Page 98 of The Dragon Warlord

He’s up and he’s glowing. The new marking has purpled and is already healing. “You came,” he whispers.

“Yes. It’s time for you to say goodnight, Omega. I am here to collect you.” I haven’t touched him yet. I’m afraid to touch him. I want him so fucking bad. My cock is swelling and throbbing at the sight of him. My marks on him don’t help matters.

“Of course, Alpha. Goodnight, Matrice.” He’s not looking at her, just me, and before the thought that he shouldn’t be so transfixed on me leaves my mind, I realize that I’m equally as transfixed.

* * *

Ibring him to my quarters, which is one of our sanctuaries. No one bothers us here. Usually. That’s not to say that it’s never happened, and His Royal Dragonness certainly doesn’t feel inclined to give us privacy, but more often than not we can relax here.

“I was wondering if you would sit on the veranda with me tonight?” I ask.

“You know I’ll do whatever you ask, Warlord.”

“River.”

“It’s true.”

I scowl. He bites his lip. I want to bite the lip he’s biting.

Thinking hasn’t gotten me anywhere all night, so I stop thinking and run on instinct. “Take your jacket off,” I demand.

He swallows, nodding, and he knows that I’ve allowed an edge of my inner beast to come out to play. That’s what he does to me. He pulls the most feral aspects of my being from me, which is what I’m afraid of. I usually tamp down on it with a heavy lid, but what if I took the lid off?

“I-I can handle you, Tristan,” he says as he removes his jacket slowly, reading my body language. River’s movements are careful, knowing that anything too sudden will trigger yet more of my baser instincts. He’s thinking about me again, not wanting me to lose more control than I can handle, but wishing I would.

I smell the arousal pouring off him and I hold off for as long as it takes for him to hang his jacket on a hook by the door. That’s when I pounce and trap him against the wall, caging him with a hand on each side of his head. He goes very still as I sniff along my bite, the underside of his chin, and then dip down to his chest, checking to see if someone else’s scent has settled into him.

Don’t most people hug their siblings in greeting? Yes, but River wouldn’t be allowed that or risk driving me crazy. It’s something I want him to be able to do and I vow to make it so by the time we leave for Mortouge again.

All I smell on him is me and his aroma of honeycake, so I know he’s kept his distance. In another state of mind, I might have the wherewithal to be disgusted with myself. Currently, there’s only relief.

Gods, but I want to taste him. Why shouldn’t I? He’s mine.

No.No.This is why I don’t go down that road. These thoughts are wr—

“Tristan?”

“Yes, honeycake?” I say, licking his neck.

“Oh, Gods. This is embarrassing as hell, but I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”

I tilt my head like a beast who doesn’t understand simple Markaytian. Iama beast right now who doesn’t understand simple Markaytian. “Just from this?”

“Fr-From … I feel so owned right now, and yours. I love when you let your beast take over.”

“Oh, he hasn’t taken over yet, Riv, or you’d be face down on any available surface being speared by my cock.”

He clenches his fists and his arousal spikes. “Fuck.”

Enjoying the responses I’m getting from him, I suck on the apple of his throat. “You’ve been taunting me all day.” It’s clear to me now. I didn’t suspect it because it was out of character for him.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to notice.”

“How long were you half-naked on my training field?”

He ducks his head. “I shouldn’t have done that—you punished me for it,” he’s quick to add.

“I have.” Making my way to the crest of his collarbone, I push the shirt away enough for me to suck another bruise there. “You loved what you got.”