Howl & Growl: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

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Howl & Growl: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 58

by Various Authors

Xavier bit down on the nape of her neck as he slid inside her. His tail entered her open mouth. Circe let out a muffled moan of pleasure. As he held her hips tight, biting her neck with his sharp teeth, he thrust madly into her.

  Each pump of his powerful hips brought her closer to a mind-shattering orgasm. She was beyond reason, beyond time. She licked at the tip of his tail as it played with her tongue. His shaft filled her sopping-wet body completely.

  The intense animal need in Xavier’s sex drove Circe one step closer to falling over the edge into utter ecstasy. His body pumped pleasure into her as a piston pumps gas. The smacking of flesh against flesh mixed with guttural growls from between Xavier’s teeth, biting into Circe’s skin.

  Her mouth fell open as the orgasm hit her. His tail flicked around inside her mouth, caressing her tongue and touching her pleasure points. The climax rolled through her like thunder. Xavier let go of her neck just as his hot cum shot inside her. She called out, moaning with sheer pleasure spiked with exquisite pain.

  She fell forward, lying on her stomach and panting, repeating, “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.”

  Xavier fell down beside her, his tenderness returning. He petted her hair while she caught her breath. A moment later, she rolled over and pulled him into an emphatic hug.

  “I’m not a god,” he said, laughing. His broad, boyish smile returned to his handsome face.

  “I disagree,” she breathed into his chest. “I never took myself for the kinky type, but, Xavier, that was a whole new level.”

  “I kind of lost control. After the bath… I was lying here next to you for what felt like hours. I couldn’t help it anymore. I should have tried to be gentler.”

  Circe’s gleeful laughter tinkled through the room. She’d just had the best sex of her life. Mind-blowing, life-changing sex, and he’s apologizing. Silly man.

  “No need to be gentle. I was so horny, I though my head would explode. You were perfect. So perfect.” She nuzzled into his chest, feeling her desire rising again.

  “You were so beautiful, so yielding. I’m getting hard again, just thinking about you.”

  She giggled and rolled onto her back, looking deep into his eyes, ready to take him again.

  A gunshot cracked through the cavern, and someone screamed.

  Thirteen

  Circe and Xavier jumped to their feet. They dressed and ran out into the main cavern. There was confusion and commotion.

  Someone shouted from one of the higher apartments. “Zombies!”

  The cavern had no fortifications against zombies. They could keep out wild animals and the weather but not a horde of relentless undead cannibals that never stopped and were nearly impossible to kill. She doubted the shifters had the hand-to-hand combat skills required to fight them with swords and cut off their heads. There was no telling if they had enough loaded shotguns to blow off their heads.

  There had to be nearly two hundred zombies in the area, at least, from what Circe had seen. This bear clan was no match for the horde. The bears were clueless, lulled into a false sense of security by their seclusion.

  Circe and Xavier pushed their way through the crowd, toward the gate. She had a strong sense that she and Xavier could save the clan. Her mind searched for the way, but the answer was just beyond her grasp.

  Once she and Xavier reached the front of the cave, she could see the zombies’ hands grasping through the closed gate. The barrier wouldn’t last long. They had already begun climbing it, and there was a large gap at the top that would allow them to fall right through.

  Xavier looked down at her, realization crossing his face. “I’m going to shift,” he yelled above the pandemonium. “When I do, jump on my back and tell these people to get the hell out of the way.”

  Her first instinct was fear for his health, but she nodded slightly. He didn’t wait for her to reply. He shifted through his clothes. His imposing male body contorted and grew into the shape of a reptile the size of a Mack truck. Circe screamed at everyone to get back, but they were already running away. Zombies outside and a dragon inside threatened to give the sheltered bears a panic attack.

  Circe scurried onto Xavier’s back, draping her legs over his shoulders and around his neck. Suddenly, awareness snapped into place. She gripped his neck with her hands, sending healing energy into his body. Xavier threw back his neck and shot a blast of green fire through the gate. The flame disintegrated the wood, metal, and every zombie crawling over it.

  Screams, cries, and cheers erupted behind them as Xavier charged out the entrance. He rained fire down on the undead horde. It wasn’t just fire—it was a high-powered explosive mixture of acid and fire. Circe had never seen anything like it. She continued to pour healing energy into his body as if to power him while he wiped out every zombie within a mile.

  She was ready to go back to the clan’s cave when he leapt into flight. Circe clutched Xavier’s neck, holding back fear as he climbed higher into the sky. She called out to him, asking him what he was doing, but he didn’t respond.

  Had his erratic behavior come back? Her stomach clenched, and she tried to control her breathing, which was bordering on hyperventilation. She could barely keep her hold on the slick scales on his neck, and the fear that Xavier had lost it, coupled with a very real possibility that she could plummet to her death, ran like a cold electric current through her veins.

  “Xavier,” she demanded, her voice on the edge of hysteria. “Please land now! I can’t hold on much longer.”

  The dragon below her grunted and let out a steamy breath. Circe bent over and gripped his neck with both arms, clamping herself to his body, her belly flat against his back. He let out a trumpeting howl that filled the sky. Circe looked around feverishly, trying to understand what was going on as she clung to his body.

  In the distance, through the wispy white clouds that hugged the mountain, black shadows dotted the horizon. This is it, she thought. The Anu will shoot us down with their lasers. She tried to make her peace with the world, with her part in the defense of her planet, her failures, her successes, and the love she’d shared. She closed her eyes and buried her head in Xavier’s neck.

  The next time she looked up, she could see a legion of dragons flying around Xavier. They were a multitude of colors—red, green, gold, yellow, blue, purple, and pink. Some were smaller, but only one was larger than Xavier was. It seemed to dwarf them all. Circe was amazed the rotund beast could stay aloft.

  At least a dozen dragons encircled Xavier, waiting. He bellowed his trumpeting howl again. The dragons answered by belting fire, water, wind, and oil into the air. Xavier seemed to nod to the dragons then howled again. Most of them flew off, back to wherever they had come from. But one stealthy dragon with a sleek blue body shaped like a bullet dove toward Circe with its teeth bared.

  Xavier roared and whirled on the smaller, quicker creature. The other dragon sped around Xavier, easily outmaneuvering him. The blue dragon spit a bellyful of salt water at Circe, blinding her. She clung to Xavier with all her strength, true panic making her freeze like a deer in headlights.

  Xavier spun again, clawing at the smaller dragon and bashing it with his superior strength. Xavier’s claw ripped through the other dragon’s chest, making the other dragon angrier still. It lunged again for Circe, snapping at her with its needle-like teeth. Xavier reared back, shooting the small dragon with a burst of his explosive fire. Even without Circe’s healing energy, Xavier’s green fire ignited the smaller water dragon.

  Its body fell from the sky like a burning, spinning stone. Circe finally let out a moan. Tears fell caused by the stress and fear fell from her eyes. She also cried for Xavier, who had killed one of his own kind.

  Fourteen

  Xavier flew to the earth and landed. Circe slid from his back and fell to her knees, weeping. Such displays of emotion were not in Circe’s nature, but witnessing a dragon battle while clinging precariously to the back of her winged lover had brought out her emotional side.

  She sobbe
d into her hands as she knelt in the cool soil of the pine forest. Xavier touched her shoulder, warm and comforting like a soft blanket. He knelt beside her and murmured reassurances in her ear. She turned to him and buried her face in his chest, letting his solid body absorb the brunt of her emotions.

  Finally, when her sobs quieted, Circe dried her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at Xavier. His naked body radiated inner light. Circe felt overcome. Her desire for him exploded, and she pressed her lips to his mouth.

  He opened his mouth to hers and dipped his tongue inside. Her hand ran down his chest and gripped the magnificent shaft that had captured her imagination and her desire. She wanted to feel it in every part of her. Pulling away, she bent down to take him in her mouth, supporting herself on her hands and knees.

  She slid the tip inside, only able to accept half before his manhood became too much for her to take. She lifted a sweaty hand and used it to work with her mouth as she glided up and down on his erection. Xavier moaned, gripping her hair with both hands.

  He guided her head up and down on him. She could tell he was taking great pains to keep from pounding mercilessly into her face. His lust and restraint filled her with need, and she moaned on him. Her body gushed, and she couldn’t wait much longer.

  Neither could he. He pushed her down onto her back into the soft moss and deftly removed her clothes then sank between her legs. Above, she could see the blue sky between the towering treetops. She smelled the scent of the earth, pine, and Xavier’s desire.

  She moaned as he slipped inside her wet core. He covered her mouth with passionate kisses, overwhelming her with his power. She clung to him as he rocked into her.

  His momentum pushed her toward the peak of desire. She screamed into his mouth as her body contracted with fantastic pleasure. Within a split second, Xavier’s body swelled, pulsating as it shot jets of hot liquid into her core.

  As the last of his seed entered her body, he relaxed onto her chest for a brief moment, panting heavily on her breasts. He raised his head and smiled down at her as he propped himself up with his chiseled arms. His beautiful boyish grin hadn’t gone anywhere.

  He slid from inside her and rolled onto his back, taking her into his arms to rest on his chest. Her body still pulsated with the afterglow of climax. Her naked breasts pressed against his hard chest. She would climb on his lap and ride him again, right this very second, if he wanted it.

  Xavier lay still, breathing steadily and looking up at the sky. Circe relaxed into his embrace and listened to his heart beat as she caressed his chest.

  “What was that all about up there?” she asked.

  “I called the dragons within hearing range to let them know who their master is.”

  “What?” she asked, surprised. She sat up to look him in the eyes.

  “I am their lord now. I know it like I know my own name. The only problem is, many of them might not be rational enough to be led. You witnessed that yourself.”

  “I wish I hadn’t.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t explain before I called them. I felt the intense need to do it right then. It was time, and I needed you with me to show my strength. Most of the dragons will follow me while we are both in dragon form, but any other combination will be disastrous. I do not want a repeat of today. Killing my own kind will not help our goal.”

  “What goal?”

  “We must defeat the Anu.”

  “Xavier,” Circe said, hugging him tightly, “I knew you’d come around.”

  “The dragons under my command can be optimized into fighting machines, much stronger than ordinary dragon shifters. We could easily take down the Anu ships that patrol the skies. But there are many challenges. I don’t know how to command them if they aren’t rational. If they attack you. We must find a way.”

  “But how can we possibly get the other dragons to become rational?” asked Circe, feeling the weight of the obstacle before them.

  “There is a way,” said a voice that sounded like the rustling of wind through leaves.

  Circe and Xavier looked behind them to see a dryad standing between the trunks of two tall pine trees. Her body was made of bark, and her hair was long pine needles. She stepped toward the naked lovers and gazed down at them with her sap-colored eyes. “You must travel west, to where the great trees tower above the sea, where the mist clings to the shoreline and the ancient forest whispers secrets to those who would listen.”

  “The redwoods?” asked Circe.

  “The sequoia dryads have the answers you seek, Dragon Lord and Dragon Rider. You will help set this world free.” With that, she disintegrated into the wind, her parts flying off into the forest.

  Circe took a deep breath and looked at Xavier. He nodded once and stood. As soon as he got to his feet, his legs buckled, and he was back on his knees. Circe ran to him, feeling weak herself.

  “Xavier,” she called out. His skin was hot, as if he were getting a fever.

  “It looks like we’re driving to the coast,” he said with humor in his voice. “You got any more of that nettle root?”

  Circe dressed hurriedly and scurried off to a damp spot to find nettle for Xavier, her heightened sense for plants guiding her way. She quickly found a bunch, ran back to Xavier, and quickly gave him the roots.

  He chewed them and took several deep breaths before standing again. Circe held his elbow, keeping him steady.

  “I’m fine, Circe. I feel much better now. We’d better find a car and some clothes. The coast is a long way from here.”

  “How far is it back to the bear cave?” she asked, holding his hand as they walked through the woods.

  “At least five miles.”

  “They’ll probably give us a car, since we saved their butts back there.”

  They walked slowly through the woods, conserving their energy as they went. The early morning light grew brighter as the sun rose in the sky.

  Even in the warmth of the sun, Xavier shivered, though he was hot to the touch. Circe feared the worst. He needed more rest and nutrition than he’d been allowed in the last few days. It was taking a great deal out of him, much more than it had taken out of her.

  The dragon and human inside him were fighting for dominance of his body and mind. Even though she’d helped bring him back to his humanity, a war still raged inside his body. Circe’s herbs and magic had not yet been enough to heal it.

  As the sun rose high into midday, they made it back to the bear cave. Xavier had scorched a massive swath of land around the entrance to the cave, and the bears were busy picking up the pieces of their destroyed gate.

  As soon as the bears spied them, cheers went up. Angus came to greet them and help them inside. They furnished Xavier with a new set of clothes similar to the ones he’d torn. The bears then fed Circe and Xavier a big midday meal.

  Angus offered Xavier and Circe a pint of their warm homebrewed beer, which they accepted. Circe sipped the bitter ale, enjoying the feeling of relaxation as it slid into her belly.

  “You can stay as long as you need,” Angus intoned, ale foam on his curly beard.

  “What we really need are supplies,” Xavier said. “A car, weapons, extra clothing, tents, water, food. We are on our way to the coast, and we don’t know how long we’ll be away from civilization.”

  “If that’s what you need, that’s what you’ll get,” said the robust bear clan leader. His nose was already red from indulgence in beer. The events of the day had led to a jovial celebration as the clan repaired their cave.

  Several shifters were tasked with packing supplies while Angus took Circe and Xavier outside on a short hike to where the cars were parked. He suggested they take a small truck. It got good gas mileage and had a camper they could sleep inside if it rained. The shifters brought out their supplies-everything they needed for a long journey.

  Circe thanked the clan and then shook Angus’s hand. Xavier gave the big man a quick hug and patted his broad back. The men exchanged a warm handshake and pro
mises of visiting again with news of the outside world.

  Circe insisted on driving, then the clan moved on, and she and Xavier got inside the car. Xavier was far too fatigued and ill to exert himself driving. She pulled out of the clan’s parking lot and handed him a bottle of water, making a mental note to find more nettle root. He needed all his strength for what lay ahead. The dragon lord had come to save the world.

  END

  ***

  Thank you for reading Touched By The Dragon Lord (Book One). Continue the story with Touched By The Dragon Lord (Book Two) Braving Darkness 5

  About the Author:

  Scarlett Grove is a Speculative Fiction Romance and New Adult Romance author. Originally a Northwest girl, she now lives with her husband and daughter in the Midwest. Scarlett has a BA in Creative Writing, and in her spare time she enjoys reading, nature photography, and hiking with her dog Mila.

  www.scarlettgrove.com

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  ~~ Braving Darkness Series ~~

  Marked By The Alpha Wolf (Book One) Braving Darkness 1 Available Now

  Marked By The Alpha Wolf (Book Two) Braving Darkness 2 Available Now

  Marked By The Alpha Wolf (Book Three) Braving Darkness 3 Available Now

  Touched By The Dragon Lord (Book One) Braving Darkness 4 Available Now

  Touched By The Dragon Lord (Book Two) Braving Darkness 5 Available Now

  Touched By The Dragon Lord (Book Three) Braving Darkness 6 Available Now

  Desired By The Archangel (Book One) Braving Darkness 7 Coming Soon!

  Desired By The Archangel (Book Two) Braving Darkness 8 Coming Soon!

  Desired By The Archangel (Book Three) Braving Darkness 9 Coming Soon!

 

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