Theodore watched, in awe, as his mate let out a threatening snarl, and as her face started distorting and her arms began sporting scales.
“Let’s get you outside, dorogaya,” he said urgently.
Dragons had a tendency to be big and he didn’t wish for their bed chamber to be trashed. He flashed out of there, with her in his arms, struggling in his hold slightly.
Oh, she was definitely angry at the jab he had thrown at her in an attempt to make her awaken.
“I only love you,” he assured once they reached the door.
Many slow painful and yet oh-so-pleasant minutes passed before she transformed into a dragon. She was magnificent, dark red in color, with eyes blazing with a fire he wished he’d never see extinguished.
She snarled at him slightly. He frowned and even tilted his head to the side in question.
Then, he remembered the promise he had made to her.
Within seconds, he was next to her in his dragon form. And it wasn’t long before they started flying around the palace with him giving chase her playfully.
He had never been as carefree or felt as liberated.
** ** ** ** ** **
Emily couldn’t believe that the mere mention of Camille’s name would be enough to drive her beast to surface.
When she and Theodore returned to their bed chambers, with her giggling on their way there and him smiling fondling at her, they met with the very noble who had dared to tell her all about her mate’s sexual prowess.
“Oh, Theodore,” the blond had the nerve to call him by his first name.
Emily’s eyes flashed red, and before he got the chance to tell the woman anything, she growled at her, “That’s your highness to you.”
“I beg your pardon?” The woman said incredulously. “I don’t believe I was addressing you.”
“Be that as it might be, this is my lover and mate you’re trying to seduce,” Emily growled at her.
She had the decency to blush – whether it was out of shame or indignation, Emily would never know.
“Nobody is seducing me, dorogaya,” Theodore spoke but only to address her and not that damned Patricia. He placed his hand on top of her right hip, possessively and maybe even protectively holding her to him.
“Theodore,” the woman said, tears in her eyes. “I thought we had something…”
Emily snorted and tried to wiggle free of her mate’s hold, but he didn’t let up.
“You thought wrong,” he told her simply before starting to drag Emily along, “and it’s as the princess said. Do not call me by my first name so casually.”
Patricia stood there, speechless, while the couple headed to the wing that was their sanctuary.
“I don’t like the way she looked at you,” Emily said once they reached their bed chamber.
“Who cares about that?” He shrugged.
“Don’t act so nonchalantly about it,” Emily said with a pout. “You almost fired Paul and had Thomas in choke hold… all because of your jealousy.”
“I would do it again, given the chance,” her mate told her proudly. “I am not ashamed of my actions. You’re mine.”
“You’re mine as well,” she reminded him. “But you don’t see me breathing fire each time some slut comes on to you.”
“Really now?” He said in a teasing tone. “You could have fooled me, dorogaya. You after all only changed because I said another woman’s name.”
She blushed at that and turned to head to the bathroom, escaping his taunting.
“It is okay to feel jealous,” he tried to soothe her worries away as he flashed next to her. “But know that I do not care for any woman but you.”
She smiled at him and then said, “I’m going to take a shower. Care to join me?”
“How could I ever refuse such a kind offer?” Was his sweet retort.
She giggled at that.
Then, almost as if just remembering the time, she said, face aghast, “We missed dinner.”
“I am aware,” he told her softly as he stroked her cheek lovingly.
“You don’t seem to care,” she said, still worrying about the chastising she shall receive from the queen.
“Because I don’t,” he shrugged. “You went through your first change today. They will understand.”
Will they? She thought, worrying her bottom lip as he helped her out of the clothes they had found in the forest.
Some lovemaking and a shower later, and she no longer had a care in the world, save for one – marking her mate.
“A penny for your thoughts?” He said while she laid next to him on the bed, her head above his chest.
“I want the world to know you are mine,” she stated boldly even as a blush crept under her skin.
“I am,” he reassured her, a small smile stretching his lips.
“Well, I want to make sure nobody messes with what’s mine,” she went on as she straightened up into a sitting position. “I want to mark you.”
“Fair enough, dorogaya,” he nodded at her encouragingly.
“And I want my mark to be visible,” she insisted.
“Possessive much?” He teased her, a glint of mischief entering his eyes.
“Very,” she growled out the word at him as her eyes flashed crimson.
“That leaves you with no choice but to mark me here,” he said as he tilted his head to the side and showed her his neck.
He trusted her so much, she couldn’t help but be proud.
“Well then, don’t mind if I do,” she told him as she lowered her head to the junction between his neck and his shoulder.
He shook his head negatively at her just as she was about to do what she had waited so long for.
“What’s wrong?” She wondered out loud.
He brought her hand to the evidence of his desire and said, “Ride me like your life depends on it, dorogaya, and then claim me.”
“You’re insatiable,” she told him even as she readied herself to do as she was told.
“It will make for a much better experience,” he claimed, a smirk stretching his lips.
“Fine then,” she said before impaling herself with his length.
Lately, she was always ready to go for him. So, she needed no foreplay – especially after that wild session in the shower.
Life was good.
Right then, she had no business worrying about their future as king and queen of the dragons, and all that entailed as responsibilities.
Worrying could wait till later. Now, all that mattered was this man beneath her driving her crazy.