CHAPTER EIGHT
– ERNESTINO –
Lilliana’s arms wrap around my waist as she presses herself against my back. “You should rest.”
I keep staring into the night while my thoughts are a rambling mess. She’s right, of course. Except, there’s a restlessness in my bones that needs to be addressed. If I would not have met Lilliana, I would have accepted the arranged marriage and would have been dead. Now, with her asking questions about my past? There’s a nagging feeling Nario might have turned on me.
His behavior is questionable and yet I can’t put my finger on the connection and motivation of it all. It’s frustrating to say the least.
“Okay, if you don’t take a break, I will distract you. It’ll drain some of your energy so you’ll have no other choice but to take a quick nap to energize your brain.” Her voice is husky, and I tear my gaze away from the moonlight when she starts to tug on the fabric of my pants.
My throat runs dry when I turn and watch how she sinks down to her knees. I can only stare at the hungry look on her face while she unbuckles my belt and with her skilled fingers she has my pants down around my ankles within a few heartbeats.
“Lilliana,” my voice is heavily dosed with lust.
Seeing my mate on her knees before me, completely filled with lust as she palms my cock is making me harder than fuck. Pre cum is oozing out of the slit. She leans forward and sneaks her little pink tongue out to lick up my desire.
A moan vibrates through her as her eyes close. I swallow hard and bury my fist into her soft dark hair. Giving her a little tug to make sure the little sting on her scalp grabs her attention, she responds as expected and lets her gaze find mine.
“Stop fucking teasing me and open your mouth to take my cock inside you, Lilliana,” I grunt, balancing on the edge of insanity if I don’t feel her wrapped around me in the next few seconds.
She flashes me her fangs and fucking takes my cock between her teeth. The twinkling challenge in her eyes almost makes me wash her in my cum. I manage to restrain myself and slowly shake my head.
“Darlin, threatening to sink your teeth into the cock you like having inside you isn’t intimidating at all. However, it does make me harder than fuck. Can you feel the blood rushing in and making me throb? I bet you feel every pulse, don’t you?”
I hiss when she nicks my skin and when she sucks me into her mouth. The tug when she hollows her cheeks and takes me deep enough to swallow around the tip? Fuuuuuuck. She moans and the vibration almost sends me over the edge.
Coming within seconds is not what I’m planning to do. I take her face in both of my hands and throw my hips forward to force her to take me deeper. Her nose is pressing against me, breathing in my musky scent while I keep her pinned on my cock.
The sting of her teeth should lessen my hard-on, but the combination of her saliva and the suction she’s creating is a bliss I want to keep feeling. Pulling back, I start to fuck her mouth. The sight of blood trickling down the corner of her mouth would make others shudder with repulsion. Yet, for me, it only fires up the need to fuck her harder, deeper, longer.
Sounds of pleasure fill the air. My grunts, sloppy wet sounds of my cock moving in and out of her mouth. Staring down I see the pleasure on her face and the way one of her hands is moving between her legs.
The sight before me is igniting pleasure overload and I shove down deep into her throat one final time. Gripping her head to keep it in place I let the cum burst free and give her a milky load, overflowing her mouth. Cum stained with blood drips from her lips and I grin down on her.
The hand between her legs is still moving as I pull myself out. I hoist her up underneath her arms and take a few steps so I can throw her onto the bed. I finish taking off her pants which are already halfway down her legs and grab her ankle to move it to open her up for my gaze. Her pussy is glistening and I’m dying for a taste.
Within my next breath I have my head between her legs and lick her from ass to clit. Groaning, I shove my tongue deep inside her and tease her clit with my teeth. Her hands are now in my hair to guide my head. I’m grinding my pelvis against the mattress, seeking friction for my cock that’s ready to sink inside her.
Moving my hand, I let my fingers play with her sweet pussy while I focus on the bundle of nerves between my teeth. Remembering the euphoric feeling which went through me when she sank her teeth in my cock makes me breach her skin to let her blood enrich her taste.
A powerful feeling overwhelms me. Every time her blood enters me it’s like a nuclear power surge I can’t explain. Our connection and bond are strengthened with each second that passes. I’ve never felt this way about a person. The possessive instinct, the chemistry when I’m near her, everything shows how well we’re compatible and made for one another.
Legends, instinct, bodily functions, ancestors, history, evolution, what-the-fuck-ever has molded us to people who experience life with that knowledge. Knowing a true mate is out there and finding that person are two completely different things. Dream and reality. Believing and experiencing.
Fucking hell, it gives you something to live for, to die for, to fight till your last breath and make you stand above everything. I’ve found perspective, the kind of clarity I need to face anything life throws my way. Knowing I have a solid partner on my side through whatever outcome it might have.
I growl when her taste intensifies on my tongue. Her orgasm is within reach and I’m balancing between sucking it down or feeling her explode around my cock. She starts to come, and a flow of her arousal hits my throat. With her bliss on my lips, I surge up and slam home within my next breath.
Lilliana clamps down on my cock, her scream of pleasure bounces off the walls and I fuck her harder to keep the ecstasy going between us. Her pussy sucks me right back in when I pull out of her warm, wet heat. Our eyes collide, adoration flows between us and we’re locked in a moment where there’s just us. Time hits pause, fucking life hits pause as our bodies submerge in pleasure.
I bury my head into the crook of her neck and place my body flush against hers. Placing a hand on her ass, I keep us connected and roll to my side.
“Gonna keep my cock warm inside your pussy while we’re gonna rest,” I tell her.
There’s a mumbling sound of agreement as I drift off into a peaceful oblivion.
Waking up isn’t as peaceful when the sweet pussy that was warming my cock disappears.
“Why is the sky orange?” Lilliana’s voice is a mere whisper, but she might as well be screaming in my ear.
Jolting up, I rush over to the window to see the orange glow I hoped was untrue.
“Fuck,” I grunt and reach for my pants.
Lilliana is also getting dressed and asks, “What’s going on?”
I want nothing more than to keep her safe except she’s not the kind of woman who will stay home. Nario was right about me being the same as my father in that way because I want Lilliana by my side the way my parents ruled the clan together.
There is only one clan leader, but having a strong woman beside you makes all the difference. Having a woman like Lilliana adds even more. She’s trained and has skills I can use. Being at war means using any means necessary to save the clan.
“Orange glow is fire in the sky. We’re under attack,” I tell her.
She’s dressed before me, and I’m a little impressed by this little fact.
“Why isn’t there an alarm or someone coming to warn you about it?” she asks when I open the door.
“Consider me the alarm,” Nario lightly bites out his words at Lilliana and then turns his attention to me. “Boss, Marshgloom is attacking the mine head-on. Ivano and Leandro are handling the tunnels. What do you want to do? I could stay here and watch over Lilliana if you want to go to the mine.”
I have to take a breath and swallow down the anger surging up. Dealing with Nario’s attitude for decades never bothered me. To hear him say he’ll watch over my woman while I go to the front lines to fight? He might just refer to himself as the alarm just now, but fucking hell…alarm bells go off loud and clear to warn me not to trust the fucker.
Resting for the past few hours might not have given me solutions to the problems at hand, however I do have clarity when it comes to my brother.
I reach for Lilliana’s hand and lace our fingers. “Thanks for the warning. I won’t need you to keep an eye on my mate. Lilliana belongs by my side. You can head over to Ivano.”
His upper lip pulls up and I know this look and have seen it on his face a lot. It’s a mixture of disgust and hatred.
Nario takes a step forward. “I’m with you, always. Send her to the women since a woman doesn’t belong on the battlefield. We should face the enemy together, brother, instead of standing around discussing things.”
I gently squeeze Lilliana’s hand to keep my focus, confirming to myself she’s beside me as I face my own blood. The time from when I met Lilliana to now is also the period in which I lost trust in my brother.
One bond formed while the other shattered. It’s a hard realization but crucial for my own future as well as our clan’s. All the details might not be clear and yet my gut instinct is something I cannot and will not ignore.
“I gave you an order.” I step forward and make him take one backward. “Even if my mate is pregnant with a new generation, she’s not the kind of woman who will back down for anything. Lilliana is skilled beyond belief and does belong on the battlefield. At. My. Side.”
Lilliana moves with me, and I close the door to our cottage, leaving my brother with a stunned face. I jump into a jog and head for the mine. I glance to my right when I hear Lilliana’s voice.
She’s talking into her phone and when she hangs up, she says, “Reinforcements are twenty minutes out.”
The roaring of dragons is loud and I raise my voice to ask, “What reinforcements?”
Lilliana grabs my shirt and pulls us to a stop. “You didn’t just swoop me away when we mated, Ernestino. We might not be officially married yet, but our bond is considered sacred in the eyes of my family. Which means they will support us, and our clan in any way. Lucian, the president of a centaur motorcycle club is on his way with a load of biker shifters. My parents and brother as well as a few other supernaturals.”
Pride surges through me by the sound of her words.
I reach out and cup the side of her face to bring us close. “Our clan.”
“Damn right,” she replies and raises herself on her toes to brush her lips against mine. “Time to kick some ass and protect what’s ours.”
Pulling her close, I give her a quick and hard kiss, letting my tongue glide against hers to taste her one final time before facing what lies ahead of us.
“They’re inside,” Pierre, one of my soldiers, screams as he stumbles toward me. “Someone opened the gate. They’re inside. We need more men, now.”
I grab his shoulder. “Who opened the gate, Pierre? It doesn’t open for anyone unless they know the code.”
“I don’t even know the code,” Lilliana mutters. “Could they have flown here and disabled it?”
“Go get more men,” I tell Piere and face Lilliana. “Our land is surrounded by mountains. Through the sky wouldn’t go unnoticed because we have a detection alarm in place. The only way to disable it and come inside is through the gate and it has double protection. Someone high in rank must unlock it and it’s also guarded by two of our soldiers.”
The screams become louder and there’s an instinct to protect. “I have to shift and help hold the line.”
“What can I do?” Lilliana asks.
Fuck. I’m torn. Every single person in my clan can shift into a dragon, each of us have the same abilities…except for my mate.
I freeze and voice the dreaded words, “I don’t know.”
“No one knows anything until a choice is thrown at our feet,” she states with determination in her voice. “Shift and I’ll follow. This is not my first battle and I might not have faced dragons, but I’ve fought a whole lot of scary and powerful other beings.”
Her words are meant to soothe my restlessness while all they do is rile me up. Fire above us followed by grunts end our discussion. I move away to create the distance I need to shift. Mentally, I step down and let my dragon take lead. The shift is quick and fluid. Leaving my mate on the ground, I jump up and push my wings up and down to climb up into the sky.
Looking down gives me a wide view of what the hell is going on. A handful of our soldiers are fighting back near the gate. A blast causes a shift in the pressure of the air and I adjust my body mid-flight. A ball of fire is heading straight for me.
Dragons are born to resist fire. Our scales are made to block out the heat. I close my eyes and fly through the fire to get closer to the mine. There are people fighting on the ground. Bodies in chunks, crimson everywhere.
I recognize Ivano who is stumbling out of the mine, his arm looks mangled by the blast. Leaning forward as I retract my wings, I gain speed to lose altitude. Just before impact I spread my wings to catch the wind and break my fall as I quickly shift back to my human form.
Ivano’s arm is starting to heal before my eyes when I ask, “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know, boss. They came out of nowhere from all sides. Leandro and I were in the mine when I got the call of a guard who was on patrol near the gate. There was no time to flush the tunnels. Leandro and I split up to each take on as many as we could. It was like they knew what we were about to do and attacked before we could do anything.” Ivano rolls his shoulder and winces.
“Where’s Leandro?” I ask and glance around.
“Duuuuuuck,” Lilliana bellows and Ivano moves with me as we both rush forward while glancing back.
We just dodged a man swinging a sword in our direction when Lilliana points and snaps her fingers. The man implodes and the sword falls to the ground.
“What the…how…did she just…motherfucker, how the hell did you do that?” Ivano asks, and I’m wondering the same damn thing.
She bites her bottom lip and keeps an eye on her surroundings when she states, “Can we skip the question and stick to the fact I saved your asses?”
“Ernestino.” My name is faint, but I recognize my brother’s voice.
“Leandro,” I bellow. “Where are you?”
Lilliana runs forward and is helping Leandro up from a deep hole in the ground. I run in their direction, but Ivano grabs my shoulder.
“Wait, it’s not safe. The explosion made a part of the ground cave in due to the tunnel underneath. It’s still shifting and a part broke off near the cliff.”
I shrug Ivano’s hand off. “Exactly the reason why I should go to my mate.”
If I fall over a cliff I can simply shift and fly away, Lilliana can’t. Well, she does have wings. She also mentioned the lack of control so I’m not sure what her ability to use them is. Either way, I’m not willing to take the fucking risk.
Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention and I partly shift my arm to lash out with my claw. Talons tear through the torso of a man who was about to attack me with a sword and I make sure to grab the fucker by the shoulder and tear his head straight off.
Strength comes with age and I’m at least a century older than the dragon lying dead at my feet. The patch on his arm marks him as Marshgloom as did the other Lilliana killed. My younger brother leans on my mate as they walk toward us.
“Why now?” Leandro grumbles. “No one knew we were in those tunnels.”
My mind instantly jumps to only one man; Nario. He has to be involved somehow. Right now it doesn’t help shit. Especially when I don’t know where the hell he is.
“Irrelevant since we’re in this mess. We need to regain control of the gate,” I grunt. “The mine can wait until backup has arrived.”
“You heard him, go,” Lilliana snaps and Ivano rushes in the direction of the gate.
Leandro is leaning forward, his hands on his knees, when I address Lilliana. “How did you take out that guy without so much as touching him?”
She lowers her voice to a mere whisper. “You might say I hit the self-destruct button with a snap of my fingers, without the self-destruct button. And before you freak out, I only used it once before today. It’s not like I take joy in turning someone into red mist. I don’t add the ability to my regular options when I’m fighting, it’s more of a last resort freak the fuck out option. The first time it happened someone was about to behead my brother, and to see you…I just–”
“Snapped,” I finish for her and nod.
I’d like to talk more about my mate’s powerful abilities, however now is not the time. The screaming has faded and besides the headless bodies of Marshgloom men, I don’t see any others left standing.
Lilliana pulls her phone from her pocket. “Reinforcements are here.”
“To the gate,” I grunt and the three of us jump into a run.