts throbbing with need as she tries to concentrate on my words. But Rast spoke to you a few days ago.

  Nothing stayed, I tell her, only vaguely aware of a “Rast” or any other dragon. I do not want to think about anything but Gwen right now. I lightly pinch her nipple, fascinated by the gasps that break from her throat even as I pump into her again, my cock sliding in and out of her wet heat. Nothing has ever, ever felt as good as this.

  Have you…ever done this before?

  Never. You are the only one that has ever pierced my spirit.

  She moans again and rocks her hips back against mine, needing me deeper, harder.

  I do just as she asks, gripping her tight even as I surge forward. Our gasps are mingled, and I let my mind pulse against hers as I pound into her slick, tight warmth. She feels so good, so right against me. Her cunt tightens around me, rippling with her body's response, and I know she is about to climax again. This time, I want to go with her when she does. I lose myself to the mating rhythm, letting it carry both of us away as I sink into her, over and over again.

  The moment her body tightens in release, it is like my control disappears. With a snarl, I hammer into her, pumping furiously and feeding on the pleasure that ricochets in her mind. I'm not too rough with her—she loves it—and that realization tears through me with wonder and hunger both. With a snarl, I come, spearing deep inside her even as my seed pours forth from my body in a fiery torrent as every muscle in me strains against hers.

  We are one in this moment, two minds entwined like our limbs are entwined.

  And it is glorious.

  37

  GWEN

  I don't think I've ever felt so content. I lie next to my dragon, utterly replete. My body's humming and I feel slightly feverish, but I suspect that's because he injected something very similar to poison in my veins. Gave me his fires, he said. Amy had mentioned I should expect to feel under the weather for a day or two afterward, but mostly I just feel really happy. And I feel a bit like an idiot.

  Why idiot? The voice moves into my mind like rich chocolate, and Vaan brushes his lips against my shoulder. His large body is pressed against mine, every bit of our skin touching, and I don't even mind how overheated it makes me feel, just because it's so very nice.

  Because I waited so long, that's why. It's still a little surprising to hear his thoughts in my head, but I don't mind it. I'm excited to finally hear what he's been saying all this time. Hi there.

  Vaan's hands slide over my front, caressing my breasts and stroking over my belly. I love your mind. I love your thoughts. So much better than the endless noise you humans make with your mouths.

  I giggle at that, because the mental image he sends me is one of Mara with flapping lips. That's how humans speak to each other. We don't have mind-links.

  Pity.

  But you can speak human, too. English, I mean.

  If I must. He teases my nipple, rolling it between his claws ever so carefully and sending a pulse of heat straight through my body. But I no longer need to.

  Because we're connected now. I close my eyes and lean against him, sinking into the sensation of being petted by the delicious golden man at my side. I can feel his cock pressing against my thigh, a hard iron bar of need. Have I been asleep for long? I'm pretty sure I napped, but time's kind of murky right now. My thoughts are sliding back and forth, overwhelmed by the new presence lurking there. I love it, but it's a lot to get used to because my head suddenly feels twice as noisy.

  I can be quiet, he tells me. It is a lot to adjust to for you.

  You don't have to, I tell him. I like you being there. I turn my head slightly and he leans forward, brushing his mouth over mine even as he teases my nipple to a hard, aching point. I spread my thighs and he puts a hand on one leg, parting them further and pushing into my body. I suck in a breath at the sensation of being filled by him again, and my mind blanks out for a moment.

  My Gwen. How perfect you are. He strokes into me, his movements languid as he holds me against him. I can feel his thoughts flitting through my own and pick up that he wants me to come before he does.

  A man that wants to make sure his lady gets off before he does? I really am the luckiest girl in the world.

  Of course I will give to you first. Your pleasure is mine. He leans in and lightly nips at the side of my neck, and my entire body clenches in response. I can feel it in your thoughts, in the way your cunt tightens around my cock. There is nothing I like more than the taste of your honey on my tongue.

  Except maybe your dick in my pussy? I tease, but I'm a little distracted and breathless by all the sensations rocketing through my body. He moves slowly and surely as if he's got all the time in the world to leisurely fuck me, but I'm already going a little wild, rocking back against him as he pumps into me from behind. It feels good—so good—but I'm not there yet.

  Being deep inside you is good only if it is good for both of us.

  It's the perfect answer, but I don't sense any deceit or mocking. He's utterly serious, and that makes things all the more delicious.

  I would never lie to you.

  I'm learning that. It's just new, having someone to trust entirely. Even in Fort Shreveport, I have to be careful not to become too unguarded, too open or else it might get back to the wrong ears. Andrea—who I love dearly—is too trusting and runs her mouth because she assumes everyone is as open and honest as she is, and so I can't tell her some of my secret worries and fears.

  But Vaan…he'll see everything and there's something comforting about that.

  Let us not think of comfort right now, he tells me, and his teeth graze the shell of my ear. His hand slides away from my breast and I whimper a protest, only to feel his fingers glide over th
e folds of my pussy. I'm spread wide, my knee resting on one of his legs so he can fuck me, and as he touches me, I gasp with pleasure. Let us think of deeper, more intense things, like your honey and how it coats my fingers. Your cunt and how it throbs for me. Your folds and how slick they are. This little bud and how it makes you react. And his fingers glide over my clit.

  I cry out, tensing up against him. Oh god. That is just the spot. Vaan!

  I have you. His tongue swipes over my ear and then he sucks on my earlobe. I have all of you. Leave yourself open to me and I will give you everything I am. His fingers stroke the sensitive skin hooding my clit and I nearly come apart in his arms. Everything in me tenses and clenches with sweet anticipation, and when he nips at my skin again, that, combined with the steady, insistent stroke of his fingers on my clit, makes me come hard and fast. I cry out and my mind floods with his satisfaction. He starts to move against me, stroking deep, and I'm brought to another orgasm quickly, his own release following mine.

  That particular mating was short but sweet.

  Should I have taken longer? I can.

  I chuckle to myself. No, that was perfect. I'm too tired to even think about moving more than that. He's still seated deep inside me, and I wiggle against him, enjoying the sensation. I'm just happy to touch you, to hear you, to be here with you.

  Vaan grazes his knuckles along the line of my jaw. I feel the same.

  I want to know everything about you, I tell him. Even though I'm exhausted and I feel hot and achy, I'm hungry to hear his voice and more than that, his story. Tell me where you came from.