Dragons Don't Love (14 page)

I finger the piece at my
throat.

“
It’s gorgeous.”

“
I stole it,” I say unable
to help the pride in my voice.

Acasia spews her tea and places her
hand at her throat. “Please tell me it wasn’t from Sarn or
Tahr.”

“
No. It came from another
realm, the coffers of a Sir Orland Locksy to be exact.” My grin
widens when I say his name.

“
I’ve heard of him. Laryn
truly took you to steal your own treasure?”

I nod. “I’ve found that my dragon does
not enjoy sharing. He says I must steal what I wish for, which I
would have done with or without his permission.”

Acasia begins laughing. “You have
wrapped your dragon around your fingers.” Her gaze sweeps over my
outfit. “Your clothing and attitude suit him. I found Laryn quite
childish before you came along. He’s changed with his love of
you.”

I immediately stop smiling. “Laryn
does not love me and he won’t.”

The grin on Acasia’s face disappears.
“What nonsense is this? Of course he loves you. I see it in every
glance he casts your way. The man would die without
you.”

I shake my head knowing this will be
difficult to explain. “No. He will not die without me. He will live
to choose a new bride. I don’t want him suffering great pain when
he loses me. We have developed a friendship that will be hard
enough on him when it’s my time to die.”

Acasia’s eyebrows arch in thought.
“But that is not the curse.” She glances toward Ashrac. “My son may
suffer the same curse. We do not know. What I do know is that I
will teach him to love with all his heart. He must. It is the only
way to spite the Goddess who placed the curse. Love and live on.
Search for the one who will transcend and be with you for all
eternity.”

I refuse to think of young Ashrac
paying for the sins of some unknown dragon. It angers me greatly.
Give me this Goddess and I will cleave her head from her body. An
internal awareness tells me to never speak these words aloud. I
just shake my head. “No. I can’t wish that for Laryn. I also want
you to promise that you will watch over him after I am
gone.”

Acasia’s long, steady gaze makes me
feel uncomfortable. “I have a soft spot for Laryn. I think the both
of you are foolish. You should love while you can. With that said,
I give you my promise to watch over him.”

The remainder of the visit isn’t as
solemn as the beginning. We go to the highest ledge of the tower so
Ashrac can show me his new skills at breathing fire. Apparently,
this trait is a celebrated rite of passage in a young dragon’s
existence and the true extent of the ability will not manifest
until he reaches his one-hundredth year. It saddens me that I will
not be around to see it.

I watch the small, red dragon dive and
swoop through the clouds while expelling occasional puffs of smoke.
I finally send him to the kitchen for the cookies Laryn ordered
cooked in anticipation of Ashrac’s visit.

“
What did you think of my
fire?” he asks me in his haughty way with arms crossed and head
held high.

“
I think you will be the
mightiest fire breather of all the dragons if you continue to
diligently practice your finesse. I doubt Laryn had the talent you
possess when he was your age.”

Ashrac turns to Acasia. “You hear
that, Mother? She is a lady who knows a magnificent dragon when she
sees one.” He shifts once more and flies down to the kitchens as we
hold back laughter until he’s inside the castle.

“
I also didn’t inherit the
arrogance of dragons. It’s sad that I must put up with two of
them.”

“
Sad indeed. One is enough
for me.”

We both laugh until our sides hurt.
All in all we have a wonderful visit. I’ve never had a female
friend in the village. The other brides avoided me. They didn’t
want to be in a position where they felt guilt over my father’s
inability to provide for us. I didn’t care. I even understood. The
village was at the mercy of the dragons. What I hadn’t understood
was that the dragons were at the mercy of a vengeful
Goddess.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Laryn

“
My bride has no fear. She’s
like all the brides rolled into one without the incessant whining,”
I say to Bastian.

He doesn’t reply immediately. I’ve
spoken of my bride for an hour and not shut up. Finally, he
responds with more reserve than usual. “I don’t understand why
she’s sleeping in the tower room, Laryn. This truly baffles
me.”

A touch of spite enters my tone. “Of
course you don’t. You have Acasia for eternity. You can love her
without risk of heartbreak. I don’t have that luxury and I refuse
to lose myself again when this one is gone. She’s all I could ask
for in a friend and bed companion, but it goes no
further.”

We lazily glide through a canyon until
we spot a herd of deer. It’s an easy capture and we both have our
own tasty lunch within a few minutes. This is what I’ve missed
these last years of separation from my friends—hunting, laughing,
the occasional treasure run. My sharp talons tear through the hide
like it’s paper. I need to teach my bride to hunt. I know she will
enjoy it. The woman is as savage as I am. That’s what I love… like
about her. She had no problem dispatching those men—actually
relished the thrill and the spray of their blood.

Bastian looks up with a large strip of
sinew hanging from his sharp, white teeth. “You know you love her,
right?”

The dead carcass is no longer
appetizing. “Stop, Bastian.”

He says nothing more about my bride. I
eat but only because I refuse to waste the life of the deer. I
cannot love her.

We spend the remainder of
our time discussing rumors of a chalice that Bastian began
searching for many centuries ago. The legend says it belonged to
Belus, son of Poseidon
. I would give my
left nut to get my hands on it before Bastian. Not because of whom
it belonged to but because Bastian covets the piece, which makes it
a greater acquisition.

“You know I will help you
search,” I tell him with levity that I don’t feel at the thought of
getting my hands on his precious chalice.

He’s not fooled. “Steal it
you mean.”

I laugh and a burst of
flame pours out in front of us. “You know my saying—if you can’t
hold onto it…” I’m pushing my luck. I’ve never joked about stealing
his bride.

“Don’t finish that thought
or I will need to blacken your eyes before I return you to your
bride.” He laughs and we fly through a larger burst of fire from
him.

An hour later, we return
to my lair. Bastian collects his bride and son and they leave for
their home, though I request they stay for dinner. Acasia hits
Bastian in the arm when he turns me down. “My mate has unfinished
business in the bedroom for losing a wager.”

I laugh and my bride does
the same. I turn and look at her rosy cheeks and swirling hair that
she left unbound today. She appears relaxed. I look forward to our
own time in the bedroom this evening.

Our guests depart and I
wrap my hands around the bare skin at her waist. She’s increased
her lean muscle with our training and exercise. I have the greater
strength with a weapon while she’s quick and has a way of
deciphering my intent. It gives me great pride that she can and
will defend herself. She has no chance against me in dragon form
and never did. Facing a man, any man, and she will give them a
fight. If a dragon’s head is removed from his body in human form,
he’s dead. Or at least I see no way of coming back after such a
strike. I’ve imparted this wisdom to her. I want her to have all
the knowledge she needs if Sarn or even Tahr find her alone. I
never think clearly in the time following a bride’s death. I know
my friends cannot be trusted.

My bride lifts her hand
and slides it across my jaw. “So serious, my dragon. Did you not
have a good time?”

I bite her thumb and watch
as her brown eyes turn glassy and gold streaks sparkle. “Are you
hungry, bride?”

She moves in closer and I
lower my head so our lips are almost touching when she speaks.
“Only for my dragon.”

I lift her up and her legs
wrap around me. “I want a soft bed beneath us, so hold on.” I climb
the stairs, walk through endless hallways, and turn many corners
until I’m finally in my rooms. She holds on while kissing and
nipping at my neck and shoulders. We are both laughing with sensual
delight by the time I lean her back on my bed.

I admire her long legs
with the thigh boots almost adhered to her skin. These are a new
gift and made of a lighter shade of leather. I begin separating the
buckles at the top of one leg. She watches me and now her eyes are
a lighter shade of brown as they flood with desire. The change in
the color of her eyes has always intrigued me. They grow dark with
anger and lighten with love. I know she loves me. I also know she’s
incredibly perfect for me and understands why I cannot return that
love.

I slowly draw the boot
from her foot and toss it over my shoulder. A husky giggle escapes
her throat as I start on the next one. Her skin is so soft while
her determination in everything else is hard. She’s a contradiction
of warrior and woman. My warrior. My woman.

She reaches for a buckle
at her wrist. I shake my head. “No, bride, allow me.”

Her smile displays the
dimples I love to see. “You are moving too slowly, dragon. I only
wished to hurry you along.” I pull her leg up and twist her over to
her belly. The sharp slap I land against her ass makes her squeal
in surprise.

“You are at my mercy,
bride. I plan to take my time with you.”

She glances over her
shoulder and I almost come undone at the raw look of need in her
eyes. “Have your way, dragon, but remember I will have mine before
this night is through.”

“With pleasure, bride.” I
lift her foot and kiss the instep. She’s back to giggling until I
kiss a path up her leg to her delightful bottom. I lift her
slightly and unbuckle the front strap at her waist. I peel the
leather away slowly. My handprint shows on one ass cheek. I kiss
there first. Her sigh thrills me as I add just a bit of teeth and
turn the sound to a moan.

“You are so needy, my
beautiful bride,” I murmur against her skin.

“I am, dragon. I need you
like a sword needs a sheath,” she replies breathlessly.

I turn her over and my
mouth is at just the right place. “Watch me,” I tell her with a bit
of demand.

Her eyes flutter open and
I kiss the part of her that calls to me even while I sleep. Her
female lips are red and swollen. I dip my tongue to absorb their
taste and silkiness. She’s perfect. I could stay down here for
hours and tease her until she begs. Though, I don’t wish her to
beg. I want her screaming her release a thousand different times
because I’ve brought her there in a thousand different
ways.

I slide a finger through
the silky liquid her body releases in preparation of mine. She
pushes closer to my mouth wanting more. My bride takes what she
desires. And I feel it all the way to my soul. The craving to
possess her is so strong I can’t hold back. Coming up quickly over
her, I bury my cock in one thrust. She’s watching me and I smile
before kissing the sigh from her lips. My bride, my other half. I
slowly glide in and out until none of my coaxing makes her open her
eyes again. She’s lost in what I make her feel. I’m lost in how
exquisite she is—the noises she makes as her release draws near.
The clench of her fingers on my ass. The dig of her nails because
she wants me to increase my pace. Her body trembles as I drive her
crazy. Her knees draw up alongside my legs and finally her heels
bury against my ass.

I stop all movement and
wait for her eyes to open.

She’s angry and frustrated
all at once. “What are you waiting for, dragon?”

“This!” I lift up and slam
down inside her body, pouring mine into hers as blue light encases
us. It’s hot and cold. Peaceful and serene. Hard and soft. It
swirls around us in lazy strokes of blue, lustrous
glory.

She lies curled within my
arms, the glow still surrounds us. I draw languid circles on her
now-bare shoulder. I tend to lose myself too quickly to remove all
her clothing at once. That’s what she does to me.

“Thank you, Laryn,” she
breathes against my neck.

I tug on a tendril of her
hair. “What are you thanking me for, bride?”

“Everything.”

I lean up so she sees my
eyes. “You are the best friend I’ve ever had.”

Chapter
Twenty-Five

Roxanne

Friends.

I want to kill him as
badly as I wanted to that first day. It’s the day after we became
such great friends and I’m running the tower stairs to get such
thoughts from my mind. A friend is a good thing. It is! I’ve run
six-hundred and twenty-seven stairs and I’ve yet to convince
myself.

He told me before that he
wished us to be friends. I didn’t know how badly the word would
hurt.

Damn dragon.