Sassy Ever After: Her Fierce Dragon (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Ariel Marie

  Her body relaxed on the bed, her legs falling wide open as Feno climbed over her and settled in her valley. She opened her eyes and stared into his as he lined himself up to her opening. He rubbed the tip of his cock against her, gathering some of her release and groaned as he slid fully into her with one thrust.

  Their eyes remained locked as he began to move. She reached up and locked her fingers behind his head and brought his face to hers for a passionate kiss. Their bodies moved in sync as they both fell apart.

  Feno poured himself inside of her before his body collapsed on top of hers. She held him close to her and kept her legs wrapped around him tight, not wanting him to pull out of her. She felt complete and whole with him inside of her.

  Once he helped her find her grandmother, she didn’t know if she would be able to let this shifter go.

  Chapter Five

  “So what clues do you have that led you to Blue Creek?” Feno asked as he sat across from Willow. They had finally made their way out of his bedroom.

  If they were going to search for Delia, they would have to start off by leaving the bedroom. As much as he loved tasting what was between her thighs, he certainly wouldn’t find her grandmother there.

  “I had a dream,” Willow announced, sitting back in the plush chair.

  “A dream?” he asked. He rubbed his face, cringing at the stubble that met his hands.

  She came all the way to Blue Creek because of a dream?

  “I’m a powerful witch, as is my grandmother. Her voice whispered to me repeatedly, and I dreamt of the town for a week straight.”

  “You sure it was your grandmother talking to you through your dream?” He knew that Delia was very powerful, but could she really reach out to her granddaughter through a dream?

  As if sensing Feno’s doubt, Willow explained. “My parents disowned me when I was a little girl because I was a witch. For some strange reason, my mother doesn’t have our gifts. She should, but she doesn’t. My father brainwashed my mother into believing that witches were evil spawns from hell. So they sent me to live with my grandmother. Delia and my uncle took me in and raised me. They sensed that I was going to be a powerful witch, which I’m not arrogant when I say that I am.”

  “And the elders of your coven don’t appreciate that you’re probably more powerful than them, and younger.” He looked over at her to see her nod.

  “They’ve been trying to do everything in their power to ban me. Now that Delia’s been kidnapped, they’re trying to blame it on me. My uncle is the only reason I’m not already banned. In order to ban a witch from the coven in the absence of the high priestess, all the elders have to agree. Of course, my Uncle Tade wouldn’t banish me.”

  “How long has Delia been missing?” Feno stood up and began to pace. He may have to call Vander and Jodos in on this. The more dragons they had to find Delia, the better. They could quickly find her and bring her to safety, then Feno could concentrate on mating with Willow.

  “A week and a half,” she answered, watching him. “Can I ask you a question?”

  He paused his pacing and eyed her warily. He knew the questions that would be coming. He would never lie to his mate.

  A dragon was to cherish his mate, protect his mate, provide for his mate, and spoil his mate. He refused to start off their relationship by telling her untruths. Whatever she wanted to know, he would be an open book.

  “Your power…it’s the strongest I’ve ever encountered. You’re no regular shifter. What are you?” Her eyes were brimming with curiosity.

  “Dragon.”

  Her head jerked back, as if he just hit her in the face. Slowly standing from her chair, she walked over and stopped in front of him. Staring into his eyes, she raised her hand and held it in front of him. His dragon wanted him to move so that her hand could connect with him.

  He could feel the heat of her power at her fingertips, but it was waning. He knew that Delia pulled her powers from the moon, and he assumed that Willow would be the same. He knew where he could take her to get her closer to the moon to rejuvenate her powers.

  Dragonstone Hold.

  His castle in the mountains.

  “But dragons are a myth. At least that’s what I’ve always been told.”

  “We’ve always been around. It’s been too dangerous for us to be out in the open over the centuries. But even though we’ve stayed hidden, we’ve been protectors of the human race and paranormals.”

  “But, how have you stayed hidden?”

  “We can rearrange memories. In our human bodies, most paranormals can sense our powers just like you’re able to, but when we’re in our dragon forms, we’re at our most powerful. And most times, we’ll alter memories of whoever looks up and sees the shadow of our beasts.”

  By this time, he had moved forward and pulled her to him. His dragon was fully attached to her. He would have to tell her soon that she was his mate.

  “What happened with Delia?” he asked gently.

  “Before she disappeared, we had an argument. I’m a second-level witch, and I’m to finish my studies for high priestess. She wanted Elder Mystia Dupree to be my preceptor. I didn’t want to learn under Mystia, I wanted my grandmother to teach me. I accused my grandmother of not truly believing in my abilities since she didn’t want to train me herself.” She looked away, but not before he saw the tears forming in her eyes.

  She pulled away and walked over to the window, and he instantly missed her warmth. The pain in her eyes caused a pain deep within his chest. His dragon demanded that he go to comfort her, but the human side knew that she needed a little space. So he leaned against the wall instead, and waited for her to continue.

  “I never should have said those things. Now that I look back, I know that Delia does everything for a reason, but I was desperate to train under the great Delia. I wanted to make sure that she knew how hard I’d worked to master our craft. I should’ve just been obedient and let Mystia train me.”

  “You didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance,” he reminded her. He could smell the scent of despair on her, and it killed him to stay on the other side of the room.

  “I stormed out of her house after our argument. The elders knew that we’d argued. I didn’t stay quiet about demanding that my grandmother train me herself. I went back to her to apologize, and that’s when I found her house ransacked and her gone. Traces of power still lingered through the air. The elders wouldn’t let me be a part of the investigation. They accused me of taking Delia out so that I could rule the coven,” she cried out, gripping the windowsill.

  He flew across the room, no longer able to stand by as she rehashed the events. He could see that it was tearing her apart. She turned to him, allowing him to wrap her in his arms. Her tears soaked his shirt, but he didn’t care.

  Feno wanted to rip the elders apart. How dare they accuse her of destroying her grandmother. His chest rumbled at the thought of shifting and flying to meet her coven head-on, but knew that would not get Delia back.

  “It’s going to be okay. If you said Delia came to you in a dream, then she’s still alive,” he murmured.

  “I would never do anything to hurt my grandmother. She raised me, always believed in me. I don’t know what I would do without her. Please, help me find her.” Willow sniffled, pulling back from him. He nodded his head and reached out to wipe the tears from her face. Her red eyes and tearstained cheeks almost brought him to his knees.

  His dragon roared at her pain. Their mate should never feel pain such as what she was going through.

  “Who would assume control of the coven if you and your grandmother weren’t there?” he asked softly.

  “Tade or Mystia. I know Mystia’s been jealous of how quickly I moved through my training. That was another reason why I didn’t want her training me. I’ll admit that I didn’t want Delia to know about her jealousy. I didn’t want to put a strain between the elders and Delia, so I just kept it to my feelings and wants. Tade has always been like a fa
ther to me. He’s always pushed my training and helped me move through the coven.”

  “Blue Creek is home to a large coven. I’m not familiar with their high priestess, but I can take you to a high-ranking member here. We’ll see if she can help.”

  Chapter Six

  “Feno Kelmyar. What brings you to my little hole in the wall?” a deep, husky voice asked as they walked into the store.

  Mystic Moon was a magical supply store. On the outside, Willow assumed that it was just a novelty store, but once inside, she could feel the power buzzing in the room.

  This was the real deal.

  Willow’s eyes moved around the store and knew that any other day, she would love to spend hours in here, browsing and shopping.

  “I need your help, Sunny,” Feno announced. Willow turned her eyes to the tall witch behind the counter. She was a beauty, with long blonde locks flowing down her back. She was a thin, delicate witch, and her eyes were currently locked on Willow.

  “What is she doing here?” Sunny snapped, the smile disappearing from her lips.

  “You know who she is?” Feno asked, stopping at the counter.

  “Of course I do. Every witch connected knows that this is Delia Moss’s granddaughter. You don’t belong here, witch,” Sunny sneered.

  “Watch it,” Feno growled low. His powers broadcasted out, causing a rumble in the store. The glasses clinked and shook.

  “No, it’s quite all right. I’ve become used to my people shunning me for something I had nothing to do with,” Willow said, standing next to Feno, not backing down from the witch.

  “Your own coven said that you had something to do with Delia’s disappearance—”

  “So you know Delia is missing?” Feno cut in, his keen eyes locked on the witch. Sunny turned her gaze to Feno, and her eyes softened toward him.

  Willow didn’t like the look on the witch’s face as she stared at Feno. Willow wanted to jump across the counter and scratch her eyes out.

  He was hers—

  Her eyes widened at the admission.

  Impossible.

  There was no way that after one night, the Gods would reveal her true half—her soulmate.

  “Of course I know about it. They’re saying that this little witch you brought into my store took her own grandmother out so that she could have control over the Lunar Coven!”

  “That is a lie!” Willow bellowed, slamming her fist down on the counter. The lights flickered as she glared at the witch. She was so tired of everyone blaming her for Delia’s disappearance.

  If Feno thought that this woman would be able to help her, then she would have to show her.

  Willow closed her eyes and welcomed the energy building up in her. Pushing the memory of her last encounter to Sunny, she opened her eyes and found Sunny quiet. The whites of her eyes were showing as Willow revealed to her the situation.

  She knew she was using strong magic, which was something not every witch was able to do. She had always hidden just how powerful she was, but now, dammit, the gloves would be coming off. She would clear her name, find her grandmother and prove that she was the rightful heir of the Lunar Coven.

  The Lunar Coven was one of the most powerful covens in the country, and Willow would be damned if it was stripped away from her.

  “What are you doing?” Feno murmured, eyeing the two women.

  “Proving my innocence,” she growled.

  Sunny’s body finally relaxed, almost falling over as the memory ended. She grabbed onto the counter and turned her blue eyes to Willow, gasping for breath.

  “How do I know you didn’t alter that memory?” Sunny gasped. Willow could see the slight hint of awe in the witch’s eyes.

  “If you’re a high level, then you know that no one can alter the past. You saw and heard the argument between my grandmother and me. Someone is feeding the community the wrong information. I would never hurt her. I’m her flesh and blood. I will find her, with or without your help,” Willow snapped.

  Sunny stared at her while she regained her composure. “Delia’s my friend. I’ll help you find her.”

  “Thank you.” Willow nodded to the witch, feeling somewhat satisfied to finally win over the first of her kind.

  Sunny came from behind the counter, jogged to the door and flipped the sign over to closed, then locked the door and walked toward them.

  “Follow me,” she said.

  “Do you have something of Delia’s with you?” Sunny asked Willow as they walked deep into the woods near Sunny’s store, carrying a backpack.

  “Yes, I do. I was able to grab her hair brush when I was at her house, before they kicked me out,” Willow admitted.

  “Good. It’ll give us a piece of her. We can try to use our powers to locate her.”

  Feno looked around, but didn’t sense any threat in the woods. He was the biggest predator around, and knew that most animals would stay away.

  They broke through the woods and came to a small lake. Feno was unfamiliar with how witches wielded their powers and spells. His magic was much darker and more powerful. Witches pulled their powers from the elements.

  He stood back as he watched the two witches set their bags down and began pulling items out: a large wooden bowl, a dagger, Delia’s hair brush, and a few plants. They setup close to the water’s edge, where Willow kicked off her shoes and drew up her skirt as she walked into the water. He chuckled as she exclaimed about the coldness of the water on her toes.

  “You’ll need to help your mate,” Sunny said as she came to stand by him.

  “Excuse me?” Was it that obvious that Willow was his?

  “I can see the way you watch her, stay near her. It’s obvious that your animal has laid claim to her. She’s a very powerful witch, and it only makes sense that her mate be someone just as powerful.”

  “She doesn’t know yet,” he murmured, his eyes going back to Willow. She was beautiful, and practically glowed as she walked back onto the land and placed her bowl filled with fresh lake water on the ground near her setup.

  “The spell she’s about to perform is one that’s above my level. I’ll help her as much as I can, but your power will act as a conductor and give her the strength she needs.” She turned her eyes to him, but his were locked on Willow.

  Feno had never disclosed to Sunny what he was. As like anyone else, she just knew that he was a powerful shifter. If she had guessed it, she’d never said anything.

  “What’s she trying to do?”

  “She’s going to connect with her grandmother.” Sunny walked back to Willow and sat across from her on the ground.

  Feno watched in awe as Willow pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. She crossed her legs in front of her as she lit a small fire in the dirt pit she had created between them.

  “What do you need me to do?” he asked, coming to stand next to them.

  “Sit on the ground behind her,” Sunny directed. “You’ll know when she needs you.”

  He watched as Sunny placed a few of the herbs in the bowl of water as they began to mumble in a language that he was unfamiliar with.

  The stone bowl was then placed near the fire. Willow took Delia’s brush and pulled a few strands of hair from it and cast them into the fire.

  The air was full with electricity as she chanted. He watched as she took the dagger and pierced the tip of her finger, squeezing a few drops of blood into the flames. The tips of the fire rose high as she then squeezed her blood into the bowl of water and herbs.

  His dragon roared as Willow’s chant grew louder. Her loose tendrils of hair began to float as the wind began to blow around them. He moved closer to her as she rested her arms on her legs.

  She needed him.

  He placed himself directly behind her, where she was cradled between his legs. Her head flew back against his chest. He could feel their powers entwining with each other. His cock stiffened at the feel of her body coaxing his powers into hers.

  He closed his eyes and pulled h
er to him, loving this new, electrifying feeling of her. His breaths came fast as the smell of her arousal drove his dragon crazy, but he had to push that aside.

  She needed him.

  He was close to climaxing and fought to hold back his release as their energies merged into one.

  Chapter Seven

  “Willow.” Delia’s voice came through loud and clear. Willow opened her eyes, and she could see her grandmother’s face.

  “Grandmother,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry—”

  “Child, I know your heart. I know you didn’t mean those things. It’s okay. Don’t cry.” Delia smiled at Willow.

  Willow looked around and saw nothing but a white space of clouds. Nothing else existed. She had studied and learned this spell, but had never used it before.

  “Where are we?” she asked as her grandmother stepped toward her.

  “We’re in a place where no one can touch us. This is an interdimensional space that you have created. Only our minds are here, our bodies are as we imagine them to be here. You’ve freed your mind and transitioned into your super-consciousness and brought me to you,” Delia informed her. She placed her hands on Willow’s shoulders and smiled down at her.

  Willow wrapped her arms around her grandmother, trying to hold back her tears. She knew that they wouldn’t have much time together.

  “I did as you said and went to Blue Creek and found Feno Kelmyar as you directed. He’s helping me,” Willow informed her.

  “The dragon is good for you, Willow. The two of you belong together. His power is your conductor, he balances your energy. He’s your other half, my darling.” She smiled, pulling back from Willow. “With the two of you merging your powers, you’re using your third eye to reach me.”