While he’d keep Melanie at arm’s length once she was pregnant, he wouldn’t be as harsh as Neil had been with Cait; he would avoid insulting his human and would always protect Melanie and his unborn child against any threat. But Tristan wanted to prevent his inner beast from forming too much of an attachment to Melanie because the mate claim frenzy was dangerous. The more his dragon grew attached, the less his human-half would be able to deny his beast. His honor and duty would prevent harming the human, but there was no way in hell he wanted to be mated to one for the rest of his life.
His sister was still suffering years later because of the damage caused by humans and their greed.
Soon, he was gliding down to the landing area inside Stonefire. Once he was on solid ground again, his inner beast roared. His female was here, and she was fertile. They needed to find her. Other males might already be trying to take her.
Tristan reassured his beast they would find her, but first, they needed to be in human form.
His dragon retreated a little, and Tristan imagined his wings retreating into his back, his forelegs straightening, his talons turning into fingers, and his stature shrinking back to his six-foot-three height. The pain of the shift and change of his body was as natural to him as breathing, and within a few seconds, he was in human form again, naked as the day he was born.
A male approached him and his dragon sneered, but soon calmed down. He was the only male who could deal with him right now and not end up a bloody mess on the ground. Bram was clan leader; even his dragon deferred to Bram’s position and slightly greater dominance.
When his clan leader reached him, Bram’s expression was unreadable. “Are you under control?”
His dragon paced inside his head. Their female was waiting. Why were they stalling? Can’t the clan leader see how much they needed their female? She would give them young, which would help the clan. They needed to go. Now.
Soon, he told his dragon. It didn’t really calm the beast, but allowed Tristan enough control to answer Bram coherently. “Barely. Is Melanie ready? And make it quick, Bram. I don’t want to lose complete control of my beast.”
“She’s ready and willing. Still, all I ask is to keep your human-half in control for as long as you can. While Samira talked to her, I don’t know if Melanie truly understands what’s about to happen to her.”
Find female. Now. Go!
He grit his teeth against his beast’s urging. “You know I’ll try. But I need to go before it’s too late.”
Bram nodded. “Come see me when it’s done.”
He nodded and half-jogged toward Melanie’s cottage. His beast kept repeating. “Female. Now. Hurry.” Over and over inside his head.
He reached her cottage and with incredible effort, he managed to stop at the door and knock. His dragon roared, but Tristan told the beast to wait a bloody second.
Thankfully, the door opened. Melanie stood before him in a fluffy white bathrobe. Her eyes widened. “Oh. It’s you.”
Now. Now. Now. Fertile. Fuck her.
Not yet. Tristan said through gritted teeth, “You’ve been told what will happen. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my dominance over my dragon. I need to know: Are you willing?”
Her eyes were a mixture of emotions, but he was too far gone to recognize what they were. He barely heard her reply when she said, “Yes.”
“Thank fuck.” He rushed at her, tossed her over his shoulder, shut the door, and made a beeline for the bed. He tossed her down and her robe fell open to reveal a silky blue nightie that barely covered her tits and pussy.
Mine. Take. Now.
Tristan listened to his dragon and covered her soft body with his naked one. He would explore her warm, womanly curves later. For now, he reached between her legs and ran a finger through her slit. She was wet and swollen for him, and his hard cock went even harder.
He ripped her nightie to pieces and grabbed one of her lush, ample breasts, rolling her nipple to a hard point. When she let out a moan, he was at his limit. Tristan positioned his cock and thrust into her in one, swift motion.
At the feel of her warm, tight pussy around his dick, his dragon hummed. Yes. His female. Time to make her understand that.
But his human-half was in enough control to lean down and kiss her first. He pushed his tongue into her sweet, warm mouth, exploring every inch. He started to move his hips and the human moaned into his mouth before he felt her hands on his shoulders.
He ran his hands down her soft sides until he reached her wide hips. He tightened his hold so she would stay in place as he started to pound harder. In and out. Flesh slapped against flesh.
Female. Mine. Take.
But it wasn’t rough enough for his beast. The dragon wanted to own the female’s pussy; let her know she belonged to him.
To please his dragon and do exactly that, he broke their kiss. When he looked into Melanie’s green eyes, the lust and desire there shot straight to his balls.
His human and dragon halves growled in unison and he tightened his grip on her hips. The need to fill her with his seed was overwhelming. Without it, she couldn’t bear his young. And his dragon wanted this female to bear its young.
He moved faster and faster until the pressure built, and with a few more quick thrusts, he stilled as his dick spent inside of her, each spurt and spasm giving him a higher chance to impregnate her and prevent the other males from stealing her away. While she carried his child, his scent would be branded into her skin.
As he finished, the chemicals of his semen caused Melanie to cry out in orgasm. His dragon hummed, urging him to flip her over and take her all over again from behind.
Our female. Fuck her. Now.
His human-half was still in control by a thread, and Tristan moved to Melanie’s breast, aching to taste her hard, pink nipple before the dragon took over and thought of nothing but fucking the female until she carried their young.
~~~
Melanie had expected Tristan to show up on her doorstep, but she hadn’t been prepared for the way he’d tossed her on the bed, ripped her clothes, and started pounding into her like nothing else mattered.
Just the sight of his naked body and hard cock when she’d answered the door had sent wetness rushing through her legs. Him tossing her over his shoulder and pressing her breasts and nipples against his back had only aroused her further. So when he thrust his thick, long cock into her, it slid right in, filling her in a way she’d never felt before; full to the point of almost pain.
He was rough and demanding as he fucked her, but the sensations of his hard cock inside her, his tongue twining with hers, and his rough hands gripping the skin of her hips made her forget about anything but the pleasure.
Then, as he stilled, she actually felt each hot spurt of semen inside her, quickly followed by the most intense orgasm of her life.
She didn’t know how long she’d been spasming with lights dancing before her eyes before she felt a wet, hot mouth on her right breast. Tristan teased her nipple with his teeth before sucking it deep in his mouth and swirling the tight bud with his tongue. She let out a cry and raised a hand to his head, threading her fingers through his thick, dark hair. She murmured, “Tristan.”
At his name, he released her nipple with a pop and looked up at her. His pupils flashed to slits before returning to round; the dragon was close to the surface. In a growly voice, he said, “Again.”
Since any man she’d been with before had needed time to recover before going another round, she said, “More sex? Already?”
He nodded as he palmed her breasts and squeezed. Since they were already heavy with desire, the pressure of his fingers on her tender flesh sent a shock to straight between her legs.
She should be sore and tired, but she felt surprisingly full of energy. And a small part of her wondered what the dragonman would do next. His need to mate must be rubbing off on her; she was horny, and if he was ready, then so was she.
She said, “I’m willing, Tris
tan. Take me again.”
He growled and leaned back on his heels. His posture gave her a chance to stare at his thick, still hard cock. How all those inches had fit into her in the first place, she didn’t know. However, for reasons she couldn’t explain, she desperately wanted—no, needed—to feel it inside her again.
Tristan growled, and between one second and the next, he flipped her over on the mattress. His hands caressed her large, squishy buttocks. His touch was rough and warm, and each slow brush of his fingers was deliberate and made her feel treasured and desired.
She knew most men liked a big ass to go from behind since it gave them a cushion, but Tristan’s caresses made her feel like he’d been waiting for an ass like hers his entire life.
Then his hands reached beneath her hips and pulled up her body until she was on her knees with her ass in the air. She refrained from asking questions since Samira had told her that when the dragon was mostly in command, it rarely replied. The inner beast was all about instinct and sensation.
Speaking of which, Tristan ran a finger through her folds and she arched into his touch with a moan, the roughness of his fingers causing a wonderful sensation along her slit. She was rewarded with a slap on her left cheek. The slight stinging pain sent more wetness between her thighs. Tristan ran his fingers up her folds and circled her clit repeatedly. The almost-touch made her nerves throb and ache. To try to relieve it, she moved her body to try to catch his fingers on her clit. But Tristan’s reflexes were faster, and he moved out of the way. She decided to try another tactic to relieve her frustration. She whimpered and wiggled her rear end.
He rewarded her with a pinch to her clit and she cried out. But before there was enough pressure to give her an orgasm, he released her.
She ached to the point of pain. If he didn’t fuck her soon, she felt as if she’d burst. She whispered, “Please.”
He slapped her other ass cheek. “Female. Ready. Now.”
“Yes.”
And without preamble, he thrust into her with one swift motion. She fisted the sheets in her hands at the intrusion. In this position, the fullness was almost too much to handle.
Then he started to move. His hands were now on her hips, guiding her forward and back against his cock, his rhythm picking up pace until his balls were slapping against her clit with each thrust.
If she’d thought he’d taken her rough before, then now was downright brutal. He was in complete control of their rhythm and the movement of her hips, but she loved the feel of his hairy legs against hers, the pure male dominance of his touch as he pulled and pushed her hips against his. She would be bruised later, but right here, right now, she didn’t care about anything but her next orgasm.
For a second, she wondered what had happened to her; she wasn’t this sensual, demanding creature, but then Tristan slapped her right ass cheek and she moaned, gripping the sheets tighter in her fists. She was so close.
Tristan let out a roar as he stopped pounding and held her firmly against his cock. Again, she felt the heat of his seed and she was blinded by another intense orgasm. If Tristan hadn’t been holding her up by her hips, she’d have fallen over.
Then all too soon, Tristan pulled out and she felt empty again. She must’ve made a noise, because Tristan flipped her on her back and said, “Again. Now.”
His pupils were flashing between slits and round globes. The dragon was insatiable.
And yet, despite how exhausted she should be feeling after two wild bouts of sex, her core throbbed, wanting more.
Then Melanie did something she’d never done with a man before, and bent her legs up before running a hand to her clit. As she stroked it, she purred, “Yes. Again.”
Without warning, Tristan pushed her legs wider and thrust into her again. Somewhere in the back of Melanie’s mind, she wondered if she could be killed by too much sex because it was certainly looking like that might happen.
Chapter Three
“Melanie, wake up.”
Melanie turned her head into her pillow. “I’m tired. Go away.”
Someone shook her shoulder. “Melanie.”
She was awake enough now to realize it was a female voice speaking to her, which meant it wasn’t Tristan-slash-dragon waking her up for more sex. She peeked open an eye and saw it was Samira.
She was beyond exhausted, and not to mention sore, but somehow her brain realized that the presence of someone other than Tristan in her cottage was significant. She turned her head a little and asked, “What?”
Samira brushed Melanie’s hair off her face. “How’re you feeling, my dear?”
She grumbled. “That is what you woke me up for?”
“No. But I need to make sure you’re awake before I tell you why I’m here.”
She was naked, but under a sheet, so Mel turned onto her back and stretched her arms. She grimaced at the soreness between her legs. “How long was I locked up in here?”
“A week.”
Wow, a week. She vaguely remembered the sun coming and going, but it was a haze of sleeping, eating, and fucking. Oh, and orgasming. There had been lots of orgasming.
She looked over to the other side of the bed, but it was empty. While she’d done very little talking with Tristan over the last week, she’d grown used to his heat and weight either beside her or on top of her. His absence felt...wrong.
She looked back over at Samira. “Where’s Tristan?”
Samira’s face went expressionless. “He went back to his job this morning.”
“Training the young dragons?”
Samira nodded. Melanie’s brain was almost fully alert now, and she made the connection. She looked down at her belly. “That means I’m pregnant.”
“Yes. He told Bram that your scent changed last night. When you carry a dragon-shifter’s child, you also carry the father’s scent. At least until the child is born.”
I’m going to have a baby. Mel closed her eyes. Fear, relief, longing, loneliness, and even a little bit of joy swirled around inside her head. She’d known this was coming, but still, it was a shock all the same.
Especially since her baby might end up killing her in about nine months.
She took a few deep breaths. She vaguely recalled Bram telling her that when a dragon went into the mate frenzy it was because the female in question was his best chance at having children and finding happiness. Maybe, just maybe, that gave her better odds at surviving the birth.
She opened her eyes and stared at Tristan’s side of the bed. While she still barely knew him since he’d been distant any time his dragon hadn’t been in the forefront, the thought of growing and birthing a child by herself, amongst strangers no less, brought tears to her eyes.
Mel felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head. Samira gave her shoulder a squeeze and said, “Don’t worry, Mel. Until Tristan realizes he’s a fool for staying away from you, you can come stay with me and Liam.”
She blinked back her tears. Having someone nearby who’d gone through this whole process before made her feel better. “Thanks.”
Samira gave another squeeze before she stood up. “I’ll draw you a bath and then make you something to eat. After that, we’ll pack your things and you can move in with me tonight.”
Too tired and full of emotion, Mel merely nodded again and watched Samira head into the bathroom.
As the sound of running water filled the room, Mel curled onto her side and put her hands under her pillow. Conceiving had been her entire reason for coming here, and expecting anything more than that was foolish. But somewhere deep inside, she’d believed that Tristan wouldn’t just knock her up and leave without so much as a glance.
But he had.
She almost started crying but then her stomach rumbled. Mel decided it was more important to focus on getting clean and feeding herself than crying tears over the dragon-shifter male she’d been assigned. She wasn’t the type of person to wallow in self-pity, and starting tomorrow, she was going to distract herself by e
xploring the dragon-shifters’ community and learning about this culture. Just because she was pregnant didn’t mean she was incapacitated. She fully intended to carry out her plan and find something to write about for her doctoral thesis.
“Mel, the bath’s ready!”
Uncaring about her nakedness, Mel climbed out of bed and went to take a bath. Maybe once she washed off Tristan’s scent she could stop thinking about his kisses. Or his caresses. Or the way he’d made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
After all, he’d only done those things because of his dragon. The man was consumed with so much hate for humans that he would abandon her without a word the instant he’d fulfilled his end of the contract and had known she was with child.
If that’s how he wanted things to be, then so be it. Bram had said a woman could refuse the mate claim after a child was born. In nine months’ time, Mel would be both a mother and free of a man who wanted nothing to do with her.
~~~
Tristan watched as two seven-year-olds squeezed their eyes shut and tried to shift. One managed to turn a hand into a claw with talons, but only for a few seconds before it morphed back into a human hand. The second child succeeded in turning a patch of his skin on his neck deep red, that would be the color of his hide, before that also disappeared.
He whistled between his teeth at the two children and they opened their eyes. He said, “That’s a good start, but if you’re not working with your dragon, you’ll never be able to change and maintain the shape.”
The little female looked up at him with big, brown eyes and said, “But Mr. MacLeod, I am working with my dragon. I pet her and coax her, but it doesn’t seem to work.”
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Two Page 2
