“Wait!” the light-haired one called after him as he took to the sky. The female finally turned towards them. Granite was a speck in the sky. “Was it something I said? Something I did?”
Thunder shook his head. “Do not let Granite concern you. He is a base male with the manners of a chimpanzee.” He lifted his eyes in thought. “Then again, chimpanzees are friendly, chipper creatures. He has all the manners of a bear with a sore tooth and a bad case of tick infestation. What he said is correct. There are hundreds of males willing to fight for an opportunity to be with you.”
“Do I take a seat here and wait. I really can’t believe that just happened. I’ve never been so humiliated in all my life.”
Thunder smiled at the female. “Do not let an asshole like him worry you. You should keep going, the males love the chase … they will fight harder. I’m sure you want the best possible candidate,” he winked at her to put her at ease.
“I thought I had that already.” She gave a shiver. “I fully expected him to throw me over his shoulder so that he could take me somewhere a little more private and claim the hell out of me.” She shrugged. “Oh well.” She looked at the dark-haired beauty at his side. “Good luck! It looks like you found yourself a keeper.” Then she proceeded to eyeball the hell out of him before sighing and walking away.
“You too,” the human at his side replied.
The light-haired woman walked away.
He hated being so unsure of how to proceed. Females in the bars they frequented would come to him. They would invite him to have sex with them. He never had to do much of anything except show up and deliver.
“I don’t get it. I thought a guy claimed a girl by kissing her,” the female frowned. “What did Claire mean when she said she wanted him to put her over his shoulder and claim her fully … in private. I also don’t get why the guy just left.”
“Granite is hard to read and even harder to understand. He knows what he wants and how he wants it. Your friend obviously wasn’t it. I’m not sure that any female will meet up with his expectations. This isn’t the first time he’s walked away from one …” he paused. “As to your other question,” he continued, “a male will claim a female when he kisses her but if he wants to claim her properly, he will need to really get his scent onto her. It will tell others to stay away. It is the best way to ensure that no other males will try and fight him for her.”
“Get his scent on her?” she seemed to be speaking to herself.
“He will come inside her. His seed will mark her.”
“Oh!” The word came out sounding shrill, she averted her gaze. Her cheeks turned pink and the scent of her arousal surrounded them. Melted chocolate. He wanted a taste.
A rumble left him. His dick woke up. As in all the way up. Thunder tried to breathe through his mouth. Human females were easily scared by erections. Especially dragon shifter erections. Human males were not nearly as well endowed. “That will …” he cleared his throat, “keep the others away for sure.”
“Um … I’m not having sex with you.” Her eyes were wide and that scent of fear was back.
“We don’t need to have sex … just yet. It’s better if a couple does have sex as soon as possible, but it’s not necessary. I would never force you, so do not be concerned. That’s not my thing. I’m into mutual pleasure. My partner should definitely scream and cry out but only because she is enjoying herself.”
The female smiled. “TMI, buddy.”
“TM … what?”
“Too much information,” her smile widened. By all that was scaly, she was even more beautiful when she smiled. Thunder couldn’t help but take a step towards her. Just a small one. “I disagree. You need to know what you might be getting into.”
She folded her arms. “I’m listening.”
“I know how to fuck, so at least I can give you great pleasure, even if we are not compatible as mates. It’s also important that you know I enjoy sucking clit.”
The human choked out a strangled laugh. “You didn’t just say that,” she shook her head. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Wait a minute,” Thunder put his hand up, snagging her attention. “Are you telling me you’ve never had your clit sucked?” The fuck!
Her mouth fell open for a half a second. “That’s none of your business.” She blushed harder. The smell of chocolate only grew more intense. His mouth watered for a lick, a suck, a good old taste.
“What I’m trying to say is that it may not work out between us but I could show you a really good time.” He shrugged trying to look indifferent. He wasn’t though. Not by a long fucking shot.
Interest flared in her chocolate stare. “Really now?” That delicious scent of her arousal was intoxicating. She smiled. “I like the sound of that because I’m here for a good time as well.” She looked shocked at her admission. “I must be honest, I’m not sure about the whole mating thing.”
Hearing her say that put his scales up. “Why are you here then?” His voice came out sounding gruff. “It was my understanding that females interested in mating with non-humans were selected for the hunt. If you do not wish to mate, then you should not be here. Did you lie when they questioned you?” Thunder was done with bullshit. If her answer didn’t appease him she was out of here. As in going back to Walton Springs. It didn’t matter how much his dick wanted her. He needed a mate not a plaything.
“Easy, big boy! I would love to fall in love and live happily ever after with the man of my dreams, but let’s just say I’m a touch jaded. I’m one of those clichéd cases where a girl got her heart broken and is struggling to trust again. I doubt that you or any other man is capable of winning my heart again.”
Thunder couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t a humorous or flirty grin, it was downright feral. The human sucked in a breath and took a step back. Her pupils dilated a fraction and her heart picked up speed. “Firstly, I’m no boy.” He took a step towards her. “And for your information, I’m not a man either, I’m a red-blooded dragon male in his prime,” his voice had deepened. He took another step towards her and she swallowed thickly. “I am Thunder,” he beat a fist on his chest. “King of the Air dragons. Ruler and defender of my people. I am gold. A royal, and I fucking love a challenge. I will win your heart even if it is the last thing I do.”
Her breathing sped up along with her heart-rate. Her pupils continued to dilate. Her arousal had his cock lengthening and thickening a whole lot more. Thunder growled loudly as he circled his arms around her middle and pulled her flush against him.
“Please don’t kick me in the balls,” he muttered as he crushed his lips against hers. He couldn’t be gentle or careful. He was done taking his time. Done treading carefully.
Thankfully, the female melted against him with a whimper. Her soft lips parted and he pillaged her mouth.
Fucking perfection.
So damned soft. Thunder took ahold of her ass. His erection pressed firmly against her belly. It couldn’t be helped. He threaded his fingers into her hair and deepened the kiss. Her soft breasts crushed against him. She tasted decadent. Like chocolate, only better. Much fucking better. She whimpered again. Music to his ears. A good start, but he wanted more. He wanted a whole damned symphony.
Thunder cupped her chin and deepened the kiss further. He lifted her from her feet, fitting her more snuggly against him. Her little hands were on him, sliding up his chest, over his shoulders and onto his back. Her nails dug into him.
Then the human started to pull away from him and wriggled from his grasp. She was breathing fast. Her eyes were wide in … shock. It was more than that, it was panic. She touched a finger to her lips. They were swollen and wet from his kiss. If his mouth was anything to go by, they would be tingling as well. His whole body was on fire. By the way she rubbed her thighs together and by the flush on her cheeks he could gather that she was right there with him.
As his mind began to clear, he had to question why the fuck he had said that. He hadn’t plan
He knew why though; he’d told her because he had to. This was his female. He was as sure of it as he was about his next breath. She was his or would be soon if he had anything to say about it.
Instead of a sweet smile or soft giggle, her eyes narrowed like she was angry with him. “If you think you can break out those sexy dimples and use this …” she waved her hand up and down in front of him. “hunky body to charm your way into my panties, you are very mistaken.”
It seemed the little human was upset that she was attracted to him. Oh yes! This female was his alright. It was up to him to convince her of that.
Thunder couldn’t help but smile, noticing how her frown deepened. “Mmmmm … so you think I have a hunky b—”
Talons wrapped around her body and jerked her upwards. The human screamed. Before he could act, a forked tail lashed out, knocking him from his feet. Thunder went flying backwards, the back of his head hit the ground hard. His teeth cracked together on landing and he instantly tasted blood.
He heard the loud flap of wings beating. Thunder struggled to open his eyes. Pain flared from the back of his skull, radiating down his spine.
The light stung his eyes. His head throbbed but Thunder clawed his way to his feet anyway. The dragon was a mere speck on the horizon. It had a silver chest. He recognized the beast’s scent. One of its talons on its left hind leg.
It was Cloud. One of his own Pinnacle males. A feeling of dread grabbed ahold of him. Dammit all to hell! He had suspected that the male wasn’t stable and this proved it.
No!
Maybe there was another explanation. What though? Thunder racked his brain but came up with nothing.
Hell and damnation. There was no other explanation. He had known it deep down. Should never have let him take part in the hunt. Cloud had clearly gone over the deep end. Who could blame him?
Thunder grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed. What the hell was he going to do? Doing nothing wasn’t an option. Following on foot? Nope, wouldn’t work either. It would take too long to get to them and to talk some sense into the male before it was too late. Before he did something he would regret. The hunt rules were clear though, if he shifted into his dragon form it was an immediate disqualification from the hunt. No exceptions! If he was disqualified, he wouldn’t be able to have the human. Unacceptable! Thunder roared in anger and frustration. Was the human in immediate danger? Cloud would never hurt an innocent, or would he?
Fuck! Thunder roared again as indecision warred inside of him. It seemed that today was the day for experiencing abnormal emotions. Indecision being one of them. What the hell was he going to do?
Chapter 4
Her stomach lurched so hard she gagged. Her head felt heavy. Her skin numb from the cold. Her hair whipped about her face, flicking so hard that it stung.
The dragon was moving fast. Its great wings flapping in a quick rhythm. Way faster than the one that had dropped her off at the start of the hunt earlier today. Her stomach clenched again and it was all she could do not to throw up. She tasted bile and tried to swallow. Tammy opened her eyes but they watered so badly that she was forced to close them again. Besides, they were so high it made her head spin just to look down.
Her mind raced. Panic threatened to overtake her. Was this allowed? Was it normal hunt behavior? She remembered Roxy saying something about the dragons not being allowed to shift into their animal forms during the hunt. Not even to get back home. Had she misunderstood?
No! Roxy had been clear about that. The woman was the Fire King’s mate, pregnant with his child. She was really helpful and friendly and she had been very clear about the guys having to stay in human form during the entire hunt. They could fight one another. Even dispute a claim, unless a couple had actually done the deed, but they couldn’t do what this guy had just done. It was illegal. Unfair. Wrong. She forced herself to calm down. That hunky shifter had seen the whole thing. Thunder had seen it all go down.
Well sort of. No, not really. He’d been knocked out for the count. Thunder had flown at least ten, if not fifteen feet. She hadn’t seen him get up either. Maybe he hadn’t seen much after all. She was too busy trying to stop herself from screaming and from being sick to take serious notice. Did that mean that she was alone in this? That no one was coming to her rescue?
It was hard to think while blood rushed through her body. With a head this heavy and stomach wound so tightly. It was hard to breathe even though air rushed past her. She clutched at the scaly talons that were wrapped around her waist. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm. It wouldn’t do to lose it. What if this dragon dropped her?
The beast in question slowed. His wings beat in a rhythmic fashion and they seemed to hover. Then he dropped, plummeting towards the earth. Tammy tried to scream but she couldn’t. Her stomach lurched and she gagged all over again. It was worse this time. She felt saliva run up her cheeks and top lip. Just when she thought her head might explode, he slowed down again.
Tammy gulped in air. She could feel that she was shaking. Her feet touched something hard and he let go. Tammy’s legs crumpled and she fell, using her hands to keep herself from hitting the ground.
The earth was rocky and littered with stones. Pain hit her palms as the little sharp points abraded her skin. She’d lost the gloves Claire had given her. It was a stupid thing to think of now.
She stayed in a crumpled heap, trying hard to catch her breath. Then she wiped her face on her sweater sleeves to remove the saliva, sweat, snot and tears.
The sweat was the crazy part. She was shivering from the cold and sweating from the fear. It was a strange combination that left her feeling chilled to the bone.
Tammy heard footfalls and the crunch of gravel. She tried to stand. It took a couple of tries before her jelly legs finally obeyed her. Her hair was a mess. It hung over her eyes. Tammy swiped her hand over her face. The guy was big, like all the shifters. He was built as well but he had a strange look in his eyes. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. All she knew was that she didn’t like it. She didn’t much like him. A feeling of dread rushed through her and she took a step back. Her whole body shook with fatigue and fear.
Tammy forced herself to stop and stand her ground. She squared her shoulders. “Who are you?” Her voice was croaky and shook.
The guy walked right up to her and picked her up. “Hey!” she shrieked, sounding a tad hysterical. Which was good considering she was all the way there. “Put me down!” She tried to jerk free but his grip on her tightened.
“Do not fight me,” the guy said, sounding altogether too calm for her liking. He had dark hair which had been cut close to his scalp and was clean-shaven.
“What are you doing?” She tried hard to break free but it was clear that it wasn’t going to happen. Not unless he allowed it. Her mouth dropped open as they entered a cave. It was spacious without being ridiculously big. It was dirty and rocky and by all intents and purposes, it was what you’d expect from a cave. Except, there was a bed smack dab in the middle of the space. It was a four-poster bed complete with lacy drapes and satin sheets. Several candles burned on the jagged bits that jutted out on the rocky walls. A small fire burned in a hollowed out section of rock. Her eyes stayed focused on the bed.
Shit!
This couldn’t be good. “Don’t you dare even think about …” she managed to get out between ragged breaths. She changed the line of conversation, not wanting to give him any ideas. Also, if she continued to panic like this she might end up hyperventilating. “You’re not allowed to do this. It’s against your laws, against my laws,” she cried out in fear as he threw her on the soft mattress. After bouncing once, she scrambled backwards putting as much space between her and the shifter as she could.
“I don’t care about shifter lores,” he spat, his eyes were haunted and filled with more anger than she had ever seen before. His whole body was tense. She kept her eyes on his since he was naked. “I care even less about human laws.”
Oh god! This wasn’t good.
“Please,” she licked her lips. “Don’t do this.”
The guy frowned. “I’m not some kind of monster, so you can relax,” he added.
Yeah right. Excuse me if I don’t believe you.
He sucked in a deep breath. “I am owed. My kingdom, my people …” he clenched his teeth, “they all owe me. Above all, I am owed by my king, Thunder. How does the saying go?” He looked up to the ceiling. Not that you could actually see the ceiling, it was swallowed up by the dark. “Ah yes! An eye for an eye … or in this case, a female for a female.” His voice broke and he swallowed hard but seemed to shake it off quickly.
“Look …” Tammy had to try to get through to this nut job. “I don’t know what kind of beef you have with your … people and your king, but it has nothing to do with me.”
The guy smiled and the glint was back. “It has everything to do with you.”
She shook her head. “No way. This isn’t right. Thunder already claimed me, you—”
“It doesn’t matter what Thunder did or didn’t do. I could care less. You are mine now.”
“What?” She shook her head. “No! Forget it.”
He narrowed his icy blue eyes. “Oh yes, female, and the sooner you start to realize it the better.” He took a step towards her.
“No!” she yelled. “Don’t come near me!” This lunatic had decided she was his. She just hoped that he didn’t plan on proving it.
He grit his teeth for a moment. “I won’t force myself on you, so you can calm down. My name is Cloud. I wish to talk to you. I am your mate so it is in your best interest to get to know me since we will be spending a lot of time together. Forever, to be exact.”
“Your mate? Don’t I have a say in this?”
He shook his head. “No. Get used to it and we’ll get along just fine.”
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