by Naomi Sparks
As Lex and his men get even closer to Amasis, I see him starting to frown. It looks like he underestimated the Fire Riders, and that makes me smile. If he can make a mistake like that, it means we have a chance of winning this fight. I keep moving forward, picking off men as I'm able to, reclaiming arrows from ones we pass that are already dead.
I keep one eye on Amasis, waiting for a chance to take a shot at him. It may not kill him, may not even hurt him, but damn it, I'm going to try if I can. Besides, even if it doesn't kill him, it might give one of the Fire Riders the needed opportunity to finish the job. Because, if I have a say about it, he's not going to walk away from this fight.
As the guard around Amasis spreads out, trying to keep the Fire Riders and our warriors away from their master, I see my opening. He's wide open now, well within my range. I won't miss this one.
I take a deep breath as I line up the shot, channeling my magic, enhancing my strength and accuracy. This one is going right through your skull, I think, as I release the arrow. As it slips from my hand, everything goes black for a moment. My heart thunders to a stop as I look around, trying to figure out what's going on. Then the desert reappears, and I stumble, trying to regain my balance.
Heart pounding once again, I look around. The tents and warriors are all still here, but Amasis and his men are gone. At first, I think they've fled, used some kind of magic to abandon their foolish plan. Then, I realize it's not Amasis who fled. It's us.
Damn it, Surem, I shout inside my head. Not only did he use the spell to evacuate our civilians, but he also pulled the warriors out before we could finish the job. I want to scream, want to find Surem, and bash his head in. Why pull us out of the battle like that? We were winning. We could've killed Amasis right then and there. I very well might have if he hadn't yanked me away before I could let loose the arrow.
Surem comes toward us, along with the elders trailing behind. I scowl at him, "What the hell?" Anger bubbles up inside me. I'm gripping my bow tight. If it had been a human made one, it would've shattered beneath my grip. Thankfully its magic keeps it strong because I'm not quite able to control myself right now. "Why did you pull us out like that?"
Surem frowns, looking at me as if I'm some ungrateful whelp he just saved. That only stokes my anger, and I'm considering notching another arrow, putting this one through his heart. "The Elders and I all agreed. It was best for us to leave before we sustain anymore losses."
"And what of Lysandra?" I shout back at him. "That man kidnapped my sister and brought an army to our doorstep. And you want us to just run from them? To let them have her and anyone else his men were able to take away?"
I thought I knew Surem better than that. I always assumed he was a man of honor, a man who risked everything to protect his people. But now all I see standing before me is a coward, a man who thinks we're better off living as refugees than fighting and standing up for ourselves. In the past, I always thought our nomadic lifestyle was our best option. Now I see that was wrong. We should have stayed in one place. With the magic of all the Fae here, we could've built a fortress, could've become a sanctuary, a safe haven, for anyone fleeing from Amasis. And when he did finally come to our doorstep, we could have crushed him.
Now we're here, running and hiding again. Except for this time, Gods above only know how many people we lost in the process.
A hand reaches out and grasps my shoulder. When I look over, Galen is standing there, giving me a sympathetic look. I hadn't seen him transform back to human, nor do I know where he got the jeans and t-shirt since I'm sure his clothes were torn to shreds when he shifted in the middle of battle. While his presence is comforting, it doesn't appease the anger welling up inside me.
Surem left my sister there. He may well have just sentenced her to death.
"Katia!" a voice shouts.
I whip around, ready to lay into whoever interrupted me. Then I see Ezra walking forward. He's bruised and covered in blood and dirt, but that's not the important part. He's holding up Lysandra, who's shuffling along next to him.
My bow falls to the ground with a clatter. I ignore it and take off running and scoop her up into my arms. Ezra steps away as I spin her around, hugging me tight against me. Lysandra chuckles and hugs me back.
She's here, safe and well. She seems a little shaken, but otherwise, it doesn't look like Amasis hurt her. Thank the gods. If he had, I'm not sure I could've stopped myself from killing Surem right here in the middle of camp.
"We made sure to bring everyone with us. Not a single person was left behind. "Surem says as he stalks forward. He's still frowning, and I still want to slap him at the very least.
When I release Lysandra, she stumbles, and Ezra catches her, slipping his arm around her waist. Surem's frown turns into a glare as he stares at Ezra. I can tell he wants to say something, but even though Ezra is visibly injured and weakened, he is still a dragon. And from what I saw in the battle earlier, a pretty powerful one too.
What surprises me most is when Lysandra steps away from Ezra and takes Surem's hand. She smiles up at him, and his expression softens slightly.
"Come, let's get you to Tyko so he can make sure you're okay," Lysandra says to Ezra.
Krisesell looks over at the rest of us. "The enclave is now hidden once more. So long as no one ventures outside the barrier, they should not be able to find us again."
I stand there and stare as the two of them walk away toward Tyko's tent. Others shuffle that way, too.
When I look around, I see just how injured everyone is. Even the Fire Riders look like they've taken one hell of a beating. We're all going to need rest now.
Galen is standing a few feet away, my bow in hand. I let out a sigh and walk over to him. He hands me my bow, but I take his hand and lead him back toward my tent. We're both going to need some rest, and I'd much rather do it together than alone.
11
Katia
When I wake, the sun is still high in the sky, light filling my tent. I'm surprised how well I slept without the darkness I'm used to. But then, it's been a few days since I've gotten any real sleep, and that was before we had an all-out battle against Amasis. Even if it was in the middle of the day, I slept like a baby, waking up fully rested for the first time.
A noise makes me jump and I turn to see Galen shifting next to me. My heart is pounding, and I take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself back down as the memories from earlier come back to me. I smile and lay back down, remembering how it felt to fall asleep in his arms. Gods, what would it be like to have that every night, to always have him right there by my side, keeping me safe?
I let out a sigh, then snuggle up next to Galen, laying my head on his bare chest. We'd both stripped off our grimy battle wear last night, but we'd been so exhausted, we'd fallen asleep almost immediately. Now that I'm rested and awake, I'm keenly aware of the naked man, lying right next to me.
His eyes flutter open moments later and he looks down at me, smiling. "Sleep well?" he asks, then yawns.
I nod and smile back up at him. "Better than I have in a very long time. Now though..." My hand roams up and down his chest, finishing the sentence for me.
Galen's grin broadens, showing off his perfect teeth. I don't need words for him to know exactly what I have in mind. Even though we'd been pulled out of the battle before we could finish it last night, we'd still had a major victory. We'd shown that working together, we can stand against Amasis. Now that it's over and we've had some time to rest and recover, it's time for a little bit of celebration.
I shift and swing my leg over Galen's waist, straddling him. The blanket falls away, exposing my bare body to him. Then, I lean down and kiss him, hard and passionate, feeling his warmth envelop me. He responds instantly, his hands roaming all over my body, his cock coming alive, pressing against my ass. I squirm against him, fighting back a giggle.
Gods, I can't wait to feel him inside me again.
I want to work my way up and down his body again, to k
iss all the bruises and scratches that haven't yet healed. But as much fun as I'm sure that will be, I'm much too horny at this point. I need to have him inside me now, not later. There's no time for foreplay, not this time. But that doesn't mean we can't still have plenty of fun together.
When I wiggle my ass against Galen's cock again, his hands go to my hips holding me still. When we break the kiss, I'm breathless and so is he. When I look into his eyes, I see lust there, need, desire. All the things currently overwhelming myself at that moment.
"Fuck me," I tell him, licking my lips.
I don't need to tell him twice. His hands are already at my hips and I feel his grip tighten. Moments later, I squeak as he lifts me and twists around until I'm lying on my back on the ground, Galen now atop me, my legs still around his waist. I wonder if it'll ever stop surprising me with how easily he can lift me. Even after everything that's happened, his strength is awesome.
"You're amazing," I say, the words slipping from my lips.
Galen chuckles then leans forward and kisses me again. "You're pretty amazing, too. I saw you out there, you know. Saw just how fierce you are with the bow in your hands. I'm glad you're on our side."
I wink at him, then push up on my elbows and whisper into his ear. "If you don't hurry up and get that cock inside me, you'll see just how fierce I can be."
Galen's laugh fills the tent before he kisses me again. Then he shifts, and his cock is right at my entrance. I kiss Galen back as fire courses through my veins. When he reaches between us and takes hold of his cock, slowly pushing his hips forward, my breath catches in my throat. In moments, his entire length is inside me and I'm moaning into his mouth.
It doesn't take long until Galen is sliding in and out of me, going faster and faster with each breath. Apparently, I'm not the only one who doesn't have time for foreplay. He becomes like a machine, his cock pounding away at my pussy. At this rate, I' not going to last long. And for some reason, I don't mind. I can't wait to feel myself coming, my pussy convulsing around his manhood.
The faster Galen fucks me, the more turned on I get. I love just how fierce and uncontrolled he gets while we fuck. I love knowing that he can't control himself when he's with me. For all I know, he's like this with other women too, but something tells me that's not true. It's like there's some instinct inside me that's telling me there really is a special connection between us.
Somehow, I manage to hold on, my legs and arms wrapped around Galen's bare body, until he comes first. He slams his hips forward, pushing his cock deep inside me, making me gasp. But before I can even have a moment to suck in a breath, I feel him exploding inside me, and that sets off my own orgasm.
My body tenses and shakes, my fingers digging into Galen's back. I try to breathe, but I can't get my lungs to work. For those few moments, my body is no longer under my control. It should terrify me, not being able to breathe or do anything, but as the pleasure rips me apart from the inside out, I can't bring myself to care. If I die here, I'll die being the happiest woman on the planet, I think to myself.
But before that happens, my body still, my heart still beating rapidly, and the world slowly forms around me once more. It's like I finally came up out of the water after being submerged for hours. I suck in deep lungfuls of air, my body still trembling from the intensity. Gods, I still can't believe how hard he's able to make me come. It's like there's some secret button inside me and only Galen knows how to press it.
Just as my arms and legs give way, my body unable to stand the strain of clinging to Galen any longer, her shifts until he's lying on his back again, cradling me against his chest. I whimper at no longer having his cock inside me, but with his strong arms still wrapped around my naked body, it's hard to complain too much. Being hugged tight by this god of a man is as close to heaven as I can imagine.
"Gods, you are the perfect mate," Galen whispers into my ear. His voice is hoarse and gravelly, sexy.
The word mate sticks in my mind. It doesn't quite terrify me like it had the first time he'd told me. Now, I'm intrigued by being mated to a powerful dragon like him.
I want this moment to last forever, but I know that's a silly wish. Eventually, we will need to venture outside the tent, to find food and deal with the aftermath of Amasis's attack. There are bound to be a lot of things in need of repair. I should have already been out there, helping with the recovery effort, instead of going back to my tent and sleeping for hours. But after everything that's happened in the last couple of days has exhausted me.
Now though, I have much more energy. I'm ready to tackle the day and take care of whatever needs to be done.
Still, I lay there and enjoyed being held for a bit longer. There's bound to be a lot of work ahead, and I want to enjoy the chance to rest while I can. I hate knowing how soon, I won't be able to experience this at all. I doubt Galen will want to stay here, nor am I sure I want to leave with him. Knowing he's my mate makes this much more difficult, but while I'm rested, I don't quite have the energy to deal with that problem just yet. So, I enjoy these moments together while I can. But soon, I know I've been hiding away from everything for too long, and I force myself to move away from Galen and begin dressing again. He does the same, and after a couple of minutes, we both slip from the tent together.
The camp is noisy as people rush around, fixing up tents and other equipment that had been damaged in the battle. I can hear people gathered near the center of town, and Galen and I head that way. There's a large fire burning, though it's not giving off any heat. Cooks are standing around it, distributing food. It's not until the scent of the food hits my nostrils that I realize just how hungry I am.
After we grab some food, we find the other Fire Riders all in a group, talking, and join them. They're all in fresh clothing, but I can still see the cuts and bruises on their arms and faces. They' must've all taken some serious damage if they haven't fully healed up. I can still see all the bruises on Galen's body clearly in my mind, and I imagine they're all looking just as beat as he is.
I can only imagine how many of our people were injured or killed in the fight. I push those thoughts out of my head though, refusing to let them gain perch. Otherwise, I know the anger from earlier will return, and I'll still be angry at Surem for pulling up our before we could finish the fight.
Speaking of Surem, I look around for him and spot him on the other side of the fire. Lysandra is by his side, standing only inches away from him as he talks with the elders and other members of the enclave, probably discussing the repair effort. I know I should go over there and talk to them, but I'm still not ready to throw myself back into work just yet.
Once I fill my stomach, maybe then I'll be able to face my duty once again and get to work.
Instead, I watch Surem and Lysandra from a distance, seeing the way they interact now. At one point, I see Surem's hand reach over and take Lysandra's, squeezing it for a moment, then letting it fall once more. I smirk, knowing Surem seems to have finally realized Lysandra is no longer a child but a full-grown Fae woman, one who has been interested in him for years.
"Are you okay?" Galen asks, probably noticing how distracted I am. Then, I see his eyes flick over to where Lysandra and Surem are still standing. "Are you okay with that? With how close they seem to have become since the battle?"
I nod, still smiling. Seeing them together is like having a weight taken off my shoulders. "They'll be a great match for each other. Perhaps she'll help him pull his head out of his ass."
"Aren't you engaged though? Will that not create conflict amongst your people?" Galen is frowning, looking worried. His gaze keeps flickering between me and Surem.
"What are you talking about? We're not engaged." Why in the world would he think we were? I wouldn't have slept with Galen if I'd been engaged to someone else. That would just be wrong.
Galen shrugs then nods toward Surem. "That's what he said the other night, at the banquet he hosted. He warned me to stay away from his fiancée."
I roll my eyes, the urge to hit Surem rising up again. He would say something like that to Galen. Even though I've made it perfectly clear to Surem I have no interest in being his wife, he still has to act like a protective and jealous spouse. Bastard. "Whatever he told you isn't true. I have no romantic interest in Surem. He's the leader of our people, that's all. He's expressed an interest in me in the past, but I've made it plenty clear I don't return the feelings."
"Good," Galen says, grinning at me. His voice has gone hoarse again, and he lowers it, leaning forward to whisper into my ear. "Then I won't have to fight him to claim you."
A shudder goes through my body. I want to smack him, to tell him I'm not a piece of property to be claimed or owned by anyone, least of all him. But I can't deny just how amazing it feels to know he wants to claim me, wants me to be his and only his. He's far older than me, far more powerful than me. He could have any woman in the world to be his mate. Few would ever reject him.
And yet, he wants me. I know I'm not quite average, but I'm also not sure why he would choose me of all people.
I look over at him and smirk. "Well, you still must get me to agree. After all, I am my own person, not a piece of gold for you to add to your hoard."
He leans in again and nips at my ear. "Trust me. You're worth more than all the gold in the world."
My heart swells at his compliment. At that moment, I know I'll do whatever it takes to make things work with him. I can feel the connection between us, even stronger than before, and I know I won't be able to live without having him by my side. I won't be able to go back to sleeping alone in my tent, knowing he's out there somewhere.
As much as he wants to claim me, I want to claim him, too, want to make sure no other woman ever comes close to him. Galen is mine and no one else's.
Before I can come up with a plan though, I see Surem break off from the group and head this way, Lysandra still by his side. It looks like work is coming to me, rather than waiting for me to come to it. He's frowning as he approaches, and I know immediately this isn't going to be good. Lysandra looks upset too, and I wonder just what he has to say. Are our casualties worse than I thought?
