The male rode the horse well, she noted, growing even more surprised and impressed. Obviously, he had experience. Still, as if hearing her thoughts or sensing her, he slowed the animal, then stopped. Then he looked at the sky, and right at her.
Skye faltered, shocked. He saw her. Or wait, did he see her? She craned her neck around and looked at her body. Yup, her invisibility was still working. Then she wondered how he knew she was there. He was Ilyium, which had to mean he was human. She thought back to everything she knew about the druid witches. She knew they could do magic, but they didn’t hold any magic of their own, and she never heard of them having abilities.
But if that were the case, then how come he knew she was above him?
Her heartbreak over Saber totally forgotten, Skye continued to follow the male for the rest of the night and all the next morning, until he stopped and dismounted in front of a twisted forest.
Skye wondered what he was going to do when he pulled a couple branches out of the way, then led the horse into the tangled mess of prickly, gnarled, twisty trees. Shocked, Skye circled around once, then twice. But he didn’t come out. She landed, shifted, and quickly ran over to the place where he’d entered.
She grinned when she saw that a path had been cleared through the nasty, deadly forest. No one went into the twisted forest if they wanted to stay alive. They’d be shredded in no time by the poisonous barbs and thorns that grew on each twisted tree, vine, and bush. Yet this guy had. What was he up to? Then she jumped when the path closed up right in front of her eyes, as if it had never been.
So, he used a spell to keep it hidden. Sneaky. Skye shifted back into her dragon and shot into the air. Then she flew over the forest, circling around, looking for her prey.
She wanted to smile when she spotted him exiting the forest into a large clearing in the very middle. Now how had he known about that, she wondered, looking at the old abandoned farm.
He led the horse over to one of the animal pens, took the saddle and bridle off, and then carried them into one of the smaller buildings. After that, he fed the horse, rubbed its neck, and then left.
Skye waited as he made his way back through the forest, then away from it. Where was he going now? Half an hour later, he stopped in the middle of nowhere, glanced up at the sky once again, and searched all around. Hmm, so maybe he just suspected she was there and didn’t actually know?
Then he lowered his gaze and took another step forward … and disappeared.
Skye blinked. There was nothing there but wide-open space. Sure, there were trees and hills and dips all around, but the large expanse in the middle was barren.
Skye flew around, and around, over and over, waiting, but nothing happened. Finally, she flew over to the nearest outcropping of rocks, found a spot to hunker down, and retaining her invisibility, waited.
Chapter Forty-One
Confession
Tirah trembled. Saber was quiet for so long, she was sure he was going to tell her no. Then she looked up and gasped.
Fire burned in his eyes. “I don’t know if I was just dreaming, I was lost inside my mind, but I thought I heard you say you loved me. Is that true?”
Tirah felt her face flame. “I did. But I’m not what you think, you might not want me when you know what I am—”
“Do you want to be my mate?” he asked, cutting her off.
Tirah’s heart thumped loudly in her chest. “Yes, but—”
Saber frowned and pulled her close. “There isn’t anything you can tell me that will change how I feel about you.”
“And how, exactly, do you feel about me?” she teased, her heart in her throat as she waited for his answer.
“You are it for me. My heart. My soul. You make me complete. After I killed your brother …” He closed his eyes, and she could feel his suffering. “The look in your eyes … I thought you hated me. That and you leaving me, I didn’t think you wanted me. It … it destroyed me.” He blinked. “Tirah, I don’t want to live without you.”
Tears pricked her eyes.
“I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you by my side,” he said softly.
Tirah bit her bottom lip and pulled away. He had to know what she was before they went any further. “I have to tell you something. You need to know what you’re getting into.” After all, who knew what would happen now that Cass and his village knew what she was. She didn’t know anything about dragonkind law, only what her mother told her about the Fire-born.
“I believe I already know, but tell me,” Saber said.
Tirah fidgeted under his patient gaze. “I’d rather show you.”
“All right.”
Tirah gathered her courage and drawing on her power, met his eyes.
A smile curved his lips, then Saber’s power reached out and touched hers. Excitement surged at the glow in his eyes, the hunger of both man and dragon. It was so intense, it drew on the wild beast within her. Newly awakened, her dragon wanted out with a desperation that was quickly spinning out of control. The stark hunger she sensed within Saber didn’t help the situation. Suddenly her whole body became liquid fire as her power surged even brighter.
“Saber?” Tirah clutched him, feeling herself coming apart. Then Saber’s power, a soothing magic, flowed over and around her, cocooning and calming her. “What happened, what was that?” she asked in an awed whisper.
Saber grinned. “You. Your dragon. As big as the bed is, I think it might break if you shift in it.”
Tirah giggled and then grew serious. “I just about shifted?” Then she realized what he had said. “You knew?”
Saber shrugged. “I suspected. I didn’t know for sure until you tried to plunge to your death earlier.”
Tirah stared at him. “I thought I imagined it, but that was you in my mind.”
Saber nodded. “Yes. And don’t do that ever again. You scared a thousand years off me when you jumped off the ledge like that. There was nothing I could do to help. I was lost in the madness of my mind, and you trying to commit suicide just about drove me over the edge.” He pulled her close. “You are a part of me. You are my mate.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself,” she said, annoyed as she remembered her brush with death.
“I know, you were trying to go for help. You should have just let me die.”
“Are you kidding me? I’ll never let you die.” Then doubt swept her. “Unless you don’t want me?”
Saber growled, making her smile. “You know I do.” Then he guided her hand to the solid proof in his pants.
Tirah slowly ran her hand over him. “Stop distracting me. You need to listen. I’m a quarter Fire-born.”
“It’s you who is distracting me.” Stark hunger shone in his eyes.
“Saber? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, something about being Fire-born.”
“So?” she asked, tentatively.
“So, what?” Saber leaned up and kissed her, drowning any excuses she might have made. Then passion took over. When they finally came up for air, she stared into his eyes. “Now that you know, aren’t you supposed to kill me?”
“What?” he asked with a scowl.
“My mother told me that dragonkind kill any Fire-born who isn’t full blooded.”
Anger lit Saber’s eyes. “I’m sorry. Your mother’s been misled. Only the Fire-born believe that any who are not pure-blood need to die. The rest of dragonkind don’t think that way. We fight to keep those with any dragon blood alive. Regardless of the amount or their lineage. The Fire-born’s ideas and practices are barbaric. And if anyone thinks to harm you, they will have me to deal with.”
Tears lit her eyes and her heart warmed, but she was still afraid. “What about the fact that I’m three-quarters Ilyium.”
Saber growled and pulled her closer. “I don’t care. You are not like them.”
“So will you bond with me?”
Surprise flickered in his eyes, then they narrowed. “You want to bond? Do you know what t
hat means?”
Tirah nodded. “Yes, our souls would be entwined together forever.”
Saber sat up and the sight of his ripped chest made her mouth water. “And if I die, you die.”
Tirah tore her gaze from all his yumminess and met his eyes. “I know.”
Saber snarled. “Did Zales put you up to this?”
“No. I mean, sort of. Zales explained what was happening to you. They were going to let you die. I begged him to save you. He poured his dragon light into you, but now we need to bond.” She stared at him, worry in her eyes.
“Bonding can be dangerous—” Saber said.
“I don’t care. I’ve never felt like I belong anywhere. With you, I do. I don’t want to lose you. We’ve only known each other a short time, but I feel this connection to you. Like we were meant to be together.”
“I’ve felt that since I first laid eyes upon you,” he said to her surprise.
“You have?”
Saber nodded. “Why do you think I hunted you for so long?”
Moisture prickled the back of her eyes as she held his gaze. “When I thought I might lose you—” She shook her head and bit her lip. “I didn’t … I don’t want to live without you. I love you, Saber. With my whole heart and soul.”
Saber pulled her close once again and claimed her lips, making her moan.
“All right,” he said when they came up for air. Senses reeling, it took her a minute to figure out what he was talking about.
“You’ll bond with me?” she asked.
“Yes. I don’t want to live without you either. It’s very lonely, and I’m such horrible company that I usually want to beat myself senseless.”
Tirah laughed, but a moment later she grew quiet.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to tell you what happened that night,” she whispered, tears finally escaping, knowing what she revealed might change his mind.
“All right.”
Tirah tried to speak, but the words became stuck in her throat. Flooded with emotion, she swallowed deeply, knowing it would kill her if he rejected her now. “I’m afraid you’ll be disgusted and won’t want me when you know.”
“Shh,” Saber said and put his finger to her lips, silencing her. “I can tell it’s distressing for you to speak about, so you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’ve felt your gentle, kind spirit. I am sorry that I accused you about Maya. I know you didn’t willingly help kill her.”
Tirah shook her head. “No, never. Though I didn’t try hard enough to stop it either.”
Saber took her hands in his and studied them. “I think you probably did. Your brethren, they did this to you that night, didn’t they?”
Tirah tried to pull her hands away, but Saber held on and raised them to his lips. He lovingly kissed each scar and the beds where her nails should have been. “Maya was a healer, she wouldn’t have been able to resist trying to help anyone who was hurt.”
Tirah closed her eyes and the memories of that horrible night engulfed her. “They used me,” she said in a whisper.
“How?” Saber’s anger spiked.
“They did this.” She stared at her hands. “I tried to get away, but they used the same spell Casin used on us at the cabin. I … I couldn’t move.”
“That must’ve hurt.”
“I didn’t think it would hurt as much as it did, and I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t speak at all,” she said, remembering how horrifying it had been and how badly it had hurt.
Saber kissed the back of both hands lovingly. “How did they find Maya?” he asked, switching the topic. “I knew she’d been in town getting healing supplies.”
“From what I understood, someone spotted Maya shift into her dragon one day just outside of town. They set up surveillance and watched for a pattern. That night—” Tirah closed her eyes and then opened them again. “One of the soldiers dressed in civilian clothing and pretended to be human. He was instructed to stop her when she came out of the herbalist’s and claim he had someone who needed help.”
Tirah took a deep breath. “They put me in the circle and then everyone hid. When I saw what was about to happen, I tried to break free of the spell. I tried to yell and tell her to run but couldn’t make a sound. She saw that I was bleeding and came to help me.”
Saber grimaced. “That would be Maya.”
“I couldn’t believe what they did to her. To this day, I wish I could have done something. I am so sorry,” Tirah said.
“There was nothing that you could have done. You were as much a victim as she was.” Saber ground his teeth. “I wish I could kill everyone all over again for the lives they destroyed.”
Tirah grew quiet, thinking for the millionth time that she could have done something more.
“Don’t,” he said softly, and she could feel his silent anger building.
He told her she couldn’t have done anything differently, but he hadn’t told her if what she confessed changed the way he felt about her.
“Saber?”
“Just give me a moment,” he said. She felt the intense rage inside of him.
Tirah held her breath and waited for him to calm.
Chapter Forty-Two
Heart and Soul
Tirah bit her bottom lip, sure that he’d see her as weak now. Then Saber pulled her close and almost crushed her. “Fuck, Tirah. That night, it nearly destroyed me, and the following ten years were utter hell …” He drew in a deep, ragged breath and let it out. “I’m sorry I treated you so badly.”
Tirah scowled at him. “What? You never treated me badly.”
“I did. I hunted you, keeping you on the run, then I kidnapped you.”
Tirah sighed. “Yeah, I was pretty pissed at you always dogging my trail. And yeah, you kidnapped me. But then you kept me safe from Cass, bought food when you knew I was hungry, cooked for me, and even tried to save me from losing my virginity.” She ran a hand lovingly over his skin. “You’re a horrible kidnapper,” she teased. Then she sobered. “So, you still want me?”
In answer, Saber crushed his lips to hers.
Tirah tangled her hands in his dreads and savored him. Once again, he awakened a craving, a fierce need to feel him inside of her.
“Take off your clothes,” he rasped when he finally pulled away. His eyes glowed a bright hungry blue.
Body quivering with anticipation, Tirah climbed from the bed. Then, without breaking eye contact, she slowly peeled off the shirt that he’d given her earlier.
Saber licked his lips when she dropped it to the floor. “More.”
Tirah smiled, loving the way he watched her. It made her feel sexy and desired. She continued to strip until she stood naked before him.
“Your turn,” she said, and waited as he quickly shed his clothing. Then heat flushed her body at the sight of how hard he was for her, something he didn’t try to hide. It was her turn to lick her lips in anticipation.
“Come here.” Saber’s voice was a husky caress as he lay back and waited for her.
Tirah’s heart skipped a beat. He was offering himself to her.
Just as slowly, she climbed onto the bed, then moved so that she could touch and taste him. She took full advantage, grinning at the sound of his moans as she teased one of his nipples, and then the other, her hands roaming over him.
When he reached for her, she stopped what she was doing. “No touching.”
“No?” Wide blue eyes filled with fire watched her.
“No.”
Saber dropped his hands back to the bed and watched as she explored.
Though aching to have him fill her, Tirah worked her way down his body. Then eyed the part of Saber that eagerly awaited her attention. Still she didn’t touch him there. “Soon,” she whispered instead, letting her breath caress him. Saber let out a tangled groan that made her grin.
“Tirah,” he breathed, reaching for her once again.
She shook her head. “No.”
“No?”
Tirah laughed at the pleading little boy expression. Then she nudged his legs open and crouched between them. His cock bobbed in anticipation and he clutched the sheets, his whole body tense. Tirah watched Saber’s eyes and swore she could see his dragon. She gripped the base of his cock and then ever so slowly, lowered her mouth over him.
“Fu-uck,” Saber swore, and his body trembled as she slid him deep down her throat. He was big, so there was no way she could take all of him, but she took as much as possible. Saber’s moans were almost her undoing. Though she wanted him inside of her, this time she was pleasuring him.
Going on instinct, she sucked, licked, and explored all of him, reveling in the sounds of his pleasure, before sucking him back down her throat.
“Tirah, I’m going to lose it,” Saber growled, his body vibrating with need. She wanted to grin at his white knuckles on the sheets as he strove to obey her order not to touch.
Tirah continued to enjoy him until she had driven him to a fevered pitch. Then with another growl, Saber grabbed her and rolled them both over so that she was on her back. Playtime over. This time she didn’t admonish him. Instead she let her own hunger show in her eyes. “Did you like that?”
Saber growled again in response and then claimed her lips. Sparks sizzled. He pulled away. “Do you want me?” There was a ferocious gleam in his eyes.
Tirah held his gaze and trailed her tongue over her lips slowly, savoring the taste of him. “I do.”
“You do, what?” Saber asked, poised above her, waiting for her to say it.
“I want you. Inside of me. Now,” she said. Her breath grew ragged in anticipation of him filling her up. He’d awoken a hunger in her that was shocking in its intensity.
“I want inside of you as well.” He grinned back at her. Then in one smooth motion, slid into her body. Tirah moaned and dug her fingers into him. Then she lost herself to the passion, savoring the light in Saber’s eyes, the emotions on his face, as each stroke went deeper and deeper. He moved slowly, steadily, until he had her writhing under him.
Saberthorn (A Paranormal/Fantasy Dragonshifter Romance): Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms Page 19
