Page 108 of Dragon Unleashed

That catches me off guard.

“No, I’m sorry, Chano.” I pause, realizing how true it is. “I’m sorry about all of it. If we got a do-over, I’d tell you I was royal straightaway.” He blinks up at me. “I was afraid of losing you. Obviously, that was enough to screw up our bonding and we lost out anyway.”

Chano pushes himself upright. “Yeah, about that. It wasn’t you.”

I stare at him in confusion. The disrupted sleep, the cold floor, the lack of food…it must be messing with my head. I don’t understand.

Chano scrubs a hand through his hair, wincing when he touches the bump. “It was Farrell.”

He spells it out for me, and I finally understand. Flames lick over my skin.

“How fucking dare he?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you from the Virrey, from Farrell.” Chano leans toward me and kisses me. And I can’t think of anything else, nothing except this.

“I love that look in your eyes when you’re angry,” Chano whispers, staring at me with an intensity that makes my toes curl. “You look like you’d set the whole damn world on fire with me.”

The cold damp of the cell fades into the background and my world narrows to just this man in front of me. I run my hands through his stubbly hair, across his broad shoulders, and down his arms, coming to rest my hands in his.Mine.

“I’d set it on fire and watch it burn,” I say as he gathers me up, peppering my collarbone with kisses. I wrap my legs around his waist automatically and he continues his assault, kissing my jaw, the corner of my mouth, biting my lip. I throw my head back, moaning. He squeezes my bum, and my pussy clenches as he traces the outline of my panties.

“Down,” he grunts, lifting me away from him.

For a second, I think he’s stopping us, stopping this. But he whips his hoodie off and throws it on the floor next to the blanket. His pants go next. He jerks his chin at me, and I giggle despite the grim setting, wriggling out of my own clothes, adding them to the nest. With a growl he pulls me to the ground, pinning me under him, my head on a cushion of clothes.

“Spread your legs,” he demands, teasing his fingers in the side of my panties. “So wet for me already, chica?”

I nod, my breath catching as his face follows his fingers, trailing kisses down my stomach, across my inner thigh before teasing at my clit. He pushes two fingers inside, stretching me, his tongue circling me. I rock against him, moaning, my legs trembling.

“Need you inside me, now,” I grind out.

His eyes smolder as he crawls back up my body, taking his time to wrap his tongue around each of my nipples, making them peak. He settles his weight over me, taking most of itthrough his arms, his dick nudging against my slit, and I arch my back.

“Wait. The Virrey…he threatened to breed me. To raise my kids. What if he left you in here on purpose?”

He stills completely. “I wouldneverallow it to happen, chica. Not to you, nor our kid.” He lifts his hips slightly. “I can redo the contraception cast. To be sure?”

Of course. The chill that had descended on me vanishes, replaced by burning need. “Do it now, Chano.”

It takes seconds. Watching his clever fingers weave the cast only makes me need him more.

“You’re mine,” he says. “Tell me you’re mine.”

I whine in frustration as he pulls back, denying me what I need.

“Yours, Chano, please…”

He slides his tip inside. I’m so needy he doesn’t have to ease his way in; I thrust myself forward. Gasping at the stretch, I claw his back, pulling him closer.More. He drives into me with punishing force, his hips slamming into me again and again. My whole body trembles and my fangs descend, piercing his skin.

“Mine,” he snarls, lips pressed to my ear as I fall over the precipice and my orgasm rips through me.

“Yours,” I repeat, peppering my bite mark with kisses. He spasms inside me, coming just as my own orgasm starts to peter out. “Yours.”

Chano’s arm wraps around me, pulling me on top of him, protecting me from the cold hard floor. He laces his fingers with mine and I gaze at our hands. Our Aeternum bond flickers, solidifying into two interlacing rings.

Despite the shittiness that is my life, in our moment of passion, fucking on a cold cell floor, the Fates bestowed us with a second stage bond. It’s happened, finally.

Chano nuzzles my ear, and I settle my head on his chest. We haven’t talked. Neither of us is naive enough to think this solves everything. But something unspoken passed between us. Some level of acceptance. Uncomfortable conversations can wait for later. It’s damn easy when we might not have a later.

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