by Hope Hart
And now look at me.
All those walls I put up were for nothing. Vrex has knocked them all down, and if he’s dead…
I don’t know if I’ll survive it.
“Are you ready?”
I stop in my tracks, turning to Hewex, one of the warriors Rakiz is sending with me. He’s already saddled up the mishua, and he gestures for me to come closer to mount the mishua he’s tied to his own.
The other warriors are waiting behind him, and I attempt a smile as they nod at me.
I move closer, and that’s when Hewex glances behind me, a grin spreading over his craggy face.
“Where do you think you’re going?
I whirl, a sob leaving me at Vrex’s gruff voice. He looks exhausted, sliding off his mishua as I run toward him. He pulls me into his arms, and I tremble against him as relief hits me like a drug.
“Where the hell were you?” I demand.
I pull back, thumping him in the chest, and he catches my hand, bringing it to his mouth. He kisses my palm and then gestures behind him.
His mishua is pulling a cart. Behind her, a group of Braxian warriors sit, watching us in amusement.
“Vrex,” a voice says, and I turn as Rakiz and Nevada arrive. Nevada shoots me a relieved look, and I nod as Rakiz steps forward to slap Vrex on the back. “What happened?” he asks.
Vrex’s mouth twists. “I was attacked on my way back. There were too many of the Voildi. Luckily, Tazo happened to be in the area. My wound was severe enough that it made more sense to travel to Dexar’s tribe, which was closer. I came as soon as the healer allowed me to.”
I feel the blood drain from my face, and Vrex gazes down at me, his eyes concerned.
“I was going to send a messenger,” he says. “But I would have beaten them here.”
“It’s true,” one of the warriors says. “He rode as if he was being chased by Dragix himself.”
One of the other warriors snorts, and I nod.
“Where did you go?” I ask Vrex.
He tenses and glances around us. “That’s something that I must talk to you about,” he says.
Just because he wants to talk doesn’t mean he’s breaking up with you, Ivy.
“Okay.” I glance around. “I’ll meet you in our kradi?”
He nods, and I take off, grateful for a few moments to collect myself. Something about the way he’s acting makes me think that he’s nervous.
I don’t pace any longer. I simply sit on the furs and contemplate the roof of the kradi. Vrex doesn’t keep me waiting for long.
“I have something important to talk to you about,” he says. “But I am not ready. There is…something that I need to have done first.”
I scowl at him. “You know, this mysterious bullshit is starting to piss me off.”
“Your friend has been sighted.”
My mind is blank for a moment, and then it clicks. “Charlie?”
He nods. “If you want to attempt to speak to her, now is the time. But we have to leave immediately. I promise, we will speak about…us when we return.”
I eye him. He’s nervous again. As much as I want to push him, his words make sense. Finding Charlie is important for all of us.
“Fine.”
He looks at me for a long moment, and then he strides forward, taking my hand to pull me to my feet.
“I know I am…difficult,” he says. “I know I don’t deserve your patience. But I’m asking for it anyway.”
I sigh and lean my head against his chest. His scent envelops me—leather and sunshine.
“You should’ve taken your necklace back,” I say, raising my head as he stiffens. “You’re the one who needed the protection, not me.”
He smiles gently down at me. “We will talk about this soon. For now, let’s see if we can find your friend.”
The mishua are still saddled, and it must take less than ten minutes for us to leave the camp.
Once we get close to the area where the dragon was spotted, we split into pairs. Rakiz and Nevada head west, two other pairs of warriors search in the south and east, while Vrex and I go north, toward the river.
After what must be an hour of fruitless searching, we’re almost ready to give up.
“She must have left already,” I say, depressed.
Vrex pulls me close and kisses my forehead as we gaze down the hill to the river. The water isn’t rushing as fast here, and I’m tempted to take off my shoes and paddle my feet.
“Ivy,” Vrex says, amusement in his low voice. “Look.”
I follow his gaze further down the river, to the opposite side, and my mouth drops open.
Charlie is butt naked, splashing in the river like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
Until she sees us, that is.
She lets out a sound that can only be described as a shriek, crouching down and hiding behind a large boulder.
Vrex tenses next to me, taking my hand, and I follow his gaze to the bank of the river. The dragon is lying in the sun, his eyelids at half-mast as he stares at us. As I watch, he flicks his tail before opening his mouth in a yawn, flashing rows upon rows of sharp white teeth.
I return my attention to Charlie, who is still hiding in the water. The dragon gazes at her, and something about the way he tilts his head makes me think he’s…amused.
I walk down the hill and close to the river, Alexis’s warning ringing in my ears. The dragon may look like an alligator basking in the sun, but something about the lazy flick of that huge tail is all the warning I need.
“Charlie?”
She peers at me from over the rock and then glances at the dragon. “You could hand me my towel, you know.”
I blink, but she’s still staring at the dragon, who glances at her and seems to sigh as he gets to his feet. I wish he wouldn’t because the sight of his huge form moving that quickly…
It’s more than a little terrifying. Especially when he uses one claw to swipe a long piece of material from where it’s lying over a rock before throwing it to Charlie, who catches it out of the air as if they’ve done this a hundred times before.
I pinch myself. Nope, definitely not dreaming.
Charlie wraps the towel around herself and stands, moving out of the river and onto the bank. She walks through the water, slightly closer to us, sending the dragon a look when he flashes his teeth.
I have no words.
“Um. Hi,” I say.
She grins at Vrex and me. “Hi. Excuse the grumpy dragon. He hasn’t had enough to eat today.”
Vrex tenses further beside me, obviously taking the words as a threat.
Charlie sighs. “He’s not going to hurt you. We’ve come to an understanding.”
I blink at her. An understanding with a huge, deadly dragon. Right.
“Uh, okay, then. We’ve been looking for you for a while now.”
Color creeps up her cheeks. “Yeah, I’m sorry. It took a while before Dragix and I reached that understanding.”
I frown at that. How exactly does she talk to the dragon? Do they communicate through growls and snarls? I glance at Vrex, but he’s still focused on the dragon. Dragix, I remember with a glance back at Charlie.
Charlie seems to see where my mind is going because she smiles. “We’ve been in negotiations. I want to come hang out with you guys, but Dragix isn’t the biggest fan of the Braxians.”
Okay, so she obviously can communicate with the dragon in some way.
“That’s why I’m here,” I say. “We need your help.”
Charlie tilts her head, looking entirely comfortable standing on the bank of the river with only a towel wrapped around her. She listens as I explain our theory about the purple aliens returning, and the dragon moves closer to her as she shivers.
“You really think they’re coming back?” she asks.
“I think we should hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”
The dragon looms over her before ducking its head and nuzzling up close. One gold eye f
ocuses on me, and I glance away, unwilling to get into a staring contest with something that would consider me a snack. Vrex has obviously had enough because he steps forward, shielding my body with his.
The dragon snorts, and I stare as small plumes of smoke travel up from both his nostrils. Charlie reaches out, stroking a hand down his snout, and he seems to calm.
She’s a fucking dragon whisperer.
“So what do you say?” I ask. “We’re outgunned and likely to be outnumbered.”
“I want to help.” Charlie chews on her lower lip. The dragon stares at her, and her chin juts out as she narrows her eyes at him. “We need to discuss this,” she says to me. “But you can count on my help, even if Dragix doesn’t quite feel up to the task.”
Ooh, a little reverse psychology for the dragon. I pinch myself again.
The dragon angles his head, staring at Charlie for a long moment before turning his attention to Vrex. Vrex is so still it seems as if he’s not even breathing. When did he grab his sword? He’s holding it loosely in his hand, and my chest tightens. How did I manage to find a guy who would fight a dragon for me?
Dragix seems to be tired of the conversation because he reaches out a huge clawed foot and pulls Charlie close. Charlie rolls her eyes at me as he nudges her onto his foot, and she sits down, still wrapped in the towel. She folds her legs under her as if she’s sitting at a picnic, and I gulp as the dragon thrusts out his wings, casting a shadow over the riverbank on both sides of the water.
“We’ll talk about this,” Charlie calls. “Tell everyone I’ll come see them as soon as I can.”
And then they’re gone.
Ivy
After we fill in the rest of the group on our little visit with Charlie and her pet dragon, we’re all silent as we make our way back to the camp. I glance at Vrex occasionally, but he seems deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he gazes into the distance.
By the time we arrive, I’ve had about enough of my man of mystery.
“Listen,” I say as he helps me dismount. “We need to talk, and we need to do it now.”
He glances at me and then away, and I try to ignore the squeezing sensation in my chest. This does not bode well.
My heart is thundering as he nods, taking my hand.
“I have something to show you,” he says. “I hope it is finished.”
Now I’m really intrigued.
He hands over both of our mishua to the warriors responsible for looking after the beasts, and then I follow him into the camp. The sun is low in the sky, and silence stretches between us as I trail after my warrior.
He stops at a large kradi I’ve never seen before. It’s close to the river and Ellie and Terex’s kradi and not far from Rakiz and Nevada’s tashiv.
I steel myself as he gestures for me to enter, and the breath leaves my lungs in shock as I glance around. “What…is this?”
Vrex shifts on his feet as I glance at him before returning my attention to the kradi. It’s beautiful, and I wander through it before I can stop myself. In the main room, the wooden chairs from Vrex’s tashiv are now sitting next to gorgeous brightly colored pillows, all surrounding a long table. In the bedroom, the intricately carved bedside tables I admired have been placed next to the same bed we first made love in.
Vrex is silent behind me as I poke my head into the bathroom.
“I couldn’t bring the bath,” he says. “I will get a new one.”
I turn back to him, taking in his glittering eyes and tight jaw. “Okay, now you really need to tell me what’s going on.”
He takes my hand and pulls me to the bed before sitting beside me. Then he gets straight back to his feet as if he can’t stay still.
“You’re freaking me out,” I say into the silence.
A breath shudders from him. “I know you want to go back to your home,” he says. “I know I have nothing to offer you compared to your life on your planet. But I’m asking you to stay anyway.”
I blink at him. “You’re asking me to stay?”
One sharp nod.
“I thought you were breaking up with me.”
His eyes widen, and he angles his head as he stares down at me. “Breaking up with you?”
“I thought you were showing me your bachelor pad.” I feel my cheeks heat at his incredulous expression, and he drops to his knees in front of me.
“I’m sorry I left. It was only supposed to be for a few hours. I brought these things here because I want you to be close to your human friends. I thought if I moved here, you might stay with me.”
My mouth has dropped open. He gave up his favors for me. He’s left his tashiv in the forest for me. Somehow, this incredible, loyal man thinks I’m worth it.
I’m not going to be the one to tell him differently.
His face falls slightly at my silence. “If you don’t wish to stay on this planet, will you at least stay with me until you leave?”
“Vrex—”
“I thought I wanted to be alone. Thought I would always be alone. And then you stepped into my life. I was asleep, and you woke me up. I was barely breathing, and you gave me air. I know I’m not like other males. I know I’m…different. But I can try to be better.”
My eyes sting, and I get to my feet. “You know, I went my whole life convinced it was a mistake to let people get too close. But you slipped beneath my defenses without even trying. I love you, Vrex. I think I loved you the moment I realized you’d made those shoes for me. I don’t want you to be different. Ever.”
His eyes widen in disbelief, but he reaches out, pulling me close. His hands cup my face, and then tears are slipping down my cheeks at the tenderness in his eyes.
“Will you…be my mate?”
My breath catches. I’ve seen the gorgeous gold rope wrapped around some of the other women’s wrists, of course. But I never imagined that I’d meet a guy who wanted to be with me so much that he’d tie himself to me for the rest of his life.
“Of course.”
He gently brushes my tears away, leaning down to take my mouth.
“I’m still mad at you for making me worry about you,” I mumble against his lips, and he reaches up, stroking his hand down my hair.
“I know,” he says. “I’m sorry.” Then he kisses me again, and all I care about is that he’s here, with me. If I have it my way, that’s how we’ll always stay.
His lips are warm, coaxing, and I relax further, my muscles turning languid as I lean against him. And then I yelp as he lifts me into his arms before laying me back on the furs.
He follows me down, pressing kisses along my neck, and a shudder ripples through me in response. This man makes me feel things I never expected to feel. I sink my fingers into his hair, angling my face until I find his lips again. His breath catches, and I smile against his mouth.
“You enjoy making me lose control,” he says as he pulls away, his eyes the whiskey color I love so much.
“You make me lose control. Why shouldn’t I do the same to you?”
He laughs, and I feel my smile widen at the sound. Then he’s pulling off my clothes, and I’m helping him. I reach for his shirt, and he shrugs out of it before catching my hand in his and pressing a kiss to my palm.
My eyes sting at the tenderness on his face, and then he kisses me again, this time harder, deeper, pressing me back into the soft furs.
My head is spinning, and I groan out a protest as he moves away, but then he’s kissing my breasts, and I bury my hands in his hair again, holding him close as he makes me lose my mind.
His calloused palm moves across my stomach, and then he takes my nipple into his mouth, rolling and playing as his hand moves lower, down to the warm heat of me.
He strokes his fingers over my clit, the movement light, teasing, designed to drive me out of my mind. My entire body tenses, and I’m shaking against him as his mouth moves to my other breast, and those fingers tease me, moving to a new spot each time I get close to losing my mind.
“Are yo
u trying to drive me crazy?” I groan, and his low laugh makes my thighs clench around his hand.
Suddenly, he’s inside me, thick and hard, and he catches my gasp in his mouth as he starts thrusting in earnest. I cry out, and he growls against me as I wind my legs around his hips so he can get even deeper.
He speeds up, and I urge him on, clutching at his shoulders as he slips one hand down, stroking my clit in time with his thrusts.
“I love you,” he murmurs, and I clench around him, so close to ecstasy I can almost taste it.
“I love you too,” I whisper, and my chest aches as he leans in to claim my mouth.
He changes the angle of his thrusts, plunging deep, and I suck in a breath.
Then I’m exploding, trembling as I arch in pleasure, and Vrex buries his face against my neck as he shudders in release.
Epilogue
Ivy
Alexis pokes her head into the tashiv, a grin on her face. She looks gorgeous as usual, but her eyes widen as she stares at me.
“Wow,” she says. “You’re a total fox.”
I laugh. Today’s the day of my mating ceremony, and I couldn’t be happier.
Alexis and Beth are waiting for their own mating ceremonies until Charlie has been found. I thought about doing the same, but when I kept waking up to find Vrex staring at me, his brow furrowed as if he couldn’t believe I was still lying next to him, I changed my mind.
Vrex has been hurt time and time again over the years. He’s been treated like nothing more than the Assassin of Agron, and everywhere he goes, people whisper and cower in fear. I want to prove to him that I’m committed to him for the rest of our lives.
That’s why I convinced the other women to help me with a surprise mating ceremony.
“I can’t believe I thought this was a good idea,” I murmur. Butterflies have taken over in my stomach, and I’m glad I haven’t eaten yet this morning because I feel like I could throw up.
Ellie smiles at me. “This is a good idea. You know your warrior better than anyone else, and I’m sure you’re right when you say he wouldn’t want a big, public ceremony.”