Chapter 11

I actually made two calls—one to Kaz, the dragon shifter I had met when we were searching for the dragon several months ago, and to Evelyn, the dark witch whose affinity was to tap into dragon's magic, especially magic stored in their bones.

Before we found out dragons and dragon shifters weren't extinct, Evelyn tracked the bones and collected them for safe keeping, as they were too powerful. She had freaked out when she met Kaz and the dragon, but I had no idea if she was still in contact with them.

Either way, I believed I needed both of them for my idea to work.

However, neither of them answered my calls. I texted, asking them to call me as soon as they could.

Because I was so impatient, I also texted Hazel and Raika, asking them if they had heard from Evelyn and Kaz, and if they could help me contact them.

Both said they hadn't spoken to them in months but would call.

Hopefully, by the end of the day, I would hear from them, and we could plan the next step.

I tried quieting my excitement and read the dragon books to make sure I understood this right—if it wasn't just outdated information—but I couldn't sit down. I needed to burn some energy.

After asking the sisters about where I could exercise, I went to my bedroom, changed into yoga capri pants, a cropped top, and sneakers, and headed to the gym room. Thankfully, it was a straight shot from my bedroom and I only took one wrong turn. I opened the door, and it was like I had stepped into another building completely.

The gym was rectangular room with smooth, black floors, three light gray walls and one mirrored wall, fluorescent lights in modern silver lamps running across the double height ceiling, a rubbery mat floor on one side and lots of equipment on the other, including treadmills, transporters, bicycles, a handful of weightlifting machines, and a shelf full of free weights. Around the perimeter of the room was a track for running.

This was amazing.

Why hadn't anyone told me about this place sooner? I would have come here every day to keep myself in shape. It wasn't easy to beat up dudes three or four times my size without my supernatural powers!

After a quick stretch, I started jogging on the track. Five minutes in and my muscles started protesting and that was why I shouldn't take long breaks. I pushed through the pain, knowing it would get better the more I ran.

I didn't know what to expect in the future. I would, hopefully, get my magic back, but that meant another fight, and I would need all the stamina I could muster.

I ran for twenty minutes, then went for the weights. I could have run more, but I wanted to restart slow and steady. If I was spent today, tomorrow would be worse.

I had done a set of exercises for my arms and shoulders, when someone entered the room.

Weight in hand, I stared at Levi. "What are you doing here?"

He opened his arms, as if showing me his ensemble. I could see the black sweatpants and the white tank that molded to his ripped chest and showed his toned arms. "I thought you could use a sparring partner."

By the light …

I put the weight down. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

That naughty half grin of his adorned his lips and he crossed his arms, making his biceps bulge. "Why, sweetheart? Are you afraid I'll kick your ass?"

"I know you can kick my ass," I said.

He lifted his hands, palms to me. "I promise to behave."

I scoffed. "Do you even know how to behave?"

"I guess we'll find out."

I shook my head. "Don't do this."

"Do what, sweetheart?" He took several steps toward me. "Stand here, look handsome, and offer to help you train?"

Exactly.

"Please, leave."

"Sweetheart, I'm?—"

"Levi, you're not helping."

"Yes, I am. I'm here to train." He walked to the mat, stood in the center, brought his hands up, feet apart, and knees slightly bent in combat stance. "Fight me."

I shook my head.

A darkfire bolt appeared in Levi's hands. It flew toward me and sparked on the floor beside my feet.

"What the hell?" I cried, appalled.

Another bolt zoomed to me, and I had to jump to the left to avoid it. Then a third one at my feet again.

"Stop it! No magic!"

"Then fight me, sweetheart."

A fourth bolt flew toward my head. I had to duck to escape it.

"You …" I groaned and rushed him.

He smiled right before dodging the punch I had prepared for that damn grin.

I did a series of quick jabs and crosses, all aimed at Levi's pretty face, but he was damn fast and dodged them all as if he was playing, which I knew he was. It only made me madder at him.

I threw a jab with my right hand. He swiftly moved to the left, but I was ready for him and kneed him in the lower back with my left knee. His eyes became two huge blue balls for half a second, then he stopped the defensive moves and changed to the offensive.

Levi punched my shoulder, hard enough to make me twist my body. Taking advantage of my position, he walked into me, making me lose balance. I toppled, but he wrapped an arm around my waist and knelt down beside me, softening my fall. I lay on the mat, Levi hovering above me, one hand on each side of my head, and his feet outside mine, in a plank that showed off his biceps, triceps, and whatever other muscles a pair of arms could possess.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice faint.

His eyes on mine, Levi lowered his body over me. "Having some fun."

I gulped as he pressed against me, spreading my legs beside his hips. His stomach touched mine, but he kept his chest and shoulders propped up with his arms.

My body heated instantly, yearning for him.

"Levi," I whispered, half lost to the need.

He leaned into me, his mouth dragging along my jaw. "Tell me you want this," he whispered in my ear.

I opened my mouth but couldn't speak. He pushed his hips against mine, and I felt his hard-on in the apex of my thighs.

"Tell me."

"I want it." I whimpered. "I want you."

So, so bad.

"That's good, sweetheart, because I fucking want you too." He groaned and brought his lips to mine.

Lost to the desire, I opened my mouth and welcomed him. His kiss wasn't gentle, wasn't soft. Levi was a rough man, and he took what he wanted.

And right now, I was more than willing to give it to him.

I wrapped my arms and legs around him and matched the frantic rhythm of his mouth. He moved, creating delicious friction between our hips.

With deft fingers, he pushed the straps of my top down, and his mouth followed, leaving a fiery trail on my skin.

"Y-you know this is only the bond, right?"

He licked the upper curve of my breast. "Does it matter?"

I wanted to say it did, but honestly, right now, it didn't. All I wanted was for him to feed the beast he poked and put out the damn fire threatening to explode within me. He pulled my top fully down and flicked his tongue on my nipple. I gasped and arched my back.

"Does it matter, sweetheart?"

"By the light, no!" I snapped. "Just …" I groaned. "Just take me."

"My fucking pleasure." He closed his mouth around my nipple, twisted his body to the side a little, and slid his hand inside my pants.

I squirmed and gasped in shock and pleasure when his finger found my center. Levi didn't give me time to think, to process, he simply slipped two fingers inside me and started pumping while sucking and licking my breasts.

I arched my back, giving him access to all of me. Because, dear light, it was good and I wanted to be lost in his arms. Right now, I would agree to anything as long as he kept going.

Knowing exactly what he was doing to me, Levi thrust his fingers deep, curling them at the end of the movement, pressing on places I never knew existed. At the same time, he sucked or flicked his tongue on my nipple.

I cried when he twisted his hand slightly and pressed his thumb on my clit, before rubbing fast circles around it. Somehow, the sensation flared, the blood inside my veins went from hot to boiling, and I drowned in pleasure.

Another thrust, another rub, another lick, and I exploded in pure bliss.

By the light …

While I was lost on cloud nine, Levi did quick work of taking my pants fully off, and then his shirt and his pants. Before I could fully recover, his body covered mine again, and he slipped inside me.

I cried, the desire and pleasure starting anew. I knotted my legs around his hips, my heels digging into his hard, round ass, and my arms around his wide shoulders, and I clung to him, loving how he moved into me—fast, desperate, as if he couldn't control himself.

I liked it.

I liked it way too much.

And right now, I wanted it, this, us.

He rolled his hips, going even deeper, and I bit his shoulder as pleasure slithered up my spine.

It was too much and not enough.

"This is fucking good, sweetheart," he whispered in my ear. I turned my face to him and he captured my mouth, his kiss as rough as the rest of him.

As rough and as delicious.

Levi snaked one hand under me, grabbed my ass, and tilted it up a little. I gasped when he went deeper this way. He groaned against my mouth, bit down on my lower lip, then closed his lips around mine again.

His thrusts became even faster and deeper, and I felt myself reaching new heights.

By the light, how was this possible?

I lost control and came. Three seconds later, Levi's chest rumbled with a growl and he came too. He buried his face on my neck and held tight to me as his body shook and he slowly came down from the high.

For five minutes, we stayed like that. Him holding me, me wrapped around him, both of us spent and blissful.

But then I remembered.

The bond.

All of this was because of the bond.

I tensed and Levi pushed up on his elbows.

Without looking at him, I disentangled myself from him and rolled to my side, my back to him.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

I sat up, wishing I had a robe or a towel to cover myself. He had seen my naked body more than once, touched and licked every inch of me, but for some reason, I felt vulnerable right now.

Why wasn't I able to control myself with him? I was a grown up, a supernatural, a badass … or at least I thought I was, and yet, I couldn't resist him.

I knew it was the bond, but I was freaking stubborn and I wanted to resist it!

"Nothing," I said, reaching for my top.

"I can feel you, sweetheart. Talk to me."

I glanced over my shoulder. Levi had sat up too and was a foot behind me, still fully and gloriously naked.

"I thought you didn't do small talk," I teased him.

"I guess our relationship is complicated, and we're a little past that now."

Our relationship …

There was no relationship here.

"I should be able to control myself," I confessed. "But because of the bond, I can't."

He scooted closer to me. "Look at me, sweetheart." I glanced at him over my shoulder again, letting my hair fall around me and cover my breasts. "Tell me the truth … would it be so bad if we had fun with the bond before we break it?"

I frowned. "Maybe?"

"We don't need to pretend to be a happy couple, hold hands, snuggle, or anything like that, but we can have sex like we just had." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. I shivered. "Or was it so bad you don't want to repeat it?"

I rolled my eyes. He knew it hadn't been bad at all. In fact, it was hard not to jump him right now and go for round two.

"You know that's not it."

"What is it, then? Your moral compass? An angelic rule?" That wasn't it, either. Angels were more composed than most supernaturals, but it wasn't rare for angels to date around before claiming a pair. "Or are you promised to an angel?"

I smiled at that. "Angels don't do that kind of stuff."

"Then the only thing holding you back is yourself."

That and my poor heart. I knew a one-night stand or two or three wouldn't kill me, but on the inside, I was softer than I liked, and I could easily fall for him, bond or no bond.

And with the bond? It would be hard to know the difference, if there was any.

"Levi," I started.

"Sweetheart, I never had to ask or beg someone to be with me and I won't start now." He raised both hands. "I won't be upset if you say no." He said it casually, but there was a disappointed glint in his blue eyes.

I frowned. "What about the dagger? Aren't you trying to seduce me so I lower my guard and tell you where the Scarlet Hex Blade is?"

He pressed a hand to his chest. "I'm not, sweetheart. I won't press you about the dagger."

As a demon, he probably could lie right to my face and not feel one ounce of remorse.

But damn, those eyes, that intense stare.

By the light, how could I resist him?

Choosing to believe his lie, I twisted around, pressed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him down, until his back was on the mat and I was straddling him. "Damn it. Are you sure you're above begging? I wanted you to grovel."

A growl started deep in his chest. He rolled us around and glued his body to me. "Consider this me groveling, sweetheart."

He closed his lips around mine, and before I could think, he was inside me again. I gasped against his mouth, worked on building some walls around my heart and just enjoyed the ride.