22. Mina
Mina
Two weeks later…
This morning starts off differently from all the others. There’s a certain charge in the air, like the tense calm before a thunderstorm, and my blood sings to me in a way it hasn’t for days. My dragoness stirs awake, purring softly, her presence coiled and ready beneath my skin. She’s been restless, but today … today, she’s satisfied. I glance around the room and frown when I notice Abraxis’s absence. He and his father’s men have been patrolling the borders since our arrival.
Since the first attack, only two more have happened, both meeting my father’s forces head-on. My father’s relentless assaults are growing bolder. The edges of his cruelty cut sharper against the landscape every day. I bite back a growl, suppressing the familiar surge of rage. It simmers beneath the surface but doesn’t overwhelm me like it used to. The council’s temporary reprieve is more of a bandage than a solution. They’ve warned him to cease his machinations or face their combined wrath. I know him well enough to predict it won’t be long before he tests their patience .
But despite the storm brewing beyond these walls, I’m not as angry today. There’s a calmness I haven’t felt in ages, a deep-seated tranquility like a cool breeze over scorching embers. I let the feeling wash over me, wondering if it has to do with the fact that, for once, I’m not fighting this battle alone. I have a mate who loves and respects me—a mate who has never pressured me to complete the bond, even though he could have. He’s always said it would be on my terms. He’s always put my choice first.
That realization sends a shiver of warmth through me, and a small smile tugs at my lips. My choice.
I stand, a ripple of excitement bubbling up from within. Reaching into the closet, my fingers graze over the velvety fabric of one of my black gowns. Abraxis loves these—he’s always said the sight of me in them drives him wild. Today, I think, I want to drive him absolutely mad. I slide the gown over my head and let it cling to my curves like liquid midnight. The fabric shimmers softly in the light, and my bare feet make no sound as I pad through the halls, silent as death itself.
The castle is hushed around me, the only sound the faint crackle of torches and the distant murmur of voices. My senses are sharp, attuned to the hum of the bond as I make my way toward the war room. The energy between us pulls tighter, the invisible tether growing stronger with every step. The double doors loom ahead, heavy and imposing, but I press them open with the barest nudge of strength.
The room is filled with the low buzz of conversation. Abraxis is standing by the diorama of the region, surrounded by his father and several commanders. They’re deep in discussion, unaware of my presence. Vox is the first to notice me, his head lifting sharply. His eyes flare a brilliant, molten gold as he takes in my appearance. I offer him a smile—sharp, feral, and full of intent. My canines descend slowly, glinting in the torchlight. Vox’s gaze flickers between me and his son, and I know he understands immediately: I’ve finally come for Abraxis.
I slip through the gathered men like a shadow, weaving around them until I’m under Abraxis’s arm. He’s so focused on his conversation that he doesn’t register my presence at first. Absently, he leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead mid-sentence. The warmth of his lips lingers, and I inhale his scent, rich and intoxicating.
He doesn’t see it coming—the moment his throat is exposed; I strike. My canines sink into the soft, tender flesh over my original mark. He jerks, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. His knees buckle, and a shudder courses through his powerful frame. Blood, hot and coppery, floods my mouth as I reinforce our bond with a single bite.
The reaction is immediate. His entire body tenses against me, then slackens as if his bones have turned to liquid. I feel his dragon rear up, clawing at the surface, desperate and possessive. He’s mine, and every part of him remembers it now. A wild thrill surges through me, and I let out a breathless, triumphant laugh before I whirl away and take off running.
The hallways blur around me as I sprint back to our room on the third floor, the pounding of Abraxis’s boots reverberating through the wooden floorboards. He’s on my heels, the heat of his pursuit sending a thrill racing down my spine. The bond between us thrums like a live wire, crackling with energy. His growl echoes through the corridor, low and dangerous, promising retribution.
I burst through the door of our room and barely make it three steps before he tackles me to the bed. The breath leaves my lungs in a rush as he pins me down, his broad frame caging me in. His eyes, a searing, molten gold, bore into mine with a mix of hunger and something deeper—something primal and possessive. His hands are everywhere, running over my shoulders, down my sides, branding me with his touch.
“Are you sure?” he rasps, voice thick with need. His breath is hot against my ear, and I can feel the solid length of him pressed against my thigh, hard and demanding.
I smile up at him, eyes gleaming with mischief and certainty. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
He shudders, his forehead dropping to rest against mine. I can feel the control fraying at the edges of his restraint, the fierce, raw need barely held in check. His grip tightens, and his mouth crashes down on mine. I kiss him back with everything I have, with the fire and intensity of a flame finally given fuel.
I’ve set my mate in motion, and he doesn’t hesitate. His fingers shift, the nails elongating into wicked talons that slice through the fabric of my dress like it’s nothing but air. Ribbons of fabric flutter around us, a blur of color and shredded silk, until I’m laying bare before him. His gaze roams over my body, possessive and hungry, making my skin prickle with anticipation. My hands come up to work on the buckles of his leathers, but he rips them away himself, the sound of tearing fabric punctuating the air before his wings unfurl, caging me in.
The leather of his wings stretches around us, the rich, dark membrane of his wings creating a cocoon that shuts out the world, leaving only us. I turn my head, my gaze tracing the veins and striations of his wings, so powerful and yet so beautiful. The reality of what’s about to happen coils low in my belly, making my core clench in anticipation. I tilt my chin, offering him my throat, and Abraxis doesn’t waste the invitation. His lips press against my pulse point, lingering for a heartbeat, before he rolls his hips forward .
Heat flares between us as I feel him at my entrance, the pressure making me tremble. I wiggle my hips slightly, feeling his length slide through my slick folds, coating him with my essence. A guttural growl rumbles in his chest as he feels how wet and ready I am, and that’s all he needs. With a slow, deliberate motion, he presses into me. My dragoness stills, and for a moment, there is nothing but silence—absolute, perfect stillness—as he fills me, inch by glorious inch.
A feeling of wholeness washes over me, a peace that roots deep in my bones before the fire reignites. He moves, his hips rolling with agonizing slowness, every shift, and slide of his body against mine setting my nerve endings ablaze. I crave more, need more, and my fingers dig into the muscles of his back, desperate to pull him closer, deeper. At my urging, he lowers his head, his breath hot against my skin, and then his teeth sink into the soft flesh over my mate mark.
The moment his tongue touches my blood, everything changes. He pulls back, and his hips snap forward, hard and fast. Each thrust comes with a ferocity that steals my breath, his movements wild and untamed, like he’s lost himself in the feel of me. The headboard slams against the wall in time with his movements, a steady beat that echoes through the room. My senses narrow, focusing only on the slide of him within me, the feel of his wings cocooning us, and the brutal, exquisite pleasure that builds with each hard snap of his hips.
He growls my name, a low, feral sound, and I arch against him, losing myself in the heat and fury of it all. The world outside doesn’t exist—only this, only us. He’s relentless, claiming me with each thrust, and I match him, meeting his wild abandon with my own. Pain and pleasure blur as his talons dig into my thighs, pinning me in place while he drives deeper, and I feel something inside me unraveling. Every thought, every worry, every piece of me shatters as I cling to him, and I know, in this moment, I am completely his.
My heart pounds in my ears, echoing the frantic pulse thrumming through my veins as he growls, “One more…” The sound rumbles against my skin, almost vibrating through me as Abraxis barely gives me a moment to catch my breath from the last orgasm that shattered through my body. I’m still pulsing around his length, muscles fluttering with every move he makes, and I can’t help but shiver as he keeps going.
“Just one more, Mina, then we fall together,” he promises, his voice rough and thick with need. I can’t form words, only nod weakly as his lips press hot kisses along the column of my throat. The sharpness of his teeth grazing my skin sends another rush of heat through me, pooling low in my stomach. His talons, which had been gripping my hips with bruising force, slowly retract, leaving faint pricks of pain that add to the electric pleasure coursing through my system. He shifts, adjusting the angle, and that slight movement has my blood boiling all over again.
I bite back a whimper as I lift my hips to meet him, matching each powerful thrust. My nails dig into his shoulders, holding onto him for dear life, and it’s only when I hear the tearing of fabric that I glance down. His claws—razor-sharp and deadly—are buried into the mattress at the apex of his wings, anchoring him in place as if he needs to keep himself tethered to reality.
Before I can process it, he pulls out, leaving me empty and gasping, and in a blur of movement, he flips me onto my stomach. A broken gasp escapes my lips as he slams back into me, his hands gripping my hips to lift me higher until I’m perfectly aligned for him. He sets a relentless pace, every thrust driving me forward on the mattress, the sheets twisted and shredded beneath my talons as I fight to hold on. I’m a continuous moan, the sound high and breathless, the build inside me coiling tighter and tighter .
“So close…” I pant, my voice shaking, every nerve in my body on fire. I can feel the pressure mounting, a delicate, torturous balance between pleasure and pain, the first flutters beginning to ripple through me.
He rises, pulling me with him until we’re kneeling, his chest pressed against my back, the heat of him scorching my skin. One hand cups my throat, his fingers splayed wide, the pressure just enough to make my pulse hammer. The other slips lower, trailing down my stomach, and I can’t help the way I arch into him, every inch of me desperate for his touch. He reaches that bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs, and the moment his fingers rub against it, I feel myself unraveling.
“Once more, Mina … Come for me,” he breathes against my ear, his voice nothing but a desperate plea. His thrusts slow, becoming deeper, the angle hitting that perfect spot inside me with unerring precision. I can’t hold on. His fingers circle and rub, unrelenting, and the world shatters around me as pleasure crashes over me in a tidal wave. Stars explode behind my eyelids, and I scream his name, the sound raw and broken as I throw my head back against his shoulder.
He roars, a sound that echoes through the room, his thrusts turning rough and erratic as he chases his own release. Each pulse of his length inside me sends aftershocks through my body, every nerve tingling and sensitive. Slowly, as if afraid I’ll break, he lowers us onto the bed, his body a solid, comforting weight above mine. One wing drapes over me, a protective shield, and his arm bands around my waist, pulling me flush to his chest. He’s still trembling, breath hot against my neck as he peppers soft kisses along the tops of my shoulders.
I can barely keep my eyes open, the soothing warmth of him lulling me into a drowsy haze. I sigh, nestling closer, his scent wrapping around me like a cocoon. For once, I let myself relax completely; the tension draining away as sleep tugs at me. I roll over and curl into him. His heart beats steadily beneath my ear, grounding me, and I let go, falling into the blissful darkness.
For once, I fall asleep and do not dream.