Razzy had jumped as stones and small boulders skittered from the cliffs around the pool, sending more of the freezing water splashing over her. It was so cold that already she couldn’t feel her feet and her teeth were chattering. Turning, she found herself face to face with Roc in his wyvern form. Squeaking, she dipped further into the water, hiding her naked body from view.

“G-g-go away!” she hissed, waving him off. “I’m not trying to kill anyone. And it’s bloody cold enough in here without you making me take longer.”

He tilted his head to the side, the long tendrils of the spiked and scaled ruff at the back of his head dipping into the water and causing ripples. Why don’t you change and heat the water? You’ll freeze otherwise.

She looked away, unable to hold his gaze. But she was so cold, it dragged the truth right out of her. Before she could stop it, the words were off her tongue and past her lips.

“I can’t, okay? My dragon… I can’t feel her anymore. She’s asleep… nearly gone. I don’t know if she’ll ever wake up again!” she yelled, louder than she meant to, and the words rebounded from the rock walls around them. To her horror, tears welled, running down her cheeks in twin rivers. Turning in a swirl of frigid water, she wiped furiously at her cheeks, expecting a smart comment from him at any moment. But instead of speaking, the water moved and a second later a large, scaly form slid through the water around her.

“W-what are you doing?” she asked, moving to cover herself up.

If wyverns were anything like dragons, he’d be able to see as well under the water as above it. But he didn’t look at her, settling himself against the rock walls around the edges of the pool, his wings folded along his serpentine back and his wedge-shaped head resting on the small “beach” she’d entered the water from, facing up the path. Then she saw it, the glow of his fire between the scales of his chest and throat, the scales lifting to allow the water in and the heat out, and fresh tears welled. He was warming the water up for her.

Have your bath, his deep rumble sounded in her mind. Take as long as you need. I’m quite comfortable.

She had been going to argue, to say that she couldn’t impose on him so much, but then he started to wave his scales from head to toe, washing the warm water toward her and she groaned in pleasure. Dropping beneath the rapidly heating water, she reveled in the feeling of warmth as it penetrated through her frozen body right down to her bones.

She washed quickly. Then, when she was sure Roc would keep to his word and not turn around, she turned on her back to float in the water. Finally, she lifted her head to study the big scaled form of her kidnapper… no, she couldn’t really call him that now. He was a good man, if a little misguided, as most of the wyverns seemed to be. That probably came from the rest of Auroran society banishing them all the way up here and hoping they’d either die out or kill each other off.

His scales were still raised, his fire keeping the water warm for her, but there was a smooth patch behind his ruff, just below the tendrils half-floating in the water. Swimming over, she tentatively reached out and put her hand flat on his neck. He gave the slightest start and made a sleepy, content noise.

Do you want to get out? Even his mental voice was lower, as though just coming out of sleep, and it did dangerous things low down in her body, need and arousal making her tingle.

“No, not yet. I wanted to…” Screw it, in for a penny, in for a pound. “I wanted to touch you. I’ve never really seen a wyvern before. Your scales are bigger than ours, and harder.”

You can touch me anywhere you like, beautiful. His voice was still deep, but rapidly more aware and focused as he replied. He didn’t move, but she felt his awareness, his interest, as she ran her hand over his scales. They shivered as she touched him, an automatic reaction that made her jump and then giggle.

“Ours don’t do that either,” she said with a gasp.

Not all of ours do, he revealed. Just the more… primitive of us. They do it as a warning to others… and for pleasure.

“Pleasure?” She couldn’t help asking, stroking one hand, then both over his scales. They were warm to the touch and not as rough here as she’d expected.

I like you touching me.

“Yeah? You mean your beast likes it…” She had to check, just to make sure, the question out before she could stop it. Then she realized she didn’t want to. She wanted to know more about wyverns… about him.

No…

His voice in her head was still low and intimate with the edge of a growl she was rapidly coming to realize meant he was aroused. That fact fascinated her. All her life she’d been told that his kind, wyverns, were little more than animals… losing their humanity when shifted… but that wasn’t true. Not only was Roc “speaking” to her intelligently… as a man… but he seemed more than capable of differentiating his beast’s needs and desires from his own.

I like you touching me, in either form. There is no difference to who I am, scaled or otherwise. And your touch… turns me on.

She paused, her hand resting against his neck. He didn’t move, not so much as a scale, at the admission.

“Why me?” she asked softly and then cleared her throat to speak again, not sure if he’d heard her. Before she could, though, his soft rumble filled her head.

Because you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen… the moment I saw you I wanted you for myself. To protect and treasure for always. The instant your lips softened under mine, I knew you were mine. My mate.

She leaned against his neck, resting her cheek against his warm scales, and closed her eyes. The need to believe him, to just give in, almost overwhelmed her.

“My dragon is asleep, Roc. I don’t know if she’ll ever wake up. If we… do this, I can’t promise I’ll be able to stay forever.”

I’ll take a moment with you over a lifetime with anyone else, he rumbled softly, still not moving. And count myself lucky to have had you for even that, my love.

She shivered at the heat and sensual promise in his voice, tracing her finger down the edge of a scale. “As long as we have then…”

His shift magic enveloped her, making the water dance as he went from a couple of hundred feet of scaled muscle to just over six foot of hot, hard man. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close into his body, and she shivered again, realizing that this time, he was naked.

His fingers lifted her chin, their gazes locking for a second, and in his eyes she read everything she’d ever dreamed of in a mate—heat, desire, need… love. Her lips parted in subconscious invitation and he growled in the back of his throat as he swooped down to claim them.

She clung to him, hands spread over the broad, hard expanse of his chest as he kissed her. Although kissed was far too tame a word for it. He made love to her with his lips, using his tongue to penetrate her in lazy dips past her teeth to slide along hers in erotic invitation. Teasing her and tempting her to play with him.

It worked. She couldn’t resist chasing him when he pulled away, the predator in her peeking through a little when he denied her the kiss she expected. Wanted. Needed.

With a growl, she drove her hands into his long hair, holding him still as she pushed upward in the water. He chuckled in the back of his throat, a sound that became a sexy little growl as he wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her in place. She plundered his lips, nipping at the full curve of the lower one to make him open for her and, when he did, slid her tongue in to tangle with his.

The kiss went from hot to torrid in a heartbeat. Open-mouthed kisses ramped the heat up between them as his free hand slid over her hip to cup the curve of her ass. Held tightly against him, the thick, hard length of his cock was trapped between their bodies. She whimpered mid-kiss and rubbed against him, needing more. Needing to feel all of him.

He broke the kiss with a growl, nosing her chin up to nip and kiss along the soft skin of her throat. Her feet kicked gently in the water above the stone floor of the pool, her weight easily supported by his strong arms as he walked her backward. Her back hit smooth, sun-warmed stone and she was pinned, at his mercy as he explored her curves. The cooling water was forgotten as heat of a more carnal nature raged between them.

Soft moans escaped her lips as big, callused palms swept up her soft skin, pausing in the cello curve of her waist for a moment before he cupped the generous mounds of her breasts. His lips covered hers, her soft cry as his thumb swept over her nipple swallowed by their kiss. He teased the peak of her breast to a tight bud before breaking the kiss and dropping his head to lave it with his tongue.

Her eyes fluttered closed, her head falling back to rest against the rock as he feasted on her. He gave her no quarter. Licking and kissing, he nibbled and teased until her back arched and she offered more of herself to him with a soft cry.

He took her into his mouth, wet heat engulfing her, and then he sucked, pulling on her nipple. Heat hit her, arrowing down from the nipple captured by his lips right down to her clit. Soft cries of pleasure were echoed by the gentle slap of water against their heated bodies. He was relentless, holding her still as he paid attention to both her breasts in equal measure, until her hands were in his hair and her hips moved restlessly against him.

Only then did he take pity on her. His hand stroked down her body, sliding between her legs. Thighs parting automatically for him, her breath caught as his fingers slid between her pussy lips to graze her clit. The little bud was already swollen and aching with need.

Shhh, I got you, he rumbled in her mind as he surged back upward, abandoning her breasts to claim her lips as he stroked her. There was no tenderness in his movements now. He touched her deliberately, ruthlessly, driving her arousal higher and higher until she was panting and gasping… clinging to his shoulders.

“That’s it,” he murmured in her ear in his deep gravel. “Come for me. I want to see your pleasure, what you look like as you come around my fingers.”

“Huh?” There was just enough of her brain functioning for her to frown and look at him. “But you’re not—”

His grin was wicked as he arched his eyebrow and slid his finger deep inside her pussy. The ride was wet, his penetration easy, and she gasped. The sound was echoed by a deep groan. His eyes closed, fist clenched on the rock above her head.

“Fuck me, princess… you’re so tight,” he managed, his voice ragged. “You’ll need to be good and wet to take my cock.”

Her look was one of challenge. “I figured that was your job…”

He grinned, pulled his hand back and added another finger. This time it was her turn to groan as he pushed inside of her. “Oh, it sure is.”

Pumping his hand slowly, deliberately, he worked her. Teased her arousal higher and tighter. Thrusting in, he pressed deep and hard, alternating between curling his fingers up and back as he pulled out to stroke along her g-spot. He drove her mad with want and need before pressing his thumb against the slick nub of her clit.

She cried out, her nails digging into his muscled upper arms, but it didn’t stop him. Moving harder and faster, he brought her up to the edge of pleasure, holding her there ruthlessly. He kept her a mindless slave to pleasure as she thrashed her head on her rock pillow and writhed on the thick fingers impaling her… wishing they were his cock.

“It will be soon,” he promised, obviously picking up on her thought. “Now come for me.”

And she did, her scream echoing around the rock as she came apart in his arms. Long, hard waves of sensation washed through her body, igniting every cell and attuning it to him.

Soft whimpers and feminine moans filled the air, all coming from her lips, but she could do nothing to stop them. Didn’t want to stop them. But all too soon he pulled his hand away, sliding his fingers from the embrace of her body with a wet pop.

Holding her gaze, he licked them, eyes darkening as he growled. That simple act, and the sound of pleasure he made was enough to send the heat in her blood spiraling again and she reached for him, not caring that they were in a rock pool where anyone flying over could see them.

“Not here,” he argued, scooping her up into his arms and striding from the pool. “The first time I make you mine will not be against the mountain like an animal, but in a proper bed, like the queen you are. My queen.”

Body still tingling from the release he’d brought her to and tight with anticipation of what was to come, she didn’t argue. She didn’t remind him of the dragon within her who might never wake up, dooming their love from the start. Instead, she nodded and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, buying into the fantasy that they were just what he’d said… a couple with their whole lives ahead of them about to make love for the first time.

No words were exchanged as he carried her, both naked, up the small path toward his lair, or even when he walked through the large outer caves to the smaller one he used as his bed chamber. And no words were spoken as he stopped in front of the big bed covered in furs she’d slept in since she arrived. Instead, awareness and need stretched between them, the look in his eyes as he slowly slid her down the front of his hard body, one heated enough to rival elemental fire.

She shivered, her toes curling as he slid big hands through the long scarlet fall of her hair, pulling it up to hold it at the back of her head, out of the way as his dark gaze swept her naked body.

“Beautiful…” he murmured, the sound so deep it made her ache, her pussy clenching as liquid heat escaped her. It wasn’t fair… that even just his voice turned her on so much… made her wet.

She opened her mouth to tell him so, but before she could, he breathed in sharply, a wicked little smile spreading over his face. He knew.

“The scent of your need is like the finest perfume,” he growled, crowding her back against the bed and following her down onto its soft surface when she fell back. Darkness in his eyes, he crawled over her. “It calls to me, lures me in, turns me on until I can think of nothing else but getting inside you. Claiming you. Making you mine.”

“Oh god, yes…” she moaned, tangling a hand in his hair and lifting up to claim his lips. She’d never get enough of kissing him. She loved the sexy little growls he made in the back of his throat and the powerful, dominant way he moved… grabbing her wrists when she tried to touch him to hold them above her head.

He pinned her beneath him, one hand holding her wrists in place, and nudged her thighs apart with a hard knee. His gaze shot to hers for a moment, but it wasn’t about permission, not anymore… she’d already given that back in the pool… but as if to drink in the sight of her there, spread out under him as he moved between her thighs.

She caught her breath as the thick, hard head of his cock pressed against the entrance of her body and he paused for a second. Holding her gaze, he pressed forward insistently, pushing his way inside her. Her body stretched wide around his thick shaft and she gasped, sudden panic that she wouldn’t be able to take all of him filling her. But she wanted to… no, more than wanted to… she needed to. Needed to take all of him, needed to feel him filling her, stretching her… claiming her.

He grunted as he pulled back a little and then surged forward again. Harder. Faster. Further. The soft whimper in the back of her throat wasn’t one of pain, but sheer and utter need as pleasure rocked her world. A snarl on his lips, he pulled back. This time when he shoved forward, he filled her to the hilt.

“Oh… gods,” she cried out, her back arching as he slammed home. Her pussy throbbed, stretched wide around his thick girth and she fought for breath. He held her as she did, low, gravelly whispers against the soft skin by her ear as her body adjusted to him.

He didn’t give her long, but she didn’t need it. Almost as soon as he paused, the burning, throbbing sensation changed to one of need. Rocking her hips, she pulled away a fraction. His cock slid in the tight sheath of her body and they both moaned.

The combined sound opened the floodgates. He pulled back and surged into her again without a pause, just a growl in the back of his throat. Setting up a hard and fast rhythm, he thrust into her time after time.

Skin slapped against skin as the sounds of their lovemaking filled the room, creating a sensual melody with her soft gasps and his deep growls. Sensation filled her body, each thrust stroking nerve endings that sent sparks through her veins.

He moved over her and within her as she was supine beneath him. Pinned for his… their… pleasure. He thrust again, a soft rumble in the back of his throat as he flicked his hair over one shoulder, letting go of her wrists to brace himself on that arm as he leaned down to claim her lips.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she slid her hand into his hair as he took her twice, his cock driving into her as his tongue thrust past her lips. Her hips rocked against his, matching him, meeting him for each thrust. The bed slammed into the rock wall in dull thuds, the sound echoing around the room and punctuating their motions.

Their movements sped up. Each pant and moan was shared between them, interspersing hot, open mouthed kisses as they went from long sensation-filled slides into something far rawer and more primal. Razzy whimpered as her body tightened, pussy clenching hard around his cock. The pleasure was so intense she all but melted beneath him, her vision greying around the edges.

He growled at the sudden tightness of their joining, his hips slamming into hers in hard, purpose-filled thrusts. Harder, faster, tighter… until it was all too much. A cry escaped her lips as the tension in her body broke, claiming her in a hot, wet surge of pure pleasure that cascaded through her body, through her blood and through every cell as she clung to him.

Grunts mingled with his growls as he sped up, each slam of his cock into her climax-tightened pussy sending her higher, but he didn’t last long. Within three strokes he suddenly stiffened, thrusting into her one last time before he stilled, head thrown back as he bellowed his climax to echo against the rock walls and beyond.