When they finally reached the Snow Tree village, she’d have to ensure he covered up—he was for her eyes only, not for all the other females that would be around. But for now…
Leyloni squeezed her thighs together. It didn’t matter how many times they’d mated, she wanted him. She always wanted him. And simply looking upon him and his exotic beauty, his otherworldliness, fanned a flame within her that could never be extinguished.
Arysteon stood, breaking Leyloni out of her reverie. He offered a smile to Serek and a heated, lingering gaze to Leyloni that had her sex clenching and her nipples tightening, his violet eyes telling her that he knew exactly where her thoughts had wandered. “I will return presently.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“We will need more fuel for the fire. I will not have my mate and youngling shivering with cold. And if there is easily obtained food nearby, we could do with something fresh.”
“Is there not enough wood here?”
He frowned. “There is not. I must search outside this glade to find what we need if we mean to keep the fire burning through the night.”
As thoroughly as this rain had soaked Leyloni, Serek, and Arysteon, she knew it had done the same to most everything on the forest floor. He’d have to find places where the foliage was especially thick and hope for adequate kindling in its shelter. Of course, that necessitated leaving the glade.
But Leyloni didn’t like the thought of Arysteon leaving her sight. It was an irrational fear; he was a dragon, he was powerful and fierce, stronger than any human male. And it wasn’t as though he were about to depart on a days-long hunting trek.
She knew her trepidation had to do with the attack by the river, with the persistent sense that she was only prey, that these woods had become unfathomably more dangerous than they’d been a week ago. And she still hadn’t quite shaken the horrible feeling that had struck her when she’d thought Serek and Arysteon had been lost to her thanks to the Bone Wraiths.
Arysteon sank into a crouch and extended an arm, gently cupping her cheek in his palm. The heat in his eyes softened to something warm and soothing rather than blistering and consuming. “I will not be far, and I will make all possible haste. You need not fear, Leyloni.”
Serek reached up and placed his purple-stained hand on Leyloni’s other cheek, mimicking Arysteon.
Leyloni laughed and caught the baby’s hand, guiding it away. She was sure he’d left a handprint on her cheek. Her gaze met Arysteon’s. “It is still so strange that you know what I am feeling.”
“If I did not feel it here”—he touched his free hand to his chest—“I would see it here.” His thumb slid up, caressing just beneath her eye.
Heart quickening, she turned her face to press a kiss to his fingers. Her lips stretched into a grin. “Come back to us. Do not let the bunnies sneak up on you.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “You had best remain vigilant as well, little human. Keep your spear close at hand lest one of those bunnies mistakes you for easy prey.”
Serek scrunched his face and growled.
Leyloni laughed. “I think Serek will protect me just fine.”
Arysteon chuckled and withdrew his hand from Leyloni’s face. He ruffled Serek’s hair before standing up again. “Guard her well, tiny dragon.”
Leyloni watched as Arysteon—with one last glance at her—finally turned and walked away. His tail swayed slowly behind him, and his muscles rippled beneath his scales, which had more hints of purple and blue than normal in the gloom. Within a few heartbeats, he had disappeared into the undergrowth, any sounds of his passage silenced by the rainfall.
It was still a strange thing to have a male provide for her. Her father had contributed, yes, but otherwise it was the women in the tribe who had handled all the necessities—food, clothing, weaponry, building and maintaining the huts. All the ropes had been braided by female fingers, all the wood had been shaped by tools in female hands. Leyloni’s father had proven men were more than capable of such work, but males were far too valuable to put at risk, especially when even a simple accident could result in crippling illness or death.
Arysteon returned not long after leaving, having found not only plenty of dry fuel for the fire but also a few small critters, which he’d already skinned.
Once their bellies were full, Leyloni sat huddled against Arysteon, listening to and watching the rain as Serek roamed, playing with whatever he could get his hands on. Each time he crawled too far, Arysteon would wind his tail around the baby and pull him back, making Serek erupt into giggles.
When the evening sank into night and darkness descended upon the glade, Leyloni caught Serek and pulled him onto her lap, cocooning him in his blanket. Rather than fight, he turned his face against her and rested his hand on her chest. Her heartbeat seemed to soothe him, and he’d sought it often, especially when he was tired. Leyloni’s chest swelled with love every time he did so.
Leyloni stroked the top of Serek’s head and looked at Arysteon. Now, the tightness in her chest was from a touch of uncertainty. “We have not spoken of this directly, Arysteon, but…when we reach the Snow Trees, it was always my intent to live with them. To become a part of their tribe. It is what would be best for Serek. He…is my son now, and I will not leave him.”
Arysteon nodded and smoothed his hand down her arm, his palm rasping over the blanket covering her. He held her a little closer. “I had assumed as much, and I agree. It will be best.”
“But I have not asked you, Arysteon. Is it best for you? Are you willing to live amongst humans? Could you…could you be happy there?”
He turned his head and pressed his lips to her forehead, letting them linger as he inhaled. “I will be happy so long as I am with you and Serek, my heartsong. If you wish to stay with that tribe, if that is what you believe is right and will make you happy, I will stay with them. They will become part of my clan, and I will protect them. Should you wish instead to move on, I will walk anywhere in the world at your side without complaint. You are mine, and you are all I need for my happiness.”
She closed her eyes against the sudden sting of tears, allowing her head to fall against his chest. If it were not for Serek, Leyloni might have been content to remain out here in the wilderness with Arysteon. She might have been content to live simply, quietly, and peacefully, perhaps right in this spot. But at the same time…she missed having her tribe sisters around. Even though she’d been quiet and withdrawn, she’d always taken comfort in being surrounded by people, had taken satisfaction in working hard to do her part, had enjoyed the celebrations, stories, singing, and dancing. She had loved being part of something so much larger than herself.
She knew it would never be the same with another tribe, but if there was even a taste of it…was it wrong to want Arysteon and that sense of community at the same time? To have him and Serek to share those joys with?
“Does it…sadden you that I am not a dragon?” she asked quietly.
His chest rumbled. “I have known sorrow aplenty through my years. At times more of it than I thought I could bear. But regarding you, Leyloni, I have only one reason for sadness.”
Leyloni worried her lower lip. She did not want to ask him to elaborate, but the question came out anyway. “What is it?”
His fingers, so strong and firm and yet so gentle, caught her chin, and he tilted her face toward his. His violet eyes locked with hers, burning with passion, with desire, with love. “That I had to wait so long before finding you. The love I have for you, my heartsong, is greater than anything I could have imagined. I do not care whether you are dragon or human, only that you are mine.”
Leyloni’s breath hitched, and her heart fluttered. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and pressed her mouth to his. The spark inside her surged stronger than ever, sending tingling thrills throughout her body that made every bit of it sensitive and desperate for his touch.
Arysteon growled, slid his hand to the back of h
er head, and took over the kiss. He claimed her lips with a hunger that belied his outward calm, showing her just how much he was restraining himself. That strange, long, forked tongue of his twined with hers, and Leyloni’s sex clenched at the memory of what it had felt like as it had toyed with her pleasure bud—of what it had felt like deep inside her.
“Arysteon,” Leyloni rasped against his mouth.
He shuddered. “I smell your need, my heartsong.” He withdrew, breaking the kiss, and eased his grip on her hair. His lips were drawn back, sharp teeth clenched. He appeared as though he were in pain.
Leyloni’s eyes dipped to his groin. Since the comet had first appeared in the sky days ago, Arysteon had been in a constant state of arousal, his cock often extruded, swollen, and ready to mate. Now, it was pulsing and seeping seed, as though the faintest touch would make him spill.
She turned her attention to Serek. He was fast asleep.
Without her having to ask, Arysteon was already dragging one of the bags closer and pulling out a couple more blankets to make a nest near the fire. Once he was done, he took Serek from Leyloni and gently laid the baby in the nest, covering Serek up and smoothing back his dark hair.
Leyloni couldn’t wait any longer. She ached for him; she ached for his touch, ached to feel his cock filling that empty place inside her, ached to feel his powerful thrusts as they lost themselves in passion.
As soon as Arysteon settled down next to her, she climbed upon his lap, straddling him, and let the blanket fall away from her shoulders, exposing her naked body.
One corner of Arysteon’s mouth tipped up in an appreciative but seductive smile, and his tongue slipped out briefly to slide along his lips. He lifted a hand, touching the curls that hung over her chest, and trailed the back of a claw over her nipple. “Ah, my beautiful heartsong.”
Skin flushing, she pressed her palms to his shoulders and urged him to lie back. He went willingly, dropping his hands to her thighs.
Leyloni’s eyes roamed over him as she smoothed her hands down his chest and abdomen, relishing the feel of the firm muscle and scales beneath her palms. His cock pulsed, glistening with his secretions and the seed it continued to leak. Her mouth watered for his honeyed taste, but her body longed for him to fill her more.
When her hand reached his groin, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. Arysteon grunted, tensing beneath her.
“Leyloni,” he hissed through his teeth, fingers flexing. The press of his claws against her flesh sent tingles throughout her body.
Seeing him like this, having him grant her this power over him—even if only for a short while—flooded Leyloni with heat. She would take advantage of it while she could. It was only a matter of time before he took control, before the Heat became too much for him to withstand and he rutted her like a savage beast.
And she’d enjoy every single moment of it.
Leyloni met his gaze. “I, Leyloni, daughter of Sahara and Havil, claim you, Arysteon, as my husband and lifemate.” She stroked her hand downward to grasp his shaft at its base, lifting herself so his tip nudged the entrance of her sex. “You are mine to provide for, mine to fight for, mine to care for for as long as there is breath in my body and my heart beats.”
Slowly, she lowered herself, and her breath hitched as his cock pressed into her, stretching her, its ridges dragging along her sensitive inner flesh until she was utterly full of him. Leyloni moaned once she was firmly seated upon him and bore down further, needing him deeper still.
She rose and dropped down on him again, and again, her rhythm slow but forceful, every stroke sending ripples of pleasure through her body and stealing her breath.
Arysteon raked his gaze over her. The flames in his eyes burned ever brighter as they came to rest on the spot where his body was joining with hers. His tongue flicked out. He slid his hands up to her hips, where his claws pressed just a little harder, and his thumbs spread her sex wider. He watched as his cock entered her, watched as her arousal coated it, and she could feel the tension thrumming within him, could feel his internal struggle with every stroke.
His eyes returned to hers, and Leyloni knew in that instant that her control was only an illusion.
Snarling, he flipped Leyloni onto her back and positioned himself over her without withdrawing from her. He shoved deeper as he settled upon her. His hair fell around his face to tickle her skin as he stared down at her.
“And you are mine, Leyloni,” he growled low, grinding his pelvis against hers, making her gasp. “Mine to possess and mine to protect. You are my heartsong, my lifespark, my everything, for this life and the eternity afterward.”
Leyloni reached up with both hands and cradled his jaw. “I love you, Arysteon.”
“And I love you.”
He drew his hips back and slammed them forward again, capturing her lips with his own in the same instant to capture her sharp cry. Their bodies created a song to fill in that silence—a song matching the one sung by their hearts.
19
A contented hum rumbled in Arysteon’s chest as he stretched out his legs and drew Leyloni’s body more firmly against his. The blanket they lay upon was spread over soft grass, creating a comfortable cushion into which he felt he was sinking as he descended from the heights of his climax. The air was redolent of their combined arousal and the forest’s spring growth, the former of which was nearly enough to drive Arysteon to take Leyloni again.
His still-erect stem throbbed, echoing the gradually easing rhythm of his heartbeat. Pleasure pulsed from his shaft with each of those beats, rippling through his body and making him tingle, the sensations accentuated by the Heat coursing through his veins.
The Crimson Comet’s Heat lingered in the air, more powerful than it had been upon its arrival days before. Even on days like today, when the comet itself had been hidden by soft white clouds since dawn, Arysteon sensed it up there, glaring it him. He felt it pressuring him to give in.
Instead, he closed his eyes, turned his face to press his nose to Leyloni’s hair, and relished this languidity. The afternoon sun beamed through the boughs overhead to bathe his scales in pleasant warmth. The wind—which bore a mild chill now that Arysteon and his clan had come farther north—sighed through the leaves and swept across the ground, caressing Arysteon and his mate.
Leyloni shivered, prompting Arysteon to turn toward her and drape his tail and leg over her lower body, blanketing her in a bit more of his warmth.
He would have liked to remain that way for a long, long while, unhurried and unworried, enjoying the simple intimacy they shared. He would also have been content to remain in the flower filled glade in which they’d sheltered a few days before, watching the light of the sun or moon and stars glimmer on the pool’s surface, laughing as Leyloni braided flowers into chains and Serek made his best efforts to either tear apart or eat those delicate chains.
But they’d only spent a couple days in that enchanting place before the rain had ceased and they’d felt the need to continue their journey. Too much tragedy and danger lay behind him—and too much uncertainty ahead—for them to feel secure lingering there long.
Arysteon had thought about that glade often in the days since they’d left it. Would there be a similar spot near the Snow Tree village? Would he be able to find a spot of similar magic and wonder to share with his beloved mate?
This time here and now—this sliver of the afternoon during which Serek had been too tired and cranky to continue traveling—was another little taste of the sort of life they could have when they were finally able to stop traveling. Despite his time lairing in the ruins, he felt as though he’d been wandering for his entire life. Leyloni was his chance to finally have a true place, a true home. A place to nest where he could watch his mate’s belly grow with their youngling, where Arysteon, Leyloni, and their children could enjoy peace and comfort.
Soon enough, Serek would wake, and they would resume their journey, leaving this place behind just like all the other spots where
they’d rested. But Arysteon would not let that eventuality diminish his enjoyment now.
Leyloni’s skin was so soft, so smooth, and her heady scent was overwhelming in its allure. He rubbed his cheek against her curls, and she produced a soft, satisfied moan, snuggling against him even more closely.
Though he was not inside her, the heat of her flesh against his stem was like holding his hand in fire—but it was the most delicious agony he’d ever endured. With a few quick motions, he could be inside her again, could be mating with her again, could be soothing some of his already building Heat.
Once again, he forced those urges down. Despite its strengthening influence, the comet was not Arysteon’s master, and he would not submit to its every command.
He shifted his position again, drawing his hips back to break some of the contact between his aching stem and Leyloni’s heated skin. The bit of friction caused by that movement amplified the pulses that had been coursing through his shaft, spawning a wave of pleasure that made him shudder and suck in a sharp breath through his teeth.
“Arysteon?” Leyloni asked, settling her fingers upon his cheek.
He covered her hand with his own, willing his body toward calm. “All is well, my heartsong. Let us take a lesson from the youngling and rest.”
She responded with an approving hum and brushed her lips across his.
Arysteon returned the kiss and was both relieved and disappointed when she ended it mere moments later. He loved that contact between their lips—something dragons had never done, considering the shape of their mouths—but knew it would have made his cravings impossible to resist before long.
As she settled her head down, Arysteon turned his attention toward their surroundings. Bestial and avian mating calls were sounding from all around the forest in much greater frequency than normal. The latter had become intricate and beautiful music —if a bit frantic—that made everything in the woods seem just a little brighter.
To Love A Dragon; Venys Needs Men Page 18
