Imagine Dragon

by Julia Mills

  Hanging her head as the tip of his cock teased her sensitive lips, her breath caught in her lungs as he slowly pushed the head of his cock into her. Slowly, inch by delicious inch, his thick, hard erection filled her so fully that she felt the walls of her pussy contracting and stretching pulling him in until he could go no farther.

  Kissing her neck, his chest tight to her back, Kayne quickly pulled back until he almost fell from her body then faster and harder thrust back in. Again and again, he drove in and out, rolling his hips, touching her everywhere, driving her mad with the need to come.

  Faster than before, she was riding the edge of ecstasy, her orgasm barreling through her body like a runaway train. Over and over, his fingers digging into her waist, the sound of their bodies slapping together, her skin felt too tight, her heart beat too fast, she was panting and begging, “Kayne… Oh my Goddess, Kayne… please.”

  “Say it, Pearl. Tell me who you belong to.”

  Her body tightened around his. The culmination of every fable, myth, and bedtime story she’d been told about the One the Universe had made for her was coming true and Destiny help her, she wanted to answer him.

  “You. I belong to you, Kayne.”

  No sooner had the words crossed her lips than her Dragon lost all control. Fucking her with a passion that could only come from Fate, Destiny, the Universe and the Gods’ blessing, Kayne loved her hard, deep, and with just the perfect amount of aggression, and Heavens help her, she begged for more.

  Lights flashed before her eyes. She felt as if she was floating. Her body was on fire from the inside out. Nothing and no one had ever mattered like Kayne did in that moment.

  Snarling her name, his cock marking her from the inside out, she could hear his thoughts, and knew he was just as gone as she. Lifting her knees from the ground as he thrust deeper and harder than ever before, Kayne commanded, “Come for me.”

  And she did.

  Flying high. Sure she was about to lose consciousness, Pearl had never imagined it could get better, then he bit her. The second his canines slid into the exact same spot he’d bitten her before, her world shifted on its axis.

  Mind, body, and soul, she shattered. Everything flashed into overdrive. Colors, like fireworks, burst in front of her eyes. Pure unadulterated joy filled her center and spread through her body, her heart taking flight as Kayne roared, “Mine.”

  Thickening inside her, pushing her body as far as it would go, wringing orgasm after orgasm out of her, Kayne came over and over in short, jerky bursts. Growling her name and sweet sentiments in Gaelic was sexy as hell and made her heart do silly little flip-flops that any other time she would’ve denied.

  Pulling from her while her body was still experiencing tiny shockwaves, Kayne lifted her from the ground and in one fluid motion laid on his back and placed her beside him with her head on his chest and his arm wrapped securely around her. Satiated and feeling treasured as he ran his fingers through her hair, Pearl had just let her eyes slide shut when Gwennie’s irritated voice blasted through her mind.

  “Good Lawdy, Pearl, did ye really stop in tae middle of all this shite tae have a shag?”

  KAYNE

  Chapter Eight

  “So, you thought there was time for a little get-to-know-your-mate hanky-panky while the world was deciding if it was going to come to an end or not?” Drago snickered, the brogue of his homeland heavy on his voice. “I thought Orion was going to have to tie his Sadie to a tree. She was threatening to burn you at the stake, along with a few other colorful ideas about your ‘twig and berries’.”

  Rolling his eyes, but taking his punishment like a man, Kayne couldn’t help sliding his eyes towards Pearl as she and her Sisters knelt twenty or so feet away, tending to the unconscious and battered Berserkers. Even without his enhanced hearing and the strong mating bond he shared with his mate, the Demi-God could tell that the extremely diverse group of female Shifters, known as the Ladies of the Sky, each had very definite ideas of what they’d like to do to him for ‘taking advantage’ of their sister.

  “Wasn’t it you who said something about being a confirmed bachelor?” Angus, another of the elite Enforcers and brother to Drago, chuckled as he slapped Kayne on the back, pulling him from his thoughts. “Oh, my Heavens, how the mighty have fallen.”

  “What was it you said,” Orion, yet another of the famed Enforcers whose mate just happened to be the Leader of the Ladies of the Sky, Sadie, one of the only female Dragons left in existence and a Queen no less, teased, his dark eyes dancing with glee. “Only the weak fall for the charms of their mate when they first find her.” Nodding his head as his sniggers turned into all-out laughter, he swatted Uther on the shoulder as he added, “Even those of us who’d been buried underground for a century at least waited ‘til we were alone.”

  “At least give me a break on that one,” Kayne playfully scoffed. “I’ve known where she was for quite a while, even met her a few times, dad saw to that. It just took us a bit to get it all together.”

  “And then BOOM went the fireworks, am I right?” Uther chimed in with a knowing nod.

  “Well, at least I didn’t go running into a volcano to save…” Stopping mid-sentence, realizing that he’d just profoundly screwed up, Kayne had to laugh right along with his Brethren. Of course, Drago, the Assassin to those who’d fought against him, had to add, “Jumping through fire, battling demons, it’s all part of the mating process. Surely, you figured that out by now.”

  “Damn sure should’ve,” the Demi-God chuckled. “And I’m somehow sure every last one of you has made sure that Maddox and the others know what a sorry, lovesick drake I’ve been?”

  Their laughter grew louder at his mention of the one known as the Mad Dragon. Not only was Maddox an incredibly magical Dragon, who’d studied damn near every text ever created by all of Dragon kin, he was also mated to the Grande Priestess of Earthen Witches – the single most powerful Witch in the entire universe. As if that wasn’t enough to set the old man apart, Maddox had lived alone, atop his very own mountain for decades, and during that time had become grumbling, growling, and prone to talking to himself. Hence the moniker, Mad Dragon.

  “Doxie t’was tae first one we called while waitin’ fur ye to come oot.” Drago’s brogue grew stronger and stronger the longer they all stood and joked. It was a sure sign he was becoming more comfortable with his surroundings.

  “Well, I wanna thank each of you so much for making sure he knew,” Kayne chided sarcastically. “You know he made sure to tell damn near everyone just to make sure I get my fair share of teasing when we get back.”

  “Why the hell else would we have done it?” Angus laughed just as Uther’s expression turned dark and he looked from side to side.

  “Have you seen King?”

  “Not since I got down here,” Kayne answered, walking towards the Enforcer who’d only been back above ground for less than a week. “I’m sure he’s just sniffin’ around. Isn’t that what jaguar’s do?”

  “Indeed, it is.” A deep, rumbling voice with a Latin accent answered. “But then again, not all cats are as they seem.”

  “Thanks,” the Demi-God shook the King’s hand before continuing, “But I’m pretty sure you already had that figured out.” Dropping his hand to his side and grinning as Max stepped back, he added, “By the way, how are things with your feathered lady.”

  Scratching at the dark stubble covering his jaw, the King chuckled mischievously, “A gentleman never kisses and tells.” Clearing his throat and continuing before Kayne could continue to poke fun at him, Max motioned to the man beside him then looked at Uther. “It is good to see you alive and well, mi amigo.”

  “Good to see.” The Enforcer’s reply was somewhat strained as if he also knew what was coming next.

  Never one to beat around the bush, Max quickly went on, “This is Lucian, a member of my pride. And I must apologize for his subterfuge. He has been a loner his entire life and only recently came to us. It is not an exc
use for his behavior, only an explanation which comes with my sincere promise that he will be punished for not identifying himself sooner.”

  Nodding, Uther stepped forward and held out his hand to Lucian. As they shook, the Guardsman acquiesced, “There’s no need for punishment. He was a great help to me.”

  “As you wish,” was Max’s only reply before he was once again smiling as he explained, “It was Lucian who called me here. He feared that you,” the Panther King nodded towards Kayne, “Had been lost to the Devil’s Kiss.”

  “No, I made it out, but only with the help of Arawn and Pearl.”

  At the mention of her name, Pearl’s eyes met his forcing the Demi-God to summon all his considerable control not to go to her. Reaching through their bond, he spoke directly into her mind, “Don’t you think it’s about time to get everyone outta here?”

  “It is and not just so we can be alone…again.”

  The stern tone she pushed into her voice didn’t cover the smoky, sexy tenor that made his Dragon groan. Quick with a comeback, Kayne teased, “You wanna tell me you weren’t thinking about it, too?”

  “Hush,” she scolded. “And stop reading my mind. We almost have Zared stable enough to fly.”

  “And the other two? Zaira and Arie?”

  “Physically, they’re both doing pretty good. It’s mentally, at least for Zaira, that is giving Phryne the most worry.”

  He loved Pearl’s sultry, contralto voice and the way her lilting British accent made everything sound so perfectly proper. It was nearly as wonderful as her tall, sleek body, her beautiful platinum hair that reached just the top of her pert, round ass, and hypnotic lavender eyes. Kayne had known for quite a long time that the Strix was his mate, but he’d never imagined reacting to her in such a way.

  Feeling Pearl’s frustration and lag in answering, he hurriedly asked, “Why is Phryne concerned? Do they know one another?”

  “Of course, they do. Oh, wait,” her agitation turned to snickering. “Is there actually something the great son of Lugh doesn’t know?”

  “There’s a whole shitload of things I don’t know. But if you keep teasing me, I am absolutely sure of one thing…” He let the naughty images that had been parading through his mind since the moment she’d used her magic to dress them both after their unexpected coupling flow to her. Smiling from ear-to-ear when a soft pink blush covered her porcelain skin, he added, “I’m going to run over there, throw you over my shoulder, carry you off to a secluded island, and have my wicked way with you. Now, tell me how Zaira and Phryne are connected.”

  Laughing nervously, obviously trying to hide her arousal from her Sisters, she replied, “You know Zaira is part Valkyrie, yes?”

  “Yeah, that’s common knowledge.”

  Well, Phryne is Zaira’s…”

  Whatever she was about to say was cut off as a fierce roar of absolute dominance and unyielding mastery resonated straight through the Demi-God. Vibrating his very core, demanding his Dragon respond in kind, it left no doubt of the owner’s supremacy and willingness to fight.

  Sprinting towards Pearl, watching as she dropped to her knees, he barely reached her in time to cover her body with his own before the ground began to shake. Appearing as if out of the mist, came seven feet of pissed off, out for blood, revenge-seeking Berserker Dragon who snatched Phryne off the ground and in a single mighty leap, took flight.

  Watching the Amethyst Dragon, covered in the impenetrable scales of her Warrior form, breathing fire across the sky, roaring her defiance at her years of imprisonment was both glorious and terrifying. Was she in her right mind? Would she hurt Phryne? Where was she going?

  Something was very wrong. Someone had called her from her deep sleep with the sole purpose of awakening her Berserker.

  Looking down as Pearl’s hand touched his chest, Kayne could see the defiance in his mate’s eyes, was sure he knew what she was about to say, but prayed he was wrong. Unfortunately, just as every other time in his life, Fate decided to reach up and whap him on the back of the head as his lovely mate growled, “Phryne is Zaira’s steed. Has been for centuries.”

  “Then Phryne should be able to talk some sense into Zaira, right?”

  Shaking her head as everyone around them scrambled to get ready to return to the Lair of the Blue Thunder Dragons, Pearl sadly replied, “I don’t know. Phryne had stormed off in a huff the night Zaira disappeared, and…”

  Her voice cracked with emotion, leaving Kayne to finish, “And you fear that Zaira holds a grudge.” Not needing confirmation, he added, “Well, hell, looks like we’ll be trackin’ a Berserker. Some days this whole Guardsman/Demi-God thing is a real pain in the ass.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Have you heard anything yet?”

  “Nope.” Kayne shook his head then looked up at Pearce, the most patient, Zen Dragon he’d ever met. “Not a damn word.”

  “And Pearl doesn’t want you asking your father, but she’s talking to Morrigan?”

  The look on Pearce’s face said it all. He thought Kayne was completely and totally wrapped around Pearl’s wing. Maybe he was right, but the Demi-God was nowhere near ready to concede defeat.

  “The Berserkers are Morrigan’s. She gave them the gift and on this, I agree with Pearl. It should be the Great White Goddess who tracks Zaira down.” Picking a piece of imaginary lint from his jeans, he went on, “Besides, I’m somehow sure dear old dad would shit in his shorts if I ask him to help Morrigan in any way. Their relationship has been less than amicable for a couple of centuries now.”

  “I hear ya’.” Pearce sighed. “Sometimes I think that old saying about absolute power is right.”

  “In the case of the Celtic Pantheon it damn sure is.” No longer able to sit still, Kayne got up from the bench in the Serenity Garden where he’d been hiding out and started to pace. Deciding to talk about something, anything, that wasn’t his mate, he asked, “Is Uther still mad about King the jaguar being Lucian the Jaguar Shifter and keeping him in the dark for so long?”

  “Nah,” Pearce snickered, leaning back and crossing his legs. “From what I hear, Drago, Alicia and Mara talked him through it and after he went for a long walk, he came back with Lucian and everything was hunky-dory.”

  “Somehow the expression hunky-dory and Uther just don’t go together,” Kayne laughed out loud. “He always was a brooding old cuss and after all he’s been through, well, in the words of Yoda, the brood is strong with that one.”

  “You are truly a smart ass, my friend,” Pearce snickered. “Uther’s disposition maybe a little darker than the rest of us, but if you think about it, he and Julian actually have quite a bit in common.”

  “How so?” Kayne stopped, waiting to hear what the Zen Master Dragon had to say.

  “Uther was alone for over a century. Lucian has been on his own for almost that long.”

  “But Uth was buried alive, and the Jaguar was running about the countryside.”

  “Sure, but alone is alone,” Pearce leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, he continued. “We’ve never experienced true loneliness. How would you or I know what it felt like to not talk to another living soul for days, weeks, years, and so on? Imagine never seeing anyone else, shaking anyone’s hand, even scenting another other than yourself. Those two know, in the most real and soul-deep way there is and that, I believe is why they bonded in the first place. I also think that somewhere deep inside, Uther knew the Jaguar was a Shifter.”

  Nodding, unable to find fault with anything Pearce had said, Kayne once again began to pace. Stopping at the base of the fountain, he watched the gentle waves emanating from the base of the stone Dragon, his thoughts staying firmly planted on Pearl. It had been three long days since she disappeared into a swirling vortex of Morrigan’s magic and the lack of contact with her was driving the Demi-God crazy.

  Alerted by the sound of wings pushing against the airstream overhead, he did an immediate about-face, running at full-speed out of the garden and into
the center of the street. Looking up, shielding his eyes against the sun, Kayne’s heart did a flip in his chest as he immediately recognized the gorgeous tawny feathers of Pearl’s Strix.

  Watching her change from avian wonder to the beautiful woman he was falling in love with, he couldn’t stand still. Wrapping his arms around her and laying his lips on hers the very second her feet touched the ground, Kayne poured every ounce of love and affection he already felt for her in that single, smoldering, affectionate embrace.

  Holding tight as she tried to pull away, he regrettably lifted his lips from hers just in time to see her eyes glass over and the muscles in her face go lax. Stepping back but keeping his hands on her upper arms, he felt Pearce come up on his left and saw at least four others out of the corner of his eye.

  “The one who’d walked away has returned, and his mate holds the key to unlock the light and extinguish the darkness. Fairy, not Witch must bear the burden of what her kin has torn asunder.”

  “The brother who is sleeping shall awake, fully restored with the Blessing of the Great White Goddess. The Pegasus is hidden in the shadows watching over the Lost Ones. The Valkyrie with the gift of the Warrior Dragon must face her own demons. Bohann’s domain will call to the dual-natured brothers, and along with the son of Lugh and the daughter of Morrigan, the Abomination shall be no more.”

  Grabbing his mate as her eyes slammed shut and she fell forward, Kayne lifted Pearl into his arms and racing to his home called over his shoulder, “She needs her rest. Do not follow me.”

  Ignoring the outrage of her Sisters and the grumbles of his Brethren, the Demi-God sprinted down the street, through his front yard, and into his house, stopping only when he was upstairs and in his bedroom.

  Gently laying his unconscious mate in the center of his bed, he called to Maddox, “Are you with Calysta?”