Page 113 of The Dragon Warlord

“Sorry, it’s … can we please just do this? I can’t make love to you now anyway, River.”

“Of course. I meant what I said. We never have to do anything.” Though for the first time in a long time, I might need to masturbate later. I’ll worry about that another time. His heart is beating so fast. I press my lips to his crown, and he instantly relaxes. Whether we’re being romantic or not, we calm the other. Once bonded, our energy is tangled such that we can work as one person.

He hangs onto me for dear life, and I sink into him. We breathe in sync until his heart rate is back to normal. He leans back, smiling. “I can’t believe I’m barred from my own army. He might as well take us back to Mortouge.”

“Agreed. I miss them.”

“Me too. I remind myself frequently that hardly any time for them will have passed at all by the time we return, and we won’t miss much.”

We’ll be here ten years by Dragon Land time. Only eight weeks will have gone by for them.

Suddenly, Tristan has my thigh in his vice-level grip. I freeze with the kind of fear that brings me delicious arousal. Something has set off his instincts. Fuck I want him. I want him to just take me. No asking. Just primal need, fucking into me with all his dragon strength.

He doesn’t want that. He wants something more human, which is nice for some people.

I guess.

But I’m not very human.

I consider—only briefly—asking him if I should leave, but Tristan’s not human right now either. Or Elf. Instead, I wait.

His lips meet mine and he devours them. Heady breaths thicken the air around us, our dragon teeth scrape against lips, and Tristan yanks me by the lapel of my jacket—which is actually his jacket. I land over top of him. His hands slide up my torso, holding me in a punishing grip and I’m happy to drown in it.

Tears slip down his cheeks. “I want you so badly. Fuck.”

I don’t say a word, letting him continue to kiss me. Am I a terrible person for wanting this to happen? For hoping his instincts will decide for him?

If they do, trying to stop him is a bad idea anyway. He might have to accept if it happens and … oh. I bet that’s what Father was lecturing him about. Dragons have instincts. Especially for their alpha or omega.

“Never doubt that I want you, Alpha. Never.”Even in a moment of pure instinct.

Our kisses deepen. I’m happy to stay here no matter my cravings. Sometimes the wanting of him seems unbearable, but living as long as I have, I know that waiting comes with its own benefits. Like this. I’ve never experienced being a teenage dragon, sneaking off with my boyfriend to make out.

This feels like that or what I imagine it would have been like. That was never going to happen for me. I am Father’s favorite. He was always going to save me for something important. It didn’t bother me much, but when I saw my friends sneak off, I occasionally dreamed about it. It was rare because my sexual appetite was dismal at best, but Tristan’s inspiring all kinds of urges.

I smile against his lips, and it brings him back to me.

“What are you smiling about?”

“You’re making me want to live out teenage fantasies I never had.”

He laughs. “Know what? Same. My father was strict. I wasn’t even allowed to date until I was eighteen and even then, it was highly regulated. You and Alrik make me want to be a teen again, which I know sounds bizarre since you’re both older than rocks.”

Makes perfect sense to me. Alrik and I are two sides of the same coin. “I love that. I don’t think I’ve ever told you about how strict my father was.”

His eyes roll so hard they practically fall out of his head. “I can only imagine. So, tell me about him.”

“At least you got the option to date at some point. I was strictly forbidden.”

“You didn’t want to rebel, even a little bit?”

“Aside from the fact I’m not built that way, what if your father had forbidden you, hmmm?” I’ve met the Markaytian Warlord and I’ve seen Tristan with him.

“Fine. Point you. I would have obeyed him, but I would not have been as charitable as I’m sure you were.”

“Father has wisdom I do not have. I’m glad he made me wait. I want every part of me to belong to you and now it does.”

Tristan growls. “Not everything … yet.” He pulls me close to him, pressing his hand to the small of my back.