“What did you want to talk about?” Marco asked Edmund, sounding ready to end this conversation.
“We have a younger flight coming from the Dreki realm that we need to send up to Washington to stay with you, or at least in your territory.” Edmund’s face was filled with caution. Lucas offered confirmation.
“The oldest is only around sixteen, but they recently had a mission that turned bad in the Elven realm… they need a place to lay low for a bit. Good kids, but obviously too inexperienced,” Lucas grunted. “Normally we would keep them in California, but they need better security than that.”
“I am pretty sure we have enough to deal with right now,” I bit out, annoyed they were trying to put this on us.
“They are just kids, but they need out. The realm is trying to blame them for a few deaths that had nothing to do with them,” Lucas explained. “Plus, we don’t trust the targets from the Elven realm to not seek vengeance for the part of the mission that was completed.”
“We can figure something out,” Maya offered softly before turning to Marco, her eyes filled with understanding and concern. “They seem like they need help, Marco.”
Anna scoffed as I snarled, her eyes darting away. Marco examined Maya’s face before he nodded. “When we get back, arrange for them to take the portal with us.”
I immediately made a mental note to figure out lodging for them and to talk to Atlas about maybe putting them on some type of security rounds for smaller clients. I wasn’t against taking another younger flight under our wing, especially because it sounded like they’d been sent on a goddamn suicide mission, but it wasn’t fantastic timing with everything going on.
The concept of failed missions and the pressure put on young teams had me transitioning into a place in my subconscious that wasn’t nearly as welcoming as my present circumstance, where Maya was curled up on my lap. My blood boiled as I recounted the hundreds of times I’d been put in dangerous positions purely because of the possible ‘benefits’ it could serve for my future. How it would make me stronger. Better. It was also how I had ended up with this fucking eye injury to begin with. A low growl broke from my throat at that concept.
The worst part? I knew the crown wasn’t completely to blame. Sure, they had allowed the military culture to thrive, but dragons in general were aggressive, and it was only made worse by the lack of ‘true mates’ to balance out all of it. There was a rough hardness to the entire situation that didn’t foster a healthy environment for children. Most dragon shifters, by the time they were thirteen, were mentally and emotionally as capable as human adults, and physically it was about fifteen when they were far stronger than even the strongest Earth realm shifters. We were born to be fighters, and it made it all that much more difficult to change the pattern that had been occurring for so long.
Suddenly, and jostling me from my thoughts, Maya squirmed on my lap, her ass rocking against the bite mark that she had left on my thigh. I felt my entire body tense as everything hardened. My cock was practically begging me to slide into her, pushing up her dress and bouncing her up and down on me until I was buried completely into her tight heat. I let out a small groan, looking at the stunning vixen in my lap, her pupils dilated as she watched me with a concerned and heated expression, her teeth biting down on her plush lip and making me want to do the same.
“You’re growling,” Maya whispered softly.
Shit.
“Sorry, sweetheart.” I inhaled sharply as she wrapped her arms around my neck, allowing me to bury my nose in her sweet-smelling hair. I absolutely loved how easily she fit in my arms, and as usual, the woman had a way of calming me down and working me up to a point that was rivaled by none. It was impressive and terrifying. Even now, despite our company—or maybe because of it and the mood they were unfortunately inspiring—I found myself wanting to ravage her.
“Henry,” she murmured, wiggling against me again. I pulled away from her hair and examined her bright pink face. I knew she could feel how much she affected me, and maybe it was because we were both so over this conversation, but I didn’t bother tempering my reaction. There was no point anyway. If Maya was around, I was hard. It was literally that simple.
“Can’t help it.” I nipped her ear as a shiver ran over her skin. I was suddenly very glad that Marco and the others seemed so invested in their conversation regarding the other flight. Although I highly doubt anyone could miss the scent of Maya’s desire saturating the air. The thought of them experiencing that had a possessive feeling roaring up inside of me. I pushed back in my chair, adjusting my suit coat before I stood both of us up, her frame swaying against mine as she offered me a heated and excited look.
It was far better than the one Anna had put on her face minutes ago.
“We are going for a walk in the garden,” I explained briefly. “Just let me know when our food arrives.” Marco shot me a knowing look that I ignored, liking Maya’s small smile far more, especially considering it was filled with lust and an exhilarated sense of excitement. Whether that was because she wanted to get away from the council or knew how close my control was to snapping, I had no idea.
No one tried to stop us as we left the table, my hand intertwined with hers as we stepped down the large marble steps that led out into the well-groomed landscaping and cherry blossom garden. It created a level of privacy from the rest of the hotel, and as usual, I found myself glad that money on Earth realm seemed to provide the resources for privacy away from prying eyes. I may not like much about Earth, but this was a benefit for sure.
“Where are we going?” Maya asked. The lighthearted energy she carried with her only made me want to get her alone more, not wanting to risk anyone else managing to take that light out of her eye today.
I led us down a path as we entered into a large shrub maze that instantly brought along with it a silence around us that had me knowing we were alone. Pink and red roses began to litter the landscape as I turned three corners of the high bushes, keeping us from sight, before tugging Maya against me. Instantly I was searing my lips to hers, and her entire body turned soft and pliant as her sweet lips opened for me. It was like the woman was made for me, and in some ways, I suppose she was. But more so, it was like she craved the control I so willingly wanted to exercise over her body.
“Fuck,” I growled softly, my cock pulsing against her stomach. “You are so fucking perfect Maya, it drives me crazy. I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“Don’t then.” Her voice was soft and filled with a need that called to a part of me that knew I could fix it. She was my mate, of course I wanted to provide her with everything she wanted. If it happened to include making her come, all the fucking better.
“Tell me what you need,” I demanded, sliding a hand from her hip up to her jaw and tilting it back slightly so I had access to her throat. I nipped the soft skin there, right under her jaw, causing a whimper to break from her plush lips.
“I have been so frustrated all morning,” she whispered, sounding both confused and a bit shaky, her voice seeped in want that had me feeling eager to fix it for her. I hadn’t intentionally wanted to make Maya wait for pleasure, but knowing she had been sitting around all morning, turned on and waiting for someone… in this case, me, to fix it? It offered me a level of control and dominance over her pleasure that I hadn’t realized I’d wanted.I wanted her to need me.
“Do you want me to fix it?” I asked softly. My fingers pulled up her dress, and as my hand smoothed over her tight, curved ass that fit perfectly in my hand, she arched forward against me. I let out a low groan, loving how soft her skin was and wanting to see her skin turn pink under my grip as I fucked her.
“Yes,” Maya whimpered, her eyes flaring with heat as a flash of sapphire seemed to spark through them, her magic tightening against mine in a way that had my dragon immediately responding. Apparently that was all the permission we needed.
I tugged her down onto the garden bench behind us, pulling her onto my lap so that she was straddling my much larger frame. I flipped the straps of her barely there dress from her tan shoulders and cupped her firm breasts, rolling a thumb over her hard, pebbled nipples as my mouth fucking watered at how perfect she looked. A moan slipped from her throat, and I captured it against her soft petal pink lips, feeling possessive over those noises.
“No sounds.” I nipped her bottom lip. “Or else I stop.”
I wouldn’t actually stop—I loved the idea of someone hearing how fucking good I made her feel—but I could feel the way my order ramped up the surge of desire running through our bond, so I was perfectly fine pretending like something, anything, could pull me away from touching her perfect fucking body.