Dragon Chains

by Becca Brayden

  The creature did not answer with words, but with visions. She saw herself enveloped in black flames, the magic becoming part of her. Then, a new life form growing within her, black dragonfire growing more powerful with every beat of his or her tiny heart.

  Her dragon’s magic. Hers and Ryker’s.

  “My children will be like you? What you are?”

  I choose you. My soul. My power. Yours. I protect. Love. You become immortal. Dangerous. Powerful. Magic. My children. Mine.

  “Why? Why me?”

  Mine.

  Katy allowed her question to fade away. Did the why matter when she wanted Ryker with every cell in her body? When she knew he wanted her? Would it be so bad to have their future children be powerful, immortal, magical creatures? Protected by not only this dragon, but an entire clan watching over them? They would be beautiful and strong. Fierce. Unafraid.

  Something she realized she’d never been, not a single day in her life.

  She looked into the dragon’s eyes. He watched her, waited for her to make a choice. “What if I say no? What happens then?”

  We go.

  She saw his intention clearly. He would carry her to safety and then disappear from her life. Forever.

  She knew what he truly meant, thanks to Erik. He would sacrifice himself to the executioner’s blade. Some Dark Elf would stab him in the heart, and the black, magical blade would take the dragon’s life.

  Tears gathering in her eyes, she watched in growing wonder as the dragon settled along the ground just as Erik’s dragon had done. His large, black head nearly within reach, his eye resigned and weary.

  “Ryker.” She stepped forward and wrapped as much of the dragon’s head in a hug as she could manage, leaned her entire body against him. She rubbed his cheek and the ridge near his eye, smiling when he rewarded her with a deep rumble she felt not just through the ground, but everywhere she pressed against him. “I am yours, Dragon.”

  The dragon shuddered at her words. Slowly he lifted his head and turned to look at her.

  She stood perfectly still as the dragon’s jaw opened, fire visible in the back of his throat. If he was going to roast her, there was nothing she could do about it now.

  “Go ahead, Dragon.”

  The dragon took a long, deep breath and then…fire. Black flames. Magic sparkling all around her. Her body tingled, caressed by a hundred unseen hands, her very insides flooded with warmth and health.

  She breathed deeply, every hurt, disappeared. Every scar, vanished. Life itself flooded her cells, and she felt the earth in her bones, sensed the very stars. The wind wrapped around her in a gentle hello, and she knew she would never walk alone again. She was dragon, one with all life. One with the earth and the stars, the mountains and the trees. Every bird in the sky spoke to her. The wind itself whispered in her ear.

  Deeper still, she knew the moment the dragon’s magic touched her womb, left a spark that would ensure any future children would be dragon as well.

  The black flames wove around her. Eternal. Dragonfire. She raised her arms to the sky as a feeling of joyous freedom filled her being.

  Ryker appeared, strode toward her inside the flames. He was naked, his body hard and ready.

  She reached for him. Leaped into his embrace. “What about the flames? Why didn’t the dragon stop them?”

  Ryker threw back his head and laughed with pure joy. “The flames are coming from you now, love. They’re coming from you.”

  16

  Ryker:

  * * *

  Ryker nearly staggered as he shifted from dragon to human form. The relentless pain he’d endured for centuries was gone.

  Because of her. Katy. His mate.

  Dragon agreed. Fire. Mine. Powerful.

  Ryker didn’t argue, the smug sense of happiness the dragon was feeling matching his own. The dragon chains were gone. The magic that had been building, festering, gathering into a storm inside him with no outlet had been tempered. Katy had saved him. Accepted part of his dragon’s magic, his soul. Given Dragon the outlet he needed to remain in control of his mind.

  On the hilltop opposite him, Katy raised her hands to the heavens, her body surrounded by black flames that flew around her in a whirlwind larger than the cottage.

  No wonder he could barely walk. The shock to his system was intense. His agony, the relentless fire and fury that was his dragon’s magic, the constant struggle to contain the power building and building within his cells…gone. The dragon was quiet. Content. For the first time in his adult life, Ryker was at peace.

  All because of the beautiful, giving woman before him. She’d accepted his dragon, accepted him.

  His dragon stirred as Ryker stared.

  Mine.

  Yes, Dragon. She is ours now.

  If the dragon could have looked smug, Ryker had no doubt he would. But since the beast was locked inside him at the moment, all he could do was repeat the word Ryker was thinking.

  Mine. Mine. Mine.

  Shut up, beast. I’m working on it.

  Apparently satisfied that Ryker was working toward their shared goal of being as close as possible to their mate, Dragon quieted, leaving Ryker’s very male needs to drive him closer. And closer.

  As if on cue, Katy turned to face him as he walked to her. His mate. His life. His soul. She was everything.

  She ran to him and leaped into his arms. He wrapped her up tight, vowed he would never let her go.

  “What about the flames? Why didn’t the dragon stop them?”

  Pure happiness flooded him, and he laughed at her question. She had no idea what she was now. The extent of her power. The gift the dragon had given her. But she would learn, and Ryker would spend the rest of forever teaching her what it meant to be the true mate of a Draquonir. A queen among his people. The chosen female of an ancient dragon.

  “The flames are coming from you now, love. They’re coming from you.”

  “What?” She looked around them, eyes growing larger and larger as the truth became clear to her. “That’s me?”

  “That’s us.”

  Her head snapped back, her brown eyes alight with their own power now. Her connection to the dragon was strong. “Ryker, Emily is going to be so mad at me for stealing you.”

  “Hush, love. She was not meant to be mine. She will understand. She will be happy for you.”

  “But the payment.”

  “I already paid for the rest of your mother’s rehabilitation. I have sent Guardians to bring both your sister and your mother to the estate in time for the wedding.”

  “Wedding?”

  “Dragon and I have claimed you, but I assumed you would want to follow your own traditions? In America I believe you like to have a large white dress and your family in attendance as I vow to love you forever.”

  “You love me now?”

  “More than life, female. More than life itself.”

  “I love you, too. But technically you belong to my sister.”

  Ryker laughed. “I torched that damn contract the same day you signed it. Any child we share will be made the old-fashioned way.”

  Looking mischievous now, Katy lifted her lips to his and wiggled her backside in his hands, taking advantage of the fact that he still held her off the ground, her legs wrapped around his waist. The black flames still danced around them, but they were smaller now, the tempting bite of magic racing along his skin as he held her. “The old-fashioned way? I don’t believe I know what that is.”

  He couldn’t wait any longer. Taking her mouth with his, he took what he wanted, what he needed. Her. Her taste. Her smell. The small whimper at the back of her throat.

  With a whisper of magic he removed her clothing, her heated skin pressed to his, black dragonfire dancing between them, around them, sealing them together in a dance older than time itself. Older than dragons.

  With one quick movement of his hands on her hips, he lifted her into position and lowered her onto his hard length, sending an extra
burst of dragonfire into her as he took her.

  Her orgasm slammed into her, her hot core clenching down on his body like a fist.

  “Ryker…” His name was a moan on her lips as he pumped into her body, taking her over and over again.

  He lowered her to the ground, calling forth a bed of soft grass and flowers to cradle his mate’s back. He followed her down, body buried deep as black fire leaped from her hand to his back, his back to her hip, flickering and dancing around them as if it had a mind of its own.

  Perhaps it did. Ryker had never had a mate before. Understood little of what would come in the years ahead. He would need to rely on his dragon and his instincts to take care of their mate.

  And care for her he would. Honor her. Worship her body and soul. Cherish and protect her soft heart. She was a treasure, and every legend that existed knew how vehemently dragons guarded their treasure.

  She arched her back, lifting her hips, driving him deeper as she used his hair to pull his head to hers. To place her lips on his. To make her own claim.

  “You’re mine, Ryker. Mine. You can’t take this back.”

  His kiss silenced her. His hips pumped into her with a driving rhythm as he pushed dragonfire into her body, swallowed her screams of pleasure with his kiss.

  He held on as long as he could, his need for her driving all thought and reason from his mind. Her tight heat gripped his cock, driving him wild. Her flame, the black flame that would seal them together forever, moved over and through his body like a lover’s caress, Katy’s sensuality, her passion, her love touching him in every cell. Healing him. Making him whole.

  He gave himself to the pleasure of her body and knew he was home.

  Epilogue

  Katy: you better not be late

  Emily: taking care of something. it’s an emergency

  Katy: always is *eye roll*

  * * *

  Three months later…

  Katy stood in front of the full-length mirror as Emily adjusted her wedding veil, secured by her crown, one more time. Her dress, a ball gown fit for dragon royalty, was custom-made by the finest designers, the huge black diamond pendant and earrings Ryker had given her secure about her neck and ears. All she was missing was her ring, and that would be placed on her finger within the hour. “Are you sure you’re all right with this, Em?”

  Emily gave her a gentle squeeze, careful not to mess up either of their dresses or makeup. “I’ve told you a hundred times, you and Ryker are meant to be together, but you just won’t let it go, so now I feel like I have to confess something to you or this is going to haunt us both forever. Sit, dear Sister; this might take a moment.”

  Katy sank onto the edge of the chair and looked at her twin. Her sister wore a dress nearly identical to her own, only slightly less massive, and black. As in, dragon-made black. Emily knew everything now. Her mother, too. Katy had insisted. She couldn’t live a lie. Never again. “What is it, Em?”

  Emily glanced at their mother, who rested comfortably on the sofa, her gentle snore reassuring both girls. She was still recovering from the fire, but thanks to Draquonir influence and wealth, she was receiving the very best treatments.

  “Emily! Spill it!” Katy couldn’t take the suspense. Her sister was always so dramatic. If she had something to say about her and Ryker, she needed to say it now, before it was too late. Her heart pounded in fear.

  Emily took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. Here goes. You know how when I called you and said I needed your help, you told me ‘no more breaking up with my boyfriends’?”

  Katy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Yes?”

  “Well, I had already decided not to go through with the whole thing, but I spent the advance on Mom’s hospital bills…”

  Katy didn’t think she could get any more tense, her whole body on edge, but she was wrong. “Go on.”

  Emily adjusted her dress, smoothed and rearranged the heavy train. “I had put them off three times already. They refused to wait any more. And I figured since he wasn’t really my boyfriend, you wouldn’t really be breaking up for me.”

  Katy fumed. She knew Emily sometimes had a strange way of making things work out exactly the way she wanted, but none of what she said was making any sense to her. “If you wanted out, then why did you insist I go over there and sign the damn contract?”

  “I told you,” Emily huffed, “I already spent the advance. The only way I wouldn’t have to pay it back was if they cancelled the contract. I figured all I had to do was send you in my place to sign the contract, and then you would be you and everything would work out.”

  Katy slowly rose from the chair, her hand clenched around a small ivory pillow. She took a menacing step toward Emily, her emotions equal parts rage and joy. She took another step closer to her target. Emily was going to pay this time. “Let me get this straight, Twin: you sent me to your fiancé hoping I would screw things up and he would break up with me? I mean, you?”

  “Yeees? Sorry about that.”

  That was the last straw. Katy smacked her sister with the pillow. Once. Twice. “Evil! You brat!”

  Emily screamed. Laughed. Grabbed the pillow and a tug-of-war ensued. “Katy! You can’t be mad at me. Look how it turned out! I was right! You messed everything up, he cancelled the contract, and you got a billionaire dragon husband who is not only completely in love with you, he made you immortal!”

  Emily screamed again as Katy got control of the pillow and hit her again, her eyes flashing with dragonfire.

  Ryker, Vector, and Fury barreled through the door like the house was on fire, roaring a battle cry, searching for the source of danger.

  Katy and Emily froze, mid-fight, at the spectacle. Their mother, asleep until then, sat up gingerly and yawned. “Is it time?”

  Ryker was the first to recover. He straightened from his defensive stance and adjusted his necktie. “We heard screaming.”

  Katy stared at Ryker, her heart on her sleeve as she watched him fidget nervously. “Everything is fine, mate.”

  He came over and kissed her tenderly. She dropped the pillow to wrap her arms around him, her anger with her sister gone as quickly as it had arisen. Today was not the day for anger. Today was about her and Ryker and spending the rest of their lives together.

  Ryker cleared his throat, his eyes soft. Full of love. “We are ready for you, Mia Regina. Do you not hear the dragon song?”

  Katy cocked her head, listening. A deep, guttural rhythm soaked into her being, some of the notes so low she could feel them in her chest but couldn’t hear them, while others rang out in a perfect harmony. “It’s beautiful. What is it?”

  “The unmated dragons, both male and female, sing our family song. It is traditional. They sing our ancient Draquonir lineage. They sing of hope. Our future. They sing of finding their own true mates. They sing of us.”

  Katy blinked away tears, happy tears. “Go ahead then. We’ll be right down.”

  Ryker kissed her once more, their fingertips clinging together, both reluctant to end the connection.

  Katy watched Ryker and his Guardians walk out and quietly close the door behind them. Emily, who’d been silent until now, whistled softly.

  “Damn, girl. He’s got it bad.”

  “He’s a hunk.” Their mother offered from the sofa.

  Katy and Emily turned in shock to stare at their mother with identical slack jaws and open mouths. Their mother did not talk about men. Not since their father had passed.

  “Mom!” Emily’s exclamation was followed by giggling.

  Their mother rose to her feet and held out her hands, one to each of her beautiful, precious daughters. “Come along, you two. We don’t want Katy’s hunk to get away.”

  They walked together, the twins each holding one of their mother’s arms, both as an act of solidarity and to make sure she didn’t lose her balance.

  When they reached the entrance to the courtyard, two large Guardians waited to open the double doors, each dressed in
shimmering clan black.

  Their mother sighed. “If I was thirty years younger, you boys would be in trouble.”

  A grin from one of the men was the only response as Katy and Emily surrounded their mother in one final group hug.

  “Let’s do this,” Emily said.

  “I love you girls. I’m so proud of you. So happy.” She started to cry, and Katy shushed her.

  “Mom, don’t you dare do that. I’ll start crying too and ruin my makeup!”

  “Go on then. Go.”

  With one final squeeze for the women she loved, the women who had supported her, loved her, and made her who she was, Katy turned to face the doors and nodded to the Guardian. “I’m ready.”

  “Very good, Mia Regina.”

  That title coming from lips other than Ryker’s was going to take some getting used to.

  The doors opened, and she was enveloped in sound, the dragon song a chorus of voices more beautiful than a Mendelssohn choir, the song, far older. She could feel the ancient weight of the chorus as the melodies flowed over and around one another, each dragon lifting a unique voice to the skies to offer thanks for their new queen, their new hope for a brighter future.

  As their tradition required, Katy walked down the center of the aisle with her family walking behind her in a show of support for the union. Coming from the opposite direction, Ryker walked with Vector just behind. And behind Vector? Dozens of Draquonir in stunning black gowns and suits, some in ceremonial armor carrying sparkling swords, others in modern suits or gowns with glittering black diamonds on their cuff links, their earrings, bracelets. Everywhere she looked, Katy sensed dragonfire. Magic.

  The effect was startling. Ethereal. She felt like a fairy princess in a magical story with the fairy-tale prince waiting for her in the center of the courtyard.

  Their people, their combined families surrounded the couple in a circle, all parts supporting the new family, the new beginning at their center.

  Ryker held out his hand to Katy, and she placed her palm in his. He slipped the ring she’d chosen onto her finger. “Keeper of my heart. True mate. I am eternally yours.”