Dragons Don't Love (7 page)

“
You’re incredible,” he
whispers. I see lust in his eyes.

I purposely add a touch of ire to my
voice. “I’m nearly naked.”

His eyes make another sweep over my
body. “Nonsense. This outfit suits you perfectly.”

I shake my head. “I’m a bride. I can’t
be seen this way.”

His eyes flash with silver. “You’re my
bride and you can be seen how ever I choose. What of the arm
guards? Do you not like them?”

Two additional pieces of leather rest
on the bed. “I wasn’t sure what they are.”

He turns, walks to the bed, and picks
them up. “Come here and I will help secure them.”

Why should I even care? He’s right. I
must wear what he dictates. With the material caressing my skin,
this command goes down easier than any of the others. I go to where
he stands and place one arm out. He buckles the leather beginning
at my wrist. His fingers whisper across my skin and the fluttering
is back in my belly. He smells good too. It’s hard to think about
anything but what his body will feel like against mine. I’m
hopeless.

There are thin strips that circle my
arm and tie at the top. “What are these for?” I can’t help
asking.

He removes a sheath with a small knife
from his hip and slides it into the leather ties of the arm guards.
“Several will fit comfortably and won’t inhibit your movement.
Never rely on one weapon; you always want backup.”

His lesson intrigues me so much I
forget I’m all but naked. Then he turns me to the side and his
breath runs across my shoulders through my hair. Suddenly, I feel
every bit of my unclothed state. He doesn’t seem to notice the
goose bumps that pepper my skin as he attaches the other arm
guard.

Surprising me, he grabs my hair and
ties it tightly at my nape with a small piece of leather. I watch
as he does the same to his own.

He steps back. “You have more than one
hidden weapon,” he whispers as his eyes scan my body.

I have no idea what he’s talking
about.

“
I will take you to the
armory chamber myself and help you decide on a weapon that suits
you.”

Something is wrong with this picture.
He’s an entirely different being than he was the day before. He
pulls me toward the door and I dig my new boots into the wood
beneath my feet. “Is this a trick?”

His head goes back and laughter fills
the room. He wipes a tear from the corner of his eye when he
finally controls himself. “Training you will entertain me until we
can get on with the fucking. You may start begging at any moment,
so we had better get you armed and your first lesson over with.” He
turns and walks away.

“
I will never beg,” I
whisper to his back.

He hears me, though he doesn’t bother
looking at me “Never say never,” is his pompous reply.

Chapter Fourteen

Laryn

My human weapons master stands to the
side of the door as my bride walks through the large chamber. I
watch her admire each piece with complete wonder. You would think
she was examining the finest jewels. She returns several times to
an overly large halberd. I love the weapon, though it is much too
large for her. I walk over and lift it from its stand.

“
It’s quite sharp, a good
weapon, but not a proper size for you. The halberd is deadly and
takes a master to wield it proficiently.” I step several yards away
and sweep the air in front of me. The blade whooshes through the
air and makes a unique sound.

She’s captivated.

“
Armorer, you will have one
made for use by my bride no later than next week.” Unable to speak
aloud, he nods. My gaze travels to my bride. “Choose a sword more
suited to your size so we may practice today.” I place the halberd
back in its stand.

“
You truly mean to do
this?”

I have no idea why she’s confused. “I
said I will train you and I don’t go back on my word.” Besides, I
want to see her move in the new clothes. They suit her and they’re
alluring. I will need to protect my swelling cock from the sharp
blade she chooses.

She walks over to a row of swords.
“I’ve only had the one in my life and I have no idea how to test
the weight or balance.” She peers over her shoulder and I see gold
flecks lighting up her eyes. It does something inside of me. I rein
it in. My goal is not to like her more than I already do, just to
fuck her.

“
Lift each sword and strike
with it as I did the halberd. You’ll know your sword when you find
it.”

Her smile changes everything. The
hard, determined lines accenting her cheekbones fade and dimples
appear to the sides of her lips. Her mouth is slightly open. I want
my tongue swirling over her plump lips and between her teeth. I
thought she wasn’t more beautiful than some of my past brides, but
I was wrong. When she smiles, their beauty is only a fraction of
hers.

I’m glad when she turns back to the
swords and begins testing them. She needs to bend her elbow and
knees, though these are things I shall teach her. Her muscles are
firm and I have no doubt that for a human female, she’s in very
good shape. I want those muscles defined. And at the same time, I
want her to remain feminine. I’m not sure if I can have
both.

She goes back to the fourth sword and
swipes it through the air once more. “I like this one.”

It’s said tentatively as if she thinks
I will deny her the sword. “Allow me to examine it.” Each sword
within this chamber is balanced perfectly and extremely sharp. She
has chosen a weapon almost too large for her. It will cause her to
tire easily, but her endurance is something we will work on. She
passed by the delicate swords and showed her resolve by wanting a
larger weapon. I hand the sword back to her. “I approve. Bring the
scabbard and follow me. It’s time for your first
lesson.”

It’s difficult not to turn around to
see if she’s smiling.

I take her back to the north tower. We
climb the stairs instead of descending to the bottom. I hear her
breathing increase the higher we go. We stop three-quarters of the
way to the top and I walk out onto a large perch used when I’m in
dragon form. It’s a half-circle and about forty feet at its widest
section.

She steps through the opening and I
see her eyes widen in alarm. “You me… mean to train me here?” she
stutters.

“
Yes,” I say as I walk to
the center of the perch. “When you battle, you must always know
your surroundings. I think it will be a more powerful lesson if the
fear of falling keeps you aware of what’s around you. In this
case—air and a hundred yard drop. I work with Ashrac out here and
he’s adapting nicely.”

Her eyes are now dark circles of fear.
“He’s a dragon and can fly. If I fall, I will die.”

I walk into her personal space. “Drop
the sword.” It’s in its scabbard and instantly clangs to the
ground. Even though I know the sword she brought with her was a
poor instrument, she worked to keep it rust free and sharp. The
fact that she dropped the new sword so quickly gives me a small
inkling that she is beyond a bit frightened. I grab her arms and
begin dragging her to the ledge. She screams and fights
me.

“
What are you doing? Stop!
Don’t do this.”

Her puny attempts to hinder me do
absolutely nothing. Her legs wrap around my lower calves as I push
her upper body over the ledge. I hold her there wickedly enjoying
her terror. This will be her first lesson. “You attacked me at the
claiming ceremony yesterday. If you were not my chosen bride you’d
be dead now.” I stare straight into her panicked eyes. “Then you
proceeded to break a chair over my head and bloody my nose. It is
within my right to punish you severely. You planned to die
yesterday and now you’re afraid because we’re up a little higher
than you feel comfortable?” I loosen my fingers and she slips just
a bit backward. She’s too scared to do more than whimper. “I will
not allow you to touch the ground if you fall, bride.”

To prove my point, I step back to
dislodge her legs from around mine. I lift her up high and launch
her over the side. Her screams are quite satisfying as I burst from
my clothes and take off after her. There is nothing of her new
clothing for me to grab with my teeth so I use my talons and scoop
her up. I feel her weak fists pounding against the rough pads of my
inner paw.

Good. I want her angry. She needs to
concentrate on the sword not how far up she is. I call to my
manservant to bring me new clothes along with an extra set in case
I need to repeat this lesson.

Her voice breaks into my thoughts,
“You no-good, miserable dragon. I will kill you the first chance I
get. I hate you!” It’s muffled, but each distinct word has my grin
widening. I toss her to the center of the half circle when I
land.

She curls into a tight ball and her
shoulders shake. “I hate him, I hate him,” I hear her
whisper.

My clothes are deposited outside the
door. I shift and stand watching her. She’s crying. Not because
I’ve claimed my right to mate with her, or that I locked her into a
small room with few amenities. She cries because I tossed her over
the ledge. I will never understand women.

Chapter Fifteen

Roxanne

I will kill him. A slice to the gut so
his intestines fall out is my preference. Then I will pull them and
watch him die slowly while in great pain. Maybe a few birds will
land and feast on his internal organs before the last vestiges of
death lock his eyes into an endless stare.

He’s mean. He’s worthless. I give a
loud sniff and lift my head. He’s naked. It startles me so much
that my anger vanishes. His male member juts out from between his
legs and I jerk my gaze to his. “Why did you do that?” I
demand.

He moves closer and I suck much needed
air into my lungs. He waves his hand nonchalantly. “It’s the only
way for you to get over your fear of falling so we can get on with
your next lesson.” He walks past me and grabs clothes that I didn’t
know were there. I have no idea when they were delivered. “Are you
finished gazing at my fine physique or would you like to come
closer and touch it?”

I hadn’t realized my eyes dropped back
to his manhood. “No, please cover it. That thing is quite ugly.” It
isn’t. It’s strange, but not ugly.

He grabs it. “When you finally beg me,
my cock will have you screaming in ecstasy much like you screamed
on your way down when I tossed you from the ledge.”

The ass. “I will be screaming as much
as I would if I found a spider or snake within my bed.”

His lips quirk. “You may consider me
both. It will feel as if I have eight legs when I fondle you, and
my snake knows just where to go.”

He’s insane. And he’s laughing at me.
I stand slowly. I’m at least twenty feet from the ledge, though to
either side of me it’s more like ten. I can’t believe I behaved so
childishly. I’m ashamed that he saw me at my weakest point. Crying
was at the top of my list of things he would never see me do. I
don’t think about what I do next because I need to prove something
to him and also myself. I run for the edge and dive. When you know
you won’t hit the bottom, the exhilaration is incredible. I laugh
even though my heart stops.

His talons close around me. It’s not
real comfortable to be held like this, but I can move around. I
position myself so when he releases me on the ledge, I roll once
and take to my feet.

His dragon form is breathtaking. This
is the first chance I’ve actually had to admire it… him, whatever
he actually is. Acasia didn’t explain more than that dragons have
two forms. The people of my village don’t know this. Somehow I
think their fright is greater because the dragon is well… a dragon.
They breathe fire, stomp, and snort during the claiming. They do
good things also. Our land has few natural resources and the
dragons occasionally provide a source of precious metals,
machinery, and even cloth for our garments. And because of these
things, a maiden is sacrificed every twenty-five years. It’s only
been one day, but my thoughts have turned upside down in regard to
this dragon.

I notice smoke trail slowly from his
nostrils. He’s angry. This never occurred to me. His great legs
widen and the scales to the back of his underbelly glide seamlessly
away from his… for the love of all that’s wicked. It’s his dragon
manhood, or cock as he calls it. I can’t help my gasp. His large
member pops from the underside of his belly. It’s humungous. A
giggle escapes me and I slap a hand across my mouth.

“
You laugh,” he blares into
my head.

I truly can’t help it. How can I not
laugh when his mightiest sword is blue?

A split second later, he’s human and
has a hold of my tied-back hair. “You will tell me what you find so
amusing or I shall pitch you over the side again. This time I won’t
bother catching you.”

I’m really trying to control my
giggles. The past twenty-four hours have been the worst in my life.
The memories of each episode flash through my mind. It’s just too
much. Trying to kill him at the claiming ceremony. The terrifying
flight to his castle. The flight from his castle on Acasia’s back
and return on Bastian’s. At this moment, I’m standing before a
naked half-man half-dragon. I’m dressed in a few strips of leather,
in a new world, a totally different life ahead of me, and a dragon
who says I’ll beg to fuck him. And, in dragon form, he has a blue
member.