Ember (The Dragao 1)

And as I carried her over to our sleeping pallet, I couldn’t draw my gaze from the sight of her. As if she knew I’d always protect her, my mate curled her body closer to me, one of her hands resting on my pectoral muscle, a soft sigh leaving her. My heart was racing like a magnificent beast in my chest, and pure pride and approval filled me.

The fates had given me the most beautiful mate ever imaginable.

I gently laid her upon the furs and went to work taking off the strange pieces of hide I noticed the humans wore on their feet. The bottom of a Dragao’s feet were thick and textured, able to withstand the rocky terrain of the mountains and scorching temperatures of the ground. But upon inspection of the soles of my female’s feet, I could see the skin was smooth and soft, fragile.

I didn’t stop myself from running a finger along the underside, following the line of her delicate arch, smiling when her toes twitched from the act. My mate was receptive to my touch even though she slept.

I covered her with the fur and lifted my hand to rub the center of my chest, this ache settling in deep. It wasn’t painful, more like another presence growing within me, something I hadn’t known I’d needed to survive until this very moment.

And although a Dragao always knew from the very beginning that his mate would complete him wholly, I couldn’t have ever imagined or envisioned it feeling this satisfying.

I made sure the fur was covering her shoulders, made sure she was warm enough, and couldn't help but smile as she snuggled in deeper. Male satisfaction and pride filled me at being able to take care of my mate.

I forced myself to stand and walk away, glancing back at her once more before I made my way down the tunnel toward the entrance of the cave. I wouldn’t leave her. I needed to always be close enough to defend her, but I did have to make sure the other Dragao I’d sensed was not near. Her safety was paramount.

I felt my dragon stir as I came closer to the entrance, his strength filling me with territorial, aggressive power. My beast’s senses were more sensitive, stronger, and more attuned to our surroundings than when I was in this weaker humanlike form. But I stayed as I was, not prepared to leave the cave enough that I’d have been able to shift into my creature.

I stopped right in the entrance, tilting my head back and breathed in hard.

Nothing would be able to get past me. Nothing would survive if they tried to touch my female. I let the warm air of the night wash over me and inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes, sifting through all the different aromas that moved through the air. Although I still smelled the lingering scent of the other male, a growl rising up in me at that fact, the aroma wasn’t any closer to my den.

Opening my eyes and satisfied that the other Dragao wasn’t an immediate threat, I turned, went back into the den, and walked right to the sleeping pallet. I looked down at my female, my erection hard and aching, my balls drawn up tight and full of seed. I made a deep sound from the pit of my gut at the image of draining them and filling her with my cum, of getting her big and swollen with my young.

I knew my sexual need for her would only get more intense, stronger and more demanding the longer it wasn’t fulfilled, the longer she denied me and the mating. But I would not pressure her. I would never force her. Although I craved her with this burning desire inside me that erased all rational thought, she held all power. She was my one and only priority, and if it took days, weeks, years for her to feel comfortable with fully being mine, I had no problem waiting.

And all the while, I would take care of her. I’d kill any threat that dared to come close to her. She was so content and peaceful as she slept, a testament that deep within her she knew I’d forever protect her. I found myself rubbing my chest once more as that warm pleasure filled me.

I shouldn’t have gotten onto the pallet. I shouldn’t have slipped under the furs. And I most definitely shouldn’t have pulled her in close. But I just wanted to hold her. I wanted to have her close to my body, my arms around her, solidifying the fact that this was actually happening and real.

I had finally found my mate, the Cord had woken in me, completing me, and I’d never give her up.

10

Emma

Consciousness was a slow caress over my body. I was in that moment of still being in and out of sleep yet slowly rising to the surface.