by Renee Carr
One of them jumped up and she flipped twice, wincing as her dragon fire flooded her veins. She hated the burn and she preferred to breathe it out rather than keep it inside, but she didn’t want them dead. They were a scouting party, and they would have more information alive than lying singed on the ground.
She had to make a decision quickly with her fire, and she turned it on her driver. It wasn’t enough to burn him, but it was enough to singe him. He turned quickly in alarm to her and she shook her head, trying to discourage the attack. The wolves leaped again and she butted against the bigger dragon, trying to pull him away from stomping on them.
There was another roar from off in the distance and she recognized a convoy of palace guards approaching. Sarah butted the bigger dragon again, and then the palace guards descended.
To her absolute dismay, the guards, in perfect unison with each other, breathed a long blast of fire. The wolves, in seconds, were incinerated.
Sarah lifted her neck up to roar in annoyance. Despite the fact that the dragon form didn’t use words, it was clear enough that she was unimpressed.
With the bodies smoking, she landed a few feet away, forcing her transformation back quickly. It made her feel like she was going to throw up, but she walked forward, seething with anger as the others transformed back.
“How could you?” she snarled at the guards. “You don’t know what information they were carrying.”
One of them looked shocked, stepping forward.
“My lady, they would have killed you.”
“They wouldn’t have,” Sarah insisted. “Six wolves against two fully transformed dragons? They had no chance.”
“My lady, they were on our lands. There was...”
“Yes, yes, it’s policy,” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Your policy could have lost you key information.”
She knew standing outside arguing was pointless and so she headed towards the cottage, picking up her own bag.
“I am not to be disturbed,” she said and slammed the door in their faces.
She could hear them reacting in shock outside the door, but she didn’t care.
The first thing Sarah did was find the washroom and immediately lean over the sink, throwing up what was left of her breakfast. She knew it was going to happen when she transformed that fast, and it annoyed her more than alarmed her. It seemed to be connected with the dizziness that she had been having issues with.
She glanced at her watch as she wiped her mouth, trying to remember what John had said about his timeline. The earliest he could get there was likely an hour from now.
She decided to find one of the bedrooms, laying her head on the softest pillow she had ever felt in her life. She looked a mess, and the effort she had put into her appearance was wasted.
This was not the way things were supposed to go.
Sarah hadn’t meant to fall asleep, and certainly not for long. However, she had slept fitfully the night before, and the conflict had drained her. Before she knew it, she was awoken by what she thought was a dream.
John’s soft hands brushed her cheek, speaking gently.
“My lady,” he murmured and she opened her eyes. He was sitting on the bed beside her, still fully dressed in regal attire. His crown was on his head, and he looked tired, although he was smiling. “I’m sorry I’m late. There were some issues. But I came as soon as I heard that there was a conflict out here. I’m so...”
“It’s fine,” Sarah sat up, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “It’s fine. Except your idiot guard unit killed them before anyone could ask questions. They weren’t even a real threat.”
“They should not have been on our lands,” John explained. “It’s our policy...”
“Well, unless you can read the minds of the dead, it wasn’t the smartest move,” Sarah glanced at the clock. “Oh my goodness, it’s been two hours. I must look like a mess.”
“You look fine,” he assured her, sitting back.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up properly. Neither of them said anything for a long moment. She had gone to sleep frustrated and feeling terrible, but having him this close to her was euphoric. After staring into each other’s eyes for a ridiculously long period of time, she shook her head.
“Oh, Creator,” she said. “What the heck are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” he said and took one of her hands. She didn’t pull back, squeezing gently.
“I think we both know what this is,” she said softly. “It matches every textbook I’ve ever read on the subject.”
“Yes,” he agreed, although neither of them dared to say it.
“But... there are so many issues,” she said. “We don’t agree on anything. We are a terrible match. I’d probably murder you in your sleep by night one.”
“Probably,” he said, drawing closer to her. “But whatever choice do we have?”
“This is not the life I wanted for myself,” she managed, as he leaned in to kiss her.
Whatever the words coming out of her mouth were saying, they did not match her body’s reaction. She felt electricity run down her spine as he kissed her. His hand went to the back of her head, tangling up in her hair as he kissed her harder. When he finally drew back, both of them were panting.
“What did you want?” he asked, their foreheads together.
“I wanted... I wanted a career,” she said.
“I can give you anything you want,” he promised her. “We can work together.”
“What kind of queen did you want?” she asked and he chuckled softly.
“A submissive one,” he replied. “And one that I loved.”
“I can give you half of that,” she said carefully. “And it’s not the first half.”
“I know,” he dropped his voice, and then kissed her again. “But the universe has decided for us, so I don’t think what we want matters.”
“Not at all?” she asked, her voice low. “What do you want right now?”
“I want...” he took a deep breath. “I want to be one with you.”
“I think that can be arranged,” she whispered, as they kissed again. This time, he pushed her body down, against the pillows. She relaxed under him, and his hand found her smooth legs, running his fingers up and down her long limbs.
“You have...” he stopped, although he didn’t want to. “You have done this before, haven’t you?”
“What in the world do you take me for?” she asked him playfully. “Of course I have. Have you?”
“Oh yes,” he said as his fingers found their place on her inner thighs. “But I have a feeling it was not as good as how it will be between us.”
They kissed for another long moment, and Sarah felt like she would never be at ease again apart from him. As their bodies continued to grind against each other, she grasped at his arms, desperate with need. She knew that there was no walking away from this now. They needed to become one, and this foreplay was too tantalizing to survive.
He felt like he couldn’t look away from her. Every moment they were together, he needed to be touching her, connected to her. From the gaze in her eyes, he could tell that she felt the same way. It was as if their dragon magic was bound together, and there was nothing they could do to break it apart.
John had heard of such things, but he never believed it until he felt it, deep in his heart. He loved her, and he wasn’t going to ever love anyone else. This was his soulmate.
Pulling down her underwear, John’s fingers found her wet and willing under her dress. Sarah forced his gaze onto her, and he watched as the pleasure flooded her eyes. He touched her wet folds and then slipped one finger inside, and then another.
“Oh, Creator,” Sarah moaned, arching her hips. “Oh, Creator. Yes, just like that. Thrust slowly.” Their eyes locked and he leaned down to kiss her. This was perfection.
“Yes, my lady,” he said as he stroked her inside. She was growing wetter with every touch, and he wanted her dripping before he entered her. He wanted to feel her wetn
ess on all sides of his quickly hardening cock.
He groaned as she arched her hips, imagining what it would feel like inside her. Sarah broke her gaze to roll her eyes back, moaning as her pleasure increased. It was always her gaze that did it for him. He couldn’t believe that there was someone in the universe who could make him feel this way just by looking at him, but Sarah had power over him that no other woman ever had. It was as if she was meant to be with him, and they would wither if they parted. This was love; this was lust; this was the connection that bards sang about. He knew that he could never be with anyone else, now that he had known her touch, known her very soul.
“Oh, Creator,” she said, squirming. “You are going to make me come.”
“Come for me,” he said. “There is no one around. Let yourself go, come hard. I want to be able to hear you.”
With his free hand, he undid his pants, springing his large erection free. Sarah looked at it and reached her hand up to encircle it. He moaned at the touch of her fingers, and she began to match his rhythm, stroking as he thrust his fingers inside of her.
“Yes, just like that, just a little more,” she screamed, as her walls clenched. “Just a little more. Just—oh, Creator!”
He felt her walls spasm against his fingers, and her hand dropped from his cock as she came, soaking his hand. It was the most sensual thing he had ever seen, and the knowledge that he had caused it made his cock tremble with need.
“May I...” he swallowed. He had never asked for permission before in such a case, but this lady reduced him to a quivering mess of need. “Can I be inside you?”
“Mmm,” she didn’t exactly answer, but she spread her legs, which was answer enough for him. He dropped his hand from her folds and immediately entered her, positioning himself so he could thrust into her easily.
“Oh, Creator,” he moaned as he entered her. “I’m not going to last long. You feel so good. You feel...”
“Like we were made for each other,” she said huskily as he thrust.
“Yes,” he managed, and then exploded inside of her. It was such an intense orgasm that he saw spots, his face hitting the pillow beside her as he shuddered with the aftershocks. “We were made for each other.”
“Unfortunately,” she teased him, as she caressed his cheek softly and gazed into her eyes.
“Unfortunately,” he breathed, squeezing her hand gently.
Chapter 9
“Hey,” she said to him, several hours later. He was sitting in bed, and despite his promises, he was looking at his phone. “You were supposed to not be working.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, putting it down as she snuggled beside him. “I didn’t expect there to be a werewolf attack, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be on you. Someone either found out you were here or just saw a noble and attacked.”
“You would know that if the policy wasn’t just to have them killed,” Sarah answered, matter-of-factly. “And there was no way they could have been a match for a transformed dragon.”
“It’s lucky that you saw them and transformed,” he said, turning to her. “Otherwise...”
“Well, you can speculate until the end of time, or you can just not kill them next time,” Sarah said.
“Hmm,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “Well, at least we’re not killing each other right now.”
“No,” she said. “But let’s be realistic about the situation. If we are really mates, we can’t be apart. If we are mates, we need to be together, even if we argue for the rest of our lives. That's the facts side. What about logistics? What do you have to do to be with me?”
“Well, ask your father’s permission, I imagine,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “But I meant on your side. You can’t just choose your own marriage, at least not without a fight.”
“Well, that’s why I wanted you here,” he explained. “The ball mid-week is to meet a potential match, a duchess that my parents think would be perfect. However, with you there, I will prove to them that you are my mate.”
“And what does that mean to you?” she asked. “Because I’m not going to be a submissive queen. You’re not ruling alone.”
“I know,” he said. “I don’t think I could keep you quiet if I tried.”
“I’m going to finish my degree,” she continued. “Whether I do it from a distance or from the campus doesn’t matter to me. And I’m going to use what I have learned when I rule beside you.”
“What did you want for your life?” he asked softly. “Because I never had a choice for what I wanted for my life.”
“I wanted to study and use my areas of expertise to work,” she said. “I’m a third daughter; it doesn’t matter to my parents whether I work or be a housewife. So I decided to work, and they were fine with that, as long as I eventually made a good match. If working means doing good for the kingdom, so be it.”
“It’s so easy for you, isn’t it?” he observed. “Black and white.”
“Always has been,” she said. “There’s no point in dwelling on a situation when you don’t have all the information.”
“Mmm,” he nodded, and heard his phone buzz. He resisted the urge to pick it up again but she poked at him.
“Go ahead,” she urged, and he furrowed his brow, confused.
“Why?” he asked. “You just said...”
“That was before we figured everything out,” she said. “Now we have, so go ahead.”
“Oh,” he said. “We’ve known each other just a week or so and we’ve figured everything out?”
“Well, yes,” she said with a shrug. He didn’t know whether to kiss her or laugh. At least he didn’t have to wonder where he stood with Sarah.
“Alright, then,” he concurred and reached for his phone.
He did eventually have to go on the morning of the third day. She already knew that he had stayed away as long as he could. Even though he was working, he needed to physically be in the palace for a few things.
“I’m going to post some guards outside your door,” he told her. “To escort you to the palace for tonight.”
“Why?” she asked. “If another pack of wolves show up, I’ll just fly.”
“Sarah,” he said in a solemn tone, “please just make me feel better and accept them.”
“Fine,” she replied. “What’s the plan? Just march in and tell your parents that you aren’t marrying this duchess? Would you like me to do it or will you?”
“Can we just give them a chance to know you first?” he asked. “Otherwise, it will be the most talked about ball for the next 20 years.”
“What’s wrong with that?” she inquired and he kissed the top of her head.
“I’ll see you soon,” he promised her. “And I’ll die every moment that we aren’t together.”
“That’s what happens when you are mates,” she said, without a hint of emotion. It made him laugh and he hugged her before he finally left.
Once he was gone, Sarah dropped her head to her knees. This was all happening so fast, and while she knew it was what she had to do, it was a lot to take in.
She felt remarkably better, considering they had been sleeping odd hours and eating bits and pieces of whatever the kitchen was stocked with. She was worried that she would feel worse than when she’d first gotten there, but she felt full of energy as she took a hot shower and then began to prepare for the ball.
She had chosen her fanciest dress for it, a swirling blue and purple gown that fit well, and yet was comfortable. She was prepared for the fact that she was just a minor noble, and everyone was likely going to be dressed better than she was. If there was a duchess there, she likely had more money in her wardrobe than Sarah’s family's entire annual budget. However, Sarah was confident in her personality and her mind. She had been to balls before, usually as the host with her parents, so she wasn’t intimidated.
At least, she wasn’t intimidated until she walked into the ballroom, her name announced through a footman.
No-one turned her way. Normally, when she entered a room, everyone dipped low. After her parents and sisters, she was the highest ranking in their northern estate balls. However, that clearly wasn’t the case here.
“Hello.” She was so grateful when someone said hello to her nearly 10 minutes later that she almost dropped her drink.
“Hello,” she said, turning around, and then automatically dropped low. It was Joshua, the second youngest prince. From what she had heard, Joshua was also the most volatile and unpredictable of the brothers. “My prince.”
“I wanted to come and see you,” he said, “as I heard you were the subject of an unfortunate attack in the past two days.”
“Yes,” she said. “Except it was hardly an attack. If that’s what the wolves call an attack...”
“They were a scouting party,” he informed her. “If that area of the property was empty, they no doubt would have advanced an army on us.”
“How do you know that?” she asked and he furrowed his brow.
“I will be the captain of the...”
“I mean, how do you know that, given that they were killed?” she asked.
“Well, we researched backwards, basically, and...”
“Could have found that out in the beginning,” she finished, and Joshua raised an eyebrow.
“I am happy to have saved your life, my lady,” he said, very carefully. “And sent a guard unit when our alarms went off. However...”
“No, I understand,” Sarah said. “I’m grateful to be alive. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he responded at last. He clearly wasn’t used to being talked back to. Given how John had reacted, though, she was familiar with this by now.
“Are you the only prince here?” she asked, looking around. “Your brothers have not arrived yet?”
“No,” he said. “They have not yet. But they will soon.”
“Prince John is in that encourage?” she asked. Joshua looked confused.
