He smoothed his hand across her back as he nuzzled the back of her neck. “Because I love you.”
* * *
Annwyl’s entire body started at the whispered pronouncement. Her dragon loved her. That’s all she wanted to know. All she ever needed to know.
She tossed her head back and looked at him. Saw the truth in his eyes. “Untie me, Fearghus.” He leaned forward and released her bonds. Once free, she pulled away from him. A moan escaped his lips as he slid out of her. She turned her body so that they faced each other.
Annwyl stared at Fearghus, her hand brushing against his cheek and skimming along his chiseled jaw. Then she growled and punched him in the chest. “You idiot!”
“Ow!”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before? You’re making me crazy!” She punched him in the shoulder.
“Stop hitting me!”
She stood up and stormed away from him to the middle of the tent, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “I thought I was finally going insane. Because of you!”
“Are you done?”
Annwyl stopped pacing, slowly turning to face Fearghus. He leaned back against the bed, his long legs on the floor, his long erection at the ready. “Excuse me?”
He smiled as his smoldering gaze swept over her. “I asked if you were done. I mean you can go on all day about how I wronged you, if you like. Or you can come over here and let me make it up to you.”
Annwyl bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from smiling. Cheeky bastard. “I’m very wounded, you know. Devastated. May never recover from this.”
“Come to me, Annwyl.” He held his hand out to her, a beautiful smile spreading across that gorgeous face. “Bring that pretty ass to me.”
Annwyl rolled her eyes, but went to him nonetheless. She took his offered hand. Fearghus squeezed it as he gently turned her away from him. He grasped her h*ps and pulled her back to him, lowering her body until his hot shaft slowly entered her from behind. She gasped as he placed her on his erection, taking his time. Moving slowly.
Once she fully enveloped him, he slid his hands to her br**sts. He gripped the n**ples tight between his callused fingers, while he rubbed his forehead against her back and nuzzled her neck. Annwyl groaned and she wondered how she ever thought she could give this up. Give him up. She realized she no longer had to worry about it. She had them both. Dragon and knight were one and the same. And he loved her.
He nipped the nape of her neck and gripped her hips. He slowly moved her up and down his shaft. Over and over, until Annwyl felt sure she’d go insane. His tongue glided up and down the back of her neck, his hair cascaded over her shoulders and rubbed against her sensitive br**sts.
Annwyl placed her hands over his. She gripped them tight, digging her nails into his flesh. “Gods, earghus. You’re driving me mad.”
He chuckled against her neck. “Too slow?” She could only manage to nod. “Then tell me what I want to hear.”
She gasped as his hands tightened on her. She shook her head. She had no idea what he was talking about. “Tell me you forgive me, Annwyl. Forgive me and I’ll f**k you until you scream.”
Hell, she’d forgiven him a hundred times over. At least she had in her head. But to verbalize it, right at this moment, when she couldn’t even see straight. That was the real challenge.
“Uh . . . yes.”
“Yes what?”
She moaned. She was so close. So close. “Forgive.”
“Forgive what?”
What an utter bastard! “You.”
“Say it Annwyl. Say it, because I can keep this up for hours.”
Hours? She couldn’t handle five more seconds of this, much less hours. She forced herself to concentrate, using the same skills she used in battle.
“I forgive you, Fearghus. I forgive you.”
Suddenly he lifted her off his c*ck and threw her back on the bed. He pushed her ankles up around her ears, slamming his c*ck into her. She gripped the headboard with both hands and growled Fearghus’s name. Already so close, it didn’t take much more to push her right over the edge and the growl became a scream as she exploded around him. Wood splintered in her hands, the headboard an unlikely casualty of their mating.
His cli**x followed close behind, a savage groan torn from him as her muscles gripped him, attempting to wring every last drop from his body.
They stayed locked together. Neither moving nor speaking. Eventually he pulled out of her, gently lowering her legs. He stretched out beside her on the bed so she could nuzzle against him.
Annwyl smiled as he kissed her forehead.
“Now what, dragon?”
He ran his hand across her cheek. How close he’d come to losing her. The only thing he ever wanted. “I think we have a war to win.”
Annwyl shook her head. “No. I don’t . . . I didn’t . . .”
He kissed her mouth and she stopped babbling. “I know. I want to. Actually, I’ve been ordered to.” He grinned. “Besides I really want to see you go up against that brother of yours.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He reached down and pulled fur coverings from the floor over their entwined bodies. She settled in close to him, nuzzling his neck while he ran his hands along her back.
He would help her win this war. Not for his father or the queen. But for her. For his Annwyl. For the love of his life.
Chapter 16
Annwyl’s eyes flew open as the hand closed over her mouth. But once she saw Morfyd’s blue eyes, she relaxed. Morfyd took several steps back and motioned for Annwyl to follow, then she quietly slipped out of the tent.
Annwyl tried to move out from under the large possessive arm slung over her waist. But it tightened, and Fearghus snuggled into her back. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Smiling, she rubbed the hand at her waist. Just his low, rumbling voice gliding across her back had her wet and ready for him. “Can’t a girl have some time to herself? I’ll be back in a bit.”
His teeth nipped her shoulder. “Better be.”
She tumbled out of bed, grabbed a fur covering, and stepped out of the tent. She walked around the corner and found Morfyd impatiently waiting for her.
“What is it?” She liked Morfyd, but she really wanted to be back in bed, Fearghus’s arms wrapped tight around her. His c*ck inside her, hard and ready.
“I need you to come with me.”
“What? Where?”
“I can’t explain now. Here.” She handed Annwyl her clothes. She had no idea when Morfyd took these. Nor could she understand the secrecy.
“Morfyd, what is going on?”
“I need you to trust me, but we need to get moving before Fearghus comes looking for you.”
Annwyl put her clothes on while she watched Morfyd. “You too, huh?”
“Me too, what?”
“You and Fearghus. I never noticed before but you look a bit alike.”
“He’s my brother.”
“Big family.” Annwyl tugged on her boots, pulled her surcoat over her head, and wrapped a leather belt around her waist. Once dressed, she put her hands on her h*ps and raised an eyebrow. “What now, lady dragon?”
Morfyd watched Annwyl address her lieutenants. True, she’d seen a side of Annwyl that these men never had. The wounded warrior struggling to live. The woman who loved her brother. And the warrior woman she’d taken as a friend.
But she now saw why these men followed her. Annwyl radiated strength and determination. She was more than the leader of the rebellion. She was the heart of it.
“Move out tonight. We’ve gotten word that when the two suns rise tomorrow, Lorcan will attack the village. We can’t let him get through, or he’ll make for the Citadel of Ó Donnchadha and our women and children are there. Kill anyone that wears Lorcan’s colors. No survivors. No prisoners.”
“And you?” Brastias asked.
“I leave with Morfyd. Now. But I’ll be back by morning. Tomorrow I will face my brother.”
“And what of . . .” The men shifted uncomfortably, unwilling to meet Annwyl’s eyes.
She smirked. “And what of my dragon?” Morfyd blinked in surprise. Annwyl wasn’t even trying to hide her relationship with Fearghus.
Brastias cleared his throat. “Yes, Annwyl. What of your dragon?”
“Let him sleep. When he awakes tell him that I will return by sunup. Not too hard, is it?”
“And are we safe around him?”
Annwyl sighed in annoyance at the question, but Morfyd answered for her. “Yes. You are safe around him. But when you tell him about Annwyl, I wouldn’t stand around. I strongly suggest moving away quickly. Very quickly.”
Annwyl and her men stared at Morfyd. She shrugged at Annwyl’s raised eyebrow. “He is my brother. I know him well.”
The men, en masse, stepped away from her. All except Brastias, who stared at her. She realized that they were completely unaware that she, too, was a dragon. “Don’t worry. You’re safe around me as well.” She smiled but only Brastias and Annwyl smiled back.
“All right, then. We’re off.” Annwyl stepped away from the large table strewn with maps that she’d been leaning against. “I’ll see you all at dawn.”
Morfyd walked out of the tent, Annwyl behind her. Brastias’s voice stopped them.
“Annwyl.” The two females looked at him. He braved another smile at Morfyd before speaking to Annwyl. “Your weapons?”
“No.” Morfyd shook her head. “No weapons, Annwyl.”
Annwyl looked at Brastias and shrugged. “No weapons.”
“Then please be careful.”
Annwyl nodded and followed as Morfyd led her away from the camp to the clearing where she’d landed earlier.
The girl stepped back as Morfyd shifted, shaking out her wings and mane of hair. “You ready, Lady Annwyl?”
Annwyl grabbed on to the white mane of hair and expertly hauled herself up onto Morfyd’s back. “Aye, Lady Dragon. I’m ready.”
* * *
“I just don’t understand our brother. A human.” Briec gave a great sigh, causing Gwenvael to roll his eyes in annoyance.
“You don’t know anything, Briec. She’s different.”
“Don’t you really mean crazed, baby brother?”
Gwenvael saw Morfyd’s white scales swooping toward them. He stood up. Both he and Briec were already in human form and dressed.
“You’re just mad she slapped you around.” Gwenvael looked at his brother. “Like a bitch.”
Briec stood up. Slightly taller than Gwenvael, but still shorter than Fearghus, he tended to be just as much fun to torture as their older sibling. “I let her hit me.”
“You had to. Otherwise she would have killed you where you stood.”
Morfyd made one of her soundless landings and patiently waited while Annwyl dismounted. She shifted to human and Annwyl wrapped a fur covering around her shoulders.
He rushed down the stairs to meet them. “Lady Annwyl.”
“Gwenvael.”
“Feeling better?”
She couldn’t hide her smile or the blush to her cheeks. Now he knew what he’d always suspected—his brother was a brave, brave dragon. “Much, thank you.”