Eternal (Dragon Wars, #2)

by Rebecca Royce

He thought they were mates.

  Dougal pulled back to look at her. “Stop thinking so hard when I’m kissing you.”

  “Turning off my brain isn’t something I do very well.”

  “Really?” His hand caressed the outside of her shirt right above her nipple. She gasped. “Can’t turn off your brain?”

  He was right. Every thought she had shut off, rapidly. What else did she really have to think about? Only Dougal and his hand stroking her nipple. The cotton of her shirt rubbed in time with his finger.

  She squirmed, her back against the cave wall. The stirrings inside of her were getting stronger. Caitlyn had plenty of experience getting herself off thinking about Dougal. She’d never been turned on so fast. The real thing was so much better than anything her imagination created.

  “I should have you on a bed. Not in a cave.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t care.”

  “I’m going to be a terrible mate. You do realize how bad I will be, don’t you? A really awful one.”

  If he kept stroking her nipple, he could tell her he had plans to move them to the moon and she wouldn’t care. “Fine. I’ll probably be pretty bad at it myself. I’m already defective.”

  “Caitlyn.” He spoke in her ear, his words clipped. “First, right out the gate, we have a new rule. Every time you say something disparaging about yourself I am going to punish you.”

  The way he said it, the idea of punishment...it sounded okay. “How are you going to do that?”

  “I am going to spank your ass.” As if to demonstrate, he rubbed her behind. “Every time you say something bad about yourself. Do you understand?”

  He stroked her cheek. She loved when he did so. This time, however, she bit his finger because she realized she could.

  His slow smile showed her he liked it. “Oh. You’re a biter.”

  “I don’t know what I am. I’ve never done this before. Except alone.”

  “Oh?” He licked the side of her neck. “So you’re entirely mine then?”

  He pressed against her and she might not have personal experience, but the bulge in his pants told her he didn’t mind the idea of her not having had sex before.

  “From the moment I saw you. And...” Realized I’d never have you. She didn’t say the words. A spanking might be...fun...only she didn’t want one right then.

  He kissed her again so she never had to figure out how to finish her thought for him. Or maybe he knew. Dougal seemed to possess a great ability to read her mind.

  “Shirt. Off.” He tugged at her clothing, and she squirmed to oblige.

  “Am I going to get naked alone?”

  “No.” He stepped back and discarded his own clothing. “You’ve already seen me this way so I suppose it’s too late to warn you how scarred I am.”

  “Um. Dougal? You think I care about scars?”

  “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

  She wasn’t sure what scars he meant. His chest was strong, while his abs were fit and defined. Maybe there were a few scratches. She could see where some of the skin wasn’t as smooth as the rest. Caitlyn kissed his shoulder.

  He growled, from deep in his throat. “Your body? From this point on, it belongs to me. You’ll be my mate, my eternal partner.”

  “Yes.”

  They were the words from the mating ceremony which usually took place publicly. Obviously, that was going to have to be put off, might not happen at all. Who knew what the future held? Speaking the words brought her the same reverence she experienced when she heard others make similar declarations.

  “Whatever there is of me, it will always be yours.”

  “Eternally.”

  He kissed her nose. “Good girl.” He stroked near her pussy, running his fingers around her thigh. She tingled everywhere. “I’m going to make this so good for you, beautiful.”

  “Being here with you is more than I ever imagined having.”

  “Your imagination couldn’t do better than a dingy cave?” He laughed against her, the slight roughness of his beard scratching her. She wished she could roll against it, cover herself in his scent for all time. He pushed his thumb inside of her and she gasped. “Although to me, beautiful, I’m going to always remember this cave as one of my favorite places.”

  Then he found her clit.

  “Oh.”

  So, that was what it was supposed to feel like. She was wet, dripping since he’d first kissed her. By the gods, she’d been practically soaked since she walked into the commander’s tent and realized Dougal was there.

  He increased the pressure and her body sprang to life. Every inch of her seemed electrified. “Gods, I think my knees are going to buckle.”

  “Let them. I won’t let you fall.”

  Her control slipped, and her skin was too tight. Something was going to happen, different than she’d ever known it before. An eruption formed at the base of her spine and surged, needing release. Nothing she’d ever been able to do for herself had been close to this.

  And all he’d done was touch her, so far. “That’s my good girl. You can come for me. I’ll take care of you.”

  She loved it when he called her that. Funny, because it wasn’t a nickname she would have chosen for herself. Yet, the growl in his voice, the ownership when he said, flooded her body with heat. It was all she needed to come.

  As she’d predicted, her knees buckled and, as he’d promised, he caught her body before she could fall. She saw stars and pleasure flooded her.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered against her ear. His body vibrated and she lifted her head to look at him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Ha.” He shook his head before he took her hand and placed in on his cock. “You got me really, really excited.”

  She put her hand on top of his hard tip. He hissed in his breath. “Careful. Too much touching and I won’t make it inside of you.”

  He felt warm in her palm. Moist, hot, and all male. She ran her hand along his shaft all the way to the base. He closed his eyes and she watched his face for signs she was doing it correctly.

  “I’m a quick study if you tell me what you like.”

  He laughed, a pained expression on his face. “What I like? Anything involving your hand on my body. I need to be inside you. And it’s going to be on the cave floor because the first time can’t be against the wall. I refuse to hurt you.”

  He bent over and flung his t-shirt over his shoulder so it lay on the ground. “It’s still going to be hard as hell.”

  “Like you?”

  “You’re funny, did you know that?”

  After lowering her to the floor, he stretched over her. The strength in his broad masculine body blanketed her in security. He might be a vicious predator against the dragons, but never to her.

  “Next time, on a soft mattress.”

  “Okay.” She shrugged. “Whatever.”

  He pressed his hard cock against her pussy. It was huge and, although intellectually she understood it should fit, a part of her wondered if they’d actually be able to get the job done.

  He pushed in gently. “Inch-by-inch, sweetheart.”

  “More, Dougal. I won’t break.” For the first time in forever, she knew her words to be true.

  Chapter Six

  Dougal had to hold it together. Spilling himself within ten seconds of getting inside her sweet pussy wasn’t acceptable no matter how long it had been for him. Her muscles slowly welcomed him inside. Home. Where he’d always belonged.

  He pushed slowly, his balls tightening sending surges of pleasure along his spine. Gods, she fit him like a glove. As though she’d been made for him. “You waited for me.”

  Why had he gotten so lucky? Females were protected, worshiped. Everyone knew what went on behind the scenes. Yet, she’d been untouched until him. The gods had given him such a gift.

  He wasn’t particularly spiritual. Whatever the reason, he was grateful she’d come to him, even though he was going to be a terr
ible mate.

  He wouldn’t worry about what would be. Instead, he’d give her his best, no matter how little he had to offer.

  “Dougal.”

  The moment was near perfection. He reached between them, finding her clit. She cried out when he did and he altered his position to catch her clit more with his cock. Her body arched beneath his. He grinned. She obviously liked it. His female wanted clit action.

  She’d get all she wanted.

  He rubbed against her, surging his hips in time with her cries of pleasure. The strength of her gasps rose as she writhed in excitement. Her muscles spasmed around him.

  There was nothing in existence more important to him than Caitlyn coming, Dragons and wars be damned. Mating his female mattered. What was the point of any of it without her? How had he thought any day held meaning? It hadn’t. Not before Caitlyn walked into his life.

  She cried out, digging her fingers into his back. Her juices coated him and he took a deep breath. A couple more seconds was all he needed.

  Finally, yes, it was time. His cock exploded, and he filled her with his seed. Seated deep within her, he gave her all of him, every drop of eternity. The words he’d spoken finally made sense to him. Mating wasn’t about the now. It was about always. It was about committing every moment of their lives.

  The urge he’d known he would be unable to resist filled him. His fangs elongated and he bit, strongly, on her neck. Marking her, claiming Caitlyn. She didn’t heal well and the thought made him smile. Everyone would see the evidence of their bond. No one would ever dispute his claim.

  ****

  It was full dark and his mate slept against him. Where the fuck was the boat? Shouldn’t Brett have sent it back? What was going on?

  He closed his eyes. Dougal hadn’t slept deeply in ten years. If the boat came back, he’d hear it. They both needed rest. Caitlyn’s ability to conk out in his arms was either a testament to her trust in him or because he still hadn’t fed her since her time on the drugs he’d insisted she take.

  The thought drove his weariness away. Caitlyn needed food. He eased away without waking her.

  “Be right back,” he whispered in case part of her could hear him.

  Dougal climbed out of the cave carefully. A quick scan didn’t reveal any dragons in the immediate vicinity. He had no doubt they would be around somewhere, especially the one he suspected fixated on Caitlyn.

  He turned toward the ocean. If he lived to be an old man, he’d be sure it was somewhere landlocked. Gods, he hoped he never had to see the water again. The lights from the Wolf camp shone brightly in the distance. How many fires had they lit? It looked twice as bright as usual.

  No wonder the dragons always knew where they were. Why not go ahead and make a sign saying come and get us? If he got out of there, he’d be sure to tell the commander to tone it down.

  In the meantime, he’d find food for his mate. There were tangerines in the trees. He doubted the dragons ate them. They were definitely carnivores. He’d rather have found some protein, but seeing as he didn’t want to stray far from the cave, the fruit would have to do.

  Besides, maybe the boat would come back.

  He turned toward the fires again. Unless they thought he and Caitlyn had died. They certainly wouldn’t come back for their dead bodies, not on a special trip.

  So he had to show them they still lived. A signal fire.

  Where was he going to get fire? The flapping wings caught his attention. It was dark and not easy to tell one of them from the other. Still, he’d lay money on it being the one who’d been hanging around.

  Experience told him the particular breed of dragon could breathe fire. So, all he had to do was to figure out how to get it shoot fire at him, catch some, kill the dragon, then light a fire to make his unit come back for him.

  Easy. Peasy.

  Of course, he’d rather do all of it without waking his mate. She’d been injured and he doubted she cared for fire—with good reason. How could he ask her to help him harness the flames?

  What had her parents been thinking letting their boiler get so out of hand?

  Nothing he could do about ancient history. The only thing he could manage was to try to improve her future.

  He took the tangerine back into the cave and deposited it next to his sleeping mate. Dougal kissed her on top of the head. “Do me a favor. Sleep through this, will you?”

  It wasn’t going to be pretty, particularly because he was basically going to be winging it. He stepped out again and looked for the dragon. No puns intended.

  Bad joke, even for his eternal dialogue.

  “Gods, Dougal you are mated for an hour or so and already you sound like your father.” He went to the tangerine tree and broke off a branch. In his hand, he held the stick. He bent over and gathered some of the leaves around the edge of the cave.

  “All right.” He called to the demon. “You there. I’m here and I’m sick to death of you. Do you hear me? I’m going to kill you. Tear you apart slowly. Make you bleed.”

  How should he taunt a dragon? There had never been lessons and the dragons he’d encountered never needed encouragement to try to attack.

  “Come on, you ugly purple beast. You are the most disgusting looking thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Dougal?”

  He jumped. Fuckin Motherfucker. He’d been really focused on the dragon, too focused if he missed his mate’s arrival. “Caitlyn, what are you doing out here? Get your ass back in the cave.”

  “Nice language.” She pointed at the dragon. “Why are you screaming at it? Wasn’t the point of staying in the cave to be quiet? To get it to leave us alone?”

  “I want it to breathe fire.”

  She grabbed his arm. “Are you sleepwalking? Is this something you do? Night terrors?”

  He glared at her. Annoyance with her inability to follow instructions warred with the fact her sardonic wit would probably always keep him amused.

  “I’m perfectly awake. Entirely functional and trying to get our asses off this island.” He pointed at the cave. “I don’t want to frighten you. I don’t want you dealing with the beast and the fire. So, go wait.”

  She put her hands on her hips and growled. It was one of the few times he’d witnessed her Werewolf other than when she shifted. People were either very wolfy or they weren’t.

  “Is there something about me which says coward to you?”

  “The opposite actually.”

  The dragon chose that moment to land in front of them. The ugly beast roared at the sky. He edged a step toward the cave. The dragon dive had been unexpected.

  “Werewolves.”

  Caitlyn gasped and he grabbed her arm to steady her. “It talks. I thought I’d imagined the other one doing so.”

  “No, the uppity ups can speak Werewolf. This is an important dragon, one of the ones who occasionally makes fake peace agreements.”

  “Give me the girl. I let you live, male.”

  He shook his head. “You’re dreaming. You aren’t coming anywhere near her.”

  “We know what she is.”

  “Funny phrasing. What do you mean?”

  Caitlyn covered her ears. “Don’t talk to it. Please, let’s go away. I don’t want to hear its voice anymore.”

  He didn’t particularly care for the sound either, although her reaction seemed a bit extreme. They’d have to talk about it after. He needed fire.

  Holding onto the stick for dear life, he called behind him to Caitlyn. “Get in the Gods-Damned Cave.”

  She blinked rapidly, then turned and ran. Good. He could do what he needed to do. He dropped the stick. A plan formulated in his mind fast and he had to make it work. It should all come together as long as he moved fast.

  Dougal called his shift in mid-air. It wasn’t comfortable and not every Werewolf could do it. Unfortunately, he’d had lots of practice. Taking his wolf form, he jumped on the creature’s back and sank his teeth into its left wing.

  It roared and
threw him, harder than he expected. He landed with an oomph but rebounded to his feet. If at first he didn’t succeed, try, try again.

  He jumped and so did the dragon. To his delight, which was a strange sensation considering, the dragon puffed fire in his direction. Good, he’d pissed it off.

  Mid-air again, he shifted into his human skin. He grabbed for the stick, rolling over in time to catch it on fire. He watched with elation as the end of it took the blaze.

  Excellent. All he had to do was keep it lit and kill the dragon at the same time.

  The purple lizard let out a roar and charged him. He turned around. His position sucked. There was really not going to be enough time to hold onto the stick and change his form again.

  “Mother fucker.”

  “Stop.” Caitlyn’s voice rang out.

  “No.” He dove in front of her, the flame extinguishing. Whatever else, he wouldn’t let her be hurt.

  To his shock, the dragon ceased moving.

  “What happened?” He gaped at the still beast. “Why did it stop?”

  His mate swallowed, her cheeks a bright red hue. “Because I told her to.”

  ****

  As Caitlyn answered, she knew her words didn’t make a lot of sense. Why would the dragon stop because she’d told it to? She didn’t know. Only when she’d seen the trouble her mate was about to get into, and she’d known she could make it stop.

  She’d known.

  The dragon faced her, lowering her head.

  “Caitlyn.”

  Dougal wanted an answer and she didn’t blame him. “You know how you know how to breathe? No one has to tell you can, you simply can?”

  He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her silently for a second. Finally, he spoke. “Sure. Although I’m having to remind myself to do so.”

  “Okay. Right. Well, it’s like I suddenly knew I could make the dragon stop. Like I could breathe.”

  “Mate, I’m afraid that’s not good enough answer.”

  “Well, it’s the only one I have.” Shouting sucked. Any second she’d start to cry. It was what she did when people argued.

  “Okay.” He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. “How long is it going to listen to you?”