Chapter 44
Marcella didn't know what to do but remain as still as possible. Cosimo held her tight in his paw, and no one could get close enough to them to talk sense to him.
Just stay calm, Marcella. He's disoriented but won't hurt you, Bas's voice brushed against her mind.
Talk to him. You are the only one who can reason with him.
We will stay inside the mansion until he has worked out what he needs to with you.
Valentine is contacting Taranis, but he says Dad is also an alpha and will try to fight anyone who gets too close.
Great! What makes you think I am going to be able to deal with him like this? she shot back.
He loves you, was all Bas would reply.
"Cazzo!" Marcella cursed. She had thought she would be prepared to see a dragon, but her visions were nothing like they had been in real life.
As soon as Cosimo grabbed her, his whole body exploded with magic and shifted. His scales were the deep Tyrian purple that his eyes turned, with four black horns curling up from his head. His spine was studded with black ridges of bone, and his tail had two spikes.
If Marcella hadn't known the man inside, she would have pissed herself in fear. As it was, she struggled to believe that this creature wouldn't hurt her.
"Cosimo, would you mind telling me what this is about?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could. The huge mouth in front of her revealed onyx fangs as long as her arm.
"We had a deal. Plan. I would be good and wait," the dragon rumbled.
Marcella tried to figure out what he was talking about. "You mean Cosimo's and my agreement about finding Maria and the grimoires?"
The dragon made a frustrated huffing noise that sent gray smoke curling around its nostrils. "Big plan. Work together. Find kin. Find books. Claim mate."
"And because we just found the books…" she began.
"Shift. Dragon part of deal. Mine. My mate."
Marcella's legs went weak, and she sat down on the dragon's paw. "I… You think I am your mate?"
"You are my mate."
"And Cosimo didn't bother telling me?" Marcella demanded, running her hands through her hair. "Why?"
The dragon's tail thrashed irritably, destroying a garden and sending a decorative statue to the ground. "Scared. Your choice, he said. Won't force until grimoires. Deal over with you."
Marcella buried her face in her hands. "Oh, that ridiculous man. He thought he had to get me the grimoires before he talked about this? That I wouldn't understand? Has he been hurting you by not telling me about it? Hurting himself?"
The dragon made another rumbling sound and nodded. "Doesn't hurt now. Just want to claim mate. Love mate. Keep you safe."
"If this is a proposal, there are less dramatic ways to go about it," Marcella said, a small laugh escaping her. She was Cosimo's mate. She had seen the rest of his family with their mates. They were all so perfect for each other that watching them caused an ache of longing deep inside of her.
Could she really have that kind of love with Cosimo? She already knew that what had been between them had been instant and powerful. She had said it wasn't normal for them to be falling in love already, and what had he told her?
It is for dragons. It's like something flips in our head, and it doesn't matter how long we have known someone.
He had known then that she was his mate. It was why he had kept insisting every move they made with their relationship was instigated by her, because she was a human.
"My god, I must be blind. He had been trying to tell me all along," she whispered, dropping her hands from her face so she could look up at the terrifyingly beautiful dragon. "Come here."
The dragon pushed his muzzle closer so she could rest her hands on his warm scales.
"You should have told me earlier, but I understand why you didn't," Marcella began and rested her cheek against his scales.
"I love you, Cosimo. I love your kindness, your brilliant mind, the way you care for your family, and how you have my back and make me feel so safe.
You hurt yourself to make sure I wouldn't feel like you were trying to control me like Carlo did.
I see that now, and it makes me love you even more.
I was scared of the intensity of what I was feeling for you, but I'm not anymore. I am honored to be your mate."
The dragon keened softly and nuzzled her. "Mate. My Mate."
"Yes, amore mio. I am your mate, and I love you," Marcella assured him, kissing his scales.
"Time to claim my mate," the dragon said smugly.
"I don't know what that entails…" Marcella began. A wave of power washed over her. She screamed as she fell from the sturdy dragon paw and into the arms of a strong and very naked man.
"Are you okay?" Marcella asked, stroking his face.
His eyes were still glowing. He might be in human form, but he was still very much the dragon.
"I will be." Cosimo carried her through the trees, and with a wave of his hand, thick blankets and pillows appeared and rearranged themselves. He laid her down on them and started taking off her boots.
Marcella leaned forward and kissed him. "Tell me you really want this. That it's not just your dragon."
Cosimo groaned and buried his face against her neck. "I've wanted this since the first time I saw you at the Uffizi. I need you to be mine like I need air in my lungs."
"Then kiss me again, dragon, and make me yours," Marcella replied, her body burning up. She needed to have his skin pressing up against her, feel his weight on top of her, and have him drive her wild in the ways only her knew how.
Cosimo's patience in undressing her vanished, his long claws shredded her shirt and the front of her bra. The hem of her jeans and panties tore and were tossed aside. His hands were all over her, big and warm and claiming.
"My beautiful strega, you're going to be all mine forever," he whispered against his skin and sucked one nipple into his mouth.
Marcella let out a strangled cry, her fingers burying in his hair. His claws disappeared, and he dropped his hand to her core. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her hips lifting with each stroke of his fingers.
Teeth scraped over her breasts, leaving a faint line of blood that Cosimo's hot tongue swiped away. The sharp sting blended with the pleasure and pressure of his fingers, making Marcella whimper.
"Cosimo, please. Get inside of me. I need you in me," she babbled, grinding herself against his hand, trying to relieve the pressure. "Edge me another night. Just want you to make me yours."
Cosimo's answering growl had all the hair on her body standing on end. He grabbed her by her hips and dragged her roughly down his thick cock. Marcella's head went back in a silent scream, gasping for air. She was so full, so stretched and complete.
"Mine," Cosimo snarled, not giving her a second to get used to him before he was on his knees, dragging her up and down his dick. He stared at her like she was the center of his focus, his world, his life.
Marcella couldn't look away. Scales were rising and running down his arms and across his shoulders, his body larger than it usually was. His dick felt impossibly bigger, and she wasn't sure how that was possible.
"Fuck, you are so sexy," she gasped, gripping his wrists, needing to hold onto him.
Cosimo's hand stroked over her breasts and down to her pussy. "Look how well we fit together. Watch as I claim you." When he pulled his dick free of her, Marcella saw the moment smooth, raised scales appeared on it.
"Cosimo? What's that?" she squeaked.
"That is all yours, my treasure," he said and rolled them so she was on top of him. "And you are going to take all of it."
Marcella ran her fingers along the soft scales on his dick. They wouldn't hurt her, and the excitement at the strangeness of it had her leaning forward to lick them. She could taste herself mixed with his salty precum.
Cosimo growled out something she didn't catch.
She lowered her mouth over him, sucking him as best as she could.
He was so thick it stretched her cheeks and made her jaw ache, but she didn't care.
She looked up at him, his dragon eyes shining as they watched her.
His clawed fingers sank into her hair, pulling her down on him over and over.
"Your mouth feels so good. Such a good little witch for me," he murmured, his praise making her pussy so wet, she could feel it sliding down her thighs. "You can finish me like this later. I need your cunt squeezing me, so I can claim you once and for all."
Marcella pulled off him, but kept her hand around him, slicking her spit and precum over him. He sat up, his knees sliding up behind her so she was pinned in place.
Cosimo nipped at her swollen lips. "Fuck me, Marcella. Claim me, the way I want to claim you."
"I love you," she said and guided his dick to her soaked pussy. She slid down easily on him, each of the new soft scales making her gasp and squirm. "Oh, fuck. That feels so good, Cosimo. How can it feel so good?"
"Because it was meant for you," he replied and licked the sweat from her neck. "Now, fuck me like you own me, Marcella, because you do. Every part of me is yours."
Marcella wrapped her arms around Cosimo's neck and got lost in the rhythm and sensation of him so deep inside her. Tears filled her eyes as he changed angles, and each deep thrust had his soft scales hitting her G-spot.
"That's it, my witch, feel me. Feel the magic and fate tying us together," Cosimo growled, his hips lifting up harder and faster. Marcella gasped as magic poured out of him and into her, filling her heart and chest. Her mouth dropped to his neck, driven by an impulse she didn't understand.
"My Cosimo," she moaned and sank her teeth into him.
"That's my girl. That's my perfect mate. Mark me. Claim me," he panted. He pinned her back to the blanket, his hips pistoning hard. Marcella moved her neck to the side, knowing it was what he needed.
Cosimo's eyes lit with wonder and triumph. He moved too quickly for Marcella to see, but his teeth were digging into her neck, and she was screaming his name as she shattered into a million pieces.
Magic throbbed from the pain in her neck, sending hot pulses through her and making her pussy grip him. They were both panting harder, their arms and legs and mouths tangled together until there was no way to get any closer.
Cosimo kissed her, his eyes no longer filled with the madness that had been riding him. "I love you so much. Thank you for accepting me as your mate."
"You could have warned me earlier," she said with a soft laugh.
"I couldn't have you running away on me."
"Would you have let me go?" she asked.
Cosimo's head tilted to one side. "I would have done my best to convince you not to."
"That means no," Marcella said and laughed softly. She pushed his damp hair back from his face. "You are lucky I love you."
"I am," he replied, deadly serious. He kissed her, slow and soft. "But if you have a running away kink that I don't know about, I am more than happy to explore it with you. Just know, I will catch you and fuck you so hard that you will know exactly who you belong to."
Marcella smirked, rather liking the idea of Cosimo hunting her down. "Maybe next time. I rather like being just where I am at the moment."
Cosimo shifted his hips, his dick already hardening again. "Good, because you are in for a long, long night, witch."
Marcella bit his chest, making him hiss. "I'm ready when you are, dragon."