Chapter 16

Chapter16

Briar

By the time I make it out of the bathroom, I’m ready to tell Sol that I was too rushed in agreeing to be carried. What am I, a princess waiting for her knight in shining armor? Walking is mildly painful, but I’ve dealt with worse for less pleasurable reasons.

He never gives me the chance.

Sol waits near the door as if he’s sure I’ll collapse the moment I step through, a luxurious robe hanging from his claws. It’s a deep green that matches the darkest part of his scales, and the material reflects the pale morning light in a way that makes my breath catch. He drapes it around my shoulders and waits for me to slide my arms through the generous sleeves. I belt it and shiver. The inside is even softer than it looks on the outside. Warmer, too. “Thank you.”

“I like you in green.” He sweeps me up into his arms without another word.

It feels different to be carried by him today. Now I know exactly what pleasure he’s capable of delivering. My body clenches in response to the memory of last night that cascades over me. Which makes pain throb between my legs. He really is massive, but even as sore as I am, I’m looking forward to doing it again. The sheer freedom of being with Sol, of not worrying that he’s judging or going to hold anything I say in a moment of need against me…and that he’s going to deliver pleasure. More pleasure than I could have dreamed possible.

What happened after the sex was just as revolutionary. He didn’t roll over and immediately go to sleep. Or, worse, leave. He took care of me. And then he slept next to me, his larger body curled around mine. It might not have been enough to stave off nightmares, but that would take a miracle at this point.

It was nice. More than nice.

Sol tastes the air with his tongue. “What are you thinking of, Briar?”

Heat surges beneath my skin, and I suspect I’ve just turned as red as my hair. “Nothing.”

“Liar.”

I tense, but he says it almost fondly. I don’t understand how Sol can use the same words Ethan did but for it to feel so different. I swallow hard. “I’m hungry.”

He snorts and turns at the bottom of the staircase, heading deeper into the keep. I relax into his arms and enjoy the ride, but something occurs to me as Sol shoulders through a door and into a massive kitchen. A massive empty kitchen. “Why isn’t there anyone else around? Surely you don’t live here only with the brown dragon. There were more than a few dragons when I got here, but they’re all gone now.”

Sol sets me on a high stool and moves what appears to be a form of chest freezer. “My cousin, Aldis is around here somewhere. You met her the first day, and she’s no doubt creating paperwork as we speak. There’s also a small staff keeping us fed and ensuring the place doesn’t fall down around us.”

I frown. “It seems rather lonely.”

Sol hesitates and then sets a series of strange-looking vegetation on the table. “The keep is usually more populated. I tend to make myself available to any of my people who need my attention, but they’re forbidden from coming here for a time.”

I worry my bottom lip, tempted to leave it at that, but Sol seems fine with my curiosity, so I gather up my courage and ask, “Why?”

His tail twitches, but his crest remains lowered. I’m not sure what that means, but it’s not anger. He does seem to have a hard time meeting my gaze, though. “We dragons are territorial in the extreme, especially when newly wed. It’s better for everyone if others make themselves scarce until the most intense time passes.”

I blink. Blink again. “But what about the staff you just mentioned?”

“They’re all old enough to have gone through this sort of thing several times, most recently with my parents.” He shakes his head. “And Aldis is my cousin. Which doesn’t make her exempt, but she’s not interested in sex or marriage or anything of that nature, so we took a calculated risk having her here.”

I don’t know what to think about that. It almost sounds like a jealous rage, but Sol obviously took meticulous steps to ensure very few people were potentially endangered by it. “So if I were to talk to another dragon…”

His crest flares, a deep hiss rattling in his chest. “I suggest you don’t. Not for the next few weeks.” He takes a deep breath, and then another, visibly bringing himself under control again. “It will pass. It always does. But the initial time can be challenging, and I would appreciate it greatly if you worked with me on it. I realize humans don’t have the same tendencies.”

Don’t we?

Maybe it’s not as explicitly stated the way the dragons do, but humans can be wildly jealous, and it doesn’t always wear off once they’re secure in a relationship. I comb my fingers through my hair as Sol starts preparing the food. I’m not a jealous person. I couldn’t afford to be, not with Ethan controlling every aspect of my life.

If Sol were with another person…

My stomach twists and my chest clenches. “I meant what I said last night. I don’t want you with anyone else,” I blurt. Maybe I should be playing cool or pretending like I don’t care, but I can’t seem to keep my cards close to my chest when it comes to Sol.

He walks to me, setting a plate of food in front of me. Too much food, honestly. Sol leans against the counter and waits until I pick up a piece of fruit that I recognize from yesterday’s breakfast and take a bite. Only then does he speak. “There will be no one else, Briar. Even if I didn’t hold marriage to be particularly sacred…” He shakes his head slowly. “No one else will do. It’s you and no other.”

Even as I try to tell myself he’s only saying that because I’m his bride and I’m human and he needs to convince me to breed with him, part of me can’t help melting at the sincerity in his words. To distract myself I take another bite and speak the thing that’s been bothering me since last night. “I don’t understand you.”

“How so?”

“You are so courteous and kind when we talk like this.” I motion between us. “But when it comes to sex, you’re…different.”

He shifts closer, and I jump a little when his tail spirals around my leg. He leans down until our faces are even. “Did you like what we did last night?”

A shiver nearly dislodges me from the stool. It takes me two tries to find my words. “Yes.” I lift my chin, barring my throat to him. “I…” I don’t want to talk about Ethan, but at the same time, Sol is offering me a way to reclaim something I didn’t realize I’d lost in the first place. “Sol, I like it when you talk to me like that. It feels like you’re doing it in a way that’s not mean.”

It’s so tempting to leave it there, but it’s as if his presence propels honesty out of me. I swallow hard. “You make me feel cherished.”

“You are cherished.” He starts to say something else, but the sound of footsteps has him taking a slow step back.

No, not back.

He moves between me and the doorway.

I blink at his broad back for a long moment, but curiosity gets the best of me. I lean sideways just in time to see Ramanu stalk around the corner. They stop short. It’s difficult to tell without them having eyes, but they seem to take in the scene in an instant. A slow smile pulls at their mouth. “Someone’s been busy.”

Sol’s hiss sounds downright dangerous in a way I’ve never heard before. His crest flares wide. “Leave the things and get out.”

If he talked to me like that, I would have fled for my life. Ramanu just leans against the doorframe. “Impossible. The balm you don’t need me for.” They pause meaningfully. “Though I’m more than happy to assist in applying it.”

“Ramanu, enough.”

Their grin widens. “But the translation spell? That’s a trade secret. I’ll need to get up close and personal with your little bride to give it to her.”

The hissing sound gets deeper, almost like a giant rattlesnake.

I stare at Sol. It’s like he’s a completely different person. Distantly, I’m aware that this must be the territorialness he mentioned. I reach out but hesitate making contact. If he’s this angry, he might strike out.

No.

I take a slow breath. If he’s hiding a violent streak that might be leveled at me, better to know it now. I don’t trust Ramanu, but they serve at Azazel’s will, and he promised my safety. If Sol strikes at me, no doubt I’ll be spirited away from him. It might not save my life, but I have to know.

I gently lay my hand against Sol’s back.

The reaction is instantaneous. His crest lowers, and he moves back into my touch. The aggressive body language doesn’t disappear, but he no longer seems in danger of attacking. I clear my throat. “Please, Sol. I would very much like to be able to enjoy your library.” The words come out hoarse with fear, but there’s not much I can do about that.

He half turns to look at me. “Very well. Ramanu, I suggest you work quickly.”

“’Twas beauty tamed the beast,” Ramanu mutters as they approach. They chuckle as if they’ve amused themselves and don’t bother to skirt around Sol’s still-bristling body. “This won’t feel pleasant, but it will be relatively quick.”

They sink onto the stool next to me and turn to face me, bracketing me in with their big thighs. Sol lets out another deep hiss and moves to stand at my back, close enough that I’m pressed against his chest, and he towers over us both. I’m rather closed in, but somehow, with Sol touching me, it’s not enough to cause me to panic.

Ramanu pulls out several strange-looking tools and grins at Sol. “Now your bride will have two bargainer demon marks. How delightful.”

“It’s ill advised to provoke me, demon.”

“So you say.” They move quickly, using their claws to slash open their forearm.

I watch, frozen, as they dip one of the tools into their blood. Without asking, they swipe my robe off my shoulder, and it’s only my body reacting on instinct that has me catching it in time to keep from exposing my breast. Sol lets out another hiss.

Ramanu, of course, ignores it and leans down, pressing the tip of the tool to my skin. It hurts. I wasn’t awake for the first translation mark, so I can’t speak to a comparison, but it feels like tiny teeth biting into my skin. I hold perfectly still, clamping my lips together to keep a whimper inside.

The demon keeps their attention on the dark red lines they’re inking into my skin. I’ve only caught glimpses of the new tattoo on my back, but this is in the same style. One last swipe that has me biting down a scream, and Ramanu sits back. “Don’t touch this while it heals. It will be fine by tonight. If you damage it and the spell doesn’t work, that’s not my responsibility.”

“Get out,” Sol rumbles.

Ramanu leans back slowly. “Don’t let your animal urges harm your little bride, lizard. It would be such a shame for you to lose your territory because you can’t control yourself.” They push to their feet and pretend to consider. “On second thought, rip her to shreds.”

Sol moves, a flash of green that appears in front of the demon. He grabs their neck and slams them back against the wall hard enough that I’m surprised the entire keep doesn’t shudder.

“Sol, wait!” I start to rise, but the room goes strangely liquid.

I manage one step before my legs give out and everything goes dark.