Demand of the Dragon

by Kristin Miller

  Caleb landed with a heavy thump in a heap of gold, his wings crookedly pinned beneath him. Heart beating double time, Lucy ran, and threw herself at his side.

  “Caleb! Are you all right?”

  He snorted, twitching his right wing.

  “I know, I see it.” She touched his torn wing, then swiped a mess of warm blood onto her pants. God, she wished she could take the pain away. Regret soured her stomach. They never should’ve come here, but what choice did they have?

  The beast circled, screeching in early victory.

  “Caleb, can you still fly?” Tristan asked, kneeling in front of Caleb’s huffing snout.

  Caleb nodded, his onyx eyes heated with fiery determination.

  “Lucy, I’m gonna shift and we’re gonna tag-team this beast.” Tristan kept his eyes on the snarling prize that circled their heads like a death-sniffing vulture. “Take the sword for protection...just in case.”

  In case they fail.

  No, this wasn’t happening. Not today.

  Tristan offered the hilt of the sword. Instead of taking it, Lucy hiked her leg over Caleb’s middle and settled into place. Caleb flexed in disagreement, but she’d been born and bred for this moment—when she could ride her dragon and infuse strength and speed into him that wasn’t there before.

  Lucy stroked Caleb’s side, as the beast squealed wildly, and dive-bombed their position.

  “Let’s go get him!” Lucy dug her heels into Caleb’s side, lurching him into the air despite his resistance.

  He hovered over the ground and gained speed, though with a torn wing, his speed was no match for the beast’s. The thing was at Caleb’s tail in seconds, striking it brutally, throwing them off course. They dipped. Spun. Dragged against the earth. Ricocheted into the wall. Lucy adjusted her grip, scanned the ground and found Tristan standing near the tunnel, sword in hand.

  An idea struck Lucy like a thunderbolt and possibility buzzed through her veins. Caleb must’ve felt it, too. His body hummed in anticipation, readying for whatever strike she had in mind.

  “We’re gonna crush this sucker.” She held his neck closely, jockeying her hips over him, riding him hard. “Ready...now!”

  She pulled back on Caleb’s neck, rocketing him vertical. The beast followed, swiping at Caleb’s tail and wings. But with Lucy on his back, tugging him this way and that, the beast missed. They climbed up, up, up toward the domed ceiling. They swerved between hanging pillars, in and out of the cavern’s rocky ceiling maze. The beast matched their speed, move for move, inch for inch.

  As Lucy and Caleb weaved around the upside-down columns in figure-eight patterns, Caleb’s anxiety slowed his roll. They shouldn’t be predictable at a time like this, when the beast was hot on their tail and gaining ground with each swerve. Caleb had to know it; his body twitched to veer another direction. But predictability was going to save their asses tonight.

  “Don’t give up on me now, Caleb.” The portal was just beneath them. “Slow. Steady. Wait for it.”

  The beast swiped at Caleb’s tail, only this time his talons sunk into leathery flesh. Caleb roared, jerking upright. She only hoped it didn’t hurt too much. They weren’t out of it yet.

  “Lucy!” Tristan hollered from below, frantically waving his arms over his head. “No!”

  But Lucy was too committed to her plan to listen now. The beast was too close. If she didn’t follow through, it’d kill them both.

  Lucy dug her fingers into Caleb’s neck for better handling. Squeezed her thighs around him for control. And yanked him hard to the right, weaving around another rocky mast. Except when she should’ve continued the figure-eight pattern, when she should’ve veered left around the largest, bulkiest column in the cavern, she dove. Straight down. Toward the portal.

  The beast didn’t have time to react. It’d anticipated going left and had already banked. Trying to match her, it dived...but the abrupt change in movement caused it to be off balance and wonky on its own wings. It crashed into the rock with a horrendous grunt and spun off kilter, down toward the portal.

  Lucy wrenched Caleb out of the way and guided him to the ground as the beast plummeted into the portal, disappearing with plumes of smoke and ear-splitting hisses.

  It wasn’t over.

  The ceiling rumbled and moaned from the beast’s collision with the pillar. Chunks broke off, dropping into the portal like stones. Large sections of rock dislodged from their columns and crashed to the ground in a dirt and stone avalanche. The entire ceiling was going to come down on their heads.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Tristan screamed, leading the way down the tunnel.

  The last thing Lucy saw before riding Caleb out of the crumbling cavern was the entire weight of the mountain smashing into the wide mouth of portal, closing it for good.

  Chapter Eight

  24 hours later

  “My God, you’re beautiful, sis.” Tristan entered the pre-claiming dressing chamber with Emerly at his side. They were a perfect pair, and acted as if they’d been together their whole lives. Maybe because they pretty much had.

  Turning toward the full-length mirror Queen Elixa had set up, Lucy checked her appearance for the hundredth time. Her hair had been pinned up, with a few tendrils falling down her face, and her makeup was simple, clean and fresh. She pressed her hands down the front of her dress and tugged down the sleeves. Everything had to be just right. She tried to clasp the last button near her collar, but her fingers fumbled.

  “I’m just glad you’re here to see this,” she said.

  “Thanks to you, the portal is closed, squashed beneath the Drakein Cliffs. There’s nothing that could keep me away from your claiming ceremony now.” Tristan turned Lucy around. “You’re my favorite sister, you know.”

  Lucy’s lips pulled into a smile. “I’m your only sister.”

  He buttoned the final button of Lucy’s dress as Emerly smiled sweetly over his shoulder. Lucy thanked the heavens that Dracos and Merfolk were on speaking terms. Emerly would be able to stand next to Tristan and watch Lucy claim the man she loved.

  “I’m going to head out before it starts,” Emerly said, hugging Lucy. “You look radiant.”

  “Thanks so much.” Lucy fought the tears stinging her eyes. “For everything.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Emerly said, reaching for Tristan’s medallion around her neck. “I didn’t know if I could trust Caleb when I took this, but the medallion should be returned to you.”

  “No, you keep it.” Lucy stopped Emerly by placing a hand over the medallion. It was warm and smooth on her fingers, buzzing to the touch. “It was my brother’s to begin with. Now that you two are together, the medallion belongs to you.”

  “I thought it looked familiar.” She smiled, clutched the gold piece and disappeared behind the curtain.

  As a bell chimed in the great hall, signaling the beginning of the ceremony, Tristan leaned down and kissed Lucy on the forehead. “Let’s go take a walk.”

  Nodding, Lucy filled her lungs with a heavenly breath of air. This was nothing like the last time. No panic. No uncertainty. Caleb was the Draco she wanted to spend her life with. She couldn’t imagine another day, minute, second spent without him.

  Lucy put her arm in Tristan’s as the curtain pulled back. The great room was empty, save for Queen Elixa and Caleb standing before a tall, stone altar. It was exactly how Lucy dreamed the ceremony would be—a private, intimate moment between a dragon, his rider and her closest family.

  It was heart-stopping perfection.

  Caleb beamed and exhaled heavily when his eyes set upon her. How long had he been holding his breath? He wore white linen pants and had left his chest bare. Lucy’s heart filled with warmth. Light. Happiness.

  Keeping his eyes trained on the front, Tristan squeezed Lucy’s arm. “Caleb better treat you right.”

  “You know he will,” Lucy said. “At least you can rest easy knowing he can protect me better than Geezer ever could.”

 
“Go easy on Geezer, he was just doing his duty. Speaking of...” Tristan released her and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “I picked this up from Queen Elixa on my way over this morning.”

  “What is it?”

  “My last will and testament.”

  “Guess you don’t need that anymore.” Lucy laughed, but couldn’t stop staring at Caleb. He studied her with amazement. As if he couldn’t believe this moment was happening. Lucy understood exactly what he was feeling.

  Tristan ripped the document, right down the middle, and continued tearing. “I should never have demanded that you marry someone you didn’t love, Lucy. I thought I was doing what was right. I thought I knew who could support you best. I was so wrong.” Tristan shoved the shreds in his pocket and held her arm once more. “You’ve turned out to be quite the catch, Lucy Sheffield. You’re more courageous than I ever expected you to be. Caleb is lucky to have you.”

  Lucy reached up on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek. She was so glad to have Tristan back—the only family she had, the only family she needed.

  “But if he breaks your heart,” Tristan said under his breath, “I’m going to break his legs.”

  Lucy expected nothing less.

  * * *

  Caleb had the urge to pinch himself to make sure this was real. That the angel walking toward him wasn’t a figment of his imagination. It really was Lucy. His love, his life, walking down the aisle to claim him.

  As Lucy stepped to his side and Tristan gave her a ceremonial kiss on the cheek, Caleb wrapped her arm in his and faced the altar. Her touch sparked excitement in his veins. His heart throbbed, pounding into his temples. Could she hear it? Was her heart beating as wildly? As his gaze settled on the seductive curve of her neck, Caleb spotted the telling flutter of her vein, just beneath her pale sheath of skin.

  She looked up at him with those sparkling blue eyes and stopped his heart stone dead. She was exquisite. The most beautiful bride he’d ever seen. She fit him perfectly—her tiny fingers laced in his, her heart beating in time.

  Mine.

  Queen Elixa stood before the altar with a stern look piercing her lips together. “Are you certain you would not like the entire Draco clan to witness the ceremony?”

  Caleb squeezed Lucy’s hand. “I’d marry her with every shifter in Feralon watching and scream her name from the tallest peak, but it’s Lucy’s wish to complete the ceremony, in this cavern, surrounded only by her closest family. My deepest desire in life is to make her happy, every day for the rest of hers.”

  Nodding, Queen Elixa lifted the long, wooden Draco Spear from its rack on the altar.

  “Face each other,” she commanded.

  Caleb gladly obeyed. He couldn’t wait another second to dive into Lucy’s tender blue eyes. They nearly touched hip to hip and chest to chest. He held her hands in his. Stroked his thumbs over the backs of her knuckles. She looked so delicate and fragile decked in maidenly white lace, though Caleb knew she was anything but.

  Merely thinking about how they’d writhed skin to skin beneath his blankets a few hours ago made a sense of raw urgency rile Caleb’s blood. His body hummed with want. Sensing the desire flooding his system, Lucy’s chest rose in quick, eager pants. Simply touching hand to hand fueled their passion.

  They wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off each other much longer. Queen Elixa needed to get the show on the road.

  “Will you, Lucy Sheffield, claim Caleb Rycroft as your one-and-only dragon? Will you love him with all your heart, protect him with your life and ride him with the power of your soul?”

  She paused, as if catching her breath. “I will.”

  “Will you, Caleb Rycroft, claim Lucy Sheffield as your rider? Will you love her as your own heart, protect her as your own flesh and fly the skies, devoting all the power of your soul unto her?”

  Love filled Caleb so absolutely, he thought he might shatter. “I will.”

  “Heart, body and soul,” Queen Elixa said. “There is no greater love than that. I pronounce you claimed for life, rider and dragon.”

  Caleb’s heart clenched, tightening into a solid fist. Lucy beamed, a vision of magnificence that burned into his memory.

  “Lucy, you may now scribe your name into your Draco’s chest.” Queen Elixa smiled, handing Lucy the spear.

  Lucy took the jagged piece of wood and slowly spun it in the palm of her hand.

  This was it. The moment when Lucy’s name would be forever carved into his chest, a tattoo, a brand, for every Draco and Sindraco to see.

  He was hers.

  She was his.

  “Ready?” Lucy asked, her lips trembling.

  “There’s no reason to be nervous.” Caleb had heard the stories about the grueling amount of pain inflicted by the rite, how much the spear hurt when it gouged into flesh, but there wasn’t a lick of fear surging through him. “I want this. More than anything.”

  He truly did.

  Lucy held the spear like a pen, poised at his right pectoral muscle. His skin twitched beneath her hand. She hesitated. Waiting. An anxious vibe flowing off her body in thick waves. Even Queen Elixa picked up on it.

  “You’ve said your vows, and I have pronounced you claimed as one,” Queen Elixa said, leaning toward Lucy. “If you’d rather retreat to the post-claiming chamber to finish the ceremony in private, you may.”

  Over half of the claiming ceremonies Caleb had seen were finished in the privacy of the post-claiming chamber. Although not everyone preferred such intimate conditions for the vow portion of the ceremony, the carving rite was sacred. That much couldn’t be denied.

  Caleb didn’t need to hear Lucy’s answer. He could sense her wavering.

  “Thank you, Queen Elixa,” Caleb said, taking Lucy’s hand. “I think I’ll take it from here.”

  Everyone and everything in the cavern disappeared behind them as Caleb led the way down a tunnel to their right, to their chamber. All that existed was the two of them, the spear and the love woven through their hearts. Caleb guided Lucy into a beautifully decorated chamber with soft candlelight illuminating rose petals strewn on the marble floor. The room was small, enough for a bed and bath, but had a majestic flare to it, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and furs covering the massive four-post bed.

  Caleb shut the door behind him. Now that they were alone, he picked up Lucy’s sweet-floral scent. It made him want to stroke the soft curves of her body and taste her sweetness on his tongue. It made him want to bury his face in her hair as he buried himself inside her. But he couldn’t rush the most important part of the ceremony.

  Keeping his hands off Lucy long enough for her to carve her name into his chest was going to be a damn feat.

  Lucy stood in the center of the room with her back to him.

  “What is it, beautiful?” Caleb asked, sliding his hands down her shoulders. How easy it would be to reach around, unbutton her gown and slide it off her glorious body.

  Don’t take off the dress. Not yet.

  She spun around, and only then did Caleb see shadows flit across her mesmerizing blues.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” The dagger shook in her hand. “As much as I’d like my name branded into your skin as a symbol of our love, I don’t know if I can do it.”

  Despite the tugging of his heart, Caleb felt the corner of his mouth quirk. “You can stand strong with the other Sindracos for three years without a single soul to care for you, charge after a flying beast, destroy a portal your brother couldn’t, and you don’t think you can do this?”

  She was stronger than she gave herself credit for. If only she could view herself as Caleb viewed her. He’d just have to spend the rest of his life trying to make her see how special she really was.

  She tapped the spear against her palm. “I’ve heard how much pain this can cause, and I just don’t think I can—”

  Caleb had heard enough doubt. He caught her mouth with his and attempted to hush her busy mind. Her lips were p
etal soft and deliciously sweet. But worry hardened the pucker of her mouth. He cupped Lucy’s chin in his hands and tilted her face, deepening the kiss.

  God, he’d love her forever. Always.

  As if she could read his thoughts, Lucy crushed her lips to his, giving herself over to him completely. Their mouths melted together, molding into one. She moaned softly, and Caleb took the opening, slipping his tongue past her lips. He explored her mouth, asked deep, wet questions that she answered with languid caresses of her tongue.

  She wasn’t distracted enough. Not yet. He wanted her lost in him, and in what she had to do.

  With hot-blooded fervor, Caleb pulled her hips closer, until they were flush against him. He kissed her as if he needed her lips to breathe. As if he needed her mouth moving against him for his heart to beat. He devoured her, consuming her, taking more of her lips until she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him just as passionately, letting all the tension in her body drop to the floor.

  Caleb slid his hand down her arm. He found her wrist, her hand, and the Draco Spear clutched in her fingers. Taking her wrist, he guided the spear to his chest and pointed the tip into his skin.

  “I love you, Lucy,” he breathed against her. “Always.”

  As he thrust the tip into his chest, Lucy cried out, gasping into his mouth. Struggling to keep his body still, Caleb steered her hand down to carve the bottom portion of the L. Blood trickled down the spear, down his bare chest, but he kept going. Lucy tried to pull away from his mouth—no doubt to focus on what was happening—but he held her captive, kissing her with all the passion and love he had to give.

  He wasn’t concerned about how her name would turn out. He didn’t need to look at the spear or the marking to know the curves of her name. Just as he didn’t need to open his eyes when kissing Lucy to sense her desire for him.

  He could feel it and knew it was right.

  Hard rods of adrenaline jolted through Caleb’s body as they finished the L and U and moved on to the arc of the C. Surprisingly, the carving hadn’t caused a ton of pain. At least not the way it’d been described to him before. The tiny movements over the bends and curves of Lucy’s name warmed his chest with a luscious pulsing sensation that voyaged down his stomach and continued to his cock. It was like being shocked, warmed, numbed and seriously turned on, all at the same time.