by Maia Starr
Wait, cracked?
Blinking, Seth watched as one of the eggs rustled and a crack formed at the top. They’re about to hatch...what timing!
It was even better! Reaching forward to grab one of the eggs, he recoiled as he touched his fingertips to the side of one. The damned things were beyond hot! They nearly seared off the flesh of Seth’s fingers, the steam already rising from his hands. Gripping his wrists and swearing, Seth went silent at the sound of flapping wings, listening sharply for the sound of a dragon landing just outside of the cave. Grinning from ear to ear, Seth positioned himself just behind the table of eggs. He couldn’t wait to end this once and for all!
Chapter Thirty
Ethan
The wind seemed to whip Ethan as he soared above the tree line of the forest, his eyes stinging with rage and his chest swirling in a firestorm of endless butterflies and concern. He’d been a fool, thinking that he’d be able to beat Seth up so badly that he’d simply run away to try and save his life. No, Seth was a monster, a shifter willing to sacrifice anything, especially when the man probably felt his back was to the wall.
And now he’s after my babies. He looked over his shoulder at the human woman riding his back, hanging on for dear life. Her blues eyes met his, and he saw fear in them, but not a fear born out of the potential that she could fall and die from this height. No, her blue eyes were creased, shaking but determined. She was fearful of losing the dragon eggs too. He’s after our babies. Ours. God, I love her!
Suddenly Eliza gave a shout, her hand unlatching from his back to point at the ground for but a mere moment. After that, she wobbled and quickly went back to clutching at his scales for dear life. Grunting, Ethan gazed down and saw a form collapsed on the ground below. Half of the body was covered from view by overextended branches from trees around, but Ethan’s heart pounded either way. Was that Seth? Had Jesse tracked the wolf shifter all the way up here and fought the man to death?
A sudden movement from the body, rolling onto its back. No, not dead. Clearly not done just yet.
And so Ethan descended, leaving Eliza shrieking on his back as he barreled down and came to a gentle stop above the dirt ground. One quick glance at the body and Ethan’s eyes widened. Leaning down to let Eliza climb off, Ethan then shifted and came sliding on his knees next to the bloodied bear shifter.
“Jesse!” Eliza shouted.
The bear shifter groaned, blood smearing the area around his mouth. He looked up at them both, his eyes glazed over, and a weak smile spread over his lips. “He...got...away...sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Ethan said, gripping onto his shoulder. Jesse raised his hand slightly, and Ethan clasped it. Eliza was in tears next to him. “What happened, Jesse? Where did Seth go?”
“To your...cave...I think.”
“And you’re sure.”
“As sure...as...I’ll ever...be.”
Ethan breathed in, patted Jesse on the shoulder, examining the wounds all over the bear shifter’s body. The guy would live; none of the wounds were fatal, fortunately, an oversight on Seth’s part most likely. But he stilled needed to rest, to stop the bleeding. But it didn’t look like Jesse would be able to move…
Ethan swore. “Jesse, do you think you can climb to your feet and wobble straight north of here?” Jesse blinked and then nodded. “Good. The rest of my clan is that way. So is Gabriel, or at least he’s heading in the same direction. Get some help, say you fought for me, and tell my clan I need some help, yeah?”
Jesse smiled, this time stronger, and nodded as best he could again. “You got it...pal.”
Helping him rise to his feet, Ethan gingerly let go as Jesse stumbled and somehow remained upright. He looked like a walking corpse, with the bite wounds and blood caking his skin, but ultimately the bear shifter gave a thumbs up and began hobbling off. It hurt Ethan to leave the man like that but his babies’ lives were on the line after all.
Nodding to Eliza, he knelt and shifted, gestured for her to get on his back once he was fully formed.
Eliza made a face like she wanted to save something, but then she shook her head and gingerly stepped up. Ethan lifted her, and Eliza made a muffled sound, and then he shot off into the air and into the remaining stretch before his home. The flight didn’t take too long, and he was so very aware of Eliza’s arms wrapped around his neck, her hot breathing on his nape, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Reaching the small clearing in front of his home cave, Ethan landed, flapping his wings as gingerly as he could, and let Eliza slide off. He quickly shifted and jogged to the cave mouth, motioning for Eliza to get behind him. Silent, the two stepped inside.
Seth’s scent clogged up the cave mouth, and he wanted to gag at the smell. Slowly going inside, uncertain of where Seth could be, he edged further and further inside until he reached the little room in where his dragon eggs should have rested peacefully.
And inside stood a smiling, wounded wolf shifter.
Ethan growled angrily and started forward, but then Seth’s hand came up to rest on one of the eggs near him, his fingers tapping the edge. “You know, I had no idea that dragon eggs were so...exquisite, Ethan. Your babies will probably be beautiful, loving...if they survive the next ten minutes, that is.”
Trembling, Ethan breathed out and spoke as slowly and powerfully as he could. “If you touch those eggs again, I swear I’ll rip you in half, Seth.” A pause. “You don’t have to die here today. You can leave and live a good life! Don’t make me end that potential here.”
Seth’s smile disappeared, and his hand recoiled from the egg, steam rising from the tips of the man’s fingers. “Give me Eliza, and it’s a deal.”
“Hell no!”
“Then kiss your future children goodbye, alpha dragon.”
In the next moment, all hell broke loose. Seth kicked at the table, sending it sailing towards Ethan. The eggs rotated in the air, their momentum taking them directly towards him and Eliza. Time slowing, heart pounding in its cage, Ethan leaped backward, catching one egg in each of his hands and maneuvering to land on his back so the third egg wobbled on his stomach. He watched in horror as the fourth egg sailed overhead and nearly crashed into the cave wall, but just before impact, Eliza leaped in front and grabbed the egg in her embrace. She cried out at the sheer heat of the egg and collapsed to her knees, though refusing to let go of the egg just yet.
Scrambling up to his feet, Ethan surged backward, sliding the third egg into his armpit, even as Seth howled out and rushed him. Mind swimming from the sheer speed of the moment, Ethan managed to place all three of his eggs down next to Eliza, turned and braced himself as Seth sent a fist barreling into his cheek. Ethan flew backward, sliding along the wall and falling and tumbling on the ground.
On his feet instantly, he dashed forward before Seth could reach down to grab at either a screaming Eliza or the eggs and tackled him. The two rolled, arms flailing, fists flying every which way. Ethan went into full instinct mode, allowing his body to do all the work as best it could. Rising to his feet, Ethan gripped Seth’s shoulders and hauled him up to slam him against a wall. The cave shuddered from the power crashing against it. Seth survived the blow and grabbed Ethan, pulling him in as kicked at his stomach. But Ethan had anticipated the blow from below, and instead threw an uppercut that forced Seth back into the wall. He bounced off the wall, staggering into the middle of the natural hallway in the cave, and Ethan readied himself. The next moment, Ethan kicked Seth backward, a force so strong it sent Seth ricocheting off the walls, landing near the mouth of the cave.
Rushing forward, Ethan kicked at Seth again, sending the wolf shifter hurtling out into the clearing. The man tumbled and smacked against the ground, crying out in pain, and Ethan staggered outside to watch as Seth rose shakily to his feet.
“I’ll kill you!” he screamed. His voice cracked once or twice as he spoke. “I’ll slaughter you!” Ethan sighed and walked closer. Seth flinched and stepped back, his angry facade breaking down. “B
ack off, damnit! Or I’ll kill you!”
Ethan shifted the next moment, with Seth desperately following suit. But Ethan was too quick, too enraged, his inner dragon roaring out in pure, carnal frustration that the wolf shifter before him had endangered his mate and dragon eggs. He was going to protect his family at all costs, even if it meant going through with his promise to kill Seth. After fully forming, Ethan rushed forward, forcing a scrambling Seth to try and dodge. But it was too late.
Clamping down on Seth’s midsection, ignoring the wolf’s wailing, the alpha dragon climbed into the sky. Higher and higher he soared, the wolf struggling desperately to yank himself free...and once they were high enough, the wolf tried desperately to stay attached to Ethan. Wind whipped by, and Ethan eyed the wolf for a moment before opening his mouth. The wolf slipped out, paws reaching out, missing the dragon, and the beast flailed in the air as it raced towards the ground. It gave out one last cry before smacking into the ground.
Staying in the air, Ethan lowered himself just enough to see Seth immobile, his chest heaving, tongue lolled out of his mouth. Landing, Ethan shifted and marched over to look over the massive wolf. Seth looked up at Ethan one last time, and then his breathing stopped.
Seth had died. It was over.
Rushing back to his cave, Ethan’s heart hammering and an overwhelming relief flooding his system, he stepped inside. Trudging further inside, he found Eliza, sitting cross-legged on the ground, keeping all four eggs close to her. Despite the odd, confused look on her face, she looked like a natural at handling them. She looked up and caught his eyes, her expression going blank.
He smiled. “It’s over for good. Seth won’t bother us ever again.”
Rising to her feet, tears welled in her eyes, and she ran towards him and into his embrace. He swung her around, laughing, and pressing his lips to hers.
It was the best kiss he’d ever had.
Chapter Thirty-One
Eliza
It was a rush to fall into Ethan’s arms once again, to feel the hot embrace the alpha dragon shifter had for her.
There had been so many moments where Eliza hadn’t been sure of what would happen, whether Ethan would come out on top or not. Seth had had the advantages, the cunning, to outwit Ethan at first...but he couldn’t seem to overcome the mounting challenges Ethan threw his way. Simply remembering how many times Seth’s actions had made her pause in agonizing anticipation was enough to bring joyful tears to her eyes the moment Ethan came striding back inside. Being able to touch her mate, after huddling all the eggs together, made her heart skip a few beats.
She laughed just as her lips broke from his, easing the tension that had taken over her entire being. Mate, huh? She supposed that was the word she needed to use now. Ethan was her mate, and she his, and now there wasn’t anything to hold them back. He’d protected her from everything and everyone, including Seth, and now she wasn’t almost sure of what to do.
So she simply continued to kiss Ethan, his lips hot with the lick of fire, breath hissing and steaming her face, sweat covering his body and creating a scent that made her shudder and grab onto him harder. Soon he picked her up, hands supporting her bottom, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her down the hall and to the only place he could: his bedroom.
Feeling the rush as Ethan carried her over to the bed and threw her down, she exhaled as he stood above her grinning and leaning down, his muscles bared thin and straining to keep himself from going too wild.
But Eliza was in the heat of the moment. She didn’t want him restrained...she wanted to experience everything he had to offer. There was no going back now, so she might as well have dived right in. Tapping his shoulder to get him to release her lips, he straightened and stared down at her, blinking and waiting for whatever she had to say. She smiled, moved onto her elbows so she could reach further up, and whispered delicately into his ear.
“There’s no need to hold back anymore,” she said. Giggling, she added one final comment. “Go wild.”
Biting her lip, she tried to lay back down but was suddenly whisked up, her head pushed to his, her lips brushing the spicy taste of his saliva. One hand was wrapped around the back of her head, while the other ran the length of her back, settling on the small of her back when she winced in pleasure. That was a soft spot for her, a place where his every touch left a tingling, like the sensation of heat coming into contact with ice. She arched her back, broke from his lips to utter a curt gasp, and then felt both his hands slip away to reach around to her front. There they grasped her shirt, and tore, ripping like a mad man desperate for a drug.
She held back her instinctive shrieks at the sudden tearing of her clothes. They weren’t hers anyway, but it was still an amazing feeling to have a man crave her so much he’d be willing to tear everything in his way to pieces.
Within heart-pounding seconds, her whole torso was bare, cold, and she laughed and covered herself up to tease him. Playing along, Ethan kissed her, began to drag his hot kisses down her neck to her collarbone, and to her ample chest. She felt his teeth marking her, the sting of each bite causing her moan and curl inwards. Grabbing her wrists, he threw them off her chest and continued to kiss down to her belly, holding her feeble arms out to her sides. She liked that...that feeling of helplessness, of not being told what to do and in which direction to take Ethan’s lovemaking. It was like a ride, full of excitement on the next twist.
Soon he began tearing at her shorts with his teeth, sliding them off her legs as she lifted them up. Burying his face between her legs, she gasped and leaned up, his tongue flicking and reaching the exact spots that made her go wild. She cursed and let out hoarse breaths, fought against his restraints, locking her legs about his head so that he was forced to finish the job, not that he wouldn’t have without the help.
Eliza threw her head back as the spasms came, her body convulsing and struggling underneath him. She bit her lip and shuddered, letting go of his head as he leaned back. She expected him to give her at least a momentary rest to get her bearings again, but instead his arms dove under her and picked her up in the air, him rising to his feet. Surprised, she looked down to see his hard body lower her, and then she gasped again as they connected each other’s bodies. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, and she rode him. Even though she was already exhausted, the pleasure began to muddle her mind, her tongue lolling out as she stared into Ethan’s dark, sexy eyes. Inside those irises was a fire, a lust for her and her only, and soon enough, his skin was slapping so hard against her that she almost let go of his neck and fell back.
Seeing her succumbing to the pressure of the pleasure, Ethan let them both fall to the bed, with Eliza’s back against the comfortable sheets. Ethan allowed her to spread out her limbs in an effort to cool down, but he didn’t stop laying into her. The rhythm startlingly rocked both Eliza and the bed, her body going back and forth.
It was like she was melting beneath him, him pumping his fire directly inside her. He stiffened like crazy, and spewed liquid fire, moaning her name. “Eliza! Eliza! Eliza!”
But then, instead of collapsing on top of her, he switched their positions. Suddenly Eliza was wobbling on top of him, and his hands grabbed her hips. Her body moved on her own, the bulk of the work left to her. And she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Seeing his face convulse and scrunch up at the sheer ecstasy of her movements, she rolled up her hair and straightened, giving him the best sight possible. The heat became unreal, so intense there were some moments Eliza was convinced she’d caught on fire, only to look down and realize it was simply the pleasure.
There were no words to describe what it was truly like to sleep with Ethan. It was like a whole new world opened up to her, a world of opportunity, of wild nights and scorching-hot desire.
Her heart had become this alpha dragon’s entirely, and she’d given it willing after all this. If this was the payoff for giving up her life in Salem, then it was more than worth it.
Ethan roared out in ecstasy as veins popped in his chiseled muscles, and his liquid fire spewed out again. Eliza screamed out too, seizing up, her arms coming together to squeeze her chest and her hands to rest on his inferno of an abdomen. Her eyes rolled back, her jaw left slack as she snapped her head back and shivered uncontrollably.
And then she collapsed onto his sweat body. His skin was slippery.
It took them minutes to regain their breaths, their ragged lungs gasping for air as they gazed at each other. They kissed one last time, their lips burning the memory of that day into their minds and bodies. There wasn’t any need to speak.
And yet, as Eliza closed her eyes to rest and regain her energy, Ethan shot up in bed, his arm bringing her up with him. “Do you...hear that?” he asked.
Stilling the beating of her heart to listen, she shook her head. “What? What is it?”
He looked at her, eyes wide, and then leaped to his feet, leaving Eliza to tumble forward and roll onto her own feet. “Follow me!” he hissed, still breathing heavily. Unwilling to walk out of the room naked, Eliza pulled one of the sheets along to cover her up and followed, wondering what on earth had compelled Ethan to rush outside.
She found him kneeling in the hallway where Eliza had gathered the eggs and threw the blanket over them. He had thrown off the blanket and was now staring at one of the eggs. She blinked and came closer, and then flinched when the egg cracked and a piece came flying off. She shared a wide-eyed look with Ethan as the other three eggs similarly began to crack and crumble.
“They’re hatching,” Ethan said, his voice edged with awe. Motioning her forward, he said, “Quickly! Hurry up and kneel like me. You talk to them first...hold one or two of them.”
“W-what?” she shrieked. “What are you talking about? I don’t know the first thing about being a—”
