Dragon Chains by Grace Goodwin

16

Ryker:

Ryker nearly staggered as he shifted from dragon to human form. The relentless pain he’d endured for centuries was gone.

Because of her. Katy. His mate.

Dragon agreed. Fire. Mine. Powerful.

Ryker didn’t argue, the smug sense of happiness the dragon was feeling matching his own. The dragon chains were gone. The magic that had been building, festering, gathering into a storm inside him with no outlet had been tempered. Katy had saved him. Accepted part of his dragon’s magic, his soul. Given Dragon the outlet he needed to remain in control of his mind.

On the hilltop opposite him, Katy raised her hands to the heavens, her body surrounded by black flames that flew around her in a whirlwind larger than the cottage.

No wonder he could barely walk. The shock to his system was intense. His agony, the relentless fire and fury that was his dragon’s magic, the constant struggle to contain the power building and building within his cells…gone. The dragon was quiet. Content. For the first time in his adult life, Ryker was at peace.

All because of the beautiful, giving woman before him. She’d accepted his dragon, accepted him.

His dragon stirred as Ryker stared.

Mine.

Yes, Dragon. She is ours now.

If the dragon could have looked smug, Ryker had no doubt he would. But since the beast was locked inside him at the moment, all he could do was repeat the word Ryker was thinking.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

Shut up, beast. I’m working on it.

Apparently satisfied that Ryker was working toward their shared goal of being as close as possible to their mate, Dragon quieted, leaving Ryker’s very male needs to drive him closer. And closer.

As if on cue, Katy turned to face him as he walked to her. His mate. His life. His soul. She was everything.

She ran to him and leaped into his arms. He wrapped her up tight, vowed he would never let her go.

“What about the flames? Why didn’t the dragon stop them?”

Pure happiness flooded him, and he laughed at her question. She had no idea what she was now. The extent of her power. The gift the dragon had given her. But she would learn, and Ryker would spend the rest of forever teaching her what it meant to be the true mate of a Draquonir. A queen among his people. The chosen female of an ancient dragon.

“The flames are coming from you now, love. They’re coming from you.”

“What?” She looked around them, eyes growing larger and larger as the truth became clear to her. “That’s me?”

“That’s us.”

Her head snapped back, her brown eyes alight with their own power now. Her connection to the dragon was strong. “Ryker, Emily is going to be so mad at me for stealing you.”

“Hush, love. She was not meant to be mine. She will understand. She will be happy for you.”

“But the payment.”

“I already paid for the rest of your mother’s rehabilitation. I have sent Guardians to bring both your sister and your mother to the estate in time for the wedding.”

“Wedding?”

“Dragon and I have claimed you, but I assumed you would want to follow your own traditions? In America I believe you like to have a large white dress and your family in attendance as I vow to love you forever.”

“You love me now?”

“More than life, female. More than life itself.”

“I love you, too. But technically you belong to my sister.”

Ryker laughed. “I torched that damn contract the same day you signed it. Any child we share will be made the old-fashioned way.”

Looking mischievous now, Katy lifted her lips to his and wiggled her backside in his hands, taking advantage of the fact that he still held her off the ground, her legs wrapped around his waist. The black flames still danced around them, but they were smaller now, the tempting bite of magic racing along his skin as he held her. “The old-fashioned way? I don’t believe I know what that is.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. Taking her mouth with his, he took what he wanted, what he needed. Her. Her taste. Her smell. The small whimper at the back of her throat.

With a whisper of magic he removed her clothing, her heated skin pressed to his, black dragonfire dancing between them, around them, sealing them together in a dance older than time itself. Older than dragons.

With one quick movement of his hands on her hips, he lifted her into position and lowered her onto his hard length, sending an extra burst of dragonfire into her as he took her.

Her orgasm slammed into her, her hot core clenching down on his body like a fist.

“Ryker…” His name was a moan on her lips as he pumped into her body, taking her over and over again.

He lowered her to the ground, calling forth a bed of soft grass and flowers to cradle his mate’s back. He followed her down, body buried deep as black fire leaped from her hand to his back, his back to her hip, flickering and dancing around them as if it had a mind of its own.

Perhaps it did. Ryker had never had a mate before. Understood little of what would come in the years ahead. He would need to rely on his dragon and his instincts to take care of their mate.

And care for her he would. Honor her. Worship her body and soul. Cherish and protect her soft heart. She was a treasure, and every legend that existed knew how vehemently dragons guarded their treasure.

She arched her back, lifting her hips, driving him deeper as she used his hair to pull his head to hers. To place her lips on his. To make her own claim.

“You’re mine, Ryker. Mine. You can’t take this back.”

His kiss silenced her. His hips pumped into her with a driving rhythm as he pushed dragonfire into her body, swallowed her screams of pleasure with his kiss.

He held on as long as he could, his need for her driving all thought and reason from his mind. Her tight heat gripped his cock, driving him wild. Her flame, the black flame that would seal them together forever, moved over and through his body like a lover’s caress, Katy’s sensuality, her passion, her love touching him in every cell. Healing him. Making him whole.

He gave himself to the pleasure of her body and knew he was home.