Page 71 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
“I choose you,” she gasped, the confession torn from somewhere deep and true. “I’ve already chosen—”
Her words dissolved into a cry as pleasure crested, exploding outward from her core in waves of blinding intensity. Her body convulsed against his, scales shimmering with inner light as her release claimed her.
Ignis didn’t relent, his skilled touch prolonging her pleasure until she thought she might shatter. Through their bond, she felt his satisfaction, his pride, his barely leashed desire to claim her completely.
“Mine,” he growled against her throat, the vibration sending another pulse of ecstasy through her oversensitive body.
“Yours,” she agreed, voice breaking as a second orgasm built impossibly fast upon the first.
His fingers twisted, pressed deeper, and she fell again, harder this time. Colors exploded behind her eyelids as the forest around them seemed to vibrate with shared energy. Each wave of pleasure more intense than the last, until she could no longer distinguish where one ended and another began.
“Let go,” he commanded, his voice both gentle and unyielding. “I’ll catch you.”
The third climax consumed her entirely, tearing through her body with supernatural force. Her consciousness fractured, unable to contain the overwhelming sensation.
As darkness claimed her, she heard his promise resonate through their bond:
“When you’re ready, my Luna, I’ll show you pleasure beyond dreams.”
CHAPTERTWENTY
IGNIS
Heat wrapped around Sora like a living blanket, seeping through her skin straight into her bones. Her eyes fluttered open to find herself nestled in the curve of Ignis’s ruby forearm, her body cradled against scales that radiated comforting and familiar warmth. Morning light filtered through crystal apertures overhead, scattering soft rainbows across the chamber.
She peered toward the entrance, where the twin moons hung in the pale morning sky—proof that somehow, she was still alive.
Her heart raced, her sleeping shift damp with sweat, an unmistakable slickness between her thighs. Images from her dream—his hands on her body, his maw claiming hers, pleasure crashing through her in waves—flooded back with such vivid clarity that she couldn’t distinguish memory from fantasy.
She covered her forehead with the back of her arm, trying to slow her breathing. Whatever had happened in that moonlit forest clearing felt more real than any dream she’d ever experienced.
A deep, rumbling chuckle vibrated through Ignis’s chest, the sound both amused and soothing.
“What thoughts race through that busy mind of yours?” His crimson eyes studied her with predatory focus, wings shifting slightly, tucking them tighter against his body, as he adjusted his position around her.
Sora lowered her arm, meeting his gaze directly despite the heat flooding her cheeks. “Was any of that real? The forest, the tree, your hands...” Her voice faltered, unable to articulate the rest.
“The dreamscape was crafted from our shared consciousness.” His tail coiled more protectively around his sleeping platform. “But everything that happened within it was as real as the bond that connects us.”
Her breath caught. The implications sent fresh heat spiraling through her core. She hadn’t merely dreamed his touch—he had been with her, sharing the experience, feeling what she felt.
“How did you—” She hesitated, heat flooding her cheeks. “I mean, you seemed to know exactly how to...” She couldn’t finish the thought, wondering how a dragon king understood the intricacies of human pleasure.
Ignis’s scales rippled with barely suppressed amusement. “I wasn’t always isolated in these mountains. And I’m hardly the only well-read sovereign on Artania.”
He lowered his head, bringing his face closer to hers. “All species study each other’s biology—basic knowledge necessary for interspecies care and cooperation. How to heal wounds, treat illness...” His voice deepened to a rumble. “Bring pleasure.”
She couldn’t suppress a flare of curiosity. “And humans? Your enemy for generations?”
“Know thy enemy,” he quoted, something darker flickering behind his crimson gaze. “Celestoria used their knowledge of draconic biology to create weapons targeting our vulnerabilities. We merely returned the favor with more benevolent intentions.”
An unexpected thrill ran through her at the thought of all the knowledge hidden within the mountain. “Do you have these books? On species biology and...” She gestured vaguely, the word ‘mating’ sticking in her throat.
“Still a curious scholar even now,” he teased, the corner of his maw lifting in a draconic half-smile that made her heart stutter. “Yes. The Great Library holds extensive texts on all Artanian species—both biology and their histories. I’ll take you there to gather whatever books you want after we visit the prince.”
“The prince?” Her brow furrowed, memory returning in fragments. “You mean—”
“Prince Markth of Celestoria. Ember brought him during our retreat.”
