Page 6

Finn

R achel clings to Zahraxis like a baby, almost sobbing despite having been given nothing but pleasure. The sight stirs something protective in me—this powerful little mate who just took a full dragon cock like she was born for it, now overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. Through our newly forged bond, I feel an echo of Zahraxis' empathic response to her emotional state. As a Gold, he's particularly susceptible to others' feelings, and her vulnerability hits him hard.

I hold up my hands in a placating gesture, though I bristle at his possessive display. "Brother, you're too weak to maintain this stance right now. Let me help."

He bares his teeth, but another ripple of scales across his skin betrays him. He loosens his hold on Rachel fractionally as I settle beside them, though he keeps her pressed firmly to his chest while I rub gentle circles on her back. Her aura still blazes with need, even after multiple climaxes. Bloodline indeed, and a powerful one at that.

We fall silent, but Zahraxis begins murmuring to her in the ancient tongue. The raw display of emotion surprises me; even Golds of his generation kept their empathic responses tightly controlled, seeing such vulnerability as weakness. Yet he weeps openly as he cradles her, piercing her with a golden gaze that speaks of more than just possession. Her overwhelming emotions have stripped away centuries of rigid control, forcing him to feel and express everything.

She leans up to kiss him, and I feel a surge of power as they share breath. She drinks him in while golden smoke swirls around her head, and I harden again at the sight. Their combined auras pulse with renewed heat.

I smell both our seed still flowing from her, yet her aura flares with fresh arousal. She shifts restlessly, and when Zahraxis releases her enough to let her straddle him, he grips her hips with possessive intent. He flashes a warning at me as I move to kneel behind her.

"She needs more," I say quietly, letting him see the truth of it in her aura. "You can see it."

He growls, but his cock twitches as she sinks onto him. He locks eyes with me even as he guides her movements. The bond forged by my earlier dominance thrums between us, complicated now by shared desire.

Rachel smiles down at his tear-streaked face before tilting her head back, exposing the elegant line of her throat as she works her hips. When I lean in to kiss her shoulder, Zahraxis tenses beneath her.

"Mine," he says again, but with less heat. His depleted state makes him vulnerable, needing what we can give him, even if his pride rebels against it.

I watch them carefully, gauging the moment. "You can fit," Rachel breathes, as if sensing the tension. "I want you both."

Zahraxis mutters something, but loosens his grip on her hips slightly. I move closer, sliding my palm down her back. "Let us help her," I murmur to him. "Let us help each other."

Rachel lifts her hips, sliding off his rigid length, leaving him bare and glistening with her slick arousal.

I grasp his cock alongside mine, pressing our tips together, both in challenge and as an offering. After a moment's hesitation, he gives a sharp nod, though his expression suggests this isn't over—just postponed until he's stronger.

Rachel eases back as I guide her, steadying her hip. She takes us both in one delicious stroke, drawing groans from both of us before we begin moving in a slow, hard rhythm.

Zahraxis cups her face, staring deep into her eyes as he whispers in the ancient tongue.

"What's he saying?" she asks breathlessly. "I want to know what he's saying."

"That all the centuries of torture were worth it, since they brought him here to you."

She frowns and touches Zahraxis’ cheek. "You didn't deserve torture. If we're fated, I have to believe we'd have found each other no matter where you were before."

He shakes his head and wraps his arms around her, thrusting harder. I match his pace, losing myself in the perfect synchronicity of our shared pleasure. Our combined climax rocks through all three of us with less desperation than before, but no less intensity.

As we slow to a stop, I withdraw carefully and recline beside them, propping my head on my hand. I trail my fingers down Rachel's back while she rests her cheek on Zahraxis' chest.

"It wouldn't have happened any other way," I say, unable to keep the sadness from my voice. "Because if he had not been captured by the Ultiori then, he would have followed through with the Renunciation, as all his generation did in those years when the Ultiori rose to power."

"I've heard of that, but I don't know how it works. All I know is the dragons don't do that anymore."

"The Ultiori are gone now, so there is no need to limit our numbers and hide our young." The words taste bitter as I speak them, memories of my own hibernation rising unbidden. "Any offspring he had would have been in the first generation of hibernating dragons. Every generation only allowed itself to live for five hundred years or so, reproducing in the first few decades, then sending their young to hibernate for five centuries while the elders did their best to survive the Ultiori scourge."

Rachel shifts against Zahraxis' chest, her aura flickering with growing understanding. "Renounce their lives?" She glances at Zahraxis, who nods solemnly. "You mean they'd commit suicide?"

The raw horror in her voice echoes my own childhood grief. "The act allowed them to concentrate the power into a single generation, which made each generation the strongest it could be, giving it an advantage against our enemy. It also protected the youngest among us until we were old enough and resilient enough to hold our own against them."

Her aura pulses with empathy as she processes this. "That's so sad. You only got to know your parents for how long?"

"Between ten and twenty years, give or take." I trace idle patterns on her back, drawing comfort from her warmth. "I was one of the youngest in my generation, going into hibernation when I was only twelve years old. It was... the hardest thing I've ever had to do." The admission comes easier than expected, perhaps because of how our energies have mingled, creating something new and right between the three of us.

She reaches out to touch my face, stroking her fingertips down over my jaw. The tenderness in her touch makes my throat tight. "You were just a baby, and your parents were gone when you ascended, weren't they?"

"They left me enough to be comfortable," I say with a shrug that doesn't fool either of them. Through our strengthening bond, I feel Zahraxis' surge of protective anger on my behalf.

He shifts beneath Rachel, reaching for my hand where it rests against her lower back. He squeezes with surprising gentleness, then speaks in halting English. "Unfair to you and them. We must make right."

"The Ultiori are gone, friend," I remind him, though his concern warms something deep inside me. Our shared dominance has evolved into something more complex, more equal.

Zahraxis looks unconvinced, seeking confirmation from Rachel. She shrugs, her skin glowing with the residual magic of our joining. "I don't know much, only that it's true. There was a war and everything, but I only heard about it all after the fact. Like, literally a few weeks ago, after I got to this island. I didn't know much about the higher races at all before I learned I was Bloodline."

He cocks his head at this, his calculating expression belying his apparent confusion. The Gold in him reads the truth in her aura even as he asks, "What is 'bloodline'?" His gaze flicks to me for explanation.

I start to answer, then stop, suddenly aware of how much there is to explain. "It's a long story, brother."

"I am free. I have time," he says, pulling Rachel closer to press their foreheads together. "Time enough for knowing my mate. If you are Bloodline, I will learn what Bloodline means."

I can't help but chuckle at his determination, even as duty tugs at me. "I get it, she's a surprising blessing to find at the end of a feral rampage. But I have a duty to return you to the Court. I shouldn't waste time. Or your precious energy, for that matter."

"Isn't he better? He seems fine, after all this." Rachel waves at our naked bodies, still flushed and tangled together. Her aura pulses with contentment, and I have to admit, she has a point. The energy she's given us both has done wonders, especially for Zahraxis.

"As depleted as he was, it will take time for his reservoir to heal enough to hold power for long," I explain reluctantly. "You gave more than enough to fill my well for a week, but his has shrunk over the centuries to the point he can only retain a thimbleful. We have a long journey ahead of us to reach the city where the Queen lives. She's waiting for us. The Court has magic strong enough to help nurse him back to full health, not to mention dragon law requires lost dragons go through a reintegration process if they've been out of touch for more than a few decades."

Her aura dims at this, and she stares down at the stone between us. "You just got here," she says in a small voice that makes my chest ache.

Zahraxis tightens his arms around her and glares at me. "Stop. You're making her sad."

She clears her throat, visibly gathering herself. "You don't have to leave immediately. Look at him—he's clearly better than when you started fighting. The school has lodgings for the visiting instructors. It would be safe for him to stay there, regain some strength, learn about... everything." She gestures at the world around us, and I feel her hope rising.

I prop myself up on one elbow, torn between duty and desire. "The queen?—"

"Will understand if you take a day or two to help him acclimate before dragging him into court politics." She lifts her chin in challenge, and damn, if it isn't adorable. "And you can't tell me you've never bent the rules before."

I laugh, caught out by her perception. "You've got me there. But?—"

"But nothing. I'm here. He clearly needs me. I feel it, and I bet you do too. You don't think we should be separated right after finding each other, do you? I'm your mate, aren't I? You wouldn't have landed on this island if you weren't meant to be here. I mean, maybe it's some other student who's meant to be yours, but I'm willing to bet it's me."

My tongue forks involuntarily at her words, anticipating the marking that will claim her as ours. She notices, her nipples tightening in response.

Zahraxis rumbles in agreement. "We must stay. The queen can wait a day more. I can survive."

I shake my head, but there's no heat in it. "You weren't exactly fending for yourself these past centuries, brother. You were a prisoner."

"Even more reason to let him rest," Rachel argues. "And you look like you could use a rest too. How long have you been chasing him?"

"Two weeks," I admit, knowing I've lost this battle.

"Then you both must be exhausted. It's nice here, and the food is delicious. I'll bet between the three of us, we can convince April to let you stay in staff housing tonight. We can figure out the rest tomorrow."

The way our auras twine together, I know she's right. A day won't hurt, and we all need time to adjust to this unexpected bond. The queen will understand; she’s always had a soft spot for fated mates.