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“Alessandro?” She asked when a throaty growl gonged through the cave, making every hair along her spine stand at attention.

The dragon didn’t speak, but a thin string of fire jetted from his mouth to light the several sconces around the cave.

The once immaculate collection was a mess. Metal treasures were bent or melted into silver and golden puddles. Rubies and other stones were now dust and intermingled with the torn fabrics of tapestries and furs.

He had been out of control. Yet, he seemed perfectly calm as he laid his head back down next to her and his nostrils let out warm air as he stared with large silver eyes.

She took a tentative step forward and returned to her original space when he let out another growl, one threaded with displeasure.

“My growl vocabulary is pretty limited, so if you could use words, I’d appreciate it.”

The dragon huffed, and the ensuing gust pushed Rowan back a step.

“Well, at least now I know you can understand me. May I take a step towards you, or will you bite my head off?”

No answer.

Sucking up her uncertainty, she moved forward, taking slow steps until she could reach up and touch the bottom of his chin.

Black iridescent scales were ice underneath her touch. Two horns curved around his head and tipped into deadly points. Spikes ran along his spine just as menacing as the sharp tip of his tail. Though tucked, his wings reminded her of her own, soft, black and smooth.

Slowly his eyes closed, and he seemed to relax, which encouraged her to feel along the expanse of his face.

“You’re beautiful.“

She spoke after a while of letting him get used to her touch, to her presence.

No answer.

“Really.” She insisted and spread her arms as she leaned against him, “But can I see you in a form that will allow me to hold you?”

She thought he might ignore her again, but then she felt his scales shift underneath her like the moving sands of a desert.

A moment later, her arms were full of a miniature version of the beast, a little rounder and softer, with eyes that were wider but still glowing silver as he looked up at her.

Rowan let out a laugh at the unexpected response. “You’re adorable!” She squealed and rubbed her nose to his. A second later, she found him morphed back into his humanoid form, naked and rock hard, and his lips were on hers in a hungry kiss.

Rowan matched his energy. Pouring everything she hadn’t said into their physical connection. How she was sorry to have crossed a boundary and forced his beast to take over, how worried she’d been to hear of his disappearance and how relieved she was that he hadn’t lost himself to rage.

He pulled back after a moment and rainbow eyes swirled as they took her in. “You feel strong.” His voice was hoarse with desire. Her own need rose to meet his, and she knew where this was going to end.

“On a scale of one to ten, how under control is the beast right now?” She asked as he peppered her cheeks and chin with small kisses and bites.

He chuckled. “I don’t think I’d categorize how much he wishes to take you here and now as really sane, so maybe a three. I need to be inside of you.”

Rowan moaned as his teeth applied pressure at the juncture of her neck and shoulders.

She needed to focus, but her own second entity was bleeding, her vision red and purple once more.

“If…” her words stuck in her throat as she felt the hunger of her succubus erasing her self control.

“What if he pushes you to lose control again?”

His roaming hands froze at the edge of her sweatpants and his voice came out even more gruff than before. “I won’t let him.”

Terra had told her what she needed to know to take this next step, but she needed to hear it from his own lips.

“What’s changed?” She demanded. “Why are you so willing to do this again after telling me last time would be the end?”

He cursed. “Because your succubus is giving us no choice.”

That was certainly not the answer she was expecting. She blinked and cleared her throat. “Come again?”

“You imprinted on me.” His fingers played with her tail, and her knees buckled at the unexpected pleasure. “You can no longer consume the sexual energy of any other than myself.”

“What?”

“On that mountainside, when you held your arms out to me, I could smell it. Underneath all the blood,the scents of…“ a growl of displeasure gonged through the cave, “…several partners. Yet your energy levels were depleted. Even what you got from Barros’ life force wasn’t enough and succubi can survive off that sort of energy for months.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“When we were in the bathroom, a hug gave you more than what they could. Your succubus chose me.”

Untangling herself from his hold, Rowan let out a disbelieving laugh. “I think I can resist her as much as you’ve resisted your dragon. I’ll just need to disappear for a few months on a feeding frenzy. I almost felt it regulate itself at the end.”

His eyes were a soft lavender color as he looked away from her. “Is the idea of choosing me so repulsive?”

Her footsteps back and forth echoed, increasing in speed as her heart rate did. Was she going to be the first one to bare her soul here? Her pride wanted to see him hurt as much as she had when he’d walked away from her, but her succubus was damn near crying in her head.

She took three deep, calming breaths. “It is when you don’t want me. It is when you’re only doing it to save me from this perceived danger of starvation from my succubus. I don’t need to be saved. I need to be cherished and respected.”

Silence spread between them.

She bristled. “Look, you’re in control of your dragon now, right? Let’s head back out.”

His fists clenched at his side. “Rowan, I’m afraid you don’t understand.

When a succubus imprints on a shifter, it only ever happens after they’re mated because of the territorial nature of our beasts.

Your succubus imprinted on me before we’ve mated only because my dragon is stronger than most shifters.

Your succubus must have gotten confused, but an imprint . cannot be removed.”

“What?”

His eyes were a steady silver, but there was pity in them as well. “How can you be so ignorant of what’s happening to you?”

Fury ignited at the sore spot he’d just pressed. “Look, anything I know I’ve gotten from scrolls. Do you know how many scrolls there are covering succubus history? Like three.”

His voice was much gentler when he spoke again. “Scrolls?”

A soft feeling of irritation mixed with sorrow filled her.

“When my mother met my father, it was a setup by our clan. They wanted her to drain his riches dry, just as my grandmother had done to my grandfather from the Southern Elven Kingdom. They didn’t expect for her to fall in love or choose him over their desires, but she did.

As such, she, along with her progeny, is banned from lands held by any succubus. ”

His nose flared, and his chest expanded. “No one should have to live without the chance to know where they came from.”

She shrugged, “I went 26 years with no need to know much about it. If I would’ve never met you, I’m sure I could’ve gone the rest of my life.”

He reeled her back into his arms, a small crooked smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and she knew he saw through the lie she’d offered.

Of course, she craved to know the truth behind her succubus’ side. She despised being ignorant over such a huge part of her life. But there was nothing she could do other than take it one day at a time and confront any hazards that came along the way.

His eyes pulsed red as he leaned down to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

She didn’t have it in her to fight this, to fight him.

When he pulled back, his eyes raked all over her face.

“If we are baring our souls here, I suppose I should tell you that this isn’t a one sided dilemma.

When you tried to mark me, it sent my dragon wild.

The only thing stopping me from sinking my fangs into your neck is that you’re healthy, strong, and that we’re alone. ”

She bit her lip. “What does that mean?”

“I can’t leave. My dragon is stuck, hovering too close to the surface, but I have an idea.”

“Which is?”

“He might eventually calm down. In the meantime, you just come to see me whenever you need to fill up. You could continue living your life in a sort of ordinary way. We don’t even have to have sex if you find someone to actually love out there.

Before I locked myself away, I found I could transfer my energy through touch.

” A thrill of his energy seeped into her with a simple swipe of his finger over her arm.

Confusion threaded through every fiber of Rowan’s being. “You speak as if you’re planning on staying here for a long time.”

He didn’t answer, but his eyes were still flickering between red and silver.

Anger bubbled in her throat.

“The world without the Dragon King?” She demanded. “When the shifters need you the most?”

He chuckled, though she could feel it held no amusement.

He was seething. “Now, now, little elf, as great of a beast as I am, the world would continue spinning. My heir can take on my duties with the backing of my generals. I only regret that I won’t be able to take care of Antoni Barros.

I planned on doubling what he took from you.

” His finger stroked the edge of her eyepatch.

“No.” She whispered.

“Princess Rowan.”

Irritation swelled through her at the obvious ploy to put distance between them. She reached down and grasped his warm, pulsing length. “You ever call me Princess Rowan again and I’ll make your dick my personal chew toy.”

His nose flared, but it seemed she had his attention. She relaxed her grip and, before letting it go, she gave the straining piece of his body a soft brush with her finger. Hunger once again burned hot in her veins.