by Bonnie Vanak
Anna moistened her lips, her stomach tightening against his gentle touch. Baring herself before him had taken all her courage and she held on to it by a thread, a slim line of hope linking them together. Please don’t say it, please don’t say it.
“Yes. I have human skin on my stomach when I am dragon.”
“Oh damn, Anna.” Michael’s hand dropped. “Your belly. Your underside. The most vulnerable part of your body as dragon. All it takes is one direct hit by dragonfire and you’re dead.”
And then she realized the worry on his face had nothing to do with her looks, or her own self-perception of beauty. He was thinking about self-defense, while she had been thinking herself too ugly to arouse his passion, too grotesque for lovemaking.
Anna put a hand over her stomach and felt a tickle there. It rose up through her throat and she released it in a rollicking belly laugh, howling with laughter and relief.
Michael folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t see anything funny about this.”
She wiped her streaming eyes. “I thought, the expression on your face… I thought you were turned off.”
“Because of your scales?”
At her nod, he sighed. “Anna. You’re a dragon. You have scales. I have scales. Yours are a little confused, as your magick is. It pisses me off that everyone else in your clan isn’t wise enough to understand this, and accept you for who and what you are. Except for your family.”
“You don’t find me ugly like this?”
Michael’s mouth twitched. “Of course not. You’re dragon. Still you. Now if you had turned into a big green ogre, there would be a problem.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t like the color green.”
His smile remained light and teasing. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
When Michael let her go, he looked dangerous as his gaze became brilliant with passion. His jaw was clenched tight, as if it were made of stone.
“I have to get inside you. Now,” he said thickly.
His lean body had the strength of a predatory animal. Anna watched in hungry silence as Michael undressed. Muscles rippled beneath the tanned skin of his flat belly. His legs were long and dusted with dark hair.
His penis stood erect. She placed her hands on his firm chest, feeling the steady and slow beat of his heart.
Emotion overwhelmed her as she placed her mouth on his collarbone, tasting the salty tang of his skin, tracing her tongue over the marking on his neck and shoulder that indicated he was apprenticed to the Crystal Wizard. Michael cupped her chin, lifted it to his face.
“Why the tears? I promise I will be gentle and try to give you only pleasure.” He pressed his mouth against her scaled cheek and kissed the salty droplets away.
She smiled through them. “You mean everything to me. I wish I had defied my father and did this sooner.”
“You are so beautiful.” His voice was husky as he drew her over to the bed and they lay down.
His skin was hot to the touch as she stroked his broad shoulders and neck. She placed her lips against the dragon mark, feeling him quiver beneath her mouth. He slid a palm over her belly, circling it in soothing strokes.
He kissed his way down her torso. She felt him smile against her stomach. Then he flicked his tongue around her belly button. Anna cried out with pleasure as his hand reached between her thighs.
They explored each other’s bodies, taking their time, discovering pleasure points and laughing with abandon.
Michael’s gaze was fierce as he mounted her. He held himself up on his hands as he settled between her opened legs.
“Love me, Michael,” she told him. “Pretend nothing can ever separate us, not even death.”
She felt the rounded tip of his penis enter her soaked folds and tensed before he pushed into her fully. There was a brief moment of pain, and then the thickness of him filled her completely. She closed her eyes and tilted her hips up as he began to thrust.
His chest slid over hers, the silky hairs from his legs whispered against her own as she wrapped her limbs around his. They were entwined together like snakes.
Like coupling dragons.
Anna fisted her hands into his hair and kissed him hard. He moaned into her mouth and thrust harder and faster, the pleasure pushing her higher. She arched beneath him and cried out his name as she let go.
Rigid muscles locked as he stiffened above her and shouted her name. She felt the wet warmth of semen…and an odd sensation, as if Michael filled her with more than his seed. As if he gave her his power as well, the power he had gained while working for the Crystal Wizard.
He collapsed atop her, pillowing his head upon her shoulder. She stroked his sweat-dampened hair, dazed with pleasure and emotions.
Eventually, they slept.
As the gray light of dawn streaked into the bedroom, Anna roused and stretched and yawned. She had slept the night through, secure in her mate’s embrace. Michael was not in bed with her now, though.
She showered and put a towel around herself, then went into the living room. Michael was sitting on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought.
And then he saw her, and the hunger ignited his gaze all over again. His pupils dilated as his nostrils flared.
“Anna,” he said in a guttural voice. “You smell…delicious. Better than breakfast.”
She had heard of this, the intense need for dragons to mate and keep mating.
As he approached her, Anna felt wet and aching, swollen with need. Shivering with anticipation, she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was hard, steely muscle as he kissed her back in a desperation equaling her own. Michael reached beneath the towel, skimming the soft flesh of her thigh. She cried out as he delved between her wet folds. He slid a long finger back and forth, creating more dampness. She opened her thighs wide, feeling vulnerable and shaky. With his other hand, he ripped off the towel, and then backed her up against the wall.
His hands cupped her naked breasts, thumbing the hardening nipples. Michael took one into his mouth, his tongue flicking over the cresting bud. As he suckled her, she threw back her head on a moan.
He dropped his hand to the zipper on his jeans, the rasping of metal mingling with his panting breaths.
His palms were warm as he cupped her bare bottom, lifted her against the cold, hard wall. She felt the thickness of his cock push at her wet, swollen center. Still shocked by the unaccustomed pressure of him stretching her, Anna whimpered. Michael grunted and adjusted and began working himself inside her.
With a determined relentlessness, he thrust, penetrating her fully.
They went still for a moment. Anna trembled, struck mute, feeling impaled by male hardness and strength. He nuzzled her neck, murmuring soothing reassurances.
She could do nothing but wrap her arms around his neck and writhe against him in an attempt to draw even closer. Michael shoved into her, hard and fast. Anna lifted her legs and locked her trembling thighs around his pumping hips.
Grunting, he thrust higher and deeper. She moaned as his thick penis pushed into her with relentless urgency. Her back slammed against the wall, erotic pleasure building where they were intimately joined. The whisper of a climax danced outside of reach. Sobbing, she dug her nails into the thick muscles of his shoulders. Needing this, needing his closeness, feeling the bonding of their flesh.
This was what she’d waited for her entire life.
Michael muttered as he adjusted his position. His hand dropped down, touching her where they were joined. She exploded into a violent, screaming orgasm.
He threw back his head, the veins and cords on his neck straining. With a loud shout of her name, he released himself into her. For a moment they clung to each other, the sound of their ragged breaths echoing in the still room. Michael dropped his head on her shoulder, kissed her neck as he slowly pulled out.
Dazed by sensual pleasure, she slid down the wall as he feathered light kisses over her cheeks and jaw.
; He led her to the bedroom, undressed and then turned to regard her. They tumbled onto the bed and made love again, slower this time, but equally filled with passion.
She touched his cheek as he rolled off and he buried his damp face into her shoulder.
Her heart broke at the thought of never seeing him again, after pining for him for so long. He was her true mate. All her childhood, she’d heard stories about how dragons searched for their true mates, and seldom found them.
And now, thanks to the threat of a clan war, they could not be together.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I wish we could stay like this, always.”
He kissed her shoulder. “I love you as well, my mate. We will find a way.”
Anna stared at the ceiling, feeling the slick sweat of their bodies cooled by the air drifting through the opened window. “Perhaps my father will listen to reason. There is not another male who would have me anyway, because of my defect.”
A low curse sounded in her ear. Michael sat up, dragging a hand through his rumpled, thick hair.
“Dammit Anna, you are not defective. How many times must I say this?”
“I’m glad you think so. But others do not. In their eyes, I am ugly.”
“And in mine, you’re beautiful. What is it going to take to convince you that there is nothing ugly about you? Ugly is the violence your clan and mine want to inflict on each other. All they need is a trigger, like your father’s rage. But it has nothing to do with your looks!”
Michael rolled over, reached for his jeans and pulled them on. As he zipped up, he glanced over one broad shoulder, his dark gaze filled with purpose.
“Where are you going?” Her chest felt hollow. Please don’t leave me. Please, let’s have today at least. I can’t bear to lose you again.
“Nowhere. I’m calling upon Xavier. I hate seeing you so distressed. Maybe he has magick that can change you.”
“Do you wish me to change?” she asked softly.
“No. You’re perfect. But until you believe so, you’ll never believe me.”
He reached for the earring on his left ear and tugged it, murmuring a chant. Suddenly there was a flash of white light in the bedroom. When she blinked, her eyes watering, a tall man had materialized before the bed.
The Crystal Wizard.
Chapter 6
Her heart raced with panic.
Xavier was not her judge and guardian. Tristan, the Silver Wizard, ruled over dragon shifters. But he was Michael’s master, and powerful. Energy radiated from him, a tremendous power, as if the wizard were a live, crackling electrical line.
He stood well over six feet tall and wore black jeans, black biker boots and a soft cotton T-shirt with a motorcycle logo. A well-trimmed dark beard shadowed his square jawline. His dark hair curled at the edges, each strand tipped with a shiny white crystal. His eyes were a clear blue-gray.
When Xavier’s powers surged, his eyes turned white. Scary.
“Hello, Anna. It’s a good thing you did not tug on your mate’s ears when you were having sex, otherwise you would have summoned me during the middle of it. That would have been most awkward.”
A twinkle lit the wizard’s gaze, calming a few of her fears. Xavier turned to Michael. “Why did you call me here?”
Michael looked at his master, his gaze studying the wizard’s clothing. “Nice duds. Are you finally out of that suit phase or are you applying to join a biker gang?”
Xavier raised a brow. Michael sighed. “All right. Down to business. I want you to see Anna, and what happened to her skin. I’m concerned about her belly. She has human skin while in dragon form, and that belly makes her most vulnerable.”
“Hello, daughter of Barlow.” Xavier’s gaze was kind.
Anna lay upon the bed, the sheet pulled up to her breasts. She trembled as Xavier drew close.
“May I?” the wizard asked in a soft voice.
Slowly she drew down the sheet, a flush igniting her body. But the Crystal Wizard ignored her nudity and studied her belly. He touched her skin and she felt a tingle of warmth, but nothing else.
“Amazing.”
He pulled the sheet back up and patted her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Can you cure her with your magick?” Michael asked.
“No. There is no cure.”
A lump formed in Anna’s throat as Michael cursed in a low voice. She managed to speak around it. “Thank you for your honesty.”
Xavier looked pensive. “There is no cure, and I would not attempt to try one with potions and herbs and magick, my dear. You are not defective, nor a mutant. You are transforming.”
“Like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly?” Horror raced through her veins as she imagined herself turning into a repulsive scaly creature that would terrify dragon babies. “What am I turning into?”
Xavier smiled. “Something wonderful. A dragon who will withstand a direct attack even in human skin.”
He placed a gentle hand on her stomach and she felt a glow of warmth as his powers surged. “Your first change into dragon triggered the transformation. Your human skin is undergoing a vast change. When the transformation is complete your human skin will be soft as silk, yet tough as dragon scales.”
Awe flickered through her, and Michael’s gaze was wet as he squeezed her hand in a comforting grip. “I told you that you were special, sweetheart. What will her dragonskin be like?”
“It will remain the same, very tough and nearly impenetrable. You cannot breathe fire. Yet.” Something flickered in the wizard’s gaze and she wondered what secret he hid.
“How long will this take? It’s been two years.” As Xavier arched a dark brow, she swallowed hard. The wizard proved most intimidating. “I mean, can I get a time frame?”
“You wish to see proof that I am not telling you something to make you feel better about your scales while you are in human skin?” He considered. “Very well.”
Xavier waved a hand and a silver dagger materialized in his right hand. Before she could blink, he slammed it straight into her stomach. Anna screamed.
“Son of a bitch!” Michael roared, his claws emerging.
Shocked, she realized the wizard still held the dagger. It had not penetrated her stomach. “Michael! Michael, I’m all right!”
But her mate still raged and his eyes glowed red. He was turning into dragon, and would claw at the wizard in his fury.
Xavier held up his hand and Michael froze in place. “Anna, show your mate your belly. Do it.”
Shaken, she lifted the sheet. Not even a dent.
“I was startled, that’s all. I didn’t even hurt.” Her voice softened. “Please, Michael, calm down. I’m fine.”
She sat up and took the dagger, showing him the tip. “Not even a droplet of blood. See?”
Xavier waved a hand, unfreezing Michael. Slowly her mate stopped shaking and his claws retreated. His eyes turned their normal shade of dark brown, though wariness flickered in them.
“Dammit, Xavier, must you be so dramatic?”
Michael ran a hand over her belly. Odd, she could feel his touch, as gentle as the whisper of a breeze against her human skin, though she hadn’t felt the dagger’s sharp point.
The Crystal Wizard smiled as if he read her thoughts. “The touch of your mate is the only thing that will penetrate your defenses there, Anna. Any other dragon can touch your belly, try to do what I did, and you won’t feel a thing or be hurt.”
He snapped his fingers and the dagger vanished. Cool trick.
She placed her hand over Michael’s on her stomach. “What about my dragon skin? Will it always be human skin?”
“No. You are a fledgling dragon, Anna, and your body needs time to adjust. Give it that time. The transformation will speed up, now that you are mated. In another year, you will not have this…” The wizard touched her cheek. “It will look like human skin, but be strong as steel.”
Drawing in a deep breath, Michael flopped onto the bed. “Always knew you were
a tough one, Anna Banana.”
She stared at him, the hunger for her mate growing more intent. Xavier sighed. “I will leave you two alone, but first, I must get the seeds from you, Michael.”
Anna wriggled free from her mate’s grip. “I hid them. I’ll show you.”
Realizing her state of undress, she gave the wizard a beseeching look. “Clothing? My powers are shaky right now.”
Xavier waved a hand and suddenly she wore a neon pink silk shirt with little silver stars and…
“Lime-green pants?” She shot her mate a questioning look as the wizard grinned.
“X has an odd fashion style,” Michael told her.
She led them to the kitchen, where she had stowed the seeds safely inside a black coffee can, nestled inside a bed of green moss. Xavier took the can and unscrewed the lid and looked pleased.
“Thank you, daughter of Barlow. You did well. Both of you.”
“I picked only two pods from the plants that were in full luminescence,” Michael told him. “I was drawn more to the seeds from the duller plants. If you need more—”
“No. These will suffice nicely. The seeds from the plants that did not glow as brightly are more important and potent.” Xavier’s gaze remained calm and level. “The other Lumen plants glow too much, and in doing so, expend all their magick far too soon. The plant that has a more steady release of magick is more stable, and releases the seeds that I need.”
Anna sensed an unspoken communication between the pair, and secrets the wizard hid that had to do with her mate. “I think I’ll step out for some fresh air,” she hinted.
When she was gone, Michael breathed a sigh of relief. As Xavier’s apprentice, he was forbidden from sharing certain knowledge with others. He looked at his master, and saw the secrets in his blue-gray gaze. “Why are you so obsessed with creating coldfire? Does it have to do with the Fae gathering in larger groups?”
Xavier set down the coffee can on the counter.
“Answer me.”