Reaper (Dragon Prophecies Book 1)

by Hickory Mack

  Elsie’s insides clenched. It was like he’d read her mind, though her mental blocks were firmly in place. She’d take all of them right fucking now if she knew they wanted it too.

  ‘Are you sure I can’t just kill this guy?’ Saint questioned. ‘I can take you back and give you anything you need, Mistress.’

  She could feel how bothered he was, too, but she was pretty sure it was the scent of her pheromones in the air. He was a demon, after all. She looked his way and faltered. His eyes were intense, making her wonder how much of his words were from jealousy and how much came from a desire to take her then and there, regardless of who was present.

  Elsie lifted the Staff of Sanaia and opened a door into her suite. Pascal looked through it curiously, his chin tilting as he breathed in the chemical scents of bleach and chlorine. His nose wrinkled, and he shook his head. He definitely wouldn’t be following them there.

  Frida flicked her tail and walked obediently through, followed by Saint, who gave Mouro a dirty look. Cross reluctantly let her go, stepping back into the worldbase.

  “That’s a neat little trick,” Mouro praised. “You’d better go after your mates before I decide I’m not letting you go.”

  Elsie swallowed her words, knowing she wouldn’t even be opposed to a second kidnapping. She would not be telling the sexy demon she wanted him to take her away. He grinned at her, taking a step closer, and Elsie finally snapped out of it, taking a step back. She had a lot to answer for with Cross. Mouro had made it painfully apparent that things between her and the witch needed to change. Now.

  “Thank you,” she muttered, then whirled around and ran through the doorway, closing it tight behind her.

  “Cute,” Mouro sighed, adjusting his hard cock more comfortably and swaggering away. Suddenly, the thought of the pleasure houses held no interest to him. He’d have to take care of himself tonight.

  Elsie leaned against the wall of her living room with her eyes closed. This was ridiculous. She had to keep reminding herself that Mouro was her mate now; it was okay to want him, but it still felt like a betrayal to the mates she already had. She was going to have to face them. Clearing her throat, she opened her eyes.

  Cross stood facing her, but his eyes were on the ground, unable to look her in the eye. Saint lay on the couch with a pillow over his face. He clearly had an opinion on everything that had just happened but had no intention of continuing to engage in conversation about it.

  Fuck. How could she be thinking of Cross and Mouro when she had him? How could she be thinking of Saint when Cross was the one who needed her most just then? How much more difficult would all of this become when Wren returned? Elsie almost groaned out loud. It was already impossible to keep her hands off the earth spirit, and they didn’t even have a bond yet.

  ‘I can’t hate him any more than I already do,’ Saint said bitterly. ‘Go fuck him already.’

  ‘What about you?’ she replied.

  ‘Wash his scent off you and come to me when you’re done. If you’re going to be wearing anyone’s scent, it’s mine.’ He peeked out from his pillow. ‘If this is what you need to be happy, then do it.’

  ‘I’m so confused,’ she admitted. ‘I want him, but I want you, too. And Mouro—”

  ‘Mistress, that’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. If I had it my way, I’d have you all to myself for the rest of our lives. The only reason I can tolerate them is because it’s what you want. Now, seriously, take him into the other room with you before I take you myself.’

  Elsie looked over at Cross. He was simply waiting, leaving this decision entirely up to her. It was what they’d done so far, and he’d been miserable because of it. She crossed the space between them and took his hand. His eyes focused on their hands, and she twined her fingers with his. Giving him a gentle pull, she brought him into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

  “Forget everything Mouro said. Forget Saint, forget Wren. Forget the fucking hunters. It’s just you and me,” Elsie said, and his beautiful brown eyes lifted to hers. “You don’t have to keep playing the spy. You are important to me, Macías Cross. It seems like every time I try to get closer to you something comes up.”

  She chewed on the inside of her lip. “You should know that it frustrates me too. I want more time with you. I want you at my side instead of pretending we’re nothing to each other. You’re my mate. I want you in every part of my life. I want to share my thoughts with you and know how you’re feeling. I want to touch you, and I want you to touch me. I want you in my bed. I have for a while now.”

  He just stared at her, and Elsie’s lips drew down into a frown.

  “I won’t pressure you into anything you’re not ready for. But you should know that you don’t have to hold back. Tell me anything. Tell me to fuck off if that’s how you feel. I probably deserve it,” she sighed. He huffed out a laugh.

  “Do you have all of that out of your system?” he asked. She nodded. “Feel better?”

  She shook her head, and he slowly took off his shirt, maintaining eye contact as he did. “Come here, Chantraine.”

  Elsie did as he commanded, raising her hands when she reached him so he could pull her shirt off. He unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down her hips, removing the layer of fabric between them. He pulled off her shoes and lifted her feet one at a time, tossing her shorts aside. Elsie’s breath shortened as he straightened up, his fingertips trailing along the skin of her calves, then her thighs. He continued upward, twirling little patterns across her abdomen and waist, then across her back, where he unclasped her bra.

  He dropped the lacy cups on the ground and continued touching her, his attention on her breasts. She tried to touch him back, but Cross kept control, lifting Elsie up, crossing her legs around his waist as he kissed her. She held onto his shoulders, holding herself up and leaving him free to explore her body.

  Elsie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer, brushing her skin against his to give herself the contact she craved. At this point, she’d been teased for hours by all three of her men. She was wet and ready. Rocking her hips against his, she showed Cross just how impatient she was.

  He groaned and grabbed a handful of her ass. Lifting her off his cock with one hand, he undid his pants with the other, kicking his way free of his pants, boots and boxers. While he did that, Elsie inundated him with kisses, doing her best to distract him with her tongue and teeth.

  His cock pressed against her panties, but instead of letting her go so she could take them off, he pushed them to the side and out of his way. Elsie hissed her approval, letting him guide his cock into her as she pressed her hips down on him.

  “Fuck,” he whispered, grabbing her ass in both hands. He held her still as he rocked out of her, then back in, making sure he was coated with her lubricant before setting the pace.

  She hadn’t gotten a look at his dick, but she could feel the natural curve in it as he moved inside of her, rubbing along all the right places. His mouth was demanding on hers, hot and fervent, his kisses almost brutal. She held on tight and rolled her hips, letting the hard grip he had on her keep her movements close and hard. With his every thrust, she rocked against him, gasping with the effort.

  He walked the few steps to the bed and half crawled to the center. She spread herself immediately, letting him settle over her as he continued without missing a single beat. With the bed holding her, he pinned her hands above her head and fucked her hard, making the headboard smack against the wall. Elsie rose to meet him. It didn’t matter how hard he was slamming into her; she wanted more.

  Her pussy was throbbing, her stomach clenching with need. She’d been kept from Cross for too long, her need for him building over time.

  “You’re mine,” she gasped out, and for a fraction of a second, he lost his rhythm. His kisses stopped and he looked down at her, his eyes sparkling with lust, then he lowered his mouth to her throat and bit her hard enough to leave a mark.

  “An
d you’re mine.”

  The pain mixed with pleasure, heightening everything, and she writhed beneath him, her gasps becoming whimpers of need. Elsie was so close to coming, but she desperately held off. She wanted this moment to last. Cross kissed the spot he’d bitten, soothing the pain away while he fucked her pussy raw, but then he bit her again.

  With a cry, she came in an explosion of ecstasy. For a second, she forgot how to breathe. Her fingers closed around his hand, and she held on tight, but the secondary wave from the bond didn’t come. He’d let her finish alone, and the bond needed both of them.

  “Cross,” she gasped out, and he flipped her over so she was on her hands and knees. He finally took her panties off, flinging them to the side. He put a hand on her back, gently pushing until she gave way, assuming a pretty position with her ass in the air and her breasts pressed into the blankets.

  Elsie was entirely exposed to him, but she wasn’t self-conscious over it. She just wanted more. His fingers tickled their way with feather-light touches up her inner thigh. He ran a single finger between the folds of her pussy, and she heard him suck in a breath.

  “You’re dripping for me,” he praised. Their bond strained with the effort of pulling them together, so much so that it was painful. She didn’t know how he could stand it, but he kept teasing her, taking samples of the heat between her thighs with little probes of his tongue.

  “Please, Cross. Touch me,” she sobbed, nearing tears. She needed him so fucking badly she was going to lose her mind. “I need you.”

  He brought her knees together, and her brows raised, wondering what the hell he was up to. His calves crowded hers closer together, and he pushed a finger inside of her pussy. With her legs clenching her pussy closed, it was a tight fit. Withdrawing his finger, she felt the tip of his cock push its way in, and she cried in relief.

  With the position he’d put her in, her body resisted him while she continued to beg, his name falling out of her lips in a string of pleas. He squeezed himself inside, forcefully pushing through her resistance. The friction was fucking heaven. His every movement was restricted, and she was clenched around him in such a way that she felt every single inch of his cock as he forced it in and out of her.

  “Cross, harder,” she whimpered.

  He immediately reacted, slamming himself into her while she bit a blanket to keep from screaming. Cross held her hips, and while he’d been stopping her from moving before, he started pulling her into him with each thrust, giving her permission to take part. She pushed against him, shoving her round ass into his stomach while nearly sobbing into the blanket.

  “I can’t,” he gasped, and she was so tight around him she could feel his cock throbbing. He needed to come, and she was right there with him. He let go, releasing inside of her as he slammed into her one last time. Elsie bit down on the blanket and screamed as the orgasm took her too. Her body was so overwhelmed with pleasure, she squirted all over the bed, leaving a puddle of lust beneath them.

  Cross pulled her into his lap, kissing her neck when the bond sealed itself. He clapped a hand over her mouth, letting her bite his palm rather than alert the entire hunter compound what she was up to in there. Elsie lost all sense of time. She was lost, floating in a cloud of pleasure. Her entire body was relaxed and sated, and by the time she was aware of what was going on around her, she was laying in Cross’ arms while he slowly stroked her back.

  “There you are,” he chuckled, kissing her gently. “You dozed off for a bit.”

  She wanted to pet him and tell him what a good boy he was. She wanted to praise him and show him how amazing she found him, but all she could manage was a lazy smile. Elsie snuggled in closer, breathing in his scent. She’d never gotten enough time with him to notice how good of a cuddler he was. She felt completely enveloped in his strength, feeling like nothing could hurt her while she was in his arms.

  “I was starting to worry that it would be a really long time before we could be together like this,” he admitted. “If you ever tell that asshole I said this, I’ll deny it with my dying breath, but I’m grateful he came when he did.”

  “Me too.”

  “You have to trust me more. It’ll be harder to put up a fake face for the hunters now, but I’m not going to put any of us in a bad spot. You know that, right?” he asked, and she nodded. She knew. This man with an unexpected rough side would never do anything to hurt her... unless she asked him to.

  ‘I trust you,’ she said into his mind, rewarded by his surprise and then his smile. A smile he only gave to her. Elsie opened her side of their bond, letting him feel just how true her words were. ‘We can share everything now.’

  ‘Out of all the women in the world, I’m glad my mate is you, Elspeth Chantraine,’ he said, his first words through their mindlink backed up by the wealth of emotion he’d kept to himself the past weeks. ‘It couldn’t have been anyone else.’

  ‘I’m glad it’s you, too.’

  Frida mewled outside the door, drawing Elsie’s attention away from Cross. Saint was trying and failing at hiding how turned on he was, though he was doing his best to ignore them his sensitive hearing and sense of smell picked up everything. He was too distracted to close his end of the bond properly.

  ‘He needs you?’ Cross asked, and Elsie closed her eyes, squishing her face into his chest. Her desire for Saint was flaring up inside of her, but she wasn’t ready to leave Cross.

  ‘How does any woman deal with this?’ she sighed.

  ‘You’re not meant to leave your bed for months after sealing our bond,’ Cross answered. ‘I wish I could give you that luxury.’

  Elsie slowly sat up, rekindled lust driving her. “It’s not your fault, and it’s only going to get more difficult. Wren will be back soon, and Mouro…” She trailed off, scrambling out of bed. She couldn’t think of Mouro right now. Dashing into the living room, she streaked through on the way to the bathroom. Saint had asked her to wash up before coming to him.

  She turned on the water and jumped in while it was still cold. Elsie yelped but frantically worked her soap into a lather. The curtain twitched, and Saint peeked in, alarm on his face.

  “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

  “Saint,” she said in relief, grabbing his shirt and dragging him into the shower fully clothed. “Just fuck me, Saint.”

  Chapter 42

  “It isn’t your fault. It’s the bonds,” Saint assured her, stroking her hair. They’d somehow made it from the shower to the bed as they made their way across the apartment, and Elsie had only just noticed that not only was the soaking wet top cover missing, but so was Cross. The witch had taken it upon himself to clean the damned thing while she lost herself in Saint.

  “I still shouldn’t have lost my head like that,” she complained.

  “Mouro is good at pushing your buttons,” he chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining. Feel free to take your frustrations over him out on me whenever you like. It might be a hardship, succumbing to your demands, but I volunteer my body as often as you need it.”

  Elsie snorted in amusement. “What a selfless soul you possess.”

  “Are we staying the night here, or are we going back to look for the witches?” he asked.

  “I don’t think there’s any point in going back until morning,” she sighed. “I kind of want to go check on the fox demon. I haven’t checked in on him in a couple of days. Or I could stay right where I am.”

  “That’s my favorite option,” Saint said. “Even if we go back before dawn, we’ll still get a full night’s sleep here. Plenty of time with each other. If we get dressed, you can even get the witch in here if you want. He just has to sleep on the far side of the bed. Close, but no touching.”

  “How very generous of you,” she teased.

  “It’s only on account of how sad you’ll be if you can’t have your new bondmate nearby. Nothing to do with him,” he insisted.

  “Of course. It couldn’t be because you actually like him.”

/>   “I do not.” He gazed at her for several moments before speaking in a serious tone. “Will you do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Take the wolverine up on his offer.”

  “Why?”

  “Because even if you decide not to stay there, it’ll be a safe and protected place. At least for a little while. We can all take some time and relax together without worrying if someone is coming to take you away. His power as a Lord isn’t just in how much magic he has. He’ll have people whose only job will be to protect you,” Saint said.

  “You’d be okay with that? With having new rules to abide by and dealing with people watching us all the time?”

  ‘I can speak to you whenever I want now. We’ll still be together. It’ll be a good place to get our heads on straight while you practice with your scythe,’ he reminded her. ‘I have to admit, I’m still pissed you didn’t beat the shit out of that guy.’

  “He let me slap his face. I hit him so hard I couldn’t believe it didn’t leave a mark. Stupid demon,” she muttered, and Saint smiled.

  “Well, at least there’s that to imagine. Next time, do it where I can see you.”

  “I doubt I’ll be slapping him again.”

  “Because you think that grandpa is hot?”

  Elsie snickered at him. “Because he made me think. You were right from the moment you came back. We can’t just sit around and let the hunters take advantage of us anymore.”

  “You. They’re taking advantage of you, not us.”

  “No, it’s Cross, too. And you. They’re using your memory to help keep me in line. We can come back and fuck them over later. We should spend our time figuring out where the elixir supply is, steal it, and get the fuck out of here,” she said.

  “I like that idea. It gives us plenty of time to figure out our witch problem, and we can come back on our terms instead of theirs.”