Huntress: A Paranormal Romance

by Alexandra Christian

  Bending close, she examined his manhood. Such delicate construction for so crude a purpose. She watched as her breath against it caused a slight twitch that became more noticeable as the ends of her hair swept along the insides of his thighs. Then a single, tentative kiss. The skin was so smooth, and Thalia was fascinated by the pulse of blood rushing toward the warmth of her lips. It made her want to kiss him again and again, feeling his sex come to life, waking even as he slept. Finally, she couldn’t help herself and took his cock into her mouth. The size of it was a little overwhelming, and she pulled back, swirling her tongue around the length. When she reached the tip, she nibbled lightly and rubbed her tongue against it, collecting the tiny drops of liquid that had already collected there. The flavor had a smoky, bittersweetness that only made her crave it more. Before long, she was devouring him, taking as much of his manhood into her mouth as she could. She wanted to pleasure him as he had pleasured her.

  This time when she cast her eyes upward, Malik was watching. Those multi-colored orbs were fixed upon her as she took him into her mouth again and again. He made no sound, only watched with one arm behind his head for several minutes. After a time, he growled and wove his fingers into her hair. He tugged gently, just enough to make her scalp tingle, and when she looked up, he beckoned her to come to him. His cock slipped from her mouth, and she crawled up his body. “Kiss me,” he rasped, and she obeyed. The taste of his mouth mingling with the silky essence that still lingered on her tongue made Thalia’s heart beat faster. She felt sexy and alive. And possessed by him. Then his hands were on her hips as he positioned her over his cock. She couldn’t wait, and before either could breathe or protest, she was sinking down, burying his member deep within. Once more she felt complete, and she nearly cried with relief.

  He guided her movements, teaching her how to roll her hips back and forth and rewarding her efforts with a groan of pleasure. She tried to pull back, but he held her in place with a tight grip on her pelvis. It forced Thalia to grind her sex against him until they were both mewling with desire. Finally, it was too much, and he held her tight, rolling her over and pinning her to the bed. It only took a few rough strokes before both were shouting the other’s name as they found release.

  “I love you, Malik,” Thalia whispered when she could speak. “Gods help me, I do.”

  “And I you, little mouse,” he panted. “I think I’ve loved you all along.”

  Thalia shifted, burrowing into the crook of his arm to stave off the cold. He was so warm, as if the dragon fire still bubbled deep in his core. It was a comforting heat that made her feel lazy. “This is indeed a strange magic. I keep wondering if it’s just a dream.”

  “If it is, then let us sleep forever,” Malik sighed.

  “Do you think Bella knew? When we were children, I mean. Do you think that she knew that I could break the curse laid upon you?”

  “I think she hoped. I’m not sure Bella plans anything too far ahead.”

  Thalia giggled and laid her head on his chest, her ear just over his heart. It beat strong and fast. It was the same heart she’d felt in the dragon. Was the dragon gone forever? “I still can’t believe... I'm nothing special at all. Just a slayer from Tarkin.”

  Malik chuckled and embraced her against his side, his large palm resting on the curve of her bottom. “You are a sorceress, my lady.”

  Belladonna stood on the battlements in the morning sunlight, feeling hope like she hadn’t felt in many a long year and fear like she had never known before. The ruins of the castle Ellythin rose from the mist offered by the sea spray below, hardly any sign of its scarred past left behind. Her enchantment had eradicated the decay and sadness that had held the beauty of this place at bay for so long. The king had come home and brought with him a bride. Their love had sown new seeds of life. Life that would begin here and spread across the continent. Thane, Isling, the borderlands: each city would rise into the light under Malik, their rightful king. The time had finally come for him to seize power from the house of Laurenz.

  Christophe, like his father before him, had been weak. Both were more interested in spending their spoils of war than defending them. Content to sit back and watch the kingdom fall to ruin while they amused themselves with mistresses and mead. Tristan thought himself noble because he was aware of the rebellions that were rising in the east. Tribes of wild warriors that were making their way across the borderlands would soon be knocking at his door. Even his pet, Grafton, had already been bought by these chieftains. Tristan’s answer was to eradicate them and populate their regions with Osghastians. But the people of Osghast were starving. Isling and the other market towns were struggling to keep up with the demand of their trade posts overseas and leaving their people with nothing to eat. Other kingdoms around the continent were already finding alternative trade routes. Tristan would stupidly bring open war upon them, but to no avail. They were outnumbered, and their armory was primitive. Their only hope was Malik, a wise king that was the very embodiment of power. No one would oppose a Dragon Lord, and his magnanimous rule would unite the people. Bella had foreseen it. Malik would see it done. As she stared out over the ocean, she could smell the dawning of a new age mixed with the stink of encroaching darkness. It was overwhelming. She closed her eyes and said a small prayer that she was not too late.

  “Could it be a fairy that I see standing here? Unguarded and daydreaming.”

  Bella gasped and turned, seeing Malik standing in the archway. “Is… is it really you? Or just one of my more convincing illusions?”

  “I’m afraid not,” he said as he strode toward her. His gait was careful; he hadn’t quite found his footing yet. But his occasional limp did nothing to diminish his strength, and Bella’s heart swelled again with hope. “Not even you could be so clever a sorceress.”

  “Oh, Malik!” she gasped, running to him and throwing her arms around his neck. To her relief, he embraced her tightly and laughed with her. “I can’t believe it!”

  “I find that hard to imagine.”

  “Of course I never doubted my own power, just the resolve of poor Thalia to put up with your odious disposition.” She embraced him again and was, at once, struck by the strength that still lingered in his frame. His height, broad shoulders, and sharp features were so reminiscent of his dragon form. It gave him such a strange beauty that also hearkened to the boy she’d known so long ago.

  “Perhaps she doesn’t find me odious.”

  Bella smirked. “Evidently not. I can smell her perfume. You can say thank you anytime, you know.”

  “For?”

  “For rearing your perfect partner, of course.”

  Malik snorted and stumbled as he pulled away. “I will eventually get the hang of this walking thing, yes?”

  “Of course. Though I suspect your trouble walking this morning has very little to do with spending thirty-odd years as a dragon.” Bella giggled as he cut his eyes at her. “Though if you’re having so much trouble, I shudder to imagine how Thalia is coping.”

  Malik did not respond as he stepped up on to the battlements and stared over the cliffs below. “I haven’t ever seen the world so close,” he breathed, closing his eyes as the chill morning breeze kissed his face. “Always from high above, or lurking in shadows. Outside looking in.” He turned his gaze to Bella once more. “I’m not sure I can do it. Be part of the world. Or if I even want to.”

  She stepped up beside him, winding an arm around his waist and laying her head against his muscled arm. “You must forgive them, Malik. The people of Osghast need you. The whole of the continent is about to fall into ruin…”

  “Why do I care?” he snarled. “Why should I bother saving them when I was cast out—a treasonous monster unworthy of acceptance? No one has ever helped me!”

  “You mustn’t be selfish. And think about it, Malik. What would you have done in their position? Your father was crippled with grief over your lost mother. It was mercy that stayed his hand from crushing you right then and t
here.”

  “He was just too much of a coward to do it. He could only throw me from the tower like a bit of old rubbish!” He rounded on the fairy so quickly that she stumbled and fell to the ground before him. “Such blind compassion for one who betrayed your queen.”

  “Yes, he betrayed my queen. But Mab betrayed him as well, tricked him into magic he could never have understood. And don’t you understand? If this world dies, devoured by darkness, the Fae will die as well. I will be trapped here. Forever. And forever is a very long time, Malik.”

  “Still a selfish little pixie.” Malik sighed and began to pace along the wall, his gait growing more confident. “What makes you think that my brother will abdicate to me, Bella?”

  “He won’t have a choice.”

  “Indeed, he will. He has the favor of the people. No one will know who I am. And even if they did, they wouldn’t be too keen to allow the great Wyrm of Gwynfir rule over them.”

  “They will not defy a Dragon Lord.”

  Malik shook his head as if trying to shut out her words. “You said yourself—I am no Dragon Lord. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a dragon at all. I’m… an abomination.”

  “Malik…”

  “No!” he growled. “Haven’t you stolen enough of my happiness? I’m not interested in being king! Let my brother have it. Go to him yourself and advise him if you must, but this… this has nothing to do with me! Nothing to do with Thalia! Just let us be. Why can’t you just let me be happy?” His eyes were pleading, and Bella felt sorry for him. Sorry that she had to lay this task upon him. Sorry that he’d been born into such a predicament.

  “Please, sire…”

  He turned away, storming toward the doors. For a moment he paused, as if moving this new body was exhausting work. “Do not call me that,” he growled.

  “But that’s what you are, Malik! You are the son of Christophe, an heir to the throne of Osghast. You must leave this solitary existence behind and embrace who you are.”

  He rounded on her quickly, his eyes blazing, and for a moment, she believed he might turn back to his dragon form here on the battlements. “You have no idea who I am or what I am! While I am grateful for your kindness, I owe you nothing! You nor any of my kin.” As he stalked toward her, Bella cowered before him. Something about him was now more frightening than he had been as a dragon. His resolve was stronger. He would fight for Thalia, and he saw waging war with his brother as nothing more than a danger to their future together. Malik would not allow her to be taken from him. No throne could compete with his true love. Her heart sank as she realized that there was nothing she might say to sway him. “I’m afraid that I’m no savior.”

  “The world will burn, Malik! There will be nothing left for you or Thalia!”

  “You mean nothing left for you!”

  “Or anyone!”

  Malik stepped back, pacing like a pent-up beast. She got the distinct impression that if he hadn’t backed off, he would have hit her. “I… I hate you for putting me in this position!” he snapped. “And I won’t allow it! I won’t put her in danger.”

  “She’s already in danger, Malik. Don’t you think Tristan will come for her? He doesn’t just give up…”

  “He got exactly what he wanted!”

  “Don’t you understand? You are an heir! He knows that as long as you live that his power is in jeopardy!”

  Malik turned his back, waving her off. “Leave me alone, Belladonna.”

  “Malik…”

  “Leave me!” he roared, storming away from her words and obligations.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Thalia pushed her food around the plate with the tines of her fork. She’d been sitting here for over an hour watching the sky grow darker with an impending storm and waiting for Malik to join her. Bella fluttered around bringing tray after tray of food and finally sat down beside Thalia. “Where could he be?” she sighed.

  “I’m sure he just lost track of the time, dear,” Bella replied, pouring more wine in her goblet and then Thalia’s.

  “Oh no… please,” Thalia said, putting a hand over her goblet. She’d already had enough wine tonight to make her eyelids heavy and her speech slow. “But he’s been gone for ages. When he left me this morning, he assured me that we would have dinner together.”

  “He’s been alone so long. You can’t expect him to adhere to social niceties like dinner times.” Thunder crashed above them so loud that the glass in the windows rattled. Both women shuddered.

  “I know. I just have this feeling that there’s something wrong. Did he say anything to you when he left?”

  Bella shook her head, taking another long swallow of wine. The fairy, while usually talkative and bubbly, had been acting strange all day. While Thalia explored the many rooms of the castle and the overgrown gardens surrounding it, she had barely seen her. Several times as she looked out the window, she saw Belladonna standing on the cliffs, looking out as if keeping watch for someone, but when Thalia had questioned her later, she would only shrug and change the subject. “I’m sure he’ll be back before long. He’s only been human for a day. There is much of the dragon still there.”

  Thalia sighed and played with her food a little more. Then an idea dawned. “Do you think perhaps he went to Gwynfir?”

  “He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Not without his wings. The path leading to the mountain’s base has long since been destroyed. It’s only accessible from the cave near the summit. Only dragons go there.”

  “He took me.”

  “Of course he did. It was the most intimate thing he could think of before he changed. Showing you his home. His real home. The only place he’s ever felt safe.”

  Thalia stood up so fast that her chair fell backward. “But it’s not his home anymore. He should be here!” She rushed from the dining hall and into the foyer beyond, nearly falling over her skirts.

  “Thalia! Stop!” Bella called as she ran after her. “You can’t go running out into the forest! There’s a storm coming!”

  “Maybe he’s hurt…”

  “That’s ridiculous, Thalia. What would make you think that?”

  “Something’s wrong! I just know it! I can feel it. Malik is in trouble!” Before she could protest, another clap of thunder hit, and Thalia fell to her knees. As Bella tried to help her up, they began to realize that the noise wasn’t coming from the storm, but from the sound of many horses clomping up the jagged pass. They ran to the windows and threw the drapes aside. It had already begun to rain, and it was pitch black. Lightning flashed, illuminating the rocky path that led to the castle doors. A small regiment of royal guards was advancing on Ellythin.

  “What on Earth?”

  “Tristan. He’s sent them to rescue me, presumably.” As she said it, there was a thud against the door and then a repeated banging. Thalia heard the wood splinter with the impact. “They’re trying to break in.”

  Bella grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the staircase. “Come, Thalia. We must hide!”

  “Idiot,” she grumbled. “As if I would need rescue.”

  “Perhaps that is not his purpose!” Bella hissed. “There are more sinister forces at work here, and we would do well to avoid them!”

  “What about Malik?” Thalia said, stumbling over the rug in their haste to get away. “We have to warn him! Whatever they want, it obviously isn’t good.”

  “Malik can take care of himself. Besides, I think they’re coming for you, child.”

  Suddenly, the doors burst open in an explosion of wood. “Lord of Ellythin! Come forth!” Thalia recognized the guard from Esa’s cottage, the one with the greased hair and the leather chest plate.

  Evidently, he remembered her too, grinning toothily as she placed herself between him and Bella. “Hello, poppet.”

  “What do you want?” Thalia said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She cast a glance sideways, hoping to see some object that she might defend herself with. Back at the dining table, t
here were knives, but the few steps back seemed like leagues.

  “We’ve come to take you back,” he said, taking a step toward them.

  “I see,” Thalia said. She swallowed hard to mask the tremor in her voice. Bella was gripping her arm tightly. “The prince…”

  “King.”

  “What?”

  “Prince Tristan has ascended to the throne, my lady. But you already knew that, din’tcha?”

  “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

  The captain nodded and waved more guards through the doors. “The king was concerned with your safety, miss. Sent us to collect ya.”

  “Well… he’s very kind. But as you can see, I and my… my… servant are quite well. Do tell the king that his kindness didn’t go unnoticed.” By this time there were ten guards surrounding them. This was obviously not a rescue mission. Their swords were drawn, and none of them seemed concerned that a dragon was going to appear and destroy them.

  The captain said no more but nodded toward his men. Before Thalia or Bella could react, they were upon them, grabbing and pulling at them roughly. The guard rushed forward, taking Thalia’s arm and attempting to pull her toward him. She rounded quickly and elbowed his chin, knocking his head backward hard enough that she could hear the crack of bone. She scrambled away, jumping on the back of another guard that was busy trying to hold Bella.

  “Get hold of them, you idiots!” the captain shouted, blood dripping from his lip.