Page 27 of Bound by Fire and Scales (The Dragons of Earis #1)

“You know they’ll come for me,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper as we lay in the quiet shadows of our room. She was curled at my side, her hands resting gently on my chest, her warmth steadying me.

“The council won’t let this go. Not after what I did. I destroyed my own people under their watch. They’ll hunt me down, and if you’re with me… they’ll come for you, too.” I looked down at her, fear tightening in my chest. I wished, in the quietest parts of me, that she’d just go. I knew it would break something deep within me to see her walk away, but at least I could be certain that I wouldn’t be the one dr agging her into grief.

Her gaze sharpened, and I could see her jaw clench, that fierce spark flashing in her eyes. She wasn’t afraid of the council. Gods, I loved that about her. The way she held an entire storm in her small frame, the fire she carried so effortlessly. Despite her size, her humanity, her omega status, she was braver than anyone I’d ever known.

“I don’t even know if I can control myself, Sabrina,” I said, my voice shaking. “I didn’t fight her magic; she let me go. It was her decision, not mine. I could have turned on anyone, even you.” I thought I’d learned to keep that darkness at bay, to build shields around my mind after the war. But that night, I’d been the weapon, turned against my people. “I can’t let that happen again. I can’t risk hurting you.”

She reached up, her hand cupping my face, pulling me to meet her gaze. “Do you think I’m afraid of that? Afraid of you? Zephyr, let them come. Let the council send every dragon, every mage, every warrior they have. I’m not leaving you.”

“But what if I hurt you? What if I fail you like I failed them?”

“You didn’t fail them,” she said firmly, her voice filled with a conviction I hadn’t felt in a long time. “The council failed. They’re making you carry the blame for something they started. But I know you, Zephyr. You would never have allowed this to happen if you had any choice.”

She sat up slightly, resting on her elbow so she could look me in the eye. “I don’t care what battles lie ahead. I’d rather face every one of them with you than watch you suffer alone.”

For a moment, I couldn’t look away, captivated by the way she looked at me like I was someone worth saving, worth standing beside. She was offering me a hope I hadn’t dared to believe in. A chance to have someone who truly saw me, flaws and all, and wasn’t afraid.

“You mean that?” I asked, my voice rough.

“With everything I have,” she replied, her hand moving gently along my jaw. I leaned into her touch, finding solace in her warmth. “I’m here, Zephyr. I’ll stand against the council, the mage, anyone who tries to come between us. I’d walk through fire for you, over and over, however many times it takes. I’m with you.”

My hand rose to cover hers, my thumb tracing slow circles on her skin as I struggled to speak. “Sabrina…” My voice broke, low and ragged. “Why are you going so far for me? We’re not real mates…” I tightened my hold on her hand, desperate, afraid to let go.

“Maybe this began as a job, but somewhere along the way… it became real for me.”

“Real?” I echoed, my chest tightening.

“Yes,” she said, rolling onto me, straddling my waist as her legs draped on either side of my body. Her hands cupped my face as we locked eyes in silence.

“I trusted you back at the guild when you approached me with this stupid job. I thought you were just like the other alphas, seeking cheap, desperate omegas to satisfy your dirty needs.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she silenced me by placing a finger gently over my lips. She wasn’t done.

“But then you showed me a vulnerable side by sharing what was happening with the council. That’s when I chose to trust you. And during my forced heat, you showed me the kindness that nobody showed before. For the first time, I saw an alpha who could control himself and not act like an animal. I gave myself to you willingly because I knew then that I could truly trust you.”

She paused, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “I’m trusting you again, Zephyr. I’m choosing to stay by your side. I want to give myself completely to you, alpha.”

“Sabrina—”

“I want you to claim me, Zephyr.”

I gaped at her in surprise. “Are you sure, Sabrina? This… being claimed is a commitment for the rest of our lives.”

Her gaze held mine, unwavering. “I know what I’m asking. I want this—us—to be real.”

My heart raced at the thought, and I cupped her face in my hands, feeling the heat radiate from her skin. “Then I’ll honor you in every way an alpha should. You deserve that and so much more.”

She smiled, a mix of relief and anticipation flickering across her features. “Then claim me, Zephyr. Show me I belong to you.”

My dragon stirred within me, the heat of its presence rolling through me as I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to hers. “Are you sure?” My voice came out rough, almost a growl, barely held together by the thin thread of control I still had left.

Her hands slid up to cradle my face, her touch grounding me even as my instincts begged to take over. “I’m sure. I love you, Zephyr. I want this. I want you.”

That was all it took.

A deep, guttural growl escaped my throat as I crashed my lips onto hers, but this time it wasn’t born of desperation or fear of losing her. No, this kiss was different. It was tender, filled with all of my feelings for her that had been building all this time.

Sabrina pressed her body into mine as she straddled my hips. I could feel the warmth of her skin against my hands as they rested on her thighs, her breath coming in soft, shallow gasps as she stared down at me.

Her hands cradled my face, her touch soft, sending a jolt of want through me I couldn’t suppress any longer. She leaned down, her lips brushing mine with an almost unbearable tenderness. “I love you,” she whispered against my mouth.

I couldn’t hold back anymore.

My hands slid up her sides, gripping her waist as I kissed her back, deeper, hungrier. There was no more hesitation between us now. She moved her ass against my hardness, slowly, deliberately, teasing me, and a low groan escaped from deep in my chest. I could feel her slickness spreading across my skin and every part of me ached to flip her over, take control, and bury myself inside her heat once again. But I held back, my hands gripping her hips just enough to keep steady. I wanted her to set the pace, for now at least.

She wrapped her hand around my hard cock, guiding it slowly into her slick, eager heat. Our eyes never wavered from each other, locked in an unbreakable connection as she sank down onto me, slowly, taking me inch by inch. The moment I was fully inside her, we gasped in unison.

“Sabrina...” I rasped, my voice thick with desire as I looked up at her. My hands slid up to cup her breasts, feeling her shiver under my touch. She tilted her head back, her hips starting to move in a slow, rhythmic rise and fall. A soft moan escaped her lips as my thumbs grazed over her hardened nipples, drawing out even more of her pleasure with each gentle stroke.

I watched her in awe. She moved like a commander, claiming what was hers without hesitation. Her hips rocked against me, and I could feel the heat building between us, her every movement driving me closer to the edge. My control was slipping, and I didn’t care. All that mattered was her, this moment, this feeling that consumed everything else.

“You’re so perfect, Sabrina,” I growled, my hands tightening on her waist as I pulled her down against me, letting her feel how much I wanted her, how much I needed her. She gasped, her nails digging into my chest as she moved faster, riding me with a slow, torturous rhythm that drove me wild.

Her breath hitched as I thrust up to meet her, her body arching above me as we found a rhythm that was ours. I felt her tightening up around my cock, her body trembling as she edged closer, and the sight of her losing control, giving herself to me so completely, nearly undid me.

“Zephyr...” she moaned, her voice breaking as she moved faster, chasing the release we both needed. I gripped her hips, guiding her, feeling her fall apart in my arms as her orgasm hit, her body tightening around mine as she cried out my name.

That was all it took.

With a deep growl, I thrust harder, deeper, taking control as she surrendered to me. Her loud moan filled the room as I quickened the pace, my hands gripping her round, firm ass for support, guiding her movements as I drove her to her second climax. I wanted to give her every ounce of pleasure my body could offer, to make her feel nothing but ecstasy in my arms .

Her nails dug into my chest, leaving a delicious sting as she rode each thrust, her body responding to every motion. I could feel her clenching around me again, her moans becoming louder, more frantic with each passing second. My hands gripped her hips, pounding into her harder, faster, deeper, fucking her open until my cock slid in and out of her easily. The wet sounds filled the room, skin slapping against skin.

“Sabrina…” I groaned, her name slipping from my lips as the pressure inside me built to an unbearable peak. I could feel my knot swelling, stretching her tight inner walls to its limits. Her body trembled above me, and I could tell she was close, just as lost in the heat of it all as I was.

“Claim me,” she gasped, her breathless pleas turning into desperate cries. “Knot me, Alpha! Please, I need it—please.” Her body began shaking as her breasts bounced with each hard thrust, her perfect cunt squeezing me so tightly I could barely think straight.

Her words were what I needed to hear. I thrusted up into her, harder and faster, chasing that last bit of control as her body clenched tight around my knot. My hands found her neglected clit, and I pinched it, making her moan loudly. I smirked, loving the sounds she made. I loved everything about her.

She was an absolute goddess on top of me and mine to worship.

I kept grinding into her, the pressure of my knot swelling inside her making it impossible to pull away. Her body reacted to mine, her cunt tightening and convulsing, clinging to me with each pulse, trying to milk me dry.

I thrusted harder, my hands gripping her hips, and the sound of her cries echoed in the room as she threw her head back in pleasure. Her tight walls gripped me relentlessly, the heat of her body drawing me deeper. My knot was at its peak, locking us together as the tension in my body built to a breaking point. My balls tingled, the pressure unbearable as I felt the flood of my release coming.

“Take it,” I grunted. “Take my knot and every drop of my seed, omega. It’s all yours. ”

Then I heard her cry out, the sound of her ecstasy as she reached her peak, and my heart nearly exploded when she bared her neck to me, offering it, inviting my bite. Without hesitation, I leaned in, sinking my teeth into the soft skin of her shoulder. The taste of her blood flooded my mouth, sharp and wild, just like her. A growl rumbled from deep in my chest as I came, filling her with everything I had, pumping my seed deep inside her, breeding her completely.

Sabrina’s eyes met mine, wide with wonder as she felt the bond forming between us. Her omega responded to the primal call. She leaned down, her lips brushing against my neck before she sank her teeth into my flesh, but there was no sharp pain, only the press of her blunt teeth against my skin. We both knew that she didn’t have canines and couldn’t draw blood, but the act itself made it clear that she was claiming me back.

My dragon roared with satisfaction, the primal triumph reverberating in every fiber of my being. She was mine. My mate. Mine to love, to protect, for the rest of our lives.

She collapsed against my chest, her head resting on my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. There was no need for words. Everything had changed between us, and we both knew it.

She was mine now. Completely.