Raiden ran his hand down her hip and thigh and hooked it under her knee, pulling her leg up around his waist. He tilted his pelvis between her legs, pressing his hardness against her needy core. She groaned, kissing him more deeply.
She fumbled with his belt buckle, needing to feel his body and grasp his thick manhood in her shaking hands. Flora managed to open the button on his pants and pull down the zipper. She tugged at the waistband of his boxer briefs. Sliding her hand inside, she felt the hot intensity of his throbbing cock. She stroked him as he moved his hands inside her bra and tweaked her nipple between his fingers.
The burst of sensation pushed her to the boiling point, and she didn't know if she could hold back a second longer. But she didn't have to. Raiden picked her up in his arms, her dress falling away. He carried her to the king-sized bed, where he deposited her, quivering and open in nothing but her lingerie.
He pulled off his clothes and climbed on the bed, prowling and stalking her like a predator. The dragon in his eyes was ferocious and hungry, and it sent a shiver of fear and lust through her entire being. She reached up to him, and he sank between her legs, pressing his hard dick against the softness of her sex.
He slid back and forth over her as he kissed her, consuming her. He removed her bra, sucking one nipple into his mouth as he tweaked and taunted the other. Flora wrapped her legs around him, pulling him against her with all her strength. She needed to feel him inside her. It was something she required to survive another moment on this planet. As he nibbled and sucked on her nipples, he slipped his fingers inside her soaking-wet panties. He stroked her pussy slowly and languidly, and his mouth mastered her breasts.
With the flick of his fingers on her swollen clitoris and the nibbling of his teeth and suction of his lips on her nipples, the intensity of release surged toward her like a deluge. It came on fast, so overwhelming and consuming that she didn't have a second to anticipate it before it overtook her in every way.
Her senses exploded as her body throbbed, pulsating and clenching Raiden's fingers. She gasped, arching forward as the force of pleasure contorted her body and ruled her mind. Raiden growled, licking the fingers that had been stroking her wet core. He slid down her body, slipping off her panties but leaving on the stockings and garter belt. As he spread her legs and took a long sniff, his eyes flashed. Flora's mouth dropped open with surprise as he dove into her body and licked her entire core in one fluid movement. He growled as he tasted her, using his tongue and lips and teeth and fingers to draw out the most tantalizing extremes of pleasure. As her body climaxed over and over under Raiden's expert administrations, her mind went blank, and she was left as nothing but a body, ready and open and consumed by a pleasure she had never known possible. The intensity of his relentlessness sent her over the edge again and again. She felt as if she had died and gone to heaven. She wanted to remain there for all eternity.
He crawled toward her, his cock swollen and angry red, pointed toward the ceiling. The need in his eyes had become feral. Then he descended, pressing that gorgeous tool against her quivering wet opening as he claimed her mouth. She could taste the flavor of her juices on his tongue and opened her legs wide to wrap around him. He angled back slightly, pressing the tip of him against her.
She shook and groaned as he slid forward, inching inside. She nearly screamed with frustration, her need was so great. She pulled him closer, and he thrust deep into her core. It split her open with agonizing perfection. Light burst around the corners of her vision, and her mouth dropped open as she came.
Raiden moved slowly inside her, his powerful hips gliding back and forth, in and out as he rode her and pushed her and claimed her and owned her body. His mastery of her pleasure allowed her complete release in every way—release from her mind, release from responsibility, release from control—and the most magnificent state of bliss she had ever imagined. It was total and complete ecstasy.
"I need to claim you," he growled, his teeth grazing her skin.
"Yes. Yes."
He pressed against her jugular vein as her body reached for a new level of climax. She braced herself for the exquisite pleasure and pain of his claiming bite.
"Raiden," came Hanish's voice through his wrist device. "Raiden."
Flora felt her own wrist device vibrating with an urgent message. There was an emergency. Raiden was in the mating thrall but managed to pull back at the very last instant, growling, and answered the communication. Flora watched him, panting and sweating. His throbbing erection slowly disappeared as he listened to his captain's words. Flora slid her finger over her own wrist device and read the message. They looked at each other, knowing that this night was now at an end.
"We have to go, my love," he said.
"I wanted this. I wanted you."
"We'll have a chance again soon. I promise you. But we have to go, the Storm house is being attacked."
"But it's the Flame house that's being attacked."
"No, it's—" he began.
"It's both houses."
"I'll have to take you back to the Storms. You can stay in the safe room with JoJo and the baby."
"What about the vampires?"
"I should be able to avoid them with my stealth shields. I am better at using stealth than any other warrior alive. We'll make it through, I promise."
They quickly dressed and hurried to the roof of the hotel, where Raiden took Flora in his arms and activated his stealth shields. He shifted into his half-dragon form, spread his wings, and took them up into the sky.
Flora held on tight, feeling the wind whipping through her hair. Her emotions were a mixture of disappointment and fear. She felt guilty for being disappointed but was wishing that Hanish could have waited just one more minute for them to finish what they'd started. Now the moment was lost, and the dissatisfaction stretched between them like a taut cord.
Raiden was fast, even in half-shift form, and they made it back to the compound quickly. Wisps of smoke materialized and dematerialized as the vampires attacked below. She and Raiden would have to make it into the compound without the vampires seeing them, but that required coming out of stealth so the shields could fully recognize their signature.
"Hang on," Raiden whispered.
He deactivated his stealth mode and dove toward the shields of the compound. Right before they were about to slide through, half a dozen vampires materialized before them, blocking their path. Raiden, who was known for his quick, decisive movements, didn't miss a beat. Instead of flying into the vampires, he tucked his wings and fell backward right through the shields and into the compound. They landed in the backyard, and Flora slid to the ground on shaky legs.
"I'll go to the safe room," she said. "You join Hanish and Zephyr.”
He held onto her hand, but as Hanish shouted at him, he let her go. Flora hurried away, her high heels clicking on the stone path as she ran. Once through the back door of the mansion, she dashed through the kitchen, down the hall, through the living room, and into the basement. She pressed the intercom on the wall outside the safe room, and JoJo answered.
"Thank God you're back," JoJo said in her thick British accent.
The door buzzed open, and Flora stepped inside.
"How did you avoid the vampires?" JoJo asked.
"I think it was all Raiden's practice with video games," Flora said with a laugh.
Chapter 15
Raiden turned, drawing his laser sword as he listened for Hanish's command over the mental link.
"We're surrounded," Hanish said.
"There are hundreds of them coming from every direction,” Zephyr said over the mental link.
"They've been preparing for this siege all along," Raiden said.
"Ragnar and the others are staying in Seattle with Krista," Hanish said. "It's not safe for them to bring her down here. But Yuki has rigged a shield around their condo, and they should be safe there for now."
"They won't get through,” Raiden said.
"With this
many of them," Zephyr said, "our odds are not good."
"You doubt the strength of the shields?" Hanish asked.
"I doubt our ability to defeat this many, even with the buffer of Aria's song."
"We will defeat them," Raiden said. "This is what I've been preparing for all along."
"Zephyr, you focus on the eastern side of the compound. There are fewer coming from that direction, and I want you monitoring the strength. Raiden, focus on the north side. That's where the bulk of the mass is coming from. I will face the elder who was attacking from the south."
Raiden flew swiftly toward the south side of the property and gazed at the horde of vampires flitting in and out of form and puffs of black smoke. They were a laughing, roiling, sneering mass of bodies and fangs that reminded him of his zombie-apocalypse game. He shook his head.
If humans only knew vampires were a real threat, they would have been preparing all along. Instead, they fought each other. Raiden had become more and more aware that the majority of the strife between humans was caused by vampires, with their interference and whispers of dissent.
He gripped his dual swords and charged through the shields, whirling and slicing and stabbing like a dancer at the ballet. The vampires fell before him, most of them weak and slow. With Aria's buffer and the strength and speed of his many years of practice, they were defenseless against him. But the mass kept coming, thicker and faster.
He had to shift into full-dragon form, battling with his fangs and claws and tail, smashing and stomping the legion of vampires. But still, they came. He shot them with his lightning breath, and they burned in pools of flame. They continued streaming out through the dark forest, their eyes bright like animals caught in headlights and bobbing up and down as they ran headlong at Raiden's dragon.
He roared and lurched up on his hind legs, coming down with a thundering crack. The vibration sent several dozen vampires crashing to the ground, and he shot them with a burst of lightning breath. The ones who had already reached him climbed onto his back, their teeth sliding over his scales. They could not puncture his hide. Their hope must have been to overwhelm him, cover him with their bodies, and force him into a shift by sheer weight alone. But Raiden wouldn't let that happen.
He rolled over on his back, tucking his wings tightly against himself and crushing the vampires who clung to him. Their screams echoed in the night, and their blood seeped in dark black pools underfoot.
The rank smell of fear and the blood of the undead filled his nostrils, but all he could think about was Flora—his mate. She was everything, and he would fight to his last breath to defend her. When Flora had bitten Penelope, she’d become immune to vampires. But with so many flooding into the compound, Raiden feared for her safety. Flora had not been mated, and she did not have the full effect of mated Dragon Soul immunity.
He continued stomping and bashing and blowing electric breath at the onslaught of vampires.
"There is an elder coming your way," Hanish said through the mental link.
Raiden gritted his teeth. He was already nearly overwhelmed. But he had held his own, and he would continue to do so until the very last vampire was dead.
He saw the elder in the mass of young vampires, standing out like a beacon. Her strength and ability were obvious in contrast to the others. She glided through the air, her body translucent.
Raiden grumbled through the mental link, "This one’s powerful.”
"There are three just like that here," Hanish said.
"Three elders with that much strength?"
"I'm getting news from the House of Flames that they are overwhelmed," Hanish added.
"Greetings, dragon," the female elder sneered. "Are you ready to die?"
Raiden burst into the air, flapping his wings. She cackled, watching him carefully. Instead of making the obvious move, he lifted even higher as if he was flying away.
"What are you doing?" Hanish asked.
"Just wait," he said.
The vampire seemed just as confused as his captain. She flitted in and out of form before approaching him in the sky. Elder vampires had the ability to manifest in flying form as well as in smoke. Her eyes flashed as she lunged at him. In that moment, he tucked his wings and fell like a stone, lifting his head up to blow a huge breath of lightning right at her. Her body ignited from foot to head, and she screamed. Raiden shifted while she was distracted and sliced her with his antibody-imbued sword. She screamed again, disappearing into smoke. When he descended back to the ground, she was gone.
"I think I got her," Raiden said.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Zephyr said. "These elders are more powerful than anything we've seen. I don't think one slice of Dragon Soul blood will defeat them."
"In your expert opinion, what will defeat them?" Raiden asked with irritation. He had made a good move, but it wasn't enough.
"They need to be injured multiple times, to the point where they can't be repaired."
"What does that even mean?"
"It varies with each elder, depending on how old they are, how strong they are, and how healthy they are," Zephyr said.
"Not helping," Raiden growled.
"Just keep at it," Hanish said through the mental link. "We can't let them get inside. We have to protect Tor. If they find a baby dragon…"
"Let's just not go there," Raiden said.
Of everyone in the compound, Tor was the most vulnerable. He lacked the antibodies and magic JoJo had. Flora had partial, if not complete, immunity. The dragons had amazingly tough hides that the vampires on Earth could not penetrate. But the baby was vulnerable and could be sucked dry in a moment's time, giving the vampires more strength than a human or a Dragon Soul.
"They will never touch Tor," Raiden said. "They will never even get close."
"Did someone say something about my son?" JoJo said, emerging from the house.
"JoJo, you need to get back to the safe room," Hanish barked.
"Not when my family is in danger."
"But the baby…" Hanish objected.
"Don’t worry. I’ve got this." JoJo approached the north side of the compound, opened her arms, and released her telekinetic power into the crowd of vampires. They fell before her as a shockwave of her power surged through the enemies.
"You've become more powerful since you were mated," Zephyr observed, speaking through the wrist device.
"About one hundred times more powerful," she said.
"Why were you keeping her in the safe room?" Raiden asked with a chuckle.
"She's pregnant," Hanish barked.
"Quickly!" JoJo shouted. "My power is already diminishing. Take out the elders while you can."
Hanish didn't wait a second longer before charging into the crowd, shifting, and attacking the stunned elder with his laser sword. JoJo jumped on an ATV and hurried to the other side of the compound, flattening the crowd before Raiden. In that moment, the elder vampire he had fought reappeared, holding her hand over the wound he'd inflicted.
In the blink of an eye, he charged at her and sliced across her neck with both of his swords. She screamed as her head fell from her body. JoJo hopped back on the four-wheeler and rode to the eastern side of the compound, using the same knock-back technique for Zephyr that she'd used for Raiden and Hanish. But her power was waning and becoming less effective with each use.
Luckily, there were far fewer vampires on the eastern side. In the extra time that JoJo had bought them, the dragons were able to disperse the last of the vampires. Those who had not been killed disappeared in a puff of smoke and did not return. The dragons retreated behind the shields and shifted into their human forms, exchanging glances as they panted and wiped the sweat and blood from their brows.
"That was interesting," Zephyr said. "The House of Flames has also dispersed the vampires that were attacking them, and Aria sang the entire time."
"I doubt that's the last we'll see of them," Raiden said.
Chapter 16
There was a slight
tap at Flora's bedroom door, and she leaned up on her elbow in bed, inviting whoever had knocked into her room.
Raiden slipped through the door and closed it behind him. Flora had been reading by the light of her bedside lamp, and his eyes sparkled in the dim glow. She was wearing a sheer white nightgown, and the comforter fell away from her chest. Raiden's eyes scorched over her exposed flesh as he locked the door and stalked across the room toward her.
Flora set her book down on the nightstand and smiled, opening her arms for him. He slid onto the bed and sank into her body. He was wearing only a pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt. She already felt the hardness of him rising against her. The interruption they'd experienced earlier that night had left an emptiness in the pit of her stomach that begged to be filled.
She gasped and nibbled at his lips as he kissed her and palmed her breasts. She hooked her fingers in his shorts and yanked them down aggressively. After slipping out of his own clothes, he pushed her slip up around her hips. He kissed her lips, tugged at the neckline of her garment, and sucked her breast into his mouth.
Flora writhed with hunger, a desire so deep and full she felt it might consume her. She ran her fingers through his hair, down his neck, and over his strong back, her fingertips caressing the grooves in his lean muscles.
He worshipped her flesh. Spreading her legs, he growled. He looked up at her, savoring the flavor of her body.
"Oh yes," she groaned.
His tongue slipped into her channel. It flicked in and out of her as his thumb circled on her clit. She opened her legs wide and embraced his head as he lavished her with pleasure. He looked up to meet her gaze, the hunger in his expression sparking her own desire so heavily she erupted. She groaned as he placed the flat of his tongue on her quivering pussy.
Raiden: House of Storms: Dragon Guardians Book 7 Page 8
