Ruby Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 3) (13 page)

“We’ll have to carry you in our claws. It’ll be cold. We’ll be high up,” Luc said.

“I don’t care,” she said resolutely, following him out onto the front lawn as he shifted again. She looked up at his giant form in awe. “Dragons are beautiful.”

“Wait until you see your mate’s dragon,” Luc said with a wink. “If you think this is beautiful, I think you’ll be happy.”

She swallowed. She didn’t really care. He could be an ugly pooh-colored dragon as long as he was unharmed. “Let’s head out. Zach can follow.”

Luc nodded and wrapped his giant talons around her waist, lifting her jerkily into the air. She gasped, looking down at the land becoming tinier beneath them. But then she faced forward, into the cold, dark night through which they would fly to reach her mate.

No more looking back.

R
ed hadn’t made
much progress on his chains by the time Clarissa returned. He was grossed out to see she was now wearing a dressing gown, purple silk that was tied at the waist, revealing cleavage.

He looked away, supremely uninterested.

“Oh, come on,” she said. “I got all pretty for you.” She looked at the wyverns around her. “Back up.”

“You don’t want to do this,” Red said calmly. “I’m collared now, but I won’t always be.”

She opened the cage door and walked inside, and he pulled against the chains. She touched them lightly. “Specially made for restraining dragons. Very strong.” She ran a finger over his chest.

“I can see that,” he said, pulling back as far as he could.

“Interesting. Can I watch?” A voice cut in.

Red looked up, grateful for the interruption, and saw Aegis walking in again, hands in the pockets of his robe, looking casual.

He couldn’t actually want to watch this, could he?

“Aegis,” Clarissa said, looking delighted. “Would you like to join this?”

Aegis gave them a sardonic look and shook his head. “I admit I’ve entertained the idea of you and me, Clarissa, but I’m afraid I’m not interested in sharing.”

Clarissa pulled back from Red, seemingly confused. She walked over to Aegis, meeting him in the middle of the room. “I’ve come on to you for weeks, and you haven’t been interested. What, are you jealous?” She stroked a finger over his shoulders, and Aegis did a remarkable job repressing any shudder he might have felt.

“Jealousy,” he said in a bored voice. “Sure. That must be it.”

Red glared at him, trying to figure out what he was doing.

Aegis gave him a glare over Clarissa’s shoulder.
You owe me one.

Why are you doing this?

I don’t know
, Aegis thought back as Clarissa put her arm up around his neck and reached up on her toes to kiss his cheek.
I guess just because I don’t have anything worth living for doesn’t mean you don’t.
He turned his head slightly.
Fuck. This bitch is disgusting.

Real bad
. Red agreed.

Your friends are coming
, Aegis thought back.
I’ll delay her until then
.

Come with us
, Red asked.

No way. I don’t agree with everything they do, but this is my side. My place. I’m never going to be with you and the others.

Red hated that but turned to his chains again, trying to focus on them in the opening Aegis gave him.

Aegis’s head lifted slightly, as if he were listening for something. “I changed my mind,” he said, pushing back from Clarissa. “You aren’t my type.” Then he strode away from her abruptly, and she whirled on her heel to stare at Red.

She walked over to him, cheeks flushed, clearly angry. Alpha females in heat were obviously a terrifying species.

He was leaning back from her when he heard a loud crash and saw something explode through the large, antique window in front of them.

He saw Luc land on the ground, shirtless and wearing only pajama pants, slightly cut up from the glass, holding something in his arms. As he straightened, Red saw Faye there, looking around hesitantly.

Holy hell, they brought his mate?

Faye glanced around until she spotted him, and fury blazed in her blue eyes as she took in his position in the cage and the woman in front of him.

Faye ran forward. “Get away from him, you psycho!”

Clarissa turned on her with a snarl and held out a hand. “Get back.”

Faye froze in place mid-step, shocked. Her panicked blue eyes met Red’s as Clarissa walked around her in triumph.

“This is the human you selected as mate?” she asked. “Hardly worth it.”

He heard a low growl from Faye, and he saw her fighting the invisible bonds. Luc was frozen as well, looking angry with himself for being caught unaware.

“That’s right,” Clarissa said smugly. “I can control your bodies. I can even make this gorgeous specimen stay completely still while I violate him.”

Red wanted to die for being the damsel in distress in this situation, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He felt his body lock up as the wolf approached, grinning.

“Don’t you dare… touch… my mate,” Faye gritted out.

His eyes widened in surprise at the words, and Clarissa turned to scoff at Faye. “Your what? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear.”

“My mate,” Faye repeated. “He’s my mate.” Her eyes met his, full of meaning, and he felt the chain slide off his neck.

Go time.

Fire surged through him, hotter than he’d felt in a long time, vibrant and powerful. Oh, she was going to get it now. He saw his chains glow white hot as he melted them, but Clarissa was too busy walking over to taunt Faye to see.

When she reached Faye, she put one hand out as if to touch her face. But before she could reach her, a wall of flame shot up around Faye, in a tall circle, blocking her from Clarissa’s view.

Red walked out of his cage, lifting a hand to send a fireball directly at Clarissa, too fast for her to dodge. It knocked her off her feet and onto the ground, where she rolled, trying to put the fire out, screaming.

“Luc, where’s Zach?” Red called out.

“Outside, fighting. You got this? I’m going to go help him.”

“Go! While she’s down. Take Faye.”

“I’m staying here,” she said from behind her wall of fire. “My ring will protect me.”

“Red?” Luc asked, uncertain.

“Go,” he said. Faye was right; the ring would keep her safe, mainly by making her immune to his flame. And he’d only just gotten her back. He wasn’t ready to have her out of his sight again. Not when he had his powers back.

“Stay there,” he said. “I’m going to take care of this.” Fire balled in his hands as he focused, and he felt all the hair on his body stand up as the heat increased. He looked around the room at the wyverns, who were looking hesitant, and Clarissa, who had stood, slightly burned, and was yelling at them to attack, and unleashed a giant wave of flame from his body.

Everyone shrieked and put up their hands as the orange fire engulfed the room. Wyverns jumped, flaming, from the window, screaming to the ground below, their wings too singed to fly.

Clarissa was fighting back against the fire, her healing power making her able to sort of withstand it. After the wave, she was singed black but already healing.

“It’s not going to be that easy,” she snarled.

Red didn’t want to kill anyone. He’d never been a fighter like that. But threaten his mate or his happiness with his mate, and he wasn’t going to back down.

Still, if he flamed this horrible bitch to ashes, Faye would have to see that, and he didn’t want her to think him a monster.

“Screw it,” Faye said. “Burn her to pieces.”

Red grinned. “I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?” Faye asked.

“Cold storage.” Then he unleashed another wall of flame, more to distract her, and rushed at her as she covered her face with her arms. He caught her around the waist and ran to the window, throwing her out while yelling to Luc.

Luc swiftly caught her on the ground. “Got her.”

“Freeze her,” Red yelled. “We can question her later.”

“Wait,” Clarissa said, struggling. “I can help. I can explain…” But a second later, she was a block of ice, Luc having breathed on her.

The wall of fire around Faye fell, and she ran into Red’s arms, holding him tight. “I’m sorry we fought. I’m sorry I was so stubborn. I’m sorry I didn’t see how awesome you were from the start.”

“It’s okay,” he said, running a hand through her hair. “It’s fine.”

“Um, Red?” He heard from below. “A little help?”

He kept his arm around Faye and jogged to the window. “Shit.”

There were waves of wyverns flooding out from the castle, rushing his friends, who were surrounded. “Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be back for you.”

“Okay,” she said. “If you’re sure I can’t help.”

“You already saved the day just by being brave enough to come here.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll make up for lost time later.” Then he jumped out the window, landing with a thud next to his friends, surrounded by wyverns.

“Um, guys,” Red said, “I only really have one setting.”

“These are creatures made to hurt humans,” Zach said, sending another cloud of black shards to take down a group of them. “We can’t afford to be careful.”

“Right,” Red said, watching Luc breathe ice over another group, freezing them solid.

“They just keep coming. Too many,” Zach said. “If they were normal shifters, it’d be fine. But it takes so damn much to take out these mutants.”

“If you’re sure they have to go,” Red said.

“Look in their eyes,” Zach snarled. “There’s nothing there. They’re vacant.”

Red did look. His natural setting was love, not war, but when he looked at the wyverns, running half transformed with their claws out, he knew there was no way love applied in this situation. Not unless he wanted his friends and his mate killed.

“Shield yourselves,” he snapped, taking a couple steps back and letting fire build.

“Hell yeah,” Zach said. “We get to see the fire dragon.”

“Get in your shells,” he snarled, making sure Zach and Luc did just that. “I’m bringing out hellfire.”

“Oh shit,” Zach said as the dark crystals covered him and Luc. They would be safe, as would his mate.

Red took a deep breath, summoning up all the heat, all the passion, all the anger inside him, and unleashed it outward, holding up both hands and sending up a ten-foot wall of white-hot fire. It raged forward, catching the wyverns as it went, burning them into sizzling skeletons as unearthly shrieks rent the air.

He hated ending life, but these creatures knew only evil. Were born to it. And he was no longer the man who stayed back enjoying life and not getting his hands dirty. Now he would take part with everyone else in keeping his world safe. And that meant doing difficult, complicated things sometimes.

When the flames finally died down, there was no trace of the wyverns left. The fire was still burning in a few white-hot patches, looking for other things to consume. He heard cracking and saw Zach’s black cocoon break open as he stepped out. Then Luc did as well, looking around.

“Damn, we missed it,” he said.

“So that fire, if I touched it…” Zach said, walking forward.

“I wouldn’t. It can burn through anything on earth.”

“Ah, so when does it stop?” Zach asked.

“Now,” Red said, snapping his fingers. The flames went out.

“Badass,” Zach said. “Man, just a few more dragons and we’ll be unstoppable.”

Red laughed at that and then calmed himself, focusing on shifting for the first time since he’d woken up. He needed to fly up and get his mate.

He felt his body expand, a lifting sensation spreading through him as he felt both powerful and light and invincible. He saw himself reflected in the pieces of Onyx’s discarded, shimmering shell.

A giant red dragon with rubies glistening over his scales and rubies crusting his wings. And deep-purple eyes.

He pushed off and flew up to the window, hovering in front of it as he saw Faye approach with mouth open. Her blond hair was flying every direction in the wind from his wings. He put his head forward, right next to the sill. “Step onto me.”

She hesitated but then put a foot forward, crouching. She stepped onto his nose and then reached out with a hand, coming fully out of the window to rest on him. Then she promptly lost her balance and screamed as she fell forward, toppling into open air.

He swooped and caught her in his talons, holding her close. “You didn’t think I would drop you, did you?” He lifted into the air with her, watching as the other dragons transformed to join him. “I told you I’m never going to let you down.”

She hugged his talon with her tiny arms, and he grinned. “I trust you. At least I hope I do. After all, I mated you.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to talk about your change of heart when we get back.”

“It wasn’t a change of heart,” she said. “You were right that I always felt that way. But it was just… It took nearly losing you to realize that.”

He understood. “All right. Let’s go home.” As they flew from the castle, he felt eyes watching him and looked back to see someone standing at the window from which Faye had jumped.

A robed figure. Probably Aegis.

For a second, he wanted to call out to him. Then the robed figure turned and disappeared from view, and Red put it out of his mind.

The Aegis thing was a mystery for another day.

Right now was all about him and his mate.

R
ed was
grateful for the other dragons’ help, but right now, he just wanted to be alone with his mate, so he telepathically communicated with them to make sure they could handle the rest and then flew back home with his mate.

Not to the mansion, though he now had pleasant memories there as well.

No, back to where it all had started, the tiny apartments where they’d first met.

He made himself invisible as they came out of the clouds to land on the rooftop together. Then he set her down, shifted, and pulled her into his arms without skipping a beat.

It felt like he could breathe again, now that he was holding her.

She pulled back and then kissed him, taking his mouth in a hard, aggressive way she never had before. He felt his whole body melt into her embrace, and a growl escaped his throat as her hands twisted in his hair.

“I found out I’m a whole lot more possessive than I thought,” she said breathlessly, between kisses. She kissed down his jaw, over his neck. “Sapphire is going to have to guard that bitch when I’m around, because as far as I’m concerned, just being on ice isn’t punishment enough for her.”

“Let the others take care of it,” he said. “I’m with my mate for the first time.” He pulled back to look at her, holding her hands in his. She was so small, so curvy, so brave. “Did you only do it because you were worried?”

“No,” she said. “I was just being stubborn. I wasn’t trying to. But when you sacrificed yourself for me, I realized how stupid I was to doubt you. It’s just hard not to be reflexively scared after what happened. After I had such bad judgment.”

“You didn’t have bad judgment,” he said. “You had a bad man. And I’m going to work every day to make you forget him.”

“Already forgotten,” she said. “I already decided to focus on the future and stop looking into the past. Sometimes feelings will still trigger me, but the responsibility is on me, not you, to reassure myself things are different.”

“I’ll still do my best to make things easy for you,” he said, brushing her hair back as wind whipped around them.

It felt so cool there, on top of the world, far away from anyone who could reach them.

“I could make love to you right here,” he said, whispering close to her ear, just louder than the wind. “Turns me on so much that you’re my mate.”

She turned her back into his chest, pulling his arm down and around her as she leaned into him, enjoying his heat. “Me too. I should have just given in earlier.”

His hands covered her arms, stroking over the silky skin. “Is it too soon to do it again?”

She shook her head. “I’m never going to feel that way with you. I can’t get enough.” She giggled when she thought of the last time. “How on earth did you think to go from behind?”

“It just seemed like a way to be so close to you.” He nuzzled her neck. “Plus, I loved the access to your body.” His hands squeezed hers. “How well I could feel you.”

“It’s like from the first time I was with you, I forgot to be scared.”

“That’s how it should be,” he said. “Every single time. So good you can’t feel anything but pleasure.”

She smiled. “I’m getting that the more I’m with you.”

“So my place or yours?” he asked, scooping her up in his arms.

“Wait,” she squeaked. “People will see.”

He scoffed. “I’m a dragon. What do I care?” He smirked. “Plus, I have my powers back. If Douchey McDoucherton comes back, I can burn him to a crisp.”

“Um, please don’t,” she said.

“Fine, burn his eyebrows off and kick his ass.” He relented.

“That works.”

“Hey, how come you want me to burn my attacker to a crisp, but not yours?” He furrowed his brows as he took the stairs down to their floor.

She swallowed. “Because he’s weak. Little. He can’t threaten us anymore.”

Red nodded. “Damn straight. Plus, we’re moving.”

She looked nervous for a second, and he knew what she was thinking about without even reading her thoughts.

“I know he left you with debts,” he said. “I promise to pay those off so you never have to think about them. And then I’ll write him a note with a very clear warning about what will happen if he ever comes near you again.”

She rested her head against him, little curls everywhere. “Okay. I guess I’ll let you take care of everything.”

“Hell yeah,” he said when they reached her door, and he set her down to unlock it. Then he picked her up and kicked his way in, splintering the wood. “Before you, I never wanted responsibility. With you, it’s like I can’t get enough of it.”

She grinned. “Um, the door?”

He looked at it. “Yeah, I guess I better do something about it. What we do together is for us and us alone. But you should start thinking about where you want to live with me. What you want to buy. We can have anything.” He sighed. “Can you imagine if I had stocks back then instead of a cave of treasure?” He shook his head as he shoved the door back into place and melted the metal to lock it in place. “That’d be crazy.”

She looked at the door, still in awe of his powers. “Yeah,” she said faintly. “Crazy.”

“No, crazy is what I’m going to do to you in bed,” he said, picking her up and almost running to the bedroom.

When they got there, he plopped her on the bed and crawled over her like a feral cat. Then he spun her around under him so his head was at the apex of her legs. “Mm, just where I like to be.”

She gasped, writhing. “That was fast.”

He took her hands and held them out to the sides and placed a kiss on her, right through her pants. She shuddered, and he smiled. “Mmm, I don’t even know where to begin. I could do everything.”

“Is this sixty-nine?” she asked. “Because I like the view.”

He lifted himself slightly. “Sure, but don’t do anything. This one is all me.” He took her zipper in his teeth and slid it up, letting his lips graze every inch of panties as he opened her pants.

He let his breath linger on her sexy underwear and then tore it away with his teeth, using an extra-sharp dragon canine.

“You’re ravenous,” she said, pulling her hands away from him to cover her face. “So embarrassing.”

“I’ve seen every part of you,” he said, sliding her jeans up over her hips and legs, baring her from the waist down. “And every part is beautiful.” He nipped at her skin here and there, enjoying the way she jumped, the way her fragrance lit the air.

It felt so good doing this with no part of him locked away. Free to be wholly himself.

He breathed over her clit, inhaling her fragrance, and then flicked out his tongue to swirl around it. “Delicious.”

“Oh,” she squeaked. “I can’t watch.”

He flipped around so he was straddling her and pulled both her arms together and over her head. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes…?”

He kissed her, keeping her arms pinned as she writhed in pleasure, dipping deep into her mouth, enjoying the muffled sounds she made. Then he pulled back, using his free hand to run a claw down the center of her shirt, cutting it and the bra underneath straight down.

He pulled off the rest of her clothing as she struggled to free her hands. “Ah-ah,” he said. “I’ll buy you more. Whatever you want. Right now, don’t hide from me.” He eyed her predatorily, high on the pleasure in the air. The heat in her gorgeous blue eyes. The damp glow of her silky skin.

He breathed in deeply. “You smell amazing.”

“Ew, no, don’t talk about it.”

“Like roses,” he said. “And musk. And everything I love.” He kept her hands trapped and trailed kisses down her soft stomach, feeling it flutter beneath his lips. He cupped it with one hand, loving the way it gave for him. The roundness there.

He growled. “I need both my hands.” He looked at her and then the bed. “Do you really trust me?”

She nodded, flushed with pleasure, and he grabbed one of the remnants of her shirt, bound her hands with it, and then tied them to the top bed rail.

She tested it, struggling slightly, and he came forward to give her a biting, sucking kiss right on the sensitive spot below her ear, making her scream and clench her legs together.

He grinned as he spread her legs and trailed his hand between them, his body easily overpowering her much smaller one. His lips still playing at her ear, biting and sucking her earlobe, running over her delicate shell as her moans grew more frantic with each stroke of his hand.

She was so wet and delicious against his fingers, and he could feel himself coming more and more alive with every hitch of her breath, every desperate moan, every squirm of her body against what he was doing to her.

His hand kept playing, dipping into her folds, trailing softly over her clit, and then pushing down hard as his other hand grasped her breast, thumbing her nipple in time with her clit. And then he kissed her on the mouth, deeply, and her whole body gave way under the onslaught of sensation, and she screamed his name as she arched in release.

He leaned back in pure pleasure, just hearing her go. But before the trembling had subsided, he was at it again. This time laving her with his tongue. Penetrating her the way he would with his dick when he was ready. By the time he was done, he would own her everywhere. His hand played at her clit as his tongue dove inside her heated wetness, and his other hand stroked over her knee, tickling it and making her move.

She was still finishing her release, and he could feel the pulses against his lips and tongue.

He looked up to see her flushed, exhausted, straining against her bonds, but more pleased than he’d ever seen her. He’d been right in that she was made to be gratified. Made to put her pleasure in his hands. And he was going to see she had more of it than she thought she could stand.

She let out a breath of relief as he observed her, giving her a break, but then he dove back in, his finger playing wickedly as his tongue began again, thrusting up and in against her. Then he switched, laving her clit as he reached inside with one and then two fingers. She jerked when he stroked up against the rough spot in front that gave her so much pleasure during sex.

Stroked it over and over as she began to gasp out little moans again.

“That’s it, beautiful,” he said, speeding up the pace. “Everything you can take I’m going to give you.” His fingers dove expertly, tweaking and rubbing until her body was so tight, so strained he didn’t think she could go any further. Her legs were clenched around him, her whole body poised on the edge of something wonderful.

He slid up and over her and kissed her lips, putting his thigh between her legs to take her the last millimeter over the edge.

She screamed, and he was glad he’d come up so he could feel her entire body against his as she went, rippling and shuddering as she cried out his name again and again.

He’d never hear that enough. But that was fine with him; it meant he got to keep doing this.

“Oh, Red,” she said. “I can’t even. I had no idea—”

“Shh,” he said, covering her lips with his as she rode out the rest of her orgasm. When she was gasping, her body throbbing beneath him, he was ready to be one with her. Couldn’t wait any longer.

He undid her bonds so she could slip her arms around him. “You’ll want to hold on for this one,” he murmured, sliding one hand around her back as he used the other to spread her legs.

She was so wet and ready for him that it took only a second to position himself and slide in so deep he was right to the hilt.

He let out a groan, and she writhed against him.

“More.”

“Yes,” he said. “More and more and more.” He pulled out and thrust in again, hard, confident she could take him, and she reached up and wrapped her legs around his waist as if to hold him there. Such a turn-on.

He nuzzled her neck as he thrust again, feeling her whole body give as she bit into his shoulder. He began to move faster, the slick, wet heat between them driving him crazy, the scent of their lust in the air, the feeling of love as her hands held on to him, trusting him.

The sexy way she’d looked tied. The sexy way she looked now, biting down on her full lower lip, closing her eyes with every full thrust, arching slightly every time he hit her spot, contracting every time he withdrew. He wanted to memorize every split second of this as the best moment of his life.

He sped up, pulling in and out as she jerked against him, her movements wild, her hair splaying over the pillow, curls finally free from any binding. She looked like liquid sunshine. Like all the light in his life was beneath him, in his arms, ready for him.

He reached down to stroke her clit, wanting to double her pleasure, and she let out a little squeal, urging him on. His mouth found her nipple, and he sucked there, too, feeling her body tighten even further. When she finally went, it was with a scream louder than any other, and he felt himself jerk in response just at how hot it sounded.

“Faye, Faye.” He said it over and over as he jerked inside her, feeling the most intense release of his life. As if his entire soul were joining with her. As if everything in him were reaching out to be as close to her as possible. “I love you, Faye.”

“I love you forever,” she said. “I love you so much. Don’t ever forget it.”

He ran his hand over her hair and held her against him as they both finished, still shivering in the aftermath of the strength of it all. The scent of it, the feel of it was still in the air.

She let out a little shudder and fell back on the bed, him on top of her. They were nose to nose, and he kissed her, feeling her heated lips, and then rolled over onto his back, coming out of her.

“Dammit,” he said. “I never want it to end.”

She grinned and rolled on top of him, her gorgeous breasts pressing into his firm chest. “Good thing we can do it as many times as we want. Do dragons live forever?”

“We live a long time, but no, not forever I don’t think.” He nuzzled her nose and put an arm around her, holding her close. “But you know what I think the important thing is?”

“What?” she asked.

“Not how long we live, but what we live for.” He looked at her. “Who we live for.”

She rested her arms on him. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Will you live for me, Faye? Spend our forever together, however long it is?”