One of the younger males spoke up. "We'll be cheering you on, Mr. Asher. And maybe someday, you can teach us a few more of your tricks. Not that we'll need them if you and your partner win, but it'd be nice to learn them all the same. After all, the dragon hunters or Dragon Knights could come down south at any time."
So far, both enemies had mostly focused on Stonefire and Lochguard to the north. However, Asher worried about them coming to Skyhunter and possibly sweet-talking some of the more vulnerable clan members into helping them, especially if they rejected a dual leadership if he and Honoria won.
His beast grunted. If they work with anyone out to drain dragon-shifters of their blood, then maybe they're too stupid to live.
A clan leader can't protect only the intelligent. Part of our job will be to watch out for the most vulnerable.
His dragon huffed. I'm sure in the days of old they banished the weaker ones from the clan in order to survive.
You don't really mean that.
No, although if we don't eat soon, I'm going to get even grumpier and propose more old-fashioned traditions.
Not dignifying his cranky dragon with a response, he glanced around the group of former students. "If things ever settle down enough, I'll hold some special training days in the future. But just know that there is a lot to do before things will probably settle down here."
One of the females bobbed her head. "I know, Mr. Asher. But we'll be waiting all the same."
Asher made his goodbyes and followed Honoria. Once they were out of earshot, she spoke up again. "Well, at least we know not everyone will dismiss me working with you."
"I'm sure others will approve, and hopefully more will follow. But first, we need to be as prepared as we can be. So let's hurry up to your place so you can catch me up on everything I missed."
Honoria nodded. "We'll go, but I propose a race. The last one to my place has to shell and devein the shrimp?"
He was about to say he didn't know where she lived now, but Honoria was already running away. All Asher could do was grab his clothes, tug them on, and follow.
Even though Honoria had cheated, he smiled the whole way to her cottage, and even more so when he finally caught up to her. It'd been a while since he'd had to chase a female, and Asher forgot how much he liked it.
~~~
Maybe it'd been childish to suggest a race—especially one to a location Asher didn't know about—but Honoria had wanted to win and make Asher clean up the shrimp for dinner. And so she ran as fast as she could, Asher's footsteps behind her telling her he wasn't far behind.
Her dragon spoke up. Yes, yes, I like the chase.
He's not chasing us, dragon.
Are you sure? He could eat anywhere. And maybe even find out more about Stonefire and Lochguard on his own, too. No, he's chasing us.
You're turning into a one-track mind sort of dragon, aren't you?
Her beast grunted. Only because you do the human thing and deny what we both want.
I said I wanted him, but not yet.
Sex on a schedule isn't sexy.
Thankfully Honoria's little stone cottage came into view, and she pushed her body harder. Reaching the front step, she turned. Asher was in front of her in the next second. With him standing a step below, she was a fraction taller than him, and Honoria admitted she liked it when he was a smidge taller than her since most males were shorter than her.
As if reading her mind, Asher moved onto the same step, all but pressing her into the door. His hot breath danced across her face, his body less than an inch away from hers.
For a second, they merely stared at one another, breathing hard—from the running, most definitely because of the running. Not because Asher was so close, his heat enveloping her like a coat.
Her dragon growled. Lying again.
Asher’s voice was low as he said, "Open the door, Ria. Now."
She fished the keys from her bra and turned toward the door. The position made it so her back was up against Asher's front. Heat blazed where he touched her despite their clothing, and she expected him to wrap an arm around her waist or maybe kiss her neck.
But all he did was stand there, waiting.
Not wanting him to think he should always be giving the orders, Honoria deliberately pushed her arse back until she could feel his hard cock. With a little wiggle, she made Asher growl, "Open the fucking door, Ria."
Glancing over her shoulder, she threw back, "Patience is a necessary virtue for clan leaders, isn't it?"
Asher reached around, and since she'd put the key in the lock, he turned it, pushed the door open and backed her inside. He didn't hesitate to shut the door and press her up against it, his arms caging her body. His strained voice filled the hall. "I was showing bloody patience by not turning you around and kissing you out in the open."
Her heart kicked up, and her eyes fell to his lips. "You wanted to kiss me?"
He moved a fraction closer. "Lately, I always bloody want to kiss you. But if we're to be a clan leader team, it's probably best if we keep any kissing private."
Her eyes shot back to his. "So no platonic relationship, then?"
His pupils flashed to slits and back. "Originally, I had thought of it. But, fuck, Ria, every time you're near, something happens to my brain and I can't think straight."
She smiled. "Well, that tends to happen when the blood heads south."
He growled. "No, no teasing. Unless it's the kind I can do with my tongue and teeth."
Memories of Asher licking between her thighs flashed inside her mind, and her dragon spoke up. Yes, yes, let's fuck him now. Dinner can wait till later.
Without being in public and everyone watching them, Honoria stopped denying what she wanted. She lifted a hand to his chest and tilted her head. "I could be your snack before supper, if you want."
Asher took her lips in a rough kiss, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as one hand moved into her hair. Honoria wrapped her arms around his neck as she twined and stroked her tongue with his, giving back to Asher as good as she got.
Her beast hummed. I want more than kissing. Tell him, now, or I'll take control.
You bloody won't this time. Try, and I'll put you in a mental prison.
Her dragon fell silent, and Honoria focused on kissing Asher as she ran one hand down his back, to his arse, and then around to his front. When she cupped his balls, he groaned. "Keep that up and I'm not going to be able to hold back and worship your pussy with my tongue."
She squeezed again. "The tongue can wait."
Asher's pupils turned to slits and back as he extended a few talons and shredded her jeans. She squeaked. "Hey, you need to stop ripping my clothes. I don't have a lot of them here yet."
"You don't need any inside the house," he threw back as he shucked his own clothes.
She opened her mouth, but then her eyes fell to Asher's hand, which pumped his cock as he closed in on her.
Her beast spoke up. Yes, yes, knock him down and take him. I want him now. No more waiting.
In that moment, Honoria decided that in the confines of her own home, she would go after what she wanted. And right now, what she wanted was Asher King inside her and making her scream.
Honoria tugged off the remaining bits of her clothing and walked over to her sofa. But unlike last time, she sat on the back of it before he could bend her over. Not that she didn't like it, but she wanted to watch his eyes as he took her.
Spreading her legs wide, Honoria played with her pussy and then her clit. Asher watched every moment, his hand pumping faster.
Her dragon grunted. Tell him to stop or he'll only last a minute or two. I want longer, much longer. He needs to prove he can hold out.
Why? That isn't a clan leader requirement.
It is for me, if he's ever to be our mate.
Honoria tried to digest her dragon's words, but Asher was in front of her, gripping her hand and moving it away. She quickly added to her beast, We'll talk about that later.
Ash
er's deep voice rolled over her. "Stop talking with your bloody dragon and stay with me."
He rubbed the tip of his dick against her, and Honoria sucked in a breath. Somehow she had enough of her mind left to say, "Don't think you can order me about all the time, Asher King."
"You? Never." He placed the tip of his cock inside her. "Your dragon, on the other hand? I plan to test her boundaries all the bloody time."
Her dragon growled, but then Asher thrust into Honoria and moved his hips. To keep from falling backward, she held onto his arms, making sure to dig in her nails. "Just shut up and kiss me."
He snorted. "And now who's giving the orders?"
Pulling out slowly, Asher thrust back in hard as he took her lips with his, swallowing her reply. Maybe she should be a little angry, but as he moved and pulled her close, she forgot about everything but Asher's tongue battling hers, his cock claiming her core, and his hands roaming, caressing, and pulling her close.
Maybe a future with Asher wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
Then his fingers found her clit, and any remaining shreds of thought vanished as he rubbed and pressed, playing her like an expert. Each pass sent her closer to the edge, making her moan with a few whimpers. Asher was inside her, around her, invading all of her senses. And when she finally crashed over the edge and wave after wave of pleasure flooded her body, she couldn't help but murmur his name into his mouth, instantly craving him all over again.
In a way she'd never craved another male before.
Asher stilled and held her closer as he broke the kiss and bit her neck. "Ria," he whispered, the tension draining from his body as he came.
Honoria laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly. Asher's voice had been more than a response to his orgasm. His tone had been filled with awe, as well as need. It'd almost sounded like he'd been waiting for her all these years.
Which was ridiculous, of course. So she merely held him in her arms and tried not to think of how he'd been the male she'd once loved and could easily love again.
Chapter Six
Three days later, Asher looked down at Honoria's sleeping face and wondered how he ever thought he could be around her and not touch her.
His dragon spoke up. She wants us to touch her. That's all that matters.
He wanted to say it wasn't, but he and his beast had argued the last three days about how bad of an idea it'd be if they became a true couple, won the contest, and then something went wrong.
His beast huffed. You don't have enough faith. I don't want to give her up. I will fight for her. You should want to do it, too.
Honoria moved her head against the pillow and shifted the position of her arm. But after a few beats, Asher deemed her still asleep and he replied, The clan needs to come first right now.
Before his dragon could say anything, Asher's phone beeped with a message. He looked and read it: You and Honoria's next appointment is at 10:00 a.m. at the Protector building.
He mentally cursed. It was nearly nine o'clock now, which meant he had to wake Honoria. Yet as he stared at her face slack in sleep, her hair half covering it, he wanted to let her rest after keeping her up half the night.
His dragon snorted. More like she kept us up half the night.
Ignoring his beast, he gently tucked some of her long, blonde hair behind her ear and lightly traced her cheek. "Ria, wake up." When she didn't move, he used the trick he'd learned the first morning and tossed the covers back.
While it wasn't freezing, the air was cool enough to shock her, and she rolled onto her back. Glaring at him, she muttered, "You need to stop doing that."
It took everything he had to keep his eyes on her face and not on her delectable naked body. "We have to be at the Protector building in about an hour. Unless you want to show up unwashed and smelling of me, you need to hop into the shower."
Stretching her arms overhead, she replied, "I'd only smell of you if I were pregnant, which I very much hope doesn't happen anytime soon."
He noted that she didn't say never, just not soon. His dragon stood up tall. Good. One day, she will bear our young.
Hush. There are more important things to focus on today.
Unable to completely resist Honoria's body, he danced his fingers against her side. She jerked and barked out a laugh at the same time. "Don't do that, Ash."
"Why not? You always say my fingers are warm."
She raised an eyebrow. "Because your fingers have a habit of wandering, and we don't have time for that. Especially since we have no idea what today's task or test will be. On top of that, you tend to forget things the hour after you orgasm, and that would be a disaster. So you're going to have to wait."
He leaned down and positioned his face just over hers. "Just for the time being?"
A wicked glint filled her eyes. "You'll know when it's time to bring out the hanky-panky again."
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "You spent far too much time in America."
She winked. "It just adds to my charm."
It would be so easy to fall in love with Honoria again.
He stilled at that thought. No, he couldn't risk loving her because it might also put the clan's future in jeopardy. And for at least the next few years, the clan needed to be a top priority, until they were stable and somewhat cohesive again.
His beast growled, but Asher simply said, Don't.
The tone was enough to keep his beast quiet, but Honoria's voice filled the room. "Your face turned serious just then. What happened?"
Shaking his head, he sat upright again. "Not now. We need to save and focus all our energy for whatever will happen in about an hour."
She searched his gaze. "We can't be a team if you won't talk to me."
"After we complete whatever the DDA has planned, we can talk about it then."
She rolled her eyes. "If that tone is supposed to make me submit, it's not going to work."
Asher turned and moved to the edge of the bed, until his feet touched the ground. "After, Ria. I promise I'll talk more after."
Not that he had any fucking clue what he'd say to her. If he spoke the truth about how he could see himself falling back in love with her and wanting a future together, it could complicate everything.
His beast whispered, Or, it could finally slide everything into place.
With a growl, Asher stood and walked toward the bathroom. "I'll shower first."
He risked one last glance at Honoria and nearly blinked at the stubbornness in her gaze, as well as the firmness of her jaw. He knew that look—she wouldn't stop until she found out the truth.
It seemed that he'd have to prepare for two things now, because the instant their next task was over, Honoria would pounce on him. And not in a hanky-panky way, either.
Once he reached the bathroom, he turned on the cold water in the shower. Stepping under the freezing spray, he closed his eyes. Part of him wanted her to find out the truth, and the remaining part wanted to run. Asher hadn't had a nightmare during the past week, but one was waiting to happen. And when it did, Honoria might see him as less of a male and/or a worthy partner.
And that was something he couldn't endure.
The rational thing would be to stop their dalliances and focus on the clan.
But that thought left a sour taste in his mouth.
His dragon finally spoke again. Don't push her aside. She is meant to be ours, even if she's not our true mate.
He didn't say anything to his beast, but mulled over the words for a few minutes before forcing his brain to focus on all the new facts and information he'd learned from Honoria over the last three days. He couldn't fuck up what came next, or he could risk everyone's future, not just his own.
~~~
Asher dodging Honoria's question and acting as if everything was normal, and then her not doing anything about it, was bloody difficult. Over the last three days, she thought they'd fallen back into old times, which meant being comfortable around one another and holding less and
less back from the other.
Sure, the sex had been fantastic, but discussing the recent history surrounding the dragon clans in England and Scotland, or even about their leaders, had been just as amazing. No one back in the US had really cared about the faraway English clan or their UK compatriots. In a way, it had been as if she'd lost a part of who she was when she'd left Skyhunter.
But now, she was back and about to tackle the next task with Asher at her side. She'd just have to focus on that and press Asher for details later.
Her dragon spoke up. You worry too much. Besides, he may act normal, but he was a prisoner and supposedly tortured. It can't be easy for him.
Shame flooded her body. I think I do forget about that sometimes. But he never bloody talks about it. Asher should know that he can tell us anything.
Right, because dragonmen are always open and honest about their feelings, her beast drawled.
Honoria smiled. One can hope.
Her dragon snorted as they rounded the last corner to the main security building. She glanced over at Asher and noticed his pupils flashing between slits and round. She had no idea what he was talking to his dragon about, but she was glad he was. One thing she'd learned about his imprisonment was how his dragon had been drugged silent for most of the five years they'd been locked up.
And for a lesser male, that could've led to insanity. But not Asher, the stubborn and wonderful dragonman he was.
Her dragon added, And he's as dominant as we are. Don't forget that.
You only appreciate that when we’re naked. I'm sure it's going to drive you crazy later.
Her dragon huffed. We'll see. All it'll take is some training to get him to do what I want, and I have loads of ideas.
She bit her lip to keep from laughing. If she did, Asher would ask about it and then she'd have to explain her dragon's randy desires.
Asher caught her eye and raised his brows. "Are you ready?"
Banishing all humor from her countenance, she stood taller. "Of course I am. Are you?"
Winning Skyhunter Page 6