by C. D. Gorri
His hands roamed her curves stopping with both hands full of her beautiful breasts. Tipped with dark, mauve nipples that puckered under his mouth. Cherries, ripe and sweet. He sucked and plucked until she was writhing beneath him once more.
Nikolai hesitated. His gorgeous mate was driving him insane. Her naughty hands ran down his abdomen flicking open his pants. He hissed out a breath as she brushed the closely cropped curls and delved further down.
He’d had performance issues just recently. That was enough to make any man nervous. I’m not any man, I am Dragon.
Knowing his body would not work for anyone other than his mate should have stemmed all his fears. She was the one. His fated mate. Es meus. He felt it, his Dragon knew it. His body would obey.
He growled and shoved his pants down. He stood before her, growing even longer under her rapt gaze. Heat filled him. Yes, he was impressive. He was a Dragon, after all.
He hovered over her for a single moment. She had no idea that she was his mate. Should he tell her first? He didn’t know if he could control the beast inside him. Claiming her was all he wanted.
Then Melody moaned and lifted her hands to her own nipples. She looked at him under heavy-lidded eyes glowing gold with the power of her animal.
“Niko, please,” she begged and parted her legs wider for him.
His rapt gaze found her smooth sex and he growled. This was more than mindless need. This was acceptance. She was a Shifter too. Deep down her animal knew who he was to her. Mine.
“Melody,” he growled as she continued to twist and tug her heavy breasts.
“Niko,” she moaned, “I need you. Now.”
He growled and grabbed his cock. Placing the head at her swollen entrance. His emotions no longer under control, he pushed inside of her reveling in this first step of their mating.
“Mine,” he growled as he thrust his hips, pushing further inside her tight pussy.
She was slick with need, her pussy dripping for him as he swirled his hips and ground his pelvic bone against her.
He found her G-spot and hit it again and again. His cock homing in on every erogenous zone she had. Her pussy tensed around him like a vice. So fucking good. She was made for him. A perfect cushion to his hardness.
“Baby, fuck, baby, you’re like silk and steel all around me. I want to fuck you until neither of us can move. I want to stamp myself over every inch of you, Melody! You. Are. Mine,” he growled and kissed her hard pounding wildly in and out of her yielding body.
He wondered if he should go softer, slower, but his beast rode him hard. She was a Shifter, she could take it. Fuck, she wanted it if the claws embedded in his hips were any hint.
The combination of pleasure and pain was almost too much for him, but he needed her to come again one more time before he could find release.
“Come on, baby, come for me,” he growled and swirled his hips again and again.
She mewled and arched. Her head thrashed back and forth, nails cutting his skin. Yes, he thought, mark me, baby. Let everyone see I am yours.
“Melody, mine,” he growled, a deep animalistic sound that she responded to.
Her body clenched around him like a vice, tight channel milking his cock as her pussy fluttered and squeezed her release. Only then did he allow himself to reach the pinnacle. Stars burst behind his eyes, galaxies formed, whole universes even, as he bellowed loudly, filling her with his seed.
His body twerked and jerked inside her sweet heat as their combined pleasure spiraled. Their satisfaction seeming to feed off the other’s. Such a sacred and profound coming together, momentous even.
His fangs elongated in response, but he bit back on them. Talk, they needed to talk. To bond with something more than sex, but the beast was still riding him hard, even as she squeezed the last drop of cum from his cock. Soon.
I will claim her soon. Es Meus.
CHAPTER 8
Melody opened her eyes slowly. She stretched her body noting soreness in her previously under-used muscles. Hurts so good. She smiled lazily, looking over to the large male breathing evenly in blissful sleep right next to her.
Niko’s hair fell over his forehead, the hard lines of his face relaxed in slumber. The sheet hung low on his hips and she ached to tug it down lower. To see him in all his masculine nudity before her hungry eyes. She hadn’t gotten to taste him last night, that would be her one and only regret.
He breathed deep and the muscles along his tight abdomen rippled with the movement. Whoa. That was definitely a sight she could get used to, she sighed.
She supposed she’d just have to live with the single encounter. It’s not like they’d made any promises to each other. Hell, they hardly talked. Yes. You talked the language of love, her Coyote insisted.
He’d been such an exquisite lover. The best she’d ever had. Tender and affectionate, while exceeding every naughty, rough, and wild fantasy she’d ever dreamed of!
She wouldn’t make any apologies about her lusty nature. The fact is no man had ever come close to satisfying her the way Niko did.
Shifters were very physical beings. She’d only gone to bed with a handful of men. True, they were all Shifters, but there was no comparison. Like, at all.
He’d given her exactly what she never knew she needed. Filling her in every way, shape, and form. The Dragon Shifter brought her to orgasm again and again. Wringing pleasure out from every nerve ending in her willing body. And boy, oh boy, had she been willing. Sun peeked in through the hotel’s luxury blinds and she grimaced.
Time for the walk of shame. Pain squeezed her chest as she watched him. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the smooth, muscled skin that she’d caressed and kissed, the man that had loved her so well.
She slid from the fiery sheets, moving away from him. With each step, she felt the cold seep into her, down to her bones. Her Coyote howled in protest.
Melody considered waking him, but she wasn’t in the mood for a long, uncomfortable goodbye. This is what you signed up for, she told herself firmly. Then why am I so sad? She ignored her overactive emotions.
Last night was exactly what she had wanted. Hot sex with no ties. A chance to let her hair down and get buck wild with someone!
An image of the catty blonde Witch who’d stopped her before she left last night sprung to mind. Whatever that woman had been trying to do, Melody couldn’t even fathom!
Imagine trying to spread a rumor that his mighty Dragon-ness over here was unable to satisfy in bed? Yeah. Right. He probably just turned her down. Sour grapes and all.
Well, it didn’t matter. Nikolai was definitely not impotent. She could attest to that. Images of the night they’d shared flooded her mind.
Lips touching, hands searching, bodies coming together. Secret sounds and smells, touches and tastes. The air still held hints of their combined passion.
No surprise there. He’d made love to her for hours. Sure, they’d exchanged very few words in that time, but they were sensory creatures. Shifters relied on body language and instinct as well as human forms of communication. She knew he’d enjoyed himself as much as she had.
Her hand went to her neck and she sighed. Her Coyote yipped in her mind’s eye, her brownish-gold fur shimmering in the magic of that special place where their bond existed. The beast craved him still. Longed to feel his teeth pierce her skin. Mate. Mine.
Whoa there. Easy girl. No marking here. WTH. But no matter how much she wanted to deny it in the cold light of day, Melody had desperately wanted to wear his claiming mark on her skin. She came close a time or two to ordering him to just bite her already. Uh oh.
It was just the sex haze, that’s all. She could hardly think straight when he was moving inside of her. No. you wanted it. Mates. Love. Mine.
Melody growled. It didn’t matter what she wanted. Clearly, the Dragon had not been inclined to claim her in the way of Shifters. Whatever she felt, it must not be true for him.
Don’t mistake sex, for love. Fuck. Where the hell did that come
from? Time to go. She stood and snuck out of bed.
The word mates scared her. Thomas had been her husband, but not her mate. Being with Nikolai felt different. But it was one night only, she reminded herself.
She refused to dwell on the fact that she wasn’t meant for the big beautiful man who slept soundly not five feet away from her. Stupid heart, getting attached.
She blinked rapidly and snuck out of the room. She would not cry. Nope. No way. She grabbed her wrinkled gown and put it on, along with his silk shirt. That would at least cover her almost bear back.
Surely, he wouldn’t mind and if he did, she could mail it to him. If she knew where he lived. Oh, whatever.
Melody sighed as she realized she’d have to forego underwear. He’d torn her sheer panties to shreds with his teeth. Grrr.
She felt her cheeks heat and knew she was blushing furiously just thinking about it. No man had ever wanted her so much. Not even douchey her ex-husband.
She glanced at her phone and rolled her eyes. The clock was ticking. Melody jogged down the stairs barefoot to the next floor before snagging the elevator. She hadn’t wanted to alert him to her leaving with the pinging noise. He might feel obligated to her in some way, and she didn’t want that at all.
Nope. She’d take a cab back to her apartment, soak in a tub to ease her sore muscles, and go back to her life come Monday morning. She’d have the next two days to wallow in the memories of her hot as sin night with her sexy Dragon lover.
If only she were made for happily-ever-afters! Oh well. She paid the exorbitant fee to the cab driver and exited the taxi. Ignoring her neighbors’ odd looks. It wasn’t ever day she returned home at seven in the morning dressed in a man’s shirt and evening gown.
Her Coyote beckoned, and she decided she could use a little run. Melody entered her ground floor apartment and pulled down the shades. She stripped out of her clothing and welcomed the familiar hum of magic that settled over her body.
Bones cracked, skin shrank, fur sprouted and soon she was her animal. She stretched and twitched her tail. She loved being in her Coyote skin. She was similar in appearance to grey wolves, but much smaller. Her goldish hue made it easy for her to pass herself off as a dog to her neighbors.
She’d resented it at first, but she lived in a city and stealth was necessary. She even installed a dog door which she used regularly. She gave a quick shake of her fur, then Melody trotted over to the loathsome door. She exited into the small, paved courtyard that sat behind the building she lived in.
Through the wrought iron fence, stood a stand of trees that led to a small enclosed wood. The smattering of trees was hardly a forest, but it gave her much needed room to run.
After the way her emotions were rioting inside her since she woke up this morning, she needed the blissful oblivion of being in her other skin. Her Coyote longed to howl, but she knew better than to loose the sound there.
Uniformed police would be there in minutes if she did. City folk did not appreciate the threat of wild animals. She’d learned that the hard way when she’d first moved there three years ago. She moved swiftly as her thoughts through the dried-up grass and over the frozen ground.
The brisk December wind whipped the short bristly fur that covered her elongated snout. Her muscular body was leaner than her human one. She was fast and strong, agile and very aware of her surroundings.
A true predator, she snorted. Melody preferred the running to the hunting, though she wasn’t objecting to chasing a squirrel or two on her run. Tongue lolling to the side, she absorbed the freedom that came with being in her fur and shook off the negative feelings she’d had about leaving Niko that morning.
She was being ridiculous. Her Coyote growled at her. Mate. Mate. Mate. No. Not mine. He was only interested in the one night. She finished her run and headed back to her apartment. A little scrambled eggs and bacon sounded just right.
Melody climbed the stairs and walked through the pet door to the sound of her phone ringing madly. It took her a couple of seconds to change shape. The stretching of skin and bone was fast after years of practice, but it still hurt. She panted with the effort, glaring at her blasted cell phone.
Maybe she should change that stupid beeping ringtone? It was hard on the nerves. It was another few seconds before she could comfortably move. Not that the damn thing stopped ringing. Whoever it was, they weren’t giving up.
“Come on, it’s Saturday,” she mumbled as she grabbed the receiver. Ugh. It was work.
“Hello? Slow down, Mrs. Grayson. Who? A client. Okay. What do you mean I have to travel! No, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, it’s just I don’t understand. Why me?”
After a few seconds of Mrs. Grayson’s brief explanation, Melody realized she had no choice. The bank president, Mr. Atkins, had hand-picked her, Melody Casper, management accountant, to be loaned out to Graves Enterprises.
Apparently, their CEO needed a fill in and her boss had generously donated her. They were a multi-million-dollar company and a very important account. As if she needed the reminder.
Great. All she wanted to do was sit at home and eat something deep fried with way too many calories, while she binge-watched medical romances, and mooned over the last eight hours. Ugh.
“Yes, Mrs. Grayson. It’s fine. I’ll pack a bag right now. Give me one second, and I’ll write the address down,” she dropped her things and scrambled for a pen and piece of paper.
“Okay. Yes, Maccon City, New Jersey. Got it. Be there tonight at seven? Okay, yes, I can do that. Goodbye, Mrs. Grayson.”
CHAPTER 9
Nikolai rolled over and inhaled. Fiery citrus and smoky bourbon filled his nostrils, he smiled as he reached out a hand only to come up empty. What the…?
He leapt out of bed. His Dragon grumbled unhappily. His mate was gone! Where was she?
He pulled on pants and grabbed the phone calling the concierge. It seemed his mate had left an hour ago in a nondescript cab. It would take hours to find her this way. Shit!
He had to think. Fuck. His Dragon was growling, scales sprouted along his arms and chest. The beast was furious with him. He wanted to be let out. To hunt. To seek. To claim.
Be calm. My tongue is needed not your claws, he told the beast. Nikolai scrubbed a hand over his face, his stubbly beard scratching his palms. An idea struck.
He grabbed his cell and dialed the bank only to be greeted by a recorded message. They were closed. Fucking hell! He paced back and forth, running a hand up and down his face. Then he called Randall.
The man was a computer genius, not to mention an old school hacker. He felt shitty about this for all of a second before his Dragon reminded him what was at stake. Five-hundred years in chains, one hundred without the feel of a woman, waiting for his one fated mate. And she slipped out the door!
Not for long! He’d have her info in no time at all, and then he’d have her. By his side. Where she belonged. Grrrr. Es Meus. Mate. Mine.
His heart thundered as he waited for someone to pick up his call. The word mate galvanized his actions. Okay, so he was mildly stalkerish. He had damn good reason to be.
She was about five and a half feet tall with honey streaked hair, with a sexy citrusy scent that made his mouth water, and a body he would never get tired of sinking into for all the long years of their lives.
“Randall? Yes, it’s Nikolai, listen I need your help,” he spent the next fifteen minutes bringing his friend up to speed. Next, he called his brothers.
Surely, the family wouldn’t mind a week away from the castle on him? He needed the privacy and space to woo his mate.
Decision made, he called the family jet, had it ordered fueled and ready to go, and sent a stretched limousine to pick up his three brothers and their wives, not to mention his new niece.
“But Nik, why the rush? What is going on?” Callius bellowed over the phone. His natural dominance causing Nikolai to sway slightly.
“Look Cal, I met my mate-”
“But
that’s wonderful, after all we heard you, er, had some problems, um. Look, Nik, I’m sorry I know rumors are not all they seem, but are you, you know able to-”
Nikolai groaned. Great. His brothers had heard about his little problem the last century or so. He waited for his anger to rise, but it never came.
Finding his mate had soothed his beast, as losing her had riled him. His only focus was Melody. His sweet Melody.
“Callius! The past doesn’t matter now. I found her. My one true fated mate. With her, I am whole. I just need some time and the castle free of you lot, so I may woo her without distraction. Please, Cal.”
“Okay, brother, then you shall have whatever you need. Besides, Winifred is packed already and sends many thanks for the trip! The spa package you texted really sold her on the whole thing. By the way, where are we going?”
“To Falk Island, of course.”
“What?” His brother’s shock would have, at any other time, amused him. But Nikolai had other things on his mind.
“Yes, I was saving it as a surprise, but what the heck. It is a small, uninhabited island southwest of Cuba. I’ve had dwellings built along the beach. A series of luxury cabins, an outdoor swimming pool, plumbing, and a discreet staff who will meet you there.”
“Wonderful! Many thanks, I wish you well of your mate, Nik. We are all pleased for you.”
“Yes, well I still have to convince her she is my emerald rose.”
“Just remember to be honest with her.”
“Of course, Cal, and thank you.”
“My pleasure, now I must see to my mate and young. Until later, brother.”
“Aye. Send my love to the others.”
Nikolai placed his cell phone down on the table and packed his suitcase. He left instructions with the hotel that one of his employees would come to fetch his car and bag shortly. Being a Stein Luxury Hotel, it was a supernaturally run facility, therefore, no explanations necessary.
Callius didn’t have any time to lose. He needed to ready things for his mate’s arrival. He stood naked at the open window and launched himself into the air. Calling on the strength of his EnergyDragon, he changed mid-leap and took off like a lightning bolt.
