Dragon Mine

by Donna Grant

  “This morning. I had you in my hand and mouth.”

  “Shite,” he murmured. “How?”

  “I was going to ask you that.”

  He shook his head. “I doona want to think about that now. I’d rather be inside you.”

  “I agree,” she replied with a seductive smile.

  When she rolled onto her back and lay there waiting for him, Vaughn could only look on in amazement. He wasn’t sure why such a stunning being wanted him, but he wouldn’t question it. No, he planned to grab her with both hands and be grateful.

  He rolled toward her but settled between her legs.

  “I thought we decided that…”

  Her words trailed off when his tongue swirled over her clit. Vaughn inwardly smiled at how he was able to silence her. He lavished undivided attention on her, making sure she was inundated with so much pleasure she couldn’t form a coherent thought. By the soft cries falling from her lips, he was doing just that.

  It was too much.

  It wasn’t enough.

  Vaughn kept her seesawing between sensations with every lick and lave of his tongue. She both reached for the climax and pushed it away because she knew the longer she held off, the greater it would be.

  The joke was on her, however, because she had no control over her body when it came to Vaughn. He was the master of pleasuring her, and she happily granted him that. She’d had lovers before, but none had touched her—knew her—like Vaughn.

  Her thoughts vanished as the pleasure intensified. Desire swirled low in her belly, growing tighter and tighter. Just as she felt herself about to reach that final hurdle, Vaughn changed the speed of his tongue.

  It was maddening.

  It was amazing.

  She didn’t know how he could touch her so expertly. It was like he knew exactly where to give her the most pleasure and what she desired.

  Her hands fisted the covers as he drew her closer and closer again. Closer than before. She held her breath, wanting to tell him to wait yet beg him to continue. No sound passed her lips as he continued his teasing.

  Right up until the climax claimed her.

  Vaughn held Eurwen’s hips still as her back arched off the bed and she cried out. He continued swirling his tongue over her until she lay limp. His cock jumped eagerly as he rose on his hands and knees.

  She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and reached for him. Vaughn guided himself to her entrance and pushed inside her. She gasped in pleasure as her body stretched to accommodate him. He slowly filled her, pausing when he was fully seated. Their gazes met. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, but something held him back.

  Her hands flattened on his chest as her eyes lowered to his dragon tattoo. Her fingers lightly ran from one shoulder to the other, following the curve of the dragon as it lay curving from collarbone to collarbone with the tail laying over his left shoulder. Her gaze lifted to his then, and he saw the stark, blatant desire.

  He began moving his hips. The friction of their bodies soon had their skin slick with sweat. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began meeting his thrusts. It didn’t matter how many times he’d made love to her in his dreams, it couldn’t beat the real thing. His hunger, his need was so great that he soon found the climax upon him. He shouted and buried himself deep within her as his seed filled her body.

  For several minutes, they didn’t move. Vaughn looked down at her to find her smiling at him. He grinned. Life would be so good now that he’d found his mate.

  “We’re going to be doing this a lot,” she said breathlessly.

  He chuckled as he pulled out of her and plopped onto his back. “We certainly are.”

  Vaughn began reaching for her to pull her against him when she turned the other way to move a pillow. That’s when he saw her tattoo. The dragon ran gracefully, seductively down Eurwen’s spine as if winding around it. It was in the same special red and black ink that made up the Kings’ tats.

  “This is stunning,” he said and ran his hand down it.

  Eurwen glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. “I like how it feels when you touch it.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” he said with a smile.

  She turned to him and rested against his chest, her long eyelashes brushing his skin as he stared at the ceiling. There was so much he wanted to say but he wasn’t sure how to even begin. Their first words hadn’t been good ones, and he didn’t want that to happen again. At least, not so soon. He wasn’t averse to arguing. That was a natural part of any relationship. But a lot was going on outside of just him and Eurwen.

  Suddenly, she sat up, her eyes wide. “I told Con and Rhi they could come here anytime. What if they walk in on us?”

  “They willna,” Vaughn assured her before glancing down at her glorious breasts.

  Her silver eyes narrowed on him as she frowned. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because Con knows I’m here.”

  “He knows?” she squeaked.

  Vaughn wasn’t sure if she was outraged, embarrassed, or both. Regardless, he’d obviously said the wrong thing. “I had to convince Con to allow me to come with them on this first trip. Every King wanted to come.”

  “Did you know it was me before you stepped through the doorway?”

  “Nay, lass. I’d hoped, but I wasna sure.”

  She sighed. “My parents know…everything?”

  “They doona keep secrets from each other. I’m sure Rhi knows by now, as well. I left them with Varek and Jeyra. Con knows you and I had words earlier. I told him I wanted another chance to talk with you. They willna be disturbing us tonight.”

  Eurwen visibly relaxed. “That’s good. I guess.”

  “You doona like them knowing?”

  “I’m not used to others knowing my business.”

  Vaughn put one arm behind his head and touched Eurwen with his other. He couldn’t stand not touching her. “What about your brother?”

  Her gaze slid away, and she fell silent for a moment. Then she curled up next to him once again, resting her cheek on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and simply held her. Vaughn, like most of the Dragon Kings, had been so wrapped up in his problems on Earth with the mortals, Fae, and Others that he hadn’t stopped to consider Eurwen and Brandr and what they might have endured. None of them had.

  Vaughn was ashamed to say that he’d believed their problems on Earth were much larger than anyone else’s. That was not only shortsighted but also wrong. She had told him a little, but he suspected she had only glossed over the facts instead of delving into them. Not that he blamed her. It had been Eurwen and her brother against everyone. He’d most likely have acted the same in her position.

  Eurwen sighed, her cool breath brushing against his skin. “There was a time I could’ve told you exactly what he was thinking. It hasn’t been that way for some time.”

  “You’re both a mix of two verra powerful people. I imagine you have magic from both the dragons and the Fae. Since you were able to gain control of the dragons, you two can obviously speak to them.”

  She nodded her head and absently traced figure eights over his chest and stomach with her finger. “The mental link. Yes, we’re able to do that. You saw me shift from dragon to human.”

  “And Brandr? Can he?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  Vaughn kissed her head softly. “Can either of you do Fae magic, other than creating doorways?”

  “Like teleporting? Yes. Only short distances.”

  “Bloody hell,” he murmured with a grin. “Sounds like you got the best of both.” When she was silent, he said, “Siblings are difficult. Sometimes, you’re close. Sometimes, you are no’.”

  “I’ve watched enough families to know that. But twins are different,” she explained. “There’s a connection that other siblings don’t have and never will.”

  That’s when it hit Vaughn. “You miss that connection.”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know. He doesn’t understa
nd why I wanted our parents here.”

  “He’s no’ ready.”

  She shifted her head to meet his gaze. “I fear he never will be.”

  “Will that create a problem?”

  “It already has.”

  Vaughn rolled onto his elbow to look down at her. “How so?”

  She looked away and shook her head.

  A yawning pit formed in Vaughn’s stomach as he realized that she was talking about telling Brandr about her night with him. “What did your brother say, exactly?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Eurwen said as she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

  Vaughn wasn’t going to accept such an answer when he knew something was going on. He sat up beside her. “It does matter. You’re hurt.”

  “We have something beautiful and special here.” She turned her head and met his gaze. “Something I know the Dragon Kings want.”

  “Wish to experience,” he corrected. “This is your world. We’re no’ coming to take it.”

  She raised a blond brow, her expression disbelieving. “Really? Do you want to leave?”

  He hesitated.

  Her lips flattened as she faced forward. “Exactly. Varek asked to stay. Any King who comes will ask the same thing.”

  “We’re no’ challenging you or Brandr.”

  “Who says we won’t challenge any of you?” she asked in a dry tone.

  Vaughn blinked, taking in her words. He wasn’t sure what to think…or do. Finding her was supposed to be the difficult part. He was coming to realize that he’d been dead wrong.

  “We don’t have any idea if the magic on this realm is the same as yours. When Erith created—”

  “What?” Vaughn asked in shock, his head swinging to her.

  Eurwen wrinkled her nose as she glanced his way. “I forgot you weren’t there when I told Con and Rhi. Erith created this realm to give the dragons a place to go.”

  “Shite,” he murmured, surprise and amazement running through him.

  “Erith tried to mimic Earth for the dragons, but there are differences. They’re subtle. You’d probably miss them if you weren’t looking.”

  Vaughn ran a hand down his face. “We know verra little of the magic of our realm, other than it’s powerful. We know from our battle with the Others that magic can be drained from a planet, but I have no idea where it comes from. There is magic here. I feel it.”

  “It’s Erith’s,” Eurwen explained. “It’s why the clans don’t have Kings.”

  He looked at her, waiting until her silver eyes met his before he asked, “And you’re worried that might change if the Kings are here?”

  “It’s possible. I don’t want any Teals challenging you for the right to be Dragon King.”

  “We were never meant to be Kings this long. We were only meant to stay in power until someone stronger came and the magic chose them.”

  Eurwen shrugged. “I don’t want to challenge you, my father, or anyone else.”

  Ah. So that was her real fear.

  For both her and Brandr.

  Vaughn put his hand over hers. “The best way to ensure that doesna happen is if we can all sit down and talk. Including your brother.”

  “That’s never going to happen.”

  Chapter Ten

  There was so much going on inside Rhi that she wasn’t sure which way was up. At least, she had Con by her side. The thought of going through any of this alone made her nauseous. She would’ve done it, because when you had to do something, you had to do it. But that didn’t mean she would’ve liked it.

  “What?” Con asked when his black eyes swung to her.

  She smiled and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you.”

  “I love you,” he said before giving her a soft kiss. “Now, what’s wrong?”

  She couldn’t hold back her laugh. “You know me so well.”

  “Stop stalling and spit it out,” he said with a wink.

  “I have a bad feeling.”

  His brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

  “Our children, the dragons, the humans, this realm, the babies appearing… Take your pick, my love, but something isn’t right.”

  Con blew out a breath and ran his hands up and down her upper arms. “You’re so used to having something or someone to fight that you doona know what it is to have peace. Besides, if something were going on, Varek would’ve known by now.”

  “Need I remind you that he spent most of his time on this realm in a prison? Without magic,” she stated.

  Con paused and issued a nod. “Fair point. But after—”

  “It’s only been a few days. What do you think Varek could’ve seen? Not much. Also, he’s otherwise occupied with his new mate. Case in point, where are they now?”

  “Is it too much to ask for things to go right?” Con asked.

  Rhi gazed up at him, understanding his worry and dismay. “I want things to be simple and easy, but that isn’t our world. It never will be because of the power and magic the Dragon Kings have.”

  “You are no’ the only one feeling as if something is off,” he admitted.

  She flattened her lips and gave him a pointed look. “You were just going to keep that to yourself?”

  “I was expecting things that wouldna be there. Force of habit kind of thing.”

  “What are you always telling me?”

  “To trust your instincts.”

  “Exactly. What were you doing?” she pushed, forcing him to admit the truth.

  His nostrils flared as he glanced away in irritation. “I get your point.”

  “Say it.”

  His black eyes looked into hers. “I was ignoring my gut.”

  “And we can’t do that.”

  “Nay, love, we can no’,” he said with a grin. “Now, tell me what you’ve seen.”

  She looked around the grove, the trees circling them, and the mountains beyond. “The absence of our son raises a huge concern. If Eurwen opened the door against his wishes—”

  “You’re worried there will be repercussions,” Con finished.

  Rhi nodded. “To start, yes. Eurwen wouldn’t have opened the doorway unless she wanted to, but her attitude today tells me that she’s unsure if she made the right decision. We need to tread carefully. After all, this is their realm.”

  “I’m acutely aware of that. Dragons have been circling us all day, but none have approached. The few I’ve tried to converse with willna engage. Vaughn had a brief conversation with some Teals, and it wasna friendly.”

  Rhi took Con’s hand and led him to the fire as they sat on the cut stumps facing each other. “This realm may look similar to ours, but it isn’t the same.”

  “The magic isna, either. It isna even close. It feels more like…” He paused as if searching for the right word.

  “Erith?” Rhi offered. “She did create it.”

  Con nodded. “Exactly. That’s why none of the dragons have challenged our children. Why there are no’ any Kings or Queens.”

  “Will that change with our arrival? Has it changed with Varek being here? Was there a bigger reason for our children not wanting us here, other than their anger at something neither of us had control over?”

  Shock fell over Con’s face. “Bloody hell. Do you think?”

  “I’m not ruling anything out. I understand that the twins are upset that we weren’t in their lives, but why take it out on us? Neither of us knew of their existence until recently.”

  “Why no’ be angry at Erith for putting all of us in this situation?” Con asked.

  Rhi shook her head as she glanced at the fire. “I don’t want to ask that. But, yes. Everything looks perfect and beautiful, but you and I know from experience that things rarely are as they seem.”

  “Surely, Eurwen would’ve told us.”

  “What if she doesn’t know? What if neither of our children knows?”

  Con released her hand and quickly stood as he paced. Rhi watched the unease
and suspicion begin filling her mate. It was rare for Con to let any kind of emotion show if anyone but she was around, but he didn’t seem to care right now.

  “I might be reaching,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am seeing things that aren’t there.”

  He shook his head and halted in looking at her. “My thoughts didna go down that road, but that isna to say you’re wrong. I’ve been troubled since Jeyra and Varek told us about the infants. There doesna seem to be a rhyme or reason for their arrival, nor why some live a regular life span of a mortal, and others, like Jeyra, live several hundred years.”

  “We need to get Jeyra to Dreagan so Sophie can look her over. Maybe do some bloodwork. I don’t sense any magic within her, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

  “I doona sense magic, either, but it could be a new kind that dragons can no’ detect.”

  Rhi saw his brow furrow deeper. “There’s something else.”

  “All these millennia, none of the Kings has been able to have children.”

  “We did,” Rhi said with a smile.

  He didn’t return it. “Would you have carried our children to term?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can no’ know that for certain, love.”

  Rhi hated that she was getting defensive. “I’m not the first Fae to get pregnant with a Dragon King’s bairn. Need I remind you of Melisse.”

  “Between her and now, there have been none. Yes, Eurwen and Brandr are alive. Who is to say that if we had all made different decisions back then that you wouldna have lost the bairns?”

  “Or had them,” she interjected.

  A muscle ticked in Con’s jaw. “Back on Earth, Claire and V are going insane every day waiting to see what will happen with the babe she carries.”

  An idea suddenly struck Rhi. “Bring Claire here.”

  “What?” Con asked, visibly taken aback.

  “The dragons here have no problem having children.”

  “Claire isna a dragon. And the dragons didna have problems on Earth, either.”

  Rhi shot him a dark look. “I know Claire isn’t a dragon, but she’s carrying the child of one. Add in the fact that Usaeil used magic to ensure that Claire would get pregnant, and I think she should come here. She’s overdue anyway.”