Page 49 of King of Fire and Scales

"Thalia," he whispered raggedly as he pressed further inside her.

His powerful thrusts caused her to gasp, every plunge making her pant in delight. The friction between them was electric, a buzzing heat that could set them both afire.

They moved together in an intimate dance, their bodies tangled in passion. Thalia's breath hitched as Drake managed to hit a spot within her that had her seeing stars.

His fingers found hers, their palms pressing together on the sheets next to her head. Their shared sweat was a testament to their fervor, a symbol of their union that bore witness to their love.

Their bodies moved as one, each thrust sending waves of ecstasy coursing through them. Drake groaned into her ear, his breath hot on her skin. The sounds of their gasps and moans filled the room, accompanied by the rhythmic beating of their hearts. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, gnawing lightly at the tender skin there marking her as his own.

The intensity increased with every stroke, his movements becoming more frantic against her. Thalia clung tighter to him, her nails etching lines into his back as she encouraged him further, mewling with words of love and encouragement in his ear.

Drake quickened his thrusts, his moans growing louder against Thalia's neck where he buried his face. Drake's rhythm picked up pace and intensity as he felt himself nearing the precipice of pleasure. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of Thalia's hips for purchase as he held onto control by a tenuous thread.

“Drake, I’m close…” she gasped, knowing that their orgasm would announce him marking her.

She was eager to finally be his and his alone. Forever and always. And his dragon wanted that too.

"Me too," he growled back, his voice rough with the strain of holding back. His pace picked up further, each thrust hitting deeper, each a promise of what was to come. Thalia's body was a writhing mass beneath him, every sensation amplified by the depth of her love for this man.

Thalia moaned as she felt the familiar sensation building within her, the peak of pleasure just out of reach. She rocked her hips up to meet Drake's thrusts, pushing herself closer to the edge. Her fingers dug into his back, pulling him closer as she felt both their climaxes drawing nearer.

Their eyes locked, the world outside forgotten as they surrendered entirely to the passion that blazed between them. He thrust into her harder, fueled by the desperate sounds she made beneath him, crying out his name. Her body was wound as tight as a bowstring, ready to snap at any second.

And then it happened.

With one final thrust and an earth-shattering cry from Thalia, they shattered together. Waves of pleasure rolled through them in a never-ending tide, their bodies convulsing in harmony. His hand balled up as a nail scraped deeply along her hip.

The pain was immediate and intense, but it was nothing compared to the intense pleasure coursing through her. The mark was made, Thalia was his. The raw primal feeling of marking her overwhelmed him, and Drake roared, his chest vibrating against hers, the sound echoing around the room.

Thalia could feel her body responding to the pain and pleasure in equal measure. Her cries of ecstasy echoed in the chamber as she felt the finality of the act. Drake had claimed her completely, their bodies and souls intertwined in the throes of passion.

As their shared climax ebbed, they lay tangled together. Thalia’s fingers traced the outline of his marking on her hip, a physical signature that etched them together forever. Her heart pounded against her chest as she tried to catch her breath beneath him.

Drake rolled off of Thalia, pulling her into his arms as they both tried to steady their breathing. His hand found hers, their fingers intertwining instinctively.

He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, whispering soft words of endearment into her ear as they basked in the afterglow of their shared passion.

“Mine,” he murmured against her skin, pressing a slow kiss to the mark he had just etched onto her.

Thalia's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Yours," she echoed back softly. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, a sense of contentment washing over her.

Their bodies cooled but their hearts still raced from the intense connection they had just experienced. It was more than physical. It was emotional and spiritual. Their souls were entwined in a bond that was stronger than any force.

TWENTY-FIVE

THALIA

Thalia adjusted to life in the Mountain Kingdom with the ease of slipping on a glove. Her father, having healed heart and soul, no longer yearned for the life he and his departed wife forged back in the village. He spoke of it fondly, but was, by all means, a man renewed.

Lucien retained his honor once he’d bent the knee. He and the king came to a consensus that for his war crimes, he would pay penance by banishment. But once banished, the king would not seek out him or his comrades.

The dragon shifter was more than content to accept the agreement.

The kingdom came together after the bloody fray and flourished with Pyralis being sentenced to an eternity in the gallows in a far-off land for treason.

It all felt like a dream to Thalia. She had Sorcha, who had forgiven the king instantly –and had since the skirmish accepted Nerin’s courtship. She had her father, who was given his own wing of the castle, and, of course, she had her king.

Falling in love with the man that was Drake had been easy for the former village witch. Had she met him in her town, she would have been besotted with him as effortlessly as the rising of the moon. It was all the royal business that had thrown them off, which included a potentially cataclysmic war and a stirring of unrest.

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