Alexa's Dragon (Dragon mates Book 1) (10 page)

“Who are you?”

“I’m your Mom, Baby. I know you can’t see under the veil, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

“Sure, because I trust all black shadows that try to kill me.”

“Then I guess that’s one point in my favor. I’m not trying to kill you or your dragon mate. Maybe I’m not your mother but I am here to help you. So maybe you can indulge me by letting me pretend I’m your mother.”

Alexa grunted, what else could she do? One thing she was sure of, whomever this ghost was, she wasn’t trying to kill or, at least she wasn’t trying right now.

“Dragons are real.” The ghost placed her hands on her hips and gave Alexa a look. For a moment, she wanted to believe that it was her mother underneath there but she knew better. As much as she denied it, her mother had been gone too long.

“I guess you already know that but I always thought they were just made up. Forget dragons, where are you? If you’re really my mother, I will come and get you.

“I know you don’t believe me and maybe that’s for the best. You couldn’t reach me even if you believed me; it would simply make things harder for you.”

“Stop it. I love my mother and this is no longer funny. Leave!”

“I will soon. Listen to me, I am here to help you like I’ve been helping him and you can’t stay in this room. You have to go to his.”

“He thinks I’m his mate. If he finds me in his room, he’ll think I am agreeing.” Why was she even carrying on this conversation? Was it because since she met Syn she seemed to operate more on gut instinct than logic?

“I wish it was that easy to get you to agree. Has he told you about Mutufa?”

Alexa made her feet move closer to the apparition sticking her hand out and watching it go through, but there was no painful cold. Only a warmth she couldn’t understand.

“Mutufa doesn’t want to just end the dragons. What would he do for fun when he is finally released? He wants the world, the whole thing and he has the black magic to do it. With you here we have a fighting chance but that’s all it is, a chance. That’s all I can explain. Trust me, Alexa, you have to leave this room.”

“Ok, I’ll take my bath in Syn’s lair. He said he would be out for a while anyway; after that I will decide what to do.”

The ghost—apparition smiled at her making Alexa’s heart jump for a minute before she reminded herself that she wasn’t her mother.

The appreciation gave her a look of sadness before disappearing.

She really needed this. The water warmed her making her feel human again. His tub was magnificent, so much better than the one she used to have before it exploded. His jets came from different levels, she loved it so much she would have to count them to make sure when she repaired her bathroom she got one equal to it.

Closing her eyes, she sank into the tub allowing the water to come up to her neck. Someone was pretending to be her mother. The first thought was to call Nadia and tell her, but some feeling was telling her to practice caution. For whatever reason she didn’t think the ghost would go after her best and she didn’t want to tell Nadia and get her involved.

She lifted a leg out of the hot water and looked at her foot that was starting to prune up. She probably needed to get out of the tub before she shriveled into a husk of herself. Grabbing a body wash she brought with her, she washed and got out.

She walked into Syn’s room with a towel wrapped around her body, stopping to take a deep breath before heading for the balcony hoping no one could see her this far up. Sinking into a chair, Alexa tried to reason out why it felt so right being with him.

A feeling started at her feet more like a tingling sensation and wound its way around her ankles. She looked down thinking it could be a snake or an insect, but she couldn’t see anything. It traveled up her legs, first it was just an annoying sensation, and then the pain started. Thousands of stingers in her sensitive skin made her legs go numb. She tried to stand only to slide awkwardly to the ground.

The stinging intensified bringing tears to her eyes.
‘If anything happens you make it to my lair.’
Syn’s voice went through her head. She needed to be behind the balcony doors. She was lying on her back. Using her arms, she flipped the top part of her body while she ruthlessly dragged her dead lower part in order to flip over.

Panting for breath, she took a minute to rest before lifting herself up on her arms so her upper body wasn’t lying on the balcony. She could feel the sting starting at the base of her hips. Anything below that area felt dead. Knowing she would have to pull her body to the door, she tried using her hands and promptly fell.

Using her arms and elbows, she began pulling herself across the floor. The heaviness of her body was in her shoulders now, pressing down on the arms that were being torn apart as she dragged her body. The towel that provided adequate protection as she stood on the balcony provided none as she pulled out of it unable to keep it if she wanted to escape.

Almost there. The stinging was at her waist now and tiredness followed her every move. Tears of frustration gathered in her eyes. She didn’t know what would happen, but if her heart stopped beating because of the numbness she was sure death would greet her.

The door was right there but the numbness was at her belly button now and she was slowing down. There was a whisper in her ear telling her how tired she was. Maybe she should just sleep and wait for Syn to find her; he would know what to do. No, she had to keep going.

Finally, she reached the door. With the last of her strength, she used both hands to grab it hoping the glass wouldn’t break in her grasp. Her arms shook as she pulled herself to it and finally over the barrier. Warmth hit her like the heat of a shower flooding her body with sensation. She began to breath better. With one final heave, she pulled her body all the way into the room. The stinging needles fled as if unable to bare the warmth. She collapsed on the floor and panted.

If this happened to her downstairs, she would have died. She allowed the terror she felt to wash away with warm tears that flowed softly down her face.

“Alexa!” Syn was next to her picking her up. He took her to the bed and placed her upon it covering her with his thick comforter.

“What happened?”

Her body was shaking. She was in shock or at least that’s what she thought.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. Throwing her arms around him, she hung on as if he was her lifeline.

Briefly, she told him about meeting the ghost in her room but avoided mentioning who she said she was. The thought of him looking at her differently made her hold her tongue. The bath and the balcony experience came last. She trembled as she spoke until both her words and her trembling stopped.

“The witch saved your life. I owe her.”

She was a witch; that made more sense than ghost or apparition.

“What happened?”

“It seems Mutufa is growing stronger or he has help here. Either way you were attacked.”

“Would it have killed me?”

He nodded frowning. “I’m not sure exactly what was happening but it sounds deadly.”

“I thought so. Why did it stop when I finally managed to get in here?”

“This room is spelled against everything I could possibly think of and everything my people could think of. All dragons’ lairs are. We know that one day we may live forever in them; they have to be protected.”

“That’s sad,” she whispered against his chest.

“Today it’s good because it saved your life.”

“True.” Her lips lifted in a smile as she looked at him.

She pulled the cover up to her chin all too aware of her nudity underneath. Not that he hadn’t already seen her naked body when he picked her up.

“Want me to turn my back so you can dress?”

She looked at him before peeking under the comforter, no, she didn’t want that. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled his head to hers. Placing her lips on him, she kissed him then gave his bottom lip a tiny suck that had him opening up. She slid her tongue into his mouth, rubbing gently against the roof before his tongue came up to intertwine with hers.

He took over their kiss deepening it, making her tingle with his heady flavor.

“You taste so hot and spicy. I want to roll in it,” she murmured around his kiss.

His hands came up to hold the sides of her head as he placed small bites on her lower lip before he bit her tongue gently just enough to kick the feeling of being adored up a notch. He pulled her tongue back in, sucking it after the small bite made her arch into his embrace.

“Syneca.” His name drifted out in a long sigh as she rubbed her aching nipples against him.

Her hands went to his shoulders feeling the length of corded muscle in them. She petted and played allowing her fingertips to enjoy the long smooth expanse of his hot skin.

The feel of his lips on her neck made her hotter. He licked her as if memorizing her by taste and then bit her softly before kissing the spot. Goose bumps of anticipation and want littered her skin making her nervous and needy at the same time as his name continued to rattle in her throat.

He stopped at the base of her throat. Feelings of vulnerability ran through her as he took his time exploring her pulse there. He could end her life. Her brain spouted a bit of un-useful logic and her pussy throbbed as the sense of danger heightened the feeling between her legs.

With long slow movements, he worked his way down her body allowing his hands to caress her smooth skin. His fingers detoured at her nipples, pinching and pulling making her body arch with pleasure.

She murmured his name on drawn out sighs as she begged for a deeper, firmer touch. But his eyes were focused on the juncture between her thighs as he explored her body. A triumphant sound left his chest as he hovered over his prize.

His fingers came down to caress her sliding along the lips of her sex making her feel achy. Desire zinged in her as her hips lifted trying to get closer to his teasing fingers. With a deft caress of her clit he pushed just a little making her whimper.

Her tongue came out and licked her lips choking on any sound as his fingers teased her sex never entering simply taking her desire to a new level. She could feel herself throbbing as she tried to close her legs to put out the fire.

He bit her then right there where she was so vulnerable and pinched her clit. Her back bowed as her body shook in the first climax of her life. A scream of unabashed pleasure went through her body as she shook.

“Syn,” she whimpered, her voice now hoarse form screaming his name. “What are you doing to me?”

He was petting her now, bringing her slowly down from the flight she just took. Her body began to settle under his touch. The throbbing between her legs eased off just a little. She was putty in his hands, knew it, and still couldn’t manage to care. She was his; all he had to do was collect.

Opening her eyes, the green of his eyes expanded eclipsing the blue ring. His pupil was almost nonexistent; all she could see was green. His eyes flashed and she fell into them.

*~*~*~*

She screamed looking for something to hold onto. Tumbling head over heels, she clutched her arms around her wondering how she could die twice in a day. The impact was gentle. Raising her head, she looked around.

The room she was in was old and looked like an ancient castle. There were torches on the wall for light, a long table with plenty of food on it, and chairs placed around it. Huge tapestries lined the walls, many displayed scenes of battle. A few of them pictured dragons flying high over a land she couldn’t imagine.

The door to her right opened. Several high-ranking society people entered. The women wore exquisite gowns and the men were dressed to look dapper. They passed her, never seeing or acknowledging her. Carefully, she walked up to the male who looked like Syn. He looked right through her. A memory, it had to be, or she hit her head and was now dreaming.

A young woman walked over to him, her hair was as red as the evening sunset. She leaned over to kiss him on his cheek. A black feeling coiled in Alexa’s stomach, she was jealous of a memory. He said a word she never heard before but the meaning translated, sister. He reached out and took the bundle she held in her grip. A precious baby.

Looking around the table, she realized this was his family. The three males sitting around him must be his brothers. There was another female at the table, a much younger one. He looked at her with pride and love. The baby of the family. At one end of the table sat a distinguished older gentleman, at the other end an elegant older female. His parents.

The baby was passed to the grandmother and the young woman sat. They laughed and talked about things. She talked about flying and how she couldn’t wait to teach her young the beauty of the skies.

There were shouts in the castle before the door was thrown open. The room was filled with humanoids that stood much taller and wider than the average. Their skin was a pale yellow and their white teeth stood out prominently.

“Mutufa, what is the meaning of this?” Syn’s father demanded as he stood.

“Bryn, you have rejected all my attempts to share your hoard for the good of my people.”

“There is no good of your people. You attempt to take what is not yours and hurt those who do not willingly go along with your plan. If you desire a hoard, collect it the same way dragons do. We will not give up what has taken a lifetime to accumulate so that you may terrorize others.”

“I thought you may say that. That is why you and your family will die.”

Byrn screamed, “Run!” as the illusion of humanity dropped and his true form a massive golden dragon appeared. His wings spread to protect his family. Mutufa and his men blew long shiny objects at him from tubes. They punctured his scales and drilled deep into his body. He fell, unable to keep to his clawed feet. Drawing their swords, they ran to him hacking at his body. Syn stood behind a tapestry, hatred burning in his eyes.

Alexa opened her eyes. The room was dark, she spread her hands on the bed looking for Syn but came up empty. Sitting up, she looked around the room. A small sliver of light came through the balcony. Syn was seated on a chair next to the bed looking at her. The green in his eyes receded so he looked normal again.