He approached on silent feet and gazed upon her. Her marks glowed a warm amber and were detailed and intricate. A feeling of great pride swelled within him, even in the height of passion he had taken exceptional care of his delicate mate. Her marks were like a set of wings folded upon her back, he had only traced his talons over her skin with the slightest of touches and the result was a looping, curling filigree that both reflected the beauty of her soul and her brave spirit. Not many could’ve endured such an extensive marking, but his Brianna had revelled in it, taken pleasure in what he had done and had welcomed his flames when he had breathed them over her skin.
And now his fire lived within her. Her body bore his mating mark and she had freely given herself to him, declaring herself to be his. She was his greatest, most precious treasure and he would guard her against all those who would take her from him until his dying breath.
Which reminded him. He would never allow Lucian near her again. He wanted to play with her mind and cause her more hurt and confusion. Etienne would torch the vampire before he even got close should he dare to try. His dragon’s eyes glowed a bright violet, signalling his agreement.
Brianna stirred where she lay, the slow and lazy motion of her body was like a soothing cool balm over his violent thoughts, and he bent to scoop her up into his arms. He held her against his chest, and she smiled sleepily as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Good morning,” she purred happily into his neck.
“It is still night, my love,” he corrected, his lips lifting at the corner.
“Oh, then where are we going?” She frowned and pulled back to peer at him with a sleepy glare.
Etienne chuckled. His mate didn’t like to be disturbed from her slumber. Just like a dragon.
“We’re going to bathe,” he smiled down at her and placed a small kiss on the end of her nose.
“You and me? Together?” She asked perking up, “Now that is something worth waking up for.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he beamed at her, joy filling his heart as he carried her into his grotto and walked up the stone edge and into the pool of steaming, warm water. “This may sting a little at first, but I promise it will quickly begin to soothe your marks,” he explained as he carefully lowered them into the water.
“My marks?” She asked before hissing out a breath and climbing further up his chest to avoid the water. “Etienne, what marks? Why does my back feel like a thousand papercuts being poked at?” Her eyes were wide, and she clung to him like she was afraid of getting wet.
“Your mating marks, it happens sometimes when a dragon is intimate with another.” He explained carefully, “My dragon is obsessive in its admiration and desire for you and so now you bear my marks.”
“What kind of marks?”
“They are down your back on either side of your spine, they are fresh now so are still tender, but they will ease and fade quickly,” He soothed, feeling her panic through their bond, “the bath will help speed up the process and eliminate any discomfort.”
“What do they look like? How much will they fade?” She twisted in his hold and tried to look over her shoulder, “Damn it, B, why don’t you have a mirror in here?”
“I took great care with your marks, Little One, they are intricate and delicate; worthy of someone of your beauty.”
“So, you did it? With what? I don’t remember getting a tattoo, I mean I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but I’ve never found something that I wanted to have on my body for the rest of my life, so I’ve never gotten around to it yet,” she continued to twist and arch her back this way and that in her attempts to see her marks. “How much will they fade?”
“I marked you with my talons while we mated, you were most receptive throughout and they will fade to silver and will catch in the light.” His voice quietened and his eyes looked to the side, “Mating marks are often displayed with great pride.”
Etienne tried not to let himself listen to the niggling feeling of doubt that was creeping into his mind. Surely his mate would be pleased with her marks? He would gladly bear hers; it would be the greatest of honours.
She paused her squirming and turned to look at him, clasping his face in her small hands.
“Hey, B, don’t be like that, it's just a surprise is all,” she soothed, her dark chocolate eyes shone with the sweetest of care, “I always wanted to get tattoos, but I was too fickle to find a design to stick to. You’ve done the hard part for me- plus I was scared about the needles so if that tickling thing you did on my back while we were, you know, is how I got these then I really don’t mind if you were to mark me again sometime,” she smirked a wicked smile, “I just wish I could see them.”
“They look as though your wings are folded back, resting along your body,” Etienne explained, feeling a little embarrassed that he didn’t have the means for her to see them.
“Well, that sounds cool,” she smiled as she peered over her shoulder one last time, “Just as long as I don’t have ‘property of Etienne the dragon’ written across my back, then I think I’m cool with having some ink.”
Etienne cleared his throat. While the words weren’t there, the message was the same. Any paranormal creature of good sense would take one look at her mating marks and would quickly turn and walk in the other direction.
“I can assure you, those words do not feature in your markings,” he said carefully, “Are you ready to seal them? You can brace yourself upon me while it stings, although that should subside quickly,”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Brianna secured herself to him and gave a nod giving him the signal to descend into the water.
The moment her marks made contact, she hissed out a curse loudly in his ear, he had never known human females possessed such an array of creative curses. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and her legs squeezed his waist tightly as she panted through the pain. Gradually her grip eased, and she finally let out a relieved sigh.
“That was horrendous, B,” she whispered, “slight sting, my ass.”
“Are you comfortable now?” He asked her quietly.
He honestly did not expect it to have hurt her to that degree, then again, humans were known not to have the same pain threshold as a dragon. He chastised himself for not having thought of that before taking her to bathe. He still would have marked her. There was no scenario in his mind where that wouldn’t have happened, but he could’ve perhaps prepared her better.
“Mmm,” Brianna hummed softly against his neck, “very, comfortable.” She pulled herself away to reposition herself so that her back was cradled against his chest.
“That’s better, my back has gone from feeling like it was on fire to freezing cold, but you’re nice and toasty,” she wriggled her behind against him and hummed happily again.
Etienne was more than happy to oblige in warming her up. He ran his hands over her body beneath the water, drawing a little of his dragon’s heat into his hands. He lost track of time as he lazily continued to stroke and massage his mate’s skin, enjoying her contented sighs and hums, and the occasional small chuckle when he would drop a kiss to her neck, lips, cheeks or eyelids.
“B, I was thinking, maybe I need to be a little braver,” she murmured as she lay her head back against his shoulder.
“Oh? In what sense, my love?” He asked, his hand lazily toying with her nipple beneath the water.
“In piecing together what happened, what I’m missing from the past few days. Being in the town wasn’t so bad, no one shunned me or tried to arrest me,” she turned in his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, “maybe I should go back to the city, check out my apartment, see if I can find any more clues.”
Etienne’s dragon raised its head and rumbled its displeasure. His mate needed to stay by his side.
“What do you hope to find there? Surely if any law enforcers are searching for you, they will be watching your home?” He tried hard to keep the tension out of his voice.
“I had thoug
ht that too, but I was hoping that maybe you could come with me?” She bit her lip and looked at him with uncertain eyes, “You don’t have to, and I don’t want to assume this thing between us is more than it is, she shrugged her shoulders and looked down at his chest, “but I know I’d be safe with you there.”
“Mating is not some ‘thing’, I would lay my life down to keep you safe, little one,” Etienne couldn’t help the tendril of smoke that curled from his mouth as he spoke.
His mate was questioning his commitment and his dragon was deeply affronted.
Brianna rolled her eyes, “Always so dramatic, I don’t think you’d need to die for me, B,” she laughed, “But you’d come with me?”
“I do not wish for you to leave, nor will I be pleased with being in the city but if you want to visit to find answers then I am unable to refuse,” he said from behind gritted teeth, “I need to have you with me, Brianna.”
“What’s wrong with the city? My home is there, my entire life is there?” Brianna asked, leaning back to search his eyes.
“There is nothing right about the city. Humans have desecrated all that nature provided for the sake of their convenience and greed, they pour from every corner of the land and converge in such places to drain it of its resources, leaving a wasteland climate in their wake- “
“Hey, I’m human and that isn’t fair,” Brianna interjected fiercely, “People live and work in the city because it’s where they can grow their careers and support their families, and there are plenty of people who give back.”
“In what way? What are humans doing for their world other than serving their own selfish desires?” Etienne, held her gaze, glaring back.
This wasn’t an argument she could win. He had lived thousands of years and seen the destructive force of man only blossom over time.
“People volunteer, they care for others less fortunate and able, they raise money for worthy causes, they plant new trees, they protect animals, they recycle,” Brianna began listing on her fingers, heatedly.
“None of that will matter,” Etienne sighed, “such small acts of good intention will never be able to counteract the damage caused and that continues to be caused.”
He wished the situation were different, but he had long stopped letting himself mourn over what he had no control. He preferred to keep himself apart from the coalface of the destruction.
“At least people are trying to make things right. For a long time, people didn’t know the damage they caused, now we do, we’re doing something about it.”
“Maybe so, but I’m sorry to have to tell you that it will not be enough,” Etienne shook his head, he didn’t want to make his mate despondent about her world and her species, but the truth of the situation was irrefutable.
“And what have you done for the world?” She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I have not taken more than my share from the resources available.”
“Uh, huh, and so dragons don’t set things on fire and create goodness knows how much CO2? They don’t hoard resources, like say, I don’t know, precious metals?”
“I earned my hoard through many battles hard-fought, something that you know nothing of,” Etienne, replied, feeling aggravated. He’d fought alongside humankind in their wars, only to be set upon by them in return, their insecurity and greed for power and domination causing the death of many of his kin.
“And I earn my money through hard work, what’s more when I finish my work, I find time to give back, I volunteer at the local homeless shelter, I do beach clean-ups, I spend my vacations helping communities to clean up their oceans,” Brianna snapped at him, “When was the last time you gave back, Etienne?”
“I rescued an innocent from near-certain death,” he snapped back.
“Oh, well I’m so glad I could provide you with an opportunity to be charitable,” Brianna shoved away from him and began making her way towards the steps.
He was behind her and holding onto her hips in an instant.
“Charity has nothing to do with why I acted,” he spoke quietly, “it was the right thing to do.”
“And people are trying to make things better in our own small way because it’s the right thing to do,” Brianna sighed and turned to face him, “I get that you’re defeatist about this. You’ve seen so much more than I can even begin to imagine, but the moment you stop trying to be part of the solution, you become part of the problem. Apathy is one of the most common attitudes that stand in the way of having a positive impact.”
Etienne blinked as he let her words sink in. Surely his decision to distance himself from humankind and the rest of the world was simply inaction, rather than making matters worse?
“You are very passionate about this subject, I did not realise, I apologise if I have caused you offence,” he said after a moment, not ready to address her suggestion that he was part of the problem.
“I am passionate about it; I care a lot about my little world. I want to be one of the good guys in life and the evidence that suggests that I’ve acted in a way that contravenes everything I thought I was and am, is something that I need to get to the bottom of,” she shrugged her shoulders, “if you don’t want to come with me to the city, then that’s fine, I won’t force you to do anything that you’re not comfortable with, but perhaps you might help me track down that vampire and his girlfriend. Maybe they have some answers and with you there, I’d be safe.”
Etienne inwardly cursed and stared at her earnest expression. He didn’t want her going to the city. He also didn’t want her anywhere near Lucian. However, Etienne supposed the vampire was the lesser of the two evils. He could at least use his full strength and abilities to protect her from the vampire should it be required. He could take her back to the safety of his lair quicker should he need to. Lucian had offered to consider whether she was a threat before acting to wipe her memory again. He doubted the vampire even could, especially considering that Brianna was a dragon’s mate now. She knew about the paranormal world, and there was no going back from that.
“I will take you to visit with Lucian and Katherine,” he said reluctantly.
“Lucian and Katherine? Wait, you know them?” Brianna, frowned and looked affronted, “when were you going to tell me that?”
“I do know them, Lucian more so than his mate, he has already reached out to me to request I return you to him so that he might judge whether you are still a threat, in terms of exposing the paranormal community,”
“Well, I’m not! When did this happen? What did you say?”
“That is what I told him, he invited us to his home for dinner, I have not responded,”
“Why didn’t you tell me, B?” She asked sadly.
“I did not wish to cause you undue alarm, you have become less fearful, and I did not wish to hinder your recovery. Talking about the creature who caused your trauma did not seem wise,” he said honestly, although he chose not to admit that he wanted to keep her to himself.
He knew his dragon’s instinct to keep and protect would not be understood by the female. He knew the reputation that his kind held in the paranormal community; as well as being fearsome, aggressive and deadly they were also accused of being greedy and controlling. Etienne didn’t believe those attributes were necessarily a bad thing.
Brianna took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose between two delicate fingers, “OK, I do understand why you thought it best to protect me from that, but I would’ve found out sooner or later. Giving me a heads up would’ve let me mentally prepare and decide when I was ready to face going back there.”
“You can still decide whether or not this is something you want to do, the choice is entirely yours,” Etienne said hastily, happy to be able to say something that reiterated her wants and needs.
He found he did not like being at odds with his female. His dragon paced uneasily within him, anxious for peace to be restored between them.
“Oh, no, I’ve decided already. We’re doing
it, I just need to psyche myself up for it.”
Brianna said before chewing on her lip and wading back towards where they had sat a short moment ago, happily leaning against the rocks.
Etienne was lost. His heart was hammering in his chest at the thought of his mate willingly putting herself in potential danger, he would protect her as best he could, but the shock, fear and trauma of being in Lucian’s presence again was not something he could shield her from. Not if she was determined to face those things head-on.
“Can I… be of assistance in this ‘psyching’?” He asked cautiously.
“Absolutely,” Brianna beckoned him over and immediately pulled his arms around her, so her back was pressed against his chest once more, “mmm, that’s better already,” she sighed and closed her eyes as if she felt the same soothing of nerves that their physical connection brought to him.
“Am I to perform some kind of ritualistic cuddling?” He asked, his eyes also closed as he held her small warm body to his.
She snorted and giggled, the sound making his lips curve upward.
“No, although if that was a thing, you’d be the Grand, High Exulted Priest of Cuddling,” she laughed again at her own joke, “I need you to share with me what you know about Lucian and Katherine, so I can be ready. Oh, and I need you to RSVP for us for tomorrow night if that would work for you?” She asked cautiously, craning her head back to look up at him with beguiling dark eyes.
“I’m sure that will be acceptable,” he nodded and pulled her in tighter, nestling her delicious ass against his already stirring cock. His dragon wanted to renew their bond through physical means.
“Etienne,” she gasped as she wriggled against him, her tone reprimanding.
“Hush Little One, the Grand and High Exulted Priest requires you honour the ritualistic cuddling,” he said in mock seriousness, keeping his head tilted back and eyes closed.
“Oh, does he now?” Brianna turned around in his arms and straddled his hips, “well then, your grace, please continue with the ritual,”
Broken Slumber: A Darkhills Romance Page 12
