Page 42 of Fated to the Drakarn Commander (Drakarn Mates 4)

The harness showed off the hard lines of her body—a warrior's body, built for killing. It was different from our females, but just as dangerous. Just as fucking magnificent. Thinking about flying with her, feeling her strapped against me while we cut through Volcaryth's winds … heat pooled low in my gut.

She glanced at the darkening sky, then back at me. Her chin lifted a fraction. She took a deep breath. A decision made, clear as a shout.

"Not tonight," she said. Her voice was soft, but final. "The flight, I mean." Her fingers tested a strap. "But I want to keep wearing this. For now."

Right. Not the sky. Something else. The air between us grew thick, heavy.

I held out my hand, scaled palm up. "Come."

For a second, I thought she'd back off. She would remember the Council, the Temple priests bitching about us, the fucking gap between our kinds. Instead, her smaller hand slid into mine. Her fingers curled tight against my scales. Solid.

"Lead the way, Stone Fist."

I led her through the stone corridors. I felt every stare from the warriors we passed, heard every hissed whisper. Let them look. Let them fucking see. My wings shifted, half-opening behind her. A warning.

Try me.

The siege quarters felt smaller with her inside. Closer. The heat crystals pulsed low, throwing her shadow long on the floor. I slammed the door shut, the clicks echoing my hammering pulse. Locked us in.

When I turned, she stood near the sleeping platform, fingers trailing over the silks. The harness emphasized her shoulders, the curve of her hip. Shadows clung to her collarbones, her throat. Her scent—human sweat and something else, something justher—filled the small space. It wrapped around me, tightened my throat, made my cock stir.

"Hawk," I rasped. My voice sounded like rocks grinding together. I kept my distance. Gave her space. Prayed she wouldn't take it.

She met my eyes, steady. In the low light, they looked black. Watching me. Thinking. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. Was it nerves? Or was she doing it on purpose? Didn't matter. It broke something inside me.

"I'm not good at this," she breathed. "This thing between us."

"Neither am I," I admitted, stepping closer. Couldn't help it. I was drawn like metal to a lodestone. "But I know what I feel."

Her breath hitched. "What's that?"

I closed the gap. Slow. Deliberate. My hand lifted, cupped her cheek. Careful. Gentle. Her skin felt too smooth against my rough scales. Warm. Alive.

"Mine," I growled. The word ripped out, raw possession. Nothing else mattered.

My tail snaked around her waist. A living strap holding her to me. Even through the clothes, the contact burned. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her pulse jumped under my fingers. Every reaction was a victory.

Her hands came up to my chest. I tensed, waiting for her to push me away. Instead, her palms pressed flat against my scales. Exploring. Heat flared where she touched.

"This should scare me," she whispered, fingers tracing the edge of a scale.

"Does it?" My voice dropped lower until it was rumbling.

"Yes." There was a pause. Her eyes lifted. Defiant. Vulnerable. "No."

I traced her jaw with my thumb. Felt her pulse leap. "I wouldn't cage you,vrakasha. Just … let me keep you safe."

Something in her eyes softened. Gave way. That broke the last of my control.

I bent my head, closing the final inch, and claimed her mouth. There was no hesitation this time. Hunger. Need. She tasted of water, of human heat, of something that made my tongue tingle and my fangs ache.

Her mouth answered mine, turning the kiss rougher. Her hands slid up my neck, fingers digging into the sensitive spot where scales met hide. Fire shot through me. A low growl vibrated from my throat into her mouth.

My tail tightened, then slid lower. It went over the curve of her hip, down the strength of her thigh. She gasped against my lips, arching into the touch. Each reaction pushed me further. My hands roamed her back, learning the shape of her through cloth and leather.

"Khorlar," she murmured, the sound husky. It was liquid fire in my veins.

I shuffled backward, pulling her toward the sleeping platform. Didn't want to break contact, not even for a second. Her hands got bolder. They traced the ridges on my chest, found the sensitive edges of my scales. Her nails scraped lightly over my stomach. Pleasure ripped through me, sharp and sudden.

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