There was poetic justice in that. Ivarsson had to smile to himself. He was the one who put her in all this danger in the first place. She had been caged because of him. Sure, he had been going after Anna—something he was certain Indulf would not forgive, when he found out—and it had been the kidnappers who messed it all up, but at the end of it all… it was still his fault. He could have sent her back, but instead he kept her. Caged her. Handed her over to the likes of Jenson. So, him ending up caged so she could have her freedom… It made sense.
“Are my clothes dry?” Dominique’s voice asked sleepily.
Ivarsson paused. He’d been pacing and now grimaced. “Did I wake you?”
“Not really.” She sat up, tucking her robe around her bosom. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I slept harder than I thought I would, but I’ve been awake for a while. Heard you pacing. It’s time to get going, right?”
He smiled and shrugged. “Yeah. Your clothes aren’t fully dry yet, but we need to get out of here. You need to get to Byrelmore.”
She nodded slowly, her sleepy eyes not moving from his face. “And then what will you do?”
A small smile slipped over his face. “Not sure. I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
“We could phone Indulf. Have him meet us somewhere so I could go back… and you could go free.” Dominique crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. “You’re a wanted man and you’ll always be hunted, but if you’ve slipped away before—”
“Thank you.” Ivarsson shook his head, a smile playing about his lips. “I know that you’re trying to help. And maybe that would work, if it was any other situation. But Jenson is going to be after me now, too, and I don’t want to end up on her examination table.”
Dominique stared at him for a long moment. Her gaze was impenetrable, but then she sighed and gave a reluctant nod. “Okay. I don’t have the energy to argue with you. Let’s go.”
***
They were soon off. Dominique had kept one of the blankets from the motel—she reasoned that once she was safe, she could send it back, or pay for it, although Ivarsson wasn’t sure why that was such a big deal for her—and had it wrapped around herself to stop from getting too cold. They were getting close to Byrelmore, close enough that Ivarsson was certain Indulf knew they were on their way by now, when pain suddenly exploded in his back leg.
There was a mighty jerk as he roared in pain. His grip loosened as he wheeled about, and Dominique gave a shriek as she slipped. He quickly corrected his grip, heart hammering. His leg jerked again, and he dropped several meters in the air. He beat his wings, struggling to maintain altitude, but he was steadily pulled downward as the pain in his leg increased.
A long spike shot up to his left, and a harpoon speared through his shoulder. Ivarsson roared in pain as he was jerked downward again. He turned to see a huge machine gleaming in the sunlight. Another harpoon was already prepped to be shot at him. If it hit his wing, if it stopped him from flying, he’d plummet—and Dominique would not survive such a fall.
He dove, clutching her to his chest, his mouth wide open. Fire burned in his throat. Then there was a loud bang from somewhere behind him—the next thing he knew, a steel net had twisted around him, and he fell hard to the ground. He only just managed to prevent squishing Dominique. As he breathed out a lungful of fire towards their attackers, one of them threw something at his head. A piercing wail stabbed his eardrums. Within seconds, he was utterly useless and had to shift back to his human form, just to stop his brain from becoming mush.
As he lay there panting, his arms still protectively around Dominique, a woman stepped out of the crowd. Jenson.
“I am very disappointed,” she sighed, smoothing her skirt. “But you will still be of use to us, Dickerson. Load them up and take them to the beta site.”
Ivarsson snarled. His head felt like it was about to explode, but he still tried to lunge forward, tried to get his hands on her. But before he could, something exploded in his face. His lungs seized up as he coughed rapidly. And then everything went dark.
***
When he woke, he found himself bound securely to a metal table. A collar was fixed around his neck, preventing him from shifting. He struggled against his restraints to no avail. After several minutes of being unable to budge them so much as an inch, he forced himself to relax. There was no use wasting his energy. He had to conserve what he had and wait for an opportunity to escape.
A door slid open and Jenson strode in, looking impeccable as always. Behind her, two men pulled Dominique between them. Ivarsson jerked against the restraints again before he could stop himself. There was a fresh bruise on her face, just above her left eye, but whether that was from their fall or a fist, he didn’t know. There was no trace of tears on her face, though, and instead she looked utterly furious.
“Let him go,” she snarled, sounding far more like a bear than the wildcat she usually was when angry. “Let him go or I swear I’ll—”
“I didn’t bring you here for threats,” Jenson interrupted coolly. She smiled without emotion as she turned her gaze back to Ivarsson. “You have given us more than we expected. I am quite pleased with how these events turned out. None of our other dragons have been as strong as you. Is it your royal blood?”
“Probably because I’ve known I was a dragon my whole life,” Ivarsson replied calmly, though his heart slammed against his chest rapidly. What was she going to do to Dominique? Why had Jenson brought her here? “So, I see you’re not taking any chances,” here he waved his hand the best he could at his restraints, “but what’s the plan? What are you going to do to me? Test my resilience? See if you can trigger my dragon?”
“We’ve done that with others.” Jenson waved her hand. “No. What I want from you… is her.”
His brow furrowed as Jenson waved Dominique closer. The woman appraised Dominique for a moment, a sly smile on her face, before turning back to Ivarsson with a triumphant look. But Ivarsson was completely dumbfounded. Jenson wanted Dominique from him? But she already had her! Was she talking about what he had suggested before he saved Dominique… to test what happened to a human carrying a dragon’s child?
If that was the case… Ivarsson snarled blackly.
Jenson’s smile only widened, though. “There. I knew it. Lucky, lucky day. You did deliver, didn’t you?”
She looked so pleased with herself… Ivarsson didn’t know what to make of it, and so remained quiet. It was just as well, because Jenson explained soon enough.
“I hired you to bring me a human woman who was mated to a dragon… and you have.”
A ball of cold dread filled his stomach. His gaze turned to Dominique. No… it couldn’t be… her file said she didn’t have a mate. Didn’t have a boyfriend, wasn’t seeing any of the dragons…
Jenson laughed and shifted to one side, blocking his view. Her eyes blazed with gloating. “I just never expected that you’d deliver your own mate to us.”
“What?” both he and Dominique gasped at once, but Jenson didn’t bother explaining.
“Let’s begin,” she said instead.
And pain flowed through Ivarsson’s body, so powerful that all he could do was scream.
Chapter Fifteen
Dominique
There was no way to tell the passage of time, other than the meals that were brought to her. Well, delivered was more accurate. She hadn’t seen anybody since the start of these experiments. She thought, sometimes, that she could hear Ivarsson’s screams. It tore at her mind and heart, leaving her in tears as she lay on the bed, her arms wrapped around herself. What were they doing to Ivarsson? And what were they waiting for before starting on her?
In the meantime, she had only one thing to distract herself from her coming fate. As she lay there, her face pressed into the pillow, she took herself away. Far away, where it was just her and Ivarsson. No Jenson, no kidnapping, just her and him and the waves of the sea.
She was walking along the beach, his hand in he
rs, talking about nothing while they stole sly glances at each other. She ached with need, wanting him, but was too shy to make the first move. She wanted him to give her some indication that this was what he wanted too… Their brief kiss seared through her mind, and her lips tingled with the memory of that moment. Her hand tightened in his as heat flashed through her belly.
Ivarsson came to a stop, moonlight reflecting off the waves of the ocean as he smiled at her. His fingers brushed against her cheek and she leaned into his touch. And then he bent down, moving almost hesitantly, before pausing. She closed the gap between them, pressing her mouth hungrily to his. Heat flared throughout her body now, the desire too strong to ignore.
He sighed her name as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her so close it was like their bodies were already starting to meld together. Her hands moved over his dress shirt, rapidly undoing the buttons there. Nobody was within a thousand miles of their location, but even if they had been, she wouldn’t have cared. She needed him, wanted him more than her next breath. Their mouths pressed hungrily together, their tongues dancing as Ivarsson ripped away the clothing from her body, tearing it along the seams and tossing it aside without a care.
His hands roamed over her body, hot and searching. Dominique let out a gasp as they moved to her breasts, kneading the soft flesh there. Ivarsson moved from her mouth, trailing searing kisses down her neck before focusing on one breast. Her nipple pebbled under his attention, and Dominique had to hold his shoulders to keep herself from falling over. One hand clenched her hip, while the other slid between her thighs.
He found her sweet spot quickly, his fingers sliding over their target in a way that already had her shivering. Dominique clung to him, kissing his neck and nipping at his broad shoulders. They were laying down now. She wasn’t even sure when they had laid down. His huge body caged hers, the sand soft and warm beneath her back, the roll of the ocean moving in and out in a steady rhythm.
“Wait,” Dominique gasped.
Even in her imagination, there was something she could not overlook. Ivarsson gave her a quizzical look, his eyes dark and glittering with lust. The sight made the heat inside her stronger, and her core tightened. A single finger slid into her, and she had to bite back a pleasured cry. Panting, she shook her head, telling him without words that wasn’t the problem. He moved back slightly, and she followed him up, pressing her mouth to his deeply.
This time, she urged him to his back. She straddled his legs as he did so, reaching for him. He was already semi-erect and hardened quickly under her touch. Her gaze never left his as she bent over him, first kissing one of his pec muscles, then moving to gently take his nipple between her teeth. It hardened, just as hers had. She moved down his body slowly, kissing his twitching muscles while still steadily pleasuring him with her hand.
A soft moan, that was half-growl and all man, emanated from his chest as she took him into her mouth. He was big enough that she could hardly believe it, could barely get her lips wrapped around him. She moaned as the taste of him filled her mouth. He had a slightly smoky taste that she had only heard from others that dragons had. She was pleasantly surprised, enjoying that taste.
Her ministrations soon had him trembling and on edge. His hands clenched at his side, his hips rocking up and down. He suddenly reached down. He drew her up over his body and flipped over her. The sand left an impression of their bodies, but neither of them noticed as he caught her mouth again, pushing her legs aside with his own. His hardness was against her belly, and she kissed him back as fiercely as he was kissing her.
There was a sense of desperation in both of their movements. They couldn’t get enough of each other, their bodies on fire as Ivarsson pushed inside of her. It was a tight fit and for a moment Dominique was afraid he wouldn’t fit, or it might hurt. Luckily, neither of those fears came true. He kissed her wildly, then tenderly, then rested his forehead against hers. He came to rest fully seated in her, deeper than she had ever known before. With another, tender kiss, he began to move.
It was almost too much. Dominique moaned, then cried out as shockwaves of pleasure started to course through her already. She clung to her lover, staring into his bright, beautiful eyes. There was so much emotion there that she could hardly breathe. Then he picked up his pace, his thrusts gaining not only speed but strength. All too soon, her back was arching, a series of cries bursting through her throat. She planted her feet in the sand and matched his rhythm. Their fingers twined with each other and they kissed again and again.
Dominique never wanted it to end.
***
Dominique broke from a restless sleep to the sound of her door opening. Groggily, she swung up, glancing at the door. She expected that only the little opening in the bottom would be open, just big enough for a tray of food to be pushed inside. Instead, it was the whole door that was open. She blinked, confused for a moment.
Two men came in. Both had their hands on their tasers. Jenson stood in the hallway beyond, a cruel smile on her lips as she folded her hands demurely before her. Dominique tensed, fear flooding her. She jumped to her feet and both men drew their tasers, pointing them at her. She eyed them, her mouth going dry, but tried not to show her fear.
“Where’s Ivarsson?” she demanded at once.
Jenson’s smile widened. There was a sparkle in her eyes that Dominique didn’t like one bit. Dread spread through her limbs, weighing them down. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth and she couldn’t ask again. What had happened to him? What had this bitch done to him?
“Worried about your mate?” Jenson crooned.
Dominique’s nostrils flared. Mate. There it was again. Jenson was so convinced that they were mates. She probably couldn’t see anybody doing anything for someone else unless there was sex involved. Or maybe she just bought into that heartless veneer that Ivarsson liked to portray.
“No need to answer. And no need to be so angry.” She gestured at the two men, but neither of them moved since they weren’t looking at her. She didn’t seem to mind, though. “We’re going to take you to him.”
Relief washed over Dominique and she almost took a step forward, eager to be reunited with Ivarsson and see with her own eyes what sort of condition he was in. It wasn’t the tasers, still pointed at her, that kept her in place, though. No. As quickly as the relief had come, it fled, vanishing out of her pores. What was Jenson playing at? She couldn’t be doing this out of the kindness of her heart. This was all about what she could learn through her experiments…
“Why?” Dominique demanded. “What are you planning?”
Jenson seemed unbothered by the accusation. “We want to see if you can physically feel his pain. There is a bond between the two of you, there has to be for your physical changes. But how deep do these changes go?”
One of the men lowered his taser and stepped forward, reaching for Dominique’s arm. Jenson’s words rang in her ears, and without warning, a hot, boiling rage filled her. It swept through her body, so strong it scared her. Without pausing to think of the ramifications, she lunged for the man’s taser.
He must not have been expecting it. That was the only reason she could think of later, for how she managed to yank the taser from his hand. She turned it on the other man as he gave a startled cry. Two darts shot out from the taser, hitting the man square in the chest. He dropped to the floor, jerking this way and that as the second man grabbed her arm. She smashed her forehead into his nose, feeling it crunch against the bone there. Pain flowered in her head from the impact, but she was expecting it and dropped to one knee, kicking his feet out from under him as she grabbed the second taser.
Jenson had disappeared by the time the second man was down. Dominique left both tasers behind, not knowing how to reload them or if they’d be of any use anyway. Jenson’s high heels clacked down the hallway, though the woman herself was nowhere in sight. Dominique didn’t care about her. She forced herself not to think—if she started to think, she would start panicking. Instea
d, she picked a direction and began to run, relying on instinct to bring her to Ivarsson.
Even so, it was a surprise when she did actually find him. He was lashed down to a table again, held by metal restraints. His eyes were closed, but flew open when she came rushing in. He grunted, yanking against the metal, and she rushed to his side. The restraints weren’t locked, thank God, but it still took her some time to figure out how to open them up.
As soon as he was free, Ivarsson pulled her into his arms and buried his face into her hair. “Dominique! Thank the gods. What have they done to you?”
“Nothing. They haven’t touched me.” She pulled back, cupping his face with her hands as she peered intently at him. There was no sign of blood or scars on his body, but what did that mean when she knew how quickly dragons could heal? “What about you? Are you okay?”
Ivarsson winced. An alarm started wailing as soon as he opened his mouth. A hard look came over his face as he got off the table. One arm wrapped tightly around her as he looked around. His eyes were as sharp as daggers as he bared his teeth with a snarl.
“Hang on tight,” he murmured to her, and pulled her in close to him again.
Just as he had that first time he saved her, he tore open the roof of the building and flew out after he had shifted. Machine guns went off, like they had the first time, as floodlights searched the skies for them. Ivarsson easily evaded them.
Unlike the first time, though, he did not merely fly away. Instead, he flew only a few kilometers before touching down long enough to put Dominique on the road before he took off once more. He sped back toward the base; Dominique called after him, but he paid her no mind.
Within moments, the base was ablaze with dragon fire.
Chapter Sixteen
Ivarsson
They would never hurt her again.
The smell of the smoke from the burning base still lingered in his nostrils five days later. Ivarsson lay stretched out on the narrow hospital cot. A metal collar was around his neck and one hand was cuffed to the bed, while the four hunters stood outside his room as guards. There had been a lot of damage from Jenson’s defense forces as he burned down her base. The woman herself had escaped the blaze, but was currently cooling her heels in prison, waiting for her trial to commence.
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