Authors: Milly Taiden
TWENTY-THREE
Becca fought hard not to roll her eyes in front of her undesired and unexpected guest.
“I said I’d go, Drayken. There was no need to come.”
He smiled and nodded. “I understand, but with it being just a few days away, I wanted to make sure you would still join us.”
She glanced at Charlotte and bit her tongue when her sister grinned.
“I’ll be there. I promise I’ll show up.”
If he asked her again, she’d throw the piece of cake on her plate at him.
“Wonderful. There is one more thing I wanted to ask. Would you…would you ride on my back?”
She frowned and shot another glance at her sister, who had her eyes wide and shook her head slightly.
“I’m not sure…”
“Think about it,” he suggested. “Just think about it. I have to go, but let me know before our flight.”
He left the house, and she turned to her sister. “What the hell did he mean?”
A new knock sounded from the front door, and she rushed to open it.
She blinked and moved back, watching Aurora’s favorite matchmaker waltz inside.
“Gerri!” Charlotte grinned and ran to hug the older woman. “Thank you for making the time to come over.”
Gerri gave Becca a penetrating look and then shook her head. “Is it really so hard for people to follow instructions?” She sat and huffed. “They ask for mates, I get them mates. Then they fuck it up.”
Becca and Charlotte shared a look before sitting near Gerri. Charlotte leaned forward in her seat. “What’s happened?”
“That dragon!” Gerri snapped. “I have met my share of hard-headed males, but he takes the cake.” She glanced at Becca. “If I didn’t know how you felt about him, I’d kick him off my client list and move on to finding you someone else.”
“Whoa!” Becca said. “Vikter? Has he come to see you?”
Gerri nodded. “Try to keep up, child. Of course he has. A long time ago. Asking me to find his mate. All roads lead to you.” She frowned. “But if he isn’t mated to you, then something went wrong somewhere.”
“I’m not his mate,” Becca said. “He doesn’t even want a relationship with me, much less a long-term commitment. He was very clear about that.”
Gerri growled and slammed her hand on her lap. “Something’s wrong here, and I know it’s not me.” She gave Becca a serious stare. “I will figure this out. And when I do, I will smack some sense into that dragon. You two belong together.”
Nice to hear that, considering he didn’t think so.
* * *
Becca tried to think of a good excuse to not ride with Drayken during first flight. Unfortunately, fear of flying was not a good one, because someone had mentioned to him she’d dove off a cliff a week ago. So, yeah. Lovely.
“Tell him you feel sick,” Charlotte whispered.
“He’ll know I’m lying. He’s a shifter,” Becca muttered.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.” Charlotte walked beside her, appearing perfectly comfortable in this new world.
“I’m just going to tell him the truth, and hopefully he’ll understand I’m not interested.” She stomped on the grass. “Why didn’t you tell me before he showed up that my flying with him was so significant?”
Charlotte shrugged. “I didn’t know you said you’d fly with him. I thought you were going to watch.”
“I was going to watch, from his dragon’s grasp!” she huffed. “Just wait for me back there,” she pointed at a large tree away from the people.
TWENTY-FOUR
The crowds gathered at the edge of a massive cliff where they’d all take off. She moved around people, leaving Charlotte behind, and went in search of Drayken. She found him at the front, speaking to a group of men. She smiled when she caught his attention and motioned for him to come closer.
“Rebecca, I’m so glad you could make it. You’ll love the view from my dragon.”
She pursed her lips and started talking. “I’m sorry, Drayken. I didn’t know the ritual of having a woman fly from your grasp or on your back meant she was special to you. Or that she would be your partner.” She took a breath and went on. “I think you’re a nice guy, but I don’t like you like that.”
Cold fury sparked in his eyes. “I see.”
She’d tried to speak softly, so they weren’t overheard. “I’m sorry.”
Without saying anything else, she rushed through the crowd toward Charlotte, but too many people started to shift, tearing out of their clothes, keeping her rooted to the spot. She watched in awe as every color dragon she could have ever imagined took to the skies. Instead of going back to Charlotte, she ran to the edge of the cliff to watch them fly as a group.
Greens, purples, oranges, red, browns, yellows, blacks, and so many hues and sizes, she had trouble keeping track. She smiled wide, watching the group fly off together. She noticed a red dragon turned around, headed back to the cliff. That person must’ve forgotten something.
She searched for Charlotte, spotting her off to the side. An expression of terror twisted Char’s face. A shadow fell over Rebecca, taking away the sun’s warmth. She whipped around to see the dragon swoop down, much too close. She ran, but was whisked up into the air, caged in massive talons.
“Becca!” Charlotte screamed from the cliff.
Rebecca didn’t attempt anything as stupid as trying to get out of the dragon’s claws. They were really high, and she was already hyperventilating from knowing she could be let loose and fall to her death. She curled her arms around one of the talons and hugged it for dear life with her eyes closed.
It was ironic that she’d been dying to see the Dragosland from the skies, and now that she was getting the chance, she couldn’t open her eyes. The dragon vibrated, and she swore she was going to lose her breakfast. With a sudden dive, the dragon lowered until she was on the top of a tower. She had no idea where, but she wouldn’t be able to get down until he let her.
He loosened his grip on her, shaking her off when she clung to his claw.
She glanced around the little space and then back and the dragon. “You son of a bitch! Get me down from here.”
His reply was to shoot a burst of fire right above her head—not low enough to burn, but enough for her to feel the heat. Great warning.
She didn’t know what to do. There were no cell phones in Aurora. She couldn’t call Charlotte and tell her where she was, not that she knew. There was no GPS, and if there were, she wouldn’t know how to figure it out.
A loud roar sounded behind her. The golden dragon with angry eyes she’d come to know was Vikter shot forward above her head and charged Drayken.
Vikter bit Drayken’s wing. Drayken pulled away, snapping his teeth at Vikter’s dragon.
They fought overhead, slamming into trees. Cracking and crashing sounds of the trunks going down exploded around them.
Vikter bit Drayken’s claw. They tumbled through the air, wings flapping noisily in the wind. Vikter slammed his tail into Drayken’s side, the giant thorns slashing long gouges into the smaller dragon.
She gripped the stones making up the tower. Her heart pumped hard in her chest. She might be pissed as hell at Vikter, but she didn’t want him hurt.
Vikter opened his massive mouth and bit down on Drayken’s foot. Drayken tried to shake him off. They whirled in circles, making Becca dizzy with fear. Drayken thrashed his assault on Vikter. It was horrible, but she wanted Vikter to win.
Drayken swung his tail around, bashing Vikter’s head repeatedly until he released Drayken’s foot.
The massive dragon shot forth, slamming Drayken into the side of a hill. The ground shook. She watched in horror as Drayken pounded his tail into Vikter’s side. Vikter let out an angry roar and snapped scores of teeth on Drayken’s shoulder, striking his tail hard against Drayken’s wings. Vik pummeled again and again, tearing a hole through one of Drayken’s wings.
Drayken braced on the side of the mountain, then shoved Vikter off. The golden dragon’s wing caught in a jumble of trees, keeping him stuck long enough for Drayken to make a getaway.
That rat bastard! She watched him struggle to fly with the hole in his wing. She swung her gaze to where Vikter struggled to get loose. It took a few tries and a lot of growling, but he freed himself.
Settling on the tower, he lowered his head for her to climb. After a few slips and slides, she held tightly, holding on to his horns as best as she could.
He kept the ride smooth. Although she was scared shitless—no seatbelts on a dragon—she managed to keep it together.
Once they arrived at his castle, he set her down in a clearing leading inside. She slid off and watched him shift out of his dragon. She bit her lip to stop herself from gaping. She had a very clear memory of his naked body, but under the light of the sun, his skin sparkled with perspiration. Muscles, corded with tension, flexed and held her entranced.
“Thank you,” she said.
He gave a sharp nod and turned to the castle. She followed after him, trying unsuccessfully not to stare at his sexy ass. She wanted so badly to slap his cheeks that she heard the stinging smack in her mind.
They walked through the door, and a man, who she swore appeared out of thin air, handed Vikter a robe. She glared at the idiot who give him the material to cover his amazing body.
He continued down a hallway, and she still followed. Why? She had no clue. He’d saved her, and that meant something. He entered a room, and she went in. Too late, she realized it was his bedroom.
She stopped a few feet inside. He didn’t. He continued to a massive wall of glass revealing the outdoors.
She bit her lip and watched the robe come off. That’s when she noticed the scratches on his back. She’d been so focused on his ass, she hadn’t seen them. Taking quiet steps, she shut the door behind her and made her way across the room to where he stood.
“Thank you,” she whispered, wanting badly to reach out and touch him.
TWENTY-FIVE
Vikter fought the anger riding his veins. He’d wanted to destroy Drayken. His own family. Even though Drayken told him he hadn’t been looking to harm Becca, Vikter’s dragon didn’t give a fuck. He needed to be dead. If Vikter hadn’t gotten caught up in the tree branches, he’d have killed his cousin.
“You don’t need to thank me,” he said, watching her in the reflection of the window glass.
“Yes, I do. You saved my life,” she glanced at her hands and then at his shoulders. “No one has ever done something like that before.”
“Been abducted by a lot of dragons in the past, have you?”
She jerked her gaze to his head and glared. “No. You know, you’re a real asshole,” she said. “I let go of all the crap you said and try to show appreciation, and you’re still being a jerk.”
He turned to face her. Her eyes widened, her gaze clashing with his. “I’m a jerk?”
She nodded, taking a step to the side. “Yes. You are. I’m a pretty laid-back person, but you’ve managed to piss me off at every turn since I met you.”
“I said you don’t need to thank me, and you don’t. I’d have fought him to my death if it meant saving you,” he stated flatly.
Her brows drew down and she closed the distance between them. “Do you see what you are doing?” She lifted a hand and poked him in the chest with her index finger. “You say shit like that and then tell me you want to keep things casual.”
He grabbed her by the arms and pressed her against the glass. “I can’t give you more than that. It’s impossible.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. “You know something? Fuck you. I’m done trying to understand you. These games you play where you act like you want me more than anyone else, only to push me away? They’re fucking exhausting, and I don’t have the patience for it. I’m going back to Earth.” She wiggled to get out of his hold but couldn’t, so she glared at him harder. “Let. Me. Go.”
He should. He would only make things worse by holding on to her. She needed to distance herself from him. But he didn’t care what he should do at the moment. Fuck being nice. He wanted Becca. Her sweetness and understanding had ensnared his heart. “No.”
She opened her mouth, ready to say something he knew she’d later on regret. His head dropped, his lips taking hers in a hungry kiss—a kiss he’d been unable to ignore since the last time he’d had her body in his grasp.
His need for her felt overwhelming, like he was losing himself without her. Every emotion she pulled out of him had filled him with desperation.
She fought him at first, pushing his body, but her anger redirected the moment he plunged his tongue into her mouth. A soft moan sounded from her. She raked her nails over his shoulders, gripping and squeezing.
Lust hazed his thinking. He yanked at her clothes, tearing at the material and touching her everywhere he could. Their kiss turned wilder, bolder. Tongues mated, he groaned, and she sighed. He cupped the heavy weight of her breasts, grazing his thumbs over her nipples, tightening the tiny buds.
Pulling his mouth from hers, he licked and nipped his way to her tits. She arched her back, offering them to him. He laved her warm skin and sucked a nipple into his mouth.
“Oh, God!” She gripped his short hair with one hand and his shoulder with the other.
There was so much beauty in watching her enjoy his mouth on her breast, sucking and fondling until she squirmed from foot to foot. He let go of her tit, continuing his trek down to her soft belly. He bit the smooth area around her belly button, licking and sucking the little hole.
“Ah, fuck, that feels good,” she mumbled.
He kneeled between her legs, mesmerized by the heat of her pussy and the delectable scent of her desire.
He glanced up and licked his lips. Her beautiful curves glowed with perspiration. He wanted to kiss his way up her body and claim every dip on her.
“Hang on,” he said.
She opened her eyes and looked around until she saw two leather straps hanging to either side of her head. She looped her arms through the openings and gripped the leather tight.
“Vikter,” she moaned. “This will take little effort on your part if you keep me waiting much longer. I’m so close.” She gasped when he ran a finger between her lips into her pussy. “So close.”