Page 72 of Queen of the Cursed Egg
“I...” He breathes in deep, his chest expanding under my touch, and kisses me briefly, his lips warm and slightly trembling against mine. “I can’t believe you chose me. Others have been in the nest longer.” He looks over his shoulder in the general direction of where our nest lies, doubt clouding his features like storm shadows.
“Callan, Leander, and Vaughn wanted to wait. Vaughn wants to finish school first. Callan and Leander want to wait until the dragons are a little bigger before having their babies. Prey drive and all.” The explanation tumbles from my lips, and it’s honestly a valid concern, one that I didn’t think about until they brought it up. The idea of tiny babies around predatory dragons does give me pause.
“Oh... Makes sense.” He stares at me as I unbuckle the leather of his jacket, my fingers working the familiar fastenings with practiced ease, the leather warm and supple from the heat of his body.
“It does.” I smile as I reach behind him to undo the leather panel that goes between his wings, feeling the powerful muscles of his back flex under my touch as he adjusts to accommodate my movements. Gently, I slide the jacket off, revealing the broad expanse of his chest, and go for the shirt next, my hands eager to feel his skin against mine.
He stills my hands with his own, his fingers warm and slightly rough as they cover mine, and my heart sinks at the sudden halt in our progress. “I didn’t get to court you.” His voice is a whisper, barely audible over the sound of falling water. “We kind of just jumped in feet first.” He offers me a crooked smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, self-doubt written in every line of his expression.
“You offered me your heart, sight unseen. You gifted me paradise after barely knowing me, giving me one of your most precious possessions.” Smiling, I stand up on my tiptoes, stretching to bringmy face closer to his, feeling the strain in my calf muscles as I reach for him. “Let me gift you an heir, a progeny of your own. I wish to honor what we have by creating something that is just ours.” I nuzzle his jaw and purr so softly for him, the sound vibrating in my throat like a cat’s contented rumble.
A single tear escapes his eye, catching the light like liquid crystal as it tracks down his cheek, and he nods before scooping me up in his arms. His embrace is warm and enveloping, like being wrapped in the finest silk, and his thunderous purr vibrates through me, the sound resonating in my bones and making my dragon hum with satisfaction. He spreads his wings, the massive span blocking out the sun for a moment before we lift into the air, and flies us onto the little island in the middle of the water.
In the middle, there’s a patch of white sand that gleams like fresh snow in the dappled sunlight. When he sets me down, my toes sink into the sand, and I realize its sugar sand, one of the softest, most sought-after sands in the world. The grains are so fine they feel like silk between my toes. The sand maintains a constant, perfect temperature that seems to warm from within, neither too hot nor too cold against my bare feet.
“Before Syrax’s nest was burned, I had dreamed of having my mate lay her eggs here in paradise,” he says as I watch him slowly strip, each piece of clothing falling away to reveal more of his magnificent form. His skin is bronze and perfect, marked with the faint traces of scales that catch the light like scattered gems. “Instead, I’ll have Klauth help me carry the sugar sand for your nest. Or maybe I’ll enlist Ziggy and his pride.” He says thoughtfully as he lets his leather pants hit the ground, the sound muffled by the soft sand beneath our feet.
Thauglor turns and walks towards me, his movements fluid and predatory, before sweeping me up into a hug that lifts me completely off my feet briefly. I walk backwards, feeling the warm sand shiftbeneath my heels, until he starts to lower us to the ground. He surprises me by laying on his back, the gesture unexpected and making me arch a brow in question. “Are you sure?” I ask cautiously as I climb up his body to rest on his thighs, feeling the powerful muscles flex beneath my weight.
“I can already sense the eggs within you. If I am on top, I am going to rut into you and harm you or the eggs. This way, I won’t hurt you.” His wings are spread out wide under him, creating a living carpet of midnight, and I marvel at their size. They are far larger than Abraxis’s wings, spanning what must be ten feet or more, each membrane marked with intricate patterns that seem to shift in the changing light.
Without hesitation, I slide up his body the rest of the way, feeling his skin warm and smooth beneath mine. He holds his length at the base for me, the gesture both helpful and incredibly arousing. Slowly, I slip down onto his length, gasping at the sensation of being filled so completely. I’m so full, stretched to my limits, and I can see why he was concerned about being on top. We both groan as I adjust to him within me, my body adapting to his considerable size with slight movements and deep breaths.
Eventually, I move, trying to find a rhythm that is comfortable and feels good at the same time, my hips rolling in slow, experimental circles. Leaning forward, I rest my palms on his chest, feeling his heart thundering beneath my touch as I rock on him, each movement sending electricity racing through my nervous system. Every slip and slide sends shocks through my system, making my blood boil with pleasure and need. The friction building a fire that threatens to consume me entirely.
His large hands grip my hips, helping me move, the strength in his fingers both gentle and commanding. Just the way he’s controlling me makes my core flutter, my inner walls clenching around him involuntarily. Carefully, he changes position and sits us up, thenholds me flush to him, my breasts pressed against his chest, before laying me back into the sand and holding himself over me. His wings come to rest on either side of us, blocking out the rest of the world and creating an intimate cocoon of warmth and shadow.
“You’re overthinking,” he whispers against my lips as he settles between my thighs, his weight supported on his forearms so that just enough of his mass rests on me to make me feel safe and cherished without being overwhelming.
“My eternal,” I whisper as I arch up to kiss him, tasting the salt from our shared sweat and something uniquely him that makes my head spin with desire. He lowers himself down further, bringing us closer together, skin to skin in perfect alignment.
His lips find my throat, pressing against the pulse point where my heartbeat thrums in my veins like a hummingbird’s wings, and I anticipate the bite that I know is coming. When his teeth finally sink into my flesh, sharp canines piercing skin with exquisite precision, I detonate around him and cry out his name at the top of my lungs. The sound echoing off the water and stone around us. I reach up and hold him to me, my fingers threading through his hair, riding out the waves of pleasure that cascade over me like a tsunami of sensation.
Thauglor starts a deep rumbling in his chest that vibrates through me. The sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard—part purr, part growl, all dragon. I can’t tell if it’s contentment or something deeper, more primal. Scales ripple along his shoulders and arms, catching the filtered sunlight like living armor, as his breaths come in ragged gasps. Looking up, I see the slitted gaze of his dragon staring down at me, ancient and wild and beautiful beyond words.
His beast seems to be seeking permission or questioning if this is what I want. The intelligence in those inhuman eyes is both thrilling and slightly frightening. I nod, and I feel the minute his knots enlarge, the sensation so intense I come again from the pressure alone before his flare locks us in place. Pulse after pulse ripples up hislength, setting every single nerve ending in my body on fire with each rhythmic contraction. Waves of heat pulse through me as I stare up into his dragon’s eyes, lost in their hypnotic depths, feeling our bond deepen and strengthen with each shared heartbeat.
It takes several minutes before he stills over me and his dragon recedes, leaving the familiar sapphire of his human gaze looking down at me with wonder and concern.
Thauglor’s eyes widen as he looks down at me and searches for injuries, his gaze cataloging every inch of exposed skin with careful attention. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean for him to get away from me like that.” He showers me with kisses, his lips soft and warm against my face and throat, trying to make up for whatever he perceives as wrong.
“I’m wonderful,” I say, smiling as I purr softly for him and nuzzle under his jaw, breathing in his scent—cedar and storm clouds and something indefinably ancient that speaks to my dragon’s soul.
“I didn’t hurt you?” He kisses my cheek before pressing his forehead to mine, his breath warm against my face, eyes searching mine for any sign of discomfort.
“Not at all.” I let out a soft sigh and smile again at him, feeling utterly content and cherished. “I need to go to ground soon.” The urge is already beginning to build, my dragon’s instincts telling me it’s time to find a safe place to nest. Closing my eyes, I lay back and just revel in being held so tightly by him, feeling the sand warm beneath my back and his wings creating a canopy of safety above us.
“We’ll call for Ziggy the moment you’re ready. Then I’ll send his pride to hunt for you, and I am not leaving your side until the eggs are laid,” Thauglor says between kisses, each word punctuated by gentle presses of his lips against my skin.
“I know. You didn’t leave me the last time, either.” The memory makes me smile, recalling his steadfast presence during my firstlaying, his unwavering protection and care. I close my eyes and allow myself to drift off to sleep, lulled by the sound of gentle waves and his steady heartbeat.
When I awaken next, I’m in my nest just outside of my egg chamber, already shifted to my dragon form, the familiar weight and power of my true shape surrounding me like armor. The transition happened while I slept, my body instinctively taking the form best suited to protect the growing life within me. Thauglor, being true to his word, is laying behind me again, his massive head resting over my ribs, holding me close in the ancient gesture of protection and devotion.
Another nap sounds divine, the exhaustion of mating and the early stages of egg development weighing heavy on my consciousness. Safe in my nest with my eternal mate guarding over me, I drift back into a peaceful sleep.
CHAPTER 50
Balor
