18. Sam

I’m lying in bed, gazing at the starry evening sky before me, a glittering canvas hanging above the darkened ocean. The sound of waves crashing against the shore wraps me in a cocoon of pure delight, the gentle rhythm soothing my restless mind. The room itself is like something out of a magazine, a Presidential Suite in a luxurious hotel, with tall ceilings, a spacious parlor, and breathtaking panoramic windows.

It feels like a dream to be here, in this moment, with Nik just a heartbeat away. I know sleep will be elusive tonight, my thoughts too full of him, of the connection that simmers between us.

A pang of regret tugs at my heart as I think back to our early night, the way Nik’s headache forced us to cut our evening short. Even through the pain, he managed to keep a smile on his face, his mood towards me as sweet as ever. And the fact that he hadn’t assumed we’d share a room? It only made me fall for him harder.

I had thought, at first, that this might be a one-night thing. A chance to get Nik out of my system, to scratch an itch and move on. But the more time I spend with him, the more I feel myself letting go of my old fears, my old defenses. The truth is, I’m falling hard and fast for this man, and there’s no denying the invisible pull between us, a force that feels almost like magic.

The creak of the door jolts me from my thoughts, and I turn my head to see Nik’s tall, well-built silhouette standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders and muscular torso etched in the twilight.

My heart stutters in my chest, my pulse skyrocketing as a million thoughts race through my mind. What is he doing here? What does this mean? I part my lips, trying to find the words, but nothing comes out.

As Nik enters the room, his body catches the slanted beams of moonlight that pierce through the glass, highlighting every toned muscle, every inch of his perfect form. He’s wearing nothing but sleek boxer briefs, the fabric clinging to his powerful thighs, and I feel a rush of heat flood through me at the sight.

My eyes are drawn to the dragon inked across his chest, the intricate design curling around his arm and shoulder. His clan’s sigil, a mark of his heritage, his power. And lower still, to the eight-pack that carves his abs, the taut expanse of flesh that disappears beneath the waistband of his briefs.

When I finally meet his gaze, I’m struck by the intensity I see there, his steel blue eyes glinting in the shadows like sparkling sapphires. They’re fierce and full of desire as they rove over my bare legs, gliding up my body’s every curve, devouring me without even laying a finger on me.

Nik moves closer, his steps silent and predatory, until he stops at the foot of the bed. My breath hitches in my throat, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it. What is he going to do? I can barely breathe, my mind spinning with possibilities.

He lays his hands on the mattress, his muscled back slightly crouched as he climbs onto the bed with the graceful stealth of a tiger. In an instant, I’m trapped beneath his lustful stare, my body frozen, my mind reeling. Is this real, or am I dreaming?

His face draws close to mine, his calloused hand gliding along my soft jawline with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. And then his lips are on my skin, tracing a path of searing kisses along the curve of my shoulder, up the column of my neck. Every inch of my body comes alive at his touch, tingling with desire and need.

This is real. This is happening.

Nik’s fingers make quick work of the buttons on my pajama top, his touch igniting a fire in my veins. I want him, need him, with an urgency that takes my breath away. It feels like an eternity of foreplay has passed since our first kiss, and I don’t think I can wait any longer.

I reach up to tug his mouth to mine, desperate to taste him, to lose myself in his kiss. But in a flash, he seizes my wrist and pins it above my head, trapping me beneath the weight of his body, his muscular chest pressing against mine. Without a word, his mouth trails lower, tormenting me with searing kisses that travel down my collarbone to the valley between my breasts.

I catch my panting breath, his intoxicating cologne filling my lungs, soothing my racing heart. But it’s a fleeting respite, my body already aching for more.

A moan slips from my lips as his free hand smooths down my hip, finding its way between my thighs. I’m on fire for him, every nerve ending sparking with need. Memories of that night at the club flash through my mind, the way he touched me, the way he made me feel. I want that again, want him, more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.

Our clothes are shed in a frenzy of desperate hands and seeking mouths. Nik’s lips trail lower, his kisses searing a path down my belly, until they reach the apex of my thighs. I writhe and moan beneath his touch, his powerful hold on me only heightening my pleasure.

He smiles against my skin, his caress growing bolder, more demanding, until I’m teetering on the brink of ecstasy. Once, and then again, he pushes me over the edge, my body convulsing with the force of my release. “Oh, gods!” I cry out, breathless and elated. “Nik!” I can’t wait any longer. I need him now, or I’m going to combust.

He straightens, watching me with hungry eyes as I come down from my high. And then his body is lowering over mine, his lips sealing over my own in a kiss that steals my breath and sets my soul on fire. I moan into his mouth, my tongue tangling with his in a dance of passion and need.

“Nik…” I beg again, my hand cupping his square jaw, my fingers tracing the stubble that roughens his skin.

A low growl rumbles in his chest, and he grips my wrists roughly, pinning both of my hands above my head. I’m left panting, my chest heaving, my body aching for his touch.

“Are you ready for me?” he purrs, his voice a seductive rumble that sends shivers down my spine.

“Uh-huh...” I breathe, my mind hazy with desire.

When his hardness slips between my thighs, I moan, my body writhing beneath his. And then he’s sheathing himself inside me, filling me so completely that I gasp at the sweet agony of it.

“Good girl...” he sighs in my ear, the words shooting a thrill straight to my core. “Take every… fucking… inch.” He thrusts deeper, stretching me in ways that make me see stars. I bite my lip, my eyes squeezing shut at the exquisite fullness that consumes me. He’s so big, so deep, it feels as if he touches every part of me—body, mind, and soul.

Nik’s thrusts are slow and deliberate at first, as if he’s savoring every inch he takes, every moan that escapes my lips. His hands now cradle my hips, holding me steady as he plunges deeper and deeper within me, his manhood sliding against nerve endings I didn’t know existed. The intensity of the sensation is almost too much to bear, yet I don’t want it to end.

My body molds to his, every curve and plane fitting together like puzzle pieces. In his arms, I feel free, feel home, like I’ve finally found the place I belong. Our bodies rock together in perfect harmony, the pleasure building and building until I’m lost in a haze of sensation.

My nails dig into the bedding, and I arch my back to meet his every thrust, desperate for more. He’s primal now, a dragon claiming his mate, and I’m powerless to resist. The night air swirls around us, whirling with our mingled scents: his earthy cologne and my feminine musk.

“You feel so good,” he groans against my ear, his voice raw with need. “So wet and tight.” And then he kisses down my neck, lavishing hot, open-mouthed kisses on my collarbone that send shivers of pleasure through me. His hands roam my body, molding and squeezing each curve of my heated flesh as if he’s memorizing every inch of me.

He picks up the pace, driving into me with more force, and I gasp at the sheer intensity of it all. “Nik... Oh gods... yes!” I moan unabashedly, suffused in the heady pleasure of it all. My senses are on fire, every nerve ending alive with sensation as our bodies dance together in sublime unison.

“That’s it... so good...” he groans in response, his breath hot against my ear. His grip on my wrists tightens, but the pain only heightens the pleasure coursing through my veins. “You’re mine.”

He growls as he pushes deeper, the primal sound making my toes curl. “Mine,” he repeats, his voice guttural and feral, “I’ve been yours from the start, and now you’re mine.”

The way he says it, like it’s a fact, like it’s the only truth there ever was, shoots a thrill through my veins. He pulls out only to slam back in again with a force that makes the bedframe shake, and I cry out his name. Gods, it feels so good. So right.

His lips find my breast, sucking on the sensitive skin until I’m whimpering under him. His hands roam my body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as he squeezes my hips, the contact only heightening the ecstasy coursing through me.

“Oh gods... Nik...”

He picks up the pace even more, his thrusts harder and deeper now, and I can feel myself teetering on the edge again. Bright colors flash before my eyes as the orgasm builds inside me like a storm gathering in the distance.

“You look so good… lying there and taking it,” he purrs against my ear.

His words fan the flames of my desire, and I buck my hips against his, desperate for more. “Nik... harder,” I pant, lost in the sensation of him deep inside me. His pace increases, and our bodies collide with a breathtaking force that sets every nerve ending ablaze.

“Yes... like that,” I moan, my back arching in ecstasy.

He obliges, his movements becoming even more frenzied as he plunges into me with a primal urgency that sends shocks of ecstasy through my very core. The room is filled with our mingled scents: his musky cologne and my heady arousal, blending to create something entirely our own.

“Oh gods... I’m so close,” I gasp, nails digging into the sheets as the pleasure builds within me like a storm about to break loose. Sweat sheens on my skin, mingling with the perspiration on his as our bodies move as one. He groans in response, his breathing ragged and uneven in my ear.

“That’s it... give in for me... let go for me,” Nik commands between sultry kisses along my collarbone.

“Nik... I can’t... I can’t... ah!” I pant, my breathing ragged as the pleasure mounts. I’m so close, and he knows it. He traces a line of kisses along my inner thigh, sending goosebumps erupting on my skin. His hands explore my body with a newfound fervor, squeezing and kneading the taut flesh of my hips and buttocks as if he’s trying to memorize every inch of me.

“Come for me, Sam,” he growls against my ear, his voice a deep, primal rumble that shoots straight to my core. “Give it all to me.”

With those words, the dam breaks. My climax surges through me in bright, pulsing waves of ecstasy, and I cry out his name as my body shakes and quivers beneath his. My nails dig into his shoulders, grazing his skin as I arch my back in surrender.

Nik doesn’t stop there, however. He pulls me even closer to him, if that were even possible, and thrusts even deeper and harder as he follows me over the edge. “You’re mine,” he growls against my neck, his voice thick with passion as he claims me in more ways than one. “Now… and forever.”

The room around us is a blur of colors and shadows, the only thing in focus being the rise and fall of our chests as we catch our breaths. Nik gently rolls us over, so I’m lying on my back, and he leans over me, his eyes locked with mine. Sweat glistening on both our brows, we share a moment of raw intimacy that goes beyond the physical.

His lips part to speak, but hesitation makes him purse them shut again. Then finally, the words escape him. “That was amazing,” he whispers, his voice hoarse from our passionate lovemaking but laced with raw emotion. “You are fucking amazing.”

I smile up at him, my heart swelling with warmth as I trace my finger along his jawline. “You’re fucking amazing too,” I reply, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

We share a quiet laugh, and he pulls me into his arms. Our breathing evens out, our hearts slowing to their normal rhythms. We stay entangled in each other’s arms. I gently lay my head over his chest, listening to his quickened heartbeat—that’s when I start to feel it.

“Nik...” I murmur, my voice soft in the quiet room.

“Yeah?” he replies, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my shoulder.

“You’re so hot,” I tell him, hoping he can hear the worry in my voice.

He snickers, the sound pleased and a little smug. “You’re hot too...”

The frown on my face deepens. “No, that’s not what I mean,” I say, lifting my head to look at him. “You’re burning up!”

We both stare at his chest, shocked to see his skin gleaming a vivid red. Patches of flesh subtly blush and coalesce into larger, incandescent plaques, like burning coals smoldering beneath the surface.

“What the...?” Nik springs up on the bed, his eyes wide with alarm as he takes in the sight of his arms, glowing with a muted crimson light that seems to come from within.

My brow furrows as I study him, my mind racing with possibilities. “I’ve never seen anything like it...” I murmur, speaking as a witch. And when his eyes meet mine, I can tell he understands the significance of my words.

I lean closer, sweeping a hand over his forehead, feeling the heat that radiates from his skin. “How do you feel?” I ask, my voice tight with concern. His cheeks are flushed, his face warm to the touch. I think he might be running a fever.

“I feel perfectly fine,” he says, but I can hear the unease in his voice, the fear that lurks beneath the surface.

“Not warm or chilly?” I press, needing to know more.

“Slightly warm, yeah.” Nik’s chest heaves with each rapid breath, his heart racing beneath my palm.

Oh gods... Oh, no.

Without another word, I reach over and turn on the light, needing to see him more clearly. Nik winces and tries to shy away, but I straddle his waist, cradling his face in my hands.

“Let me see,” I whisper, my voice soothing and gentle. He jerks back, but I hold firm. “Please.”

Slowly, reluctantly, he opens his eyes. His pupils are dilated, pools of fathomless darkness. And when the light hits them, they constrict into thin, slitted lines.

In that moment, I know.

A sharp breath leaves my lungs, my heart clenching in my chest.

Nik covers my hands with his own, leaning forward, his eyes searching mine. “What is it?” he asks, the worry in his voice almost tangible.

“I’ve seen this before...” I breathe, the words sticking in my throat. “Something similar, at least.”

For the first time since I’ve known him, Nik’s confidence wavers, a flicker of fear crossing his face. “When?”

“My brother’s first shift,” I say, the air freezing in my lungs.

“No,” he growls, his expression hardening, his jaw clenching tight. “No. That’s impossible. There hasn’t been a dragon shifter in the family for three hundred years...”

But I know what I saw, know the signs that can’t be ignored. “I think there is now,” I say softly, my gaze never leaving his.

“No! You’re wrong!” Nik leaps from the bed, grabbing his boxers and pulling them on with jerky, agitated movements.

My eyes shutter closed for a moment, my mind whirling with everything I’ve ever learned about magic, trying to make sense of the impossible. “The headaches,” I begin, my voice low and steady. “The temperature spikes, the spell that fire casts over you...” I open my eyes, meeting his gaze head-on. “My brother first shifted when he turned sixteen. I guess dragons shift at twenty-one.”

“What?” Nik stares at me, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

“Your birthday...” I murmur, the pieces clicking into place. “It’s a few hours away.” I swallow hard, the tension between us thick and heavy.

“Sam, what are you saying?” His voice is rough, edged with desperation.

A chill silence fills the room, the weight of my next words hanging in the air.

“I think tomorrow… you’ll turn into a dragon.”