Transforming Snowridge (Stonefire Dragons Universe Book 2)

by Jessie Donovan

  Melanie added, "And you'll always have us to talk to as well. Evie would be here, too, if not for her pregnancy. And the same for Gina and Kiyana on Lochguard."

  She looked between the two women. "So does that mean once the frenzy's over I won't be going anywhere for nine months?"

  "Not necessarily, as long as you're healthy." Holly leaned in. "And if you are, we'll find excuses for Rhydian to let you visit. He wants to strengthen clan ties after all, aye? Besides, if we hint how you'll teach us some self-defense moves, it should motivate our mates to make it happen."

  Someone knocked on the door and Fraser's voice came through it. "Is everything all right? They're ready for you, Delaney."

  Holly answered her mate, "She'll be right out." She looked back at Delaney. "Now, let's get you mated to the Welsh leader. Because the sooner you do, the sooner you can finally kiss your man in a few hours' time."

  As the two women led Delaney out of the preparation room, she smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to finally have Rhydian all to herself later on.

  ~~~

  Rhydian didn't often fidget, but as he waited off the dais for Delaney to arrive on the other side, he did tap his hand against his thigh.

  His dragon spoke up. Considering she was in a life-or-death fight two days ago, she deserves all the time she needs.

  Great, mention that and then I worry she'll back out.

  She won't. Delaney is strong, and you know that. If you start this mating with doubts, it won't go well.

  I'm not truly doubting her. I'm just nervous. The clan seems to be accepting her more, especially after what happened with Bedwyr, but I still fear someone will try to hurt her this evening.

  Not only are the Lochguard Protectors still here, our own Protectors returned, too. She'll be watched closely.

  Before Rhydian could reply, Delaney appeared at the opposite side of the dais. Her dark hair against the bright red color of her dress made his mouth drop a fraction.

  She would always be beautiful to him, but he definitely needed to convince her to wear red more often. Maybe just when they were alone, so none of the other males would stare at her.

  Delaney met his gaze, smiled, and bobbed her head. She was ready.

  Since he was clan leader, it was up to Rhydian to guide the ceremony and take the lead.

  He walked toward the center and Delaney followed suit. When he reached the middle, he stopped just to the side of a tall pedestal where two silver arm cuffs lay.

  Picking up the smaller of the two, he raised it and said, "Delaney Murphy, you're not only my love, but you're also brave, stubborn, and willing to take on the world. Not even being the only human in a clan of dragon-shifters fazes you. Add in your caring nature, willingness to raise your nephew as your own son, and your ability to persevere against all odds, and I can't think of a better female to be my mate. I love you, Delaney. Will you accept my mate claim?"

  She nodded and he slowly slipped the silver cuff on her upper bicep. Before removing his hand, he lightly outlined his name written in the old language. The sight assuaged his primitive dragon side, making his beast hum.

  He couldn’t wait to have her wearing the arm cuff and nothing else. Well, maybe in red heels, too.

  As soon as he removed his hand, Delaney picked up the larger arm cuff and held it in the air. "Rhydian Griffiths, you care deeply for your people and have dedicated so much of your life to their well-being. I respect and admire you for it, but also love how you can be gentle, playful, and even light on your feet when you want to be. I hope we shall be dancing together until we're too old to do so anymore, and even then, find a way to move as one sometimes. I love you, Rhydian. Will you accept my mate claim?"

  Doing his best to ignore the emotion choking his throat—Rhydian didn't think he'd ever be here, exchanging vows with a mate—he bobbed his head. "I do."

  She slipped the arm cuff around the bicep without the tattoo. Just like him, she traced the letters in the old language that spelled out her name. He'd taught her the symbols earlier in the day, and judging by the happiness in her gaze, she approved of the tradition.

  He spoke up again. "I declare us mated before the entire clan. And while I would love nothing more than to kiss you in front of everyone to make the claim clear, I'd rather not provide everyone the ensuing free show."

  Delaney murmured, "Rhydian," in a scolding tone as a few people chuckled in the crowd.

  Doing his best not to laugh, he pulled her close and nuzzled her cheek. "I love you."

  "And I sometimes wonder why, but I love you too."

  He kissed her cheek and then her neck.

  For a split second, he wished he could shirk his clan duties and rush Delaney to their quarters.

  But not only did they need to check on Rian to make sure he was doing fine, but it was also vitally important for Delaney to mingle with the clan.

  And so with great effort, he pulled back, took her good hand, and guided her down the steps to the main floor.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Several hours later, Delaney's face hurt from smiling so much.

  True, she was grateful that more of the clan were talking to her. Not only had Nerys tried to be nice and set up a play date with her daughter and Rian, but other clan members had even hugged and offered some advice on child-rearing or how best to handle a dragonman.

  She'd even managed to get some of the other parents from the school to talk with Holly and Melanie. They all had children, which gave them all common ground regardless of accents or clan affiliations. They'd all soon forgotten that some were human and others dragon-shifter.

  However, as much as she liked feeling more accepted and to see the different clans getting along, as each minute passed, her gaze kept looking to Rhydian.

  Her mate.

  She watched him chat with Kai from Stonefire. No doubt Rhydian was still talking about the results of the operation from two days before, and what had been found. He was a clan leader to his core.

  But she loved him for it. And considering they'd be together and alone for the next week or two, she could at least let him handle the last few details before turning over the leadership temporarily to Wren and Carys.

  Holly, who was standing nearby, whispered, "If I were you, I'd go to him and say you're a little tired."

  She sighed. "Apart from my smile muscles, I'm the farthest thing from tired."

  In truth, she kept imagining Rhydian kissing her and how the frenzy would go. Not out of fear, but rather in anticipation. It was high time for her to finally kiss her bloody husband.

  Holly replied, "Still, telling him that should be enough of a hint about wanting to leave. You deserve some time alone with your dragonman, and no one here would deny that fact."

  Lily Owens, who was also nearby, added, "Go, love. There are plenty of us who will watch over the clan during the frenzy. Both you and Rhydian deserve some time together. And not just because it'll give me another baby to spoil, either."

  Even though Lily was only distantly related to Rhydian through her mate, she'd decided they were all her family, too. And on Kai and his sister Delia's advice, Delaney had decided to just go with it.

  Delaney bobbed her head. "Okay." She looked at each of the women in turn. "Thank you, especially to you, Lily, for watching Rian whilst we're occupied."

  Lily merely smiled. "No worries. Maybe you should say goodbye to the boy before telling Rhydian you're tired, though."

  "Good point." She grinned. "I'm sure we'll have more to talk about in a week or two."

  Holly raised her brows. "You'd better call me soon after and tell me how it went."

  "Of course, and not just because you promised Rhydian to help keep an eye on me during my pregnancy, either."

  Holly's expression softened. "You'll be fine, lass. Just make sure to start your dragon's blood shots as soon as you finish the frenzy, and I'm confident you'll do just fine."

  Delaney hoped so. And given how confident Holly was, it was hard to doub
t her.

  She hugged first Holly and then Lily. "I'll talk to you both soon."

  Lily snorted. "But not too soon, I hope."

  Willing her pale cheeks not to flush, she turned and headed toward the corner of the room being used mostly as a children's play area.

  Rian was off to one side, building something out of plastic bricks with his friend Osian.

  Even just the sight of Rian with his friend warmed her heart. She hated being apart from Rian for so long, but between Lily, Osian, and the others who'd vowed to look after him, he'd be well taken care of.

  Not to mention she and Rhydian had talked about the mating the day before, and Rian had been enthusiastic about the idea.

  She approached and Rian looked up, flashing a grin. "Look, Auntie Laney, it's the main entrance mountain to Snowridge!"

  Delaney did her best to look past the bright-colored bricks and to imagine the mountain. It looked more like a giant solid cube with a haphazard-looking point on the top, but then he took off the uppermost section, and she gasped.

  Inside was the great hall, little tables made out of bricks, smaller ones representing food, and then lots of little people positioned all over it. He pointed toward a couple at the front, on a raised stage. "See, this is you and Rhydian. They didn't have any people in dragon-shifter clothes, but I still think it looks a little like you."

  She crouched down to get a better look. The woman had dark hair and a red dress. "That's amazing, Rian."

  "Osian helped. We want to make more parts of Snowridge, as a surprise for when you and Rhydian come back."

  Osian was the quieter boy out of the pair, but he finally spoke up. "It was supposed to be a surprise, Rian."

  "Oops."

  Delaney laughed. "Don't worry, it'll still be mostly a surprise. I can't wait to see what you two come up with." She brushed some hair off Rian's forehead. "Are you sure you'll be okay for mine and Rhydian's honeymoon?"

  Rian bobbed his head. "Between Auntie Lily's sweets and Osian's mam teaching us to make shepherd's pie, I'll be loads busy. It'll be fun."

  She searched his eyes. "And make sure to share with your dragon, like you promised."

  Rian’s pupils flashed. "I will. He doesn’t like all the people here, though. So it’s okay for me to be in charge. "

  "Good." Even though it was probably embarrassing to the boy, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Rian."

  "I love you, too, Auntie Laney."

  Rian had said the words many times over, ever since his dragon had come out, but it still made her eyes a little wet. She never would replace her sister, but she hoped one day he'd see her as his second mother.

  After a few more seconds to compose herself, she stood, said her goodbyes, and headed for Rhydian. Not only was she excited for the frenzy, the sooner she started, it meant the sooner she could see Rian again, too.

  ~~~

  Rhydian saw Delaney approach from the corner of his eye and decided right then and there that they'd mingled long enough.

  Especially as her scent grew stronger and his dragon growled, Rhydian managed to disentangle himself from his latest conversation and closed the distance between them.

  He kissed the side of her face and murmured, "We're going to leave now."

  She snorted. "Someone's impatient."

  As he stroked her lower back, the scent of her arousal grew stronger. He stated smugly, "I'm not the only one."

  Her hand lightly caressed his back, each pass making his body heat up and his dragon more frantic.

  His beast roared. Then leave this room and take her home. I want her. I need her. I've waited long enough.

  Not wasting any more time, he maneuvered to take Delaney's good hand and pulled her out of the hall.

  Everyone had to know where they were going, and thankfully no one tried to stop them.

  His beast hissed. If anyone tries to delay us, I'm going to knock them unconscious. It's my turn to claim our female.

  Rhydian ignored his dragon, saving his energy for when they claimed Delaney for the first time.

  Because Rhydian was going to be in control when it happened.

  Some of his thoughts must've leaked out because his dragon snarled. However, before he could say anything, Rhydian said, No. She's done well adjusting with the clan and living amongst dragon-shifters, but dealing with a dragon during a mate-claim frenzy shouldn't be her first memory of us together. I can prepare her so that you can take her any way you want.

  Dragon halves generally took females harder and faster, which he expected Delaney to enjoy. However, he wanted to ensure she was used to Rhydian being inside her before any of the rougher play came out.

  His beast hissed. One time only. Then it's my turn.

  As long as you share.

  Maybe. If she asks for you.

  Rhydian would just have to ensure Delaney knew that request was available.

  They rounded the corner and finally approached their quarters. After opening the door, he scooped Delaney into his arms. She squeaked, but her good hand instantly looped around his neck and played with the short hairs there as she lay the other on his chest. Even just her fingers dancing across his skin made his cock harder.

  He managed to lay her on the bed and then shucked off his clothes.

  As his female perused his naked body and stopped at his cock, her gaze was as good as a touch, and he let out a drop of precum.

  Fuck. He wasn't going to last long the first time. Rhydian would just have to work harder at making sure Delaney came first.

  He resisted shredding her dress to expose her naked body and instead crawled slowly over her, until their faces were inches apart. He murmured, "I love you, Delaney."

  For her reply, she pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his. As her mouth opened and he stroked the inside of it with his tongue, his beast shouted, Mine, ours, we need her. Now. No more waiting. We need to fuck her, claim her, make sure she carries our child.

  Soon. She needs this kiss. Later, you'll realize we need this kiss, too.

  Ignoring his dragon's tantrum, Rhydian focused on putting every bit of love he had into his first kiss with Delaney. After so long, he wanted it to be as perfect as possible.

  When her nails lightly dug into his scalp, he moaned. His dragon continued demanding they fuck her, and with each passing second, it became harder and harder for him to fight his beast.

  Finally breaking the kiss—the best of his life—he laid his forehand on Delaney's and said, "I want to spend hours kissing your mouth, learning every secret and taste. But my dragon is on the cusp of taking control and I want to be the one to claim you first."

  Delaney pulled and wiggled to move her skirt up and murmured, "Then what are you waiting for?"

  He crushed his mouth against hers as his hand moved between her thighs. His female was bloody perfect, not hesitating to give him what both man and beast needed.

  When his fingers discovered she was not only bare, but wet and swollen, he groaned. She'd been moving about the great hall all evening with nothing underneath.

  His dragon roared. Then why are you waiting? I want her. Now. She needs to carry our child. Only then will the other males stay away.

  He ignored his dragon to focus on stroking, teasing, and lightly rubbing her clit and pussy. The more Delaney wiggled and moaned, the more he increased his movements.

  When she finally cried out into his mouth, his dragon shouted, Now. Take her now. Make her ours.

  Rhydian positioned his cock and gently slid inside her, catching the tail end of her orgasm as she gripped and released his dick. Each spasm made him groan, not to mention made it that much harder not to spill inside her without thrusting even once.

  When he was finally inside her to the hilt, he broke the kiss and looked his mate in the eyes. "I'm not going to last long this time, love. And once I come, my dragon won't be far behind. Are you ready?"

  She wrapped a leg around his waist and tilted her hips upward a fract
ion. "Take me, Rhydian. And then share me with your dragon."

  With a roar—a combination of both man and dragon—Rhydian moved his hips. He increased his pace with each stroke, loving how Delaney moved with him, making it better for them both.

  As he'd thought, they would be a great team in all things.

  However as the pressure built at the base of his spine, Rhydian forgot about everything but his mate below him and how much he wanted to spill his seed inside her.

  When he finally stilled and filled his female's sweet pussy, branding her with his scent and sending her into another orgasm, he held her close and eventually collapsed on top of her, taking care not to hurt her in the process.

  He'd barely finished coming down when his dragon said, Now, my turn.

  And before Rhydian could warn Delaney, his beast pushed to the front of their mind and tossed Rhydian to the back of it, meaning his dragon had control now.

  It was finally time to see how his mate handled his dragon. And Rhydian hoped like hell that it was as good as when she was with him.

  ~~~

  Delaney floated on some kind of high, wondering if dragon-shifters also made their mates boneless when they came. Not that she cared. Rhydian's heavy weight on top of her soothed her, not to mention created a sense of security and belonging.

  She was finally his in all ways now. Soon enough she'd make sure he was hers, too.

  However, before she could speak a word, Rhydian's head snapped up, his pupils slitted, and she barely had time to put together his dragon must be in control now when Rhydian's deeper dragon-laced voice filled the air. "My turn. Now. You must carry our young. Only then will the other males stay away."

  She could see how some people might be afraid of the stilted language and heated gaze, but Holly and Melanie had warned her of what was to come. And since she loved all of Rhydian, she wasn't afraid. "Then take me, dragon. I'm ready."