by Rinelle Grey
“Now we need to synchronise our breathing,” she told Nate.
He nodded, his expression determined now.
Kytrima edged a little closer to him on the bed, and stared into his eyes. She could still feel his steady heartbeat through her hand, and now she focused on the rise and fall of his chest as well.
Forcing a synchronisation of breathing was easier than heartbeats. All it took was listening to the rhythm of his breaths in and out, and matching it.
But that wasn’t true synchronisation. A true connecting of healing energy took more than just changing a rhythm. Their hearts and breaths needed to synchronise on their own, not through force.
This time, Kytrima didn’t close her eyes. For some reason, staring into Nate’s brilliant blue eyes seemed to help. They distracted her from her breathing, true, but they seemed to bring her closer to him.
After a few moments, she realised she was unconsciously leaning in closer.
And he was too.
Out of nowhere, Kytrima felt an impulse to kiss him. His lips were so close, and they looked so full and tempting. Her breathing quickened, and his did too.
Was that because of the Mesmer ritual, or was he as tempted as she was?
Kytrima eased back a little, bringing the distance between them into a more normal range.
She saw one corner of his mouth raise a little, acknowledging her movement, sympathising with it.
He was feeling the same thing. His heartrate and breathing sped up again, hers in time. Had hers increased in response to his, or was it the other way around?
She’d never had so much trouble entering the Mesmer before. If he were a dragon, they’d already be there.
Kytrima forced herself to focus.
When she did, she found that they’d already achieved synchronisation. Their hearts beat as one, and their breathing followed each other perfectly.
It was time for the next step. The riskiest one.
Kytrima took a deep breath, Nate’s breathing echoing it. “Now we need to synchronise our brain patterns,” she told him. “This one will follow naturally on from the synchronisation of our hearts and breathing.”
Nate frowned. “So how do we do it?”
Kytrima uncrossed her legs and moved the hand on his chest to take his hand, pulling him into a lying position onto the bed.
“We go to sleep,” she explained.
He looked as nervous as she felt about that.
She could feel his heartrate speed up, the pulse in his wrist beating strongly. Her own heart increased uncomfortably.
She didn’t try to reassure him. She knew words wouldn’t help. There was no point in both of them promising not to attack each other while they slept. If they were intending to do that, either of them could easily just lie.
But they both needed something. She needed to find the princess, and he needed to find his brother.
For now, their goals were aligned.
When they found the couple… well, who knew what was going to happen then?
Kytrima felt herself slipping into the Mesmer sleep, trying not to fight it.
The last thing she was aware of seeing were Nate’s blue eyes, staring into hers.
Chapter 7
Nate stirred, feeling a languid wellness that usually only came after sex.
The fact that he could feel a woman’s body pressed up against him only reinforced this notion.
Until he remembered.
The events of earlier came rushing back to him.
The strange woman, her claims of being a dragon, the strange ritual she’d drawn him into.
Apparently she hadn’t killed him in his sleep at least. That was something.
For a moment, Nate wondered what had possessed him to become involved. If anyone had asked him last night if he’d participate in a healing ritual with a dragon woman his brother had shot, and let himself sleep while she was in the room, he would have laughed himself silly.
And yet, it hadn’t seemed too unusual at all.
As much as his brain was telling him he was crazy, his heart refused to agree. There was something about her, something that made him want to trust her. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he couldn’t convince himself that she meant him any harm.
The woman stirred beside him, and as her leg brushed his, it seemed to set his whole body on fire.
Nate gave a gasp. He’d thought his feelings for her earlier were strong, but they were nothing compared to the desire that swamped him now. He’d never felt anything like this before. He had an overwhelming urge to bury himself in her and thrust.
Her fingers gripped his hip, her nails digging into him.
Nate opened his eyes to stare straight into her silver ones. Sharp and hungry, they were fixed on his.
“Now we mate.” Her voice was half way between sultry and hard.
And as hot as hell.
Nate growled, not even trying to turn the sound into words, and rolled on top of her.
This dragon ritual, whatever it was, certainly had its benefits.
For a moment, he wondered if Lyrian had used something like this to ensnare his brother. Brad’s infatuation with her had certainly been out of character enough for him to believe it.
Was Kytrima doing the same thing to him?
He couldn’t bring himself to care. If a dragon woman using him felt like this, then he had no objections to being involved.
He tugged at her clothes, surprised they weren’t burning off with the heat sizzling between them. But since they weren’t he needed to get rid of them.
Nate fumbled with the buttons, and Kytrima helped him, seeming no more adept at the task than he was.
Somehow though, they both ended up naked.
She was beautiful. Her body was lean and fit in all the right places. Nate ran his hands over it, enjoying the feel of her skin under his hands.
It was hard to believe she was a dragon. But there was no other way to explain the things she’d done to him.
That Mesmer ritual was something amazing. He’d never felt so close to anyone before.
He kissed her, and her return kisses were hot and feverish. She rolled over onto him, and Nate’s eyes widened in appreciation as she straddled him.
“You’re going too slow, human,” she growled. “This isn’t about pleasure, this is a means to an end.”
It should have made him feel used. But for some reason, it didn’t.
Maybe because he was too busy admiring her. Or maybe it was because the desire coursing through his veins was overwhelming.
Either way, he had no objection to speeding things up. Especially not when she slid onto him, wet and ready.
He groaned in pleasure.
She slid up and down, a look of feverish urgency in her eyes. Nate wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted the end result, or because she was enjoying this as much as he was. Probably a little of both.
He gritted his teeth, trying to prolong the moment, not wanting it to end, wanting to enjoy every moment, but all his usual tricks failed. This Mesmer magic was powerful.
He gripped her hips, and thrust into her desperately. She met him with each thrust, perfectly synchronised. Building to a perfect crescendo.
Nate gasped as he came, feeling her convulse around him at exactly the same moment.
She stroked his chest, looking down at him with a satisfied smile on her face.
Nate knew exactly how she felt.
“You were perfect, human.”
Perfect sex, or perfect for her purpose?
Now that it was over, the magic gone, Nate couldn’t help feeling a little flat. Oh, it was still amazing, she was still just as gorgeous, but the extra sizzle had vanished.
He was a little sad.
She rose off him and turned to pull on her clothes.
He really wanted to try it again, without the magic. Surely it would be just as amazing? Surely he could re-capture that feeling?
“We need to get moving,” Kytrima
said firmly. “We need to find your brother.”
Her voice penetrated his haze.
Brad.
That’s right. What was he doing, thinking about sex now? He had to find his brother.
Nate jumped up and began to pull his own clothes on, trying not to focus on how far they’d been thrown in their abandon. Already his body was stirring, wanting to repeat that experience.
He made himself focus on the task at hand.
Where would Brad go?
“I don’t know the town too well, but I think we should start by checking out the hotels in town.”
“Right,” Kytrima said. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
It wasn’t that simple, of course. Kytrima bit back her objections while Nate rescued the little puppy, who was still whining, from the bathroom. The little scrap of a dog glared at both of them, as though she knew that they’d been up to no good.
Or that could have been Kytrima’s guilty conscience.
Still, despite her urgency to find the princess, Kytrima couldn’t find it in her to object when he stopped to fill a bowl of water for the pup, and dish out some food. Letting him have that bit of extra time made her feel a little better at how blithely she’d used him earlier.
When they headed out to the car though, and the older dog started barking, she began to get a little irritated. Why did humans keep dogs as pets anyway? They just seemed to cause a nuisance, all the time.
Nate though, stopped in his tracks. “We can’t leave Luna here.”
“Your brother obviously didn’t stop to consider that.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kytrima wished she could take them back. They weren’t going to help at all.
Sure enough, Nate turned to her with a frown. “Well, why did he? It’s not like Brad at all. Unless, of course, he was in a hurry. I wonder why he might have been?” Nate raised an eyebrow at his last question, his implication obvious.
His words sparked an uncomfortable feeling of guilt. She wouldn’t expect him to understand why she’d done what she did. How important finding the princess was for her clan. She wished she could explain, but she’d already tied herself up too tightly in the web of lies.
Kytrima shook her head in exasperation. The effect this man had on her was maddening. Why couldn’t they just get on with things? “Go on, get the dog then,” she said gruffly.
But Nate didn’t move. He stared at her, not letting it go that easily. “So what did exactly happen here last night?”
Kytrima hesitated. There was nothing in the story that conflicted with what she’d told him, but still, she was reluctant to explain.
Why did it matter? It didn’t change their goals, or how they were going to achieve them.
Nate was still staring at her. Somehow, she didn’t think he’d accept that as an answer. She heaved a sigh. “I’ll tell you in the car.”
Nate stared at her searchingly for a moment, then nodded. “Here, you take Lily, I’ll get Luna.”
Before Kytrima could object, he’d handed her the bundle of wriggling fur.
The pup gave a squeak. She wasn’t any happier with the situation than Kytrima was. But she had even less choice. So she just curled herself up into a ball and tried to pretend it wasn’t happening.
For some reason, Kytrima felt drawn to the little pup. Perhaps it was her fearful acceptance of the situation. Perhaps it was her abject terror. Either way, Kytrima wished she could help.
“It’s okay,” she told the pup. “I have no intention of hurting you.”
She had no intention of hurting anyone, really. She just needed to find the princess.
A puppy couldn’t possibly understand any of that. Sometimes, Kytrima wasn’t sure she did either. It had been her clan’s goal since before she was born. She just accepted it as hers without questioning it. It just was.
Nate came back with Luna on a lead. The dog wasn’t too happy to come towards Kytrima, barking and digging in her heels and pulling back on the lead.
Kytrima felt bad for her, but there was no way to tell the dog she didn’t mean any harm. Instead, she said, “I’ll get in the car.”
“Thanks,” Nate said, flashing her a smile.
Once Kytrima was out of sight, Nate managed to get Luna into the back of the car. Luckily the car was big enough that there was some distance between them. Even so, Luna whined for several moments, before lying down out of sight and quietening down.
Nate climbed into the driver’s seat next to her and glanced over. “Are you okay with Lily? I can put her in the back if it’s easier.”
Kytrima stared down at the little puppy. To her surprise, the dog had settled, and was curled up on her lap. “She’s fine here,” she said.
It was funny, how acceptance from the dog made her feel happy. Silly really. But the feeling persisted as Nate started the car and pulled out onto the dirt road.
It lasted right up until Nate asked, “So, you were going to tell me what happened last night?”
She’d almost forgotten about her promise, and she certainly wasn’t enthusiastic about the explanation. She’d been stupid, throughout the whole thing. She didn’t want to tell Nate how stupid.
He wouldn’t get it though. He didn’t understand the whole, complex backstory. She barely understood it herself, and she’d grown up with it.
But this wasn’t about him understanding her. She just needed an answer he could live with.
Preferably one that wasn’t too far from the truth…
Why she cared she wasn’t quite game to ask herself. Her stomach kept doing flip flops whenever she looked at him.
She didn’t have time to be feeling like this.
Sleeping with him might have been amazing, but she needed to remember that it wasn’t important. Her goals were. Or her clan’s goals anyway.
Kytrima wasn’t too sure what her own goals were. She’d never looked for anything beyond serving Ultrima, helping him find his princess and live happily ever after. That was the highest honour in her clan.
But if they found this princess, then maybe that would be enough for a while. Maybe she could take a break and try to figure out what all this meant.
Of course, Nate would be long gone then. As soon as he found his brother, he was out of here.
She bit back a sigh.
Nate looked over at her, and Kytrima realised she’d been silent for a long time. “Well, I told you I was looking for the princess, right?”
She was stalling.
Nate looked over at her, and nodded. “But why?”
Of course. Of course that was the question he asked. Not what happened, but why. The one question she wasn’t sure how to explain.
She could just tell him the truth. His mind hadn’t already been poisoned by the Rian dragons. Maybe he’d believe her.
That was what she wanted to do. She was tired of lying. It took so much effort to remember what she’d said all the time.
What had she said, about why she was looking for Lyrian? Something about her needing discipline for meddling in too many human affairs, wasn’t it? Why hadn’t she picked something closer to the truth?
The truth was, her clan hadn’t even known that Lyrian was awake until she’d found out.
They still didn’t, because she hadn’t been back to tell them.
If she died, they never would.
Kytrima gave herself a shake. Where had that come from? She wasn’t going to die, so she’d be able to tell them. Just as soon as she found Lyrian.
And for that, she needed the human’s help.
If only she could figure out what to say. She didn’t want to stray even further from the truth, but she couldn’t see how to bring this back.
“Well, you see, Lyrian… split off from our clan.”
There, that was better. Much better. “She and her brothers felt they knew better than we did.”
Actually, that wasn’t bad. If she could play on the truth…
“They refused to
let a dragon mate with his true love. They wanted her to mate another. One that would be ‘good for the clan’.”
Nate glanced over at her then, his face full of sympathy.
Kytrima wasn’t sure why she felt it hard to meet his eyes. This story was the truth. Pretty much anyway. Was she still feeling guilty for her earlier lies? She swallowed and forced herself to look him in the eye, even though it was hard. There, that was better.
She was trying to fix that now. Even if she wasn’t sure why she was bothered.
“There was a big fight,” she continued. “Neither side won.”
“What does this have to do with humans?” Nate interrupted. “Especially with my brother?”
“I’m getting to that bit,” Kytrima insisted.
Nate subsided, and she continued. “The other dragons, who are calling themselves the Rian dragons, have been asleep. We’ve been searching for them, but they’ve been hiding behind humans. In their towns and cities, and in some cases, like with your brother, literally behind them.”
This was much better. She was barely lying at all. “I found Lyrian last night, and was going to take her back to our clan, but she hid behind your brother. She even convinced him to shoot me.”
“Well, I’m guessing he doesn’t know any of this story,” Nate pointed out. “And he’s going to trust Lyrian. They have a history together.”
Obviously they must, for Lyrian to have a baby. Kytrima wondered how that had happened. Did Nate know?
“What sort of history?” she asked.
Nate stared ahead for a minute, but Kytrima suspected he wasn’t really seeing the road. “They met about a year ago,” he said, his voice sounding far away. “I’m not sure what happened, Brad didn’t like to talk about it. But he was pretty taken with her. They must have slept together, then she dumped him. Refused to talk to him. He didn’t understand why at all.”
Kytrima winced. She couldn’t help feeling sorry for Nate’s brother, despite her reluctance. It sounded like he was as much a victim in this as Ultrima had been.
“She was using him,” she said softly. “She wasn’t interested in him at all. She just needed someone to get her energy back.”
“Like you needed me?” Nate shot her a look.
