For the first time in ages, I felt safe. No one could find us here, deep beneath the waves. I didn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder and prepare for a possible attack. The temple wasn’t in ruins or filled with death, and we didn’t have to hurry.
I only wished this peace could last.
19
Reven
After washing up and changing into fresh clothes, I sought out Kira’s bedroom. I knocked sharply and she called for me to enter. When I stepped inside, I caught a glimpse of her pulling a light green robe around her body. Memories of the last time I’d seen her naked came rushing back. Her skin glistening with sweat as she was pressed between Jasin and Auric. Her soft curves as they ran their hands over her. Her full lips as they opened for me…
“Are you ready?” she asked. Her hair was still damp, making it a darker red than normal, and her face was flushed with life. She looked too damn beautiful to be real.
I’d been resistant to this bonding thing from the beginning. I hadn’t wanted to be one of Kira’s mates, or the next Azure Dragon, or the Water’s God’s chosen one. Even once I’d accepted my fate and grown to care for Kira, the idea of having sex with her in some ritual felt so…forced. Everyone in the temple would be waiting for us to get on with it, knowing exactly what we were doing the entire time. We might as well be on display. But now that she was standing in front of me, her eyes full of hope and desire, her body naked under that robe?
I was ready.
I yanked her toward me and took her mouth, hard. She let out a little noise of surprise as my lips moved across hers and my tongue slipped inside. She melted against me immediately as we kissed, the perfect size and shape to fit against me, and my hands couldn’t help but seek out her bare skin. I tugged open her robe and gripped her hip, holding her in place as I angled her head to kiss her deeper. Gods, she tasted good. Before Kira, kissing had never been something I cared about. Now I could do it for hours and never grow tired of feeling her lips against mine.
She drew back slightly and met my eyes. “We’re supposed to do this in the bonding room.”
“I’ve never been good at following rules.”
I dragged her mouth back to mine, pulling her tight against me, so that her hard nipples brushed against the fabric of my shirt and the bulge of my cock pressed between her thighs. She let out a throaty hum of desire, and I ground myself against her, driving us both a little mad with need.
My hand slid down her hip and dipped between her thighs, finding her wet and pulsing for me. I stroked her once and she widened her legs in response, while her fingers curled into my shirt like she was trying to stop me from pulling away. I wanted to tell her there was no chance of that, but my mouth was devouring hers and my fingers were exploring the silky, swollen folds she’d offered to me.
When I glided into that tight wet heat, she let out a moan against my lips. Her thighs tightened, trapping my hand between them, while I slid in and out of her slowly. With my other hand I held her up, knowing her knees would be weak when I was through with her. I slipped another finger inside and rubbed her clit at the same time, feeling her tense around me. Knowing how close she was already encouraged me to move faster and deeper, forcing her to rock her hips in time with my movements, her arms tightening around my neck for support. She cried out my name into my mouth as the climax swept over her, her body turning to liquid against me.
I slowly removed my fingers and held her until she could stand on her own again. “Told you I was good with my hands.”
“You weren’t kidding.” Her eyes were dazed as she closed her robe and tied it.
I took her hand in mine. “Let’s find this bonding room.”
The hallway and the great room were both empty, much to my relief. The hour must be late, though it was hard to tell deep below the ocean, where sunlight couldn’t reach. I certainly wasn’t tired—no, my body was full of energy, the same rush I got when I was about to slit someone’s throat from the shadows or leap into a fight. The anticipation only made what was coming even sweeter.
The door to the bonding room opened easily at my touch. The first thing I saw was the floor-to-ceiling opening to the ocean on one side. The dome must end right there because fish swam just outside, and we could almost reach out and touch them. Coral and seaweed lined the ocean floor, and I caught a glimpse of an eel poking its head out of some rocks.
A raised path led from the door to a large bed, and around this platform was a shallow pool of water, only knee-high. The pool’s floor was covered in shining seashells that caught the flickering candlelight around the room.
“It’s beautiful,” Kira whispered.
One of the other guys would have told her she was even more beautiful or something, but I wasn’t good at this romance crap. I’d never had a real relationship. I hated talking about my feelings. And sex? Sex was always for a purpose. Making money. Getting information. Relieving stress. Never for love.
Until now.
I grabbed Kira around the waist, feeling her curves under that thin robe, and picked her up, wrapping her legs around me. She let out an excited laugh, then settled into my arms as I carried her to the bed. I set her down on her back and grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the bed. I loomed over her body, caging her in, giving her no way to escape.
“Now you’re mine,” I said.
She looked up at me with open desire and complete trust. “What are you going to do with me?”
Her robe had fallen open and I raked my eyes down her body. “Everything.”
My gaze lingered on her full breasts and narrow hips, before dipping down to that triangle between her legs, already wet from my touch. Damn, she was stunning. Why had I resisted her so long?
That was over now. She was impossible to resist, and I was done trying to fight it.
Still holding her wrists, I bent my head to those perfect round breasts and flicked my tongue across her hard nipple. She arched her back in response, begging for more, and I sucked one of those dark buds into my mouth. The soft moan from her lips turned me on even more, as did the taste of her. I’d never considered myself a lucky man, but I was starting to change my mind about that.
I worshipped each breast until she was begging and writhing under me, desperate for more. An overwhelming need to be inside her took over, and I released her wrists so I could tear off my clothes. Her eager fingers reached up to help me, her eyes hungry as I removed my shirt and tossed it aside. The rest of my clothes hit the floor, and then I moved over her again.
“I never thought this moment would come,” she said, as she gazed up at me.
The intensity of her eyes was too much. She wrecked me, and I was going to fall apart if she kept that up. The urge to claim her as my own grew too strong to ignore, and I couldn’t wait a second longer. I grabbed her waist and flipped her over onto her stomach, making her gasp. I yanked her hips up so they were level with mine, and then I rammed myself deep inside.
She let out the most beautiful scream I’d ever heard as I filled her from behind, the sound echoing throughout the room. I grit my teeth at the feel of her tight, damp heat. My hand wrapped around her thick red hair, tugging her head back, forcing me deeper inside. I arched over her to press my lips to her neck, and she trembled under my touch.
“I have a secret,” I said into her ear, as I held her there. Not moving yet, just enjoying the feel of her body squeezed tight around my cock.
“Only one?”
I nipped at her shoulder. “I think you know all the rest by now.”
“Tell me,” she said, her voice husky.
“I’ve never done this before with anyone I actually cared about.”
With that, I began to move. I rocked into her with hard, rough thrusts, and she pushed her hips back at me, taking me deeper. With one hand gripping her hair and the other on her hip, I completely controlled her body, forcing her to accept whatever I gave her.
I took her hard and rough, slamming into her again and again, and
her moans of pleasure only grew louder. I reached between her thighs to find her clit, and each time I pushed forward, my fingers rubbed against her there. She tightened around me, her body close to the edge, and I was right there with her. I’d thought I was claiming her, but she was the one taking everything from me and still demanding more—and I wanted to give it to her. Not just tonight or in the bedroom, but for the rest of our lives.
I felt it when she came apart. Every wet inch of her clenched around me, and it felt so good I couldn’t stop the pleasure from cresting over me too. Water shot into the air around us, while ice spread across our skin, locking us together. I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her, while our bodies rocked together through it all.
The ice melted away and the water sank back into the pool around us. I kissed the back of her neck, as I pulsed inside her, before gathering her in my arms and lowering us to the bed. How had I ever lived without Kira? She made me feel so damn alive.
“I love you,” I said, the words slipping out of me. I couldn’t stop them anymore. I didn’t want to.
She touched my face and smiled. “I know.”
20
Kira
I must have dozed off in Reven’s arms, because at the sound of rushing water my eyes snapped open. I yanked my robe up around me, covering my naked skin. Reven sat up and shoved me behind him, protecting me with his body. Water poured into the dome in front of us, and I worried that the entire thing would crash down and crush us under the weight.
The water rushing in began to take shape, forming a large body with four legs, a long tail, a head with a pointed snout, and great wings that rose upon its back. A huge dragon arose in front of us, a creature of pure swirling water with glowing white eyes and fangs made of ice shards.
“The final binding is complete at last,” the Water God said.
I reached for my magic, finding the fluid grace of water deep inside me alongside the other three elements, and summoned a snowball in my palm. A large smile spread across my face as it slowly melted against my fingertips. We’d done it. I was bound to each of my mates now, able to use all four elements, along with my own life magic.
“Can I turn into a dragon now?” I asked aloud.
“Not yet,” the Water God said. “Not until the Spirit Goddess gives you her blessing.”
“The Spirit Goddess is trapped inside Nysa,” Reven said dryly. “Something the other Gods failed to mention.”
The great dragon flexed his watery wings. “When you defeat Nysa, our Goddess will be freed. Only then will you be able to unlock your true powers.”
“But if we free her, the Death Goddess will turn this world into another realm of the dead,” I said.
The glowing eyes narrowed. “Doran told you this, but he is also the one who imprisoned us for nearly a thousand years. Nysa and her mates wanted unending power and immortal life. Now they lie to spread doubt through your hearts.”
I glanced at Reven warily. “Is it true that the Spirit Goddess is actually the twin Goddesses of Life and Death, bound together?”
“That is true. One cannot exist without the other. Life and death. Dark and light. There must be balance.”
“If we free her and the balance shifts too much to one side, can the Gods help us split the Spirit Goddess apart and banish the Death Goddess from this world?”
“We can. If it comes to that, we will.”
I nodded. It was the most we could ask for.
The dragon’s tail swished back and forth in the low pool. “Do not forget that to defeat Nysa, Doran must be destroyed first. He will tell you anything to protect himself and his mate. You cannot trust him.”
That was true, but could we trust the Gods either? I wasn’t sure. “I understand.”
“The time of the Black Dragon is over, and now the ascendants must rise. Do not fail us.”
The Water God began to flow back into the dome, losing shape, but Reven called out, “Wait!”
The huge dragon paused, reforming instantly, and asked, “Yes?”
Reven’s brow furrowed. “Why me? I’m not a hero. I didn’t want this. I rejected my fate at every turn. You must have known I would, but you picked me anyway.”
“The Fire God looks for courage. The Air God chooses one with wisdom. The Earth God seeks out stability. I value change.”
“Change?” Reven asked.
“Adaptability. Resourcefulness. A certain fluidity in morals. The world is never as simple as black and white or right and wrong. It is always shifting, and my Dragon shifts with it. I did not want a hero. I wanted someone who would survive, and change, and grow, and show the ascendant how to do the same.”
“I see…” Reven said, although he sounded more confused than ever. I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. I was certain he was the perfect person to be the next Azure Dragon and my mate, even if he wasn’t. He’d made me wait and doubt and nearly tear my hair out plenty of times, but that had only made it even better when he’d finally admitted his feelings for me. Jasin and Auric had loved me from the start, but Slade and Reven had made me work for it—and I’d learned something from each of them. I couldn’t have gotten to this point with Reven if not for the other men, and I saw now how each one complemented me and made me become a better person. Including Reven.
“Trust in the Gods,” the dragon said. “We created you. We chose you. And we have reasons for everything we do.”
With that, he collapsed with a huge splash, and was gone. I had to give the Gods credit, they were good at dramatic entrances and exits.
Reven turned toward me and slid his hand around my waist, bringing me back to him. “Now that that’s done, it’s time for round two.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled open my robe and eased me back onto the bed. “Is that so?”
“I’ve waited a long time for this night. The other men have been with you multiple times, but we have some catching up to do. I’m not letting you go until I’ve explored every inch of you. Multiple times.”
His head bent to my chest and he ran his tongue in the valley between my breasts, making me gasp. For once, I didn’t have to rush off after speaking with a God. No one was waiting for us or coming to attack us. We could spend the entire night in the bonding room if he wanted.
And as Reven kissed his way down my body, I had a feeling he wasn’t in any rush to leave either.
21
Kira
In the morning we met for breakfast with the others in a dining room with windows that looked out to the ocean. Opea and her priests served us fruit and pastries, which they said they traded for when they visited a nearby island once a week. I didn’t question it too much. Despite the remote locations of the temples, the Gods always found a way to provide for their priests somehow.
As Opea and her priests left so that we could have privacy, I thought of Calla, the High Priestess of the Fire God, and wondered how she and her mates were doing. The last time I’d seen her had been in the capital of the Air Realm, but I wasn’t sure if she planned to stay in Stormhaven until it was safe for her to return to her temple. Sark was her grandfather and he’d kept my presence a secret in exchange for Doran keeping quiet about her. Did that mean Sark actually cared about Calla in some way? I’d always assumed he was heartless, but maybe even the worst Dragons had something or someone they cared about.
I gazed across the table at my father. Was I his weakness too? Or was he playing me this entire time?
Revan must have seen my troubled look because he reached under the table and gave my thigh a squeeze, reminding me of our night together. My worries melted away, and I gave him a grateful smile.
“I’m guessing the bonding went well,” Jasin said with a smirk as he took his seat across from me.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
Slade began to load up his plate with food. “You look content. Less troubled.”
I smiled and looked down at the plate in front of me as color flooded my cheeks. “I supp
ose I am. Everything feels like it’s as it should be.”
“Now that you’ve bonded with all of us, what is the next step?” Auric asked, as he folded a napkin across his lap.
I sighed. “I can access all of your powers now, but the Water God told me I can’t become a dragon myself until the Spirit Goddess blesses me. Which could prove difficult.”
“You need to confront Nysa,” Doran said, before popping a piece of melon into his mouth. “I suggest we do it at the Spirit Temple near Soulspire, since that’s where the blessing needs to take place.”
“Somehow I doubt the other Dragons will let us just walk in there,” Reven said.
Doran nodded. “Once they learn you’ve obtained all four elemental powers, they’ll know you’re heading for the Spirit Temple next. I would expect it to be heavily defended with both shades and soldiers from the Onyx Army, along with the Dragons themselves.”
“We’ll never get in there,” Jasin muttered.
“Not alone, no,” Doran said.
I picked at the food in front of me as I considered. “We need to call upon our allies.”
“What allies?” Reven said. “We have the Resistance, who just lost their leader and… Oh wait, that’s it.”
“I can speak with my father,” Auric said. “He has no love for the Dragons but was scared to turn against them. I might be able to convince him to change his mind, if I explain how close we are to defeating them. Perhaps he could lend us some of his soldiers.”
Jasin arched an eyebrow at me. “What about that bandit gang you were once a member of, Kira? Would they help us?”
Ride The Wave: Her Elemental Dragons Book Four Page 9
