Page 16 of Dragon King's Cursed Mate

However, seeing Dain naked was a completely different story. He wasn’t just another man walking around withoutclothes. Dain was a sexy, gorgeous man—her man, and she ached to touch him. His hard cock was thick, and she closed her eyes, feeling herself stretching to accommodate him as he drove hard into her inner core. She squirmed as a familiar wet heat made her pussy tingle. She could almost orgasm just by imagining what it would feel like.

Finally, Seraphina focused on walking through the forest with a wolf, a grizzly bear, and a bat. The wolf taught her to open her mind and learn. The bear taught her inner strength, knowing that sometimes life would be very hard and she’d have to choose between the lesser of two evils, but she had to be strong enough to do what was right. The bat taught her to see with more than just her eyes. She had to see beyond the physical faces and physical scenery around her and see into the souls of the people, trees, animals, and other life forms.

Taking comfort in her spirit friends and sages, she was able to relax and fall into a light sleep. Her consciousness picked up every sound around her—people moving inside their tents, the steps of the night patrol, and the loud, haunting cries of an owl that pierced the air.

Slowly, she drifted into a deeper sleep and the same dream that had haunted her before played out in front of her. The battleground around her was soaked with blood. Bodies of humans and shifters lay twisted and broken on the soiled earth.

Dain stood in the middle of the chaos in his human form. He looked down at the broken, twisted body of Malakar, who was still smoldering from the lightning strike. As a final coup de grâce, or act of revenge, Dain had ripped his uncle’s throat out with his talons.

It wasn’t the sight of the former king lying dead on the ground that stole Seraphina’s breath and tore her soul apart. It was the look in Dain’s eyes. They weren’t the same storm-filled eyes that could be the logical and calculating look of a warriorone minute and full of passion the next. His eyes were wild, unhinged, and feral. They reflected Dain’s descent into complete madness.

“No,” she whispered, holding her hands out, trying to reach the Dain she knew who was trapped inside the madman’s mind.

His head snapped at her and he looked at her intently, as though he could see inside her soul. Seraphina held her breath, praying to the fates that he could truly see her and remember who she was. But the madness refused to release its hold on him.

Dain threw back his head and roared, sending a shower of lightning bolts exploding in the air. Then, he laughed. It was such a maniacal, diabolical sound that echoed in her bones. It was the sound of triumph over the enemy but at the same time, it was the loss of all that he once was.

Seraphina jolted awake and sat straight up in bed. Her heart hammered against her ribs and she couldn’t breathe. She wrapped her arms around her knees, holding them against her chest. Dark shadows curled around her, suffocating her.

Please, tell me that this isn’t a vision of what will be. Please show me a way to save Dain. It would be too cruel for him to win back his throne but lose himself.

Seraphina got the feeling that the madness was more than just the curse about her. There was something even deeper that she couldn’t see yet.

Please let me see. Please help me know how to save him.

She swallowed a sob and pressed her fingers against her temple. Dain deserved to know what she’d seen, but she didn’t want to give him half of the truth, since the other half hadn’t yet been shown to her. Deep in her soul, she knew there was more to this than what she’d seen in her visions.

No. I won’t tell him yet. Not until I know more. Until then, I will watch and listen carefully. I will find a way to help him.

With that thought, she laid back down, curling on her side, seeking to find solace in the sacred tree or the spirit animals. Eventually, she fell back into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, she splashed cold water on her face and ate breakfast almost unconsciously. She couldn’t get the images out of her mind.

Grateful that Dain was already out on patrol, Seraphina gathered her supplies and slipped out into the forest to the same clearing where she’d completed the protection spell. The scent of moss and damp earth filled the air, along with the faint metallic scent of ancient magic.

She knelt and pressed her palms together, holding a fire crystal between them. “I call upon the sacred fire.” Her voice was strong and commanding.

The forest stilled—no animals made a sound. Even the gentle breeze gently died away. Her heart pounded as she waited. Then, a spark flew out from between her hands and landed on the ground in front of her. Gold and blue flames grew, feeding off of invisible wood.

“Show me what waits for Dain,” she whispered.

The flames twisted higher and wrapped around her like a shroud of light, but not burning her. She closed her eyes and felt her soul stretching beyond herself, searching for answers.

At first, she didn’t see anything. Then, gradually, a form appeared. It was herself.

She stood alone in a field of endless darkness. There were no stars or moon. The ground was as black as night.

There was only silence. Then, she heard it.

“Seraphina.”

It was faint but she could clearly hear Dain calling out for her.

“Dain,” she cried out, frantically searching for him.

Then, there was something else. It was a presence—dark, cold, and evil. The darkness was trying to worm its way into her mind and visions. Whatever it was wanted to distort her visions so she couldn’t see the truth. It wanted her to believe that there was only one path for Dain, which was complete madness.

She felt as though a snake had wrapped itself around her chest and squeezed, forcing the air out of her lungs and preventing her from breathing more in.

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