Summer Shifter Nights

by Harmony Raines

  “Come now, you don’t need to see whatever is going on back there.” Edmond ushered her out a different archway than the one she’d come through. “Your new mate will want you to be ready for him when he returns.”

  That drew Ava’s attention back to Edmond. “You called him Your Highness. Is he royalty?” she asked as she kept pace. At least he wasn’t running now.

  Edmond’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t recognize him? He’s the King of Tarakona Island.”

  Ava stumbled to a stop. “The king?”

  Edmond puffed his chest. “Yes. I suppose, if all goes well over the next few days, that will make you the Queen. To think that I was instrumental in mating a royal pair. It will bode well for me and my family.”

  Millions of butterflies in the pit of her stomach churned and took flight. She’d barely left the farmers’ fields for the past few years, much less kept up with world affairs. What did she know about being a queen? Her heart thumped against her ribs. She was in way over her head.

  “Edmond, wait,” she said, stopping in the middle of yet another long hallway.

  The man glanced at her and did as she asked.

  “Surely, he’ll want another dragon shifter. I’m no queen. He’ll see that and change his mind before the three days are up,” she said, voicing her worst fear, because now that she’d seen him, and he’d touched her as he had, she didn’t want anyone else.

  Edmond was shaking his head before she was done talking. “He was quite adamant. It was you he wanted. There were a couple of she-dragons in the arena, and he only had eyes for you. Now, come. I’ll have the maid return to get you ready once more. We mustn’t keep your mate waiting.”

  Speechless, Ava followed. At the end of the corridor, they came upon a winding stone staircase of what she assumed was the tower. She wished she could pause as they ascended and admire the gorgeous views from the arched windows, but Edmond pressed on. They didn’t stop until they reached the top. Edmond didn’t hesitate, pushing the heavy wooden doors open and ushering her in. “Your maid will be right in. I have to attend to another matter, but if you need anything, please call on me, and let your mate know that he is free to do so at any time of the day or night, as well. Oh, and don’t be late for the celebration at seven. All mates and their Chosen are required to attend.”

  “Thank you, Edmond,” she said to his retreating back as he closed the doors behind him once more.

  She stood there for a moment, staring, not quite sure what to do before turning to face the room. The space held a large wood-burning fireplace with a rustic wooden mantle. The antique vase sitting on top of it was probably worth more than her father’s house. Two couches, one placed to face the fireplace and the other to best take advantage of the outside view from the window, gave plenty of seating. Otherwise, the only furniture in the room was an oversized desk with a thickly cushioned chair. The tingling heat that had yet to recede came to life again at the thought of Damon taking her on any one of those surfaces. He’d said he would make her scream his name. Would he do it here? Or in the bedroom?

  Her gaze darted to the back of the room where another stone stairwell led higher.

  Her heart rate sped. Part of her wanted to see what was at the top of those stairs. A bed, for sure, but what else? Edmond had said she needed to prepare for her mate, but she had no idea what that entailed.

  Deciding against exploring on her own, she went to the window, taking in the valley beyond the Citadel walls. She wasn’t sure where Tarakona Island was, but that’s where she was going to live. With her mate. Grasping the fabric of the shirt Damon had put on her, she brought it to her nose. It smelled nice. The faint scent of salt water, the forest, and the wind clung to the shirt, but she suspected that came from him, rather than his usual surroundings.

  Behind her, the door creaked open, and she whipped around.

  Mia came in, her cheeks flushed, carrying a basket and some articles of clothing draped over one arm. “I can’t believe you did it. On the first day, no less,” she said in a rush but with a friendly smile on her face.

  “I’m a little shocked myself,” she admitted. “Here, let me help you with that.”

  Ava went to grab the basket, but Mia shoed her away. “I can manage. It’s my job. Let’s go upstairs. King Damon will be back soon, and we don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  Getting ready wasn’t so much of a physical experience, though Mia did strip her of Damon’s sexy smelling shirt and slipped a red satin gown over her—and nothing else. No bra. No underwear. Not even slippers. The thing clung to her body, leaving nothing to the imagination. The neckline swooped low, showing plenty of cleavage.

  “Go ahead and climb onto the bed. Show me how you’ll place yourself when your mate comes up the stairs.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “I’m going to make sure you can please your mate. Get onto the bed. Put yourself on display. Touch yourself.”

  Ava gasped. What the hell?

  Mia gave her an exasperated look. “Do you want him to come in here and have a nap or take one look at you and tear that gown he bought you off your body before he ravishes you?”

  “Can’t there be something in the middle?”

  Shaking her head, the maid came closer. “Trust me, if what I’ve heard about dragons is true, you’ll want the ravishing. But…you’ll also want to be ready. They’re big. All over.”

  Swallowing hard, Ava went to the bed. She’d prepared herself for some discomfort, but she hadn’t considered she might mate with a dragon, or that his anatomy might create problems. Her lungs ached and she couldn’t quite catch her breath. What had she gotten herself into?

  Mia came to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the bed. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Ava. We have products that will help. I promise, it’ll be fine.”

  She drew a steadying breath, then another. Backing out wasn’t an option. She’d signed a contract, and if she were being truthful, she didn’t want to run away. It was only natural to be nervous the first time, right? Right. Of course. This was what she’d wanted. What she’d hoped for and planned on. Her siblings were counting on her to get them away from their father. She wouldn’t let them down. “What do I need to do?”

  Mia pulled several different colored containers from her basket, along with a long, smooth, wooden phallus. She eyed her for a moment, then puckered her lips and, finally, grabbed the blue jar and twisted it open. “We’ll start with this. If you spread a tiny bit of it on your nipples, it’ll enhance your pleasure. It heats up, though, so only apply a dab on each.”

  She handed the jar over, then looked at her expectantly.

  “What? Now?”

  “You have something more important to do?” Mia asked, her eyebrows rising and her lips quirking up in the corners.

  Ava drew a shaky breath. Crap. “Can you at least turn around?”

  The woman outright laughed. When Ava didn’t move, Mia rolled her eyes and turned her back. “It’s not often we see a shy wolf shifter.”

  Just because most she-wolves were hyper sexual, especially around their heat, didn’t mean everyone was.

  She brought the container to her nose for a sniff. The white cream inside held a faintly sweet smell that all but disappeared the second she pulled it away. Tugging the gown away from her body, she applied it as directed.

  “Okay. Done.”

  When Mia turned, she grabbed the phallus and a red jar, shoving both toward her at once. “You’ll have to put some of this onto the wooden penis and then insert it into your vagina. Unless of course, you want me to do it.”

  Ava didn’t hear a thing after the word “insert”. She wasn’t a prude—truly—and she fully intended to have something inserted in there, but not one made of wood. Not for the first time, or rather, the second if she counted his fingers in the arena. At least those had been a part of him. A small, distressed sound rushed past her lips, and Mia frowned down at her.

  “What’s wrong? I
t will help you stretch. You’ll accommodate your mate’s length and girth better this way. It’ll be more pleasurable for both of you.”

  The frustrated sigh the maid expelled wasn’t lost on Ava. A small part of her wished she could just follow the instructions Mia gave her, but was it so wrong for her to want her first real experience to be with a man—her mate—and not a glorified ointment applicator? Sure, she’d touched herself and even brought herself to orgasm before, but even at the peak of her heat, she’d resisted the urge for penetration.

  “Is there no other way?” she finally asked, not daring to look up at the woman who now stood with her hands on her hips for fear of melting under the heated glare.

  One floor below, the muted sound of the door opening and closing rose to meet them.

  “We’re out of time. Your mate has arrived. I’m leaving this here. It’s cocora cream. You can either put it in or not. It’ll take a few minutes to start working. There’s nothing more I can do to help you,” she said in a rush as she gathered the rest of her supplies and dashed for the stairs.

  6

  When Damon had left Ava to deal with the rising tension between Axton and his rival for his new mate, he hadn’t expected the hoops he’d have to jump through to make it happen. The entire ordeal had taken way too long. The male who’d challenged him for the blonde woman, Bonnie, Axton had told him, had been a prince. Under different circumstances, the prince would have won for the simple fact that he was of higher social ranking than Axton was. Thankfully, Axton wasn’t the one footing the bill for Bonnie’s securement. Otherwise, things would have ended much differently.

  The only reason it had ended as it had was because he’d already asked Edmond to process the new contract, and the transaction had been in progress. He’d have to thank the man for his efficient ways. Certainly, the bonus he would receive had prompted his actions, but the result was the same. And if Damon’s suspicions were right, Bonnie was Axton’s fated mate, just as Ava was his.

  Not wanting to seem too eager, Damon didn’t run back to the tower, but damn, did he want to. His mate’s scent lingered in his nose. The memory of her tight sheath around his fingers had his cock throbbing to life. As much as he’d reveled in the pleasure he’d brought her in the arena, it was mild—stunted even—compared to what they’d experience together in the privacy of the tower and later, in their home. He couldn’t wait. Every second apart from her was like an hour. More than an hour, an eternity.

  He entertained the idea of having a drink before climbing the stairs to the bedchamber, leaving her wanting for a few minutes more, knowing he’d make it worth her while in the end, but the moment her scent curled around him, the idea dissipated in a haze of lust. Her arousal permeated the tower, making his mouth water and his body hum with need.

  A shuffle of feet came rushing down the stairs just as he reached the bottom. A body maid dashed into the room, her cheeks flushed, her gaze downcast. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness. I’m afraid your mate isn’t quite ready. Perhaps giving her a moment more would be advisable.”

  Wasn’t ready? His sensitive dragon’s nose said otherwise. “Why isn’t she prepared?”

  The woman’s mouth gaped, and her fingers shook as she twisted them before her. “I’m not entirely sure, Your Highness, but I suspect that she may not be as experienced as others in her position might be. She was a little reluctant to do as I asked. I tried my best—”

  Inexperienced? A wolf shifter? It was hardly believable, yet the maids were trained to deal with any issue that arose, and if she assumed as much, he had to give the notion some credence. “You base this supposition on what, exactly?”

  His heart rate leaped at the possibility. Ava’s experience—or rather, what he’d assumed his mate had—hadn’t deterred him in the least, nor had it made her any less appealing, but the idea of her not having shared that part of herself with anyone else was almost too much to hope for. Dragons didn’t like to share their treasures, and he was no exception.

  The maid, still looking at her feet, took a shaky breath. Was he that intimidating? It wasn’t like he was growling or anything. Still, he kept his mouth shut, waiting for her to gather her courage to speak.

  “She’s very shy. Didn’t want me to touch her to prepare for the arena, and not here in the bed chamber, either. Not that she refused, Your Highness. She was very amenable, just uncomfortable. I could tell,” she finished, wincing as though he would reprimand her.

  “Good. You may leave,” Damon said, anxious to get to his mate. Ava was aroused. There was no question about it, but if what the maid was saying was true, he might have to slow things down.

  The woman swallowed hard and took a couple of steps toward the door before stopping. Her free hand fisted at her side while the other gripped the basket handle so hard the wicker dented.

  “Say what you have to say, woman,” he finally said, swallowing the urge to bark at her. He’d already been inside the seating area for several minutes, and he hadn’t had the pleasure of seeing his mate, much less touch or taste her, something he planned on rectifying the moment the maid left.

  “She hasn’t applied the cocora cream.”

  “May I have it, please?” he asked her. Without the help of the cream, his mate wouldn’t be able to take him without pain, and possibly even damage—especially if she was an innocent.

  The woman exhaled, and her shoulders relaxed a tiny fraction. “I’ve left it with her, Your Highness, along with the applicator.” Then without saying another word, she left, closing the door behind her.

  He’d have to get her name the next time he saw her and make sure to praise her to her superiors. There had been no requirements for her to divulge the information she had to him other than to ease his mate upon their joining.

  Taking a deep breath, he reveled in the scent coming down the stairwell from the room above. Time to get better acquainted with his mate.

  He found her on the bed in the lovely gown he’d purchased, but sitting as she was—with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them—it could have been a cotton sack rather than the finest silk in the world for all he could see.

  “What’s this?” he asked as he crossed the room, not stopping until his knees hit the mattress. He swiped a finger down Ava’s cheek, capturing a tear.

  She glanced next to her, her cheeks flaming red. “I couldn’t do it,” she said. Her husky voice slid through him. It was just as sensuous as he remembered.

  On the bed next to her was a smooth, carved cock made of wood, and next to that, a red jar. So, she hadn’t used it. “Is that the cocora cream?” he asked as he sat next to her.

  She nodded and tipped her chin up but didn’t say a word.

  “Why didn’t you? I’m sure your maid must have told you its importance.”

  She turned her head to face away from him. “I didn’t want to have that inside me for my first time,” she said so softly he barely heard.

  His cock jerked. “First time for what?”

  She faced him again, her eyes moist with unshed tears. “I’ve never been with a man. I’ll understand if you want to return me for another—for someone with more experience,” she said, her bottom lip wobbling.

  Return her? Hell no. “You’re not going anywhere, Ava,” he assured her with a smile.

  She sniffled and nodded before unfolding her arms from around her legs. “Do I have to use it? Mia said it would make things easier.”

  “Mia was right. We won’t always have to use it, but for the first few times, it would be wise. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Not lowering her gaze, she swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

  Agreeing and being happy about it were two different beasts. The trepidation in Ava’s eyes gutted him. He wished he had more time to ease her into mating, but the rules were clear. They had to consummate their mating before the celebratory dinner. It wasn’t that either of them could easily back out of their contracts, but if the Chosen bore injury, the Cit
adel retained the right to dissolve the pairing.

  Standing, he held his hand out to her. She looked at it, then up at him before reaching out and taking it. He helped her stand. “I haven’t had a chance to see my new queen yet,” he said in the way of explanation.

  Ava gasped, and for once, he wished the weight of his responsibilities didn’t come at such a high price. What he wouldn’t give some days to be a regular dragon chasing treasure with his mate at his side. There was nothing he could do about being the King of Tarakona, but he could do something about the need still coursing through her.

  He turned so that they faced a long mirror, standing behind her. “Are you still feeling the effects of the stimulant in the soap?” he asked her, meeting her gaze in the glass, knowing she was.

  Licking her lips, she nodded. Damon wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. Her soft curves hugged his body, cushioning his cock, making him impossibly harder.

  “Let’s see, shall we?” He skated a hand over the silk, stroking from her belly to her rib cage, enjoying the swell of her breasts under the soft fabric as she sucked in a quick breath. Beneath the silk, her nipples peaked. Soon, he’d see her again. Taste and touch her. Not only there, but everywhere. But first, he had to get her ready. Traditional as it may be to have the maids prepare the Chosen, he was glad he’d be the one to do it. Her pleasure would be at his hands alone.

  7

  Ava wanted to move. With Damon’s chest pressed against her back, his cock nestled against her bottom, and his hands closing in on her breasts, her body throbbed and pulsed, demanding release. She’d managed to keep her climax at bay—except for that one orgasm Damon had given her in the arena—since the stimulant was applied, but with him so close, denying it was next to impossible. His pheromones permeated the air, driving Ava’s wolf mad with want.