“Ly,” Aras murmured as he bent his head, taking his kiss to my throat. He scraped my skin with his fangs and slid his hands over my hips to cup my ass. “Let me in.”
I knew Aras meant for me to do so more than just physically, but I turned and rubbed my ass over him. Aras didn't protest, not with my ass cheeks split around his slick shaft,and not when I reached behind myself to angle him against my entrance. Bracing myself against the wall, I shoved back onto Aras, impaling myself completely with one go.
“Oh, fuck!” Aras cried.
I shoved back again, grunting. Both hands against the wall, half bent over, I fucked my mate grimly, focusing on desire alone. But then Aras slammed forward and folded around me to set his hands over mine on the wall. He changed the pace, slowing into a deep thrusting, and licked my neck. His wet fur clung to me with every withdrawal.
“I need you for more than pain, Ly.” he growled.
And yet, it seemed that was all I could give him.
“I want this too,” he went on. “I want slow and gentle. I want you to kiss me with tenderness, even if you don't feel it. Will you give me that?”
I shuddered, a tear slipping free. But it was all right. My face was down and against the wall, and the water also helped to hide my tears.
“Yes,” I said. “I will give you that until I can give you more.”
Aras paused. “Then we will be fine, Your Majesty.”
My breath caught. Aras was so incredible that he was willing to endure this lunacy even when I refused to tell him what prompted it. I loved him even more then.
Reaching back, I kneaded his ass as it clenched with every thrust. His flesh filled me perfectly, going deeper than any lover before. I lit up with ecstasy and lifted my head with a cry of relief.The pain was abating. Hope was returning. All those emotions spun, whirling, some shooting out while others drew in to bond with the gathering pleasure.
I turned my head to look at Aras. He was glorious, his face set into determined lines as he fucked me. That icy stare lifted, the dark ring around his irises making them glow. He licked his lips and deliberately lowered his gaze to where we were joined.
“I'm going to come all over your ass,” Aras said. He lifted his stare to add, “And then I'm going to suck your cock until you're hard again. When you're wild with need, I'm going to lay you on your back, drape your legs over my shoulders, and fuck you again, watching you pump your cock until you come all over yourself.”
“Yes, you are,” I snarled. “Get to it, Captain.”
Aras shouted wordlessly, pulled out, and came across my ass. The feel of his hot seed hitting my flesh sent me over, and my body jerked forward as I came too, adding my cry to my mate's. I fell against the tiles and Aras fell against me, the water still falling around us. A lot of falling going on. Especially inside me.
Then Aras drew me back, out of the spray, and helped me lie down on the shower floor. Kneeling between my legs, he held my stare as he proceeded to fulfill his promises.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I started training the Dragons the very next day. First, we went through combat training in their main forms, then we moved on to dragon forms. Normally, females weren't permitted to fight even though they tended to be more competent at the art of war than males. It was a procreation thing. We didn't want to risk losing a Dragon who could give birth. But this was a special circumstance, and the women wanted to fight. I was hoping the appearance of females on the battlefield would act in our favor in multiple ways. We'd have their ferocity to bolster our ranks and the other army would be hesitant to hurt them. So, I allowed them to train.
After a few weeks of this, the Dragons were competent, and I added training sessions with the Castle Guard. The Guard already had combat training, so all they needed were some pointers on how to take down Dragons—things no other Dragon would have told them. I wouldn't have shared our weaknesses either if the situation hadn't been so dire. It was a sort of unspoken law that you don't divulge those things to members of another race. But my race was turning against me.
As the days went by, I grew confident. The Eye kept watch on my dread, reporting back to me every night. The lack of a lower class had crippled them and given us the time we needed to prepare. Every day that passed without the dread marchingon Renris felt like a gift, but it also wore on my mind. I knew I was losing myself. The mating bond had locked into place and given me some breathing room, but the damage was done. My mate still didn't know who he was to me, and that combined with the mental picking of the Eye to tear at my sanity.
Teaching non-Dragons to kill my kind didn't help either.
“You must use every skill available to you!” I said as I walked down the aisle between fighting partners.
Now that the Dragons were at an acceptable level, they helped me train the non-Dragons, pairing up with them so they'd have actual Dragons to practice on. The Castle Guard had been joined by members of my army (the non-Dragon army) and the City Horns. They rotated daily and took what they learned back to their fellows.
“Use Air against them,” I said to an Argaiv. “You cannot fight a Dragon with Fire or Water, but they cannot create fire without air. Take it from them!”
“Yes, Sire!” the man shouted, and a whirlwind sucked up the air around his Dragon opponent.
Not only did this kill the flames the Dragon started to summon, but it also sent the man gasping to the ground.
“Good!” I slapped the Argaiv's shoulder. “But that's enough. He's just a sparring partner, not your true opponent.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” He drew back his magic. “Sorry, Gress.”
Gress, the Argaiv's Dragon partner, sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. “I didn't know you could do that.”
