“You somehow mended my heart and showed me it was possible to love again. Even if the Gods didn’t demand I spend my life with you, I would do it anyway.” He dropped to his knees in front of me. “I’m yours.”
He was the biggest and strongest of my mates. He could crush me both with his magic or without it. And now he was kneeling in front of me. There was nothing sexier than seeing such a powerful man on his knees before me, and the space between my legs softly ached with need.
He coaxed my thighs to spread wider for him, his green eyes moving to gaze at the place that throbbed for his touch, and I knew what he planned to do.
Even as my body said oh please yes, I rested a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “We don’t have time.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to taste you, even if only for a moment. I’ve been thinking of little else for days.”
Stubborn man. I knew I should tell him no, that we needed to hurry, but I wanted his mouth on me, that lush, full mouth I’d been tempted by since we’d met. When his head dipped down and I felt the roughness of his beard against my inner thighs, all my protests were silenced. I forgot about everything except his mouth as it pressed against me and his tongue as it stroked me. I leaned back, my hands planted on the table, as he hooked my legs over his shoulders and began to feast upon me.
My eyes fluttered closed, my breathing grew rough, and every nerve in my body seemed to burst into song. With each firm stroke of his tongue and soft touch of his lips I lost myself even more. Slade loved me, he truly loved me, and he showed me over and over how devoted he was to me. Me, not his duty to the Earth God or as the next Jade Dragon, just me. And I could finally admit how much I loved him too.
I cried out, my legs trembling, as the orgasm shook through me like an earthquake. Slade held my hips in place as he wrung every last drop of pleasure out of me. Only then did he release me and straighten up again—and when our eyes met I knew it was time for him to truly claim me.
28
Jasin
All around us the battle raged, but Auric and I focused on the two Dragons in front of us. We’d been dodging blows and throwing magic for the last few minutes, keeping them distracted as best we could while our people fought below us. As long as we kept the Dragons busy, Kira and Slade would be able to bond. I just hoped they were quick about it.
Sark spat a ball of fire at Auric, and I pressed my wings close and dove to block it. The flames struck my scaled chest and I absorbed the magic into my own body, then let out a loud roar in response. I briefly felt Auric’s gratitude through the bond, before Heldor collided with me. He was the largest dragon I’d ever seen, and he slammed us both to the ground with his massive strength. We slid through the dirt, knocking soldiers back with our wings and tails, before smashing into the stone wall surrounding the fort. I tore at him with my talons and fangs, then managed to roll out from under his grasp. I backed up and let out a stream of fire from my mouth, but he yanked rocks from the wall to block my magic.
The ground underneath me shook and tore open, and I leaped into the sky again, where Sark and Auric were battling. I expected the Jade Dragon to follow me, but instead he stomped his feet and released a deep roar that made the soldiers around him balk. Lava began to spew from the newly formed crack in the ground, spraying the men and women nearby—both our fighters and the enemy’s. Heldor didn’t seem to care who he hit, and lava began to flow in a massive wave, threatening to cut down every person in its path, regardless of who they fought for.
“You’ll kill your own soldiers!” I called out.
Heldor ignored me and continued on, making the crack wider to take up the length of the entire courtyard. People screamed and ran, the battle momentarily forgotten as they tried to escape the red hot magma, but some of them were too slow in their armor and were pulled down and consumed. How could he do this to his own people, the ones he’d come out here to defend? Did he care nothing at all for their lives?
I fought back the lava and the flames as best I could, trying to give people time to escape, but it wasn’t enough. We had to stop the Dragons.
I reached for Auric through the bond, while glancing up at his shining form. He darted above me, performing whip-fast acrobatics in the air to avoid Sark’s flames. Through our many hours of training we’d gotten a lot better at this, and had learned that proximity was most important, but visual contact helped too. I felt Auric acknowledge me and mentally clasp my hands. His magic mingled with mine, and I focused on Heldor and released it.
A giant lightning bolt shot from the clouds and struck the Jade Dragon on his large scaled head, and he staggered back like he was dazed. Auric threw some lightning at Sark above me too, although the other dragon was able to dodge the blast. Without Isen nearby, Sark would be unable to create lightning of his own, and we kept up the assault, paying him back for the attack at the Air Temple.
I heard Faya’s voice call out for a retreat, and caught sight of Brin staggering toward the gate with one arm around Leni. Lava blocked their path, and I used my magic to remove the heat from it, turning it to stone. They rushed over it and out of the fort, hopefully on their way to safety.
Heldor recovered from the lightning bolt and threw more rocks at me, which I dodged. Mostly. One huge boulder struck my left wing, clipping it and shooting pain through my shoulder. I swore under my breath and leaped into the air, but each beat of my wings was agony.
I crashed back down to the ground and Heldor let out a deep, throaty laugh as he approached. Auric dropped down in front of him, blocking my body with his own, and launched another bolt of lightning at Heldor. It struck him in the chest, knocking him back, and the huge green dragon slumped to the ground.
“Jasin, are you injured?” Auric asked.
I stood up and shook myself off, but pain shot through me. “I’ll be all right. I’m not sure I can fly though. I’ll need Kira to heal me later.”
A harsh shriek filled the air, and Auric and I both looked up as Isen, the Golden Dragon, swooped down toward us. Where had he come from? And could we really defend against three dragons, especially now that I was injured? I bared my teeth and readied my wings. We didn’t have a choice but to fight.
I sent fire up at Isen, but he dodged easily, his nimble form darting through the sky. A tornado formed over us, whipping up all the debris on the ground, and Auric flew up to stop it. I bit back the pain and dodged the swirling, rushing winds before they surrounded me, but my injured wing slowed me down and prevented me from taking off. I managed to knock a soldier in black armor out of the way with my tail before he was caught up in the tornado, just before it dissipated.
The air around us cleared—and that’s when I realized Sark and Heldor were both gone.
29
Kira
Slade quickly removed my clothes and tossed them aside, then gazed at me with hungry eyes. I sat on the edge of the table, completely bared to him, while the echoes of pleasure made my body loose and limp. Yet I still craved more.
“I’ve never wanted any woman the way I want you,” he said, as he dropped his trousers to the floor. I got a glimpse of his huge, hard cock before he moved between my thighs and nudged it against my core. Later I would explore every inch of him in great detail with my hands and my mouth, but for now I needed him inside me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, finding his mouth again while his long length entered me.
He was big, almost too big, but I didn’t want him to stop. My hips strained toward him, begging for more, but once he was fully inside he paused. He was as hard as the marble under me, pulsing with strength and need, and I thought I would die if he didn’t move soon.
I caressed the smooth slope of his back down to the rounded curve of his behind, then gripped him tight, pulling him deeper inside. “Slade, please.”
At my words, he let out a ragged breath and unleashed the desire that he’d kept locked inside so long. He pushed me down so I lay flat against the cool stone table, his strong h
ands circling my waist, and then he began to pump into me with sure, steady strokes. I gasped and lifted my hips in time to his movements, while he gazed down at me with a look of pure, ravenous lust.
My legs wrapped around Slade’s hips as he stood over me, my breasts rocking with each deep glide of his cock. He took me thoroughly, possessing me completely, making me his woman with every thrust.
When he arched over me to take one of my nipples in his mouth, I couldn’t help but cry out. He thrust faster, deeper, his movements becoming frantic, and I tangled my fingers in his thick hair and gave myself up to him. Release found me first and I gasped as the sensations crashed over me, my body tightening around him. He let out a low groan as he pounded into me harder, and the room around us began to tremble. I clung to Slade’s shoulders, but his skin had turned to stone, and I realized with a start that mine had too. But he didn’t stop, and pleasure quaked through us both without end.
When he finally calmed, our skin returned to normal and the room stilled. Slade relaxed on top of me, and I enjoyed the feel of his strong body in my arms, pressing down on me. His lips melted against mine and love shimmered between us like one of the crystals on the walls.
“I wish I could hold you like this for hours and fall asleep with you in my arms,” Slade said, as he reluctantly released me. “But we should probably leave the temple in case the Dragons return soon.”
I sighed as reality came crashing back down, and all my worries about my other mates returned. “You’re right, although the Earth God should come speak with us first. The other ones did, at least.”
“Even more reason for us to dress then,” he said, grabbing his trousers off the floor.
As soon as we’d donned our clothes, the temple began to rumble again, like it had when the bonding had completed. Only now it grew more intense, to the point where I had to hold onto the table to steady myself.
Suddenly the floor split open in front of us, and Slade rested a hand on my shoulder as if to protect me. A huge talon appeared at the edge of the crack, and then a giant dragon clawed his way out of the crevice. His body was made entirely of crystal, like the ones embedded in the walls, and when he moved his scales shifted colors like a rainbow shining across his skin. I’d never seen anything more beautiful before.
The Earth God was so large that Slade and I had to press against the wall behind us to have any space at all. His wings arched behind his back and we dropped to our knees before him as his sheer physical power and strength filled the room. I’d met two Gods before, but I’d never lost that sense of awe and wonder when confronting one.
He took us in with eyes that seemed to be made of the blackest opals, while his huge tail whipped about, tossing stones and splintered wood aside. “My avatar and my descendant. Your bonding pleases me.”
Slade bowed his head. “We are your humble servants, my lord.”
The crystal dragon’s eyes lifted and took in the room, then seemed to see beyond it into the main temple. He let out a growl that made the mountain quake, and his tail smashed harder against the ground. “Those traitorous Dragons have destroyed my temple and murdered my priests. They must be overthrown.” Those deep, black eyes focused on us again. “You must bring balance to the world.”
“We’re trying,” I said. “But we don’t know how to defeat the others. We’re not strong enough yet.”
“You will grow stronger the closer you become to your mates,” the Earth God said. “But you already knew this.”
I nodded, relieved to hear that my instinct in bringing both Auric and Jasin into my bed together was the right one. The two of them wouldn’t be a problem, but the other two would be more of a challenge. I felt closer to Slade than ever before, but I wasn’t sure if he would ever agree to truly share me with the others. And Reven had made it clear he only wanted a physical relationship, nothing more.
The Earth God lowered himself to the ground, stretching his silvery talons out before him like a lazy, fat cat. “The Black Dragon and her mates are no longer as close as they once were. They are fractured and splintered. Doubt and distance threaten to divide them. If you and your Dragons become a strong, cohesive group, you will become more powerful than they are.”
Easier said than done, but I would do my best to bring them all together. Of course, that only solved one of our problems. “But the Black Dragon is immortal and has the power of the Spirit Goddess, plus the magic of all of her mates. How can we stop her?”
“You must defeat each of her mates first. Once you do, she will lose their powers and strengths. Only then will she be weak enough to overcome.”
That meant we’d have to take them down one by one before facing her, in order to stand a chance. My stomach twisted at the idea, and it took me a second to realize it was because it meant killing both of my parents in the process. I despised them and everything they did, but they were still my blood. “My father…do you know who he is?”
“No, but I can tell you he is not my Dragon. It must be one of the others.”
My heart sank. I’d been hoping the Earth God could tell me who he was, or at least confirm he wasn’t the Crimson Dragon. Sark had killed the people who had raised me, and if he was my true father, I wasn’t sure how I would ever be able to live with that.
“You must continue your voyage now,” the Earth God said, as he rose to his feet and shook out his wings. “Remember that the fate of the world journeys with you, as do the Gods’ blessings.”
“Thank you for your wisdom,” Slade said. “And for choosing me to be your Dragon.”
The Earth God gave us a nod, and then his wings tucked tight and he dove straight into the crevice. It closed up behind him, leaving no trace he was ever there. Slade and I let out a collective held breath—and then we heard a shout from the other room.
Slade pressed his hand against the nearest wall and closed his eyes, and I knew he must be spreading his senses throughout the cave as he’d done before.
His eyes snapped open. “The Jade Dragon is here.”
30
Reven
I was leaning against the fallen statue of the Earth God and trying to ignore the way the mountain kept shaking, when something made me reach for my twin swords. A flicker of movement. A change in the air. A sense that danger was coming.
I’d stayed alive this long by trusting my instincts, and I wasn’t about to stop now. I gestured at Parin, who crouched down in the debris while I moved into the shadow of the dragon statue.
Three men walked inside, and I sensed their power immediately. Sark, with hair so pale it was almost white, Heldor, as large and broad as Slade except covered in tattoos, and a third man I’d seen only once before in his human form—Doran, the Azure Dragon. He had blond hair hanging past his shoulders and a matching beard, with skin that spoke of many hours under the sun. All three of them were in their human forms, probably because the cave entrance was too small for them to get through as dragons. Each was dressed in black leather fit for fighting or traveling, but none carried weapons.
“We’re too late,” Doran said, his voice icy cold. “They’ve already left.”
Heldor shook his head. “No, I sensed the earth moving. They must still be here.”
“If they are, they won’t be leaving,” Sark growled.
My hands tightened on the hilt of my swords at his voice, but I couldn’t let my rage or my need for vengeance consume me. I wasn’t sure if Kira and Slade were finished or not, but I had to hold these three off as long as I could—and Parin would likely be no help. It was just me, a former assassin with a bit of magic, against three immortal Dragons. I didn’t like these odds.
“Fine, let’s look around,” Doran said, sounding bored.
I waited until the three of them split apart, then I crept into position. As Doran passed by, I lunged out with my sword—but he quickly dodged it. He spun around, a blade made of ice forming in his hands, and blocked my next blow with it.
“Found one,” he called out to the
others.
We struck and parried, beginning a complicated dance of swords, while the others moved closer. Sark let loose a blast of fire at me, but I ducked under it, while Heldor grabbed rocks leftover from the temple’s destruction and hurled them at me. I threw up a wall of ice to block them, then continued my assault on the man I would soon replace. Doran moved with the grace of a seasoned fighter and was as fast as I was, providing me a challenge. If it were just the two of us I thought I could probably best him, but all three of them? Even I wasn’t that good.
I sensed Sark moving behind me, and realized I was surrounded. But then Parin let out a shout as he lunged from the corner and struck Sark with his sword from behind. Sark let out a roar and grabbed Parin by the neck, instantly lighting him on fire. The man’s horrifying screams echoed throughout the cave, and I summoned water to douse him, but it only dulled Sark’s flames for a moment before they sprang up again. With Doran and Heldor both attacking me, and Sark’s hand around Parin’s throat, the man didn’t stand a chance.
But then Sark was knocked back by a strong blast of air, which also snuffed out the fire covering Parin’s body. Kira and Slade stood at the side of the cave, and they didn’t waste any time joining the fight. Slade grabbed some of the boulders around the room and sent them to knock Doran down, freeing me to throw knives of ice at Heldor. Three against three—I liked those odds a lot better.
Magic flew and swords flashed as the fight broke out across the ruined temple. Kira faced Sark down with a look of pure hatred in her eyes, throwing both air and rocks at him. At least the bonding was completed in time. Now all we had to do was escape.
A section of the cave suddenly broke apart and crashed down on top of me. Slade turned and caught it in time, stopping Heldor’s magic with his own. Lava erupted in front of Sark at the same moment, making Kira step back with a gasp. Doran moved behind her, his movements swift and decisive, and caught her arm. He pressed something across her mouth and nose, a cloth of some sort. From my days as an assassin I knew it had to be some sort of poison or intoxicant. Probably nightwillow oil, which could knock a grown man out in seconds—I’d used it before to incapacitate people I had no interest in killing.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 45
