Dragon Fire (The Forbidden Love Series)

by Danielle James

  “Arora,” Poseidon breathed. “You came quickly.”

  The mermaid walked on her borrowed legs to sit herself in Poseidon’s throne. It had been a gift from Poseidon, the ability to walk in his palace. “Of course I did. You called. I’m surprised it took you so long.” She crossed those long legs in front of her, giving the Sea God a great view of her silky skin.

  He drank in the sight of her. Milky white skin, perfectly toned arms, perky breasts, platinum blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She was the most beautiful creature to ever grace the sea. His cock hardened immediately behind his robes.

  “I’m happy to see you too,” Arora said, looking pointedly at the tent in his robe. “Is this what you have called me for?”

  Poseidon went to her. “Our son. He has taken up with a dragon who is also half vampire.”

  “Oh, what a combination!” Arora said gleefully. “She must be very powerful and a dragon, how… interesting.”

  “She is beneath him!” he growled. “I tried to raise him right, but for a century he has rebelled against me.”

  “Beneath him? Why? Because she is not a god? Or because you have other plans for her and if he loves her that would be detrimental to your plans? Am I beneath you?” the mermaid asked him.

  “Of course not,” Poseidon breathed, kneeling in front of her and lowering his head to rest on her bare leg. He ignored the part about having a different plan for the dragon. “You are…” He did not finish the statement. He could never admit how important she was to him, that she was all he could think of, day and night. He could never admit how he needed her or how he missed her.

  “I am what?” she asked, stroking the back of his head.

  “You are perfect,” Poseidon mumbled. He turned his head and kissed the skin of her knee.

  “Why then, have you denied me the chance to raise our son?”

  “You know that he can never know you.” He kissed her again, higher on her thigh.

  “That is a silly, antiquated notion, Poseidon. A boy needs his mother.”

  “Not my boy, and he is grown.” The kisses became open mouth and laced with heat. He ran his hands up her thighs and grasped her hips.

  Arora sighed. “Perhaps it is time that I help you,” she suggested. “Without giving away who I am.”

  Poseidon nodded and pushed her legs apart. Oh how he missed her. Her taste had been forever branded on his tongue and to taste her again was like nectar to him. Addictive. He couldn’t tell her that the reason she could not be around was not because of their son, but because she was his only weakness. A god did not have weaknesses for his enemies to exploit. He ran his tongue up the inside of her thigh.

  “Oh,” she breathed. “I have missed you.”

  Poseidon held her hips tight as he dove into her core. As she screamed for him, he knew he was falling down the rabbit hole again and he would pay for his weakness, but at that time, he couldn’t seem to care.

  15

  “Well, hello handsome,” a cheerful redhead called to Dylan as he entered Toni’s room. “I’m Jade. We’ve met and you have some explaining to do. But not until after you fix my cousin.”

  Dylan’s eyes traveled to the bed where Toni was sleeping. She was having a fitful dream by the looks of things. Her hair was wet with sweat and her fists were twisted in the sheets. The grimace on her pretty face tore at his heart. “What do I need to do?” he asked her.

  “Oh, just sit here beside her when I wake her up,” Jade said with a wicked smile. “She’ll do the rest, I’m sure.” She got up from the bed, allowing room for Dylan. “Have fun.” And then, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

  “What the,” Dylan started, but then Toni woke with a jerk.

  She sat straight up in the bed and turned her head toward him. Her eyes were damn near glowing and searching for the noise that had woke her. When she saw Dylan, her eyes flared and then she pounced with the speed and agility of a vampire.

  Dylan didn’t even have time to process what was going on before Toni was on top of him, pinning his back to the bed. She opened her mouth and two little fangs peeked out from her lips. Dylan’s body jumped to life, his cock immediately on the go. Man, she was hot with those teeth. “Mine,” Toni growled in the back of her throat. And then she struck. Hard.

  White-hot pain lanced through his body as her fangs pierced his neck. Dylan’s back bowed off the bed and he had to hold on to something to keep himself under control. What he held, was Toni. He wrapped his arms around her slim body and held her tight to his, keeping her as close as possible. The pain was something he had never felt before. Yes, it hurt, but not in the same way that a broken arm would hurt.

  It hurt good. So good.

  She was sucking greedily from his neck and with every pull of her mouth, electricity shot straight to his groin. Within seconds, Dylan was shamelessly grinding his cock against her body. He had even moved his hands down to cup her backside, pushing her harder against him. “Fuck me, yes,” he growled.

  Toni didn’t know this man, but instinctively, she knew. He belonged to her. Given what he looked like, she’d take it. She tried not to think about how her teeth were buried in his throat or how good he tasted. His blood flowed freely into her mouth and she lapped it up like a woman starved. Yes, she thought, this was what she needed. He tasted like sweet wine, chocolate, and hints of ambrosia. His blood filled her belly and set all of her cells on fire. Her body heated for him, inside and out. She used both hands to fist his hair, holding his head at the angle she wanted. Mine, mine, mine, her mind chanted.

  Her nipples hardened into stiff peaks and her core flooded with moisture. This is what having a mate was like. He was grinding his shaft into her and with each movement, he bumped her clit through their clothes. Toni felt the tension growing inside her and she welcomed it. She knew on some instinctual level that this was how it was supposed to be. Her nails dug into his scalp as she sucked harder.

  “Yes, baby,” he moaned, encouraging her. “Harder.”

  Toni released his hair with one hand to reach between their bodies. She was desperately trying to get his pants off without removing her teeth from his neck. Dylan must have known what she wanted because he mumbled, “I got this,” and with a thought, their clothes disappeared.

  With nothing separating their skin, Toni pushed her legs apart to straddle his waist. She could feel the tip of his erection at her entrance. Angling her hips, Toni impaled herself on him. He filled her to the brink of pain, but still she drank. She moaned around his neck and Dylan held her hips still. Raising his hips off the bed, he pushed his cock into her over and over again until she could take no more. She released his neck as the orgasm crashed into her, throwing her head back and screaming.

  Dylan felt Toni’s body tightening down on his cock. He couldn’t hold back anymore and he didn’t want to. As the waves of pleasure moved over her, Dylan let go. He rammed himself inside her harder than he meant to, but she just continued to come around him. Her body was surrounded by the mist that he had seen when she shifted. Wings appeared behind her back and then disappeared again. Sulfur filled the air and the temperature rose several degrees. She was changing, but not her forms. No, she was changing on the inside. Seeing her with her head back and those teeth, it was the most beautiful sight he could ever hope to witness. He came in a massive rush, filling her with everything that he was.

  When the tremors died down, Toni looked at him. Dylan placed his fingers on his neck to staunch the blood flow and by the look on her face, she hadn’t realized that she didn’t close the wound. It was no matter, he would be healed in a matter of minutes. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, making an attempt to get off of him.

  Dylan held fast, keeping her in place and keeping his still hard cock buried inside her. “Don’t be,” he grinned at her. “That was amazing.”

  “I, uh,” Toni muttered.

  “Hi,” Dylan said.

  “Hello,” she replied shyly. Did she just basically rape
some gorgeous man? Yes she did. And drank his blood. And she wasn’t throwing up. She didn’t even feel bad about it. In fact, she felt better.

  Dylan flipped them both over so that he was on top of her. He supported his weight on his elbows and put his hands on either side of her face. “I have something that belongs to you,” he told her softly. “I shouldn’t have taken it.”

  When she looked at him quizzically, Dylan didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked inside himself where he had stored her memories deep in his own soul. When he had taken them from her, there was no way that Dylan could destroy those beautiful moments. Perhaps, somewhere deep down, he knew that he would be returning them one day. Or maybe he was just selfish and wanted to keep that little piece of her with him. He brought them back to the surface and returned them to their rightful owner.

  “Dylan,” she breathed as her memory knit back together.

  “Hey, baby,” he smiled. And then he began to move inside her once again. This time slower, with more purpose. He leaned down to kiss the side of her neck, gently and caressing the skin with his lips. The moan of pleasure she gave him caused his cock to jerk inside of her. “Never again,” he vowed as he took her lips. He would never be apart from her ever again. Not by his will or anyone else’s.

  ***

  Several hours later, Toni forced herself to get out of bed. “What happened to me?” she asked Dylan.

  “I think when we made love on the beach, you bit me.” He pointed to the dragon mark on his shoulder. “I think you knew then that I was your mate and marked me, even if you didn’t mean to.” His face fell. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken your memories. I would have done anything to stay with you, my father be damned.”

  “But you stood up to him anyway, didn’t you?” she asked as she pulled a shirt over her head.

  “Yeah, he’s pissed,” Dylan told her. “That freak storm earlier, that was him.”

  “It’s not storming now,” she pointed out.

  “Yeah he must have calmed down. He’ll be looking for me.”

  “If I know my family, they’ve warded this place up tight.” A look of horror crossed her face. “Oh, God! My family! There’s no way they didn’t hear all that.” She looked at the bed. Her family. Her father. Oh, this was not going to be fun at all.

  “They’ll all be fine,” Dylan assured her. “They knew exactly what was going to happen when your mother tossed me into this room like a misbehaving puppy.”

  Toni nodded. She could absolutely see her mom doing just that. “Did my father threaten you?” she asked, but she already knew.

  “Everything but the shotgun,” Dylan smiled at her. He rose to his feet and willed his clothes back on.

  “How do you do that?” she asked.

  “How do I do anything?” he answered with a grin. “I’m a demigod. I can do just about anything.”

  “Well, I guess it’s time to face the music,” Toni said with an unwilling sigh. “They’re all gonna want to know that I’m okay.”

  Dylan took her hand and they walked together out of the room and down the stairs. The entire house was eerily quiet, except for the TV in the family room. As they entered, Toni saw Jade sitting on the sofa, her feet propped up on the coffee table and a nail file in hand.

  “Bout time,” she said without looking up from her manicure in progress.

  “Where is everyone?” Toni asked.

  “They left,” Jade replied. “It was a bit much for your dad, so as soon as it stopped storming, Leigh flashed his ass elsewhere. I stayed behind because someone had to be here in case something went wrong.”

  Toni sat down next to her. “Thank you,” she said.

  Jade lifted her eyes and smiled. “Let me see them.”

  Toni didn’t have to ask. She smiled a toothy grin, showing Jade her brand new fangs. “It’s weird,” she admitted.

  “I always knew they were there,” Jade told her. “Just a matter of when they were gonna come out.”

  “Know it all,” Toni teased.

  “Spoiled brat,” Jade tossed back at her.

  ***

  Rebel stabbed at his steak much harder than was necessary to cut the meat. His fork and knife went through both the meat and his plate, breaking the delicate dish into two pieces. His entire family had gone out to Rhinos, a little diner that had been in business for decades and catered to Supernaturals.

  “Something wrong, cowboy?” Leigh asked with a knowing smile as she shoved a forkful of chicken into her mouth.

  “Nope, not a damn thing,” Rebel snapped as he shoved a forkful into his mouth. Of course nothing was wrong. Not a damned thing. He wasn’t edgy at all because his only child was currently proving what an adult she actually was. Nope. Not at all.

  “You knew this day would come,” Leigh said softly. “I don’t like it either, but it happens to us all. Let’s just be happy we found her mate. She doesn’t have to live a hundred years alone.”

  “She’s only twenty-five,” Rebel growled around a mouthful of potato. “I thought she would be older.”

  Leigh smiled at her husband. “She’s an adult. How old do you think she has to be to meet her mate?”

  Rebel shrugged and shoved another forkful into his mouth. “I don’t know, a couple of centuries, at least.”

  “And you would want your daughter to live for hundreds of years without her mate? Knowing what you know now? That he’s out there?”

  Rebel pressed his lips together and stopped chewing. He hated it when she was right. He glared at her sideways, but Leigh knew it lacked conviction. What was worse, Rebel knew that Leigh knew it. He resumed eating without giving her the satisfaction of a spoken defeat.

  “Ya know,” Gage said playfully from his seat across the table. “You would think that I would get used to you putting away food like a compactor, but it never gets old. Totally jealous.”

  It was true. While vampires could manage to eat meat, most couldn’t stomach anything else. Except Rebel. His mating with Leigh changed him. She shared a piece of her magic with him that allowed him to walk freely in the sunlight and eat anything he wanted. Among other things.

  “He seemed quite worried about his father,” Azerial said, referring to Dylan.

  “Do you think Poseidon will be a problem?” Sam asked her.

  “I am not sure,” Azerial admitted. “To be safe, the house is warded but I fear that he may look for his son.”

  “We can’t protect ourselves from a god,” Rebel said. “I just want to say that I think this is a very bad idea, for the record.” He leaned back in his seat and readjusted his Stetson on his head.

  “We’ve all had our trials with our mates,” Angel pointed out. “We shall handle this one as well. Give the man a chance, you may find that you like him.”

  “Doubt it,” Rebel mumbled.

  “Jade says it’s cool to come home,” Gage announced. Being the only remaining purebred vampire in existence, he had a little extra umph in the psychic department which made it easier for Jade to communicate with him over long distances. It was also what made him King. That, and his mother had been the Queen before she was killed. Gage hated it, but he dealt with it. It had been the only way to claim his mate.

  “Let’s get to it then,” Jessica announced, wiping her mouth and tossing her napkin on the table. “I really want to see this guy.”

  Sebastian growled from beside her. “Oh, come on, Sebastian,” Jessica sighed. “You know nobody compares to you.”

  The vampire pushed his blue-black hair over his shoulder and stood when his wife stood. “He will not be touching you,” he grumbled. “Ever.”

  The women collectively rolled their eyes. Men. Vampire men, at that. Even though the mating ensured a bond that could only be broken by death, they were still very possessive and very jealous. They would rage and growl, but ultimately, they would never allow any harm to come to their mates, by anyone’s hand. They would die for their mates.

  “I am curious to meet the man w
ho won her heart,” Angel agreed, taking Brea’s hand and standing. “Let’s get going.”

  Angel paid the bill and the family piled into their vehicles outside. The sun had set a couple of hours earlier and the stars were beginning to show in the night sky. The air was crisp and clean, the smell of the ocean in the breeze.

  They all rode back in a comfortable quiet, everyone anxious to see that Toni was okay and to meet the demigod who was her mate. They all knew the complications that lurked ahead in the future, but to find one's mate was an enormous life event. One to be celebrated and revered, consequences be damned.

  16

  Arora stretched her legs within the tangle of the silky sheets. She was no stranger to Poseidon’s bed chamber. How many millennia had she been his mistress? The years had all run together and she didn’t even know anymore.

  She watched her lover sleep, making note of his beautiful, unlined face, his noble features, and his dark lashes. He looked like he had when they first met, so long ago. He had been carefree and happy then. Now, he was different. Something had changed with Poseidon just about the time Dylan had been born. In fact, after the boy made his appearance in the world, Poseidon had tossed Arora out on her fins. He gave her some lame story about how the gods raised their sons without the mothers, but she knew that wasn’t true. No, Arora realized what the problem was, even if the Sea God wouldn’t admit it to anyone, even himself. He loved her, and to an Olympian, love was a weakness.

  He hadn’t been able to stay away from her, though. Every few years, Poseidon would call Arora back and they would spend days making love.

  Add to that the curse that kept him under the sea, and that Dylan’s mate was a dragon, it began to all fall together. Poseidon knew what had to be done, but it seemed to Arora that fate had different plans.

  Arora knew a thing or two about the world and it was time she put that knowledge to use. “Poseidon,” she said softly, gently tracing the line of hair down the center of his chest with her fingertip. “Wake up, love. I have an idea.”

  He grumbled softly in his sleep before turning toward her voice. His eyes remained closed. “I’m not waking up today,” he announced in a sleep graveled voice.