“Oh and Fredrick,” Axel called before the man could get out of earshot. “Pay no attention to the noise you are about to hear.” The Prince smirked at the shocked look on Fredrick’s face and chuckled to himself.
“Perhaps I shall go reflect in the chapel,” Fredrick murmured and changed directions instead of heading for the grand staircase. He headed for the rear stairs that led to the small rose garden behind the house. It sat nestled between the chapel and the estate, safe from prying eyes.
Axel smiled and turned his attention back to a proper greeting between himself and his soon-to-be-mate.
Chapter 5
Instead of knocking on her door and awaiting permission before entering her chambers, he simply turned the knob and shoved the door open, allowing it to bang against the inside wall with a resounding thud.
“Honey,” he called mockingly. “I thought you’d like the chance to talk privately.” He moved through the overly decorated sitting room and straight to the double sliding doors guarding the bedroom entrance.
He ground to a dead halt when he saw her sitting in the center of the large king-sized bed. Her auburn hair hung in loose waves and was only slightly mussed from where she’d lay on them. Her bright green eyes were widened in genuine shock. She wore nothing but a pair of small shorts and some sort of strappy shirt; no bra his eyes confirmed when they zeroed in on the twin buds pebbling just beneath the cotton fabric.
We he an even lesser man than he considered himself to be, he would’ve pounced on her right then and there; taking whatever pleasure he deemed suitable punishment for her flippant dismissal earlier.
Worries of rushing the mating ritual could easily be cast aside and damn any consequences that might arise.
However, it wasn’t common sense, or fear of what may happen that stopped him from taking her. It was another idea or the sort. With a hungry smack of his lips, he advanced on the bed and the shocked woman curled amongst it.
Her eyes took in his actions, but Michelle’s mind raced frantically wondering at his intentions. When one heavy knee landed on the pile of soft bed coverings, she inched backward onto her knees, her feet tucked underneath her in case she needed to bound from the bed and run for her life.
With both hands braced with palms flat, Axel lifted himself directly in front of where she poised. She inched backward a little more until the solid-wood backboard brought her to a cold-dead stop. An amused smile crossed his face and he covered the meager distance still separating them and braced his hands on either side of her head on the headboard. Lowering his face to where she stared up at him in pure panic, one corner of his mouth lifted in amusement and then he captured hers in a long overdue kiss.
At first she fought him by placing her palms against the walls of his chest and pushing with all her might, but after allowing him to assault her and finding pleasure in it, she parted her lips in invitation and welcomed him in.
After the numerous rumors she’d heard about him and then the brief meeting downstairs, she’d more than accepted the fact that she was marrying an overbearing monster who only cared about himself. But as she focused on the tenderness of his lips and the gentleness of his body pressing lightly against hers, she wondered if perhaps Axel wasn’t merely misunderstood.
As if sensing her traitorous thoughts, Axel broke their kiss and sat back on his haunches to merely study her.
He wanted her, he wanted to tame her but right now he’d merely settle for taking her. Of course he’d have to work around the mating ritual and that would put quite a damper on his creativity, but he hadn’t lived all these centuries without learning a trick or two...thousand.
His hands snaked out so fast her eyes barely registered the movement and she emitted a small squeal when he grabbed both her ankles and pulled her legs straight out in front of her. He pulled until the vee of her legs fitted against him like a puzzle piece and he tramped down the urge to moan as her womanly warmth enveloped him.
“What are you doing?” she demanded breathlessly.
“I have to have you,” he all but panted as he grabbed the waistband of her pants and yanked them free. He swallowed hard when he saw that she wore no underwear and then nodded as if he found the idea pleasing. Less to get in his way, he decided and dove face first into the Garden of Eden. His cock sprang to live when his light whiskers brushed the cleanly shaven flesh of her mound.
His tongue snaked out, flicking lightly against her and her back bowed as she bucked off the bed.
Michelle’s eyes rolled back in her head and her hands fisted in the silk sheets as he assaulted her in ways she’d never known possible. Being the only female of their Sect, she’d remained pure for her wedding day, but she had read on what to expect. This didn’t even reach the top ten things she’d looked forward to.
Just when she thought the heat in her core couldn’t get any hotter, a volcano erupted and her entire body rocked with enough force to level a high rise.
Axel sat back on his again and smiled at her as he wiped her wetness from his lips and chin.
“Welcome to your first orgasm,” he mused and leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers once again. She moaned when she tasted herself on him and before she knew what she was doing, her fingers went to his coal black hair and she fisted her hands tightly. He sucked in heavily and groaned.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered against his lips. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He grinned with his lips still resting against hers and chuckled lightly.
“That’s what I get when I try and tame a viper,” he mused. “I’m afraid this is about all we can do until after the official ceremony,” he informed her with regret lacing his voice.
Feeling brazen, Michelle snaked her hands down between them until she found his belt.
“Well, at least let me return the favor,” she suggested. “Although I will admit my skills are limited to non-practical application.”
Axel braced his hands on either side of her lithe body and pushed himself off her, allowing her better access. Hell, if she wanted to get her hands on him, who was he to argue?
Suddenly he heard a noise no human ear could have and his body went ramrod straight. He shoved away from her with a force so heavy, it rocked the bed so hard, the headboard shot straight through the drywall. He crawled away from her and raced to the large, french doors that opened onto a small balcony.
A low, menacing growl erupted from his throat and a light wisp of smoke escaped his nostrils.
“What the fuck?” he demanded and then whirled on her. “Get dressed,” he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. She scrambled from the bed, her hands frantically sweeping the floor in search of her discarded pants. When her fingers ran across the familiar material, she snatched them on and then stood to find herself face-to-face with a very angry Axel.
“If they manage to take you, I want to them to know beyond a shadow of doubt that you’re mine,” he rasped and then swooped down, his fangs puncturing the soft flesh of her neck. She inhaled first from the pin-prick of pain and then the flood of pleasure as it pooled in her groin again.
He shoved her away from him, a bit roughly and her eyes widened at the sight of blood dripping from his chin. Her hand went to the twin wounds he’d left, her skin still thrumming heavily from his assault.
“What did you do?” she asked, more out of curiosity than anger. He wiped the blood from his lips and then leaned down to press a lighter one across her lips.
“I made you mine,” he informed her softly. “With your blood flooding my veins, I’ll be able to find you no matter how far they take you. And...” he trailed off and anxiety seized her heart.
“And?” she prompted. What the hell had he done to her?
“No other can take you as mate now, you are mine,” he answered simply and gave her another quick peck on the cheek before turning to place his body between hers and the french doors.
Michelle jumped at the sound of glass breaking and chanced a peek aro
und Axel’s body, eyes widening in horror as a handful of black-clad mercenaries converged on the couple. They were covered in head to toe black with even their faces hid by sleek black helmets.
Each one carried an identical curved sword and they moved to fan out around the room. Michelle reached forward and grabbed Axel’s shoulders. He quickly brushed her hands off and told her to get back before everything in the room went slamming against the intruders.
Chapter 6
Axel had managed to back Michelle into the closet and used his element to throw things at the thugs, anything he could find that would delay them long enough for him to shift.
He took his eyes off them long enough to throw his head back and welcome to sudden shift that wouldn’t take more than a few seconds. Being royalty, his blood was different than that of the normal dragon. He could shift anywhere, anytime with a mere thought. Others took a bit more, some had to call on their element, others had to have complete privacy and silence.
Not him, not Prince Axel. He pulled every ounce of air in the room into his body and his human physique merely exploded off him in a spray of human flesh and blood. His dragon body erupted into blue scales, his spiked tail hitting the floor with a heavy thud. He used the motion as a way to propel himself into the lap of his attackers. He swiped with talon-tipped claws, swiped his tail, tore flesh with his fangs, everything he could do in order to keep them away from Michelle.
She wasn’t formally his mate yet, but within the expanse of minutes he’d gone from vehemently denying any part of this forced union, to pledging his very life to protect a woman he literally just met. Their brief intimacy session had only fueled his fierce protectiveness. He hadn’t wanted her, but by God, she’d shown up on his doorstep and she was now his. No one took what belonged to him, not while he drew breath.
He’d neglected to notice that in the time it had taken him to shift and attack, he’d moved halfway across the room and lost sight of the one thing he’d die to protect. He heard Michelle scream and frantically searched for her. When he saw another man dragging her unconscious body toward the balcony, red coated his vision. He didn’t know the man very well, but he’d seen him at several Summit meetings and knew he was in the Air Faction.
It appeared as though the attack wasn’t directed at Michelle after all; it was, in fact, a coup to overthrow him. Throwing his enormous head back, he roared with all the rage coursing through his veins, flames shooting out and through the ceiling. He turned his attention back to the soldiers coming back at him and a snuffed lightly. Bring it on, he mused, bring all you’ve got.
Chapter 7
Michelle couldn’t say how long she’d been out of it but from the heaviness of her muscles, she decided it had to have been a few hours at least. Her last memory was of Axel in his majestic dragon form and the ferocity in which he tore through the men crowding her room.
Screams, both human and beast, rent the silence and Michelle had watched helplessly as a group of masked soldiers attacked her mate.
Mate.
Her eyes snapped open at the recollection of what he’d done to her in the moments before the onslaught. Her fingers went to her neck and gently probed the sticky, blood crusted skin. She didn’t know whether she was glad he’d had the foresight or angry because he’d known what was happening.
“He truly is a master strategist,” an unknown male voice mused from somewhere across the room. Michelle sat up and frowned at finding herself sprawled across yet another foreign bed in someone else’s home.
“Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?”
Connor Shadowson sneered and sauntered into the small guestroom of his country estate. Handsome in an unrefined, rugged way, Michelle could safely say she found nothing about him attractive or reassuring. She saw a malicious hatred simmering just beneath the surface of his magenta eyes and wanted nothing more than to curl in on herself.
He lowered himself to sit on the side of the bed and she found herself mirroring the same stance as she had last night with Axel. It was that fight or flight response and while experiencing with her mate had been a gross overreaction, she felt like this situation definitely called for it.
Noticing her movement, Connor chuckled malevolently and arched an eyebrow as his eyes swung to the window. Michelle hesitantly turned to see what he wanted her to look at, and inhaled sharply when she saw the iron bars covering her only chance for escape.
“You see, I was prepared for every occasion,” he bragged and then frowned. “Except one.” He flexed his hand and large talons slid through the tips of his fleshy fingertips and with a satisfied chuckle, he raked the bed comforter, rending it to shreds with a mere flick of his wrist. “I hadn’t thought Axel would have the audacity of claiming you before the ceremony. Just imagine how insulted and repulsed Elder Coffer is going to be when I tell him,” he mused and then lifted his hand, inspecting the yellow, cracked claws.
“The Elders are behind this?” Michelle demanded, forgetting all about the fact that she should be afraid. She never could think straight when her dragon anger rose. She’d fought all her life to control those emotions, buried so deeply within her psyche. But now, after learning the monster sitting idly beside her had conspired to not only betray his Prince but also kill him in cold blood, she didn’t want to stop the impending change.
The first sign of her shift came in the form of a strong wind, erupting out of the still, stagnant bedroom air. It whirled from corner to corner until a huge funnel twisted angrily in the center of the room. Her eyes ignited into dragon-vision, lights exploding like fireworks, each molecule allowing her to see even the smallest dust motes.
She rose from the bed, stretched languidly and headed straight for the center of the big vortex. It was time she took control of her own life and her first step was avenging her mate. She still didn’t know whether he lived or not, but this was the least she could do for him. He’d protected her by marking her, now she would repay the favor.
“Stop,” Connor demanded and lurched from his perch to grab her arm. But by the time he’d managed to so much as touch the skin on her forearm, she already had one foot inside the funnel and the skin-to-skin contact tore the skin from his arm like the peel of a banana. He screeched in a pitch too high for a man and cradled the arm against his chest.
Michelle flicked an unconcerned glance at his openly bleeding wound and smirked as the formerly healthy flesh shriveled and fell to the floor. She knew the wound would eventually take his arm lest he shift and heal it. It didn’t matter that they were of the same element. He’d touched her mid-shift while he remained in human form and that was enough to kill anyone.
Once her entire body was encapsulated within the twirling vortex, Michelle threw her head back and welcomed the change shimmering beneath the surface of her skin. Bones shifted, joints popped as they contorted and twisted. Turquoise blue/green scales erupted across her quivering flesh and her eyes burned internally as their true colors emerged. Normally a bright, beautiful green, they now looked more than a florescence reminiscent of a glo-stick.
She groaned when her jaws opened so far they popped unnaturally, her mouth elongating into a snout complete with twin rows of razor-sharp fangs.
Once her arms and legs were finished reforming, she stood on all fours and experimentally swept her massive tail back and forth, testing its strength. She was immediately overcome with an euphoric bliss and wondered why she didn’t let her true form out more often.
When she caught movement in her peripheral, she remembered her reason for shifting and stepped from the funnel, allowing it to shrink into a small tuft that then floated toward her, rushing in her open maw. The small rays of light entering the partially covered windows refracted off her shimmering scales and cast a disco-ball effect all throughout the room.
She hissed through her open mouth, her long tongue darting out like a snake. Snapping her jaws shut so forcefully a tuft of smoke came from her nostrils, she felt that familiar ball of flame b
urst in the back of her throat. She was fully prepared to kill him, to roast him like a suckling pig over an open spit. But just before she let the fire emerge, the bedroom door swung open so hard bits and pieces of wood and metal hinges burst through the air.
She turned narrowed eyes on the interloper stupid enough to confront an irate dragon and then she stilled, swallowing the ball of raging flames rolling in her mouth.
Chapter 8
Axel stood in the gaping hole the door left behind, his clothes in ragged tatters, his face, arms and hands completely saturated in blood. His chest - exposed from lack of a shirt - heaved up and down in a furious pace.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the elaborate tattoos swirling across the smooth expanse of his skin. Tribals on either arm, what looked like a bird circling his neck and a snake winding around his wrist. She’d never seen anything so exotic. Growing up sheltered and pampered, anyone with body piercings or tattoos were considered too crass for her company.
But in seeing the magnificent ink marring her mate, she suddenly couldn’t wait to get one of her own.
When his flapping shirttail impeded his movement, he merely reached up and ripped the remnants from his torso, leaving her to purr in appreciation at the sight of his naked upper body. She’d yet to see him in his full glory and if this teaser was any indication of what else was hiding beneath his pesky clothes, then she couldn’t wait to tear the rest from him - with her teeth.
Her gaze finally worked its way from his glorious body to his glowing blue eyes. She inhaled sharply when she realized the heated teal was the exact color of his scales. Oh the Elder woman was right, he was simply magnificent in his dragon form, but in seeing him now, half-naked with his dragon shimmering beneath the surface, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him.
It was then that she finally noticed that his eyes were locked on hers. She suddenly remembered she was in dragon form herself and wondered if the gaze he gave her was of appreciation as well. They shared a few moments of mutual heat and it was like time itself froze for only them.
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