Page 15
“What’s a crystal dragon’s superpower?” Skye broke the tension that followed Slate’s declaration.
Pleased to have something else to focus on, Rimi turned to meet her gaze, sending this mental message, Thank you, Skye. Then to everyone, she asked, “Superpowers?”
“Some things have to be experienced,” Keres said mysteriously as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Rimi’s cheeks heated with embarrassment.
“Keres!” she said in exasperation.
“La, la, la, la, la! Things a twin does not need to hear,” Oldrik commented, adding humor to the conversation.
“Speaking of hearing, that reminds me. Keres, do you have a map of Wyvern and the surrounding area? I had a report of loud music coming from a nearby city and I’m not sure where it is,” Ardon said.
“Of course. Come with me. We’ll figure it out,” Keres said, leading the dragon shifters to his office.
Rimi sighed in relief as Slate slid from her lap to follow the dragons. She bounced her knees up and down, relaxing her muscles. “I think his time on my lap is over. ”
The mates laughed. Even in human form, dragon shifters weighed more than a normal individual. She suspected they’d all tried to move their mates and found them impossible to shift.
“Can you all tell me about Wyvern? How did the dragons get involved?”
“I think we were all clueless about dragons until all the tech died,” Aurora told her. “At least I was.”
Everyone nodded.
“Then the dragons were super involved in finding and returning everyone to Wyvern,” Ciel told her. “We got used to seeing them in the sky and on the ground. It still fascinates me to see them shift. It feels like I miss a split second of something magical each time. Does it hurt to shift?”
Rimi nodded. “It can. If you’re not in good health, it’s a tremendous strain on both the dragon and the human part of you.”
She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Can you tell me about Keres? He came to find me, thinking it was the end for him. Was he violent?”
“I think he scared everyone and saved all of us at some point,” Brooks confessed. “Skye and he have the closest relationship between the horde and other dragons’ mates. She could talk to him in dragon form.”
“He’s my favorite after my Daddies, of course,” Skye told Rimi with a smile. “He needed to find you. That’s all.”
“I’m glad he did,” Rimi said. It didn’t bother her at all that Skye and Keres were close. She’d already figured that out. The bond between Skye and her mates was strong. As was hers with Keres. Jealousy toward the unique woman was impossible.
“We are, too,” Lalani told her warmly.
Rimi relaxed more with each moment she spent with the mates. She’d never had friends, of course. All that hiding and people searching for her interfered with the possibility .
“Are you happy here, Rimi?” Skye asked.
“Yes. I’m safe and loved. That’s a huge difference from my life before Keres found me.”
“Do you think you’ll have more children?” Brooks asked before holding up his hand to stop Rimi’s answer. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid question and totally none of my business.”
Tension suddenly filled the air. The mates weren’t sure how she would react. Rimi laughed before admitting, “I don’t know. There isn’t birth control for dragons.”
“Just flame Keres if he gets frisky,” Ciel suggested.
Two long seconds passed as no one looked at each other. A snort escaped from Rimi as she tried to keep herself from laughing at the thought of being able to resist Keres’s tempting ways. That wouldn’t ever happen.
Immediately, everyone lost it. Lalani even spat a mouthful of water through the air as she tried to control herself. The staff came in to make sure everyone was okay before leaving, grinning themselves. Their mirth was infectious.
As if on cue, the shifters returned. Argenis scooped Ciel up in his arms and sat down with her on his lap. One by one, the dragons followed that pattern, confiscating a seat and cuddling their mates. Oldrik took the empty seat between Rimi and Skye, allowing Ardon to hold their mate.
“Rimi, do you have a nursery?” Aurora asked.
“She has not seen it yet,” Keres shared as he easily lifted Rimi into his arms and sat down. “We’ve been a bit busy with Slate.”
“Where is Slate?” Rimi asked, glancing around. Even though everyone else was seated on someone’s lap, she felt slightly embarrassed.
Keres kissed her temple. “He went to his room. He’s fine, Snowflake.”
Rimi nodded and tried to relax. She replayed his earlier statement in her mind. “I have a… A nursery?”
“You do. Every mate needs a quiet space of their own. We will add whatever you like to the room. Books, puzzle, crafts.”
“I love to read. I’ve found a few tattered books here and there. They were a wonderful escape.”
“Then we will add books to your nursery,” Keres assured her.
“We all like to read, too,” Lalani blurted.
The reaction of all the mates made Rimi pause. Why had they all turned red? Maybe she needed to read these books as well. “Would you recommend some for me?”
“Of course,” Ciel said and everyone giggled.
“Ciel is a writer,” Aurora shared.
“I’d love to read something you created,” Rimi said and scanned the group as their mates laughed again. And what was that expression on the dragon shifters’ faces? Something was definitely up. She couldn’t wait to read Ciel’s stories and their other suggestions.
“Who would like to hunt with Slate next week?” Keres asked, changing the subject when the conversation lagged.
“Hunt? A baby can’t hunt,” Lalani cried out in concern.
“His baby stage ended the day after he was born,” Khadar told her. “Dragons grow up fast. Count me in, Keres.”
The others indicated they would join as well. It was an important step for the young dragon. Keres nodded his thanks to each member of his horde.
“Would the mates like to join Rimi for a luncheon? She would love to have company, I am sure,” Keres added.
“Doesn’t she go hunting?” Ciel asked.
“This is a male-only expedition.” Keres laid down the law, ignoring the fumes of anger that rippled toward him from not only his dragon-shifter mate, but the other mates. His gaze met Brooks’s, and he quickly clarified, “Male dragon only, I should say.”
“Of course,” Brooks said after checking in with Rogan. “I would love to keep you company, Rimi. I will be here.”
The other mates chimed in quickly. No one would make the mother stay by herself as her baby went out into the world for the first time. Even if that baby had sharp teeth, dangerous talons, and fiery breath.
“It’s okay, Rimi. I will stay by Slate’s side. He’s already mastered flying and how to dispatch prey. This is simply the next step,” Keres told her.
“It’s a huge, bounding leap into adulthood, Keres!
” She hugged Rumble to her chest and glanced toward the bedroom door.
Slate had his own room in the next wing.
He preferred to be away from his parents at night.
Rimi knew he snuck out to explore. It wouldn’t be too long before he left to find his own horde.
“Slate will be fine,” Keres told her. “I wouldn’t arrange this hunt if he wasn’t. Trust me?”
“Of course, but couldn’t I go, too?”
“No, Snowflake. No women allowed.”
He wouldn’t budge. Arrggh! This was so unfair. Before she could stop herself, Rimi picked up the closest object and threw it at Keres. The lamp shattered harmlessly against the bedroom door. Rimi raced around the bed to rearm herself with the other one. She didn’t make it.
“You are acting very poorly, Mate. I think it’s time you found out what happens to Little girls who throw things at their Daddies.”
Keres stalked forward. Rimi drew the lamp back to toss it at him, but he was too fast. She struggled to hold on to the lamp, but her mate stripped it out of her hands with ease.
“Give me that.”
“Your level of violence toward lighting is troubling, Snowflake. Especially since that no longer works,” he said, grasping her wrist with his free hand as he casually set the lamp back on the nightstand.
“Let me go!” she demanded, twisting her arm in a vain attempt to free herself. He was too strong for her to get away.
“No. It’s time for you to learn a lesson. There’s only one Daddy in this relationship. And one naughty Little.” Keres sat down on the bed and drew her between his legs.
“All spankings are applied to a naked bottom.” He unfastened her jeans and pushed them over her hips.
Rimi considered kicking his shins, but reality dawned on her.
He was too strong, even for her. She swallowed hard, trying not to react.
Her body had other ideas. They hadn’t been intimate since Slate had made his arrival.
Simply being around Keres had an arousing effect on her—being half naked skyrocketed her response.
Rimi struggled to pull away from him, but Keres controlled her easily. He lifted her feet from the carpet and rotated her to stretch over his lap. His hand stroked over her naked bottom.
“My precious Little. Perhaps I’ve given you too much time to recover from Slate’s birth. Let me remind you who is in charge.”
Rearing her torso up at the first slap on her bottom, Rimi gasped at the sting. “That hurt!”
“Of course, it did.”
Keres spanked her several times in succession before rubbing his palm over her skin. Before she could recover, he started again, raining swats over her tender flesh. A thought burst into her mind. I’m a dragon! She could partially shift to give herself protection from the stinging punishment.
“Not happening, Little girl,” Keres growled as scales appeared on her bottom. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and asserted his dominance. Instantly, her dragon traits receded. “I could spank you in either form, Snowflake,” he reminded her.
As the heat built on her skin, tears gathered in her eyes. She didn’t want him to see her cry, but she couldn’t fight his control over her. Rimi slumped over his legs, submitting to Keres fully.
“That’s my good girl.” Keres praised her and shifted his next slap.
Rimi inhaled sharply when his powerful hand landed between her legs. Her pussy throbbed, and she spread her legs wider, inviting his caresses again. “Please.”
Keres repeated that erotic “punishment” three more times before returning to swat her bottom. Needing more, Rimi squirmed on his lap. Now the sting of her spanking blended with growing arousal.
When he lingered to play in the growing slickness, she begged once again, “Please, Keres.”
“Daddy,” he corrected her sternly.
“Please, Daddy,” she recited.
“That’s my good girl.” Keres slid two fingers into her tight channel and brushed his thumb against her clit.
She climaxed immediately and screamed her pleasure into the room. Keres spanked her five more times as her body throbbed around his fingers, extending her pleasure and making her crave more.
“I need to be buried deep inside you, Snowflake,” Keres growled. He stood and tossed her onto the mattress.
Holding her gaze, he licked her juices from his fingers. His eyes flashed purple, revealing his rampaging dragon. She shivered, wanting all of him—the beast and the man. With rough, hurried movements, he stripped off his clothing and crawled onto the bed.
His mouth captured hers, delivering a punishing kiss that demanded her full response. Keres ripped his mouth from hers and quickly tore off the rest of her clothing. His urgency pushed her arousal higher.
Rimi stroked her hands over his chest, caressing his hard muscles and basking in her mate’s power. She hid a smile when he ripped her arms over her head and pinned her hands to the mattress. She loved that he battled for control.
He thrust forward, filling her completely. Rimi gasped as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed kisses to his throat and across his jaw before whispering, “Move,” into his ear.
His roar filled the space as he followed her request. His strokes pushed her arousal higher and higher until she could only think of him and the pleasure they created together.
When the sensations inside reached a peak, her climax rocked her.
Unable to hold back, she confessed her feelings. “I love you, Daddy!”
“I love you, too, Snowflake. Forever more.”
She brushed the hair back from his face tenderly before whispering, “Forever more.”
She would never get enough of him. Moving against his body, she urged him to find his pleasure. Keres rebuilt her arousal until they came together. Rimi didn’t understand how fate had matched them together, but she would thank her lucky stars every day and every night.