Page 92 of Fated to the Dragon Warlord

Dalat shouts something, but I’m no longer listening, continuing my weaving, slamming into the walls of the ship, following her scent as it grows stronger and stronger.

The claiming is not complete.

“Kerra!” I tear the door open with claws that are too long. “Kerra!”

“You-know-who is, apparently, awake,” a female voice says.

I pay it no heed. I can’t take my eyes from her.

Propped up comfortably in my den is my mate. She is pale but her eyes sparkle.

“Darax.” She smiles. “You’re up.” Her voice is weak.

I become liquid, sliding into my den and wrapping myself around her, curling her against my scales, listening to her heart beat.

Scenting her.

She is delicious, part Kerra, part venom. All mine.

“I thought I’d lost you.” I press my face into her hair.

“You can’t get rid of me so easily, Darax.” She laughs.

“I would never want to get rid of you, sweet mate. I love you,” I growl.

Kerra runs her fingers through my hair, and every scale of my body stands on end. “I didn’t mean it literally,” she says. “I never want to leave you. Thank you for saving my life.”

I cup her face in my hands, studying it, making sure every beautiful line is burnt into my brain.

“I can’t be without you. Not because of the rut, but because my heart beats in time with yours. Our stars are aligned and fate has brought us to this moment. You are my shining star, heartsfire. Your brightness is my brightness, your power is my power, your light is my life.”

I don’t get to say anything else because her lips are on mine, and she steals my breath like the thief she is. As far as I’m concerned, she can take it all.

KERRA

Having Darax here, awake, alive, as real as he can be, is a relief I can’t even measure. Once I’d gasped back into life on the Veseli ship, he was unconscious at my side.

Dalok growled at him, Dante toed him, but there was no response. So, Dexx picked him up and tossed him over his shoulder, while Driok muttered aboutthe nevver using up all his venom.

We made it back to the Sarkarnii ships, every inch of my body burning at me, but every atom desperate to see him.

Apparently losing the amount of venom Darax gave me is enough to induce a catatonic state until his body can make enough to replace it.

Back at Vorostor Central, we were separated. I was too weak to do anything about it. There was far too much snarling and growling for us to hang around the warlords, so my friends made sure we made a swift escape.

And now he is here, his arms wrapped around me, along with his tail. Naked, of course, because he was in his shifted state.

Plus, if I’m not mistaken, he is a very aroused male too, and he’s not alone. My body is on fire.

“The claiming isn’t complete, my heartsfire,” Darax murmurs as he releases my mouth. “I need to be inside you.”

My eyes flick to where, only a short time ago I was surrounded by my friends.

They’ve all made themselves scarce. We are entirely alone in Darax’s quarters.

To my surprise, he unwinds himself from me. He moves sinuously over to one side of the depression in the floor which doubles, it seems, as his bed.

After all we’ve been through, we’ve not spent any time in here, and I feel a little like I’m invading his space.

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