Page 21 of Devoted to the Dragon

Chapter 10

Fennik

After all these years of restraint, it would be easy to assume my dick has gone soft with neglect. I’ve grown immune to the scent of Frenzy, but the sight of Randi tonight in a tight, black leather dress, the neck so indecent that her tits are spilling out, is enough to make me rock hard.

I’m on the floor with Gunnar tonight, working a training shift to let him get a feel for the room. He’ll need to be familiar with Randi’s schedule and the protocol, even if he won’t be a regular room monitor. Like me, the young wolf seems oblivious to the dancers, his eyes trained on our dragon. She has been making it difficult for us since the person he’s trying to learn how to protect has been avoiding both of us in her nest all week.

I nod in her direction, and the pup falls in step with me.

“Is she always so evasive? I mean, it’s like a fortress here, but still, we live in the same wing and haven’t seen her in days,” he asks, leaning in so others can’t hear.

“Yes,” I answer simply.

My little dove draws in on herself whenever anyone gets too close. It means we spend our time in an endless battle of chase. It’s a game neither of us wins or knows how to stop.

Before we can reach her perch near the dance floor, Delia, one of the regular bartenders, grabs my attention. “Hey, boss. The guy at the end is getting twitchy. Fur keeps sprouting.” She nods in the direction of the alpha.

I signal Talon, one of the regular guards, off the wall and let Gunnar watch him move through protocol. The ordeal only takes ten minutes, but by the time we return, our mysterious dragon has taken flight again.

After that, it’s one interruption after another. A guest gets separated from his packmate, and we find him half asleep, leaning against the wall with his dick out. The healer needs Vandera. Could I find her? On and on, people need our attention. Gunnar or I manage to spot Randi’s white hair in the crowd again and again. We’ll catch her eye, but before we get to her, another person will call for our attention. Once or twice, we see her play with a dancer to rile up the crowd, but we never manage to reach her.

Delia makes last call, and on a hunch, I signal the pup to follow me downstairs.

I yell over the blaring music, explaining as we walk, “The nest below Frenzy is where our guests can go after they’ve been cleared upstairs for a visit. They’re scheduled with groups of wolves matched by Vandera for the best compatibility. Typically, a rut lasts anywhere from four days to a full week. The wolves down here are on the second night of their cycle. The doors lock, and only rut companions and trained guards are allowed in.”

Gunnar nods, eyes wide. As we wind down the stairs, the irritating blast of music disappears, though my ears ring for another two floors. At the entrance to the nest, I get us cleared through security and show Gunnar the staff stairway that leads to the ground floor.We weave through the staff rooms and lockers, the small kitchen, and the back hallway leading to the nest.

The space down here is the opposite of upstairs. The harsh lights and metal cages have disappeared. There is no soundtrack but panting, grunting wolves, moans of pleasure, and the slapping of skin. The large open room looks like an old tavern. It’s a warm space, all softness and pleasure. From the rafters hang drying herbs and flowers that merge with the scent of omega and rut to create a haze. The big fireplace blazes, and around the floor are piles of fur and velvet, all covered with writhing bodies.

Behind them, Randi sits on her throne, watching like a dragon queen. I ignore the pup’s gawking, refusing to let her out of my sight again. I weave around the outer edges of the rut circle, keeping to the shadows until I’m standing in front of my stubborn mate. She looks up at me, her eyes blazing with lust. Her nipples are puckered against her dress, and her breathing is labored.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, though we both know she’s been giving us the slip all night.

“Maybe the better question is what has you so turned on? Was it our little game of chase?” I pull her from her throne and settle her back in my lap in one quick movement.

No matter how quick I am, it isn’t a move she would normally allow.Her hand catches on my chest, her fingers digging into the skin beneath my white dress shirt, and her mouth opens in surprise.

I cup her cheek, rubbing my thumb along her soft skin. “Caught you, little dove.”

“I know I have things to explain”—she leans in, her nails scratching my jaw—“but right now, I want you to kiss me.”

Her easy acceptance is a surprise, as is the look of adoration on her face. I crave the way she’s looking at me. I’ve wanted her softness and her heat directed my way for what feels like myentire life. Not wanting to miss the opening, I seal my lips over hers in a hungry kiss.

Our tongues duel, twisting and turning in our never-ending dance for dominance. I nip her bottom lip and suck away the sting. I’m surprised again when she surrenders, the fight giving way to the softness beneath her spiked surface. She moans my name, and it’severything.

I slow the kiss, taking it from ravenous to savoring. This is my tender-hearted dove, and I’ve been waiting too long to have her as mine. I learn the shape of her mouth, explore the soft sighs and moans she makes, and memorize her reactions. The more I take my time, the more she squirms on my lap, restlessly rubbing against my hard cock. My teeth graze the skin of her neck, and my wolf rumbles deep in my chest with the need to claim.

The sound startles Randi, and she pushes against me, scrambling. I snake my arm around her middle, tugging her back to me.

Her lust-ravaged voice murmurs in my ear, “You can’t, Fennik. I’m sorry.”

She moves to pull away again, and I thread my fingers through her hair, holding her in place until those golden eyes find me. “I promise that I’m in control of my wolf. I’ll never bite-bond you without permission, but I won’t hide the desire to do it from you either.”

Randi studies me, looking for reassurance, and Gunnar shifts beside us, drawing my eye back to the pup. He hovers, watching. The outline of his cock cage is pressed so tightly against his pants I know his dick must be aching.

I lean in and give her a kiss of comfort. “I’ll always keep you safe, dragoness. Always.” I grip her chin and lift her head enough to focus on our young mate. “Now let’s ask him.”

I study Gunnar with her, relying on my wolf instincts to tell me if the pup’s control is steady. “Are you in control of your wolf enough not to bite-claim her? Even if your wolf thinks she is your mate?”

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