“Just five. He’s hoping we can make it out and back before nightfall.”
“Be safe,” Lily implores.
“Always,” he says and catches my eye before I can rein in the concern written all over my face.
“Fear not, human - I’ll make sure your warrior stays safe as well,” he says and shoots me a teasing wink before hefting the bag of food over his shoulder.
“W-what? He’s not-” I stammer.
Terick laughs and waves before leaving us all standing there open-mouthed.
Eira and Lily’s eyes both shoot to mine, and I feel a deep blush creeping over my face.
“What was that about?” Lily asks, and Eira cackles in amusement.
“You’re kidding? You didn’t see Dederic practically haul her out of the great hall the night of her oath?” she says.
“He did not haul me out of the great hall,” I protest.
“Yes, he absolutely did! He had himself wrapped around you during your dance - staking his claim- and then you two disappeared together,” Eira drawls.
“Thank you, Eira. This is absolutely mortifying,” I mutter.
Eira and Lily continue watching me in open-mouthed delight. I try and ignore them and punch at the dough with extra oomph, but it’s no use. Their eyes are boring into the side of my head with unspoken amusement.
“Just say whatever you want to say and out with it.” I sigh heavily.
Lily comes to wrap an arm around my shoulder and offers a light squeeze.
“Don’t be embarrassed. We’ll leave you alone about it if you wish,” she says, and Eira coughs loudly.
“Speak for yourself! All I want to say is that Dederic is a good man. There are a bunch of boys out there that I’d tell you to steer clear of, but he isn’t one of them. So, whatever is going on, enjoy it. And don’t be embarrassed.” Eira shakes her finger at me and smiles wide. Lily pats my arm and moves back to kneading.
We work in silence for a few minutes more, but the jumbled thoughts running through my mind are nearly driving me insane. I give the dough in front of me a solid whack with the rolling pin and throw my hands on my hips. Both women look up, and I can see the small smiles pulling at their faces.
“Okay. I’ll tell you what happened,” I say.
They both shriek in excitement and we dive into my dilemma. They listen and offer advice and share their own stories about making romantic feelings known. It’s fun and helpful and it feels like the closest thing to family that I have had in years.
I’ve been lying wide awake in bed for at least an hour. After tossing and turning restlessly for the first half of the night, I had finally fallen asleep, only to jolt awake, completely disoriented. I run my hands through my unruly hair and tug at the bodice of my nightgown to allow more of the cool breeze to sweep over me. My skin is flushed and sensitive and my mind is racing with scattered thoughts and images that I can’t seem to quiet.
I stand and fling open the curtains, leaning against the cold stone of the large window. The heat has muted and cooled a bit and the slight breeze feels lovely as it whispers over my exposed skin. After spending the morning in the kitchens, I had watched and waited to see if Dederic had made it back from whatever surveillance they were going to be doing today, but by the time dinner had finished and the last of the men had retired for the night, they still hadn’t returned.
The moon and stars are bright in the sky tonight, and I stare at them, hoping to settle my nerves and calm my racing heart.
I need to get out of this room.
I walk to the door and peek out to find the hall is dark and quiet, so I make my escape. I climb the stairwell at the end of the hall and exit onto the rampart, inhaling fresh ocean air. I stride barefoot along the empty stone walkway and let the wind filter through the thin fabric of my nightgown. Not a single other soul appears to be awake on this side of the castle.
About halfway between the west block and the watch tower, I stop and lean against one of the battlements, closing my eyes and trying to clear my mind of its singular thought. No matter how hard I try and focus on the cold floor or the night sky, all I see is him.
My mouth is craving the feel of his, hot and demanding, and desire thrums through my blood and pulses low in my belly. I inhale deeply and imagine the feel of those long fingers teasing and massaging between my thighs. My own hand instinctively moves to mimic the feeling, and I let out a soft exhale as the path of my fingers elicits little sparks of pleasure.
There’s a shift in the breeze as the sound of the wind deadens and dies in my ears.
My eyes fly open, and I turn my head achingly slow to glance over the wall behind me. I didn’t pass a single person on my way out here and saw no sign of anyone else further beyond, so my paranoia feels irrational.
It’s too dark to make out anything very far down the cliff, but I lean the top half of my body over the ledge and stare down into quiet, inky darkness – and it stares back.
A scream starts in my throat until I realize that it’s a Dragon clinging to the wall of the castle, and I slap a hand over my mouth and exhale heavily in relief.
“Mother above,” I breathe and struggle to calm my racing heart. “You nearly scared the life right out of me.”
The Dragon’s head tilts in silent question before he extends his long claw up to clutch another hold just below where I’m standing, pulling himself silently and smoothly closer to the top. Red reptilian eyes are locked on me, and I study him curiously, cataloging his features and trying to puzzle out which of the soldiers he is in his human form.
“What on earth were you doing slithering up the side of the wall?” I murmur out loud, even though I know he won’t understand me in this form.
He peels himself out of the darkness and climbs quietly over the ledge until he stands on all fours in front of me. My eyes rake over his dark-colored scales and snag on the large abrasions crisscrossing his neck and back – some appear old and healed over, but some look open and raw.
His nails squeal on the stone walkway as he steps forward, extending his long neck towards me and snuffing in huge lungfuls of air.
A loud, unintelligible shout sounds far to my left – one of the other guards across the courtyard. The dark green dragon’s head swings in that direction and the muscles in his back and shoulders tighten. Uneasiness bubbles in the pit of my stomach, and I start backing away, slowly towards the west block.
The shouts from the other side of the castle are joined by loud trumpeting calls now as men shift into Dragon form. The stranger in front of me blasts a call back, and I throw my hands over my ears to block the sound. His red eyes shoot back to me and narrow as I take another step back. And another.
“It’s alright.” I show him my palms and try and affect a soothing tone. “You’re alright. Just stay there. Everything will be fine.”
Don’t run, I command myself silently and back away more quickly.
Don’t run.
The stranger’s eyes are wild, and he spreads his massive, scarred wings and growls angrily at my retreat.
Don’t run. Don’t run. Don’t run.
My chest squeezes in panic and fire sears through my veins. I can see the entrance to the castle out of the corner of my eye, and I swallow hard, weighing my chances.
Those eyes track me intently, and I can feel a swirling ball of flame forming involuntarily in my hands. I give myself a mental shake to dispel the fear and instinct trying to take over. This is my home now. This is my family. I will not run. I will not cower. I may not be able to take this intruder down, but I can probably distract him long enough for the others to do whatever they need to do to subdue him.
I extend my arm and stretch the flame into a swirling mass between us. The stranger’s red eyes follow the fire and the agitated movements calm, his head moving side to side in line with my hands. Wing beats boom overhead and the wind swirls and picks up as Dragons ̶ my Dragons - circle above.
For a moment, I hope that perhaps he is too
hypnotized by my display to notice his opponents are closing in, but it is quickly dashed as he bares his great fangs and hisses menacingly.
The stranger rears back on his hind legs and raises a scarred claw into the air. He’s going to strike. Or grab me. I’m not sure which would be worse at this point.
Don’t run. Don’t run. Don’t run.
I drop my arms and stand my ground, staring into his wild eyes. That jaw opens wide, and I see his muscles tense as he makes to bring those talons down on me when-
Boom!
Another Dragon flies over the wall and slams into the stranger so hard it takes out huge chunks of the stone and sends them both careening over the edge.
Wings pound and horrible, guttural sounds come tearing from the airborne mass of snapping teeth and shredding claws. I recognize the beautiful black Dragon that is now battling violently with the red-eyed intruder. Pure terror fills my chest and lungs as I watch Dederic batting away snarling jaws and sinking his own claws into flesh. The green Dragon lunges back down towards where I’m standing on the wall, and Dederic roars furiously and clamps his teeth around the assailant’s neck.
I become aware of more creatures coiled behind me and to my left and right. I scream at them to do something, anything to help Dederic.
Why is no one moving?
A yellow-eyed beast not ten feet behind me watches the sky intently as the two opponents rip and tear at each other. I push uselessly at his side and beg him to help, but he ignores me.
Finally, with one more attempt to reach me, the stranger dives again and Dederic yanks him back so viciously that they’re thrown off balance. Dederic clamps his jaws around that horned neck again and bites down hard enough that the sound of bone snapping and flesh tearing echo through the air.
The stranger goes limp and Dederic uses his entire body to hurl the attacker over the cliff and towards the churning water below.
Five or six of the men observing finally launch themselves into the air and follow the body down into the darkness. He roars again so loudly that I cover my ears and fold myself into a ball on the stone walkway. The black creature circles a few more times and then aims his body towards me, shifting into a man before his feet even make contact with the ground.
Dederic runs towards me, but I’m frozen on the ground. Hauling me up under my arms he runs his hands over every inch of my face, arms, shoulders and legs to check for injury.
“Look at me.” His voice is low and commanding and my eyes snap to his. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” I whisper hoarsely and shake my head.
“What the fuck were you doing out here?” he demands.
His chest is heaving with exertion and his exposed skin is slick with sweat and blood. I open my mouth, but no words come out. There are still Dragons flying around overhead and out just past the wall of the castle.
He killed that Dragon. He saved my life.
Dederic grips my chin and brings my gaze back to his.
“Answer me. What were you thinking?” He is vibrating in his fury, but I read the fear in those green eyes as well.
I lurch towards him and wrap my arms around his neck tightly. His own arms come around me, pull me up into his chest, holding me so that my tip-toes are barely touching the floor. I plant frantic kisses across his neck and jaw, pulling him tightly to me so he can’t move away.
“Thank you,” I whisper and continue trailing kisses across his skin.
“Shhh, little fire. I’ve got you,” he murmurs into my hair. I wrap my legs around his waist and keep my arms locked around his neck while he walks us back inside and rubs soothing circles over my back.
We make it back to my room and he sets me gently on the edge of the bed, sliding down until he is kneeling on the floor in front of me. The adrenaline starts to slip away, and tears suddenly start falling from my eyes.
Dederic cups my cheek and whispers soothing words until I calm my breathing and get myself under control.
“Why were you out there, little fire?” he asks gently and continues to kneel on the floor between my legs.
“I couldn’t sleep. I just wanted to get some fresh air. I didn’t know- I didn’t-” I stammer.
Dederic grips the back of my head and pulls my face to his so that our foreheads are pressed together.
“It’s alright,” he murmurs, and I drink in the heat of him.
“Who was that?”
“A stray. He’d been inching around the edge of our territory for the past few weeks, but a few days ago he became bolder and started moving in towards the castle. We had been trying to contact him without it ending in bloodshed but tonight-” He cuts off.
“I waited for you. I thought you were avoiding me,” I murmur, and his eyes snap to my face.
“I wasn’t,” he says carefully.
I squeeze my eyes shut and slide a hand along his neck and shoulder, the warm, sticky feel of blood causing me to jerk back and study him.
“You’re hurt,” I murmur and delicately touch the skin around a cut on his face.
“I’m fine,” he says.
I move from the bed and feel him watch me as I walk into the bathroom before returning with a small bowl of water and a soft towel. He lets me pull him to the chair by the fireplace and push him down into the seat where I can clean off the dirt and gore from his skin.
“Thank you,” he murmurs.
I nod and dab gently at a small cut on his neck, wiping away the debris. He doesn’t flinch in the slightest.
“I’ve been trying to work up the courage to speak with you…” I say. “I wanted to tell you… that I’m scared. I understand that maybe Dragons are freer in their… physical affection. But humans are not.”
He tilts his head patiently, meeting my eyes and waiting for me to continue.
“It means a great deal to me to be intimate in that way. I’ve never- I’ve never shared that with anyone before.”
Dederic grabs my wrist and twists it gently to study the small markings that have blossomed on the skin there ̶ a twin to his own. His thumb sweeps gently over that place before he stands from the chair and forces me back a small step.
“Do you know what these markings are?” he asks quietly, holding it out for me to study and placing it next to his own.
I shake my head, and he continues.
“Each symbol tells a story, and its placement adds context and meaning. These on our wrists - they mark you as a member of this pride. You took the oath and our magic kissed you and marked you as one of ours.”
He drops my hand and peels his shirt up over his head. My breath catches as I take in every inch of his warm, golden skin and the beautiful, intricate patterns decorating his chest. He takes my hand and guides my fingers across his ribs and the coiling barbs spanning the entire side of his body.
“These are for victories in battle.”
He slides my hand across his chest.
“Family.”
We graze an empty spot on his sternum.
“Because I’m unmated.”
Up his shoulder.
“My rank and position.”
Down his bicep and forearm.
“Deals I have made, and oaths I have sworn.”
He turns and allows me to trace the patterns decorating his back.
“Everything in between. Mistakes. Regrets. Losses.”
He turns back around and faces me, and I keep my hand resting lightly in the center of his chest.
“It’s very beautiful,” I say breathlessly, and he smiles crookedly.
“I want you, Seda,” he says. His deep voice sends little shivers racing up and down my spine and my knees go weak at his words.
“I want you too,” I tell him honestly, mustering every last ounce of courage I have left.
He smiles and strokes a thumb over my cheek, tracing a path down and across my lower lip.
“We can go as slow as you want, and we can stop wherever you’re comfortable. This is a no-pressure situation. But I can
’t share you. Other men may not mind, but I do. So, you need to know that before anything happens.”
“There’s no one else,” I tell him honestly.
My magic filters out and tangles with his. I can taste the excitement and desire and anticipation that is mirrored in my own. It makes my skin heat and my mouth water. Dederic’s nostrils flare and his eyes go dark as he reaches out and wraps his fingers in my hair.
Good,” he breathes.
He kisses me fiercely and nothing has ever felt better than his lips and tongue sliding across mine. He tastes like heaven, and I moan and press myself tightly against him.
A growl rumbles through his chest and he sucks and nips along the sensitive skin of my throat. I gasp his name and clutch him tightly ̶ he rewards me by increasing the pressure everywhere, and I rake my nails over his shoulders.
Lifting me easily in his arms, he walks us to the bed and lays me down and surveys my body like a feast set before him. I’m panting as he slides a large hand up my thigh and places my legs over his shoulders, fisting my nightgown tightly and hitching it up to the tops of my legs. The kisses he trails along the sensitive skin above my knees leaves me squirming and grasping at the cool sheet beneath me.
I feel like I’ll snap into a million pieces at any moment.
“You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen,” he murmurs into my flesh.
His rough hand slides back down one leg, and he grabs my backside firmly, massaging and exploring the curve of my hip, up to my waist and down again. Those rough fingers move between my legs and stroke along my seam, and I jerk suddenly as he dips into the silky wetness there.
My face flushes hot, and I try and subtly shift him away from the evidence of my arousal, but he clutches me tighter and presses one finger all the way inside, stroking gently. Green eyes are locked on mine as I pant and moan and clench around his finger as my body begs for more.
I try to ignore the embarrassment of discovering that I am more wanton and impatient than modest and demure, but I am fully exposed and vulnerable before him like this.
“Why are you trying to hide?” he asks and smiles gently.
I squeeze my eyes shut as my own little gasps and moans of pleasure fill the room. He slides another finger through my wetness, touching and teasing the little ball of nerves that is hard and swollen at the crest of my sex.
Song of Smoke: A Dragon Shifter Romance (The King's Series Book 1) Page 15