Pulling her down, I surge into her wet, willing body. My dragon spurns me on, eager to mate. When I move, Carissa moves with me. Like before, we are one. Yet we are not because she rejects me. Shoving my useless thoughts aside, I move on her with purpose.
Stepping closer, I pull her flush against my body. My mouth finds her neck, nipping at her skin. She’s going wild in my arms again, but I hold her tight to my chest as I thrust into her body using long, deep strokes. She whispers nonsense to me between throaty sounds of feminine pleasure. Tucking my talon carefully back against my hand, I slip my hand between her legs to touch her clit. I have to wrap my wings around her to hold her in place.
When I feel her reaching her peak, I whisper, “Come for me. Let me know you love my cock if nothing else about me.”
“I love you. I do.”
Hearing her speak those words spikes my anger, lust and something much darker. I open my mouth against her shoulder. Instead of nipping at her sensitive skin I bite, feeling my sharp teeth break the skin. She shivers in response. Something in the back of my mind knows I shouldn’t have done that, but my dragon needs it with a desperation we’ve never known. The moment I release her and lick the small wound, I feel disgusted with myself.
She comes apart in my arms like she was meant to be mine. I can’t help but follow the moment she clamps down on my cock so tight that it feels like I’m being choked. Reveling in every single moment of the pleasure we shared, my chest immediately begins to ache. We could spend many long years in each other’s arms, if she would but accept me. I know she won’t. She’ll run the very first chance she gets. Losing the mate I marked will be endlessly painful. Why in the hell did I give her my fire?
Pulling out, I jerk the bar down until her feet can touch the ground and step back. My eyes graze the bite I left behind and I’m unable to cope with seeing it. What should have been the most amazing moment of my life is filled with unimaginable grief. Unable to look her in the eye, I turn on my heel and head for the cleansing unit.
Standing under the streaming water, images of her in the throes of passion fill my head. Claiming a female that I can never have was both ignorant and short-sighted. Only a fool would do such a thing. Slamming my fist into the metal wall over and over, I release all my anger. It’s anger at her for rejecting me and anger at myself for foolishly caring about a female who does not want me. Though my knuckles are bruised and several have busted open, I’m beyond caring.
A voice brings me back from my rage. It’s my Carissa. She’s apologizing to me for running. Empty, useless words are not what I need right now. I need to purge the beautiful brooder from my heart. She can only continue to hurt me if I care. Leaning my forehead against the cold metal wall, I realize that the water is cold because I didn’t take time to adjust the temperature. It matters little, for I have bigger problems at hand.
Carissa is growing louder and more emotional. I wish she would just stop trying to manipulate me. Perhaps I will lock her in the room across the hall to give myself a reprieve from the war taking place in my mind right now.
Hitting the drying unit, I stand with my eyes closed for a brief moment. When the door slides open, I step out and walk out to deal with the one who is the root of all adversity in my life. I should not have shared sex with her. It only increases my need.
I’m disappointed that she’s worked herself into a frenzy. She’s still babbling but I can hardly understand what she’s saying.
“Stop, before you make yourself ill.” Thanks be to the gods that she does. Our sex must have been too much for her to handle after such a long separation. Though that’s not what she was yelling, I know in my heart that it’s played a part in her breakdown. Hell, I’ve bitten her, and she probably does not know what to make of that. If she did, she’d probably be in even worse shape. Trying not to look at my bite on her lovely pale form, I try to console her. “I am moving you into another space. It’s best if you are out of my sight, then I won’t be tempted to use you in such a way.”
Snubbing back a tear, she shakes her head. “I don’t want to want to be all alone.”
My anger spikes again. “Perhaps you could pick a warrior more to your liking.”
“I like you.”
“You ran from me, therefore what you say cannot be true.” Stalking to my clothing compartment, I begin pulling out clothing. “Gods of chaos, I don’t even have to be half smart to work that out.”
When she speaks, I can tell she’s breaking down again. “I didn’t want to leave you. You said you were turning me in for the bounty. Being a slave is awful. If you care so much about me, how could want that for me?”
Turning to her, I frown. “Being a slave in this quadrant of space is a legal status, not a situation you or I have control over. I can’t change the laws of the verse to accommodate your wish. If I could, rest assured I would, but that’s not how the verse works.”
Tearing up again, she sniffles
