by S. E. Smith
“I don’t think that is going to work too well,” Paul said with a puzzled frown. “I’m human, not Valdier. I can’t change into a dragon.”
Morian bit her lip and rolled off of Paul’s chest, hissing as his still stiff cock brushed against her sensitive skin. She knew that her sons’ mates were able to transform from the Dragon’s Fire mating but she was not sure how it would work for her and Paul. She could see the beginning of the transformation but what if it didn’t work the same way?
Uncertainty pulled at her because her claim on Paul was a first on their world. As far as she was aware there had never been an incidence where a female had claimed a male from a different species. In fact, the treaty between the Valdier and the Sarafin was to have been the first of its kind where a female Valdier was to be given to another species. Jalo had signed the treaty with Vox’s father in the hope that the first daughter of Zoran would be united with the first born son of Vox. It had even been discussed that Vox d’Rojah, the leader of the Sarafin, might be joined with one of the few unmated Valdier women of distant royal blood but he had taken another human female as his mate. Now, she wasn’t sure what would happen.
“I am not sure if you will be able to transform as your daughter and the other females have,” Morian admitted. “A Valdier female has never mated with another species.” She reached out and touched his temple again. “I can see the beginning of the transformation,” she added huskily. “Your eyes have a touch of gold and my mark on you is….” She drew in a deep breath as she let her fingers trace the dragon’s mark on his neck. “It is beautiful.”
The fire in Paul leapt as she touched the mark on his neck as if in answer. A low growl broke from him and he reached up and wrapped his hand in her hair, fisting it so he could draw her closer. His eyes blazed with hunger as he slowly rose up until he was a breath away from her swollen lips.
“If the fire burning inside me is any indication that this ‘Dragon’s Fire’ is still working its magic on trying to transform me then I guess we should see what happens,” he purred, twisting up and around until he was back on top of her. “One thing is for sure…..” he said as he gazed down at her with a devilish grin.
“What is that?” Morian asked breathlessly.
“You are going to be well and truly fucked by the time we are done,” Paul responded before crushing his lips to hers.
Oh yeah, Morian heard her dragon moan. My mate is hot.
You can say that again, Morian agreed as the fire exploded over them again.
*.*.*
Paul stood next to his bed later the next morning watching as Morian turned over onto her side in her sleep. Her hand reached out, searching for him. He sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his larger hand around her delicate fingers. Instinctively, her fingers closed around his and a soft, sweet sigh escaped her as she relaxed back into a deeper sleep.
A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. It was amazing he could even function after the marathon love making session they’d had in the atrium. It had been the middle of the night before he finally roused enough to pull his pants on. Morian had been so exhausted she didn’t even stir as he wrapped her tenderly in the light blanket that lay across the back of the divan. He had carried her through the silent corridors back to his living quarters where they would be more comfortable.
Once there, he had been unable to resist making love to her again. This time, slowly – tenderly. Afterwards, they had both fallen into a deep, sated sleep. He didn’t know if the transformation had been successful. He didn’t feel any different. Morian had quietly explained how Abby shyly told her about seeing scales forming on her arms and chest during her transformation. He knew Morian was disappointed as neither of them had seen any on him.
It appeared the only difference after their lovemaking, besides his ability to keep an erection that any man would love to brag about, was the mark on his neck and the gold she insisted was in his eyes now. He carefully raised the slender fingers to his lips and pressed them against his lips. His eyes closed briefly as he realized the gnawing emptiness that had filled him since Evelyn’s death was no longer there. His eyes stared tenderly down at the flushed cheeks of the beautiful woman lying in his bed. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
His eyes grew cold and he carefully lowered her hand back down to the bed, covering it with the comforter. He needed to meet with Zoran, Kelan, Mandra, and Trelon. Creon hadn’t returned yet but he and Carmen were on their way back. It was time to find out everything he could about Raffvin. He refused to wait around for the bastard to strike against his family again. It was time to settle this once and for all. He wanted to know everything about the bastard down to what he ate and when he took a piss.
“Paul,” Morian whispered sleepily.
“Shush,” he responded leaning over and brushing a kiss across her plump lips. “Sleep. I’ll return later.”
Morian forced her eyes open. “Where are you going?” She asked huskily.
Paul smiled reassuringly down at her as he brushed a strand of her dark hair back from her cheek. “The boys and I are going to have a little fun. I promised Trisha I would show them some moves that might help them. I’ll return later this afternoon. Rest a little longer,” he whispered in her ear. “You are going to need your strength for when I return.”
Morian’s eyes widened before a delighted chuckle escaped her. “You better make sure you don’t tire yourself out,” she giggled.
“If I do, you can always be the one on top,” he retorted with a grin. “Hell, I may be exhausted just so you are.”
Morian’s cheeks turned a rosy pink but her eyes twinkled with joy. “I would enjoy that very, very much,” she admitted.
Paul groaned as he saw the flare of desire in her eyes. “Woman, you are going to be the death of me and I’m going to love every damn second of it,” he said before he captured her lips in a hot, fierce kiss before he forced himself to pull away from her. “Rest,” he demanded roughly before he stood up and strode from the room.
If her safety hadn’t been his priority, he would never have had the strength to walk away from her lying naked in his bed. He shook his head and cursed. He was acting like a teenage boy who had just discovered the pleasure of being with a girl. His curse grew more colorful as he adjusted the front of his pants. His cock was definitely excited about the discovery, that was for damn sure.
Yes, the woman was going to be the death of me, he thought with a resigned sigh. But, at least I’ll die a happy man.
Chapter 10
“How in the Guall’s balls does he do that?” Zoran snarled out as he wiped the sticky, red juice from his face. He grimaced as more slithered down under his vest and between his shoulder blades.
“I don’t know but I’m going to kill that bastard if he says ‘tag’ one more time,” Trelon snapped out, tripping over a vine as he wiped gooey fruit off of his chest.
“You guys just don’t like the fact that a human male is kicking your asses,” Kelan chuckled humorously.
Mandra walked by him and flicked a chunk of the ripe fruit out of Kelan’s hair. “Your ass is getting kicked right along with ours, dear brother,” he said as he wiped his sticky fingers down Kelan’s cheek.
“You boys are depending too much on your dragons and your symbiots to defend you,” Paul said landing silently in the middle of the four huge Valdier warriors, pulling a curse from all of them as they jumped back startled. “You have to think like your enemy.”
“How in the Gods did you learn so much about our fighting techniques in such a short time?” Zoran asked in irritation.
Paul looked steadily at the Valdier leader, waiting for Zoran to calm down a little. His lips twitched when he saw the huge male shift on his feet before his broad shoulders slumped just a hair. Morian’s sons reminded him a lot of the Navy Seals and Marines he trained back home. They were cocky, full of confidence, and headstrong. All three traits were admirable but they could also get them ki
lled, as he had proven to them over and over. They needed to realize that there were other ways of defeating the enemy than brute strength. Stealth, cunning, and understanding not only your enemy’s weakness but your own were vitally important if you wanted to not only be successful, but remain alive.
“I studied you,” Paul said bluntly. “I trained with the warriors on the V’ager. And, I did my research. Right now, all of you would be dead if this was a real battle. That is unacceptable to me.”
Zoran snarled and took a menacing step closer to Paul. “If this had been a real battle, I would have gutted you already,” he growled out, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Paul continued to study Zoran for a moment. His mind raced through one scenario after another. He knew that Zoran was feeling threatened by him. The other male’s attitude changed the moment he noticed the mark on Paul’s neck and he realized what it meant. The other males appeared to take it in stride. Hell, Mandra had all but given his permission while Trelon had enough on his hands to worry about and Kelan just grinned and nodded to him. Zoran was different. As the leader and Morian’s oldest son, he was much more territorial and protective.
Paul shook his head in disagreement. “You are an excellent warrior. I am not arguing that point,” he said quietly in the same tone he used when he was teaching one of his men. “Trisha recognized that you have your areas of weakness and asked that I assess it.” He looked over at Kelan who nodded to him.
“It’s true, Zoran,” Kelan admitted with a nod of his head. “Four of Valdier’s best trackers and I hunted for Trisha through some of the wildest terrain and still missed her.”
Zoran looked sharply at his younger brother. “That is not true,” he said glaring back at Kelan. “You found her.”
Kelan shook his head again. “No, she found us. We found where she stayed, but she was always one step ahead of us. She came at us and could have easily killed all four of us if she had wanted,” he explained before taking a step closer to Zoran. “She recognized our weakness just as Paul has, brother. He is very good. I vote we listen to him.”
Zoran’s mouth tightened and he shot an annoyed glance at Paul. “We have fought the Sarafin and Curizan in the Great Wars and survived. Why should we change our ways now?” He asked in a low voice.
Paul stepped up closer to Zoran until they were staring each other in the eye. He let his own cold determination shine through. It was time he let the big male know he was not going anywhere and he wasn’t going to stand down as long as there was a threat to his family.
“If I can defeat you so can Raffvin,” Paul said coldly. “The key to winning is not only knowing your enemy but knowing yourself. You have to be prepared. That bastard has already tried to kill my daughter and grandson. He almost killed your brother which would have also taken the life of someone I care about very much. I am offering my service and expertise to help protect those I care about, Zoran. That includes your mother.”
Zoran studied Paul for several long seconds before he drew in a deep breath. “She has claimed you,” he said, glancing briefly at the dragon’s mark on Paul’s neck before staring into the dark brown and gold eyes.
Paul nodded. “As I have claimed her,” he responded quietly. “I will protect her with my life and do everything I can to make her happy. Now, are you ready to listen or do I have to kick your ass again?”
Trelon began to chuckle. A moment later, Kelan and Mandra joined in. Zoran felt the corner of his mouth quiver before a deep chuckle escaped. Paul looked at the four males with a perplexed expression.
Kelan came up and slapped Paul on the shoulder knocking him forward a step. “Our father used to say that to us all the time,” he laughed. “Now, show us how we can NOT get ourselves killed.”
Paul looked over to where Zoran was standing and saw him nod. No words were needed to know that he had passed some test the Valdier leader had given him. He felt the mark on his neck burn briefly as Zoran’s eyes passed over it again with a thoughtful expression on his face. Rolling his shoulders, a shiver ran down his spine. It was as if something had moved deep inside him. The feeling was so fleeting that he thought he must have imagined it. With a lift of his shoulder in answer to Zoran’s questioning look, Paul began explaining what he had observed about each of their movements, what he discerned as a weakness that could leave them vulnerable, and methods to prevent their enemies from using it against them.
*.*.*
The next several weeks fell into a pattern. He made passionate love to Morian anywhere and everywhere he could, he trained with Zoran and the others, and he continued to research every shred of information he could about Raffvin. The picture he was developing was one of a very cunning, very jealous, extremely unstable man. A man who not only coveted the power of ruling the Valdier but of controlling Morian and the Hive.
“Tell me of Raffvin,” Paul asked late one night as Morian lay pressed against his side.
Morian trembled, snuggling closer to her mate’s heat. “He was a handsome but arrogant warrior even as a young boy. He had little care for others including his younger brother,” she murmured remembering the first time she met Jalo and Raffvin when she was still a child.
“Jalo?” Paul asked quietly.
Morian tilted her head so she could look into Paul’s dark eyes. “Yes,” she replied with a sigh. “Raffvin was very jealous of Jalo for some reason. Where Raffvin was harsh, rough – Jalo was the opposite. Raffvin resented that Jalo had been better at just about everything than he was. It wasn’t because it was easy, it was because Jalo listened, watched, and learned. He was patient and did not like violence for the sake of violence. Raffvin would often start a fight among the other warriors just to see them pitted against each other.”
“Raffvin was older yet he was not the leader of the Valdier. Why?” He asked rubbing his hands up and down her back as she shivered.
Morian drew in a deep breath before replying. “To understand that you need to understand about me,” she said pulling away and sitting up.
She reached for her robe on the side of the bed and slipped it on before rising gracefully and walking over to the windows. She stared with unseeing eyes out over the walls of the palace and down over the city far below. She could no longer feel the pull of her dragon wanting her to release it so it could fly.
The restlessness of her other self had died away and now a haunting lethargy was slowly gripping her and ripping her apart on the inside. It didn’t seem to matter how much Dragon’s Fire she breathed into Paul, there was no sign of any further transformation than his eyes becoming more golden. Her dragon was beside herself, wanting her mate but unable to touch or feel him. The last few days had been especially difficult as they both came to the realization that her feelings for Paul might be one sided. If so, it would mean a half-life for her as her dragon would never be allowed to touch her mate. She had felt her dragon’s withdrawal. It had given up hope and, in doing so, meant that Morian was slowly dying. She had been able to survive with Jalo because she had not tasted her true mate. Now that she had, it was impossible to live without the three parts that made her up.
Morian jerked when Paul’s warm arms slid around her, calling her back to the present. “Tell me,” he encouraged, pulling her back against his hard body and resting his chin on the top of her head.
“I was very wild and carefree when I was young,” she started with a small smile. “I didn’t understand why I had a symbiot. None of the other females I knew had them except for my mother. I would later learn that only the Priestess to the Hive had a symbiot of her own. It was an enormous responsibility that I remember telling my mother I did not want. I wanted to be a warrior, just like my cousins,” she explained.
Paul chuckled, the warmth of his breath stirring her hair. “Something tells me that didn’t go over very well,” he speculated.
Morian’s own shoulders shook as she laughed. “No, it didn’t. My mother was very much the Queen Mother of Valdier. She was very delicate and my f
ather and his brothers made sure she was protected at all times. She relished having them cater to her.”
“And you?” He asked.
Morian tilted her head back and grinned. “I was forever dressing up as a boy and sneaking out to fight the imaginary Sarafin cats or defeat the cursed Curizan warriors who were determined to battle the fiercest warrior of all – me! As a royal, I could transform into a dragon. Not many females can do that unless they are the true mate of a warrior. I did not have those restrictions. I had a dragon. I had a symbiot. I was a warrior, pure and simple as far as I was concerned.”
Paul nodded. “But….”
Morian turned back around to stare out into the night. “But, I soon learned I was more when the Queen of the Hive called to me. No-one knew the location of the Hive back then. The secret of its location had been concealed by the Gods and Goddesses,” she murmured.
“I thought the ruling King of Valdier knew where it was,” Paul said.
Morian nodded. “Now, but not then. There was no King then. The symbiot would come to a newborn shortly after it is born. No-one knew where it came from, only that it did,” she whispered, lost in her memories.
Paul waited while Morian gathered her thoughts. He didn’t rush her, sensing it was important to her to tell him in her own good time. A shudder went through her body before she wrapped her arms around his. He leaned down and pressed a kiss into her shoulder in comfort.
She drew in a shaky breath before she spoke again. “There were more females back then,” she said distractedly. “Before the war, there were almost as many females as there were males. Because the symbiots bonded with the males, infighting among clans began when one tribe had more males than females. Soon, one clan bonded with another until it was as strong as the clan my parents ruled. The difference between the clans was my mother was a Priestess to the Hive. She was the only female who had a symbiot. One day she was out looking for me. She was captured by the rival clan,” her voice faded as she wiped a tear that trailed down her cheek.
