Wicked Dark Dragon (Dragon Heat)

by Lolita Lopez

  “I’m not sure I’m liking this new development. What about privacy?”

  He laughed. “Are you afraid I’ll hear you calling me names when I do something to annoy you?”

  “Maybe.” Thinking of her privacy, Ivy suddenly realized she was wearing a man’s T-shirt and baggy boxer briefs. “Um…Mad?”

  As if reading her mind—and maybe he was—he hastily explained. “I took you into the shower with me when we arrived here. I made sure no one else saw you. I wouldn’t allow that.” There was no mistaking the possessive edge in his voice. “You needed to have all that dirt and blood washed off of you. I wanted you to be comfortable while you rested.”

  “Oh. Well. Thank you.” After sharing a prison cell for twelve days, she figured there weren’t many secrets left between them. She swallowed as her stomach wobbled with a primal frisson of excitement at the idea of Mad’s soapy hands running all over her naked flesh. If only she had been awake to enjoy the experience! Instead, she had been passed out for her rescue and missed meeting the other dragons and—

  “Wait.” She seized on what he had said a few seconds earlier. “Flying? We flew out of the prison? I missed something that amazing?”

  “You’re out of that prison now. You’re safe with me. Amazing is just beginning for us.” Mad threaded his fingers through her hair and dipped his head. His soft lips brushed against hers. Drawing back, he rubbed the tips of their noses together. “We’re going to do a lot of flying together.”

  Ivy understood he wasn’t just talking about flying of the winged variety, and she blushed. She would never be able to explain the intense feelings she felt toward this man, but she trusted they were right and simply meant to be. But there were so many questions that needed answers.

  “So ask them,” Mad prompted. “We’re out of that prison and away from the Seer. We can be open with each other now.”

  She frowned and playfully thumped his bare shoulder. “Okay. No more listening in on my thoughts. I’ve had just about enough of that to last a lifetime.”

  “I’m not doing it on purpose.” He pushed up on his elbow and rested his head on his palm. The white sheet that had been covering most of his body slipped down to his waist and revealed a tantalizing swath of tattooed skin and his unbelievably toned muscles. “What do you want to know, Ivy?”

  “What happened after I passed out in that prison cell?”

  “The rescue squad arrived.” He trailed his finger along the shell of her ear. “Ignatius, Stig, Niko, and Griff stormed the prison, killed the Knights there, and extricated us.”

  “And the Seer?”

  “She escaped, probably with some of the Knights. We’ll find her eventually.”

  Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you mean I’ll find her eventually.”

  To his credit, Mad didn’t lie to her. “It’s likely that you’ll be the one who helps us track her down, but I won’t allow them to ask that of you until you’re healthy. It’s only been four days—”

  Her eyes widened. “Four days! I’ve been asleep here for four days?”

  “You needed to heal and to rest. Niko had you hooked up to IVs to treat your dehydration and malnutrition. Since you’re like us, he was able to give you one of his concoctions to speed up the healing process. There was something else to make sure you didn’t dream.”

  “Really? There are drugs that do that?”

  “Knowing Niko? It was probably some sort of old-school potion he cooked up in that lab of his. You’ll have to ask him later. I’m sure he’d be happy to explain it to you.” Mad played with her hair, the action so familiar and comforting. “He’s so thrilled to have you back in his life. You’re a very close relation to him so he feels a strong kinship toward you.”

  “Hold on.” Ivy clasped his thick wrist. “Back up a bit. Back in his life?” The corners of his mouth tightened, and she dropped his wrist. Sitting up, she poked his sculpted chest. “That feeling I had that we knew each other isn’t just because of the dreams, is it, Mad?”

  He sat up and shoved a pillow behind his back, cushioning it from the ornate wooden headboard. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t risk it back at the prison.”

  “We aren’t in the prison anymore. You said you wanted only the truth between us so let’s hear it. When did we meet before this whole captivity and shared dreams thing?”

  “When you were a baby,” he answered and reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers. “I was there when your mother and father were killed.”

  Ivy felt like the world was tilting and she might have even fallen off the bed if Mad’s steely arms hadn’t wrapped around her. “Did the dragons kill them?”

  “No.” There was no faking his aghast expression. She relaxed a bit, knowing that he was being truthful. Mad dragged her onto his lap and held her there. “Did you know they were dead?”

  “Mom and Dad said my biological parents were killed in a car accident shortly after I was born. They didn’t know anything about my birth parents. When I turned eighteen, we tried to track them down, but the adoption agency had closed and the records had been destroyed accidentally.”

  “There never were any records, Ivy. Whatever was necessary to make the adoption legal was manufactured by Niko and Ignatius. After it was all safely done, they destroyed the evidence to protect you.”

  She let that sink in for a moment before asking, “Did you know my parents—my biological parents—very well?”

  “No,” he said. “To be honest, I was their jailer for a short period of time.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that revelation. Finally, she managed one word. “Why?”

  “Your mother was a dragon. Do you remember the golden dragon you described from your dream?” When she nodded, he continued. “That was Niko. He’s the closest blood kin you have left. Your mother was a direct descendant of his sister.”

  “And my father? He was human?”

  “Yes, but he was also a Knight.”

  Her chest grew painfully tight. Suddenly, everything made sense. “So you’re telling me my parents were a Romeo and Juliet situation?”

  “Basically,” he agreed.

  Desperate for information, she touched his jaw. “Tell me about them.”

  His gaze softened with sympathy. Could he feel the gaping, empty hole within her that the mystery of her biological parents had left behind? “Your mother’s name was Phoebe Drakon. Your father was Yves Cole. He was descended straight from the brother of the woman you saw murdered.”

  “Caius?” She remembered the name.

  “Yes.” His thumb glided along her lower lip. “Your birth name was Ivy Cole.”

  “So I’m part of that first family you talked about the night you were thrown into my cell?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that means the Seer—”

  “Is probably your aunt or grandmother,” he confirmed. “They’re just as secretive about their degrees of relation, births, and deaths as we are. Either way, she is your family.”

  “But she was so cruel to me,” Ivy said with a shiver.

  “She hates you.” He didn’t mince words. “Your parents broke every rule in the book.”

  “How did they meet? Was my father young like me? Was my mother older like you?”

  “Your mother was older than your father. She was nearly three hundred years old when they met. He was close to your age, maybe a year or two older. From what I was told, it was true love that brought them together.”

  “Does that happen very often? I mean, humans and dragons?”

  “It’s not common, but yes. It was only forbidden for Brothers of the Green Hide to take human lovers. Until recently,” he amended before caressing her back and continuing the tale. “Your father had been sent on an illegal raid of a dragon compound. Every dragon but your mother was killed, and she wounded your father badly but didn’t finish him off. Perhaps she recognized him as hers. Whatever the reason, she broke the rules, our covenants, and
hid him away while he healed. They fell in love and carried on their secret affair for nearly seven years before you were conceived.”

  Seven years? How difficult was it to hide an illicit affair like that? To know that the man you loved so very much was trying to kill your kind every time he was away from you?

  “As you can imagine,” he continued, “the news didn’t go over well. Ignatius, our leader, told us to leave them alone. After losing his brother over a star-crossed love affair, he wasn’t going to get involved in breaking those two up or hurting the baby—you. When we got word that the Knights had tracked them down, we captured them first and brought them here to Niko’s estate for safekeeping.”

  She glanced around the sumptuously decorated space. If this was just one bedroom in the house, she could only imagine the size of the estate. “Was I born here?”

  “Yes.”

  “In a cell?” she asked with dread.

  “No, you were born in a room down the hall. Niko secured the space with technology and layers of magic. He’s extremely adept at that sort of thing.”

  “What happened after I was born?”

  “Your parents managed to overpower Niko while he was alone here at the estate and they escaped. The Knights caught up with them. They slaughtered your mother and captured your father.” He spared her the brutal details, and she was grateful for it. “We arrived too late to save him, but he made us swear we would protect you.”

  “You were there when he died.”

  “I held his hand as he took his last breath.”

  Ivy understood then that her connection to Mad had started almost from the very moment of her birth. “You said he made us swear we would protect you, but he made you swear, didn’t he?”

  Mad’s gaze drifted away from hers. He seemed to be recalling the memory and studying it. “Yes. I swore I would protect you.”

  “I don’t pretend to know the first thing about dragons, Knights, magic, or supernatural forces, but what if that vow was more than just a simple vow?”

  His arm drew her in a little closer. “It’s possible.”

  “But if you promised to protect me, why was I sent away to live with humans?”

  “Ignatius and Niko were adamant that you have a normal childhood. We faked your death and let the Knights believe they had killed the entire family. Ignatius found a suitable family—Susie and Miguel Morales—to raise you as a typical human child, and Niko treated you with his elixir to suppress your supernatural gifts.”

  “An elixir? What is he, some sort of wizard?”

  Mad snorted with amusement. “I dare you to call him that when you meet him. No,” he said with a laugh. “He’s what we call an alchemist. He’s a highly skilled scientist. Like Reynard, he has more degrees than you can count. Lately, he’s been focusing on biochemistry and genetics. God only knows what he’s cooking up in that lab of his.”

  “But what did he cook up for me, Mad? What did he give me when I was a baby?” She had a bad feeling it was something dark and dangerous.

  “You’ll have to ask him about all of the ingredients.” Mad hesitated before finally admitting, “My blood was in it.”

  Speechless, Ivy just gawked at Madoc. “Are you serious?”

  “I wouldn’t joke about something like that.”

  “I drank your blood?”

  “It was the only way, Ivy.”

  “It’s disgusting! It’s unsanitary. It’s dangerous!”

  “This world of mine is a dangerous place. I was told the elixir he fed you was the only way to save you, Ivy. It was the one chance the Brotherhood had of giving you a happy and carefree childhood.” Hope glinted in his eyes. “Were you happy?”

  Even though she was totally grossed out by the thought of having drunk his blood, she refused to lie to him. “Yes, Mad. I was so happy. My parents loved me so much. They were amazing, and they made sure I woke up every morning knowing how much they absolutely cherished me. Sure, I had weird dreams and the strange visions and the ability to see things, but overall my life is—was—really normal. Boring even,” she added, thinking of all the things he had told her.

  “I’m glad,” he said, visibly relaxing. “That’s all we ever wanted for you. We knew that sooner or later your destiny would catch up with you, but I’m pleased you were safe and happy.”

  Thinking of the way her life had so drastically changed, Ivy asked, “What about now? Am I safe now?”

  Mad used his brute strength to shift her on his lap. Her knees fell on either side of his thighs, and she was grateful for the sheet adding an extra barrier between their bodies. Even wearing clothes, she was insanely aware of the rigid heat of him trapped between her parted thighs. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could control the fierce urges racing through her.

  With one hand on her upper back and the other ensnared in her hair, he fixed her with an intense stare. “No one will ever harm you again.” The tips of his ears went a bit red as he confessed, “My rescue of you didn’t quite go as planned, but I swear it will be the last time I let you down.”

  “You didn’t let me down. I can’t believe you would even think that, Mad. You came for me. You protected me as best you could even though it meant putting your own life at risk. You got me out of there.” She cupped his handsome face in both hands. “I’m only alive because of you.”

  “And my secrets are still safe because of you,” he said softly. With a little pressure to the back of her head, he coaxed her mouth toward his but didn’t claim her lips yet. “I want to kiss you again.”

  “But?” Her heartbeat fluttered as fast as a hummingbird’s.

  “But you’ve been through so much, and I’m sure this is all very confusing to you, Ivy. I don’t want you to feel rushed into anything. We have a long time to sort things out between us.”

  Warmed by his concern for her, Ivy chose to take control. She captured his mouth, pressing their lips together briefly before daringly flicking the very tip of her tongue against his hot flesh. Mad let loose a hungry, needful groan when he granted her access. The rumbling waves of it vibrated through her chest and rippled right down to her toes.

  Emboldened by his response, Ivy slid her arms along his broad shoulders and tilted her head so she could deepen the kiss. Mad groaned again, the sound rougher and huskier as her tongue danced with his. As if unable to hold back, he tightened his fingers around her hair and took control. She shuddered with excitement and arousal as his tongue did such naughty things. Silently, she conceded that no man had ever kissed her like this…and no man ever would again.

  “Damn straight,” he growled in between kisses.

  It was a remark that probably should have annoyed her because it assumed that she was going to choose him as her mate and go along with all that meant in the dragon world, but damned if she didn’t find the thought of belonging to him rather exhilarating. Teasing him, she whispered, “I’m not quite convinced yet.”

  His green eyes glinted with amusement. “Is that right? Well, let’s see what we can do about that.”

  She gasped when he displayed a shocking amount of speed and strength by flipping their positions. He jerked away the sheet twisted around his trim hips. Listening to an instinct as old as time, she wrapped her legs around his waist and inhaled a shaky breath when she realized just how good and how right it felt to have him sliding down on top of her. Was this the moment when everything would change?

  With his hands planted on either side of her head, Mad plundered her mouth with that fantastically skilled tongue of his. He nibbled her lower lip and sucked hard on her swollen flesh before delving back inside and branding her with his heat. She gripped his shoulders and tried to remember to breathe. Of course, every lungful of air that she inhaled contained that deliciously enticing scent of him. She was nearly delirious with desire now.

  Mad’s big, scarred hand glided along her rib cage and settled on her hip. Unable to help herself, she rocked against him, pressing the wet, feminine center of her body ag
ainst the rock-hard length of him trapped behind a precariously thin barrier of cotton. He growled and surged against her, rubbing their bodies together in a way that sparked an electric jolt.

  His hand sneaked under the borrowed shirt and swept along her bare stomach. When his fingertips brushed her breast, butterflies swarmed in her belly. Her ragged breaths competed with his. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. They were hovering on the precipice—and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to make that leap.

  Very slowly, he dragged his hand out from under her shirt. He caressed her face. “I’m sorry, Ivy. I didn’t mean to push you.”

  Smiling up at him, she touched his hand. “I’m pretty sure I was the one who tossed gasoline onto the fire.”

  He started to reply but glanced over his shoulder at the door. With an annoyed grunt, he climbed off of her and tugged the sheet up to her shoulders. “We’re about to have visitors.”

  A second later, someone knocked loudly. He climbed off the bed but didn’t hurry to answer the door. Bending down, he planted a lingering kiss on her mouth. “We’ll table this discussion for now.”

  “All right.” Hugging the sheet to her chest, she sat up and enjoyed the view of the boxer briefs perfectly outlining Mad’s taut backside as he crossed the room. Humming with need, Ivy suspected she wouldn’t be a card-carrying member of the V Club much longer.

  Chapter Seven

  Mad couldn’t decide if he was happy or pissed at the interruption. After being in close quarters with Ivy and fighting off that delicious and arousing scent of her, the urge to seduce and show her pleasure was strong. On the other hand, he acknowledged that she had been through so much in the last month. She needed time to fully recover and get back to living her life before she made any big decisions about their future. The instant lust of an awakening mate bond was playing havoc with their hormones. They needed to take a breather and get some perspective before they made any rash decisions that impacted her future.

  He jerked open the door. Griff, Niko, and Ignatius stood in the hallway bearing breakfast trays and shopping bags. He waved them inside. “Stig left?”