Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
CARINA
“Do as he says, Carina,” Herja murmurs quietly as the doors shut behind the rest of the guys following Pyro and my brother.
“What is going on?” I mutter more to myself than the other two women.
Last night had been perfect. I’d like going to sleep in Pyro’s arms. I didn’t like waking alone. I hoped to wake up still being curled up with Pyro. It’s what I wanted, but he wasn’t there. So, I’d gotten dressed and decided to go in search of coffee.
It’s where I found Evelin and her mother sitting at the bar, also enjoying coffee. Evelin helped me find what I’m looking for, and I joined them at the bar.
We’d all been chit-chatting while waiting on the guys to finish up their meeting in church. Something that Pyro had explained to me they called their meetings.
I hadn’t expected to see Pyro so furious when he stormed out. Or that he’d speak to me the way he did. Ordering me to stay inside.
What am I? A damn child?
“I don’t know, but it’s best when things are like this that you listen to Pyro. Things are going on right now that we don’t know the full details of. They don’t tell the women everything, it’s their way of protecting the family,” Herja explains, taking a sip of her coffee.
I take a sip of my own and think about what she just said. I can see why they do this, but after last night, I’m feeling a little sensitive toward the way he spoke. Mostly because it’s a side of him I’ve never seen.
“I want to know what the hell is going on,” Evelin remarks.
“You might want to, but you need to listen to them. You, of all people, know if you go out there, your brother. Hell, Fire will have your ass.” Herja laughs.
“Mom, you’ve never let anyone tell you what to do,” Evelin states, that matter-of-fact tone slipping through her voice as she stands, planting her hands on her hips. “Are we seriously going to just sit here and not find out what the hell is going on?”
Herja laughs and shakes her head. “Of course not,” she says and gets to her feet. “Let’s go.”
The three of us walk outside, not seeing anything or anyone.
“Where are they?” I ask, scanning the area.
“At the gate,” Herja answers, starting on foot in that direction.
It doesn’t take long for us to find them all crowded at the gates. All of them blocking the view of what’s going on.
Herja places a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from walking any closer. “We don’t want to interrupt what’s happening.”
I nod and stand in the back listening.
“She’s not getting anywhere near you. Carina is mine.”
What the hell? Who is Pyro talking to like that?
“She carries the dragon mark and chooses any dragon she so wishes.”
“Not once the mating is complete, asshole,” Pyro snarls, speaking the truth.
“Not true if you mated her, then you can take challenges, and I’m challenging you for what’s mine.”
Now, I’ve had enough. I don’t have to hear more, or do I want to?
Without thinking, I step forward. “Magnus,” I call out Pyro’s name. Everyone turns to where I’m standing just ahead of Herja and Evelin. “What the hell is going on here?”
“I told you to stay inside,” Pyro grinds out. “Get back to the clubhouse.”
“I don’t think so.” I frown, walk right to him without taking my eyes off him, and plant my hands on my hips. “You don’t dictate to me now or ever.”
I can visibly see the vein in Pyro’s neck throb as his jaw ticks. He’s pissed. More than pissed from the way his eyes are flaring with that fire inside him.
“My dearest.”
I stiffen at the use of those words along with his voice. I only heard it once, but I’ll never forget it. Cocking my head without turning fully to the man standing only feet from Pyro, I stare into the dark eyes of my caller. “It’s you.”
He grins and tilts his head slightly. “It is, I told you I’d see you soon, my dearest.”
“You need to leave,” I breathe, not wanting to be anywhere near him.
“I won’t be doing that.” He loses the grin and shakes his head.
“I will not leave without the challenge with this one here,” he says, jerking his chin toward Pyro.
“I have the right to challenge him, and he knows this. You have the dragon mark and that means you belong to the one who can protect you most.”
“I will not,” I snap and shift to Pyro, feeling his hands come around me, moving me behind him.
“You heard her. She will not accept this, so leave before I kill you for the hell of it.”
“I don’t think so, the creep says, smirking. “I’ve stated the challenge, and you have no choice but to follow through. I also demand that we do this in Shiverborn.”
Shiverborn?
That’s where I was heading when I had the accident.
Why would he . . . how could he . . . I didn’t know this could all happen.
What does Shiverborn have to do with anything?
“Fine,” Pyro grinds out. “Tomorrow. At the high peak.”
The creep grins widely and nods. “Noon. Tomorrow.”
“What the hell is this some showdown?” I snap as the creep backs away, eyes never leaving Pyro’s. When he gets far enough back, he shifts into a large dragon, though his dragon isn’t as big or beautiful as Pyro’s. In fact, he’s quite hideous.
The creepy dragon launches into the air with a shrilling roar and flies. Pyro doesn’t move until the thing is out of sight. When he does, it’s to spin to me, eyes flaring with anger.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? I told you to stay inside for a fuckin’ reason.”
With how close he’s standing to me, I can feel the fire just radiating off of him, and he’s not even transformed.
Suddenly, he jerks his gaze over to his brothers.
“Looks like we’re able to head to Shiverborn still,” he says.
“Yeah, but it’s not just goin’ to be a few of us. We’re all goin’,” Heat announces venomously.
“I will also be going,” Herja announces.
“No,” Heat growls.
“Not happenin’,” Fire adds.
“I will, and you know why?” Herja says, her relaxed and easy stance gone.
Instead, she stands as what I can only call a warrior.
I know she’s a Valkyrie, and seeing her like this is a come-wow factor.
“Because you all will be distracted and need someone who can protect her,” she points at me, “while you all go search for Kinley. Not to mention your brother, who will need someone to keep his mother from touching his mate.”
“His mother?” I whisper and hear Pyro curse under his breath. “Your mother lives in Shiverborn?”
“Both of my parents do,” he answers through clenched teeth. “I’m not a fan of being around them. Especially my mother.”
He told me about them, but nothing deep when it comes to them. What I didn’t know at all was that they were in Shiverborn.
“Why do I get the sense that you don’t want to be going to Shiverborn or be anywhere near your mother?” I ask softly.
Pyro’s eyes flare, and he shakes his head.
I thought at first, he might not answer my question or that he’d blow me off with some bullshit remark about it. Only he doesn’t do that when he focuses on me again.
“My mother, as I told you, is a part of a witch cult. She’s the leader of it. One of the most powerful witches out there. Going to Shiverborn gives her power over me. She’s able to do things that would horrify some of the strongest of men.”
“His mother can kill him with the flick of her fingers when he’s there,” Herja adds, interrupting him.
“Let’s get this shit into the clubhouse.” Heat orders, seeming to be highly pissed off. For what? I don’t know, but he’s not the only one.
“We need to get a game plan together and get the fuck on the road,” Brimstone snarls.
“How about we get our shit and head out. Discuss everything when we get there,” Boot suggests.
What the hell is there to discuss?
Okay, I’m sure that’s an illogical question to even think. I mean, they have things going on with them that I don’t know about. I honestly don’t even know how to comprehend any of it.
What I do know is that with this whole challenge I don’t want anything to happen to Pyro. In the time that we’ve gotten to know each other, I’ve fallen for him. Doesn’t matter that I’m mad with him right now or not. He’s meant to be mine. I can feel him as part of my soul.
The guys all start walking back, but I stay planted in my spot in front of Pyro, not moving. He doesn’t either. When the crowd is far enough away, that’s when Pyro moves, and it’s only to move me backward toward the tree line off the gravel road.
Pyro presses me up against a tree trunk, the back scrapes against my back, but I don’t care. My gaze is pinned to my man’s.
“When I tell you to do something, you’re not supposed to go against me,” Pyro says, stepping in and pressing me deeper into the tree.
It’s lucky for us that today it’s not overly cold. And with him being so close to me, it works in our favor as his warmth keeps the chill away—total bonus to being mated to a dragon shifter.
“I’m not one for taking orders, and you should know that already.” I feel myself growing wetter by the second for him, and I don’t get why. Seeing him angry as he is makes me hotter than I’ve ever been before in my life. Doesn’t matter to me that we only started having sex last night.
It feels like a millennium.
“I don’t give a fuck, my sweet Carina, if you think you don’t take orders well or not.” He grips the edges of the hoodie, whips it up over my head, and tosses it to the ground to find I’m not wearing a bra. “Fuck me, you’re damn beautiful. Most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Oh my.
I don’t care that I’m exposed to him right now or to the rest of the world.
Pyro spins me around, hands at my hips, and he pulls my pants down my legs. “You’re gonna learn, Carina. Keep your hands on the tree and don’t move.”
I do as he says, feeling my already sopping pussy grow wetter at the command. So, maybe I can take orders at least when it comes to Pyro and sex.
I can hear him behind me unfastening his jeans and lowering the zipper.
Seconds later, Pyro presses the head of his cock to my entrance. “You’re my fuckin’ mate, Carina.” He snarls and plunges inside me in one swift thrust.
“Magnus,” I cry, my body bowing from the intensity of the movement.
“Fuck, Carina, so damn tight. So sweet and tight. Your pussy is a vise around my cock. All wet and ready yet fitting around me like you were made for me. And that’s exactly what you were. Made. For. Me,” he grits out each word as he pulls out and thrusts home.
“Oh Gods, Magnus,” I call and plead with him as he continues to thrust and pound inside me unrelentingly.
When he circles a hand around my waist and reaches to pinch my clit, I’m done for. I scream out his name as stars cloud my vision. If not for him holding me up, I’d surely fall to my knees.
Long strokes later, Pyro growls and roars as his cock pulses inside me, filling my womb with his release. I feel each and every movement that causes me to shudder with pleasure.
Breathing heavily, Pyro presses a kiss between my shoulder blades, pulls out, and adjusts my pants. Once he has those straight, he turns me to face him and cups my cheeks in his hands.
I raise my eyes to meet his to find him staring down at me with such vulnerability in his gaze.
“When I give you an order, it’s for your own good and not because you’re a possession. I don’t see you as that. You’re my mate, Carina, my Sweets. All I’m doing is protecting you.”
How could I argue with that?
I can’t, and honestly, I don’t want to.
“I just don’t understand why I couldn’t be out here with you.” I don’t lie. It’s the truth. “I wanted to know what was going on.”
Pyro lets me go and bends to grab the hoodie. “We’ll talk more about this after we get to the clubhouse. We don’t have a lot of time, but we’ll talk about it. I’ll explain this part to you.”
“Thank you.” I nod and lean into him, pressing myself to his front. I don’t care that I’m still topless.
“You’re welcome, Sweets, but one thing we’re gonna do first is, you’re gonna tell me how the hell you knew that dragon and what the hell that shit was about phone calls.”
I close my eyes and sigh. I know I need to tell him.
He deserves to know about the calls. How I was getting them for so long.
He deserves the truth. All of it. Not just about the creepy calls, but everything.
Pyro needs to know my past because it’s a part of me.
With him knowing it all, I know in my heart that he’ll understand and won’t judge who I am.
Tilting my head back, I meet his gaze once more. “I’ll tell you.”