Head leaning forward, Jett eagerly watched Ariel position her lithe body atop his. He felt harder than usual, if that was possible; each beat of his heart caused an almost painful spurt of blood to throb into his manhood. He gazed at her hungrily, admiring everything about her as she rested her shins on either side of his hips in preparation to mount him. While he wasn’t big on ceding control, he was definitely enjoying the view.

In the past he had rarely allowed women the dominant position, unless they were under the influence of his compulsion. He wanted to be the one in control of the pace, bucking hard and fast until he drew the woman to the very edge, and then easing back at the last moment, delaying her release. It was an art, prolonging the act like that, a fine line between pleasure and torture. He wasn’t very good at being on the receiving end of that, but he knew he could trust Ariel not to abuse her control.

Her center teased the tip of his shaft. She rubbed her folds across the eye, and then she grabbed the base with one hand and slid down onto him. She was so wet, so smooth, in such sharp contrast to the rough hand she had rubbed his shaft with before that he couldn’t help but cry out in pleasure. Her hot folds provided little relief to the yearning inside him, that borderline pleasure-pain throbbing.

“You’re so very big,” Ariel said, planting her hands on his hard abs.

Jett rested his hands on the sides of her bent thighs. “And you’re so tight.”

She slid upward, and Jett jerked at the suddenness of her motion.

I’m completely in her control.

She plunged down once more, and then began a regular rhythm. She purred the whole time. It was sexy as hell.

Jett wanted to keep looking at her, watch the sexy way her breasts rocked up and down as she moved, but the pleasure was too much. He couldn’t keep clenching his neck muscles like that.

So Jett finally dropped his head to the grass and surrendered to his lioness. He rolled his eyes as she continued to work, and he couldn’t help but thrust his hips each time she slid back down.

He was losing control of his passions. He felt it. He wanted his release now. He couldn’t wait. The torture was too much.

A part of his mind knew that this lack of control was because he didn’t have the collar. The other part didn’t care.

He growled, crunching his abs to lean forward. He grabbed her at the waist and hoisted her a few inches off of him. He began to thrust wildly.

“Oh Jett!” Ariel said. Her head rolled on her neck in pleasure. Her purring had become even louder.

Mine mine mine!

Supporting the entire weight of her body with his hands and forearms, Jett continued slamming into her, the dragon in him wanting to get out. He realized two gold-black wings had sprouted from his back, spreading across the grass underneath him, a miniature version of those found on his dragon. He ignored them.

When Ariel noticed the wings, he saw fear in her eyes, but it quickly passed when she realized no other part of him had changed.

She leaned forward, gently scratching her nails down his chest.

Jett reached the edge and exploded inside her.

Ariel swung her head back, shouting his name into the forest. He felt her insides convulsing along with him.

And then it was done. He released her and she fell on top of him, panting. He, too, was breathing hard, slick with sweat.

“Well that didn’t last long,” Ariel said.

“The sex?” Jett asked.

Ariel looked at him, and pressed a playful finger against his cheek. “That, too. But I meant, my being in control.”

“Oh. Yeah, sorry.”

“How come the only time I make you pant and sweat is during sex?” Ariel said. “When we spar, you’re never like this.”

“Fucking and sparring are two different things...” Jett said.

“So you’re saying you put more effort into fucking me than fighting me, is that it?” Ariel asked.

“Basically, yes,” Jett said. “Maybe someday you’ll be able to get me to sweat when we spar. But until then, you’ll have to satisfy your need to make me perspire in bed.”

“That’s a compromise I can live with,” Ariel said.

Jett chuckled heartily. “Only you can make me laugh like this. Only you can make me feel so young. You know, when I first left you with the pride and went back to Midnight, before deciding to give up the throne I was seriously considering going to Sleep.”

“Sleep? You mean for the night?” Ariel asked.

“No,” Jett said. “Not one night. For a hundred years. I couldn’t face life without you. It was either give up my throne and be with you, or go to Sleep. I chose the former.”

“You’re the sweetest.” She rested her head against his left pec, above his heart. “Love you, my dragon. My king.”

“Love you back,” Jett told her. “You’re the greatest treasure I’ve ever had. Of all the hoards of gold, silver and money I’ve had, of all the gems and jewels, all the property, the slaves, you are the most valuable. The most incredible. Without you, I would be a shadow, forever searching for the light I never knew.”

She snuggled against him. “I’d be lost without you, too.”

She had a way of summarizing what he said and feeding it back to him. He liked that about her.

“Oh, and nice wings by the way,” Ariel said.

“Forgot about them.” Slightly embarrassed, Jett rescinded his wings.

“No, I like them,” Ariel said. “They remind me of the knights I saw in the tomb Gwendoline showed me.”

He pretended to look at her incredulously. “You like my wings because they remind you of dead people?”

“No, silly.” She lifted her head from his chest to gaze into his eyes. “They remind of what you are. How noble you are. A dragon knight, protector of the realm. Or the pride, in this case. And me.”

“I’m certainly your protector.” Jett rested a hand against her cheek. “Your most vocal protector.”

Jett heard muted talking. Ariel glanced over her shoulder at the neighboring cabin. “Maybe we should get back inside. I wouldn’t want our neighbors staring at my naked bum.”

“They’ve already seen it many times,” Jett said. “We’re all basically nudists here, remember?”

She shook her head. “Never thought I’d one day be part of a nudist colony filled with lion shifters. With my boyfriend, a dragon, the Alpha.”

“Trust me, I never thought I would be, either,” Jett said. The words filled him with a sudden yearning for his former life. I was a king once.

But all he had to do was look at Ariel and he remembered why he had given it up. Everything he had told her was true. She was worth more than ten thousand kingdoms, ten thousand hoards combined.

As if sensing the turn of his thoughts, she said: “Do you ever miss it? Your old life?”

“Of course I do, sometimes,” Jett said. “As I’m sure you miss yours at times.”

She nodded. “But we both have new lives now. Better lives.”

“That’s right, we do.” Jett cupped her cheek tenderly.

He heard muted talking again, and Ariel took that as the cue to roll off of him. He felt suddenly cold where she had been covering his body.

Ariel stood up and began to dress. Jett rose and wrapped his arms around her from behind, preventing her from slipping on her pants. That was better: the warmth had returned. His manhood stirred.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Miss me already?”

He sighed and released her. “I suppose we should get dressed.” He slid the used condom off and tossed it aside.

“Hey, you’re just going to litter like that?” Ariel asked as she buttoned her shorts.

“You’re house training me already?” Jett said.

“Um, yeah?” Ariel said.

He laughed. “I planned to pick it up and throw it in the garbage after we dressed.”

“Oh,” Ariel said. “Well that’s permissible, then.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I’m glad you approve.”

Once he had donned his clothing, he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and true to his promise, retrieved the condom.

The two of them went back inside and he promptly tossed the used condom away in the garbage bin in the kitchen. Ariel had gone to the bathroom, so Jett took a chair at the kitchen table, waiting for her.

When she returned, she said: “Want to go to the city today?”

Jett shrugged. “Sure.” Jett had purchased a tricked-out Ford shortly after permanently joining the pride, so transportation wasn’t a problem. “But I want to talk to you about something first.” He beckoned toward the seat opposite him.

Ariel pulled out the chair and sat down. She folded her legs and repeatedly kicked one foot. A nervous habit of hers.

“So, you really want to train with the witches?” Jett asked her.

“Eventually,” Ariel said. “I’ll start with Jeremiah, like you suggested. See how that goes. We’ll give it a year.”

Jett nodded. He wasn’t sure he should tell her what he knew.

Ariel immediately noticed he was holding back, of course. “What’s on your mind?”

Jett smiled wanly. Can’t hide anything from her. “My sister has sent word that a Potential tester is working through the territories around Midnight. He should be passing through here in a few days. If you really want to go to the Steel Tower, this is your chance.”

She stopped kicking her foot. “You serious?”

“Dead,” Jett said.

She swallowed audibly. “I’m not sure this is what I want.” She paused. “My decision would be easier if I knew you could come with me.”

“Family members used to be able to come,” Jett told her. “But I’m not sure if that has changed or not. Last time I checked was two hundred years ago. We’ll have to ask the tester.”

Ariel nodded. “I want this power that’s inside me. Yet I fear it, too. And I don’t want it all if it means we’ll be apart.”

Jett reached across the table and gripped her hand. “Whatever you decide, Ariel, I’ll support you. If you want to go, then you’ll go. I’ll find a way to be with you, no matter what the rules are.” His voiced hardened. “And if you don’t want to go, I’ll fight the witches for the rest of my days, and become a fugitive if need-be. But I’ll never let them forcibly take you, my lioness. Never.”

“Why is it that you always make me melt inside,” Ariel said. “I suddenly don’t want to go to the city anymore.”

“No?” Jett asked.

“No,” Ariel said. “I want to stay here and make love to you all day, my king.”

Jett tightened his grip on her palm. “As you command, my lioness.”