Mac started to get up. “Oh! I should get going. I don’t want to keep people waiting, and we do need to get started on interrogating him as soon as possible.”
Zeke pushed her back down, though.
“Relax, Mac,” he said gently. “Everyone understands that you needed to rest last night. It won’t make much of a difference for the interrogation if you take your time to enjoy your coffee and have some breakfast. Another hour won’t change things much. And it’s better if you’re in a rested, relaxed mental state when the interrogation starts. Things might get challenging if this guy resists as much as he claims he will.”
“I don’t think he’ll resist much,” Mac said. “He’s a coward. But you’re right; I do need to be rested and calm when the interrogation starts.”
Mac forced herself to take a deep, calming breath, and then she reached for her coffee mug again. She took a nice long sip, before setting it back down and looking up at Zeke. “This coffee is great. Thank you,” she said. “And I guess I also owe you a thank you for saving my life. Again.”
Zeke smiled tenderly at her. “Anytime, babe,” he said, then leaned in to kiss her.
Mac pulled back slightly. “I’m a mess, Zeke. I just woke up and my hair is everywhere. And I probably have coffee breath and—”
“You’ve never been sexier,” Zeke interrupted, moving forward again to kiss her. This time, Mac let him. His kiss was slow and sweet, and she felt a deep happiness filling her as he slipped his tongue past her lips and let it dance with her tongue. He pushed her backward so she was lying on her back on the bed, and then he lay on top of her, continuing to kiss her deeply. Somehow, he managed to distribute his weight in a way that kept Mac from feeling like he was squashing her. His body felt so good against hers. He was so strong, and Mac could feel his erection, already poking at her through the fabric of his plaid pajama pants. He didn’t have a shirt on, and she let her hands run over the sculpted muscles in his back as he kissed her.
All thoughts of work, war, and interrogation fell away. Right now, in this room and in this moment, there was only Zeke. He was all she needed, all she wanted. She drank him in, relishing the way his hands felt as they held her face.
He kissed her for a long time, and she cherished every second. By the time he finally pulled away, Mac was soaking wet with desire. From the looks of the huge, stiff erection poking through his pants, Zeke was also feeling the passion in the room. Ordinarily, Mac would have been filled with worry about work. She would have protested this morning makeout session, saying she needed to get to work. But today was different. Things were reasonably settled at Military Headquarters, and Mac needed this time with Zeke. She needed to find the comfort that his arms could bring. She needed to feel him inside of her, and to be one with him. The last few weeks had been so stressful, and filled with so much uncertainty. She wanted to feel the certainty of Zeke’s touch now, and to know that they belonged to each other.
Zeke was swinging his legs off the side of the bed now. He stood and quickly removed his pajama pants, kicking them off and across the room. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, so his rock hard dick sprang free, proudly facing toward Mac, who wanted nothing more than to have it inside of her again.
Mac sat up and pulled her nightshirt off, throwing it over onto the pile where Zeke’s pants had landed. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so her breasts were now fully on display for him. He let his eyes rove over them, and growled with approval. The way he looked at her, so caring and passionate all at once, turned Mac on. She felt a tingling, growing electricity in her very core, and the feeling only grew stronger as Zeke started walking toward her. He climbed back on to the bed, and reached for her panties. In a firm, quick movement, he pulled them off of her, leaving her naked and dripping wet before him.
With all encumbrances out of the way, Zeke moved so that he was straddling Mac’s body. She lay on her back, looking up at him with wonder, trying to memorize what it looked like to have his face there right above her face. He smiled at her, and then, he closed his eyes as he gently entered her.
Mac closed her eyes, too, as he filled her. She loved the way he pushed against her inner walls, his slow, steady movements causing the pressure within her to build, little by little. She could hear his breathing turning rapid as the pressure built within him, too. He felt like fire inside of her, but his was a heat that she wanted. She wanted him to burn her up, every minute of every day, just as he was right now.
He leaned down so that his mouth was right by Mac’s ear as he moved in her. As he rocked his hips back and forth, pushing deeper and deeper into her body, he whispered in her ear.
“I love you, MacKenzie.”
She moaned. His breath was hot, and his voice ragged. The sound and feel of it drove her wild. Her body tingled, and responded to his every touch. He moved his hands across her skin, his strong, rough fingers sending shivers across her soft curves. And always, always, he kept rocking his dick back and forth inside of her.
Mac could have stayed in that moment forever, but, at last, the pressure grew too overwhelming. She felt her body exploding with waves of ecstasy as her release came, sending sweet, electric heat through her body. Her inner muscles spasmed, clamping down around Zeke’s giant erection over and over, hungrily claiming him as her own.
He followed closely behind her, letting out a roar as he stiffened and then found his own release with one last, giant thrust into her. His dick pulsed as he came into her, and their bodies were truly one. Mac gasped for air, overcome by the intensity of the moment. She opened her eyes, and looked up at the face of her dragon, overcome by how wonderful he was. She had never felt a love like this, and she wasn’t sure how it was even possible to feel so close to another human being. But she did. She felt like his heart and hers were sharing the same heartbeat, and she had never been so happy.
After they had both caught their breath a bit, Zeke kissed her nose, and then slid out of her to lie next to her on the bed, cradling her in his arms. She nuzzled her face against his chest, not caring anymore that her hair was a mess and she had no makeup on. All she cared about was that she was safe here in his arms. She wanted to enjoy that feeling, and so she pushed away every thought of all the things she had to accomplish today.
For the moment, everything except Zeke could wait.
Chapter Fourteen
Zeke felt a strange nervousness in his chest as he walked down the long hallway toward where the interrogation of the prisoner would be taking place. On the outside, he looked completely stoic, as always. But on the inside, his troubled thoughts churned like an unsettled sea. He was looking forward to the chance to learn more about their enemy, but he had a deep feeling of foreboding as well. He had a feeling that any answers they received today were likely to bring more questions as well.
The attacks had been strange. They had been sudden and violent, but they also did not seem to be well-thought out. Their enemy, whoever he might be, was powerful, but too angry to work in a truly calculated way. Zeke feared for the day when that changed. If their enemy took the time to truly plan out a strategy, the good shifters and wizards would be in trouble. The first step, though, was to get more answers. Mac seemed to think that this guy was cowardly enough to talk, and Zeke hoped with all his heart that she was right.
Thinking of Mac instantly lightened his mood. He looked over at her now, walking next to him, and he couldn’t help but smile. She looked impressive today. She was once again wearing her midnight black military dress robes, complete with her impressive array of military medals and badges of distinction. Her long, blonde hair had been flat-ironed so that it was completely straight, and she wore a dark black wizard hat on her head. The Falcon Cross military insignia was embroidered on the front of the hat with silver thread, and beneath the hat, Mac’s face was set with a determined expression. She was here to get answers, and Zeke had no doubt that she would get them.
He had seen, during his short time in Falcon Cross, that while there migh
t be a part of Mac that enjoyed pink, sparkles, and frills, she was one of the toughest women he had ever met. She worked hard, giving her all to the city and clan she loved so much. And she did not shy away from danger. When faced with deadly enemies in battle, she flew fearlessly toward the fray. His heart swelled with pride at the realization that she was his. What more could he ask for than a brave, beautiful woman, with a healthy side of spunk? All those years that he’d thought he would never find a lifemate of his own, it was because he hadn’t realized that women like Mac actually existed. But she did exist, and she was his. He vowed in that moment never to take her for granted.
Zeke and Mac were followed by several of the Falcon Cross generals, as well as by several members of the High Council. It was an impressive show, and Zeke felt somewhat out of place. Noah, Myles, and Owen had been invited to join the group as well, and Zeke was thankful for their presence. The dragon shifters were all dressed in their suits once again, and they made an impressive sight. But it was still hard to top how impressive the wizards appeared as they walked down the hallway in some of their finest robes. The group as a whole looked fearsome, and the prisoner must have agreed, because when the large double doors to the interrogation room were opened, Zeke saw his eyes widen in fright. Zeke’s dragon nose could literally smell the fear coming off the man’s body. Perhaps Mac was right. This might not take very long at all.
The interrogation room was set up somewhat like a courtroom. The prisoner was sitting in a box similar to a witness stand in an ordinary courtroom. He was chained on both his hands and feet, and a guard stood next to him. The guard’s magic ring glinted menacingly in the bright lights of the courtroom, and the prisoner had of course been stripped of his own magic ring. He had no hope of escape.
Long benches that were raised like stadium seating faced the witness stand. As the wizards and shifters walked in, they silently took their seats on these benches, looking solemnly over at the prisoner, who appeared more and more fearful by the moment. As soon as everyone was seated, a wizard who would be serving as the record-keeper for the interrogation stood and spoke to the prisoner.
“You are here today as a prisoner of war. Falcon Cross abides by the international wizarding rules of war, which require us to provide you with humane living quarters and food, but allow us to use reasonable force to question you in relation to any ongoing war. We will ask you a series of questions. Should you choose to answer peaceably, you will be granted safekeeping and comfortable keep here in our prisons. Should you refuse to answer our questions, you will be subject to the full extent of interrogation methods allowed by international wizarding law.”
The record-keeper sat down, then, and Mac stood to walk to the front of the room. She paused a few feet away from the prisoner, and cleared her throat. Before she could say anything, he spat in her direction and said.
“You’ll never get anything out of me!”
Mac smiled at him, but there was no warmth in her smile. It was a cold, calculated smile, and it left no doubt in the prisoner’s mind that she meant business.
“We will get something out of you,” Mac said. “The question is how much pain it will cause you. I hate to bring pain on a fellow wizard, but I need information you have in order to protect the wizard community as a whole. If I have to cause you pain to get that information, I will.”
Zeke watched the prisoner carefully. The fear was plainly evident in the man’s eyes, but still, he spat again and glared at Mac.
“You won’t get anything from me,” he declared, crossing his arms across his chest as best he could with the chains that were binding him.
“We’ll see about that,” Mac said. “But let’s start with something easy. What is your name?”
The man said nothing, continuing to glare at Mac.
“Alright,” Mac said with a sigh. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Peter?”
Peter stood, and walked over in front of the witness stand. As lead High Council member, he preferred to perform any torture spells on prisoners. That way, he knew that no one was overdoing a spell or breaking international wizarding law with regards to how much pain wizards were allowed to inflict on prisoners.
“Magicae calor,” Peter said, pointing his ring at the prisoner. The guard next to the prisoner stepped back so that he was out of reach of the heat spell. Almost instantly, the prisoner began to sweat as a glowing bubble of hot air surrounded him. Mac had told Zeke about the different spells that were used to try to convince prisoners to give up information. The calor spell surrounded the target with air as hot as the hottest deserts in the world, making them extremely uncomfortable. Still, it was one of the mildest torture spells, and often did not convince prisoners to talk. The wizards always started with it, though, because they didn’t like to cause more pain than necessary. They hated torture, and did not enjoy using it. But as Mac had said, in this case it was necessary to protect the lives of the wizard community at large.
The prisoner proved to be even more of a coward than Mac could have imagined, however. Faced with a room full of powerful wizards and shifters, and sweating under the intense heat of the calor spell, the man caved.
“Fine! Fine! I’ll tell you my name,” he said. “Just make the heat stop!”
“Calor terminantur,” Peter said. Instantly, the glow of hot air around the man vanished.
“My name is Seth,” he said, his voice raspy as he gasped in gulps of cooler air. “I was a wizard in a clan located in the northeastern United States, the Pine Mountain Clan. I left to join his Lordship’s army, because he promised me a better life, where I would actually have power and people would listen to me. Back in Pine Mountain, I got bullied a lot and no one ever seemed to appreciate me.”
Seth’s voice had a bitter tone, which was accentuated by how raspy the heat had made his voice.
“Get Seth a glass of water, please,” Mac said to the guard. The guard crossed the room to where a small table was set up with water glasses and water pitchers. The water was intended for the Falcon Cross wizards, but Mac was showing the prisoner a bit of kindness in hopes that it would keep him talking without resorting to more torture spells. As soon as the glass was handed to the man, he drank thirstily, as someone who had gone days in a desert without anything to drink. When he finished, Mac took a few steps toward the witness stand, and continued her questioning.
“And who, exactly, is his Lordship?” Mac asked, spitting out the words “his Lordship” as though they left an awful taste in her mouth.
Seth hesitated, and the smell of fear emanating from him increased. Peter rubbed his magic ring threateningly, making it clear that more torture spells were coming if the man did not answer Mac’s question. But, of course, Seth was not only afraid of the wizards in the room. He was also afraid of his Lordship, whoever that was. No doubt, Seth’s evil leader would not take kindly to Seth talking about him. If Seth talked, and the enemy army found out, he would face certain death if the enemy got a hold of him.
“Can…can you protect me?” Seth asked in a quivering voice.
“If you tell us everything you know,” Mac said, “Then we will protect you with the full force of the Falcon Cross army. You will stay in our prison as long as the war is going on, but you will be treated well, and we will guard against any attempts by the enemy to get to you. Odds are, they don’t even know you’re alive at this point, anyway. But we will protect you no matter what, if you talk.”
Seth sat in silence for several moments, considering Mac’s words. As he thought, Peter spoke up as well.
“Seth, you will be as safe here as you would be anywhere else. I know that there is some dark magic being used by enemy forces, and I am the best wizard in the world at combating dark magic. Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed, but here you have the best chance of surviving the havoc that is coming. If you help us, we will offer you our protection. In addition, when the war is over, and depending on your behavior, we will consider rehabilitating you and letting you join our
wizard community—provided, of course, that you show a change of heart to work for the side of good.”
“But what if you lose the war?” Seth asked.
Peter sighed. “If we lose the war, then I fear for the future of us all. Dark magic eventually destroys everything in its path, even the one who thought he controlled it. For the future of wizards and shifters alike, we must not lose this war. You can help us, Seth. You can make a real difference now. You don’t have to settle for just being a cog in the enemy’s machinery.”
The whole room seemed to be holding its breath as Seth considered Peter’s words. Zeke watched, wondering if it was possible that this man, this cowardly man, might be the key that finally unlocked the mystery of their enemy and his sudden rise to power. After what felt like an eternity, Seth finally nodded.
“Alright,” he said. “I will speak. As long as you promise to protect me as much as you can.”
“On the honor of Falcon Cross,” Mac said, “If you tell us who our enemy is, my army will do its best to keep you safe.”
Zeke watched in amazement as Seth nodded, took a deep breath, and then began to speak.
“His name is Saul Malum. At least, that’s what he tells us. Most of us just call him ‘your Lordship,’ per his request. He’s a dragon shifter, but no one knows exactly where he came from. There are rumors that he was in Europe during the last great shifter war. He would have been a baby, or at least a young child at that point. Some say that he was taken in by a lone wizard after he lost his parents in the war. He’s very interested in magic. Very knowledgeable about it, too. I’ve never met a non-wizard who knows so much about magic.”
“I suspect my hunch was correct, then, that he’s been dabbling in dark magic,” said Peter. “This is a very dangerous thing for anyone to experiment with. But it is especially dangerous for a non-wizard. This Saul is liable to destroy himself, and the rest of the wizard and shifter world with him. Humans won’t go unaffected, either. Saul must be stopped!”
The Commander and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 3) Page 14