Flight of Dragons

by Elianne Adams, Sadie Haller, Zoe York, Shelley Munro, Zara Keane, LC Alleyne, Skye Jones, Evanne Lorraine, Ann Gimpel

  Chapter 9

  Fire raced through him as Brycen fought to breathe through the pain. The impact had been hard. He’d broken a few bones, but those were already mending. What he needed to do—and couldn’t—was move. He had to get away from the hunters closing in on him. The poison-tipped arrows they used rendered dragons useless while still keeping their minds alert. But only for a short while. Given the chance, they would quarter him alive, and there was nothing he’d be able to do about it. He could only hope he’d flown fast and far enough to keep them from reaching him before he could defend himself again.

  Once the paralysis receded, the hallucinations would begin. He’d no longer be able to tell friend from foe. Dragons—men of honor—had been killed to keep the rest of the clan safe from the ensuing rage after an attack. And the way his dragon had surged in defense of Stella when the bastards had threatened to kill her, he knew the fury inside him would explode.

  All he could do was breathe through the pain, and hope time was on his side and he survived the coming attack. It wasn’t long before he scented the humans, so when leaves rustled to his left, followed by a snapping twig, he knew he was in trouble. Brycen tried to pick his head up off the ground, but it wouldn’t budge.

  The one Alexandra had named Trevor came into the clearing, his triumphant yell cutting through the quiet forest. He walked right up to Brycen’s snout, nudging it with his boot. The bastard acted brave, but the sour smell of his fear filled Brycen’s nostrils. He’d love nothing more than to whip his head up and chomp down on the coward. The fire in his gut built slowly, but it was coming. If by some miracle they didn’t carve him up right away and make him bleed out, he’d be able to defend himself again, and soon.

  The man sneered down at him. He angled his blade, lifting the edges of the scales at Brycen’s neck and sliced through the tough hide beneath. Not enough to do any real damage, or kill him, but enough that he felt the warm trickle of blood down the side of his neck.

  “You’re not so tough, are you, dragon, now that you’re on the ground at my feet?”

  Fury roiled inside him as the man stepped back and laughed, turning to his friends, bright red dragon blood glistening on his sword.

  Biding his time, Brycen concentrated on the anger, letting it build and churn until he had the strength to use it again. Already sensation was coming back. His arms and legs burned and tingled as feeling returned. Off to his right, the trees swayed from side to side as though dancing to some unheard music. Shit. Brycen closed his eyes for a moment, trying to dispel the vision. When he opened them again, the trees stood still. Giving in to the poison wasn’t an option. He had to keep his head on straight. A few minutes that’s all he’d have, so he had to make it count. Both his and Stella’s lives depended on it.

  Trevor didn’t look back, in fact, none of them did. A mistake they would soon regret. Brycen took a steadying breath, testing out his strength with a quick flick of his tail. It moved. Not much, but it moved.

  “Who wants to do the honors?” the man asked. “I’ll take the female when she comes.”

  Rage, stronger than he’d ever felt blasted through Brycen. In an instant, power surged through him. He ignored the pain as he shot to his feet and roared. The men around him scattered, some running toward the treeline while others scrambled to find the bows they had dropped a distance away, but it was too late.

  Brycen took several steps, and he was upon Trevor. The man swung his sword, slicing through the muscle and tissue on Brycen’s chest, but nothing would save him. When the man lifted his arm to swing again, the sword undulated in a serpentine way that had Brycen blinking and taking a step back. The flash of pain to his right wing when the blade sliced through had him roaring, and fire spewing from his mouth. The man let out a blood-curdling scream as the flames engulfed him. Brycen didn’t hesitate, clamping his teeth around the enemy’s chest. He shook him from side to side until the screaming stopped, and the man lay motionless in his grip.

  Heavy gusts of wind came at him from either side as two familiar dragons, one purple, one black, landed on the ground next to him. Working together, they found each hunter as they scattered and tried to get away. A few of them got as far as their bows, but none of them managed to get a single shot before one of the dragons was upon them. Only once their screams silenced, did Brycen face the other dragons.

  Expecting to find his friends, he roared. Who the hell had fought with him? The black dragon had not one, but two heads. Luke didn’t have two heads. The purple one shifted to the side, trying to get around him. He roared, warning them away. What did they want with him? Did they know about Stella? She-dragons, especially pure blooded ones, were rare. They had to be after her. Roaring, he stepped toward the black one. Dragon or no dragon, one head or two, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her. When a sharp pinch stung his leg, he roared again, ready to eliminate the threat, but it was too late, the world around him melted.

  ***

  Jace had come prepared, as he always did. Once Brycen had torn the hunters to shreds and had turned his fury toward his clan mates, he had been quick to stab him with the sedative that would allow him to heal and sleep off the hallucinogen. It needed to be done but damn it, that had left Stella alone for over two days. He couldn’t catch his breath for the pounding of his heart. He flew fast and hard, not caring who was around. If the humans saw him and got scared, it was too fucking bad. He didn’t care if he ripped his wounds open, or if his wing ever healed properly. All that mattered was getting back home to Stella. He should have fucking mated her when he’d had the chance, and begged forgiveness for not being more gentle with her. If she’d suffered through the change alone and wasn’t able to shift back, he’d never forgive himself, and she wouldn’t either.

  He landed in the street, shifting as he ran across the lawn to his front door.

  “Stella,” he screamed the moment he had the door open. He tore through the house, only slowing long enough to glance in every room. “Stella, answer me, damn it!” When he found each room empty, a note in the kitchen with something illegible on it, and her dress still draped over the chair in his room, he roared.

  “Shit. Where are you?” He grabbed the dress and brought it to his nose, inhaling her sweet scent. He didn’t need the reminder of how delicious she smelled. He would be able to track her anywhere, but it made him feel better, so he sniffed again.

  “Brycen! Jesus, fuck, man, you’re going to kill yourself flying like that,” Luke yelled.

  Luke and Jace would help him find her. Luke was a damned fine tracker. They all were, but Luke was the best of the best. Between them, there was no way they’d lose her trail. He grabbed some clothes and headed back to the front of the house.

  Chapter 10

  Blood soured the sweetness of Stella’s scent, making Brycen’s throat constrict. Small bloodied footsteps started a few blocks away, leading from the village center toward the outskirts. “She’s hurt.” Jace and Luke shared a glance, but neither said a word as they ran along with him. The footprints led to a small cottage. He didn’t bother looking for a key when he found the door locked, choosing to batter it down with his sore shoulder instead.

  “Stella!” He waited for her answer, but the house was silent. He was about to yell again when Jace rushed in.

  “Neighbor says she left yesterday. Says she walked toward the mountains. The woman tried talking to her, but Stella just kept walking. She hasn’t come back.”

  “Fuck.” As pretty as the mountains behind her cottage were, they were treacherous to climb. He grabbed two shirts from her dresser and threw them at the men so they would have her scent. “I’m flying. Keep tracking from below. I have a feeling the dragon took her up high.”

  Brycen stripped and knotted his clothes, hanging them from his neck as he ran out the door, shifting before he even reached her front lawn. He couldn’t care less if her neighbors saw him. He had to get to her, and fast. He left Luke and Jace to track on the ground, just in case his su
spicion was wrong, and she had ended up in the forest instead of the mountain.

  He’d searched three caves already, each one higher than the last, and hoped that he had finally found the right one.

  “Stella,” Brycen yelled as he shifted and ran into the cave. His heart hammered hard against his ribs. He had caught her scent about twenty feet down below. It was strong, maybe a little too strong. If she hadn’t shifted yet, it wouldn’t be long. Damn it. He couldn’t be too late.

  He rushed forward, not caring about the darkness. Once his eyes had adjusted, he’d be able to see as though it were the day. He listened for any sound to guide him to where she might be. “Stella! Answer me.” It was so faint, he almost missed it, but a soft panting sound came from deep inside the cavern. Either he’d cornered a frightened animal, or Stella was still there.

  Already he saw in shades of red. In another moment, he’d be able to make his way around with ease, but he couldn’t wait. Stella needed him. He should never have left her alone. Had he let Luke and Jace take care of the conniving bitch, he and Stella would have finished their mating, and she wouldn’t be in danger. Never again would he let anything or anyone get between them. That was if it wasn’t already too late.

  The scent of dragon filled the chamber. His jaw ached as he suppressed the need to shift—to go faster—but he held on to his control. He scanned the area, going from one side to the other, but she wasn’t there. He was about to turn back when he heard the small whimper coming from a dark alcove against the cave wall. He was next to her in seconds. She lay there with her clothing neatly stacked to the side as though even the touch of material was too much for her tender skin to tolerate. Her chest heaved with her small pants. She was still in human form. There was still hope.

  Falling to his knees beside her, Brycen brushed his fingers against her wet cheek. “I’m here. Please open your eyes for me, Stella.” He pushed her long hair from where it partially covered her face, exposing her neck. Dark purple scales shimmered just beneath her skin, ready to explode to the surface.

  She didn’t respond, didn’t acknowledge him at all.

  “Open your eyes,” he ordered. “Now.” He hated being so harsh with her, but Stella wasn’t in control anymore, the dragon was, and it wouldn’t respond to sweet words and soft caresses.

  The scales beneath her skin shuddered but did not recede.

  “As your mate, I demand that you open your eyes and listen to me,” he ordered again.

  “I. Can’t. Stop. It.” The sultry smoothness of her voice was gone, replaced by a rumbling growl. When her eyes popped open, they flashed between brilliant blue to gold and back again. She was losing the battle against the dragon. They had to complete the mating ritual. Otherwise, she’d never be able to shift to her human form again.

  “Listen to me, Stella. You’re not doing this. You’ve held on this long. You can hang on for a few more minutes.” He stood, and threw his bundled clothes next to hers. She looked up at him, and the shifting color of her eyes slowed so that they stayed blue for a few moments before going back to gold.

  “That’s right, sweetling. I’m here. Look at me. I’m going to take care of you.” He knelt down and took her into his arms, and leaned his forehead against hers before standing again. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I won’t make that mistake again. Not ever.”

  A spark of hunger burned in the gold depths of her eyes, sending burgeoning hope zipping through him. The dragon could be stubborn, and if she decided to refuse him, nothing he could do would make a difference.

  Her eyes flashed blue again, and she pressed her lips to his, tentative at first, getting bolder as he tunneled his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. He turned her so that her back was against the smooth rock and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing the length of his cock to her hot core. “Please, tell me you want this. Stella, I need to hear you say it.” A pained expression crossed her features, and Brycen wanted to roar.

  “I do. Please, make it stop,” she whispered, her voice cracking a little.

  “I swear I’ll make this up to you,” he promised. He positioned himself at her entrance, and filled her with one hard thrust. He didn’t budge for a heartbeat, reveling in the moist heat engulfing him.

  Stella closed her eyes, moaning as he started to move. More than anything he wished he could have better prepared her, but they didn’t have the time. He slid his cock out, only to drive it back in again, careful to keep her from slamming against the rock behind her. He’d never forgive himself if he hurt her any more than she’d already been.

  The dragon inside him surged forward. His skin stung with the scales poking to get out. The small contractions already starting deep inside her had him moaning. Already too close to losing control, he pulled himself back, not enough to piss off her dragon, but to rein his in. He would have to take her like a fucking beast, but he’d hold on for as long as he could.

  More than anything, he wanted her pleasure rippling through her as he laid his final claim on her. Neither his, or her, dragon needed it, but the human side of him did. Reaching between them, he circled her clit, stroking and teasing it as he continued pounding inside her. Her muscles rippled around his cock as she dug her nails into his shoulders, the sting bringing him closer to the edge. When he looked down, she had her eyes closed, and her mouth gaped open. Already, the shift had begun. Her teeth, usually perfectly blunt, had sharp, pointed tips. They could tear and rend—or mark her mate.

  Brycen pulled her closer, pressing her against him. Her hardened nipples scraped against his chest, and he moaned again. Later he would ravish them along with the rest of her. He’d spend every day worshiping every part of her, but only if he could finish the ritual.

  He tilted his pelvis, as he drove inside her again. A rumbling growl followed her soft keening wail. The dragon was close. His heart raced, and for the first time in his life, Brycen bared his neck to another dragon, getting no resistance from the beast inside him. This time, he would gladly take her bite. He would leave himself vulnerable to allow her to stake her claim.

  “I’m ready to be your mate. Claim me, mark me as your own,” he demanded as he kept thrusting into her.

  The sharp edges of her teeth scraped against the skin of his shoulder, and he shuddered. His cock swelled inside her, and he was lost. Nothing had ever prepared him for the sizzling heat racing in his veins, or the pleasure streaking through him, as his dragon rose up to meet hers.

  When she started to move with him, thrusting down onto him as he thrust up, his teeth pointed.

  Stella half moaned, half growled when he removed his finger from her clit, but not for long as he gripped a handful of her hair in his fist. Her pussy clenched around him, so he tugged a little harder.

  “Brycen…”

  “Do it, Stella.” He pounded harder and harder, scraping his knuckles against the stone behind her head with every thrust. He didn’t care if he broke every damned bone in his hand, as long as when they were done, she was his—forever. Brycen tilted his head to the side again, exposing his neck. He hissed as her nails dug into the skin of his back. Faster, and harder, he drove into her. Each sexy whimper and growl slipping past her lips made his cock throb inside her. When her hot breath skimmed across his shoulder, he moaned and tilted his head a little more. He held his breath as the sharp points of her teeth pressed into his skin. One moment of scorching pain, then nothing but white-hot pulsing pleasure radiated from his neck and shoulder where she bit him straight to his cock.

  Brycen didn’t hold back—he couldn’t. Harder and harder, he slammed into her, until her pussy quivered around him, tightening and releasing in spasms so tight, he could hardly stand it.

  “Claim mate.” His dragon roared into his mind. “Claim her now.”

  For once, Brycen had no desire to restrain the beast, and relinquished his control, knowing the dragon would take care of Stella just as surely as he would.

  The moment Stella tore her mo
uth from his skin, Brycen tugged her hair, baring her neck, then claimed her as his.

  Stella screamed as she shattered. Her pussy clenched and released him over and over. The pleasure rushing through him was more than he could take. When her orgasm started to wane, he thrust one last time, losing himself in her. He stayed there, with his teeth clamped to her neck, and her body wrapped around his for as long as he could, and would have stayed there longer had she not started wiggling beneath him.

  Chapter 11

  Stella tried to move, but she couldn’t. Brycen’s body pinned her to the cold stone. As uncomfortable as she was, she couldn’t help but smile against his neck. “I can’t breathe,” she wheezed out. “Maybe we can go home to snuggle?”

  Brycen growled and nipped at her neck, a sweet, playful bite that had her heart racing and her body pulsing again. “I don’t know if I can make it that far. How about if we change spots instead?”

  He didn’t wait for her to respond before he brought her down to the cave floor so that she was lying on top of him.

  “There, much better.” He slid his hand down her spine and back up again, his touch gentle, but purposeful. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m…” Deep inside, the dragon stretched and in an instant, it surged forward, stronger than ever. She thought that once mated the dragon would settle, but if anything, it seemed to be clamoring to get out even harder than before. Her skin itched all over and in her chest, heat churned, making it hard for her to breathe.

  “Brycen?” She hated sounding so panicked, but what if the mating hadn’t taken? She pushed up on his chest and looked at her arms. The scales were back, and try as she might to keep them from popping out, they came closer to the surface.