Dragon Heat by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 33

Ice put a small piece of roast boar into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. His mom had dished up a huge plate for him. He pushed the food around before spearing a piece of roasted carrot. In truth, he didn’t feel much like eating. He didn’t feel much like anything since Azure had blindsided him.

“Do you want more gravy?” his mom asked, pointing at the stainless-steel jug on the table.

“No thanks. I have plenty.” Ice stuck his fork into another piece of meat. “This is delicious.”

His mother smiled. “You look like you’ve lost weight. Don’t you think he looks like he lost weight, Cyclone?” she asked Ice’s father.

“Leave Ice alone, sweetheart. Let the boy eat in peace.” His father picked up the saltshaker and shook it over his food.

“I worry, dear. It’s okay to worry. That’s what mothers do.” She shrugged, cutting a tiny piece off of her slab of meat.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Ice mumbled.

“It’s just that you look…” she scrutinized him for a second, fork poised halfway to her mouth, “sad,” she finally settled on the right word, putting the slice of meat into her mouth.

“I’m tired. I haven’t been sleeping all that well. I’m not sad.” Who was he kidding? He felt like his heart had been pulled from his chest and then stomped all over by a herd of stampeding bison.

“Why aren’t you sleeping? Is everything okay? Come to think of it, your eyes are bloodshot.” She put her knife and fork down on the plate with a clang.

“Ice said he was okay, Snow. I’m sure he meant it,” his father said, putting a big piece of bloody meat in his mouth. “How is work? I heard your team was way down on kills this week.” He spoke around his food.

“We were missing a team member for a couple of days. We were only four. Azure is…she’s a big part of our team, and we…” he clenched his teeth for a second or two, “missed her.” His throat tightened.

“Oh, Azure. Such a sweet female.” His mother beamed. “She was the one who helped me the other day when I was looking for you. She walked with me and put my mind to rest on a couple of things that have been bugging me of late.” His mother picked up her cutlery.

“Oh?” He looked up at his mother. “What things would those be?”

“This and that.” She waved her fork.

He made a noise to urge her to keep talking.

“She might have assured me that you weren’t avoiding me, which was nice to hear, even though I knew it wasn’t true.”

“I’m sorry about that, Mom.” Something was pinging on his radar. “What else?”

His mom smiled brightly. “I told her how lucky we were to have you. Isn’t that right, Cyclone?”

His father made a noise of agreement.

“We were already older by then…as far as having a whelp is concerned. I told her what a gorgeous baby you were and how you used to beg us for a brother or sister.” Her eyes clouded over. “I would have dearly loved to grant you your wish.”

“I know.” Ice nodded. “I had a great childhood, though. Are you kidding? Two parents who doted on me. I had friends to play with.” He shrugged. “Azure was also an only child. Most of us were.”

“Oh, and I told her how I knew you were purposely avoiding me because I was going to pester you about a mate. That, and grandbabies.”

“What about grandbabies?” The pings grew louder and more frantic inside him.

“Just that your father and I aren’t getting any younger and that we hope you have them soon.” His mom laughed softly. “That I know it’s something you’ve always wanted. That I wish you’d hurry up, already.”

Ice got this sinking sensation. Holy fucking shit!

“Azure assured me that you did, indeed, want kids. Apparently, you’ve spoken about it on numerous occasions. That definitely put my mind at ease. I sometimes wonder if you only say that to appease me.” His mom narrowed her eyes. “What is it, dear? You look like you just saw a ghost. Ice…hon’?”

He put his knife and fork down. No fucking wonder.

“Everything okay, son?” Even his father looked worried.

“I fell in love with someone,” Ice blurted.

“What?” His mother’s eyes widened. “That’s great…but…what’s wrong?”

“Let the boy talk, Snow,” his father said, leaning back in his chair.

“I’m in love with Azure, Mom. I’m totally in love.” Shit! No wonder she said those things. No fucking wonder she pushed him away.

His mother frowned. “Azure, as in…?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“The she-dragon who had the late heat? The one on your team with the pretty eyes. The one I spoke to the other day.” She looked pale. “Nice female,” she muttered. “But…” Her eyes widened.

“Azure can’t have children.” There was a growl to Ice’s voice. One he couldn’t help.

“And you went and told her all of that?” His father was frowning at his mother.

“I need to go,” Ice said. “I need to go and see Azure.”

“Now? You haven’t finished your food. We’re still talking.”

“I need to see my female. I need to set a few things straight.” He was already standing. “I love her, and love is the most important ingredient in a relationship. None of those other things matter.”

“But, Ice…” his mother tried.

His father grabbed his mom’s hand. “You know it’s true, Snow, my love. Look at us as proof of that.”

“We didn’t think we could have whelps,” he heard his mother say behind him.

“And look how we turned out,” his dad spoke gently.

“We turned out just fine.” Ice smiled when he heard his mother say those words. “Good luck, Ice!” she shouted after him.

* * *

“I knowyou’re going to tell me I’m full of hot air. I made my decision, and I’m sticking with it. You can’t talk me out of it.” Azure pushed some of her still damp hair behind her ear and took a sip of her water.

“I understand where you are coming from, but you have to talk to Ice about this.” Azure had told Melina everything. Somehow, she couldn’t keep anything from her nosy human friend.

“Not happening.” Azure shook her head.

“He deserves to know the real reason you broke it off with him.”

“What difference does it make? The outcome will remain the same.” Azure shrugged.

Melina shook her head. “That’s not true. Right now, he thinks that you don’t give a shit, and we both know that isn’t true.”

“It’s better that way. He’ll have an easier time moving on if he thinks I don’t care. I’m leaving things just as they are,” Azure insisted.

“You should—” They both turned to the door when someone knocked on it.

Before Azure could stop her, Melina walked over and opened it. It was Ice. Her heart just about beat right out of her chest. He was even more handsome than she remembered. Those eyes…hauntingly beautiful.

No, wait!

No!

“You can’t be here,” Azure blurted.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Melina said. “Come on in. I was just leaving.” Her friend turned back to her. “Good thing we got you cleaned up when we did,” she whispered, making a face. “Don’t you dare take no for an answer,” she told Ice.

“I don’t intend to.” Ice folded his arms, looking at her with an intensity that almost scared her.

“And for the record…there’s nothing wrong with anal,” Melina threw back at Azure over her shoulder.

Ice frowned, and Azure squeezed her eyes shut, giving her head a shake. Her and her big mouth. Why had she even joked about anal in the first place?

“Um…I’m going to ignore that,” he said.

“Please do. You shouldn’t be here.” She folded her arms. “We said everything there was to say the other day. Again, I’m sorry you got the wrong idea.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

Azure frowned. “It isn’t bullshit. It’s how it is.”

“Thank you for helping my mother. I was just visiting my parents…having lunch with them, actually.”

“How is this even relevant? I don’t mean to be rude, but I was watching a really great movie when Melina barged in here earlier. I’d like to get back to that unless you want a quick rut.” She huffed out a breath. “Oh yes, we can’t because you can’t keep your feelings under control.” Holy dragon wings, but she was being a bitch. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to throw herself at him and beg for forgiveness. She couldn’t! Could. Not. She had to be strong.

“Now I’m really worried.” Ice narrowed his eyes.

“Why would you be worried?”

“Because the female I’m going to spend the rest of my life with can lie to me with such a straight face.”

Her mouth fell open.

“We’re going to cut the bull, Azure. My mother told me about your whole conversation. I know everything. I know why you suddenly changed on me. Why you’re running. I know.”

“You have it wrong.” She had to try.

“I wasn’t born yesterday. I can see that you’re afraid.”

Azure swallowed thickly. “I’m not afraid,” she pushed out.

“You are!” he insisted, taking a step toward her.

“I’m not afraid.” She shook her head. “I don’t want you to make a mistake. I don’t want you to have regrets. You want a family, Ice. I can’t give you one. You need to find a female who can give you what you want.”

“I have a female who gives me everything I want.” He closed the distance between them, not quite touching her. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. Could hear the steady rhythm of his heart. “Love, Azure. That’s what we have…real, true love. What started out as friendship is now so much more. It’s everything to me.”

“What about a family? You said you wanted one.” Her eyes were stinging. Her throat felt clogged.

“I have one. We are a family. You and me…we don’t need more.”

“You want whelps. Don’t try to deny it. You’ve said so on numerous occasions. Your mother told me so. She said that you were a lonely little boy who longed for siblings. Now you won’t be able to have children of your own, either. It’s not fair, and I won’t do that to you.” She shook her head.

“That’s just it, Azure. I wasn’t a lonely little boy. I had plenty of friends. My mother wanted me to have siblings. It was her who longed for a brother or sister for me. It was also her who always said I should take a mate and have loads of whelps. She’s the one who longs to have grandkids.”

She felt everything in her get weighed down. “How can you take that away from her? You should find a nice human, and—”

“I don’t want a human, or anyone else, for that matter. I want you, Azure.” He took her hands. “I love you and only you. I have for a while. It took a knock upside the head to realize it. You and I will be a family together. You are all I will ever need. You also never know…you could have another heat. Even if…” He cocked his head. “What is it?”

Her blood rushed. For a second, she felt like she could barely breathe. “That’s just it, Ice. I don’t know if I can ever go down that road. Even if I had another heat, by some miracle, I’m not sure I could go through with trying for a whelp, with becoming pregnant. I’m too afraid.” Her lip wobbled. She looked down at the ground. “I’m afraid of dying like my mother. I spent many years with a whole lot of guilt over what happened to her. I couldn’t do that to my child. I—”

Azure only realized that she was crying when Ice cupped her chin and lifted her face so that he could look at her. She sniffed. “I’m such a coward,” she whispered. “I’m too afraid.”

“You’re not a coward. You’re one of the bravest people I know.” She noted that he didn’t say female. It warmed her. “I love you. I want to spend my life with you, making you happy because you make me happy. I don’t need children. We can adopt a dog or a cat.”

Azure choked out a laugh, even though she was still crying. “A pet is not the same.”

“I don’t need children, but I do need you, Azure. These last few days have been hell. I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. If anything, it’s solidified my feelings for you. My love for you. I can’t be without you. Now say something because I’m not used to being this sappy.”

She laughed some more. “I quite like it, actually. I might have to leave you more often.”

“No, don’t, please—”

She crushed her mouth to his. Kissing him with everything she had. When they finally pulled apart, they were panting. “I love you too, by the way.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. Don’t you dare scare me like this again.”

“I won’t,” she promised with a hitch in her voice.

They kissed again, tearing at each other’s clothes. And then somehow, they were in her bedroom, dropping back onto her bed. Ice crawled over her, caging her in with his body.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much. Everything about you.”

“Missed you too.” She nipped at his neck.

Ice growled low, pulling her legs up his body. There was no need for any kind of foreplay. Their desperation for one another was at an all-time high.

“Want you,” he growled.

“Yes.” She felt his cock nudge her opening. “Rut me,” she ground out.

Azure yelled as he breached her opening. Ice grunted loudly. “Missed this too.”

“So much.” Her voice sounded breathless.

Ice bottomed out inside her on a low groan that had her belly coiling tight. He stayed deep inside her. Then, using small, precise movements, he fucked her, moving fast. Tiny little thrusts, right there where she needed him. He whispered a curse.

Azure groaned. She cried out, yelling, “Yes…oh yes!” Her tight nubs rubbed against his chest as she arched into him. She could feel that her mouth was wide, her eyes too. “I’m going to… Oh, by the gods!” Her voice shook in time with his punchy movements. That coiling sensation was almost too much. “I’m going…I’m…” Her voice dropped a couple of octaves.

She could hear from the noises he was making that he was close, too. That he was trying to hold on. His jaw was tight. His beautiful eyes were glowing. Their bodies made those wet sounds.

He punched a little deeper, and everything inside her stilled for a few moments. Then she was clamping down on him with her pussy as her body spasmed around his thick girth. She felt his teeth sink into her just as she was coming down, and a second orgasm rocked through her. Her eyes rolled back. The air got caught in her lungs. She bit down on him. The skin at the base of his throat was soft and sensitive.

Ice roared.

Azure screamed, her pussy clenching tighter. He gripped her hair, holding onto it. Ice jerked against her. Her orgasm seemed like it was never-ending. She’d have muscle pain in the morning. Ice groaned her name as he unclamped his mouth.

It was only then that she realized she was still biting him. Azure forced herself to let go.

Ice licked her neck. It stung. He was still moving slowly. “Love you,” he whispered into the shell of her ear. He was panting hard.

She made a noise of agreement. Somehow, she knew that if she tried to talk, it wouldn’t work so well. Not after that.

It was hardcore mating behavior. This was moving fast. It didn’t matter. Not now. Not anymore. Ice loved her. The two of them were going to be a family. She smiled, hugging him close. Her eyes closed in bliss.