by Tia Didmon
“Yes,” she gasped.
“I feel your power. It is a cool breeze against centuries of dark wasteland. Only you can give me this gift. A single oasis of comfort. My personal paradise.”
She was in his mind. The black fire reared up, but was no match for her blue flame. The centuries of loneliness that every dragon had to endure filtered through his soul, raging in its loneliness. Legion’s demons were darker than most. As colored flames turned black, Legion’s dragon cried tears of lava for its fallen brethren. The monumental burden that was his alone.
He shimmered in her mind. I am not alone.
Those four simple words brought light, elation, and joy to his soul after centuries of darkness. She tried to clear her mind, but the erotic sensation burned through her blood as he continued tasting her flesh. His tongue found places she hadn’t known were erogenous. “I am yours,” she gasped.
His power surged with his dragon’s anticipation. They hovered on the apex of an unalterable journey, soaring in the heavens without a destination. A seer revealed a life shrouded in mystery, but she would share every moment with the dragon that held her.
Legion blazed a fiery trail of need with each light stroke of his fingers. They traced her belly and down her thighs, dipping between her legs, but never reaching the spot she wanted them to. She never knew such a sensual experience could exist. He was a maestro of passion, and pleasure experienced in every note. Lust was a driving force that had her biting her lip to stop from crying out.
Time passed without consequence. It locked her in a thunderstorm of Legion’s creation, swirling through her body like a tornado. She gasped, pleading in his mind and gripping his hair so hard she feared she would rip it from his scalp, yet he continued his relentless pursuit of her body. No dip or valley has left unmarked by his wicked tongue or his fiery breath. With her mind connected with his, she knew he planned to map every inch of her flesh canvas, memorizing every spot that sparked an erotic response. Her entire body was slick and hot by the time his thorough perusal of her body was complete.
Mara was more than ready for him. She was desperate, and he knew it. The fire in his eyes raged, unfettered by his humanity. It pulled his body to its breaking point. Centuries of control snapped like dry kindling. He poised himself between her legs, pressing against her entrance, holding her hips immobile as his fiery gaze met hers. You are mine. Now and forever in my care. Every second, every century is ours to share.
The words blistered in her mind as he thrust into her. The consuming need replaced the sting of pain. Their power crashed together in an ocean of fire and pleasure. She gasped, puncturing his skin with her nails. Tiny white threads of magic latched to one another. Melded together in a powerful net that no force on earth could rip apart. She moaned as he moved within her.
Her tight muscles rebelled against the thick invasion, burning and clenching around the hard shaft. It took her a moment to match the slow rhythm. The fight to go slow, accentuated by the roped muscles that strained in his back. His entire body blanketed hers. She had never felt delicate. A glass flower that could break apart in a dragon’s talons. His all-encompassing power added to the security and dedication he evoked. Guarded for all time by Legion and every member of his clan. She wasn’t his mate. She was his world, and that knowledge was more erotic than the sensation his body created within her.
Mara could handle the slow fire Legion created with his shallow thrusts. She was unprepared for the earthquake he created when his control disintegrated. He pumped into her, his full length stretching her body to its breaking point. She couldn’t scream. Her vocal cords froze as her throat locked in an endless moan of pleasure and pain.
Each hard thrust caused a ripple in her core. A building pressure that had no recourse, but to explode. The low growl in her ear alerted her he was close. The thick swell of his velvet shaft as he slammed harder and harder into her. She screamed his name as the orgasm ripped through her body, clamping down on him like a vise, until he shouted her name. Explosions. Fireworks. Dragons. Everything that flies brightly in the night must fall to the earth. She was no exception. Her eyes closed as the power within her faded.
Legion kissed her temple. “I love you, Mara.”
She fought to respond. To open her eyes and gaze at those fire blown eyes. Her body couldn’t obey her commands as she slipped into the darkness of druid sleep. Her heart stuttered, lacking the strength to continue to beat.
Chapter 15
Legion held his hand over Mara’s chest. The rise and fall of her chest light and steady. His dragon had panicked when she had slipped into a druid sleep. An autonomous response to fuel her magic. It had lasted only an hour before her body returned to normal. He kissed her temple before she opened her eyes. “Good morning.”
She sat up quickly. “It can’t be morning. The shop... Natalie.”
Legion pulled her back on to the bed next to him. “Conner is helping Natalie at your store. In fact, your business is booming. The seating is full of young ladies drinking coffee and reading.”
Mara squinted. “The store is never that full. We... it’s Conner, isn’t it?”
Legion sighed. “He may have a certain charm that your female clientele appreciates.”
Mara pursed her lip as her eyes sparkled. “I bet. When Natalie and I were brainstorming ways to boost sales in the shop, we never thought of dragon eye candy.”
Legion’s eyebrow went up. “I hope we can keep that offensive term between us.”
“Offensive? You’re all complete studs. It’s not my fault that women drool over you.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re teasing me.”
Mara put her hand over her mouth. “A little.”
He took her hand and put it above her head. His large hand held both of hers, stretching her arms up like a pagan offering. “It is not nice to tease your mate, so.”
Mara turned her face toward him. Her warm breath tickled his lips as she spoke. “I never said I was nice.” The teasing glint in her eyes, mixed with the sultry tone of her voice. It was an invitation no dragon could refuse.
He kissed her with the desperation he felt. The simple joy of teasing. Laughter. Fun. She had no idea what it was like to endure centuries without such pleasures. Being beside her was no longer enough. He needed to be inside her. Share her body. Her skin. Her soul. She was unaccustomed to sharing her mind. Mates rarely shielded themselves from one another, but she was born human and new to his world. She didn’t seek the bond that was vital to his existence. He sent the command along their shared bond.
Her eyes met his. Blue fire lit her pupils as her presence flooded his mind and body. Ecstasy was a poor metaphor for his dragon’s elation. She was everywhere inside him, warming the places that dragon fire could not. Filling the black emptiness with the bright blue light that reflected her power. She rebuilt the broken pieces of his soul, one by one. Not a single crack was left in the wake of her perfection. She hadn’t said she loved him, but he felt it in every action. Every sacrifice she made. She gave him everything he asked for. Her actions as selfless as she was.
He wrapped his hand around her neck, holding her to him as he explored her mouth. Petal soft lips that opened and breathed for him alone. The faint smell of lavender and mint was as unique as she was. His heart skipped as the reality of his new existence hit him. He had endured centuries and needed forever to sate his need of her. She wasn’t an addiction, she was a necessity as important as his next breath, the spark that made him whole.
Mara was his world. It would take decades for him to make her understand the darkness that he had endured without her. The emerald jewels that captured his soul. The intricate pattern woven in her eyes that he alone could see. It was scary for a man with his power to need one woman. A single frail creature who rose from the depths of power to claim him. It was as uncomfortable as it was exciting. Maybe this was what it meant to be human. To be a part of humanity. If so, he would take the gift her world offered. She offered.<
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He could drown in the mossy depths of her eyes and never be sorry. His body reacted to the fire in hers as his lips pressed against hers. His tongue dipped into the warm heat of her mouth again and again until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. Their combined magic became a dangerous flame of hot arousal and burning demand. His groin tightened as his cock pressed against her inviting flesh.
She brought life and meaning to the dark void in his existence. She alone allowed him to experience joy. Lust. Laughter. Love. Mara was life, and she was his for all eternity. She ignited something deep inside him. A primal need that had his dragon growling its need. He flipped her on top of him, gripping her hips as he positioned her on top of his throbbing shaft.
Her hands anchored on his chest, questioning the fire she found in his eyes. She was inexperienced, but determined to fill the need she found in his mind. The erotic images made her blush, but she didn’t shy away. She positioned her knees on either side of his hips, moving down until her pussy rested above his thick cock. Her juices trickled down a vein that strained from his dick as he held himself immobile with will alone. He wanted her comfortable with his body. With the things he wanted to do with her. To her. Her response was to smile down at him with fiery blue flames behind emerald. He’d never seen a more exquisite treasure.
He thought he had readied himself for the day he had a mate. That he would protect her, respect her in every way. Nothing in his long life had prepared him for the all-encompassing emotion she evoked in him. He had told her she wasn’t a witch, but he questioned that now. The spell she had woven in his heart grew stronger, more powerful than any magic he possessed. She was the most beautiful creature ever created. More lethal because she would never bring that power to bear. Miracle didn’t describe the phenomenon that was the druid, Mara.
He intended to give her control of their lovemaking, but his dragon reared up, unable to relinquish its hold. He tipped her head back, staring into the flaming eyes that matched his own. Blue fire laced with gold. There was no respite for either of them. The inferno continued to build. “I need to be inside you. So deep, you can never be free of me.”
She caressed his jawline. “I love being in your arms.” The soft touch whispered to his soul, but it was her smile that enslaved him. A feminine stroke that made him thankful for the joy she would bring to his life. The mystery. She was his heaven, and her eyes told him she felt the same way.
His kiss deepened as the well of emotion erupted inside him. She had reduced the most powerful dragon in history, to a lovesick puppy. He wanted to feel angry, to curse her hold on him, but the sensation pumping through his body wouldn’t allow such an action. Legion had ways of binding his druid, enthralling her in salacious and erotic ways. He would use them all.
His gaze roamed over her naked body. Soft curves. Heated flesh. The red marks where his hands had gripped tighter than they should. He’d seen nothing more beautiful. The scent of her arousal pushed him past his human control. He devoured her as if she was his personal feast, pushing her legs apart and over his mouth, burying his face in the scented flesh between her legs.
She moaned as his tongue dipped deep inside her, extracting the honey cream from her body. Starvation was unknown to him, yet he was ravenous for the taste of her. The rush of liquid as she came, only incited his inner beast, yearning for more of the exquisite elixir. “Oh god, Legion.” Her hands slapped against the wall to steady herself as he ravaged her, holding her above his head.
He’d never wanted to be a god, but he would be hers. Command her body until she begged him to stop. She made keening noises and the unabashed lust was music unlike any other. He continued his assault on her sensitive flesh, reveling in the silken promise her body offered. He pulled her against his face, basking in the heat produced by her fiery body.
She screamed his name as her liquid honey trickled against his cheek. His body was hard, hurting, and only she could extinguish the eternal lust. He pulled her down his body, positioning her hips on either side of his. His eyes dared her to disobey with flaming gold eyes.
Her chest heaved as a bead of perspiration trickled down between her breast. He was tempted to lick the errant bead as it slowly caressed her skin, but his eyes remained glued to hers. His fingers bit into her hips. A warning. A dare. She moved until her slick pussy rested against the hard length of him. He kept her eyes locked with his as he held her hips locked in place, pulling her down hard onto him.
Her mouth opened in a silent scream, but no sound escaped. She remained locked in a tidal wave of his emotion, his body, as he continued to pull her down harder and harder onto his surging erection. He was born of eternal fire, yet nothing was as hot as her warm sheath as it blistered through his soul, eviscerating the darkness. The light and beauty of the woman who surrounded him was his singular heaven. The only druid strong enough to accept his power. To accept him.
He pulled her down, rolling on top of her in one motion. His deep stroke never wavered as he thrust deeper into her. Her large breasts jutted out, bouncing as he thrust. The inviting sight, tantalizing his senses, pushing his endurance to its apex. He felt the coiling in his stomach. The tightening in his groin. His fingers bit into her hips as he angled himself for one final thrust.
She clamped down on him, squeezing his cock like it was in a velvet vise. He groaned as his seed splashed her inner walls. Coating her. Marking her. His dragon grumbled its satisfaction before retreating to sleep. It sent a single image. A hope. A prayer. One Legion prayed he could fulfill in the coming decades. His dragon’s one request was something that would take years for Mara to master. He held her close, thankful for the opportunity. Someday, she would fulfill a golden dragon’s only wish. “Are you alright?” He kissed her forehead.
Mara blinked. “I think dragons should come with a warning label.”
Legion’s lips arched. “Is that right? What would this warning label say?”
Mara’s shoulders quivered, holding back her laughter. “One of those signs they post before getting on a scary roller coaster. Something like... Don’t get on this ride if you have a heart condition or...”
Legion tickled her. She laughed, squirming in his arms. “You have no such ailments.” He released her, allowing her to catch her breath. Joy and warmth bubbled in his soul. Fun. He’d forgotten teasing.
She touched his face before winking at him. “How about a tattoo that says, sex machine?”
His laughter died on his lips as her eyes turned to milk. She stiffened in his arms. A beautiful statue with as much emotion. Helplessness was a foreign concept to Legion. Having to wait while the single most important woman in his universe experienced her vision, was an insufferable torture. He couldn’t help her, assist her, or take away the pain as she flinched.
Her eyes returned to the emerald green as she took a deep breath. “Alana.”
“What is it? What did you see?’
“We have to get Alana back now. She’s in danger.”
Mara held her breath as the images faded. The urgency and determination refused to release their hold. “I saw Alana running. She was looking up. I can’t tell if she was afraid or not, but she was being chased from above.”
Legion rubbed her back. “Tell me about Alana. What is she like?”
Mara sighed. “Alana has always been independent. She drove my parents nuts. When I was playing with dolls or walking the dog, she was exploring caves or fighting with the local bully.”
“She sounds very headstrong.”
Mara put her hand on her forehead. “You have no idea. I knew when Alana was sixteen that I would lose her someday.”
Legion frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“Alana loves exploring. She loves caves and spelunking was her go-to pastime. When she isn’t exploring, she is climbing. She has fallen twice and the last time she almost died.”
Legion’s eyebrow went up. “I hope that curbed her exploits.”
Mara huffed. “Hardly. Alana w
ent caving a month later and got exposed to mold spores. She was in the hospital for over a week and home in bed for another. She was still coughing when she left.”
Legion’s eyes narrowed. “She would not stay with you, even when she was sick?”
Mara shook her head. “Alana won’t stay anywhere for long. It’s like she has an internal clock that’s always set to go. She doesn’t even have a permanent address. Just a mailbox that forwards her mail to wherever she is in the world.”
“You don’t know what country she is in?” Legion asked.
“No. I have talked to Alana six times in the last two years. I think she only checks in because mom made her promise when we were kids that we would never forsake one another. I think Alana regrets that promise. She hates it when I reach out to her.” Her voice cracked. The cauldron of emotion bubbled to the surface. Natalie was the only person who knew how much Alana had hurt her, and she wanted it kept that way.
“You are in pain. What did Alana do to you?”
Mara took a stunted breath. “It’s not like that. Alana did nothing to hurt me.” She just wants no part of me.
Legion growled. “When was the last time you saw her?”
Mara swallowed the lump in her throat. “She came home for mom’s funeral, but left the following day.”
Legion squinted. “What caused the rift in your relationship?”
“Nothing. She was always independent, but when we returned from camp that summer, she stopped playing with her friends and started climbing. The following year she started caving. We could barely keep her in school after that.”
Legion’s eyes flashed. “How does she support herself? I assume since you were in financial crisis when we met, that you were not helping her pay her bills.”
“No. She would accept no money from me, or our parents. She left the day after her graduation and has supported herself by finding rare objects. I guess her strange obsession with old caves has an upside.”
