“Turn over,” he growled.
Lost in him in so many ways, I obeyed. I rolled onto my belly and spread out, hoping he would cover every inch of me. He did. From the soles of my feet to my scalp, he covered me in himself. Every lash sent me further into ecstasy. I hung suspended in space, stars shooting around me.
Then he was on top of me, his body covering mine. His shaft split my cheeks and slipped inside. Holding me with all of himself, Jucai moved decadently slow, in and out. The slipperyhardness of his shaft sent me higher with every thrust. Only Jucai and I existed, our souls merging.
It seemed to go on for days or maybe seconds. Time had no meaning. I couldn't track how long we writhed together, skin sliding against skin. But when reason finally returned, I found myself snuggled against a sleeping Jucai. My body hummed with love and life, and my soul was full of my mate.
“I love mating magic,” I whispered and fell asleep.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
It went on for over a week. Locked in Jucai's bedroom—now my bedroom too—we barely stopped to eat, sleep, or relieve ourselves. I think we showered a few times, but we usually bathed so we could fuck in the tub. The servants—the new title used for the ex-slaves—brought us trays of food and left them outside the bedroom door. We would devour everything, often off each other, and then return to mating.
At last, on the ninth day, our lust calmed, and the magic settled, our souls made whole by each other. I felt more complete than I'd ever been, as if Jucai's soul had done more than replace what I'd given him. It had filled an emptiness I didn't know was there. I woke smiling and turned to find Jucai watching me.
“Good morning, Mate. How do you feel?” Jucai asked.
I sat up and stretched. “I'm starving.”
Jucai laughed and sat up too. “I as well. Shall we bathe and join our dread for breakfast?”
“Don't get ahead of yourself, Mate. I still have to be accepted.”
“What?” He cocked his head at me.
I cocked my head back. Then I remembered that the Sea Dragons were new to mating. “Oh! You don't have presentations here, do you?”
“Presentations?”
“When a Land Dragon King mates someone outside of his dread, every member in his dread must accept his mate. If even one Dragon rejects the King's mate, the King must either give up his mate or the crown.”
“What?” Jucai roared. “That's preposterous.”
I shrugged. “A king's mate not only joins the king's dread but also gains a rank higher than everyone's but the king's. Dragons can get pouty if someone outside their dread rules them without their approval.”
“Ah, I see. Well, we will not have to deal with that.” He led me into the bathroom. “I took you as my mate. To my people, that means the Gods themselves approve of you joining our dread. We would never stand against Karadas. Maybe Ensarena, but not Karadas.” He winked.
Fucking Sea Dragons. I shook my head and then said, “And the Gods approve of you joining my dread too.”
Jucai grinned. “I forgot about that. Now, your king must accept me as an ally.”
“It will certainly make things easier. He won't have to worry about you betraying him, not with me as your mate.”
Jucai whooped and lifted me into the air. “We will have oranges!”
I laughed. “Yes, as many as you want.”
“But first, a bath. Tonight, we will have a feast in our honor.” Jucai led me into the bathroom.
“Can you throw a party for yourself?”
He turned on the faucets and gave me a haughty look. “If you're a king, you can.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A lot had changed while we mated. The servants were wearing uniforms now—respectable uniforms. Gone were the laces and chains. The ex-slaves, now honorable servants, walked the halls with heads lifted, smiling and bowing to Jucai and me as we passed by. The very atmosphere of the Royal Palace had changed to something lighter and brighter, as if a curse had been lifted.
Jucai raised his eyebrows. “You were right, Mate. All we had to do was speak with them.”
