Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

PHILIP

I pull back and stare down at Briar. Her body twists with need beneath me, and as much as I want to indulge, I must free her from the witch’s spell. For once, the dragon and I are in accord. Knowing she was controlled this way eases the anger from burning so hot it overtakes us both.

Now, we are able to work together to make little Briar ours officially. Though Master Balcom wrote nothing of what happens between dragons and their mates, I have all the information I’ll ever need in my head and heart. The dragon whispers to me, revealing the secrets of the bond.

That one word. That’s all it took for him to understand what was happening. Out of everything she could have said, it was that one, and I plan to reward her once we are united.

Sliding up her body, I ignore the pain of the thorns as they pierce my flesh. It’s a small price to pay to keep Briar here with me. The moment the physical pain stops, her mind will start to splinter again.

I ease our talons from her skin and lap at the blood sliding down in crimson rivulets. Once my fingers are human again, I brush them over her ass and smile. Already the wounds are closed up. She is pristine once more, the perfect canvas for my destruction.

Sliding my lips over hers, I breathe in her air, stealing it as I press our bodies together. Pain slices through me as the brambles score my skin, but based on what the dragon tells me, those wounds will heal come tomorrow.

I ease my hand behind her head and lift her up so she can look at me. With my free hand, I grip my cock and angle the tip toward her entrance. My gaze locks with her as I slowly ease myself in.

Briar gasps as the sensation washes over her, causing her body to writhe under mine. She feels so small, so helpless underneath me as I push forward, invading her body with my thick cock. This time, the shaft is all mine.

The only part of the dragon I allow during our coupling is the knot at the base. Briar seems to like that part a lot. Smiling against the curve of her neck, I hold her to me as I rock my hips back and forth. Hopefully with the thorns piercing her skin, giving her that agonizing pleasure she needs, I can be gentle with her in this way.

I take my time with her, fucking her slowly as a husband, a mate. Our mate. Easing my fingers between us, I play with her clit, my cock pulsing as her whimpered cries fill the room. A beautiful flush pinkens her cheeks as she strains toward her release.

Her arousal coats my fingers as I tease her, bringing her back to that edge. I’ve tormented her long enough. Easing back, I grip her hip with one hand as the other thrums her clit. I pound into her, slamming my hips into her with such force that she slides back and forth on the bed.

Fuck slow. Fuck gentle. As much as I wanted to take my time with her, the dragon craves a violent fuck. But more than that, our bride, our wife, our mate would want nothing less than wild abandon. She deserves nothing less than the brutal ferocity she craves.

Her inner walls clench around my shaft, fluttering about with each hard thrust. She’s so close. So fucking close. My knot swells, tingling as I piston in and out. With a roar, I slam into her one last time as the knot grows, locking us in place.

My cum shoots into her, bathing her inner walls with my seed. Without stopping, I continue to stroke her a few more times before pinching her clit, sending her hurtling over the edge into her release. Her musical cries flood the room, but I can’t hear them.

All I can hear is the roar of the dragon. Mate. Bond. Seal her to us for eternity.

Bending low, I lap at the juncture where her neck meets her shoulder. As she writhes beneath me, I set my teeth to her skin. A buzz fills my brain, eroding all rational thought. The dragon craves her blood, demands the sacrifice of her life force upon its tongue.

My teeth turn razor-sharp as I bite into her, feeling the skin give way to muscle. Still, I bite. Even as she thrashes about, pressing the thorns deeper into my skin until they’re embedded. Blood pours into my mouth, and the dragon swallows.

Sensations run up and down my body as my mind merges with hers. Silken strands wrap around us, tethering us together, making us one. This goes far beyond sex, lust, or even desire. We are two flesh becoming one soul. Until this moment, I didn’t realize something like this was even possible.

Closing my eyes, I pull away and lick the wound, watching as her body knits together before my very eyes. Only this time, instead of pristine flesh, a mark stains her skin. Squinting, I watch as it takes the shape of a dragon.

The body rests facing down, flowing across her shoulder and collarbone down to the swell of her breast. The tail curls up around her neck and connects around the front like a tattooed collar. Mine. Ours. The human and the dragon.

I brush my lips against hers, smiling as her heart beats in time with mine. But she doesn’t move. She lies still beneath me as if fast asleep.

No.

No. No. No. No.

Pulling back, I yank the thorns off her body and cast them aside. Blood dries on her skin as the wounds close, leaving no sign of any injury. That part is still the same, at least.

I pull Briar into my arms, but she lies there, limp, as if no life is left in her. It’s as if she’s back asleep, but nothing will wake her. Slanting my lips over hers, I kiss her and pull back.

Nothing.

I kiss her again, this time putting all my feeling into it.

But still nothing.

My heart cracks in two as I hold my bride in my arms and howl my anguish and rage to the skies. It floods the forest like a wave, covering every inch in my rage. Birds flutter away in fear. Animals scamper about.

But it means nothing.

Until this moment, I never thought I’d lose her. Once I knew she could not shatter, I had no fear of breaking my new mate. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to be mine. Ours. How can she slip away again where I cannot reach her?

Deep in my mind, a ragged chuckle scrapes across my synapses. The witch. I feel her slithering about like the snake she was. But where is it coming from? Holding Briar even closer, I snarl and extend my talons.

If she’s somehow risen, she’ll have to get through the dragon and me before touching Briar ever again. I watch the door, the only entrance into this tower, but no one shows up. The forest is deadly silent, as if nature itself holds its breath and waits for what’s to come.

Briar’s heartbeat is slow and steady, but faint. She’s far away, somewhere I can’t reach. Instead, the dragon paces about, snarling and raving. This is not what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be ours.

Her voice screams in my mind, but I cannot understand her. She sounds so impossibly far away. I long to follow, to gather her back into my arms, all of her. My anger from earlier has long dissipated, now that I know my beautiful Briar is not to blame.

If only I can bring her back and tell her I’m sorry. If only I can show her how much love I still harbor for her, even under the prickles of the dragon’s anger. If only…

I hold her there until my knot softens and I can safely extricate myself. Our combined fluids slide down her inner thighs and splatter onto the bed. But it means nothing now. What good is her carrying my child if she’s not awake to experience it?

Dragging her into my arms, I carry her out of the tower and into a nearby stream. The cool water laps at our bodies, cleansing us from our activities of the day. The flowing water turns cloudy for a moment as it washes away the last of my seed.

We’re both naked as I carry her to the castle. I can’t leave her behind. Not now. Not ever. As my mate, I will keep her chained to me until we both pass from this world. It’s bad enough she’s enshrouded in darkness, but to leave her alone would be unforgivable.

My men say nothing as I carry her inside, and it’s well they leave us alone. With my dragon so distraught, I have no idea what I might do to them. They kneel and speak in hushed, reverent tones as they touch their foreheads and then their hearts.

Taking her into my secret room, I tuck her into my bed. It’s certainly not fit for a princess, but it’s somewhere I can keep her safe. I duck into my nearby room and get dressed, my heart heavy as I put on the clothes of a prince.

No. Not a prince. A king. A Dragon King.

As I make my way to the throne room, I stop short as I stare at my men. They’re all naked from the chest up with wings spread out from their backs. So many different colors greet my eyes, each one unique to each man.

“How?”

“My king,” one cries, falling to his knee.

The others join in, each kneeling before me once more. The dragon in me roars in happiness even as sorrow lances through my chest. With Master Balcom gone, I thought I’d be the last one. But no. Here before me, at least twenty others pledge their allegiance to me. To my dragon.

Devlin, my right-hand man, rises and stands next to me. “We couldn’t tell you, my king. Not until the evil was purged from this land. Your mother, our queen, was never supposed to be here. She was supposed to be safely tucked away, but it was her love for your father, Master Balcom, that she stayed.”

Tears drip from my eyes as I drop my head into my hands. So many emotions race through me until I find I can barely breathe. Again, I reach out for Briar in my mind, and find only emptiness.

Alone.

Truly alone.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but we saw you carrying Princess Briar in. Is she your mate?”

“She is,” I finally manage to grind out. “But the evil witch has somehow taken her away from me again. I claimed her with my bite, but now she’s asleep. Not even my kiss will awaken her.”

Devlin shuffles from side to side before pulling me away from the others. “Has your dragon tried?”

Scoffing, I shrug off his touch. “You mean let the beast kiss her? He’s done far more than that.”

“No, Your Highness. I mean with the bond. Do you still feel her?”

I place my hand over my heart and rub for a moment. “It’s as if her heart is here, but she is not.”

A smile crosses his lips as he breathes a sigh of relief. “Then not all is lost. With the bond, you can travel to her and bring her back. Follow the threads. They will not fail you. When you have reclaimed our queen, I suggest quitting this place and its evil stench.”

“Where will we go? This is my home.”

“No, Your Highness. Your home was never here. It is time you take your place as king of the dragons.”

Dropping his hand, he walks off, presumably to make preparations. I don’t really care what he does. All I care about is Briar. Racing up the stairs, I make my way back to where my queen lies.

Her breathing is shallow, soft, but her chest rises and falls all the same. Easing out of my clothes, I climb onto the cot so that we’re skin to skin, heart to heart. With a sigh, I close my eyes and seek out the threads Devlin spoke of.

At first, there’s nothing. Just the beating of our hearts. But then, in the darkness, a red strand catches my eye. Taking in a deep breath, I follow it, traveling for endless ages.

The further I go, the darker everything becomes. An icy chill slips down my spine, making me shiver despite the warmth of the hidden room. The dragon walks behind me, his glowing eyes the only thing lighting our path.

Eventually, we come to a still pond. It’s black, deep, fathomless, something which shouldn’t exist anywhere, but especially not in the recesses of a mind. Are we in Briar’s? Are we still in ours?

The threads wrap around me, entangling me until I cannot pull one apart from the other. Fighting through, I follow it until it stops at a wall. It’s thick, impenetrable. I slam my fist against it, but it doesn’t budge.

“Briar!” I cry out, hysteria lacing my tone.

“Philip!” Her voice is soft, as if muffled by the stone surface in front of us.

I push with all my might, slamming my shoulder into it as hard as I can. But nothing. Sweat drips down my body as fatigue threatens to set in, but nothing I do makes any impact.

Once I no longer have any energy, the dragon pushes his way through. His red scales ripple with every move he makes, sending shards of crimson over every available surface.

“Please,” I whisper to anyone who might hear. “Please bring our mate back to us.”

With a mighty roar, the dragon digs into the brick with his massive talons. It crumbles before him like hot metal through flesh. Elation and relief surge through me, but then I hear Briar screaming.

With every bit of destruction, my mate cries out in agony. Turning, the dragon spears me with a glare.

“I have this part under control,” his voice hissing and sputtering like a spent flame. “Surface and see to our mate.”

Without having to be told twice, I sprint back the way I came, following the thread until I reach my heart. As I open my eyes, all I can see is Briar convulsing on the cot. Her body twists and turns as agony flits across her face.

The only thing I know to do is inflict pain upon my bride. The dragon lends me his talons, allowing me to score Briar’s skin. Soon, her screams turn into desperate cries for release. My heart pounds as I continue to mark her, scratching her, only to have the visible evidence disappear.

Dragging her down to the floor, I wrench her legs apart and thrust in, not caring now if I take her rough and fierce. With one hard jut of my hips, I impale her in one stroke as my nails dig into her back.

Briar cries out, her eyes flitting open for just one moment before she slips away again. Through the bond, I feel the war my dragon rages as I fuck our mate into oblivion.

I cannot lose her.

I will not lose her.

Bending low, I capture her nipple in between my teeth and bite. It’s not hard enough to break the skin, but it’s enough to make Briar squeal and buck up against me. I suck the taut peak into my mouth as my fingers play with the other.

Her skin is satiny smooth against my lips as I lick and bite, teasing her into another explosive orgasm. As her release hovers near, I reach in between us and stroke her clit, urging her to come.

“Come for me, princess,” I rasp against her ear in case she can hear me.

As if she’s answering me, her inner walls clench around me, stealing my breath. My knot swells as I continue to coax her, and with a final roar, I slam myself deep inside.

Her orgasm hits just as hard, causing her to clamp down around my knot, squeezing it. My vision blurs as electricity races down my spine. For a moment, her eyes open again as the dragon roars in my brain.

Place her lips near your heart. She will know what to do.

Not bothering to question anything, I pull Briar’s head toward me, cradling her at my chest. Her lips move over my skin, kissing at first, but then licking. It’s eerily similar to what I did with her before giving her my mark.

Before I can think any further, her teeth bite down into my skin. Holding her close, I growl toward the heavens as more cum shoots out into her womb. As she bears down, biting even harder, my vision wavers.

The thin threads begin to grow. Doubling, tripling, growing and expanding until I can no longer tell where she begins and I end. Eventually, she pulls away and looks up at me, a smile on her lips.

“Philip!” she cries out, as if seeing me for the first time.

Based on what the dragon relays, it might as well be. Holding her close, I continue to rock back and forth, giving her bits of pleasure as our worlds merge. Briar is well and truly ours, and no one will ever wrench her away from us.