Her Dragon: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 2) Page 3

  “Ariana,” I whispered, catching her hand as it crept into my pants.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I swallowed past the ache in my throat. “You deserve better.”

  She screwed her lips to one side and peered up at the ceiling. “Well,” she said slowly. “I could go find Cash…”

  Her words hurt worse than the silver blade that had sliced into me, tainting my blood with its toxins. This time, I couldn’t swallow. I just nodded.

  Ariana laughed softly. “I’m joking, you big idiot.”

  She leaned down and brushed a kiss across my lips, her hair falling against my cheek. Her lovely scent, like jasmine and rain, filled me with a primal longing that reached deeper than the physical, deeper than my pride. My hands moved to her back against my will, and her soft moan of pleasure almost undid me.

  “I’m not at full strength,” I said, tearing away from her. “I can’t… Not like this. Not our first time.”

  “You don’t have to do anything,” she said. “But if you’ll let me, I’ll do something.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as her finger swept back and forth across the edge of my pubic hair.

  “I won’t be any good,” I said, squeezing my eyes closed.

  “Maybe this will make you better,” she said. “Let me?”

  Her hand slid lower, completely into my pants, and her fingers wrapped around my shaft. I sucked in a breath, wanting her so much I couldn’t see straight. My wolf was tearing at my insides, demanding this. She was our mate.

  Not only that, but bonding with a true mate in this way was known to have certain curative and strengthening properties. Although maybe only a fourth of the power it normally would, since I was only fourth of Ariana’s mates. My wolf snarled at the thought, and I backed off, letting him have what he refused to deny.

  “Wow,” Ariana whispered, swallowing as her eyes raised to mine. “You’re… big.”

  I searched her face, looking for signs of fear. “Too big?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve only ever…one time…”

  Fuck. Cash had taken her virginity. She was my mate. Anger and hurt billowed inside me, trembling along my limbs at the knowledge of what he’d taken from me.

  “What’s wrong?” Ariana asked.

  “Nothing,” I said, tucking her hair behind her ear as she frowned down at me with concern. Maybe I was a dick to think that way, but even if I couldn’t help my anger at Cash, I wouldn’t make Ariana feel bad because of it. After all, she was my only mate, but I wasn’t hers. Cash was her mate, too. And just because I’d claimed her first, that didn’t mean she’d cheated.

  I smiled up at her, sliding a hand behind her head and bringing her down for a kiss. “If you don’t want to do something, or you feel uncomfortable, just stop me.”

  “I will.” She sat up, throwing a leg over me so she sat straddling my hips. Her nails raked down my chest, and a sweep of pleasure raced over my skin. My muscles clenched, pain rippling through the wounds that my wolf couldn’t heal, the ones that had been slashed with the silver blade. For those injuries, it would take as long as a human to heal, unless…

  I hadn’t even thought of making love to Ariana. Not out of necessity because I was wounded. Not the first time. I had wanted to do something special for her, to show her how special she was.

  “Ariana,” I said. “You… You’re my mate.”

  “I know.” She leaned down, her mouth finding mine again. Her lips were soft, her scent intoxicating. She teased my lips with her tongue, gently drawing my lower lip between her teeth. She growled, sending an arrow of desire straight to my cock. I opened my lips, sliding my tongue between her lips. Her mouth was warm and wet, her tongue eagerly caressing mine.

  I reached down and grasped the hem of her T-shirt, tugging it up. As if she’d been waiting, Ari sat up, lifted her arms, and swept her shirt off in one quick motion. My wolf glowed with pride at her speed in undressing. Not only because it showed her desire, but because a quick disrobing meant less danger when shifting.

  She smiled, laying her body down on mine carefully, mindful of the angry silver streaks running along my side where the blades had sliced into me. When her bare skin connected with mine, it was the most right feeling I’d ever had. Like everything in the universe had fallen into place; like our bodies were two pieces of the same puzzle falling into place together. My head swam, my chest squeezed, and my cock throbbed. I had to hold back a groan at the power of the sensations coursing through me. I wasn’t usually so emotional.

  When I’d taken over the pack at only eighteen, no one had respected me. Wolves didn’t hand out respect like candy. You had to earn it. And I hadn’t commanded respect yet. I’d been nothing but a pup with a thin skin. That first year, I’d had to fight for my position nearly every week, as wolf after wolf challenged me for my place in the pack. I’d been hardened by the experience, and I’d quickly learned to hide my weaknesses and put up a front. I’d perfected my alpha face, the one that gave nothing away and let no one in.

  Alpha was an especially lonely job for an unmated wolf, since we were social by nature. We needed physical contact like we needed food and air. For ten long years, I’d been searching for my mate, for the person who would truly know me and my wolf. Now I’d found her, and I faced a different kind of challenge, one I hadn’t expected. Letting down my guard was frightening after so long. I’d relied on it to keep me safe, but nothing could keep my heart safe from Ariana. She had stolen it the moment she claimed me, and she would break it however she saw fit.

  My pulse throbbed in my throat as I slid my hands along her sides, marveling at her soft skin, at the sensation of her heart beating against mine. I unhooked her bra and drew it down her arms. She pushed up to remove it and toss it aside, then lowered onto me again, her soft breasts resting against my chest. I ran my hands up her body, drawing her closer before running my thumb across her petal-soft nipple. Ariana let out a soft gasp of pleasure, her nipple pebbling under my touch, and suddenly, my wolf was fighting me for dominance, demanding we take what was ours.

  I rolled sideways and slid down, holding Ariana’s body close and drawing her nipple between my lips. She gave a soft moan, fisting my hair as my tongue tasted her skin. I sucked at the bud, and her body arched against mine, the scent of her arousal filling me with pure and primal lust. It had been a long time since I’d been a pup with urges I couldn’t control, but I didn’t think a woman had ever smelled so incredible, so mouthwateringly eager to be claimed.

  I slid a hand down her belly and into her jeans, unable to resist feeling the arousal that was driving my wolf so crazy. She threw a leg over my hips, opening her thighs for me. The hair on her mound was soft under my fingers, and I parted her lips, sinking my fingers into her slit. Her flesh was hot and slick with her excitement as she squirmed against my fingers, letting me feel how ready she was. With a helpless groan, I slid my fingers further, sinking them into her opening.

  “Maximus,” she gasped as she pulled my face up, capturing my lips with hers.

  “Mmm,” I said, pressing my lips to her soft, beautiful mouth. My fingers dipped into her, straining against her tightness. God, I wanted her. My cock was so hard it hurt, but I wouldn’t rush this.

  “My turn,” she whispered, her hands pressing me back until I rolled onto my back again. She smiled down at me, undoing the button of my pants and sliding her hand inside. My cock throbbed at the touch of her bare hand, at the sight of that mischievous smile twisting her sultry lips. She bit her lip, her eyes widening as she drew me free of my pants.

  My wolf glowed with pride, urging me to impress her further. I pushed him back, knowing this was about more than getting physical. This was Ariana, my precious mate, the only true mate I would ever have. She deserved to have everything and anything she wanted. If Cash had been her first, that meant she’d only done this once, and if I knew Cash, he hadn’t given her a lot of time to play. Wolves were playful and curious by nature
, but dragons? Not so much. They got right to the point.

  “Ari,” I said, covering her hand with mine. “Have you done this before?”

  “Am I doing it wrong?” she asked, a flicker of panic in her eyes.

  “No,” I said with a chuckle that hit the wound in my ribs like a dart. I winced. “I just wanted to tell you that whatever you want to do, whatever you’re comfortable with, don’t be afraid to do it. I know you haven’t had a chance to do that before.”

  She nodded, swallowing. “Show me how?”

  “You’re going to make me explode,” I warned, giving her a small smile before I moved her hand up, showing her how to palm the head of my cock, the pressure and rhythm I liked. When I released her hand, she grinned up at me, her silvery hair falling around her bare shoulders.

  “Like this?”

  I nodded, holding back my wolf who was demanding satisfaction right fucking now. This wasn’t for him. This was for Ariana. When I was full strength, I would let my wolf have his way with hers. Some things, I could compromise, but I was still an alpha, and my wolf would never submit to hers. Not in the bedroom. But if she wanted to make up for the sexual exploration she’d been denied by the bastard who’d enslaved her during the years when the rest of us were figuring it out, I was damn sure going to let her satisfy her curiosity.

  A few minutes later, she leaned down and kissed the head of my cock. It throbbed against her warm, pillowy lips, and I palmed the back of her head, ready for her to open her lips.

  Instead, she teased me by moving up, trailing kisses up my belly, my chest, my neck, until shivers ran through every inch of my body. I pulled her down, her bare skin colliding with mine. She hooked her fingers in the top of her jeans, wiggling as she pushed them down. The pain in my side was the only thing that held me to reality as she bared her beautiful body to me.

  “Ariana,” I rasped.

  “Stop telling me we don’t have to do anything I don’t want,” she said, pushing up on her elbows and looking down at me. The brush of her palms against my stubble magnified the sensation of her hands cupping my face. “I want this, Maximus. I want you. Touching you is like coming home. I don’t care if you’re injured, or weak, or whether its your best day or your worst. I love you.”

  Her words sent a throb of emotion through my chest, silencing even my wolf.

  Ariana leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, then drew her knees up and straightened, reaching for my cock and positioning me at her entrance. The scent of her arousal swelled around us as she slid my cock around her opening, and I had to choke back my wolf before he devoured her. Her wetness drew a drop of my own, and I fumbled to open the bedside table.

  “Wait,” I said. “Condom.”

  She blinked at me like she’d never heard of such a thing. I suddenly wanted to murder Cash.

  “Do shifters have to use those?” she asked. We didn’t get diseases, which she obviously knew. But I didn’t think either of us were ready for wolf pups to join our new family. I might have been waiting for this for a decade, but I wasn’t going to rush it to make up for lost time.

  “Only with me,” I ground out, forcing away my jealousy. I ripped open the package with my teeth and pulled out the condom, despising it in a way I never had before.

  “Can I do it?” she asked, eagerly reaching for it.

  “Like this,” I said, positioning it the right way. As her hands rolled it down my shaft, I decided I didn’t hate it so much after all.

  “Why only you?” she whispered.

  “Because we’re wolves,” I said. “You can’t get pregnant from a dragon, or a bear, or even a human.”

  And then she was pressing down on me, her flesh unyielding at first as it strained to take me in. At last, my tip breached her entrance, and she bit her lip, a smile forming. She sank further while I lay in motionless torture, waiting while she adjusted to my size inside her. My wolf had come back full force, roaring for me to roll over on top and really fuck her.

  After a pause, Ariana began to move, her slickness coating me and letting me slide easily into her tight pussy. I grasped her hips and helped her find her natural rhythm, moving with her to give her more leverage. She let out a soft little moan every time I hit her depth, but she didn’t stop. She moved faster and faster until I thought my wolf would tear through my skin if I didn’t let him have his satisfaction. The pain in my side had disappeared, and I could feel the rightness of our union shimmering along my limbs, sealing us together and bringing me back to full strength. I gripped her thighs, spreading them so I could go deeper.

  Ariana threw her head back, her nails raking down my abs. Without breaking apart, I grabbed her hips and rolled us over in one movement, pinning her hips with mine. Grabbing the edge of the mattress, I drove into her as hard as I could. She cried out her pleasure, arching up, her walls clenching around my shaft. When I drew back, her nails raked along my skin in protest before I thrust forward, sinking every inch into her hungry flesh.

  She cried out again, and waves of pressure pulsed along the length of my cock as an orgasm gripped her body. I ground her into the bed, barely feeling my fingers tearing through the fabric of the mattress. Wrapping her legs around me, she clung to my body, refusing to let me pull out as she came. Little gasps escaped her lips as she cried out again, her sheath fluttering around my cock as I filled her with my own release. Pleasure wracked my body as it joined with hers properly, as a mate should.

  At last, Ariana relaxed her hips under mine, and heat washed over my body as I sank onto her, both of us breathing hard.

  “Wow,” she whispered, pressing her lips to my shoulder. “That was…something.”

  I rested my weight on my elbows and buried my face in her neck, inhaling the scent of her sweat, which only magnified my desire for her. “Something good?” I asked, my voice muffled in a pool of her silver hair.

  I couldn’t help the painful thoughts rolling through my mind, slicing through my heart and my wolf’s. Maybe this was the first time I’d ever fucked my true mate, but it wasn’t the first time she had. It might have been the best orgasm of my life, but that didn’t mean it was the best of hers.

  “Something amazing,” she whispered, smoothing her hand over the back of my head, cradling me closer. “You’re amazing, Maximus.” She pulled my face up, pressing her lips to mine, as if she knew that I was going to ask a question she couldn’t answer. A question like, if I was so amazing, why did she need three other mates?

  5

  Ariana

  When I slipped from bed the next day, the only part of me that wanted to go was my rumbling stomach. I cringed as it let out another roar. Glancing over my shoulder, I pulled my hair out from the confines of Maximus’s oversized, navy blue shirt I’d just slipped on.

  He lay on his stomach with one arm wrapped around his pillow and the other sprawled out where I’d been lying moments ago. He snored softly, his back rising and falling rhythmically. A smile worked its way onto my face as I took my time perusing the sculpted plains of his back and muscled biceps squeezing the soft pillow.

  I sighed. I wanted to climb back into bed, to revel in the heat of his embrace, but my appetite would not be silenced. After the morning before, Maximus’s injuries had been healed more completely, and we’d spent most of the day together when he wasn’t sleeping. I wanted to make sure he got his proper rest before he tried joining the rest of the pack again.

  “All right, all right,” I whispered to my relentless stomach. I turned on my heel and crept to the door as quietly as I could.

  We hadn’t made it to sleep until late, and I wanted to let Maximus rest as long as I could. Hopefully the day and night of good rest had healed him completely, and we could be on our way to bear territory.

  I closed the door softly behind me, cringing when it creaked slightly. I stopped to listen for any change in Maximus’s breathing, but it remained the same.

  I smiled as I made my way down the hall to the stairs. Far more voices than I
was used to hearing drifted up from the living room. My eyebrows furrowed as I descended to find out what was going on. The second I stepped into view, the entire room turned to face me.

  What was that all about?

  I glanced at Owen and Cash, looking uncomfortable with Shira and two other pack members pushing into their space. Jett sat on the longest sofa, a smirk on his face despite the darkness clouding his gaze. If I didn’t know him better, I’d say he was worried about something.

  “What’s going on?” I asked tentatively. No one had spoken since I entered the room. No good mornings, no hellos—just stares. My stomach rolled with unease and my wolf came alive. If she were free, she’d be pacing, huffing out each breath with her hackles raised.

  Shira took a step back from my mates and raised her chin, giving me a haughty look. “Where is our Alpha?” she asked.

  I raised an eyebrow as I descended the last few steps to the smooth wooden floor. “Asleep, as he should be.” I glanced at Owen and Cash, who looked as wary as I felt, and back to Shira. “He needs to heal.”

  Shira’s jaw hardened as she stepped away from my mates and crossed the room to stand in front of me. “What are the other Alphas still doing here?”

  My wolf growled. Was Shira challenging her?

  “They’re here because our Alpha invited them,” I snapped. I couldn’t help glancing at Jett. When had he returned?

  “But why?” Shira growled.

  Tension filled the room as my lips pulled back from my teeth. My fingers itched at my sides and my wolf howled for freedom.

  Jett chuckled. “Haven’t you noticed the Silver Shifter is building her own little harem?”

  I shot a glare his way, but his smug smile didn’t budge. This was not the time to out us to the pack. We hadn’t had the time to discuss what we were going to do about our clans yet. Like Maximus, not everyone would like that I was destined for more than one mate.