by Luna Hunter
“My prince!” he shouts. “Qroq incoming!”
Before he’s even finished his sentence, I am already standing and dressed, ready for action. The hurt and anger plaguing my soul will have to wait — my instinct takes over.
“How many?” I bark.
“Dozens! They’re combing through the woods!”
They must really want Amelia back. The Qroq rarely patrol in this area, and if they do, there’s never more than a handful. They prefer the open sky, where they can ride their captured dragons, where they have the upper hand.
I could take the fight to them, but we are in no position to fight a proper battle. We are not prepared. There are too many women and children in Koti to risk it.
“Organize a retreat to Mount Thirna immediately,” I growl. “Go!”
I rush outside and help organize the exodus. My people are well-trained in this — unfortunately, it’s not the first time they’ve had to run for their lives, and it won’t be the last — and I’m happy to see it goes over smoothly. I keep my eyes out for my mate, but she’s nowhere to be found.
There are multiple routes to Mount Thirna. We always split up, so that if one group is intercepted, we don’t lose the entire village. Right now, all I can do is hope Amelia is part of another group, for I cannot abandon my post.
As we travel through the swampland to the hidden tunnels, my heart is racing at a million miles per minute.
I never should have let her leave my sight.
She is new to this world. Unfamiliar to our ways, to the danger my people have grown accustomed to. Letting her wander around was reckless on my part. Yes, she said she needed space, but as a leader, I have to make certain calls.
Even if she disagrees with them.
Once the tunnels of Mount Thirna come into view, I break out into a run. We are the last group to arrive, but to my horror, Amelia is not among them.
“Where is she?!” I growl, grabbing one of my men by the neck. I smash his back against the wall. “Where is she?!”
“I-I don’t know, my prince,” he stammers. “I am sorry!”
I let him go. I shouldn’t be taking my anger out on him.
This is all on me.
I rush back outside, running as fast as my legs will carry me back to our village. My dragon is roaring inside of me, begging for me to let it go, but I cannot.
I can’t risk detection. If I shift here, it would endanger all of my people.
Twigs hit me in the face, water splashing up with every step. I reach Koti with my heart beating in my throat, my skin shimmering with scales as my inner-dragon threatens to burst forth.
Her scent.
In my heightened state, I can sense her location. She’s in one of the houses. I burst to the front door to find her rummaging through the home.
“What in Avik’s name are you doing?!” I growl, my anger at her carelessness barely contained.
“Hold on,” she says, not even glancing up at me. “It’s got to be here somewhere!”
“What?” I ask. As a prince, and the Thalanil’s so called savior, I’m not used to being rebuffed so casually.
“Ah, here it is!”
She pulls a stuffed toy from behind the bed, a victorious smile on her face. I don’t see what’s there to smile about. Within one step I’m standing in front of her, and I grab her wrist tightly.
“Have you lost your mind?” I ask. “The Qroq could be here at any moment! Don’t you know the danger you’re putting us in?”
Of course she doesn’t. It’s my fault we’re here, instead of the safety of Mount Thirna.
“Ow, you’re hurting me,” she says as she tries to pull her arm free. “I promised Celaena I’d grab Fenrir for her,” she says. “She can’t sleep without him.”
“You’re risking your life… for a toy?”
“It’s not just a toy — never mind, you wouldn’t understand. Either way, we can go now.”
“Good,” I growl.
We step outside, and find ourselves staring right at the open maw of a dragon.
“Found you,” the Qroq riding it barks.
Ah, fuck.
“Get behind me,” I growl to my mate as I spread my arms wide.
Time to show this Qroq my true form.
I can feel the immense power course through my veins. My body shifts, changes, transforms. My hands turn to claws, and massive wings sprout from my back.
The Qroq rider is alone — I have to kill him before he can warn the others. I can take on one, two, perhaps even three, but even one as powerful as me cannot take on a dozen enraged dragons all at once.
The dragon in front of me snaps his jaws at me, licking his fangs with hunger. I look into his eyes, but the Thalanil inside is gone. His feral nature has taken over, the shock-collar around his neck driving him berserk.
I’ll try not to harm him, but I’ll kill for my mate if I have to.
Fire tickles the back of my throat as I prepare my attack. No other dragon has a breath as strong as me. When the rider makes his move, I will be ready.
I spread my wings out wide, and when the rider sees how big I truly am, I can see the fear in his beady little eyes. The Qroq pulls on his reins, urging his dragon to turn around and flee.
This is my moment.
The fire continues to build in my belly. All the anger, the fear, the resentment I feel inside of me builds into a fiery, devastatingly powerful inferno.
The dragon turns, exposing the Qroq’s back to me. I jump forward and breathe a cone of fire, the blaze so intense it scorches my own throat. The pillar of brilliant, blazing fire reaches much further than the rider ever expected.
The Qroq turns his head, surprised — and he’s turned to ash when the heat strikes him.
The dragon, freed from his tormenter, flees. I want to chase him and free him from his collar, but there’s no time. Already I can hear more enemies in the distance, alerted by the smoking treetops.
I shift back as quickly as I can and turn back to Amelia. Her face is pale, her mouth open.
“Are you okay?” I say, my voice still a dragon-like growl.
She nods.
I lift her up and rush from the village, as fast as I can. I do not stop when I’m out of breath, when my muscles, strained from the quick transformations, protest, ache, and burn with pain.
I don’t stop until we’re back in the safety of Mount Thirna, until I carry her into my personal cave, my arms wrapped tightly around her soft, warm frame.
I have made my choice.
I am never, ever letting her go.
I hope she’ll find it in her heart to forgive me.
13
Amelia
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
I’m in a cave, safe, with Tau’s arms wrapped tightly around me. He’s holding me like he never plans on letting me go, and I hope he never does.
I’ve never felt as safe as I do when I’m in his arms. The argument we had is ancient history for me. I have made my choice.
I’m going to give this fearsome dragon an heir.
Our future children, Celaena, all the other Thalanil — I won’t rest until they can grow up in peace.
I’m still holding Fenrir, that stuffed dragon, clutched to my chest. Looking back, it was extremely foolish to turn back for Celaena’s toy, but she reminds me so much of myself when I was young. My teddy bear meant the world to me. When I saw her cry, I didn’t even question it. I just turned back to grab it for her.
I suppose I just wanted to do my part. I still haven’t forgotten how one of the Thalanil women died while freeing me from Qroq imprisonment. Without Tau risking his life for me, again, I’d be right back where I started, and that woman’s sacrifice would have been in vain.
I’m damned lucky my mate is a powerful dragon.
Watching him shift into his dragon-form is such an awe-inspiring, breathtaking sight. Even when he’s in that form, I can still tell it’s him in there. It’s in his eyes.
I want to properly reward him for saving me — but first things first.
“I’ll be right back,” I say as I whirl around.
My eyes drift across his naked, blue form, and my knees grow weak. The effect he has on me is incredible. I force myself to turn around and march out of the cave, and head towards the common area.
I ask for Celaena, and a helpful older woman points me in the right direction. I find the little girl curled up on her mother’s lap, crying her heart out.
“Hey, come now, don’t be sad,” I say. “Look what I got for you!”
Her big, blue eyes go wide. She jumps from her mother’s lap and runs towards me. I hand over the toy, and her honest, wide smile warms my heart.
“Thank you, princess, thank you,” her mother repeats, respectfully bowing her head.
“Please, call me Amelia,” I tell her. “My pleasure.”
My good deed of the day done, I head back to Tau’s personal cave. A cloth fastened at the entrance gives a semblance of privacy — it’s not much, with the entire village holed up in these tunnels, but it’s more than enough.
If I am to be the Thalanil’s new princess, then, well… they can hear their new heir being made!
I push the cloth to the side to find Tau resting on his bed on his elbows, his sexy, naked body sprawled out on the bed. My mouth waters at the mere sight of him.
My dress quickly falls to the floor as I tip-toe my way over, swinging my hips as much as I can with every step. He looks at me with hunger in his eyes, his big, blue cock resting against his thigh.
When I’m close enough he sits up and grabs my thighs, his mouth kissing my stomach. His tongue is already making its way down, and my knees buckle. I know exactly how skilled his tongue is, but no, this time it’s my turn to treat him.
I gently push him, and he lets himself fall back, a surprised look on his face. When I drop down to my knees with a sultry smile, his eyes grow wide.
He opens his mouth to say something, but I shush him.
My hands travel across his powerful thighs. I can feel his power, his strength, even here. My attention, however, is focused solely on the large cock right in front of me.
I run my tongue across my lips. I can’t wait to feel him inside of me, to give him as much pleasure as he has given me. I don’t know if I’m capable of that, but I’m damn sure going to do my best.
The longer I stare at his member, the harder it grows, until it’s standing right up, fierce and proud. Beautiful veins run up from the bottom all the way to the top. A drop of pre-cum forms on the turquoise head, and I lean forward and lick it off.
The taste is intoxicating and addictive.
Tau growls approvingly, closing his eyes, one of his hands resting on the back of my neck. I love the effect I’m having on him.
I open my mouth as wide as I can and I take the entire head of his cock into my mouth, running circles on it with the tip of my tongue.
His loud moan comes from deep within, and his fingers sink into my skin as I bob my head up and down, taking him as far as I can go.
Which, considering his immense size, is not as far as I’d like… something to aim towards in the future.
In the meanwhile, before I have perfected the art of sword swallowing, I furiously bob my head up and down, sucking off the proud alien warrior. My hands move across his length, feeling his cock pulse, and feeling the heat from his balls in the palm of my hand.
“S-stop,” he growls, his hands on my shoulders.
I let the tip of his cock rest against my lips. “Why should I?” I smirk.
“Because I want to fill your pussy with my seed.”
Oh.
Yes.
That’s a good reason.
14
Tau
The feeling I’m experiencing is out of this world.
Amelia has a gifted tongue. I’ve never known pleasure this great, this overwhelming. Her hands, her lips, her tongue — they are bringing me to the brink.
Even though she only just started, I can feel I’m ready to spill my seed.
Yet, my seed is for her pussy. I will not waste it in her mouth.
I want to fill her between her legs, put a baby in her belly.
With a roar I rise to my feet and pull my mate up. She jumps into my arms, and I kiss her deeply, my hands moving all over her luscious body.
I turn her around and place her down on the bed, her legs wrapped around my waist, my cock at her entrance.
This is where we belong.
Two bodies becoming one.
I look deeply into her eyes as I move my hips forwards, my cock sliding between her wet folds and into her warm, wet cunt.
My knees tremble as her wetness engulfs me. There is nothing that compares to this feeling. She throws her head back and moans, a look of bliss on her face, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Amelia is the one, my mate, my destiny. I will do anything for her.
I lean in and kiss her, my tongue brushing her bottom lip as I rhythmically move my hips, my cock sliding in and out of her.
We are lost in our world as we mate, our bodies moving as one. I cannot tell where she ends and where I begin — we are unified.
Her moans grow louder and louder, her voice echoing off the cave’s walls. In the back of my mind I know my personal cave is not very soundproof, and perhaps the entire village can hear us, but I don’t care.
I love Amelia, and everyone can hear that as far as I’m concerned.
Her nails scratch my chest, her legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me in closer, demanding I give it to her harder and harder. My mate’s body jiggles with every thrust of my powerful hips, and the sight makes my cock throb even harder with pure, unadulterated arousal.
My orgasm builds.
The thought of exploding inside of her, of filling my mate with my seed, consumes me. Every sense feels heightened, every moan, every look being committed to my permanent memory.
The way she looks now, lost in the throes of passion with my throbbing, blue cock sliding in and out of her pale, beautiful body, is one I will never, ever forget.
I bottom out with one hard, final thrust, burying my cock as far into her as possible, crushing her lips with mine as I come deeply inside of her.
My entire body trembles as I fire into her, my seed questing for her eggs. There’s no doubt in my mind: I just impregnated my mate.
We cuddle, one heap of sweaty limbs, our bodies, no, our very souls connected.
I can’t wait to do this again.
15
Amelia
That was glorious.
Nothing compares to sex with a big, strong Thalanil. I can’t believe I missed out on this for years and years.
I have some catching up to do.
When both of us have regained our breath, I prop myself up on my elbows. The last time we had sex, it ended with me storming out angry. I don’t intend for that to happen again.
“I’ve been thinking,” I say. “About what you said last time.”
Tau opens his eyes, and I can see a look of concern flash across his chiseled face.
“So have I,” he says.
“I have made my decision.”
He sits up, completely focused.
“And?”
I grab his hand and squeeze it.
“I have decided to stay here, in this world, with you. I feel like I can make a difference here. I want to help the Thalanil. I want to help you.”
A massive smile spreads across his face.
“You’ve made me the happiest man in the universe,” he growls. He leans in and kisses me deeply, our tongues twirling around one another, and I close my eyes and enjoy the moment.
The heat in my core is still lit, but I try to keep my focus.
There’s something else I have to tell him.
I’ve got a plan, and he’s not going to like it.
“Excuse me, my prince…”
We stop our passionate kiss. One of the Thalanil is outside our cave, asking for Tau’s attention.
“What is it?” he asks. “Is it urgent?”
“Err, perhaps. I have a little girl here who has something for the princess. She says it’s very important.”
That’s got to be Celaena.
“Send her in,” I say as I grab the sheets and pull them over our naked, sweaty bodies.
The familiar little girl comes skipping into the room, her toy dragon held tightly to her chest.
“Hi there,” I say.
“Hi,” she says shyly, looking at the floor. “I have a gift for you.”
“What’s that?”
She thrusts Fenrir out.
“Here. This is for you.”
I raise my eyebrows. “I can’t accept that!”
Celaena walks right up to the bed and places the stuffed dragon in my lap.
“You’re new here, and I know how hard it is to sleep in a new place, so I thought you needed Fenrir more than I do,” she says.
The little girl flashes me a bright smile and runs straight out of the room, leaving me with a heart so full of emotions it might burst.
“What was that about?” Tau asks.
I run my fingers across the soft toy. What a kind, sweet gesture.
“Just the sweetest thing ever,” I say.
This only strengthens my resolve. I really want to help the Thalanil — and I can’t do that by staying in the safety of this cave, with Tau and his people taking care of my every need.
That isn’t right.
Not while Sera is still kept captive in the Fortress of Bones. Not while all the other Thalanil women are kept as Qroq slaves, and the men imprisoned in their dragon forms.
I have a plan… but it’s risky.
“I’ve been thinking,” I start.
“About what? Baby names?” Tau grins, running his hand across my naked belly.