I heard Zuzanna speaking in a loud voice. “She’s a warden, and she belongs in Draconia, so send her back, ideally tonight. Why is this so hard for you to understand? Dad was right. You’re too stupid to see that wardens are dangerous. You shouldn’t be around her.”
Goose bumps appeared on the surface of my skin when I got near Idris. I knew he was there sitting on the sofa. My energy was pulling me toward him. It tingled and prickled over my skin.
“Let me deal with her. You don’t even need to be here. I’m sorry, sis, but what they were planning to do to her was cruel and just wrong. We both know that I don’t agree with the way they do things,” his voice echoed in the room and my heart kicked in my chest.
“Okay, don’t come running back to me crying when this whole thing backfires. Just don’t shag her, please, or this will be a complete disaster,” she snapped at him and then I heard her footsteps. The silence suddenly was broken by the noise of her slamming the door. The lock was turned and now I knew that she left us alone for a reason.
“Come on out. I could sense that you were standing there the whole time.” His voice shook me to the core. I swallowed hard and told myself to get it together. I was much more powerful than him, even without Avianna.
The living room was massive, maybe twice the size of my apartment back in Draconia. Everything looked new, slick and stylish.
“What is going on?” I asked, staring into his dark eyes. He was sitting on the sofa, looking as delicious as I remembered, wearing old jeans and a shirt. A few buttons were undone, revealing the shiny skin on his chest. My mouth instantly watered. I really needed to get a grip and stop acting like a crazy person.
“Why don’t you sit down,” he suggested, and his gaze followed me to the chair. I obeyed him straight away, and that surprised even me. Normally I didn’t like listening to anyone. “I set off the alarm when I found out that they brought you in. Then I forced my way inside the hearing.”
“My ex-boyfriend was supposed to take me to the tunnel where the crack appeared. The fairy released magic to put the guards to sleep. Unfortunately, that bastard pulled me out just as I was about cross over into my world. Something happened, and he took my egg. He stole Avianna and she can hatch out at any moment!” I shouted, feeling like I was reliving this nightmare over and over again.
Victor was going to pay, and I was already thinking about how I was going to hurt him.
“It’s true then, everything that you told me the day we met for the first time. My kind is hiding dragon eggs, trying to control the wardens by withholding their magic,” he said, getting up. I had forgotten how tall he was and how much I enjoyed staring at him.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? Victor took the egg. You should have just let them do whatever the hell they wanted with me. Now it doesn’t even matter. I can’t go back to Draconia without Avianna,” I said, annoyed now that he was ignoring the fact that my entire plan was ruined. I had to get out of here and go after Victor. This was the only way.
“Yes, I know exactly what you said, little one. Come on, let’s eat some breakfast. I’m starved, and I bet you haven’t tried the waffles here yet, right?” he asked, winking at me, and for a split second I had a moment of deja vu.
Nicolas often winked at me too, and I kind of missed him.
I kept staring at Idris, still baffled, wondering if he was having problems with his hearing. When we met, he was so fascinated by the egg, and now he was acting like he didn’t care. Heat suffused my chest when I folded my arms.
His, or rather his sister’s enormous living room, was an open plan and very spacious. I followed him to the kitchen and watched him switch on the kettle. He gestured for me to have a seat at the table, and it was already set up. My eyes widened with amazement when I saw that he had prepared all the food while I was showering. There were strawberries, blueberries and some other types of fruit that I was seeing for the first time in a long time. Back home, I could never afford any kind of fresh fruit, maybe a few apples at times, but I mostly I ate junk—it was all I could afford. Aly had made a great breakfast, but it was never as fancy as this one.
Then he pressed some kind of button on a strange-looking machine and liquid started pouring out of it—smelling a lot like coffee. For a long moment, I just stood there, contemplating if I should just run to the door now that he was preoccupied.
“Sit down,” he ordered and I obeyed him again. Normally, I was much more resilient, but my stomach was growling.
I tasted the coffee first—it was delicious—and then I started shoving food on my plate because my mouth was watering from the smell alone. The waffles were heavenly, and when Idris told me to pour a strange honey-looking liquid on top of them I thought I was going to have a food orgasm.
“For Qesborth, I’m so full, thank you,” I told him, sitting back and massaging my stomach after I had cleaned my plate. He smiled at me, and I felt tingling energy around the nape of my neck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Come with me. There is something that I want to show you,” he said in a mysterious tone. I nodded, although I was ready to bombard him with tonnes of questions about his father, sister, and even his mother who obviously wasn’t in the picture. My heart was telling me to stop, but my mind was screaming, wanting to get to know him better. It looked like his sister’s apartment sat on two levels or maybe three. It was difficult to figure out the logistics. I was walking behind him, having a great view of his backside. Scorching heat slid between my breasts filling me with blazing desire. I wanted to fan myself with something because my face was flushed.
We reached the top floor in the attic, then I followed him through a narrow corridor until we stopped in front of a white door. The truth was that Idris was turning me on. It was strange. I barely knew him, but I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anyone else.
He smiled at me and then pushed the door open. I was confused, having no idea what was so interesting about the attic.
“Your dragon egg is safe, and I imagine the two of you missed each other,” he said, pointing at my backpack sitting in the middle of the room. My eyes widened, and I thought I was going to faint. Avianna was there and she hadn’t hatched out yet. I couldn’t believe my own eyes.
22
Steam.
I ran inside and scooped the rucksack into my arms, thinking this was too good to be true. Suddenly my magic was back, pounding through me like a thousand electrifying waves. My skin sparkled and heated as I gently took the egg out of the pack. It was practically shining in the dark room.
“Avianna, it’s me, Fran. I hope you’re all right. Please tell me that everything is okay,” I said using our mind connection.
It felt strange talking to her again, but I was relieved to have her back in my arms. Luckily, I didn’t see any cracks around the shell—that was a good sign. She was going to be all right, I’d make sure of it.
“Fran? Is that you? Really, I thought that I would never see you again. I didn’t recognise the warden who took me. I was so worried that I would hatch out,” she said.
Idris was watching me with fixated fascination, still standing by the door. I didn’t know what was happening, but tears started dripping down my face. I wished that she was out of her shell so I could hug her. It was a silly thought. This world wasn’t ready for her; it was better if she stayed in her shell for a bit longer.
“Yes, it’s me. It’s a long story. We were just about to cross over to Draconia when Victor grabbed the backpack. He must have knocked me out cold with his magic, because I woke up without you. Then the Dark Ones took me away,” I explained, still rubbing the edges of the shell. I couldn’t believe that we were reunited.
“What a bastard…”
She suddenly started cursing so badly that I went silent, not believing that she had picked up that kind of vocabulary. The curse words were bad, but Victor deserved it. I couldn’t believe that I trusted him, or that he would do as Harvey ordered, rather.
“Idris re
scued me from the hearing and I passed out. After that, I woke up in this fancy apartment and I had the most delicious breakfast ever. Then Idris brought me here and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you. I have to ask him how he managed to steal you from Victor.”
“Idris, oh good, good,” she said. “So, he must really like you, then. I was really scared. He was carrying me for so long, and I didn’t know what was going on. Obviously, there was no way I could communicate with him.”
She was excited, and her voice kept ringing in my head, but I stopped listening to her when I glanced back at Idris.
I swallowed hard, seeing that his dark navy pupils deepened. Something was going on between us, and energy buzzed in my ears.
Suddenly, heat swept my blood, affecting me in the most arousing way possible. His eyes were so rich, so penetrating, and I instantly had to stand up.
I quickly wiped the tears away and walked over to him. His took me in his arms and his eyes shimmered with explosive energy. My heart swelled inside my chest. We didn’t need words to express what was going on, we just needed each other.
His gaze stripped me of my clothes, and then the strap of my top fell from my arm. Seconds later, he clutched my face, kissing me so hard that my knees went weak. My body lost touch with reality. Avianna’s voice was still somewhere in my head, but it sounded muffled, off in the distance. He pushed me against the wall, his hands were everywhere, touching and caressing my skin. I moaned when what felt like fire lit up my core and yanked him closer. Deep throbbing between my legs shocked me, and I instantly wanted more.
It was unbearable, and he continued kissing me passionately. His lips felt like flames. His tongue was in my mouth, and this was so hot. I completely lost control of what was going on with my body. He was pressing his lean, hard body over mine and we fit together perfectly. I gasped for breath, pulling away for a bit. My lips were swollen and the tiny voice in my head kept reminding me that I had to stop this right away.
A Dark One—Idris was the enemy, a man who wanted to bring me down. His large fingers found the bare skin beneath my top, and he wasn’t gentle at all. He was digging his fingers into my hips, moving higher until he circled his hands over the swell of my breasts. His body stiffened against mine when I reached the band of his briefs, I slid my hand inside, feeling his hard length.
He was so hard, and I had never been more ready in my entire life. All the voices of people, of friends who often warned me to keep away from this kind of power, I wanted to laugh in their faces now.
Our magic combined in one source of power. We were perfectly synchronised with each other. My magic beamed through my pores, connecting with his on another level. When he was devouring me, it felt like we were back in Draconia on a terrace beneath a setting sun. I could feel his heart racing against mine. It was crazy, and yet I couldn’t get enough of him. Heat poured over me like molten lava. He stopped kissing me and I missed the touch of his lips against mine.
His erection was pressing over my sex. He opened his eyes, and my chest clenched. Seconds later, he ran his thumb over my swollen lips.
“You know, little one, this is a very, very, bad idea,” he rasped and I lifted my gaze to meet his. Those eyes, the darkness within was slowly consuming me. I couldn’t move when he stared through me and the fine hairs rose along my arms.
The pressure between my legs felt unbelievable. I was so lost, so messed up, but I didn’t think I could let him go.
“Screw it,” I whispered and then pulled him back, dipping my fingers into his thick hair, moaning loudly.
He bit my neck, gently at first, planting kisses over my skin, and the throbbing in my core intensified. I ripped his shirt off, moving my fingers over his muscular chest, wanting to feel him inside of me. Magic rolled over my spine, zooming and heating my blood. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist—he made a sexy sound in the back of his throat. Then he was humping me and there were only clothes between us. I wanted to rip my jeans apart, just so he could thrust himself inside me.
His lips were in my cleavage, and his fingers were grabbing both my arse cheeks. When his tongue swirled around my nipple, rising energy ravaged me and I enjoyed the extreme sensations that shot through my entire body.
He was slamming my body against the wall like a wild animal and with every heartbeat—I needed and wanted more. His desire was raw and almost painful.
I was in some sort of trance, and in the back of my mind, I reminded myself that I needed to leave. I couldn’t stay here.
“Okay, okay, we have to stop this,” I said, sounding hoarse.
My hands pushed him away, and by the time the room stopped spinning, my breathing was laboured.
He stepped away from me and I knew my name was a heated curse on his magnificent lips. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. He must have realised that this was bad idea too, because his eyes appeared to glimmer as his gaze slithered from the top of my thick hair to my toes. The fire inside me was still slowly consuming my soul.
I needed to get out of there and fast.
Seconds later, he was walking away, and I heard his footsteps on the stairs. He probably went to the living room to cool off. I was suddenly dreaming about an ice-cold shower.
I arched my head back and rested it on the wall, trying to figure out what just happened. My body was literally screaming for me to go to him. My breathing was slowly coming back to normal, and when I looked at my fingers, they were sparkling with electricity.
“Fran, why are you so pumped? What is happening? Are you even listening to me?”
Then I remembered that I left Avianna in the attic. My hands were trembling when I opened the door and grabbed the backpack.
“What the hell is wrong with me? Idris is the enemy, but when he is near, I lose control of my body,” I said, moving my palms over my face.
“Oh my… tell me everything. Did he kiss you? Or did something else happen? You owe me this, because I’ve been talking to myself for the past several minutes.”
“We both lost control and nearly had sex. No, no, we have to get out of here. I can’t think straight,” I was saying.
My face felt so hot, and I was officially screwed. His father and sister were ready to imprison me, and just a second ago, I was ready to fuck him. Nicolas was the man for me; he was funny, kind and he cared about me.
“Hey, hey, focus love. Tell me all the dirty details. I have been stuck in this egg for too long!”
Avianna wasn’t giving up.
“There is nothing to tell. The chemistry between us is off the charts, and that mouth. I mean, no. You didn’t hear it. We are leaving. I just lost my head for a moment because I was so grateful that he saved you from Victor,” I said to her, breathing hard.
“We are not going anywhere. It’s safe here. Just go and find him. Come on, and maybe he can rub my shell for a bit longer.”
“Perv.”
“I need some excitement in my life. You would too if you were stuck in a shell for so long!”
Idris was pacing around the room and my heart was jumping all over the place. His strong lean body made me want to forget about the promise that I made to myself just a second ago. His eyes found mine, then he glanced at the egg.
“I showed up at the station with the other Dark Ones. The warden walked past me on the platform with some blond woman. I saw that he had your sack in his hands. I recognised it straight away, so I turned back. I followed him all the way to his house and managed to disable him when he was opening the door. The egg was inside, so I took it to my sister’s home. That’s when I found out that they had arrested you and that there was going to be a hearing,” he explained.
I stared at him, trying to gather myself, and thinking about Victor. I was so lucky. Who knows what could have happened if Idris had arrived a few minutes later?
“Thank you. That bastard has always been nothing but scum. He was probably going to sell her,” I explained, and he smiled.
“There
is something magnetic going on between us. We shouldn’t deny it, but we both know that fucking each other is a bad idea right now,” he said with a crazy look in his eyes. I could see that he was still hard, and it was distracting. I needed to focus my eyes on something other than him.
“His voice is so hot. Come on. Say something. Tell him that one time won’t make any difference. Besides, when I hatch out and find my male dragon then…”
“Spare me the details, seriously. I’m trying hard to concentrate.”
“I have to go back to Aly, the human woman who took me in when I fell through the crack,” I said, but I didn’t even recognise my own voice. This was awkward, and I hoped that I wasn’t a prisoner in his house. Deep down, I knew that he wasn’t like the others, like his sister.
“Stay. I promise that I won’t come anywhere near you. I’m not planning to take you back to the council. Someone other than me breached the security. My father thinks that you escaped, and right now, he is too busy to look for you. They all have more important things to worry about,” he said and then grabbed something to drink. I could smell that it was whiskey or Scotch. He took a generous gulp and then sat down. I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I wanted to know why he wasn’t like the rest of his family.
“You went against your father? Why didn’t you tell them about the egg?” I asked, still struggling to keep the desire from consuming me again.
“We have never gotten along. I only started working for the firm when my energy was awakened and became uncomfortable. We are very different, and he thinks that I’m a disappointment,” he explained, and kept drinking. I didn’t judge, but I could sense anger inside him. “Zuzanna is the perfect daughter. She has had magic since she was a little girl and she’s always been with him. I didn’t want this life. I was happy to stay away until…”
“Until what?” I pressed when he didn’t finish.
Hatched (Draconia World Book 1) Page 16