The Dragon Shifter’s Duty

by Roth, Mandy M.

  Ezra tossed his arms out to each side of him and grabbed the bed sheets. His dragon pushed up and forced him to have to fight for control of it—taking his mind off coming for the moment.

  He struggled with his beast as he watched his mate sucking him, her head going up and down, giving him pleasure. “H-Holland.”

  She used one hand to begin to work the lower portion of his cock, adding to the bliss she’d already created. She popped her mouth off his dick, her gaze going to his arms. “Does that hurt?”

  Did what hurt?

  Ezra followed her gaze and nearly pushed her from him as he realized his arms were partially shifted—scales dotting the length of them. She wasn’t freaking out at the sight of him in bed with her, his dragon peeking through, so he decided it was best to avoid losing his mind. “No. It’s part of me. Does it scare you?”

  Her answer came in the form of her taking his cock into her mouth once more, her teeth grazing his shaft just enough to send him over the edge of control. Ezra nearly reached for her head, but stopped, remembering he was partially shifted. He didn’t want to hurt her. Instead, he tossed his head back, the muscles in his neck straining as he fought in vain to hold off his impending orgasm.

  His cock erupted, and Holland kept her mouth on him, swallowing what he offered, never missing a beat as she continued to move her head up and down.

  “Arghh.” Ezra dug his talons into the top of the bed, knowing he was tearing it to shit, but he didn’t care.

  Holland lifted her head from his dick and sat up. She wiped the back of her hand over her full lips. “Mmm, I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.”

  “Fuck,” he said hoarsely. “Woman, I’m not sure I can handle you ever doing that again. My legs are shaking.”

  She grinned wide. “That’s good, right?”

  A shaky laugh tore free from him. “It’s fucking great.”

  Holland stood and headed to the table of food he’d had brought up for her. She lifted a bowl of fruit and popped a piece into her mouth. The juice ran down her chin, and Ezra’s dragon picked then to rush through him, giving him a burst of energy. His arms and hands returned to human form, and he shot up and off the bed, going at his woman quickly.

  She gasped as he caught her around the waist and lifted her in the air. Unable to wait a second longer, Ezra lined up the head of his cock with her entrance, desperately hoping she was ready for him because he didn’t have an ounce of spare control left.

  The time had come.

  He was going to claim her.

  He found her pussy wet and welcoming. He drove home, sliding into her in one fluid motion. She cried out, and he captured her mouth with his—the taste of fruit on her lips.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and Ezra pumped in and out of her, walking her toward the bed as he did. She was so tight, so perfect, that he wasn’t sure he’d last long even though he’d only just found release.

  She did this to him.

  She unhinged his control—something he’d spent centuries perfecting.

  Holland countered his thrusts, her hands on the sides of his face as they kissed.

  He laid her out on the bed, staying deep in her, his body over hers as he plunged deeper. He propped himself above her, his lips locked with hers, his cock buried to the hilt in her hot, wet body.

  Holland’s nails dug into his upper chest, drawing blood. The smell of it excited his dragon, and it pushed upward. Ezra knew the time had come. He broke the kiss and stilled above Holland.

  “Mine,” he said, knowing his eyes were now swirling colors.

  Holland’s did the same—her gaze going from brown to orange. “Yes.”

  He struggled to keep his mouth in human form to be able to speak. “You have to say it back and then…then I bite you. We share blood…”

  She touched his upper chest, coming away with blood on her fingertips. She slipped her bloodied fingers into her mouth and then said, “Mine.”

  Ezra let his teeth change forms as he pumped into her once more, grinding her into the bed so hard that the headboard slammed into the wall repeatedly. He lowered his head and lined his mouth up with the top of her left breast. He bit down, and the second her coppery, rich blood filled his mouth, he felt it—the ties that would forever bind them forming.

  It was as if someone had taken strings and wrapped them around his heart, pulling and connecting the organ to her. He felt the same in return from her, and Ezra lost it then—his ball sac drawing up a second before he shot seed into her, bathing her womb. Shaking, he remained above her as he continued to jet seed into her body. He licked the spot he’d bitten and watched as it healed over quickly.

  Holland’s still-orange gaze locked on him and she looked panicked. “Help me.”

  Confused, he first thought he was hurting her, and he nearly withdrew. When he sensed it then—through their connection—her loss of control coming, he pushed into her deeper and lowered his head, his lips finding hers.

  He kissed away her worry.

  For a brief second, the air around him crackled, and he could smell the pending fire. He kissed his mate more.

  I love you, and I’m right here, Sweet Pea.

  She ran her hands into his hair as she kissed him back with desperation.

  I love you, too.

  Ezra froze and blinked down at his woman. She’d done it. She’d linked to him mentally—like she’d done when she was in danger. Her eyes were brown once more, and she grinned up at him.

  When he realized what she’d said down their mental pathway, his chest tightened.

  You love me?

  Of course I do, Newt. Don’t be an asshole.

  Ezra laughed. “No promises.”

  Someone pounded on the door to the room, and Ezra withdrew from his wife. He caught the scent of Donnie and yanked a blanket up and over Holland, covering her naked form a half-second before the door to the room burst open.

  Donnie and Russell stumbled into the room.

  Russell looked as if he were trying to stop Donnie, but failing. “Dude, he’s not murdering her. He’s claiming her. I…shit. Hi, guys.”

  Ezra stood there, totally naked, his cock hard and wet, his gaze firm. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the men. “For real, you two?”

  Russell pointed to Donnie. “He thought you were killing her.”

  Donnie stared up at the ceiling, and Ezra knew it was because he wanted to give Holland privacy. Donnie had been out cold when they’d gotten him to the safe house. Ezra had treated the man, tending to his injuries, and making sure everything would heal fully. Seeing that Donnie’s first concern upon waking was for Holland, he liked the man a little more in that moment. He’d managed to make it past a powerful Fae male, in the beat-up condition he was in after being tortured, to make sure Holland was safe, and then didn’t want to see her naked.

  “I didn’t kill her,” said Ezra sternly.

  “Yeah, well, uh, sounded like you did,” said Donnie, still refusing to look away from the ceiling.

  Holland’s laughs filled the room. “Three hotties in here at once, all while I’m wearing what I was born in. Cool. Anyone up for a foursome?”

  Russell’s eyes widened, and he put his hands up, looking very afraid of Ezra. “Dude, she’s kidding. Don’t rip my head off or barbecue me.”

  “Oh, I know her warped sense of humor. Lucky for you.”

  Donnie paled. “We’re going. I just, well, I had to be sure you were okay, Holland.”

  “I’m good, Irish,” said Holland with a giggle. “Numb from the waist down, but good.”

  Donnie paled more. “We’re going now. Uh, carry on.”

  They left the room and tried, unsuccessfully, to get the splintered door to remain shut. Ezra walked over, grabbed a dresser and yanked it against the door to keep it closed. He then turned and lifted a brow. “Foursome? Really?”

  She laughed. “No worries, Newt. You’re all the man I can handle.”

  He shook
his head, moving back to the side of the bed. He bent and touched her cheek tenderly. “Wife, you’re more woman than I can ever dream of handling.”

  “Sweet. Wait? Wife?” she questioned. “It’s done? We’re officially mated now?”

  “We are,” he said. He debated on saying any more on the matter but realized he didn’t have much choice. The physician side of him knew far more about mated pairs and sex than most. “Sweet-pea, I came in you.”

  “Yes. I know. And you’re currently coming out of me, all over the bed. Geesh, Ezra, how much did you shoot up there?”

  He snorted. “A lot.”

  “Listen to me a second here. Children are rare for supernaturals and only tend to happen between mated pairs. That being said, my kind—dragon-shifters—don’t reproduce even a fraction of the amount other shifters do. So children are rare for us.”

  “You’re saying we probably won’t be parents,” she said, watching him closely. “Okay. I mean. When we’re ready for all that, we can look at adoption.”

  He was about to agree with her when he caught a change in her natural scent. It was more than just her wearing his mark now. Far more.

  His eye widened. “No fucking way.”

  Holland gasped. “Ezra, I was almost adopted by a wonderful woman. She was a nurse at the mental hospital I was at, and she was great. Do not tell me you’re against adoption.”

  “What?” he asked, barely following, his focus on her scent.

  “After you killed my father and left me at the hospital, I already told you I was put into a mental—”

  He nearly blurted what he suspected, but stopped, her words rushing over him. The man he’d killed all those years ago had been her father? For some reason, he’d always assumed it was a foster father or a boyfriend to her mother. He never dreamed it had been her father. “Holland, I killed your father?”

  “Yes,” she said, no emotion in her voice. “Thank you for that, by the way.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “I was too little to understand how to do it myself, and he did try to set me on fire. So thanks for doing what had to be done.”

  Ezra sat on the edge of the bed. “That night, I smelled another body there. Was that your mother?”

  “No. She died giving birth to me. He used to say that her desire to have me was what led to me being a demon.” She lowered her head. “The woman who died the night of the fire was my father’s live-in girlfriend. She was as sick and twisted as he was. I wasn’t sorry to see her go, either.”

  Ezra took a deep breath, taking in all of what she was saying. He then thought about what he could smell on Holland now. He met her gaze. “Did your father ever say anything about testing or experiments that your mother might have subjected herself to?”

  She nodded. “Yes. He talked about them a lot. Said she did some study or research thing with the government on women who were special, but couldn’t conceive.”

  Ezra stiffened. He’d heard of the tests. “Holland, I’m guessing your mother was helped along with her pregnancy.”

  “How do you mean?”

  He sighed. “The night of the fire—I couldn’t smell anything tying you to the man outside. What I’m saying is, my dragon couldn’t pick up on scents that would indicate a biological—genetic—relationship between you and the man. And it’s painfully obvious your mother was the supernatural in the situation. She wouldn’t have been able to produce a child with a human. And trust me when I say, he was fully human.”

  She appeared confused. “So he wasn’t my real father?”

  “No.”

  A smile broke over her face. “Thank the gods. He was such crazy tool.”

  Ezra snorted. “Sweet Pea, you are very odd.”

  “Thanks.”

  “There’s more.”

  She eyed him cautiously. “Go on.”

  He took a deep breath. “I can smell a change on you.”

  “Because I’m your wife now? Is that what you’re smelling?”

  He centered his gaze lower on her. “Actually….”

  She gasped. “Newt!”

  He bit his lower lip. “About that whole, ‘It’s harder for my kind to reproduce’ talk I gave you—ignore it. Avoid alcohol, and should you experience any morning sickness, please remember, I burst into a burning house for you. So don’t kill me.”

  Holland slapped his arm lightly. “Not funny. We can’t possibly be expecting already.”

  He cringed.

  “Newt.”

  “I love you. I should get our stuff in order. My contact, Alim, should be by with papers for you and then we’ll go ahead and fly back to the states.”

  “Oh, nice change of subject,” she snapped.

  “I thought so.”

  “You do realize I’m going to get fat very soon, right?”

  Ezra drew the blanket from her naked form and stared down at her stomach. He pictured it swelling with his child and couldn’t help but smile.

  Groaning, Holland pushed on his forehead. “Dork. I can see how happy that makes you.”

  He locked gazes with her. “I’m just over fifteen hundred years old, Holland.”

  Her jaw dropped.

  “That is how long I’ve wandered around this earth, alone, always thinking I’d never have a wife or a family. Then you came along.”

  “Newt.”

  He waited to be yelled at for getting her pregnant so quickly. “Yes?”

  She winked. “I was just giving you a hard time. I want a family with you. You’re going to be an amazing father—though, you should probably not kill people in front of our kids or cuss. Or, well, we’ll make a list.”

  He grinned. “Okay, dear.”

  “And, Newt?”

  He took her hand in his. “Yes?”

  “You look really fucking good for your age. How about you climb back up here and show me how young at heart you are.”

  Laughing, Ezra did just that.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ezra wrapped his arms around his wife as she stood before him in the large conference room of PSI Division B Headquarters. She’d spent the first hour upon their arrival asking endless questions, and while she understood she could never write or report on what she’d discovered about supernaturals. She was still curious by nature.

  He loved that about her.

  He loved everything about her.

  He kissed the back of her head as his fingers lazily drew small circles on her stomach. The idea of getting his hopes up about becoming a father only to have them dashed had weighed heavily upon him on their journey back to the states. It hadn’t been his intention to hover, but he’d realized he’d been doing just that to Holland. Part of it was because his mate had a tendency to attract trouble.

  I really hope she stops being a magnet for chaos.

  She placed her hands over his and glanced back at him. “You’re doing it again, Newt.”

  He chuckled. They were new to being able to hear each other’s thoughts, and he hadn’t gotten used to shielding his feelings from her. He didn’t doubt he was currently leaking concern all over her. When he’d gotten her to the labs at PSI—some of the best in the world—he’d subjected her to a number of tests, wanting to be sure she was safe and well.

  PSI had a staff full of incredibly talented medical personnel. That didn’t stop Ezra from insisting on being the one who handled all of the tests Holland was given. His wife had reached her breaking point with his worrying and had kicked him out of the medical wing—allowing Dr. James Hagen to take over.

  Ezra had known the man for decades and trusted him fully. That being said, he wasn’t about to take any chances when it came to his mate. He looked at James as the man stood there with a handheld electronic tablet. “Well?”

  Holland groaned. “Do I have to make you leave again?”

  He stiffened, holding her tighter against his frame. He bunched the front of her floral dress slightly. “I’ll behave.”

  James tried, but failed to h
ide his snicker. The man had the decency to pretend he was still looking over the test results, rather than listening to what Ezra and Holland were discussing. When James glanced up, his expression was one Ezra had worn countless times in his past—when he was about to deliver news he wasn’t sure the patient would want to hear.

  His breath caught and he began to pray to every god he could think of. “What is it? Is she okay? I’ll teach her to control what she can do. I won’t let it hurt her. I won’t let her hurt anyone else either. Tell me she’s all right.”

  Holland shook her head and pried herself from Ezra’s hold. She turned and faced him. “Newt, I need you to pull it together here. You’re freaking me out.”

  James didn’t bother to hide his laugh this time around. “Relax, Newt.”

  Ezra did his best to keep his temper in check with the man.

  Focusing on Holland once more, James offered a warm smile. “Holland, your well-meaning mate who can’t help but panic right now, because it’s what we mated males do in regards to our women, told me about your father. Ezra told me that his dragon side couldn’t pick up on any biological links to you and the man.”

  Holland nodded. “Don’t tell me he really was my dad. He wasn’t a good man, Dr. Hagen.”

  “Recently, PSI was able to secure a large amount of data from a place that is sort of like our dark counterpart. They don’t try to do the right thing. They do all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.”

  Ezra’s gut tightened.

  Holland squared her shoulders. “Hit me, Doc. I can take the news that the jerk really was my father. I’ve thought as much all these years as it was.”

  James shook his head. “He wasn’t.”

  “How can you be sure? It’s not like you have any of his DNA to test,” Holland said. “You only have Ezra’s word that he didn’t smell a link. Not that I doubt his dragon or anything.”

  James lifted a hand, silencing Holland. “We do have the man’s information on file. We have it because the Corporation had it.”