Chapter 9

9

Clarabelle enjoyed dinner immensely—andnot just because of the food. Dracin proved not just handy with a stove and sexy without a shirt, but he could even provide decent conversation.

As if she needed another reason to lust after him.

She left him to do dishes—which still impressed, seeing as how most guys she’d dated were more interested in dirtying her sheets than tidying a mess. She hooked her laptop to her cellphone internet via a hotspot. She’d logged onto the coven network and was sifting the listed vampire clans looking for info on the Ottawa one when the power went out. It didn’t affect her laptop, seeing as how the battery remained at almost full charge; however, she still shut the lid when she heard a sibilant voice in her head, whisper, Intruder.

She sensed no malice and no hammering on her mental shields. Curious, she replied, Who is this?

The strange voice replied, Me.

Because that totally cleared things up. Are you friend or foe?

Mate was the startling reply.

Clarabelle still digested the oddity when Dracin entered the living room, not that she saw him in the dark, more like she heard and sensed. She dared not use magic to create a light, in case the voice spoke the truth and this power failure had to do with someone wishing harm.

Dracin crouched in front of her, close enough she could make out the shadows of his face and his fingers at his lips in a shushing gesture.

He leaned forward and whispered, “We have company.”

“How many?”

He cocked his head before replying, “I hear six distinct voices. They think I’m alone.”He paused. “They’re here because they think I know where to find you.”

She pursed her lips. It seemed Theodore had gotten her message and thought it a bright idea to retaliate. She couldn’t help but smirk when she said, “I’m surprised they only sent six.”

His teeth gleamed as he smiled. “It’s because they think they still control me.”

She almost laughed. Guess they’d be in for a surprise. “How do you want to handle it?”

He stood from his crouch before replying, “I’m going to say hello.”

“I’m coming too.” She rose, but he shook his head.

“I’ve got this. Stay back just in case.”

Before she could argue, the alien voice spoke once more in her head, Fun crunching.

Wait, was that Dracin’s beast speaking to her?

No time to ask. Dracin strode for the front door and flung it open, absolutely fearless when he shouted, “Come out, come out, wherever you are, you maggoty blood suckers.”

From the shadows, someone hissed. “Tell us where to find the witch and you can live.”

He jerked a thumb and declared, “She’s inside.”

Excuse me?

She might have been more indignant, but the alien voice huffed, Safe.

Still, Clarabelle crept over and peeked from the edge of the window.

“Step aside.” The firm demand was disembodied, as the speaker had yet to step into the open.

Dracin crossed his arms. “I don’t think so. And just so we’re clear, you are not allowed to go into my house.”

The vampire laughed. “As if we’re bound by such stupid rules.”

Clarabelle almost shouted, “Yes, you are.” There was a specific article in the treaty that stated they could not enter a home without invitation. Part of the willing-donor stipulation.

“We are taking the witch, and you. Do you know how many pre-bids our Lord received for those wanting to own their very own dragon?”

Dragon? Clarabelle blinked. She must have misunderstood.

“You can take those bids and shove them where the sun don’t shine,” was Dracin’s retort.

“As if you have a choice.” The vamp finally revealed himself, emerging from the concealing shadow of the truck, pointing his phone at Dracin. Showing off his fangs in a smirk, he tapped the screen.

Nothing happened.

The frantic tapping happened a few more times before the vamp realized what had happened and yelled, “He’s not responding. Attack! Sleep bomb him, now.”

That was Clarabelle’s cue to emerge as backup, lifting her hand and sending out a pulse that stopped the soaring liquid-filled balloons and caused them to fall flat, well short of her target.

She might have done more, only she paused because the man in front of her grew. And grew. Grew some more and sprouted wings, snout, and scales.

You’re a fucking dragon! she might have mind-shouted.

The smug reply? Protect the mate.

No time to debate what the fuck that meant. Vampires came flying from all directions. Six, as Dracin had stated, some of them armed with syringes, not that any managed to penetrate his armor. Powerful wings batted a pair aside. The one that soared off the roof and landed on Dracin’s dragon back got flung with a single, vigorous shake. His serpentine head snapped forward, and a vamp got chomped hard enough the torso severed into two pieces.

Dracin picked up another with his giant jaws and shook his head, much like a dog with a toy. Seeing one of the vamps grabbing the axe by the woodpile, Clarabelle flicked her fingers, igniting the lone female in the group. The living pyre remembered the mantra, “stop, drop, and roll,” not that it worked against the magical flames. Once realized, the vamp popped to her feet and ran for the woods, lighting up a tree with her passing. Bloody hell. By the time Clarabelle ensured the escaping vamp wouldn’t cause a forest fire, the fight was over.

Six dead vamps. One impressive dragon. And a witch who pointed her finger and yelled, “Why didn’t you tell me you were a dragon?” Not that she would have believed him without proof. She’d been taught the dragons died out. Hunted to extinction because of their violent nature.

Dracin shrank back down into his man shape, his naked man shape she should add. With a strength of will that almost hurt, she kept her eyes on his face.

He rolled those impressive shoulders. “You never asked.”

“You knew I assumed you were a wolf.”

His lips quirked. “Told you I wasn’t pack.”

“I figured that meant you were a lone wolf or a lion.”

“A lion?” He arched a brow.

“Well, you do have golden hair.”

He snorted. “Not my fault you figured wrong.”

“Because you’re not supposed to exist.” She jabbed a finger. “Dragons have been pretty much extinct for centuries.”

“Apparently not.”

She couldn’t help but have questions. “Was your mother a dragon?”

“Nope. Wolf.”

“Father, then.”

He shook his head. “Not sure what he was. Mom said he wasn’t a shifter, though. He died before I was born.”

“This is incredible and insane. A dragon,” she huffed. She racked her brain for the little facts she knew, those not tainted by Hollywood movies. What little she’d learned didn’t have much to say other than dragons were deadly. He’d certainly proven that with the vampires. “Do you breathe fire or ice?”

“No.”

“Poison? Acid?”

Snort. “I’m not a cartoon.”

“Can you fly?”

“Yup.”

“Really?” Was it wrong she wanted him to show her?

“Yeah, although it wasn’t easy learning. When I was young, I didn’t have the strength for a stationary liftoff, so I used to jump off shit. Scared the crap out of my mom the first time I leaped from a cliff.”

“She knew?”

“Yeah. Kind of hard to hide since I started shifting as a baby. You think baby-proofing for a normal kid is bad, try one that can climb the walls and hang from the ceiling.” His boyish grin melted her heart.

“And she kept your shifter side a secret?”

He nodded.

“How did she manage that?”

“By not telling anyone. The pack had already rejected her for mating with an outsider. We moved around a lot when I was little. Wasn’t easy, but she did her best. We went camping a lot. When I hit adulthood, I hated living in the city. Too many people, so I bought this place for the privacy. Been living here since.”

“Wow.” She had no other words.

“Mind if I go find some pants before we continue the grilling? It’s nippy out.”

She waved a hand. “Go ahead and pack a bag while you’re at it.”

“Why?”

“Because the vampires know where you live, meaning it’s not safe for you to be out here alone, at least not until we rectify the situation.”

“I’m not afraid. I can handle them.”

“You handled six, and only after I deflected their sleep bombs. What if next time it’s a dozen, twenty? Or they show up with guns?”

“Where am I supposed to go? I ain’t exactly got the funds to be staying in a motel for long.”

Before she even knew she’d say it, she blurted out, “You’ll stay with me. My hotel room has two queen-sized beds.”

He arched a brow. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Wouldn’t be appropriate,” he grumbled.

She almost laughed. “We’re both grown adults, and this isn’t the Dark Ages. Men and women can share a room.”

“We can’t.”

“Care to explain why? If it’s because you snore, then don’t worry. I have a spell for that.”

His lips pursed before he growled, “Because you’re too damned attractive.”

She blinked. Not the answer she expected. It led to her gaze dropping. And… oh my.

The erection that jutted from his loins brought heat to her cheeks, and her glance went back to his face. “Um…”

“Yeah. I’m not apologizing for the fact you make me horny, but what I will do is make sure it’s not an issue.”

She could have offered to rent him a room on the coven dime. Could have done any number of things that didn’t involve her stalking to within a foot of him and murmuring, “If we end up sleeping together, then so be it. I can’t deny the fact I also find you handsome.”

His nostrils flared. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Why? Or are you going to tell me you don’t have sex?”

“I have sex,” he growled.

“And do your partners need to be hospitalized after?”

“What? No! What the fuck?”

“Well, you are a dragon, and they’re known to be rough.” At least, she assumed it.

“I’ve never hurt a woman.”

Good to know, as long as he didn’t lie. “Then why are you scared to share a room with me?”

His jaw flexed as if he struggled to speak before he finally muttered, “Because my dragon’s got this crazy idea you’re my mate.”

“Oh.” She had no reply. The very idea she could be anyone’s anything flummoxed. She knew enough of shifters to understand what “mate” meant. It explained the alien voice in her head—mates could speak telepathically.

Despite misconceptions, a shifter could identify that someone was their mate, but they could choose not to act on it, to not mark the object of their desire. Judging by Dracin’s apparent reluctance to tell her, she felt pretty confident he wouldn’t be insisting on claiming her, which was a good thing. She had no intention of settling down, considering how her previous relationships all ended.

“I don’t know if I’d worry about that,” she finally said. “I’m not the forever type. Just ask any of my past partners.”

He growled. A low menacing sound. “Don’t agitate my beast with talk of your ex-lovers.”

“Wow, with that kind of jealous attitude, you won’t have to worry about me sleeping with you. The caveman routine went out of style a long time ago. Now, if you’re done with the excuses, pack a bag, tug one off if you’re feeling too horny, and let’s go. I’ll clean up the mess outside while you’re getting ready.”

He gaped at her. “You did not just say that.”

“Masturbation is a normal and healthy way of dealing with lust.” She should probably do it more often. Like now, because he certainly knew how to get her motor humming, especially with last night’s image of him in the shower still fresh in her mind.

“I’ll pack a bag and leave, but I’m getting my own room,” he snapped.

“If you insist,” she quipped.

While he prepared, she took a sample from a vampire, a snippet of clothing and a finger for scrying. Then she lit the bodies on fire, rendering them into ash, trying to forget the fact Dracin had called her pretty and irresistible. The thing about being his mate, though? Totally irrelevant. Not just because she couldn’t imagine settling down with someone—especially a man she’d just met—but also because interspecies mating, while not exactly forbidden, was strongly discouraged. She’d not worked her ass off to get to her position in the coven only to lose it because she had the hots for a shifter.

By the time he emerged, the bodies were gone with only singe marks and ash left behind. He had a bag in one hand, a broom in the other. He tossed both in the back of the truck before saying, “Thought you might like to have one handy just in case.”

What she wanted was to not keep thinking of what he’d said as he drove them into the city. She did her best not to side-eye his strong profile. Tried to keep her legs pressed to control the pulse between her legs.

When he growled, “Stop making it hard,” her gaze, for some reason, went to his crotch to see if he meant it literally. He did. No mistaking the bulge. He growled.

She sighed. “This is your fault. You shouldn’t have said anything. Now I can’t stop thinking of sex. Which is so out of the norm for me. I don’t even like it half the time.”

The truck swerved. “How can you not enjoy an orgasm?”

“Maybe because they’re rare.”

“Because you obviously had shit partners.”

She uttered a noise. “Let me guess, you think you could do better.”

He glanced at her, a smoldering look that singed as he purred, “I wouldn’t stop until you came.” Pause. “Twice.”

She shivered.

He groaned and slapped the steering wheel. “Fuck me.”

“I’m beginning to think I should,” her mumbled reply.

To her surprise, when they got to the hotel, he didn’t ask about getting his own room, simply asked, “What floor are you on?”

She led him to her corner suite, farthest from the elevator and stairwell, the door marked with an invisible hex against intruders. The no-housekeeping sign still hung on the knob. She let him into what seemed like a spacious room until he filled it with his presence.

His big body.

His heat.

His allure.

He dropped his bag on the second bed and stared at the window.

For the first time in forever, Clarabelle felt adrift. Unsure. What should she do? The obvious answer; deny this attraction between them. At the same time, she couldn’t deny a yearning to see what it would be like. She’d been drawn to him the moment they met. Would it really hurt to get it out of her system? Sex didn’t have to mean forever, and if he proved as boring as the rest, then she wouldn’t have to worry.

Before she’d even realized she’d come to a decision, she got close to him, close enough she could have rested her cheek on his back.

His stiffened body showed his awareness of her.

She whispered, “Is it crazy that, with everything going on, I want you to kiss me?”

He whirled and loomed, but she didn’t feel any fear, just tummy-tingling excitement.

“I don’t know if I can stop at a kiss,” his sexy admission.

“Then don’t.” She reached for him, but he was so tall that he ended up palming her waist and lifting her for a kiss.

What a kiss. It meshed their mouths intimately. Slid sensuously. The tease of some tongue stole the breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to the bed and sat, sitting her in his lap, the hard pulse of his erection pushing against her.

She turned in his lap to straddle, and he groaned as she rubbed against his hardness. “Why can’t I resist you?” he growled.

Heady words. She cupped his cheeks. “Because, right now, we’re seeing each other as the forbidden fruit. It makes it more tempting. So let’s get it over with and ease the sexual tension.”

“You really think that will work?”

“I do.” She ignored her sudden doubt in favor of the heat racing through her veins. A shiver went through him when her lips traced a line down his throat. He swallowed hard when she pushed him down on the bed and lay herself atop him.

They both wore too many clothes. Her hands tugged at his T-shirt, and he helped her to shed it then her top. The bra went flying next. He hugged her close for a kiss, her breasts pressing against his warm and naked chest, her nipples crazy sensitive and hardening at the touch.

A groan escaped him when she sucked on his tongue. Another moan rumbled when she gyrated against him, indulging in that pressure between her legs.

His hands braced on her hips, helping her to rock, though their jeans caused mutual frustration and titillation. Even with those layers, she throbbed. Hungered for more.

His fingers slid inside the waistband of her pants, teasing her flesh.

She pushed up and sat so she might unbutton them, but stopped when she caught sight of his smoldering gaze on her. Her face, not her breasts. It made her suddenly shy.

“Fuck me, but you’re perfect,” he growled before arching up enough to grab the tip of a nipple with his lips.

She sighed as he sucked and teased, all the while grinding against him.

When he bit down lightly, she gasped, and her body went rigid with pleasure. Coming with her pants still on!

He rolled her onto her back and covered her, his heavy body a new sensual delight.

He kept playing with her breasts, licking and sucking, teasing as his hand worked her pants down, freeing her for his touch.

And touch he did, his fingers dipping into her honey to stroke her clit, rolling her tiny orgasm into another round of building tension that had her panting.

Squirming.

Wanting…

He slid down her body and buried his face between her legs, and she keened. The stroke of his tongue against her making her body arch.

He pinned her down and lavished attention on her sensitive spot, teasing her to the point of almost screaming. Only then did he cover her and growl, “You still sure?”

“Don’t you dare stop now!” She dragged him to her for a kiss, tasting herself on his lips, gasping again as the thick head of him pushed. He filled and stretched her, pausing once he’d sheathed himself.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and wiggled.

It was all the invitation he needed. His body rocked against hers, thrusting and pounding, hitting a sweet spot she’d never known before, a spot that quickly sent her over the edge, clawing his back as she came.

And kept coming.

When he groaned and stilled, she knew he’d found his own release, but unlike other lovers, he didn’t shove off. He held her close, cradled against him, his cock inside her, their racing hearts and glistening flesh molded together.

“I guess you weren’t kidding before about the double orgasm.”

He chuckled. “And here I was going to apologize for being so fast.”

“I don’t think I could have waited,” she admitted. She’d been overwhelmed with passion.

“I’ll take it slower next time.”

Next time? She might have replied, only he rolled them over, tucking her into his body in a warm cocoon, the intimacy of it new, and nice. More than nice. It felt right, which might explain why she fell asleep in his arms.