Page 26 of Bound by Fire and Scales (The Dragons of Earis #1)

After the battle, everything was a haze. I barely registered the roar of voices around me. Enrik shouting something, his voice sharp with worry, Kislav striding over with a look of grim determination as he reached out to take Zephyr from me. I jerked back, a fierce surge welling up inside me, and the word "no" burst from my lips.

No one was taking him from me. Not now, not after everything he’d endured.

I gathered Zephyr’s limp form against me, draping his arm over my shoulders as I braced myself beneath his weight. His head lolled forward, a faint breath slipping past his parted lips, his face pale, shadowed with exhaustion, pain, and something else that made my chest twist.

I ignored their calls for me to let them help, brushing past the outstretched hands, the worried glances. They didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. When he woke, he’d be devastated.The things he’d done under that mage’s spell, the destruction he’d caused, they’d all come rushing back to him the moment his eyes opened.

And I couldn’t bear for him to face that shame with an audience.

“Move,” I growled through gritted teeth, half to myself, half to anyone who dared try to stop me. Step by step, I dragged him away from the battlefield, refusing to let anyone else bear his burden. His pain, his regret, those were mine to shield, just as he had so many times protected me. He was heavy, and every movement was a struggle, but I’d hold him up as long as I had to.

I wanted him safe. Safe and away from the prying eyes, away from judgment. Away from all that would remind him of what he’d just endured.

Zephyr’s weight bore down on me, his body limp and heavy, and I could feel the strength sapping from my legs. But I kept moving, one foot in front of the other, forcing my body to hold steady under his, my arms locked around his torso. The corridors blurred past as I focused only on getting him somewhere he’d be safe.

Finally, we reached the door to our room. I shouldered it open and pulled him inside, nearly collapsing with him as I lowered him onto the bed. His arm slipped from my shoulder, his head rolling back against the pillow. His eyes were still closed, his expression troubled even in unconsciousness. The soft candlelight flickered over his face, revealing the shadows that clung to him, shadows that hadn’t been there before, that twisted and deepened even in sleep.

I knelt beside him, brushing a lock of his long red hair from his forehead, my hand lingering as I tried to steady my own breaths. Watching him like this, vulnerable, worn down to his very core, made my chest hurt. The fierce leader I knew was still there somewhere, but for now, he was just… Zephyr .

Just a man, torn and battered by forces he hadn’t been able to control.

“You’re safe now,” I whispered, though he couldn’t hear me. “It’s over. You’re safe.”

I swallowed hard, knowing that in his mind, it wouldn’t be over. Not until he’d reckoned with the devastation left in his wake, with the lives lost and the damage done. I took his hand in mine, grounding myself in the warmth of his skin, willing him to feel my presence. To know he wasn’t alone in this.

I leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. I would need to be strong for when he woke up. He’d try to carry all of his pain alone, shutting everyone out. But I wouldn’t let him.

“You don’t have to face this alone, Zephyr,” I murmured, my voice breaking in the quiet. “Not this time.” I sat there beside him, my fingers entwined with his, preparing myself for whatever storm would come when he woke up.

???

I didn’t know when I fell asleep. One moment, I was watching over him, my head resting beside his, listening to the soft, ragged rhythm of his breathing. And the next, I was jolted awake by the crash of something shattering against the wall.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I shot up from the bed, still disoriented, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of early morning as I took in the chaos around me. Zephyr was finally awake, standing near the center of his study, his eyes wild and unfocused. His chest heaved as he stared at his hands, his entire body taut with fury and anguish.

With a loud roar, his hand swept across the table, sending everything crashing to the floor in a chaotic cascade of clattering objects. The shuddering crash echoed through the silent room, followed by the sound of wood scraping as he shoved a chair across the floor.

“Zephyr!” I called out, but he didn’t seem to hear me, his mind lost somewhere I couldn’t follow. His breathing came in fast, shallow gasps, his shoulders hunched as he gripped the edge of the broken table, knuckles white as he stared down at the shattered wood beneath him.

“I… Killed them…” His voice was hoarse, breaking like he’d screamed himself raw. He was trembling, his face twisted with an agony so fierce I felt it like a stab in my heart.

“Zephyr, please,” I said softly, stepping forward. But he was caught in that terrible haze, his voice rising as he muttered fragments of things I could barely understand. Words like “home” and “safe” and “trust.” His hands tightened into fists, his entire frame shaking.

I moved closer, grasping his arm firmly. “Zephyr, it’s me. You’re here. You’re safe.”

His head snapped up, and his gaze found mine, piercing through the fog of his anguish. For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression raw, his breathing shallow. Then something in his eyes shattered, and the fury disappeared, replaced by a hollow, broken look that hurt more than anything else he’d shown me.

“Sabrina…” His voice was a strained whisper, thick with emotion. “I… I destroyed them. My clan. I felt their screams… and I didn’t stop.” He raked his hand through his hair, pacing furiously across the room. “I didn’t stop…”

“That wasn’t you, Zephyr,” I said softly, moving closer, but he pulled away, shaking his head, his fingers tangling painfully in his hair. “That was her magic using you.” His fists tightened, his knuckles turning white.

“I couldn’t stop her. She controlled me, turned me against my own people. If I can’t even protect my clan from myself…what right do I have to call myself their leader? What kind of leader am I?” His voice cracked, choked with grief and self-reproach so deep it seemed to hollow him out.

“Zephyr, listen to me!” I begged in a desperate plea. “You had no way to fight that kind of magic. Everybody else failed too!”

I had no idea how that mage slipped inside Zephyr’s mind, to twist his will until he became her puppet. From what I understood, they’d fused dark magic into Zephyr’s blood during the war and that had left him with so many scars. Zephyr had fought hard to not let himself lose control again. But somehow, that mage had known about this and exploited it, prying into that broken part of him to take control.

And the council knew. They’d known this was possible, and they’d done nothing. Using Zephyr when it suited them, sending him into battle without a thought, only to discard him like something broken and worthless. And now, Zephyr had to deal with once again losing control of himself to others. To a power that he never asked for. Rage flared within me, hot and fierce, swelling until it was all I could feel.

“You should leave,” he murmured, each word strained as if pulling it from some wounded part of himself. “You… you shouldn’t be with me, Sabrina. You aren’t safe here. Not with me.”

I shook my head. “Zephyr, you don’t mean that.”

“You don’t understand,” he insisted, his voice trembling with something between frustration and fear. “I’ve tried to stop this curse, to keep it from hurting anyone. But it’s… it’s inside me, Sabrina. And if I can’t control it…” He trailed off, looking away as though even meeting my gaze was too much.

I stepped closer, refusing to let him push me away this time. “You think I don’t know the risks? I choose to be here, Zephyr. I know who you are,” I said, placing my hand on his chest, feeling his heart race beneath my palm. “Whatever you’re afraid of… you don’t have to face it alone.”

He took a step back, shaking his head as anger flashed in his eyes. “No, Sabrina! You don’t understand! I’ve hurt my own clan! I won’t let that happen to you!”

“Let what happen? You think I’m just going to walk away because you’re scared of what you might do? That’s not how this works!” I shot back, frustration bubbling over. “I’m not some damsel who needs saving. I chose to stand by you, and I’m not backing down!”

“Backing down? You should be running! This isn’t a real relationship, in case you’ve forgotten.” His words sliced through me like a dagger, each syllable laced with a cruelty that made my chest tighten. I knew he was deliberately trying to hurt me, but it only fueled the fire within me.

“Stop trying to protect me by pushing me away!” I shouted, my fists clenching tightly at my sides as I stepped closer, our faces just inches apart. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the tension thick enough to cut through.

“You’re not my real mate!” he shouted, his voice breaking, raw and desperate. “And I’m not your alpha! You deserve someone who can give you everything, someone who isn’t shattered like me!”

“And what if I don’t want that?” I shot back, my heart pounding, anger and vulnerability mingling in my voice. “What if I want you, just as you are, broken pieces and all?” I wasn’t whole myself, and he knew it better than anyone. Darkness clung to me too, and he’d seen every scar.

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “You’re impossible! I’m trying to give you a way out of this mess. But you—you have to be so damn stubborn.”

“I—”

“You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” he cut me off, his tone softening, a flicker of something vulnerable slipping through. “From the moment you walked into that bar, I knew you’d bring me nothing but trouble. But I couldn’t look away, couldn’t ignore the pull. For once in my life, I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to connect with someone, even if it was just pretend. And then you, with your courage and fierce heart, you walked into this life and made everything that was numb inside me come alive. You walked through fire for me, Sabrina. When I saw you cross that lava lake… my heart stopped. I knew, in that moment, that I’d never feel for anyone else what I feel for you.”

He swallowed, his gaze dropping as he struggled for words. “You have to go, Sabrina. Because if you stay, I can’t promise I won’t destroy you too. I’ll never be a good alpha. I’ll never be… worthy of you.”

How could he believe any of that? How could he even think that way? This man, this fierce, unbreakable alpha, had shown me more kindness and care than I’d known in all my 23 years. He’d been there when no one else was, had seen me at my lowest and still held me as if I was something precious. Did he truly think that one mistake—one that wasn’t even his fault—could make me turn away from him? Could he honestly believe that would push me from his side?

I wanted him just as he was, scars and shadows, every fractured piece. I’d hold each piece with tenderness and help him put them back together, again and again, no matter how many times it took. If it meant having him, truly having him, I’d face every battle, every darkness. Because he was worth it—all of him.

“Then go ahead and try to destroy me,” I challenged, my voice a soft but steady declaration. “Try to break me, Zephyr. But I’m not leaving.”

He exhaled shakily, his resolve crumbling as he looked at me with a blend of conflict, anger, pain, and hunger . We reached for each other at the same time and with the same urgency; I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, crashing my lips against his in a desperate kiss. I hoped to convey everything I felt for him in that moment, hoping it would finally break through the walls he had built around his heart. He groaned against my mouth, his hands slowly sliding beneath the hem of my shirt, his touch sparking a fire under my skin.

Without breaking the kiss, Zephyr’s hands found the clasp of my belt, his fingers working with a practiced ease that made my pulse quicken. My breath hitched as his hands moved lower, but I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t. My body had long since surrendered to him, and in this moment, my mind was starting to follow.

He lifted me again, this time sliding me fully onto the desk, his body pressing into mine as his hands gripped my thighs. I arched into him, my fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing to feel every part of him .

“Zephyr,” I whispered against his lips, my hands tangling in his dark red hair as I pulled him closer. I needed him. I needed this. His hands caressed my skin, his touch both tender and possessive, as if he was trying to hold on to me, trying to keep me from slipping away.

Zephyr’s breath was hot against my skin as he moved his lips back to mine, devouring me with a hunger that mirrored my own. His hands slid up my thighs, fingers trailing fire in their wake, and I gasped into his kiss, my back arching against the hard wood of the desk. The papers beneath me crinkled and scattered, but neither of us cared. All that mattered was the heat of his body pressed against mine, the intensity of his touch that was unraveling me piece by piece.

I pulled at his shirt, my fingers desperate to feel his skin. He broke the kiss only long enough to tug the fabric over his head, tossing it aside before his lips were back on me, forceful and urgent. Just how I wanted. My fingers traced the lines of his muscles, feeling the way they tensed and flexed under my touch, and a low growl rumbled in his throat, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Sabrina,” he murmured against my lips, his voice rough and thick with desire. “You don’t know what you do to me.”

His words made my heart pound even harder. I was losing myself in him, in the way his hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer, the way his lips traced a burning path down my neck. Every touch, every kiss made the world around us fade into nothing. There was no fear, no hesitation, only the raw, undeniable pull between us.

I bit my lip, trying to stifle the moan that threatened to escape as his fingers teased at the edge of my waistband, but the need inside me was too much. “Zephyr, please…” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.

He looked up at me, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of passion and something deeper—something that made my chest tighten. “I want all of you,” he said, his voice low and rough. “But only if you’re sure you really want this. Only if you really want to stay. Because I won’t… I won’t bear letting you go. ”

My heart clenched at his words, the sincerity in his gaze piercing through the haze of desire. This wasn’t just about lust for him, it never had been. He wanted me, not just because I was an omega. He wanted my heart, my soul, everything that I was.

I reached up, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw before pulling him back down to me. “Yes, I want you, always,” I whispered against his lips, my voice trembling with both need and certainty.

He groaned softly, his lips claiming mine in a kiss that left me breathless. His hands slid under my shirt, pulling it over my head in one swift motion before his fingers danced across my skin. I gasped, my body arching into him, craving more of his touch, more of him.

His hands found my breasts, fingers teasingly grazing over my sensitive skin, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through me. He cupped them firmly, his thumbs brushing over my nipples, coaxing them to hardness. I moaned, feeling the heat pooling low in my belly, a familiar ache that urged me to draw him in even deeper.

Zephyr leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, “You’re so beautiful like this.” His words sent a thrill down my spine, wrapping around my heart with an intensity that made me crave him even more.

In one smooth motion, he had me pinned beneath him on the desk, his body pressing me down, the weight of him grounding me even as my thoughts swirled in a dizzying haze of want. His lips moved from my mouth to my collarbone, grazing his sharp teeth on my soft skin, leaving a trail of heat wherever they touched, and my breath hitched as his hands found the clasp of my pants.

I was lost in him, completely and utterly. Every inch of me belonged to him.

He swiftly removed my pants, the fabric sliding off my hips and pooling on the floor beside the desk. With a deliberate motion, he tucked my panties away, leaving me exposed and vulnerable on top of his desk. There was no hesitation in his movements; he knelt down before me, bringing his face closer to my thighs. His gaze was intense, filled with hunger as he gently parted my legs, revealing my pussy to him. The cool air brushed against my skin, and I shivered when I met his darkened gaze.

I sucked in a quick breath, feeling his warm lips tease my throbbing clit. My body trembled, knees bent slightly as I lifted my head to see the top of his red hair gliding slowly along the inside of my thigh. He was devastatingly patient, savoring every moment as he licked, sucked, and nibbled on the sensitive flesh, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through me. A helpless groan escaped my lips when his lush mouth pressed a soft kiss near the juncture of my thighs.

His mouth continued its delicious journey, sliding slowly along my thighs. And then, with excruciating slowness, he descended upon my mound.

“Oh, Gods!” I gasped, tugging gently at his hair. My stomach cramped, and my entire body burned with a ferocious heat. I instinctively pressed my hips against his face, yearning for more of him, but he only chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated through me.

His mouth found my pulsing clit, sucking gently, and my body quivered with ecstatic pleasure. He repeated the motion, teasingly sucking and then biting just enough to send me arching off the surface beneath me, a tortured cry bursting from my lips.

The sound seemed to spur him on, and he intensified his ministrations, sucking my nub harder. “Come on, Sabrina… Cum for me,” he whispered, his breath hot against my sensitive skin. He dove deeper, sliding his tongue along my slit, and I felt my hips instinctively rolling against his mouth, my back lifting off the table as the most intense feelings began to swell within me.

“That’s it. God, you’re so beautiful,” he rasped, his eyes dark with lust as he flicked his tongue over me. Each teasing lick sent jolts of pleasure through my body, and then he backed off, showering kisses along my thighs, driving me closer to madness.

“Zeph—” I begged, unsure of what I truly wanted but knowing I was teetering on the edge of something incredible.

Desperate for release, I reached down and tangled my fingers in his hair, raking my nails across his scalp as my climax approached. My entire body trembled with anticipation, every flick of his tongue bringing me nearer and nearer to the brink. Then, without warning, my body exploded, waves of pleasure ripping through me. Spasms rocked me to my core, radiating outwards from where his mouth lavished me, spreading to the tips of my fingers and toes.

He eased me down from my climax with gentle sucks, prolonging the sweet agony. My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath, and when he crawled up my body to hover over me, I could barely open my eyes to meet his gaze. The heat in his expression mirrored the lingering warmth in my core. A silent promise of what was still to come.

I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped me as his fingers dipped inside, stroking me in slow, deliberate movements. My hips bucked against his hand, my body responding to him instinctively, craving more of the heat building between us.

He kissed me again, deeper this time, his tongue exploring mine with a fierce intensity, claiming every inch of me as his fingers moved with expert precision. The way he touched me was maddening. Every stroke of his hand between my legs pushed me closer to the edge, my thoughts dissolving into a haze of pleasure. Each flick of his fingers sent electric jolts through my body, tightening the coil of tension in my core, making it harder to breathe, harder to think. I could only feel him.

“Zephyr, please…” I gasped, my hands clutching desperately at his shoulders, nails digging into the hard muscles as my need for him grew unbearable. I needed more, needed all of him, now!

A low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest, vibrating through his entire body as he pulled back just enough to rip off the rest of his clothes. My breath caught as I watched him, the heat of desire coursing through me. His body was sculpted to perfection, broad shoulders, firm chest, every muscle defined and rippling as he moved. The sheer power of him took my breath away, but it was the hunger in his eyes that sent my pulse skyrocketing.

“I need you, Sabrina,” he whispered, his voice raw, filled with a vulnerability that caught me off guard. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

I couldn’t speak, could only nod, my body trembling with need as he positioned himself between my legs. The weight of him against me, the heat of his skin, was almost too much, and yet it wasn’t enough. I needed him closer, needed him to claim me fully, in every way that mattered.

With one slow, deliberate thrust, he filled me, and I cried out, my fingers digging into his back as the sensation overwhelmed me. He stilled for a moment, his breath shaky as he gave me time to adjust, his forehead resting against mine.

“You’re mine,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. “And I’m yours.”

Then he began to move, slow and deliberate, his hips rolling against mine with a rhythm that stole the air from my lungs. My body arched instinctively, pressing into him, desperate for more, my nails dragging down his back as I silently begged for him to go faster, to fill me completely.

Zephyr groaned, a deep, primal sound that vibrated through me, and his pace quickened in response to the growing need between us. His movements became less controlled, more urgent, as we lost ourselves in the raw intensity of the moment. Every thrust was a perfect union of power and desperation, our bodies in sync, each gasp, each moan pushing us closer to the precipice.

“Zephyr…”

He silenced me with a fierce kiss, his lips devouring mine as his hips drove forward with a frantic intensity. My thoughts dissolved, my world shrinking to the heat of his skin, the feel of his body pressed against mine, and the taste of his lips.

I broke. A cry tore from my throat as my body shattered around him, the release crashing through me in violent waves. I convulsed beneath him, every muscle tensing as I felt him deep inside, the telltale swelling of his knot locking us together. The sensation sent a fresh surge of heat and need through me, pulling me deeper into him. My nails gripped his shoulders as I rode the raw ecstasy, lost in the feeling of being so utterly claimed.

“Need your knot. Please ,” I said, nipping the curve of his ear.

He didn’t give me a moment to breathe, slamming into me with a force that made the desk beneath us groan loudly, the sharp creak of wood mixing with the wet, obscene sounds of our bodies colliding. Zephyr’s cock stretched me wide, filling me completely with each brutal thrust. His growl rumbled through the air as he caught the sound of the desk struggling under our weight. Without missing a beat, he wrapped my legs tighter around his waist, lifting me with ease as he moved us to the bed, his cock still buried deep inside me, pulsing with heat.

He tossed me onto the mattress with a rough urgency, the weight of his body immediately pressing me down into the soft sheets. His strength pinned me in place, his hands gripping my knees as he spread my legs wider, exposing every inch of me to him. My gasp was swallowed by the wave of pleasure crashing over me, my body convulsing as I came again, clenching down mercilessly on his thick cock.

But Zephyr wasn’t done. He pounded into me relentlessly, pushing deeper than I thought possible, driving through my orgasm and sending me spiraling toward another. The overwhelming sensation of being stretched and filled, again and again, had me moaning, my nails scraping down his back as I tried to hold on. The bed rocked beneath us, but I could only focus on him, his heat, his scent, his strength.

“Taking me so damn good,” he rasped, his voice raw with hunger. His green eyes were darker now, burning with an intensity that made me feel like I was the only thing in his world. Every thrust was a command, every movement a promise of more. “Be a good girl and cream on my cock for me,” he growled, his breath hot against my ear, his words sending a shudder through me.

My body responded to him without hesitation, tightening around him as the pressure built again. I was lost in him, drowning in the sensation, in the thick, overwhelming pleasure that only he could give me.

His knot swelled inside me, stretching me with a delicious friction that ripped a scream from my lips. He was impossibly thick, the heat of his seed flooding me, branding my insides. But he didn’t just stop there, groaning, he pulled back slightly, only to thrust that knot back in with a force that left me gasping.

My vision blurred as pleasure exploded through me, the brief emptiness followed by the overwhelming sensation of being so full. He did it again, and again, each time driving me closer to the edge, until I was too far gone to let him pull away. With a final, deeper thrust, he pushed further than I thought possible, the head of his cock pressing against a place inside me that should have been painful, but instead ached to open up, to let him in even more.

Zephyr pulsed inside me, and a primal howl tore from his throat, resonating deep within me, awakening every buried omega instinct. My body responded instantly, tightening around the thickness of his cock as another wave of ecstasy crashed over me. I convulsed, my vision going white for a moment, lost in the overwhelming pleasure. His low, guttural growl vibrated against my skin as he pushed deeper, his seed releasing deep into me in a flood of heat, filling and claiming me completely.