Page 35 of Unexpected Mate

“Beautiful, stop thinking,” he whispered. “I love you, now let me ease the discomfort.”

All rational thought fled my mind. He loved me, he wanted all of me. I was getting a second chance with my first fated mate.

He joined me on the carpet, lowering his body against mine. My skin burned everywhere his skin touched my own. His lips caught mine again and he kissed me with wild abandon. I cried out when I felt his fingers brush against my most sensitive parts, every slight brush sending shock waves ofdesire through me. My hands ran down his chest, memorizing every curve and muscle. One day I would explore those with my lips and tongue.

Cage jerked against me as my hand wrapped around his throbbing erection. Primal need pounded in my head. Mate. Mate. Mate. I fought it, wanting this first time to be a loving one.

Cage’s fingers sunk deep inside me. I gasped from the sudden intrusion, but my dragon was pleased. My pupils shifted to slits as I groaned his name. He moved to kiss my lips again and then startled when he saw my face. My insides turned to ice - he was going to reject me again.

Instead, he leaned down and kissed me, and the tension left my body. He hadn’t been repulsed. I wanted to laugh with joy, but another wave of pain slammed into my body, the heat reminding me that it hadn’t gone away.

Cage’s hand suddenly pulled away from me. He lifted my hips and slammed into me. This was no gentle stroke; this was hard and fast. A new pain ripped through me, and I cried out in surprise.

“Oh, Tia. You feel so good.” Cage moaned as he slammed into me. Hearing his satisfaction reassured me. If this was how he liked it, I could adjust, just like I had for my other mates.

As he angled himself deeper, he rubbed me just right and I could feel my body begin to tighten. His fingers gripped my hips tighter and he slammed me against him with each thrust. With two more hard pumps, the coil of desire in me sprung free and I climaxed, moaning his name in ecstasy. I was lost in bliss, when my back was suddenly slammedinto the floor from the force of his thrust, knocking the wind out of me. I gasped in a panicky breath, but before I could draw in a second, he had buried himself inside me again, hard enough that I bit my tongue. I whimpered in pain, and his mouth covered mine. Tenderly, his tongue lapped up the bit of blood and caressed the tiny wound.

“I’m sorry, honey. I am having trouble controlling my wolf,” he whispered. “We’ve both wanted this for so long.” He was panting hard as he spoke, slowing his pace, and giving me time to catch my breath. I melted under his touch, and he began moving faster, his movements more frantic. I bounced as he pulled out and slammed back in, harder and harder each time. Pain ripped through me again, from the rough love making or my heat I couldn’t say.

My shoulders hurt from the impact with the floor, but I ignored the discomfort. My mate was holding me, loving me; life was perfect. Again, my belly tightened, and pleasure washed over me in wave after wave. My walls tightened and gripped him tighter, and with a growl he followed me over the edge, his body jerking with the aftershocks of his pleasure.

“I love you,” I whispered.

My fangs dropped and I leaned forward to mark my mate and finish the claiming. Instead, a rag was shoved in my mouth.

“No biting, dragoness. That isn’t part of the plan.”

Iwas so confused. His voice had gone from tender to frigid, and as I looked into his eyes, they no longer glimmered with love. Instead, all I saw was disgust. Fear clenched in my stomach. I should’ve moved faster. I should’ve reacted, but my heartbreak kept me frozen, as still as a statue.

He quickly brought out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them around my wrists.

“Don’t even try to break these; they have been spelled by a wizard friend,” Cage said. “You might have been able to break them if you had been at full strength, but while weak from Ivleek, you don’t have a chance.”

How did he know about the Ivleek? What else did he know?

I should never play poker, because he read my faceeasily.

“How did I know?” He laughed. “Come on! Surely you didn’t think that Draven was the only corrupt leader in the supernatural world? I knew it was spreading, and I tried to keep my pack out of it. I left you once I realized that you weren’t going to stop shifting into your unnatural beast. Once I got back to the pack, I found myself growing more and more bitter. And then I started to hear rumors. You were growing in power, and the community was taking notice. You demanded the wizards treat their magic-less losers like they mattered, and the council immediately bowed to your wishes. The different leaders began to draw up alliances, hoping you would agree to them. People were talking about you like you were a celebrity, and they were so eager to find favor with you.”

His voice had grown angrier as he spoke. He dressed again, and now tossed my torn and crumpled dress toward me. “Put it back on.”

I struggled to put it on, and he watched me, his gaze making me feel dirty. I tried to call out for my mates in the bond, but I hit a brick wall.

“If I had just sucked it up and played my cards correctly, I would have been your first mate.” He sighed. “I would have been given a position of power within the community. I didn’t get the mate I wanted. A sweet submissive woman whose only focus was to care for me and my children. Instead, I got a prophesied dragon goddess with more power than she knows what to do with. The fates wrecked my life, and now I am taking what I want.”

I choked on a sob at his cruelty.

“Would you shut up?” He walked over and yanked me to my feet. I tried to hold my dress against me, but without being tied, it kept slipping.

“This way.” He led me through a hidden door that was cleverly painted to look like a smooth wall. The door led to a stone tunnel. How original.

Apparently, he wanted me to feel the most pain possible because he continued talking. “I bribed a network of spies to gather information and send it back to me. I also made contact with other members of the supernatural community that are not pleased about your existence. We have put a lot of time into this plan. Once you went full lizard, we knew it was going to be more challenging to take you down. You have nearly unlimited power, but you are too young to know how to handle it. However, since you are unpredictable, we had to wait for the perfect moment. When we discovered that you had obtained Ivleek, we decided now was the time to act.

“Your little show of power outside was impressive, especially since you should barely be walking with Ivleek in your system, but it exhausted you. How did you like that little show with the guards? I am still amazed at how perfectly everything went tonight.” He stopped to laugh. “That crazy old man showed up and distracted Leo, and the spineless werewolves distracted the twins. Ivo played the hero and chased the men who had been preparing to shoot arrows at you, and the vampires were happy to have a family get-together. We thought we would have to knock them out, but they wandered away willingly. Each distraction worked like a charm and you were left unguarded and alone. Once they were away fromyou, our wizards threw up a spell that kept them from hearing anything else. That’s also what’s blocking you from contacting them with telepathy.”

My bare feet were raw from the debris cluttering the tunnel. I was shivering from cold and fatigue.

“We are almost there, hurry up.” Cage yanked me forward and I tripped on my dress. Without my hands to balance me, my face smacked into the cold stone. Pain pounded in my head and my vision blurred. Cage roughly hauled me to my feet and walked me down the shaft, his fingers digging hard into my arm as he kept me upright.

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