Like that she was flat on her back, Bercelak’s hard body pressing down on her, pushing her into the mattress.
Oh, she enjoyed these rules of his. She didn’t have to act like the slag she currently was. Instead, she could pretend this was all beyond her control when, in fact, he’d given her complete control. How did he know all this would turn her into a ball of flame? How did he know her so well? She’d never spent any time with him. Barely spoke to him unless her mother was around and she didn’t want to hear her telling her she was a horrible bitch. Or was it that they were merely well matched? Dragons believed that their true mate waited “out there” for them. The one meant to be theirs until their ancestors called them home.
Could her true mate truly be this overbearing, cranky, arrogant bastard?
He moved down her body, his tongue leading the way, until his big shoulders pushed her legs apart and he settled his face between her thighs.
For the moment, she answered her own question out loud. Actually, she screamed her answer. “Yes! Gods, yes!”
Hearing her scream out in lust nearly sent Bercelak over the edge. He gripped her thighs tighter and delved deeper inside her tight p**sy. She groaned and bucked under him, her hands digging into his hair.
Gods, she tasted good. Smelled even better.
This was the Rhiannon he always knew existed. The one he knew would be his forever. He’d wanted to wait until they’d returned to his den before taking her since he had no doubts he’d never be able to wait until their Claiming. Which, due to her royal lineage, must take place at the full of the moon . . . four very long days away.
Still, he never planned to do this here, in his father’s house. But he couldn’t help it. Especially with her goading him. That “we mustn’t” nearly killed him. She knew exactly how to entice him. She understood him better than anyone; she just hadn’t realized it yet. She would. Soon she’d understand everything.
She’d realize that apart they were strong . . . but together they were unstoppable.
One of her hands released his hair and grabbed hold of the headboard. She writhed beneath him, unable to move her h*ps because he’d pinned her lower half to the bed while his tongue tormented her toward release.
“Bercelak,” she whispered his name and his entire body clenched. “Gods, Bercelak . . .” She probably didn’t even realize she’d said it out loud, but it was all he needed to hear.
He closed his mouth over her clit, suckling. Rhiannon’s entire body bowed and she let out a shattering groan. He felt her toes curl and uncurl where they rested by his shoulders and he feared she’d break the headboard with the way she was holding it.
Finally, she settled down and Bercelak moved back up her body until he hovered over her. He took firm hold of both her hands—after prying one of them from the headboard and the other from his hair—and pinned them over her head.
Then he waited.
After a few moments, Rhiannon’s eyes slowly opened and he smiled down into her face.
“Feel better?”
Giving a wicked grin he prayed he’d be able to keep on her face the majority of the time they were together, she nodded. “Aye.”
“Good.” His grip tightened on her wrists, pushing them down onto the mattress. She raised an eyebrow in question.
“My turn,” he answered as he slammed his hard c*ck inside her, letting her delicious roar of surprise wash over him.
Chapter 6
Finally, her mind cleared and she could again see straight. But by then it was too late.
She felt his c*ck push inside her with no warning, no preamble . . . and it felt delicious. It also meant she’d have little grounds to refuse his right to Claim her. If he hadn’t made his intentions clear in the beginning, she could have used him until the two suns burned away and the oceans disappeared and he’d still never be able to have her without her agreeing. Yet she knew his intentions, and without any force whatsoever, he’d taken her . . . and she let him.
The dragon Elders would have little patience for her denials of his Claiming now.
Damn him!
“Rhiannon,” he whispered in her ear and her entire body melted. “I’m going to f**k you, Rhiannon. I’m going to make you come . . . again.” She rolled her eyes at that and she felt his smile against her cheek. “It will always be this way with us, you know. Always.”
She doubted that, but then he started moving and she stopped thinking about much of anything except how good he felt inside her.
Bercelak held onto her arms, but her legs were free. She wrapped them around his waist, her heels digging into his ass. He growled at that and kissed her while his h*ps continued to move against her, his big c*ck powering into her over and over again.
Her tongue met his and she cried out in desperation. Amazing that after what she’d just experienced, she now wanted more. So much more.
Kissing her cheek, licking her chin and throat, Bercelak continued to push her toward another blinding cli**x. She tried to pull her hands away, but he took a tighter grip and pushed them deeper into the mattress.
He won’t let me go, she thought to herself and that’s when his mouth clamped over her breast again, sucking hard on her nipple.
Her release hit with brutal swiftness, tearing through Rhiannon’s entire body the way the Magick had, only this time no pain. Just pleasure. Wonderful pleasure.
Panting and trying to focus, she realized Bercelak had come inside her and now lay collapsed atop her.
That’s when she had to admit—at least to herself—that it didn’t feel too bad to have him there.
“Rhiannon?” It felt like ages until he could get up enough energy to say that. But when she didn’t answer him, Bercelak became seriously concerned. Scared he may have accidentally hurt her, he pushed himself up on one elbow, looking down at her.
“Rhiannon?” he said again, louder.
“Mhmmm?”
She sounded sated.
Bercelak couldn’t help but smile. It felt nice to smile. “Are you all right?”
Slowly, her eyes opened, staring at him in wonder. Then, just as quickly, her eyebrows pulled down into a brutal frown. “This changes nothing, Low Born.”
Bercelak laughed out loud and that felt even better than smiling. “Sorry, Princess. This changes everything. And we both know it.”
Growling, she tried to pull away from him, but he caught hold of her waist.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“Let me go.”
“No. I want to talk first.”
“Talk?” She looked absolutely horrified at the idea.
“Aye. Talk. Make sure we are both clear on a few things.” She relaxed back, but watched him warily. “Clear on what things?”
“The next full moon is in four days. At that time I’ll Claim you.”
“Wait—”
“No. I won’t wait, Rhiannon. You’re mine as I am yours. Nothing will change that.”
Angry, she pulled away from him, scrambling across the bed. “This isn’t fair. It was the Magick . . . it changed . . .”
He shook his head. “Try another tack, Princess. I won’t believe the Magick made you, of all dragons, do anything you didn’t want to do.”
“But—”
Frustrated, he barked, “No! No more excuses. No more denials.” He pulled his body up and, on all fours, moved toward her.
Eyes wide, Rhiannon moved back away from him. The bed was big, but it wasn’t that big.
Her back leg slid off the bed, almost tumbling her onto the floor. But Bercelak grasped tight hold of her wrist.
“Wait—”
He ignored her plea, yanking her onto the bed.
As he placed his body over hers, she snarled, “I’ll never love you, Low Born! Never!”
His heart stuttered to a stop. He wanted her love. Needed it, even. This wasn’t about taking a royal as his mate. This was about Rhiannon and only Rhiannon. He’d loved her since he saw her and, he had admitted to himself years ago, he would always love her. No female would ever compare with her. And now that he’d actually been inside her, had actually heard her cries of passion and felt her lust, he wanted no other female in his arms. Only Rhiannon. Always Rhiannon.
But from what he knew of his Rhiannon, no “sensitive” male would ever live in her bed . . . own her bed. So, the side that wished to care for her—that wanted to make her laugh as well as see her smile—he pushed aside. He would bury it until he’d Claimed her. Even if he missed the next full moon, he’d only Claim Rhiannon if she loved him. Nothing was worse than being with someone who didn’t love you and never would. Dragons lived many years and that was too long to live without a true mate to care for you.
So he buried the part of him that cared and brought out the warrior. The merciless battle-dragon who had destroyed more dragon kingdoms then he could remember.
He dug his hand into her hair and snatched her head back. One of her hands reached up and gripped his shoulder, trying to push him off.
“Perhaps we should understand each other, Princess. I will have you. I will make you mine until the end of time. Challenge me if you wish, but you’ll lose in this battle. I promise that you’ll lose.”
Clear blue eyes glared at him but he also saw the heat in them. With her hatred came her lust. Just as he knew it would.
He pulled her head back a little farther and the hand on his shoulder dug into his flesh.
“I think it’s time you understand how things will work between us, Princess. I think it’s time I show you.”
Bercelak banged on his older brother’s door again. Finally, Addolgar pulled the heavy oak door open.
“What?”
“I need your chains, brother.”
Addolgar stared at him for several long seconds. “Should I ask why?” he finally said.
“No.”
“The cuffs only, or the collar as well?”
“All of it.”
With a shrug, Addolgar went back into his room. He heard his brother speaking to his mate. Bercelak shook his head when he heard her snap, “Where do you think you’re going with our chains?”
“It’s for a good cause,” Addolgar said over his shoulder as he handed the chains to his kin. “It’s brought me luck, brother. Perhaps it will work the same for you.”
He f**ked me to sleep, she thought as she forced herself awake. The suns showed brightly through the narrow windows and she knew it was late in the morning.
The last thing she remembered at all was him bathing her, against her muttered protests, in fact.
Rhiannon shook her head to clear her exhausted mind, but the sounds of heavy chains froze her. She went to touch her throat, but her hands would only move so far. She turned her head and saw that metal cuffs held her wrists, the chain tightened so her arms didn’t stray too far from the headboard. She couldn’t see or touch the collar around her neck, but she felt it well enough. Heavy metal weighing down on her shoulders. Even her feet were shackled, the chains securely locked to the end board.
“Bastard!”
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
“Release me! Now!”