The Fate of Her Dragon (12 page)

In mere seconds her senses
were bathed in the fresh salty air of the sea and she knew her mate had taken
them to the edge of the cliffs. Forward motion stopped and Alicia found herself
unceremoniously, although gently, set upon a large rock overlooking the ocean.
Drago paced in front of her, avoiding eye contact and grumbling under his
breath.

On his fourth pass, Alicia
sighed. On the eighth, she yawned, and on the tenth, she gave up and said, “Oh,
my Goddess, get it over with. Yell at me. Scream at me. Do whatever you need to
do but stop this…this…whatever the hell this is.”

Spinning on his heels, Drago
closed the gap between them in three large steps. He leaned down until they were
eye to eye with only inches separating them and growled, “You want to know what
this is,
ceann beag
? Do you really want to know?”

Nodding because words escaped
her, Alicia waited.

“This is a dragon at the end
of his rope. I thought I had lost you. I thought Cleland was going to throw you
in the pit. In the blink of an eye, I saw my world without you and do you know
what it was like?”

She shook her head.

Drago took a deep breath. His
eyes closed as he slowly exhaled, his warm breath a kiss against her cheek as
Alicia watched her mate struggle for control. When he opened his eyes, it
dawned on her that he’d lost his dark lenses during the fight. She’d been so
mad before it had escaped her attention. Now she could appreciate the bit of
the brown that was returning to his iris whereas before they had been as black
as the night sky above them. He no longer growled when he spoke. Instead, she
could hear pain and a fear that hadn’t even been present when he was locked in
that horrid box.

“Desolate. A vast wasteland
of nothingness… because there is nothing without you, Alicia. Now that I’ve
tasted life as your mate, I will cease to exist the moment you are no longer by
my side. We are two halves of the same whole. Without you, they may as well put
me back in that damned box and bury me in the ground, for I will wither and
die. You are my reason for being. You are my everything.”

Alicia opened her mouth to
speak but all she could manage was a sob. Tears flowed from her eyes as she
looked at the man she was destined to spend eternity with. Throwing her arms
around his neck, she pulled Drago to her. Her Guardsman knelt between her legs
as their lips met. Their kiss was passionate and all encompassing. It was a
promise of what they meant to each other and the life they would have together.
The future both dreamt of. Each opened completely to the other with an
understanding that as long as they stood together, no one could tear them
apart.

There, under the stars,
Alicia truly understood what it meant to mate a dragon and she couldn’t have
been happier.  

Chapter Sixteen

After their night under the
stars, Drago had no intention of waiting one second longer than was absolutely
necessary to officially make Alicia his mate. The next morning, he got Rian’s
approval, as well as the okay from the Elder of the Golden Fire Clan, Carrick.
His old friend was extremely shocked and incredibly happy that Drago had
survived all those years of captivity and wished him congratulations on finding
his mate.

Now, twenty-four hours later,
the Guardsman known as the Assassin was waiting on the same cliffs that had
been his prison for almost a hundred years for the woman of his dreams to
arrive. Drago was nervous and excited and more than anything, ready to be
officially mated to the woman destined to be his. Rayne and Kyndel had helped
him with all the preparations. Tomas and Cole, two young Guardsmen, were
escorting Alicia on horseback to the site of their ceremony.

Drago had been up since
before dawn making sure every detail was perfect. Alicia’s sisters had been a
godsend. They decorated everything to his exact specifications and only teased
him a little bit the fifth time he was going over his checklist. The entire
scene was a wash of bright yellow daffodils setting the air alive with the
scent that reminded him of Alicia, and vibrant red roses to signify the
unending love he, a red dragon, had for his mate.

Looking out over the ocean on
the largest plateau on the entire seaboard, Drago would pledge his love and
undying devotion to the woman the Universe created for him and him alone. They
would leave here today wearing matching marks of their bond, a bond that would
last through the ages.

The sound of horse hooves
against stone drew his attention. Ducking behind a large boulder, he watched as
Tomas helped Alicia dismount while Cole held the huge bouquet of long-stemmed
red roses Drago had placed along the trail for her to find.

The gown Kyndel had helped
him design was a perfect fit. The tiny white straps over her shoulders
highlighted her peaches and cream complexion and the tiny little freckles that
made his mouth water as he imagined tasting each one. He was once again glad to
see the advances in women’s clothing during his time as a prisoner. The
Guardsman was definitely of the opinion that more skin showing was better,
especially when he was the one looking.

Any other man will lose
his eyes if I catch him so much as glancing at my mate.

The bodice, as the seamstress
had called it, was form fitting, perfectly showing off Alicia’s curves and
ample breasts. Drago worked hard to rein in his libido and reminded both
himself and his dragon that they had to make it through the ceremony before
they could rip the dress from her body.

He followed her long, flowing
skirt to the ground, admiring the fire red flames stitched into the white
gossamer fabric. Alicia’s toes, painted a bright red, peeked out from under the
hem. She was barefoot, just as the mates from his time always were. It was
something he’d thought about but never mentioned.

She must’ve pulled it from
my mind. My little witch never ceases to amaze me.   

The young men led Alicia to
the white wrought iron chair that had been decorated with daffodils, roses, and
ribbons. The white carpet under her chair led to an archway that stood in the
middle of the Sacred Circle. Behind the circle was a raised platform holding
four large, black, wrought iron chairs closely resembling thrones. Drago knew
the Elders of the Blue Thunder Clan, with Rian as their leader, would occupy
those chairs very shortly.

He was watching Alicia
nervously looking around when Rayne’s voice sounded in Drago’s mind.
“You
ready to do this?”

“Son, I am as ready as it
gets.”

“We’re heading out. Best
of luck.”

Drago could only smile while
watching Alicia’s surprise as Rayne and the other Guardsmen filed out in full-dress
uniform. He had earlier explained to her how they wore surcoats in the color of
each man’s dragon scales, and that there was a dragon in the throes of battle
embroidered across the chest, but to see her reaction to seeing them with her
own eyes was priceless. 

Once the Guardsmen were in
place, the Elders immediately took their position on the podium. Drago waited
impatiently for Rian to look his way. Finally, he got the nod and strode out,
immediately finding Alicia’s eyes and holding them hostage. He wanted to
experience
everything
with her, beginning right now and lasting forever.

Stopping in front of the dais
to the left of the Sacred Circle, Drago stood and waited. He could see
impatience and a little uncertainty in Alicia’s eyes but sent a wave of calm to
her through their mating bond.

Rian stood and began to speak,
“Long ago when knights and dragons fought side by side for King and Country, it
became apparent that dragon kin was no longer safe from those that would expose
and destroy them. They sought to join with the knights that had so valiantly
fought alongside them. Thus, through magic and the will of both dragon and
knight, the Golden Fire Clan of the Dragon Shifters and the Blue Thunder Clan
was born.

“We are here today in this
blessed place to honor what the Universe put into motion all those many years
ago. We are here to acknowledge and bless the mating of Drago Magnus MacLendon
to the one the Universe made for only him, Alicia May McKennon. Will those
seeking to witness this union please step forward?”

Drago watched as the nine men
he would now call brethren, just as he had their fathers before them, knelt
around the Sacred Circle and bowed their heads. He was sad his own Force could
not be there and prayed he would soon find them. Rayne and Rory stood and faced
the Elders. Rory spoke. “We, the six of the Aherne Force and our brethren from
the MacLendon Force, wish to witness and offer our blessing to the union of
these two souls, two halves of the same whole. May they live long, fight hard,
love harder, and produce many young to flourish in this world when their souls
have gone to the Heavens.” Rayne nodded to Rian and then to his uncle and
followed Rory back to their men.

Once both were again kneeling
with heads bowed, Rian spoke, “Your witness and blessing have been acknowledged
and accepted Aherne and MacLendon Forces. Drago MacLendon, you may go to your
mate.”

Using his enhanced speed,
Drago raced to Alicia, took her hands into his, and slowly walked backward,
leading her to the Sacred Circle. Rian began again, “The Red Dragons were born
of blood and fire. They are notoriously passionate in all areas of their lives.
Red Dragons are known for their command and fierceness. The red of their scales
symbolizes love and fertility. Red Dragons will lead the charge, conquer the
enemy, and defend homeland and family with their very lives. To mate a Red
Dragon means to accept all that they are and honor the power shared between
mates.

“Now is the time of the
marking. May the Universe continue to bless you and yours all the days of your
lives.” It took only a moment for everyone but Drago and Alicia to leave the
plateau, but not before Rayne, Lance, and Royce surrounded the couple with
large white screens just as the Assassin had planned. There was no way he was
sharing the marking of his mate with a single solitary soul.

Drago stood, awestruck,
looking into the eyes of the love of his life. Unable to take the anticipation
any longer, Drago lowered his mouth to hers. He stopped right before their lips
would have touched and whispered, “
Ta’ mo chroi’ istigh ionat
,” and with
that, he lowered his lips onto hers.

Chapter Seventeen

It was an all-encompassing,
devastatingly enraptured kiss. Drago felt his little witch in every cell of his
body. The couple was consumed with a passion that threatened to set them
ablaze. The Assassin’s body and soul laid open to his mate just as he could
feel her open to him.

Alicia flinched in his arms
at the same time he felt a twinge on the side of his neck. The Universe was
marking them as mates. Drago trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck,
reaching the tender spot he knew still stung from their brand. Kissing the
offending spot until all thoughts of anything but their naked bodies loving one
another were banished from both their minds, Drago knew he’d found true
happiness in his little witch.

Lifting his head from her
neck, Drago looked at Alicia. He would spend every day of the rest of his life
thanking the Universe for her. Kissing the tip of her nose, he looked into her
passion-fogged eyes, and whispered, “I need to be alone with you, Alicia. I
need to make love to my mate.”

Her simple nod was all it
took. Lifting her into his arms, Drago used his enhanced speed to get them to
the house Rian had given him just the day before. Throwing open the door, the
Assassin quickly carried Alicia across the threshold. He needed her naked and
in their bed more than he ever needed anything in his life.

Releasing her legs, she slid
down his body. The friction of her body against his fed the fire that caused
his pulse to race and his cock to harden. Drago held Alicia steady when her
toes touched the floor and together, they let out a long, slow breath. They
were together in all things. She was his. She bore his mark. There was nothing
in Heaven or Hell that could tear them apart. Not even death.

Running his hands through her
hair, he released the pins holding her curls. She moaned as he massaged her
scalp, pushing her head further into his hands. He rubbed and kneaded down her
neck and onto her shoulders, those little freckles teasing him again. This time
he did not resist. He kissed each little spot, paying extra attention to the
ones one her neck.

Kissing across her
décolletage, Drago slid the thin straps from her shoulders and undid the tiny
pearl buttons holding the bodice of her dress closed. His breath caught in his
throat as her breasts came into view. Undoing the last pearl, the Guardsman let
go of the material and her gown floated to the ground. Alicia lifted one foot
and then the other as Drago kicked the garment out of their way. He took a
moment just to marvel at the miraculous creature standing before him in nothing
but white lace panties.

Oh yeah, women’s clothing
is so much better now.

“It seems, Mr. MacLendon,
that you are a tad overdressed.” Alicia batted her eyes as she lifted his
surcoat over his head and reached for the hem of his black undershirt.

Drago wrapped his hands
around hers and held them tight, but Alicia shook her head. “Let me return the
favor,” she said, and then winked at him through her thick, dark lashes.

His hands fell to his sides.
The infamous Dragon Guard Assassin stood in awe of his beautiful mate. She made
quick work of his undershirt and ran her hands over his shoulders and across
his chest. Rubbing along each ridge of his six-pack, Alicia made her way to the
thin line of hair leading into the waistband of his pants. Drago thought he
might lose his mind as she undid the clasp and zipper of his pants, running the
back of her fingers from one hip to the other. Drago shivered at the sensation.

Pushing his pants off his
hips, she followed them to the floor and sat on her knees in front of him, his
erection right in front of her mouth. Alicia licked her lips, capturing the
small bead of moisture at the tip of his cock with the end of her tongue. Drago
knew without a doubt that the image was forever burned into his memory.

When Alicia started to take
him in her mouth, his eyes shot open and he grabbed her shoulders to bring her
to her feet. His little witch resisted his touch, looking up in confusion then
assuring him, “No, Drago, I
want
to taste you.”

Their eyes remained locked.
He had to know this was truly what she wanted. The love he saw in her eyes,
combined with her tiny nod, had Drago relaxing once again. Alicia placed her
palms on his thighs. Her tongue lavished the vein that ran his length, working
her way to the tip, then pulling the swollen head into her mouth. When she
dipped her tongue into the slit at the very tip, the muscles in his thighs
shook. Drago was sure his head would explode if he didn’t fall flat on his ass
first.

Alicia sucked as much of his
length into her mouth as would fit and hollowed her cheeks. Drago’s fingers
squeezed her shoulders as he groaned. “
Ceann beag
, I have waited a
hundred years for you but I won’t last another second if you keep doing that.”

He felt her smile around his
cock. It seemed to spur her on. Alicia worked him in and out of her lips for a
few more strokes. He grew larger and thicker, working hard not to explode in
her mouth. Moving back to the tip, she increased the suction and pulled him
from her mouth. Quicker that he could track, she sucked one and then the other
of his balls into her mouth, licking and massaging with her tongue until he was
no longer light-headed.

But his little witch was not
about to let him rest. Alicia took his length in her mouth again. Placing both
her hands around the base, she worked him in and out of her mouth, sucking and humming
until he was helpless to anything but release into her beautiful mouth. His
mate swallowed all he gave, kissing up and down his length until he began to
harden again.

It was wonderful torture but
his turn to taste had come. Putting his hands under her arms, he used his
enhanced speed to get her on her back in the middle of his bed. One more move
and her legs were over his shoulders. Drago smiled as he rubbed his nose
against the wet silk of her panties, inhaling the scent of daffodils and warm
sunshine. The Guardsman knew if he didn’t taste his little witch in the next
few seconds he might die. 

Slipping two fingers under
the silk at her hip, Drago ripped the offending material and threw it over his
head. No longer able to stand the torture, the tip of his tongue licked up and
down the glistening seam of her pussy.

Drago groaned deep in his
throat as her taste burst upon his tongue. Unable to wait one second longer to
taste deep inside her, he placed his hands under her ass, lifted her pussy
closer to his face, and began to feast. Driving his tongue in her warm, wet
pussy as far as he could go, the Assassin licked every inch of his little
witch, curling the end of his tongue to tease her sensitive bundle of nerves.

Alicia’s hands grabbed his
hair, pulling with such force he was sure he would be bald. His mate gasped for
breath and Drago smiled against her skin just knowing how much he excited her.
Using the flat of his tongue, he licked her outer lips from bottom to top,
teasing her clit with tiny circles on every pass. Her legs tightened around his
head while her heels dug into his back. She moaned to the Heavens as he sucked
her swollen nub between his lips, flicking it up and down with his tongue until
Alicia was screaming her release to the Goddess above.

Drago continued to drink the
honey that flowed from her. He nuzzled and nipped her puffy lips until she
released his hair and her breathing returned to normal. Carefully lifting her
legs off his shoulders, he massaged her thighs. There had never been a lovelier
sight than his little witch completely satisfied from his attention, looking
like the Goddess Athena in his bed.

He kissed her hip and then
her belly button, where he paid extra attention with his tongue until Alicia
started to giggle. He then nipped his way up her stomach to the sweet spot
between her breasts, feeling her heart beat in sync with his. Palming both her
breasts, Drago gently squeezed as the already raised peaks grew harder against
his palms. Kissing up her neck, he paid special attention to the triple flames
marking her neck. His mark that he would never tire of seeing on her skin.
Kissing her neck, Alicia sighed and moved her head to the side, allowing him
greater access.

His little witch surprised
him by grabbing his head and kissing him with wild abandon. Drago opened
immediately, letting Alicia have her way with him. His mate was sassy in bed
and in love. He couldn’t have asked for any more. Her hands in his hair and her
tongue working his mouth had him ready to explode again. He shifted his hips
slightly, pushing into her until he could go no farther. He knew he’d done as
she wished when she tore her mouth from his, screaming, “Drago! Yes! Oh, my
Goddess, yes! I love you!”

He wanted to go slow this
first time in her body, but the feel of her muscles contracting around his
extremely hard cock made it impossible for him to hold still. Sliding out of
her until only the tip of him rested within her opening, he whispered into her
mind,
“Look at me, Alicia. I need to see your eyes as we truly become one.”

Her eyes snapped to his. The
Assassin was floored by the love overflowing from his mate. He thrust into her
and pulled right back out, starting a rhythm that Alicia met stroke for stroke.
Staring into one another’s eyes, their passion exploded. He pushed her knees toward
her chest, lifting her bottom off the bed, allowing him deeper access to her
wet, wanting pussy. Rolling his hips, the head of his cock caressed the
sensitive bundle of nerves that made the walls of her vagina close tighter
around him. He wanted to shout to the Heavens when her eyes rolled back in her
head from sheer pleasure. He watched her struggle to breathe, just as he also
had trouble drawing his next breath.

Drago reached between their
bodies, barely touching her clit with his thumb before Alicia’s orgasm overtook
them both. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. Her brilliant blue eyes holding
all the promise of their future locked on his and he was helpless but to follow
her over the edge. The Guardsman knew he would follow his little witch
anywhere, even to the end of the earth.

Hours later they lay
completely satiated, her head on his chest, their legs intertwined, while their
bodies cooled from their hours of lovemaking. Drago reached under his pillow
and pulled out a red, silk pouch. He placed it in the hand she had laying on
his chest.

Alicia sat up, furrowed her
brow, and asked, “What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

Tipping the pouch, Alicia
gasped when the ring that had been his mother’s fell into her hand.

“What the... no way. This is
too much.”

“It is not too much. It is
yours and I will not rest until it is on your finger.”

“But, Drago…

“But nothing. It was my
mother’s and Rayne had kept it all these years after Alexander told him it was
meant to be my mate’s.”

“But it is just…”

“It is just yours. Now, let
me put it on your finger.”

Not waiting for Alicia’s
response, Drago took her left hand in his and slid the ring on her ring finger.
After a moment of admiring what had been in his family for generations, he
explained its significance. “This ring has been worn by the mate of the eldest
son of the Clan MacLendon since our beginning. The ruby in the center signifies
the blood we shed for our own. The diamonds surrounding it stand for the
original eight clans that came together to form Clan MacLendon even before we
were dragon shifters. The black sapphire at the top is for the wisdom of our
people and the protection of body and soul we offer our mates.”

When he looked up, Alicia was
crying, but this time he understood they were happy tears and only smiled when
she cuddled against his chest. It took a few minutes for his little witch to
regain control but when she did, she sat back and looked him in the eyes.
“Thank you so much, Drago. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.”

“What did you say?” he asked,
sure he’d misunderstood.

“I said I love more than all
the stars in the sky. To be honest, I’ve never said it before. It just popped
into my mind and it seemed to fit, so I said it.”

Throwing his head back and
laughing aloud, it took Drago a minute before he could explain, and when he
did, his little witch laughed right along with him.

“So you see,
mo ghra’
,
that is what my mother used to say to my father every time he went into battle.
As a little boy I used to sit by the window and watch him ride out of our lair,
waiting for the day my mate would say the same thing to me.”

He paused as his love for his
incredible mate overflowed. Unable to finish out loud, Drago spoke into
Alicia’s mind.
“You,
mo maite,
have made all my dreams come true.”

“Drago?”

“Yes,
mo ghra’
?”

“I still want to meet your
dragon in person.”

Chuckling at his amazing
mate, Drago simply answered
, “You wish is my command…later.”