Chapter 42 #2
Ravens’ hands reach up and thread into my hair as she pulls me down to kiss her.
She tastes like sea salt covered caramel and what I believe happiness would taste like.
Ravens core flutters along my length, and I break the kiss.
My lips trailing down her neck, looking for a spot without a bite.
I run my tongue over her skin, and her core clenches once.
She needs my bite. Ravens purring so deeply and trying so hard to grind against me.
When she least expects it, I sink my teeth into her shoulder and then drive my knot home.
She cries out as she cums hard enough that she rips my orgasm from me.
I release her shoulder and howl before rutting into her hard and fast. My knot is fully inflated, locking us together.
Each pulse of my release makes me move harder and faster, chasing that euphoria.
My heart and soul are full, and it’s all because of the little dragoness under me.
Raven curls up and bites me again over her original mate mark, and I cum again.
My thrusts falter as I try to keep focused.
Between the strangling pulsing of her core and her teeth sunk in my shoulder, I tumble over the edge, having another mini-orgasm.
I’ve never cum this much with a female before. It must be the way of mates.
I slow my thrusts and still over her, nuzzling her cheek, peppering her dewy skin with kisses.
Emotions crash over me like waves breaking against a cliff—love, joy, and finally contentment settle in my bones.
The sensations flow through our bond, and I realize they’re Raven’s emotions, not mine.
They mingle with my own until I can barely tell where hers ends and mine begin.
My chest tightens with an ache that’s somehow pleasant.
“I love you,” I whisper close to her ear, my lips brushing against the sensitive skin there. Her scent fills my nostrils—cinnamon and smoke with an undercurrent of satisfaction that makes my heart race.
Raven’s lithe hands frame my face, her touch cool against my flushed skin. She smiles up at me, her sapphire eyes glowing in the dim light of the cavern. The blue depths reflect something so tender it makes my breath catch.
“I love you too, Keir.” Her voice is husky, still rough from her earlier cries of pleasure.
Her lips are feather-soft on mine as she gently strokes my face, her fingertips tracing the contours of my jaw as if committing them to memory.
I taste the salt of our exertion on her lips, mixed with something sweet that’s uniquely her.
Raven smiles and blushes a little, a soft giggle escaping her throat. I arch a brow at her, feeling the muscles in my face relax into an expression of curiosity.
“What made you giggle?” I bump my nose against hers, inhaling her breath as it mingles with mine. The intimacy of the gesture sends a shiver down my spine.
“The God comment...” Her cheeks turn a brilliant shade of pink that spreads down her neck to her collarbone.
I arch a brow higher, studying the fascinating way her blush contrasts with her dark scales that haven’t fully receded.
“I agree...” She smiles as she curls up to pepper kisses along my jaw, each touch of her lips like tiny sparks against my skin.
It takes several moments for understanding to dawn, and heat rushes to my face.
I didn’t mean to call myself a sex god on the beach; the words slipped out in the heat of passion.
But if that’s the title she wishes to give me, I will gladly bear it with honor.
The thought makes my lips curl into a satisfied smile.
“Only for you, my mate,” I murmur, brushing my lips over hers. The contact sends a jolt through my body, and I feel whole for the first time in my existence. The emptiness that has haunted me for years is finally filled, the jagged edges of my soul smoothed over by her presence.
Raven purrs a little deeper, the vibration from her chest transferring to mine where our bodies press together. She nuzzles my cheek, her nose tracing a path to the sensitive spot behind my ear. The gentle caress makes goosebumps rise on my arms.
“So, Alpha, when do you want to move your pack into my territory?” Her breath is warm against my ear, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.
“We can set up housing within the Sovereign territory and set them up in the tithe system we have.” Raven pulls me down so that more of my weight rests on her while we’re still joined.
The trust in that gesture—allowing me, a predator by nature, to press her smaller form into the sand—isn’t lost on me.
“Oh shit, that’s right. I’m the alpha now.
Fuck...” The responsibility crashes down on me like a physical weight.
My heartbeat quickens, and I feel sweat bead at my temples as I look around the interior of the cavern.
The light dancing on the water casts shifting patterns across our clothing scattered everywhere—tangible evidence of our passion.
“Shhhh...” Raven’s calm is almost terrifying in contrast to my sudden anxiety.
Her steady heartbeat under mine serves as an anchor.
“One thing at a time. First, you claim your title. Then we go and speak with my mother and nest father Klauth.” She runs her fingers through my hair, nails gently scraping against my scalp in a way that makes me melt into her touch.
My muscles uncoil gradually, tension bleeding out with each stroke of her fingers.
She makes it sound so easy, the confidence in her voice soothing my fears.
“How are you so calm?” I rest my cheek against hers, feeling the softness of her skin against mine. I feel my length finally release her and fall free, the cool air of the cavern a stark contrast to her internal heat. A shudder runs through me at the sensation.
“I’ve been groomed by my mother to take over the flight since I was young.
” She giggles as I roll her to lie atop me, the sound vibrating through her chest and into mine.
Her weight is a pleasant pressure, grounding me in this moment.
“My birth father, Thauglor, has taught me the ways to structure a flight for the best outcome. How my ancestors did it back when the lands were savage.” Her sapphire eyes search my face, pupils still slightly dilated from our lovemaking.
I can’t help but smile at the intelligence and determination I see there.
“We’ll move your pack into the safety of my territory.
” Raven smirks, a hint of fang visible at the corner of her mouth.
The predatory expression should frighten me, but instead, it sends a thrill of desire through me despite our recent activities.
“It’s not like we don’t already control most of the continent. ”
It’s moments like this—with my mate lying on me or even just being in her presence—that I forget she’s next in line to rule.
The weight of her destiny should intimidate me, but all I feel is pride and fierce protectiveness.
The sand beneath us is cooling against my back, but her body remains furnace-hot against mine.
“Let’s be greedy for a little bit longer before we head back.” I curl up to kiss her lips, tasting the last traces of our passion. “I just want to spend time with my mate alone for a little longer.” My voice drops to a whisper, vulnerable in a way I’d never allow with anyone else.
Raven’s smile lights up the dim cavern, brighter than any sunbeam filtering through the ceiling.
She nods, her dark hair cascading around us like a curtain.
“Nap first, then whatever happens next.” She lays her head on my chest, her ear pressed over my heart.
I wonder if she finds the rhythm as comforting as I find hers.
She brings her wings up and drapes them around us, trapping our body heat in a cocoon of warmth. The texture is smooth against my skin, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before—leather covered in hundreds of tiny scales.
My mate drifts off to sleep quickly, her breathing slowing and deepening. Her body grows heavier against mine as she relaxes completely. The ultimate trust. I brush a strand of hair from her face, marveling at how someone so powerful can appear so vulnerable in sleep.
I really am a lucky bastard. The thought makes me smile as I close my eyes, surrounded by her scent, her warmth, and the steady sound of her breathing echoing in the quiet cavern. For now, the responsibilities waiting for us outside this sanctuary can wait.