Stefan
He bent down to capture her lips with his.
She’s truly our mate now, his dragon said, curling over itself with barely-suppressed ecstatic joy. She had let him crown her in the jewels he’d chosen for his mate all those years ago.
Stefan could barely contain his desire for her as the sheet fell away, leaving her gorgeous body exposed to him. She lay back, a small smile on her lips, the tiara sitting amongst her golden, flowing locks, as if it had been created to sit in that exact spot.
For a moment, he could do nothing more than stare at her, taking in the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed, the voluptuous curve of her hips, the lush fullness of her thighs.
“Please,” she said, holding her arms up to him, inviting him into them. “Please, I can’t wait, Stefan…”
There was an irresistible plea in her voice, and Stefan found he couldn’t make himself wait for her. Covering her with his body, he pressed her back against the golden mound of his hoard, feeling the thrill of contact with both tingle against his skin. He felt feverish, drawing energy from both his mate and his hoard, his dragon roaring in triumph, smoke roiling from its mouth.
Holly moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips and drawing him even closer against her. Stefan could smell her excitement, hear her heart racing in her chest.
“Holly. My mate.” The growl slipped from his lips and he felt her shiver in response. “But wait, I need to… there needs to be more…”
Holly giggled, looking up at him. “More?”
“You need to be adorned. It’s… it’s part of the ritual,” Stefan said. He could only slightly remember the things his father had taught him about the proper way to claim a mate, but he wanted to do as best he could. It would, in some small way, be honoring his clan – they might have been dead and gone, but Stefan could still follow their traditions.
Reaching into the pile of gold, Stefan found golden rings set with emeralds and diamonds, slowly sliding them onto each of Holly’s fingers. Around her throat he wound priceless sapphires and long strings of pearls, and onto her wrists he placed bands of gold, bracelets of rubies. Diamond clips swept back her hair, pulling it away from the most beautiful treasure of all: her perfect face.
He paused to sit back and gauge her reaction, not wanting to rush her in what was, after all, a dragon ritual that might seem very strange to her – but every time he looked into her eyes, he saw only her trust in him, her desire for him to keep going.
Leaning forward, he brushed his tongue over the jumping pulse in her throat, just above the gleaming pearls, and heard her gasp in response.
She truly is my queen.
“Oh my God, Stefan,” Holly breathed, looking down at herself, moving her fingers to make the stones in the rings she wore reflect the soft glow of the fire. “I don’t… I can’t…”
“What’s mine is yours now. My treasure belongs to you,” Stefan said as he sat back to admire her, his mate, adorned with all the treasure he possessed. “But there’s no treasure as precious to me as you are.”
She looked up at him, eyes bluer than any sapphire, her lips redder than rubies. She reached out to him, pulling him against her, kissing him fiercely. His dragon responded, rising up within him.
Claim her. She’s ours. We’re hers.
She gasped as he pressed against her, his cock straining against the wetness of her lips.
“Please, Stefan. I need you. Now.”
He could only nod, feeling dazed with desire, before he thrust forward, burying himself in her body.
Holly cried out, her hands clenched on his shoulders, head thrown back in utter bliss. Stefan felt as if his blood was on fire as he thrust into her again, sheathing himself fully within her. Holly wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him on, gasping breathlessly as he moved. Her body held him tightly, drawing pleasure from him with every movement, until he felt his head spinning with unbound ecstasy.
“Holly,” he groaned, cupping her face and looking down at her. Golden tendrils of hair clung to her flushed cheeks, sweat making her shine in the light of the fire.
She was beautiful.
She was perfect.
Leaning down, he kissed her once more, plunging his tongue into her mouth, only to find she met it with equal fire, equal passion. His urgent need rose within him, his movements hard and fast, and in answer he felt her inner walls squeeze around him, making him cry out.
“My mate,” he breathed, as he finally began to feel himself coming undone. “Mine.”
They cried out as they reached the height of their pleasure together, moving as one, holding each other close as they rode out wave after wave of utter bliss.
Stefan could feel the warmth of her breath against his throat as they came down together, her fingers pressed into the muscle of his back, her legs still clamped tight around him.
“Oh, wow,” Holly said when at last she could speak again. “That was… amazing…”
Stefan leaned down, dropping a kiss on the hollow of her throat, finding her skin between the ropes of sapphires.
“You are amazing,” he said, stroking her face. “I never thought… I never dreamed…”
For a long moment, they simply held each other, settling back against the heap of golden coins and treasure.
“How does it… I mean, why do dragons have mates?” Holly asked eventually, sitting up and propping herself up on an elbow. “How does it work?”
“I’m honestly not sure,” Stefan admitted. “I was thirteen when my clan died. I was too young to learn everything I needed to know about mates. Of course, I was given ‘the talk’ by my father, but…”
Holly laughed. “I’m guessing that talk was a little different from the one I got. For me, it was just, ‘When a man and a woman want to make a baby…’ With you it must have been much more interesting. ‘When a dragon loves his mate he covers her in jewelry and then makes love to her on a giant pile of gold’. I think I like your version better.”
Stefan smiled. “I only wish I knew more about it, so I could explain it better.”
Leaning up, Holly kissed him deeply. Inside his chest, his dragon purred, melting into a coil of warm bliss. “We can discover it together,” she whispered when she pulled back. “We can take our time. There’s no rush.”
He stroked her face, marveling again at her unutterable beauty. “Are you sure you want to take on this danger?” he asked her, looking into her eyes – but finding nothing there but certainty. “Erik Lukich could find us at any moment. I don’t know if I fully explained –”
“Hush now,” Holly said, pressing her fingers to his lips. “I understand. And I accept it. Do you honestly think I could go back to normal life after… after this?”
The jewels on her wrists and fingers glimmered as she made a gesture that took in the flame burning in the corner, the pile of gold – and himself.
Brave and beautiful, Stefan thought as he leaned in to kiss her. But he hoped she truly understood just how dangerous the situation could be.
Once again, a wave of self-doubt and recrimination rose in him. I should never have endangered her like this. I should have left the second I dropped her off at the cabin.
“No, don’t think like that!” Holly burst out, eyes wide and startled. “Don’t you think I deserved a choice? To know what we were to each other?”
Stefan blinked in surprise. He supposed it would take some getting used to – the idea that someone else could sense his thoughts and feelings. He’d been alone for so long it was hard to remember what it was like to share his mind with others as freely as his speech.
“Of course you did,” he said, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. “But… you weren’t raised with dragons. I was. I know how bloodthirsty they can be. It’s as you said – medieval in a lot of ways.”
Holly licked her lips, nodding. “I know I don’t know much. But I’d like to learn. And I’d like to face the danger with you. Together. As your mate.”
Stefan kissed her deeply, and wished he could somehow banish the unease from his heart. “We should probably go back to the cabin,” he said reluctantly as he pulled away. “We never did get to eat any of that bacon.”
Holly nodded, laughing. “I don’t know about you, but I could definitely eat.”
Stefan helped her up. The truth was, however, that he didn’t need to eat. Contact with the hoard had rejuvenated him completely. And perhaps it was because his mate was here too, but he felt stronger now than he ever had before. New energy seemed to pulse in his veins – new strength wound through his muscles. It was an odd, but not unwelcome feeling.
Helping Holly out from under the bough that concealed the cave, Stefan moved a short distance away to the edge of the cliffs, where the trees were less dense, and shifted.
The new power he felt in himself was only more noticeable in his dragon form. He felt as if pulses of golden light were running through him, uncoiling through every sinew in his body. Opening his mouth, he let a stream of fire flow from between his teeth – nothing too big, but enough to release some of his building energy.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw Holly staring at him – but it wasn’t with fear. On her face was an expression of pure amazement and exhilaration.
Stefan lowered his body, extending his forearm out for Holly to climb up onto his back. She clambered up willingly, her hands gripping the armored spines at the base of his neck. He gave her a quick growl of warning, and then launched himself out over the cliffs, dipping slightly as his wings unfurled, and then rising up on the ocean winds, carrying them both higher and higher, until the trees were distant below.
Stefan gloried in the feel of the wind rushing over his body, the weight of his mate on his back. The wind filled his wings, sending them soaring, the sunlight warm on his scales.
This was how things were meant to feel – this lightness in his heart, this strength in his muscles. Finding his mate and claiming her – properly this time, as dragon tradition dictated he should – had given him energy he didn’t know he could possess.
Curving his wings, Stefan banked gently, before descending toward the trees. They were getting close to the cabin again, and he didn’t want to overshoot.
Happiness. That was what he felt, he realized. The weight in his heart had lifted, and, for the first time since he’d lost his family, he felt happy.
It felt so good that he almost didn’t feel the screech of his dragon’s instincts warning him of danger until it was too late.
Without any time for conscious thought, Stefan folded his wings and dove, his body dropping like a stone. He felt Holly’s shock and surprise, and he willed her to hold on, as a burst of dragonfire suddenly split the sky where they had been only a moment before.
Stefan twisted in the sky, the heat of the fire scorching the armored scales of his tail. Looking back over his shoulder, his blood went ice cold in his veins: a large green dragon had burst out of the trees, bearing down on them so suddenly he’d almost missed it. Clearly frustrated that its sneak attack hadn’t worked, it was wheeling around, readying itself to try again.
What was that??? He felt Holly’s shock clearly – and her fear.
It’s what I feared. The Lukich Clan, Stefan responded, trying to keep his head as all his worst nightmares came true.
Not the worst, he reminded himself. As far as he could tell, Erik Lukich himself was not here. He would have to try to be satisfied with that, he thought, as he looked around to see the green dragon speeding toward them, red eyes narrowed, smoke puffing from between its teeth as it prepared to let loose another jet of deadly dragonfire.
Do you trust me? Stefan transmitted desperately to Holly, who was still clinging for dear life to his spines.
For a moment, there was a slight hesitation, and then he felt love and trust come flooding through their bond.
Then let go.
Again, there was the barest hesitation, before he felt her hands uncurl from around his spines. He heard a brief scream as he turned beneath her, letting her float for a moment in mid-air, before he gently captured her once again in his massive forepaw, holding her close to his chest, protecting her.
Oh my God, don’t ever do that again!!!
I’m sorry, he told her. There wasn’t time. And it’s not safe for you on my back right now.
Holding her close to his chest, Stefan wheeled around in the sky, surprising the green dragon with the speed of his turn. Then, it was him who was breathing dragonfire, spitting it from his mouth with a ferocity that surprised even himself.
He had pictured this moment so many times – the moment when the Lukich Clan finally found him. He had often wondered whether he’d be able to fight them off, or how he would do it. But never in his mind’s eye had his mate been here.
They almost hurt our mate!
His dragon’s fury could not be contained, taking over his mind and making a red mist of rage descend over his eyes. The strength that had been crackling through him earlier now seemed to have increased tenfold, the need to keep his mate safe lending him a speed and ferocity he had never known before.
The green dragon shrieked as his fire caught it on the soft skin of its throat, unprotected by the armored scales that covered its back. In pain, it turned away, ducking its neck as Stefan sailed by, sweeping the air with his roar claws.
The green dragon managed to avoid most of his attack, but Stefan felt his claw rip off some of its scales as he passed. Banking to a sudden halt to press his attack while he still had an advantage, he curled his body around and snapped his jaws, this time finding the other dragon’s soft side, and tasting blood.
The other dragon roared in pain, flapping its wings wildly in its haste to get away. It was a little smaller than him – though about the same age. As it struggled away from him, wings flailing awkwardly, Stefan could read surprise and fear in its eyes.
Maybe it thought this would be an easy job.
Maybe it hadn’t known he’d have his mate with him, and would be fighting twice as fiercely because of it. Or maybe it had assumed he wouldn’t put up a fight at all.
Whatever the reason, Stefan intended to make it pay for its complacency – come what may. If the Lukich Clan had found them, then he didn’t believe for a moment this would be the last time Erik would send someone to end his life.
But how did they know? How did they find us? And why now?
Stefan knew he didn’t have the time to worry about that right now. Clutching Holly to his chest, he turned, letting his anger and protective instincts guide his every move – letting the dragon overtake him completely, with all its wildness and ferocity and rage.
Opening his mouth, he unleashed another stream of white-hot dragonfire. His attacker dodged – just – banking sharply and roaring in frustration.
This isn’t safe. Holly could get hurt.
He had armored scales and a dragon’s natural resistance to heat to protect him. Dragonfire was the only kind of heat that could burn a dragon, but it would still take a direct hit to injure him badly. Holly had no such protection.
I’ve got to get her out of here. I’ve got to get her safe on the ground.
Looking around, he saw the green dragon sailing cautiously some distance away. Clearly, it had decided to re-think its attack strategy.
Taking his chance, Stefan flapped his wings, willing himself to a burst of speed.
Holly, I have to get you away from here.
But what about you? You could get hurt… Holly’s response was swift and clear.
I can handle it. Stefan felt his confidence grow as he said it. He didn’t know if he could fight off everything Erik Lukich might throw at them, but this dragon, here and now, he could beat in a fight. He was fighting for his mate. He had to win.
He could feel Holly’s doubtful hesitation through their bond.
But…
Holly, please trust me, he transmitted to her frantically as he dove toward the trees. And as much as I hate to say it, in a fight between two dragons, there’s not a lot you can do. At least with you safe on the ground, I can fight all-out and drive him away.
He knew she would see the sense in what he was saying. He couldn’t fight properly while he was holding on to her, trying to shield her from the other dragon’s teeth and flames.
I understand, she told him at last, as he pulled in his wings to navigate his way between the trees – not easy for a dragon of his size. He finally dropped into a clearing, folding his wings and landing amongst the bracken and fallen logs.
Stay here, and keep hidden, he transmitted to Holly as he opened his paw, letting her get shakily to the ground. I’ll deal with this. And then I’ll be back for you. I promise.
Holly looked up at him, her blue eyes wide, biting her lower lip. Then she nodded.
I know. And I will. I love you.
Stefan paused, unsure for a moment whether she had really said it, or whether it was just wishful thinking on his part. But then it came a second time, more forceful, washing over him like a sweet, warm wave.
I love you.
Strength gathered within him. At this moment, Stefan felt he could have taken on Erik Lukich himself.
I love you too.
Unfurling his wings, Stefan leapt into the air, bursting through the canopy of the trees with a ferocious roar. The green dragon seemed startled by his sudden reappearance, swerving away from him before returning his bellow, a jet of fire streaming from its mouth.
Stefan barely felt its heat as he dodged upward, filling his wings with air and soaring easily over the other dragon, before folding them to descend upon its back. The heat of his dragonfire blackened its scales, damaging the delicate membrane of its wings, as it shrieked in pain and outrage.
But Stefan wasn’t done yet. He followed up his flame attack with a vicious snap of his jaws, burying his teeth in the relatively soft skin of the dragon’s side, where his scales were thinner.
The dragon roared in pain, twisting in mid-air to get away, raking along Stefan’s belly with his claws. The pain was sharp, but Stefan found he could ignore it. He had made a promise to Holly that he would return. That was the only thing that mattered.
Locked together in an airborne struggle, Stefan and the green dragon rolled over and over each other, snarling and snapping, wings fluttering to keep them afloat. Stefan, twisting his neck, found a soft place to sink his teeth into, and bit down hard. The other dragon thrashed against him, its struggling becoming weaker, before it finally managed to break away from him, blood trickling down its side.
It screeched in rage and pain, its claws bloody from where it had wounded Stefan. But despite the damage it had inflicted on his body, it was clear which of them had come off worse.
The green dragon circled Stefan warily, uncertainty showing clearly in its bright red eyes. It didn’t want to risk another frontal assault – clearly, it knew that Stefan was stronger, and had the incentive that he was fighting for his mate.
Stefan was sure that failing to carry out an order from Erik Lukich would be a pretty strong incentive on its own – but not enough to carry this dragon through the fight.
It had clearly been banking on the element of surprise, and with that gone, it was reconsidering its options. Stefan was happy to wait. There was no point in rushing headlong into another tussle. He was beginning to feel the pain of his wounds now that the first heady rush of adrenaline was wearing off, and it was better to be cautious, to hang back and see what the other dragon did first.
Stefan tensed as the green dragon at last gathered itself, roaring once before charging at him, blasting him with dragonfire. Stefan felt his scales scorch, curling in the heat, but managed to dodge the worst of it.
The most important thing was that he protect his wings. Delicate and thin, they were the most vulnerable part of a dragon’s body, and even a little bit of damage to the membrane could badly affect their ability to control his flight.
Circling, Stefan let fly with a blast of his own dragonfire, raking the green dragon’s back – and its wings. It let go a howl of pain, twisting around in the air, curling its wings into its body as they burned. Trailing smoke, the dragon fluttered, struggling to maintain altitude.
Stefan roared in triumph, banking and threatening the dragon with his claws. But it seemed it had had enough. With its ability to fly badly damaged, the green dragon was in retreat, flapping and fluttering, having to work hard just to stay in the air.
For a moment, Stefan considered chasing after it. It had, after all, attacked him – and, more importantly, it had attacked his mate. But he quickly realized that it would be futile. He had no doubt that this would only be the first attack Erik Lukich would make on him. Right now, the most important thing was getting back to Holly, to reassure her that he was safe, and try to figure out where they would go from here.
You should have known it wasn’t safe, he told himself as he turned, heading back to where he’d left her. You knew that this would happen if Erik ever found you. But you dragged her into this anyway!
Stefan shook his head, trying to clear it. Now wasn’t the time for self-recrimination. That could come later. Holly had told him that no matter what the danger, she would face it with him. And he had to trust her judgment on that.
But she doesn’t understand just how terrible that danger is, Stefan thought to himself as he circled over the clearing where he’d dropped her off. How could she? She knows nothing of dragons – of what they can be like. I should never have done this to her. I should have left when I had the chance. I’ve selfishly endangered her. My mate. My precious mate…
Circling lower, Stefan folded his wings and dropped between the trees. He would just have to tell Holly to forget about this – about him. She was human, and she could go on with her life. A mated bond might not be so strong with her as it was with him. He wasn’t sure how such things manifested in humans.
But if there was even a chance she could be happy without him, he had to push her to try. He was no good for her. A hunted dragon who would be on the run for the rest of his life – which might, if the rest of the Lukich Clan caught up with him, be a very short one indeed.
Landing, Stefan looked around, swiveling his head on the end of his long, flexible neck. He couldn’t see Holly anywhere, but then again, he had told her to stay in hiding. Stefan shifted back into his human form, groaning a little as his wounds were stretched and pulled.
“Holly!” he called out as soon as his voice returned to normal. “Holly, it’s safe for now. You can come out!”
Still, there was nothing but silence.
“Holly?” Panic began rising in his chest. “Holly!”
No answer.
Leaping over fallen logs, Stefan began frantically running through the clearing, calling her name.
Could she have decided to leave? After seeing what dragons can truly be like, did she realize she couldn’t be with me after all?
Part of Stefan wanted to believe it. If Holly had left by herself, then he wouldn’t have to convince her to go. If the sight of him fighting with the green dragon had opened her eyes to the reality of what they would be facing, then it was better this way.
But when he pictured her blue eyes and the steady way she had looked at him when she’d told him she wasn’t going anywhere, something just didn’t feel right. She at least would have stayed to tell him she didn’t think she could deal with this after all. He had seen into her mind, felt her thoughts through their bond. He had felt her heart. She had told him she loved him. And he knew she wouldn’t simply have run away without telling him of her decision.
But that means…
Panic flooded Stefan’s heart anew.
If she hadn’t left on her own, then it meant someone else had taken her.
Someone else.
“HOLLY!”
Stefan’s voice came out as a roar, rage burning in his heart. The dragon in his chest howled, writhing in fury.
Blood. Blood! Kill the ones who hurt our mate! Kill them!
Stefan growled, almost overtaken by his dragon’s furious instincts. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to swallow the rage down, knowing that he first had to make absolutely sure he was right.
Turning, his eyes fell on an area of the clearing just behind a large fallen tree. The bracken and ferns had been flattened, the brown earth churned up, a small sapling flattened.
It was clearly the site of some kind of struggle.
Trying to tamp down on his dragon’s blinding fury, Stefan called to its more helpful traits – its sense of smell and its heightened sensitivity to its mate’s presence.
Taking a deep breath, Stefan could tell that Holly had been here. The earth smelled of her. Sweet and rich and luscious, just like her. She had been here. But someone else had, too.
Concentrating, Stefan lowered himself to the ground, smelling deeply.
A dragon.
An unfamiliar one – not that any dragon was familiar to him, but this dragon was definitely no one he knew. It wasn’t a Novak dragon. That would have been impossible anyway, but it only confirmed what Stefan already knew.
The Lukich.
They had taken her.
They had distracted him. Made him waste time with a fight. Waited until his entire focus was on surviving, so he wouldn’t notice she was gone until it was too late.
And then they had taken her.
Roaring his fury to the skies, Stefan leapt into the air, shifting mid-jump, before unfurling his wings, bursting from the trees.
The dragon’s screech sent birds flying in a panic as it echoed through the forest.
I will find you, Stefan promised, hoping desperately that somehow, Holly could sense his resolve through their bond.
Sweeping his wings out, Stefan flew on, heart pounding with rage, not knowing how he would find her, but knowing that he would.
I will find you, and I will destroy anyone who’s laid a finger on you. This I promise you.