So, marking others made me stronger, but also made the marked stronger. Dillon wanted me to mark him so he would get stronger. No, I would avoid marking anyone else.
The books’ pictures didn’t explain how to mark someone, sadly. So, I would just have to keep my hands to myself.
Quinn worried me. He said he wouldn’t hurt me, but the way he had acted when we were alone didn’t make me so sure.
Not that I was scared of Quinn. I could protect myself against one draconian. I was scared they would all gang up on me, though. Had my wings been fine, I wouldn’t have even been on the ship still. I would have flown away already, on my way back to Priok.
“She has to be of royal bloodlines,” I heard someone say. The voice was faint, like I was hearing them from the top deck.
“Most likely, but she told the truth. She isn’t the queen, or related to her,” Dillon argued. “She doesn’t even know how marking works.”
“It would be safer to kill her now. It would weaken Kian, but he would recover.”
Now I recognized the voice. Sean.
“No. For now, let’s keep an eye on her. If she is a royal, she will make a mistake. They always act privileged and end up demanding things or talking about royal things. If she is one, she will slip up in the next week,” Dillon said
“Fine, but she better keep her hands away from the rest of us.”
They stopped talking and I slumped down in the chair I sat in.
Dillon’s story about the Queen Bera bothered me because, for some reason, I believed it. I believed Bera would betray my mother. I believed they would want to keep the throne. Perhaps I had escaped what could have been a death sentence, had I stayed with them.
Was Stian in on it?
No, I couldn’t believe he was plotting to kill me. But...it was possible.
I growled in frustration and slammed my head onto the top of the table, my forehead smacked it and cracked the wood a bit.
The door flung open and Kian pushed my shoulders back so he could look at my face. He frowned at my forehead. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I said and shoved his hands away, standing to leave.
He exhaled, as though trying to find patience. “I understand that you don’t know me, so you don’t trust me.”
Understatement of the century.
“But, I’m your marked. I won’t do anything to hurt you. My job is to protect you from enemies.”
“And what about your friends? Will you protect me from them if they decide I might be a royal and should just be killed anyway?” I snapped.
His eyes darkened. “What are you talking about? Did someone threaten you?”
Yes, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.
“I take that as a ‘no’ then,” I whispered and reached for the door handle.
He caught my forearm. “I will protect you from anyone who means you harm. My enemies, my friends, or strangers. You are my priority now.”
I looked at his hand on me, the one with my rune. “You should hate me. You should be furious that I marked you.”
“I know it was an accident on your part. But, being marked is good for both of us. And, I saw your past when you marked me.”
My eyes met his, mine wide and terrified.
“I saw the little house you lived in and how you had to pretend to be human. I saw you flying at night in secret. I saw you sneak aboard a pirate ship. “
“What else did you see?” I asked, dread bubbling inside of me.
“Just that. It was only snippets. But, I know now that what you’ve said is true. Your bloodline is a secret to you. You were raised without knowing who your father was. So, you have no idea if he is royal or not. He must have been, since you can mark others.”
“I don’t want to cause you and your friends trouble. I don’t want to come between you all. Maybe it would be best if I found another vessel to take me back to Priok once we reach Dunam. That way you don’t have to go anywhere near the royals.”
He tilted my chin up so I met his eyes. They were filled with fire and glinted with determination. “Wherever you go, so do I,” he said.
Panic seared through me. I couldn’t take him back to Priok.
“No,” I whispered.
He arched a brow. “Have something to hide?” I didn’t answer. “Or someone?”
I thought of Stian and blushed.
His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “You aren’t mated. So, who is he? A secret lover?”
I shoved his chest and put distance between us. “No! I’m not some floozy.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Who is he then?”
“A guard,” I whispered.
“Guard?”
“I told you I’m working on how to protect us from the demon. They assigned me a guard to keep me safe.”
“Where was this useless guard when we rescued you from the humans?” He growled.
“I left him behind. I needed time to think on my own and I didn’t want him following me,” I admitted.
“Were you running from the royals? Did they hold you prisoner?”
I shook my head. “No, but I’m not so sure I will be safe there anymore.” I was almost certain of it. Whether Stian was part of it or not, I didn’t know.
“You think the guard will betray you?” He guessed.
“I don’t know. I was only there a few hours. I don’t know him well enough to guess.”
“Did the royals assign him to you?”
Technically, it had been my decision, but... “The king recommended him to me.”
“I think it would be best for you to keep your distance from him. If you are set on returning to Priok, I am going with you. Nothing you do will stop me.”
“If only I had my wings,” I whispered.
He pulled me into a hug and I relaxed into him. He felt safe. He felt familiar. He felt like home. “They will grow back. Give your body time to heal. In the meantime, why don’t you get to know my friends a bit better?”
“If they try to kill me, I’ll leave. Whether you come or not is up to you,” I told him before stepping out of his arms and out of the room.
I went to the bow of the ship and stared at the endless ocean before me. Even in my current form, I could survive swimming in the cold ocean waters much longer than a human. But, a week would kill me. I really contemplated finding another ship to take me back, but...something about these males was drawing my attention. I didn’t believe in destiny or fate, but part of me thought I needed to stay with them a bit longer. To learn more about these angry draconian pirates.
“Kian hates swimming in the ocean, so I wouldn’t recommend jumping overboard,” Sean said.
I didn’t turn to face him. I was still hurt over his suggestion to kill me.
“He isn’t here,” I whispered. “You could just shove me over and no one would know.”
He leaned against the railing beside me and sighed. “It seems that we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?”
I wanted to tell him off, to tell him I had heard his conversation, but instead I turned and smiled at him. “Sure.”
He returned my smile and it was so believable, I almost fell for it. Almost.
“We’re about to eat. You should join us,” he said.
I sat with the five males and ate in silence while they talked. The food they provided me was bland and tasteless. Judging by the looks Quinn and Sean kept sending me, they were waiting for me to complain. I ate the food with gusto, smiled, and even hummed a happy tune.
“You like the food?” Sean asked. Most of them had barely touched their plates.
I nodded and swallowed another bite. “It’s good. Reminds me of my mom’s cooking.” That was completely true. We hadn’t had much and I had several meals of potatoes and meat with no salt, or even just meat we cooked with our fire.
Quinn narrowed his eyes, but Sean looked away, his eyes downcast.
“I’ll meet Paul at the pub to negotiate our t
rade,” Reilly said. “I’ll signal you and you can bring the cargo.”
“Who is going to stay behind?” Quinn asked, looking pointedly at me.
All eyes turned to me.
“What?” I asked. “I can wait on the boat. I’m not a child who is going to get in trouble.”
“I’m staying with her,” Kian said.
“Right,” Quinn sneered. “You’re her new lap dog. Did she teach you to roll over yet?”
Kian stood, but then they all froze as my sword’s tip pressed into Quinn’s throat.
“Keep insulting me and we’re going to have a problem,” I growled.
He turned, the blade cut into his skin and a dribble of blood slid down his neck. “Care to take this outside?” He asked.
“Where did she get that sword?” Sean asked.
“Let’s go,” I ordered Quinn. I sheathed my sword and marched up to the main deck. I stretched my arms and legs as I waited for him.
“I’m not going to go easy on you,” he snarled.
Kian walked to me. “Stop this. You don’t need to fight him.”
“Yes, I do. He won’t learn to respect me as a draconian if I don’t.”
I handed Kian my sword and marched to stand before Quinn. “No shifting,” I said.
He bowed. “A fair fight, milady.”
I kneed him in the face before he could stand, then danced back away from him, giving myself room to maneuver.
I thought he would snarl or be mad, but when he stood, he wiped his lip and smiled.
He charged forward and my mind went blank. My mother called it the rage haze. During it, I heard no sound aside from my opponent, felt no pain, and focused solely on winning.
Quinn was skilled, more skilled than I anticipated. For every blow I landed, he landed one as well. Deeper into the rage haze I fell, until only Kian’s hand against my face pulled me out enough to comprehend what was going on.
Quinn held me, pinned to the ground with an arm behind my back, his eyes were wide and his breathing ragged.
“Aideen,” Kian said. “Give up. He’s got you pinned.”
I snarled and tried to buck him off, but he applied more pressure to my arm, which hurt, a lot.
“You’ve proved you’re tough,” Sean called out. “Just yield.”
“I yield to no one,” I snapped. I spun around, prepared to break my arm to free myself, but Kian and Quinn shoved me down.
“Shit,” Quinn wheezed. “She’s a berserker.”
I was. Mom had told me that, but not what it meant.
Quinn suddenly released me and backed away.
I spun ready to fight him, but he raised his hands. “I’m done,” he said. “I won this fight, whether you want to admit it or not.”
“You’ve won nothing,” I snapped and tried to run at him.
Kian grabbed me around the waist. “No, the fight is over.”
Shoving him away, I marched to my cabin and locked the door behind me. There was only one way to calm myself after this and I needed privacy for it.
Four
Twice, I had masturbated and I still wasn’t calmed. I paced the room, snarling and fuming. Usually, once I had my climax, I was fine.
Not today.
Kian stepped into the room without knocking.
“You should learn to knock,” I growled, not pausing my pacing.
He watched me a moment in silence. “What do you usually do to calm yourself?” he asked.
“I tried twice and it’s not working,” I said instead of answering him. Thankfully, my cheeks were already red so he wouldn’t note my embarrassment. “You should have let me keep fighting.”
He leaned his shoulder against the door. “You were going to break your arm.”
“And, I would have won.”
He grabbed me, spun me around, and pinned me to the door. His hand slid to my waist and he pushed his hand beneath the top large shirt to touch my skin. “Ask me to help you,” he whispered.
He was so warm and solid. He smelled like fire and something musky.
“How can you help?” I asked, my breath shallow and my body tingling.
He smirked and kissed me.
I growled and took control of the kiss, deepening it and he opened his mouth willingly to me. I wanted to touch his skin, so I slid my hands beneath his shirt, but it wasn’t enough. “Skin,” I begged.
He pulled his shirt off, then pulled mine off and smashed out chests together. I groaned happily.
“Ask me to help you,” he whispered again.
I realized then, what he meant. He was asking permission to sleep with me.
I backed away and covered my chest, that realization like a cold bucket of water over my head. “No,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
He smirked. “You want me.”
I wanted satisfaction. It could have been any of the males and I would have acted the same. It was one of the issues with being a berserker.
“Not today,” I growled and pulled my shirt on.
He shrugged and left without another word.
Walking around the ship did little to easy my mind. I wanted to fly. I wanted to escape. I punched the wall beside me, splitting the skin on my knuckles open and leaving a red smear on the wall.
“Kian didn’t help you ease the rage?” Quinn asked from down the hallway.
I snarled and turned to go the other way, but Quinn was suddenly before me. He slammed me back against the wall. “You’re not going to fix this by punching holes in the ship.”
“I would fly, but I can’t. Nothing is working,” I growled.
His gaze softened a moment, but it was gone so fast I thought I had imagined it.
“Admit I won,” he whispered in my ear, “and I will help you.”
“You yielded. You gave up,” I snapped.
“Only because I didn’t want Kian fighting me because you were too stubborn to stop.”
I tried to hit him, but he pinned my arms to my side by wrapping me in a tight hug. “Let me go,” I ordered him.
“Used to people following your orders, Princess?” He asked.
“I’m not a princess.”
“Orders won’t work on me.” He leaned close and whispered against my mouth, “Keep your hands by your sides or I’ll stop.”
“Stop what?” I asked.
His mouth crashed into mine, fury and fire burning through his lips, scorching me.
I gasped and he took advantage, slipping his tongue into my mouth and deepening the kiss more. I splayed my hands against the wall behind me on each side of my body so I wouldn’t touch him.
It was stupid. I should have stopped him. But, something about the fierce jerk made me crave him.
His hand slid down my too big pants and between my legs, fingers sliding in my already drenched core.
He growled in excitement and pressed his body into my side so I could feel how excited he was.
He kicked open the door to our right, shoved me in, then shut the door behind us.
He hated me, but he wanted me. It made me want him more.
I opened my mouth, but he covered it with his, stopping my words. His hand returned and his fingers skillfully sent me over the edge within moments.
He broke our kiss and growled in my ear. “I don’t trust you. I don’t particularly like you. But, I don’t want you punching holes in my ship or starting anymore fights. I’m doing this to keep the peace. You understand?”
He didn’t want for me to respond. He yanked my pants down and dropped to his knees, licking me and touching me in ways I had only ever done to myself before.
I climaxed again and he stood, smiling with a smug satisfaction.
I glared at him and that only made him chuckle. “I’m not done with you. Don’t fret.” He started to unbuckle his pants.
I held up my hands. “No! I can’t. I haven’t.”
His eyes widened and he smirked. “Oh, you are still a virgin? Cute.”
I glared. “Screw you.” In h
indsight, it wasn’t the best phrase to use.
“Okay,” he said and dropped his pants. He stood before me in his naked glory and whispered, “All you have to do is say ‘no’ and I’ll stop and walk away. I won’t force myself on you. I won’t make you do this. You want to. I can see it. I want to also, you can see that. But, if you want me to stop, tell me.”
It would have been smarter to say no. To stop. But something about him made me crave him. I wanted his touch more than I did the others. I felt like we had a connection even though I hadn’t marked him.
“Okay,” I breathed and nodded without meeting his eyes.
“Keep your hands above your head,” he ordered me.
I obeyed.
Despite our anger towards each other, and his obvious disdain for me, he was gentle and compassionate. He kissed me to keep my noises quiet and I lost myself as our bodies climaxed together.
He lay with one arm propping him up to keep from squishing me with his weight and stared down at me. The rage was gone and I felt calm again. “You good?” he asked.
I nodded.
We put ourselves back together, then listened to see if anyone was near. Before he opened the door, he said, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
I scoffed despite the pang of hurt it caused in my chest. He searched my face a moment, gave me one last fierce kiss, then left me alone in the storage room we’d used.
I made my way to the main deck and leaned on the rail looking out at the sea. With my rage satiated, I felt tired and relaxed.
Part of me wanted to punch Quinn, but he had helped me. And, it had been really enjoyable.
“There you are,” Kian said.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. He looked tense.
Kian leaned against the rail, facing away from the sea, so he could look at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I replied, turning to avoid his gaze.
“Glad you got the rage under control,” he said.
He was fishing for me to explain why I was good now.
“Me too,” I said.
What would happen the next time I couldn’t control it? Quinn despised me, so there was no way he would help me, unless I put the ship in danger again. Or, he might just decide I was too much trouble and kill me then.
Killing me seemed his more likely course of action.
Scales and Flames Page 4
