Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Soroyan smirked again, but she let it go this time, since he didn’t seem to be done talking, and she liked listening to him.

  “This friend, he was one of these Seals?” she asked, prompting him.

  “Yes, but then he got tired of fighting the humans’ war and came back to the pack. He found a mate, and decided to stay. He taught me everything he knew,” he said and she picked up on the wistful note in his voice.

  “What happened?” she asked quietly, touching his arm and stopping him as they arrived at the car.

  Soroyan took a deep breath. “We were attacked. He lost his mate and left. We haven’t seen him since.”

  “I am so sorry,” she said and with a brief nod, he walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in.

  “What plans?” she asked after they’d driven in silence for a while.

  Soroyan glanced at her with a frown.

  “You said being king wasn’t part of your plans. What plans do you have?” she asked.

  Soroyan was silent for so long that she didn’t think he was going to answer her. “Finding Toren for starters,” he said, still not looking at her.

  “And?” she prompted. Soroyan shook his head and kept his eyes on the road. “Is it a secret?” she asked and heard him sigh.

  “I’m just tired, that’s all,” he said.

  Raven felt her heart begin racing and normally she wouldn’t have pushed, but something about it was bothering her. “We all get tired, what does that mean? What do you plan to do?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer, just rubbed his neck. Raven spotted the collar and suddenly she knew. As an immortal, you could be hurt, but it wasn’t easy to be killed if you heal really fast. If one no longer had their healing abilities, and could be killed …

  She swallowed at the thought of what he might be contemplating, but didn’t say anything else.

  When they got home, Hinah of the Raizarch wolves was waiting outside to talk to Soroyan.

  Raven left them and with a surge of jealousy, went inside.

  “Hey, you’re back,” Tierney said as she walked into the kitchen.

  “Yeah.” Raven noticed that Goldy’s eyes were red as if she’d been crying. “What’s going on?” she asked and sat down on one of the stools.

  Tierney shook her head.

  Goldy shot her a little smile. “I’m just being silly, hormones I guess,” she said, rubbing her belly.

  Raven figured it probably had more to do with a certain brown-haired male that Goldy hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off of. Not that she could blame the woman, she thought, wondering what Hinah and Soroyan were talking about.

  “I hear you are going to start teaching the kids?” she asked instead. A big smile suddenly lit Goldy’s face.

  “Yes, it was decided that it would be best with our enemies to keep the kids all close and even some of the Okami kids have expressed an interest, so I’m going to start teaching them.” It was clear to Raven that Goldy loved children.

  “That is great,” she said.

  “Did you find anything?” Tierney asked.

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, we think we found an entrance. We need Genna and something called C4,” she said and Jax, who was on the other side of the counter, slid a plate of food across to her, a grin on his face.

  “Cool,” he said, then indicated the plate. “Figured you probably haven’t eaten.”

  “No, we haven’t, thanks,” she said, digging in.

  “Where’s Soroyan?” Tierney asked.

  Raven motioned behind her. “Outside talking with one of the Raizarch females,” she said, then scowled at the knowing looks she got from both Tierney and Jax. “What?” she asked, and noted that even Goldy was looking at her the same way.

  “Oh, nothing,” Tierney said sweetly, then she climbed off the stool and walked around to Jax and slid an arm around his waist.

  A moment later Thaniel walked in with the male that had Goldy crying.

  “Hey, love,” Tierney said as she and Jax pulled Thaniel into an embrace. Then Sami and Hellfire walked in followed by Brimstone and the other two Phoenixes.

  Raven couldn’t remember their names, but it didn’t matter because everyone was talking.

  “Do I smell food?” Brimstone asked.

  Jax glared at him. “You already ate supper.”

  “Yeah, your point?” Brimstone asked.

  Hellfire rolled her eyes at her brother. “The bottomless pit,” she said when Soroyan walked in.

  “Hey buddy, heard you found something?” Jax said, shoving a plate into Soroyan’s hands.

  Soroyan nodded and looked at the plate. “Yes, we did. Thank you.”

  “Here, you can sit here,” Goldy said, getting up, but Soroyan tried to stop her. “I’m heading up to bed anyway.” Without looking at Isoul, she hurried out of the kitchen.

  Raven tried not to watch Soroyan as he ate, but noticed him glancing at her and felt her cheeks heating.

  “We need to have flying races!” Genna said, talking to Brimstone’s friend Xeata as the two entered the kitchen. All other talk stopped.

  “Yes, but you won’t be angry when I win, will you?” Xeata asked and Genna scowled at her. Where everyone thought of Genna as crazy, everyone considered Xeata scary. Hell, the woman could shrink to three inches tall. This was the first time Raven had ever spent any time around the Svrites. They usually kept to themselves. In fact, as she thought about it, she’d never even ferried any of their souls anywhere. Raven studied the gorgeous caramel-haired woman and wondered if they even had souls.

  After Tierney told Genna that they would need her help tomorrow, Raven stood up. “Thank you for supper,” she said, before heading up to bed.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Stark Need

  Raven left the lights off in her room. There was enough moonlight shining in and she planned to go straight to bed anyway. She had just stripped out of her pants and was about to pull her shirt and bra off when she heard her door quietly open and close.

  Soroyan’s presence behind her sent heat racing through her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling her shirt off over her head anyway as she turned to face him.

  With a beam of moonlight shining right on him, she could see his pulse was beating frantically in his neck. In rhythm to her own. He licked his lips, doubt bright in eyes filled with fire. “I’m sorry for being, as Jax would say, such an ass last night,” he said. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “From the first moment I saw you, I’ve wanted you,” he admitted.

  Raven’s shields shattered at the bare truth of his words. A tremor raced through her as her heart melted even further. Then while he watched, she slipped her bra off as well in a silent challenge. She smiled when he swallowed deeply.

  “I am hard, cold … not the ideal partner for anyone,” he said and then glanced around the room for a moment before meeting her gaze once more. “I shouldn’t even be here, not like this.”

  Raven caught the slight tremble that ran through him and knew he fought to control himself. It thrilled her that she caused such loss of control, then thought about what had happened two nights ago at the apartment and what almost happened last night.

  And just like that, she burned with everything inside her to join with him once more, no matter how bad an idea it might be.

  Still, she wasn’t letting him off so easily. “I understand. I truly am sorry for pushing you last night. I do have a question though,” she said.

  Soroyan waited.

  “The other night you were so concerned with not losing control with me.” She studied him. “I didn’t see any concern for the woman I caught you fucking at that club, why?” she asked, not sure why if she hadn’t been bothered by it before, that she was now.

  Soroyan blinked, startled at her question. Then his blunt answer shocked her. “She is a Walker, she would heal, and I really wasn’t in any frame of mind to care about her.” Then he paused for a moment. “But you, onl
y you seem to make me lose control.”

  Raven’s eyes widened at that bit of information.

  Soroyan nodded. “Why do you think I went there in the first place?”

  Her heart double tapped at his admission. “Why?” She licked her lips, letting her tongue linger slowly.

  “Because you drive me insane. I was stupid to think anyone else would do,” he said and her heart thumped as she contemplated him. His words thrilled her, breaking down her defenses even further.

  “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she said, part of her scared he’d run off again.

  Just like last night, he nodded, eyes filled with such passion, she almost looked away. She didn’t. She also didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding. “You do know that I can’t stay here, right? This isn’t my home.”

  Raven thought she caught a flash of sadness in Soroyan’s eyes.

  “I do,” was all he said.

  “I have work to finish. I just can’t stay,” she said, biting her bottom lip as she studied him. Hades, he was so yummy.

  “I know,” he said, and for a brief second, his wolf shone out of his eyes, then it was his deep turquoise again, and Raven no longer cared.

  She didn’t break his gaze and slipped her panties down and off. Then she slowly crossed the distance separating them and stepped up against him. He groaned when she wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers, then his hands were all over her.

  Legs weak at how badly she wanted him, Raven pushed him away when his arms began to wrap around her. She met his gaze again and then she reached down to undo his jeans. “Take your shirt off,” she demanded and chuckled as his eyes widened. Then his shirt was laying on the floor.

  Raven held his stare, slowly undoing first the button and then the zipper of his jeans. She licked her lips again as she saw how close to losing control he was.

  On fire herself, his shudder set her insides quivering and dropping to her knees she began to lower his jeans until they pooled around his knees.

  “Raven,” he said and then sucked in a deep breath as she freed him, also pushing his boxers down. His hands tangled in her hair. “No, what are you—” He stopped speaking as she cupped him in her hands.

  “You really are a handful, aren’t you?” she asked, smiling up at him, letting her intention show in her eyes.

  “Oh!—”

  Still smiling, she took him into her mouth and felt a shudder rock him as his fingers in her hair gripped her tight. With one hand on his ass, she held him and slowly sucked him down. His moan sent her senses spinning and she eased him back out, licked the velvety smooth yet straining head of him like it was an ice cream cone, before sucking him back down.

  “Raven, I … I’m—You need to stop. I’m going to lose control,” he hissed and tried to pull her to her feet.

  She slid him back out and licked around his head again. “I told you, I like it when you lose control.” She heard him gasp when she sucked him back down her throat once more and instead of trying to get her to stop, he was now holding her to him. Then when he realized what he was doing, he loosened his hold.

  She didn’t. In and out, she sucked on him, licking and tasting until he was quivering. “C’mon baby,” she said right after licking him again and then drew him back down her throat.

  With a cry, he adjusted his grip on her hair and began to arch into her as she quickly slid him in and out of her mouth, until he thrust once more, reaching far down her throat and threw his head back and yelled.

  Raven swallowed his hot seed, her heart pounding as his hands moved in her hair, but when she finally let him go, he was still hard. She grinned wickedly as he helped her to her feet.

  “You … I’ve never met anyone like you in my life,” he said, sounding humbled.

  “That’s because there is no one like me,” she said and he nodded. Then she waited while he kicked loose of his jeans and boxers and let her lead him over to the bed.

  “I want you again,” he said.

  Raven smiled. “I see that.”

  Then she climbed onto the bed and waited as he too climbed on, looking every bit the dangerous predator ready to devour her. He held very still and drank in her naked body inch by slow inch. Desire darkened his eyes and unable to help herself, Raven sat up and reached for him. With a low growl that was filled with hunger, he pushed her back down on the bed.

  She shuddered when he touched her, cupping first one breast before moving onto the next. She strained up against his hand, wanting more. “Soroyan,” she breathed, body quivering with the brutal need consuming her.

  “I love how you say my name,” he said, his voice making her shiver.

  The fire inside of her licked out of control and she quivered in anticipation as he leaned up and took her wrists in his and then pinned her hands above her head. She waited, heart thumping, as he leaned over and took first one breast into his mouth.

  He licked and teased the nipple between his teeth until she was panting with need. Then he let her go and blew on her nipple, watching with a predator’s gaze as it beaded up.

  “Please,” she cried out and he moved onto the next one to do the same.

  By the time he was done, she was burning up and when he finally let go of her hands, she clutched him, drawing her nails down his sides, careful not to touch his wound.

  Fingers like brands, he held her eyes with his and trailed his way down first one leg and back up the other, slowing when he came to the V between her legs.

  “Yes,” she cried out and arched up when he slipped a finger inside her sheath.

  “You are so wet,” he said, voice ragged and her mouth opened in shock when he pulled his finger out and then sucked it into his mouth. He closed his eyes as if savoring her. When he opened them, she gasped at the red of his wolf eyes.

  Then she arched again when he slipped his finger back inside of her, and then added a second and finally a third.

  Raven writhed, grinding against his fingers as her orgasm began to build. “I need you inside of me, now,” she demanded.

  With excruciating slowness, he sucked and teased, making her nipples pucker and ache.

  Raven cried out and arched toward him when he lowered his head between her legs and ran his tongue straight up her.

  Now it was her fingers wrapped in his long black hair as he quickly brought her screaming.

  “I want you inside of me,” she repeated desperately but he wasn’t done with her.

  Once he’d brought her screaming twice more, he rose up over her and she could see the velvet steel rod of him, straining to be inside of her.

  “I need you,” he said.

  “Yes,” she agreed and without another word or any more foreplay, she guided him into her, arching as he filled her up. “Oh fuck, you feel so good,” she said and with a grunt, he began to move and she knew he couldn’t speak, she could feel what he felt.

  He soon brought her to new depths, sending her over the edge once more before he tensed up and roared his pleasure as waves of passion rose up and left them floating in the aftermath.

  When he was done, he began to slide out of her, but she pulled him close. “No, stay, please,” she said, holding him within her. Soroyan shuddered again and leaning on his elbows so that he didn’t crush her, he searched her eyes. She smiled and reaching up, tucked part of his hair behind his ear. “You are way too sexy.”

  He scowled at her. “Well, you take my breath away,” he finally admitted.

  Raven smirked, loving the fire along with the vulnerability in his eyes. “Yeah, I think you took mine away too.”

  Soroyan cuddled into her neck for a moment and she could feel his heart slowing down to a normal pace as his breath warmed her neck. Finally, he lifted his head and his eyes were shiny as he moved them onto their sides facing each other. He was still snug inside of her where she wanted him. “How do you do this to me?” he asked, holding her gaze.

  Not sure that it was her doing it to him, an
d not the other way around, she leaned close and kissed him, pouring all her feelings into it. His arms tightened around her as he deepened the kiss.

  “I could get used to this,” he murmured when they finally broke apart.

  A pang of sadness and guilt filled her. “I’m sorry, it would be nice, but I really can’t stay, I have work to do—” she began. Soroyan put his finger to her lips, stopping her.

  “Shh,” he said, tracing her lips and then her throat and neck. Raven closed her eyes as little shivers rocked her. Yeah, she really could get used to this.

  Raven sighed as his lips made her want things that were impossible.

  “Tell me about you. What kind of work are you doing?” he asked and though his voice did things to her insides, she told him about how she was working with a rebel faction against the Ilyium.

  “You are a spy?” he said, and she shrugged.

  “Assassin, infiltrator,” she said nonchalantly, trying not to show her worry over his reaction.

  Soroyan didn’t say anything about what she did. “So, what are you?” he asked instead.

  Raven frowned at him, deliberately pretending not to know what he was asking. “I’m just a person.”

  He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. “No, you are not just a person.” He lifted her arm and drew it close to his mouth, where he inspected it, then began to press kisses along her pulse, sending shivers of heat licking down her spine. Raven gasped and his eyes locked onto hers once again. “At first, I thought your brother was one of the Fallen, but he is more than that, and I think you are too. I’m just not sure what.”

  “Well, a girl has to have some secrets,” she said, trying to draw her arm away. Soroyan wouldn’t let her go and continued to kiss her, his whiskers sending waves of heat through her as his eyes grew darker.

  Raven took a deep breath and let it out with a little laugh. “Fine, if you have to know …”

  “I do, I have to know,” he said, licking and kissing until she could hardly think.

  Raven yanked her arm away and mock glared at him. “I can’t think, never mind talk while you are doing that,” she snapped, then seeing his grin, she smirked. Still, he waited for her to tell him what he wanted to know. She sighed, letting him slide out of her. Then she rolled onto her back and gazed up at the ceiling. “You may be sorry you asked.”