Dragons Don't Forgive (3 page)

Nikka’s smile is gentle and I read
acceptance in her gaze. Whatever I decide, she will back me.
Twenty-four years is a long time and just maybe my mate will show
himself before those years have passed. If so, Sarn and I can part
ways with no one hurt. He would have a bride to choose and I would
have a mate to live the rest of eternity with.

I’m glad I came here today. It has
cleared my thoughts and I know exactly what I will do. I have a
dragon to seduce, though a lot will need to take place before the
seduction. The man seriously needs a bath.

Chapter Three

Sarn

For two more days I feel like shit,
but I guess after three-hundred and sixty-five plus days of being
inebriated it’s to be expected. On the fifth day, I eat the soup
Sierra brings and for the first time, the food decides to stay
down. The alcohol cravings continue and the body trembles are still
there, which makes me feel weaker than I probably am. So much sweat
has drenched the sheets on the bed that the entire cabin is
beginning to smell like raw sewage. I’m glad when my mind seems
much clearer after the meal and my headache subsides.

Sierra has been as quiet as the bears
when she brings my meals. Of course, she wears those outrageous
outfits that make me think of wild sex. Her sweet smile tells
another story, though, and her innocence keeps me from making
suggestive comments. The question that keeps fluttering through my
mind is why do I crave those short visits by her as much as I crave
alcohol?

I take a last drink of the water and
lift myself from the bed. My eyes land on the sour-smelling puke
bucket, so I pick it up and take it to the bathroom. I almost
upchuck the soup in my belly as I pour the contents down the
toilet. I’m already naked, so I step into the large shower, turn
the water as hot as it will go, and wash away days of filth. I can
no longer stand the smell of me. I rest my forehead against the
cold tiles and let the water clean more than my body. I’m a fool
for spending each day in a bottle. Taking the edge off the guilt
and sadness was no punishment at all. I must live with myself even
though I hate who I am.

My legs wobble severely by the time I
step from the shower, though my head is clearer still. I leave the
bathroom naked and stop suddenly at the sight of Sierra making the
bed. Soiled sheets lay in a pile on the floor. I’m too weary to
stand, so I turn a kitchen chair around and straddle it. She goes
about her task and ignores that I’m sitting here. Today’s ensemble
is skin-tight, black leather pants, a fitted crop top with lace at
the tops of her breasts, and calf-length boots with spiked heels.
She turns so her backside is to me as she tucks in the bottom
covers. My cock swells as she bends at the waist and her delightful
ass wiggles a bit. Even though I sound like a broken record, I ask
anyway, “What are you doing here, Sierra?” Cool water drips off my
hair and lands in my lap. It does nothing to cool down the stiff
rod between my legs.

She finishes making the bed and
finally turns my way. Her dark eyes slowly travel over my nakedness
until she meets my eyes. Her voice is husky when she finally
speaks, “You look much better.” A soft smile with a twinkle in her
eyes comes next. “You smell better too.” She stares into my eyes
for another moment before continuing. “You might not think so, but
the two of us have a few things in common and I think we can help
each other.”

I can’t stop the burst of laughter
that escapes my lips—to be so young and naive. I appraise her
sexily dressed figure and my cock swells a bit more. There is just
something about her and it’s more than the clothes. She is nothing
like any of my brides. Maybe it’s because she wasn’t raised as a
dragon sacrifice. I can’t seem to place my finger on it and my head
throbs a little when I try. Sierra is an alluring female, but I
think it’s her touch of innocence that attracts me. It’s also the
biggest reason I need to run in the opposite direction. This,
whatever it is, must stop right here, right now. I leer at her in
my best dragon, I-want-to-eat-you stare. “We have nothing in
common. I’ll fuck you if that’s what you want, but it will be one
time only. With almost five days sober under my belt, I’m not at my
best and may not even be able to get you off. That’s my offer—take
it or leave it.” My cock wants so badly for her to take it, though
my brain doesn’t want her hurt. And there is no denying I will hurt
her. I always do.

Her eyes drop to my cock and her
eyebrows arch in a sexy way that almost makes me come out of the
chair and take what I want. Her gaze slowly lifts to mine. “I
believe I’ll pass, dragon.” Her smile deepens and sincerity enters
her eyes. “What about friends? No fucking at all, just
friends.”

The beating of my heart is so loud I’m
surprised the walls of the cabin don’t shake. People might think a
dragon’s bride is exclusively for sex, but that is only a small
part of the bond. A dragon craves companionship. As Calista aged,
sex became impossible. My love never diminished. I love her still
and will until the next bride replaces her memory. This pint-sized
wolf shifter wants friendship. I almost give in just because it’s
exactly what I need.

I stand up and walk toward her with my
engorged cock wagging like a tail. She never takes her eyes from
mine. I reach out and rub a silky lock of her hair between my
fingers. I step closer so our bodies almost touch. I smell the
sweet musk of her desire and my stomach and headache take a
backseat to the need to possess her. The innocence in her eyes is
all that stops me. With a heavy breath, I release her hair. At that
moment, more than two-hundred pounds of ferocious wolf shifter
bursts into the cabin, hits my side, and takes me to the
floor.

Roland’s damn teeth sink into my upper
arm and his back claws shred the flesh of my thigh very close to my
cock. I roll and sweep his legs from under him. He’s only down for
a moment, but it gives me time to leap back to my feet. My fist
plants against his furry jaw and saliva flies as he shakes his
head.

“
That’s enough,” Sierra
shouts, though it doesn’t stop her brother from coming at me
again.

I really don’t want to hurt the whelp
even though he’s leaving his mark on me. Sierra grabs the ruff of
his neck and pulls him back.

“
Damn you, Roland, I can
take care of myself. He’s not the first man I’ve fucked, so stop
acting like you need to protect my virtue or something.”

Those words freeze my heart. Of course
she isn’t a virgin. In this realm, virginity isn’t exactly a prized
commodity. That’s why I come here when I need a willing woman to
fuck. Why did I think her innocent?

Roland’s paw swipes the side of my
head before Sierra manages to pull him completely away. I’ll admit
the feisty she-wolf has an amazing set of vocal cords on her as she
screams at her brother, “You mind your own business. I’m of age and
have the same rights as you. Take your mangy hide and get out of
here, now.” She kicks him in the ribs for good measure, but the
angry wolf isn’t leaving.

He obviously says something
into her mind because a burst of laughter escapes her throat as she
pulls him farther away. “No,” she yells, “I’m not giving you the
name of him either. I’m of age, dammit. You need to worry about
your own love life and get
your
shit together.”

Roland turns his jaws in his sister’s
direction and growls. I almost step in, but Sierra clocks him in
the muzzle with her fist and shouts, “Yes, it is my business if it
makes you so unhappy. Our parents wouldn’t want that and they won’t
love you any less.” After a short hesitation, she releases him and
places her hands on her hips. “You are a chicken shit. I don’t see
a mate for either of us hanging around. You will never have a
chance if you don’t admit the truth and decide to live your life as
the person you truly are. Now get out of here and only come back
when you want to apologize for being such an ass to
Sarn.”

Roland turns in my direction and bares
his teeth. I have no trouble deciphering that he isn’t giving me an
apology just yet. He suddenly turns his large body in the direction
of the door where several bear shifters are peeking inside. He
sweeps past them without another glance at me or Sierra.

“
Close the damn door and
all of you mind your own business,” Sierra shouts at the gathering
crowd. She doesn’t give them time to do more than pull their heads
back before she marches to the door and slams it in their
faces.

Her stormy eyes turn back in my
direction and her gaze travels to my cock, which is hardening again
at her display of dominance. Not that she will ever dominate me,
but even without her virginity, she is a sight to
behold.

“
And you,” she shakes her
finger in my direction. “Cover that thing up if you can’t control
it. The last thing I need today is a penis without manners flapping
in my face.”

Her words cause my cock to stiffen
further. I’d love nothing more than to flap it against her lips
until she opens them wide enough for me to slide inside. My hand
goes to my belly. Of all the Gods-be-damned moments, this is a fine
time for my stomach to rebel and shivers to rack my
body.

“
For goodness’ sake sit
down before you fall down. You’re bleeding and even though I can
tell that you’ve bathed, you’re sweating again and you need to
clean up.”

Her loud voice doesn’t help my
pounding head either. The backs of my legs hit the bed and I sit
down so I don’t fall.

She storms to the closet door and
returns with a pair of sweatpants. She tosses them at me and I snag
them before they fly over the bed to the floor on the other side.
“Put those on.” She heads into the bathroom and comes out with a
wet washcloth in her hand. I snag that too or it would have hit me
in the face. “Clean yourself up. I’m going to make you something
more substantial to eat and see if you can keep it down.” With
that, she turns to the small kitchenette and begins pulling items
from the refrigerator and cabinets.

The cabin has a great room with the
kitchen area separated by a center island, a small table barely
large enough to seat two people, a bathroom, and a closet. It’s
small and comfortable; a complete step up from the bedroom I had at
the club.

For the strangest reason, I’m so
homesick it hurts. My thoughts turn to my lair high in the
mountains. So high the clouds float around the top of my tower.
When I launched myself from the highest tower perch, the clouds
gave way to clear skies and I could see in every direction for
miles. My realm, where no one dares attack me. They’d be dead if
they tried.

With these thoughts, Calista’s
beautiful face fills my mind. I miss her terribly. I miss her sweet
smile and the needy sparkle in her eyes when I’d land on the perch
of my bedroom. I’d shift and stalk close enough to fist her hair
and pull her closer still. At least that’s how it was in the early
years before age turned her bones brittle and pain flashed in her
eyes even when I tried to be gentle. The later years of a bride’s
life are all about companionship with long talks late into the
night. She’d fall asleep in my arms while I stayed awake as long as
I could. I tried to imprint her image on my brain. I needed it to
keep me for all the lonely years I knew would come when she
died.

A pot slamming in the kitchen jerks me
from my daydreaming. And it couldn’t be too soon because those
thoughts will have me a sobbing mess if I don’t control them. I
wipe the blood from my arm and thigh before pulling the sweats over
my legs. I toss the washcloth on top of the pile of dirty sheets on
the floor and lie back against the pillows. I watch Sierra as she
prepares food and desire floods my veins. I feel unfaithful to
Calista. Even worse, Calista would understand. More than anything,
she wanted me happy.

Losing each bride is devastating.
After Bastian’s mate, Acasia, transcended to dragon, the pain
became more unbearable the closer Calista came to passing. I
prayed, begged, and bargained with the Goddess to spare her. Even
if she remained old and frail, I would take Calista as mate and
live with her for eternity. My knees were raw from subjugating
myself. And none of it mattered. She took her last breath in my
arms as my tears fell on her paper-thin, wrinkled skin with her
beautiful, pain-clouded eyes staring into mine.

“
Are you okay?” Sierra asks
softly.

I wipe tears from my face feeling
deeply embarrassed that Sierra sees me at my weakest. “I’m fine.
You need to leave. Whatever you think will happen won’t. I don’t
want to be your friend. I don’t even want to fuck you
anymore.”

She ignores my request to leave and
goes back to the kitchen area. Damn she is one frustrating woman.
Within a short time, the smells coming from the kitchen make my
stomach growl. I watch as she sets the table. A few minutes later,
she carries the food to the table. She sits on one of the chairs
and glances my way. “If you want the food I prepared, you may join
me at the table. If not, I’m hungry and I’m sure I can manage to
eat yours too.” She takes a bite and gives a slight moan. My cock
likes the sound. The damn gurgling noise in my stomach rumbles
louder and gives me away. I heft myself off the bed, walk over, and
pull out a chair. My hair is barely wet now and it falls into my
eyes.