Page 114 of The Dragon King's Assassin

“Then it was a dumb vendetta.”

“It was indeed, and it cost him his life.”

“But that last bit was interesting.”

“You mean the part about me mating you?”

“Yup. That would be it. Care to explain why that explains this?” I waved at my stomach. There wasn't even a mark anymore.

“I told you, Dragons share their immortality with their mates.”

“Yeah, I get that, but when exactly did you perform this immortality sharing ritual? Because I don't remember it, and I would think something like that would stay with me. So would a mating ceremony, for that matter.”

“The immortality sharing comes with the mating, and it's not a ritual exactly. It's a process. Usually, it starts as an instinctive reaction. The Dragon's body recognizes its mate and produces the mating hormone. Then—”

“Taroc, I swear to the Gods, if you don't fucking tell me, right the fuck now, how you made me your mate without me knowing or even fucking consenting, I'm going to headbutt you!”

Taroc chuckled. “I had to give you some foundation to the procedure, or you'd think I was teasing you.”

“Why? What's the procedure?”

“The bonding magic is delivered through sexual release.”

“Come again?”

“Precisely.”

“What?”

“It's in my cum. I claimed you that very first time we were together.”

“In your . . .” I gaped at him. In my mind, a picture formed of Taroc angling his cock at me. Coming all over me. Rubbing it in. “Holy fucking shit! The tingles! That was magic?”

“The tingles?”

“Your cum made me feel tingly. And it absorbed into me. I thought that was just a Dragon thing.”

“It is a Dragon thing.” Taroc grinned. “But only when a Dragon is claiming his mate.”

I frowned. “How do the females do it?”

Taroc grimaced. “Trust me, you don't want that image in your head.”

I laughed and yanked him into a hug. Then I shoved him away and punched him in the gut.

Taroc grunted, hunching with the punch, then gaped at me. “What the fuck?”

“That's for not telling me! Or even fucking asking me!” Then I remembered the potion and what I'd overheard Dr. Chisuren saying. “Holy fuck! This is why I healed that stab wound so fast. It wasn't a magic potion. You lied to me and then made the doctor lie to me too!”

Taroc flushed. “You weren't ready to hear the truth.”

I jumped to my feet. “You motherfucker! You fucking asshole!”

Ren suddenly whined, and both Taroc and I rushed over to her.

“Ren!” I cried.

“Ren?” Taroc picked her up and carried her to the bed. “Hey, girl.”

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