CHAPTER 27
Jakob
Jakob had flown these mountains a thousand times, yet this time they felt entirely new.
The wind carved cold ribbons along his scales as he rose higher, and his wings caught the updrafts with practiced ease.
Below them, the jagged peaks of the mountains rolled outward in shadowed blues and silvers under the bright moonlight.
Above, the sky stretched endless and open with stars scattered as if someone had flung handfuls of light into the dark.
And tucked safely against his chest, Mallory laughed. It had been over a week since she was injured, but now it was time to go home. Home, with him.
The sound vibrated straight through him.
He angled one wing slightly and corrected their course toward the distant glow of the castle, and he felt her fingers curl tighter against the ridge of his scales.
Her excitement poured through their bond like warmth from the fireplace, bright and alive.
It hit him harder than the cold air ever could.
She wasn’t afraid. That, somehow, still stunned him.
Mallory leaned into the rush of wind and he could feel her heart race, but with exhilaration and not panic. He felt it in the excited giggles she let out every time he banked sharply or climbed higher than the clouds.
She trusted him. The knowledge settled deep, heavy and heady.
Jakob dipped suddenly, just enough to make her gasp, and then he laughed at her reaction, an instinctive rumble that echoed through his chest and into the open sky. Her delight spiked in response, and he felt tingles all the way to his tail when she ran her hand across his scales.
“Show-off,” she said in a breathless voice. The word carried affection rather than reproach and he made a silent vow to himself to show off as much as he could.
He curved his wings and surged forward. The world blurring beneath them as they sliced through the air. Snow-dusted pines streaked past far below. The castle loomed closer with every powerful beat of his wings, its towers etched in gold light against the dark.
He loved this freedom of flight that he didn’t get to experience very often. Strength hummed through every muscle and he felt like the sky bent to his will. But more than that, he loved sharing it with her and feeling her wonder and joy.
It made his heart purr, both human and dragon.
As the castle rose to meet them, Jakob slowed and descended toward a small meadow hidden away by thick trees not far from the wide stone terrace.
Discretion was everything, with or without Mallory with him.
He touched down with careful precision and his claws scraped softly against the ice and snow as his wings folded in close.
The moment her boots hit solid ground, the shift rippled through him.
Scales melted into skin. Wings vanished. The cold night air felt sharper without them, and brushed against his bare arms as he straightened, human once more. He barely had time to steady himself before Mallory turned and threw her arms around his neck.
Her laughter was still riding high from the flight, cheeks flushed, eyes bright.
“That was incredible,” she said, voice breathless. “I’ll never get tired of that.”
Neither will I, he thought.
Aloud, he managed a crooked smile. “We just have to be cautious about when and where we fly. There are eyes everywhere, but the royals have been successful in hiding their secret for generations.” He stroked her face. “I’m proud of you. You didn’t scream once.”
She grinned. “I trusted you.”
Those three words undid something in him.
Before he could respond, she rose on her toes and kissed him.
It wasn’t tentative. It certainly wasn’t careful.
It was full of leftover adrenaline and unfiltered joy. Her hands slid into his hair as if she needed to anchor herself after the flight. The contact sent a jolt straight through him both raw and electric.
Jakob froze for half a heartbeat before instinct took over.
His hands came up and grabbed her waist as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss without thinking. The world narrowed to the warmth of her mouth, the faint scent of snow and wind still clinging to her clothes, the way her excitement shifted into something slower and more intimate.
The dragon stirred again.
Heat rolled through his veins, sharp and demanding, and his control frayed at the edges. He could feel it, the pull to lose himself entirely in what she offered so freely.
Too fast. Too much.
He broke the kiss with visible effort and rested his forehead against hers as he forced himself to breathe.
Mallory’s hands stayed on him and her thumbs brushed along his jaw while her eyes searched his face. “Jakob?”
His voice came out rough. “If we don’t stop now…”
Understanding flickered there, followed by a soft smile that promised she wasn’t afraid of where this could lead.
“Then take me inside,” she said quietly.
The castle doors loomed close by with warmth and privacy waiting beyond cold snow and starlight. Jakob hesitated only long enough to press a gentler kiss to her forehead. “Come on then.”
He laced their fingers together and led her inside.
The heavy doors closed behind them and cut off the night, the mountains, and the sky. Jakob paused just long enough to kiss her again, to make sure she hadn’t changed her mind before he was too far gone.
This time, Mallory broke off the kiss and grabbed his hand impatiently. Before he could react, she dragged him down the hall toward the staircase. “Your chambers. They’re closer.”
Once the door was closed, they pawed at each other to strip off their clothes as fast as they could.
Finally, Mallory stood in front of his naked glory.
He cupped her face and kissed again, soft and gentle.
Then he stood back and trailed his fingers down her cheek, and her neck, across her shoulder.
The butterfly touch sent goosebumps of pleasure across her skin, which caused her nipples to harden.
“My, my. What do we have here?” He bent down and caught one in his mouth. He swirled the hardened peak with his tongue, and she grabbed his shoulders to stand steady.
He lifted her and laid her on the bed before he grabbed her foot and kissed the inside of her ankle.
Her eyes were wide as he worked his way up her calf and the inside of her thigh until he came to the apex between her legs.
He teased with the tip of his tongue as he sucked and nibbled while she writhed on the bed.
"Jakob," she gasped, her voice husky and breathless, "you're going to make me... oh...."
She stiffened as an orgasm ripped through her. He smiled as he kissed his way up her belly once she settled. "I've been wanting to do that."
She pushed him up off the bed. He stood and pulled her up, and she surprised him by putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him backwards.
“My turn.”
She pushed him toward the sofa, and it caught the back of his legs. He sat down hard and she hovered over him, her knees on either side of his lap. Her newly found boldness ramped up his desire, and his hands held her waist to guide her down to him.
He buried himself deep inside her wetness in a single thrust, and he finally felt complete. He ignored her urgency and teased and taunted her with each stroke.
Her eyes closed and her breaths came in pants. “Oh, Jakob…”
His hand roved over her body and he caught her nipple between his fingers. She gasped at the sharp tweak of pain and she tightened around his cock so hard it almost made him climax.
“Quit teasing and make love to me.” Her voice was hoarse with need, and it was all the encouragement he needed to buck into her however possible. He held her still as he buried himself deep into her core.
He groaned as she rotated her hips and ground against him, her body convulsing around him.
She whimpered as she bore down on him, and he could feel her body tighten as pleasure pushed her closer to the edge.
He gripped her ass and encouraged her to ride him up and down as he plunged deep inside her.
Her fingers dug into his hair as she clasped his face and the kisses became breathless as she did her best to meet his thrusts.
He groaned again as pleasure filtered out every other aspect of the moment. She was hot and wet and just as desperate as he was to climb a mountain of a different sort.
His lips trailed along her jawline to her neck sucking and nipping as their breathing made kisses all but impossible. Her cries of ecstasy spurred him on, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long.
Loud moans escape her. "Y-you're...I’m going to... oh my God..."
Her panting pushed him closer to his breaking point. “Cum for me, baby. I’m right there with you.”
Jakob shifted his hips to a new angle and within seconds, Mallory lost control and came undone. His own stifling cry echoed as he followed close behind her.
They rode right off the cliff as he trailed soft kisses along her neck and back to her lips.
Her head rested on his shoulder as they cuddled in the afterglow. "I love you," he whispered with a kiss to the top of her head
She kissed his chest. "I love you, too."
He never wanted to leave this moment.