“Are we intending to send the females away until we have confirmed safety here?”
“No. Not unless there is any indication of ill intent,” Dederic replies.
I battle back the tears pricking at my eyes. I cannot allow them to find Ruarden. Knowing the exact location of this castle would be information the High King would pay a great deal for and wield with cruel, exacting destruction. If I’m the reason that they are moving this way, I need to give them a reason to stop; to turn around and never come back.
“Shall I summon the other command?” Hector asks, and I snap my attention back to the conversation at hand.
“Relay my instructions. Teams will be dispatched in the morning. Have Moris restart patrols and focus on the southwest tonight. Inform me if the humans’ camp appears to move again before sunrise.”
I scurry backward as quickly and quietly as possible when I hear their footsteps moving towards me. I duck around another corner and press myself back into the shadows as they pass.
“I’m going to wash up and retire for the night. I suggest you do the same ̶ and see to your mate. Sleep may be far off come tomorrow,” Dederic says and claps Hector on the shoulder.
“Thank you,” Hector says, and they both move farther down the hall and out of my line of sight.
I stay rooted in place for a long time after that as the reality of what is about to happen finally sinks in.
Alderon is coming.
I have to act.
My decision is made. My path is set. I cannot undo the damage that my father and the others have caused Dederic and his people, but I can perhaps alter the course enough to begin to allow us all to heal. I have to keep Alderon from finding Ruarden. If Dederic won’t allow me to work with him to help his cause, then perhaps I need to work around him.
I strain to hear for any more footsteps or voices, but the hall remains quiet.
Stepping out of my hiding space, I slowly begin to weave my way back through the halls that are more of a home than Illburn ever was. I pass young guards in the hall who smile openly at me and I greet them by name. I measure each step as I calmly climb down the stairwell; a warm, clean smell washing over me.
I step into the dim cavernous room of the bath and see Dederic before he sees me, sitting with his head back and resting on the edge of the bath. My foot slides noisily across the threshold and I watch as he tips his face back down so that his green eyes find mine in an instant.
He is alone in the water and I walk to the shallow edge of the pool and face him fully.
“Human?” he murmurs and slowly stands, water dripping down his bare chest to where the pool hits just below his ribs.
My fire surges and strains for contact with the beautiful man before me, but I tamp it down and silence the thoughts racing through my mind.
“What is it?” he asks, a small tinge of worry seeping through his words.
I raise both my palms in a calming gesture and take a step towards him.
“I’m sorry for interrupting. I just-”
The furrow doesn’t leave his brow and I take a steadying breath before continuing.
“I just-”
My heart is racing, and I struggle to keep the nervousness from my voice.
“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.”
His brown hair is knotted at the top of his head and there is a shadow of dark stubble covering his jaw. I see the softening in his green eyes as he listens to me and sinks back into the water, relaxes against the wall and crosses those powerful arms over his chest.
“Is that so?” he drawls and quirks a disbelieving brow.
I chew on my bottom lip and fight the crazed laugher bubbling up inside of me.
What am I doing?
“No. Not really,” I say.
Amusement flickers in his eyes and a small smirk tugs at his mouth at that.
“I mean, of course I’m proud of you, but that’s not why I- I came here-”
“Seda.” He cuts me off resolutely. “Talk to me. Trust me. Please.”
His green eyes are intense and full of emotion as they hold my stare. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, fighting to calm the storm raging through my chest.
I love this man.
He is fiercely loyal and protective. He is intelligent and kind. Strong and tender. He is everything.
“I trust you,” I breathe.
Dederic hums in disbelief.
“I do. I trust that you are a good man,” I say and reach around to tug at the laces of my black dress.
His eyes get that animal glint in them and he cocks his head to the side.
“I trust that you love your people.” I pull the shoulders of the dress down one arm at a time until the bodice slips down my front and my breasts spring free.
Dederic rises again and stalks slowly forward through the water, unblinking.
“I trust that you would do anything to keep the ones you love safe.” I slide my thumbs down my waist and shimmy the dress off my legs so that I’m standing bare before him.
I inhale a trembling breath and step into the water.
“And I trust you to guard my heart. I trust you with my body and my soul and every piece of me,” I whisper.
“Little fire,” he murmurs, those green eyes unblinking and intense as he takes his time gazing at every inch of my exposed skin.
“If I live a thousand more years, I swear - you are the most beautiful thing I will ever see.”
I’m standing at the precipice of perhaps the most selfish thing I will ever do in my entire life. I’m fueling the connection that I have to this man, with every intention of hurting us both. I cannot stay in Ruarden and sit passively while Alderon tears the people I love away from me.
And I cannot risk telling Dederic my plans ahead of time since he confirmed with Hector that he would oppose me putting myself at risk. But I also cannot leave without telling him how I feel and hope that maybe, afterward, it will help him understand why I am doing this.
I step toward him and run my hands up over his chest and around his neck. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls us gently to the side of the bath where a small stone ledge sits below the surface. We sink down so that the water comes just below his chest and just below my waist where I stand.
I rest both of my knees on the underwater ledge and straddle his lap, placing both hands lightly on his shoulders. His large, strong arms come around me, one hand resting at the small of my back and the other winding into my hair, tipping my face down to meet his gaze.
“My love,” he whispers.
And I blaze.
I clamp my mouth over his and kiss him fervently. Every inch of my skin is connected to his hard, warm body. His tongue slides into my mouth and dances with mine, intense desire loosening my muscles and overriding any lingering hesitation. My hands are grasping at his back and shoulders, my nails raking gently along his flesh.
Dederic growls low in his chest and grips me tighter as his mouth moves across my neck, kissing and sucking and teasing me softly with his teeth.
I moan and tilt my head to the side, offering him better access, and he plants hungry kisses across my shoulder and chest. He unwinds his hand from my hair and cups the heavy swell of my breast in his palm, pinching and sucking at the hard, pink tip.
Little bolts of pleasure shoot through me and I begin sliding myself over the length of his arousal, panting and moaning at the sensation of his flesh fully joined with mine. He uses the hand on my back to guide me into a smooth rhythm as I chase the swelling pleasure mounting deep inside.
I moan and gasp as his mouth returns to my throat, sucking and licking the sensitive skin there.
“I’m yours,” he whispers, lips grazing my ear, and sending chills up and down my spine.
Bracing both hands on his chest I lean slightly away and watch the hypnotic rhythm of his flesh sliding up and down my slit. I reach one hand between us and stroke over the swollen head. Dederic wraps his hand over my own
and guides my grip smoothly up and down his length.
Every tug, pinch, and scrape of his teeth across my skin sends me careening towards that frantic crest of ecstasy.
My heart is pounding and my breath fans across his face in hot gasping pants. He leans forward and captures my mouth with his and holds my hand still.
I whimper and grind desperately against him.
“Tell me what you want, little fire,” he commands.
“Everything,” I say.
Dederic plants his hands on my waist, lifting me so that I am seated on the warm stone floor facing him. He lays me back gently and peppers small, unhurried kisses from my head to my toes, tasting my heated flesh.
“You’re sure?” he asks, and I nod.
He braces one arm on the floor next to my head and reaches down between us to tease my entrance with his fingers before nudging himself slowly inside. I stroke my fingers along his bristly jaw, a small gasp escaping at the gentle invasion into my slick heat.
“I love you,” I breathe.
His green eyes snap to mine. I tense as he pushes fully inside of me until we are finally, fully joined. My sensitive flesh protests the intrusion before melting and fitting my inner walls around him. It feels foreign and beautiful and like I was built exactly for this man and this moment.
“You’re mine,” he whispers into my skin. His fingers massage and tease the sensitive bud of nerves between my legs while I moan and writhe against him. He slides himself in and out, and I trace my own fingers over his arms and shoulders, arching my back into his touch.
“I’m yours,” I say and mean every word.
I love his loyalty, his courage, his fierceness. I love him as a Dragon and as a man. I love his dimpled smile and the feel of his mouth on mine. And I would do absolutely anything for him.
Our rhythm turns frantic as the waves of pleasure begin swelling and cresting and driving me towards that blinding hot oblivion. The sound of his growls of pleasure make my eyes roll back.
“Come for me, little fire,” he commands and reaches between my legs to tug just so on the swollen apex of my need.
I fly over the edge and moan loudly as every sensitive nerve in my body sings in completion. I feel Dederic tense and shudder as he slams into me one last time and fills me with his release. The echoes of my own orgasm flutter around his hard flesh and savor every last twitch of pleasure.
We both still and he places another soft kiss on my mouth and sucks gently on my bottom lip. Our breath mingles and slows to normal, and I take in the contented look in his eyes. I’m sure my own face is a mixture of amazement and happiness - I can’t will my lips into anything but a smile right now.
Dederic meets my gaze and flashes me that dimpled grin that I adore. We continue to watch each other happily for a while before he bends his head to mine and nuzzles just below my ear.
“Hold onto me,” he murmurs, and I’m lifted into his arms.
I sigh and close my eyes as we sink slowly into the water. I rest my head against his chest and listen to the strong, steady beat of his heart. He smells like dark forests and heat and promises of happiness. We float together silently for another few moments. Fingers, limbs and lips dancing and caressing one another.
Eventually, he shifts me in his arms, and we stand and wade out of the pool. He places me in front of himself and reaches for two soft towels. One is quickly wrapped around his waist, but when I reach for the other he ignores me and brushes my hand away. He dries me gently and takes the opportunity to appreciate every last dip and curve of my body. I’m wrapped in the towel and he uses one end to softly wring the water from my hair before bending and retrieving our clothing.
I hesitate when he offers me a hand in silent invitation ̶ not wanting to be the topic of ridicule, brazenly walking down the halls in nothing but a towel. However, I also won’t be around for any of the gossip or blow back, and so I grip the towel tightly in one hand and place the other in his.
Dederic smiles and leads me up the stairs and back towards his room. I keep my eyes down so I have no idea how many people see us sneaking around like infatuated teenagers, but no one is stupid enough to stop us either or say anything.
We walk quickly, and when we reach his room, he swings the door open, pulls me inside, and kicks it shut before attacking me with an onslaught of fervent kisses.
Our towels fall and we wrap ourselves around each other and collapse onto his massive bed. I’m grinning uncontrollably as he laughs and whispers secrets into my skin. My heart is so full it could burst.
“Sleep, my love,” he murmurs, and I close my eyes and relax into his arms, letting my breath calm and slow.
His playful touches become more and more languid; massaging gently my back, my hips, my neck. His fingers move to my hair and pull gently through the ends of it until his hands still and his breathing evens out and deepens.
I wait a while longer before I open my eyes and take in his relaxed, sleeping face. I kiss his shoulder and whisper that I love him one last time, slipping silently out of bed and walking back to my room.
The black shirt, pants and boots are all that I need, and I dress quickly and efficiently in the dark, leaving everything else untouched. I have no need for a pack or supplies ̶ I know my destination. The window is open, and I rest my hands on the ledge as I take in the beauty of this place all over again; the velvet night sky, the crashing of the water, the salty breeze lifting through my hair. I take in my room with everything folded and tidy and neatly made ̶ it’s like I was never here.
I loose a shaky breath and march into the hallway and make my way to the north tower to find Moris.
Sacrifice
The journey with Moris is about as I expected; cold, dark, and uncomfortable, and the Dragon is about as prickly as the man himself.
After I relayed my plan and my request, he gave me his word that he would get me as close as possible to the human camp, although I had serious doubts he would keep to it once he shifted to Dragon. The disdain and mistrust rolled off his scaled body in waves, but the beast eventually offered me his paw and we launched skyward and into the night.
We are flying far off the coast and over the open ocean so that if anyone does spot our approach, it will be from nowhere near the actual location of the castle. I am still uncertain of the best way to infiltrate the camp, considering that whatever information was fed to the citizens about my escape has no doubt been sensationalized and thoroughly condemned over the last two months, and my sudden reemergence will be met with extreme suspicion from even soldiers with no knowledge of the actual circumstances.
Moris slows and lowers us as we approach the shore and drops me very unceremoniously onto the sand before landing gracefully himself.
I grunt in discomfort at the hard landing on my side, sputtering and spitting out the gritty sand from my mouth.
“I suppose I expected no less,” I grumble.
The Dragon aims his head towards the grassy hills farther back from the beach but remains standing in place.
“Which way, then?” I ask curtly.
He tosses his head straight out from our position and I nod in acknowledgment.
“Wonderful.”
I start the slow climb up the sand without looking back. Before we left, Moris showed me, roughly, the position of the camp and indicated where he would fly me in.
“It will be no more than a forty-minute hike from the dunes,” he had said flatly as we looked over the map. “They’re still about a half a day’s flight from Ruarden, perhaps two days on foot. They don’t appear eager to continue moving north, although they have scouted both east and west.”
“And I have your word that you will deliver me safely there?” I ask.
“My word and honor,” he said, and I quirked a brow with a skeptical hum.
“I’m not a savage, you know. I have honor. I love my people and I would do anything for them - same as you,” he gritted out.
“You despise me, but will trust me
with all of our lives?”
Moris chuckled without humor and I glared back at the cold expression on his face. His thick hair was a riotous mess and the sleeves of his red shirt were rolled up to his elbows, exposing scarred and tattooed skin that is no stranger to violence.
“Just because I don’t like you, doesn’t mean I cannot see the sincerity of your request,” he said roughly, and I threw a hand on my hip incredulously.
“Well I’m so glad that my face is one that brooks sincerity,” I snipped.
“Your face does nothing for me,” he said and flicked his eyes down to the collar of my shirt. “That doesn’t lie.”
I glanced down and instinctively brought my hands up to shield whatever window into my brain was apparently on display at my chest. I noticed then, the dainty pattern swirling across my collar bone and ran my fingers across my own warm, familiar skin. The lines were longer and more delicate than the markings that appeared on my wrists after my acceptance into the pride.
“What are they?” I wondered under my breath.
“That’s a bond. And I’ve no doubt who holds the anchor.”
My eyes snapped to his, and a small smirk pulled at his mouth.
“Stay. Go. I don’t care, sister. My sympathy for the plight of the humans dried up long ago and I am in no hurry to fly out night after night fighting for a future that does not exist,” he continued and my eyes shot back to his. “You want to right a wrong and sacrifice yourself for my king? I respect that and I will help you because you asked.”
“Well… thank you.”
“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t thank me. You have no idea how he will suffer when he realizes what you’ve done.” I slid a palm into the collar of my shirt and pressed it along the beautiful evidence of the love painted freshly on my skin.
“And you don’t care that he suffers?” I asked quietly.
Moris clenched his jaw and tucked his chin to his chest.
Song of Smoke: A Dragon Shifter Romance (The King's Series Book 1) Page 21
