Aiding the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 7)

No, I just want to win.

Losing wouldn’t be so bad, his dragon said. After all, we can see her every night.

Aaron was careful to keep his thoughts focused on the task and not what could happen if he saw her every evening. If she sees us as weak, then she might send us home. Italy made us softer than I realized.

We’re not soft. Now stop chatting and let’s win this round.

Aaron would usually point out his dragon had started the conversation, but instead, he embraced his dragon’s senses. There was no sweet female scent in the air and no gold hide glinting in the weak sunlight. While the densest woods were near the former human castle, Aaron didn’t think Teagan would go near them just in case any humans were around; two dragons fighting, even near a dragon clan’s lands, would probably earn a reprimand or even a punishment from the Irish DDA.

And considering Aaron was in Ireland without an official visitation pass, he might end up in jail.

Looking farther afield, he also spotted a small island in the middle of the lake covered in trees, but that would severely limit her escape options.

However, there was a denser field of trees a mile or so ahead, away from the castle grounds.

Careful to remain downwind as much as possible, he made his way toward them. Teagan may have shifted back to her human form despite her rules, but Aaron was going to remain a dragon. That would give him the advantage, even if he had to crash through the trees and possibly break a bone or two to capture her.

His dragon grunted. No breaking bones. We’ll be no good to her then.

If it means we win one round, then it’ll be worth it.

Why do you care so much about her approval?

Can we talk about this later? I have a female to find.

His beast fell silent, and Aaron looked for any broken trees or unusual movement beneath him.

On closer inspection, many of the trees were too short to hide a full-grown dragon. But some of the ones slanted on a hill could be deceiving. The curve of their trunks could possibly create a big enough space for Teagan to lay in wait.

He hovered above a large hill, using the wind currents when possible to conserve his energy. The scent of female hit his nose and he moved a fraction lower to the treetops. The smell intensified from the area directly below him.

The scent marking could be a trap, but as it continued to invade Aaron’s senses, she had to be below him or the scent would have dissipated already. It wasn’t as if she were carrying around a sack of worn clothing to mislead him.

Spying his best opening, Aaron folded his wings and dropped down between the trees. One crashed into his right side, but he paid it no attention. His eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, but he didn’t spot any sign of golden hide. Fuck. Just as he looked up to find his best way out, Teagan’s naked human form jumped out. She caught his neck with her arms and slid around to his back. In a split second, she had a talon extended and against his artery once more, but fuck if he’d lose again.

He imagined his form shrinking down to a human. As his form changed shape, Teagan landed with an oomph next to him, facedown; she’d probably had the wind knocked out of her.

He didn’t waste any time, and the second he stood in his human form again, he lunged to cover her body with his. With adrenaline pumping through his body, he didn’t pay attention to her naked back and arse against him.

Wrapping an elbow around her neck and grabbing a fistful of hair, he gently tugged her head back. “You lose. Cede to me.”

With a growl, she rocked her head back and hit his chin. He loosened his grip at the quick, sharp pain and Teagan managed to roll them both over. She quickly moved to straddle his neck between her thighs and reached back to grab his thumbs. As she pulled his thumbs farther back in the wrong direction, he grunted. She was going to fucking break his fingers.

Yet between her flashing pupils and her heaving chest above him, Aaron almost wanted to lose if it meant he could stare at Teagan’s supple body a minute longer.

Then his beast roared inside his head. No. We win this time.

The words snapped Aaron back to reality. He swung his legs up and around Teagan’s neck before pulling her down. She released her grip and Aaron flipped until he had her belly to the ground. He tugged her wrists behind her and dug his knee into her back. For good measure, he tugged her arms a little more until she grunted. He growled, “I win this round. Cede.”

For a few beats, only the sound of their labored breathing filled the air. Then Aaron leaned a bit more of his weight into Teagan’s back. She cried out, and his every instinct wanted to release her and examine her to ensure she wasn’t hurt.

But giving up wouldn’t help her prepare for a possible challenge. The other Irish clan leaders sure as hell wouldn’t stop to check for injuries.

He gripped her wrists tighter and yanked a little more. “Admit defeat and we go to the tie-breaker round. Me observing you in action will only help you in the long run.”

Teagan relaxed under his body. “Fine, then you win this one.”

Aaron released her and stood. As she rolled over, he offered a hand, and she took it.