Page 11 of Sacrificed to the Dragon

They ascended the steps and Tristan stopped them in front of Bram. The clan leader’s blue eyes pierced hers, but she was prepared for it this time. She said, “Hello again.”

Bram put out a hand and she placed hers on top of his. His grip was firm and solid, but she didn’t get a thrill from this man’s firm touch as she had with Tristan’s.

The clan leader kissed her hand, and she heard a growl from behind her, not quite certain why Tristan would growl at his clan leader. Or had Melanie broken some unwritten cultural rule?

Before she could ask, Bram straightened up and released her hand. In contrast to his earlier tough, almost grumpy composure back during their meeting, a smile now tugged at his lips. He gestured with his head toward the center of the dais. “Come. Let’s get the formalities over with so that we can eat and you can start to relax.”

She doubted she would be able to relax for weeks, if ever, but she nodded, anxious to get this whole process over with.

Bram raised a hand and the hall fell quiet. When he spoke, his voice was loud and clear, and in English. “We are gathered here to welcome our newest female sacrifice. Her name is Melanie Hall. Tristan MacLeod has been assigned as her male. As with previous contracts, we have guaranteed her safety for the next six months. Each and every one of us will do whatever it takes to protect her.”

A few people muttered words she couldn’t understand, but as Bram scanned the room, the hall went deadly quiet again.

Bram continued, “Per tradition, we’ll now finalize Tristan’s claim on the sacrifice with the First Kiss.”

She blinked. A first kiss? Here, in front of all these people?

Bram turned toward her and Melanie forced her gaze from the crowd of people to Bram’s deep blue eyes. “You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to Clan Stonefire, and while this has been finalized on paper, it is our tradition for the male in charge of you to solidify his claim to the entire clan by kissing you in front of everyone, which will guarantee his protection.” He motioned with his hand and she felt Tristan’s heat beside her again. “Tristan MacLeod, is there something you’d like to ask our guest?”

She turned toward Tristan. It took everything she had to look at his eyes and not his lips.

His brown eyes were unreadable. While she wished they were full of heat in anticipation of her kiss, the sight was far better than disgust or contempt. As she waited for him to speak, her heart pounded in her chest. Would it be a mere peck or the full-on, tongue-twirling variety?

He opened his mouth to speak and she stopped breathing.

* * *

As Tristan waitedfor Bram to say all the necessary formalities, his inner dragon urged him to pull Melanie flush up against his body and kiss her already. The kiss did more than physically show his claim in front of the clan; it also covered the sacrifice in his scent, which would help to keep the other males away.

But Tristan was stronger than his dragon, and he maintained the distance between their bodies. If he was going to survive tasting Melanie for the first time, without taking her right there on the stage, he needed to prepare himself.

He took slow, controlled breaths and imagined scratching his dragon’s nose, and then behind his ear. Before long, his inner dragon was crooning in contentment. Inside his mind, Tristan said,You and I can have her soon. Until then, let the human part of us take care of her.

His dragon seemed to settle, trusting Tristan at his word.

And just in time, too. Bram asked, “Tristan MacLeod, is there something you’d like to ask our guest?”

Tristan kept his features expressionless as Melanie turned toward him, her cheeks flushed. He could hear her heart racing, but the question was whether it was because she was nervous or because she was aroused at the idea of kissing him.

Rather than think on it, he said in a loud, clear voice, “Ms. Melanie Hall, will you do me the honor of allowing me to show my promise to protect you with a First Kiss?”

She swallowed, but then quickly nodded.

He took a step toward her and raised his hands to her cheeks. Melanie sucked in a breath at his touch, and he simultaneously felt a little thrill from the heat of her soft skin. Right here, right now, she looked innocent and vulnerable; nothing like the fiery woman who’d stood up to him a few hours ago.

If she were a dragon-shifter female, he’d probably kiss her and never let go.

But she was human, and he needed to be careful. He’d give her a quick peck and then somehow survive the rest of the celebration and the following day.

He gave his inner beast one last soothing sound before he stroked her cheek and lowered his head to meet her lips.

Her lips were soft, warm, and tasted of woman. The contact shot straight to his cock, and suddenly, the quick peck wasn’t enough. He needed to feel the moist warmth of her mouth. His inner dragon roared that he wanted, no needed, to discover her taste.

He could’ve fought his beast, but with Melanie’s scent surrounding him and the softness of her skin under his fingers, he couldn’t make himself pull away.

Instead, Tristan traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, but she didn’t open. With a growl, he moved one of his hands from her face to her waist and hauled her lush body up against his.

Melanie gasped the instant her softness came up against his hard body and he took advantage, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Her taste was a mixture of woman and something sweet, a biscuit perhaps, and he was desperate for more. He gave one stroke, then another, learning the contours and feel of her mouth.

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