Forever Rowan (12 page)

His eyes hadn’t cleared yet and she became concerned. They needed Aidan to be in control now that he had his dragon back.

She shouted his name, over and over. “Aidan, please Aidan, come back to me.”

Aidan looked at her through dragon eyes.

“Please Aidan, please.” She cried softly and ran her hand along his strong jaw. His eyes cleared for a moment and his expression filled with pain. “Oh God! Rowan, baby. Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No, you didn’t hurt me, just scared the shit out of me.” She tried to laugh it off without much success.

Aidan felt his eyes change back and forth between reptile and human. He was trying to control himself but was losing the battle.

Fuck. His dragon wanted to claim her again.

“Rowan, my dragon wants his mate again,” he said through clenched teeth as he kissed her chin. “I don’t know how long I can hold him off. He knows your taste and smell and wants to rut inside of you until you can’t move.”

“Oh God.” Her beautiful eyes stared up at him in terror. Goddammit, he was a fuckin’ animal and she finally saw the reality of what he was. Fear--the one thing he never wanted to see in her eyes when she looked at him--it was there now.

He jumped off of her, going to the corner of the shower stall. He turned on the cold water, driving away the heated need his dragon was trying to push out of him. With his face to the wall he said nothing. What could he say? That he normally didn’t act like this. That the fact that his dragon had been suppressed turned him into a raving beast.

That he had just fucked her like a madman and was ready to go again and again until they passed out from exhaustion. His dragon spirit was gnashing its pointy teeth for him to pull her into the shower. It was the first time in the were’s life that his beast scared him.

Rowan rose on shaky legs. He looked so alone, so hurt, and she realized he was barely hanging on to his control. She hadn’t been scared so much as startled by the change in his eyes, the hardening of his flesh and the slight blue cast to his skin. He was beautiful. When she looked upon him her only thought was that he was the most magnificent male in the world. When he’d lain within her, she felt so safe, so cherished. Now he was in the shower stall, trying to climb the walls to get away from her.

She knew how he thought of himself. She’d seen it with that incredible exchange during sex. His self hatred was not so different than her own. They shared a unique bond, blaming themselves for their own shortcomings, for circumstances they couldn’t change.

She cautiously approached his trembling form. Allowing her hand to touch his strong back, she ran circles around the stiff muscles housed there. She ignored him when he flinched and just continued to stroke him. She hummed to him, just as he had to soothe her. Of course she didn’t know any Irish lullabies and instead hummed whatever came to mind. His skin loosened a bit, his breathing regulated.

He turned to her with reptilian yellow-green eyes. She kissed him in the middle of his chest. Scooping her up, he stormed from the bathroom and plopped her on the bed.

“Aidan, Aidan the camera.” She cried as he started to descend over her. Grabbing the blanket, he chucked it up and over the camera, obscuring them from view.

He jumped into the bed; it sank from his sudden invasion. Rowan opened her thighs and he placed himself between them.

“I don’t ever want you to be frightened of me.” He whispered as he ran butterfly kisses along her shoulders.

“I was shocked, not scared. Never scared. I know you’ll never harm me.”

“This I swear. I will never let harm befall you.” He kissed her lips. He went slowly, driving her crazy with every touch of his fingertips along her skin.

Aidan slipped down the long length of her body, kissing and nibbling as he went, blocking as much of his dragon as possible so he could take his time and ready Rowan to take him again. He licked the inner curve of her knee, along the slope of her calf and back up to her full thigh, worshipping every inch of his mate’s skin. He repeated it on her other leg, going as slowly with this one as the first. Dipping his tongue into her belly button, he circled it fully.

He turned her over onto her tummy. She tried to protest but he wouldn’t allow it. He set about tracing each and every scar on her. From calf to neck he slowly loved all the parts of her, from the smooth to the roughened edges.

His hands massaged her roughly, and caressed her lightly along her pale body. He loved his warrior woman, and was proud of every scar she’d borne for her sisters. He idly wondered if they were as appreciative as he was. Jenna adored Rowan, her pain when she discovered Rowan hadn’t escaped with her had been devastating.

She’d begged Aidan and the others to help get her away from this hellish place. He understood Jenna’s reasons now. A sharp pang of guilt stabbed him as he loved her body. He’d refused to help Jenna, didn’t understand the need to help yet another human. He’d been so fuckin’ blinded, by his hate, by his own prejudices. The woman lying underneath him was the epitome of strength and love. She put him to shame. All of his regrets and pain seemed so small compared to the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her sadistic father. He would spend the rest of his life worshipping his female, the way a woman should be.

Moving slowly up her body, he again nestled tightly between her thighs. He felt her readiness as she raised her hips and pressed against his legs.

“
Ta gra agam ort
.”
I love you
he boldly told her as his lips touched hers and he slid home into her warm, waiting body. He’d never said those words to another outside of his family. He never thought he would ever feel this way. It had brought him to his knees, in such a short period of time. He knew without a doubt that the Great Dragon knew he needed this woman. He’d never realized how lost he was until the moment he’d lay with her, until he witnessed her strength, her determination and her awesome will. This was a day of revelation, the day of his rebirth. The spirit of his wife cleansed him.

She closed her eyes as he pushed into her. One thing about freeing his dragon, it increased his already large organ, stretching her further than before. He took it slow and easy, though, kissing her and whispering in Gaelic. His accent was so pronounced as spoke his native tongue. He knew she didn’t understand a word he was saying, but he hoped she felt it in the way he touched her, in the way his body shook with each stroke into her.

She finally opened her eyes to him. He knew his were still the reptilian yellow-green color; it always took a while for them to return to normal. She didn’t look away, just the opposite--she held his gaze with her own. He swallowed the emotion clogging his throat. This was how it felt to be in love. He had no doubt this woman owned his heart. He refused to look past the moment. With her father he didn’t know how much time they really had.

She took a deep breath and wrapped her fingers around his braid.

“I love you Aidan.” He stilled inside of her, cupping her cheek

“I love you Rowan, my wife.” He kissed her gently again and drove into her even harder. She urged him forward, rising to meet each and every deep-seated thrust. Their bodies were surrounded by their combined auras, the deep amethyst darkening their view from the lights. He was cocooned in the cleansing purple. The world only held Rowan and him.

He found her clit and rubbed it as she exploded around him. He continued to pump while she rode it out. Just as her body settled down, he picked up the pace, going even faster than before. Impossibly his cock seemed to expand and lengthen even further, drawing a harsh cry from her at the pleasure-pain of being filled so completely by him.

He opened his mouth, his teeth had grown along with his cock, and he latched onto her shoulder. Her own mouth found her the bite in his shoulder. He waited in anticipation of feeling her little teeth teasing back and forth over his mark. She broke his skin, making him scream her name and ejaculate a second time deep inside of her.

He moved to his side, dragging her into his arms. Gently he stroked her cheek, trying desperately to find the words to honor her.

She frowned at his continued silence. “What’s wrong?

He smiled. “Nothing is wrong. It’s just...” Fuck, he sucked when it came to talking. He couldn’t spout poetry like Nic did, but he needed to tell her how mind blowing it was just to touch her. “Rowan, you take my breath. I never dreamed I would look at you and find my future and all I want to do is stay in this moment forever. I finally get what Nic’s felt since he met Jenna.”

Aidan slid his hand up and down her tummy, across her breasts. Her nipples tightened immediately with his touch. He continued to stroke her, watching her shoulder to make sure the bleeding had stopped. When he kissed her he’d tasted his blood on her tongue and almost lost it again. She bit as well as any female dragon; she’d marked him well. His body seethed with the desire to wed her in front of his clan and lay claim to her in a very public way. No man would even try and sniff in her direction again without being reminded who her mate was.

“Sit up, Rowan,” he told her gently as he stood and grabbed one of the ripped-up t-shirts they’d been using. Tearing a strip off with his teeth, he returned to her side, hugging her tightly.

He ran his hands through the tangle that had become her hair. Dividing it, he smoothed out a large chunk near her temple.

“Rowan, I ask to weave your marriage braid. May I have this honor, wife?”

She placed her smaller hand in his larger one, “I would love for you to.”

He kissed her soundly on the mouth, moving his tongue in and out until he felt his cock rise again.

Taking the chunk of hair, he divided it into three parts and started to weave the braid. As he began the age-old ritual he taught her his family line. Now that she was his wife she would learn all about Dragon lore. It was important since she was human and didn’t know much about their traditions and histories. Their children would be taught their heritage by both parents.

He wanted to be home with his family. He ached with it--all this time he’d foolishly missed them. Now he had Rowan and she would help him bridge that gap. She and Erin. When his parents discovered their only daughter was alive and well, the celebration was going to be momentous. What a party that would be, a wedding and the return of a lost one.

“You’re going to need to teach me to sing those songs of yours when we have kids.” Rowan’s sweet little whisper froze his fingers.
That day would arrive much sooner than she expected.
Even now her scent was almost completely changed. The Dragon hormones were embedded in her body, changing her DNA structure in order for her to carry their young.

Damn, he’d finished the braid. Swearing oaths and sacred sayings with each fold of her hair. He tied off the small end. She was lovely and they were going repeat this ritual at the proper time and place. In a church, with his family’s priest.

He wasn’t about to start keeping secrets from her--even now when it was most dangerous. He settled in behind her, his legs cocooning hers. He wrapped his arms around her middle and spoke softly in her ear.

“Rowan, you carry our child now.”

“What?”

He shushed her, splayed his had wide across her belly where their child lay.

“I said that you are pregnant with our baby.”

He felt her body tremble and held her even tighter.

“How? How could you possibly know?”

Kissing her neck gently he continued in a whisper. “Your scent has changed. Your body has accepted my DNA and is now preparing you to have enough of the right nutrients to feed the baby as it grows inside of you.”

Rowan wrapped her hand around his. “We can’t let my father know.” Pure panic filled her voice.

“I am aware. I think that is why your doctor friend is helping us escape. He knows you’re having a baby and doesn’t want your father to know.”

“He can’t ever know. I will die before I allow him to have our child.”

He bit lightly at her neck. “Don’t ever say that again. You are not allowed to die. No matter what, our child will be born into this world.”

What should have been tears of joy were instead tears of dread and terror as Rowan deflated against Aidan. She was having his baby. She was stuck in this fucking prison. They needed to get out and soon. Her father would never get his hands on her child.

If Erin wasn’t willing to come with them then Rowan would have to leave her here. And oh God! Would Aidan leave Erin behind knowing she was his sister?

“Aidan, what if Erin won’t come with us?” His body stiffened and she sighed. He wasn’t going to leave without the youngest Stone daughter.

“You will leave here when the time is right and not look back. I will find Erin and get out of here.”

“Damn you, Aidan. Don’t do this. I... no,
we
need you,” she cried, pressing her hand into his.

“Mate, I can’t leave a member of my clan. No dragon would abandon another.”

“So you’ll take the chance of getting killed rather than retreating and trying again another time.”

Aidan’s deep sigh tore at her tender heart. “There will be no other time, and you know it. Once we get out of here your father will take Erin into hiding. This is my only chance to get her out and away from him. But I promise you that I will not fail. I will come to you and our baby. Trust me, please.”

Those three simple words defeated her. She trusted her man completely, without reservation. How could she ask him to leave his flesh and blood? If she wasn’t carrying a child she would be saying the very same thing. Erin was her sister as well.

She turned sideways and pressed into his chest. Through tears she spoke. “I do trust you. I will wait for you, but you have to come back to me. I don’t think I can make it without you.”

His finger pushed her chin up, and she looked into his baby blues. ”I promise I will always come back to you.”

They spent the next few hours planning their escape, miraculously guard free. Apparently Stone was giving him plenty of time and privacy to impregnate Rowan.