by Lili Zander
Something changes. Instead of a tightly coiled ball, the strands feel pliant. They’re still tangled together, but they appear slightly readier to respond when I tug at them.
Huh.
Maybe my crazy mates were on to something. Maybe I have been trying too hard.
This time, instead of yanking at the fiery strands, I coax them free. Stretching my hands out toward the paperweight, I imagine the magic wrapping around the fallen globe and bringing it to me. It’s just a ball of string, little magic-asshole-cat, I encourage, thinking of the way Madam Buttface bats wool all around Silas’ apartment. Roll it my way.
My eyes pop open, and at the same time the paperweight falls to the ground two feet away from me. “Very good, tesoro,” Mateo praises. “You definitely pulled it toward you. Next time, you’ll need to catch it though.”
That’s next time. I’m more concerned with right now. “Do I get a reward?”
“If you want one,” Casius replies.
Hell yes. “Of course I do.”
Casius’ lips curl into a smile. “Okay,” he says. “Pants off.”
I push my jeans off my hips and wiggle them down. I toe off my shoes and then kick both shoes and denim aside. Casius chuckles. “Someone’s eager for their reward.”
He pulls me back into his arms. The feeling of his fully clothed body against my nearly naked one feels deliciously dirty. He cups my face with one rough palm—definitely not the hands of a bookworm; it makes me wonder what other interests Casius has—tipping my head to the side. His warm lips press against the side of my neck, kissing, licking, and gently nipping the sensitive flesh.
I lose track of how long we kiss. When he pulls away, I moan in protest. I want him, damn it. It’s not fair to wind me up and leave me needy and panting for more.
“You’ll get more rewards,” Mateo says, his eyes glinting wickedly. “If you succeed.”
I glance down at his pants and see the hard outline of his cock straining against the fabric. Good. I hope you get blue balls, Mateo.
I know better than to say that out loud. Instead, I give Mateo a sweet smile. “What’s next, professor?”
His lips twitch. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. “This.”
He waves his hand lazily through the air. Before I know it, my wrists are bound behind my back by some kind of rope. I twist my neck around, and I catch a glimpse of tassels hanging from the ends.
He’s used one of the tie-backs for the thick curtains that cover the windows.
“What the…” I tug my bonds, but they are tied fast. I glare at a smiling Casius. “Seriously?”
“I’m dead serious,” Mateo replies. He retrieves an hourglass from one of the shelves and places it on the table in front of me. “Here’s how this is going to work. You have five minutes to free yourself. Casius is going to distract you. If you succeed in loosening the ropes before the time expires, you can come. If you don’t…” His lips curl into a wicked grin. “Well, you can figure it out.”
I’m about to ask him how Casius intends to distract me when the dragon drops to his knees in front of me, his mouth an inch from my pussy.
Holy fuck. Mateo is fiendishly inventive.
I tug at the rope again, but it does nothing more than chafe my skin. I’m bound by Mateo’s magic, I realize. The only way to free myself is to use my own.
“Are you ready?” Mateo asks.
I nod.
“Then your time starts now.” Mateo flips the hourglass, and sand starts trickling down to the lower bulb.
I close my eyes and concentrate on the rope around my wrists. I can do this. Just as the thought flits through my mind, Casius slowly removes my panties, his tongue snaking out to lick the seam of my pussy. My hips jerk forward, but Mateo’s fingers dig into my flesh, holding me still, forcing me to take only what they give me.
“Focus on the rope, Aria,” he advises.
“You focus on the fucking rope,” I retort rudely.
Casius chuckles into my pussy. “I could stop,” he threatens.
“No,” I practically shout, goosebumps breaking out on my skin. So far, Casius and I have fooled around quite a bit, but this is brand new, and I’m greedy for more. “Don’t you dare.”
Both dragons chuckle.
I reach for the ball of magic inside me at the same time Casius’ tongue flicks against my clit. If it weren’t for Mateo holding me steady, my knees would buckle. I want to melt into the sensation, but I also don’t want Casius to stop, and I know he will if I don’t get to work on Mateo’s knot.
Once again, the magic is different. The ruby-red strands seem to pulse in time to the delicious sensations fluttering through my body. This time, when I mentally touch them, they eagerly respond.
Okay, I could really use your help here. Yes, I know how crazy it is to talk to my magic like it’s a person, but it worked before. Besides, I’m getting desperate. The more time Casius spends teasing me, the closer my orgasm gets, and I know that if I run out of time, he won’t let me come. Could you please untie my wrists?
Surprisingly, my magic seems to be ready to cooperate. Warmth radiates around my wrists, and I feel the gentle tugging of the ropes. Just when I think it’s working, Mateo pinches my nipple, breaking my concentration.
The thread of magic snaps back into me.
“That’s not fair!” I whine.
“I never said the game would be fair,” Mateo replies. “you have to be able to use your magic even when you’re distracted by outside forces.”
Outside forces like Zyrian gunning for my head. I’m really starting to hate when my dragons make sense.
Casius sucks my clit into his mouth, and I moan, wanting nothing more than to sink into the pleasure. Mateo pinches my nipple, and I jump. “Ow.”
“Focus on freeing yourself,” he orders.
I reach for the tangle of strands again, tugging at them in frustration, forgetting that they respond better to gentle coaxing. I grow irritated as they fight me.
I’m ready to give up when Mateo starts kissing my neck and shoulder, his touch on my breasts turning gentle. As my body relaxes into the sensations, my mind clears, and I find myself mentally apologizing to my magic.
My wrists are once again swathed in warmth, and I feel the gentle tug of the rope as my magic does its work. This time when Mateo pinches my nipple, I moan into the pain but don’t lose my concentration. I wiggle my wrists and realize I’ve almost freed myself. Just a little more.
Then Casius thrusts two thick fingers inside me, and I lose my grip on it again.
Dammit!
Both men laugh, and I realize I’ve cursed out loud.
With Casius’ fingers and mouth tormenting my pussy, and Mateo teasing my nipples while he kisses and nips my neck, I’m thoroughly distracted from my task. Glancing at the hourglass, I realize I’m almost out of time. Resolve stiffens my spine. Come on, Aria. You’re not going to lose, are you?
It takes a monumental effort to push aside my need and focus, once again, on the task at hand. This time, I refuse to allow myself to waver. The red strands dance over the knot, unraveling Mateo’s magic.
Finally, the rope falls onto the floor. Just in time. Three seconds later, the last of the sand runs into the hourglass.
“Yes,” I laugh in triumph. “Ta-fucking-dah. I’ll have my orgasm now, please.”
Mateo chuckles. “I’ll leave the two of you alone,” he says. “But first…” He wriggles his fingers, and the books on the table disappear. “Can’t have the two of you destroy the contents of this library, can we?”
Whatever. I don’t care about the books right now. I want my reward.
I hear the door close behind me. Casius doubles down on his attention, and almost immediately, my orgasm crashes through me.
“Don’t stop,” I gasp. “I want you. Please...”
“All you ever had to do is ask, little thief,” he replies. He sweeps me off my feet before I can collapse in a puddle of bliss and lays me out o
n the surface of the desk. He parts my legs, stepping between them, naked. I have no idea when he lost his clothes, and I honestly don’t care because he’s slowly sliding his thick length inside me. Filling me exactly the way I want.
“You feel so fucking good, Aria,” he growls. “I’m not going to go slow.”
I hold his gaze in mine. I’ve waited for this moment too. From the start, from the moment Pieter injected Casius’ blood into me, the magic has tugged me toward him, toward this moment. “I don’t want you to be. Fuck me, Casius. I need you.”
Without another word, he plunges inside me to the hilt. He sets a hard, punishing, delicious rhythm. Faster than I’d have thought possible, I find myself on the edge of orgasm again. “Please…” I whimper.
“So impatient.” He pulls out and flips me to my stomach. I don’t have time to complain because he’s already inside me again, fucking me from behind.
“Yes, yes…” I cry out.
In this position, he’s hitting all the right spots. His cock pounds in and out of my pussy, and I surrender to the pleasure. His fingertip presses into my asshole, and it’s so deliciously naughty that my orgasm rushes through my body like a tsunami.
If this is my reward, I’m going to be the star pupil.
My orgasm goes on and on. Casius doesn’t relent. He keeps fingering my ass as he fucks my pussy, and I whimper and moan and writhe.
Finally, his rhythm falters, and I feel him tense behind me before a burst of warmth floods my pussy.
“Whoa.” His weight pushes down on my back as we both try to catch our breaths. “That was amazing.” I wriggle free of his grasp, and he tugs me into his arm for a gentle kiss. “Are you going to be in the library again for my lesson tomorrow?”
He laughs softly. “I think I must be,” he agrees. “After all, it’s very important that you learn to use your magic.”
74
Bastian
Derther Roth is in his eighties, but you’d never know it from the strength of his handshake. “Bastian,” he growls. “Took you long enough to come back to your castle.”
“Hello to you too, Derther.” I sit down in the chair by the fireplace and survey the old wolf. I haven’t seen him in twenty years. The last time we’d met, the pack had been celebrating Derther’s son’s mating with Elena Driscoll. There are more lines around his face, and his hair is thinning. Wolves live longer than Norms, but Derther’s still approaching the end of his years. After my conversation with Aria, I’m even more aware of the mortality of the other races. “How’s Pack Helferich?”
“Good, good. Stefan and Elena’s daughter Lena passed the Abitur and is attending Cologne University. Jonas doesn’t seem as concerned with his education, but then, he’s only fifteen.”
It’s odd to think of Derther as a proud grandparent, but there you have it.
“We’ve had five new births this year too,” the Alpha continues.
I look up warily at that. None of the packs like to talk about the cubs that are born without magic. Lukus Hyde only came to me because he found out about the Bloodstone and hoped there was a cure to be had.
Most packs are similar to the Red Growlers, the pack that Raedwulf was once a part of. They might not demand that the parents abandon their cubs, but the children that can’t shift are definitely viewed as inferior. It’s a troubling situation. Some parents send them off to live with Norm families in the hopes that the cubs that can’t shift might find happiness in a world without magic, but that’s not the right answer either. The cubs have magic—they just can’t access it. Zyrian’s curse blocks them.
I don’t want to bring up what might be a sore subject, but I need to know how bad the situation really is. “All healthy?” I ask hesitantly.
Derther gives me a piercing look. “Don’t beat around the bush,” he advises. “It’s not your style. Yes, we have been fortunate. The cubs can all shift.” He takes a deep drink from his beer stein. “We believe your mother’s wards protect more than Castle Jaeger. The Königsforst is untouched by the ravages of the outside world. For now.”
“For now?”
“I haven’t been sleeping well,” the old wolf replies. “My dreams are filled with ill omens. Geri and Freki run amok, unchecked by the AllFather. The Dark Dragon is awake once more, and he prepares for battle. War is coming, Bastian Jaeger.”
He drinks deeply from his mug. “The woman is your mate?”
I blink at the sudden change in topic. I’m not surprised that Derther knows about Aria. Frau Ziegler and Wilhelm are both members of Pack Helferich. Their first loyalty will always be to their Alpha. This doesn’t really bother me. The Jaegers and Pack Helferich have been allies for generations. “Her name is Aria Archer.”
“She’s Norm.”
He doesn’t sound judgmental, just curious. My answer is still defensive. “The mating mark appeared on us.”
“On all the dragon princes.”
It’s not phrased as a question.
Maybe an impartial observer will be able to offer some insight. Derther is much younger than me, of course, but he’s lived a long life, and he’s known for his wisdom and good sense. And the wolves have their own myths, handed down from generation to generation. Maybe Derther will know something about the prophecy and the curse that I don’t.
I have few secrets from the Alpha. “She’s also got a piece of the Bloodstone in her,” I reply. “My mother spoke to her last night in a vision.” I lift my shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I wish I knew what that meant.”
All my life, I’ve searched for my mate, hoping to shatter the curse. The Bloodstone was our most precious treasure, but I never thought it was connected to Zyrian’s revenge. Now, everything is coming together in ways I don’t understand.
“You know the story of the Bloodstone,” Derther Roth starts.
“What story?”
He gives me an impatient look. “The Bloodstone holds magic,” he replies. “At least, it did until Zyrian cast his curse. The dragon balls—Annwn, Olympus, Duat, and Valhalla—were social dances for dragons to meet and find their mates, of course, but they were also occasions when the magic of the Bloodstone was replenished.”
That old legend. “You’re talking about the BloodGift. Is it even true?”
“Of course it’s true.” The Alpha gives me an irritated look, and I’m taken back in time, being rebuked by my tutor for not sitting still and paying attention. Derther reminds me of Leopold Kaiser, my dragon teacher. He’d been a mage too, and he’d have known about the history of the Bloodstone. Unfortunately, he’d been killed in one of Zyrian’s murderous sprees, as had the rest of the House of Kaiser.
“Don’t you talk to the others?” Derther demands now. “Lord Valder was alive before the curse. He would have bled for the stone.”
“It’s taken all the pressure I can exert to even get Erik to attend the balls,” I retort frankly. “Valder never talks about the past, and you know it.”
“He has a new mate now,” the other man says. “His heart has been frozen in grief for a very long time, but the past will slowly lose its hold on him. Yes, the BloodGift is true. When I came of age, my father taught me our legends, like his father before him. Pack Helferich’s duty is to remember and to record until a day comes when hope rises once again on the horizon.”
“You’re talking about Aria.”
He nods soberly. “She is your biggest treasure, Bastian Jaeger. Guard her well.”
He refills both our steins from the draft tap in his office. “For centuries, dragons have offered their blood to the stone,” he says. “It was a tool to keep the world’s magic in balance. A reservoir, if you will. The gemstone took from the dragons and gave to the rest of the magicals.”
“The magic is locked now.” This much I know to be true. Dragons should be able to reach for the magic of the stone, but we can’t. Even Mateo can’t access its contents.
“The stone doesn’t work that way anymore,” the Alpha confirms. “When Zyrian cas
t his curse, he sealed the Bloodstone. You can bleed all over it, but it will absorb nothing. The seal can only be broken by one with the key.”
Once again, he’s talking about Aria.
“If that key falls into the wrong hands,” he warns. “The world will be filled with dark magic.”
“Zyrian’s hands.”
“Yes.” He downs his beer in a gulp. “I have spies everywhere,” he says. “Even in the Dark Dragon’s castle. They tell me that Zyrian’s magic is fading. For centuries, he’s gained power by slaughter. He’s killed thousands of magicals, and he’s absorbed their life force. But the effects are waning. Zyrian needs a new source of magic. And there’s more…”
“Of course there is.” I can’t keep the note of bitterness out of my voice. Just for once, I’d like life to be simple. After years of searching, we’ve found our mate. It would be really nice if we could just enjoy that. I’m overtaken with a surge of envy for Derther Roth, who has a mate, happily-married children, and grandchildren he can speak of with love in his eyes. “Isn’t that always the case?”
He gives me a sympathetic look. “The wolves are amassing. The Red Growlers, the pack that’s closest to the Dark Dragon, are preparing for war. Zyrian’s calling in allegiances from the foxes, the bears, the wolves, even other dragons.”
The shifters don’t concern me. The dragons, on the other hand, are far more troubling. We are solitary creatures, and we don’t tend to form alliances. Especially not with Zyrian. The memory of the dark days after the curse is still fresh in our minds.
“Four young dragons flew to Alaska last week,” he replies. “They’re from lesser families. Stupid fools. Just because their families weren’t targeted in Zyrian’s purge doesn’t mean they’re safe.”
Last week. When we were busy searching for a way to block Zyrian’s access to Aria’s mind. Damn it. The Dark Dragon has been active on many fronts. Unlike me, whose only focus is to protect Aria.
I’m glad I came to see the Helferich Alpha. Tomas is back in New York, protecting Silas Archer, but I need to get him to investigate this.
