by Ariel Marie
His mate.
This was hers as much as his.
He tried to beat down his nerves, but he couldn’t help it. What if what he had collected wasn’t enough? What if she desired more? His dragon paced, unsure. They had waited centuries for this day and now it was here. He blew out a deep breath as he led her down the hall that would take them to his treasure room.
“It’s okay, Feno.” Willow’s voice broke through his thoughts. He glanced at her and took in her bright eyes and the smile on her lips, still swollen from his kiss.
Unable to speak, he nodded his head as they arrived at the door. It was a steel door to protect the wealth that resided behind it. He flipped open the cover to the biometrics scanner on the wall. Placing his hand on the scanner, he watched as the lights above it turned green to grant him access to the room.
Opening the door, the lights flickered on in the three-story tall room. He pulled her behind him as he guided them into the room. He had collected the finest jewels, artwork, gold and silver over the years.
“Feno,” she breathed, turning around as they paused in the center of the room. She released his hand as she turned in a slow circle, her eyes taking the room in.
Nervous, he tried to see the room through her eyes. The rows of shelves were packed full of treasures from his years of planning for his mate. The upper levels housed more of the treasure.
“You’ve collected this just for me?” Her voice ended on a squeak.
He nodded his head, his eyes watching her as she walked toward one of the rows of shelving. He followed her at a short distance as she made her way through assessing the items. He couldn’t see her face as she walked, occasionally picking up an item before returning it.
The anticipation was killing him and his dragon. They both waited for her response.
She paused at the second row and turned to him. He couldn’t read her expression as she stared at him. He moved to her, needing to feel her close to him.
“How long have you been collecting this treasure?”
“About six centuries,” he replied, watching her eyes widen. She swallowed hard at his words.
“How old are you?”
“Seven hundred and two years.”
His heart pounded in his chest as she stepped toward him and stopped. Meeting his gaze, her small hand rested on his chest. The heat from her hand seeped through his shirt. He ached to know what she thought of the treasures. As his eyes studied her face, it finally happened.
She smiled.
“Feno, this is breathtaking. I don’t even know what to say. No one has ever done anything like this for me,” she announced.
“I’ve waited for the day I could meet my mate. My dragon will always protect you, provide for you, and love you, as will I,” he admitted. He could feel his length stiffening at the feel of her against him. He wouldn’t apologize for reacting to her nearness. She would just have to get used to him being aroused around her all the time.
“Feno,” she whispered, her eyes full of tears.
He leaned down and licked the first tear that fell. This was not a moment for tears. This was a moment for them to celebrate their future together. He may wait for their mating so that her grandmother would be there, but he would officially have his woman in their home that he prepared for them.
He reached down and picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder.
“Feno!” she screamed, laughing as he carried her out of the room. It was time for them to officially consummate his oversized bed in their private chambers.
Willow tried to catch a glimpse of Feno’s castle as he trudged his way through it, but it was pointless since she was upside down, and her hair kept getting in the way. She finally gave up as he shut the door to what she assumed was his bedroom.
He effortlessly carried her across the room and tossed her onto the bed, causing her body to bounce a few times before she settled. She smiled, but as her eyes met his, she saw his need. Her breath caught in her throat as he reached for her.
His strong hand wrapped around her ankle and dragged her to him. Her legs opened automatically as she reached the edge of the bed, where he stood firm between them as he reached up and pulled at her dress, tearing it from her body.
“Feno!” she cried out. She didn’t have many clothes to her name since she had left home.
“I’ll replace it,” he growled, tossing the material over his back. His movements were fast, as if he were desperate to have her.
He slowly removed her sandals from her feet. Her core clenched at his fierce gaze as it locked on hers. She reached behind her and quickly undid her bra before she lost that too. Her underwear met the same fate as her dress, leaving her bare for him. She sat up on the edge of the bed so that she could reach for him, but he pushed her back. His hands spread her legs apart as he lowered his head between them, and she immediately felt the moisture coat her thighs from anticipation of feeling his tongue on her waiting pussy.
Her body arched from the bed as his tongue took a long swipe of her, tasting her. She moaned as his tongue parted her labia and dove inside of her. Her body trembled as he feasted on her. His tongue didn’t miss one drop of the moisture that seeped from her core. He took it all in. She gripped his hair tightly in her hand as her hips pushed forward.
“Feno,” she growled deep in the back of her throat, demanding more from him. She cried out as he nipped her clit with his teeth, as if to make her settle down, but it only made her body crave his tongue, his fingers, and his cock.
She squeezed her eyes shut as his finger prodded her labia and slid deep inside of her. His lips closed around her swollen bud as he slowly thrust his finger deep within her core.
His tongue released her clitoris and began flicking it, sending chills down her spine. He increased the pace of his fingers as he thrust them deep, stretching her in preparation for her to take his cock.
Her breaths came fast as he consumed her.
“You’re so sweet. I can’t get enough of you,” Feno growled against her pussy lips, before enclosing his mouth around her clit. He sucked her swollen bundle of nerves deep in his mouth, causing her to cry out. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably as he continued his delicious assault on her body.
“Take all of me,” she cried out as her orgasm rocked into her. She meant every word. He could have all of her.
He didn’t give her a chance to finish coming down from her euphoric journey to the clouds before he pushed his wide girth into her tight channel. He grunted as he paused, fully submerged inside of her. He pulled back and slammed into her again.
Her heavy mounds on her chest jerked with each of Feno’s thrusts. His eyes locked on them, his hand making its way to her breast. A growl ripped from him as he squeezed her breast, as he continued thrusting deep inside of her.
She knew that he wouldn’t hold back. She could take whatever he threw at her, and right now, his powerful strokes had his cock reaching her womb.
“Willow.” Her name was a deep, throaty groan as she cried out from the sensation building again in her. Her legs trembled as he gripped her thigh tighter, thrusting hard. She felt his finger slip up her thigh and find her slick clitoris to apply pressure to it as he began to strum the sensitive flesh. “Come with me.”
Her body went rigid as they cried out together. The room shook from the magnitude of their simultaneous release. Each of them releasing their energy together as their orgasms claimed them.
He chanted her name over and over as he thrust one last time, pouring himself into her.
Chapter Sixteen
Feno’s dragon cut through the air, swiftly heading toward the location of Delia. Willow, riding on his back, had refused to be left behind as they went in for the rescue of Delia.
“We’re close. Where are you?” Vander’s voice came through across their mental link.
“About five minutes away,” he replied. The area that the shifter had shown them in his memories came to view. He began the descent to the
ground, gently landing to not throw Willow off his back.
His dragon, ever careful of Willow, slowly lowered its head and shoulder to allow her to gracefully slide off of him. Her smaller form rode along his neck and shoulders as her feet met the ground. She took a few steps away and turned to him with a smile plastered across her face.
His dragon pushed its head toward her, wanting her touch. She rubbed his snout, unafraid of his dragon. His beast loved her attention.
“Come on. We have work to do,” she murmured, giving his snout one last pat.
He stepped back from her and pulled back on his beast, commanding for his human form to come forth. His dragon grumbled as it relented and began to shift.
Appearing before Willow in his naked form, her eyes dropped to his cock, causing it to jerk at attention. A growl formed in his chest at her heated look. He waved his hand and willed clothes to appear on his body.
“I’m beginning to not like that trick,” she giggled.
“Sassy witch,” he snorted, grabbing her hand and pulling her to him. His attention was caught by the sound of two other forms flying overhead.
“Wow,” Willow breathed as she cast her eyes toward the sky to witness Vander and Jodos arriving in their dragon forms. Their large dragons glided around with their wings wide as they circled overhead. Her eyes were wide with awe as the two dragons landed quietly on the ground.
“Hey,” Feno murmured, pulling her back against him. His dragon didn’t like the way she was looking at the other beasts. She turned her eyes to him and laughed at his expression.
“You have nothing to be jealous about,” she reasoned, keeping her eyes on him as the other two dragons shifted. He looked over the top of her head and scowled as his brother and friend appeared naked for a brief second before clothing themselves.
“Someone’s jealous.” Jodos laughed as he made his way toward them.
“Maybe his name should be Feno the Jealous instead of Feno the Fierce.” Vander laughed alongside Jodos.
“How about Feno, the Only Child,” Feno growled.
“Empty threats, empty threats.” Vander shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Hello, Willow. Hope my brother is treating you well.”
“He is.” She smiled, but he could see that she was trying not to laugh at his idiot brother and friend. He scowled at them before turning to lead the way into the woods. He didn’t care that they knew he was a jealous dragon. His animal only wanted Willow’s attention on him. He wouldn’t apologize for being so enamored with his mate.
“Let’s go after the rogues,” he ordered. The wooded area surrounded them and the path grew narrow. It was just as the memory from the shifter had showed them. The path would lead them to where he was sure the wolves would be. It was early morning, and if he knew rowdy rogues, they would not be expecting company and would be sleeping off their night.
The group trekked through the woods in silence. From the memory of the wolf shifter, he knew that they would be outnumbered, but three strong dragon warriors could take on a bunch of rogues. The local wolf shifter pack had been notified of their location, and Feno knew their alpha would not stand for rogues moving in on their territory. Rogues were never wanted in any town or city. They didn’t live by the shifter way, and they sure didn’t bow down to the local alpha. But first, the dragons would get Delia back and leave the rogues to the local pack to handle.
Coming upon the edge of the woods, Feno turned with his fingers to his lips as he looked down at Willow. She nodded her head. He saw the stubborn tilt to her jaw and knew that she was ready to jump into battle to save her grandmother. They had already discussed the plan. While he, Vander, and Jodos handled the wolves, she was to sneak to her grandmother.
He turned back as Vander and Jodos spread out so that they too could get a look at the camp. His eyes searched the camp, looking for the shifter who would be leading the rogues. A few of the men stirred, but most remained asleep on the ground around the smoldering fire. His eyes landed on the cave that he recognized from the vision.
Out walked the leader of the rogues. Feno recognized his tall frame as he stalked from the cave. Small hands gripped his arm and he glanced down to find Willow’s attention on the shifter as he walked across the clearing and disappeared into the woods.
“Now,” Feno growled.
They exited the brush with Willow behind him. Besides Willow heading to her grandmother, they didn’t have a plan besides disabling the shifter and grabbing the elder witch. It wasn’t much, but it would do.
Shouts echoed through the air as another shifter appeared from the mouth of the cave. Willow took off running toward it, and Feno cursed and went after her.
Growls filled the air as some of the rogues began to shift, and his eyes locked on a wolf headed toward his mate. He threw himself in front of her and caught the large animal. Fangs snapped at his neck, but Feno, being the stronger shifter, snapped the neck of the wolf, tossing its body to the ground.
He looked around and saw Vander and Jodos in the midst of fighting human and shifted men.
“Feno!” Willow’s scream grabbed his attention. Turning, he found her frozen in place as two wolves circled her.
His eyes narrowed as he ran toward her, releasing his energy. His power, stronger than that of a wolf shifter, shook the ground, causing the wolves to look around in confusion. Their eyes narrowed on him as he reached Willow’s side.
“Stay behind me,” he growled, feeling his own incisors breaking through his gums. His dragon was ready for battle and demanded to be set free so that he could rain down fire on the camp.
“We’re not setting the woods on fire,” Feno snapped at his dragon. It responded with a growl, displeased with his answer.
“I can feel her near,” Willow announced from behind him, her fingers gripping his shirt. He didn’t take his eyes off the wolves as they took a step toward him.
“Now what do we have here?” a voice rumbled from behind them. Feno quickly turned his body, keeping Willow behind him.
The leader.
His eyes narrowed as he approached them.
“We’ve come for the witch,” Feno snapped. His skin prickled as his animal pushed forth again. He pushed his beast back.
Not now.
He didn’t want to shift and risk setting the entire area on fire. That would make it harder to retrieve Delia.
“Oh no. You don’t get to come here and snatch her from me. She’s mine. I was paid good money for her,” the leader said, standing by one of the growling wolves. The wolf bared its sharp fangs that were dripping with saliva.
“Who paid you?” Willow demanded, moving to stand by Feno’s side. Feno placed his arm in front of her to keep her from moving forward.
“Delia’s granddaughter. Isn’t that nice of you to try to rescue your grandmother. I’m sure I could get double for taking you both,” the shifter chuckled.
“You’d have to get through me first,” he growled.
The leader of the rogues would die before Feno allowed them to take Willow.
His chest rose as he fought his beast, who demanded to be set free. Their mate was being threatened and it wanted to destroy the shifter that stood before them.
“Kill him and take the girl,” the shifter commanded, his eyes narrowed on Willow.
Feno pushed Willow behind him as the two wolves converged on him. They both jumped and he braced his body to be hit by both, but only one connected with him. The wolf’s body slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. His eyes caught sight of the other one frozen in the air.
Willow.
His eyes flew to her and found her manipulating the wolf before casting its body through the air and slamming it into the stone wall of the cave.
“Willow, run!” he hollered as he kept the wolf from sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He twisted his body around to where he landed on top of the wolf and shifted his hand into his sharp talons. He sunk his talons into the throat of the wolf, ripping the flesh out. The
wolf bucked as blood gushed from the wounds. It flailed around, trying to draw breath, but instead, the sounds of gurgling filled the air.
Feno looked up, finding Vander and Jodos in control of their situations with the other wolves, and found no sign of Willow or the rogue leader.
A curse flew from his lips as he stood to his feet and took off into the cave.
Chapter Seventeen
Willow ran as fast as she could into the cave. She knew that Feno would be able to handle the wolves.
The dark shadows of the cave surrounded her as she made her way farther into it. She could see a light up ahead and knew that she would find Delia there.
The growls grew closer, causing her to push herself faster. She cried out as her foot caught on something in the dark that sent her sprawling through the air and crashed to the ground. Her palms and knees burned as the ground scraped her skin.
The growling appeared right behind her. She turned over, finding a new wolf behind her, slowly approaching her.
The leader.
He must have shifted and come after her. She could see his eyes in the darkness with the help of the soft glow of the light behind her. She could see his muscles tense as he prepared to launch himself at her. Letting the energy reach her fingertips, she flung her hands up as he leapt into the air. Her powers flew from the tips of her fingers, freezing him in place. Swinging her arms around, she slammed his body into the wall of the cave.
A yip filled the air as his body slammed to the ground, unmoving. Scrambling, she took off toward the light, ignoring the pain from her palms and knees.
She rounded a corner and released a cry of relief.
Delia sat on the ground, ropes tied around her. Concerned lined the familiar face of her grandmother as she rushed to her side.
“Willow,” her grandmother cried out. Willow fell to her knees, ignoring the stinging from her cuts as she wrapped her arms around her grandmother.
“Grandmother,” she cried out, squeezing her to her.
“Hurry, child.” Her grandmother pulled back. “Release me so we can get out of here. We can rejoice when we’re safely away.”
