The Dragon's Secret Bride

by Jasmine Wylder

  Eirrick dropped Jyah's body. The priest lay utterly still as the dragon stumbled over him, towards Brighid. She couldn't get past her knees and crawled towards her dragon. When they met each other they collapsed together. Eirrick was still in his beast's form and Brighid draped herself over his head, holding him tightly. He felt cold. His eyes were starting to glaze over.

  "Stay with me," she whispered. "We're free now. You and me." She kissed his scaly head. "I love you. I love, stay with me."

  He shifted in her arms, slowly melting back into a man's form. Cold sweat covered his body but he gingerly wrapped himself into her arms and pressed a shaky kiss to her. "I love you, too."

  Chapter Ten

  Eirrick

  Laughter filled the feasting hall. All around, his brothers and the women paired off, chatting and playing and in many cases slipping away. The aroma of meat and spice enticed him to continue eating, even though his stomach felt overly stretched out already. He still wasn't fully recovered from the poison arrow he had been shot with and it was best not to push it until he was.

  It was the first feast that Mother had been able to rejoin them. Though they had been terrifyingly close to losing her, she was well on the path to recovery. Her natural healing abilities as a dragon combined with their technology meant that they didn't have to worry about her any longer. Everybody was happy about it and none more so than Lorro. Mother had forgiven him for his stupidity and the girl who had betrayed them was found to have a sister in the College that Jyah had threatened. She had been removed from the harem, just as Lorro was removed from the command staff. Both of them were working to be reinstated in their positions but it wasn't going to be easy.

  Mother now sat among the new women that had joined them after they had been freed from the College. They were nervous and shy just like Brighid had been at first but Mother had welcomed them into the fold and they were starting to understand their freedoms. There were even a few priests that had come on board. All of them had been men who begged to be allowed to stay with their wives and their wives begging for their husbands to join them. It was an odd situation for all of them but they were slowly adjusting.

  Eirrick glanced at Brighid and smiled at her. She beamed back at him as she bit into a roasted wing, the grease dripping down her chin. He wanted to let it run all the way to her chest before licking it off but for now, public displays were being discouraged. At least, displays as charged as licking her chest would be.

  He leaned in and licked at her neck, which made her giggle and wipe her chin. Things were going to have to get back to normal soon. How were their new members meant to get comfortable with the openly sexual natures of dragons if they hid it from them? Although, it seemed as though some of the girls were getting quite comfortable with it.

  "It seems we will have a population boom soon," he whispered in Brighid's ear, nodding as half a dozen of the College girls slipped off with the younger warriors. He smiled proudly. Their small clan needed to grow. "We'll have to start looking for a bigger ship soon."

  "A new ship," Brighid murmured. "That might be very nice. Especially since this one is so old and outdated."

  She tossed her meat back to her plate and stood, holding her hand to him. He took it and she tugged him from the room. As soon as they stepped into the hall she pressed herself against him, kissing him fiercely. Eirrick grasped her ass and pulled her tight, grinding at her through their clothes. Brighid gasped and gave a little shudder that had him stiffening. Without wasting a moment of time, he picked her up over his shoulder and raced for their rooms. Brighid giggled wildly.

  As soon as they were alone, Eirrick pressed her against the wall and began to work at the ties on her dress. Brighid ripped at his pants, moaning.

  "I love you," she gasped out.

  "I love you, too."

  Eirrick slowed himself, turning his touch to be gentle rather than demanding. His beautiful wife always needed the tenderness he gave her. After a lifetime of thinking that he was going to be handed off to someone who could do what he wanted with impunity, it was an adjustment for her to speak to her own desires, even now.

  "I belong to you." He cupped her face in his hands. "You know that, right? I am yours and I love you."

  She kissed his palm. "I know."

  "You're so beautiful. So brave." He brushed his mouth against hers again. "I am so lucky that you came into my life."

  Brighid giggled. "You mean lucky that you decided to buy me from the auction."

  Eirrick grimaced. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

  "No. But you're right. Not about you being lucky, I'm the lucky one. About you said at the feast. The population boom. We are going to have a population boom." She giggled again and Eirrick had to laugh with her. She was acting as though she had drunk too much wine but he hadn't seen her drink any wine at the feast. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her drink wine in a few days now. Brighid took his hand and pressed it to her stomach. "And we're leading the new generation."

  Eirrick's breath caught in his throat. A smile blossomed on his face and he laughed out loud, unable to contain his happiness. He wrapped both arms around Brighid and swung her in a circle. When he set her down, he dropped to his knees and pressed a gentle kiss to her stomach. Brighid smiled down at him, running her fingers through his hair.

  "I'm glad you're happy," she whispered. "After everything that has happened, we haven't been able to establish a normal and—"

  "Normal is overrated." He got back to his feet and beamed at her. "There is nothing that could make me happier than this, Brighid. My love. Our child will be strong and mighty, a great warrior."

  She rolled her eyes. "And what if we have a girl?"

  "Then she will be strong, mighty and a great warrior."

  "Oh, really?"

  Eirrick picked up Brighid and carried her to their bed. "Really. Because all of our children will be strong and mighty. And they will be beautiful like their mother. I hope they all have your dark hair and your eyes. I love you and I want our children to look like you." He laid her on the bed and draped himself over her. "I love you."

  Brighid held out her arms, showing him without words how much she loved him too. Eirrick happily drowned in her embrace, rejoicing internally as he considered the years of life and love they had ahead of them.

  *****

  THE END

  Paranormal Shifter Romance

  Mated to the Wolf

  Description

  Beauty, brains, and a killer instinct; What more could I ask for in a woman?

  Doris Davis was just supposed to interview me for a story. I was fairly used to it since I became a star baseball player. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but it sure is fun; especially when it’s totally true.

  But from the moment I saw her I realized that there was something different about Doris. It was more than her killer wit, her beautiful face, or her amazing BBW curves. She was a wolf, just like me.

  No wonder I’m drawn to her so deeply… I need her, I must be with her. I’ve never felt this way. I’m in love with her.

  And she desperately needs my help, because there is an evil force after her who wants us both dead.

  Time to howl…

  Chapter One

  Rob Thompson was ready.

  He took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline pouring through his body, as he got ready for whatever Greg Nelson had for him. Rob did his best to shut out the roar of the screaming fans in the packed stadium. They were all there to see the Diamondbacks win this game and move forward to the playoffs. They would not be let down if he had anything to say about it, that was for sure.

  He felt like he’d been preparing for this moment all his life. Since he was a child playing little league he’d dreamt of the time when he would be on the major-league field with a crowd full of adoring fans behind him, waiting for him to make the clutch play that would send his team to the highest reaches of stardom, and he along with them.

&n
bsp; Now he’d finally made it. He was a major league baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks; he was a star. He briefly replayed it all in his mind, the endless hours growing up practicing, leading his high school to their first state championship two years in a row, and then leading his college team to league champions. After his second year of playing college ball, he had been handpicked to walk on to a major league baseball field.

  The fans were hesitant at first, but with his bat, his swift speed, and his uncanny athleticism he’d taken the team by storm and showed the world he was a force to be reckoned with. And it was even better than he thought it would be. He loved being a star. The fame, the adulation, the money, the perks, the parties, and the women. Oh, most of all, the women. Ever since he’d lost his virginity at a young age he had been all consumed by his desire for women. It was almost as strong as his love for baseball.

  But he couldn’t say he had ever come close to being in love. Rob was not a one woman kind of man. He didn’t lie to women, but most of them automatically assumed that he cared more for them than he really did. Sex did not equate to commitment in his mind; it was just a physical good time. A lot of women did not understand that, and they were hurt by it. That was never his intention though. He was just a man who loved to experiment and chase new experiences.

  And, of course, he had a secret. The secret was something he could never let anyone get close to; it would have put them in mortal danger if he did. And if it was ever exposed to the world who he really was—what he really was—then his entire life would be over. Everything he’d worked and strived so hard for would be gone.

  No, he could not let anyone get that close to him.

  But he couldn’t think about that now. He had to focus, had to concentrate. This was crunch time. It was like something out of a twelve year old boy’s fantasy, but it was real this time; it was here and it was happening now. It all seemed like slow motion as Rob watched it unfold.

  The Diamondbacks had a one run lead. It was the top of the ninth, one out, runners at second and third bases. A base hit could score two runs and lose the lead. Or even a long fly ball would tie the game. Rob gritted his teeth. No matter what, he would not let that happen.

  Andy Garvey released the pitch. It was a hard, fast ball but too much down the center; that was the wrong pitch to give Greg to hit. He swung the bat hard and connected, getting all of the ball. It was a hard line drive. It was fast, and deep. It was going over the fence. Rob’s mind made several decisions in a nanosecond. He knew that he was not going to be able to do this… as a human. Without any conscious thought, he felt the wolf emerging just slightly. He could not change, not here. It was always a slippery slope, a fine line when he tapped into the wolf’s essence to give himself the slight edge that he needed in crucial situations; and sometimes he was not able to hold it back. He had to maintain control this time.

  He felt his body getting hotter, the anger and rage of the beast welling within him, a slight growl escaped his lips bellowing up from his throat and chest. His body felt lighter than air suddenly, the strength of a God surging through him as his legs moved at the speed of an Olympic sprinter moving at top speed.

  He managed to cover the distance to the wall running as fast as he could. The ball was there, sailing over the top of the fence. Rob jumped as high as he could and stretched his long six foot three inch body out as far as it would stretch, his glove held out above him.

  It was going to be close…

  The ball landed in his glove about two feet above the top of the wall. It should have been a home run. The game should have been over. The Diamondbacks should have lost, but Rob had done it. He’d saved the score. But it wasn’t over yet.

  The runner had tagged at third base just in case, but he was going for it now running as hard as he could, sprinting toward home plate. It was four hundred feet from the wall where Rob was now landing hard on his feet, to home plate. There was no way that any normal man could make that throw in time, but Rob was not going to back down now; he had to go for it.

  Rob stepped, aimed, and threw as hard as he could, once again tapping into the essence of the wolf. A loud roar escaped his throat; no one could hear over the roar of the crowd though. The ball sailed through the air picking up speed traveling at well over a hundred miles per hour in a straight line flying over the heads of the cut off men who were waving their arms at him trying to assist in the Hail Mary futile long shot.

  The ball hit the catcher’s glove; he spun and swept the ground with it right in front of the runner’s legs, tagging him out before he touched the plate.

  “Out!” The umpire screamed. “That’s the ballgame!”

  He’d done it. He had just won the game for his team. Everything was moving in a daze as if everyone was in stop motion animation. His fellow players were all jumping on each other, hugging and slapping high fives. Fans were starting to rush the field as security did their best to hold them back.

  Rob was softly jogging back towards the infield. He did it mostly to avoid the rabid fans that were coming onto the field and to give himself a few seconds to get away from his fellow teammates who wanted to congratulate him. He wanted the praise; he lived for it sometimes, but he could feel the wolf roaring inside of him. It wanted to be let loose. For a few moments, he felt that he might have used too much power to now be able to shut it down and revert back to his normal self.

  If he started to change he would have to duck into the dugout and run into the locker room to hop in the cool shower. That always helped cool him down and get him under control. He just had to maintain though; he didn’t want to waste this opportunity. He had worked for this very thing his whole life. His team was now going to the playoffs. If they won, they would be headed to the World Series.

  “Man that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Dan Richards, their center fielder said giving Rob a big slap on the back. “That arm of yours is a nuclear weapon! We did it baby!” He said jumping on to Rob’s shoulders for a short ride before hopping down and running toward the infield.

  Rob had to smile; Dan was a hilarious guy. He was one of the veterans on the field and everyone admired him; he was a great ball player and a nice guy. Rob was happy to call him a friend.

  The heat wave of excitement was beginning to simmer down inside of him as he joined his team on the infield and began to endure and give out high fives, hugs, stupid jokes, and sentiments. The beer was already flowing as the team began tossing back cans and pouring half of it on each other. It was as if winning a game suddenly turned them all into college frat guys at a toga party.

  Rob took a few deep breaths, feeling the cold sweat all over his body. He felt tired now, as he always did after using his wolf to gain an edge, or the certain times when he did lose control and fully wolfed out. There was something about it that left him tired and drained for several seconds.

  Someone handed him a beer and he quickly tossed it back, feeling the cold liquid slide down his throat. It was actually a great way to tame the beast and stuff it back into its cage; alcohol was a nice depressant that occasionally did wonders for him when he was out of control. And what he needed now was to relax.

  The next twenty minutes was almost a blur. Rob was suddenly surrounded by a slew of reporters who were trying to get the scoop and ask him the same question twenty times. He thought about answering and giving them what they wanted, but he figured that there would be plenty of time for that. Besides, he didn’t like to lay it all out on the table; it was better to remain a bit mysterious.

  Thus was the total conflict of the man. He loved the adulation, the glory, and the attention for his athletic prowess, even when he did get some extra help; but at the same time he did not like to expose himself to people. A lot of it had to do with being born a shifter; when you were born into that you had to be careful of everything that came out of your mouth, of what you presented to people. It was like being onstage all the time, even when you were in the background and no one was looking your
way.

  The shower felt heavenly. He stood under the hot water, letting the steam wash over him, erasing the dirt and the sweat from his skin. Rob held his head under the water, staring downward as the water just rushed by his face, his eyes. He felt his whole body starting to calm down. He was exhausted and just wanted to go home and sleep; but he figured that the guys would expect him to go out partying with them afterwards. They had to celebrate after all.

  There would be booze, which was good. And there would be women, which was great. And just maybe he would find a few curvy, voluptuous women for that night.

  Rob had always had a thing for bigger women. He loved the softness, the curves, the big hips, thighs, ass, and the large, round breasts. He’d always been overtly attracted to that specific type of woman. His friends had occasionally ragged on it, especially when he would turn down a thin supermodel type at a party and go flirt with her chubbier friend. It was always hilarious to see the shock and disappointment on the thin girl’s face. But he liked what he liked and he had never apologized for it.

  A lot of men were just not as enlightened as he was.

  “So, you are going out with us tonight, I take it?” Dan asked as Rob was getting dressed after his shower.

  “Ha! You know it,” Rob said. “Where is the party happening tonight?”

  “McGee’s. They have everything all ready for us; the owner said he has hand selected a lot of the prettiest ladies who frequent that place on a regular basis for us.”

  Rob smiled. The idea sounded interesting, but he hated that some low life bar owner had rounded up a group of women who would mostly be drunk by the time they got there for some easy bedroom action. Rob loved women and loved casual sex, but he loved the thrill of the chase and he was actually pretty picky about who he ended up in bed with. It was not satisfying to him to sleep with a woman who was only physically attractive and had nothing else to offer. No, Rob had to like the woman; he had to have a connection with her. She had to be bright, funny, interesting—someone he could just hang with without being physically intimate. He’d often thought that this was confusing to women and that is why they began to get the wrong idea about him and what he was really after. It was not his intention to mislead them though; he just had high standards and enjoyed being friends with the women he shared his bed with. But he did not want to be tied down, and with the secret he carried with him— it was safer for everybody if he never allowed a woman to know him to that extent.