by Erin Bedford
I wasn’t quick enough, however, because my father stopped me by calling my name. Spinning around, I found him standing there in front of me.
He placed his hands on my shoulders with a proud expression, something I’d never seen in my entire life, and part of me was annoyed at how good that made me feel. “You are handling this better than I imagined, Maya. I trust I can count on you to do the right thing here?”
“I don’t know what you mean?” I cocked my head to the side, genuinely confused.
He sighed and ran a hand over his face, “Look we both know you weren’t my first choice, but you are our only hope now. So, don’t screw this up. We need an heir no matter what. I trust you will be able to do what you have to do to accomplish that?”
I stared at him hard for a moment, his words not quite clicking. Then my mouth dropped open. “Wait, you want me to do both of them?”
“Now, I didn’t say that.” My father held his hands up. “I’m just saying if one doesn’t get the job done, feel free to take advantage of your options.” He patted me on the shoulder with a surprisingly genuine smile. “I know you will make me proud.”
Nodding, I turned away from him and stepped out of the room. My father’s words played over and over again in my mind. Dragons weren’t monogamous in most cases unless they were from high families. Since getting pregnant was hard enough, a lot of females had more than one mate, but I had never thought I would be one of them, let alone, have my father suggest it.
I shook my head in disbelief. What was the world coming to?
5
I’d been searching through the clothing my sister had picked out for me, hoping to find something suitable for our quest for the last hour and a half. It was doubly frustrating because my drawers were filled with frilly dresses, which, while pretty, wouldn’t work for where my father expected us to go.
Southern Waesigar was barely more than a volcano. How the dragons who called the place home managed to live in the barely inhabitable desert was beyond me. Then again, we couldn’t all live in rolling plains and endless trees, and as I contemplated the journey ahead, I had to admit my father had gotten the better home.
“None of this is going to work,” I huffed, throwing another dress to the side and glaring at it angrily. “Is there even one pair of pants in the lot?” I stood there for a moment longer before deciding I’d need to find a seamstress myself and get some proper attire.
I stomped across the room and flung it open to find Raiden standing there, one hand raised as though he’d been about to knock.
“Hey.” Raiden smirked at me and leaned against the door frame, causing the gap in the collar of his shirt to expose his muscular chest.
“Can I help you?” I quirked a brow at him, trying not to press my thighs together in an effort to ease the sudden need tingling there.
Eyes crinkling at the corners, Raiden peered into my room over my shoulder and smiled, “Need help packing?”
“Not really.” The absolute last thing I needed right now was to let the nearly irresistible dragon into my bedroom. Sure, it might start out innocent, but once we were alone, well, let’s just say I was worried about keeping my hands and mouth to myself. Behind closed doors with a bed so close? I doubted we’d leave for our quest anytime soon.
“Are you sure?” he asked again, taking a step closer and peering past me into the room. The movement caused his muscular chest to brush against my breasts. An electric shock went through me, and as a small sound escaped my throat, my inner dragon screamed at me to close the distance even more. No. Not just that. It wanted me to tear off his clothes, to wrap my naked body around his, to let him take us as his own.
I shut my eyes, trying to fight off the insatiable need of my inner dragon, and as she railed against me with years of pent-up need, Raiden’s scent filled my nostrils.
Rain and thunder.
A growl slipped from my throat and heat pooled between my thighs. Before I could so much as blink, Raiden’s hands were around my waist, pulling me against him as his mouth found mine. He had boasted of his strength and agility not more than an hour ago, and as he effortlessly backed me into the bedroom, I believed it.
My inner dragon and I moaned in unison as the taste of him filled our mouth. My hands buried themselves in his dark locks as I pulled him closer to us. He devoured me, not giving me an inch as one hand slid to the back of my neck while his other hand snaked down, cupping my left breast.
A gasp ripped from me that allowed Raiden to travel from my mouth and to the junction of my throat. The hand at the back of my neck gripped my hair, forcing my head back to give him better access. I didn’t mind though because my own fingers were too busy finding the edges of his shirt. With one sharp tug, I ripped it open, popping buttons free and tearing fabric. Then my hands were on the hard-strong muscles beneath. My nails dug into the warm skin of his chest causing him to hiss and pull back slightly.
Our eyes met for a moment, serving only to ignite the desire within me further. I inhaled sharply. The room smelled of lust and sex even though we hadn’t taken our clothes off yet, and as my dragon relished in the taste of it in the air, I pulled him further into my room.
He wrapped his arms around me then, twisting us around, so his back was toward my bed as he buried his face in my breasts. The feel of his lips on the tops of my breasts sent a sizzle through me, and before I knew what I was doing, I’d pushed him backward. His knees hit the frame, and he fell flat on his back.
I looked down at him, my eyes raking over the bare muscle of his chest and felt my lips twist into a smile. Flat on his back, he watched me with hooded eyes as I lifted my skirt. I crawled over his legs until I straddled him. The press of his hardness against my heat caused us both to groan, and it took everything in me not to rock against him like my inner dragon wanted me to because I had something different in mind.
Locking eyes with Raiden, I slipped my arms out of my dress and pushed it down to my waist. The dress my sister had picked out for me this morning didn’t allow for a bra with its low, wide neck, so when it came off my breasts were bared to the room.
Instead of reaching up, Raiden’s hands gripped on my waist, empowering me and urging me to go one step further. Leaning forward, I let my breasts brush against his bare chest. A surge of pleasure exploded through me, shocking my senses and making me gasp.
I swallowed hard, trying to regain my bearings. I wanted to take this slow, and if this kept up, I’d just tear the rest of Raiden’s clothes off and have my way with him. I didn’t want that. At least not yet.
Instead, I placed each hand on either side of his face. Lowering mine down to his, I licked across his mouth and teased, “Is this the kind of help you were offering?”
“No, actually,” his voice came out a low growl, “but I’m always happy to help a lady in need.” To iterate his point, his hands pressed on my hips while he thrust against me.
With only my panties against his pants, every inch of him touched my sensitive mound, hard and more than ready for me. While I didn’t plan on mating with either of the males my father had chosen for me, nothing was stopping me from having a little fun. My inner dragon agreed wholeheartedly, and as I stared down at Raiden’s naked chest, I ground into him.
A strangled cry spilled from my lips as my mouth sought out his. Raiden helped my hips find a rhythm, his hands moving to squeeze my ass while thrusting against me again.
As our tongues tangled, a growl leaked out from our kiss. When the pressure began to build, and my legs started to waver, Raiden took control. Only instead of flipping us over like most alphas would have done, he kept me on top, finding just the right spot to make me scream.
Eventually, the pressure became too much, and it became impossible to concentrate on kissing him. I shut my eyes as wave after wave of pleasure rushed through me. I moaned, driving myself against him as my peak approached.
“Oh yes…” I cried right before he stopped.
My eyes ripped open, a
nd I stared down at a grinning Raiden. “What the hell?” I snarled, and when he only grinned wider at me, I tried to climb off him.
This time though, Raiden wasn’t against showing me who was in charge. He held onto my waist while I tried to get away, suddenly embarrassed I’d let it get this far and angry I hadn’t been able to finish. When he didn’t budge, I glared down at him.
“Is this some sort of sick game to you?”
“No, actually it’s not,” Raiden said in all seriousness though his eyes still laughed at me, “but what kind of dragon would I be to let your first orgasm with me come from dry humping on your bed with the door wide open.”
I gasped and twisted around slightly to see the door to the bedroom was indeed still open. I struggled with a renewed vigor to get off him and right myself. This time he didn’t stop me from getting off, but instead of allowing me to climb off the bed he grabbed hold of my arms and pinned me face down to the bed with my butt in the air.
“What the hell are you doing?” I cried out, tugging on my wrists in frustration partially from his actions and partially because I was so turned on.
“Giving you what you want of course,” he chuckled as he flipped my skirt over my back, exposing my panties to the room. His fingers slipped between my thighs rubbing against my slick heat. I tried not to cry out and buried my face in the mattress. His digits moved back and forth enough to make me squirm but not enough to give me what I really wanted.
When a jerk on the back of my panties caused a tearing sound, the cool air of the room against my heated parts causing me to shudder.
“Wait, the door.” I gasped, not believing I was letting him touch me so. But it seemed all my good sense went out the window the moment my lips pressed against his.
“So?” he asked as if it didn’t bother him at all. His fingers found me again and turned my objection into a high-pitched whine. He rubbed his hand against me, not entering but torturing me slowly until I was begging for release.
“You have two options, Maya,” he said his breath hot on my skin, “I can stop here. I’ll leave, and you can close the door where you will no doubt have to finish yourself or…” he trailed off while rubbing circles around my most sensitive part. “Or I can give you what you really want.”
I didn’t answer at first because I was too engrossed on the way he made my body quake with desire, but as I pushed against him, his hand stopped once more, leaving me on the verge of tears.
“I’m waiting for your answer,” Raiden commanded in a tone I hadn’t expected from what I had seen of his personality. Up until this point, he’d seemed like all fun and games, no responsibility, no rules. Clearly, I’d pegged him wrong.
He had me wrong too. I wasn’t like my mother or sister who could be easily brought into submission. I would not rely on a man to give me what I wanted. I’d always taken it. Which was what I tried to do next. Too caught up in the feelings he was causing my dragon, wouldn’t let me think about what I was doing. I’d been dead set against mating with either of the suitors, but my mind was overridden by my need. I pushed my hips back, seeking the fingers which had stilled against me only to be met with a hard swat on my ass.
I gasped as a stinging sensation spread throughout my cheek.
“I asked you a question,” he growled, his hand on my wrists tugging a bit harder. “Now, the longer you delay, the more likely someone will come by and see you in such a position.” His hand on my backside slid down to dip between my thighs once more, making me moan. “I, for one, enjoy seeing you like this, but I’m not so sure your father and mother would. Do you?”
“No.” I croaked out as his fingers moved faster against me once more. When he brought me to the edge again, I thought I wouldn’t have to answer, but just before I reached it, he slapped his hand down hard on my ass once more.
“You still haven’t answered my question, Maya. If you make me ask again, I will take you right here where anyone can see, and I will not stop until I’ve had my fill.”
His threat caused my own dragon to roar in response, my vision became sharper, and I knew my eyes had shifted in anger. Gnashing my teeth as I turned my head to glare at him, “Do it. If you think you are dragon enough.”
Raiden gave me a fanged toothed grin. His own eyes shifting to a golden hue, but instead of taking me like he had claimed he would, he let go of my arms. His face disappeared between my thighs. His tongue replaced his fingers, and my hands ripped at the covers in an attempt to hold on. I’d been brought to the edge so many times already that it only took a few swipes from him before I shouted my release.
Breathing heavily into the bed, I didn’t even move to cover myself as he pulled away from me. His hands caressed my backside once more before my skirts were back down where they belonged. The bed shifted his weight no longer on it. I thought maybe he was coming around to make me return the favor, but instead, I heard the door close.
A mixture of irritation and confusion spilled through me. I’d definitely pinned him as a selfish kind of guy. The give to get kind of type. But here he had just driven me to the point of insanity and hadn’t sought his release in return. What kind of man does that?
A crazy one, that’s who, I answered myself.
6
Packing took way longer than I planned. Mainly because I couldn’t cool down enough to face everyone. Especially, Raiden.
Just thinking of him made my body heat, and my cheeks hurt from smiling. Who knew someone with such a carefree personality could be so domineering in the bedroom? And the way he made me feel? I’d never felt anything so intense before in my life.
Not that I had a whole of experience.
My father wasn’t the only one who saw me as lesser in the dragon world. The majority of the populace thought the same way. Even during the royal parties, I often found myself alone or hanging out with family members like Ned.
Still, now that I thought about it, there had was one person I’d met during one of those parties. He hadn’t cared about my faults. In fact, he found them refreshing.
Firestar.
He had stood out amongst the rest, a large mountain of a man with hair of fire eyes so intense they burned straight through me. One quirk of his lips, and I had nearly fallen for him.
My heart momentarily warmed at the memory before filling with pain. Sure, we’d had three passionate nights before it had all ended, but ended, it had.
At the end of the summit, I had introduced him to my father. That had been a mistake. My father had been dead set against it. Said he was a hot-headed brute, and he’d die before he saw me mate with one of his kind. I’d never found out exactly what he’d meant, but Firestar was gone within the hour, and I’d been banished shortly after.
I shook my head.
Why was I even thinking of him now? Probably because I didn’t have anyone else to compare what happened with Raiden too.
I let out a loud sigh.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Aeis commented from my side. I glanced up from where I had been unpacking and repacking my bag. The concerned expression on her face vanished as she stepped into the bedroom. Her nostrils flared, and she tilted her head up slightly sniffing the air.
“It’s not what you think!” I shook my hands in front of me, my voice going up in pitch and making me sound even guiltier.
“And what is it that I think?” My sister cocked a curious brow as she walked across the room with her hands folded in front of her.
“That I already picked a mate?” I offered weakly but then quickly added, “Which I haven’t, not yet.”
“Then Raiden’s scent in your bedroom is here because?” She stopped by the bed and wrinkled her nose, the scent of what Raiden and I had done no doubt reaching her nose. “Did you…?”
“No!” I cried out and then stared down at the floor as my face filled with heat. “I mean, no we didn’t do that.”
“But you did do something,” she accused, I glanced up long enough to see the amusement etched on her
face before my eyes shot back down to studying the floorboards.
“Yes, we did. I mean,” I huffed and groaned in defeat. “It just happened. He was there, and he smelled so good, and it has been sooo long. I don’t know what happened.”
Aeis placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a small, reassuring pat. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Remember I’ve been in your shoes. Except I didn’t have quite the drama your mating seems to have.” I glared at her as she let out a laugh.
“Did something like this happen to you?” The uncertainty clear in my voice. I couldn’t be the only one who had gotten overwhelmed before. Normally I would never let someone do that to me where anyone could have walked in. At least, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t.
“Well, I’m not exactly sure what happened, to tell you if it was the same thing.” Her brow furrowed as my heart leaped into my throat.
“Um, I…” I stumbled over my words and licked my lips, “I didn’t act like myself. I was so… so —”
“Wanton?” my sister filled in for me, and I shyly nodded. “Oh, don’t worry about that. All of us are like that.”
“Really?” Hope raised in me at her words. The first good news I’d heard since this whole ordeal started. Maybe what happened to me with Raiden wasn’t so bad then. “So, you let your mate do things to you that you’d normally never think of doing?”
Her lips pressed together into a thin line, “Well, no. Not that.”
Crap.
“But I did feel out of control of my body and hormones,” she added quickly, no doubt because of the expression on my face. “Like I was this big pulsating organ of need and the only way to have a moment of peace was to get pounded like a nail.”
The expression on my sister’s face mixed with her animated hand gestures made me burst out laughing. I held my stomach as giggles racked me, tears threatening to run down my face.