A Mate to Protect (Dragons of Mount Aterna Book 3)

by Riley Storm

  Her shirt splashed across the windshield and her bra hung loosely from the side mirror as he buried his face in her chest, growling with desire, making Anne feel hot and wanted. Kal didn’t care about her little imperfections, he thought she was sexy just the way she was. That made her all the more aroused.

  When he pulled her from the hood and all but shredded her pants in his attempt to lower them she didn’t fight it, loving the feeling of overpowered desire that he was exerting over her. The control that he was taking of her body, of her pleasure. It was his to command.

  He wasn’t hurtful, and he took his time, warming her up with his fingers, until she was practically dripping on him, bent over, her ass sticking out at him, face down on the hood. She was exposed and vulnerable, yet she knew he would protect her.

  Plus, there was the slight thrill of being out on the public road, in full view of anyone who might come by. That just turned up the heat between her legs, allowing Kal to slide in with ease.

  She gasped and cried out. There was no need to hold back up in the middle of nowhere. Without a soul around, Anne simply concentrated on what he was doing to her, and how it felt. She cried out with every thrust, bit her lip when he pulled—gently—on her hair, and smirked with pleasure when he turned her ass pink from the palm of his hand.

  She was his, he did as he pleased to her, and Anne took it. She loved it. It was the most raw, primal experience of her life. Someone else was in complete control of her. Not in a violent, hurtful way. Anne was voluntarily giving him permission. She let him, and he did it only so that he could increase her pleasure.

  And it worked.

  Her body was wracked with what felt like orgasm after orgasm, or was perhaps one long enduring climax. It was such a blur, all blended together so that she couldn’t separate one from another. Kal was growling and saying her name over and over again and she cried out, begging for more, wanting it all.

  They were bonding in a way she’d never experienced. Never known was possible to experience.

  “Anne.”

  He said her name differently this time, and she knew. Knew that he was close. Her knees were giving out, her body pleasured and pleased and done. It was time and she told him so.

  She slid to her knees as he cried out, making sure there was no mess to clean up. Her eyes watched Kal the entire time, drinking in his face, proud to know she was responsible for that look of sheer ecstasy as he exploded for her.

  When he was done Kal leaned forward over her, resting his forehead on the truck, his chest shuddering as he tried to regain his breath. She lay back, eyes half-closed, totally drained.

  “So,” Kal asked quietly.

  “Yes?”

  “Where do you like your pizza from?”

  Anne giggled with laughter. It was such an innocuous question, and his delivery had been perfect. They were still naked, he was hunched over her, his cock barely inches from her face still, and here he was asking her about pizza.

  It was all too much and she began to laugh harder. Kal joined her.

  Laughter felt good. It brought with it a wave of relief. Everything was over now. She was safe. Things with Kal were…maybe not back to the way they were, but on their way there.

  All they had to do was get some pizza, and go see Liam.

  It was going to be easy.

  Wasn’t it?

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Anne

  “Mom!”

  She was out of the truck in a flash as Liam came rushing out the front door. Sweeping him up into a hug, she squeezed her only child tight.

  “You’re okay?” he asked, hugging her right back. There were times when he was still her little guy, despite how big he was getting. Now was one of them, and she patted his back.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said. “Kal made sure of it. Not a problem. Everything is fine now.”

  Liam kept hugging her, so she didn’t put him down. Behind her she knew that Kal was still in the truck. This wasn’t his reunion, he didn’t feel comfortable yet. Not until Liam was ready to accept him.

  “Does this mean we’re going to move again?” Liam asked as he wiggled out of her grasp and back to his feet.

  Anne squatted down so she could look him in the face. “Not unless you want to,” she said.

  Her son’s face lit up. “Really mom? Are you serious? We’re going to stay?”

  “I think so. Do you like living above the bar that much?” she asked, surprised at his enthusiasm.

  “Well, no,” he said. “But I just don’t want to move. Again.” He looked down, his excitement fading rapidly. Child mood swings were like a rollercoaster sometimes.

  “We’re going to stay then,” she said. “Maybe in a bit we’ll be able to find a place to live that isn’t at the bar. After it’s repaired.”

  “I’ll help!” Liam offered, perking up again. “I can fix things. I’m sure of it. Um. You just have to show me how.”

  She wrapped him up in another tight hug. “Of course darling. Of course. You can definitely help.”

  “Good.”

  Liam only said the one word, but she could feel that he had more he wanted to ask, that he was holding back.

  “What is it buddy?” she asked, stroking his hair. “What’s going on?”

  She watched him work up his courage, the effort clearly visible on his face.

  “Is dad…dead?” he asked quietly.

  She knew that Liam understood that Alexi wasn’t a good father. They had never been close, but her son still longed for a male figure in his life. It was obvious. Though they had a great relationship, it still pained her a little that he didn’t have that.

  “No,” she said quickly. “No he’s not dead. I promise you that. But, he’s also not going to be coming around anymore. Ever.”

  Liam took that in. “Dad’s not a nice guy, is he?”

  Anne sighed. “No,” she said softly. “No he’s not.”

  Liam nodded with all the seriousness that a ten-year-old could possess.

  “Did Kal beat him up?”

  Anne nearly lost her composure. The switch on this kid, from one mood to another in a nanosecond!

  “Um, I don’t think we need to talk about that,” she said, trying to deflect the question.

  It didn’t matter, Liam could read her easily.

  “He did! I knew it. He’s a superhero. He totally did. He probably went bam, bang, bang, pow!” Liam said, punching and kicking the air as best he could.

  “Anne.”

  She turned to look over her shoulder to see Liam holding out the pizza box.

  “Thank you,” she said, grateful for the distraction. She took it from him and turned to Liam. “Look what I got buddy,” she said.

  “Pizza!” Liam shouted, jumping for the box as she held it just out of his reach. “Hey! Give me that! Come on!”

  She relented and gave him the box. He started to rush inside, then paused. Anne watched, curious as to what was going on now. He came back, handing her the pizza box. Before she could ask a question he moved past her.

  “You saved my mom,” he said quietly to Kal.

  “It was the right thing to do, Liam,” Kal replied with all seriousness.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome Liam. Your mom is a good person.”

  “Yeah, she’s okay,” Liam said evenly.

  Anne bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud.

  “Do you like my mom?”

  She coughed, stunned by the forwardness of her son. It was too late to stop him now though, the question was already out there. Curious as to how Kal would handle this, and handle her son, she stayed back, letting the two of them interact.

  “Yes,” Kal said. “I can’t lie to you. I know you’d see right through me.”

  “Superheroes don’t lie,” Liam said. “So I’d know if you tried.”

  Kal nodded. “Exactly.”

  “My mom likes you,” Liam said. “She might not tell you, but it’s ob
vious.”

  Kal didn’t flinch. “I see.”

  “Yeah.” Liam was rocking back and forth on his feet now.

  “What do you think about that?” Kal asked. “Your mom liking me, and me liking her? How does that make you feel?”

  Liam stopped rocking. “I dunno. She’s never liked a superhero before. But I don’t want to move again. That always happens when she likes someone. It’s why I’m never going to like girls!”

  For the first time Kal had to work to keep a straight face at Liam’s pronouncement.

  “You like whoever you want to like,” Kal said. “Girls, guys, or nobody at all. That’s your choice.”

  “I know,” Liam said. “I am ten. I know these things. I have the internet, but mom likes to pretend I don’t. Don’t tell her, okay?”

  Kal nodded. “I won’t.”

  Liam seemed to accept this. “You can come have a piece of pizza,” he said as if that was like being elected president or something. “But you can’t kiss my mom. Not unless I say so, okay?”

  Kal bowed his head. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” Liam said, and that was that.

  He turned back to her, taking the pizza box and her hand. “Come on mom. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

  She shook her head, looking back over her shoulder at Kal, who just shrugged and turned the truck off.

  Kids, she thought with a laugh, though her mind was still on the interaction between the two of them. Kal had handled that very well. Very well indeed.

  Anne had a lot to think about. A lot.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Kal

  Kal did as Liam had ordered, though he did choose to sit next to her. Their legs were touching underneath the bar, but Liam didn’t seem to care about that. He was busy chowing down on pizza and telling them about the movie he’d been watching while they were gone.

  “I won’t stay much longer,” he said quietly when Liam got distracted.

  “You don’t have to go,” she said, rubbing his leg under the bar. “You can stay.”

  Kal smiled at her. “You and Liam need some time. He’s being polite, but he’s still not quite comfortable with me.”

  Anne frowned. He could see that she knew Kal was right, but she didn’t want to admit it.

  “These things just take time,” he said. “It’s okay. I’ll come by tomorrow, help get to work on fixing this up. Again,” he said with a laugh.

  By tomorrow things would be settled with Viko, and Anne would be safe. She wouldn’t have to worry about anything happening to her or the bar ever again. Not because of her ex, and not because of him. Kal was going to take care of it all, he was going to fix everything.

  He didn’t want to leave her. Not now, not after what they had just shared, but Kal knew he couldn’t wait any longer. Viko was dangerous, and he couldn’t let the man continue with whatever it was he was plotting. It had to end. Now.

  “You’re up to something, aren’t you,” Anne said, watching him intently.

  Kal looked at her, admiring her beauty, wishing he could make her see it too. She was just gorgeous and he could stare at her for hours.

  “I have to finish things on my end,” he said quietly, not wanting to alarm Liam if he overheard.

  “Did you find out what’s going on?” she asked, her eyes darting around the bar in alarm.

  “Whatever is going on will be exposed tonight,” he said. “Nobody else will be coming here. I’ve dealt with that.”

  Anne frowned as he said that. She could read him so well.

  “Kal…”

  “We have different rules,” he said tightly. “We’re not of your world. Your laws can’t govern us.”

  Anne bit her lip, covering her mouth with one hand. He hadn’t outright said he’d killed them, but he knew she understood what he meant.

  “It was the only way,” he said. “If there was a different one, then I would have taken it. Like I did with your ex.”

  That seemed to get through to her. In sparing Alexi, Kal had demonstrated he wasn’t a mindless killer. That he could, in fact, show restraint. That was likely his only saving grace with her. That, and Anne was smart enough to know that it made sense his society was different from humans. After all, they weren’t human. Not entirely at least.

  “We’re going to have a long talk,” she told him. “A very long one. You’re going to tell me everything. No more holding back. No more secrets, bluffing, omitting the truth. You give me everything, so that I can make a decision about…this. Whatever it is.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t hesitate. There was no other option for Kal, no other choice that he could have made, even if he’d wanted to.

  “You come back,” she said softly after. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but you come back to me, okay?”

  “Anne,” he started, then stopped, trying to find the words that he wanted to say to convey everything.

  She waited patiently, her eyes on him as he struggled. The words, he knew, were right in front of him. He just had to say them, to put them out there. Yet for all his mighty strength, Kal was having a hard time doing it. He was nervous, nervous of Anne and how she would react.

  Just do it. Right now. If you wait, you lose your chance.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Liam wander off to the washroom. There wasn’t going to be a better time.

  “Anne, I love you,” he said, speaking into the silence that filled the room.

  Then he waited.

  She didn’t react with shock, which meant she must have known the words were coming, that he was working up his courage to say it, to tell her. Yet she didn’t respond.

  Kal waited some more.

  And he continued waiting.

  The sound of the toilet flushing reached them.

  “It’s okay,” he said, “you don’t have to say anything. I probably sprung that on you, I said too much, I’m sorry. I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

  “Kal.”

  Kal shut his mouth so fast his teeth clicked together painfully.

  “It’s not that I don’t like you,” she said quietly. “It’s not that at all actually. I do, okay. But…” her eyes strayed toward the back hallway where Liam had disappeared.

  “I understand,” he said, getting her meaning.

  “I can’t choose between the two of you,” she said quietly. “It’s not a contest, no matter how I feel about you. I’m sorry. So…unless Liam comes around on you, I can’t force it on him. I won’t, not this time. I have to hold back.”

  Kal smiled. “I can respect that. I can,” he told her. “It’s the way I would be.”

  She smiled, sagging slightly in relief he was sure.

  “I’m glad you’re putting your child first,” he added. “I would do the same if we had a kid.”

  Anne’s eyebrows went up.

  “I mean, like, if I had one. You know, and then you were coming around. Like it is with you and Liam, but if it were me and my….” Kal hung his head. “I’m going to go take care of my business now,” he said, thankful for the excuse to leave.

  “Be careful Kal.”

  “I will,” he said, wrapping her up in a hug just as Liam came back out to the main room.

  Kal carefully refrained from kissing Anne, much though he longed to. He’d made Liam a promise, and he intended to keep it.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he said, squeezing her hand. “You guys get some sleep. It’s super late.”

  “Where are you going?” Liam asked as Kal pulled away.

  Kal looked at the child. “I’m going to let you and your mom hang out,” he said. “Plus I have some boring superhero stuff to take care of. Paperwork,” he said, sticking out his tongue as if he’d bitten into something rotten.

  Liam shook his head. “I understand. Are you coming back?”

  “Tomorrow morning,” he said. “We’ve got some work to do around here. I heard you wanted to help.”

  “I do!” Liam said, standing up tall. “I can help
a lot.”

  “I believe you,” Kal said. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

  Liam nodded, then covered a yawn. “Yeah,” he said through it.

  Kal smiled. “Get some sleep. We’re going to work hard tomorrow.”

  Liam gave him a thumbs up. He was still yawning when Kal left.

  Alright Viko. Your time’s up. This ends now.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Anne

  It still amazed her, looking around the bar, how little damage the fire had actually caused. Maybe it could be repaired after all.

  Are you thinking of sticking around?

  Anne rolled her eyes. She very much had no idea what she was going to do. Everything seemed to indicate that she should pack things up and move on. Five Peaks wasn’t where her and Liam belonged, the universe seemed to be making that very clear to her.

  Tired, frustrated and more than a little confused she got up from the barstool and wandered behind the counter, rummaging through the glasses and washing off a relatively clean one. Most of the bottles seemed to have survived, but there was no wine. Not enough demand for her to spend the money on it.

  “This looks like it’ll do the trick,” she said, stifling a yawn. It was something like four in the morning now, but she’d just put Liam to bed after Kal had left, and truthfully, she had no idea if she was going to sleep or not.

  The copper liquid splashed into her cup and she took a little sip. The flavor burned the back of her mouth and throat as it went down, slowly turning into a pleasant warm sensation.

  “That’ll do.” She took another sip.

  On the bright side, Alexi was no longer going to be a problem in her life. Kal had scared him beyond straight it seemed, and hopefully the saga of her ex-husband was done and over with. Now she could sleep at night, even if they did have to move.

  Any moves from now on will be my fault. No one else to blame it on.

  Maybe it was time not to move, she mused. What if she stayed. Stayed and fought for what she wanted.

  Do you know what you want?

  The answer to that was obvious. Yes, of course she did. What she wanted was about six-five with a scruffy beard, broad shoulders, caring eyes and a brilliant smile that lit up her world.