For a few moments, Karein just stared. Love and lust mixed inside him, so much so that he didn’t know what to touch first. Every part of Sari taunted him, beckoning him closer. He craved to bury his hands in Sari’s silken hair and to touch that lovely gem again. He wanted to press his lips to Sari’s mouth again, to taste the delights of Sari’s mouth. He needed to trace the lines of Sari’s tattoo, the one he himself had created on his mate’s skin. But Sari’s pert nipples also demanded his attention. Not to mention Sari’s erection that stood rigid and weeping, the purplish head already leaking copious amounts of pre-cum.
In the end, he decided to do all those things. He started with the shining jewel in the center of Sari’s forehead, then progressed to the tip of Sari’s ears. Sari’s eyelids and his nose were next, and then, of course, his beautiful mouth. It was almost like their wedding night when Karein had first found hope that life could be different. Daring to believe, daring to dream had nearly shattered his mind when he’d seen his happiness ripped out of his hands. But they’d emerged stronger out of it and free of the burdens of the past.
The kiss they shared grew more frantic with every second that passed. Soon, Karein found himself forced to break away from his mate, but not because of the need to breathe. Rather, his desire for Sari was quickly reaching unbearable proportions, to the extent that he couldn’t be gentle anymore. One thing was certain. Whatever burden Sari had lifted from him today, Karein would always remain the same black dragon, with the same desperate urges where his mate was concerned.
In that moment, Karein remembered. “Oh, fuck. We shouldn’t do this. My powers…”
Sari just arched a brow, and Karein shook himself. Right. When was he going to learn? His powers had no effect on Sari. Overlords, if Karein’s semen had helped create a child, it certainly wouldn’t kill that baby now. “Of course it won’t,” Sari confirmed.
But still, Sari had just been injured. Surely it couldn’t be safe…
Sari glowered at him. “Karein, I was only tired. I’m perfectly all right now. Stop worrying and touch me. Fuck me.”
Hearing the filthy words spoken by Sari’s dulcet voice nearly made Karein swallow his tongue. He decided that such a thing would be very unproductive, and physically impossible. Besides, he could do far more interesting things with his mouth. Without giving his mate a word of warning, Karein dove in and took the fae’s shaft all the way into his throat.
Just the flavor and scent of Sari’s pre-cum nearly made him come undone, and it certainly didn’t help that he could feel everything Sari did. When Sari’s slender fingers entangled in his hair, Karein groaned around the dick in his mouth. He started to bob his head up and down the shaft, greedy for Sari’s pleasure, seeking to give Sari the ultimate ecstasy that could only appear between true mates. It was raw and carnal, and it made the heat between them escalate, so much so that Karein was surprised it didn’t scorch his skin. As Sari started to thrust in and out of Karein’s mouth, they became one with the rapture. With everything that had happened today, they were more on the edge than Karein expected. Soon, Karein found himself on the brink of orgasm without even touching himself.
Needing to taste Sari’s essence, Karein slid a dry finger into Sari’s channel. Arching his back, Sari tightened his hold on Karein’s hair. His dick jerked in Karein’s mouth, and bliss exploded over Karein as hot streams of cum filled his wet cavern. Sari’s climax practically electrocuted him, propelling him over the edge. Even as he spent himself all over the sheets, he drank down Sari’s offering, the flavor of his mate’s essence making him high with the drug of desire. By some miracle, he managed to pull away at the last moment, and some of Sari’s spunk landed on his cheeks and in his hair. He was not done with Sari, not by a long shot.
One look at Sari’s flushed face had Karein rock hard once more. Gathering Sari’s seed and his own on his fingers, Karein used it as lubricant. Noticing his intentions, Sari released a small whimper and instantly responded, lifting his legs to expose his nether opening to Karein’s gaze. It was with great satisfaction that Karein realized his mate hadn’t grown soft either.
His mate’s lust fueling his, Karein slid two digits inside Sari’s channel. The fae’s body opened up to him like a flower, receiving him eagerly, demanding more. Sari pushed back against the two fingers, keening. “Please, Karein. Now.”
Karein added a third finger, scissoring them inside Sari’s body. He was as thorough as he could be under the circumstances. Truth be told, he’d have liked to take more time to stretch Sari adequately, or at least to find a better lubricant, but he couldn’t exactly go wandering around Eternelle for oil. Sari didn’t seem to care about that. In fact, judging by his rising cries and the increasingly frustrated need flowing into Karein, Sari just wanted to be fucked. Karein’s dragon was more than eager to comply, and at one point, he finally snapped. Retrieving his fingers from Sari’s ass, Karein used the remaining spunk to slick up his cock. He supported Sari’s legs on his shoulders and positioned his member at Sari’s opening. As gently as possible, he slid home.
His mate was impossibly tight. With the previous orgasm, his urgency should have faded, but it hadn’t. It took everything in Karein’s power not to start rutting like an animal. Sari’s flesh parted for him eagerly, and as Karein bottomed out inside his mate, he stilled, giving Sari time to adjust to the penetration. Sari took a couple of deep breaths, then whispered, “Karein…”
Karein wasn’t sure if Sari said that out loud, or in his mind, but it didn’t matter. Hearing his name spoken by Sari was one of the most potent aphrodisiacs in existence. With a growl, Karein surrendered to the passion between them. He pulled out of Sari and thrust back inside, impaling Sari in one hard motion. He’d have liked to be a little gentler than this, but his body demanded that he claim Sari, and his mate wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, Sari went wild under him, crying out obscene pleas that fueled Karein’s lust even more. Karein became a conduit of that lust. He fell into a frantic rhythm, instinctively finding Sari’s prostate every time he slid inside. Sari moved with him, and together, they lost themselves in the oldest dance of time, in the liquid flow of their shared desire and the bright glow of their bond.
At one point, Karein realized that the glow wasn’t only in his mind and heart, but surrounded their bodies, too, emanating from Sari’s gem. Sari himself seemed to shine, like an angel fallen from the heavens. Overlords, he was so beautiful that Karein couldn’t take it anymore. The heat, the lust, the love, so much passion, desire, and sensation, it all came together inside him, urging him to brand Sari as his once more. And so, Karein did. Thrusting inside Sari one last time, he buried his fangs in Sari’s flesh.
Pure, absolute bliss exploded over Karein as Sari’s sweet blood hit his taste buds. With a groan, he came, filling his mate’s channel with his seed. Wet heat splashed against his abdomen, signaling that Sari had come as well. But it didn’t stop there, oh, no. The climax bypassed the carnal into a spiritual realm. Sari’s energy flooded Karein, but not stolen, shared. There was no more up, nor down, only a reality Sari and Karein built for themselves. Sari’s cleansing powers flowed through Karein, making him feel like a new man, a better one, who actually deserved this, who had, through some miracle, earned the love of this beautiful fae. And throughout it all, he felt the spark of new life deep inside Sari, bright like a beacon of hope for the future.
He didn’t know how long it lasted. Time stopped having any meaning. As it finally receded, Karein released his hold on Sari’s throat, but he didn’t slide out of his mate’s body. Instead, he spooned Sari, keeping their bodies connected in the most intimate way two men could possibly be.
“I love you, baby,” he murmured through their bond.
“Love you, too,” Sari whispered softly.
Slowly, Karein surrendered to slumber, but not before overhearing a conversation just outside their door.
“Did you feel that?” a priestess was asking.
“It was like J
enarra herself touched me,” another answered.
Karein smiled and tightened his hold on Sari’s waist. Likely, he couldn’t have put it better himself. Sari was a gift from the gods, showing Karein the way out of a labyrinth of darkness he himself had created. He was Karein’s mate, the most beautiful one a draechen had ever found. For that, Karein would always be thankful, and somehow, he’d find a way to express that gratitude.
* * * *
The obelisk shook and protested as the last echoes of Sari’s magic started to fade. Now that Karein had escaped his demons, Sari’s power would only continue to grow until it reached its full potential. The dark surface of the stone almost seemed to stretch, reacting to it, the carvings erratically changing, but not making any sense. Eanera watched it all quietly, alone in front of the monument. She had sent all the priestesses away, knowing this would happen. She’d felt the restless soul as it had entered Eternelle, heard the chaotic messages it was trying to send. Sari had sensed it, too, but his perspective had been different because of him being Karein’s mate. Eanera wondered how long it would take her son to realize what had happened—if he didn’t already realize it.
As she mused over this, the ripples over the obelisk’s surface finally died out. Eanera approached and took a deep breath. Slowly, she knelt and pressed a hand to the stone. “I know you can hear me,” she said. “Be at peace. Your time will come.”
Almost instantly, a dark force lashed out at her. There was so much hatred, loathing, and despair that Eanera recoiled. At first, the power refused to release her, as if it was trying to pull her inside, into the obelisk. But Eanera had expected the hostility. She severed the connection between them and pulled away, returning to the real world. How had the draechen prince carried that inside him all of this time and not lost his mind? Karein must be stronger than she herself had originally thought.
“Are you all right?” a soft voice asked behind her.
Eanera turned, only to find Caelyn and Graham standing behind her. “Fine,” she replied, struggling to her feet. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Of course, Your Holiness,” Graham replied politely. “What is it?”
Eanera stole another look at the obelisk, then turned toward Graham once more, marveling at the twists and turns fate kept taking. “I’ll be leaving to Rose Noire soon. In my absence, you need to watch over the obelisk. You in particular, Mr. Powers. I’ll instruct everyone here not to approach it, but you have to be its guardian.”
She hoped that everything would go over well in Rose Noire, although she did expect to be punished for leaving like that. Onyerre’s children would never let her get away with it. Therefore, she needed someone she could trust to handle this.
“Why me?” Graham asked, giving her a puzzled glance. “And is there something wrong with it?”
“I think we both know there’s always been something wrong with it,” Eanera answered. “Just make sure to keep an eye on it and let me know of any developments. And it’s very important that you avoid touching it. If you have to, keep your mate nearby. His presence will help. But at all costs, avoid using magic around it.”
“Very well, High Priestess,” Caelyn said. “We will do what you ask. But… What should we watch for?”
“Darkness,” Eanera answered. “Darkness, and a lost soul.”
She couldn’t say any more because she herself didn’t know what would happen. But she believed in her son, and in Sari’s friends. She had to, because they would need to be strong to face the challenges that followed.
Epilogue
The throne room of the Draechenburg palace was quiet and cold. The pile of jewelry where a red dragon had once lounged was gone, but there were a million other ornaments adorning the cavernous area. The only ones that remained the same were the thrones. This time, one of them was occupied by a somber-looking Hareem.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Karein asked his brother for the third time. “You’re going to be emperor. You don’t need to obey Father anymore.”
“Father is not the problem,” Hareem answered with a sigh. “The Tersain line needs continuity, and after what happened, our people require stability. They know that I’m not the strongest draechen, and they wonder why you haven’t taken up position like you should have. I need to prove to them that I’m worthy of the throne.”
A pang of guilt coursed through Karein. He had not considered the effects his outburst of temper would have on Hareem. While he still believed that he’d done the right thing in removing Kavehquader, it could have gone much better if he’d included Hareem in it. It was too late now. Their father was in a coma, and although he would likely recover in time, neither he nor Rowenasheb would ever present a danger to Hareem or Karein again. Similarly, his sister had been sent away to live under heavy guard at a mansion in draechen territory.
That aside, Karein knew he should have manned up and become emperor, but some things he was required to do, the same ones Hareem planned, were beyond him. At the same time, though, it wasn’t fair that Hareem had to sacrifice himself for Ornoz.
“Our people know I support you,” he argued. “No one will go against you. This is completely unnecessary.”
Hareem released a heavy sigh. “Regardless of that, the fact remains that I need to provide an heir for the Tersain dynasty. You can’t do it. You wouldn’t be able to have any children with anyone except your mate, who is a healer. And no offense to you or Sari, but a pure-breed is needed for that purpose.”
“I’m not offended,” Karein argued, even if he did bristle a little at the reference. “But what will Taryn think? Have you told him?”
Hareem winced. “He’s not happy about it. Like you, he thinks I have freedom to do whatever I want now. But my duty still shackles me, Karein. I have to take an official mate.”
Karein shook his head. “It’s your choice, but I think you’d be able to find another way if you really wanted to. You’re afraid, Hareem. You were born to be an emperor, and you know how to do that, but you don’t understand how to be an emperor with a werewolf mate.”
Sari’s voice drifted into Karein’s mind, full of honest concern. “Surely there must be something we can do.”
“The only option is for me to take over in Hareem’s stead. The draechen don’t trust me, Sari, and they don’t trust you. I don’t even want to imagine what will happen when our child is born.”
Even as he spoke, Karein knew he had to make the offer to his brother. “Look, Hareem…I can take up the throne. Sari is a prince. He’s perfectly capable of leading by my side.”
“And then your child—whom most people doubt is even yours—will be heir,” Hareem answered. “No, Karein. That’s a horrible idea, and you know it. The old laws forbidding black dragons to lead Ornoz have been abolished, yes, but this is still my duty. It always has been.”
This was hopeless. Karein didn’t want to be emperor, but it was his responsibility since he had taken out Kavehquader. Hareem was much better for it, but stubbornly insisted that he couldn’t serve his people adequately if he didn’t have an official mate. “You don’t need to make a decision right now,” Karein finally said. “You have all the time in the world to choose an empress if that’s what you want to do. There are a million options, Hareem. Don’t be rash about this.”
“The nobles are restless, Karein, as is the army. The eyes of the world are upon us. What would you have me do?”
“The obvious,” Karein answered. “Focus on your people, not your marital state. They can accept you as emperor without you having an empress by your side.”
Hareem didn’t answer, and Karein forced himself to shelf this conversation until another time. This wasn’t the reason he’d approached his brother today, or rather, the only one. “On a different note, there’s an issue of grave importance I need to discuss with you.”
“Oh?” Hareem arched a brow, looking a little more interested. “What is it?”
“I’ve learned of the existence of w
eaponry that can hurt the draechen.”
Since he’d been under the constant scrutiny of his father after his mating, Karein hadn’t managed to look into the matter more closely, but now that they were free of that, the problem needed to be approached. As it turned out, Sari didn’t know anything about it, which had puzzled Karein quite a bit.
“You’re joking,” Hareem said. “How bad?”
“Several bolts pierced my skin while I was in human form,” Karein replied. “After that, I tested the tips on my scales. The results weren’t encouraging. With enough momentum, it can bypass our defenses even in dragon shape.”
All the blood drained out of Hareem’s face. “When was this? Why did you never mention it?”
“Why do you think?” Karein glowered at his brother. “It would have been the perfect reason for Father to begin a war that could have killed us all.”
“So this is a fae thing,” Hareem concluded. “Look, Karein, I know you care about your mate, but if the fae are plotting something against us—”
Hyacinth, Scarlet - Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 25
