Page 53 of Devoted to the Dragon

She loses it at my words, turning into a desperate, mewling, beautiful mess. I tease her with my knot, loving the way I can feel her stretch around me each time I push in a little more. Her body welcomes me home, sucking me in and clamping down on my bulging knot. It expands, locking into place and stretching her until she’s so full of me she’s shaking.

“Alpha,” she begs.

I grind into her, my knot slipping in a little farther, teasing the stretch.

Her sweet mouth cries, “Please,” over and over. Seeing her desperate for my cum sets off my release, and I flood her plugged pussy. I hold her throat in a possessive grip and pinch her clit until she wails. When the last of the orgasm runs through her, she twists her face up to me. It’s a kiss of surrender, filled with sweet moans. The kiss is endless, more comfort than anything as we ride out my knot.

The moment it goes down and I slip from her warm heat, her moans turn into body-racking sobs.

“Oh, little dove, I’ve got you,” I assure her, folding her to me and lifting her into my arms. She is a strong warrior. A brave dragon. But her heart is so tender and in need of so much care. “It’s gonna be all right.”

I hold her until we’re both waterlogged and her sobs turn to hiccups.

She’s quiet while I towel her off, carry her into the bedroom, and set her on the bed. I dress quickly before tugging one of my shirts over her head. The blanket from the foot of the bed is next, and I wrap her up snugly before picking her up again.

The more she allows me to take care of her, the sturdier and more in control I feel. The Council has pitted itself against us, but they can’t touch us here. The wards are strong. My mates are strong. We survived.

With her arms wrapped around my neck and her head resting under my chin, I carry her toward the den.

“Thank you, Alpha,” she says softly, planting a kiss under my jaw and rubbing her cheek against me.

“There is nothing to thank me for, baby girl. I love it when you let me take care of you and give you what you need.” My wolf settles with her in my arms despite the danger. A small burst of tart citrus curls in the air when I rub my cheek against her hair. I suck in her scent, letting the rightness of it give me strength.

Vandera and her mates wait for us by the fire, but I don’t let my dragon from my arms, and to my surprise, Randi snuggles into my lap on the couch.

Brooks hands us each a glass of bourbon, his jaw tense and his eyes flinty.

“The Alpha King is dead.”

Chapter 26

Randi

Brooks’s words ring in my head like the gong of a watchtower, loud and unending.

The fang. My dreams. At least some of it’s real.

Around me, questions dart back and forth, but my brain gets tripped up on the image of the serpent slicing the king’s throat.

“It was the serpent,” I say. Even to me, my voice sounds hollow.

Silence follows. Fennik’s arm tightens around my waist.

My eyes find Vandera. She gives me a sad smile, and I know that without having said anything, she’s figured it out. I look away and take a sip of my drink, letting the burn chase away some of the rawness I’m feeling.

Brooks clears his throat. “The news is spotty. We know the Council has fallen, and the territory alphas remaining are battling for control.”

Fennik’s deep voice vibrates against my side. “That buys us time.”

Alden, Vandera’s stoic mate, speaks up. “Some of the new guards tried to rise against us two nights ago. Vandi dealt with them, and we tossed them out. We escorted anyone wanting to leave to the territory border before lockdown. Those remaining,humans and wolves alike, have pledged loyalty to the territory. The wards are holding strong, and we’ve reinforced perimeter patrols. Even if they come, they won’t get in.”

Fennik rattles off a list of orders about sustainability for lockdown, and the three men fall into conversation, debating what to do if refugees show up.

I brace myself, turning back to Vandera. “The serpent is one of my mates.”

She grimaces and curls two fingers, pretending to strike. “The mark on your shoulder is very angry.”

“No shit.” I laugh at her horrified expression. “When we fought in the forest, the rune appeared, and he bit me?—”

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