Drakon Unchained (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

  “Let’s get inside.” He put one large hand on the small of her back and propelled her forward. She didn’t see Sergei or Katherine.

  “Where are your parents?”

  “Already inside.”

  “Oh.” She was more out of it than she thought if she missed that.

  Luther frowned. “You’re not well.” It was almost an accusation. She would have laughed if she wasn’t so darn tired.

  “What I am is exhausted and stiff.” Being a drakon, the long drive wouldn’t affect him. Or at least that’s what she assumed. Drakons seemed to have amazing recuperative powers. The effects of the drug had worn off within hours. After taking a nap and eating, he’d seemed to be back to normal. She wished she could recover so quickly.

  Luther bent down and swept her into his arms. After the initial shock, she decided to relax and enjoy the ride. Her independent self was too tired to care that a man had to carry her. Besides, he wasn’t just any man. He was Luther Henderson, the man she loved.

  “Any word from Oscar?” She’d slept the last leg of the trip and might have missed any calls.

  “They did find more men and two transport trucks not far away. It’s been taken care of.”

  That was all he said. She knew that meant the men had been killed and the trucks disposed of. Drakon fire, it seemed, was able to hide a lot of evidence by totally disintegrating it. She knew it was necessary, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. All those men, dead and gone. If they had families, they’d never know what happened to them. Still, they’d made their choices, taking money for their silence and their illegal actions.

  Luther carried her toward the house. She caught a glimpse of a beautifully wooded area before they were inside. The house was rustic and lovely and not overly large. He went up a flight of stairs and turned left, entering a room at the end of the short hallway.

  The bed looked amazing, but once she was on it, she wouldn’t leave. “Don’t put me on the bed.”

  He stopped in his tracks, his frown deepening. “Why?” Then his expression went blank. “If you don’t want me in the room with you, I can sleep somewhere else.”

  Victoria was surprised by his train of thought. “If you put me down there, I’ll be asleep in seconds, and I want to get clean first.”

  His expression cleared. “Oh.” He took her into the small ensuite. It had a tub and shower combo, but she knew she didn’t dare get a bath. She’d fall asleep if she sat in a tub of hot water.

  She patted his arm. “Set me down.”

  He released her legs but held her until he knew she was steady. There was an awkwardness between them that hadn’t been there before. She knew it was because of his declaration. She wasn’t ready to talk about it. Not until she had her wits about her.

  “I won’t be long,” she told him.

  Body stiff, he turned on his heel and almost stomped out of the room. Feeling both bemused and beyond tired, she used the facilities and then stripped out of the clothes she’d been wearing since the confrontation with Caine.

  By the time she’d showered, she was almost asleep on her feet. She also had nothing clean to wear. Wrapped in a bath towel, she cautiously opened the bathroom door. Luther was sitting on the bed waiting for her. His hair was damp. He’d obviously showered somewhere else.

  “Ready?” He stood and held out his hand to her. She tried not to notice he was wearing only a pair of jeans. His chest gleamed, and the muscles in his arms rippled when he moved.

  “I, um, I don’t have anything to wear.” It was stupid to feel embarrassed about wearing nothing but a towel. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen her naked.

  He frowned and went to the closet. There weren’t a lot of clothes there, but there was some. He pulled out a soft blue T-shirt and held it out to her. “Will this do?”

  “Yes.” Her arm trembled when she reached out to take the garment. Luther, of course, noticed.

  “Let me.” He tugged the towel away from her and pulled the shirt over her head before she could gather enough of her wits to object. By then it was too late anyway. She stuffed her arms through the appropriate holes and yanked the shirt down. It fell to the tops of her thighs, covering everything.

  Luther was all business. He went to the bed and folded back the covers. “In you go.”

  Since it was where she wanted to be, she stumbled forward and all but fell into the bed. She groaned when her body hit the mattress and sighed when her head touched the pillow.

  Luther stripped off his jeans and slid in beside her.

  That had her heart racing and shoved back some of the exhaustion.

  He wrapped his arm around her and spooned her from behind. Tears pricked her eyes, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. He was always taking care of her, whether she wanted him to or not.

  He kissed the top of her head. “Sleep. You’re tired. We’ll talk when you wake.”

  She was aroused, yet comforted at the same time. Only Luther made her feel this way. “Did you mean it?” Her words were slightly slurred by exhaustion.

  Luther didn’t ask her to explain. “Yes.”

  That was all he said. The corners of her lips turned upward. That was her Luther, a man of as few words as possible.

  “Yes,” she repeated.

  …

  Luther waited for Victoria to speak again, but she was already asleep. The slow rise and fall of her chest, the way her body relaxed were indications she hadn’t been able to stay awake any longer.

  Yes. What did she mean by that? Yes, she knew he meant he loved her. Or yes, she loved him back.

  It was maddening. He’d laid himself bare for her and still had no idea how she felt, especially after everything she’d witnessed back in Arizona. It was dangerous to be around him. There would always be men and women like Caine who would want to own him at any cost.

  Victoria would be safer far away from him, especially now that Temple and Caine were both dead. The rest of the Knights would assume she’d died in one of the incidents. If they got her a new identity, she could live a normal life.

  He held her closer, cupping one of her breasts in his hand. He could feel the slow beat of her heart. She was everything to him.

  He sighed and relaxed for the first time in years. His parents were safe and in their room at the opposite end of the house. Thankfully, the bedrooms were soundproofed with multiple layers of noise-suppressing material separating them, and since it was winter, the windows were closed. He didn’t want to know what his parents were doing any more than he wanted his father to know what he was doing.

  It was finally over. Luther no longer had to pretend to be something he wasn’t. He was a drakon, the son of a drakon. And the woman in his arms was his mate. He knew it as surely as the sun would rise in the morning.

  He closed his eyes and exhaled, giving in to sleep. He’d only had short naps for days and hadn’t eaten enough. He should be foraging for some food, but there was no way he was leaving Victoria.

  When he woke, it was dark outside. He had no idea what time it was. Not that it mattered. There was nowhere he had to be.

  He also knew Victoria was awake. Her body was slightly stiffer, and the cadence of her breathing had changed.

  “You are my greatest treasure,” he began. He knew he had her attention when she rolled over so she was facing him.

  “Luther?” He heard the slight tremor in her voice.

  “I never expected to find someone like you.” He brushed his fingers over the curve of her cheek, grateful for his enhanced sense of sight that allowed him to see her with only the slightest bit of light from the moon spilling through the window.

  Her breath hitched, and he felt a tear splash against his finger.

  “Don’t cry, love.” He leaned forward and sipped the tear from her skin. It was too valuable to waste.

  “I love you.” She gave him the words he longed to hear. The only ones that mattered. He went completely still and savored this life-changing moment.
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  …

  Victoria hated crying, but there was no way to stop the tears. To be called his greatest treasure when she’d felt as though she were a throwaway most of her life was the culmination of her dreams. She’d always wanted to matter to someone, to belong somewhere.

  She hadn’t been able to hold back her own declaration any longer. And she was glad to finally have it out there. Come what may, life was too short to not take a chance on love.

  Luther kissed her cheeks and her nose and then her lips. She wanted this. Needed the physical connection as well as the emotional one.

  She grabbed the hem of her makeshift nightshirt and yanked it over her head. Luther lifted her easily and positioned her on top of him.

  “Whatever you want,” he told her. “I’m yours.”

  She didn’t know a woman who would be able to resist. She certainly couldn’t. The way he spoke the words made them almost a vow.

  “And I’m yours,” she answered. She ran her hands over his broad chest. She wished she could see him better, but it was dark in the room. His eyes gleamed, and she realized he could probably see her. That didn’t stop her.

  Nothing could.

  Luther ran his hands up her sides and around her back before settling them over her breasts. She shuddered at the intense pleasure that seeped downward to her core.

  And Luther was already aroused. She’d felt his erection as soon as she’d opened her eyes. Now, she grasped his shaft in her hand and caressed him from root to tip. His low groaned echoed in the room.

  She didn’t want to wait. A part of her was afraid to believe this was real and feared it would disappear, that she’d wake and discover it was all just a dream.

  She went up on her knees and levered herself over the head of his penis. Ever so slowly, she took him in. She was wet and ready, but he was large. It took one long, delicious minute going inch by inch until he was seated completely inside her.

  “Victoria.” He said her name and nothing more. It was a promise, a prayer. He slid his hands from her breasts to her waist. Then he sat upright and captured her mouth with his.

  Their tongues tangled, and their breath mingled. She touched him wherever she could reach, loving his strength and the heat that radiated from his skin. Her hands ranged over his back and shoulders, down his arms and chest. And still they kissed, stealing and sharing breath until Victoria finally had to move.

  She broke the kiss and tilted her head back, gasping for air. Then she began to rock her hips. Luther lifted her several inches off him before lowering her back.

  They both groaned and picked up the pace. This was more than a physical joining. He was touching every part of her, exposing all her hopes and dreams and insecurities. But she held nothing back, and neither did he.

  They rocked toward the pinnacle of release. She sensed neither of them wanted it to end, but it was inevitable given the heat between them.

  Her inner muscles gripped hard at his cock. “Luther.” She clutched his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. A wave of pleasure rolled through her, over her, taking her under.

  She heard him yell her name. He arched upward and pulled her down at the same time. His big body shook, and she felt the hot flood of his release.

  Victoria slumped against his chest, content to be there. He loved her, and she loved him. She’d take him for as long as she could have him. It didn’t matter to her that he was practically immortal and she wasn’t. Being a drakon wasn’t without problems. Luther would always be looking over his shoulder.

  Victoria wanted to be beside him all the way.

  She shivered as her body began to cool. Luther grabbed the blankets and tossed them over her. He rubbed his hand over the curve of her lower back. “You’re mine now.”

  She levered herself up slightly. “What does that mean?”

  Luther reached out and turned on the bedside lamp. She blinked and turned away. It wasn’t very strong, but it felt like a spotlight.

  He levered himself so his back was against the headboard, making sure they were still joined. She liked feeling the flex of his shaft inside her, a very tangible reminder of what they’d just done.

  “It means I want you with me forever.”

  “You won’t age,” she reminded him.

  “Neither will you.”

  “Drakon blood.” She hadn’t even dared to hope such a thing. That required a level of trust that was absolute.

  “My blood,” he corrected.

  “You’d do that?” It was a lot to take in.

  He frowned. “Did you think I wouldn’t? What did you think I meant by forever?”

  She shrugged and ran her fingers over his pectoral muscles. “I figured you mean for my lifetime.”

  “Drakons mate for life. There is only one woman for me.”

  She found that hard to believe, as much as she wanted to. “You say that now, but what about one hundred or three hundred years from now?” And boy was it weird to be saying such things, knowing they could actually happen.

  He dragged his fingers through her hair. “Drakons mate for life,” he repeated. “My father found my mother almost one hundred years ago.”

  She hadn’t realized it had been that long. “How old are you?”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Afraid you’re tangled up with an old man?”

  She laughed and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. “I’ll take my chances. You look good for an old guy.”

  “I’m fifty.”

  “Fifty,” she echoed. “You don’t look a day past thirty.”

  “As far as I know, I won’t. But even my father has no idea how long I’ll live. I seem to be full drakon, but since we don’t know of any other drakons who have had sons, I’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

  That had to be a bit scary for all of them. But no matter what happened, she wanted to be with him.

  He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “You’d be safer without me. The Knights will believe you’re dead. With a new identity and some money, you could start a new life, have a normal life.”

  “Without you?” The bottom dropped out of her stomach. “Is that what you want?”

  He shook his head, and his eyes grew darker. “It’s what I should want, what’s best for you. But I’m selfish. I want you with me.”

  “You’re what’s best for me,” she assured him. Victoria felt the truth of that statement all the way to her soul.

  “Then we’re together. Forever.”

  “Forever,” she repeated, knowing they’d face whatever came together.

  …

  A week later, Victoria was sitting on the front porch step enjoying the sunshine. It was cold, but she was bundled in a warm coat and had a blanket across her lap.

  They’d all recovered from their ordeal and were making plans, trying to decide their next move. Sergei and Katherine wanted to return to Alaska. Apparently, they had an isolated cabin in the bush, far away from civilization.

  She understood their reasoning. If something happened, Sergei could shift and take Katherine into the mountains where men would find it harder to follow. Plus, if he had to fight, there were fewer innocents around.

  Victoria wasn’t sure she wanted to be that isolated. Thankfully, Luther didn’t seem to want that, either. The family was enjoying their time together after so many years apart, and none of them would be moving on in the next few days, but she knew that Sergei and Katherine needed alone time after so many years apart.

  Luther had run into the nearest town to get the mail. He’d sent Oscar to his apartment in Brooklyn to gather some of his belongings. That showed a deep level of trust. Victoria hadn’t known about that apartment, only the one in Manhattan listed on his employment records.

  She wrapped her fingers around the mug of hot chocolate she had and smiled. Luther and she had both had secrets. But no more.

  Luther had purchased a truck under his new identity, or rather his old one. Apparently, Luther Henderson was an identit
y he’d created for his undercover work with the Knights. He was really Sergei Luther Antropov. His parents had always called him Luther instead of Sergei, even though he was named after his father.

  Victoria Antropov. Tori Antropov. She liked the sound of it.

  The truck rolled around the bend in the road. Relief flooded her. Even though she knew they should be safe, she was having trouble relaxing whenever he was away.

  She set her mug down and waited for him to come to her. He was carrying a fairly large box. Curiosity got the better of her. “What’s in the box?”

  “Treasure.” He grinned, looking younger than he ever had. The stress had dropped away, and he smiled more often now. They both did.

  “What kind of treasure?”

  He frowned. “Are you warm enough?”

  “For now.” She really wanted to know what was in the box, what Luther considered treasure.

  He sat beside her and set the box down on the porch. He untaped the box and pulled back the flaps. There was bubble wrap to deal with. Oscar had done a good job with packing.

  “Any word from Oscar?” They were keeping communication to a minimum just to be on the safe side.

  “He’s gone into hiding. There’s no way he can get work with another Knight. Best they think he’s dead, too.”

  “Poor Oscar.” He’d given so much to all of them.

  “He’s got Nic and the others. He’ll be fine.” Luther rummaged around the box, pushing some books out of the way, and pulled out a small wooden box. It was obviously old, the top carved with the image of a dragon. There was an inlay of other woods on the sides, and there were two tiny emeralds for the dragon’s eyes.

  “It’s lovely. Where did you get it?”

  “My parents gave it to me.” He held it out. “I want you to have it.”

  She kept her hands tucked under the blanket. “I can’t take that. Your parents gave it to you.” The sentimental value was huge.

  Luther shook his head and slowly raised the cover. “Don’t you understand that everything I have is yours?”