Chapter 28
Emmett
Melly was finally asleep. She was back in her tiny dragon form, curled into a tight ball in her little nest inside the castle. She’d had a long day, and she was exhausted.
Every time I looked at her, I thought of how she’d tried so hard to protect Elana, and damn if that didn’t make my chest ache with a confusing mixture of pride and fear. I tucked the blankets around her, watching the steady rise and fall of her sides.
She was safe now. Both of them were. And my dragon could finally rest.
I turned to Elana, who was leaning against the wall next to the nest, looking every bit as tired as she probably felt.
I reached out and cupped her face in my hands. “Are you okay?”
Lighting her ex-husband on fire was a big deal, even if he’d deserved it.
I wondered if I should’ve stepped in and dealt the final blow myself.
But she’d been so magnificent in her rage that I’d just stood there and stared, falling in love all over again.
And plus, it hadn’t looked like she needed my help, so I’d let her do the honors.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” she said, her voice soft so as not to wake Melly.
“You did good,” I said. And I meant it.
“I had help.”
“We both did.” I’d already told her about the townsfolk helping me find her, and how grateful I was for their aid.
“I guess we have things to discuss now,” she said. “Important things. Like, how long have you known I was your mate?”
I pulled her into my arms, placating my dragon’s insistence that we prevent her from running away again. “I’ve known since the day in the conservatory,” I admitted. “My dragon took over for a moment there, and I might have lit the back of your dress on fire.”
Her mouth formed a little O. “So that’s what happened to it!”
“Yeah.” I spared a hand to rub the back of my neck. “There was no sprinkler malfunction.”
“And what I overheard in front of your office?”
“I was placating Leroy, promising him that I was working on finding him something, anything, to help. I was never going to hand you over.”
She nodded slowly. “I believe you.”
She was so perfect; I didn’t deserve her. I bent my head, capturing her lips with mine. I kissed her, slow and deep, until my dragon could keep quiet no longer.
Show her our cave. Add her to our treasures.
And this time, I didn’t fight him. It was time.
“There’s something I need to show you,” I said.
She furrowed her brows. “What?”
“You’ll see.”
I scooped her into my arms, carrying her out onto the balcony. The night air was crisp, and the stars sparkled above us. Elana shivered, and I pulled her closer, my wings unfurling from my back.
I launched us into the sky. Elana gasped, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
“You could’ve warned me!” she shrieked, and I was glad the balcony door had closed behind us.
“And miss that reaction?” I smirked. “Not a chance.”
She huffed, but I felt her relax against me, her body molding to mine.
I flew us to a peak no human could reach on foot or by plane. I found the narrow ledge jutting from the mountainside, half of it hidden behind a spell, and landed, setting Elana down gently before stepping forward. The illusion rippled, revealing a crevice in the rock and a door.
Elana’s eyes widened. “What is this place?”
“A secret,” I said, taking her hand. “One I’ve never shared with anyone else. One I won’t even share with Melly.”
The spell recognized me, allowing me through. I led Elana inside, feeling more nervous than I should. No one had seen the private part of my hoard before. I had several caves, but this one was my favorite.
Her sharp intake of air was audible when the lights automatically turned on. I was glad I’d gone through the effort to learn how to wire the place up with solar panels and a battery. Her reaction was worth it.
And plus, the filters I’d installed kept this place practically dust-free. No more spending days cleaning dust from my treasures just to make them shine again.
I tried to see the place through her eyes.
Mountains of gold and jewels glittered in the warm light.
Rolls of silk were stacked up to my chest. There were several display cases full of jewelry.
At the center was a nest. Unlike the one back at the castle, this one was made of stone and rock.
But it was lined with a mattress and sheets so soft they might as well have been made of cloudstuff.
Elana’s eyes were wide. “This is your treasure hoard!”
“Yes. One of them. And now I’m adding the final and most important piece. You. I’ve already dreamed of fucking my mate in this nest. The acoustics in here are exceptional.”
Her cheeks turned the most delightful shade of pink, and I couldn’t help but kiss her again. My hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against me. She gasped into my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, her body arching into mine.
I was still in my half-dragon form. My cock was ridged and ready. I growled, my hands sliding under her thighs. “Wrap around me.”
She did, and I carried her to the nest. The sheets were cool against my skin, but her touch was fire, awakening the most primal parts of me. I traced the curves of her body, the dip of her waist, the swell of her breasts. Her lips parted, and the scent of her desire bloomed.
“You’re mine, Elana. Every inch of you. Forever and ever.”
Her fingers tangled in my hair. “Only if you’re mine too.”
“Always, my treasure.”
My hands slid under her top—my top actually, since hers was burnt to a crisp—pushing it up and over her head. Her skin was warm and soft, and I savored her as I kissed my way down her neck.
I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her pants—again, my shorts really—pulling them down slowly. She lifted her hips, helping me, her eyes never leaving mine.
“Beautiful,” I murmured, my hands skimming over her thighs, her hips, her stomach.
She reached for me, her fingers fumbling with the fastener of my pants. I helped her, shoving them down. My cock sprang out between us, and she reached for it. I groaned, my hips jerking forward as she wrapped her fingers around me.
She licked her lips and she grew more confident, stroking me up and down, her fingers passing over each and every ridge. But it was when she got on her knees on the bed and bent her head to lick the very tip, that I fucking lost it.
“Fuck, Elana.” I slid my hands into her hair. “You’re playing with fire.”
Her only response was to hum, her lips around my cock.
Her tongue swirled around the head, teasing the sensitive underside before she took me deeper.
The wet heat of her mouth was maddening.
Every slow, sensual drag of her tongue pulled a groan from my chest. My fingers tightened in her hair as she hollowed her cheeks and sucked, her free hand cupping my balls with just the right pressure.
My pulse was roaring in my ears, and I knew I wouldn’t last long.
“Fuck!” My words were barely more than a growl. “So good. Such a fucking good girl.”
I couldn’t wait any longer. Not when her skin was flushed, her lips swollen, and the air filled with the essence of her need. Fuck waiting. I needed to be inside her now.
With a snarl, I pulled her off me, ignoring her whimper of protest as I lifted her and tossed her on the bouncy mattress.