Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
A s Emily and Logan made their way back to the vehicle parked in front of her apartment, a sense of resolve settled over them like a comforting cloak. Without a backward glance, they slipped inside, the engine purring to life beneath Logan’s steady hand.
As they pulled away from the curb, Emily’s gaze remained fixed forward, her thoughts focused solely on the road ahead. She trusted Logan implicitly, knowing that his family’s influence extended far beyond the realms of mortal understanding. His assurance that everything would be taken care of brought her a measure of comfort, a reminder that in their world, even the most daunting challenges could be overcome with a touch of magic. That the bodies would be discovered in her uncle’s home, and her apartment would be in pristine condition with a letter from her saying she was getting married to Logan and was moving in with him.
As they journeyed back to the cabin, Emily allowed herself to succumb to the gentle lull of the vehicle’s motion, her eyelids growing heavy with the weight of exhaustion. She dozed fitfully; her dreams were a hazy tapestry of images and sensations as they snaked their way through the winding roads of the forest.
She finally awoke to the sight of the cabin looming before them, bathed in the soft glow of the moon. It stood as a beacon of hope amidst the tranquil beauty of the wilderness, its pristine condition returned by the power of magic and the unyielding determination of those who dwelled on the property.
They exited the vehicle and made their way inside. The fire was crackling in the fireplace, but she just wanted to go to bed. Logan sensed her weariness and led her up the stairs.
The large king-sized bed looked as it had when they entered the first time, and she placed her bag on the floor before unzipping her jacket. She threw it on the chair in the corner before realizing Logan was still standing by the door.
“Is everything alright?” she asked.
“I was wondering if you would be comfortable if I slept naked beside you?” She wasn’t surprised he asked. Everything he did was to make her feel comfortable in his presence.
He wasn’t implying she had to; she knew that, but she had chosen him, and although the idea of sex scared her a little, she wanted to be with him.
She pulled off her shirt and began undoing her pants. “Of course. I don’t want anything between us. Not anymore.”
Logan waved his hand, and his clothes disappeared.
Her eyes roamed over his body and the evidence of his arousal.
“I think you got a raw deal, Logan. But I’m not complaining.”
Logan moved to her and pulled her into his arms as her pants fell to the floor. She felt a pulse run over her skin before she realized he had discarded her undergarments. “With the exception of your mother, your family did not appreciate your worth. That will change. You are everything to me.”
Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and she had to look up to meet his intense gaze due to the differences in their height. His mouth descended on hers, and she knew this was more than a kiss, this was a claiming, and she slipped her hands around his neck.
The pressure on her lips was as possessive as it was endearing. There was no going back for either of them, and he had wanted nothing more. Her magic was in its infancy next to his, but it recognized the other part of her soul. She doubted she deserved such devotion, not with her past and what he had to do to protect her, but she would try to give him as much as he gave her, starting with her trust.
He pulled her close, melding his body with hers. His hot shaft pulsed against her sensitive skin, reminding her of what was to come. A stuttered breath alerted him to her nervousness as she shivered.
He broke the kiss and met her gaze. “I will be as gentle as possible. Your comfort and pleasure are more important to me than you know.”
As their eyes met, she connected with his mind. She loved the sound of his voice. The ability to feel everything he did. To see the world through his eyes was a gift unlike any other. He meant every word he said. She was everything to him. His world. She matched his courage with her own. The line between their souls blurred. Two pools of power mixing for eternity. “I know.”
His mouth settled over hers. The desperate urgency gave way to acceptance and a serenity she had never known. Her breath heated in her lungs, making her gasp as his tongue took every opportunity to delve into the warm velvet oasis. His thumb pinched her nipple lightly, inciting a moan to escape her lips, before rubbing away the slight sting. Her back arched as she melted against him, the creamy globes pressing into his flesh.
Her nails bit into the skin of his shoulders, attempting to lock him to her. The fire sweeping through her body had a mind of its own, and it focused on Logan. Every synapse seemed to fire at once, centered on the man who held her tightly against him. She was drowning in desire, and it was all for him.
His mouth caressed the corner of hers before kissing his way down her neck to the small indentation at its base. The rush of liquid between her legs made her take a shallow breath. He was a dragon with thousands of years of experience, and her body reacted to every slight caress. Fire raged through her body like hot lava. Like two forces colliding and joining as one. “Do something.”
He moved to her breast, flicking it with his tongue. “Our power is merging. Do you feel it?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
“Your magic is a cool breeze against centuries of darkness. The loneliness was a burden, one made worse by the loss of my twin. Only you remove this burden. Make hell into hope and dark into light.” He moved her toward the bed and lay her down, blanketing her body with his.
She was in his mind. The darkness of the past reared up, but was no match for her love. The centuries of loneliness that every dragon had to endure filtered through his soul, raging in its loneliness. Logan’s demons were dark, but she imagined it was the same for every dragon of color. The burden of losing those you loved not to death but to the darks.
He shimmered in her mind. You were worth the wait.
Those five simple words brought light and joy to his soul after centuries of darkness. She tried to clear her mind, but the erotic sensation burned through her blood as he continued tasting her flesh. His tongue found places she hadn’t known were erogenous. “I am yours,” she moaned.
His power surged with his dragon’s anticipation. They hovered on the apex of an unalterable journey, soaring in the clouds without a destination. She would learn to navigate the skies with him someday, and she reveled in that knowledge.
Logan blazed a fiery trail of need with each light stroke of his fingers. They traced her belly and down her thighs, dipping between her legs, but never reaching the spot she wanted them to. She never knew such a sensual experience could exist. He was a master of passion, with pleasure experienced in every soft caress.
Time passed without consequence. She was locked in a thunderstorm of Logan’s creation, swirling through her body like a tsunami. She gasped, pleading in his mind and gripping his hair so hard she feared she would rip it from his scalp, yet he continued his relentless pursuit. No dip or valley was left unmarked by his wicked tongue or his fiery breath. With her mind connected with his, she knew he planned to map every inch of her flesh like a canvas, memorizing every spot that sparked an erotic response. Her entire body was slick and hot by the time his thorough perusal of her body was complete.
Emily was more than ready for him. She was desperate, and he knew it. The fire in his eyes raged, unfettered by his humanity. It pulled his body to its breaking point. Centuries of control snapped like dry kindling. He poised himself between her legs, pressing against her entrance, holding her hips immobile as his fiery gaze met hers. You are mine. Now and forever in my care. Every second together is a gift I will cherish.
The words burned through her mind as he thrust into her. The consuming need replaced the sting of pain. Their power crashed together in an ocean of fire and pleasure. She gasped, puncturing his skin with her nails. Tiny white threads of magic latched to one another. Melded together in a powerful net that no force on Earth could rip apart. She moaned as he moved within her.
Her tight muscles rebelled against the thick invasion, burning and clenching around the hard shaft. It took her a moment to get the rhythm right. But soon, she matched his tentative pace and was urging him to go faster. His fight to go slow was accentuated by the roped muscles that strained in his back. She had never felt delicate. A fine piece of china that could break apart in a dragon’s grasp. His all-encompassing power added to the security and dedication he evoked. She wasn’t his mate. She was his world, and that knowledge was more erotic than the sensation his body created within her.
Emily could handle the slow fire Logan created with his shallow thrusts. She was unprepared for the earthquake he unleashed when his control snapped. He pumped into her, his full length stretching her body to its breaking point.
Each hard thrust caused a ripple in her core. A building pressure that had no recourse but to explode. The low growl in her ear alerted her he was close. The thick swell of his velvet shaft as he slammed harder and harder into her soft channel. She screamed his name as the orgasm ripped through her body, clamping down on him like a vise, until he shouted hers. Her mind blanked out for a moment as fireworks burst beneath her skin, and her eyes closed as the power within her faded.
Logan kissed her temple. “I love you, Emily. More than I can convey.”
They dozed for a few hours, and the light began to filter through the curtains before Adara’s voice blared in her mind.
Come to the temple. All of you.
Her eyes snapped open as Logan turned to her. “What is it?”
“Adara is calling us to the temple.”
They got up and dressed quickly. They were down the stairs and jogging toward the caves in no time, and they noticed Legion and Mara ahead of them.
They navigated the tunnels quickly and found the druids and their mates standing before the temple. She had wanted to meet her fellow sisters, but judging by Adara’s stricken face, there was no time for introductions .
“What is going on, Adara?” Legion asked.
“Someone has breached Geram’s prison. They are attempting to break the wards around his temple. If they go down, this world is doomed. Even I do not possess the power to fight him.”
Logan glanced down. “It is Lothos. Disengagement is his primary power. There is not much he can’t break into. He can also erect incredibly complicated wards when he wants to.”
“How did he find the prison?” Legion asked.
“I can’t say for sure.”
Adara glanced at the two wolves seated beside her. “Allorin knew where Geram’s temple was, but he could not access it. He must have told Lothos its location. I did not believe he would trust a dark dragon with that information.”
“How would Lothos possess the power to unravel wards of this magnitude? Even if he had the skills?” Legion asked.
Logan cursed under his breath. “Twins have the power to feed or absorb power from the other. With his connection to me broken, he can likely siphon the other darks.”
Legion made a sweeping motion with his hand. “We must go. Lothos has to be stopped.”
Adara motioned to Emily. “She must go. If the wards fail, she must reconstruct a prison that will hold Geram for eternity.”
“What is her power?” Legion asked.
“Transmutation,” Logan said as several dragons gasped.
Legion’s eyes were full of doubt, but he nodded. They had all been waiting for a druid like Emily, and now they had to risk her life. “It’s time to go. Siro, Logan, and I will escort Emily to the temple of Geram. The rest stay here and protect our mates. Our future is in jeopardy.”