“Get out!” Rian snarled at him.
“Whoa now.” I held up my hands.
“It's all right,” Raef hurried to say. “We gotta get home anyway. Come on, Arena.”
Rian bared his teeth as my employees bustled by him, pulling on their cloaks as they went.
“Congratulations, Galin,” Arena called. “See you tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Yes, see you tomorrow,” I said, but I didn't look away from Rian.
Even Vashana had gone still, staring at the Dragon King as if waiting for him to make a move and give her a reason to attack. I couldn't have that. The memory of Rian telling me to run should he ever get rough with me came to mind. He told me to sic Vash on him. But in such a state, he could hurt her. Yes, I was worried for my guard dog. It's silly since her main responsibility was to protect me. But that's not why I wanted her. To me, she was my companion. My friend. I loved her too much to put her in danger.
“Upstairs, Vashana.” I pointed toward the workroom.
Vash whined.
“Now!”
The dog raced away, and I breathed a sigh of relief to see her safe. It was just in time too. As the sound of her nails on the stairs echoed out to us, Rian pounced.
The Dragon King flung off his cloak as he came forward. I didn't try to run even though I knew I should have. I'd put him off too long. Rian was no longer in control. It was his dragon that stared out at me through Rian's eyes. And the beast was not to be denied.
So I helped him remove my clothes, and that seemed to calm him a little. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
“Eight days,” Rian growled as he shoved down my pants. “Eight fucking days since I've seen you.”
“I know. I'm sorry.” I removed my undershorts and pants, then helped him with his clothes.
But that was taking too long.
With a snarl, Rian backed me against the checkout counter, then spun me around, and shoved me forward. I caught myself on my forearms, breath coming in sharp pants as a feeling of submission came over me. My body knew exactly how to react to an alpha like this. But my heart cried out that this was going backward. That we didn't want to submit, not like this. At the same time, I knew it was what Rian's dragon needed. I felt myself sink into the old me, my shoulders hunching inward and my self-worth diminishing. He was more important. The master to my slave. What I needed didn't rate.
I bared my neck to the Dragon King and exhaled all rebellion.
Rian grunted as if he could sense the fight draining from me. His hands swept over my ass possessively, then I heard him spit. Wetness hit my entrance. I shuddered. This was who I was. A possession. Someone who could only exist by belonging to another. I couldn't imagine how I'd gone so long thinking I could be anything else. I was made to obey.
Rian spat again, then rubbed it into me. He didn't speak, was beyond that now. He couldn't even get out of his clothing. I didn't look back, but I knew he simply freed his cock and shoved it into me. With a gasp, I braced myself. Pleasure ran upmy spine as Rian slid deeper and deeper with every thrust. His grunting felt like another form of claiming. I laid my cheek on the wood and closed my eyes.
After a few minutes of slamming into me, shaking the reckoiner so that it jingled, Rian slowed down, then paused. I opened my eyes to look back at him. Hips thrust forward so that he was wedged inside me, Rian removed his shirt. He hadn't been wearing much beneath his cloak, just that shirt and a pair of trousers. He didn't even have undershorts on. That alone spoke volumes to me of his loss of control. He met my stare and bared his teeth, so I set my cheek back down and closed my eyes.
“You will never keep yourself from me again,” Rian declared and pumped into me.
“As you wish,” I murmured.
“Good boy.” He gripped my ass and kneaded it as he drove in and out of me. “Who does this channel belong to?”
A cold shiver ran through me. “You,” I said, my voice hollow.
But with that admission came a type of peace. This was so much easier than fighting. Belonging to someone was a relief. I didn't have to make any decisions. Nothing was my fault. I had no responsibilities. I could just let Rian take care of me. I sighed and let the pleasure wash over me. This wasn't so bad.
“That's right.” Rian grabbed the edge of the counter, his hands to either side of mine, and used it as leverage to pull himself even deeper.
I cried out, filled more than I'd ever been before. Taken so deeply that I couldn't tell which was him and which was me.It was bliss. But also another part of Rian's claiming. The deeper he could get, the more of my resistance he could rub away. He knew it. He sensed my submission. What I'd asked of him before, what he'd sworn he could give me, wasn't enough now. The beast inside Rian wanted it all.
So I accepted what I was and what my life would be. I accepted the Dragon King as deep as he could go. A tinkling came, and I looked down. The Inner Eye hung over the edge of the counter, hitting the wood with every slam of Rian's hips. I stared at it, the jewels glinting in the dark, and saw with sudden clarity that this was what I was to Rian. He'd said it often enough—his jewel. Something to purchase and own. An adornment. It wasn't surprising. It was all I'd ever been to anyone. Except maybe Rontor. But I'd been a fool to think I could find someone better than Rontor. He was a man like no other.
The Dragon King didn't stroke my cock or even wait for me to find my release before he took his. Why would he? I shuddered when he came inside me, not even giving me the courtesy of withdrawing. My fate felt predetermined, something I had tried to outrun and only dove headfirst into.
