by Reus, Katie
Turning in his arms, she straddled him, clutching onto his shoulders tightly.
“We don’t have to do anything,” he murmured against her mouth, trying to hold her away from him.
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling. He stared into her eyes, the concern there slaying her. “I promise.”
“Do you think Willow will be okay if we do…anything out here?”
Need punched through her at his question, at the hunger she saw mirrored in his own eyes. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her dragon doing little dips over the pond in the distance, splashing up water with her wings and amusing herself. She didn’t think Willow would care one bit what they did. Turning back to him, she reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged upward, needing to touch him. Needing skin to skin.
He grappled with her light top and bralette, doing the same, tugging it up and tossing it somewhere.
She stroked her hands up his chest, savoring the feel of all that raw power underneath her fingertips as she kissed him—and was kissed right back. She swore she’d missed him even in sleep. She felt consumed with the need to have him inside her, claim her.
It wouldn’t be a real claiming but she would take this time with him and hold on to the memories of it when he left and she went back to her regular life.
He was glowing again, she realized. She sucked in a breath as she took in his soft blue glow. She stared at him even as heat rushed between her thighs. It didn’t feel like magic, not like hers anyway, but there was a charged quality to the glow he was giving off.
His eyes were dark indigo, hungry with need. “It’s a dragon thing,” he said, as if she’d asked a question. She’d seen the glow before, but it was no less awe-inspiring.
He clutched her hips tightly, his long fingers clenching against her.
“It happens during sex?” she asked.
“It can,” he said carefully. “It’s never happened to me before. Not until you.”
She felt like there might be something he was leaving out, but she didn’t even care at this point. She was just glad that this beautiful glow was all for her and kissed him again, harder this time as he reached between them and slid her skirt off.
Soon they were both naked, their clothes piled on the grass as she was straddling his lap. His cock arched up between their bodies, thick and beautiful. As she looked down at the beauty of him, heat rushed between her legs. There had never been a more perfect male than him.
He cupped her mound, groaned in appreciation as he slid two fingers inside her with ease. “You’re so wet,” he growled out against her mouth.
Desperate for all of him, she lifted up on her knees as he guided his thick cock to her slick folds, teasing for just a moment.
When she sank down on him, it was like coming home, like this was exactly where she belonged. Where he belonged. Right with her.
“Fuck,” he groaned out as she rolled her hips and tightened around him.
She sucked in a breath as she took all of him, enjoying the feel of him inside her. She tried to get out of her head, to stop thinking about the future, about losing him, but she desperately wanted one with him.
He nipped at her bottom lip and her inner walls clenched around his thick length in response.
No more thinking, now she was just living in the moment. She started riding him and all thoughts of the future ceased. The only thing that mattered was the two of them and pure pleasure.
His glow grew brighter around them, the soft blue a bright beacon casting its light all around her yard. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, as if they were surrounded by pure magic manifesting from the two of them.
She really did care for him—more than just care. She knew she loved this big dragon, but was too afraid to tell him. Way too afraid that she wouldn’t be enough, that he would be another person to reject her. Especially when he found out who her mother was.
She rode him faster and faster even as he grabbed her hips and thrust upward to meet her stroke for stroke. He seemed as manic as she was to find release together.
His big hands stroked all over her—her back, her breasts, anywhere he could reach. It was like he just wanted to touch her.
She hadn’t realized exactly how touch-starved she was until now, until she soaked up every single graze from his callused fingers.
He kissed a path down her neck, growling against the sensitive spot behind her ear. His growl reverberated through her, sending delicious shivers to all her pleasure points. Then he reached between their bodies and teased her clit, immediately setting her off. He’d learned her body so quickly, seemed so in tune with her.
She surged into orgasm, waves and waves of pleasure punching through her. As her climax rose, he increased the pressure, growling against her neck as he did. The extra sensation sent waves of heat and pleasure rushing through her as her climax built harder and harder until she finally couldn’t stand it anymore.
“No more,” she said, practically shoving his hand away. She didn’t realize there was such a thing as too much pleasure, but her body was trembling with it.
“It’s never enough,” he growled against her neck even as he grabbed her ass tight. And that was when he let go, crying out her name as he thrust up hard inside her, finding his own release in long, hard strokes.
They both came down from their high together, the sun beating down on her back as she looped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I could stay like this forever,” she murmured, slightly drowsy.
“Let’s get you inside in case more of your neighbors stop by,” he finally murmured, making her laugh lightly. “I don’t want anyone else seeing you naked.”
“I think you’re going to have to carry me,” she said, because she was completely boneless. She figured she could probably go back to sleep again.
Laughing, he stood and lifted her into his arms.
And there was no place she would rather be in that moment. Unfortunately she knew things would change once she told him the truth. The full truth.
Which she would. As soon as she worked up the courage.
Chapter 30
Dallas stroked her hand up and down Rhys’s chest, savoring the quiet with him. The sun would set in an hour but time had lost all meaning at this point. She just knew that she loved being with him—loved him. She wanted to ask him if he would stay with her for a while. Maybe forever. But that was crazy, right?
“So how do you feel about your old coven members…being killed?” Rhys suddenly asked into the quiet.
She jolted slightly but the answer was easy. “They were practicing dark magic. Really dark.” And she needed to tell him that her mother was Catta. If they were ever going to have a chance at something real—and she hoped that they could—he had to know every part of her. Or at least the important ones.
“Still, gotta be hard.” He idly stroked a hand down her back.
“Not really. I ran away from them in the middle of the night.” She pushed up to look at him. “Literally as soon as I was legally old enough, and honestly I shouldn’t have even waited that long. But I had a plan and that meant I had to save some money. Plus I stole some spells from one of the coven’s books. And when the timing was right, I made my escape. I put as much distance as possible between them and me. I didn’t stop running until I was clear across to the other coast that first week. I don’t feel any sadness if that’s what you mean.”
He gently stroked her cheek. “King texted me again. He wanted to see if you would come to the city later, identify them in person? He said something about witches being able to spell their appearances and he wants to make sure everyone from your old coven is there.”
“I don’t actually want to see them, but it might give me a sense of closure. That part of my life is long closed anyway, but still…” If she saw her old coven members, maybe she truly would get closure about that part of her life and Catta. She wanted to believe her mother was dead, hoped she was dead. But as she lay there,
some part of her magic was starting to tingle in awareness— Oh, goddess!
Dallas jerked up in bed, shoved away from him as raw panic punched through her. She needed to get to Willow, get her dragonling to safety. “She’s close!”
Rhys stared at her as she grabbed his discarded shirt and tugged it over her body. She wasn’t going into this battle naked. Just as quickly she grabbed her jeans and yanked them on with shaking hands.
“Who’s here?” He jumped to his feet, all his muscles pulled taut, as if he was ready to battle.
“Catta.”
He stared at her. “How do you know that?”
She stared back at him, her heart racing because they had no time to spare. She couldn’t hold this back any longer. “I planned to tell you before. But then I thought she died… And I got scared,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and turned away from him. “She’s my mother. She’s a monster, but she is my mother.” With no time to spare, she raced toward the doors leading to her backyard. She couldn’t stand to look at his hatred, couldn’t stand to see the rejection in his face. “I wanted to tell you but now there’s no time to talk about it. She’s come to kill me. She knows what I did. I can feel her magic on the air.” Yanking the French doors open, she raced outside, Rhys right next to her, waves of emotion vibrating off him.
She spotted Willow racing toward them and some of her panic eased. Then she looked to the skies, scanning for Catta on the horizon. Because yeah, Catta? She could fly. Technically Dallas could too, but not in the way Catta could, and it took far more energy. The kind of energy she couldn’t afford to waste.
“She’ll have backup.” Rhys’s words were clipped as he strode forward, completely naked.
“She’s powerful.” She wasn’t sure why she said it; of course he knew that. “She shouldn’t be able to break through your fire, but don’t let any of her spells touch you,” she ordered as she mentally prepared for the challenge. Goddess, she couldn’t stand it if she lost him. Though she was pretty sure she’d already lost him, regardless. But she wanted him to live, to kill Catta and then go home to his family. He deserved all those things and more after what he’d been through.
Willow joined them, had very clearly picked up on the tension because she was letting out tiny little chirping sounds as she shifted nervously next to them.
Dallas laid her hands on Willow’s head and chanted a small but powerful protection spell. It wouldn’t last forever but it should help against any attack.
“There!” Rhys shouted and she followed his gaze. On the horizon were five witches, flying toward them, Catta in the middle. Her flame red hair was a beacon. It was a bizarre sight, seeing them ascend with no wings, just her mother’s raw magic suspending them in air.
They were dressed in all-black, full-body suits that were likely fire-resistant. Yeah, well, they wouldn’t resist Rhys’s fire for long.
“Shift!” she ordered him, her fingers tingling with all the wild magic she kept inside her.
He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her hard before he pulled away, waves of anger rolling off him as magic burst into the air, his dragon unleashing in a kaleidoscope of colors.
She would not think about that kiss, would not think about the fact that it was probably her last kiss with him. Once they killed Catta and these other monsters—and she had to believe they would—he would leave. That much Dallas knew.
Her mother was so powerful, had always told her what a disappointment Dallas was. That if she would only tap into dark magic, she could be just like Catta. She would have everything she desired. Youth, beauty, riches forever. As if Dallas wanted all those things to begin with.
Even as tension and adrenaline hummed through her like angry bees, Dallas crouched down and ran her fingers over the soft grass. She whispered out words of love and encouragement, reaching deep for the stockpile of magic she’d stored underground over the last two decades. Every crop she planted, every tree or plant she added to her land, she injected part of herself, her magic. And she was going to need every ounce of it now.
She could see her mother’s flaming red hair against the horizon. Still as stunning and evil as ever.
Rhys let out a roar of rage as he arrowed toward them, his wings bright indigo and purple jewels under the sunlight.
Catta was maybe a hundred yards away now and moving in fast toward the ground, her minions flying downward as well. But Dallas could see faint connecting lines between Catta and the others, dark tendrils of magic. Those witches were only in the air because of Catta.
Dallas called on a breaking spell, held up her hands and threw it not at Catta, but at the nearly invisible tendrils between her mother and the others.
Sparks of yellow burst in the air as the lines snapped free. One witch screamed as she started to fall, diving straight for Dallas’s pond.
The others fell as well, tossing out their own spells so they wouldn’t die or break bones when they collided with the ground.
Catta was still barreling toward Dallas and Rhys. He let out a stream of fire at Catta, but it arched around her, not touching her.
Dallas kept the fallen witches in her peripheral vision, but the majority of her focus was on Catta as she hurled a confusion spell at her mother. It was only one of many in her arsenal.
Catta laughed and lobbed it back at her, the ball of energy flying straight for Dallas. She dove out of the way even as Rhys breathed out another ball of fire at Catta, this one even brighter, hotter.
On a scream, Catta turned toward him and threw what looked like lightning at him. Bolt after bolt arched through the air, straight at Rhys.
No! Rage boiled up inside Dallas, hot lava spilling outward as the lightning went straight for his wing. He dodged at the last moment and breathed out a bright blue stream of fire, clipping Catta in the leg. She screamed but remained airborne.
Her attention split, Dallas sprinted for the nearest fallen witch, who was now maybe thirty yards away chanting something as she tried to break the protection spell on Willow.
Willow was screeching at her as her wings flapped angrily, her body language clear. She wanted this female gone.
“Pick on someone your own size!” Dallas hauled back and threw a distraction spell to the left of the woman instead of straight at her face. She wasn’t sure why she did it, some intrinsic knowledge. The woman dodged as if expecting a direct hit and ran straight into the ball of pure white light.
Dallas’s magic hit her in the throat, as if she’d thrown an actual grenade, nearly taking her head off. One down.
Willow screamed in rage, and to Dallas’s surprise let out a small burst of flames at the fallen witch, incinerating her body.
Dallas didn’t have time to appreciate it fully as she continued running across the field toward two other witches who were attempting to cast destruction spells of their own. Dallas’s breaking spell had only slowed them down, but it wouldn’t hold them off forever. She had to strike fast and hard.
Above her, Catta and Rhys were battling in the air, flames and destruction flying all around them.
The west side of Dallas’s garden was in flames but she ignored it. Nothing mattered except surviving with Rhys and destroying all of these witches. She needed to tell him that she loved him, that she was sorry she hadn’t told him the truth earlier.
“So this is the infamous Dallas.” A blonde female with big eyes and a Jessica Rabbit-type body snarled as she strode toward her, her hands lifted out from her sides. Soft red flames glowed in her palms as she lifted them, tossing them straight at Dallas.
She ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit, and bent to yank out chunks of grass and soil. She cupped the rich earth in her hand and whispered a soft spell as the female lifted her hands again, ready to burn her. But Dallas was faster.
The grass and soil fell from her hands as she rolled to the ground, avoiding another hit. Roots sprung up from the earth where the soil had fallen, long talons reaching and grabbing, angry claws as they raced toward the enemy
witch. Dallas’s land might not be sentient, but it sensed that this interloper was trying to hurt it, had dared to bring black magic here.
The roots speared the witch straight through both her eyes and her heart as Dallas raced toward another witch. She heard the dying witch’s brief scream, then nothing.
A scream above her almost tore her focus away but she had to trust that Rhys could handle himself with Catta. If he didn’t… No. She refused to think that for even one moment. She had to take out the ones on the ground so he could take out the biggest threat.
Her leg muscles tightened as she ran and called on all of her internal magic now. Instead of being exhausted, she felt adrenaline pumping hard through her veins, making her feel as if she could do anything. Willow’s wings flapped wildly next to her as she flew alongside Dallas.
The witch racing at them looked at her and Willow, raised both hands and— Willow let out a stream of fire. The fire dispersed around the witch’s body, not touching her.
But the witch stumbled back, falling onto her knees, so the fire had affected her protection spell a little.
Dallas reached deep inside herself, called on a type of healing spell that would shatter the darkness inside the witch—and break her apart from the inside.
The female screamed as a dark smoke rose out of her mouth and arrowed straight for Dallas, its intent clear. Kill.
Closing her eyes, Dallas threw a blocking spell up, and a small shimmer of magic surrounded her and Willow. The blackness rammed into it, nearly knocked her back, but she held her ground. The problem with this kind of spell was that she couldn’t fight back with her most powerful magic. Its sole purpose was to keep her contained, safe.
So she let it drop and threw a brilliant blue light at the witch. It hit her full in the chest and the female incinerated on the spot.
Above her, Rhys let out a stream of the most beautiful, brilliant blue fire she’d ever seen. She squinted against it and for the first time ever she saw Catta looking terrified.
Catta raced away from him, swooping downward and dive-bombing so that she was behind Dallas, about twenty yards away and closing fast. Her beautiful face was twisted into a snarl, her eyes sparking with rage and hatred.
