Page 18 of Daring the Drakarn Warrior Lord
"That's it," I encouraged. "Take what you need from me."
I increased the pace slightly, still controlled but with more force behind each thrust. The sound of our bodies joining filled the quarters, obscene and perfect. The wet slide of my cock into her, the slap of skin against scales. Her scent surrounded me, thick with arousal and satisfaction. The mate-bond sang between us, pleasure feeding back and forth until I couldn't tell where mine ended and hers began.
When she came the second time, it was harder. Her entire body locked up, clenching around my cock with enough force to make me see stars. I followed her over with a roar, my cock pulsing as I came inside her, filling her with my cum while that clever tip continued to stroke, drawing out both our pleasure until we were both shaking.
I collapsed beside her, careful not to crush her, and pulled her against my chest. She came willingly, tucking herself into the curve of my body like she belonged there.
Because she did.
My tail wrapped around her calf. My wing draped over us both, creating a cocoon of warmth and safety. Her head rested over my heart, and I felt her breathing slow, steadying as the aftershocks faded.
For a while, we just lay there. No words. No need.
Then she stirred.
"I think I should do it. The Skalanth."
My hand stilled on her back. "Terra."
"Hear me out." She pushed up on her elbow to look at me. "I'm not saying I'd win. I know I wouldn't. But participating, showing that I'm willing to subject myself to the same trials the warriors face, that would mean something. Wouldn't it?"
"It would mean you're reckless."
"Or brave."
"Bravery and stupidity often look the same." I sat up, forcing her to move with me. "You're talking about entering a competition designed for Drakarn warriors. You don't have wings to navigate the vertical sections. You don't have our strength to break through barriers. You don't have scales to protect you when you fall."
"I have training. Skill. Intelligence."
"Which won't matter when a warrior twice your size knocks you off a wall. You coulddie."
"People die crossing the street back on Earth."
"This isn't Earth. And you're not just anyone. You're my mate. The Warrior Lord's consort. If something happened to you—" I cut myself off before I could finish that thought. Before I could voice the violence that would follow if she was harmed. "You've already proven yourself. A dozen times over."
"To you. To the humans. Maybe to some of the Blade Council." She shook her head. "But not to the traditionalists. Not to the warriors who see me as weakness. Not to Karyseth and her followers who think I'm corrupting everything they hold sacred."
"Their opinions don't matter."
"They do if they affect how I'm treated. How mypeopleare treated." She moved away from me, putting distance between us. "You can protect me from direct threats. But you can't protect me from being dismissed, from being seen as less than, from being treated like I'm only here because of who I'm mated to instead of who I am."
The words hit harder than they should have. Because she was right. I could kill anyone who tried to harm her. Could destroy anyone who threatened her directly. But I couldn't change minds. Couldn't force respect or acceptance.
"The Skalanth won't change that," I said.
"Maybe not. But I need to try something." She wrapped her arms around herself, a defensive gesture that made my chest ache.
"No," I said.
"No?"
"I'm not agreeing to this. Not tonight. Not without more thought." I stood from the platform and crossed to where she'd left her blade and picked it up. The edge was sharp enough to split stone. "Whatever brought this on, whatever happened to make you think participating in the Skalanth is necessary, we'regoing to talk about it. Really talk about it. Not dance around it or deflect or seduce each other into forgetting the conversation."
She looked away. "Nothing happened."
"Luvae."
"I'm serious. Nothing worth mentioning."
