by Anna Lewis
His tongue wound around hers and she swore that it shouldn’t be that expert, that skillful. Maria moaned and kissed him back, groaning softly against his lips. She moved so that she could feel more of him, feel the tight, hard warmth of his muscles, the way he shifted against her. His arms moved, circling her waist. One hand moved to stroke her hair, strong fingers tangling in it firmly and making her gasp. Her shirt was riding up, exposing her lower back, her curves beneath the fabric. Maria felt the buttons bunching and straining and she blushed, tugging down her shirt.
Lucas’s hands caught hers and pulled them away. His hands were on her shirt, undoing the buttons like they were nothing at all. Her blouse fell open, revealing her lacy underwear, the curve of her breasts and her navel, the way she had goosebumps all over her skin from the electricity of his touch.
Then Lucas was pushing her onto the bed, kissing her neck, his weight pushing into her. Maria was moaning and squirming beneath him. His breath, hot and deep, was running all over her skin as his hands slipped around and played with the clasp of her bra.
“Do you want this?” His voice was husky and low and suddenly, Maria felt like she would die if she didn’t have him right now.
“Yes.” She trembled as she spoke the word, her eyes falling shut as she bit her lip. Then the clasp of her bra was undone, and she was shifting beneath him, squirming out of her blouse and her bra. Maria’s hands tugged at his jacket, pulling up his shirt, wanting to feel his skin as much as he was feeling hers.
She moaned as her breasts hit the cool air, her nipples hardening invitingly as she did. She tangled her hands in the white cotton of his shirt, determined to pull it over his head and see more of the toned muscles beneath.
Lucas shrugged off his jacket, then tugged off his shirt, and Maria bit her lip at the sight. Gorgeous. Toned abs and tight muscles that seemed to go on forever. He was a big man, strong and tall and broad in every way. The way he moved, though, with a sort of predatory grace, made her shiver. His eyes were flashing and Maria reached out, her hands finding his shoulders for support.
He chuckled, a low sound, and Maria gasped as he shifted, his lips kissing a trail down her skin. When they found her breasts, Maria bit her lip, trying not to make a sound. A soft moan still escaped her and she gasped with pleasure. He felt incredible, and all consuming, and it was getting harder and harder to think straight, to focus past the twisting pleasure in her stomach.
Her head was spinning and she felt dizzy. It was almost like the first time she had been on the back of his bike, the wind flying through her hair. It was freeing, it was terrifying, and it was blissful. Maria gasped, her hands grabbing his blond hair.
He groaned softly and she shivered, thrilling at the sound. His hands tugged at her pants, undoing the buttons and lifting her hips so that he could pull the fabric from under her. She gasped as she was left in nothing but her lacy panties.
She blushed as he looked down at her, a fire in his gaze, threatening to burn her to the ground. She shivered, feeling the heat trickle down her body, spreading to the place between her thighs.
Damp heat overwhelmed her and she moaned softly, wiggling her hips. Lucas didn’t need any more of an invitation. He pulled the fabric down over her thighs. This time, he took things slowly and Maria blushed as his gaze took in every part of her naked body, resting against the sheets. She was sure that she looked a mess, but his eyes were rapt, his attention glued to her.
Maria gasped as he parted her legs, pulling them gently away from each other. She was lost in the stormy color of his eyes, the way his breathing came in quick, deep pants. He shifted, lips back on her skin, on her neck, making her gasp and writhe beneath him.
When she felt his fingers pushing at her entrance, Maria almost cried out. She bit her lip and moaned, squirming as he slowly pushed inside her. She knew she felt tight around him and she gasped at the sensation.
The burning heat was crawling up her skin, burning within her core and making her groan and gasp. She arched as he thrust his fingers inside her a little further, just a little more. It was too much for Maria and she trembled.
It was overwhelming and all consuming. The fear and pain and panic of the day felt like it was fading into nothing, nothing at all. She knew that she had problems, had things she should be worrying about, concerning herself about, but at the moment, she just couldn’t focus on what they were.
All she could see was his eyes, the hard knots of muscle as he moved, the smirk that pulled at the corners of his mouth. All she could smell was the smoky, burnt smell that somehow smelled so incredibly sexy. All she could feel was his body against hers. His fingers pushing and staying within her. She moaned and gasped, everything a blur.
It was too much. He felt incredible and she couldn’t stop the soft gasp that left her, “More!”
He obliged, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest, “With pleasure.”
Then his fingers were leaving her, pulling out and making her gasp. Maria didn’t get much of a chance to breathe, to consider, to shift. All she got was the feeling of his breath on her neck and the feeling of him pressing against her.
Then he was pushing within her and Maria almost screamed. He was so big, more than she had ever felt before. He was strong and he gripped her firmly, holding Maria in place as she squirmed and writhed and he slowly pushed his girth within her.
Maria almost exploded with pleasure right there and then. Her body was trembling, her mind was blank, she couldn’t think much beyond the fact that he was huge and he was amazing and that she never wanted this to end.
It didn’t matter if she was human and he was a dragon shifter. It didn’t matter that her parent’s clan wanted her to do the unspeakable. None of that mattered, because she was with Lucas and he was moving in a way that called little moans from her throat.
He thrust and Maria moaned loudly. Then his lips were on her and she felt the heat passing between them. Sweat beaded on his skin and Maria felt a flush working its way up her body, up her neck. It resonated from her core, from the overwhelming heat between her legs.
Lucas thrust harder, his hands on her breasts, his lips kissing her more passionately than Maria had ever imaged possible. The scent of smoke and danger, the feeling of his strong body against hers, the way he rocked in rhythm.
Maria shifted her hips, gasping as the friction sent shivers down her spine, bringing her so very close to the overwhelming pleasure. She moaned and Lucas obliged, pushing in harder and deeper.
Pleasure clouded Maria’s vision and she couldn’t help but moan loudly as she climaxed. She gripped Lucas so hard, feeling the strength of his body against her, the way he groaned and gasped. She moaned, every part of her body shivering and trembling as she was lost to the pleasure.
Lucas climaxed soon after, a shuddering feeling as he held her even tighter, like he never wanted to let her go.
And in his embrace, trembling from pleasure and gasping for air, Maria found that she didn’t want him to let her go.
She never wanted to leave.
* * *
“What are you going to do?” Maria looked over at Lucas with a worried expression on her face.
Lucas was staring at the ground, the wind whipping the tent around them. “You should go.”
“What?” Maria’s eyes widened in surprise. Whatever she had been expecting, that was not it. Lucas glanced at Maria with serious eyes.
“Go. You were brought here against your will, and I won’t blame you if you want no part of this.”
Maria frowned, considering his words. “So you’re happy for me to go?”
“Jake’s obviously keeping a lot from us.” He frowned deeply. “Why should I listen to his orders?”
Maria felt warmth flood her chest. She rested a hand on Lucas’s arm, “I’ll stay.” Even as she said the words, she realized how true they were. She wanted to stay here with Lucas. Her old life seemed too far away already, even though only a few days had passed. The temptation to drown in th
is new freedom was overwhelming and Maria couldn’t help but jump straight into it.
Lucas looked at her with obvious surprise, shaking his head slowly, “I don’t understand you.”
“If you love someone let them go, huh?” Maria laughed, her eyes sparkling as she watched him move.
He smiled and nodded. “Stay clear, though, okay? This won’t be pretty.” He turned and took her hands in his own, looking at her seriously, “If something happens to me, get the hell out of here. We’re only a few miles from the nearest town.”
Maria felt anxiety curl in her stomach, but she nodded slowly, “Of course.” She smiled, a tentative smile, “But nothing’s going to happen to you.”
He smirked and suddenly he was all easy confidence and ego again, “Of course not.” He stood, rising to his feet and stretching his limbs, “Just a friendly chat, anyway.” He grinned.
Then he grabbed Maria and kissed her, his lips searing hers and lingering. It felt like it was burning into her skin, and she felt shaky and tingly all over. Even though it had been over an hour since they were last intimate, Maria still felt very shaky about it all.
She stared into Lucas’s blue eyes, losing herself in the moment. He stroked her hair and she held him tighter. She wanted to call out to him, to insist that they grab his bike and ride off together, just the two of them and no one else. No clubs, or gangs, or false loyalty. No lies. Just Lucas and Maria and the open sky soaring above them.
Before she could gather the words, he had turned and was moving towards Jake’s tent. Maria moved a little closer, watching with baited breath and trying to stay out of sight, just like Lucas had advised.
The clouds seemed to roar, a low rumble of thunder on the horizon. The day had changed so quickly. Maria gazed at the sky and wondered, hoped, prayed. She thought she would be waiting forever, but things seemed to move far quicker than that around here.
“What the hell do you mean, for the good of the club?!” Lucas’s voice came like thunder from the tent. The flap was thrown open and Jake stormed out, Lucas hot on his heels.
“Answer me!”
Jake rounded on him. “I don’t have to answer to you! I’m in charge, so know your place,” he hissed, a dangerous sound. Maria could see the tension rippling through them both, hidden power that seemed to pull just below the surface.
“You’re lying to everyone!” Lucas’s voice was loud enough to be heard by almost everyone in the camp, and it didn’t take them long to start watching.
“Lying? Protecting everyone from the scum of the dragon hunters!” He hissed, “From humans.”
“You landed the first blow! You asked for this war! No one else here wanted it.”
“You don’t know what you want!” Jake looked furious now, the veins throbbing in his neck. Maria could see them even from where she was standing.
At this, Lucas lost his cool. Maria didn’t even see it coming—she barely saw it happen at all. Lucas launched himself at Jake, grabbing him by the jacket and slamming him into the dirt. His fist connected with Jake, and Jake roared in anger.
The blows came hard and fast, both of them quick and skilled fighters. People were backing away and it wasn’t until Jake started to shift, that Maria realized why. She realized why they rode on these big, abandoned roads, why Lucas had told her to stay back, why dragon shifters were dangerous.
The ground was shaking, a literal tremble across the dirt. Jake was shifting; with a roar, he threw himself at Lucas, his size changing and morphing into something huge and deadly and dangerous. It sent shivers down Maria’s spine. Magnificent.
He was huge, towering over Lucas in a way that made Maria long to run out and help him, snatch him away from this madness. The fleeting desire didn’t last long. Jake wasn’t the only one with this ability and Lucas wasted no time in joining Jake in shifting.
It was terrifying and majestic all at once. While Jake was ugly and gnarled, a dragon with scars and dark scales, Lucas was something else entirely. He rose above the land with great beats of his wings. His scales were shimmering a gorgeous white, interlaced with the blue of his eyes. Maria felt like she could tell a dragon based on who they were as a human, and it thrilled her to see Lucas like this, in all his glory.
Disbelief gave way to awe, terror following soon after as Jake launched himself at Lucas. It was chaos. Everyone was moving out of the way, but Maria could only stand and stare at the smoking landscape as fire was billowing from them and desecrated the landscape below. It was gorgeous, it was terrifying, and it was everything that Maria had never dared to let herself dream about.
Claws and teeth, roars of power and fire that could melt the land. And yet Maria couldn’t move, even when the heat reared up and threatened to drown her in all its fury. This was like nothing she had ever seen and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
It was a fierce fight, but she knew who would win. She knew who would be the victor. Lucas was relentless, and he fought with a ferocity that Jake in all his cruelty just couldn’t match. Lucas fought for the good of everyone and Jake fought only for himself.
It was only when Lucas landed a devastating blow that sliced through Jake’s scales that Jake backed off. He screeched, an inhuman sound, and roared in anger, before he lifted into the air and flew out of sight. Maria shivered, in shock, as she watched Jake fly into the distance.
It all happened so suddenly, so quickly that Maria could barely take it in. But she didn’t have to. She just needed to be at Lucas’s side. She turned and ran. Ran across the plains, between the bikes and tents, where no one dared to go. She ran closer and closer to the towering form of Lucas, her heart pounding, her lungs aching.
Everyone stayed back, but as Lucas roared, a cheer broke out amongst the club, everyone yelling at the top of their lungs. Maria didn’t hear it, didn’t hear anything but the pounding of blood in her ears.
She didn’t stop until she reached his side. She ignored the cracked and charred earth, ignored the towering danger, ignored it all, until her hands fell on his skin, running over the shimmering scales, that shone in the light, blue and pale, and white and on fire all at once. Magical, majestic.
So much power. A shudder ran through her and she shut her eyes, everything rushing through her in one fell swoop and leaving her giddy. She clung to him, held on so tightly. Maria barely noticed when he shifted. It was only when his arms came to rest around her that she looked up.
Lucas was smirking back at her. He was streaked with soot, but his eyes glimmered brightly. Maria held on tightly and didn’t think about the crowd when she kissed him, passionate and unreserved.
He was alive. He was alive and he was safe and Jake was gone. Maria’s heart swelled with happiness, an unbreakable feeling that she was right where she belonged, that she was exactly where she needed to be and that nothing and no one could ever change that.
He smelled more like smoke than ever, and when he lifted her into his arms, she didn’t bother to protest.
“Council tonight,” Lucas shouted, his voice echoing and strong, victorious and triumphant. He had won and no one seemed to want to argue that fact. She had a feeling that Jake had been hated, because Lucas was being hailed as the new leader without a moment of hesitation or explanation.
Or maybe that’s just how it worked. Maria didn’t know and she didn’t care. Jake was gone, Lucas was safe and everything was right in her world.
Lucas took her back to the tent and set her down on the bed. She sat up immediately, looking at him keenly. “Are you hurt?” She narrowed her eyes, the question burning through her. She would have asked earlier, but she wasn’t in the mood to fuss in front of everyone.
He shrugged and Maria looked at him sternly, “That was a big fight.”
“Bruises, cuts, nothing fatal,” He murmured, pulling her into his arms. She relaxed against him, nodding.
“You should still get that checked.”
“By who?” he smirked. “You want to play nurse?”
She pushed
him away playfully and he smiled. “Get some rest, okay?” He glanced outside. “I have to talk with everyone, settle the mess that Jake has made. I’ll be back with dinner.”
Maria nodded, feeling too tired to care. She didn’t know how Lucas was managing it, after such a huge fight. Maria could barely keep her eyes open. She attributed it to the stamina of dragons, and closed her eyes.
As Lucas stepped out of the tent, a little thrill ran through Maria. Dragon! She was with a dragon shifter, an honest to goodness dragon. It was nothing like she had ever imagined. She had expected increased speed and strength, maybe a reptilian appearance, but not that.
Not a dragon that towered over her, breathed fire and roared through plumes of smoke and shimmering scales. Maria realized that she couldn’t decide when Lucas looked better, as a man or as a dragon.
She laughed, the sound happy in her chest. Everything seemed too far away now, the painful death of her parents, the agony of the dragon hunters, the dull thudding of her boring, ordinary life. It all fell away and something far more beautiful took its place.
She could hear Lucas outside, speaking in a strong, commanding voice and she realized that she was proud to be with him, proud to be with a dragon shifter, a biker, a man with more courage than she would have ever imagined.
He’d defied orders, set her free, kept her safe, loved her with passion, and was still taking care of her, even now.
He was everything that she wanted, but she just hadn’t realized it. Hadn’t admitted it to herself. Her parents would have loved him as a man, hated him as a dragon, and she didn’t think Lucas would have cared. She certainly didn’t.
As Maria closed her eyes, she found herself drifting into sleep, a sleep more peaceful and pleasant than she had had in years.
And outside, the sound of Lucas’s voice kept her feeling safe, kept her feeling content. She fell asleep in the den of the dragon. And she was loving every single minute of it.