Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (21 page)

Karein broke their kiss long enough to give him a look of disbelief. “You have your hand on my dick, and you can still think about fashion?”

He spoke so lowly it would have been frightening had it come from someone else. No, to someone else. Sari would never be scared of his mate, not when he could sense the desire emanating from Karein, smell it in the air, taste it on his lips. Really, he understood the point of Karein’s question. How could Sari even dwell on any other considerations except that of reveling in that desire, bathing himself in it? He must have been insane, but even as he swept his thumb over Karein’s erection, he said, “Suit yourself. I just don’t want half of Draechenburg to see me naked.”

Sari tried to sound nonchalant, but he couldn’t hide his own need, and his voice came out breathless, every word punctuated by a gasp. Karein’s dark gaze flashed with unrestrained lust. “You’re mine.” He practically snarled. “Only mine.”

Karein tore Sari’s garments, pants included. He moved so fast Sari had trouble following his actions, and he was overwhelmed by the hypnotic hurricane of Karein’s lust. When he could think, Karein usually shied away from pushing Sari too far, out of the lingering apprehension that he’d hurt Sari. But not now. Now, his dragon had taken over, and it was roaring to claim Sari. Sari could almost hear its furious cries, and oh, yes, he wanted to be claimed. He wanted Karein’s dick inside him so much he was surprised he hadn’t simply jumped the draechen already.

Karein flipped him on all fours on the grass and squeezed his hip, hard. Following the wordless command and the images he could see in Karein’s mind, Sari spread his legs wide and pushed his ass out. In moments such as these, the mate bond was strongest, guaranteeing that Sari knew exactly what Karein planned. Some people might have thought it would just lead to boredom, but instead, it heightened the anticipation, making him desperate for the moment when that sweet touch would finally come to grant him relief.

Of course, not even when the urgency threatened to burn them both alive did Karein fully forsake his nearly unbearable tendency to keep Sari from harm. Knowing what would likely happen, Sari had brought a small bottle of oil, but it had been in his now-discarded pants, and Jenarra only knew where it had landed, or if it was even usable. However, Karein was nothing if not resourceful. Instead of trying to find the lost lubricant, he just spread Sari’s ass cheeks and licked across Sari’s crease. Sari cried out as pleasure exploded through him, threatening to propel him into an early orgasm far too soon. He blindly clutched at the grass beneath him, but the blades ripped in his palm, doing very little to anchor him. The feel of Karein’s hands on him only made him want more, or rather, all of it. Karein was relentless. He wormed his tongue inside Sari’s body, using it like a little cock to stretch Sari’s channel. The sinful, nearly taboo touch awoke every nerve ending in Sari’s already oversensitized body. He pushed back against Karein, fucking his mate’s face with a lust that he might have once considered too much. Jenarra above, he’d never even thought someone would like doing something like this, but there was no denying that Karein did enjoy it, and a lot. In fact, Sari’s gem was just one of Karein’s fetishes, because half the time, the draechen was always bending him over to rim him or fuck him.

Karein’s amused voice slipped into Sari’s mind.
“I don’t hear you complaining.”

Yeah, like Sari would ever complain about that. Besides, he had his own fascination, with Karein’s dick, so things worked out pretty well if he said so himself. He could imagine it now, the purplish head slipping into Sari’s asshole, the burn and bite of pain that followed, only to be replaced by mind-numbing pleasure. Oh, yes… The sensations were always out of this world and more than Sari could handle.

Fortunately, Sari’s thoughts caused exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. With a growl, Karein lifted his head. “You want to be fucked?” he asked huskily, slapping Sari’s ass. “I’ll give you the fucking of your life.”

Sari felt guilty for manipulating Karein, or would have if moments later, the thick head of his mate’s prick hadn’t nudged at his opening. As it was, he could only congratulate himself for his idea, as instinctual and unintended as it had been. And then, that distant thought melted as his mate’s dick entered him in one single hard thrust.

That initial burn, the sudden fullness, and the overwhelming feelings that always swamped Sari whenever he and Karein made love nearly triggered his orgasm. By some miracle, he managed to hold it back. Meanwhile, Karein stilled inside of him, allowing Sari to get used to his girth. Sari didn’t want to wait anymore, though. He craved exactly what Karein had promised him, to be fucked hard, taken, and branded by his mate, the same way he had been the day of their wedding.

Thankfully, Karein’s legendary composure couldn’t withstand the pressure either. The draechen started to rock in and out of Sari, first slower, then gradually increasing the speed. It was just like Sari had imagined it, only better. As impossible as it might have seemed, every time they spent together was perfect, and yet, their next coupling gained a new layer of complexity, like with each passing second and each breath they took, they loved each other more. Their bond had been strong from the very first moment they’d met, but it grew even more powerful every day. And today was no exception. Even if he was naked on the grass, his channel only superficially lubricated, the entire experience was like Sari’s own personal version of the heavens.

Sari’s brain now worked in a staccato rhythm that followed the pace of Karein’s thrusts.
Yes
. One hard shove struck Sari’s prostate, making stars burst into his vision.
So good.
Karein pulled out his dick and slid back in, the friction massaging the walls of Sari’s channel, stretching him to capacity.
So hot.
Karein’s breath tickled his ear as the draechen leaned over him, holding Sari aloft with one single powerful arm.
Karein.
The draechen buried his face in Sari’s hair like he often liked to do—another of his fetishes—groaning.
Mate.
Over and over, Karein moved in and out of him, the dragon’s hunger flooding Sari through their bond like an all-consuming blaze.
Mate.
The sensual energy that they created together seemed to stop time itself.
Mate.
Sari didn’t even know if he was thinking these things, or if Karein was whispering them to him. It didn’t even matter. They were one.

And then, Karein finally gave them both what they wanted and buried his fangs in Sari’s neck, and one last thought crystallized in Sari’s mind, as bright as the sun rising over Rose Noire and as clear as the Danube as it burst out of the mountain that housed Draechenburg.
Love you.
Again and again, until that was the only thing that remained, the love, carnal, passionate, and yet so pure. Sari’s love for Karein and Karein’s answering feelings propelled them both over the edge as they came together in a supernova of rapture. The wet heat of Karein’s spunk filled Sari’s channel while Karein’s emotions spilled into Sari’s soul through their connection.

For a few beautiful moments, the world ceased to exist outside the union of their bodies and hearts. Their memories and thoughts fully connected, their identities winding together in a single cohesive whole. It couldn’t last—it never did—but even as the high of it began to fade, the emotion never vanished. It settled into a beautiful afterglow that enveloped Sari’s soul like a warm blanket.

Karein slid out of him, and together, they collapsed onto the grass. “Mmm, love you,” Sari said again, this time out loud.

His mate pulled him close, and Sari obediently cuddled to his side. “Love you, too,” Karein answered, petting his hair.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, in comfortable silence, enjoying the lingering buzz of their orgasm. Sadly, they couldn’t remain here forever as Karein had to return to his duties. They’d already lingered in the forest for too long. With great reluctance, Sari pulled away from Karein’s warm embrace. Both of them got up, and it was in that moment that Sari remembered his torn clothing.

Karein snickered. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll carry you directly to our room. The guards will see us approach, but I’ll hold you close so that you won’t be cold and none of your charms are exposed to their eyes.”

As Karein spoke, his gaze swept over Sari’s body. He obviously wanted to sample the charms he’d mentioned again, but sadly, they had no time for that. Instead, Karein started to shift into his dragon form. Meanwhile, Sari went to gather his garments, hoping he could salvage something. Alas, no part of the outfit had survived Karein’s almost wrathful desire, not even the boots. Sari did manage to wipe himself down a little since having spunk leaking out of him while he was carried over the forest wouldn’t be smart or comfortable. He made a bundle out of the unusable clothing since he didn’t want to leave any traces of their presence here.

When he was done, he turned toward his mate. The black dragon patiently waited for him, his tail swaying back and forth, his eyes fixed on Sari with striking eagerness. Fleetingly, Sari thought that right now, the famous prince Shtamakarein Tersain looked like an overgrown puppy.

“A puppy?”
Karein’s outraged voice sounded in his mind.
“You know, for some draechen that would be a severe insult.”

Sari had only meant it jokingly, but it seemed that the random thought had triggered a memory in Karein’s mind.
“But not for you, right?”
he asked.

Karein took Sari and the bundle of clothing in his large paw and answered,
“No. I know better now.”

As Karein launched himself into the air, a flash of Graham Powers slipped into Sari’s mind. He had been fighting for his life with two draechen warriors. No, being compared to a canine shifter—or in this case, a werewolf—was not an insult at all.

“You know, baby, I have a reason for believing the worst of werewolves,”
Karein said.
“It has been on my mind and in my head for as long as I can remember. But now that you’re with me, I can think clearer. You’ve given me new perspective, and I thank you for that.”

“Do you want to change the Directive?”
Sari inquired, curling against Karein’s scaly chest to keep the frigid air from reaching his naked skin. Like he had promised, Karein protected him from the winds at this height. He was strikingly warm, in spite of this reptilian-looking shape, something which Sari was more than grateful for.

“I would, if I could,”
Karein answered.
“But as long as my father is leading, that will never happen. In fact, we have more immediate problems than the Directive right now.”

Sari nodded. He hated having politics intrude on his time with Karein, but the fact that he was blissfully happy with Karein couldn’t change the attitude of the other draechen. It would be irresponsible to say the least if he and Karein lost themselves in their love and forgot about the reasons they’d met in the first place.

He was still musing over this when Karein landed in the large balcony of their room. As they stepped inside, Sari saw a small white box on the table. His heart started beating faster. The box hadn’t been there when they’d left, and he knew exactly what it meant.

As he picked it up, he murmured an incantation his mother had once taught him. The box opened, revealing a flawless white pearl inside. He was just about to use it when he remembered he was still naked, likely with his hair all over the place and looking freshly fucked.

“You look great,” Karein said from behind him, having now shifted in his human form.

One glance at the lecherous grin on Karein’s face told Sari that he had to take a quick bath before speaking to his mother. Pushing past Karein, he hastened into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. It was the quickest cleaning session Sari had ever had. Since moving to Draechenburg, baths had become moments of sensual exploration he shared with Karein. In fact, it was the first time since their mating that Sari had showered alone at all. He half expected that Karein would join him, but the draechen didn’t, obviously respecting Sari’s urgency.

As much as Sari would have enjoyed another quick fuck, he was actually quite worried. He hadn’t expected his mother to send him a message so soon. Maybe she just wanted to see how he was adapting, but somehow, Sari doubted it.

Once he finished with his shower, Sari quickly toweled himself dry and rushed out of the bathroom. Karein was already waiting for him with new clothes to replace the torn ones. At last, after getting dressed in record time and combing his hair as quickly as he could, Sari reached for the pearl for the second time.

The moment he activated it, his mother’s face manifested in front of him, and Sari knew he’d been right to fear a problem. “Your stepmother knows about Caelyn,” she said. “Be wary, Sari. This is only just beginning.”

* * * *

Meanwhile, France

Charlize quietly trailed after her mother, having no clue as to where they were headed. Onyerre had been quiet ever since they had returned from Draechenburg, but Charlize knew better than to question her. She was fairly certain that her mother had been digging around the reason for her father’s skittishness. Onyerre must have found out something, because she’d assembled Charlize and her brothers and explained that they would be going on a little trip.

Her siblings seemed just as curious regarding their destination. Finally, Darian was the one who broke the silence. “If I may, Mother, where are we going?”

“To Eternelle,” Onyerre answered. “I have reasons to believe we’ll find some answers there.”

Charlize had only been to the old fae citadel once or twice. As a member of the fae royal family, she was among the few privileged enough to be informed about it and visit the area with very few restrictions. She’d never had much interest in it because she disliked the idea of stepping on soil that had witnessed so much death. So, before she could stop herself, she asked, “Answers? Regarding what?”