Drakon's Knight (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

  His whole body went taut in anticipation. The hum of pleasure that vibrated in her chest had his balls clenching. And when she delicately outlined his tattoos with her fingers, he almost lost it.

  Arms banded around her, he kissed her as though he could absorb her into his body, make her his forever.

  As much as he wanted to get inside her slick channel and fuck her, he took his time, enjoying each caress, drawing out the foreplay as long as he could. But they reached a point where even he could wait no longer.

  He gripped her hips and lifted her. “Put me inside you.” It was the first either of them had spoken in quite some time, as though what was happening between them was too big, too precious for words. “Give yourself to me.” It was what he wanted. What he needed.

  She held his shaft in her hands, stroking him until he wasn’t sure he could hang on. “Karina.” He didn’t beg, but it was damn close.

  Smiling, she angled his cock until it nudged her opening. She wiggled, letting the broad head of his shaft work its way inside her heated warmth.

  He wanted to close his eyes and experience every sensation to the max but couldn’t look away from her. Her soft skin was flushed with arousal, her green eyes practically glowing. Her nostrils flared, and she bit her bottom lip when he pushed a bit deeper.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He surged his hips upward and pulled her down in the same motion, driving his cock deep. His growl almost drowned out her groan. Then he was all the way inside, the pulse of his shaft in sync with the pounding in his skull.

  She completed him. When they were joined together like this, with their bodies aligned, everything was right in the world.

  He had to force himself to ease up on his grip. The last thing he wanted to do was bruise her.

  In the dim light, she resembled a pagan goddess. They were in the bedroom of a rental home when she should have been in a grand bed surrounded by silks and satins. The bed coverings were cheap cotton and synthetics, but nothing could dim her magnificence.

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, rocking slowly at first, barely rising an inch before falling back down. The primal urge to take over, to make her go faster, deeper, harder, beat like a drum inside him, but he forced himself to simply enjoy the ride, to let her do as she would.

  And it was worth every second of frustration. The fires of passion built, licking at his insides until they threatened to erupt. Only the knowledge that she would be harmed kept the flames in check.

  He reached between their bodies and fingered her clit. Panting harder, she picked up the pace, moving faster.

  “Yes. More.” He had to have it all, every part of her with nothing held back. His dragon side demanded her surrender.

  “Jericho.”

  Sensing she was reaching her limit, he captured one of her breasts in his hand, took the straining nipple into his mouth, and tongued the tip before sucking on it. The cries of passion, the little demanding sounds she made, the digging of her nails into his shoulders, all fired his blood.

  He lifted her off his lap, and his cock slid out. “No.” She was fierce now, her eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  “I’m not. I won’t,” he assured her. He couldn’t. He turned her so she was kneeling toward the headboard. “Hold on.”

  She immediately gripped the thin slat, which pushed the desire gnawing at him even higher. They were both sweating from their passionate exertions and the heat that rolled off him. He kissed a path down her spine before moving into position, his much larger body surrounding her slighter, more delicate form.

  Nudging her legs apart, he angled his hips until his cock was between her spread legs. She shuddered when his shaft brushed against her clit. Then he was inside her, filling her.

  Arms spread wide, he gripped the posts of the bed. Caught between him and the headboard, she was helpless to do anything but take what he would give her.

  She flexed her inner muscles, clamping them down hard on his cock. He couldn’t help but smile. His Karina would never be helpless.

  The bed creaked and the headboard slammed against the wall with every stroke until he feared the damn thing might break. It groaned and protested the abuse but held as he picked up speed, driving hard and deep. She pushed back against him, meeting him, challenging him.

  “Take me.” The words were out before he could stop them. He wanted her to accept both parts of him—man and dragon.

  He released the bedposts and wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts, savoring the weight of the soft mounds, the way her nipples dug into his palms.

  “Come for me.” He nipped the lobe of her ear and then the curve of her neck.

  A loud, high-pitched wail broke from her throat. Her body grew taut, and the telltale ripple of her inner core moved up and down his shaft. It was quickly followed by the wet rush of her orgasm. Each and every cry and gasp, every wave of desire that washed over her went through him until it was impossible to tell where her pleasure ended and his began.

  His balls constricted. As his release shot up his shaft, he roared her name. She was his. Now and forever.

  He would never let her go.

  …

  Karina slumped against the headboard, her cheek resting against the wall. Once again, he’d overwhelmed her with passion. No other thoughts had been able to intrude.

  Only with Jericho had she allowed herself to be this vulnerable during sex. She’d only briefly been in charge, or at least seemingly. She’d never truly been in control of anything. With his strength, he could easily bend her to his will.

  But he hadn’t. He’d used passion instead, gentle persuasion.

  Still hard inside her, the pulse of his shaft matched the primitive beat of her heart. His large hands cupped her breasts while his big body covered the rest of her like a giant warm blanket.

  She honestly didn’t know what they were going to do, what would happen, but she wouldn’t trade this time with him for anything.

  He finally gave a grunt and eased himself away, which set off another round of spasms inside her. She couldn’t hold back the moan of pleasure as another smaller orgasm took her.

  Boneless, she started to slide back down, but he caught her and gently laid her on the bed. Curling his big body around her, he held her. There was so much to say. Too much really, so they said nothing.

  He locked one arm around her waist, and she found his hand, tangling her fingers with his. It took a while for their breathing to go back to normal and their bodies to cool. Finally, she felt herself drifting off to sleep with him still beside her.

  …

  Birch’s heart pounded in his chest, but outwardly he was as cold as ice as he faced the head of his handpicked team. “What do you have?”

  “Sir, one of the men talked with a service station attendant who remembers seeing some men on motorcycles. He doesn’t remember the men much, except that they were ‘big biker dudes,’ to quote him, with lots of tattoos. But the guy is only about five-six so big doesn’t help much. He does remember the bikes. Custom Harleys.”

  They could be the men who’d taken Karina. According to sources at both the originating airport and the one here, the men who’d been on the plane were bikers—big men with tattoos. It was likely another member of the Knights had hired the men to do the job. Both sources had remembered the men and admired the bikes. And they had no reason to lie. They weren’t members of the Knight’s network. They were simply airport workers who were easily bribed. Cash always loosened lips.

  These might be the kidnappers he was searching for, or they might simply be bikers. But it was a lead. He’d follow every single one until there were none left to follow. And then he’d start again. He’d leave no stone unturned.

  “Send some men to that area and start fanning out. Search for isolated residences and rentals. And keep checking convenience stores and gas stations. They’d need supplies.” Assuming they were still in the area.

  “Sir, it’s the middle
of the night. Most of the stores are closed.”

  Birch pinned him with a deadly glare. Even with his arm in a cast and his body bruised, he still scared the shit out of his men. He’d learned from the best, after all. “And some of them aren’t. And you can dig into rentals and property records. Keep tracking down every lead.”

  “Yes, sir.” His man nodded and quickly walked away.

  Birch stared up at the stars. A huge emptiness filled him. It threatened to consume him, but he pushed it back. No matter if Karina was dead or alive. He would find her and bring her home.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jericho woke early. A couple of hours were as good to him as a full eight hours to a human. He could go days on those few hours if necessary.

  Karina slept beside him, her face partially buried in the pillow, her lips slightly parted and emitting a whisper of sound with each breath she took. Her arms, bare and slender, lay on top of the covers. He leaned down and kissed the curve of her neck. She made a snuffling sound and settled back to sleep.

  He could easily spend hours, no days, watching her sleep, but she might find it a little off-putting if she woke and found him hovering over her.

  The dragon in him wanted to curl around her and protect her. His human side knew he had to destroy her enemies to make her safe. He rolled out of bed and dressed quickly before he lost the will to leave her.

  He started to tuck the covers around her but thought better of it. If he touched her, he’d end up back in bed. Out in the hallway, he leaned against the closed door and sighed.

  “She still asleep?” Sadiq was waiting for him with a cup of coffee in hand.

  “Yeah.” Taking the offering, he downed it in one long gulp. Caffeine didn’t really affect him, but he had a taste for coffee. They all did. “You get any sleep?” The others needed rest. They’d all been pushing themselves hard. But they also needed to keep a watch out for Birch and his people.

  “We took shifts,” Sadiq told him. He turned and went back down the stairs with Jericho right behind him. “Breakfast is in the oven.”

  His stomach grumbled. He was always hungry these days. “Thanks,” he said as he followed his friend into the kitchen.

  “Enoch is tinkering online. Khalil is on security patrol.”

  He yanked a huge pan mounded with pancakes, eggs, steak, sausages, and hash browns out of the oven and dug in. “Any sign of intruders?”

  “None.” Sadiq strolled over to the window and stared out. “They’ll be here soon.”

  He felt it, too. They both had a sixth sense about danger. It had helped them avoid their enemy for millennia and was also useful in their chosen profession.

  “What will we do once this is over?”

  “What do you mean?” He kept shoveling food in as fast as he could, knowing time was short.

  Sadiq turned, hands braced on his hips. “Will we keep killing people for money, doing what we’ve always done? Won’t be easy with a chick in tow.”

  He set aside the empty pan. “I won’t abandon her. And I’m sure as hell not taking her on a mission.”

  “Why not? She’s good at killing. Or at least ordering someone to be killed.” Sadiq took a step forward and so did Jericho, neither of them willing to back down. Sadiq’s body was rigid, primed for a fight. “Fuck,” his friend finally muttered under his breath.

  He sensed Sadiq’s frustration, not only with him but the situation. Everything was changing. “We’ll be okay,” he promised. “We’ll figure it out.”

  Sadiq rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and sighed deeply. “Yeah, I’m just stressed. We all are. I need to shift. Or at least beat the shit out of something or someone.”

  Jericho clapped him on the shoulder. “I expect you’ll get your wish before long.”

  “I want this over with. I’m sick to death of having to keep looking over my shoulder for one of those fucking Knights.” Sadiq poured them both another cup of coffee. “We need to launch a search.”

  He didn’t need to ask who Sadiq meant. Their thinking often ran parallel. “Yes, we do. If there are any drakons being held by Knights, we’ll find and free them.”

  “Our new mission?”

  He nodded before lifting the mug Sadiq had pushed across the counter toward him. He held it high, making a toast. “Our new mission.” They wouldn’t allow their brethren to suffer any longer. It shamed him that they hadn’t already investigated and freed them. According to Karina, at least one drakon had died. And there had probably been many more over the years. He had no idea how many of them there were in the world. A hundred? Two? More? Less?

  He was no different from his blood brothers. They’d never bothered looking for him, just as he’d never bothered looking for the drakons taken by the Knights. They were all guilty of being stupid. It wasn’t malicious on any of their parts. But that still didn’t excuse it. The fact that drakons tended to be secretive loners didn’t help. It had only made it easier for the Knights to capture them.

  “We’ll find them,” he promised. When he heard Karina coming down the stairs, he turned toward the entrance.

  “Find who?” Wearing the leggings she favored, and a long-sleeved tunic in a deep plum color that made her skin look even paler and creamier, she appeared alert and focused. He wanted to eat her up.

  “Any drakons still in captivity.” He ignored Sadiq’s growl of displeasure at sharing their plans.

  “My grandmother—” She broke off and shook her head. “No, she doesn’t deserve that title. If my vision is right and she’s behind this, Svetlana will have records. I can guarantee it.”

  “Why don’t you?” Sadiq walked slowly toward her, and Jericho automatically stepped in front of her without thought.

  Karina eased around him to face Sadiq. “The Knights aren’t exactly forthcoming with one another. The ones I told you about? It took me years to gain that knowledge. I embedded spies with various other Knights. Some get found out. Some don’t.”

  “Convenient.” Sadiq’s tone left no doubt that he thought she was holding back, possibly lying.

  “None of this is in the least bit convenient.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Svetlana will have spies everywhere. I don’t doubt she knows more than I do.”

  Jericho took over the conversation. “It makes sense she’d have spies embedded with the other Knights. Being able to wield magic only makes her that much more dangerous.” Svetlana had been, and likely continued to be, a master manipulator, pulling everyone’s strings for her own gain. “You want coffee?” he asked Karina.

  She looked startled and then smiled. “Thank you, but I can get it.”

  He ignored her and got it himself. It was a little thing, but the primal part of him took pride in providing for her. He handed it over with a grunt. She looked bemused, but she took the mug he offered.

  “What’s the plan for today?” She sat at the table and took the first sip of coffee.

  He couldn’t stop watching her mouth and the way her lips curved as she lowered the mug and swallowed. His jeans were tight once again, a condition that rarely seemed to abate around her.

  “We’re waiting.” She wouldn’t like it, but there was nothing else she could do.

  Sighing, she toyed with the handle of the mug. “I hate feeling useless.”

  Doing nothing would be a problem for her. This was a woman used to being in control, being in charge. He doubted she had much downtime.

  “Think of it as a vacation,” he began, but broke off when she laughed.

  “Waiting to see if Birch is coming to rescue me or kill me isn’t exactly a vacation. And Svetlana will have a tail on him.” Karina smiled, and it made him nervous. “I know in my gut she’s behind this. And I wouldn’t mind coming face-to-face with her.”

  “That’s probably not a good idea.” He was still uncertain about that damn tattoo of hers. It might be damaged, but that didn’t mean it was totally ineffective. There would be problems if her grandmother could somehow react
ivate it.

  Sadiq leaned against the counter and simply listened to their conversation. The bastard was enjoying it, too. It wasn’t often he was witness to Jericho tiptoeing around a subject.

  …

  Jericho was trying to be tactful, and it made Karina care for him all the more. But there was no way to sugarcoat or pretty up any of this. People were coming to kill her. Heck, he and his men had come to kill her.

  Everyone wanted her to die.

  It was depressing as hell, so she shoved it out of her mind and focused on the task at hand. “What will we do when Birch shows?” Even if she hadn’t had the vision, she would have expected him to turn up eventually. He was tenacious at his job and had contacts everywhere.

  The painful reality was she’d been taken in by him. How many things had he lied to her about? How much information had he held back? There was no way to ever know.

  “You stay inside, and I’ll talk to him.” Jericho crossed his arms over his massive chest and scowled. He was doing his best to intimidate her, but she wouldn’t be dissuaded from her path.

  “I can’t.” She went to him and placed her hand on his arm. It was like iron beneath her fingers. A hard, remote expression covered his face, a far cry from the passionate lover of last night. “I need to confront him, find out what he knows.”

  “Do you honestly think he’ll tell you?” He wasn’t trying to be cruel, but it hurt, nonetheless. And he made a valid point.

  “I’ll know if he’s lying.”

  He shook his head. “He deceived you for years. You really don’t know him at all.”

  She took the blow to her ego and swallowed the emotion that threatened to erupt. Tears pricked her eyes, but she would not allow them to fall. “Fair enough.” Her voice was hoarse with the strain of keeping herself together.

  “Karina—” he began, but she cut him off, not wanting platitudes. Not from Jericho.

  “No, you’re right. I don’t know him at all. I don’t know myself, either, for that matter.” She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all but pressed her lips firmly together. If she started laughing, she might never stop.