Hate by K.A Knight

Ihop right into the council’s nest, straight to the dungeons below where the dragon insists we are needed. We end up in a hallway and he whirls to me, his eyes flashing purposefully as he barrels towards me. Laughing, I dodge his outstretched hands. “What about your mate?” I remind him, and he stops, frozen in indecision before turning and storming away.

I follow after him, whistling, when suddenly, I stop. I bend over, gasping. Such power fills me, calls to me, courses through me. Lifting my head, I meet the dragon’s gaze. “Your mate, what is she?” I demand.

“A skinwalker,” he answers, frowning.

“No, something down here is much stronger, so much stronger.” I grab him in a blink and hop us to the location of the power, needing to know.

We arrive in a cell that smells of blood, sex, and pain, all my favourite things. That’s when I see her—the woman who called me forth from my slumber, who slipped inside my mind, who restored me. She’s so small, her blonde hair wrapped over a bare, pale shoulder, with a curvy body that men would fall to the floor and worship. She seems harmless as I melt into the shadows to watch her, keeping the dragon trapped with me. But then those black eyes turn my way, and in those depths I see the same hate, rage, and need for violence that swirls inside me.

I suck in a breath, aching to reach through the mist to grab her and hop her away. Take her back to my home and lock her there with me as I peel back what makes this little woman affect me so, to see if she tastes as sweet as she looks. Her eyes flicker away and I want to roar, to drag them back to me…only then do I realise there are others in the room. I was so distracted by her, so taken aback, everything else had faded.

There are three.

I sniff the air—a fallen, a vampire, and a...minotaur. Interesting.

Just then the dragon struggles in the mist and somehow breaks through. Panting, he bursts into the room as I stay in the shadows, observing as he strides towards the woman I can’t seem to look away from. I actually growl when he grabs her and swings her around in an arc.

She giggles, seeming overjoyed. “Aska! You made it!”

“I told you I would, Neriso,” he murmurs, and then lets her slide down his body, still holding her in the air as his lips meet hers. I see red, wanting to rip the world apart, to kill the dragon who, a moment ago, had amused me. My nails dig into the wall as I debate ripping him away from her, but then he pulls back and I have never seen such joy, such happiness. “My mate, I finally have you.”

Mate?

This is his mate?

I should have killed the dragon when I had the chance. I do not share. Not ever. I will find out what the council is doing, kill them if I must, then I will take her from him. She is mine, I feel it now. The pull, the call. Yes, I’ll take her, make her mine. Chain her by my feet as she reveres me, and when I am done or kill her, he can have her body back.

With one last look at them, I hop from the room, intent on killing someone, anyone, to rid myself of this anger, this pure, unlimited chaos raging through me, swirling without purpose and needing to be let out.

Because of her.

Dawn grins, resting her forehead against mine. I can feel the others in the room staring, but I do not care. I finally have her in my arms, after everything, we are finally together. She feels so good in my embrace, her lips against mine like the touch of gold against my skin. There is nothing compared to her, our dreamscape was a pale imitation of the beauty of my mate.

“You told me—” She exclaims, kissing me again before pulling away. “That you would tell me what neriso means.”

“I did, didn’t I?” I whisper, staring into those stunning eyes. “Beloved, mine.”

She shivers and wraps her legs around my waist, holding me close, need and happiness warring in her eyes. I feel the same. I have waited so long to feel her touch, to feel her close, and now I have her.

“Draya,” comes a voice, and I growl, tucking her closer as I snarl at the others. A big man with a nose ring holds his hands up and looks from her to me. “I mean no harm, dragon, she is my mate too.”

I run my eyes over him and the long-haired man standing next to him, noticing a tired-looking Griffin leaning against the wall. “Wing man.” I nod seriously.

He snorts and shakes his head. “Didn’t kill you, did they? What a shame. I was hoping they would,” he taunts, but his voice is almost flat, his eyes sad.

“They could try, we both know they wouldn’t succeed.” I puff up. “Where is the god?”

He shrugs. “Upstairs.”

Dawn sighs and Griffin’s face eases. “Vasculo, I will go find clothes for us both and see what havoc you have caused on the other cells, you can…welcome your dragon,” he addresses her softly, then looks at me, his eyes narrowed as some life returns to them. “I will still kill you.”

He rips open the door and leaves. The other two nod at me and look to Dawn, their gazes softening. “Be back soon, Draya,” the big man calls, before following Griffin.

“Try not to kill anyone without me,” the other man tells her with a wink, before closing the door behind him.

We are finally alone.

She runs to me, her eyes holding questions, but staring into that gaze I am wordless. “You and Griffin seem…”

“He is confused on how to act around a king. It is okay, he is learning, he will make a fine servant,” I declare seriously, and she giggles.

“Oh God, you two are going to kill each other.” She laughs. “Then I would have to bring you back.” She shivers, her eyes locked on mine. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispers.

“Nowhere else I would rather be, Neriso,” I state, pulling her closer, noting how she fits so perfectly in my arms. “I am betting we do not have long until your other mates come back.”

“Then we better make the most of it.” She grins, wiggling her eyebrows. I kiss her tenderly before fluttering my lips over each eye.

“Neriso, I have waited thousands of years for you, I can wait a bit longer. Our first time together, my first time with my mate, will not be rushed in a dungeon. It will be on silk sheets when I can show you just why dragons are worshipped.” I cup her cheek. “I want everything between us to be perfect. You have things you need to do, my dragon and I understand that, we will wait.”

“What if I don’t want to?” she whispers, searching my eyes. “What if we don’t survive and I never get to have you?”

I grin, flashing purple eyes at her. “You do not get to die, my beloved. We will survive this because you are too strong not to, too stubborn to die, and you have a king at your side. A minotaur, a fallen, a vampire, a god, and now Lucifer himself. We can handle this.”

“Wait, Lucifer?” She blinks, pulling back, and I roll my eyes.

“Don’t scream that, he won’t let you live it down, and if he offers to hop you somewhere, say no, he’s a mean bastard.”

“I mean...he’s the devil, right? Kinda makes sense.” She huffs and I scowl.

“If he wasn’t, I would have killed him,” I grumble, and she grins.

“Okay, but after…after?” she asks, intently regarding my expression. “Unless you don’t want me anymore?”

“Do not be foolish,” I growl, my dragon leaking through, scales flashing across my body. “I want you more than my next breath, more than I have ever wanted anything, including a crown, including my first shift. You’re the only thing in this world I want, you are what I woke for, what I searched this whole world for, and I intend to have you until the end of time, but first you have a council to stop.”

She groans. “Your fancy talk is hot.”

I ruffle at that, almost puffing up. “Then I will talk fancy, as you say, forever.”

She giggles and kisses me again, moaning into my mouth as I deepen it. Winding my hand into her hair and duelling my tongue with hers, my dragon growls in satisfaction, wanting me to claim her now, so I rip my mouth away just as my phone rings.

Groaning, I pull it from my pocket to see a strange notification. “What in the world?”

Dawn blinks lust-filled eyes and looks at the phone, laughing as she swipes. “It’s called FaceTime, so you can see their face while they talk.”

“Why? Why wouldn’t I just see them in person if I wanted to?” I grumble just as Jean Paul’s face comes on the screen. At this point I am beginning to believe he is doing this on purpose to see my struggle.

“Sir, erm, you are upside down.” He laughs and Dawn plucks the phone from my grip and turns it so he is right side up.

“You must be Dawn!” Jean Paul gushes, pushing his face to the screen. “I am so glad he found you! I can’t wait to meet you!”

“Thanks?” she replies with a small smile, as Jean Paul looks back at me.

“Did you, erm…get your ride with Satan, sir? I am bringing the car now.”

“I did, he was rude.” I huff.

“Leave him a bad rating,” Jean Paul quips, and Dawn giggles as I frown at them both.

“I don’t understand. Rating? As in sexually? I didn’t have sexual relations with Satan!” I almost yell, just as the door opens and Griffin strolls in.

“Well, okay, I think the dragon doth protest too much. Vasculo, did you let your little pet suck Satan’s dick?” He laughs.

I narrow my eyes on a chuckling Jean Paul. “I will talk to you later.”

“Yes, sir! Bye, Dawn!” he calls and hangs up, so I pocket the phone.

Dawn slips from my arms and leans against me while her hand reaches for Griffin. He takes it and lets her pull him closer, throwing me a glare which I return.

“I did not suck Satan’s...I did not!” I gripe, making them both laugh.

“If you say so, wing boy,” Griffin taunts. “I wondered how you got the sleeping council to come, now I know...in more ways than one.”

“You two behave, or when this is over, I’ll make you share a bed. Griffin, baby, did you find me some clothes?” she asks sweetly.

He ignores me and looks at her, his eyes swirling. “Yes, though I do prefer you naked.”

“Shush.” She grins and takes the bundle from him. He’s dressed now too, in just some leather pants with his wings out behind him. “Where are Jair and Dume?”

“The minotaur probably went to ram into things and got stuck. Your vamp is still checking cells. Looks like whatever power you unleashed knocked loose all the spells and bindings down here, so all the monsters are going to be free.”

“Good.” She beams as she slips into a dress. It’s silky and red, tight on her body and short with spaghetti straps. She glances down at it then fixes her stare on Griffin. “Do I even want to know where you got this?”

He grins, winking at her. “Probably, you like it when I’m bad.”

“I do,” she agrees and leans up, kissing him. “Thank you, baby, now let’s go get the others. It’s time, let the monsters be free. The council isn’t going to know what hit them.” She twines her hand with his and starts to leave, stopping at the door and looking back at me.

I don’t know where I fit. The others seem to, they’ve been with her and my dreamscapes don’t appear to count, so I don’t know how to fit into her life, but I want to. So badly. When she holds her hand out for me, waiting, I hesitate.

“Take her fucking hand, dragon, or I’ll lock you in here,” Griffin snarls.

I reach out and take it. She squeezes mine as she laces our fingers together, her eyes understanding. “Our whole lives, Aska, but for now, like you said, we have things to do. And I have someone I want to start with first.”

“Who?” I query.

“Someone who touched what wasn’t theirs,” she snarls, her eyes bleeding black and her power rising. Our hair whips all around as her energy rushes down the corridor in a punch. My mate is powerful, that is for sure, and it only seems to be growing.

I can’t wait. She’s the best treasure I have ever found.