Royal Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 1) (9 page)

Her mouth fell open in a gape.

“I also hope that if things work out, that eventually you will also agree to carry my children. To continue my species. This will be your choice though. I will not force any of it on you.”

What the hell was he saying? It was her choice, but she didn’t need to know that. Coal needed to keep some leverage in this situation.

It seemed that his tongue was not done flapping because he went on. “In the long run, should you decide that you wish to go home, I will take you back. You have my word as the fire prince.”

“You’ll take me back?” She didn’t sound like she believed him. Not even one little bit. “I’m never going to agree to this whole marriage and children thing so you might as well take me back right now.”

“You need to agree to give it some time. Get to know me. I wish to get to know you.”
Intimately.
Where the hell had that come from? He had gone far too long without rutting. It was wreaking havoc on him.

Time.

Get to know him.

Had he gone completely mad? They didn’t have time. He had no idea how to go about changing her mind. Blaze was going to roast his ass.

“No need. I know enough.” She shook her head.

“A couple of weeks,” he blurted. “You would be under my protection. Safe, warm, a roof over your head.”

“I’m not some hooker that you can bribe with things in return for...” She let the sentence die.

Coal frowned. He didn’t always understand what she was saying. “What is a hooker?”

“A hooker is someone that has sex for money.” She looked guilty. Her eyes dropped to her lap. “Not that hookers are bad or anything. It’s just, it’s bad manners to offer food and shelter in return for… sex.”

“I am offering food and shelter while you are on fire territory. You will get these things regardless of whether or not we rut.” The female didn’t look like she believed him. He reached over and offered the browned hare to her, stick side. “It’s hot but it should be really good.”

Although she shook her head, he could see how she eyed the meat greedily. She licked her lips.

“Take it. You are hungry and you need the sustenance.” He pushed the stick further forward.

“Maybe just a small taste.”

She accepted the morsel and Coal felt a warmth blossom inside of him. He watched as she took a small nibble and then another and another. The warmth spread.

“It’s good.” She gave him the ghost of a smile.

Coal smiled back. They were sharing a moment. This felt important. It felt like the start of something. The female was interesting to him and her scent appealed. Maybe there was something there. Chances were small… tiny even, but at least it was something.

Julie took another bite of the succulent roast. She refused to think of the food as a rabbit. A sweet, innocent, little bunny. Thumper. Argh… no! It was a roast and it was delicious. If it weren’t so damned hot she’d wolf the thing down.

Wait a minute, he had gone to the trouble to catch the thing and to prepare it for her, the least she could do was offer him a taste, but only one mind you. He was still a savage but it seemed like there might be a nice side to him. Although Julie wasn’t so sure that nice was the right word. No, nice wasn’t the right word.

“Do you want a piece?” She glanced at him. Oh God, he was scary looking. Big and all muscle. His eyes looked darker in the flickering firelight. His chest was riveting. Aside from being wide and heavily muscled, it sported a golden tattoo. Golden. It was utterly beautiful. She pretended to gaze into the fire when in fact she was looking at it. It was across his entire chest and in swirls and twirls reminding her of a tribal pattern.

He shook his head, running a hand over his close shaven scalp. “I will be fine until we return. You eat.”

Oh yes, she’d offered him some of the meat. “Are you sure?” The gesture was sweet. He had to be hungry. The guy probably just felt guilty for what he was putting her through.
Good.
“I’ve given it some thought, and a couple of weeks is not going to change my mind. You seem like an okay guy… for a Neanderthal that is, but it’s not going to work.” She shook her head and tried to pretend that she understood his predicament. She – sort of – did but it was no excuse to kidnap people. To hunt them like animals.

His muscles bulged as his body tensed. His biceps were freaking huge. He could easily snap her like a twig. Julie swallowed hard. Shit!

He shook his head, his eyes bore into her with such intensity that she had to look away. It was a good thing that the flames within the fire were so pretty. She’d look at those instead. Flicking, licking and curling, in different colors of orange, yellow and even blue. Mesmerizing.

“I’m afraid…” His voice boomed and she jumped.
Stay calm, Julie.

He continued “That you staying for a few weeks is nonnegotiable. We will spend time together and get to know one another, intimately.”

What the fuck!
“Uh no… No way! You said that you wouldn’t touch me against my will. Have you changed your mind about being a rapist?” The food soured in her stomach.

“No,” he growled, making her flinch. “How many times do I have to keep telling you that I will not force you?”

“Well then…” She choked out a strangled sounding laugh. “There won’t be any intimacy.” She huffed out a breath. “Anyway, you’re a big guy and I’m a tiny human. Your junk won’t fit in my very little…” She couldn’t say trunk because a trunk was big. “Glove compartment,” she finally blurted. She didn’t want to talk about this. Why had she brought it up? Julie took a small bite of her… roast, hoping he would drop it already.

His mouth twitched. The corners of his very full mouth turned up ever so slightly. She was reminded of their kiss. Their very hot, very quick, very dirty kiss. What was she saying? He had mauled her. Since when was being mauled by cavemen sexy or hot? Never. Not ever. She was such a damn liar. She was sick in the head. The kiss had been hot. That’s it, she suffered from momentary insanity. It was the mountain air that was affecting her. That and a serious lack of sleep.

The big guy frowned. He looked pissed, no, he looked thoughtful, no, definitely pissed. “I won’t fit?” he muttered. Then he turned those dark eyes on her and her mouth dried up. “My cock is bigger than a human male, much bigger, but I would definitely fit. It would be tight but it would work. Of that there is no doubt.” He cleared his throat. “Very little doubt.” He didn’t sound so sure anymore.

Her mouth fell open for the second time. She couldn’t seem to close it or to make her mind work. He hadn’t just said that.
No way
!

His smile widened. Shit, it transformed his face. He didn’t look nearly as vicious or savage. He was still a savage though, a total barbarian, she reminded herself.

“Um…” She made a squeaking noise because her throat was tight. “Even if you did manage to shove it in there”—she cleared her throat— “you would rip me to pieces. We don’t have your healing capabilities. That horrible bully dragon woman mentioned that you guys heal quickly. She also made it very clear that we would probably not survive sex with big guys like you and I’m inclined to believe her.” Some of the things that Scarlet had said were bullshit while others had been completely true. The whole
rip you apart during sex
thing, had to be true. Look at him. His sheer size. The fact that he was an animal.

His eyes darkened, his jaw tightened. “Scarlet,” he growled. It was menacing, fear inducing. “So she told all of you that you would not survive being rutted by a dragon shifter?”

Julie nodded. “You’re way bigger than me and you just admitted that your… man part, is much bigger than a human’s so…”

Coal threw his head back and laughed. “I’m sorry.” He held his hand up. “I’m really sorry, this isn’t funny. I’m actually really angry.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” she muttered.

“We have two unmated females on Fire territory. You met them both, Scarlet and Ash. The males, just within our territory, are over two hundred strong. Most of them virile males in their prime. We allow groups of them to head into various towns scattered across the country. It’s called a stag run and it happens twice a year.”

“A stag run?” She tried not to laugh. “Seriously? As in, you guys hook-up with human women. Am I understanding this correctly?”

Coal nodded. “There is no other choice. Our males have basic needs. The males are discrete. We do not divulge what we are and are very clear that it is rutting only. No relationship or future. Just sex. We do not force ourselves on anyone.” He practically growled and she held back a squeal. He could be vicious looking when he wanted to be. Then his face lost its severity and she could breathe again.

She allowed her eyes to slide down the hard contours of his chest to the hard ridges of his abs. If tall, stacked, alpha types walked into a bar, she was sure that the girls would eat them up… literally. She had to hold back a laugh. Hell, they could walk into a church and probably get lucky.

“Point being, we have sex with humans twice a year. I am told that the females love our big cocks.”

Say what? If they had sex with humans twice a year then their… man parts had to fit.

He shifted slightly. “They love how big we are, period. It can be a bit of a stretch and your pussy might sting initially, but… I would make sure that you were really wet beforehand. I would use my mouth, my tongue. I’ve never rutted a human but I am told that humans—”

“Stop!” She shouted. “I get the picture.” She said, under her breath. Her clit throbbed a little at his crass words. It wasn’t that she wanted him in any way, it was just that those words combined with her very long dry spell equaled a bit of a hormone explosion. No biggie!

“We
will
get to know each other… intimately, female. It is something that I would like you to think about. We can take it slow, one day at a time.” He clenched his jaw and gave a small shake of the head, like he hadn’t meant to say that.

“Why haven’t you ever been with a human female?” Not that it mattered to her. There was no way she was having sex with him…ever. She was just nosy.

“There was never a need.” He shrugged once.

This was starting to make sense. That meant that he was doing Ash or Scarlet, or both. By the horrible way that Scarlet treated them, she suspected the redhead.

“I would really prefer it if you took me back to Walton Springs.”

“Not an option. Finish your dinner. Then you must climb onto my lap and sleep.”

“Um… no. I’m good.” He really did only have one brain cell if he thought she was sleeping anywhere near him or having sex with him.

“It’s cold. There are plenty of wild animals within these mountains. You will sleep in my arms and this too is not up for discussion or negotiation.” He grinned at her. “I really do like you, female.”

“My name is Julie.” Why the hell had she said that? He didn’t need to know her name. She was still going to escape. Okay, maybe escape wasn’t an option at this time. She’d get through the next couple of weeks and then make him take her home. She must be a complete nut because she believed him when he told her that he would protect her and that he wouldn’t force himself on her. It didn’t mean that she fully trusted him though, now that would be looney tunes.

“Julie.” He said her name with that deep rich baritone that reminded her of melted chocolate or mulled wine. It was the manliest voice she had ever heard and it fit him perfectly. Rough, rugged and savage. “Eat,” he commanded.

She ignored him. “What makes you so special? There are two females in the whole of…” She looked around. Not because she could see anything beyond the small circle of light that the fire gave. “Here and you get to have at them both?”

“They are not the only females, there are still a few elderly females and one or two mated females. They are the only unmated females in their prime within the fire territory though.” Whatever that meant.

“In their prime.” Julie rolled her eyes. “You do realize that you are speaking about them like they’re cattle, don’t you? A quality breeding heifer in her prime.” She made her voice deep and growly.

He remained serious. “I didn’t mean it like that. I told you earlier that I do not see females as I would cattle, and for the record, neither female is fertile, so your breeding comment is incorrect.”

Julie laughed. “I was teasing you.”

Some of the tension eased from him. “I am a fire prince. My position of royalty has meant that I have certain privileges.”

“You bastard!” She yelled. “You abused your position of power to have sex with them didn’t you?” No wonder Scarlet had all those awful things to say. No wonder she was the way that she was.

His eyes darkened up a whole lot. Maybe she had gone too far. Every muscle on him tightened…
oh shit!
His mouth pulled into a hard grimace and he growled. It was a deep rumble, reminding her of the sound a lion would make. A hungry, angry lion.

“Why do you insist on thinking the worst of me?”

“Maybe because I don’t know you and you, kind of, kidnapped me.” Her voice was timid. She felt exposed and vulnerable.

“Scarlet and Ash came to me. I am the strongest, fiercest warrior in my kingdom. My flames are scorching and far reaching. My scales gleam gold. He rubbed a hand over the markings on his chest. I do not need to chase females. They chase me.”

“Arrogant much?”

“I do not know what you mean by that comment. I have simply given you the facts.”

This guy was too much. “Yeah and you probably have the biggest dick.”

“So what of it?” His eyes narrowed. “Please can you stop agonizing over the size of my cock. I told you that I have it on good authority that we are compatible as a species.”

Holy hell
. He was actually being serious. “So you’re giving up two chicks at a shot on me? You dragons are into some kinky shit. A dragon threesome, now…” then she had a thought. “Wait just a minute. You weren’t planning on keeping them on the side were you? Not that I agree to any of this insanity.”

“Kinky shit.” His brow was furrowed. “A threesome? I am sure that someone spoke of it once but I can’t recall the meaning.”

Idiot caveman! “Kinky is when…” She huffed out a breath. “Kinky is hard to explain. A threesome would be considered kinky. It means having sex with two other people at the same time. In your case, those two girls. Call me a prude, but I consider that kinky.”

“I’ve never rutted both of them at the same time.”

“But you slept with both of them?”

He shrugged. “I am a male, I have needs. If either female was willing to slake those needs, I didn’t turn them away. I do not have a hold over either of them and the opposite is also true. No promises were made.”

She wasn’t sure why this irritated her. “So the two of them were,
are
your sex slaves?” The irritation shone in her tone. It was sexist, immoral and wrong and that was just for starters. Her blood boiled. Why did it aggravate her so much? What these dragon shifters did was their own business.

The brute threw his head back and laughed. “Did you forget the part where I mentioned that the fire kingdom has over two hundred virile males? Ash and Scarlet warm the dicks of many of my warriors.”

Julie felt her eyes bug out of her skull. “Oh my God!” She yelled. “You all use them for sex.”

“They use us for sex. It is their choice who they spend time with.” He remained calm.

“And you don’t mind that they sleep with other guys?”

“Why would I mind? We rutted, I made sure that it was good for them. They came back… often. End of story. I am not mated to either of them. I do not mind if they choose to be with other males.”

“That’s sick,” she blurted.

“Sex is natural. It’s good. It’s necessary. There is nothing sick about it.”