A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Of course she did. I cannot believe you doubted her.

As if he hadn’t also been surprised.

I never thought we’d fly again, I thought.

You need to have more faith in our mate.

Power pumped through us as we gained on her, faster than her when moving in a straight line. Through the bond we could feel that Finley and her dragon both felt the adrenaline—they were hoping we’d catch them, and pissed by the inevitability that we would. They hated being outdone but loved that final moment when they submitted and let pleasure carry them away. They didn’t seem to realize this, but I submitted each time too, giving myself to Finley totally. Losing myself in her. Letting control flee, holding on to her as my lifeline to tether me to this place.

My dragon was about to prove the same.

They were just ahead of us now, losing their head start, unable to keep us from closing the distance.

I belatedly noticed other dragons in the air, lazily soaring, watching us play with our little mate. They were giving us plenty of space, either knowing or instinctively feeling that my dragon would give up the game the instant another dragon encroached on his space. He could fight in the air now, which made him exponentially deadlier than he’d been on the ground. He’d always excelled in the air above all things, and he was not shy in proving it.

Finley’s dragon banked right, glancing back, her tail slicing through the air just above.

I’m going to take her here, my dragon thought, a swell of heat and desire pounding through him. In the air. I want her to claim us for the second time, here, on our first flight together.

Does she know how?

If not, she’ll learn.

Instead of following her, he cut the other way and curved backward, swooping up and over his body to twist in the air. He angled and pumped his wings, quickly on her again. She cut down and then swooped to the left, so fucking quick it was unbelievable, but he adjusted—more powerful and experienced—and was on her again, just overhead. He pushed forward a little, but instead of overtaking her, he reached down with his tail and felt just at the base of hers, stroking firmly.

A wave of pleasure rolled through the bond. He’d never fucked another dragon in the air, but we’d heard plenty of stories. Plenty of stories. He might not get things perfect on the first time, but instinct was driving him, giving him ideas of what to try.

Finley’s dragon fluttered her wings, losing a bit of speed, trying to fight the raging desire to get at her alpha dragon. She still wanted to play the game, and I hadn’t missed the nervousness trickling through the bond, but she was desperate for her mate. Always had been. She wanted this with everything that she was. My dragon felt the same way. These two had always wanted each other. Always. Even back when Finley and I were mucking everything up.

Still, keeping up appearances, she pushed ahead again. The sea glimmered in the distance, a beautiful backdrop. Finley’s emotions pumped through our connection, desire tinged with disgust. I would’ve laughed if I could. She didn’t know shifter life, so this would seem very unsavory to her.

She’ll get used to it, my dragon growled.

Finley’s dragon cut right and then tried to twist over her body, copying the maneuver we’d just used. She got halfway, but her wings didn’t flare properly and her body was positioned wrong. A shock of fear coursed through the bond, and she was falling, struggling to right herself. My dragon was there immediately, swooping beneath them and flipping, grabbing her with his teeth and front feet. Twisting over again, he pumped his wings hard, aiming upward, needing altitude.

Her dragon struggled, but just barely. She wasn’t a fool. She didn’t want to be let go and figure out how to stop plummeting to her death.

A strange sort of fervor rose through our middle, echoed in the bond.

Is that the heat? I asked, not recognizing this feeling from the other night.

He didn’t answer me, and soon I felt Finley’s dragon go still within his hold. Finley’s confusion matched mine as the strange feeling flared, throbbing within us like a drumbeat. Fire curled out of my dragon’s nostrils and rolled over Finley’s skin. Still we climbed. Still that throb pounded through us, harder and harder, seeping through them too.

When we were very high, almost unable to breathe in the thin air, my dragon twisted again and let go, falling away. Finley’s dragon caught herself quickly and swooped down to meet us as we righted and pushed back up high.

The pounding feeling reverberated all around us, scraping along our bones, thrumming in our chest. He let out a roar unlike I’d ever heard, sensual and erotic, calling her to him.