by Ines Johnson
The hot lava surged up from her gut. It splashed into the tubes of her belly. Up and up, it swelled until it lodged in her throat. It forced her teeth to unclench, her lips to part. It took on air and was given voice.
“Yes,” she said.
She thought it was a shout but realized it was only a whisper. Had he heard it?
Ilia went still for a long moment. His head cocked to the side like a predator who sensed prey nearby. His index and thumb loosened on her breast. He rolled his large body from its prone position on his side to hover over her.
This whole time, Rose had been trapped. In this second, she knew she could not escape. Not even if she wanted to try. In that moment of close scrutiny, Rose felt the urge to bolt.
She’d just made a fatal mistake. With that single yes, she had revealed her deepest desires. Ilia was looking at her differently. Like she was a wanton woman, a promiscuous slut who deserved the sneers that would come because she’d let him have her.
A second later, she lost all thought as Ilia thrust inside of her. One moment she was empty and worried. The next, she was full and sated. Rose let out a guttural yell as Ilia’s dick filled her beyond her body’s capacity.
It had been a long time since she’d lost her virginity. She’d only done it the once. Her body was not prepared for the assault.
Didn’t matter. Her inner walls rearranged themselves to take Ilia in. Her muscles clamped hard to keep him there.
Rose tugged at her binds, needing to get free, to touch him in return. But she couldn’t. She wanted to spread her thighs wider. But she was bound from doing so. She wanted to arch her hips higher. But the ties that held her prevented her from it.
Ilia pumped into her. Hard. Fast. And oh, so deep.
Was this sex he was doing to her? It couldn’t be the same thing. It had felt nothing like this before.
The first and only time, there had been irritation and pain. This was more pleasure and bliss than Rose thought was possible.
She was so full that she couldn’t take in any air—and she needed more air. She needed to beg Ilia to do it again, to give her even more. All she could get to come out of her throat were mewls and moans.
Luckily, Ilia didn’t need any words. He never stopped his motions. Withdrawing and thrusting inside her again and again. His body moved impossibly faster. The sensations of fullness, of completeness, of wholeness sent Rose’s brain into overdrive.
Yes came along with each inhale. Please came out with every exhale.
Before she knew it, that delicious pressure was building within her. The ascent was as quick as the descent. Waves of pleasure crashed over Rose as Ilia continued to thrust inside her. Her body shook from the impact. The impact went on and on as he held her tight, still pumping in and out of her as though both their lives depended on the motion.
Ilia’s hand was between them. He rubbed at the oversensitive nub at the apex of her sex. As though he were performing a magic trick, the nub grew for him. It swelled with the hot pressure that had been gathering from somewhere deep inside.
He didn’t stop his thrusting as he touched her, not for one second. His fingers worked their magic as his cock made itself at home inside her. A new climax was building in Rose, this one deeper than the last. When it crashed around her, Ilia still had a hold of her.
His hands were in her hair, tugging her head back, exposing her neck. She felt his teeth sink into that warm spot where he’d marked her before. She felt that pinprick of incisors at her neck, the biting warmth of his bite. When he pulled at her flesh, she felt herself clenching around him again.
“Come for me, sweet Rose.”
Her body shook and jerked. She no longer had control of herself. She had to do what he commanded of her. She had no choice. Because he was right, she was his.
Ilia pulled her impossibly closer. He threw his head back and roared. His eyes went dragon bright. Rose saw the beast within him staring back at her. In its gaze, it asked her the same question the man had asked her before. But the beast didn’t ask. It demanded.
“Mine,” it growled low and deep.
“Yes,” she whispered, unable to deny it any longer.
Chapter Nineteen
Ilia felt restless and at peace at the same time. His body hummed with satisfaction, but he wanted more of Rose.
He'd never enjoyed the aftermath of sex when fairies wanted to cuddle him. He'd always found their bodies too sweet to rest beside. Their limbs too wiry and smooth.
Rose had flesh to her bones. There were curves that he could cling to. There was salt on her skin that he found intoxicating.
He wanted her again. He wanted her always. But he could stay content just as they were.
She’d said yes. True, it had been in the throes of passion. But that might be the only admission he’d ever get from Rose.
She was a complicated woman with her inability to ask for what she needed sexually. Though Ilia realized she didn’t hesitate when it came to her sister. He knew that kind of love and devotion from his own brothers.
Even though they didn’t always respect his dibs, Ilia knew they would never leave him out in the cold as their father had done. Over the years of his life, he’d seen time and again that as he fought for every scrap, and ounce, and inch that came his way, his brothers were often the ones tossing him food, making way for him, and giving him a hand.
He likely owed them a thank you. But he doubted it truly needed to be said. It had taken the dragons a lot of time and heartache to become the family they were today. Now, Ilia would make a family of his own with his mate.
He looked forward to a lifetime with Rose. She would keep him on his toes and keep his dick hard. It was hard now as he watched her slumber in his arms.
Ilia had fucked his mate into a coma. He’d lost track of how many times her tight sheath had squeezed around his cock. The last time it had, she’d let out a sigh of utter contentment and closed her eyes. She hadn’t opened them again.
With great care, Ilia untied her feet from the bedpost. He took a few moments to massage each of her feet to ensure the circulation was still working there. As he caressed each of her toes in turn, he wondered if he might be developing a foot fetish. He had the urge to place each toe into his mouth.
The same desires happened when it came time to free her arms from the sleeves of her wrecked shirt. With his thumbs, he rubbed at the skin on the underside of her forearm. He traced the veins that pumped her life’s blood, a little concerned that she was so thin that he could make out some of her bones.
He would fix that. He would ply her with food. Not that he was the best cook in the castle. But he would hunt the largest game for her, just like Arnold did in Predator. He wondered if she’d like mastodon?
Rose stirred in his arms. With her eyes still closed, her feet scissored together. As her thighs pressed together, she let out a pleasurable sounding moan. Ilia could guess why. He could see that her slick folds were still nice and plump and red from all of his attentions.
Her hand traveled down there. When her fingers found her swollen flesh, she gasped, her eyes flashing open. When her gaze met his, her cheeks reddened.
“Go on,” he said. “You have my permission to touch yourself.”
The embarrassment leached from her high cheeks to be replaced with ire. “It’s my body. I don’t need your permission.”
Ilia rolled on top of her, trapping both their fingers in the crook of her tender folds. “You’re wrong, sweet Rose. This is my pussy. You gave it to me last night.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes,” he plunged two fingers into her, “you did.”
She stopped arguing. Instead, she ground her hips against his fingers and let out a low moan.
“Do you want me to stop? You know what to say if you do.”
“Stop. Please.”
She turned her face, but Ilia caught her grin. He also caught onto the fact that she didn’t use her safe word.
“No, Ilia. I
can’t take anymore.” The words were muffled as she writhed against his fingers.
“You’re going to come for me, sweet Rose. And then you’re going to say thank you.”
She opened her mouth. What came out was a low guttural moan as her swollen folds shivered and clenched around his fingers. At the end of her sigh, her lips split into a wide grin as she said, “Fuck you.”
Ilia chuckled as he put her fingers into his mouth and sucked.
Rose watched him. There was a light in her bright eyes. They were brighter than they were yesterday. It was as though someone had flipped the switch on inside her. But then they dimmed.
“Why did you leave?” she said. “After you marked me.”
Ilia licked the last of her essence from his index finger. With the taste of her now gone from his fingers, he dipped his head, his chin settling on his chest in guilt. “Because I wanted to throw you down and fuck you.”
“You did throw me down and fuck me.”
“Yes, but that was after I knew you wanted it. Before that, I thought I was going to break my word to you. I had to get away. It was my fairy friend Marigold who made me realize your no’s might mean yes.”
“Marigold?” All the bright light faded from Rose’s gaze now. Storm clouds, thunder, and lightning threatened.
“She’s just a friend. Why? Are you jealous?”
“No,” Rose huffed, crossing her arms over her breasts and turning away from him.
The scent of her jealousy was spicier than her arousal. “She’s not the one to worry about. Two other fairies offered to console me.”
Rose’s hands balled into fists. She let out an indignant puff of air. Her legs kicked, trying to get the sheet he’d thrown over her off. Ilia threw an arm over her and locked her in place.
“I told them no,” he said. “They didn’t listen at first. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. That’s when I realized you might not mean what you say you mean.”
Rose let out another huff of air. But she wasn’t trying to get away from him anymore. Not that Ilia would’ve let her go if she’d truly tried.
“That’s when I realized you might want me, even if you couldn’t say the words.”
Rose opened her mouth as though to deny it. Then shut her mouth when the denial didn’t come.
“It’s all right, sweet Rose. You don’t have to admit it.” He kissed her mouth, slow and languorous. “Not with these lips…”
Between her legs, Ilia’s fingers sought her warm heat again. Rose reached down as though to shove him away. But then her fingers mixed with his, and their combined digits stroked her sex.
“With these lips,” he said as she gasped her pleasure.
Ilia loved the sound. He loved all her sounds. Her pants of desire. Her biting taunts of frustration. All of it.
After they brought her to pleasure with their hands, he wrapped both their hands around his dick and they stroked him into ecstasy. They lay there sated, basking in the aftermath of their shared pleasure.
Chapter Twenty
“Yes.”
It was the tiniest whisper from Rose’s lips. The word had been brewing in her chest for a while now. Ever since Ilia had looked at her with those bright, devil may care eyes and grinned at her as though he’d eat her up.
She’d wanted to shout yes then. But as always, the word stayed locked in a cage inside her chest.
Except now… now it wanted out.
“Yes,” she said again. The word coming out on a stronger, more forceful gust of air from her lungs.
Rose was pretty pleased with the volume that time. Too bad Ilia wasn’t awake to hear it.
She settled down into the cradle of his massive chest. There were scars there. Long jagged lines that looked like they’d come from claws. They were thick keloids, which meant the raised bumps were old. Likely there since childhood. Had his father done this to him?
Rose couldn’t imagine any beast, big or small, that could best her Ilia.
Her Ilia?
Yes. Her Ilia.
Yes, he was hers. Yes, she was his. “Yes.”
Ilia’s eyes flashed open. Rose tried to suck the air back into her mouth. It was too late. The sound was already out in the air between them. She shifted to get off the mattress. Ilia’s hands struck out to grab her around the waist.
“We’re you trying to run, sweet Rose?”
“No,” she said. Rose took a deep breath as the denial swallowed down the agreement she’d wanted to gift him. Now it sat at the bottom of her belly.
Ilia only smiled. He rubbed his thumb back and forth over her navel as though he knew exactly where the affirmation had drifted.
"I was just going to go clean up," she said.
“You're perfect.” He wrapped his hands around her hips and brought her sweet pussy to his face. “Let me clean you up."
"Ilia.” She wriggled halfheartedly. She didn’t try to get away from him. She was exactly where she wanted to be. Soon, she’d be able to tell him exactly what she wanted.
Soon.
“Hold still, woman. I’m licking for buried treasure.”
“Am I your captive?"
"You're mine," he said, bringing her hips to sit on his chest. "I'm your hero. I'm your villain. Hell, I’ll be your sidekick. I’ll be whatever you need.”
Rose tried to swallow. But the desire kept flooding into her mouth. That yes was rising on it.
“Tell me what you need, sweet Rose."
It rose up from her belly. It swelled into her chest. It was on the tip of her tongue, ready to walk that plank and dive into what was between them.
Ilia watched her intently. Waiting with the patience of a saint who knew he’d earned his right to divinity. But, in a flash, his gaze brightened. The dragon peered out from behind his eyes. His lips curled into a snarl, and he let out a low, menacing growl.
“Ilia?”
Ilia tossed Rose down on the mattress. He climbed over her as he bolted to the window. For a moment, Rose could only gape at his dark form standing tall against the moonlight. But the menace that rolled off him made her shiver.
“Ilia? Ilia, what’s wrong?”
“I smell fur.” The muscles in his back rippled. Rose could see the impression of wings under his skin. His flesh shimmered to scales and back again. “They’re here.”
“Who? Who’s here?”
“The others.”
Ilia shoved himself into a pair of pants. He was out the door with a growl, “Stay here,” before she could ask any questions.
“Yeah, right,” she said as she pulled a robe over her naked form. She belted it with some rope she found in his closet. It worked as perfectly as a wrap dress.
Rose crept down the hall. At the top of the steps, she saw the other women gathered in a huddle. Rose made her way to Lily, who had a handful of what looked like candied flowers that she was slipping into her mouth one at a time.
Despite knowing that they were in some type of danger, Rose took a moment to marvel at the change in her and Lily’s circumstances. They never had to go on another predatory casting call or walk a slippery catwalk while balancing on a six-inch spike, or strip down to their unmentionables in freezing cold weather. Not only could they keep their bellies full, there was the opportunity to have their hearts fill up as well.
Elek had said that he and Rhoyl weren’t interested in mating. But maybe there would be another dragon shifter around who might catch Lily’s eye. Or maybe Lily didn’t want to date. Maybe she was happy being on her own in a family that would take care of her and not use her.
“We know you’re harboring two human females inside this castle,” said a woman’s voice.
Or at least Rose assumed it was a woman. There was nothing high-pitched about the voice. It was more rumbling growl than anything. Looking down the stairs, Rose saw the owner of the voice. She was a muscled woman with thick forearms. Her golden-bronze hair radiated from the crown of her head making her look like a lioness.
She was s
urrounded by a couple of other golden-haired males. There was also a dark-haired man with silver stripes in his hair. And another man that was even taller and thicker than Ilia.
Speaking of Ilia, Corun and Beryl both had a hand on him. No, strike that. They both had two hands on him, as though they were holding him back from attacking.
“I’m happy to settle this the old way,” said the lioness woman, her gaze on Ilia.
"No, Leona,” said Kimber. "We will not resort to the ways of our fathers. We will not fight."
"I'm not going to fight," Ilia snarled. Despite his words, his brothers didn’t let loose their hold on him. “There’s no need when I’ve already claimed what’s mine.”
Leona flashed her eyes at him like a cat. Like a very large cat. "We all agreed-"
Kimber cut her off. “We all agreed that the next women to cross over into the Veil would choose of her own free will.”
"And yet we find two healthy women locked away in your castle,” said the tall, salt and pepper-haired man.
His posture wasn’t one of aggression. Neither was the big bear of a man beside him. Only the woman, Leona, looked ready to fight.
They chose to be here," said Kimber.
“That wasn’t the agreement,” said Leona. “Every shifter gets a chance at her.”
Leona’s gaze shifted from the dragons surrounding the stairs and climbed the steps. Those bright cat eyes flashed at Rose and Lily. That’s when it clicked in Rose’s head.
Two women from beyond the Veil. Claiming. Every shifter gets a chance at her. A chance at them. At her and Lily.
“It doesn’t matter to me if the merchandise is spoiled,” said Leona, her gaze still on Rose and Lily. “Go on girls, give us a twirl. Show mama what you’re working with.”
Rose gulped as though she tasted something foul. She moved to Lily, who looked equally as ill. They were going to be put on display. All for these men or shifters or whatever they were to take their pick.