by Ruby Dixon
I did notice that. Perhaps that’s why Kael is so angrily suspicious of everyone. The buildings nearby are covered with waiting dragons, all eager to see the baby, to connect minds with her. No wonder her parents are so damn vigilant.
Teva joins me in the bed, but she doesn’t curl up against me or reach for me. She seems to be utterly alone, isolating herself, and no matter how many times I try to touch her mind with my own unpracticed one, she doesn’t respond. She needs to work through this, so I let her be, remaining close.
I want to protect her…but I feel as if I can’t. As if I’m the problem.
I can’t protect her from Kael or any of these other dragons. I know as well as anyone else that they could slaughter me in an instant. Doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t give my everything in the process, though. She’s mine, and I’ll die protecting her if I have to. I’m responsible for bringing her back to herself, after all. She’s mine.
Even as I think it, though, I know that obligation doesn’t play a big part into how I feel about Teva. It’s not all honorable thoughts and me choosing to do the right thing. That’s all bullshit I tell myself. In reality, I’m just as crazy over Teva as Kael is with his mate. If I was as altruistic as I keep telling myself I am, I wouldn’t be wild with need to touch her. I wouldn’t be obsessing over the curve of her hips, or the scent of her, or the way she tosses her hair. I wouldn’t be having sleepless night after sleepless night, trying to figure her out.
I wouldn’t be going slowly insane because she’s shut me out. I wouldn’t care at all if I truly was just in this to be the good guy.
Even if I hate to admit it to myself, I’m obsessed with Teva. I know it makes me selfish, but I don’t see how I can ever leave her behind. Hell, I can’t even bear the fact that this chasm is growing between us by the day and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I’m fucking all of this up and the harder I try, the worse it gets.
These thoughts swirl in my mind over and over again, a quiet madness as the object of my obsession sleeps fitfully next to me, only inches away but seemingly further than she ever has been before. I don’t know how this massive gulf developed between us, but it’s there and I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t even know how to start.
At my side, Teva whimpers in distress.
I go still, listening. Did I imagine that? I touch my mind gently to hers, expecting to be rebuffed…and instead, I’m assaulted with a deluge of images. Chaos pours through my mind, even as she whimpers again and instinctively moves closer to me.
“Teva?” I whisper, trying to fight through the swarm of images to stay focused. I have no idea what’s happening to her. When she doesn’t respond to her spoken name, I reach for the other side of the bed, light the candle so I can get a good look at my mate. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her face in lines of distress. I concentrate my thoughts and push at her mind again. Teva. This time I am harder, firmer.
Her eyes fly open, whirling with black at the edges. She blinks at me, and the chaos in her mind quiets. She pulls closer to me, burying her face against my chest. Gabe. It is you.
Who else would it be? I stroke her hair. You’re okay, I tell her, utterly conscious of her shuddering. I’m right here. Tell me what’s wrong.
The others…their minds are overwhelming. It is so hard to shut them all out. She clings to me, her mind pressing against mine as if seeking a life-raft.
The others? It takes me a moment to realize that she means all the other dragons roosting nearby, the ones drawn by the baby. They don’t seem to bother Kael, but that dragon is much harder in spirit than my fierce but fragile Teva.
Protectiveness overwhelms me. This is why we’re mated, I remember. It’s so I can anchor her mind with mine and be the strength she needs. I’m an asshole because I’ve been allowing this gap to grow between us. I take her jaw gently in my grip. Look at me.
Her eyes flutter, but when I repeat the words, she focuses in on me. Her mind calms, ever so slightly.
I push harder, as if I can intensify my thoughts. I imagine a blanket, wrapping it around her and protecting her from their intrusive minds. Think only of me, my Teva. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t let you slip away again.
Her hands tighten on my shirt, her claws tearing into the fabric. I am sorry. I know you do not want this.
Shhh. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not good at expressing what I want. My mouth quirks up in a half-assed grin. I run my thumb along the softness of her jaw, caressing her. I can pick up notes of pleasure from her thoughts, and so I run the backs of my fingers along her neck and collarbones. Let me protect you, Teva. I’ve got you.
Teva seems to sink against me, her breathing easier. She is quiet for a long time, her thoughts pressing against mine so tightly that it almost feels physical. I hum a song, hoping the noise helps drown out the chaos in her head, and eventually she relaxes against me, the pain in her head a dim memory.
Better? I ask, still stroking her neck.
She nods and her lashes sweep down, hiding her eyes from my gaze. Yes. She pulls away ever so slightly. You can let me go now.
Why would I do that? I skim my fingers over her shoulder, down her arm. Truth is, I’m enjoying touching her far more than I should, and it reminds me that it’s been far too long since I touched Teva, really touched her. Hand holding and a supportive touch at her waist isn’t the same as caresses and kissing. My cock’s a hard ache in my jeans, reminding me that no matter how torn up my mind is, my body wants her.
Teva turns away, the expression in her gaze sad. I thought coming here would be the answer.
To?
Everything, she admits. To you, to me, to… Her thoughts trail off and go cold, as if she’s shutting me out from fear and embarrassment.
I know what she’s thinking. She doesn’t even have to say it. You’re looking for home, I tell her. You thought he would know the way back. Or if he didn’t, that he’d be your home again. I run my thumb along her jaw. She doesn’t cry, but I can feel the sadness inside her, aching. I get it. I looked for home for such a long time after the Rift. Everywhere I went, I tried to make it my home again, to have a family once more, to find people that I could trust, someone to care about.
And what did you find?
Not what I thought I would, I admit. I couldn’t trust anyone not to stab me in the back and steal from me. It was about survival, not maliciousness, but it still bothered me. And my idea of “home” had to change completely. What I thought of as home wasn’t a thing anymore. There were no more nice houses or normal jobs or a neighborhood community. But I found people I cared for again, and people I trusted, and I realized that home isn’t a specific place or idea. It’s being with those you love and care for, and that you know will always look out for you.
That is what I want. Her sadness becomes overwhelming. And yet I do not have it.
Her thoughts strike me like blows. Don’t you? I caress her jaw. You can’t trust me? You don’t think I’ll always have your back, no matter what? Do you think I’m here visiting Kael and his mate because they’re so friendly? I snort. I’m here for you and only you, Teva.
But you do not want to be. There’s accusation in her thoughts. You never wanted a mate.
I never thought about what it would mean, I agree. That’s my fault. But we’re connected now, and that doesn’t mean I regret it.
Lies.
I grab a fistful of her hair and tilt her head back, forcing her to look in my eyes. Truth. I might not be used to having a drakoni mate, and you might not be used to having a human one, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on each other.
She tries to break eye contact, but the more she pulls away, the harder I tug. I feel a surge of excitement and realize before her thoughts break into mine that she likes being held down. She likes being trapped and captured. She needs it.
Of course.
I’m such a fucking idiot.
Teva likes to be dominated. Just lik
e being confrontational and pushing for control is in her nature, she only likes to submit when she’s been tamed. And she needs to submit. Needs it like she needs food and air. She needs to submit to me, so our relationship can be properly balanced like any drakoni relationship.
I haven’t been giving her what she needs.
I feel like a damned idiot. Teva expects me to take over and demand things from her, because it’s her nature to push me to a challenge and then force me to win her. And instead of pushing back when she tries to take control, I’ve been letting her have the lead. That’s the mistake I’ve been making. That’s why she’s been moving further and further away from me no matter how hard I try.
So I lean in and bite her neck, hard, and I can feel the breath she sucks in—as well as the bolt of pleasure that races through her. Maybe I didn’t know what I wanted when I started out, I tell her, but I know that I do want you. I know the thought of you walking away destroys me on the inside. I know that if another dragon or another man looks at you, I’m going to wring his goddamn neck for looking at what’s mine. I nip at her throat again, and then lick the spot. I know I’ve missed your body.
She lifts one hand and touches my face. Gabe.
No talking, I tell her. Haven’t we talked enough? Let’s just ride on instinct for a bit. I move my mouth to hers and cover her lips with mine in a hard, ferocious kiss full of longing. Let’s use our mouths for something else.
I do not talk with my mouth, she tells me even as her tongue slicks against mine. She’s all heat, this gorgeous woman, and I groan with need when she undulates against me. I can always use it for other things. Her hand slides down my chest, tearing at my clothing. I want your skin against mine—
I grab her hand and raise it over her head. Our eyes meet and I give her a forceful thrust of my mind. I’m in charge. Not you.
She gasps, and arousal blasts through her senses. Gabe.
I press her hand against the headboard of the bed. You keep this there. You don’t move it. Understand?
Teva’s eyes are wide, but they’re so fucking gold. I know she’s wet as hell without even having to touch her. I understand.
You’re mine, aren’t you? I demand, even as I grab her other hand and press it against the headboard, too. My mate. I conquered you and made you mine.
You don’t want a mate—
The moment I let go of her wrist, I grab another fistful of her thick hair and force her to look into my eyes. A small part of me worries I’m being too rough with her, but there’s nothing but sheer lust in her thoughts. Good. Don’t tell me what I want, Teva, I send to her. I know what I need.
What do you need? Her thoughts are so full of yearning, so scorching hot it feels as if she’s breathing fire all over me.
Well first…I need this sweet pussy. I push my hand under the long skirts of her wedding dress. I know it’s wet for me.
It is. Teva’s thoughts are sweetly frantic. Wet for your cock.
My cock is for later, I tell her. I move lower, sliding my body down hers even as I push her dress up. My mouth is for now.
Your mouth…?
Definitely. You’re keeping your hands where I told you to, right?
When she scrapes her claws against the headboard, I finish hiking her skirts up to her belly and reveal the treasure between her thighs. Her skin is flushed a deep red with arousal, and her pretty, bare pussy is the deepest red of all. I move forward and press my tongue against the slit, and the sweetness of her fills my mouth. Goddamn, but she tastes good. I’m growling low in my throat like some wild fucking animal, but I can’t help it. I need her too badly.
I push her thighs apart with one rough hand, then taste her again. Hot arousal floods her thoughts even as it floods against my tongue. Gabe. You…
You’re mine, Teva. This is how I’m going to take you. I’m going to make you come so fucking hard with my tongue that this pussy’s going to be drenched. After I’ve drunk it all down, I’m going to drag my cock through all this juice until it’s as wet as you are, and then I’m going to fuck this pussy hard and fill it with my come.
Teva clenches against my tongue, a gasp escaping her. Oh.
Do you want me to do that? Do you want my tongue here? I push her folds apart with my fingers and lick the sweetness coating them. She’s so goddamn slick it’s fucking beautiful, but even more beautiful than that are the little cries escaping her throat and the sensations boiling through her mind.
Yes, she manages, and to my surprise, she sounds shy. Yes, I want your tongue there.
Or do you want it here? I press the tip of my tongue against her clit and tap twice.
She cries out softly, the sound in her throat raspy, as if she’s not used to speaking aloud. Her legs draw up in response to my touch.
I grab one hip and push it back down again. I didn’t give you permission to move.
Another moan escapes her, and her pussy gets even wetter under my tongue. I drag my tongue over the nub of her clit even as I gaze up at her, and her nipples are so hard they look like beads against the slinky fabric of her dress. Christ, she’s fucking gorgeous like this. This is the most aroused Teva’s been since we mated that first time, and it’s like I’ve unlocked a fucking treasure.
This is what she needs. And goddamn, it’s what I need, too. I need this sweet pussy soaked with arousal, her thoughts wild and fierce with need. I need Teva full of longing and pleasure and focused entirely on my mouth, my hands on her skin, and how much she wants me.
My female, I tell her as I move my tongue over her clit, pressing a finger deep into her cunt as I do. I begin to slowly thrust even as I tongue her in a steady rhythm.
She rubs and arches against me, panting. Her hands slide to my hair, but I grab one and thrust it back up as high as I can without lifting my face from her cunt. Hands up, I command, and she obeys. You can’t touch me until you come.
Teva whimpers again, and then she’s lost to sensation, her mind a whirl of delicious chaos threaded through with arousal. I’m lost too, my world not existing outside of the clench of her cunt, the soft folds that brush against my hungry mouth, the delicate nub of her clit. Her actions grow more frantic, her thoughts needier with every stroke of my tongue and thrust of my finger.
Gabe, she sends to me. She’s full of tension, her thighs tight as her need builds inside of her. I need…I need…need you inside me.
Not yet, I tell her forcefully, and redouble my efforts to make her come. You don’t get to decide, Teva. I do. I get to decide when this pussy gets release. I’m the one that’s in control. You understand?
She shudders, her eyes so wide, and when I look up, I’ve never seen them so gold.
I keep a hard, firm hand on her thigh even as I push two fingers into the aching well of her pussy. Now you come for me like a good girl.
She makes one of those gorgeous, guttural sounds again and then she’s coming, her cunt clenching around my fingers, her release bathing my face in fresh honey. I lick every drop of it up, loving the little noises she makes and the wonder spiraling through her mind. I feel like I just conquered the fucking world.
Teva just came. Hard. And it’s all because I’m finally giving my girl what she needs.
My own need is a hot brand pressing tight against the fabric of my boxer briefs, but I’m in no hurry. I change my licks to long, leisurely ones, my fingers moving slower. I draw the release out for her, loving every little quiver she makes. I can feel how good she feels, how happy.
Her pleasure just fuels mine.
I press one final kiss to her pussy, then slide off the bed and strip my clothing off. She watches me with gleaming golden eyes, her expression hungry. Her hands are still pressed up against the headboard, her breasts the prettiest little mounds with tips pointing at the ceiling. I want to lick and taste all of her, but my control only goes so far. I kick off my jeans and underwear, then palm my hard, aching cock, giving it a rough stroke as I look at my mate. Hands and knees, baby girl.
&
nbsp; I expect her to protest, to complain about the nickname she hates. Instead, Teva just shudders and rolls over onto her belly, raising her ass into the air and spreading her thighs. Her pussy gleams in the low light of the bedroom and I groan at the fucking invitation. I’ve never seen anything prettier. The wedding dress pools around her ribs, leaving her ass in the air and her legs exposed.
Fucking beautiful…and all mine.
Teva shudders at my thoughts. Yes. Yours.
I give my cock one more stroke, trying to pace myself so I don’t pounce on her like an impatient fool. I’m going to give you my seed, Teva. I’m going to fill that pretty cunt with so much seed, all the seed your pretty little body has been craving. And you’re going to take all of it, aren’t you?
Her claws dig into the sheets. Yes. I can feel her excitement, the rush of her thoughts, the need coursing through her.
It’s like I’ve finally figured out how to unlock the puzzle that is Teva, and now that I’ve got the keys to her kingdom, I’m going to wield them like a fucking bat. Put your hands on your pussy and spread it for me, Teva, I command.
She reaches between her thighs, gasping, and does as I ask. Her black claws gleam with her wetness, and she touches her clit.
No, I say firmly with my mind. That’s mine. You don’t get to touch it.
Teva gives a little growl of frustration, but her pussy clenches visibly and I know it’s making her even wetter than before. She loves me taking control. Loves being bossed. Loves being dominated.
I put a hand on her pretty ass and stroke it, then ease my thumb into the aching heat of her cunt. I’m going to take you hard, I tell her, and I can feel her spasm in response. I’m not going to stop until you’re filled with my seed.
Please, she begs again, and her thoughts are scorching with need.
No more teasing. I want to make her come again, to wring another orgasm out of her just to show that I can…but for now, I want to claim my mate more than anything. I move forward and push her thighs further apart, my hands on just this side of rough. I drag my cock along her folds, wetting it down, and then pump deep inside her in one quick stroke.
