Hoarded by the Dragon (Monstrous Matches, #4)(102)

I want his release. I want to be overflowing with his seed stretching and changing me. I don’t want anyone to wonder about my claim on this dragon even if our bond is frayed and thin.

He is mine.

I sink my teeth into the crook of his neck, biting down hard. Not sure what I’m doing, only that it feels right. Necessary.

Kalos groans, and a flush of precum heats my insides.

“Harder,” he growls.

I sink my teeth deeper, desperate to follow his command.

When I break skin, he does the same. His hot mouth makes the sharp teeth only a passing sting that transitions into a deep throb as he holds me immobile.

The taste of blood on my tongue is brief, my focus swept away by the cocks swelling inside of me.

The flood of heat from his release triggers the crash of my orgasm. My body clutches around the overfilled sensation, wanting to keep his seed inside me, but there’s too much and I’m stretched too far. I cry into his skin, the continued clutch of his teeth in my neck shudderingly perfect.

When the pleasure ebbs, my bashfulness is waiting, but it’s a sleepy embarrassment that keeps me lulled in a peaceful state as Kalos gently releases his bite and separates our bodies. My cheeks flush at the gush of seed from between my legs.

I hide my face against my mate’s throat, and his chuckle vibrates against the burn of my blush.

“You are the sweetest offering a dragon has ever claimed, little queen.”

I scoff, but allow him to carry me to the bathroom and fill the tub without complaint. This type of mess requires more than a wet rag to clean up. His careful motions of washing me clean reminds me of how I left this place after his heat: crusty, exhausted, heartbroken, and upset with myself for being heartbroken.

It comes full circle now. With hindsight, my emotions at the time had been valid. I’d just left my mate without knowing it.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Kalos says, still naked but kneeling outside of the tub, focusing on running a washcloth up my thighs.

I hum, not needing to comb through old memories. I turn in the tub to face him. Kalos’s gaze drops to my breasts, the washcloth in his hands forgotten.

“You bit me,” I say, bringing his focus to the quickly healing wound in the crook of my neck. I suspect it will heal into another white mating mark to match the one I have on the other side of my neck where he bit me during his heat.

The mark that started everything.

Kalos presses his thumb into the wound, and the spark of pleasure surprises a gasp from me.

“Yes.” His eyes glow golden.

I grasp my knowledge of magic enough to do a check on myself. I bite my lip when I find the answer I’m looking for, or rather, the lack of.

“It didn’t complete the bond,” I say.

His eyes soften. “No, I still need to do work to strengthen that. I wanted you to carry a mark with a memory of how I should have claimed you.” Kalos caresses my cheek. “With the absolute conviction that you are mine. My miraculous mate.”

My throat swells at the tone in his voice, and I reach up, running my finger over the bloody skin and imprint of my teeth that I left on him. “I suppose that mine won’t leave a mark on you.”

Kalos hums. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Mating magic is unpredictable. This one may stay, and if it doesn’t, we’ll do it again once our bond is more complete. I will happily carry your mark.”

I open my mouth in curiosity but close it just as quickly.

“Ask your question,” Kalos says, but still I hesitate.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for this moment.” I slide down into the water more, not wanting to bring up painful subjects.

“You want to know if I carry Ava’s mark?” Kalos guesses.

I sigh and shake my head. I’m not jealous, and I don’t want him to think I am. “It’s not like it’s something you control—”

“I understand, Rina. That mark faded sometime after her death.” His answer is simple, and tears prick my eyes at the starkness of it. I blame pregnancy hormones.

“I’m sorry,” I croak. It must have felt like losing her all over again.

Kalos nods, accepting my sympathy. “It was difficult at the time… but now I can see the purpose of it.”

“What do you mean?”

When he looks at me, it’s as if he can see the depths of my soul. As if he accepts every flaw and talent I hold. I don’t want to ever look away.

“I would have never allowed our night together to occur if I had still been carrying her mark. No matter the pain of my heat. A mating mark is sacred.”

I respect that. And if he hadn’t made our arrangement…

“I would have never found you,” he continues. “And that isn’t something I would ever risk. It was necessary to lose the mark of my previous mating… Ava and Luke are always with me, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have happiness. That I can’t have you.” He swallows. “And our daughter.”

I nod. I know he still has fears regarding what kind of father he’ll be, but every second we’re together, the worries I carry about that fade. If there are obstacles, we’ll overcome them. The problems we face, we’ll solve.

Together.

“So if my mark doesn’t take, I’ll be using you as a chew toy until it does?” I tease, wanting to lighten this moment to match the certainty thrumming in my heart.