When they got back to the house, the others went into the office for a meeting with the oracle, while Lead was allowed to get something to eat with Brittany and then take her downstairs.

Which she was very grateful for, because after the tumultuous day she’d had, all she wanted was to be alone with her dragon and hear more of what was in his heart.

They took a shower first and got into clean clothes, and then they sat down on the bed together so they could talk.

Lead sat against the headboard, and Brittany leaned back against his chest, just enjoying touching him.

“So you’re sure you aren’t mad at me?” he asked nervously.

“How can I still be?” she asked. “All I wanted was for you to care like I did, and I just saw you beat some guy to a pulp. You would have killed him if Arsenic hadn’t stepped in.”

“Probably,” Lead said. “He meant to try and take what was mine.”

“It was funny when you sucker-punched him in the face.”

“Yeah,” Lead said. “Back on my planet, I would never have done such a thing. I probably would have recited my feats as well and engaged in an honorable fight. But mess with my mate and all bets are off.” He let out a low growl, and she slid a hand over his thigh to calm him.

“It’s okay. I’m fine now.”

He wrapped his big arms around her as if he still wasn’t sure, and it made her laugh.

“Okay, so I believe you that you no longer like Marina, but why didn’t you tell me a girl you wanted to mate was staying in the same house?”

“She belongs to Mercury. She always did. And the minute I met you, I realized I had never truly had feelings for her. It didn’t seem relevant.”

“Then why were you talking to her this morning?”

“Oh, that?” He swallowed, his hands moving over her waist in a sensual movement that made it hard to concentrate. “I was trying to get her help with the oracle.”

“Why?”

“I’m a guest on this planet. I didn’t know if the oracle would grant my request to have someone as precious as you for a mate. Until I knew for sure, I shouldn’t have touched you. That part was dishonorable.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant.”

He held her a little tighter, as if he never wanted to let go. “But I couldn’t help it. You were mine from the start. My dragon knew.”

“Is that why your eyes sometimes went into slits?”

“They did?” he asked. “I’ve never seen that.”

She nodded. “It’s kind of cool.”

“But are you really okay with this? Staying in my world? Being with me forever? I can’t even tell you what will happen when we mate. I know that I will have greater control over my powers and that my heart will be blocked off from poison, but I don’t know how it affects you. One of my kind has never mated a human.”

She nodded. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me. You’ve been nothing but good since you came into my life.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “Nothing but good from now on.”

“And it won’t poison me, right?”

“No,” he said. “Absolutely not. Also, all of us have a certain level of healing powers that do extend outside of ourselves, so if anything, it’s more likely that you’ll have a longer, healthier life by my side.”

“More time with you,” she said, curling in. “Sounds good with me.” Her hand splayed on his arm. “I love you, Lead. I really do.”

“I love you, too,” he said. “I wanted to wait to say it when I knew you could be mine.”

“What if the oracle had said no?”

“I think I would have burned the house down and gone rogue, kidnapping you and carrying you off to a castle, old-school Earth dragon style.”

She laughed. “I can deal with that. I’m glad you’d fight for me.”

“I’ll always fight for you. You’re mine.” He stirred slightly. “Speaking of which, I don’t think I can hold back from making it official any longer.”

“How do we make it official, though?” she asked, pulling back and kneeling in front of him on the bed so she could see him.

“Sex. No protection,” he said. “That’s all I know.”

“I can do that,” she said, a grin spreading over her face at the thought of being with him again. After all of the hurt and uncertainty, being with him in that way was just what she wanted.

As soon as she said it, he pulled her in for a kiss.

His lips were so soft, despite his hard, masculine features. As his tongue swept inside her, Brittany felt herself already getting wet at his touch. He was so deft, so direct in the way he stroked inside, flicking this way and that to turn her body on like a light bulb.

After a moment, he pulled back and stared at her intently, beautiful eyes glowing bright yellow, dark hair falling over one side of his face.

He looked so damn handsome. So perfect. So lovable.

Part of her wanted him to take her right in that moment, no waiting. But another part of her wanted to savor it, wanted to see him lose it as he had the first night they’d been together.

“Can I try something?” Brittany asked, trying not to laugh when Lead raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

She tugged on his belt, undoing it and pulling it free from the jeans he wore. Then she shoved him onto his back on the bed. At first, Lead didn’t get what was going on, but after a bit, he complied, lying down for her, since no amount of force on her end would get the job done.

“Give me your hands,” she said. “I have an idea.”

“Why would you need those? I need them to pleasure you,” he said, confused.

“Just wait.”

Using the belt, she wrapped the long, thick leather around his wrists, then brought them above his head, looping both ends through the iron detailing that lined the headboard and tying them as tight as she could manage.

He’d said he’d never run again. Would he keep that promise?

“You know I could break out of this,” Lead said, struggling a bit, making the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunch up. It made her mouth water.

“I know. But you won’t, right? Not if I don’t want you to,” she said.

“Fine,” he said resolutely. “If that’s truly what you want, it’s the least I can do.”

Brittany just nodded, but her mind was screaming, Hell yes, at the prospect of so much man, so much maleness spread out beneath her.

She started with his shirt, pulling it up over his head so it bunched around his wrists. Now she could ogle him openly. The details in his pecs, his abs, were like something carved into a marble statue. So defined, with divots and peaks that sent tingles up her spine.

She ran her hands over his chest, velvet skin over iron-hard muscle. She traced a path along the ridges of his body, feeling each ab, feeling the lines that came diagonally from his hips lower down, past his pants.

Unable to resist, she felt the bulge in his jeans, so thick and firm it made tension coil within her just at the thought of it. Lead took a harsh intake of air, his forearms twisting slightly, but not struggling against her.

Frankly, she was surprised he was able to hold on this well.

And from the way his hawkish eyes were watching her, it seemed to be taking every ounce of his considerable control to do so.

Brittany straddled his hips, not wanting to wait a second longer to feel him like this. To be able to take every inch of him, every second with him. Like this, with her in control, she could take her time, simply do as she pleased. A contrast to the whirlwind of release Lead always gave her when he was in control.

She positioned their hips together and moved against him, both of them still clothed. A jolt of arousal shot through her, and she put her hands on his abs to steady herself, head already spinning.

Beneath her, Lead’s body was tightening. His hands were clenched into fists as he let her move into a rhythm on top of him, but he didn’t say a word, just continued devouring her with his gaze.

That only made things hotter, made her want to tease him more, push his limits.

She lowered herself to his chest, letting her face rest on his rock-hard muscles as she continued to get herself off on him, release slowly, gradually building in her. She ran her hands up his arms, feeling his lats, his biceps, his triceps, each perfectly formed muscle as tantalizing to touch as it was see.

Then Lead bucked his hips against her motions, ever so slightly, pressing into her center just firmly enough, and she came. Her hands gripped onto his muscles, and she moaned in ecstasy at the feel of him everywhere beneath her.

But before she’d even finished, there was a wrenching sound, followed by the snap of leather as Lead popped the belt in two as though it were made of paper. She looked up at him, and his eyes were blazing, hungry, watching her like the warrior he was.

“I’m sorry. I tried to hold back, but like always, when it comes to you, I can’t.” And at that, his hands grabbed her hips, pulling her forward, up to his face. A rush of blood went to Brittany’s cheeks, his dominance so overwhelming it made her want to come again.

Gingerly, but wasting no time, he tore Brittany’s leggings down the center, pulling them aside. Then, somehow, he extended a single claw on his finger, and cut through the corner of her panties, pulling those off as well, exposing her directly to his mouth.

She didn’t even have time to form words in her head before his mouth closed over her clit, enveloping her in a rush of warm sensation. She squirmed, her body overwhelmed from so much stimulation, but his hands held her hips firm as he licked directly over her clit.

She cried out, her hands finding his, grasping onto them like lifelines as one more stroke of his tongue pushed her over the edge. Stars exploded behind her eyes, electricity moving up and down her back and finding its way into her toes, her fingertips, every corner of her body.

But even as the first subsided, Lead continued to stroke her, making wide strokes and tiny circles. Pressing hard, flicking softly, always changing the motion so she could never anticipate it.

Never before had he been so insistent on pleasuring her. Maybe it was from being tied up. Maybe it was his way of saying I love you. At this point, it didn’t matter.

She orgasmed again, chest heaving as her entire body got caught in a storm of pleasure. Everything was spinning, the entire room blurry as her vision clouded from the intensity of it.

“I… You…” she stuttered, feeling dizzy from release.

“I love you, Brittany,” Lead said, lifting her back slightly.

“I love you, too, Lead,” she replied, now thinking cohesively enough to form simple sentences.

“Be mine. Forever,” he said, both a command and a request.

“Always.” She hurriedly pulled off her shirt and undid her bra, while Lead, still beneath her, wiggled out of his pants. But when he started to sit up, she pushed him back down again, telling him without words to stay just where he was.

She moved down on his body, missing the warmth of his breath, the closeness of his lips over her center, but thinking of one thing that would feel even better than that.

Tonight, she was going to ride a dragon.

* * *

Lead felt his eyes go wider as Brittany positioned herself over his hips.

He’d tried to control his dragon, had tried to let Brittany take her fill of his body. But he wanted to pleasure his mate. Needed to more than he needed air.

On another night, perhaps he’d let her go further. Or perhaps he would do the same thing to her. They had time to figure things out once they were mated.

Tonight was just about the two of them starting forever, together.

Then Brittany slid her wet heat down over him, and the whole world stopped in its revolution as they came together, joined skin to skin.

It was the best feeling in the world, knowing that with nothing between them, she would finally be his.

Brittany moaned, her fingers tightening on his chest, and Lead held himself steady, not wanting to disrupt her in any way.

“You don’t have to lie there motionless. I won’t break,” Brittany gasped, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

His hands found her breasts, cupping and squeezing, and she gasped as she pushed herself up and then thrust back down over him. Her curves, pressing on his hips as she straddled him, were so hot, so beautiful he wished the moment would never end.

Lead tweaked her nipples slightly, pressing his thumbs into them, and she shuddered, skin already glowing from arousal and release.

How had he, an orphan dragon from the bottom of society, possibly done anything to deserve someone so perfect, so beautiful? He was a warrior, a tool to be used. But Brittany made him feel he’d been born a prince. That nothing was out of his reach.

Brittany seemed to be tiring, so Lead placed his hands on her hips, lifting her and guiding her back down onto him as he thrust up.

To his surprise, she came, calling out his name loudly into the empty room. He was grateful again to be in the basement because her cries of ecstasy were for him alone.

Lead just held her, feeling her body pulse with rapid succession as the void of pleasure overtook her. Pride and love welled within him, and the dragon inside roared with approval. They were so close now.

“How do you do that?” Brittany asked, her blond hair falling in sultry waves around her face, cascading onto her shoulders.

Lead wasn’t sure how to answer. “Well, I make sure to pay attention to the responses from your body. Also, I happen to be endowed with—”

“That was a rhetorical question, honey,” Brittany said, giggling at the end, a light, tinkling sound that contrasted to the incredible heat of the moment.

“Ah,” he said. He’d ask her later what that meant.

“Just never stop. Never stop being you.”

“I don’t think I could. You’re everything to me, Brittany.” Somehow, in rescuing her, he’d been the one rescued by this wonderful, one-of-a-kind woman.

“Come with me, then,” she said, moving her hips again without his help, pushing onto his hard length. Sensation flicked up his back, and the beast inside him could hold back no longer.

He held her by the hips, thrusting into her faster, making her gasp and moan even louder. She didn’t even need to push herself off him anymore. He was doing the work for them, so she placed her hands on his pecs, holding on desperately against the swiftly rising tide of pleasure.

And the faster Lead moved, the slicker the friction between them became as they slid together and apart. He’d never been more aroused, more hard before in his life. He could hear the sound of his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears, he was so impossibly close to the edge but wanting to ride every second of it with his mate that they could manage.

“Ah, oh, Lead!” Brittany screamed out, fingernails digging into his skin, making him proud for his mate’s ability to hold off as long as she did. And with that, she orgasmed, thrusting herself so deep onto him that Lead didn’t know where his body ended and hers began, drawing his own release from him almost immediately.

He joined with her as he jerked inside her, white heat between them at the place where their hips met. Unable to resist, he held her tight, holding her steady as she came so hard she was shaking. A million shocks zipped through him faster than light, going in every direction as the beauty of his mate milked every bit of strength he had.

Then finally, it was over, and Lead helped Brittany come to rest beside him on the bed.

They were mated at last.

He wrapped his arms around her, reveling in her softness as their breathing came to match each other’s in perfect unison.

“How are you feeling?” Lead asked.

“Amazing. Thanks to you. And different but in a good way. Like everything is right in the world,” she said with a contented sigh.

“Agreed. Everything is right with you here with me.”

He kissed the back of her neck, holding her tight as the muffled sounds of crickets outside signaled the start of night. Contentment welled inside him, deeper than the oceans of Drakkaris, as thoughts of their future together filled his mind.

After a few minutes, Lead noticed Brittany was still awake.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Just thinking. Just happy,” she said, curling into him.

“Me, too.”

He turned her around in his arms and kissed her, and the world melted away around them, taking away everything else, like honor, duty, or rules. Those things weren’t important to him now.

Because at the end of the day, being mated to Brittany was the greatest honor that Lead could have possibly imagined.