Taming the Alpha

by Mandy M. Roth

  Madja remembered her own assessment of Sevrrn’s body, the first morning she’d seen him in his human form. Bronze skin, hair like white gold, eyes like garnets, and teeth like pearls. It now made sense to her, how so much beauty could be condensed into a single being.

  “Perhaps you are not skilled enough to appraise me,” he said, his lips pressing together.

  “That’s not it, it’s just that…”

  Madja trailed off as she felt something brush against her belly. Her mouth became dry, and with considerable effort, she glanced downwards.

  Her eyes bulged. Were he not such a large man, Sevrrn’s manhood would have seemed comically oversized. But given his stature, it was perfectly proportionate and, at present, completely erect.

  For reasons she could not fathom, Madja remained still, not backing away, nor taking her eyes off of the hard length pressed against her.

  “It happens when I see your breasts,” Sevrrn explained, not sounding the least bit ashamed.

  She realized, then, that while her white slip shielded her body from view, it was considerably less effective when wet.

  “I thought you found humans to be distasteful.”

  “I am unaccustomed to using this body for extended periods of time,” he told her. “This is my first experience with arousal. I find it to be very…frustrating.”

  “Well, I guess it’s flattering—”

  “We should indulge in one another.”

  Madja stepped back so quickly she nearly tripped over her own feet. “Huh?”

  He gestured towards his erection, his tone all brisk practicality. “It is for the best that we slake these urges on one another’s bodies. I have been having difficulty concentrating as of late. I cannot continue to suffer this debilitation.”

  Madja blanched. “I—I’m not just going to have sex with you.”

  “Whom else would you do it with?” he asked, now scowling.

  She raked a hand through her hair, struggling to understand how their conversation had taken such a bizarre turn.

  “We can’t just have sex. It’s irresponsible. What if you got me pregnant?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “I would not be so reckless as to spill my seed in a human.”

  For all his beauty, Sevrrn really had no concept of how to talk to a woman.

  “Look, I’m not having sex with you. You have to understand that for most women, and even a lot of men, sex is about more than just physical lust. There needs to be some sort of emotional connection. I’d have to be in love with you, or at least really, really like you.”

  Sevrrn frowned. “You do not like me?”

  “I do like you, but not like that.”

  He sighed, and she could hardly blame him. She was very attracted to Sevrrn and knew that if he continued to make advances on her, it would only be a matter of time before she capitulated. But right now, it was all too sudden. She needed time to adjust to the idea of being lovers with a dragon.

  “You are such a nonsensical creature,” he said with a shake of his head. “Fine, let us a make a deal, then. What do you want in exchange for the use of your body?”

  Now that was prostitution.

  Her jaw clenched and unclenched. Through gritted teeth, she said, “I don’t give away sex, I’m not a whore. If you wanted to be with a respectable woman such as myself, you’d have to do what every other quality man does. Be nice to her, respect her, and cherish her.”

  In actuality, arranged marriages and bride prices were quite common in many parts of the world, but she decided to keep that information to herself.

  A devious look spread over his face.

  Not good.

  “I see. Perhaps I should go to your people and ask that their next tribute is a female with fewer reservations.”

  Not even thinking before she did it, Madja bent down, scooped up a handful of coins, and threw them at him. He made no move to evade her assault, and let the coins bounce off his chest without so much as blinking.

  Face hot, she asked, “Why, so you can ruin another woman’s life?”

  His expression turned skeptical. “I was not under the impression that your former life was all that interesting.”

  “I had a fantastic life,” she countered.

  “Then why have you not tried to escape?”

  “Because I’m sure you’d just hunt me down anyway.”

  He cleared the distance between them in two strides, his garnet eyes dark with intensity. She could feel his erection against her again, the hard flesh jutting into her abdomen. He inclined his head and she saw his nostrils flare.

  “You are right,” he said. “I would find you, anywhere.”

  Sevrrn dipped his head lower, licking her neck with one, quick flick of his rough tongue. Madja bit down on her bottom lip. Her hands balled into fists, but her feet remained firmly planted on the ground.

  She heard him sniff her and for a moment, she felt self-conscious. Then, he licked her again, and this time the stroke of his tongue was slow and deliberate. It was as if he was tasting her.

  Strong hands came up to rest on her hips. They ran along the sides of her waist, stopping at the swell of her breasts. He cupped one in each hand, warmth from his body heating the damp cotton. Her nipples stiffened and strained against the confines of her slip.

  His tongue was soon joined by his lips, and then, his teeth. Her body quaked at the feel of two, sharp-tipped fangs being dragged across the fragile skin of her neck. After what he’d done with his claws, she should have been terrified. But while a part of her was scared, there was another part of her that was excited. That dark part of her seemed to feed on her fear, using it to create a potent cocktail of arousal. Her insides began to throb and the region between her thighs grew slick.

  Although she tried not to show it, Sevrrn must have sensed her arousal. He released one of her breasts, his large hand moving down her belly and towards her pelvis. As he moved to push apart her thighs, Madja panicked.

  With his fangs pressed against the most vulnerable part of her body, she wasn’t about to tell him “no” again. Instead, she did something that that dark, wicked part of her had wanted to do from the moment she laid eyes on his naked body.

  She reached between them, and grabbed his erection.

  Madja didn’t squeeze, or pull, or do anything besides take him into her hand, but the moment she made contact with his swollen member, Sevrrn let out a harsh growl against her neck.

  Apprehension had her tightening her grip, as his manhood had suddenly become the only leverage she had over him. But instead of becoming angry, Sevrrn just leaned his head in the crook of her neck and groaned.

  The masculine sound called to a primitive part of her. She was still for a moment, overwhelmed by the knowledge that one of the oldest and most powerful beings in the world—a male that had never before known the touch of a woman—was craving hers above all else.

  With a steady hand, she began to stroke him.

  She had never done anything like this before. Her hand couldn’t even fit all the way around him and she would have been certain that she was doing it wrong, had Sevrrn not began to purr.

  ‘Purr’ wasn’t quite the right word. If she’d heard a cat make that sound, she would have thought it was possessed. But it was the closest thing she knew to the rhythmic, rumbling sound that emanated from his chest. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever he had ever made that sound before, or if it was something just for her.

  The audible evidence of his satisfaction had her working harder to please him. As she increased the pace of her strokes, Sevrrn’s purring became deeper and more pronounced. His hands began to roam over her upper body, restlessly clutching at her curves.

  With each moment that passed, his manhood seemed to swell thicker. Its color deepened to a rosy hue. The more it changed, the more fervent his touch became, until his hands seized her hips, clamping onto them as though they were the only thing stopping him from flying apart.


  Sevrrn’s breathing hitched. His next breath was a harsh growl. He bucked his hips into her hand, the head of his manhood burrowing into her soft belly as he took his release. She felt his massive body spasm as hot seed spurted onto her.

  While the aftershocks of climax rippled over Sevrrn, Madja stilled, unsure what to do next. She had the strange urge to stroke his back, but bizarrely, that somehow felt more intimate than what they had just done. So, she waited.

  When he finally raised his head, his expression was utterly unguarded. Shock, amazement, and above all, lust, burned in the molten depths of his eyes. His mouth opened, words spilling out with unbridled urgency.

  “Again. Do it again.”

  ***

  “Again.”

  Madja turned her head to gape at him. Sevrrn lay on his side, his elbow propped up and his head resting against his hand. When she didn’t immediately acquiesce, his eyes narrowed.

  Shaking her head, Madja asked, “How are you… I mean, aren’t you getting tired?”

  After their second ‘interlude’ by the lake, Sevrrn had insisted she do it again. Madja had told him she was tired, so Sevrrn, in his boundless consideration, had brought her over to her pallet so that she could please him why lying down. Two more climaxes later, and Sevrrn was still as hard as ever. Madja was no expert on male anatomy, but she was fairly certain that this would be impossible for any human man.

  Sevrrn cracked his neck. “Not in the slightest. This is the most interesting thing I have done in centuries, perhaps longer. We will do it often.”

  “I’m not going to be your sex slave,” she said with a scowl. “Besides, my arm is tired. Why don’t you just, you know, do it yourself?”

  He glanced down at his erection and then back at her, a sour expression forming on his face.

  “It is only interesting because you do it.”

  “I’m flattered.”

  “I dislike your tone. Why are you being so irritable?”

  Madja considered her response and decided they were way beyond propriety.

  “I guess I’m a little…frustrated.”

  He cocked his head. “Why?”

  Madja might have been a virgin, but she wasn’t the least bit inexperienced when it came to her body’s desires. She knew exactly why she was frustrated and what she needed from him, but the words refused to come to her.

  Once you taste poison, you might as well finish the meal.

  She reached over to lift Sevrrn’s hand. He gave her a curious look, but didn’t resist. Marshaling her courage, she tugged his hand towards her body. She looked away, unable to meet his gaze as she guided him beneath her slip. She parted her thighs, taking two of his long fingers and dipping them past her curls.

  He said nothing as she ran his fingers along the seam of her sex. After their earlier intimacy, her folds were drenched with moisture, causing his fingers to glide over them easily. Holding her breath, she stopped his fingers on her favorite spot, the sensitive nub above her opening.

  “There,” she whispered. “Rub me there.”

  She released his fingers, placing her hand on his wrist. He remained quiet as his fingers began to move.

  Sevrrn was mindful of his claws and used only the rough pads of his fingertips as he stroked her. His touch was without flair, his fingers only moving back and forth, but she was too aroused to be bothered. The feel of a man’s fingers, coupled with the knowledge that they belonged to Sevrrn, was enough to keep her arousal mounting ever higher.

  Just when she was on the brink of climax, Sevrrn stopped. She let out a huff of air as he sat up and grabbed her legs.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want to watch.”

  “Watch what?” she groused.

  He dragged her bottom half into his lap, pulling her legs apart so that they rested on either side of his hips and completely exposing her womanhood to him.

  He clarified, “I want to watch myself touching you.”

  “Oh—hhhhh.”

  She bit down hard on her bottom lip as Sevrrn began stroking her again. It was different this time. He alternated between slow and fast, moving back and forth, and then in circles. While it felt amazing, his movements were too erratic for her to fully immerse herself, making her climax elusive.

  When she dared to glance up at him, his sultry gaze was centered not on her nether regions, but on her face. She felt herself blush as she looked away. Why was he staring at her?

  She didn’t have much time to contemplate this, because his fingers did something that she really liked. Her reaction was swift and visceral. Back arching, a loud moan broke free from her chest.

  Sevrrn immediately stopped.

  Sounding almost concerned, he began to ask, “Why did you make—”

  She reached up and clutched his wrist. “Don’t stop.”

  She thanked each pagan god she knew—present company excluded—when he continued his ministrations. With deliberate movements, he repeatedly stroked her in just the right way, until beads of sweat broke out over her skin. Heat coiled in the pit of her stomach, tightening and tightening, until all once, it snapped.

  A climax, the likes of which she had not yet experienced in her short life, crashed over her. Her mind whited out as everything she had ever been and everything she aspired to be became insignificant against the weight of this singular experience.

  When she finally came back to herself, she found that Sevrrn had covered her with a fur from the pallet. Madja gave him a questioning look.

  “You were shaking,” was his absent reply.

  Madja smiled, amused by how he always equated shaking with being cold. It made sense, though. What other reason did a dragon have to tremble?

  I made him tremble, a small voice inside of her whispered.

  Madja wondered if, during the moment that she had first made Sevrrn climax, he had felt the same way as she had? Did he feel as though a part of him would never be the same again?

  Perhaps that was arrogant of her to presume.

  She realized that she’d been lost in thought for some time. When she glanced at Sevrrn again, he was examining his fingers. They were wet with her fluids, and, to her mortification, she had looked up just in time to see him lick one finger. She watched, dumbstruck, as he licked the finger a second time, and then plunged both fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean.

  His sharp, predator’s eyes shifted to her face. One corner of his lips twitched. “Again?”

  Chapter Eight

  “This is dull,” Sevrrn said, swatting a jeweled chalice from Madja’s hands. “Let us indulge in one another again.”

  They had been ‘indulging’ in one another all day, and while Madja couldn’t exactly say that she was tired of it, she did feel that it was getting a bit excessive.

  It was just after nightfall and she’d appraised all of four objects since Sevrrn had woken her at first light. It was the second day they had been intimate with one another, and his appetite had only become more voracious.

  “Be careful with that,” she chided, grabbing the chalice from the floor. “And if you keep interrupting me for…stuff, I’m never going to be able to appraise—”

  He swatted the chalice from her hand again, this time with considerable force. It went flying and landed in the lake with a splash.

  “I do not care.”

  She folded her arms under her breasts. “Look, you need to learn some moderation. If we do that…stuff all the time, then you’re only going to get bored with it sooner.”

  He frowned. “I will never get bored with your touch, Madja O’aer.”

  Madja’s cheeks heated. It was the first time he’d said her name and—if she were being honest with herself—she hadn’t even believed that he remembered it.

  To distract him—and herself—Madja grabbed the nearest treasure she could find, an ornate key.

  “This looks to be Allonan in origin,” she said, examining it with one eye shut. “See this top part, the part that you hold, it
’s called the bow of the key. You can tell from the vine design inside the—”

  Sevrrn plucked the key from her fingers and hurled it, too, towards the lake. Madja opened her mouth, intent on yelling at him, but stopped short when she caught sight of his glare.

  In the span of a breath, Sevrrn had pushed her to the ground. He loomed over her, his large body caging her in. He bent his head, so that his mouth hovered over hers. In a much huskier voice, he repeated himself.

  “I do not care.”

  Madja didn’t offer the slightest protest as he methodically undressed her, one by one undoing each tie and button of the elaborate costume dress she’d donned earlier in the day.

  When she was fully naked, he stopped to survey her. With one finger, he traced each dip and swell, as if trying to commit her curves to memory. As was the case lately, his face was no longer a stoic mask, but a rich tableau of emotions, ranging from fascination to pleasure. She wondered if these emotions were new to him or if he had just grown comfortable displaying them to her.

  As his eyes roamed over her body, a desire burgeoned up from within her.

  “Appraise me,” she said to him.

  One golden brow arched. “I am not an appraiser.”

  Madja ran a finger between her breasts. His eyes followed the movement.

  “Surely, I must be worth something to you.”

  He rubbed his chin, which had grown light stubbles of hair over the course of the day. “You are more interesting than my swords and, most of the time, you please me more than gold. Your eyes remind me of smoked quartz, though I find them much more intriguing. Your skin is coarser than Vrynesh silk, though I find it more enjoyable to touch.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, in that case, when I die you can skin me and make a new outfit for yourself.”

  His glare returned in full-force. “We have already discussed this. You will be immortal, as I am.”

  “Immortal, maybe,” she allowed, though his plan was decidedly vague. “But not indestructible. I’ll still be human. There are plenty of ways I could die.”

  Madja held up her hand, lifting a finger for each example on the list. “I could freeze to death. I could drown. I could slip and fall and break my neck, or even get impaled on one of your dumb swords—by the way, you should really do something about them. I was wading in the lake yesterday and one of them was sticking right up out of the ground. I almost lost a toe.”