“I missed you, I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me, then I thought you had gone for good, but you’re here,”
The dragon huffed out a harsh breath in response.
“Oh, B, what happened to you?”
“The Long Sleep,” Etienne paused and with a deep inhale of the great dragon’s lungs the stony surface began to crack, glimmers of his rainbow iridescence began to show beneath the cold, hard surface, “my dragon felt your rejection, he lost the will to fight the slumber any longer and I had no choice but to succumb.”
“Oh, Etienne, no,” Brianna clung to his thick neck and felt guilt pour through her, “I didn’t mean to reject you, I was mad at you but that didn’t mean-”
“You were right to reject me, I failed you, my mate.”
“Stop it, please, you didn’t fail me. We got some things wrong, but you didn’t fail me,” Brianna hushed him and pulled back so she could look into his eyes, “Etienne, I could never reject you.” She pressed a long hard kiss onto his snout, “I thought I’d lost you, B.”
Her voice was a shuddering whisper as she let her tears flow while she held onto his solid body.
Gradually it was as though his muscles relaxed, his body felt warmer, and a subtle hint of campfire tickled her nose.
“Oh, B, I’ve missed your warmth,” Brianna murmured against his smooth scales.
The dragon lifted its head and nudged at her making her take a step back, she frowned in confusion.
“You should get inside, where you will be warmer, safer.”
Etienne’s dragon crawled forward and began slowly and stiffly digging at the rocks that blocked the entrance to the tunnel. Brianna reached forward to help only to have her path blocked by his large tail.
“Stay back, Little One.”
She watched as Etienne painstakingly cleared the entrance. She wished he would let her help; he was struggling, and she was worried his stubbornness would cause him further injury. With the last stone cleared, the dragon looked back and blinked exhausted eyes at her.
“Please, go inside, you are safer inside.”
“I’m staying right where you are, B, so if you’re staying out here then so am I,” she planted her hands on her hips.
The dragon grunted and let out a pained groan of exertion as his body began to glow a bright violet. His shift happened in slow motion, allowing Brianna to witness the agony of Etienne’s transformation into a man. His limbs shrunk and contorted, his face morphing into one of intense strain, right before the light dimmed. He gave Brianna a pleading look before his eyes rolled back and his body slumped down.
She tried to catch him, but he hit the floor before she could get a good hold.
“Etienne!” She cried, desperately pawing at his body, searching for a pulse, offering up a silent prayer when she found one, “don’t worry, B, I got you,”
Brianna jumped up from where he lay and grabbed a huge deer hide that was hanging in the corner of the cave. Laying it on the ground next to him, she carefully rolled Etienne on to it with a great heave. Dragons were heavy even in human form. She grabbed one end of the fur and began dragging it into the tunnel, pausing after every few heaving, shuffling backward steps, to breathe.
Eventually, she got him into the inner cave and quickly set to work lighting the fire to warm the room. Next, she pulled Etienne further onto his bed of furs and covered his body to keep him warm. She poured a few sips of water past his lips and not knowing what more she could do for him until he woke, she climbed into the furs and settled herself next to him.
Her dragon was back, and she had no intention of losing him again. Taking a leaf out of his book, Brianna, curled up around her treasure and vowed to keep him safe.
Chapter Twenty-One
Etienne
Etienne’s eyes snapped open. Brianna.
He quickly found her crouched in front of the fire, carefully tending to it. She hadn’t gone far but his dragon was already demanding he retrieve her and tuck her back in against his chest. He lost his mate once; he wouldn’t be without her again.
“Little One, you should let me do that,” he spoke softly to her, “come back to the furs.”
She smiled over her shoulder at him.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” she poked in one more log of firewood before returning to his side, “I don’t mind making the fire, I learned how to do it, so I might as well put what I know to good use.”
Etienne pulled her down and nestled her tightly against his body. His dragon calmed immediately, resting its head down and letting out a long and contented sigh.
“Brianna, I’m sorry,” he spoke solemnly, “I never intended to hurt you. I didn’t know I would claim you for my mate when I first found you, although I suspect my dragon knew long before I even met you. I should have been completely honest with you from the beginning.”
“Why weren’t you?”
His deep sigh lifted her entire body as she continued to lay against his chest.
“I knew deep in my gut that you were not the threat that Lucian believed you to be, but I needed to base my opinion on more than just a feeling, for the sake of the rest of the paranormal world, I needed to have evidence that you didn’t intend to expose our kind,” Etienne shook his head and pulled her in closer, wrapping her up in his arms, “when I saw your reaction to hearing that recording, I knew. You were so lost, Little One.”
They stayed silent against each other, just the sound of the fire and their breathing filling the air.
“I’ve had a little time to think on all this and I can’t blame you for reacting the way you all did. If I had been in either your or Lucian’s position, I would’ve had the same concerns,” Brianna spoke into his chest, “I just wish that you had filled me in on it all once you had decided I wasn’t a danger. There’s so much that you didn’t tell me, B, and I can’t help but think we should’ve been more open with each other. It would’ve saved us from all this heartache.”
“No, Little One,” Etienne disagreed, “you have always been so unguarded and honest with me, it is I who should have been more forthcoming. If you could find it in your heart to consider-”
“B, in case it wasn’t already obvious, I’m not going anywhere. Your dragon might have claimed me, but I never got the chance to understand what that meant or to claim you right back. That’s why I hiked the forest and climbed this mountain; I’m taking what’s mine.”
“You hiked the forest alone?” Etienne, lifted her so that he could search her eyes, “Brianna, you should not have put yourself amongst your nightmares to get to me.”
“Well, you weren’t answering me when I called you, so I kind of had no choice,” Brianna shrugged, “besides, I needed to be able to do it. Took me the best part of a year but I’m no longer frightened of the forest,” she beamed proudly up at him.
“A year?” Etienne frowned, “Little One, I had no idea it had been so long. That I left you unprotected-”
“I’m OK,” Brianna hushed him, “I mean I missed you like crazy, and I’ve felt cold inside until you woke up, but I feel as though I’m a little stronger and wiser now. It’s like I realised that I didn’t want to be a useless, damsel in distress and so I made some changes.”
“What kind of changes?” Etienne growled, unhappy that his mate had been forced to see to her own safety, “What were you forced to do because I failed you?”
“You didn’t fail me, B, you thought I had rejected you; I didn’t realise the impact of that on your dragon,” Brianna looked up at him with dark and regretful eyes. “I just knew I needed to grow. I had therapy to help me with my fears, I learned some new skills like climbing and some survival stuff, oh, and I have a new job now. I’m not a journalist anymore, I kind of got fired by my editor.”
“I will kill him for not recognising your worth-” smoke curled from his nose and his chest rumbled.
“No need,” Brianna laughed, “Please, no killing of asshole editors. I’m much happier do
ing what I do now, I’m actually enjoying my writing again and I’m making good money.”
“So, what you are saying is you have no need for what I can offer you,” Etienne’s heart fell. He truly was a failure of a mate.
Brianna shook her head and tutted, rolling her eyes at him, “Always with the drama,” she laughed, “I may not always need you, B, but I promise that I’ll always want you, I’ll always choose you, and I’ll always love you.”
“You love me, Little One? Even after how I behaved?” Etienne’s eyes searched hers.
She nodded her head slowly and bit her lip, that was until Etienne crushed his lips against hers with a demanding kiss. He felt her smile against his mouth and her laughter was like music to his ears.
“So, I take it the feeling is mutual?” She giggled.
“Yes, Brianna, I love you more than words can express, but I promise to show you the depth of my love for the rest of our long lives together.”
“Long lives?”
“We are mated, Little One, you will share my lifespan, my wealth, my strength-”
“Again, all good things to tell your new, non-dragon mate,” Brianna’s eyes were wide with disbelief, “probably before you mate her.”
“I will tell you everything my love,” Etienne beamed up at where she lay upon his chest, propping herself up over him.
“B?”
“Yes, Little One? What do you want you to know first?”
“Are you feeling, you know, well enough to…”
Her eyes lit with wicked intent and a growl from his throat was her answer.
He quickly reversed their positions and held her beneath his body, “It appears my mate lied.”
He said against her skin as he began running his lips down her slender neck, tugging at her shirt until it ripped in his hands. She gasped and he grinned as he continued to make light work of her clothes, snapping and shredding them with a carefully extended talon.
“She does need her mate,” he bent his head low and inhaled deeply at the apex of her thighs, a pleasured moan escaped him as he breathed in her drugging scent of arousal, “she has a great need of her dragon.”
“You mentioned something about ‘showing me the depth of your love’…” Brianna grinned.
“Allow me to demonstrate,” Etienne lowered his mouth to her sex and slowly ran his tongue up between her folds.
Her sharp intake of breath was all the encouragement he needed. With slow and determined strokes, he lapped at her sex, teasing her with short, sharp flicks against her little nub, drinking in the sounds she made as he pleasured his mate.
He felt her body tense and watched her head toss back as she gripped the furs beneath her, her mouth open as she held her breath in anticipation. His little Brianna was beautiful, and he would never tire of seeing to her pleasure.
When Etienne suckled her little nub into his mouth and forked his tongue to tickle it, the taste of her orgasm flowed over his tongue and her hoarse cry of ecstasy made his dragon growl out its need for more.
He just didn’t know what part of her he wanted to pleasure next. Her entire body was soft, smooth and the most intriguing playground. He slid two fingers into her tight, wet heat and began to pump into her gently and leisurely, curling his fingertips upward to lightly catch the spot she liked. Her voice was the sweetest honey as she spoke his name in a husky moan, her hips rocking against his hand in an almost hypnotic rhythm.
Etienne lifted himself up and took her mouth with his, slowly dipping, twirling and stroking his tongue against hers, mimicking the way he continued to play with her sex. He could barely contain his smile as she mumbled incoherently into his mouth, so lost to the pleasure, she seemed perfectly unaware of how her hand had reached out to lightly stroke and tease him. Her fingers felt like the most delicate and wanton desire, curling their way around his shaft, making him groan as she gripped him tightly when her second orgasm broke. He could practically feel how exquisite it would be when her pulsing sex would squeeze him as he filled her with his hot seed.
“B, I need you,” she said hurriedly, as she tried to shove at him to move him away. His dragon had no intention of going anywhere, but his mate had other plans.
“Move, dragon, now.”
He chuckled in surprise as she shoved him harder and felt a surge of strength from his mate that he had not felt before. She was a glorious and intoxicating woman, something that became even more apparent as she pounced on top of him and pressed hot, fevered kisses to his chest.
“Mine,” she growled as she greedily lay siege to his body, touching and kissing him wherever she could.
Etienne’s dragon’s eyes lit in satisfaction as his body was claimed by his female. He became lost to the sensation of possessive love that Brianna was showering him with. His breath hitching as she kissed, sucked, licked and nipped down his body, teasing his hard and straining cock with the lightest of touches.
He choked out a shout of raw pleasure when she sunk slowly down over his shaft, his eyes blazing open and taking in the magnificent sight of his mate, her mouth forming a perfect O as she eased her body down onto him. She was the most spectacular treasure and a strong possessiveness surged through him as he bucked his hips upward, forcing her to take all of him. Her eyes popped open, and she cried out with pleasure.
“God, B, so full,” she gasped.
With a shaking body, she lifted herself up and back down in an agonisingly slow rhythm, her breaths coming in little pants whenever she seated herself down upon him. She looked to him with hooded and needy eyes and held out her hands to him. Etienne leaned up and placed hot, wet kisses over her breasts, one hand snaking around her waist while the other held her by the back of the neck, keeping her firmly in place.
When he began thrusting his hips upward, joining in her intoxicating and hedonistic rolling grind, Brianna cried out and met his demanding thrusts with equal command.
Their lovemaking became a harsh, desperate battle, each of them competing for ground, both hungry for satisfaction. Brianna screamed loudly as she climaxed, and Etienne glorified in her pleasure, anchoring her to him, his fingers in her hair and his hard length buried to the hilt deep inside his mate.
As far as he was concerned, she was perfection, no amount of treasure could ever compare with his mate. As she relaxed from her orgasm and took up a relaxed and gentle rhythm to tease out the last dregs of her pleasure, Etienne looked at her with wonder in his eyes.
He slowly lay back down, pulling her with him so she lay across his chest. He released his tight hold and lazily ran his fingers along her mating marks, enjoying how they seemed to dance under his touch.
“Sleep, Little One,” he soothed quietly, happy that his mate was once again back in his arms.
“Sleep?” Brianna lifted her head and raised a wicked brow, “I’ll sleep when I’m good and done,” she replied firmly, taking his hands from around her back as she sat upright and placing them on her breasts.
“You wish to-” Etienne’s breath was taken from him as she rolled her hips in a circular motion over him.
“I want to see my dragon lose himself,” Brianna husked as she rolled her hips again, pulling a groan of need from his throat, “I want what is mine, Etienne,” she lifted her hips and slammed them down again taking all of him into her tight, hot sex, “I want your pleasure.”
“Gods, Brianna,” Etienne grunted as she rolled her hips again. His cock throbbed painfully with the need to release, his balls felt heavy and began to tighten.
With his hands firmly gripping her hips she began to ride him hard and fast; her breathy and pleasured pants filled the air as her body clenched around him. Pleasure built and grew to a blinding precipice where nothing existed beyond their perfectly joining.
As if their love could burn no brighter, their climax exploded in a fierce violet flame, and Etienne clung to his mate desperately as ecstasy like nothing he’d ever known before enveloped him. Brianna gasped his name like it were a sacred oath and hi
s dragon roared within him.
He had been claimed, and his world suddenly filled with infinite possibilities.
Etienne pulled Brianna close and tucked her into his chest, cradling his precious, glorious mate close to his heart. He would never be parted from her again. Where she went, he would follow, for he was powerless to fight the needs of his queen.
Epilogue
Brianna
Brianna grinned as she stood amongst piles of moving boxes looking out over the rooftops of the small town she and Etienne had decided to make their home. They had compromised on where their lives should be centred, she had agreed to move out of the city, and he had agreed to move out of his cave for somewhere a little more modern and sociable. Darkhills had been a happy medium.
The penthouse suite of the town’s newly refurbished hotel in the centre of Darkhills was the perfect blend of being close to all Brianna would want and need in terms of amenities and social life, and isolated enough for Etienne to hole up, away from others. Having sole access to the roof terrace was also a huge benefit allowing them to come and go as they pleased whenever Big B needed to stretch his wings.
Cayden, the wolf pack’s Alpha, had not been keen to sell the place, especially as his mate had plans for a rooftop garden for hotel guests to enjoy, but he simply couldn’t refuse Etienne’s offer. Apparently, her dragon didn’t mind parting with a little more of his hoard if it meant his mate got what she wanted.
Brianna sighed happily as she looked out of the floor to ceiling windows, beyond the rooftops lay the green tips of the forest and beyond that the mountains that were already beginning to show a little white dusting.
Etienne’s cave was still there of course, and they could return whenever they wished for more seclusion, however, Brianna was certainly glad to be settled in the town while winter claimed the mountain in its icy embrace.
The sound of her mother’s laughter drifted from the hall and Brianna turned to greet her family as they carried up the last few boxes from the removal van. Etienne was frowning as he eyed the box in her mother's hands.
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