Kael does, though. He grabs my hands with one of his and holds them high over my head. Be still while I claim you. You will hurt yourself.

Don’t care, I moan, not even bothering to speak aloud anymore. My thoughts are a jumbled whirl of pleasure as he slides out of me and then strokes deep again, cock dragging through the slick cream of my pussy. There’s something so erotic about him holding me pinned under him, big hand keeping mine captive. It makes me more aroused, and I didn’t think that was possible. Oh god, Kael.

You are mine, Claudia. All mine. Forever. There will be no fire in your blood but mine.

No fire, I agree, sobbing, wishing I could lift my hips to push against him. My side aches, but it’s nothing compared to the intense pleasure. I’m too far gone.

As if sensing my need, he slams into me harder, becoming rougher with his thrusts, and I scream my pleasure. My mate, he sends with every thrust. My everything. My Claudia.

And I am. I’m his everything, and gladly. All yours, I tell him. Forever.

When we come, we come together.

33

CLAUDIA

Hours later, when he’s claimed me a few more times and has finally moved to lie beside me on the bed, his limbs twined around mine possessively, I lie awake, thinking.

“My sister and Melina are safe, aren’t they?” I ask, lazily tracing one of the scales on his shoulder. “Even though it’s been a few hours?”

For today, yes. I patrolled before coming, and no one is near. I cannot feel any other dragons in the area. The humans are safe for now, though we will have to retrieve them soon.

My mate doesn’t sound thrilled at that. I think he likes having me to himself. But I won’t compromise their safety, and if that means we have a little less alone time, then so be it. I relax against him and enjoy the feel of his weight pressing against my good side. My sister’s free. I’ve got the man I love. There’s only a small hiccup in my happiness.

“Sasha,” I murmur sleepily.

Hmm? Kael’s thoughts are as pleasure-drugged as my own, I’m pleased to notice.

“My friend. The one that Dakh stole. Have you heard from him? Seen him around?” My fingers lazily trace down his back, noting that his shoulder blades don’t seem to be the same as mine. They have a different shape to them, broader and flatter. Maybe for his wings in his battle form? Fascinating. He’s endlessly, utterly fascinating. I could spend a lifetime with him and still learn new things about him.

In fact, I plan on it.

But Kael sits up in bed and glances down at me, eyes lazily whirling the amber of contentment. I have not seen Dakh. He will stay out of my territory now that he knows I am protecting a mate…and that he has his own to protect.

“But what about Sasha? We have to save her, if she’s still alive.”

She is still alive. Dakh would destroy the world to keep her safe. I know this feeling. His claws brush a sweaty strand of hair off my brow.

“But we can’t just leave her with him—”

He shakes his head, a trait I could swear he’s picked up from me. I will not approach another male on his territory while he protects his own mate. To do so would be death. He will fight me to protect her, just like I would fight him to protect you.

“Then what do we do?” I ask softly, worried.

My dragon leans in and nuzzles at my ear. We give thanks that Dakh has claimed a mate and there is one less crazed drakoni in the skies.

“And what about what Sasha wants? Doesn’t that matter?”

He begins to kiss my neck again, distracting me. You should know that when a drakoni male has his mind on his woman, he is not easily dissuaded.

True enough.

Still, I hope that somewhere out there, Sasha is safe and taken care of. My poor friend, I think. I hope you are treated well. I’m sorry for what’s happened.

SASHA

A moan of pain escapes me as I rouse from sleep. Every fiber of my being aches, and my broken arm is a hot, throbbing brand at my side. My ribs are almost as painful as my arm, and I suspect that Tate cracked them the last time I sold myself to him. The more I see him, the rougher he gets, the more boundaries he pushes.

He’ll kill me one day, but it’s not like I have many options.

Still, I haven’t seen Tate in days. There’s no reason why I should feel as freshly-stomped-on as I do. My mind is hazy, head throbbing, and I reach up with my good arm and feel a new knot on my forehead. I must have hit myself somehow.

That’ll look lovely with my black eye.

Not that it matters what I look like. Tate’s not interested in my face half as much as he is in marking up my skin. Of course, it’s going to be another injury I’ll have to explain to Claudia, who—

Claudia.

My mind fills with vague flashes of memory. Of hiding in the school bus from another dragon attack. The dragon landing. Claudia, wearing swim goggles and dragging me out of the safety of the bus while a dragon waits outside.

Falling off the dragon.

Oh god, I remember falling. Fear makes my mouth water, and I feel stunningly close to vomiting. I slow my breathing, ignoring the beads of cold sweat that pop onto my skin. Calm. Calm. You’re clearly safe. You didn’t fall, or you’d remember landing.

Weird. I really don’t remember landing, though. A new whimper escapes my throat. Am I dead? Is this death? Is death supposed to hurt this stinking much?

A low, rumbling sound, almost like a purr, fills the black space around me.

I freeze, not daring to open my eyes.

That…had sounded a bit like a purr, if a cat was the size of, oh, a jetliner. Fear makes my bones feel like jelly, and even though I want to be quiet, my breath begins to rasp in short, echoing gasps, loud even to my own ears.

Oh god. Oh god. I’d been falling. That was the last thing I remembered. Who’d caught me?

What caught me?

I squeeze an eye open, greatly daring.

Something stares back at me. Something with a scaly, horned face the size of a Volkswagen. Something with eyes that swirl in color from black to gold to black again. Something that purrs with fierce intensity and hovers inches away from my face.

A dragon.

I scream.

Epilogue

One Month Later

CLAUDIA