Page 58 of The Dragon King's Curse
Listening to her throaty moans, I thrust into her, building a steady rhythm. Doing my best not to unleash my dragon all over her. I wasn’t sure if she would survive that. Now that the curse no longer plagued me, it was a challenge to hold my beast inside. All it wanted was to break free.
Feryn’s body gripped me just right. As if we’d been made for one another. Maybe this was the curse. Falling in love with her. Knowing there could be no future for us. Not as long as our realms were divided. Not until the elves had paid the price for what they’d done.
“Noxx.” My name was a soft plea on her lips. No other sound had made me weak the way that did.
Having her beneath me tested me in every way. Such intimacy. Such vulnerability from both of us. Needing to feel her body clench me tighter, spasm with climax, I thrust harder. Faster. She seemed to enjoy it when my actions grew rough. Punishing. I loved that about her.
Feryn wrapped both legs around my waist, holding me deep within her as she came. With her head thrown back, her eyes closed as she cried out, my gaze fell to the bite along the curve of her neck. My bite.
I savored every twitch and clench of her body. The way she bit down on her bottom lip was enough to send me over the edge. I came with a guttural snarl dredged up from deep within.
She was mine now. Claimed by me in every way. My mate. Somehow I would find a way to keep her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
NOXX
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Feryn’s brows knit together as she shifted nervously from foot to foot.
“Of course it is. Once we get to my realm we’ll be safe from the fae. We’ll send word to your family so they know you’re alive. If we go by foot, it will take us much longer. Don’t you trust me, princess?” I made sure our supply bag was tied tight. Hopefully we would only need to make one stop along the way.
Feryn fidgeted with the hem of her tunic. “I do. Genuinely. This is new for me. I’ve never been up that high.”
She stared up into the sky above us. We’d left Skarngard an hour ago, travelling outside town to a rural location where I could shift without being seen. Dragons were no secret here, but I didn’t want anyone to know yet that my curse had been broken. Not until I made it home to my people.
“I would never let you fall. Hold onto me. There’s plenty of places to grab tight. I can always carry you in my claws.” I winked, chuckling when her frown turned into a glare.
“This is really strange, you know? I’ve never flown on a dragon before.” She huffed, taking the bag from me and strapping it to her back along with her sword. “All right, let’s do this before I change my mind.”
“I’m overjoyed to be your first.” With a wiggle of my brows, I unleashed the dragon inside me.
The change came swiftly. One moment I was in the form of a man, and the next I’d become an enormous monster, capable of destroying armies with a mere breath. Feryn stared up at me with wide eyes. A trickle of fear rolled off her to tease me.
Pressing my belly against the ground, I got as low as possible. With a few unladylike curses, Feryn grabbed onto my scales, using them to climb up onto the back of my head. She squirmed around a little as she sought to get comfortable and find a solid handhold.
Finally, she said, “I’m ready. Try not to do anything too rambunctious. No spins and twists or anything of the sort.”
I’d warned her that the initial takeoff would be startling. I did my best to spring from the ground without knocking her about. The winds would be high when we reached a proper altitude. I’d instructed her to hold tight to one of my horns if she felt like it became too much. At any point if she needed to land, I would do so.
“Curse the fucking gods,” she shouted as we took to the air. “Why did I ever let you talk me into this?”
Unfortunately, I had no way of concocting a pointed remark. Once we were in the sky, my movements were smoother. Gentle flaps of my wings as we coasted along, riding the air currents. The ground below was but a speck. Everything was so tiny from up here.
Gods, I’d missed this so much. The freedom and the strength. The unmatched magick of leaving the world behind, soaring through the clouds. There was nothing on this earth like it. Never would I take such a gift for granted.
We covered plenty of distance by air. As we drew closer to the Fire Realm, our chances of encountering fae grew slimmer. I suspected that we would not see them again. Not until we wereready to bring the fight to Atlas Rein. Surely by now he knew that he’d lost us. If he had any brains in his head, he would know that his time was limited.
He made the greatest of mistakes when he took me prisoner. Even more so when he threatened to force Feryn into marriage with his devil’s spawn. I thought about the Fae Queen banished to the temple in the forest. Now waiting for us to return and set her free. I wouldn’t let her down. Because of her, Feryn and I had escaped. We owed her greatly.
“How much further is it?” Feryn asked when we stopped for something to eat.
I sat on the grass near a bubbling brook, eating a turkey leg and a baked potato. We’d made sure to bring ample food from Skarngard before leaving, just in case.
“Less than a day’s flight now, I would say. I can hardly wait to return home.” I glanced over at Feryn where she sat nibbling her potato. “I suppose you’re eager to return home as well.”
She nodded. “It will be nice to reunite with my family. I dread having to tell everyone about Miranda and the others we lost. Mostly, I’m curious to know if my dear friend Leif made it back. We were separated when the fae attacked us.”
“Leif,” I repeated. “Would that be your one man, one time?”
