Chapter Twenty-One

 

Dane’s mind whirled as three things happened at once. Drakus fell to his knees. Daryk Ones surged from the jungle. The dragon roared and surged. The Daryk Ones holding it lost their grip and fell to the ground.

Dane allowed all his extraordinary strength and battle fever to fill his muscles.

Dane darted away from the fight toward Ketera. She struggled against the ropes as the dragon took a step toward her. The dragon’s fury turned to its right as its wings spread and with three huge leaps, the creature was upon him.

The dragon didn’t care about Ketera.

It wanted him.

Dane charged the beast.

A huge wing came down toward Dane as the dragon’s mouth opened wide. Dane stared into the purple maw, half expecting jaws to clamp down. Dane twisted to miss the crushing wing and mouth.

“Dane!”

Ketera’s scream echoed in his mind, and as he rolled out from under the dragon, he realized she must have thought the dragon had eaten him.

Empowered by his escape, Dane ignored the men fighting nearby, his opponent prone on the ground. He’d free Ketera, but the dragon had to go first.

As he came out from under the dragon’s shadow, he pinpointed all his concentration on the beast. He drew back, and with tremendous momentum, heaved the sword toward the beast’s belly. Above Dane lightning splintered the sky with dagger fingers. Water poured down from the heavens.

The sword hit.

The dragon came to a complete stop, its hateful green eyes rolling wildly. With a cry that echoed across the jungle through the pounding rain and fighting men, the dragon started to fall. At impact the ground actually trembled beneath Dane’s feet. When the beast’s heaving breath puffed out in a great expiration, Dane ran toward the creature, grabbed the hilt of his sword and yanked it free.

Dane’s surprise at the easy kill couldn’t overwhelm his amazement to see Samhala cutting Ketera loose from her restraints. Dane charged toward them, still not trusting Samhala. As the ropes fell away from Ketera, she rushed toward him.

He gathered her against him with his left arm, his bloody sword still in his right hand. She trembled against him, and he crushed her to him, his lips finding hers in one desperate kiss. Her arms came around his neck. As he broke the kiss, the fighting nearby caught his attention.

“Where did Samhala go?” Ketera asked.

“Don’t know. But we have to get out of here.”

He grabbed her hand and broke into a run. No time to fight with Minilos or the other Daryk Ones who’d found their way here to help. No time to ask why. It was better to head for Grimnald Castle and learn the truth later. Dane half expected a rogue to come after them, but Minilos’ band of men kept them occupied.

Minilos ran to them. “Get your mate to safety. We’ll take care of this mess here.”

Dane nodded. “Thank you. I owe you one.”

Minilos laughed. “You owe me more than one.”

As they plunged into the jungle, the rain continued to saturate them. Hair flopped in his face, and he shook his head to get it out of the way. The jungle came at them from all directions, sodden leaves and mud sucking at their feet. Rain lashed at them with tremendous force. Ketera stumbled and was torn from his arms. She slid partway down a hill.

“Ketera!” He shouted into the wind. When he reached her, he lifted her into his arms and ran with her.

She didn’t protest, and he felt her shivering in his arms. So he just kept running.

And running.

* * * * *

Ketera awakened in a familiar place, her body wrapped in safety and warmth. During their headlong flight to escape, Dane had carried her a good portion of the way. She’d protested, but he wouldn’t listen. Eventually he put her down and they kept running. Finally the cave they’d taken shelter in before came into view. They’d collapsed inside, Dane gathering her close as they sat together in quiet. As she took in their surroundings, she noticed dawn had come and the relentless rain had stopped.

She shifted in Dane’s arms and took stock of his expression. His eyes opened, their beautiful intensity showing complete calm. His gaze shone with warmth and appreciation that started a tingle in her lower belly. Arousal rose swiftly. She reached up to touch his cheek and the bristly beard rasped over her palm.

“I thought I’d lost you,” she said.

His smile was slow and sensual, his eyes beautiful without the Vedic red to obscure their true color. “You could never lose me. You’re my mate.”

She sighed, peace coming over her until she thought of her father. She had cried in Dane’s arms when they reached the cave, but didn’t know if the strain of their recent experience caused her to cry. She thought of her father, her guilt searing.

“You’re thinking of your father,” Dane said.

She peered at him. “How did you know?”

He brushed a tender touch over her hair. “The same way I knew you were in danger. The rumors about a strong mate bond are true.”

“I’m so grateful you knew to come for me. I…I was trying to be strong but…”

He feathered kisses over her forehead. “You are the bravest woman I’ve ever known.”

Tears flooded her eyes but she resisted them. “Thank you. I don’t feel strong.”

A weary smile touched his lips. “You’ve had so many things happen in a short time. Give yourself time to recover.”

“Father needed me and I couldn’t help him.” Anger returned to swamp the pain.

“You did what you could.” He hugged her close. “Right now we need to worry about us. Drakus is alive and he won’t let this end here.”

“He’ll come after us?”

“Perhaps. I think civil war is coming.”

She sighed, inevitability settling over her. “I think so too.” Silence surrounded them for a short time. “I thought you were dead.”

He peppered more kisses along her face. “You know it’s not easy to kill me.”

“Drakus told me you were killed at the castle. I shouldn’t have believed him.”

He explained how the donjon had fallen and severely injured him. “At that time I thought you were safely on your way to Magonia.”

He kissed her, and she felt the desperation in their physical need. “Dane, I can’t imagine doing this without you now.”

“We’ve come a long way, sprite. You used to hate this wild land and me.”

She winced. “Hate is strong, but I’ll admit I feel far different than I did when I first met you.”

“If there isn’t anything left in Magonia for you, will you stay in Dragonia with me?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“You’d give up Magonia for me?”

She knew it now without regret. “Yes. I’m not the same person you met.”

He grinned, and it was full of mischief. He pulled her over onto his lap so that she straddled him. She could feel his solid erection pressing against her sensitive core. “You changed me.”

“Me? How so?”

“You taught me restraint. I’m not the wild man of Dragonia anymore.”

His smile held enough teasing, she knew he was only half serious. “I do not believe that.”

He cupped her face. “Believe it. More than once you’ve shown me something I never believed was possible for me. I never thought a woman could love me.” His gaze caressed her face. “More than that, I never thought I wanted a woman to love me before I met you.”

She reached for him, her heart full despite her grief over her father. Their lips met. Sexual heat engulfed her, but so did exhaustion. Lovemaking would have to wait.

They left the cave soon after, eager to return to the castle. What they found there surprised them. As they cleared the jungle, the massive fortress gleamed gray in the late morning sunlight. The ground was soggy as they tromped through mud and crushed foliage as they headed toward the structure. People poured across the drawbridge in significant numbers. While the castle sheltered many individuals, the amount entering the castle seemed excessive.

“What’s going on?” she asked as they brought up the rear of the long line.

Dane glanced around. “People are scared. As soon as my fight with Drakus becomes known, there will be more fear. War is inevitable.”

“Has that ever happened before? War on this continent?”

“Many hundreds of years ago. But not for a long time now. People won’t know how to react.”

“A warlike people who don’t know how to fight a war?”

He clasped her upper arm in a proprietary fashion, his gaze scanning the crowd. “Fighting is something we do well, but on a small scale. War is going to be…” He shook his head, disgust pouring over his features. “War on this continent will be a special kind of hell.”

Shuddering deep inside with apprehension, she shifted closer to Dane. “What will we do?”

“Take things one step at a time.”

She turned her gaze to him as his arm curled around her shoulders to bring her tightly against him.

“Do you trust me?” he asked softly.

“Of course.”

“Whatever happens next, we’ll get through it.”

Right that moment Minilos walked toward them from the jungle, as did a large contingent of Daryk Ones. Finius was with them.

“They’re alive,” she said in relief.

“Of course.” Dane squeezed her gently. “If anyone could kick rogue ass it would be Minilos.”

After greeting the Daryk Ones, who headed toward the drawbridge, Dane and Ketera greeted Minilos and Finius.

“How did you survive that mess at Drakus’ camp, old man?” Dane shook hands with Minilos “And why did you come to help?”

“I decided if you were killed this castle would go all to hell.” Minilos grinned. “And I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving your ass out there, hanging in the wind. This fine lady was in danger too.” Minilos swiped his right forearm over his forehead, a cocky twinkle in his eyes. “As it is, those rogues are not as manly as they think they are.”

Her stomach churned. “Did you kill them all?”

“Hardly. Something interfered.”

“Interfered?” Dane asked.

Minilos was cut and bruised and Finius appeared even more ragged. They both bore the marks of hard battle, yet both of them wore a smile.

“Drakus halted the fight before we could kill them.” Finius seemed almost lighthearted.

Dane’s face twisted into disbelief and he slid his arm around Ketera again. “He stopped the fight?”

“After you spared his life, he decided in order to honor you he would stop the fight. If you can believe that shite.” Minilos grunted in total disgust.

Ketera couldn’t believe it either. “How very odd. Do you think he has a conscience after all?”

Finius snorted, but then his gaze slid to Dane. “Perhaps he did it because you are his brother. Perhaps he has some respect.”

Dane shook his head. “It’s possible but not probable. More likely he wants to regroup and come back stronger than before.”

“Drakus isn’t finished,” Finius said. “He will return to full form soon enough.”

“Whatever his reason, we’re here now,” Minilos said.

Minilos reached for Ketera’s hand and squeezed it, all humor disappearing from his eyes. “We also rescued the Daryk One who was sent to find word of your father. He told us about your father. My deepest sympathy.”

A lump grew in her throat, but she managed to hold back the tears threatening to choke her. “Thank you, Minilos. And thank you for helping us escape Drakus and his men.”

Minilos actually flushed when she squeezed his hand. “You would do the same for me, my lady.”

She smiled. “Yes. I think I would.”

His eyebrows winged up as he laughed. “You think?”

Dane groaned. “Are you going to stand here all day and flirt with my woman?”

“Me?” Minilos waggled his eyebrows. His eyes turned serious again. “We saw Samhala. She told me how she betrayed me and offered her head.”

Ketera’s stomach tossed. “What?”

“Not to worry,” Minilos said. “Though her betrayal could have killed us all, I understand why she did it. We found her mate and rescued him as well. They’re together now.”

Ketera felt something ease inside her. “Good.”

Weariness threatened Ketera’s equilibrium. Dane drew her against his chest and kissed his forehead. “We need to take you inside where you can rest.”

She decided she wouldn’t argue with that. After promising to stay safe and to make contact later, Dane and Ketera proceeded into the castle and headed directly for his quarters. When they stripped of all their clothes and headed to the bathing room, they found energy in the shower of water that cleansed them.

Dane touched her gently, as if he were afraid she might break, and she did the same. Cuts and bruises dented both of them, and sore muscles assured that sex wouldn’t happen though her body sang with need.

At least, that’s what she believed.

Dane’s eyes turned red, redder than she’d ever seen them. Except when he fought Drakus.

His nostrils flared the slightest bit, his hands moved over her quickly. “I can’t make love to you now. I might hurt you. I want you too much.”

“Make love to me.” She wanted it more than anything. “I need to touch you. More. I need all of you. Not just the safe part. Not just the parts you want me to see. After all we’ve been through, I need everything you have to give me.”

His eyes calmed momentarily, his soul in his gaze. Love simmered in those eyes. “I am yours.”

Without another word, he stood beneath the water and began to kiss his way down her body one moment by one moment. Every inch of her skin surrendered under his lips, his fingers close after with touches so tender they resembled the brush of a feather. She shivered under his exquisite attention, craving the time when he allowed himself to let go and take her with abandon. For only then would she know Dane in his glory. She expected him lift her in his arms and pound his cock into her already-hot core. Instead he reached her pubic mound and parted her legs. He took a second to glance up and the red was back. She spread her legs wider and he found her clit. One sweep of hot tongue, slick and urgent, made her body shiver in a drowning desire that threatened to pull her under. His tongue drew her higher with each sweet flick and swirl. He speared his tongue between her pussy lips and his thumb swept over her clit. She gasped, grabbed his head and held him in place. He couldn’t leave her now. The water cascaded down, flowing and easing her muscles. Making it easier to close her eyes and sink into the luscious moment. She quivered, gasped as the pleasure rose. The wet brush of his tongue circled her pussy lips and teased one gasp after another from her lips. Her clit heated and tingled under each brush of his thumb. It wasn’t enough. Magon, it wasn’t enough. Her fingers twisted in his hair as her head tipped back and water flowed down her face.

She gasped. “Dane.”

He paused and for an agonizing moment she thought he’d quit. Instead he slowly pushed two thick fingers inside her and started to rub a special spot inside her. The pleasure shot to the top as she cried out, whimpering and twisting. He flicked his tongue over her clit and fucked her with his fingers, driving toward a pinnacle. Climax slammed into her so hard she couldn’t hold back the frantic cry that tore from her throat. When she stopped gasping for breath and the pleasure had come down, he picked her up in his arms and laid her gently on the bed. His cock, hard and thick, slipped easily between her swollen pussy lips and she opened herself wide to his possession. Heat engulfed her as his cock pressed deep. He rested within her, and the solid bulk of his flesh surrounded her in pleasure. In that moment he was everything she needed and the burning desire in his eyes said no other woman would ever do for him again.

She cupped his face and smiled. “My mate.”

“Forever.”

His hips started a rhythm, a pumping that sent tremors of hot arousal flaring deep inside her pussy. He groaned against her throat, out of control and unable to show the sweet side. He was animal now. He eased out of her.

“No,” she said.

“Turn over. I want you from behind.”

Excited by the idea, she turned over and pressed her ass to him. He pushed aside her wet hair and kissed her neck. If she’d thought he planned to fuck her into oblivion, she was probably right.

He lunged into her, slamming deep as she groaned and pushed back against the ruthless attention he gave her body. His hands grasped her hips and dug in, moving her with each thrust and teaching her the motion.

“Please.” She threw away any thought but reaching the top with him, of branding him on her soul.

Dane kept the pace, his body an instrument for her pleasure and everything about him designed to motivate her to surrender. Slick friction teased her to the heights until she moved with him in ways she’d never moved before, her tightness clenching over his cock. Shivering with indescribable pleasure, she soared to climax as it racked her body with tremors. It fired in her clit, in the depths of her womanhood. Orgasm took over her mind and washed it in pleasure. He wasn’t done, his guttural utterances testimony to his primal reaction. He fucked her with new force, each gasp from his throat showing how she affected him. Each time he bottomed out, she cried out. Higher, higher they moved toward the plateau.

Incredibly a firestorm rose she couldn’t deny. It entered her skin, cascaded over her body in tingles that told her this time was different. Dane’s cries of need rose higher until the manly, feral sounds ripped from his throat. He thrust wildly and climax shook her again, the pleasure going on and on until she sagged to the bed. Dane slipped from her immediately and fell onto the bedside her. Gathering her into his arms, he cuddled her close.

“Stay with me forever,” he said, breath rasping in his throat.

“Yes. Wherever we are. Forever.”