And so, I do not return. If I do, my actions may push my brothers away from me. We are alphas. Were our people still alive, we would be princes of our races. But because we are the last of our kind, we are rulers without people. And royalty with no one to command.
It would be so easy to give into our instincts. To demand that we alone rule. But then we would lose each other. We would fight until blood ran once more.
And truly, the dragon race would cease to exist.
So even though the fire dragon within me wants to take command of her and this situation, I pace and try to calm myself.
It is not easy. In fact, I think it is the most difficult thing I have ever done.
I want to shake her. To frighten her. To bend her to my will and ensure she will never again leave my sight.
In my mind, I see the man striking her. I hear his words.
My brothers were not close enough to hear all. This man wished to harm her in a way no female should be harmed.
His death was too quick for my liking.
But I can do nothing about the past, now I must ensure our female is never harmed again. Briefly I imagine her in the dungeons in my lair, her small wrists bound. She would be safe there. But she would hate me.
Her hatred should not be a factor. The survival of our kind should be the sole priority, and yet, I dismiss the idea. Chains may contain her. But there are other ways to contain a rebellious female.
An idea forms in my mind. I walk to the center of the room and leap up to the edge of our hidden home. Walking through the hall, my gaze immediately goes to Tori. She is lying on the bed, half covered. For the first time I notice the warm tones of her skin, and the shades of brown and blonde in her hair.
For a minute my plan fades, and I see nothing but her.
And then, I see my brothers near the windows. Their expressions far away.
I move to them. “We should keep her here, in the temple. The blessings of this place will help her fertility.”
They nod.
But Frost speaks. “I don’t like how close we are to the human village.”
Azure crosses his arms in front of his chest. “They are human. Weak. Incapable of harming us.”
“And what about the dragon-mages?” Frost’s voice is soft, but it hits us like a fist.
Dragon-mages are powerful humans capable of harming our kind. Frost has a theory that the wars between dragons were so bloody because of the mages. He believes they are capable of influencing our emotions.
And yet, there has been no sign of one since we took to the skies.
“There’s no reason for them to suddenly resurface,” I tell him, my words almost a growl.
“Still, we should be cautious,” he says, not sounding convinced.
Azure nods. “Once she is with child, and the pregnancy secure, we will leave this place.”
“To the fire dragon lair,” I assert.
They both nod. It is the safest of our lairs. And the humans who serve me are loyal and plentiful.
“Now, we simply need to ensure she never again leaves.” I tell them, and my anger returns in full force.
“She won’t,” Frost reassures.
I raise a brow. “She sounded quite sorry as you two fucked her.”
His icy flesh heats. “What would you have us do?”
I take a deep breath. “Go and secure anything the female might need. Leave her to me.”
“Phoenix...” Frost’s eyes narrow.
“Leave it to me.”
“He wouldn’t harm her,” Azure meets and holds my gaze. “And this place is not comfortable enough for her needs.”
Frost is silent for a long moment. “We’ll return by nightfall.”
I say nothing, but watch as they open the window and dive out into the afternoon sunlight. I realize that even though we are as brothers, I worried that they wouldn’t have faith in me. That they wouldn’t trust the female’s discipline to a fire dragon.
It gives me strength as I turn and head to her bed.
I will need all the control I have for this. Or else, my heart may soften and my anger cool. And then? Then, the female might leave us again.
And if that should happen... Gods protect mankind, and the treacherous female, from our wrath.
Chapter Six
TORI
“Wake up.”
My eyes snap open. For a second, my heart pounds. I’m staring up at a sky filled with clouds, not the roof of my shack. Where am I? And then, I remember. The dragons, and the deal I made.
“Are you awake?”
I turn and find Phoenix standing at the foot of my bed.
Jerking into a sitting position, I’m suddenly wide awake. Phoenix radiates anger. He seems to fill the entire room, and as my gaze moves down, sliding past his erection, I see there are metal cuffs in his hand. My pulse speeds up.
“What is it?”
His eyes narrow. “We told you to stay here. You disobeyed.”
My chin jerks up. “And I told you that I needed to see my brother. And that I wouldn’t be a prisoner.”
His jaw twitches. “You put yourself in unnecessary danger all because you couldn’t wait.”
I try to hide my nervousness as I speak. “I won’t be your prisoner.”
“And here I did not think you had a choice.”
“I won’t let you...”
His brow rises. “And how do you plan to stop me?”
He’s absolutely right. He’s stronger than me. He’s a dragon for fuck’s sake. But I feel like if I crumble now, I’ll lose any ground I have to stand on.
“So, you’ll keep me imprisoned here through my pregnancy and the birth of your dragon babies? That sounds like a long time of making sure you don’t take your eyes off of me. And if for one second you slip up, you know I’ll be out of here, because prisoners don’t have loyalty to their captors.”
The hand holding the cuffs drops to his side, but his body continues to radiate anger. “You already showed your lack of loyalty.”
“I had loyalty to my brother. And I took care of him. I don’t have a reason to leave now.”
He studies me for a long moment. “I have to know you can obey me. I have to punish you for your disobedience.”
My palms grow sweaty. What kind of punishment is he talking about? “I can obey.”
“Get up,” he says.
Every muscle in my body demands I refuse him, but I rise on shaking legs and stand beside the bed. Feeling self-conscious, I grip the blanket to my chest, concealing my naked body from his gaze.
He seems to relax, if only by a barely detectable amount. “Drop the blanket.”
My nipples harden. Am I going to like what this dragon has planned? “The blanket?”
The anger returns to his eyes. “Yes.”
Fuck. I take a deep breath, and release it.
And suddenly, I’m standing before him as his piercing gaze slides over my body... so slowly time seems to freeze.
He drops the cuffs, and the sound seems to echo in the room. “Come here.”
I move toward him, stopping just feet in front of him. The cool air on my skin seems to caress my entire body, leaving every hair standing on end.
Or maybe it’s his gaze that has every nerve screaming to life.
“Kneel,” he commands.
I bite back my refusal. Dropping to my knees, my eyes cling to his hard cock, and suddenly I’m filled with anticipation.
“Take my cock into your mouth and suck every drop from it.”
Moving too quickly, I reach out and take his hard shaft. I don’t want to obey him on principle, but something happens to me when I’m around these dragons. It’s like I’ll do anything to touch them. And the idea of sucking Phoenix dry...
I lean forward and blow gently on the tip of his cock.
His eyes widened. “Suck it.”
His command seems to echo through the room, but the rebel within me is determined to disobey in any way I can. I lean forward and lick his tip, the
n press kisses along his length. When I come to his smooth balls, I suck one of them into my mouth, knowing I’m disobeying, but doubting he’ll stop me.
A string of curses explode from his lips. He grabs me by the arm, tugs me up, and tosses me so I’m on my stomach lying on the bed. Suddenly, his warm body is behind me. His hands reach forward and fondle my breasts as his erection moves to slide between my thighs.
“You will never leave us again.” He pinches my nipple, and I whimper. “Say it.”
I don’t want to obey him, so instead, I rub myself against him.
A growl tears from his lips, and he releases my breasts. His big, strong hands slide to my hips, and then he dives into me from behind.
I was ready for him, and yet, it’s like he’s too much to handle. I can’t seem to breathe. I can’t seem to do anything, except feel his massive shaft inside of me.
My body throbs around him, holding him too tightly. Protesting the invasion of something so large. And yet, it’s Phoenix inside of me. The dragon who makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. A shifter whose very gaze heats my core in a way that’s too powerful to describe.
He might be massive. He might have me thrown over the edge of the bed like a woman he owns, but I’m filled with anticipation at just the thought of what he’ll do next.
And then, he starts to fuck me like a wild animal, and I’m lost. My body screaming in satisfaction. Loving the feeling of something so big slamming into me.
Gripping the bed sheets, I thrust back against him, and my name comes from his lips like a prayer. Every time he thrusts back inside of me, I see stars. And when he pulls back out, my body quivers with anticipation for his next thrust.
This is what I imagined sex with a dragon shifter to be like. Possessive, hard, and earth-shattering. And Phoenix doesn’t disappoint.
His movements grow wilder. Faster. And then, I cry out his name, exploding over the edge.
When his seed shoots inside of me, slicking my passage with his heat, it only drives my orgasm higher. I continue to meet him thrust for thrust until I collapse, tingles of pleasure radiating through my body.
“You are... terrible at following orders.” He whispers behind me. “But your cunt’s so tight I can forgive it.”
I laugh against the blankets and look back at him. He looks unbelievably pleased.
When he pulls out of me, he turns me to face him. His cock hasn’t softened, and I’m surprised when he presses it back into my channel. My hands grip his shoulders, but he doesn’t move, he just stares at me.
“What?” I say, feeling uncertain.
He kisses me, slowly. And I can feel this is different. It’s not a punishment. It’s not a show of control. It’s not even a man giving into his passion.
When he pulls back, I’m feeling something I shouldn’t.
He looks at me with those molten eyes. “You, tiny human named Tori, are absolute trouble.”
I stare at him, not expecting that at all. “And you think you’re something awesome just because you have a big dick.”
He grins. “You think I have a big... dick?”
I feel my cheeks heat. “You know you do.”
To my surprise, he kisses me again. “I’m glad I pleased you.”
Lifting me up, I curl my legs around him on instinct. He holds me and crawls across the bed until we settle onto the pillows. Then, he sighs. “Time for sleep.”
I yawn. “Isn’t it a bit early for bed?”
He snuggles his face against my neck. “A fire dragon gets grumpy without a nap.”
A sleepy laugh leaves my lips. “And do you plan to stay buried in me the whole time?”
“Of course,” he sounds half-asleep, and far too satisfied.
I want to argue with him, but this day has been so damn long. A nap sounds like exactly what I need right now.
IT’S STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE when I open my eyes. Something has disturbed my sleep, but I don’t know what. Stroking Phoenix’s shoulder, I try to roll out from beneath him, but it’s like trying to roll a boulder.
Frowning, I know the best thing to do is just try to go back to sleep. But what woke me?
And then I see pale blue sparks strike the back of Phoenix’s head. His eyes open, “what the—?” and then he slumps on top of me?.
What the hell was that?
My heart pounds as I struggle in earnest to get out from under him. And then, he’s yanked off of me. Three men in dark clothes and cloaks stare down at me.
I try to run. One of them tackles me. I’m yanked to a standing position, my arms behind my back.
The tallest of the men moves to stand in front of me. “You have one chance to cloth yourself, and then we take you naked.”
The third man throws my dress at me. My hands are released, and I yank my dress on. Then, before they can react, I let my nails grow and attack the man in front of me. My nails sink into his throat, and blood spurts.
He hits the ground, and I whirl to attack the man behind me. Green, hot sparks strike my face, and each spark burns. I scream, collapsing to my knees and rubbing at my face.
I barely register as he yanks my hands behind my back and cuffs them. I just know that the second he does, the burning stops.
Breathing hard, I look at Phoenix. He still lies on the bed. His breathing even. Whatever spell they used on him, I’m thankful that at least he’s still alive.
“Check her,” the man that stands over me says.
They both ignore their dead companion.
Another man, with long blonde hair, kneels down. I can’t see his face behind his mask, but two blue eyes peer out at me. He reaches out and strokes my belly in a way that sends chills down my spine.
“She has the power of the fertility egg within her.”
The dark haired man behind me speaks, his voice soft and cruel. “And has she mated all three?”
“Yes, their seed already seeks the eggs.”
“Then, you were right. This was the perfect timing.”
I look between them. “Whatever you’re planning, you’ve got to be pretty damn stupid to attack a dragon.”
They say nothing as they drag me to my feet.
And suddenly, I’m thrown over one of their shoulders.
“What are you doing?” I ask, ice running through my veins.
The dark-haired man’s face fills my vision. “You, my lovely lady, are going to do what no one has ever managed to do before. You’re going to give us dragons of our very own. Creatures that we shall control.”
This can’t be happening! “No! I won’t let you take me! I won’t—“
He smiles, and blue sparks leap from his fingers.
Then, the world goes dark.
Chapter Seven
FROST
I hope we did the right thing by leaving Tori with Phoenix. I know he would never hurt her, but he has so little experience with humans. He knows how to shout orders at his people; however, he’s never quite learned how to talk to them. How to build relationships with them.
If he did something that makes her distrust us even more, I’ll never forgive myself.
I like her, I hear Azure’s voice in my head.
I smile, skimming the water that he swims within. I do too.
Do you think she already carries our young?
I consider his words. The magic is potent, so it’s possible.
Azure’s mixed feelings flow through our connection.
But we’ll have to continue to fill her with our seed. It’ll lend her our strength, so she can carry our young.
I rise above the waves. Land draws near.
Azure explodes from the water and circles in the air, shaking the water from his wings, then he darts into the sky. Good, because my cock already aches for her.
I’d never admit it to him, but mine does too. We have to remember, she’s only human. We don’t wish to harm her.
Never! He says, and the words tinged with disbelief.
It takes us a short time
before we reach the temple, each of us carrying a small pack that our people loaded us with. Our servants have given us their every reassurance that they contain everything a human woman could need.
When I dive down to the open window, I shift and leap through it, catching the pack before it can fall. Dragging it into the room, I set it down and turn. Azure jumps in behind me.
And then, the smell hits me. Blood! Death!
Whirling, I take the couple of steps to take the room into focus. Phoenix lies unmoving on the bed, and a dead man lies on the floor. Tori is nowhere to be seen.
“Wh—what?” Azure begins behind me.
“Search for Tori, now!”
He leaps into action. I run to Phoenix and roll him over. To my relief, he still breathes. In his hair, blue magic clings, sparkling.
Mages!
I feel sick as I drag him to the pool in the center of the room. With rough movements, I drop him into the water, and the magic sparks hiss away.
Within seconds, his eyes open.
I pull him to me. “Where is she?”
“Where?” he looks confused.
“The mages were here. Tori is gone.”
I see the instant it hits him. He fights from my touch and looks over the room, with the dead man, and the empty bed. He roars, and the sound contains all our fears, anger, and disbelief. It shakes the entire building, seeming to go on forever.
And then, he collapses to his knees.
I don’t want to ask, but I do. “Do you know where they could have taken her?”
He shakes his head.
“Then, we better start searching, before her trail grows cold.”
He snaps into action, and we both search the man and the room for any clues. Azure circles overhead, likely looking for any clue to where she could have gone.
None of us speak.
None of us stop moving. Because if we do, we’ll have to admit the worst thing in our lives. The mages have left no clues. No scent. No trail.
Our mate, and the fate of the dragon race, is gone.
Chapter Eight
TORI
I awaken, blinking slowly, then sit up. I’m lying on a bed in a room with no windows. It’s clearly a cell that someone has dragged a few comforts into. A bath filled with water lies in one corner. An ancient fireplace burns near the foot of the bed, and there’s a chest of what looks like clothing to one side.
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