Dragons Don't Love (12 page)

He stops trying to connect with my
shin. “I will judge whether to forgive you based on the gift, Uncle
Laryn. You must remember to fear me as you would any great
dragon.”

It’s nearly impossible to keep from
rolling my eyes. He’s always been a handful. This is why I care for
him so dearly. He runs to my bags, which I set down just inside the
room with the others. I turn to my bride and see the smile playing
on her lips. She actually winks at me and I want to depart now and
take her to bed.

“
Introduce us, please,” Sarn
requests in a businesslike, stern voice that is so unlike him. I
bristle. He’s angry at the world and I try to let it go. Taking my
bride’s arm, I draw her closer. “Bride, this is Sarn.”

His gaze leaves her and he turns to
me. “She does not have a name? You call her bride?”

Smoke drifts from my nostrils. I’ve
never asked for her name. “Bride of Laryn will do,” I snap
back.

He turns back to my bride and takes
one step too close. “If you are ever tired of this oaf, let me know
and I will show you what a real dragon does with a
bride.”

I shove him away so hard he flies
against a cabinet and knocks it over. Bastian and Tahr are between
us before I knock Sarn’s teeth out.

“
That’s enough,” Bastian
shouts as Sarn takes his feet and comes at me. Tahr grabs
him.

“
Why do you think your bride
deserves to be safe?” Sarn spits out. “You stole Acasia and there
are no longer rules.”

That pisses me off more. “There have
never been rules, you idiot. If you can’t keep your woman, then
she’s fair game.”

“
Enough,” Bastian blares.
Now he’s angry at me too. I turn to my bride. Her hand rests on the
handle of the halberd. She nods her head and all the fury leaves my
body. She’s willing to take on a room full of dragons with no
questions asked.

Acasia approaches Sarn and places her
hand on his arm. “It’s over, Sarn. Has been over for a long time.
My son watches you.”

We all turn to Ashrac. He holds a
small jeweled train engine in his hands. I’ve had it for years. I
knew he would enjoy it. I walk over and place my hand against his
back. “Uncle Laryn and Uncle Sarn needed to get that out of the
way, Ashrac. It is the way small-minded dragons behave. Even though
your mother is a fierce dragon in her own right, it’s your job to
protect the women. Chivalry demands we take care of them before
ourselves.” I know Acasia will forgive me for making her appear
weak. As badass as I know I am, I’m no match for a mother
dragon.

Ashrac gives me his most serious look.
“You and Uncle Sarn need a time-out. When my temper gets the best
of me, that’s what I must do.”

I look at Sarn, who no longer needs
anyone holding him back. He appears embarrassed. We will finish
this discussion outside. The matter needs to be dropped once and
for all. I gaze at Tahr. “Do you need to come outside with me and
Sarn and take part in our time-out?”

Tahr doesn’t answer, he just walks to
me and wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me in for a
quick man-hug. “No, brother. I’m good. The two of you go out and we
will comfort your bride while she meets the rest of us.”

I grin and nod her way. “Don’t let her
size fool you; the last thing my bride needs at this moment is
comfort. She’s quite upset we didn’t start a small war that she
could finish.”

All eyes go to my bride. She slowly
removes her hand from the sheath strap. “I wouldn’t mind attending
your time-out and teaching your… friend a few manners,” she says
while casting an angry gaze at Sarn.

“
But Bride of Laryn… you
must stay in here. You are in no trouble.”

She looks down at Ashrac. “You’re
right, oh mightiest of warriors. But if the two of them don’t
behave, you can help me knock their heads together.” She glares
back at Sarn over the young boy’s head.

What a fine bride she is!

Chapter Twenty-One

Roxanne

He doesn’t know my name and it
hurts.

After the opening introduction and the
extended time-out for the two dragons, Laryn returns. His and
Sarn’s clothing are slightly disheveled but if there was blood they
cleaned it off. Laryn remains by my side for the rest of the
evening. I know of Calista, Sarn’s bride. Her name and that of
Meagan and Acasia as well as all the past brides are spoken of with
reverence. To sacrifice yourself to a dragon is the highest honor a
woman in my village can achieve. Of course, everyone believes they
go to their death. It doesn’t matter what they say to keep the
brides from living in fear of the claiming. The village sacrifices
the few to save the many. I had hoped by killing the dragon, the
villagers would see what they do as wrong. The brides have no true
life until one of them is chosen. The tradition is horrible and
must be stopped.

Meagan is old and frail. I don’t
question Tahr’s love for her. You can see it in the attention he
gives her. In only a short time, he will be as Sarn. I do not want
that for my dragon. I love him, but he must never love
me.

Ashrac goes to bed when he begins
yawning, and his mother and father tuck him in. The train engine
never left his hands the entire time he stayed with the adults. The
card game begins. I’ve never played, so Laryn teaches me. Meagan
plays and every once in a while Tahr assists her when she’s not
sure what she’s doing.

“
No, darling, you want this
card.” She smiles at him and I see the beauty of her youth. When
Tahr smiles at her, I see in his eyes that she’s never
changed.

Laryn notices me watching them and
squeezes my hand beneath the table. I play my trick and take the
hand. My dragon has given me gold coins to play with. My pile stays
about the same throughout the evening while his grows a bit. Sarn
says very little. His sadness is a black rain cloud in the room. I
could have easily killed him when we first arrived. Now I realize
it’s what he wishes. He doesn’t want to live without his
bride.

Acasia takes most of the gold with a
burst of laughter on the final hand. This upsets my dragon slightly
but he still smiles at her promising to take it back the next time.
I’m emotionally exhausted when we finally leave. Laryn doesn’t go
straight to his castle. Several times he breathes fire and I think
it’s to relieve his aggression that I’ve felt the entire evening.
He and Sarn might have put aside their differences, but my dragon
is not happy. He takes us to the cliffs high above the ocean. I’ve
noticed he does this when he’s unsettled. Or I’m unsettled. I tuck
myself into his large legs while he stays in dragon form. Under the
glow of the moons we absorb the sound of untamed water striking the
rocks.

I say nothing as we stand and stare
far out into the night.

“
What I did to Acasia was
wrong. I’m sorry you witnessed Sarn’s reaction. Neither Sarn nor
Tahr has spoken to me since it happened. This was our first
meeting.”

The heat from his body warms me,
though his words leave me cold. “I know the story, Laryn. Acasia
told me. Sarn’s pain is great. I don’t hold it against him, though
I would have killed him if need be. I never want that for you,
Laryn. When I am gone, live wild and free until the next claiming.
Don’t waste the first days with your next bride with your
overbearing pride. Treat your bride well and enjoy your time
together.”

He doesn’t answer. A few moments
later, he tells me to mount. He locks the door to my room when we
get home and I spend a very lonely night thinking of my
dragon.

Laryn is mostly quiet the next day at
breakfast. I can’t see inside his head and know what he’s thinking
and he won’t speak of it. When I finally meet him to train, he
seems to have shaken off some of his bad mood.

“
If you hold onto the
halberd today, I’ll pay you a boon.” He offers the first smile I’ve
seen since last night.

“
I have jewels and gold.
What else could I want, dragon?”

His eyes go wide. “You have no jewels
or gold. Those belong to me.”

He’s quite easy to tease. “I’m your
bride. What’s yours is mine.”

He shakes his head. “It doesn’t work
that way. You must steal your own treasure.”

Hmm, that gives me an idea. “What if
the boon is that you take me somewhere that I can steal a
treasure?”

Laryn stares at me with his mouth open
in shock. “You wish to steal something?”

“
If I hold onto my halberd,
it’s what I want for a boon.” I can see sparks of silver flash in
his blue eyes. He’s excited. I have my old dragon back.

Then, he tries to kill me. Or at least
it feels like it. I fall and roll before he brings his much larger
halberd down. Sweat drips down my back and between my breasts. The
weapons are sharp. I know he wouldn’t mean to hurt me, but I know
it can happen. I focus on his legs and belly. The muscles in both
bunch immediately before he strikes. He said I had to hold on. He
didn’t say I couldn’t cheat.

As I turn away from him I unbuckle the
front of my top. I don’t have time to draw the leather completely
down, so I must wait until he gives me another opportunity. The
next time, the entire piece comes undone and dangles from around my
neck, my breasts hanging free. I can feel that it wouldn’t be
comfortable to fight like this, but it serves a purpose. Laryn
drops his guard and I bring my weapon down. I pull it back at the
last second. “You are a dead, dragon,” I say with a huge
grin.

His eyes are still on my breasts. He
finally looks up and desire burns between us. “You win and shall
have your boon, but you will give me one first.”

“
You’re lucky I’m feeling
charitable after defeating you, dragon.”

He takes my hand and jerks me against
his chest. “I’ll make sure you don’t regret it, bride.”

My hand goes to the front of his jeans
and I squeeze his member. “You know that thing you do with your
mouth between my thighs?”

“
I love that thing I do
between your thighs with my mouth,” he says with a grin that
matches mine.

I feel suddenly shy. “Can I do that
thing to your thing?”

He chuckles gruffly against my lips.
“I wouldn’t dream of stopping you.”

His mouth devours mine and I’m no
longer shy about what I want. I move his zipper down slowly and
love the sound my dragon makes when I free his member. We are out
in the open and wind cools the sweat on my body. The heat from my
dragon’s eyes keeps me warm as I sink to my knees. My tall boots
protect my skin from the rough surface. Not that I actually
care.

Laryn’s hands go to my hair that I
tied tightly back to keep it out of my way when I train. He unties
the leather and threads his hands through it until it whips across
my face. Then he wraps the hair around his fist and holds me still.
I gaze up the length of him. My mouth waters at the sight. “Please
tell me what to do.”

His eyes flash. “You know what to do,
bride.”

I do.

I lean forward. Laryn controls my
head, but he gives me the ability to do as I wish. A small drop of
liquid pearls at the tip of his member. I want it. My tongue flicks
out to taste him. My dragon. He’s salty and sweet at the same time.
His eyelids flutter and I think he will close them. He doesn’t. He
wants to see what I do. I wrap my hand around the width of him and
kiss where I’ve just licked. He likes to put his mark on me and I
want to mark him as well. I kiss down the length adding suction as
I go.

“
Holy fuck,” he all but
shouts into the breeze.

He so likes that word. I’ll take it as
encouragement. I close my mouth around him and he adds a slight
amount of downward pressure to my head. Hmm, I go ever so slowly
even when he presses a bit harder. His soft groan is my reward. I
like this. Like the control and taking what I want. I flick my
tongue and receive another groan. The sounds in his throat
encourage me and I love that he enjoys what I’m doing. I increase
my speed as his fingers become almost painful in my hair. He’s lost
in what I’m doing, so I’m surprised when he suddenly pulls away and
slips from my lips. His hand goes to his member and he pumps his
fist up and down until his essence spills against my breasts. He
slides his member through the white substance he’s leaving behind.
I’m enthralled by what he’s doing.

After he pulses the last bit onto my
skin, he puts his hands beneath my arms and pulls me up. Our lips
meet, our chests slide together, his essence transferring from me
to him. If the brides knew the ecstasy that happens after they lose
their virginity, none would be virgins even with the threat of
death.

He pulls back and lifts me. I place my
hands around his neck as he carries me to his rooms. My precious
dragon owes me a boon, but I plan to give him a few before he needs
to pay up.

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Laryn

Sir Orland Locksy is a weasel in every
sense of the word. I hate him and I hate the realm he lives in.
Mucky skies, putrid air, and immoral people. I call it hell’s
realm. It’s also my favorite place to collect treasure. My dragon
brothers and I have been many times. It’s always a challenge and,
best of all, dangerous. I should feel apprehensive bringing my
bride here, but what I feel is exhilaration clear to the tip of my
dragon’s tail.