DarykHunter (22 page)

His mouth trailed over her cheek and found her neck. Tingles raced up and down Ketera. She moaned, her breath coming shorter and shorter as arousal kidnapped her. In and out. In and out. His finger slid back and forth easily. Finally he drew it out, and for a moment she feared he’d leave her frustrated. No. He edged another finger inside and thrust. Two fingers spread her open, and she gasped as he worked them gently, tutoring her flesh. He removed his fingers slowly and then proceeded to rinse soap from their bodies. He backed her against the wall as the water continued to cascade down upon them.

He cupped her ass in both hands. “Put your legs around my waist.”

As he lifted her, she circled his waist and his cock slid into her pussy in one smooth thrust. She gasped as his broad length spread her walls, the ache deep within her rising high with one stroke then another.

She grabbed his shoulders as her eyes locked with his. The intimacy surprised her, shocked her down to the very core.

“Dane.” Her voice sounded soft to her own ears, breathy with passion.

“Take me deep.” His eyes flared the hottest she’d seen them as his hands tightened on her buttocks. “Come on my cock.”

His rough, blatantly sexual request shocked her. He hammered once. Twice. The third time he hit extra deep and touched a spot inside her that ignited to life. All the fire banked inside her broke loose as she came with a startled cry of pure bliss. Her pussy pulsed along the thick cock buried inside her, and she shook within as the tingling ecstasy spread through her cunny and her entire body.

She buried her face against his shoulder, expecting him to continue. He stopped and lowered her feet to the floor.

He cupped her face, and although the fire remained in his eyes, his smile was tender. “That was beautiful, sprite.”

He reached and turned off the water, startling her. She whispered in disappointment, “I thought we were going to…” How did she say it?

“We are. On the bed, where it’s easier.”

“Oh.” Her face burned a little, her innocence an embarrassment in that moment.

Dane’s smile didn’t mock her. He took her hand. “Don’t dry off. It’s better wet.”

The heat in his eyes as he said “wet” incinerated her the way the star above heated the planet. She followed him as he led into the bedroom. Even though the air was cool, she didn’t care. Within a moment or two, she’d discovered a new fire.

“On your hands and knees on the bed, sprite.”

His husky voice gave instructions without sounding demanding, and she wanted to hug him for it. This was all so new. So amazing. Had any of her married friends back on Magonia discovered this? She doubted it. Sex, they’d said in hushed tones, was unremarkable.

She climbed onto the bed, and when he moved behind her, she stiffened a little. “Dane?”

“Yes, my sweet?”

“Will it hurt?”

“No. Never with you. Never with my mate.”

He leaned over her, cupped her breasts. He tweaked her nipples gently then kissed her spine. One kiss followed another, a chain of splendor as he heightened her need. By the time he reached the top of her buttocks, she felt like melted pudding.

Then his cock touched between her buttocks. She wanted to open to him, to let him know this dark place inside her. She leaned forward until her face was on the bed and used her hands to open herself to him.

“By the god,” was his tight, husky whisper. “By Draconus you are pretty, my sprite.”

He used some of the feminine cream flowing from her body to moisten her entrance. He spent what seemed a lifetime teasing her opening, brushing over it, kissing her butt cheeks until she moaned with excitement.

A moment later he pushed his cock head against her opening. Gently he tested her and eased his hardness inside until her body opened to admit him. She gasped as his cock head entered and rested inside her. It was the strangest, most amazing sensation she’d encountered. The fullness brought her a new level of arousal. She ached for something more, some primal urge to mate hard building inside her like a firestorm. She moaned again and pushed up on her palms.

“Ketera? Am I hurting you?”

“No. More.”

Again he edged into her, back and forth. Back and forth. Just his cock head pierced her, working the flesh over and over. In and out he fucked her gently until her body gave more permission. Deeper now. Deeper. She panted, surprised at how the feeling pulsed into her vagina and tingled in her pleasure button. She reached up, found that spot and swept her fingers over it.

Wild pleasure pulsed inside her. “Yes.” Her word was choked with honest pleasure. “Please.”

“Please what?” His hips worked, still not giving her more than the tip of his cock.

In. Out. In. Out.

“More.”

He moved a little harder and faster. His cock went deeper yet. Deeper. Each thrust brought him farther into her body, and his thickness felt like a hot rod. She moaned, not caring if anyone heard her.

“More.” Her insistent demand was answered as he pushed a little harder and slipped in farther.

Before she knew it, his rhythm quickened, and so did the pace of her fingers teasing her bud.

“That’s it.” His voice had gone guttural. “Pleasure yourself.”

She lost all her last inhibitions, the pleasure so astonishing she couldn’t imagine not having it over and over.

“Can you take all of me?” he asked, breath panting, his voice guttural with unrestrained sex.

“Yes.”

Another stroke and he went deep, the base of his cock up against her ass cheeks. By the god, he was inside her all the way. The idea fired every last need into full motion. She moved with him, fingers busy on her pleasure center, hips swaying. He leaned over her, his hips churning in a slow thrust and drag that worked his cock deep in her ass. Her pleasure button stung with rising excitement, her breath puffing from between her lips as she moaned nonstop. She couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t. Desperate, she thrust two fingers inside her pussy and caressed her channel. The pleasure was astonishing. He clasped her hips and moved faster, his cock moving in her dark channel. A second later she exploded, her button firing to life as her pussy rippled.

Pumping steadily, his groans rising, Dane gave her one last hard thrust and came with a shuttering groan. Heat filled her ass as he poured inside her. Dane remained slumped over her, his cock buried deep until he gently inched from inside her. She sighed, replete with a content she’d never expected after the erotic, forbidden act they’d just performed. He helped her from the bed and they returned to the bathing room long enough to cleanse themselves.

“If I keep this up, I shall be as wrinkled as a hag,” she said, heat suffusing her body at the memory of what they’d done.

He laughed. “Possibly. We need to dress. As much as I’d like to keep you naked in my arms, I fear there is no time to waste. We need to keep watch.”

So they dried off, clothed themselves and cuddled on the bed to wait for battle to come.

Chapter Fourteen

Outside Dane’s quarters, Ketera heard the sound of a fight. Shouts. Angry cursing.

Dane shoved his feet into his boots. “War has come.”

Fear rose so high she thought she’d choke on it. Instead, she took a deep breath and forced it down deep where it couldn’t escape. “I’ll come with you.”

She dragged on her boots and readied to depart, her hand going for his dagger on the bedside table.

He stayed her hand. “No. I told you. Stay here. As worthy a fighter as you are, your life depends on you staying here. If the fighting becomes too fierce, if I don’t come for you by nightfall, you must leave. Remember, take the cave to the tavern and find Minilos. I stopped by the tavern earlier to let him know you might be joining him—”

“No.” She hated the thought and stood in a rush of defiant motion. “I can’t. I won’t leave here without you.”

He stood with her and cupped her shoulders, his fingers digging in a little as his face turned hard with admonition. “Damn the hells, Ketera! You must do this one thing for me above all else. If I think you’re going to join me I won’t be able to fight. I will make a mistake trying to protect you. I won’t be able to perform my duty as a Daryk One. There are things I might do in battle that I don’t want you to see. And I would die if I thought those things would make you think any less of me. Beyond that, I have to know you’re safe. Take pity on me.”

His plea was so sincere, his pleading blazing true in his eyes that she couldn’t refuse him.

“Dane—”

“Promise me, damn it. Promise me.”

She cupped his face, traced her fingers over the stubble already forming on his handsome jaw.

Treacherous tears burned her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall. “I promise.”

“As the god Draconus is my witness, it will keep me alive knowing that you are safe somewhere. Even if it is on Magonia.” He swallowed hard. “Even without me.”

He pressed a hard, desperate kiss against her lips then released her. He grabbed his belt with his sword and donned it then quickly put on his breastplate.

“Gather food and money and put it in the pack on the table,” he said, the order firm.

She complied, hurrying. She had it put together quickly, and that’s when he took her arm and swung her toward him. His eyes held a haunted expression she knew she’d never forget as long as she lived. Dane took her in his arms and placed the most tender kiss on her mouth. Before she could respond, he released her and headed for the door.

Her heart spasmed and fear assaulted her. “Wait.”

His hand on the doorknob, he stopped and waited.

“Please.” She’d never liked begging before. Then again, she’d never felt what she did for this man before. “Come back to me.”

“No matter where you are, sprite, there is always a part of you in here.” Dane balled his fist and pressed it to his chest. “When this is over, no matter where you are, I will find you.”

With that, he grabbed a dull silver helmet off the table and placed it over his head. It was the strangest thing she’d ever seen. With a high ridge along the top that made him look like a ridgeback lizard, a nose plate and with eyes and jaw unprotected, he looked every inch the warrior.

With a nod and a bow, he said, “My lady Ketera.” He turned and left.

She rushed to the door and locked it, took the key. She balled her hands into fists and pressed them to the wooden door, knowing that war would find its way through this soon enough. She pressed so hard her hands hurt and the key bit into her palm. Drawing back with a cry of frustration and grief, she stowed the key into the pocket. On legs that trembled, she settled into one chair at the table and waited.

* * * * *

When Dane walked into the sunlight, he found the world already in chaos.

Men and children ran about, much as they had when the dragon threatened the castle. Dane’s battle rage rose to the surface, as it did with any Daryk One. His blood stirred fiercely, a desire to protect the castle with all his might.

“Trebuchet! Trebuchet!” A Daryk One yelled from the top of a tower. “They’ve arrived!”

Dane sprinted down the stairs outside his quarters and across the courtyard, dodging the crowd as he went. He arrived at the tower and ran inside to take the circular stone stairs as quickly as he could. By the time he made it to the top, he was just in time to see men below working on setting up a massive trebuchet. From the way it was set up, he realized it would be some time before they managed to put it all together.

Another Daryk One, a man named Kilar, leaned over the edge in an attempt to see below. “They’re marshalling close to the moat as well.”

Before Dane could move, a shout from beyond the trebuchet caught his attention. Two archers drew back and fired.

Dane gestured at Kilar. “Get down!”

The man ducked. “By the hells!”

Dane started toward the stairs. “I’ll check the other towers.”

It didn’t take long to assess the situation. At each tower men crowded the ramparts, ready to fight. Archers gathered in the lower floors of the towers.

It didn’t take long to discover that even though the castle stood ready, the force outside would prove tough to quell. Dane took a deep breath. He wanted to go back to bed and fill himself with Ketera’s love. A woman had never looked at him the way she did, had never torn him up inside with desires and needs the way she did. Now that he’d realized she was his mate, he couldn’t return to pretending otherwise. Deep inside him fear ate away at his confidence for the first time in his life. He feared for her life, wished he could be with her as she made her way back to Magonia. But not right now. Not now.

A mere moment later he heard one sound he didn’t expect.

A dragon’s roar.

What in Draconus’ arse—?

It didn’t make any sense. He supposed a dragon would see a large crowd of fighting men outside as a healthy meal and be attracted to the fight. Not likely.

Concerned, he returned to the tower above and found Kilar crouched next to a wall and peering over. Kilar turned immediately, dagger drawn until he saw Dane.

“You are not going to believe this,” the other Daryk One said. “They’ve got a fuckin’ dragon on a leash.” He snorted. “A halter, anyway.”

Dane crawled along until he could crouch along the wall as well. He stopped near Kilar and looked over. “By all that is holy.”

Sure enough, a sithmyan dragon from the harsh deserts of the Ithaycan. “They must have bought it off a trader in Austos Castle.”

“They keep tame dragons there?”

“Tame as they can be. It’s said that too many of the Daryk Ones at Austos have become rogues. That would explain the easy access to a domesticated dragon.”

Kilar’s face expressed utter amazement, but they didn’t have time for this. “Kilar, we’ll need something far more powerful to defeat a sithmyan dragon.”

Kilar frowned. “We will? But we can kill any dragon out there.”

“Not with the Daryk Ones and the trebuchet at their disposal.”

“What then?”

“We are strong. Far stronger than the average man. We can’t let Drakus and his men defeat us or everything we believe in will be destroyed. We must stay strong and protect all the innocents here. Do anything you have to. I know those are Daryk Ones we’re fighting against, but we can’t falter.”