For the Love of Her Dragon (15 page)

He
removed first one leg and then the other, kneading the muscles of her thighs
and setting off a whole new series of tremors in her womb. The smile that
brightened his face was full of satisfaction, and if she was not mistaken,
pride. Always the smartass, she teased, “Proud of yourself there, stud?”

Royce
chuckled and the vibrations, coupled with the way his chest hair tickled her
skin, made her gasp and raise her hips. He winked and his grin turned playful.
“Oh yeah, I’m proud,” he said as he slid two fingers back into her still
weeping channel. Kyra pushed against his fingers and mewled at her renewed
arousal, shocked that she could feel anything after what they had just done.
But her mate was not to be denied and it felt so good to be joined with him
that she rode his hand until they were both panting.

She
whined as Royce removed his fingers, but was relieved when she felt the head of
his erection at her opening. He pushed forward and stopped just inside. Her
hips lifted and her pussy contracted harder and faster, trying to pull him in,
but he held completely still. “Look at me, Kyra,” once again a command, and
once again, she obeyed without question.

“I
need to go slow,
m’aonin
’.
You are tiny
and I will not hurt you.” His hands held her hips still and his gaze darkened.
“I want you more than my next breath” He breathed deeply and she saw sweat
dotting his upper lips as he moved a few inches further inside. She focused on
his eyes and could feel their combined strength. In that moment she knew with
absolute certainty there was nothing they could not achieve as long as they
were together.

He
groaned as she felt the head of his cock touch the mouth of her womb. He was
buried so deep inside of her, she had no idea where she ended and he began, and
she didn’t care. The lines between dream and reality blurred. All that mattered
was that they were together. Together as they were meant to be, together
forever.

“You
are driving me absolutely crazy,” he said through gritted teeth as he gently
pulled out of her only to slowly return. His cock stretched her inner walls,
filling her completely. He was a big man on all accounts and every inch of him
was hers. Unable to stay still any longer, she fought against his hands on her
hips and pulled herself up, nipping at his neck to quicken his pace. When he
refused to speed up, she drove her hands into his hair, scratching his scalp as
she pulled his mouth to hers. He immediately opened to her and she kissed him
with all that she was. She worked her tongue along his, tasting all that he
was, then slid it in and out of his mouth showing him what she wanted him to do
with the cock he now had buried deep inside her.

His
pace quickened but it was nowhere near what she wanted from him. She wanted him
to lose control. She wanted him as crazy for her as she was for him. He had
said he was, but she needed him to show her. She continued her assault almost
to the point of no return when she wrapped her legs around him and lifted her
ass completely from the pallet. The change in position pushed him farther
inside. Her pussy massaged and gripped his throbbing cock. The light in his
eyes turned ravenous as he thrust in and out of her with such force she was
sure they were moving across the dirt floor. Nothing mattered but the man
loving her as no other ever had. Everything was as the Goddess and the Universe
had intended.

They
screamed their mutual release to the Heavens and she saw love in the depths of
her mate’s eyes. A love so pure and true it brought tears to her eyes. She saw
his lips move but couldn’t make out what he was saying and then her world went
black. In the distance she heard an annoying buzz and promised death to whoever
dared to interrupt them.

Reaching
towards the noise, her hand hit a flat, hard surface. Her eyes flew open and
immediately shut again as they were assaulted by the bright light of the
morning sun. Slowly, she opened one eye and then the other, looked at the
ceiling and then the wall in front of her. She grabbed her cell phone and shut
off the alarm, thanking the Heavens for the blessed silence. It was then that
reality kicked her square in the ass. She was in her bed in the little cottage
Rayne and
Kyndel
had let her use. It was morning and
she was alone. Not in the cave on the side of the mountain by the sea with the
man of her dreams. Not making love and letting the world spin on. Nope! The
whole damn thing had been a dream.
Well,
ain’t
that fucking grand?
she
thought.
Even my dreams
are out to get me.

Unwilling
to face the day for at least another thirty minutes, Kyra rolled over and
pulled the covers over her head.
Hope is not only a scary bitch, but she
really fucking sucks
, was her last thought before her cell phone rang and
she was forced to face the day.

CHAPTER FIVE

Royce was
sleep-deprived, frustrated and wanted to be anywhere but where he was headed.
For the fourth night in a row he had dreamt of Kyra. Crazy, erotic, wake up and
relieve yourself in the shower dreams that taunted him throughout the day,
reminding him what an epic failure he was. When his phone rang about fifteen
minutes ago and Lance had told him they were all being summoned to go over a
plan that Max and Kyra had devised, he wanted to scream and throw his phone against
the wall, but then decided that would help absolutely no one and he hated
putting contacts in a new phone. So he had climbed out of bed, taken his
obligatory shower and headed out the door, praying that someone had made a pot
of seriously strong coffee. One good thing had come out of his wake up call…he
now had confirmation that Max’s visit to Kyra’s home the day before had been
completely ‘professional’.

Royce
had ended up at her front door after enough discussions with his brothers to
last three lifetimes, two trips to see Malachi, daily trips to the Garden of
Peace, and just plain missing the friendship he had shared with the mates of
his brethren. Left with no options, he had decided to go over and see if Kyra
would at least talk to him. He hoped she would let him explain that he was
sorry for the things he had said. Pleading insanity had occurred to him if that
was what it took to get her to talk to him.

But
then he had gotten there and the King of The Big Cats had been with her. Royce
had tried to reason that it was all about catching the traitor and the alliance
the dragons shared with the
werepanthers
, and he had
turned to go with the intention of coming back later. Then he had heard Kyra’s
magical laughter and he had walked away, hat in hand, overcome with jealousy.
The next few hours had been spent in the gardens behind the little cottage,
propped against a tree praying to the Universe for guidance in his journey to
seek his mate’s forgiveness and attempt to live the life they were meant to have.

Somewhere
along the way he had heard a voice he thought gone forever…his mother.
Riona
O’Reilly had made her presence known in death the
same way she had in life, with elegance, grace, and a smack to the back of his
big head. At first he had dismissed what he’d heard as a figment of his
imagination, but when the voice practically yelled, “Royce Alan O’Reilly,
mo
mhac
, do
NOT
ignore me!” he had literally ducked to miss the hit he knew from experience
followed those words.

He
had looked as far as he could see for all the blooms and found himself alone.
He shook his head and thought what a shame it was that somewhere along the line
he had lost his mind. After another look around for an explanation of what he’d
heard, he settled back to continue his conversation with the Universe and heard
the voice again. “I
swear
to all that is holy, you have gotten even
more
hard-headed over the years. I am
still your mother
and you
WILL
acknowledge me
!”

He
jumped up, looking for one of the young
vibrias
,
sure that Lance had put her up to messing with him. That damn
pain in the
ass
was always up to something and it was usually at Royce’s expense. After
walking the entire garden, he found no one, or even footsteps that indicated
anyone but him had been there in the last few days. Sitting on the bench on the
other side of the garden, his thoughts quickly returned to his mate and the
mess he’d made of things.
“You’re a fucking idiot,”
he thought, and knew
it was the truth. He was a bone deep, no hope for redemption idiot, with absolutely
no legitimate reason for acting like he had. It was like all the crap of the
past had been blown away the night he arrived home. Yeah, it had sucked on a
level he hadn’t experienced in all his years, but it had also opened his eyes
to the fact that he was holding onto something that should have been reconciled
years ago. All he was left with was the truth that he needed to fix what he had
broken and the knowledge that he had no clue how to do that.

The
first few days had sucked. He had replayed the look on Kyra’s face and all she
had said after the heart-wrenching sob that had shredded his heart over and
over, every time more painful and exponentially more shameful than the first.
He could feel the pain and anguish he had caused the one person in the world
that he was supposed to protect above all others, and he found it hard to face
his reflection in the mirror. The look of utter betrayal in her vibrant violet
eyes haunted him day and night. He felt the vehemence in her words, her
complete and total belief that she would never be seduced by the dark, a belief
that came from deep inside her soul and resonated in his.

All
his other attempts to speak with her had failed. He knew she was avoiding any
place he might be. If he showed up and she was already there, she seemed to
vanish into thin air. He was sure his brethren were helping her stay away from
him, but there was no way he was going to ask. They had just started speaking
to him again and he was not going to bring up the subject of his mate to anyone;
best not to poke the dragons. So he had shown up at her door, only to walk away
empty-handed and lost.

Lost
in thought, he almost fell off the bench when a honey bee had stung his ear. “
Ow
…Shit…
Ow
,” he howled as he
grabbed his ear and then swatted the offending insect. Insects never messed
with his kind, recognizing a larger, more lethal predator on instinct, but that
little guy hadn’t cared. Not willing to leave the solitude of the garden, he
sat back down but watched for anymore of the obviously insane bugs. It was then
that he heard laughter in the breeze and was sure he felt a kiss right on the
spot the bee had stung. It wasn’t until he heard the lullaby his mother always
sang when he and his brothers were hurt or afraid or just needed a reminder that
she loved them more than life itself, that he was sure he had lost his mind,
but actually welcomed the insanity.

“Alright
ma’thair
, I give up. You must be here. Either
that or we will find out if they make straight-jackets in XXXL.”

Once
again he heard his mother’s laughter and this time it warmed his heart. “Yes,
mo
mahc
, I’m here.
Just as I promised to be all those years ago, never far from the treasures of
my heart.”

He
felt the tears well up and refused to let them fall. He was dragon, he was a
Guardsman, and he was strong. As if his mother could read his mind, she
responded, “Yes, you are strong and honest and loyal and everything your father
and I ever hoped you would be, just as your brothers are. We could not be
prouder of you than we are, but tears do not make you weak,
mo
mahc
, on the contrary, they make you strong. They
show you have compassion and you of all people, know that.”

Not
surprised that whatever had allowed his mother to speak to him from the Heavens
had also allowed her the ability to read his heart and mind, he answered, “You
are right,
ma’thair
. I’m sorry.”

“You
have no reason to apologize to me. I’m your mother and it’s my job in this life
and the next to be there for you through the good and the bad. It’s your little
mate that you should be apologizing to. You have hurt her, Royce, hurt her in a
way the
sweetling
should never have had to endure.”

His
head fell forward in shame and all he could choke out was, “I know. But how am
I to accept a witch as a mate?”

“Did
you think that holding on to all that hate and forsaking the one you are
supposed to love above all others would honor my memory? Make me proud? Bring
me back?”

His
mother’s words were like arrows being shot one at a time at his heart, each
hitting their target with increased accuracy. When he spoke it was through
gritted teeth to hold back the need to roar his failure for all to witness, “I
don’t know what I thought. I have no excuse. It happened and now I wish I could
take it back, but that’s just not possible. I want to make amends. Tell her I’m
sorry and ask for another chance, but she won’t even look at me. She even
avoids me.”

“Like
you avoided her and went all the way back to our clan to hide in a cave and
lick the wounds you yourself caused?” his mother countered, and he imagined her
just the way she had looked every time he and his brothers had gotten caught
doing something they shouldn’t. Only this time, it was his entire future on the
line and his mother’s disappointment in him was debilitating in its intensity.
Unable to speak, he merely nodded.

“Royce,
my love, you have to make this right. You cannot live your life alone and
loveless, nor can you condemn that beautiful, vibrant woman to the same fate.
She is your match in every way. Kyra was sent to you because the Universe knows
you better than you know yourself. She is the answer to all the questions you
haven’t even thought to ask and she will heal you in ways you can only imagine.
My dear, sweet boy, she is the answer to every prayer you will ever pray. So
crawl across broken glass if that is what it takes, but make this right for
both your souls.” He felt the caress of the wind on his cheek, like the kisses
he remembered from so long ago, and the tears he had held back wet his cheeks.

“I
know you are right and I can feel that Kyra is all I could ever want or
need…right here,” he laid his hand on his heart. “And I can almost imagine our
future together. Then all the memories of that day come flooding back and it is
just too much to imagine a life with a witch.”

“Royce,
you wound me. Your father and I raised you better than that. Is a witch really
all you see? You really do not see a beautiful woman, with a heart full of love
and the strength to stand by your side no matter what comes your way?”

He
could imagine the look of disappointment in his mother’s eyes and the way she
used to shake her head in disgust. He was just about to speak, when she started
again, and if possible he felt even worse.

“When
have you ever let your head completely rule
any decision
? Why in all of
the Heavens would you simply walk away from the source of all your future
happiness? Royce, this is simply unacceptable.”

The
longer he listened to his mother, the more he realized what a complete idiot he
had been and
knew
it was something he had to rectify as soon as
possible.
Riona
was right. He had literally turned
his back on the greatest gift a dragon shifter could ever receive all because
of his own stupid prejudice. Royce only hoped Kyra would accept him after all
he had done.

When
his mother spoke again, her tone was filled with love and pride. She had heard
his thoughts and she approved. “I love you, my son, now fix this before it is
too late,” and with those last barely audible words, he felt the spirit of his
mother return to the heavens.

He
looked to the sky and whispered, “I will,
ma’thair
,
I promise I will.”

It
was a promise he meant to keep, if only he knew how. He knew Lance had made it
clear that Kyra would be at the meeting for his benefit, and he was well aware
that they would be surrounded by every Guardsmen from both clans and the
werepanthers
along with the mates if the girls had it their
way, so the meeting was not the place to have a personal conversation. He
walked along thinking of all the ways he could get her attention and make her
talk to him and coming up with absolutely nothing, when he was flanked on
either side by his brothers, both sporting shit-eating grins. “You two left the
house early this morning. What’s up?”

“Nothing,”
they answered in unison, and he knew they were both lying, but with all he had
to think about he let it go.

Rian
was the first to break the silence, “So what’s up with the meeting? I was
talking with Carrick when Rayne called.”

“Carrick?
What were you talking to him about?” Royce asked, not hiding his concern.

“Can’t
one Head Elder just talk to another? After all, he has been at this since
before we were born and he was one of father’s closet friends,”
Rian
replied. Royce could tell there was more to it.

Before
he could probe any farther, Rory spoke up, “I see your little witch is in good
company today.” He nodded towards the entrance to the Grande Hall and there was
Max holding the door for a smiling Kyra.

Royce
immediately saw red, or maybe it was green, and his dragon pushed for the man
to stake his claim and run the mangy cat away from their mate. After several
deep breaths, he was able to speak, “She is free to speak to whomever she
likes.”

“Yeah,
you keep telling yourself that, Bro,” Rory chuckled and smacked him on the back
just as they reached a group of his brethren waiting to enter the hall.

Lance
was the first to speak, “Hey, Gramps. How’s it going? You coming to training
after the meeting?”

“I
am,” was all he said as the lingering scent of patchouli and rose petals
assaulted his senses.