Draakar returned his attention to the wall and called on Mother Earth. He would save his powers, if he could, and let Mother Earth use her powers to open the way. The gate sat on part of Earth, at least on this side; Mother Earth should be able to open it. She answered his request by infusing him with the power to open the gate.
Raising both hands, he placed them where she directed. At his touch, without a sound, the stonewall split apart. Directly in front of him appeared a perfectly straight line, as tall as he. On alert for any sudden appearance of the silver dragon, the others raised their shields and anxiously watched the stones begin to shrink and the split in the rock widen enough for a person to get through. They could see nothing on the other side but thick white mist. Draakar placed one booted foot through the opening and pausing briefly sent, James, Robert, stay behind me.
Draakar continued his forward momentum, but as soon as his other foot cleared the opening the portal sealed shut. He felt the tear close but didn’t bother to turn around. He barely heard his son’s mental cry of anguish behind him. The wall closed, separating him from his brethren.
However, he held no concern. The woman who sat right in front of him captured all of his attention. Too late, he heard her mental warning but it made no difference.
It’s a trap.
Are you all right? he sent as he silently assessed her.
Yes. I’m fine. Oh, Draakar, I’m sorry. As soon as I felt your presence I tried to warn you. This is a trap the betrayer set. Draakar, Justin is the betrayer. He calls himself Arwan. Our magic doesn’t seem to work here but his does.
Chapter Twenty-Six
If his can work here, then so can mine. He walked over to her and she stood. Before she could straighten to her full height, he had her in his arms and pulled her up against him.
Are you sure you are all right? Like a soft caress, Maya heard his whisper in her mind and felt his anxiety for her in his heart.
Despite their circumstances, Maya rejoiced. He’d come after her. He had not disappointed her, not this time. Yes. I am now. But what are we going to do? How will…
Those were all the questions she managed to get out before he assaulted her senses. His lips covered hers and he inhaled her.
The world tilted and she no longer held a separate existence. She’d become a part of him. Neither existed without the other. His breaths held her life. She took no breath he did not provide.
His arms surrounded her, cocooning her, while she slipped her hands under his cascading hair, wrapped her arms around his neck and held him to her. Without releasing her mouth, she felt and heard his need in her mind and it echoed through her soul. Time held no meaning for them. They were always meant to be. Their story carved long ago into the Stones. This one creature had been crafted for her.
As other truemates had done before them, she read his thoughts.
Draakar took a leap of faith. Feed me your flame, Draakar requested. I need it for my fire. He opened his mouth wider to receive her.
Instinct drove her actions. Needing to release what had been building up inside of her from the moment of her existence, Maya opened her mouth, pressed her lips to his even harder, and did as he needed. She was created just for him. This time she sucked the air right out of his lungs, and releasing the flame born inside her—a flame that would only flare for this one man—gave him the breath of her life energy encased in living flame.
They exchanged the true bonding ritual between truemates, the breath of flame. The spoken words, as binding as they were, were a mere shadow of this bond. Only a truemate could be gifted with the exchange of flame because only a truemate could call it forth and live through it. For him, the breath of life. For any other, the kiss of death.
This powerful man trembled in her arms as her magicks met and blended with his. Mouths locked in an embrace nothing could break, their hearts thudding in unison, they both dropped to their knees. All the power he’d been born to as a dark dragon finally and truly awakened in his soul and roared to life, demanding to be fed.
More. I need more. He growled the command in her head.
I give you all that I am.
My mate. Yes, you will. As I will give to you all that I am.
Maya poured herself into him, never more alive than at that moment. She was born for him as he for her. All her doubts seemed ridiculous in light of those indisputable facts. Excitement coursed through her veins to complete the bonding ritual between truemates. She had waited so long for him to claim her. She would wait no more.
Soon, beloved. Soon.
Draakar suddenly broke contact and raised his head as though he were listening to something.
“What? What is it?” Maya asked, looking around too. “Is it the betrayer?” She couldn’t see anything but the swirling white vapor. Then she felt it. A light cool brush against her skin, whereas before she only felt the heat generated by Draakar. She dropped her hands from around his neck and rested her palms against his chest, where his heart beat steadily. She couldn’t hear anything but when Draakar’s body stiffened against hers, it became obvious he communicated with someone or something.
What’s going on? It took a few moments for his body to relax and for him to respond to her.
It’s okay. Draakar eased his hold on her but didn’t release her completely from his embrace. “The entity that dwells here just made contact with me. It is also the power controlling this realm,” he replied verbally. “It’s the mist. The mist is a sentient being, an elemental possessing powerful magicks. It noticed the power we just generated and got curious. It connected with me through this. It means us no harm, but it is a powerful being. It has been feeding power to the betrayer and providing him with a safe haven. I believe the betrayer is in for a surprise the next time he enters this realm.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I shared some of my memories of the betrayer with the mist, and it is very distressed it aided such a creature. It doesn’t know violence but understands the concept and will not be a part of it. The mist has promised it will not help the betrayer any longer.”
Maya looked around, intrigued by the vapor curling around them. “The entire time I was here I tried to use my powers, but never once thought to try to communicate with the vapor around me. What can it do?”
“At first, the power of the mist dampens our Earth born senses, our powers, because it’s trying to communicate with us. That’s why your powers don’t appear to work. Think of a positive trying to fit into a negative. They cancel each other out, but it has found a way to make contact. It’s using its powers to augment our own instead of butting against it, so there can be two-way communication. Since it’s had experience with the betrayer and I am familiar with the way other realms may work, it’s easier for it to communicate with me.”
“What about the powers it’s given to the betrayer?”
“It can’t take away any of the powers it’s already given to him, but it will no longer help him when he returns. And he will return for you, I have no doubt about that, but you won’t be here.”
“How will we get out?” she asked. “Will the mist release us? I think his plan was to trap you here.”
“Yes, but that’s not going to happen. We are no longer trapped here. I can open the gate now at will.”
“Even if we get out of here,” she squeezed his arm, “when the betrayer returns he’ll just come after us.”
“No he won’t.”
“Why? What’s to stop him?”
I will. It must end here.
Maya jumped to her feet. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she shook her head. She had just come to terms with her feelings for Draakar. She didn’t like hearing the betrayer’s powers had been enhanced. She couldn’t lose her Dark Lord now. Reaching for him, she grasped his hands and replied mind-to-mind, needing the intimacy with him. It conveyed her feelings much stronger than vocalizing.
No. No. Either we fight him together or you come with me now. Like you said, the mis
t will no longer help him, so he’ll be trapped here. There’s no need for you to face him.
Draakar sat back on his hunches. There is every need.
The need for revenge?
Have you forgotten what he has done to your mother? That was no accident, nor do I think your grandmother’s death an accident. I am also the protector of all brethren. Sentence was passed on the betrayer long ago. I cannot take the chance he will escape this place. So I will make sure he cannot.
Maya released his hands to raise both of hers in the air, as a sign of surrender. So what? You will bring violence, death to the mist. She knew she sounded unreasonable. Earlier she wanted to take off the betrayer’s head. Now faced with the reality of a betrayer who might be more powerful than Draakar, she did not want to risk him.
I did not choose the place, he did. The mist understands this must be done.
Does it really? How can it understand, when it doesn’t know violence?
It does.
What about your power? Maya grasped at anything here. On one level she recognized her fears where unfounded, but she had finally found him and didn’t want him facing danger.
I do understand your fears, Maya. But you have awakened all of my powers with your flame. You know this. Trust me. Trust us.
Maya’s body stiffened, then relaxed, she nodded her head. The mist had been able to establish communication with her.
Draakar stood to face her, calmly waiting. Only a few moments seemed to go by before she could speak. “The mist says it doesn’t know violence, but it also doesn’t know love. It has felt the strong emotions we have for each other. It has never experienced anything like it and would like to know love.”
He smiled and held out his hand to her. “I think we can manage that.”
A skeptical Maya raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I want an audience.”
“It’s not. Not as you understand audiences.” Draakar opened the link between them, which helped her to understand the mist didn’t really feel or see as their senses worked, but responded to power or magicks. It wanted the power love could generate to help mute the power of the violence it would soon experience if Draakar confronted the betrayer. Whatever energies released in this realm it would absorb, and it needed something to counter the effect of the violence. It needed a balance.
“Ah, I understand.” Maya took a step, bringing her close enough to place her hand in his. He tugged her nearer and lowered his head to hers.
My turn. Open for me, my queen.
“Whoa, what’s this, my queen, stuff?” Maya asked holding her palms flat against his chest and this time feeling a rapid heart beat. A heart beating in anticipation to match her own.
That is what you are, Maya. You know this.
I know I am your mate, Draakar. I’ve accepted that. How could I not? But, I will not be queen.
You are my queen. You always have been and always will be. Draakar stopped. Maya read all of this in his thoughts. He planned to bond them completely first, then convince her later of her status as queen of the brethren.
“Was your first wife, Sierran, your queen, too?”
“No. I did not name her queen. I had the power to do so but could not, because I knew she was not mine. When we were bonded, Valour, my advisor named her consort. Brethren queens are usually born as Dams, the strongest females of our kind. We rarely accept females merely designated as queen solely because they are mated to the Dragon Lord. Titles are granted by right of might. And most importantly, Sierran was not my queen. You are.”
Draakar covered Maya’s hand, lying on his chest, at the same time he covered her mouth with his. I need you to feel the fire you created in me. As my fire burns for you, I need yours to burn for me. Open for me. Let me feed you my flame.
Without hesitation, Maya opened wider and thought she would ignite where she stood. Every cell in her body flared to renewed life while she burned from the inside. Just like in her dream, but so much more. Strength she’d never known infused her muscles, yet at the same time the bones in her legs felt like they had been sucked out of her body. If it weren’t for his arms around her, holding her up, she would have fallen at his feet.
The flame died, but while Draakar may have stopped the flame, the feeling of being consumed by fire from the inside out did not cease. The heat remaining behind would never entirely go away. This had been her dream, this burning from within. Yet she’d lived through it and her powers had come to life. Nothing to fear, but something to embrace.
Everything intensified tenfold. On a higher level, she could feel the hardness of Draakar’s body flush against her own. She could feel the silkiness of his hair as it brushed against her cheek and the roughness of his tongue as it invaded her mouth, which she gladly greeted with her own as a different type of heat built again within her core.
He lowered her body to a horizontal position. A good thing he took control, because she could no longer sense any part of her body other than her mouth sealed against his, her tongue wrapped around his, and her arms locked around his neck.
Most of all she felt the heat from Draakar and an unending need for more. She wanted to burst into flames.
Maya sank further into the comfort of the soft ground beneath her. Draakar, now as naked as she, covered her front completely with his larger frame. His hair hung around them like a dark velvet curtain, enclosing them in a world of two and blocking all else out. For the moment, they were in a world of their own creation.
He placed his hands at the side of her head, keeping most of his weight off her. Her senses, human and dragon, kicked in full throttle and she absorbed all of him at a level beyond mere skin. Every movement of rippling muscle, every vibration from the rise and fall of his hard chest, the brush of his faint hair running from his navel to between his legs rubbing against her stomach. Even he trembled as blood rushed to his pleasure centers. Draakar’s earthy scent surrounded her. Most of all, the sensation of his hands moving on her bare skin had her blood rushing to her core. Thank God, he’d willed their clothing away so she didn’t have to stop or slow down to take anything off.
I know, beloved, that this is our first time—your first time—and I will try to go slow for you. But I ask forgiveness in advance if I am unable. I have waited so long.
Too long, Dark Lord, I command you not to take your time. To do what needs be done, for both of our sakes. We have waited enough time. I do not wish to wait any longer.
Draakar moved his lips across her face, placing firefly kisses on her closed eyelids. He moved to her nose then briefly back to her mouth before continuing downward to her collarbone, where he paused and sucked for a moment. Ah, but I find I need to wait for just a little bit longer while I get to know every inch of you. I promise I will make it up to you.
Her hands ran through hair smoothly gliding through her fingers before moving to grasp his strong shoulder muscles. I will hold you to that promise, Dark One.
Sliding downward, he continued licking and placing kisses upon the very crest of both full breasts before raising his hand to lay it over one, running his thumb back and forth across the pebbled surface. He watched, seemingly fascinated as her already distended nipple peaked even more at his touch. Draakar moved his attention and mouth to the other breast, opening wide he took as much of her ample flesh into his mouth as he could and suckled—hard.
Maya bowed her back in reaction to the intense sensation centered on her aureole. The moan of satisfaction vibrating against the mist could have come from either one of them, but in actuality had come from both. When she thought she could take no more, Draakar raised his head. He moved his mouth to the other breast and lavished it as thoroughly as the first with tongue and teeth. Maya had her hands wrapped in his hair, trapping his head against her breast as she rolled her head from side to side in mindless bliss.
Draakar removed his mouth from her breast and blew lightly over it in an attempt to cool her fire. When she tried to press him back to her, he removed
her hands from his hair. “No,” she whispered.
Shhh. We have time. I’m not going anywhere.
Her eyes popped open to stare into the blazing green glow of his. Please, Draakar. Please.
Mmmm, he rumbled. And I will. Please you, as you already please me.
So saying he opened his emotions fully to her so she could share his pleasure in her before he began licking his way in a straight line down the middle of her body. Maya shut her eyes to completely immerse herself in the myriad of sensations. Her stomach muscles contracted and pressure gathered in her womb from the intensity of the pleasure he slowly and diligently built up within her. The moment the tip of Draakar’s tongue touched her woman’s entrance, like the eruption of a sun the force exploded, and her essence poured out for him to receive. He might have been a man starving for eons. He lapped up every single drop flowing from her core.
Before she could catch her breath, he growled against her sheath and the sound caused her body to vibrate as he then crawled up over her body. The gentle push of his hands to farther widen her thighs caused Maya’s eyes to pop open. She saw their bodies surrounded by a colorful glow, warming her to her soul, before his eyes ensnared hers. Without pause he breached the last barrier between them and roared, claiming her for all time by deed then by word.
Our life is one. Our soul is one. One cannot exist without the other. Ever we are intertwined, in this world and beyond, in this life and next. I belong to you as you belong to me. Even death hath no dominion over us.
Maya felt only a slight discomfort lasting the time it took to blink because by then he began to move inside her and other sensations bombarded her. Sensations so fierce, she could no longer keep her eyes open. All the better to bury herself in each and every one of them. The sensation of her mate inside of her was like coming home after a long absence. Every part of her reached to cling to him. Her body stretched to accommodate him and contracted to keep him there. Her soul no longer resided splintered and alone but joined with his, soaring to the heavens. Her mate wrapped around her, in her, with her, until they were both engulfed in the flames which blazed from the green fire she’d seen shooting from his eyes before she’d closed her own. Maya wrapped her legs around Draaka’s waist and rode wave after wave created by the inferno of their passion.
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