Saving the Dragon

by Rinelle Grey

  And Rylee believed him. It was easy to believe everything was going to be fine. How could she even doubt it with her dragon prince by her side?

  As she looked into his eyes and saw the heat in them, her own blood heated. More than fine. It was going to be amazing.

  It didn’t matter if they didn’t have a house or a job or any money. They had each other, and that was better than anything else she could possibly hope for.

  Chapter 11

  Calrian was surprised he could feel the surge of attraction washing over him when Rylee stared deep into his eyes. Surely he should still be feeling grief, still taking in the loss of everything he’d ever known?

  But as his heart filled with love and relief, he realised the loss of his clan wasn’t new. Somewhere along the line, in between the searching and hoping and worrying, he realised he’d already begun to believe they were gone.

  As each day had passed with no sign of them, he’d grown a little more accepting of the fact that he’d never find them. And with that acceptance, had come the realisation that he’d never be able to wake his brothers and sisters.

  And with each day he’d spent with Rylee, he’d grown a little more in love with her.

  He told himself that even if his clan were here now, he wouldn’t know any of them. It was silly to miss dragons he’d never even met. That only helped a little though, because along with his clan, he’d lost his brothers and sisters. Somewhere in the back of his mind he still hoped he’d be able to rescue them someday, but that day would be a long time coming. He’d need a plan and a method. But somehow, with Rylee by his side, he hoped that day might just come.

  But right now, he wasn’t going to mourn his clan’s death. He was going to celebrate his life, and he was going to honour his clan’s memory by having the best life he possibly could with Rylee. He would build a new clan with Rylee, Rowan, and perhaps down the road, some little dragons of their own.

  At that thought, his heart welled up with so much love and happiness and hope he thought it might overflow.

  To keep it a little under control, he leaned forwards and kissed Rylee. He tried to keep it light, cool, and even a little distant. Rylee might have professed her love for him, but that was still not an agreement to be his mate.

  By now he knew she understood what being a dragon mate meant, so he wasn’t concerned that she didn’t get it. But he wanted that acknowledgement from her before they took that step. Their relationship had to be entirely mutual. He hadn’t been making it up when he’d said Rylee had changed his view on relationships.

  He wanted her to want to mate him. And he wouldn’t take the next step until she did.

  But despite those thoughts being at the forefront of his mind, when his lips touched hers and he breathed in her familiar scent, he had to admit he lost control a little. He couldn’t resist flicking his tongue into her mouth and tasting her.

  That was his undoing. That and the little moan she gave when his tongue thrust against hers. Her hands clutched at his arms, and she edged her body closer to his.

  It was an invitation, all of it, but Calrian knew he had to be sure. With great effort, he pulled back a little to stare at her wide, dark eyes. His voice was a little breathless as he said, “I know you said you loved me, but I need to ask, Rylee, will you be my mate?”

  Her gaze was overflowing with love as she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, and then nodded furiously. She swallowed a few times before saying, “I thought you’d never ask.” She giggled a little wildly at the words, and Calrian could feel her whole body shaking.

  “Does that mean..?” He wasn’t quite sure what it meant.

  “Yes,” Rylee said overly loudly. Then in a more normal voice. “Yes. Yes, I want to be your mate, Calrian.”

  That was more than definitive enough for him. This time, when Calrian kissed her, he didn’t hold back. He let every bit of pent up feeling he’d been suppressing over the last week or so overflow. He kissed her with a desperation he hadn’t, until that moment, known.

  And she kissed him back just as passionately.

  Until she stopped.

  It took all Calrian’s willpower not to cry out in protest as she pulled back. Some of his disappointment must have shown on his face because she giggled again. “Where are we going to do this? I don’t want Rowan walking in on us. How did dragons avoid that in the lair?”

  Calrian smiled reassuringly. “Dragons have very good hearing. I would know if Rowan was coming long before he arrived here. We would have plenty of time to stop and make ourselves presentable. But Rowan is a perceptive lad. I doubt he’s going to come anywhere near us.”

  Rylee smiled. “Good point. He’s practically been pushing us together since the first moment you arrived. I guess that means we don’t have to doubt how he feels about us mating.”

  “He wants to see his mother happy,” Calrian assured her.

  “Not to mention the fact that he thinks it would be cool to have a dragon as a stepfather,” Rylee countered.

  Calrian couldn’t help smiling at that idea. “Seems there is nothing further to hold us back.” He raised an eyebrow and looked at Rylee, waiting to see if she could come up with anything new. He wanted to be sure to reassure her of any doubts she might have.

  But she didn’t seem to have any. She gave him a sultry smile and stepped closer, putting both hands up against his chest. “Nothing at all,” she whispered, and then she kissed him.

  Calrian couldn’t quite believe this was it, that they’d dealt with everything needing to be dealt with and they could mate. This wasn’t how he’d expected it to happen. He’d thought he’d be waiting a few years, watching his sister, Sarian, and his brother, Warrian, mate before he did. Even then, he would have been listening to his brothers’ and sisters’ advice on who to mate.

  He wouldn’t have been falling in love, and it certainly wouldn’t have been with a human.

  How strange it was, the way everything had worked out.

  But he couldn’t make his mind focus on that thought for long because Rylee’s lips on his were hot and insistent and pulled him away from all other thoughts. The urge to mate with her, to bond with her, to make her his, overwhelmed all else.

  His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth, savouring the taste that was uniquely her and branding it into his memory. Her hands roamed his body, far bolder than she had been last time they’d mated, pulling his shirt out of his belt and sliding up under it. Rylee moaned against his lips, and it was as if the sound went straight to his groin.

  Calrian couldn’t help groaning in response. He wanted her now. And all these human clothes were in the way.

  Rylee apparently thought the same thing because she was edging his shirt up, rubbing his nipples, sending waves of desire flooding through him.

  Two could play at that game. Calrian pulled her shirt up, sliding his hands up her back and unhooking her bra before moving to her chest to cup both her breasts. Rylee’s sharp, indrawn breath as he rubbed both thumbs across her nipples only made him harder.

  She tugged his shirt over his head, her fingernails scraping across his back, and Calrian had to move to pull it off completely. Rylee gave a small murmur of satisfaction and paused to pull her own shirt and bra off.

  Calrian took a moment to take in the sight, drinking in her smooth skin and perfect breasts. Yes, they had some stretch marks, she was a mother, but they didn’t detract any from her beauty. In fact, they enhanced it.

  He bent and took one of her nipples into his mouth, running his tongue around it, enjoying her moans of excitement. Once he was sure one nipple had been thoroughly tended to, he moved on to the other until Rylee was breathless and clutching at him. Only then did he lift his eyes to her flushed face and kiss her again.

  She met his lips eagerly, kissing him with a passion that took his breath away. He’d never expected to feel this outside of the mating bond, and he still marvelled that it was possible. Perhaps humans didn’t suffer too much for
not experiencing the mating bond after all.

  He found it hard to imagine he could love and desire Rylee more than he did right now in this moment.

  And yet, with every touch of her hands and kiss from her lips, the feeling only intensified. It wiped out all other thoughts from his mind. There was only him, Rylee, and the too great a space between them.

  Rylee seemed to be thinking the same because she began tugging at the waistband of his pants, trying ineffectually to undo it. Since she didn’t break her lips away from his, the attempt was largely unsuccessful.

  Calrian enjoyed her struggles for a few moments, but then he too became impatient. He pulled back, accepting the loss of touch just long enough to remove the offending pants.

  Rylee took advantage of the moment to do the same until she stood naked in front of him. Calrian wanted to take a moment to stare at her, to take in every curve of her gorgeous body, but she didn’t wait for him to enjoy the sight.

  She closed the distance between them, and as her warm skin pressed up against his, he couldn’t object. He would appreciate her body by the feel of it against his.

  For a while, he lost himself in her kisses and in running his hands all over every curve of her body, memorising it with his fingers. But before long, the touching of skin wasn’t enough. He needed to be inside her, to be even more deeply connected with her.

  The air mattress was only a few steps away from them, so he guided her over, not breaking his lips from hers, and somehow, awkwardly, they half lowered, half fell onto the mattress. Rylee giggled breathlessly against his lips, but the sound turned into a moan when he used the extra access to slip his fingers between her thighs.

  Calrian groaned too when he felt how wet she was. She was as ready and eager for this as he was.

  That realisation destroyed any self-control he might have had. Rylee parted her legs willingly, and Calrian slid into her, giving a deep groan at how right the movement felt. This was where he belonged, where he was meant to be.

  Rylee breathed his name, half in desperation half in a promise.

  Calrian thrust in and out, slowly at first, then as his desire grew, harder and faster. He buried himself deep in her with every thrust, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more of her. He kissed her lips awkwardly as they moved together, and it helped a little, but not enough.

  A deep need grew in him, rising up until it blocked out everything else. He would make Rylee his mate, and he would be able to spend the rest of his life with her.

  The desperate look on Rylee’s face spoke of the same need. He could see it reflected in her eyes, feel it in the way she clutched at him, pulling him closer as though she couldn’t get close enough.

  Calrian knew exactly how she felt. He thrust more urgently, more desperately, the rising need overflowing as he felt Rylee spasming around him. Her orgasm set off his own, and he called out her name as he buried himself as deeply in her as he could.

  Rylee clutched at him, breathless. “That was amazing,” she gasped out.

  Despite his exhaustion, Calrian lifted himself up to look down at her, his eyes misty. “It was,” he agreed.

  “Do you want to do it again?”

  “I want nothing more,” Calrian said immediately. The need to complete the mating bond surged through his veins, pushing him past the usual need to rest and recuperate.

  He couldn’t wait to make Rylee his mate.

  Chapter 12

  Rylee couldn’t believe it. She felt completely satisfied and desperately needy at the same time. She would have thought she’d feel like a break after their frantic lovemaking, but she just wanted to repeat the experience. Immediately.

  She’d never experienced anything like this before. It was even greater than the craving she’d felt for Calrian when they’d been tied together in the Mesmer bond.

  That had been a wild, enthusiastic demand, but it didn’t have the depth this need did. She wanted more than just sex. She hungered to connect with Calrian in a way she couldn’t even describe. In a way she hadn’t even known existed until now.

  This dragon mating bond must be pretty potent.

  She should have been scared. She was, after all, playing with magic she knew nothing about. But when she looked up at Calrian’s earnest, tender face, all she felt was love.

  This was right. She knew it from the bottom of her heart.

  And as Calrian bent to kiss her, his lips soft and tender now, she knew this was what she wanted. What she needed. She could feel it to her core.

  And as the desire and need rose in her again, her own mind rose to meet it, and she felt stronger than she ever had in her life. Together, she and Calrian could do anything.

  Without even withdrawing, Calrian began to thrust, and immediately Rylee’s desire was at full strength. She wanted him. She needed him. But nothing was enough. Each thrust sent her hunger higher until she thought she might scream with frustration.

  Her fingers dug into Calrian’s back, like she was trying to pull him closer, even though their bodies already touched completely.

  Something rose within her. She could feel it reaching out to Calrian as though they would indeed become one. She welcomed the thought.

  Then blinding ecstasy washed over her, pulsing through her body, setting every part on fire. And through it all, all she could see was Calrian. His face above hers, bathed in the same joy she was experiencing. His body touched hers, and his mind connected with hers.

  “I love you, Rylee,” he said into her mind.

  “I love you too,” she replied in kind, directly into his mind. The communication felt very personal, very private, and very special. Rylee’s heart soared at the very obvious evidence of the magical connection between them.

  A slow smile spread across Calrian’s face. “Now there’s an advantage I didn’t expect.”

  Rylee stared at him, confused. “You didn’t know mating would give us the ability to talk telepathically?”

  “Well, dragons already have a dragon voice so it makes no difference in dragon matings,” Calrian pointed out.

  That made sense. Rylee nodded. “Well, I bet it will come in handy.”

  “Oh, it will,” Calrian agreed. He kissed her slowly and lazily, but even so, the intimate connection caused a surge of desire in Rylee. “It means we can do this and talk at the same time.”

  Rylee couldn’t help giggling against his lips. “So it does.”

  Not that they were focused on talking for the next few minutes. Rylee felt like she could kiss Calrian all night. In between mating him, of course. She was shocked at the fact she still wanted too, even though her body languidly protested that sleep would be a good idea.

  Apparently being a dragon mate had lots of advantages.

  Calrian didn’t even seem tired. His kisses were as enthusiastic and amazing as they had been earlier in the night, and before long, any ideas of being tired fled Rylee’s head.

  Chapter 13

  Calrian smiled at Rylee over breakfast, trying to keep the amorous look out of his eyes or at least toned down since Rowan was present. But the truth was if they were alone, he would happily be mating with her again right now.

  She looked a little tired though. It was true they hadn’t slept much, and humans apparently didn’t cope with that as well as dragons. He’d have to make sure she slept plenty tonight, even though he was more than ready for another night of mating.

  Even he was a little surprised at how much he desired her. He’d heard that the mating bond was strong and the initial mating period was even more intense, but he hadn’t quite expected this level of attraction. Did it have anything to do with the fact that he and Rylee were already in love before they’d mated? He wished he could talk to his clan elders about it.

  The realisation that he’d never be able to ask his clan elders anything ever again hit him, sobering him somewhat. He hadn’t realised how much he’d relied on their wisdom when he’d needed it.

  But even though the grief was there, his bond
with Rylee had dulled it. He could cope. He could even push it aside to focus on their day together.

  “So, what is the plan now?” he asked Rylee.

  She looked over, and there was heat in her smile as she met his eyes. Calrian warmed at the idea that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. “Uh, I don’t know. Drop Rowan at school, then..?”

  Calrian knew exactly what he wanted to do once they had some time alone, and from the blush on Rylee’s face, she wanted the exact same thing. For a moment, he lost himself in that thought. There was nothing he’d like more than to spend all day mating.

  But that wasn’t what he’d meant. He forced his mind to focus. “Not for today. I mean what are we going to do with our lives?”

  Rowan’s ears perked up at that. “Does that mean you’re staying?” he asked, his eyes wide and bright. He looked back and forth between Calrian and Rylee.

  Calrian smiled at Rylee, then nodded to her son. “I am,” he confirmed. “Rylee and I are mated, and in dragon terms, that means we have a magical bond. We will be together forever.”

  Rowan’s eyes grew even more round. “Really?” He looked to his mother for confirmation.

  She nodded. “Really. Calrian is part of our family now.”

  Rowan jumped up from the rug they were sitting on to eat, and threw his arms around Calrian. “I’m so glad,” he said, burying his face in Calrian’s shirt.

  Calrian hugged the boy back, a little overwhelmed. Having him and Rylee here definitely helped him feel like he wasn’t alone, like he hadn’t lost all of his clan.

  In fact, that gave him an idea.

  “How would both of you like to become part of Rian clan?” he asked, smiling at Rylee over Rowan’s head.

  Rowan’s response was immediate and enthusiastic. “Be part of a dragon clan? Of course I’d like that. Can we, Mum?”

  Calrian felt a bit bad for asking in front of Rowan. It didn’t really give her a choice.

  But she was smiling. “Of course. That sounds wonderful. What do we have to do?”