He had to kill Kade. The man was a menace to the world; besides if he didn’t then Kade was going to force Doria to be with him or he might grow tired of her and just kill her. He would never stop tracking her down. Rob knew this; Kade was relentless. He had to be stopped.
“I know, it’s quite a shock. I just wanted to have some full disclosure with you before you took your last breath. And now that I have destroyed your will to live, I will take your life from you.”
Kade swiftly brought the dagger down on Rob. He could see the sharp silver coming right at him, aiming for his temple. He was going to put it in his brain.
As the knife came down Rob brought his paw up and grabbed Kade’s wrist. He saw the shocked, surprised, and utterly destroyed look of total fear and regret in Kade’s eyes right before he swiped across Kade’s throat with his other claw.
Kade collapsed to the ground trying to scream, clutching at his sliced, bleeding throat. His body writhed and crawled around on the ground as he desperately searched for air or some way to repair the damage, but it was too late. He’d just been clawed across the throat by an alpha pure- blood wolf.
Kade’s body stopped moving as he lay there bleeding out.
He was gone.
Kade was dead.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rob asked.
Doria looked up at him, right into his beautiful eyes. She could see the light there, the love, and the truth about who she was and who she was destined to become reflected back at her. She’d never felt so much warmth and love before in her entire life.
She smiled.
“Absolutely,” Doria said.
The two of them faced the Gurant. The Gurant was a medicine man that Rob’s family knew. He was a pure wolf, one who was very old and respected. He belonged to no single tribe; he actually kind of belonged to every tribe in some association or another. His real background was a mystery, and that was the way it was supposed to be.
Doria looked around at Rob’s family behind her. They were all dressed up nicely waiting for the ceremony to commence. She felt so sorry that Alex was not there. Rob did not talk much about his brother since Kade killed him almost a month ago, but she knew that his heart was heavy with the loss, and his brother was there in spirit.
The past month had been emotionally difficult, but also very exciting and rewarding. When Rob came back he told her and Steph the news; their brother was dead. Kade had murdered him. He would not say how, sparing them the grisly details, but his voice was barely above a whisper.
Doria did her best to be there for him and his family in their time of need. She really felt that they were part of her family now and she could not wait to become a true member of the tribe.
After he and his family grieved over the loss, Rob told her what Kade had said, about being her maker. He had tears in his eyes when he said it, his body trembling. She could see his heart had been broken to the core by everything, and this was the final straw.
“I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore,” Rob said. “I know you might be feeling a lot differently, now that you are no longer a wolf. You aren’t mated to me anymore.”
Doria leaned in and kissed him softly. “Honey, I have fallen so hard in love with you; I couldn’t imagine not being with you. Nothing could tear us apart.”
Rob smiled and hugged her tightly to his rock-hard body.
“Kade was lying to you,” Doria said. “I’m still the same.”
Doria pulled just a bit of the wolf out of her just then, and felt her facial features change. Her snout formed a little bit and she could feel her fangs extending from her gums.
The look on Rob’s face was priceless. She could see the joy in his eyes for a few seconds, but then he shook it off.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I hoped you would be cured, too.”
Doria leaned forward and whispered with a smile. “Liar.”
Rob looked at her as if she were crazy.
“I know you wish that this hadn’t happened to me, but you also are glad that we are together, which shows how much you really love me. I’m happy to be who I am and to be with the man I love,” Doria said.
He kissed her again, softly.
To show her his enthusiasm he picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom. He lay her down gently on the bed and began to peel her layers of clothing off one by one. She at first thought this was going to be a fast lovemaking session, but once in the bedroom Rob decided to take his time.
He removed her blouse, one button at a time. Then her bra, releasing it with the twitch of one finger, then he pulled her jeans down and last removed her underwear slowly pulling the garment down her legs.
Rob stood up then and looked at her a moment, a sweet gleam in his eye. He removed his shirt, revealing his rock-hard physique. Then he pulled off his pants to reveal that he was not wearing underwear.
Standing there naked in front of her, his huge rod in his hand he was turning her on like nothing else. She could never grow tired of the image of this beautiful man who was about to make sweet love to her.
He was holding his member in his hand, rubbing it slowly up and down. She bit her lip as she felt the desire racing through her body and her fingers found her wet, gushing slit between her legs. She sank her fingers deeply into the wetness, smearing it around to make sure she was primed and ready for Rob to come aboard. Her nub was so tender, so sensitive that the slightest brush felt like a million climaxes all over her body.
He smiled as he watched her fingering her wet, slippery center with one hand and her other hand grabbing handfuls of her breasts.
She thought he was going to penetrate her any second, but instead he surprised her and suddenly buried his face in between her legs. His tongue found the perfect spot and the perfect rhythm instantly as he began to pleasure her.
Doria could not hold back the gasps as Rob’s tongue slid and glided up and down, sideways, hitting all of her buttons and then giving some attention to her nerve bundle at the top before slipping back inside her juicy, wet, center. She wrapped her legs around his head bringing him closer to her, if it was at all possible.
She came within minutes the first time, way sooner than she had expected, but he had her so fired up. And he took the gushing on his face with a smile, lapping up every bit of her as she twitched and climaxed all over his continuously moving tongue.
He pulled back just then, smiling from ear to ear. He climbed between her legs, his hard and stiff prong about to be put to proper use. She took a deep breath and he was inside of her then, moving slow and deep… slow and deep…
Ah… just the way she liked it.
***
And now they were here at the ceremony, ready to be officially mated. The ritual only lasted about ten minutes, far shorter than she had envisioned. Most of what was said was in a Native American dialect that she did not understand but she knew that it was meaningful and intense as hell.
Standing there while the Native American Shaman did his chant she could feel something happening to her, something happening deep inside of her. It was as if the world around her had actually stopped spinning. The two of them were in a circle surrounded by salt, and the Shaman was dancing around them while they held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes. His voice was in her head, the chanting so loud, but it didn’t hurt. She could feel a spiritual bond happening between the two of them that was stronger than anything she’d ever heard of or experienced before. It was a special kind of magic.
And she knew that this was the most important moment in her life.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Doria held her hand to her back as she groaned in pain. She thought that possessing such superhuman strength and stamina would prevent this sort of thing, but apparently not even the supernatural were immune from the negative effects of pregnancy.
A slight pain in her stomach then made her wince and she grabbed her belly, feeling
the anger subsiding and turning into excited pride. The baby was kicking again. She loved to feel the baby moving, growing, becoming a real person inside of her.
“He’s being really active today, huh?” Rob asked coming down the stairs into the living room. He’d just finished a shower after his second workout of the day. It was crazy, but she swore that he worked out twice as hard in the off season as he did during the actual season. But she had gotten used to not seeing him for hours at a time when he was in the zone.
But at least during the off season he was on the property somewhere and was pretty much always home. She loved those times. He tried to stagger most of his daytime work during the hours when she was at work, but sometimes his workouts ran long. Hell, most of the time.
But she could not expect the MVP of the season and a World Series Champion team player to let up for a second. It had been so spectacular. Rob hit in the game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. He was a bona fide sports hero.
A few hours after they won the World Series, when Rob and she finally were in bed together trying to fall asleep, she decided that this was the perfect time to tell him that she was pregnant.
He was ecstatic. They both were.
It wasn’t long after that when she decided to start dropping hints to Rob about wedding plans. In Rob’s world, they were already married. The mating ceremony they had gone through was essentially the same thing, only deeper. It tied souls together. But the old fashioned human side of her wanted a real wedding. Her friends expected it. They kept asking her when Rob was going to pop the question.
Of course, they had no clue about werewolves. Just like everyone else in the world they assumed that werewolves did not exist. And Doria wanted that to remain. She did not feel comfortable yet bringing her friends into this other world with her. It would have been different if they were also wolves, but being normal people they would not understand, not really. And if they did understand then it would be such a thing too dangerous for them to know about. It was just a bad idea.
But the more she thought of it, a wedding sounded like so much fun and she really wanted one.
After weeks of dropping hints to Rob about it, she was pretty sure he had totally become oblivious to the idea. She wanted to come right out and just ask him if he would like to have a regular wedding and a honeymoon, but she just didn’t feel right about it. She wasn’t sure why. He had his ways and his beliefs and she didn’t want him to get the idea that she was trying to interfere with or take away from that.
She’d almost given up on the idea until one day when they were out to dinner at Fleming’s, their favorite restaurant. Right before the dessert came Rob stood up and told the restaurant that he had an announcement to make. He popped the question right there and then and got down on one knee. She was so speechless she almost forgot to say yes.
But two more weeks and she would be officially Mrs. Robert Thompson.
The past couple of months had been a crazy whirlwind of meetings with photographers, videographers, caterers, wedding planners, cake designers—it seemed like it would never end. But she was too excited to care about all of the work she’d put in and about all of the exhaustion she was dealing with.
It was all worth it.
Rob sat down beside her on the couch and kissed her softly as he laid his hand on her belly feeling their baby moving. Every time that Rob did that she could see his eyes glowing with pride.
They were going to name the baby Alex, after his brother.
Alex Donovan Thompson.
That sounded perfect.
*****
THE END
Paranormal Shifter Romance
Dragon Date
Description
Those who cannot do, teach.
Seph Vovin is one of five handsome brothers from a clutch born to one of the oldest dragon-shifter families.
He has been blessed.
He has been privileged.
He has a career as a successful marriage counselor.
But…
He has no mate.
What could go wrong when seeking the help of a dating service where dragon-shifters are paired with genetically-compatible women?
Asha Hamilton is the founder of Wings of Love, one of the leading matchmakers for dragon-shifter romances. This big, beautiful woman has a flawless record when it comes to pairing up couples – until Seph walks through her door. Suddenly, she is met with a challenge, to find a mate for someone who just won’t click with anyone. Asha is determined to find the right woman for Seph, no matter what it takes.
But what happens when she runs out of options? How far is she willing to go to succeed in her mission?
Prologue
They sat on opposite sides of the sofa, not looking at each other. He stared down at his knees, occasionally picking at invisible lint on his jeans; she studied the ceiling, jaw tight, arms locked around her middle and legs crossed at the knee. His body language spoke of guilt and hopelessness. Hers screamed, “I want a divorce.”
Seph Vovin shifted in his wingback chair, his long fingers laced together over the notebook resting across his lap. “So,” he said, breaking the frosty silence that had settled over his office like a dense, London fog. His blue eyes focused on the woman and his lips curled up at the corners in a gentle smile. “Ladies first. Elaine? Tell me what has been going on between you and Robert. How have things been going since the last time I saw you,” he glanced down at the file, “last month?”
Elaine pursed her lips and shook her head. Her slender fingers drummed against her arm. Finally, she spoke. “Where do I start?” She looked over at Robert with disdain. “He’s still out of work. I’m the only one supporting the household. I went right back to work after giving birth to our clutch, with the agreement that he would stay home with the kids until they were old enough for a nanny. That was three months ago. For all I know, he doesn’t even have a job to go back to, anymore.”
“In my defense,” Robert said, interrupting his wife’s tirade, “I was experiencing separation anxiety from the children.” He turned to Seph with a look of sad desperation. “You know how that is, right?”
Seph smiled. “Not personally,” he said. “But I do know it’s common for dragons to experience anxiety over being away from their children, as early as when the eggs are in their mate’s womb.” He reached up, combing his fingers through his thick, dark blond hair. “However, if you’ve been having any kind of difficulty graduating to the next stage of parenthood, you might need to speak to your physician, as it could be a medical issue that needs addressing and, unfortunately, not something I can help with.” He spread his hand over the front of his white linen shirt and blue silk necktie. “I’m here to counsel you and Elaine as a couple, to help you reclaim and maintain a perfect level of harmony in your relationship.”
“I just feel like she doesn’t understand,” Robert insisted, moving to sit at the edge of the sofa cushion. He twisted to face his wife. “I love you, Lainey, and I don’t want to disappoint you. I just want you to be a little more patient with me.” He shook his head. “You and the kids mean the world to me. Growing up, I never had much of a family. My mom was killed in a car wreck while she was pregnant with her second clutch; they saved the eggs, but they were premature, and I wound up losing my brother and sister before they were a year old.” He swallowed audibly, his eyes filling with tears. “My dad was never the same after that. I never knew why until I became a father. I’m scared that something will happen to our children if I’m not there to protect them.”
Elaine sighed, but her body language changed from angry and closed off to one of resignation. “Dammit, Rob,” she said. She reached over and scooped up one of his hands, lacing their fingers together. “Nothing is going to happen to the kids. They’re healthy, they’re growing up fast…” She gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “Don’t you think I miss them, too, being away from them all day when I’m at work? And I miss you. But I can’t do this all by mys
elf. We’ve got bills to pay, we have to keep a roof over our heads.” She tugged on his hand. “I just want my husband to be my partner. We’re supposed to be doing this together.”
Seph watched them carefully, listening to their conversation. “Elaine is right, Robert,” he said, closing the notebook and placing it on the mahogany end table to the left of his chair. “Marriage comes with a lot of responsibilities. Taking care of your family is important, but it has to start with your union.” He gestured at each of them with a wave of his long fingers. “You two are the foundation of your family. Robert, you’re afraid that your children will grow up the way you did – without a mother, without a father. You couldn’t control those events in your life, but you can control this.” He stood up, pulled his tailored gray suit jacket closed and buttoned it. “My advice to you is to work together. Every day, I want you to tell yourself that your children are going to be fine. You can leave them with their caretaker and you can go back to your job, which will alleviate some of the burden from Elaine’s shoulders. This will also allow Elaine to have a little more time to spend with the children, since it’s imperative for young dragons to bond with both parents. By becoming equal partners, you’ll find your relationship will thrive, your fears will subside, and you’ll be back to the happy couple that you were when you first met.”
Robert and Elaine looked at him and then at each other – and they shared a smile. “I love you,” Robert said, and leaned in to give his wife a tender kiss on the lips. “I promise, I’ll do better.”
“That’s all I want,” Elaine murmured, and rubbed the tip of her nose against her husband’s.
The session concluded. Seph walked his clients to the door. “I’ll see you in a month,” he told them. “Good luck, both of you.”
“Thank you,” the couple said, and made their way out through the waiting room.
The Dragon's Secret Son (Dragon Secrets Book 4) Page 28