Page 54 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

Daire looks offended. “Nay, I can look after my soulmate.” I don’t say that he’s not so good at looking after himself. “I scoped out the academy. There’s a supply closet that seems warm enough.”

I pull him to a stop. “You’re incredible.”

“Are you just realizing that now?”

I narrow my eyes. “You knew that this was going to happen.”

“It was likely. How many of those dragons have family who I faced on the battlefield? Lost relatives under my featherglass’ spears and arrows?

My side in the war were conquered, but loss and grief are always on two sides.

I’m not a simple soldier like the other fae who have been accepted here.

I’m the leader. I’m surprised that they haven’t tried to assassinate me yet. ”

I shove him against the wall. “Shut up.”

“Now you sound like Ignatius.”

“Is that why you weren’t fighting back, when I came in?”

Daire’s expression is complicated. “Should I have been bothered that some cadets were messing with my bed? I’ve slept on the floor in a cell for weeks.

For a decade, the only bed that I’ve known has been the forest leaves, the only blanket my own wings’ feathers, even in the harshest winters.

A pampered soldier like Aurelius may need tents with luxurious nests even in the midst of campaigns, but a rebel like me only survived as long as I did because my army could move our camp quickly and with little equipment or supplies.

Because we could endure hardships that no one else could imagine. ”

I reach up to cup his bruised cheek. “What if I don’t want you to endure anymore?”

His eyes gleam in the dark corridor. “Don’t take away my main talent.”

“You still shouldn’t have let Ignatius treat you like that.”

“I like this protective side to you, love.” Daire holds my hand, as it’s cupping his cheek, and presses it more tightly against his bruise.

“When you’re hurting, you hurt others. That fae bastard, the distant abandoned cousin, had just been whipped.

There’s something worse than being bullied and tormented for most of your life and that’s knowing nobody would care or even notice if you lived or died.

I have a sense that if Ignatius wasn’t a useful pawn or bargaining chip in whatever his family are playing, he would understand that.

He was just taking out his anger on the cadet who Caligo had signaled was fair game.

I’d have allowed it, if he hadn’t bad mouthed you. ”

“Why?” Frustrated, I snatch away my hand.

“Because it made me look even less of a threat. If they knew my true power, then these cadets wouldn’t only torment me, they’d kill me.”

Fear floods me.

I glance up and down the corridor again to check that we’re alone. Cold creeps up my spine at the light spilling from the dorm room. The only safety is here in the dark with an Unseelie.

“These dragon shifters fear the truly strong,” Daire explains.

“I’ve learned just how true that is within this bloody Shadow Court.

The fae revere primal forces of nature. We are the power of the shadows; we don’t fear it.

Only by being in this paranoid, fear-filled court that both fights over who holds the power and trembles before true power, do I understand that Aurelius has been protecting me. ”

“He’s been protecting us both but the Alphahole is unable to drop his emotionless mask well enough to show it.”

“Raised in a place like this,” Daire gestures around at the cold academy, “bloody surprising. I could have cut off his knot for calling me Kit and making me a pet. Now that I’ve learned about his court, however, I understand that it’s the only way I would have been allowed to survive here.

When he first captured me, I would still have rather he killed me.

But then, I met you…” His gaze is intense; my skin tingles.

“…and I’d give anything for just one more day with you. ”

“Then you’re lucky that we have a lifetime.” I raise the snowflake to my wrist and kiss it. “I don’t intend to fucking die or be sacrificed to the Shadow Gods. So, you’ll have more than one day. You’ll have until our hair turns white.”

Daire’s expression crumples. He takes a ragged breath.

What have I said?

He snatches me by the hand and drags me down the corridor. “I don’t want to waste another moment. I’m going to build you your first nest.”

I don’t tell him that Aurelius has already built me nests both at the camp and then in the suite of rooms, which I have come to realize is our royal dragon nest together and has been from the start.

Daire is too excited, and as his soulmate, this is too special for him.

“I can’t wait.” I smile.

Then Daire trips over a low stool, which is set at the side of the corridor.

“Careful,” I say. “Didn’t you see that?”

“It’s dark.” Daire’s voice is tight. “I’m distracted by how incredible your pussy is going to feel around my cock.

I feel like I’ve rutted you already, but we weren’t touching, only through the bond.

Since then, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about fucking you.

You’re dangerous. Around you, I can hardly think clearly… see clearly.”

My breath hitches. Hot and cold rush through me.

Daire shoves open a nondescript door on the side of the corridor.

He hauls me inside. “Tonight, I’m yours. We’re finally alone. Tell me what you want.”

We stumble inside into the small space, banging into shelves. The door slams shut behind us, veiling us in pitch-black.

My heart races.

The loss of my sight amplifies the sound of my pulse racing in my ears, the scent of Daire’s feathers that smell of frost under a winter’s sun as his wings curl around me, and the press of his plush lips to mine.

“I want all of you,” I breathe, reaching down to undo his breeches .

“Aye.” He nips at my lower lip, and I moan, biting him back.

“Strip. I want the nest to smell of both of us.” Daire’s panted breaths are loud in the small space.

His pheromones are thick and intoxicating.

“I’d rather strip you,” I challenge.

Then in the dark, we frantically kiss, while working with difficulty to free each other from the complicated lacing and buttons of the academy uniforms. One by one, we drop these borrowed masks, which have never before been worn by fae or wolf before, on the floor of the closet behind us.

Finally, Daire’s pinion feather flutters from its hiding place in the band of my underwear, where I’d lovingly tucked it, on top of our nest.

I shiver, as Daire’s long fingers tease over my hip, side, and breast. In turn, I torment him back, grazing the back of my knuckles lightly along his peaked nipple, abs, and thigh.

His hard cock, which juts against my hip, twitches.

I smile into the darkness.

Daire nuzzles against my jaw, and I purr.

“I’ll weave our clothes into a nest and warm you in my wings. But first,” Daire’s voice drops like the winter breeze over a frozen lake, “if you truly want all of me, then there’s no hiding that I am a being of the shadows. An Alpha. A king. And I am your god.”

I swallow.

This is the fae of legend speaking now, one of magic and cold death .

The side to Daire, which he normally hides behind his charm and banter, as much as Aurelius uses techniques to suppress the Golden Dragon, Hadrian.

My pupils dilate with pleasure, as I drop to my knees. “Then let me worship you.”

Daire’s breath catches.

I haven’t done this before, but on the moon, I want to.

Eagerly, I reach in the dark to trace over Daire’s large cock. It twitches, seeming to harden impossibly further, when I stroke up and down it, twisting my wrist.

I take my time, enjoying exploring his cock without him being able to see me, the ridges, steel beneath velvet soft skin, and his girth. I draw unsteady pants from him by stroking over his sensitive knot.

It is so much more intense without my sight to touch him like this.

“Do you mind not being able to see?” I murmur.

For a long moment, Daire doesn’t reply.

Then he rests his hand on my head, caressing me with an aching tenderness, before tangling his fingers in my waves. Still, he doesn’t direct my movements.

“Not when I’m with you, love.” Daire’s voice is low with a depth of sincerity and emotion.

I rest one hand on his thigh and feel that he’s trembling. He’s like a stallion that’s been ridden hard, and I haven’t even started to ride him yet.

Desire pulses through me, making me wet.

I may be the one on my knees but I’m the one in control here.

Slick drips down my thigh at the sense of power, as I lower my head to mouth at his balls. Then I slowly drag my tongue wetly in a single line down his cock.

Daire moans. “Please, love…”

He sounds like I’m devouring his soul.

I tease the head of his cock, worshiping him as he wanted, with little kitchen licks. I taste the salty pre-cum, enjoying the taste and working hard to get more. I reach to massage his balls, before finally, hollowing my mouth to suckle at the head of his cock, laving it with my tongue.

I flick out my tongue across his slit, experimentally.

“Again.” He tightens his hand in my hair. “That’s it, just like that. So bloody good. Your mouth feels amazing, love. Do you like sucking my cock?”

I smile, flicking my tongue repeatedly, until he moans.

That’s all the answer he needs, and all the sound that I need right now, are those delicious, perfect moans.

I could live a lifetime hearing only those.

I reach my free hand to circle over my own sensitive nipples.

Then I drop my fingers lower to dip them into my soaking pussy, fingering myself in time with sliding his cock in and out of my mouth.

Daire jerks his hips, when my purr deepens, sending vibrations through him.

As if he’s no longer able to hold himself back, he tugs on my hair, taking back the control.

“Good Omega.” He thrusts into my mouth; I adore feeling the weight of his cock on my tongue.

Enthusiastically, I suck harder .

Then I jerk in shock, as I feel something like feathers but cold as ice brush against my clit.

“My shadows,” Daire murmurs. “Thanks for showing me that I don’t need to see your beautiful face to still feel pleasure or your love.”

Confused, I try to glance up at Daire, wishing for the first time that I could see his face. He tugs on my hair more harshly, however, thrusting his hips.

When his shadows circle my clit, it’s like being pleasured by his frozen wing. Then more shadows trail across my breasts, at the same time that others thrust into my pussy, while more feather across my tight asshole, teasingly.

The burst of pleasure through me is so intense that I lose track of where I am…who I am.

I’m flying.

My mind becomes fuzzy.

More shadows are stroking me, pushing into me, making me delirious with a height of pleasure that I never dreamed was possible.

“Come at the same time as me.” A voice far above me commands.

Then as I scream with ecstasy, and the cock in my mouth explodes with its offering, I’m certain that I must be hearing my god.