Page 37 of Dragons Of Shadow and Sea

I slam into her deep and rough.

If I were parted from her for any reason... For any amount of time... It would be torture.

Just yesterday, I could have murdered the men who dared to lay claim to my mate, and I could have done it with almost no remorse.

Where is this new empathy coming from? From her?

It must be. Her thoughts flow into me, and mine flow into her. She's changing me, and maybe that should be cause for concern.

But I feel better. Stronger. My heart is full, my body on fire. I'm complete in a way I never imagined I could be.

And this new version of myself... The man that I'm becoming...

He could never murder someone his beloved loved. He could never torture them or interrogate them or lock them up and throw away the key.

I can't keep them apart--no more than I can choose to be apart from Ember myself.

With a growl, I roll her over onto her stomach. She moans in pleasure, arching her hips. I put a hand to the mattress beside her head. With my other hand, I reach underneath her and find her clit. She rocks back into me, and I slam into her hard and deep and fast. Orgasm rises in me like an inescapable wave, and I crash forward, headlong into all-encompassing pleasure. Ember lets out a cry of need, and I drum harder at her clit, even as I'm beginning to empty myself inside her. She comes, too, swimming alongside me in ecstasy, and our connection redoubles, becoming the liquid of my blood and my heart and all the spaces in between.

As I collapse over her, I close my eyes.

Even as my cock is still kicking inside of her, my passion for her refuses to abate. I kiss her shoulder tenderly and open my eyes once more. Resolve settles over me, nearly as thick as my desire.

I know what I have to do.

Ember drifts off to sleep a couple of hours before dawn. We're still naked and entwined, my cock still half hard. I lie there for a long time, studying her face in the dim light, watching the rise and fall of her chest, the parting of her soft, red lips and the fluttering of her lashes.

She's perfect. And I don't mean that flippantly. She has flaws, I know, just like me. But they make her who she is, so I adore them.

Carefully, I run my fingertip down her cheek, brushing a strand of purple-black hair from her eyes. I trace the curve of her shoulder and down her arm, over the bracer that flits in and out of my vision, cloaked by magic, even when I know full well it's there.

I felt the might of her power last night. Even more than that, I felt our power. The rush of the sea obeying our slightest command. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. My dragon swooped with me, close to the surface but content to watch through my eyes as Ember and I channeled magic that was bigger than either of us.

How must it have felt for her other mates to discover that with her? What can they do? Does the rock beneath their feet tremble? Can they set the very sky aflame?

I have so many questions and so few answers.

But I haven't lost the certainty that filled me last night.

Finally, the sun begins to rise. Ember is sleeping soundly. With regret, I pull away from her, mourning the loss of her touch. She curls onto her side, and I drape the softest blanket I have over her body. After dressing in the near-dark, I scribble out a quick note, letting her know I'll be back soon.

Outside, the sky is a riot of color. I bask in the first rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon. As I make my way across town, the city streets are empty and silent, and I'm glad. The silence gives me a chance to continue to gather my thoughts.

Arriving at my mother's home, I nod to the guards outside. They admit me without question.

My mother has always been an early riser. I find her on the veranda overlooking the beach, the morning news and her usual breakfast spread arrayed in front of her.

She looks up from her tablet and removes her reading glasses. She smiles at me, but there's a flicker of something in her eyes that I can't place. It gives me pause.

Her tone is as welcoming as ever, though. "Malik. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I regard her for a long moment.

Love and respect well in my heart. These long years we've spent in isolation from the world have been good ones. She's protected our people, and I've done my best to support her. To be a good prince, and to prepare myself for the day when I will take up the crown. While I have not been completely selfless, I've tried to follow her example and put my kingdom above my own needs. Rarely have I asked for anything for myself.

I curl my hands into fists at my sides. Then I let them go.

"Mother," I say softly. "We need to talk."

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