Chapter 18
Elana
I woke in the strange bed, with a dry throat and a headache. But it wasn’t the silk sheets that surprised me the most; it was the fact that Emmett was in the bed with me, wrapped around the cocoon of the pillows and blankets in his dragon form.
His body was massive, coiled around me like a living fortress, his bronze scales shimmering in the glow of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling.
They shifted between a warm coppery-bronze and deep gold, with veins of chartreuse running through them like molten metal.
The scales along his spine were larger, ridged like armor, while those on his belly were smoother and more delicate.
His wings were folded neatly at his sides, and his claws dug slightly into the giant mattress. Heat radiated off him, reminding me very much of how Melantha’s egg had felt when I’d cared for it.
I found myself reaching out, my fingers brushing against the warm, smooth scales of his side.
He let out a low, rumbling breath, and his body shifted.
Emmett’s golden eyes snapped open, locking onto mine.
In an instant, his massive dragon form shrank, scales melting into skin until he was human again.
Well, almost human. He stayed in a half-shifted form, a breathtaking union of man and beast.
Muscles rippled beneath a scattering of bronze scales that caught the light like molten metal. Leathery wings arched from his back, their shadowed membranes stretched between clawed fingers. Curved horns jutted from his temples, smooth and dark under my grip. His tail flicked behind him.
The magic that preserved some of his clothing left him in nothing but black boxers, the fabric clinging to the hard lines of his body. His hair was tousled from sleep.
“You’re awake.”
I tried to speak, but my throat was raw, my mouth dry as sandpaper. No sound came out. My head throbbed too.
Emmett didn’t hesitate. He reached for a massive, crystal tumbler filled with water on the nightstand and pressed it into my hands. I drank greedily, the cool liquid soothing my throat.
It was only now that I saw just how ridiculously large the bed was. This was most definitely custom-made. It was carved from dark, polished wood with swirling patterns that reminded me of flames and scales. The mattress was deep, layered with feather-stuffed pillows and a lightweight duvet.
The room was just as imposing as the bed.
The walls were made of the same dark stone as the rest of the castle, but here, they were softened by tapestries depicting dragons in flight, their embroidered scales catching the light.
A massive fireplace dominated one wall. There was a sitting area near the window, with a plush couch and a low table.
The floor was covered in thick rugs, their patterns echoing the same dragon motifs as the tapestries.
There was also a balcony. The doors were open just a crack, letting in a cool breeze that carried the scent of the forest beyond the castle walls.
I carefully climbed out of the bed, my legs unsteady. The memories of yesterday hit me all at once: the attack, the chaos, how Emmett had shielded me.
“You okay?”
“I’m… I’m good.” Or at least I thought I was. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“It’s that door there.”
I made my way to the bathroom, passing by an open door that led out to the rest of his personal suite. Curious, I glanced out and saw all manner of things, like a giant model of a ship, and a painter’s easel.
I did my business, grateful to find a toilet made for a human and not a dragon. I splashed water on my face. The woman in the mirror had dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a tangled mess. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it, but it was no use.
When I stepped back into the room, Emmett was gone. I was going to go find him, but a breeze carrying the scent of jasmine from outside had me heading to the balcony instead. The view overlooking the valley was breathtaking.
The sound of Emmett’s footsteps made me turn. He carried a massive wooden platter piled high with food. My stomach growled despite my lingering headache.
The steak was seared to perfection, edges charred just right.
Golden potatoes, crisp and rosemary-dusted, flanked one side, while mushrooms sat on the other.
There was also a chunk of dark rye bread and soft, whipped butter waiting in a small dish.
It definitely was a bit heavy for breakfast fare, but I was so hungry, I didn’t care.
“Eat,” Emmett said, setting the platter on the table. “You need strength to recharge your magic.”
I didn’t argue. The first bite of steak was heavenly. The potatoes were really good too. Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Ugh, and the mushrooms! Okay, so maybe I was just really, really hungry.
Emmett watched me, arms crossed, until I reached for the cup. I sniffed. Oh! Apple cider! That was good too. I was shocked when I realized I’d polished off the whole tray and was still hungry.
“What else do you need to replenish your magical reserves?” Emmett asked.
Food and sleep were two common options. Some people also had familiars that helped. Others recharged with magical objects. I didn’t know what worked best for me since I never really cared to find out. Why recharge my magical battery when my ex-husband was going to drain it anyway?
But I did know that my son and daughter both recharged with sexual contact. Should I mention it? Emmett’s bed was right there!
I reached for the crystal tumbler of water and chugged the rest of that too.
It helped cool me a little. But when he helped me to stand and guided me back to the bed, my brain decided to betray me with images of us on it together.
The thought of his virile body caging mine, moving, thrusting into me, sent a wave of lust barreling through me.
“Elana.” My name was barely a growl on his lips.
His scent, smoke and cedar, filled the space between us, so thick and intoxicating that I found it hard to breathe. A little voice shouted warning: predator, but my body refused to move.
Emmett’s gaze locked onto mine, his golden eyes glinting with mischief.
“You know, demons aren’t the only ones who can help with magical recharge.
” His voice dropped to a low rumble, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I might not be a demon, but I’m willing to experiment.
We can find out together if this works for you. ”
“I’m sure time is all I need.” My words came out breathier than I intended.
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Liar.”
Before I could protest, he lifted me effortlessly, settling me onto the bed. The silk sheets were cool against my skin, but his body was anything but. He hovered over me, his golden eyes burning with something primal, something hungry.
His hands went to the waistband of his boxers.
My breath caught the moment the fabric hit the floor.
His cock was thick and heavy, jutting proudly from a nest of bronze hair, the shaft ridged with raised, scaled patterns that glistened like polished bronze in the firelight.
The head was broad and flushed a deeper gold, the slit already beading with arousal.
But what had me internally screaming with delight were the ridges.
Each one was a promise of primal, inhuman friction.
My fingers twitched with the urge to touch, to trace those ridges, to feel how they’d stretch me open.
“Like what you see?” His voice was rough, amused, as he wrapped one large hand around the base, giving himself a slow stroke.
I swallowed hard but tried to play it cool. “I’m just surprised how close that company that sells monster dongs got to the actual shape.”
Emmett’s low chuckle vibrated through the room. “A haughty wyvern made a cast of himself and sold it to the company.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
“And lucky me, I get to try the real thing?”
He answered with a growl. He was on me in an instant, his body caging mine against the silk sheets. His mouth crashed onto mine, hot and demanding, and I moaned into the kiss. His body pressed against mine, the ridges of his cock pressing insistently against my thigh.
I reached up, my fingers brushing against the base of his horns, and a shudder ran through him.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
I gasped as his hands roamed my body, stripping away my clothes with impatient efficiency. The cool air hit my skin, but his touch burned everywhere he stroked. My breasts, my hips, the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. He explored every inch of me like he wanted to memorize me.
I let out a hiss as his mouth found my nipple, his teeth grazing the peak before soothing it with a swirl of his tongue.
“So perfect,” he growled against my skin, his voice rough with need.
I arched into him, my body aching for more.
His hands slid between my legs, his fingers finding me already wet.
A groan tore from his throat, and he dipped his head lower past my belly.
And then his mouth was on me, his tongue working magic between my thighs, his fingers thrusting inside me in a rhythm that had me writhing beneath him.
I gripped his horns tighter, my hips bucking against his face as pleasure coiled tight in my core.
“Emmett, please—” I begged, my voice barely recognizable.
He pulled back just enough to speak, his lips glistening. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need you inside me.”
“Soon, my treasure. First, I need you to come for me. Drench my face with your honey.”
Fuck! That was so hot that all it took was several more thrusts of his fingers and circles of his tongue, and I was cresting over the edge and into oblivion.
I protested the loss of his fingers when he moved, but he was already on top of me, cock pressed against my entrance.
And then he was pushing inside me, inch by delicious inch, the ridges of his cock stretching me in ways that had me seeing stars.
I moaned, my nails digging into his shoulders as he filled me.
“Fuck, Elana,” he groaned, as a scattering of scales appeared at his jawline.
Then he started moving.