Feral Dragon (Earth Dragons Book 5)

by Charlene Hartnady

  Cordia inhaled sharply, her eyes widening again.

  “I’ll have a beer,” Stone interjected, hoping to stop the conversation in its tracks. “What about you?” He squeezed Cordia’s hip.

  “I…um…I…”

  “What about a glass of wine?” Macy asked. “I’m not drinking,” she rubbed her still flat belly, smiling, “for obvious reasons, but there is no reason why you can’t have a glass.”

  “I have never had wine before.” Cordia shook her head.

  “I’ll get Sand to pour you a glass and you can try. How’s that?” Macy asked.

  Cordia nodded.

  “You were about to tell me if Feral males are as protective as dragon shifter males.”

  “They are.” Cordia nodded. “Very much so.”

  Stone thanked Sand for the beer. He considered putting a stop to the conversation but decided to let it go. Cordia was more than capable of handling herself.

  “How do Feral pregnancies work? Stone was telling me that you are a griffin shifter,” she lifted her eyes in thought, “which is half eagle and half lion, right? I mean, wow, how interesting! Do you have live young, or eggs?” Macy went on. They both thanked Sand when he delivered their drinks.

  “Eggs,” Cordia replied. “A clutch of three.”

  “Wow! Three? That’s hectic. I thought two was rough.” She rubbed a hand over her belly again. “Not that I’m complaining. We tried hard for these babies ‒ technically from even before we were together, but that’s a story for another day. I’m thrilled to finally be pregnant.”

  Sand tried to say something, but Stone waved him off, ready to jump in if Cordia needed him.

  “So, the two of you might end up with three running around if you decide to have kids?” Macy raised her brows.

  Shit! What should he do?

  “No.” Cordia shook her head. She looked calm. “I cannot have young.”

  “Oh.” Macy shook her head, looking upset. “I’m so sorry.” She looked up at Stone. “I didn’t know. Here I am yammering on and on. You should have said something.”

  “I don’t mind.” Cordia took a sip of the wine and grimaced. “You are with child and very excited. I am happy to talk about pregnancy and babies with you. Not that I know very much. You can tell me all about it.” She put the glass down.

  Why had he even worried? Cordia handled that beautifully.

  “We’re going to have our hands very full in a couple of months.” Macy looked over at Sand and the two of them shared a moment. Stone locked eyes with Cordia and winked. She smiled back.

  “Hey, the two of you will have to babysit for us,” Macy said, taking a sip of her juice. “You do know that, don’t you?”

  Cordia suddenly looked very afraid. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about babies. I’ve never been around one. I—”

  “That would be great,” Stone said. “It isn’t all that difficult.” He kept his eyes on his female. “We can figure it out together. I’m sure the two of you will be able to give us plenty of tips.” He laughed. “Come to think of it, you’ll leave us a list of instructions about a mile long, Mace. Written down in bullet points.”

  “How can you write with the point of a bullet?” Cordia asked.

  Sand chuckled and Macy did her best to hold back a laugh, as did he. Stone cleared his throat. “Bullet points means a list with dots at the start of each new item. I’ll show you when we get home.” Shit! He’d called his chamber home, as in hers as well.

  Cordia just nodded.

  Macy smiled. “I probably would leave you a whole list of instructions, and I might have a hard time leaving too.”

  “Don’t worry, babe, I’d drag you out. We’re going to need the odd date night. I’ve seen how it is with my brothers,” Sand groaned. “I can’t wait to be a dad, but I know I’ll want some alone time with you.”

  “You’re already planning alone time with me and they aren’t even born yet.”

  Sand kissed the top of Macy’s head. “What do you say we get the steaks and ribs on the barbecue?” He looked Stone’s way.

  “Sounds good.” He followed Sand into the kitchen.

  The male opened the fridge and took out the meat. He motioned to an empty tray. “You take that.”

  “Just a sec.” Stone poured a glass of juice and retrieved the tray. He followed Sand, handing the glass to his female on the way out.

  She gave him a look of gratitude.

  “Not loving the wine?” Macy giggled. “Don’t worry about it, it’s an acquired taste.”

  By the time he got outside onto the balcony, Sand was already putting the ribs on the grill.

  “So, why did it take you ten messages to answer my call?”

  “Why did you call ten times?” Stone shook his head. “Who calls a person ten times?”

  Sand chuckled. “Do you blame me?” He frowned. “Maybe I should ask you why you didn’t tell me about…your female? You bring a female home. A Feral,” he whispered the last, “and you don’t tell me. Quite frankly, I was hurt. Still am.” He clutched his chest dramatically.

  “You’re full of shit!” Stone laughed. “It all happened so quickly.” He could feel he was smiling, knew that it was goofy, but he didn’t give a shit.

  “I’ll say. You’ve known Cordia for a couple of days.”

  “Yep.” Stone nodded.

  “And you’re fucking enamored. Like a puppy dog.” Sand put the ribs on the grill.

  “You’re one to talk.”

  Sand nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. I can’t believe it, though. I was a little worried there myself for a while. I was starting to think it was never going to happen for you. Even our dragon females have shown tons of interest and you don’t bite. The odd human on a stag run and that was it.”

  Stone gave him the stink eye. “It just had to be the right female for me to want to settle down.”

  “So, this is it?” The steak went on next.

  “Yep, this is it. I know she’s a little different.” He shrugged. “She gets regular everyday sayings all wrong. She’s cracked a few of my ribs.” He winced. “And possibly my hip as well.”

  Sand choked out a laugh. “What?”

  “I’m that good in the sack.” He smirked and gave a one-shouldered shrug.

  Sand rolled his eyes. “You are so damned full of it. And what about her being infertile? Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “No!” He shook his head. “And she’s technically not infertile.”

  “What? I thought all the remaining Feral females were infertile. By the way,” he spoke as he flipped the ribs over, “I should have told Mace. I forgot.”

  “Nah, it’s fine. Let them sort themselves out.”

  “Okay, back to Cordia.” He frowned. “You said she can have young. Why did she say that she can’t?”

  Stone explained the situation to Sand.

  “That’s rough.” He shook his head. “Really rough. The Feral have been through so much.” He looked at Stone pointedly and pushed a breath out through his nose. “You never know, there might be hope for the two of you. It can happen.”

  “Nah!” He shook his head. “I would never risk my female like that.”

  “The humans are really up to date with the latest technology. I’m telling you, it could be possible. Let Meghan run tests. Maybe she can consult with experts. You never know, you should keep your mind open to the possibility, at least.”

  Stone took a sip of his beer, his mind working.

  Chapter 17

  The next morning…

  “Go down onto your elbows and brace yourself.” Stone gripped her hips as he spoke.

  She whimpered as his tip breached her opening. Just the very tip.

  Cordia did as he asked and lowered herself, braced against the mattress. Her face ploughed into the soft duvet as he thrust into her, right to the hilt. It took her breath away. Full and stretched to capacity in an instant. Good thing she was so wet from the foreplay. He had made her come with his mout
h.

  Stone didn’t give her a chance to catch her breath, he kept driving into her using hard, powerful thrusts. The coiling sensation increased. She made moaning noises with each hard shove. The moans sounded choked. Her breasts were mashed up against the bedding. Her knees barely touching. Her snatch made a greedy suckling sound around his shaft.

  Her eyes were wide. Her breath coming in pants. Her body was already tensing. More coiling. More heaviness. A louder, higher-pitched moan was torn from her. The sounds of his body slapping against hers filled the room. Her body made a wet suction noise each time he withdrew. This was sex in its most raw and primal form. It was better than all the sex she’d had to date all rolled into one.

  Stone was grunting and groaning loudly. His hard breaths were almost as loud as her own. His fingers dug into her. He gripped a handful of her hair and pulled lightly as his body began to jerk into her. His movements turned frantic, his moans animalistic.

  It was enough to send her spiraling out of control as well. She yelled into the bedcover as her body let go, clamping down on him. All that pent-up ecstasy coursed through her in a rush of pleasure so blinding it made her eyes water. Stone gave his signature roar and she felt bad for any nests in close proximity to theirs.

  He jerked a few times before slowing. Then he caged her with his body, his head against her back. He was breathing heavily; they both were. “By claw and by scale, female,” he mumbled against her skin.

  It took a few more seconds for her to release him, but Stone stayed joined with her. When he finally withdrew it was with a loud curse.

  “What is it?” Her voice was little croaky and a lot sleepy.

  “It broke.” He was holding his prick, which was a dripping mess where the rubber had split open. “I don’t think very much went inside you and you don’t scent any different.”

  Her heart raced and she couldn’t take her eyes off the seed on the end of his prick. She forced herself to breathe and to calm down. It wasn’t a big deal, and yet it was. Every time this happened it put her at further risk.

  “I’m so sorry.” Stone looked distraught. He ran a hand through his hair. His other hand still wrapped around his cock. “It’s my fault. I got caught up. I was too rough, especially at the end.”

  She took a deep breath. “It’s not your fault. It’s the coupling at the end. I was worried it might—”

  “Yeah.” He pushed out the word. “I will need to be more careful. That’s all.”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “Like I said,” he smiled, “I love tasting you.”

  “It could take months before the healers find a contraceptive medication that will work.” She frowned. “We can’t just stop having sex for all that time.”

  “I don’t care how long it takes.” He glanced down between his legs, a pained expression on his face. “Let me go and take care of this, I’ll be back in a second.” Stone got off the bed and headed for the adjoining bathroom. It didn’t take long, and he reemerged. “I’m so damned sorry about what happened. I really should have been more careful.” He climbed back onto the bed.

  “Stop apologizing. It’s not your fault. Good sex means getting caught up in the moment. I did too. Your sheets and blankets are all ripped to shreds. You didn’t hear me complain. Sex is a big risk for me. It is why I fought so hard to prevent us from…from becoming attached. I am still worried that your healers won’t find a solution for me…for us. I am not a human. The Feral are different from all the other species.”

  “We’ll wait until they find one.” He shrugged. “No big deal. I am a patient male. In the meanwhile, we get to spend plenty of time together.” He winked at her, clutching onto her ankle in a soft hold. “We don’t have to have sex. You never know, we can remain hopeful that a cure is found for your affliction. It could be possible, Cordia.” He narrowed his eyes into hers. “Maybe one day we will even be able to have young. We need to keep positive and open-minded.”

  Dread filled her. What was Stone saying? “We spoke about this a few days ago. You told me you were comfortable with never having young. With never trying or even contemplating the notion.”

  “I am! Very comfortable…but why close ourselves off to the possibility? I would never risk you, Cordia.” He shook his head. “Don’t misunderstand me. After chatting to Sand last night and seeing Meghan, I was just reminded that there is advanced technology out there. That’s all. I’m not pushing you into anything. I would never do that. Let’s stay open-minded, that’s all.”

  “I told you that it could never happen. I warned you.” Her voice turned a little high-pitched, but she couldn’t help it. Panic welled. “We aren’t even mated yet and already you are talking about the possibility of young. There is no possibility. It will never happen.” She shook her head and her chest heaved. “You need to accept that, and until your healer comes up with a medication that will work without fail, we cannot have sex again.” She felt her eyes sting. “What kind of relationship is that?” She sniffed, working hard to hold back the emotions going wild inside her. “It is why I fought this in the first place. It is why I…” She shook her head. This wasn’t going to work. She had been wrong to think any differently. To ever give herself hope.

  “We will make do.”

  “Make do.” It wasn’t right. It wasn’t normal. Relationships didn’t work like that. “How long will you be satisfied with making do? What if these healers fail in the long run? We might not be able to mate one another without risking my life. We may never be able to have a normal sex life. That wouldn’t be fair on you.”

  “I am happy having you at my side. It’s enough.”

  “It’s not enough,” she pushed.

  “I am sure they will be able to develop a contraceptive. Positive even. You might not even develop clutch sickness, I’m not a Feral male, have you considered that? I’m not saying we should try for young or take risks with your life, but—”

  “We are already taking risks with my life and that’s exactly what you are saying,” she half-yelled. “I’m sorry.” She put up a hand. “I did not mean to shout.”

  “It’s fine. You’re worried. After what just happened, I understand and I agree, no more sex until we figure this thing out.”

  “I’m not just worried, I’m petrified.” Cordia realized the extent of her fear with a start. She’d been so excited about being with Stone and making the trip to the lair, that she hadn’t even realized how scared she was about taking this step. How fear mounted every time he spilled his seed inside her. She slid off the bed.

  “I’ll make us some breakfast,” Stone announced. “Why don’t you go and relax in the tub? We can talk about it some more later.” His phone next to the bed vibrated with an incoming call.

  They both turned to look. Cordia turned back, she shook her head. “There is nothing to talk about.” She felt numb. Completely bewildered. She could see he was upset but at the same time, he was so blasé about everything. Ultimately, Stone had no idea. None!

  “I do think we need to talk it through some more. It is clearly very upsetting to you, and with good reason. As long as you know I am okay with waiting as long as it takes until Meghan develops a contraceptive that works for us.”

  “What if it doesn’t happen?” Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked hard, holding them back.

  “Of course it will happen, Cordia.” Stone also stood up, standing in front of her, imploring her with his eyes. Those beautiful amethyst eyes.

  “Just like you’re sure there will be a cure for clutch sickness,” she snapped back.

  “I’m not sure of anything. All I am saying is that we should stay positive. That we can be hopeful that maybe one day—” His phone started vibrating again. Stone ignored it, didn’t even look in that direction.

  Cordia made her way to the closet. She put her few possessions into her bag. Her heart was heavy. It was the last thing she wanted, but it had to
be done. She had been foolish to ever think this would work.

  “What are you doing?” She felt Stone come up behind her. Could feel his warmth.

  “This was a bad idea.” She shook her head. “Us, that is.” She heard his phone start up again. “You should get that.”

  “Screw the phone…and it’s not a bad idea.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “What are you saying? We just need to be more careful, that’s all.”

  “There is no such thing as careful,” Cordia turned, the tears spilling over. She wiped them away. “We’ve tried and it hasn’t worked.”

  “Meghan is going to figure this out. She’ll find a good contraceptive. One that will work for us.” He shrugged. “It will take time but that’s okay.”

  “And in the meantime, I could become pregnant. There is a very good chance that I will die if that happens. I might be with clutch already.” She touched her belly, feeling stricken. How terrible to be so afraid of something that should be magical. It wasn’t fair!

  “We won’t have sex. It’s simple.”

  “We will have sex and you know it.”

  “We are intelligent adults. We can avoid having sex.” He seemed unperturbed.

  “And if it takes months?” She raised her brow. “Chances are good we’re looking at months. It could even take years. What then?”

  “We’d be okay. We’ll figure it out. We really don’t have to have sex but just so you know, I can scent a female in heat a mile away. I’ve told you that. I would know if—”

  “Have you ever scented a Feral in heat?” She knew she was being hard, but someone had to be and since it was her life on the line, that person was her.

  Cordia struggled to keep her memories at bay. She could still scent death. Like it had happened yesterday. Could still hear the pained screams and then later cries her sister had made for days before she had finally slipped away. It had been a blessing when it had come. Death. Enemy turned friend. It wasn’t something she ever wanted to go through. She’d been right all of those years. She couldn’t be in a relationship. It was something best avoided.