Cornering Carmen (12 page)

She is mine,
his dragon snarled.
I claim her.

Gods, what have we done?
Creon muttered to his dragon.
You should not have breathed so much into her. She is too fragile to handle so much dragon’s fire at one time.

My mate,
his dragon snapped out fiercely.

Creon looked down at the peaceful face of his mate as she lay against the pillows. Her face was flushed, her cheeks a rosy red. Her lashes lay like still crescents against her cheeks and a light dew covered her forehead, strands of white-blonde hair darkened from the moisture
laying against it
. He pulled back and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the slight rise and fall of her chest. She had fainted as the last burst of dragon’s fire seared through her.

He frowned as he saw the light smear of dirt on her cheek where she had fallen when she had been hit. He pulled back and quickly removed his clothes before he began undressing her. He would bathe her and prepare her. When she woke the dragon’s fire would burn through her with an intensity that
would frighten
him. Normally, from what he had read from the archives, a warrior would bite his mate several times during the mating process. Each time, the dragon’s fire would increase in intensity, changing his mate on the inside, reshaping her blood, organs, her very essence as a new dragon was born.

His dragon had poured everything he had into that one bite. A soft moan escaped Carmen and she moved restlessly on the bed as the fire began to build. Creon cursed his dragon’s impatience and his inability to control him at times. He quickly scooped Carmen into his arms and moved to the bathing room. He crossed to the huge bath, stepping down the steps and sinking down into the heated water.

His breath caught when Carmen’s eyes suddenly opened to stare up at him silently. Gold flakes mixed with the dark brown now, glowing in the dim light of the bathing room. Her lips parted as if to say something but nothing came out. Her eyes widened, turning a darker gold. She drew in a sharp breath before leaning forward to lock her mouth with his in a kiss that was as possessive of him as his had been earlier for her.

Creon shuddered and ran his hands around her waist moving them up to draw her closer. He paused when he felt movement along her back under her skin. He broke the kiss to look down in shock and concern as he saw the ripple of white, red, pink, and purple scales sliding over her skin. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her nails drawing blood as a wave of fire burst inside her, forcing a low keening cry of need from her throat.

“Please,” she cried out hoarsely. “The fire is burning me.”

“Do not fight it, my beautiful phoenix,” he whispered in awe as he watched the changes in her. “Give yourself to me and I will care for you.”

Carmen started to shake her head, fear clenching her jaw. “What if you leave me?”
She
asked, bright tears burning but never falling.

“Never,” he promised. “You will never be alone again. I swear.”

Carmen fought against the fire burning in her. She wanted to scream from the force of it. A power she didn’t understand was taking over her, changing her, making her into something new, something different. She looked into the eyes of the man who had taken her by surprise. He had fought to break through all the barriers she had erected. He refused to let her give up. Her old life was coming to an end. Her nest was built, ready for her to burn to ash so she could rise and live again.

“Take me,” she finally whispered
,
falling forward until she was wrapped tightly against his body. “Take me, hold me… love me and never let me go,” she said as the tears she had held in for so long finally fell, washing away the pain and grief.

Creon’s heart swelled with love for the strength, beauty, and courage held in the slender body wrapped tightly in his arms.
He turned her gently until she straddled him.
Capturing her lips with his, he gripped her thighs guiding her until she was aligned with his swollen cock and pulled her down as he tilted his hips, impaling her on his long length. He felt Carmen’s fingers sliding along his scalp as she twisted her fingers in his hair to draw him closer as she began rocking back and forth. Her salty tears mixed with their kiss, sealing them together.

“I love you,
mi elila,
” Creon whispered against her lips. “You are my life. I claim you as my true mate. No other may have you. I will live to protect you. You are mine, my beautiful phoenix.”

Carmen refused to look away from the golden eyes of the man who had given her a reason to want to live again. Her eyelids drooped as the flames inside her burned brighter, pulling a deep groan from her as intense pleasure built. She could feel his long, thick cock stroking her deep. The erotic feel of the warm water swirling around them, combined with the hard, sharp thrust as he moved deep inside her was too much.

“Yes,” she panted as her climax built. “YES!” She gasped out as her body exploded around his.

A low growl escaped Creon as he felt her body tighten down on his, fisting his cock as she pulsed around his. She was so beautiful as she came. Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back slightly, exposing the slender column of her throat to him. A look of bliss curved her lips. Unable to resist, he rocked into her harder, faster. Enjoying her gasp as her eyes popped open in shock as her body tightened again.

“Creon,” she breathed out hoarsely. “Oh…” she cried out, gripping his shoulders as her body stiffened again.

“You are mine,” he roared out as his own body answered hers.

Creon’s eyes closed as he felt his seed pulsing deep inside her. He could feel her vaginal walls stroking him, pulling more out of him. Inside, his dragon roared out wanting to see his mate being born. Dragon fire burned his throat again. He didn’t think it possible for there to be any more left inside him but his dragon refused to be sated until he knew his mate was transformed. His eyes popped open, focused on
the pale slender column in front
of him.

Bite!
His dragon roared out determinedly.

It seiz
ed
control once again with a force Creon had never
experienced
before. Midnight scales rippled and his teeth lengthened. His eyes lowered to Carmen’s small, firm breast. Lowering his head, he sank his teeth into the rounded globe. His hands prevented her from jerking away and injuring herself as he once again placed his mark upon her.

“Creon?
” Carmen asked in a confused voice.

Her head jerked down when she felt the sharp pinch, followed by the tug on her left breast. Her eyes widened as she watched Creon suck on it. A small trace of blood ran down one side, slipping down until it dropped into the warm water of the bath. A whimper escaped her as she felt warmth flo
od
it, causing her nipple to swell in response. Soon, the throbbing between her legs match the sucking motion of his mouth as he continued to move back and forth, running his tongue
over
her taut nipple until it became ultra-sensitive.

“You are going to kill me,” she moaned in
a husky voice
as the waves of desire and need built again.

A low rumble was the only respon
se to her moaned words. Need fe
d and grew to an explosive level inside her. She erupted as it crested,
grinding
her hips down against his seeking relief. She felt a slight tug as he released her breast followed by a hot tongue over the
hypersensitive
nipple. Pleasure/pain exploded through her at the sudden release.

Her head fell forward to lay against his shoulder, as shaken sobs ripped from her throat. The world tilted as one strong arm slid down to support her ass as he stood.
Water poured down their bodies that were still attached.
His other arm supported her around her waist, keeping her pressed against his broad chest. She knew he was walking back into the bedroom but she didn’t care. She was a mass of over-sensitive nerves right now unable to function or support her own body. She bit her lip as he pulled out of her trying unsuccessfully to keep the cry of denial from escaping her swollen lips.

“Hush, it has only just begun,” his deep voice whispered quietly against her ear as he laid her down gently on his bed.

Carmen forced her eyes open to stare up in disbelief. “What do you mean, it has only just begun?” She asked in shock.

“The dragon’s fire,” Creon replied
,
pressing a kiss to her shoulder, then her breast, before moving down to her stomach.

“What is the dragon’s fire?” She asked in a strangled voice, staring up at the top of the bed as he continued moving down, pulling one of her legs over his shoulder.

“If the Gods and Goddesses bless us, we will be one when the transformation is done,” his muffled voice said before he latched onto the small, swollen nub between her legs and began feasting.

Carmen arched into his mouth still staring up. The images reflected in the mirrored surface above her showed her everything he was doing to her body. The sight and sound so erotic she couldn’t close her eyes to block them. She saw the image of herself opening like a bloom seeking the sun
for
him. She spread her legs wider, opening to him. Her fingers curled tightly in the covers of the bed. She could see the mark on her left breast. It throbbed, as if his mouth still held it captive. A cry ripped from her throat as her body shattered suddenly. She could feel the force of her orgasm as it exploded out of her. The tugging increased instead of decreasing. Unable to stand it any longer, her fingers released the bedspread and wound in his long hair.

“Stop,” she cried out even as she wrapped her legs around his head, trapping him to her. “Oh God!” She muttered over and over as pleasure washed through her.

Creon pulled back with a soft, rumbling growl. He gripped her thighs, pulling them from around his head and slid his hands up to her waist where he roughly flipped her until she lay on her stomach. Pulling her up onto her knees, he held her around her waist and slid his throbbing cock between the slick, swollen folds until he was buried as far as he could go. He held her tightly, even as she fought against the intrusion against her sensitive core. He bit back a curse as
the waves
of the dragon fire ensnared both of them in its greedy grasp. His hips piston back and forth faster and faster as it burned hotter. Scales rippled over both of them in response, his black scales against her white, red, pink, and purple ones.

Creon’s eyes focused on the spider web of v
ein
s spreading out over her back. The image of the phoenix on her back gave the illusion of movement. Its wings spreading, opening, taking flight. The reds turning to flames while the pink and purple twisted
,
turning and reshaping into a dragon. His throat closed with emotion at the beauty of her transformation.

His body exploded in a kaleidoscope of sparks, bursting in an explosion that left him shaking and gasping for breath. He bent over her body, straining to pour every ounce of his essence, of his love into her.

“Never,” he choked out through a throat thick with emotion. “Never will I leave you.”

Creon lay on his side looking at his mate’s relaxed face. He marveled at her beauty, her strength, and her determination. A smile curved his lips when he noticed there was a slight tremble to his hand. He was in awe of her. She had not shied away from his, or his dragon’s, claim. She had matched him touch for touch, taste for taste, fire with fire throughout the night only to fall into a deep sleep as the moons set and the sun teased the horizon. The smile faded slowly. He would never be able to let her return to her world alone.

During the night, she had haltingly told him about her life before. She talked of her husband, holding nothing back. He was surprised at first at the lack of jealousy he had for the other male. Perhaps it was the sad but peaceful way in which she told him of her life before. The more he learned, the more he was thankful the other male had been there for her. He held her tightly when she told him of how he was murdered and about the man who she had sought vengeance on. And, he comforted her as she tearfully told him of losing the child she and her first mate had conceived due to the injuries she had suffered. He had sworn then and there he would do three things. He would plant his seed inside her, not to replace the child she lost but to fill the emptiness in her heart and arms. He would protect her with every fiber of his, his dragon, and his symbiot’s being. And last, they would return to her world and he would personal
ly
kill the man who had taken so much from her.

His hand moved down to gently touch her flat stomach. The smile slowly grew again as he thought about the fact he had accomplished his first task. Just before the moons set, he had planted his seeds deeply inside her. He felt her dragon stirring in confusion and wonder as the twin tiny lights sparked to life, anchoring deep inside her womb. Her dragon gave a contented purr before wrapping protectively around them.

My mate,
his dragon purred in delight.
I tell you I claim her.