Heart of a Fighter

by Grace Brennan

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, he held her hips still as he eased one finger, and then another, inside her. Slowly, then gaining speed, he plunged them in and out as his tongue became even more frantic.

  Without warning, her body exploded, and her mouth opened on a silent scream as her orgasm pulsed through her. The intensity of it was on the verge of painful, and she kept her eyes shut, knowing her dragon was near the surface.

  She came back down slowly, dragging air into her lungs in gulping breaths. The bed shifted, and she eased her eyes open, watching as Alex pulled off first his boots, then his jeans. The only light in the room was that of the moon, but with her shifter vision, she was able to see him clearly for a moment before he dropped back down on the bed with her.

  And what she saw was enough to have her insides clenching, fresh heat washing over her. He was mouthwatering, all of him, including the part of him she needed inside her like she needed her next breath. He was long and thick, and had she been anyone else, his size might have intimidated her. But all she could think was how much she yearned to feel him inside her.

  Settling between her legs, his dick nudged her center, and Cammie gasped as her hips automatically bucked up, wanting to feel him against her. He grabbed himself and rubbed himself through her folds, and she swore she saw a few stars when he bumped her sensitive clit.

  Pausing, he eased down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Are you sure about this?” he asked in a voice tight with strain. “I’m not sure what this means for you, but it’s more than a one night stand for me. It feels important—”

  Cammie lunged up and fused her mouth to his, trying to tell him without words this meant just as much to her. She arched her hips up, and he settled himself at her center. Not breaking the kiss, he began easing inside of her, going slowly, giving them both time to acclimate. When he was fully seated inside her, her body stretching to accommodate his size, the pleasure was overwhelming to the point of madness.

  Easing back from the kiss, he locked eyes with her, slowly pulling almost all the way out before plunging back inside. Pleasure streaked through her nerve endings, and she felt it down to her toes. Alex gritted out a curse as he settled into his rhythm, slow out, hard and fast in. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips moving to meet his, and it wasn’t long before they were both losing control.

  Their bodies were slapping together, and soon there was no rhythm left at all. They were animalistic in their pursuit of pleasure, and Cammie was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Unable to keep her eyes open from the intensity of the sensations coursing through her, she looked into his one more time, the gray of his gaze looking silvery in the moonlight. He changed the angle and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he hit a spot inside her that sent her splintering apart.

  This orgasm was even more explosive than the first, and she gasped his name out as her body convulsed. Alex let out a strangled curse as his hips slammed into her one more time, and then he was coming with her, his dick pulsing as his warmth coated her insides.

  They clung to each other, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, his face buried in her neck, as they fought for breath, slowly coming down from the heights they soared to. And even after she caught her breath, Cammie’s body was still tingling, little aftershocks dancing over her skin.

  Alex raised his head and she reluctantly released her hold on him. He gave her a soft smile and a quick kiss before gently pulling out of her. As soon as he collapsed on the bed beside her, she curled her body into his, resting her head on his chest, needing to keep touching him. She trailed her fingers over his abs, listening to his strong heartbeat beneath her ear.

  In a million years, she couldn’t have imagined the impact making love with him would have on her. Not only her body, but in her soul as well. She felt bone-deep contentment, and her dragon was shiny with happiness.

  None of her worries or problems had miraculously disappeared. If anything, they were magnified, because being with Alex like this just drove home how much she stood to lose if something happened to him. But she was tired of always hiding, always keeping parts of herself separate from everyone she met. She wanted to live, and what she’d been doing up until she met him wasn’t living at all.

  “That was incredible,” Alex said softly, interrupting her thoughts. “And I don’t want to push my luck, but… what changed? I got the impression you wanted nothing to do with this, with being with me.”

  Rubbing her cheek against his pec, she exhaled softly. “It’s not that I didn’t want you. I think I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. I just didn’t think it was a good idea for us to become involved like this.”

  “So why did you change your mind?” he asked, trailing his fingers up and down her arm.

  She lifted her head, looking into his eyes and willing him to see the truth in hers. “I’m still not sure it’s the best idea, Alex. There’s still so much you don’t know about me and my life. If you choose to stay with me and continue this, you could be in danger. I warned you about that, but it didn’t stop you. You still wanted me. And I’m tired of living my life in what ifs. Tired of running from something we both clearly want.”

  He searched her eyes, a smile spreading slowly across his face. “I’m so happy you finally stopped running from me,” he said, giving her a lingering kiss. Pulling back, he gazed at her with a serious expression. “I don’t know what has you living your life looking over your shoulder, and you don’t have to tell me right now. But tell me soon, okay? Because whatever it is, I want to protect you from it. And I can’t do that very well if I don’t know what I’m up against.”

  Nodding, she dropped her eyes quickly before he saw the fear that surged up in her at his words. She placed a kiss on his chest and laid her head back down, heart hammering. The last thing she wanted was to tell him, because the thought of him going up against a dragon while he thought he was protecting her scared the shit out of her.

  She knew she would have to let him in soon. She had no idea how to begin explaining what she was to him, much less how to tell him there were dragons hunting her. But she needed to figure out how to do it soon, because he was right, he needed to know what was going on. Knowledge was a form of protection in itself.

  She didn’t think learning of shifters would faze him much. Probably not even learning dragons were real, and not just beasts of legend, would either. Alex struck her as brave-hearted, with a fearless constitution. What she thought would be hard for him was coming to grips with the fact that what he wanted to protect her from, he couldn’t. No, he wouldn’t take that well. If anything about her situation would break him, or make him hesitate about being with her, that would be it.

  Snuggling deeper into his arms, she thought through her options. Maybe the best way to go about it was to intensify his fight training. Even at top form as a human, he didn’t stand a chance against a shifter, especially a dragon, so she couldn’t sugar coat the reality when she came clean about everything. That would only get him killed if her kind caught up to her. But maybe the semblance of control, of knowing he was doing what he could, would make it easier on him.

  Her eyes grew heavy, her body relaxed and content. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and for one brief, shining moment in time, everything was perfect in her world.

  Chapter Eight

  Alex caught a glimpse of Cammie walking past the open door of the barn, doing a double take, and the next moment, he was doubled over with a fist in his gut. Panting, he fought to keep from showing just how much it hurt. Seth was deceptively strong, and his fist literally packed a punch.

  “And that’s what happens when you let your attention slip for even a moment. Keep your guard up, and never take your eyes off your opponent.”

  “Duly noted,” he panted, straightening up with a grimace.

  In the past few days, his training had been kicked up a few notches. He was fighting a real opponent now, not just taking jabs at the punching bag, though he still did so
often. He walked over to the bench, grabbing his water bottle and drinking deeply. Seth followed suit, and Alex studied him as he did.

  Seth was rarely serious, always with a joke or smartass comment on his lips. Because of that, and despite having seen him fight before, Alex seriously underestimated him. But he was quickly learning that if there was one thing Seth took seriously, it was fighting. And it served to drill into him just how ineffectual he would be in a fight.

  Cammie said Seth could be good, if he focused. But until he did, he couldn’t beat Ian or Jax very often. And the ease with which Seth took Alex down made him realize just how much work he needed to put in if he wanted to be the best he could be. He wasn’t even close to being at a level where he could take on Ian or Jax, much less a dragon, if that was possible at all.

  So he was throwing himself into this with everything he had. He spent the last three days practically living in the barn, pushing Seth to push him. It was hard, because he wanted to spend every waking moment with Cammie, and it physically hurt him not to. Their nights in bed were pure magic, but it didn’t feel like enough. This was necessary, though. He had to do what he could to keep her safe, and if that meant spending every moment of his days, and even his nights, training, that’s what he would do.

  “Why don’t you head inside and get a shower?” Seth said, clapping him on the shoulder.

  Frowning, he glanced at Seth as he started leaving the barn. “Isn’t it early to call it quits for the day?”

  “You need to take a break every now and then, Alex. Give your muscles a rest. Or hey, give them a different kind of workout altogether.”

  Shaking his head in confusion, Alex watched Seth walk out without another word, laughter trailing behind him. He didn’t think a break was what he needed right now, but he couldn’t deny how much he wanted to spend some time with Cammie, either.

  He headed toward the house, unwrapping his hands as he went. He went straight to his room and got in the shower, letting the hot water rain over him. His muscles slowly relaxed, some of the ache leaving them, and he quickly soaped himself up, in a hurry to see Cammie. Getting out, he dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist, leaving the room and coming to a halt when he saw Cammie sitting on his bed.

  Her brown hair was loose, falling around her shoulders, the strands of red catching the light from the window. Her dark blue eyes were looking at him in admiration, and his groin tightened when she ran her tongue over her full, pink lips. God, she was so beautiful.

  “Hey,” she said with a smile that took his breath away. Her eyes slid up and down his body, and he felt himself hardening under her appreciative gaze. “I was wondering if you wanted to go on a picnic with me.”

  Realization dawned. “This is why Seth ended our session early, isn’t it?” Now his comment about Alex giving his muscles a different kind of work out made more sense.

  “Yeah, I asked him to let you out early. We haven’t seen much of each other, and well… I missed you,” she said quietly.

  Walking forward, he approached her and pulled her off the bed. “I’ve missed you, too,” he murmured as he kissed her lips softly.

  His blood instantly heated in his veins, and he deepened the kiss, but when he started to tug her closer, she pushed him back, a breathless laugh on her lips.

  “None of that, or we’ll never get out of this room. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen, okay?”

  He watched as she walked out of the room, hips swaying gently. Cursing under his breath, he closed his eyes, willing his erection down. It felt like it took forever for it to deflate enough for him to get his jeans on, but when it finally did, he dressed in a hurry, already anxious to see Cammie again.

  Shoving his feet in his shoes, he hurried down the stairs, coming to a stop just inside the kitchen. Cammie was standing in profile to him at the open back door, her lips curved in a smile as sunshine bathed her in its glow.

  His whole body felt like it was standing at attention, every molecule straining for her. Something in his chest stirred, and mine whispered through his mind. It was just beginning to sink in that she really was his, and nothing could have prepared him for how it made him feel.

  She glanced over and caught sight of him, her smile widening. “Why are you just standing there staring at me?”

  Clearing his throat, he moved forward and kissed her, unable to help himself. “Sometimes it hits me. That you’re really willing to do this with me, I mean. This was one of those moments.”

  Her eyes softened, and she went up on tiptoe to kiss him back. “Grab the basket on the table, and follow me. I want to show you my favorite spot.”

  He did as she asked and followed her out, wondering about the flash of uncertainty and worry he thought he saw in her eyes. Deciding not to bring it up, he took her hand in his and walked with her through the forest, until they came upon a small clearing by the creek.

  “This is one of my favorite places in the world,” she said softly as she took the blanket out of the basket. “I come here a lot, when I need to think, or want time alone.”

  He helped her spread the blanket, shooting little glances at her as he did. She looked nervous about something, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen her nervous. Once the blanket was laid out, they both took a seat, but when she started to reach for the basket, he put his hand on hers.

  “Cammie. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  She twisted her fingers together, inhaling deeply. “I forget how preceptive you are. Nothing’s wrong, per se. I just thought it was time to tell you the truth. We’ve grown so close in the past few days, and as much as I don’t want to live my life in what ifs, I’ve still been doing it. What if you can’t handle what I need to tell you, what if you leave, what if… you can see how they never end. I need to tell you, not only to end all of that, but because if you’re going to leave, I need you to do it soon—”

  Shaking his head, Alex reached up and put a finger to her mouth, halting her rapid flow of words. “Sweetheart. Stop. There’s nothing you can tell me that will make me want to leave you. But I agree about knowing what’s going on. So tell me, but don’t be nervous about it. It’ll be okay.”

  She searched his eyes and nodded, closing her eyes briefly and taking another breath. When she opened them again, they were a lightened blue and pale orange, not her normal denim blue. Not letting on that he saw anything different, he nodded at her encouragingly.

  “What I’m going to tell you might sound really strange, and impossible, but I promise, it’s true,” she began softly. “I’m not… well, I’m not a normal human. I’m a shifter. I share my body with an animal, and I can switch forms. There aren’t a lot of us out there, but probably more than you think there are, in a variety of animals. Wolves, big cats, birds, and so on.”

  She paused and he nodded at her. “What are you?”

  Brow twitching with a frown, she searched his eyes. “I’m a… well, I’m a dragon.”

  He nodded again, trying to keep his face impassive as he searched for something to say. In all his wishing that she’d open up to him, he never gave a thought to what he would say in response, and he was drawing a blank now.

  “How the hell are you not freaking out right now? Calling me crazy, running away, something?” she demanded.

  Blowing out a breath, he scrubbed his hand over his face. He’d just have to tell her the truth, and hope she didn’t freak out. It’s not like he could lie to her anyway, and pretending he hadn’t known would be just that.

  “I kind of already knew. Well, not about your dragon. I only suspected that’s what your animal was.”

  Her frown deepened. “How did you know? And remember, if you’re lying to me, I’ll hear it. Which you should already know if you know about shifters.”

  He glanced at her in surprise. Actually, he hadn’t known that, and he was suddenly grateful for the quirk in his personality that wouldn’t let him lie to her. They wouldn’t be here now if he’d ever tried, he knew that as much as
he knew the sky was blue.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. The knowledge of shifters was just always there. I didn’t recognize it in the very beginning, but the more time I spent with you guys, the more I knew instinctively that’s what you were. I don’t know how I know what I know, just that I do.”

  She nodded thoughtfully as she stared at him. “And the dragon part?”

  Fighting back an uncharacteristic flush, he glanced away before locking gazes with her again. “I kind of eavesdropped. I knew at the fight what those two guys, Zane and Kian, were. Well, I knew they were shifters, at least. And I knew it bothered you. When we got back to the house, I was taking a walk, and heard voices in the barn. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped to listen. I overheard what Ian said about them not having elongated pupils, so you had no reason to worry. I actually thought he was talking about a snake or lizard,” he said with a wry smile. “And then when I called you Camilla, your eyes changed, became this sort of kaleidoscope of light blue and orange, with an elongated pupil. After that, I don’t know… it just came to me that you might possibly be a dragon.”

  Hoping like hell she couldn’t hear a lie of omission in his voice, Alex forced himself to sit calmly as she took in what he told her. He didn’t want to talk about his weird dreams yet, at least not until he figured out what they were, or what they meant. He felt guilty, because she was coming clean to him, but he didn’t see a reason to bring them up right now.

  She briefly closed her eyes, exhaling softly. Blinking them open, she smiled at him. “I should probably be upset you never let on you knew, but I only feel relief that you’re not freaking out on me. I worried it would be too much for you.”

  “There’s nothing you can tell me that would be too much for me. Unless you tell me you put ketchup on your eggs. That might be a deal breaker,” he said, relishing the sound of her laughter washing over him as he scooted closer to her on the blanket and wrapped an arm around her. “Now tell me the rest. The people you’re hiding from are obviously your kind. Why are they after you?”