Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (29 page)

He pulled me into his warm embrace and we
swayed to the music, kissing and caressing, expressing our love,
sharing our joy. When things started heating up I asked quietly,
"Isn't this a little exposed for a romantic interlude?"

"I have us wrapped in shadows and security
will not allow anyone on this beach," he murmured against my neck,
goose bumps broke out across my flesh.

He continued his exploration of my neck and
shoulders as we danced but my mind was moving farther and farther
from this beach by the minute. Now that the ceremony was over,
thoughts of Malachi and the fight kept invading my mind. As the
fight drew nearer I kept going over everything that could go wrong.
I tried to tell myself Dragon would be fine, that he must be a good
fighter or he wouldn't be the Dragon King. But I just kept coming
back to the same thing - I could lose him tonight. I might have to
sit there and watch while the other half of my soul is taken from
me, while the father of my unborn child is slaughtered before my
eyes.

Dragon spun me around with a move that ended
with me facing the Gulf and the waves rolling on shore. "Do you
know why you often find the waves soothing Serafina?" He asked
quietly as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

His question surprised me, and for a moment I
forgot about the dreadful thoughts plaguing my mind. "I suppose
it's just the rhythmic sound they make when they roll on
shore."

"Perhaps, but I think there's more to it. I
believe you find the waves soothing because they're unstoppable.
They will always roll onto this shore, be it with the tides or with
the fury of a hurricane, the waves are a force of nature that man
will never fully tame. I've felt the strength you draw from them
when you watch their ebb and flow from the railing on the terrace.
Draw strength from them now, and know that I, like them, am an
unstoppable force that no man or vampire will ever be able to
triumph over." I heard the confidence in his voice but more
importantly I felt his surety through the bond. It was enough to
help me push my worries back, to help me come back to him and this
perfect moment in time.

He led me over to the treasure chest and
closed the lid so that I could sit down. Once I was seated he
backed away and started removing his clothing. Heat coiled in my
center as he slowly revealed his muscular chest and abs, then his
powerful legs and finally his thick arousal which he stroked while
I watched with rapt attention. He really was breathtakingly
beautiful in the moonlight.

I rose from the chest and slipped my dress
off my shoulders. It fell to the ground in a pool of satin leaving
me nearly bare for his hungry eyes to devour. Only the blue garter
remained but he seemed to like that when he focused on it briefly
before taking in the rest of my curves. I loved the way the red
flames flared in his eyes as he prowled towards me across the
sand.

Dragon swept me into his arms and carried me
to the blanket. When he'd settled himself between my legs he tucked
one of my ringlets behind my ear and echoed my thoughts of him as
he whispered, "You are utterly beautiful in the moonlight Mrs.
Drake."

Hearing him call me Mrs. Drake made me
unbelievably happy. "You're not so bad yourself Mr. Drake."

I reached up and buried my hand in his hair
as I pulled him down for a long, loving kiss. His hands gently
roamed over my flesh, gliding over my hips and stomach, cupping my
breasts, painting a trail of fire that promised to consume me with
its flames.

I reached down between our bodies and guided
his hard length to my center. He eased his way into my wet heat,
moving with a sensual rhythm, stroking my insides, merging our
souls. I felt his love for me pouring through the bond and tried to
believe it would be enough, that this wouldn't be our goodbye.

Dragon slid his hand down the back of my
thigh and lifted my leg over his arm as he came up on his knees
with a growled, "This is not our goodbye." I smelled wood smoke in
the air and he began moving with a harder, faster rhythm. The
pleasure built quickly, twisted in my center until the intensity
forced harsh cries of need from me with every thrust of his hips.
Dragon pulled my other leg up over his arm allowing him to go
deeper, sending shockwaves through my womb. I forgot about vampires
and death matches, about everything except the man above me and the
pressure building inside of me. When the dam burst my body seized
with the flood of sensations rushing through it.

Dragon chose that moment to release my legs
and bury his fangs in my neck, drinking from me with strong pulls
of his mouth. Fire raced through my veins and waves of orgasm
crashed over me. I was drowning in a sea of ecstasy. I thought I
heard Dragon roar but couldn't be sure with the overload of
pleasure blocking out everything else. When I finally came back to
my senses I was lying on the blanket with Dragon collapsed beside
me.

After a moment he pulled me closer to his
body and casually said, "You know, when I finished taking my
clothes off, I almost suggested we go for a ride. I knew you were
having trouble staying in the moment, and I wouldn't have minded
waiting until you were ready."

I wrapped my leg over his hip. "And what made
you change your mind?"

"When I saw you naked in the moonlight I grew
so hard I knew I'd never be able to fly straight."

That left me shaking with laughter. When I
could speak with a straight face again I asked, "So, do you think
you'd be able to fly straight now?"

"We can give it a shot. If I have any trouble
we'll just have to land somewhere and take care of the problem,"
Dragon said seriously with that sinful grin curving his lips. He
jumped to his feet and helped me up off the ground.

"I think I like that plan." I went up on my
toes and melted against his body, kissing him passionately,
desperately hoping this wouldn't be our last night together.

When the kiss ended Dragon whispered, "I love
you Mrs. Drake, with everything I am, and everything I will ever
be."

I looked into his eyes and let him see the
love I felt for him. "I love you Mr. Drake, with my body and soul,
I am yours forevermore."

We placed our clothes in the treasure chest
and I wrapped the blanket around me for warmth. The air wavered and
a mighty beast appeared with a shimmer of light. He went up on his
hind legs and stretched his wings before ducking down for me to
climb on his back. Once I was in place he shot into the air and
took me for a dizzying ride over the water. It was just the
distraction I needed to keep myself from dwelling on all the awful
outcomes I feared the night might have. After a while he swooped
down and landed on another secluded beach where he convinced me
that a quick navigational tune-up was in our best interests.

When it was time to prepare for the fight,
Dragon landed on the terrace. As we approached the glass doors of
his apartment I realized with a start that it was no longer his. We
were mated, married, and I'd been pronounced queen. His place was
now our place. He kissed me tenderly then lifted me into his arms
and carried me over the threshold of our home.

While we showered and dressed, I stuffed all
of my worries into a box in the back of my mind, locked them away
and threw out the key. Tonight I would have no doubts; I would walk
beside my mate showing nothing but iron strength and unwavering
confidence.

Since the night I met Dragon I have seen him
wear custom made business suits, jeans and t-shirts, casual club
clothes and even tuxedos. But until tonight, I had not seen him
wear leather. I just couldn't move past the way those supple, black
leather pants hugged his muscular ass. He also wore a black leather
vest and heavy looking shit-kicker boots. I asked him why they
didn't dress like the MMA fighters I've seen on TV and he said the
leather would afford him more protection against claws and other
sharp objects.

Claire arrived just in time to provide me
with the perfect ensemble for tonight's outing. I was also dressed
in black leather but mine was designed for style not protection. I
wore low rise pants that looked like they were painted on my body,
lace-up boots with four inch heels and a backless halter top. I put
my hair up in a messy ponytail with curls hanging loose around my
face. The dragon eye on my back had a decidedly vicious spark
tonight and I wanted to make sure everyone would be able to see
it.

When Rook arrived he was dressed in his usual
leather pants and long-sleeved shirt but his long ebony hair was
tied back in a thick braid instead of flowing around his body. He
explained that the fight would be held in a demon realm that is
considered neutral territory, like Switzerland for the supernatural
community. Everyone would be expected to play nice, but demons
being demons, there was bound to be trouble. Dragon and Malachi
would not be allowed to bring any weapons into the ring but various
knives, swords and stakes would likely be thrown in by the
audience. There would be no rules in The Pit, no calls for fouls or
low blows, just two opponents and a promise of death.

I asked him how you kill a vampire and he
said that anything could be killed by taking its head off and most
things would die if their hearts are removed or damaged enough. Of
course you could always burn one to ash. Apparently wood and silver
do not guarantee instant death for vampires or shapeshifters like
most folklore would have us believe. Silver can harm any
supernatural being because it absorbs their magic which weakens
them, but it's really only dangerous in large amounts and with
prolonged exposure. Wood cannot be used to kill a vampire unless it
happens to be Solarian wood - Solaria being the demon realm where
solar demons like Garrek come from. Before their world was
decimated by war the trees there actually radiated sunlight.
According to Rook ancient Solarian trees still hold enough solar
energy to incinerate a vampire, or any demon that burns in
sunlight, when their wood is driven through its heart.

Our group included Claire, Rook, Dragon and
me. Rook led us to a small alcove near the entrance to The Dungeon
and opened a door that revealed a dark tunnel. Before we went any
further he looked at me with serious eyes. "Don't forget, right by
my side no matter what happens and try to keep your emotions off
your face. Some of these demons will eat you alive if they sense
any weakness from you." I nodded and we stepped into the
darkness.

The tunnel was dank and dirty with moisture
dripping down the stone walls and mold covering everything from the
low ceiling to the uneven steps. Rook carried a torch to light the
way and we went down much farther than I would have thought
possible in a state that sits barely above sea level. I could only
guess that geographically speaking demon realms do not align with
our reality. When we finally reached the end of the tunnel we
stopped and Dragon pulled me into his arms. I never wanted him to
let me go.

"You have nothing to worry about, one lone
vampire will never be enough to take me away from you," he promised
vehemently.

I felt tears in my eyes and fought to keep
them from spilling over. He captured my lips in a searing kiss, his
tongue tangling with mine. I reached out with all of my senses
committing every detail of the moment to memory. The smell of wood
smoke that was always strongest when his dragon was close to the
surface, and the feel of his heated flesh and firm muscles under my
hands. The growl he let out when he fisted my hair and deepened the
kiss; the fiery and addictive taste of him, and when he leaned back
and met my gaze, his black eyes circled with glowing red flames,
the image of my fierce warrior was burned into my mind forever. In
that moment I had no doubt that he would come back to me when this
fight is over.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead
against mine briefly with my head held gently between his hands.
When he pulled back and searched my face he seemed to be making
memories of his own. "Stay safe while I'm in the ring. Without you,
my life would be meaningless."

"Rook will take good care of me, you just
worry about yourself. Go out into that ring and show these vampires
what it means to be the Dragon King."

He grinned at me, and then tucked my arm
around his and we strode into the arena with our heads held
high.

There were so many different species of
demons and monsters mixed in with the vampires and shapeshifters
that I felt like I was on the set of a science fiction movie - like
I was surrounded by alien life forms from far away galaxies. Some
of the demons were humanoid, others were not. Some of them had
horns, others had tails...red skin, blue skin, scales and
feathers...I got the sense that anything I could imagine would be
lurking somewhere in the depths of this arena. I wanted to stop and
stare, to gape at the wondrous and frightening beings surrounding
me, but I managed to keep pace with Dragon as we descended to our
front row seats.

The arena itself was impressive with its
archaic stone steps and seating, which were already about half
full. The architecture reminded me of the Coliseum but this stadium
was easily five times the size of the ruins crumbling away in Rome.
The only lighting came from torches anchored on the walls and
spread around the stands on poles. We reached the lowest level of
seating and I looked over the edge into The Pit with its blood
stained sand. There was a long drop from where we stood to the
floor below, and with no railing in sight one wrong move would send
audience members tumbling to their deaths.

We were greeted by Solomon and Doyle who
seemed to have undergone personality transplants since I last saw
them at the wedding reception. While it was obvious Doyle liked to
fight, I hadn't envisioned him or Solomon in the same lethal
category as Rook until now. There was just something about them
both, something that whispered of danger, something that I'd
certainly never felt from Solomon before, and I hadn't picked up on
when I met Doyle earlier this evening. Aside from their new
menacing auras, Solomon had a long sword strapped to his back and
Doyle carried a large axe. I hadn't seen any weapons on Rook but I
was sure he had something hidden up his sleeves.