Dragon's Breath (Fablestone Clan Book 2)

by Sophie Stern

  “A word of advice?” Anthony appears on my other side and lowers his voice.

  “Of course,” I tell him.

  “If you love her, don’t wait to tell her. Don’t wait for some big, dramatic gesture. Just let her know. Confessing your love is the hardest part of this whole thing. When I see the way she looks at you, though, something tells me you don’t have anything to worry about, my friend.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Natalie

  When Donald and I are alone for the night, we stand awkwardly beside the big bed.

  “I’m happy to sleep on the floor,” he says politely.

  Too politely.

  I don’t want polite.

  I don’t want manners or good behavior.

  Not tonight.

  No, tonight I want him to take me. I want him to fuck me. I want him to make me his because when I look at him, that’s how I feel. I feel like I’m his.

  Donald is nice, though. Maybe he’s too nice. Maybe he doesn’t want me to feel like he’s not being a gentleman. Maybe he wants me to make the first move.

  When it comes to men, I’m…inexperienced. Rubbing his cock was incredible and fun and made me feel sexy as hell. I felt alive in that moment, and when he lost all control? Well, I almost came, too. Watching him come apart in my hands was amazing.

  I want to feel that again.

  I want him.

  “I don’t want you to sleep on the floor,” I say, looking at him. We’re both in the pajamas we were given by Audrey, who was kind enough to loan them to us. She made it very clear that she, Anthony, and Gabriel were going to sleep and that their kids were also asleep.

  She made it clear we wouldn’t be disturbed tonight, and I appreciate that more than she’ll ever know.

  We’re alone.

  We’re totally, completely alone, and anything could happen.

  That is, if I can seduce this dragon.

  I have to convince Donald that making love to me is a great decision. It’s strange because I’m the one who’s a virgin. Things should be the other way around. He should be trying to seduce me, trying to get me into his bed using only words, but that’s not really what’s happening, is it?

  Instead, I’m practically throwing myself at him, begging him to make love to me, asking him to take me.

  I wasn’t waiting for any reason except for the fact that I didn’t find a guy I wanted to give myself to. Not completely. Donald, though…he’s the one. He’s the right guy. He’s older and wiser and more mature than the shifters my age. He’s kind. He’s not going to fuck me and then leave me. Oh, I’m not asking for a lifelong commitment, but he’s not going to toss me out in the morning.

  He could show me how wonderful this thing could be.

  I want to experience that with him.

  “Natalie, what are you saying?” He asks carefully. His face remains neutral, but his nostrils flare ever-so-slightly. Most girls might not notice the sign that a dragon is about to lose control, but I do. Growing up around shifters means I learned very quickly how to tell when I had pushed someone a little too far. The last thing I wanted to do was cause someone to shift and try to fight me. I’m a brave human, but I’m no match, physically, for a dragon.

  So I can read them.

  All of them.

  And he’s on the edge, but he’s going to make me say it. There will be no room for misunderstandings here. Donald wants me to ask him, to tell him.

  Am I brave enough?

  Each day, I fight a new challenge. I overcome a new obstacle. I do something new and difficult and hard, but this might be the most embarrassing. This might be the toughest. I think I can do it, though. It’s Donald. And it’s me.

  There’s a part of me that feels like we really are meant to be together. I won’t go crazy-girlfriend on him and demand that he marry me or mate me or keep me forever if we do this tonight. I won’t be that person. I will, however, ask him if he’ll be my first because with Donald, I feel safe. I feel protected. I feel fucking cherished.

  I have never felt these things before, and I don’t think I will ever feel them with anyone else. Not the way I feel with him.

  “I want you,” I tell him.

  “Be specific, love.”

  “I want you to…you know.”

  He raises an eyebrow.

  “Donald,” I try again, meeting his gaze. “I want you to have sex with me. Here.” I point to the bed, and he erupts with laughter. He starts laughing loudly, chuckling, and then he can’t seem to stop.

  This kind of infuriates me, to be honest. I was totally brave! I asked him. I told him what I wanted and he’s got the balls to laugh at me.

  “What the hell are you laughing about?” I feel a little embarrassed, but also kind of irritated.

  “Natalie, what the fuck?” He wipes the tears from his eyes. “Are you trying to prank me or are you seriously asking me to fuck you right now?”

  “I…I…”

  His face softens. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry. Natalie, I thought you were making a joke. Why else would you ask me like that? So bluntly, I mean, unless…” Then his eyes widen, and he steps forward and pulls me close to him.

  “I was trying to seduce you,” I whisper.

  “Natalie,” he says. “Are you a virgin, love?”

  I blush furiously.

  “Natalie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?”

  “I’ve never done this before, Donald.”

  “Why me?” He asks. His voice is a whisper. He’s being gentle, cautious.

  “I like you, Donald.”

  “I’m sure you like a lot of people, Natalie.”

  “It’s different, with us. Isn’t it? You feel it, too.”

  He knows what I’m saying, but I’m not going to call on dragon lore right now. I’m not going to tell him we might be mates, that maybe, just maybe, this thing between us is destined to be this way.

  Donald looks at me for a long time. Then he reaches for my face. Cupping it, he kisses me softly, gently, and then he pulls back and smiles softly at me.

  “I feel something,” he admits. “I wasn’t sure if you could feel the pull, too.”

  “Like we’re connected by an invisible thread,” I tell him.

  “Exactly like that. Natalie, I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything in my life. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Show me, Donald,” I whisper. Then he kisses me again.

  He worships me with his mouth, slowly. Carefully, his hands begin to explore my body, and I find him taking off my shirt and pushing my pajama pants off. I don’t have anything on beneath them, so I’m naked before him.

  “You’re so perfect,” he whispers, kneeling down in front of me. He leans forward with his mouth and sucks one of my breasts into his mouth. I gasp at the sensation, but he doesn’t stop. He kisses me, teases me, and licks me while his hands move lower.

  Softly, he begins to stroke me between my legs while he plays with my breasts. I’m still wet from earlier: aroused from the fumbling hand job. I don’t pretend I did a perfect job, but it was passionate, and it was fun, and I’ve never been so turned on before in my life.

  Until now, anyway.

  Donald knows exactly how to touch me, and soon I’m purring like a fucking cat. He strokes me, edging me closer and closer to an orgasm. It’s one I desperately want, too. Just when I’m so close I can almost taste it, he moves his hands away. I let out a soft cry of protest, but I don’t need to worry. He’s got other plans in mind.

  “Natalie, you’re so fucking wet, baby. So sexy. I want you to come for me, pretty girl. Come all over my face. Come for me, Natalie. Come. Now.”

  He licks me, sucking my clit into his mouth, and it’s the most insane feeling I’ve ever experienced.

  And that’s it.

  Just like that, I’m flying, and Donald is here to guide me as I soar and to catch me as I land. His hands don’t stop as I cry out, completely oblivious of everything arou
nd me except for his mouth on me. In this moment, my entire world is perfect, and I have no worries or fears.

  And then I open my eyes.

  He’s staring up at me, smiling.

  “What?” I whisper, fighting my own grin. I reach for his hair and tousle it playfully. “What are you smiling about, Donald?”

  “You look so damn beautiful when you come, Natalie. Do you know that?”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah,” he gets to his feet. “That’s right.”

  Donald lifts me and places me on the bed. Then he quickly takes off his clothes and joins me. I’ve seen him naked plenty of times, but right now, it’s different. Right now, I can actually look at him and touch him and play with him. Right now, I can explore him with my mouth and my body. Most of the time, I’m sneaking sideways glances at him while I try not to be too overly creepy or stalkerish, but right now? Right now, I can just take my time and play with him as he plays with me, too.

  We’re both so aroused that I know once he’s inside of me, he’s not going to last long. I feel another orgasm growing inside of me, too. Heat warms my belly as he kisses me, stroking my body, and playing with my breasts. Soon, I can’t wait any longer, though. Soon, I’m ready.

  “Please,” I whisper.

  “Be specific, pretty human.”

  “Donald,” I whine.

  “What is it, baby?” He kisses me. “Tell me what my pretty girl needs.”

  “Fuck me,” I tell him, and this time, he doesn’t laugh.

  This time, he doesn’t hold back.

  This time, he climbs over me, pushes my legs apart with his knee, and slides his cock inside of me in one quick, sharp thrust. I groan at the intrusion, but it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. I’m completely wet, so I’m sure that helps, but the absence of pain both surprises and delights me.

  He stills for a moment. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me if you feel uncomfortable, baby, and I’ll go slow.”

  “It feels so good, Donald,” I whisper. “I feel so full.”

  “Your pussy is fucking tight, Natalie. Fuck. I’m not going to last long, baby.”

  I wiggle beneath him and reach for his ass, pulling him closer to me, forcing him deeper inside of me. He groans, but he doesn’t stop. Instead, Donald reaches down between us and begins to rub his fingers over me softly once more.

  And then I come apart beneath his touch.

  I’ve had orgasms before.

  I’ve had lots of orgasms because masturbation is normal and healthy and fun and relaxing, but this?

  This is not like those orgasms I’ve had.

  This is something else entirely.

  My heart feels like it’s stopping, and then exploding, and I love everything about this moment.

  “Baby, you’re so fucking wonderful,” he murmurs. “I’m going to come, Natalie.”

  “Come,” I whisper. “Do it. Come for me. Please.”

  I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer still, and then he comes. I feel him pulsing inside of me as the orgasm takes over his body, but then I feel something else entirely.

  Something I’m not sure I’m supposed to be feeling right now.

  I feel his mouth on my neck, and then, without any further explanation, Donald bites me.

  Hard.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Donald

  I fucking marked her.

  I didn’t even ask her, but I marked her.

  She is our mate.

  My inner-dragon has a lot to say when it comes to Natalie. He’s quite the fan of the little human, as am I, but I still should have asked first. What if she didn’t want to be marked? What if she thinks I’m moving too fast? But when I open my eyes and look at her, the only thing I see is peace and acceptance.

  “Donald,” she whispers. Then her hands flutter up and her fingers run over the place where I bit her. I licked her already, so the wound has closed, but she’ll have a scar. It’s a pretty one, too.

  I’m silent as I wait for her to speak. The silence is deafening as I hold my breath. My heart beats harder than it ever has before, but then she licks her lips, and she whispers to me.

  “You’re my mate, Donald. That’s what this means, isn’t it? I thought it was true, but…I didn’t want you to think I was moving too fast or being clingy or weird or-”

  I silence her with a kiss.

  I silence her as I touch her, hold her.

  “We should have talked about it before,” I tell her. “I should have proposed and gotten down on one knee and made it special.”

  “We both knew,” she says. “You didn’t have to ask because we both knew. You’re the one, Donald. You’re the one who’s going to save Fablestone, but more than that, you’re the one who’s going to save me.”

  I kiss her then, over and over, and then I hold Natalie in the darkness of the night.

  I’ve found what I didn’t even know I was searching for, what I didn’t even know I needed until now.

  I’ve found my mate, and I’m never going to let her go.

  *

  After a few hours of sleep, we leave for Fablestone. I’m loaded up with the prettiest girl in the world and our giant bag-o’-plants. After a cup of coffee, I’m ready, and I fly as fast as I fucking can to Fablestone.

  Dragons aren’t really supposed to be flying around in the daylight. None of us likes that. We slept only a couple of hours before Natalie and I felt refreshed enough to continue our journey home. We’ll have to do a little bit of flying in the light, which I don’t like, but I’m familiar enough with the route that I know how to stay away from cities, towns, and main roads.

  A random farmer plowing a field isn’t likely to pay much attention to a dragon, believe it or not. Someone in the mood to make some fast cash is. The last thing I need is someone spotting us and sending Lucky our coordinates. No, right now the only thing we need to do is get home.

  And fast.

  Somehow, we manage to make the journey in just over half of the time it usually takes. My wings hurt when I land and my body is sore from pushing myself so hard and so long, but we make it. We land near the veterinarian’s office and then I shift quickly.

  “Are you ready?” She asks me, taking my hand.

  Natalie has quickly become my sun and my moon, my rock and my stars. She has become everything to me. If someone had told me weeks ago that I’d be the one to come prepare a cure for the illness that has rocked Fablestone, I would have thought they were crazy.

  Now, though, it feels right.

  It feels good.

  And I am right where I’m supposed to be.

  “I’m ready,” I tell her, and we go inside. Henrietta is busy rushing around and there are several patients in beds who are coughing and groaning in pain. The lobby area of the office has been completely filled with beds and patients, but I hurry through the room to the back of the clinic, where I know there’s a small laboratory I can use to get the first batch of medication ready.

  Henrietta spots us just as we’re nearing the lab.

  “Donald?” She asks, whipping her head around. “Donald?”

  This is where I expect her to yell at me for abandoning my responsibilities and leaving the clan without a reliable doctor, but she doesn’t. Instead, she hurries over to me and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug.

  “Thank dragons you’re here,” is all she says, and then she follows us into the lab. Henrietta is silent as I get to work. Occasionally, she leaves to check on a patient, but she keeps coming back to see my progress as I prepare the medication that’s going to save my people.

  I’m filled with a protective instinct that’s also rather wonderful.

  This, I remember, this feeling is why I became a doctor.

  Saving people.

  Taking care of them.

  Giving them hope.

  Natalie helps as we prepare the plants, boil the ingredients, and cool everything.
We measure each item exactly and precisely. There is no room for mistakes.

  “That’s it,” I finally say, reaching for an empty bottle. “It’s done.”

  I pour some of the medication from what’s basically a cauldron, and cap the top of the bottle.

  “That’s it?” She whispers.

  “Here,” I thrust the bottle to Natalie. “The first one goes to your father.”

  “You’re sure?” She whispers, looking up at me.

  “I couldn’t save your brother, love, but I’m going to save your dad.”

  Without another word, she kisses me, and then she runs off. I know she’s heading straight for her parents and as much as I’d love to see her parents’ faces when they get the medication, I know I’m needed here right now.

  Henrietta chooses that moment to walk back into the room, and when she sees the cauldron and the empty bottles on the counter, her eyes go big.

  “Is it ready?” She asks.

  “It’s ready,” I tell her.

  I pour another bottle and I hand it to her.

  “Here,” I whisper. “Let’s save Fablestone.”

  Epilogue

  Cameron

  There’s nothing more wonderful than seeing two people fall in love. When I met Peggy, my entire world changed, and it was all for the better. I couldn’t have imagined just how wonderful finding a mate would be until I actually tried it. Now? Now I can’t imagine my life without her, and I know that Donald and Natalie feel the same way.

  It took a lot of guts and a ton of bravery for Natalie to do what she did. For her to go, marching across the mountains, talking to people she didn’t even know, trekking down a wintery path, and then braving the dragon himself, well, all I can say is that she’s stronger than most of the people I’ll ever meet.

  She’s incredible.

  And now she’s mated to one of the best men in the clan, to one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known.

  Donald.

  The clan has their Donald back.

  Lawrence