“I have you, love.” I tipped her back into the nest and stroked into her in earnest, her channel squeezing me.
“Don’t stop.”
The bond intensified between us, but I wouldn’t make her seal it yet. My strokes grew jagged and rougher. “I won’t. Not even when you come so pretty all over me.”
“More,” Evie cried, her body shaking as I palmed her ass, her breast. She grabbed my forearm like a life raft, arching up into my powerful strokes, so we both buzzed with the start of an orgasm so deep it would shoot us across the sky.
Evie broke apart first and her pleasure walloped the bond so hard I was helpless but to follow in her wake, pumping all I had into her channel. Light and magic crackled through the bond, my body, my soul. Our shared release cemented the last ties between us, the bond unshakable even if it was missing the mark. We fell back into the nest, regaining our breath, before Evie crawled on top of me.
“Again,” she said.
I happily obliged until night settled in the sky. I made good on every position, every touch, every way I could think of to show my mate I loved her.
When I was casually stuffing my release back into her with my three fingers, she finally batted me away.
“Cease fire,” Evie panted, her forearm coming over her eyes.
My bear was ready to claim her again, but I would allow us a break for more food and water so we could keep going. I was hungry, so her dragon must be downright insatiable. We ate the few things I found. I shifted to scout for danger outside the den.
Wait here while I?—
But Evie was already growing, pushing me out of the den before breaking it apart in a shower of rock, dirt and roots that rained down around us. Plopped on her ass, a small tree balanced on her head, she blinked into the evening. I had to step back as she shook off the dirt covering her. Somewhat clean, Evie stole my breath. Her diamond-shaped head didn’t look that different from her snake’s, but it came with an assortment of horns and a mane under her hood that covered the back of her head. Her ice-blue eyes remained large in her face, that now sported fangs longer than my human form. Those stubby snake legs lengthened into delicate limbs tipped with death machine claws. Most beautiful of all, her various-sized scales ranged from obsidian to smokey on her belly, golden light faintly glowing through the overlap of them. Her tail twitched like a cat’s as her eyes narrowed on me.
I’m more hideous, aren’t I?she asked.
I sent all my love and admiration through the solid bond, and I saw her smile when it hit her.You could never be hideous and no one else would call you that now, either.
I am hungry, though.Evie twisted around, looking into the unfamiliar forest. Light dripped from her jaws.Let’s hunt.
I raced to keep up with her, and her footsteps shook the entire wood. No animal would miss she was coming for them, but the white-hot beam of light she produced from her throat felled a forest ox, anyway. Her power was awe-inspiring, and she wielded it completely unconsciously. My bear delighted as she let him have the liver and the heart before she ate the rest whole. His dreamy thoughts about his giant mate, now dripping blood from her jaws, made me smile. This was better than I ever imagined. I was pretty much incapable of hurting her physically. At least with my mate, I could finally lay down those fears. There was no way we would fail getting the last relic with a dragon at our side.
Full?I asked her.
Not really, but we should find the others. If they’re willing to be a part of our brood still.
She didn’t understand that shifters would flock to her power now with both noble and murderous intent. I shifted so I could send up a magical flare for our little army and we returned to the road to wait for them to catch up. I polished Evie’s scales with a conjured rag until we saw a dust cloud in the distance. Our brood picked up speed as they approached. They all halted when they saw Evie in her dragon form. I blocked her from everyone’s view the best I could as she shifted, her kaftan floating around her. I would go completely feral if anyone said anything negative to her.
“Hey guys!” she chirped, stepping around me.
Declan barreled into her, knocking her to the ground, licking her face.
I snarled as I pulled him off with one hand. I didn’t care if Evie could take a hit to the ground. No one would touch her like that. “Keep it civil with my dragon.”
Noora clapped her hands, leaning on her mate. “Everyone is going to lose their shit with a dragon in the Harrowlands again.”
Evie blushed as she stood up. I offered her the rag I had been polishing her with so she could wipe the slobber off her face. She looked at me like I was her hero and it distracted me until she gasped. Evie ran forward and knelt next to a bruised and bloody Noth. His chained hands drooped before him.
“Don’t go near him,” Declan said.
I wanted to edge her away as well. The Noth I knew would never hurt my mate. That didn’t mean the relic, combined with whatever the wires were on his head, hadn’t altered him forever. I went to her side and subtly inserted myself between them. Or not so subtly, if Noora’s snicker was any indication.
“What happened to him? I didn’t think I hit him that hard,” Evie said.
“He got testy when we told him we were taking him to his execution,” Noora said.
“Absolutely not!” Evie and I said at the same time. There was no way we were executing my friend for being under the influence of the relic.
“I wasn’t in control.” Noth’s voice cracked in a way I didn’t like. He was an extremely powerful shifter that also happened to be King, much to the elves’ dismay. His dirty hair sat tangled on his head and venom still covered his side. Usually polished like midnight, I had never seen him in this state.
