Chapter Three

“Is it my ship that you'll be sending to monitor the ocean?” Aras asked after he closed the door to my suite.

“No.” I went through the sitting room, barely glancing at the tray of fruit, chilled wine, and smoked meats set out on the coffee table. “You will remain here until the Eye is in my hands. Plans can go awry, and I need you to remain at the ready in case I need to deploy you on another path.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Aras said.

He followed me past rooms I used for entertainment, such as the library, music room, and several sitting rooms. Then we passed my office, paneled in dark wood. At the end of the hallway, a door stood, marking the T. To the right was my dressing room and straight ahead was the bathroom. I went left toward the bedroom. Aras didn't ask why I was leading him there. He wasn't an idiot.

Over thick black rugs with subtle patterns of green scrollwork, I strode to the massive ebony bed. I liked things dark in my bedchamber. With the curtains shut and the lights off, it was a black void that comforted me. But now was not the time for that.

I pulled the light cord near the door and the black chandeliers came on, illuminating ebony furniture and glinting off the sheen of green velvet curtains. I went to stand at the foot of the bed. There was no chaise or bench there, just the ebony footboard carved with images of tigers. I removed my crown—also adorned with tigers—and hooked it on a decorative carving protruding from one of the posters. Then I looked over my shoulder at Aras.

“Would Your Majesty care for me to undress him?” Aras asked, his voice matching my bed curtains—soft and warm.

I held out my arms in answer.

Aras chuckled softly as he undid my belt. I lifted my arms as he drew my tunic over my head. A shiver threatened me, but I controlled it. Until Aras drew his claws lightly down my back.

I spun to face him. “We are not lovers.” I paused, then added, “But I intend to change that.”

Aras blinked, surprise blanking his expression briefly. Then he took a shaky breath, using it to say, “I want that.”

“I know.” I grinned to soften the arrogance in my words. “And I know you know how much I want you.” I undid his belt and tossed it away.

His red jacket flopped open without the belt, but the white shirt beneath kept the beauty of his chest hidden. As Aras slipped out of his jacket, I lifted the hem of his shirt, pulling it free of his leather trousers. I could already smell his arousal, but it was nice to get visual confirmation. I couldn't help cupping the bulge in his pants before I lifted the shirt.

Aras groaned and canted his hips into my touch. “I've missed you.”

“I have missed you as well,” I admitted. I unbuttoned his shirt, then moved on to the laces of his pants. “Especially this part of you.”

His cock sprang free, jutting up, already slick with lubricant. I gave up on the pants to wrap my hand around that dark pink flesh. My cock twitched as I pumped Aras, delighting in the feel of his thick Hulfrin lubricant. Better than oil, it clung to his shaft, creating a film that would ease even the most savage pounding.

“Oh, fuck,” Aras whispered.

I let him go.

His eyes popped open, that icy stare instantly locking on my face. “I want to suck your cock.”

I undid my pants, releasing my shaft, then pushed the fabric down to my knees. Stroking myself, I sat down on the end of the bed and spread my knees.

Aras grinned, kicked off his boots, and then hurried out of his pants. He knelt before me and took my short boots off, then my socks, and then my pants. I continued to rub myself and watch him as he worked. When I was completely bare, Aras pushed my legs further apart and stared at me. He licked his lips. I let go of my cock and leaned back on my hands—an unspoken invitation.

Holding my stare, Aras bent his head and licked my length, his rough tongue sending zings of pleasure into my sacs. At the tip, he wrapped his tongue around my cock and used it to hold me in place while he sucked me into his mouth. I groaned, the pleasure of his hot mouth and the heat in his stare combining to send my legs into spasm, locking them around him.

Aras worked my shaft for a bit but then drew back to nuzzle the base. A rumble vibrated from his lips as he pushed up with his furred forehead. I knew what he wanted. I fell back onto the bed and set my feet on the mattress. Growling, Aras pushed his padded palms into the back of my thighs, lifting me a little while he burrowed between my lower cheeks.

I sighed and trailed a hand over my stomach, the beast inside me pleased. That would have been of interest to me if I'd been thinking clearly. But with Aras licking my entrance, I wasn't thinking about much more than riding him until I came all over his chest. Speaking of which . . .

“Enough,” I growled and lowered my legs. “Get on the bed.”

Aras got to his feet, licking his lips, and grinned at me. “Why don't you let me do the work this time?”

“Later. Get on the bed.”

I may be a bottom, but that didn't make me submissive. Were all females submissive just because they received a male's shaft? No, and neither were all men who did the same. Before I let a man fuck me, I fucked him. I fucked him hard enough for him to know who gave the commands in bed. It wouldn't do for a lover to get the wrong impression. I wasn't one of those powerful men who secretly liked to be ruled. I ruled. All the time. I had gone through a lot to make sure of that, and I wasn't about to give up my power that easily. Any lover of mine needed to know where they stood with me. Or where they laid, rather.

Aras casually stroked his long, thick cock as he stepped around the bed. All while his stare stroked me. He kept staring as he crawled onto the mattress and laid back on the pillows. I stared back, enjoying the way his muscles bunched and released under his striped fur.

Once Aras was comfortable, propped by silk pillows, I went to him and straddled his waist. He held his cock upright for me, and I eased down on it. With a sigh, I closed my eyes to savor the gentle entrance of his slick spear-cock. It widened me gradually, making the up-and-down maneuver I had to do with most cocks unnecessary. I simply went slowly down, and he slid into me.

“You fucking beautiful man,” Aras growled. “I love watching your thighs bunch when you ride me.” His hands went to my thighs and squeezed, but then one hand slid inward and gripped my cock. “And I especially love the way your cock drips for me.”

I snarled and bent forward, forcing him to remove his hand. “Today, you're going to come inside me.”

Before Aras could respond, I kissed him, my tongue hitting his fangs before delving deeper. He tasted like rum and chocolate, two things I adored, especially together. I growled and kissed him deeper.

Then Aras grabbed my ass and pulled me down on him as he lifted his hips. I jerked away from his lips and pushed his hands away so quickly that he nicked my hip with a claw. I hissed, the pain adding to my pleasure. But my eyes widened when Aras growled and swiped at the blood with a fingertip. The scratch healed by the time he sucked my blood off his finger.

“Bloodthirsty, are we, Captain?” I drawled.

“You're delicious.” He lifted his hips again to meet me on the drop.

I set a hand on his belly and sped up, slamming onto his cock hard enough to pin him down. Aras grinned, knowing exactly what I was doing, and probably why. He went still, letting me take control.

“That's a good boy,” I said and ground on him. “I ride you, and then, if I'm pleased with your behavior, I may allow you to ride me.”

Aras made a happy sound. “I'm dying to slam into your tight channel.”

“I'm sure you'll survive the wait.”

Aras chuckled, the sexy sound making my cock twitch. And then pleasure rolled up my spine, arching my back. With my hands clenched around Aras's waist, I came violently, my seed gleaming like jewels on his furred chest.

“My turn,” he growled and upended me, tossing me onto my back while staying lodged inside me.

I was still coming, body bucking through my release and eyes closed to enjoy it. It felt better than usual, the effervescent ecstasy building even as it exploded through me. So good that I didn't realize what Aras was doing at first. I would have protested if I had. After all, I'd made it clear that he was only to do this under my order.

But then Aras had my legs up, draped over his thick arms. Any other man, and I would have bucked him off. But this felt right. It felt . . . fucking amazing. I opened my eyes and met Aras's bright stare. His eyes were wide and his lips were parted. Maybe he was surprised that I was allowing this. Whatever the case, his expression softened as he bent to kiss me.

I never realized how intimate sex could get in this position. Aras moved my legs around his hips so he could press even closer. Instead of pushing him away, I found myself tightening my thighs to hold him there. And that sleek cock of his kept moving deeper and deeper, awakening new sensations. My hands slid over his back, kneading and gripping. Pulling him closer. The taste of him was wild and sharp on my tongue—rum overpowering the chocolate. I couldn't get enough.

Suddenly, Aras broke free of our kiss and lifted his head to roar. The muscles in his neck stood out, even beneath the fur, the arch putting them on display. His fangs caught the light, and I had the strangest urge to feel them in my flesh. Not breaking skin, just holding on like a mating animal does. The thought sent a fresh surge of excitement through my cock. Combined with the feel of his cum filling me, it sent me over again.

But this time, something was different.

I heard Aras roar but there was an echo of it inside me. My dragon. We were one, but I could still feel him as a unique piece of me, as one might feel a hand or foot. Or maybe lungs. The beast condensed in my pelvis and as I went rigid with another phenomenal release, I felt the magic leave me. It took a piece of my soul with it.

Mating essence burst free of my cock, coating Aras in thick ribbons. But it wasn't enough, especially with the way his fur prevented most of it from touching his skin. As Aras's shaft went flaccid and slipped free of my body, I reared up and knocked him backward. His eyes popped open, but then he smiled.

“You'll need to give me a few minutes, Your Majesty,” he said. “I don't recover as quickly as you.”

“Open your mouth,” I growled as I straddled him and rose onto my knees.

I was still coming, my body jerking with a rapture that went soul-deep. Just looking upon Aras was ecstasy—his savage face had become precious to me in just a few heartbeats. More than precious. Integral. And not just his face. I needed all of him from this moment forward. His face, his hands, his cock. All of it. Aras was the key to my happiness. To my survival. Everything made sense suddenly—why I had pined for him, the way I felt when I looked at him, those fucking dreams. I had started the bonding process with our first interlude. Now, I was completing it.

Aras was my mate!

I had never been a loving man. Never much for the gentler emotions. But I felt them now. I understood them now. All those touches and looks that my parents exchanged. They were necessary to satisfy the magic. I wanted to protect Aras. To see him happy. I craved his smile. His lust. His laughter. I wanted it all. Even his tears, should he shed them. And then I would destroy whoever or whatever made him cry.

You cannot tell him! the Eye shouted in my mind.

I ignored her. This was my mate. I was mating Aras! It was a glorious day, and I wouldn't let anything ruin it.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Aras said.

I was so wrapped up in the mating and the Eye's rejection of it that it took me a second to realize what Aras was responding to. The opening of his mouth helped. His eyes widened further when I got to my feet on the bed and aimed my cock at his mouth. My mating essence kept flowing out of me, hitting my mate on his chest, chin, face, and, at last, inside his mouth. Seeing Aras lick his lips and swallow nearly undid me, especially when his sexy, deep, happy rumble followed.

Oh, fuck, and now he's rubbing it in, I thought as I watched Aras's hands—claws retracted—rub my essence past his fur and into his skin where it would be absorbed. It's as if he knows what he needs to do.

Lyrandir, if you tell him that he's your mate, he will think of himself as immune to your threats, the Eye pestered me. He will stop trying to find me. You must not tell him who he is to you.

He's my mate! I roared inside my head joyously as I came across his arms—one, then the other. I stepped back, instincts guiding me to cover Aras completely. I couldn't have stopped myself if I tried. My sacs tightened again as I stroked my shaft, pumping that precious bonding liquid out of me to coat my mate so that all would know he belonged to me. He was taking my soul into him where it would merge with his and make him stronger. If he hadn't been an immortal, my soul would have made him so. Such was the power of the mating magic.

The blessing of the Goddess was upon us.

The Goddess will not be pleased if you lose me, the Eye said. You know her fury is unmatched. She may remove the mating bond you are establishing.

I roared in fury this time, and I did so aloud. The world around me shivered with the power of my anger and the claiming I refused to stop.

I'm not saying to stop claiming him, the Eye said. Claim your mate. Fuck him until the bond settles. But don't tell him until after you have claimed me as well.

I will not be able to part with him for several weeks, I snarled back. My dragon won't allow him to even leave this chamber until he's satiated, and that will probably take days.

Do what you must, but don't tell him or you will lose the upper hand. You need to control him, Lyrandir. And if he knows he's your mate, he will control you.

The thought of a man, any man, controlling me was enough to break through the ecstasy of mating and clear my head enough to focus me. The emotions I felt suddenly felt like threats. A warning. If I let myself get lost in them, I would lose control as well. I would become a slave to those feelings—a slave to Aras. No! I wouldn't tell Aras. Not until I had the Eye. Then the Goddess's magic would strengthen me, and I wouldn't worry about losing control. I would claim Aras and provide him with excuses to explain my strange behavior. Anything to keep him close. And I would order my knights to keep my secret too. They'd know who he was as soon as they smelled him.

That's very wise, the Eye spoke in a calmer tone. I will leave you now to claim your mate.

“Your Majesty?” Aras frowned up at me.

“Roll over onto your stomach.”

Aras obeyed, but his confusion was evident. That ceased to matter when I used my foot to rub my essence past his fur and into his flesh. Aras cried out, then sighed and pumped his hips against the bed. I kept releasing my essence, coating my mate in my scent and soul. No matter what happened now, whether Aras knew it or not, he was mine.

At last, I collapsed onto the bed beside him and sighed in relief and joy.

“Your Majesty?” Aras lifted his head, swaths of dark hair falling across his face boyishly, but the veil couldn't hide his wonder from me. “What was that?”

“Come here.” I pulled my mate into my arms and nestled his head in against my neck. “Call me Lyrandir.”

Aras wasn't satisfied with the boon. He pushed up, out of my embrace, and looked down at me. “Was that the way a Dragon declares himself?”

“Declares himself?” I lifted my brows.

“I'm trying to ask if we're lovers now. Monogamous lovers.”

The thought of the opposite, that Aras might go to another, nearly made me roar again. I pushed the urge down, but only because lust was rising once more. It would be like this for at least a couple of days while the bond settled. I'd need him every few minutes at first, then every few hours. After that, the mating should be set, steady enough to survive a short separation.

Again, the thought nearly roused my dragon. But that primal part of me was already reaching for my mate, needing what only he could give me.

“Yes, we're monogamous now. Fuck another man, and I will kill him.”

Instead of being horrified, Aras grinned. “Can I kill whoever you fuck?”

I stared at my mate, contemplating how he would be the only man I'd fuck for the rest of my life. But I couldn't say that to him. Not yet. So, instead, I said, “Yes. If I betray my promise to you, you may kill the man I take to bed.”

Aras's eyes twitched. “I don't like the thought of you bedding another.”

What a relief that was to hear. But again, I couldn't tell him. I just smiled and sat up.

Aras had to back away to give me space to get to my knees. “What are you doing?”

“You will be doing me,” I said and turned around to get onto my hands and knees. I looked over my shoulder at my mate, joy once more infusing me. “Fuck me as hard as you want. Harder, even. And you may taste my blood again, if you wish.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something twitch. His cock. It rose at my words. And I smiled wider. Was the bond already telling me what my mate needed? Maybe. Or maybe I was just very observant where he was concerned. Either way, I took great pride in knowing that I could satisfy all his needs.