Page 121 of Wild Flame

He nipped playfully at it, and I gasped. “Malik!”

“And that’s my cue,” Zara said with a grin and a roll of her eyes. Draining the rest of her glass, she moved away, Mesmera chirping a farewell.

I turned in Malik’s arms and gave him a censuring look. “You scared her off.”

His hands circled low around my waist, and he grinned. “If she could hear the thoughts running through my mind right now, she would run screaming.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and fed my fingers through his hair. “Oh, really? Thoughts like what?”

He leaned closer. “Like how I want to strip you out of this dress and have you screaming my name as you wear nothing but this crown.” He gestured to the new delicately crafted obsidian and ruby tiara he had had made for me to wear just for this occasion. It perfectly matched the black and red Halmarish style gown I wore.

Fire ignited in my veins at his suggestive words.

Seeing my reaction, his grin widened. “Shall we go to our room? Or shall I order them all to leave? Then we could repeat what we did a few nights ago.” His eyes now held that wicked glint I had come to love so much. My blood hummed at thememory. I had come to join Malik in the throne room to hear petitions for the day. But as I strode up the steps of the dais, intending to sit on one of the lower tier cushions, his eyes had locked on me and with a single word, he dismissed everyone, including the guards, until we had the entire room to ourselves. Seconds later, my back was against the cushioned seat of the throne, his mouth was on me, and before long I had been screaming his name to the high vaulted ceilings above.

The thought of doing so again was very tempting. But I sighed. “We can’t. We can’t leave our guests so soon. And besides, I think everyone needs a celebration right now . . . after everything.”

He loosed an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose you are right.” But then he bent down, and our lips met in a gentle kiss.

When we pulled back, I whispered playfully, “But after, it’ll just be you and me in nothing but this crown.”

His eyes flared, and he grinned. “As my queen commands.”

Chapter Forty-Four

“I am a High Priest! You cannot do this to me!”

The dragon looked on with disdain as the guard known as Yesh tossed the bound man unceremoniously to the ground, and he scrambled to his knees in the sand.

The man’s scent held the tang of one who once was bonded. But the mournful scent was buried under that of unwashed flesh and rotting fish. The dragon grimaced at the offensive smell, exposing his fanged teeth, and the man’s eyes darted upward. A trace of fear laced his scent as the dragon coldly returned his stare, arching his long neck forward so his muzzle hovered just over the head of his rider.

The night was still around them, with only the muted crash of waves in the distance. A single torch held by his bonded provided the only light in the remote inlet cove, save for the bright stars overhead.

“Any problems?” his bonded asked.

“None,” Yesh replied. “He was surprisingly easy to capture for a master assassin. No one saw us.”

“Good.”

His rider glared down at the man, and the dragon shared his feelings of disgust and rage as he regarded him. This weak man had plotted to kill his rider’s sister and mate and had caused his mate harm. He would always be a threat to them.

“I assume you know why you are here,” his bonded stated, betraying none of the seething emotions inside him as he spoke.

“Of course,” the man hissed. “The brat sent you to do her dirty work. The little coward couldn’t even do it herself.” He snorted. “She always was a disappointment.”

Fury lanced through the bond. “Leida knows nothing of this and never will. Though she will probably suspect once she hears of it.” The thought of her finding out, and the no doubt heated argument that would ensue, filled his rider with anticipation. His rider considered the man. “Any final words before I send you to the Dark Realms and the god you love so much?”

The man’s eyes widened. “Y-You cannot possibly mean to—”

His bonded leaned forward, cutting off the man’s protests. “Oh, but I do. You took advantage of a young girl when she came to you in good faith. She was hurting and vulnerable, and you saw your opportunity to use her. Then you proceeded to manipulate and torment her for years, along with many others. You took advantage of countless children, embroiling them in your schemes and bribed and threatened your own priests and priestesses. For that alone, you deserve to die. But not only did you abuse the power of your position, your delusions of grandeur also led you to conspire to kill a princess of Zehvi, and later, its future queen. So yes, priest, I mean to execute you.” He leaned back. “Your god would approve, I think.”

His bonded spat on the ground in contempt before he moved aside. The dragon raised his head to its full height as the man now cowered before him, opening his mouth to speak.

But the time for begging was done.

With immense satisfaction, the dragon opened his powerful jaws and released his flame.

Chapter Forty-Five

---