44. Supernova
Supernova
T he elevator doors closed shut behind us, but the sound barely registered over the rush of my heartbeat in my ears.
Quinn’s lips were on mine, soft and insistent, as we stumbled through the foyer hallway of the penthouse. The now-familiar scent of home—coffee, sandalwood, and the ever-lingering aroma of whatever Thompson had made the night before—mingled with the smells of Quinn—chocolate roasting on a campfire with hints of freshly picked oranges—creating a heady mix that made me dizzy with desire and love.
It felt so right.
We fumbled, hands everywhere, trying to navigate our way through the condo without breaking the kiss. I was so engrossed in the literal heat of the moment I had forgotten the layout of my own home. I was grateful that Everett and Thompson weren’t home to see this. How we had even gotten here was a blur with the Midnight Railway Train ride and the walk home. Had I sat in Quinn’s lap? Had anyone seen?
Did I even care?
My back hit the wall behind us. Quinn’s large hand grabbed my neck, her finger grazing the patch of scales there and sending jolts all throughout my body. I moaned into her mouth and flipped us so Quinn’s back was against the wall. Laughter bubbled up between our kisses. My hands found the hem of her button down shirt, eager to feel the warmth of her skin against my own.
Her breath hitched. A thrill went through me at the sound.
As we both took another step toward my bedroom, I felt something soft brush against my ankle followed by a distinctive yowl. We almost tripped and landed on the floor, distracted as we were, because of Dinah. I glanced down just in time to see Dinah, the fattest clit-blocker in existence, darting away with an indignant flick of her tail.
“Din-Din isn’t used to such excitement,” I breathed against Quinn’s mouth, half-laughing.
Quinn chuckled, her lips grazing my jawline as she spoke. “Poor kitty. We should apologize to her.”
“Mhmm, later.”
My fingers tangled in her curls to pull her back to me. Everything around us seemed to fade, leaving just the two of us and the electric connection between our bodies. Quinn pushed us off the wall, our destination forgotten in the haze and intensity of the moment. The back of my knees met one of the couches, and we collapsed onto the couch in a tangle of limbs.
Quinn’s weight pressed down on me, solid and reassuring, as the cushions gave way beneath us. Her hand found both of mine, reaching for her shirt again, and pinned them above my head with just one hand. Her grip was strong around my hands, with no give. My pussy was already throbbing, but then her lips claimed my neck. I arched into her, a moan escaping from me as her teeth grazed my skin. She licked, nibbled, sucked, and kissed my neck and my scales that had refused to recede, like they knew. Each motion was hotter and more desperate than the last.
It drove me wild .
“Byrd.” Her voice was a low growl that sent shivers down my spine.
I managed a breathless “Yes?” before her mouth was on mine again, silencing any coherent thought. The taste of her, the feel of her, it was all-consuming. My world shrunk to the space between us. Even then, there wasn’t much of that left, given how close we were. I could feel her heartbeat against mine, a rapid, shared rhythm that echoed the intensity of our connection.
Suddenly, Quinn pulled back, her lips leaving mine, and the abruptness of it left me gasping. I opened my eyes, ready to ask why she’d stopped, but the words caught in my throat when I saw her.
Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. Her pupils were blown to where I couldn’t see the golden honey I was sure her eyes were at the moment. Still, they were dark, intense, filled with something I couldn’t quite place. Quinn let go of my wrists to cup my face, her thumb brushing my cheek. She stared at me.
“Byrd?” Quinn began again. Her voice was a whisper now, but it still had the same effect.
My heart pounded even harder, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation coursing through me. “Yes?” I breathed again, barely able to form the word.
Quinn’s eyes searched mine, her expression softening slightly. “I want your bite.”
“What did you just say?” My dragon perked up at the words.
“I want you to bite me. I want to cement the mating bond with you.” Her voice was steady despite the vulnerability in her gaze.
My jaw dropped. Time seemed to pause for a moment, the weight of her request settling over me. A mating bond was no joke. It wasn’t just a symbol of love. It was a commitment, a promise of forever. It was serious even for regular mates, but for fated mates? My mind raced, but my heart knew the answer before I even spoke. “Q-Quinn?—”
“After everything that’s happened, I know it’s a wild ask. I also know how serious it is. But I love you, and I think we are fated mates. I know it, have known it for a while. I think you know it, too. I want to be yours completely, in every single way. I want forever with you.” The sincerity in her eyes, the depth of her love—it took my breath away.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice trembling with emotion.
Quinn’s gentleness burned off in favor of her smolder. “Now, what did I say about questioning me, peque?a hechicera ?”
Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Quinn kissed me again, somehow hotter and more fervently than before. She swallowed my squeal as she effortlessly lifted me up and stood. I wrapped my legs and arms around her. She carried me through the living room, the hallway, and into my room.
When we reached my door, Quinn kicked it open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall. Din-Din, who had been lounging on the bed, bolted and darted out of the room with a tiny gallop.
“Honestly, it’s for the best,” Quinn murmured against my ear. “I would hate for her to interrupt this.”
I barely had time to nod before Quinn tossed me onto my bed. Her strength and assertiveness sent a thrill through me. I looked up at her, breathless and eager for what was coming. She loomed over me, all muscles and height and beauty. Quinn’s presence filled the spacious room, making me feel both vulnerable and incredibly safe at the same time.
Quinn closed the door behind her with a swift motion. The click of the latch was final, a sound promising no interruptions, no distractions—just us.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Quinn sauntered over, taking her time. Her eyes roamed over me as if she was trying to decide where to begin with me. I hungrily watched as her long legs carried her to me. My pulse quickened with each step.
When she reached me, she kissed me on the lips, slowly, meticulously, lovingly. It was so careful and sweet, yet so hot . She maintained that same energy as she kissed her way down. Her lips caressed my cheek, my jaw, down my neck, my shoulder, and then my ample cleavage.
She pulled my cropped sweater over my head to reveal my lacy nude strapless bra. Quinn teased my nipples through my bra with her fingers, a rush of heat flowing through me. My eyelids fluttered closed, and moans escaped my slightly parted lips. Soon, Quinn unclipped my bra to free my boobs. She kissed each nipple, lovingly licking and nipping at them before continuing her way down.
She bit lightly on my curves and rolls before kissing the bite away. Once she reached the waistband of my jeans, Quinn stood to take off my boots and socks. Then she took off my jeans and lacy thong in one swift motion. She tossed my clothes in a corner away from the bed.
And there was her mouth again on me, kissing each of my tattoos on my arms, chest, and legs like they were a map leading her to my pleasure. She took a step back to look down at me and take me all in. The cool air against my heated skin was a stark contrast, making me shiver, but her hot gaze on me was more than enough to keep me warm. I was naked and laid bare for her.
“Mhmm, Tan jodidamente hermosa. So fucking beautiful. Your curves are so delicious, sweetness,” Quinn whispered, her voice husky and filled with reverence. “You’re mine. Every part of you.”
“Yes,” I whimpered. I was beyond ready for her. “All yours.”
Quinn’s lips curled into a wicked smile before she took my foot and leaned down. She kissed her way up my toes, the top of my foot, my ankle, my shin, my knee, the outside of my thighs, and the inside of my thighs. Her lips were still delicate and hot against my skin. Her tongue licking me, her teeth nipping, her kisses on me left me aching. I let out a throaty moan as I arched up against her. I wanted to feel more of her, needed her touch. Each touch of her on me set my skin alight.
Finally, Quinn kissed the top of my mound. Before I knew it, she used the flat of her tongue to lick from my entrance all the way up to my clit. Again, it was so slow, but her tongue—My back arched and the moan that came out of me was so desperate, needy, and obscene I couldn’t believe it was from me.
“Oh, me gusto mucho eso, la hechicera . That is music to my ears,” Quinn said from between my legs.
Then she kissed just above my clit.
“Gods, Quinn, please!” I was so sensitive. I needed her so badly.
“Mhmm.” Instead of giving me what I needed, Quinn made a trail of tender kisses up my stomach to my nipples. She took one of them in her mouth while she took the other between her fingers. She teased and teased until all I could do was moan and tangle my fingers in her hair. Agonizingly, as soon as I did, she lifted from my boobs back to my mouth. Her lips slammed against mine. The softness and methodical nature were gone now for a more demanding nature that left me trembling. I could taste myself on her. I growled with the strongest, most overwhelming desire I’d ever felt in my life.
“Quinn, starlight, please. I need you right now.”
“I love how I can make you a needy mess, sweetness, where all you can do is beg for me.” Quinn smirked. She kissed me again before kissing down my jawline and neck. Quinn found that patch of scales that stubbornly refused to go away. She always knew exactly how to drive me wild. Every movement, every caress designed to elicit the most exquisite sensations.
I gasped, throwing my head back against the bed. I surrendered to her completely. “Please, Papi, make me come like only you can.”
Quinn growled in appreciation. “Now, that’s a good girl for me.”
Quinn kissed her way back down between my thighs, spread just for her. She peppered kisses on my inner thighs again, my left, then my right, and then the top again.
I propped myself on my elbows to look down. I made eye contact with Quinn, propped just above my pussy. I begged her with my heavily lidded eyes to stop fucking torturing me. Her smoldering smirk was wide and the last thing I saw before she dove in and started devouring me.
I almost shattered then and there.
I can’t wait to claim her.
Quinn’s tongue was pure magic, bringing to the edge from that alone. Her grip on my hip was strong enough to leave bruises, her dull nails digging deep into my plump skin. I hoped they would leave marks and bruises that could be seen the next day. I was a dragon-shifter, so they would heal, of course, but I kind of hoped that since she was a hunter, they would take a little longer to. The idea alone made more scales ripple across my skin.
Suddenly, I felt Quinn notch a finger at my entrance. She looked up at me, a silent question. I nodded through moans. I saw the smirk in her eyes before she thrusted one finger inside of me.
“Oh, fuck, Quinn!” My back arched off the bed. My hands clawed at her curls as she continued.
“I will never get tired of hearing you say my name like that.” Then, her tongue found the perfect spot on my clit while she added a finger inside, curling it and thrusting it in and out in just the right way. “Right there! Please, don’t stop. Please!”
“Never, mi tesoro . I would never stop. Now, come for me, baby girl.” Quinn picked up the pace and intensity. Her finger worked my pussy like it had never been worked before, and her hot tongue played on my rawest nerves. She’s so good, and I was so very close.
Just as I reached my peak, Quinn curled her fingers in deeper in just the right way to massage a spot I have never been able to reach while she played on just the right part of my clit. It was perfect. Quinn was perfect. I screamed her name as wave upon wave of electrifying pleasure crashed into me. My eyes shut. My toes curled. My fingers became so entangled in Quinn’s curls I worried they may have to be cut out.
Only one thought was on repeat in my mind: I love her.
As I came down, Quinn grounded me back to the present with kisses all the way up to my lips. It was quickly becoming my new way to kiss her. “I could watch you come like that for hours. Maybe one of these days I will.” She kissed my forehead. “You did so well, mi vida .”
I pulled her into a kiss, holding her close to me. Gods, the taste of me on her lips was enough to make me feral.
Claim her. Claim our mate as ours , my dragon roared, on the brink of fully surfacing. My tongue lengthened and forked in her mouth, and my fangs descended. Quinn’s tongue accidentally hit one of them, and I had to break our kiss to temper the shockwaves that rippled through me.
“Q-Quinn, I can’t wait any longer. I-I have to…” I trailed off. As easily as Quinn had carried us, I flipped us over so I was straddling Quinn now. I grabbed both sides of her shirt and ripped it open, buttons flying all across my room. I didn’t care. I tore the shirt and Quinn’s sports bra off her. My eyes caught on the exposed skin where her neck met her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Quinn, I?—”
“Why are you sorry? I want this. I want to sink my teeth into every inch of you. But I really want your teeth on me. I want to be like this forever, sweetness. So, do it.” She tilted her head, offering herself to me, her trust unwavering and sure.
I leaned down and kissed the spot. I could feel her pulse beneath her skin, beating in anticipation for what was about to happen. My heart swelled with emotion, a mixture of love, desire, and the weight of what I was about to do. But I didn’t hesitate. My control snapped.
I bit her.
Quinn’s body shuddered against mine. She gasped, her nails dragging down my back. But there was no pain in her voice. The bite itself was gentle, my fangs sharp enough to sink in easily with little resistance. What wasn’t gentle was the divine taste of Quinn’s blood, the flood of emotions I felt that almost made my head spin, and the connection—the mating bond snapped into place like a rubber band pulled taut, but vibrating to settle. With each pulse, pleasure radiated through me, and then it echoed through Quinn underneath me before bouncing back to me again. I moaned against Quinn’s skin. Fireworks went off behind my eyes. Every inch of my skin was alive and sparking with energy. My dragon roared along with Quinn’s screams. It was a deep, almost primal satisfaction in all of our cries. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
Soon, it all subsided to a whisper within me, making me relax against Quinn. I released my teeth from Quinn, and I leaned back to watch the mark heal. Instead of returning to bare, clear skin as she had before, there were two crescent moon scabs left behind with blood around its edges. It was beautiful in its roughness. It was our mark. It was permanent. My heart fluttered. Forever . I licked the blood from the bites. Quinn shivered strongly as I did and let out another moan. At the same time, pleasure zinged through me as if my scales had been licked or bit. I gasped at the shock of it.
“ Fuck , that’s sensitive,” Quinn whimpered, her eyes half-lidded.
“It is,” I panted.
“Wait, you felt that?” Quinn’s slitted eyebrow quirked up.
I nodded, remembering what I read at the Archive after talking to Teddy. “Fated mating bonds are… intense. We feel everything one another feels. You could even push thoughts through sometimes.”
“So, you feel what I do now?” Quinn’s eyes darkened. I knew that look. That amount of mischief always led to something crazy at first, with a happy ending for me afterward.
“…Yes?” I answered, drawing it out and giving her a side-eye.
Quinn’s smirk was the last thing I saw before Quinn moved us both in a blur. When we settled on the bed again, I was hovering above Quinn’s face. Her arms were wrapped around my thighs, her hands gripping my hips. Her smolder was the hottest it had ever been.
“Quinn, what are you?—?“
“Enjoy the ride, sweetness. I know I’m about to.”
I opened my mouth to respond to her, but then her hands pulled down on my hips and waist and all that came from my mouth was a scream of absolute ecstasy. Quinn’s tongue pressed gloriously hard on my clit, licking me from the top of it to my entrance before she dipped it inside. Quinn’s moans vibrated through me, compounding my pleasure and adding to hers.
I had been right before. Quinn was going to drive me insane.
It’s only fair that we return the favor.
I smiled at the idea, and I leaned down. I had wanted to tease her like she had done to me, but then I saw how wet she was for me. A shiver of anticipation went through me, which Quinn took as a sign to increase her fervor. It snapped what little control I had. My dragon surfaced slightly to allow my tongue to lengthen and fork at the end. I couldn’t resist slipping my tongue past her lips, licking down her clit to her pussy.
Gods, she tasted like a smokey chocolate orange cake. My long tongue entered her while I worked her clit with my thumb. Quinn groaned, pushing my hips down to take more of me in her mouth. We both started rolling our hips to get even more friction and for our tongues to go even deeper. We both moaned into each other, feeling the air with the sounds. My eyelids fluttered as I started seeing stars from Quinn’s tongue swirling around me and from feeling the pleasure I was giving Quinn echoing through our bond. It was overwhelming in the best possible way, but it was driving me closer to the edge even faster.
I curled my tongue further inside to allow more of it to hit just the spot. At the same time, Quinn’s tongue shifted to my clit while she moved to insert three fingers inside me. We both screamed as we came at the same time. I almost blacked out from my and Quinn’s orgasms that racked my body. It was so intense, each of our orgasms echoing, rebounding, and feeding off each other like a feedback loop of pure bliss. With each cascade came feelings of love, sinking into me at every level of my being.
I love Quinn.
Quinn is mine.
Quinn is my fated mate.
Quinn is my everything.
I love her. I love her. I love her.
The orgasms finally waned, to give way to a low hum I still felt when I moved. Spent, I collapsed between Quinn’s legs, no longer able to hold myself up or move at all. Even the slightest movement was enough to send aftershocks through me. Quinn’s chest heaved under my thighs. She was just as exhausted as I was. Even still, she managed to gently collect me from the bed and snuggle me on top of her chest. Somehow, she had even gotten us under the covers, too. She placed one arm behind her head while the other languidly rubbed my back right where my wings lingered underneath, sending soft tingles through me. The warmth surrounding me from my mate and the thick blankets was perfect .
I couldn’t have asked for more.
My chest started to vibrate against Quinn’s. At first, I thought it was the aftershocks or our mating bond, but then I realized that it was my dragon and thus me.
“Are you… purring?” Quinn asked.
“Yeah, it’s kind of new to me, too. That’s never happened before,” I said, continuing to do it once I finished talking.
“I kinda love it. Especially if I could make you do it and no one else could.”
Chuckling, I murmured softly. “Thank you. For always taking care of me.”
“Sweetness, I will always take care of you and be there for you.” She kissed the top of my head. I felt just possessive love flow from our bond. It overflowed.
“I love being bonded to you. I would kiss you if I could.” I kissed her sternum to make up for it. Then I stifled a yawn. “I just love you so much, Quinn. Always and forever.”
“Always and forever,” Quinn echoed, kissing the top of my head again. “I can feel your exhaustion, baby. It has been a day. Get some sleep and dream some sweet dreams about me, mi vida . I love you more than life itself.”
My eyes drooped shut, and Quinn’s own breathing slowed under me. Nothing but peace and love flowed through our bond, an unbreakable connection that nothing could ever change. Quinn was my person. No matter what the future had in store, we would face it together.
It was just the beginning of our forever.