Dragon Claiming (Year of the Dragon) (2 page)

Because you are mine!

The growled declaration was so clear in her head, Sippora looked to Magna and Dirk to see if they heard it too. Instead. both men stared at her as if she had suddenly grown horns and two heads. Something was coming, and it was coming fast. Or rather someone. While she had nothing to fear, she couldn’t say the same for the two young men pursuing her.

A mighty roar sounded in the distance and the air stirred, the wind growing stronger and stronger. Even Sippora's multitude of heavy braids whipped around her wildly. In the low mist above them, a dark shadow emerged, swiftly clearing to reveal the huge form of a black dragon. Silver scales ran along his spine and tipped the horns protruding from his head. In a word, he was magnificent.

Sippora supposed she should be as scared as everyone else, scattering to the village. Instead, a strange sense of peace stole over her. This was her destiny.

Dirk and Magna drew their swords, placing their bodies in front of her to protect her. They would truly make a woman fine husbands. But not her.

She placed a hand on either man's shoulder, pushing them aside with gentle strength. The dragon roared in protest at the contact, but she did what she had to do to move in front of her would-be protectors and closer to the dragon. She approached the big male creature without fear, a rightness settling over her when nothing else had ever felt right before.

Her hand caressed the shiny black scales of his shoulder, lingering there as she looked up into one gleaming silver eye.

“I don't understand this, but I know I'm meant for you.” She deliberately said the words out loud for the sake of the men behind her holding very sharp swords, and the dragon looking decidedly lethal, smoke rising from his nostrils. “Take me away before someone gets hurt. I couldn't bear it if anyone got hurt because of me.”

The dragon grunted, dipping his neck and shoulders to the ground to make it easy for Sippora to climb onto his back. He turned his head to watch her until she was settled; then, with a blood-curdling roar directed at the two men, the dragon launched himself into the sky.

Uryen couldn’t think. Before the urge had overwhelmed him to go protect what was his, he had no intentions of claiming this so-called mate, at least not this soon. Sensing the human males about to touch her triggered a rage unlike any he’d ever known. The female was his! Even after establishing no other male had the right to touch her, he certainly hadn’t meant to take her back to his lair, and yet that was exactly where he was heading. The scent of her womanhood wrapped around him, tempting him beyond anything he could control. She was so small, so fragile. If he were to take her now, he would hurt her.

She'd come to him without fear, boldly accepting she was meant for him. He couldn't betray that trust, especially not by making their first union as brutal as he knew he would if he took her now. Did this constitute her coming to him of her own free will? Was it enough to fulfill the prophecy? It must be true, though he half-heartedly wished it were not so. Even now she nestled against his scales as if she belonged there, resting her cheek trustingly against him.

How was it possible this mere slip of a woman had no fear of him? It wasn’t as if she had seen a dragon before. None of the dragons had shown themselves before now. Even if her village were aware of the mating between Tyger and Brynn, seeing a dragon for the first time should be a terrifying experience for any human. It always had been before.

The flight to his castle was too short. Even circling around a few times did not buy Uryen enough time. All too soon he was landing in the barren courtyard, which was nothing more than packed dirt. Whereas Tyger had prepared for his mate, Uryen had fought against fate, refusing to allow any softness into his domain. Truthfully, he wouldn’t begin to know how to prepare for someone like Sippora. As she slid gracefully from his neck, he turned to glare, staying in dragon form to gauge just how unafraid she really was. He even snorted, puffing smoke from his reptilian nostrils.

There wasn’t a flicker. She simply smiled and rubbed his snout. She rubbed his snout! As if he were a pet. He should’ve roared, he thought begrudgingly, but he couldn’t do that either. Suddenly, after thousands of years in existence, he’d developed some kind of dragon split personality.

“Do you not have enough sense to fear a creature who could snap you in two with his fingers?” Uryen snapped, shifting forms when his dragon had absolutely no effect on her.

Did she jump at his most fearsome growly tone? No! The woman whose head did not reach the middle of his chest dared to reach up and caress the side of his face before her eyes swept the length of his body. His very nude body. Damn it to the demon planet Hel, he was blushing! Those deep brown eyes that haunted his dreams were wide with wonder as her gaze centered directly on his cock. His very erect cock. This just could not happen now. The need to have her rode him so hard his head hurt.

“Why would I fear you? I was meant for you, was I not?” Her voice was sweeter than it had been in his head, impossibly innocent for a woman who looked at his cock like it was something good to eat. It was impossible to stand there and be upset with her when she spoke to him in that tone. “That is why you came to the village, to claim me before Dirk and Magna could.”

“You should do more than fear me,” he growled, growing agitated at the mention of the human males. Perhaps he should go back and roast them after all. “I'm the dragon protector of your village. You should be terrified.”

Instead of showing the fear he was trying so hard to illicit in her, she simply cocked her head to the side inquisitively. “Why? A dragon protector protects. He doesn't harm.” She smiled at him then, a warm, genuine smile. “I'm completely safe with you.”

She had to be kidding. The things he was imagining doing to her would have curled her toes and sent her running as hard and as fast as she could go away from him. She was too much of an innocent for his sexual appetites.

“You have no idea what you're playing with, woman.” His voice was harsh, almost angry. “What I require in a mate you couldn't possibly handle.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Uryn had never regretted anything in his existence up until that point. Hurt. Intense hurt flashed in her eyes before she turned her head away.

“Well, I guess you're damned because you're stuck with me.” She didn't hesitate, but lifted her head and walked toward the castle encrusted with ornate jewels where he made his home. Even that didn't surprise him as much as what she did next. With every step she took, she shed her clothing. One piece at a time, until she walked away from him, hair brushing her ass with every sway of her hips. Not once did she look back at him.

Uryn swallowed, his cock throbbing like mad with every beat of his heart. There was no way he was going to be able to resist her. Her body was too tempting, too beautiful. Everything male inside him cried out for her. His mate. He found himself following her as she made her way unerringly to his bedroom. All the while, she didn't seem aware he followed her. She took her time, familiarizing herself with her new home while her generous hips swayed in a slow, hypnotizing rhythm. His hands curled and uncurled at his sides as he watched her, falling deeper into her trap with every second. Women had always been that for dragons, a trap. It was the reason the curse had befallen their world in the first place.

There was no way out for Uryen now, and he knew it. He wanted her, had to have her. Would have her. What little rational sense he had left might warn him away, caution him to be careful, but he knew Fate would have her way. All of him belonged to this tiny woman with courage and heart that put natural-born dragons to shame.

At the top of the carved staircase, Sippora turned and looked at him over her shoulder. Uryen shuddered at the vision she made: part innocent maiden, part siren, all goddess.

“Are you going to claim me, or will I have to take you?”

She couldn’t know that was a challenge, a dare. She couldn't know how well it would work. But she was about to find out.

 Instinctively, Sippora knew this was the most important moment of her life. She'd always envisioned a wedding with all the finery. But that was when she’d planned on being mated to a human.  Now it all seemed trivial; her mating today would be unlike any she could have ever foreseen. The only thing that mattered was seducing her dragon protector into giving himself to her. His reluctance was palpable, but she was determined to push through. He wanted her—she could feel it down to her soul. Yet for some reason he was holding back. In her mind, she'd made the same commitment to him the second she'd climbed onto his back. Once she started down a path, Sippora always finished it.

Looking around the room, she realized he had exotic tastes. There were things in the room that were obviously sexual in nature, but she had no idea what they were used for. She’d never known of anyone who had ever been taken by a dragon protector; she’d never even heard of such a thing. For reasons that were known only to Fate, Sippora accepted it, though, accepted that she was his. As soon as he’d swept down into her village in full, ferocious dragon form, she had known.

Her dragon may have brought her to his lair, but he seemed upset by her presence. Something told her she was going to have to push the issue, because the mighty Uryen seemed reluctant to claim her. Mustering all the courage she could find deep inside her, she made her way to the massive bed in the center of the room covered in black silk. Drapes of sheer white woven with sparkling gold threads hung from a canopy that seemed to shroud the bed in mist. Coiled on the small table beside the bed were two golden ropes with the finest diamond thread swirling around and through the golden strands.

Sippora fingered the fine material, knowing what she was about to do would require an immense amount of trust on her part. If she could prove to him she truly wasn't afraid of him, that she trusted him with her body as well as her heart, maybe he'd begin to trust himself.

Heart in her throat, she picked up the rope, letting it slide through her fingers to unravel. “I take it this has a particular significance?” She watched him swallow convulsively. If it was possible, he looked more frightened than she was nervous.

“You have no idea what you're playing at.” His voice was rough, husky. Sexy as sin. Sippora was certain normal maidens shouldn't find him sexy—they would be terrified. No doubt he was used to scaring humans into submission. Instead of being frightened—well, besides the delicious sliver of sensual fear that tingled her spine—she found herself willing to submit to him just because she knew he needed it.

“I think I have an idea. I'm just wondering if you do.” Perhaps pushing him that hard wasn’t the wisest move.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Uyren snatched the rope from her fingers and pulled her to him. His eyes never left hers as he secured her wrists together in front of her, then scooped her up and took her to the bed. Her heart pounded as he stretched her arms above her head and secured the silken rope to the head of the bed.

“You asked for this.” His voice was a deep rasp, making goose bumps break out all over her skin. After securing her hands to the posts at the head of the bed, he spread her legs wide, using the golden, diamond-weaved rope around her ankles so that she was tethered wide, knees bent while her thighs were spread.

Once done, he took a step back, his eyes gleaming blue-green fire as he looked down on her. HIs eyes swept her body as if he were trying to memorize her curves. It was a deeply erotic look, one that made her yearn to feel the intent behind it. The cock bobbed, pearly drops of moisture appearing on the reddened mushroom head. Sippora had seen men’s weapons before—her village was not one of modesty. However, she’d never seen a male appendage quite like that. Oddly it made her quim moist, throbbing in anticipation. It looked as if it just might not fit, but she felt a keen interest in finding out.

“I would have taken you slowly, tenderly,” Uryen said so quietly, Sippora wondered if maybe he was talking to himself.

“No, you wouldn’t.” Whether he was talking directly to her or not, she felt a need to answer such absurdity. “It is not your way, not who you are.”

The retort drew his gaze back up to her face. There was a strange light in his eyes now; not anger, but something wild and intense. Her clit thumped even harder at how he looked at her now. It was far more erotic than when his gaze had swept her body in obvious approval.

“You are about to find out exactly who it is you have so willingly tied yourself to.”

***

Going slowly was going to kill him. Uryen wasn’t really sure he could do it. Reaching out a tentative hand, he touched her skin lightly with the tips of her fingers. So soft. The contrast of her dark skin and his much lighter hand incensed him. Tentatively, he cupped the breast closest, rolling the long, dark berry nipple between his fingers. When Sippora groaned in response, he added more pressure, just to test the waters. Sippora gasped, her hips bucking ever so slightly.