Sacrificed to the Dragon (25 page)

He frowned. “Yes, but—”

She interrupted him, afraid she’d lose her nerve. “Let me finish, Tristan.” He nodded and she said, “I know it’s only been about a month since we first met, and we’ve both been through hell and back, but as much as your dragon is possessive as hell about me, I’m starting to feel pretty possessive myself when it comes to you.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Is that so?”

She resisted the urge to tease him. She needed to get the words out. “Yes. And I want to make my claim official.”

A flicker of longing flashed in Tristan’s eyes, giving her the courage to open the box and say, “I accept your mate claim, Tristan MacLeod. Will you accept mine?”

He moved in front of her. “Will I? You bloody woman, do you even have to ask?”

“Hey, be nice. You haven’t even looked at the arm cuffs. I went through a lot of trouble to get them engraved.”

~~~

When Melanie had opened the box to reveal a pair of traditional dragon-shifter mate bands, Tristan’s dragon had roared inside his head at the same time as happiness had flooded his body.

He could hardly believe it. Melanie wanted to be his mate.

All he wanted to do was take the box from her hands and toss it aside so he could kiss her and hopefully fuck her, but the frown on her face was adorable. Combined with his inner beast’s dying curiosity—dragons really did like surprises—he couldn’t resist looking down at the open box to get a better look.

Inside were two silver arm cuffs. One was larger and meant for him, while the other was more feminine. On his larger cuff was engraved, “Melanie’s” in the dragon-language. His name was similarly engraved on hers.

Tristan had never imagined he would wear a human female’s name on his arm, but now he couldn’t picture anything else. Melanie Hall was his, and soon would be forever.

He traced the designs on the bands. In addition to the names written in the dragon language, they were also engraved with the bold, thick lines similar to Stonefire’s chosen tattoo markings. The clan’s silversmith, Dylan, must’ve made them. How Melanie had convinced Dylan to engrave these so quickly, he’d never know. But then his mate was always a force to be reckoned with.

She’d gone to such lengths to honor his people’s traditions, and it touched both the man and the beast. For a split second, he wondered if he deserved her, but then his dragon said,
Of course. She is ours and we are hers.

Aware that he’d been quiet for a while, he decided to find out how his human had known how to propose a mating. He looked up. “How did you know what to do? Since we only wear mating bands to celebrations and special events, their existence isn’t common knowledge.”

She lifted her chin and he resisted a smile at her sass. “You’d better start thinking more of my intelligence and resourcefulness, Tristan MacLeod, or I may just take the arm cuffs back.”

A possessive streak roared through him. He wanted, no needed, to put his name on her arm. “No, love. I won’t allow it. You’ve offered the mate claim to me and I’m taking it.” He removed the band meant for him and snaked it around his tattoo-free bicep. It was snug, but not uncomfortable, which was fine considering it was only for special occasions.

His dragon crooned at having their mate’s name around his arm.
The other males will leave her alone now. She belongs to us.

More like we belong to her
, he said to his dragon and his beast didn’t disagree with that.

He removed the cuff meant for her and motioned toward her arm. “Melanie Hall, will you do the honor of becoming my mate?”

Her irritation eased and she lowered the box. “Of course, Tristan. Despite your moments, I love you.”

She’d said those words to him once before, when he’d first woken up from his injury, and he’d yearned every day to hear them again. When she hadn’t said them, he’d wondered if she’d only said them to him because of his nearly dying.

But now neither of them was dying, and she’d said it so matter-of-factly that he knew it in his heart to be true. He felt the same, but had been waiting for the right time to tell her. He wanted her to know his feelings and not think it was simply out of gratitude for her saving his life.

Now was the time, and he couldn’t hold back his feeling any longer. He said, “Good, because I love you too and a dragon-shifter in love is a force to be reckoned with.”

Her breath caught. “Say it again.”

He took the box from her hands and tossed it on the ground. “I love you, woman.” He took her arm and snaked on the band. Then he traced his name on her arm before looking her in the eye. “Should I tell you the reasons why?”

She nodded and his dragon hummed.
It’s about time she knows how we feel. Tell her nicely. It will make her happy, and our mate should always be happy.

Ignoring his smug dragon, Tristan traced her brow with a finger. “I admire your cleverness and wit.” He moved his hand down and traced her breast through her thin shirt, loving the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipple hardened under his touch. “I love every curve and valley of your body.” He then moved his hand to her back and traced up and down her spine. “And I will always cherish your backbone and stubbornness, no matter how many gray hairs it might give me.”

She slapped him lightly on the chest and he captured her hand with his own. He squeezed her fingers and said, “I love everything about you, Melanie Hall, and I will do everything within my power to make you happy.” She raised an eyebrow at that and he grinned. “Okay, almost everything. I’m a stubborn bastard at times and it’ll show through. But I don’t think you want it any other way.”

She smiled and moved her free hand up behind his neck. “No, I love you just the way you are. Now shut up and kiss me.”

Tristan growled. He didn’t need any more prodding and he took Melanie’s lips in a rough kiss.

~~~

Because of her pregnancy hormones, Tristan’s words had nearly made her cry. Rather than suffer the embarrassment, she’d taken the easy out and told him to kiss her.

As his lips nibbled hers before sweeping inside of her mouth, she was glad for choosing the silky tank top and skirt. His heat easily seeped into her skin, and she instantly went wet.

Tristan growled and she broke the kiss to whisper, “Do you want to know a secret?”

“What? Hurry up as my dragon is thinking of nothing but ripping your clothes off and fucking you. Hard.”

More wetness rushed between her legs and her pussy started to throb.

Tristan growled again. “I can scent you. You have five seconds to tell me your secret before I rip off your clothes.”

She gave a wicked smile. “That’s the thing—I’m not wearing any underwear.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes flashed to slits and back. He moved a hand to the edge of her short skirt and fingered between her thighs. Melanie moaned as he thrust a finger into her pussy.

“Fuck, you aren’t,” he said.

He swirled his finger around and she cried out. “Tristan, please. I’ve been waiting all week for you to fuck me again. I’ve missed you.”

“With pleasure, my little mate.”

He kissed her again as he removed his fingers and lifted her, cradling her ass with his large, warm hands. She tried rubbing against him, but he dumped her on the edge of the back of the couch and shimmied her skirt up above her belly. He then pushed her legs wide and rubbed his hands up and down her inner thighs.

He kneeled before her, confusing her. “What?”

He rubbed his hands on her thighs and looked up, his eyes heated and full of desire. “I said I’d fuck you, but I didn’t say with my cock.”

Before she could reply, his tongue was thrusting in and out of her pussy and she threaded her fingers through his hair to keep her balance. Moving her hips in time to his tongue, she decided that she could live with more of this. Lots more.

Then his tongue was gone and she dug her nails into his scalp in displeasure. She felt his chuckle against her thigh and his breath dancing across her pussy lips as he said, “I think we’re both impatient to have my cock inside you. So I’m going to speed things up. You deserve pleasure first.”

“Tristan.”

Then his talented tongue was flicking and swirling around her clit, and she kept a grip on his head for balance. For the past week, she’d dreamt of Tristan licking between her thighs, but both her dreams and her memories were nothing compared to the hot, slickness of his tongue against her sensitive nerves.

She moaned as the pressure built, impatient for her first orgasm as mate to a dragon-shifter. Then Tristan bit her clit and she screamed as pleasure shot through her body, but rather than let her ride it out, Tris+tan plunged two of his thick fingers in her pussy and she clenched and released around him.

As she came down from her high, she hoped this was only the beginning because Tristan’s tongue wasn’t nearly enough. She was hungry for more. Much more.

~~~

Tristan gave his mate’s clit one last swirl before he leaned back and looked up at her. Her eyes were heavy and half-lidded, just the way he liked it. Then the light glinted off the silver mate band on her arm and his dick pulsed. He wanted to fuck his mate while she wore his name on her body.

But first, he wanted to play a little more while his human-half was still in control.

He still had his fingers inside her pussy. Melanie had stopped spasming around him, and he widened his fingers and Melanie drew in a breath. “Tristan.”

His dragon growled.
Take her. Remind her we are her mate. Brand our scent in her pussy.

Just a few more moments and then we can do it your way.

His inner beast seemed content with that answer and sat back to see what would happen next.

Tristan closed his fingers and opened them again. In response, Melanie clenched the back of the couch on either side of her. With a gruff voice, he said, “I’m just trying to make sure you’re ready for my cock, love, because I’m going to own your pussy like no tomorrow.”

Melanie bit her lower lip and then looked down at him. Her voice was husky when she replied, “I’m ready, Tristan. Take me hard, the way your dragon likes it.”

His dragon stood at attention at her words.
She thinks of both of us. We love her. No more playing. Take her now.

Tristan removed his fingers and gave them a lick. He growled in approval. He’d never tire of how bloody fantastic his mate tasted.

But his dragon was pushing harder to take control and Tristan wanted them to work together so they could both enjoy their mate.

He stood up, unzipped his jeans, and his aching dick burst free. Melanie’s eyes moved to his cock, and he felt a drop of precum seep out.

His dragon growled.
It’s been too long. Hurry up and fuck her. Hard.

Tristan kicked off his shoes and jeans and moved between Melanie’s thighs. She barely had time to hold on to his biceps before he positioned his cock and thrust into her.

She cried out but he barely noticed as he reveled in the feel of her tight, wet pussy. His dragon him wanted to move, but Tristan wanted access to her beautiful breasts first. He reached up, ripped off her tank top, and rolled her hard, pink nipple in his fingers.

As he pinched harder and watched her moan, the sight made his cock harder. She was bloody perfect.

His dragon huffed.
Yes, she is beautiful and she is waiting for us to take her. Do it already.

Rather than fight his beast, he said to Melanie, “Are you ready for me, my little mate?”

“Yes, Tristan. Always.”

“Good.”

He let go of her nipple and took hold of her hips before he moved. With each thrust, he moved faster, never taking his eyes off his mate’s eyes. She dug her nails in his biceps and he pounded harder.

His dragon hummed.
Yes. Harder. She belongs to us.

From the corner of his eye, he could see her delicious curves bouncing in time to his thrusts, and the sight made him proud. He would make sure she knew how much he approved of her body.

Melanie clung to his arms and arched her back. From her little sounds of pleasure, he could tell she was close. He took a firmer grip on her soft, wide hips and thrust as hard as he could without crushing her. His dragon crooned, content with how they were taking their female.

Tristan felt the pressure building at the base of his spine. In the last second before he came, he took his mate’s lips in a rough kiss, swallowing her cries as his semen made her come.

As her pussy squeezed and released his dick, he moved closer until he had his arms around her. When she finally sighed as her orgasm ended, he broke their kiss, stared into her eyes, and said, “You’re mine, forever.”

She smiled. “I think you’re confused, Tristan, as you’re mine forever.”

He smiled and hugged his mate close. Never in a million years would he have expected to find such a wonderful mate he loved with every bone in his body. He only hoped he could love her until they were both gray and wrinkled.

They’d find out if he could have that dream or not in seven or eight months’ time.