The tension had broken in the air it seemed and the air went still. Her body protested when he slipped out of her and rolled beside her, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to take his weight for too long. His seed, sticky and warm, still coated her thighs and while it seemed like the polite thing to do was get cleaned up, she didn’t really care. Plus, they didn’t really think about protection or anything so it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered right now except she and Aleksei were truly mates.
She moved up beside him, crawling against his side as his arm came around her to pull her close. She snuggled up to his chest, enjoying the warmth of his skin as she closed her eyes.
Sybil wasn’t sure how long they were out. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. Her mind was clouded from sleepiness. At least it was, until she felt a warm hand move under her rib cage to cup her breast.
Hmmm … that feels good. But I do wish he would play with my nipples. His thumb and forefinger rolled her nipple, teasing it to hardness.
She moaned. I wonder how it would feel if he pinched it? She never understood why some girls liked that. She wasn’t into pain or anything but—
Oh wow. “Unngghh …” She couldn’t help herself. That pinch felt really good. It sent a zing of pleasure right to her core and she felt herself get wet. A finger or two down there would feel good too.
“Jesus!” She nearly jolted out of bed when his finger slipped inside her. His thumb found her clit too, and began to stroke it. “Oh! Aleksei, yes.”
Do you like that, lyubimaya moya?
Sybil froze. She was pretty sure she could feel his lips sucking at her neck, but she heard his voice. No, wait; his voice echoed in her head.
She pulled away from him and turned around. “Did you say that?”
He frowned. “Say what?”
“You … you asked me if I liked it … but in my head.”
He cocked his head. Like this?
“Oh my God!” She scrambled away from him, gathering the sheets around her. “Ohmigodohmigodohmigod.” This couldn’t be happening. Can’t be happening.
Ah, but it is. Aleksei raised a brow at her.
“You’re really doing it!” she exclaimed.
“You can too,” he said. “Try it.”
Sybil took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Like this? Oh my God, I’m doing it! I’m doing it, aren’t I?
He chuckled. “Yes, you are.”
Her heart stopped. What the heck was going on?
“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, slowly crawling toward her. “You are truly my mate now. Thus, you can talk to me through our mental link.”
“I … it’s all so …” She sank against him as he gathered her into his arms. “I—”
“Your Highness!”
They’d been so wrapped up in their discovery that apparently, they didn’t hear the door slam open. Thoralf, Gideon, and Niklas barged in, dressed in some type of armor.
“Your Highness! We have news! The—” Thoralf’s eyes darted over to Sybil and stopped short.
Holy fucking shit, Aleksei, hang a sock on the door or something next time.
Don’t talk to the prince that way, Niklas, Gideon chided.
“Shush!” Sybil covered her ears. “Stop. Please.”
“Sybil?” Aleksei asked, looking down at her. “What’s wrong.”
“Too … loud. You’re all too loud.”
What does she mean, too loud? Thoralf asked.
“That’s what I mean,” Sybil cried. Poop! I can hear them which means they can hear me! Oh God, don’t think about anything, Sybil. Don’t think about that time Aleksei went down on you in the pool or how amazing the sex was or—
“And we’re the loud ones?” Niklas said, wincing visibly. “If you’re going to start mind speaking, you’ll have to learn to stop shouting. And talking about how you and the prince did the nasty. None of us need to know the details.” He suddenly smiled. “Though it’s nice to know you’re finally coming out of that infernal slump you’ve been on, Aleksei.”
“You really can hear us, my lady?” Thoralf asked.
“Yes.”
“We are truly mates,” Aleksei said proudly. “Sybil and I have completed the mating bond.”
“My lady,” Thoralf gave a deep bow. “Or should it be, Your Highness?”
“Technically, you call her that after they get married,” Gideon said.
“Regardless,” Thoralf began. “As mate to our Crown Prince, the Dragon Guard are in your service. We are pledged to protect you with our very lives.”
“Hell, I’m grateful you’ve finally put that nice bed to use,” Niklas said dryly. I thought your dick would shrivel up and wither off. I even tried to help you a couple of times by sneaking all those women in here— “Oh shit, she heard that, right?”
“She most certainly did.” Sybil’s eyes narrowed into razor-thin slits at Aleksei.
Aleksei put his hands up. “I swear, I had Thoralf take those women home as soon as I found them.”
“We are definitely changing that mattress after we get married,” she huffed.
“So, are you saying yes?” Aleksei teased.
“Wait, are you asking? I don’t think I heard you ask,” she countered.
“Well then—”
“Ahem.” Thoralf’s face changed into a mask of seriousness. “Your Highness, I really must have your attention. Things have escalated and we need you.”
“Of course.” He looked down at Sybil, who was still clinging to him. “Let’s chat outside. We need to get ready.”
The three men bowed and quickly left the room.
“I hope they don’t do that all the time,” Sybil said wryly. “I plan to be naked a lot in this room.”
The rumble from his chest sounded half aroused and half-annoyed. “They’ll have to start knocking then.” He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then slipped out of bed and put his pants on. “When you’re dressed and ready, meet me outside the door.”
“Of course.” Sybil quickly gathered her own discarded clothing and slipped them on, then tried to put some semblance of order to her hair by combing her fingers through it. Not that it mattered, she thought with a sigh. It was obvious to everyone what had happened between her and Aleksei. And apparently, she could broadcast it to everyone mentally too.
Giving up on her hair, she went to the door and slipped out into the hallway, where the four men were already deep in conversation.
“And you’re certain?” Aleksei asked.
“One of the scouts you sent ahead reported back. He couldn’t get too close without being detected but he says a big mass of ships is headed this way.”
Aleksei let out what must have been a curse in his language. “All right, let’s head to the war room.” He turned to Gideon. “I must ask you again for the most important task of all. You must keep my mate and our future queen safe. The Wand is still out there, somewhere here in the Northern Isles and I’m positive that once The Knights have begun their attack, the wielder will be emboldened enough to come out of hiding and try to use it.”
“Of course, Your—”
“Hold on, just a minute.” Sybil raised her hand. “I’m not going anywhere with him. I’ll be headed to this war room with you.”
“The war room?” Aleksei asked. “You will do no such thing.”
“Of course, I will. I’m your future queen, right? Then I need to do my part to protect the Northern Isles too. You need me.”
The silence that met her was deafening. Aleksei’s face was impassive, but the tension showed in his body. He said a few words in Nordgensprak to the three men, who all bowed then pivoted on their heels, and disappeared down the hallway.
“Aleksei,” she began. “You can’t mean to lock me away again. Not after last night.” She planted her hands on her hips, as if daring him.
“You do not understand.” His mood seemed to darken. “Unless I show you.”
“Show me what? Aleksei, if The Knights are
coming, we don’t have time for this.”
“Please, Sybil. Will you just let me show you this one thing?” His face was completely serious.
She took a deep, calming breath. “Fine. But I doubt it will change my mind.”
“We will see.”
He led her away toward another part of the castle. Sybil hadn’t really been to many places in here, so she was curious as to where they were going. It seemed to take forever, getting lost in more corridors and hallways. When they reached the end of a long stone corridor, they went down a winding set of stone steps.
“Huh.” Sybil’s brows knitted together. There was a metal door at the bottom. Aleksei placed his hand on a rock and pushed it aside, revealing a hidden number pad. He punched in a few numbers and the metal door slid open. “What is this place?”
Aleksei remained silent, but led her down the hallway. It looked just like the rest of the castle, plush and richly-appointed, with wood panel walls and carpeting, though the interiors were done in a more feminine style. What the hell was going on?
They stopped at one of the doors. “Willa,” Aleksei called as he knocked softly. “Willa, it’s me. Aleksei.”
The door opened slowly, and Sybil’s curiosity grew even bigger. A young woman peeked out, her light blue eyes widening as she saw Sybil. “Who is this? Aleksei, I told you, I don’t ever want visitors.”
“I wanted Sybil to meet you.”
“Sybil?” Willa’s expression grew suspicious. “Sybil … Lennox?”
How did this woman know her? “Have we met?”
“I—no!” Her face twisted into anger. “How could you?” she railed at Aleksei. “Of all the people in the world, why her? Why did you bring her here?” She tried to claw at Aleksei, and while Sybil’s dragon howled in anger, he was able to grab her hands to subdue her.
“I’m sorry, Willa, I really am. But you are a guest here, remember that.”
Willa wrenched away from him. “I never wanted to be here! I told you what I wanted, but all you Dragon Alphas somehow get to decide my fate because my entire clan is gone.” She sobbed into her hands.
“Aleksei, what the hell is going on?” Sybil’s anger was bubbling to the surface. “Why do you have this woman imprisoned here?”
“This is not a prison,” Aleksei said. “But she’s here for her own protection. She may leave anytime she likes, but she knows the one thing we can’t allow her to do.”
“One thing? I—” Wait a minute. This woman knew who she was. And she said her entire clan was gone. A dreaded feeling crept into her stomach, but Sybil knew she had to confirm it herself.
Carefully, she approached the other woman. With the gentlest touch she could manage, she took Willa’s hand away from her face. “Willa, please look at me.”
The young woman raised her head, then stared up at Sybil defiantly. “Go ahead. You know what I was.”
The coldness that began to seep in her veins was practically Arctic. It was Willa’s eyes—hollow and lifeless, like there had been something there but now was gone—that gave it away.
“You’re a dragon.” Another female dragon.
“Was,” she said, her voice choking. “Was a dragon. But then The Knights attacked and stole The Wand, then killed every last one of us Ice Dragons. They came to us, in the middle of the night and they used The Wand on all of us. It was chaotic and so they didn’t see I was still breathing.”
“We found Willa, huddled under … the others,” Aleksei said. He sounded like he too, wanted to sob.
Sybil couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“I hope you didn’t come here to throw me a pity party,” Willa said bitterly. “This is why I’m here. I don’t want anyone to look at me the way you’re looking at me now. Especially you. Sybil Lennox. Daughter of Henry Lennox of the Blackstone Dragons. Oh yes, I know about you; how could I not? Even in my clan, I was the only female, also the daughter to the alpha. I thought that maybe, someday, if I ever left that godforsaken place we called home, I could have met you.”
“I’m sorry, really, I am.” Oh God, she was making this worse. “Aleksei, I—Aleksei?”
But he was gone. Where did he go?
“That bastard!” Sybil ran toward the exit as fast as she could, but it was too late. As the door slid into place, the last thing she saw was Aleksei’s somber expression.
“Asshole!” she screamed at the door. She banged her fists at the metal, screaming bloody murder, but Aleksei was long gone by now. She’d been outsmarted again; sure, he wanted her to understand why he didn’t want The Knights to use The Wand on her, but also to trap her here. “That’s what you think, Prince Jerkface.” She would find a way out of here.
She walked back toward Willa, who was standing by the doorway. “What did he mean that you’re not a prisoner here? You can walk out anytime?”
“Yes.”
“So, there’s another exit?”
“Yes.”
“Then show me.”
“No.”
Sybil gritted her teeth in annoyance. “Why not?”
Willa crossed her arms under her breasts. “I’ll tell you on one condition.”
“What is that?”
“That you help me get what I want. What the alphas are denying me.”
“And what is that? Do you need money? A place to stay?” Sybil asked. “I’m sure we can put you up in Blackstone.”
“No.” Willa’s voice shook. “When they found me and I realized that my dragon truly was gone, I begged them to just leave me alone. To let me end my life and join the rest of my clan. That’s when they took me here. So,” she straightened her shoulders. “Once I show you the other exit and you shift into your dragon form, you have to burn me with your dragon fire.”
“No!” Sybil said. Her skin crawled at the horrifying thought.
“Please!” Willa begged, getting down on her knees and wrapping her arms around Sybil’s legs. “I can’t live like this. You don’t know what it’s like, walking around feeling like an empty husk all the time. Aleksei is having me monitored 24/7 with this special chip he implanted on my body. If I even try to cut myself or take any pills, it alerts the hospital.” She stared up at her with those cold, empty eyes. “I beg you, Sybil. Your dragon fire could kill me in an instant. I just need release from this pain.”
“No, Willa, I will not!” Sybil grabbed the other woman and hauled her to her feet. “I swear to you, once this is all over, I’ll help you. We’ll find a way to get your dragon back. But you have to help me now.”
“No!” Willa pulled away from her. “You can watch Aleksei and everyone else suffer, knowing you could have helped them, had you given me what I wanted.”
Sybil really did pity this poor, bitter woman, but she understood. “I don’t treat life so cheaply,” she said. “And my dragon fire—” She stopped. “Holy moly, I’m an idiot.” She slapped her hand over her forehead. Did Aleksei really think he could keep her trapped here? Rolling up her sleeves, she turned to Willa. “Look, I’m sorry.”
“Do not be sorry for my situation,” Willa answered coldly.
Sybil felt the burning flame building within her, and her skin began to turn into scales. “No, I mean, I’m sorry for what I’m about to do. This really is a nice place. Hope you weren’t too attached to it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Aleksei had always known that one day he would be called upon to lead his people, but just not this soon nor in such a situation. As he stood high above the Cliffs of Skruor and stared into the ocean, he contemplated what was about to happen.
“We will prevail, Your Highness,” Thoralf said as he came up behind Aleksei. “Even with their forces, they will be no match against the Dragon Guard and the Great Dragon Navy.”
“Our scouts haven’t seen any other ships?” Once they knew they were coming, Aleksei gave them the go-ahead to reconnoiter closer to their enemy. The scouts had said they had about forty ships arme
d with weapons approaching the Northern Isles.
“None. They said that there were no others for miles and miles.” Thoralf scratched his thick golden beard. “Seems like a suicide mission. It sounds like their ships outnumber us two to one, but considering the size of one dragon shifter, we would certainly crush them, especially since the wielder of The Wand is still hiding out somewhere on the island and they don’t have a guarantee he’ll make it out here in time.”
“Which is what worries me.” Indeed, Erik must have told them how many Water Dragons lived on the island. Unless … could Erik have lied, to give them a disadvantage? Aleksei shook his head. No.
His cousin had clearly betrayed them, for his own personal gain. Niklas had easily found Erik at home in his estate just outside Odelia. He was obviously confident that the plan to assassinate the king would go smoothly and no one would be the wiser to his betrayal, which is why he wasn’t even trying to hide. It had been easy to knock him out and bring him back to the palace, Niklas had said, as he had been busy with his mistress when the Dragon Guard burst into his room.
Once Erik had woken up in the dungeon and realized that King Harald was alive and the would-be assassins gave him up, the young prince had confessed. The leader of The Knights, Lord Harken, had promised Erik that once King Harald and Aleksei died and Erik became king, he would leave the Northern Isles alone as long as they pledged fealty to The Knights.
“You’re a fool, Erik,” he had said to his disgraced cousin. “You know they hate us all; they would have killed you and every single one of our people.”
Aleksei would have to decide Erik’s fate another time. The Knights were approaching, and they had to get ready for the attack.
“Is everyone in position?” Aleksei asked.
“Yes,” Thoralf said. “And as you said, all the civilians are safe in the underground shelters. We did have a good amount of volunteers, but we have them in reserve and protecting the shelters. Jarl Solveigson also offered his city estate as an emergency evacuation center and hospital, if necessary.”
The Blackstone She-Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 8 Page 18
