by Rinelle Grey
The time for his scruples was past. Respecting Rita’s wishes was all well and good when her life wasn’t in danger. But now that it was…
He put a hand on her arm, instantly feeling a spark of desire, seeing the answering spark in her eyes. “We do have a choice,” he said, his voice low. “If I were in dragon form, I could carry you above all this. I could keep you safe.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her breathing hitched. She knew exactly what he meant. She licked her lips, moistening them, and if Warrian weren’t busy being concerned about her safety, the motion would have driven him wild.
“I… uh… how about we keep that plan in reserve. I’m sure the car will protect us. It’s just dust, after all. How dangerous can it be?”
“Sometimes the smallest things can be the greatest danger. Especially if they get into your lungs,” Warrian pointed out. “And once we are in the car, we’re trapped. Completing the Mesmer ritual in that space would be difficult, not to mention the impossibility of my shifting into dragon form inside.”
She could see the issues with that as well as he could, and he could tell she was wavering. Despite the risks, despite the danger, his blood heated at the coming coupling. Even if it was hurried, he was sure it would be a moment to remember.
“There isn’t time,” Rita protested. She glanced towards the horizon, where the storm raced towards them.
It was indeed moving quickly. But Warrian was pretty sure there was still time.
He desperately wanted there to be.
“How about the tent?” he suggested. “Would it keep out the dust for long enough for us to complete the ritual?”
Rita looked over at the tent doubtfully. “If we zip it up, maybe.”
That was all he needed. “Let’s get inside then.” The sooner they were inside, the sooner they could complete the ritual. Then he could carry Rita safely above the storm. He could show her the wonder of dragon flight.
His heart lifted at the thought.
Then was brought back down to the ground as Rita said. “We’d better pack everything up first. That wind could turn a bottle of water into a projectile.”
Warrian felt time ticking away as they raced around the camp, putting the lighter objects into boxes and sealing them. “That’ll have to do,” Rita said, as darkness edged over the camp, and the beginnings of dust began to swirl around them. “Into the tent.”
She was already slipping into the tent herself, and Warrian followed closely behind, squeezing to one side so Rita could zip up the opening.
The wind roared around them, buffeting the canvas walls of the tent
Urgency sang through his veins. They didn’t have long. Once they were in the middle of the storm it would be too late to fly above it. There would be too much dust to fly through.
With that thought in mind, he reached out a hand towards Rita. “I’ve been looking forward to this,” he growled, his voice low. “To mating with you and to taking you for a flight.”
But though her eyes lit up at both his suggestions, she didn’t move closer. “Look, the tent is keeping out the dust. I think we’ll be safe enough. We can probably just ride out the storm in here.”
Warrian’s mind instantly rejected the idea, and not just because he longed to mate with her.
The storm raging outside chilled his blood. Despite being in human form, he felt like his scales were rising. Every part of him objected to being stuck in the tiny tent while the wind whipped the dust around them, unable to even see what was happening outdoors.
He wanted to fly free. And he wanted to do it with Rita.
But she wasn’t budging. She sat on the other side of the tent, her expression uneasy. The storm bothered her too, but apparently not as much as mating with him did.
Why? Why was she so determined to keep her distance? He could see she was drawn to him, he could smell her arousal, even now, dampened by the smell of dust. So why did she continue to resist?
How did she continue to resist? Even if she weren’t interested in him as a mate, surely the pull of the Mesmer bond should be enough to tip the scales.
Whatever her reasons, they must be strong. He could respect that.
And she was right, even though some dust had made it through, or come in when they had, the inside of the tent seemed relatively safe. There was no real excuse to insist they must mate now.
He took a deep breath, then released it in a sigh. “As you wish.”
Rita bit her lip, but she nodded, and Warrian resigned himself to waiting out the storm, and the rest of the week.
The wind howled outside, and it quickly grew darker. If Warrian hadn’t seen the sun rise only a few hours ago, he would have been sure night was falling.
“We could play some cards,” Rita suggested. Her voice sounded forcefully cheerful, as though cards was the last thing she felt like. Warrian opened his mouth to say he wasn’t in the mood, but a glance at her face stopped him.
Her skin was pale, and she fidgeted with the phone in her hands, not really seeing it. She coughed a few more times, then pulled out a bottle of water and took a drink.
Warrian was concerned about her. He was pretty sure his dragon strength would leave him with little effect, but humans were more fragile than dragons. And he suspected Rita knew it. She hadn’t suggested a game of cards because she was taking this lightly.
She was nervous and trying to distract herself.
But right now, even the thought of playing Snap wasn’t enough of a distraction for Warrian.
There was a loud, ominous creaking outside, and his heart skipped a beat. Seconds later there was a loud crack followed by an even louder crash. Rita just about jumped through the roof of the tent. “What was that,” she asked with a squeak.
“The tree lost a branch,” Warrian said grimly. Their tent was pitched in the shade of that tree. It had been sheer luck that branch hadn’t come down directly on top of them.
Rita’s face grew even paler, seeming almost to glow in the strange red half light. “Perhaps being in the tent isn’t the safest place…”
“Not much we can do about it now.”
“No.”
Rita fell silent, but she kept fiddling with her phone, glancing towards the opening of the tent, or up to where the huge old gum tree towered above them.
Something hit the side of the tent before bouncing off, and Rita practically scurried into Warrian’s arms. “What was that?”
Without going to look, Warrian couldn’t be sure. But he could guess. “A bush or stick the wind blew into the tent. It was small. Nothing to be worried about.”
He kept his voice calm and even. Panic inside the small tent would be a very bad idea.
Luckily, his words seemed to calm Rita. She nodded, and her body relaxed ever so slightly. She didn’t leave his lap though.
And Warrian didn’t want her to.
She might have rejected the idea of mating with him, but it was clear there was some part of her that doubted. A part of her that was willing to be swayed. A part of her that wanted to be swayed.
Fate had dumped this opportunity in his lap—literally—his arms tightened around Rita, maybe now was an opportune time.
Even though it was too late to fly above the storm, he could still protect her if he were at full strength. That would benefit both of them. This wasn’t about him and what he wanted.
No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, doubts remained.
But none of them were stronger than the fear of something happening to Rita. Something he could have prevented if he’d taken that chance.
This was what it always came down to. No matter how much he wanted to stick to his principles, somehow there was always a greater reason not to.
Chapter 9
Rita knew she should leave Warrian’s lap and move back to her own side of the tent. Staying here would give him totally the wrong idea, especially since he already seemed to think that mating was a good idea.
But even though it was o
nly a few steps away, the other side of the tent felt dangerous and terrifying.
Which was silly, because if another branch fell off that tree and onto their tent, being in Warrian’s strong arms would do nothing to protect her. In his human form, he was nearly as vulnerable as she was.
Now if he was a dragon…
Okay, so maybe his idea wasn’t so out there after all. Maybe it was time to stop resisting this pull. Maybe she could let herself give in…
As if he’d read her thoughts, Warrian spoke at that exact moment. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to complete the Mesmer ritual, just in case. It is too late to fly above the storm, but I could still do much to protect you.” His words were calm, rational, well thought out.
And there was nothing in them she could argue with. There was just one problem. “I’m not sure I could focus enough in this weather, are you sure you can?”
As soon as she said the words, she knew they were pointless. Despite the danger, her body was instantly agreeable. And since she was sitting in his lap, Warrian could hardly deny that his was the same.
But even if her body thought it was a good idea, her mind knew it was crazy. They were in a tent in the middle of a dust storm for goodness sakes.
“I would have no trouble performing in any circumstances, as I’m sure you can tell.” He hesitated, then said in a low voice. “I know it is not the ideal time, but I am concerned that if this storm continues, you could be hurt.”
His voice dipped on the last few words, and if Rita didn’t know better, she might think he was actually concerned about her.
That couldn’t be it though.
Could it?
That thought made her twist in his lap to look up at him and search his face.
That was a concern. His eyes were serious as they looked down at her, and his lips twisted. “I don’t think I could forgive myself if anything happened to you,” he said, his voice low. “I know you do not wish to mate, and I had no intention of pressuring you, but this could be a life or death situation.”
For some reason, his low words didn’t increase Rita’s anxiety like they should have. Instead, they set her heart racing.
This might seem like the absolutely craziest idea she’d ever heard, but she couldn’t deny that there was something exciting about the idea of mating with Warrian in the middle of the wild storm.
It would at least take her mind off the wind raging outside. He would be a far better distraction than playing cards would be.
Her heartrate kicked up a notch as she considered that, really considered it.
There was no denying it. She’d been stalling. She’d been putting off mating with Warrian not because of some reluctance on her part, nor even because of her deal with Ultrima. She’d been deliberately delaying because she didn’t want this time with Warrian to be over.
And that was a stupid reason. It wasn’t like spending more time with him was going to change anything. He was a dragon prince, and she was a newspaper reporter. They both had jobs to do. Real lives to return to. This had been a pleasant interlude, but now it was time to move on.
Before she could chicken out, Rita nodded her head quickly. “Okay.”
Warrian’s eyes widened. “Okay?”
Really, did he have to question her every single time? She was already half doubting her agreement herself, his uncertainty wasn’t helping. “Yes, okay. Or are you going to argue with that?”
That brought a half smile to his face, and his eyes danced. He held up a placating hand. “No arguments.”
Then, as though that agreement had startled both of them, they sat in silence for several long moments.
Rita should have been regretting the choice. She should have spent those moments second guessing it, but for some reason, her heart was strangely calm.
Well, it was calm about the decision.
The thought of mating with Warrian, right here, right now, no more stalling, was causing her heart to do somersaults in her chest. It was sending hot flushes through every part of her body. So not calm in that sense. The thought of mating with Warrian sent her heart as wild as the dust storm raging outside.
Warrian shifted slightly under her, his movement seeming to light every nerve ending on fire. The ever present heat of the Mesmer bond flooded through her with such intensity she couldn’t help wondering how she’d resisted it this long.
But she couldn’t resist it any longer. She wouldn’t. She could let herself enjoy this brief flash of brilliance in her life. And maybe hope it would lead to something better, if not with Warrian, then at least in her own future.
Without stopping to think further, because that was far too dangerous, she leaned towards him, put a hand on his chest, and pressed her lips up against his.
As though he had been waiting for her to make the first move, Warrian groaned against her lips, the vibration sending an avalanche of heat tumbling through her. He pulled her tight against his body, his lips crushing against hers. Several days of pent up desire and passion overflowed over both of them.
The wind picked up outside, but Rita barely noticed. It was as if her entire world rested within the walls of the tent, centred firmly on Warrian.
He didn’t seem to be paying attention to much besides her either. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he pulled back, running his hand down the side of her cheek, the touch sending a shiver through her whole body.
“I’ve waited so long to do this.” His voice was gravelly, as though it caught in his throat. “I was wondering if I was ever going to get the chance.” There was more than heat in his voice. Was that genuine emotion?
Did she dare to believe?
And if she did, what did that mean? If she cared for Warrian, really cared for him, then would it mean giving up her life as a reporter? Keeping all the wonderful things she had learned about dragons a secret? Her heart ached at the thought…
But for Warrian, it could just be worth it.
That thought surprised her more than any of the secrets Warrian had revealed.
She’d thought her urge to share the truth with the world was a big part of who she was. She’d never once considered giving it up for Todd. She would have laughed at anyone who even suggested it.
But then again, she’d never felt this way about Todd. Her months with him were a mere shadow of the emotion she’d felt in only days with Warrian.
Even if this was all they ever had, it was worth it.
She leaned into his cupped hand, savouring the way his touch ignited her skin. “I’m glad we’re getting this chance. Even if it’s not the best of conditions.”
She wanted to be able to forget all about the dust swirling around outside, to block it all out, but a part of her mind, the small part that still held some rational thought, knew she couldn’t ignore it completely.
Warrian seemed to be able to though. He ignored the dust as though it was of no importance. Perhaps it wasn’t for a dragon. Instead he kissed her hungrily, his hands roaming over her body, edging up under her shirt, pulling her closer.
And her worries and the dust storm faded away into almost nothingness.
She ran her hands over Warrian’s body, revelling in the softness of his skin covering firm muscles. She might have been stretching the truth a little when she said a great body didn’t matter. It certainly had some advantages. And there was no reason not to enjoy it.
But even though she would have liked to take her time and examine every part of his body in perfect detail, there was an urgency to their mating. Danger lurked around every corner, or in every branch they couldn’t see above them.
The urgency mirrored the need in Rita’s body. It didn’t care about the danger. It just wanted Warrian and hungered to fulfil the craving that had been consuming her for the last few days.
Warrian tugged at her shirt, pulling it out of her shorts, pushing them down.
And she had to admit, she was as eager to divest him of his scant shorts herself. She was more than keen to see what was
underneath. She slid her hands under the waistband, cupping his buttocks, enjoying squeezing their firmness.
As if in concert with the increasing pace inside the tent, the howling of the wind grew louder. The frantic flapping of the tent walls intruded into the haze of desire, though it barely dampened it.
“We should hurry,” Warrian urged.
Rita needed no encouragement. She pushed Warrian’s shorts down, pulling him closer. “Yes, let’s hurry.”
He leaned in, his lips capturing hers, nudging between her legs, and Rita almost held her breath. This was it. Would it be as amazing as she’d hoped?
Then it was as if the whole world exploded. The walls of the tent disappeared, and dust rushed in, covering both of them, whipping into places better left untouched, filling her eyes and mouth.
Rita couldn’t help it. She screamed.
Chapter 10
Everything was perfect, until it wasn’t. They had been so close. Warrian could feel the energy from the Mesmer flowing through him, but just as he was about to grasp it…
His whole body reacted as the tent exploded around him. He didn’t have enough energy to transform, but he was close. He was strong enough to harden his skin, metallic scales protecting him from the sting of the dust.
He used his own body to cover Rita, trying to protect as much of her as he could.
Every part of his body urged him to complete the Mesmer ritual, while he could. It would take only moments, and then he would be at full strength.
But Rita’s scream ripped through him, pulling him back into the present. He couldn’t take those few moments. He needed to protect her now. Somehow.
Trying to keep as much of her body covered as he could, Warrian pulled her up, pressing her close to him. She was trying to say something through her coughs, and Warrian moved closer to hear.
“The car. We need to get to the car.”
Of course. Her vehicle would protect them from the dust, probably more effectively than the tent. He should have listened to her and gone there first. Then they could have avoided all of this.