A Dragon's Honor Read online

  “Oh, Raul,” she cried out.

  He moved to one side so he was free to reach between her legs. His palm rubbed slow circles on the top of her mound while he trailed his fingers along her slit. She could feel the sweet friction of his digits against the slick wetness of her pussy. He delved his finger between the slit and she moaned his name while he circled the sensitive bud of her clit. She bucked beneath his hand as the tiny movements sent jolts of pleasure along her nerve endings. She wanted him to penetrate her and assuage some of the need building inside her.

  He dipped one digit inside and moved slowly, wringing a moan from her lips.

  “God, you are so tight. I long to bury myself inside you.”

  “Do it. Just take me, Raul,” she whimpered.

  “Soon. By the gods, very soon.” His voice was harsh.

  Raven gave a small scream when he added another finger to the one already inside her. She arched as the feeling became almost unbearable. She lifted her hips rhythmically, imitating his thrusts. She was seeking relief from the delicious pleasure he was inflicting, not knowing what the end result would be, but aching to find out. This was a wild, primal feeling he was creating inside her. A turmoil of delicious feelings that made her spread her legs wider and clutch at his shoulders in case she shattered from the experience. The crest came with a swiftness that stole her breath and a scream escaped her lips.

  “Oh, yes, scream for me, Shaloh,” Raul said thickly. “Again, now.”

  He began the sweet torture once more, but with more vigor, sending her spiraling over the edge and this time her scream was louder. In between her shivers of delight, she could hear him chuckle.

  “I love how your body trembles when you come.” He kissed her long and hard.

  “Now?” she asked, panting. “Tell me I get to have you inside me.”

  “God, yes, I’m aching for you,” Raul answered

  He settled between her legs and she could feel him at the entrance of her sex. With just a small tilt of his hips he was inside her, stretching her, but not breaching the barrier that kept her innocent. Raul kissed her until she felt her body relax with a languidness only his kiss could create. He teased her nipples with his mouth and she moaned, writhing beneath him. He reached between them and rubbed the sensitive nub of her clit until her hips rose and fell and she felt him slip in and out of her. She gasped his name, feeling that familiar ache build and tighten in her belly. Raven pulled his head down and this time it was her who initiated the fierce kiss as she came. Raul thrust into her in the midst of her orgasm. They both cried out; his a guttural cry of pleasure and hers from the sharp pain of breaking the thin barrier. But it was soon replaced with pleasure as her orgasm swept her past the pain. After her orgasm abated and she was left shivering, he became still, so very still so her body could become accustomed to this new feeling of him deep inside her.

  Raven could feel the harsh pant of his breath against her cheek while he held his body completely tense. A new kind of ache started deep in her body when she felt his manhood throb inside her. She withdrew her hips just a little, testing the feeling. Arousal and heat danced along her skin as he started moving slowly within her. Raul gave a long throaty groan that reverberated from his body to hers.

  “Don’t hold back.” She bit his shoulder and dug her fingers into the muscles of his back.

  Raul fisted his hands in her hair and tilted her head back so he could kiss her deeply. He then sunk into her pussy with one long thrust. Then he picked up speed and she was lost.

  “God, yes!” his voice was harsh. “Raven, you feel like heaven.”

  “Oh, yes, yes!” she cried out and arched under his ministrations.

  His pace increased and she could feel the length of him rubbing against her walls making her go wild. Raven spread her legs wider, causing him to penetrate her deeper and she called out his name. Raul grabbed her hips, controlling her movements and each new thrust sent them spiraling higher. When she came, it was in waves that seemed to never want to end. It took her higher and higher until she was screaming his name over and over. Raul followed her into his own release with a harsh cry and she felt his cock throb again inside her as he spilled his seed. He filled her until it overflowed and mingled with her own juices on the bed. Raul collapsed next to her and pulled her into his arms. He leaned over, kissing her over and over again as if he couldn’t get enough of her taste.

  “Next time, I get to taste you,” she said breathlessly.

  Raul groaned. “Be careful or you might end up waking the dragon again. Your body needs to rest.”

  “Rest my tush. I want more of you,” she purred.

  “Next time I will taste you as well,” Raul murmured.

  “I like that idea.” Raven wrapped her arms around him. “I’m very happy to be with you right now.”

  “Raven—” he began.

  “No, don’t say it. Remember, no promises,” Raven reminded him.

  He kissed her gently. “I’m very happy to be here with you too.”

  Raven looked up at him and met his smile. She liked the look of contentment and happiness on his face and it warmed her to know it was because of her.

  Much later, after they made love again and cleaned up in the shower, where he washed her with loving care, she lay snuggled in his arms. As her eyes closed and sleep claimed her, she heard him make a low growl of contentment. A smile crossed her lips because the dragon was happy and he was hers. He may not know it, but Raven had no plans of ever letting him go.

  Chapter Seven

  “I want to show you Paladin,” Raul said.

  “You said you would when this is all over, and you know I won’t tell anyone about your world,” Raven replied.

  They were lying idly in bed after a long night of pleasure and her body was pleasantly sore. She meant her words; his world and the dragons’ mission was dependent on very few humans knowing. Raven counted herself as blessed to be a part of their secret even though it was by happenstance.

  “I want to show you now,” Raul replied. “We can go there and be back before Hawke and the others arrive.”

  “How do you get there?” She sat up and looked at him curiously.

  He grinned. “Through the portal in Greenland.”

  She slapped him on his chest. “Don’t tease me. A plane to Greenland will take hours, not to mention is very expensive.”

  “That’s not how we get there.” He took her hand and placed it over his heart. “We have the magic in us to be where we need to be in the blink of an eye, or a tad bit longer. But we can be there and back before the others get here if you want to go with me. You can stay here, of course. You’d be safe until I return, but I need to speak to Orin, the king’s son. He is one of the twelve warriors. I can talk to him—”

  “He gives you more clarity than Hawke because you essentially were raised by Hawke and he still sees you as that small boy he took in after your mother died and your father gave up,” Raven added.

  He nodded and swallowed. “He’s great. I mean, he’s the best warrior older than Orin who is closer to my age, but sometimes I see worry in his eyes even though I’m a man now and not a child. I think he believes if I got hurt it would dishonor my parents in some way.”

  “It sounds like there is more going on than you know,” Raven surmised. “Maybe the truth is what’s needed to set it all right.”

  “My father may be the only one who can give me the answers I need,” Raul said. “In any case, I need to talk to Orin. I’ve spoken to you more than I have anyone else about this situation.”

  She reached up and kissed him gently. “I think that may be a compliment.”

  “It is,” Raul smiled. “Now, if you want to come along, dress warmly and I’ll be waiting for you up on the roof.”

  He walked out of the room buck naked as she scrambled out of bed. “Don’t you need a backpack with clothes or something?”

  “I have all those things in Paladin. Hurry up. This dragon needs to fly,�
�� he teased.

  She ran into the bathroom for a quick shower then raced around to find clothes. It seemed that Hawke, whom she had never met, was prepared for everything because there was an abundance of women’s clothes in all sizes and shoes in the closets of every bedroom of the penthouse. More than likely for the wives who stayed there on occasion, but Raul told her that she was welcome to use what she needed. She was honestly excited to meet Hawke’s wife and see a human woman who was actually married to one of the dragons. She threw on a thick sweater, jeans and some sneakers and even found some gloves and ran up the stairs. Raul was facing away from her, still in human form, and Raven jumped on his back and kissed his neck wildly as excitement rushed through her.

  “Stop that or we won’t be leaving this roof anytime soon,” Raul laughed.

  He turned and she wrapped her arms around his neck before looking up at him. “You’re showing me a place that most people have never and will never see. I could kiss you all over.”

  He pressed his lips to the tip of her nose. “I’ll be holding you to that later. Now, darling, I should put you to sleep. I have the words, the magic that can do so. The transition from your world to mine might be uncomfortable.”

  “How so?” Raven asked.

  “You’re human. Our dragon form is made for this kind of travel. It may be painful for you,” Raul explained.

  She shook her head. “No, I want to experience everything.”

  He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Raven stepped back and watched his miraculous change from man to mythical beast once again. When he was finished, she climbed onto his back, and this time the gloves she wore made it easier to hold on to his scales as he launched into the sky.

  Before, she was too scared to enjoy the flight, but this time as the cool wind blew past her face, she felt exhilarated. She braved looking down and gasped as the lights from houses and businesses below made a blanket of color in the darkness. Soon, everything started to speed up until it was a blur and she had to close her eyes from the feeling of vertigo. She pressed her face against the scales of his neck and held on to her dragon as he broke the scientific law of speed. He was right; it went by quickly and soon she felt him slowing down and Raul landed. Instead of the concrete of a roof, her feet hit soft, green grass. She looked around in amazement. She was in Greenland on a cliff with the sea breaking against the rocks. The smell of the salt water was strong in the air along with the crisp, unpolluted fresh scent of nature.

  “Holy crap. That was freaking amazing!” She jumped up and down like she was a little girl again.

  Raul shifted and he gave her a grin. “It gets better yet.”

  He pulled her close and whispered words she didn’t recognize. He was right; his language would not be recognized in any form of archeological research known to man. She wanted to learn it all, and could see herself sitting and poring over their history, learning their language. The air in front of them seemed to shimmer and ripple like the surface of a lake when you threw a pebble and broke its surface. Then, suddenly, it parted and she saw the world beyond and it caused her to gasp. She stepped through with Raul and felt as if an electric current was passing over her skin. It was not unbearable, but a little uncomfortable. People stopped and waved as they came through, but then went on their way. Raul shifted and was offered clothes by someone standing close to where they came through the portal. Raven assumed the man was kind of a gatekeeper for the dragons as they come back and forth.

  She assumed they were accustomed to the warriors coming in and out of their world and it was an everyday thing for them. Raven, on the other hand, was speechless. She looked up to a sky that was as blue as home, but this sky was filled with dragons of all shapes and children ran and played on cobblestone streets. It was breathtaking and she tried to take it all in. The bright and vivid colors and the entire scene reminded her of a Norman Rockwell painting. Buildings were made of stone and there was even an outdoor marketplace and a blacksmith that left her speechless. But, as they walked, the massive columns of the Paladin court came into view and she was even more amazed as they went up the stairs and into the stone structure. Everything was huge like Pantheon size and she felt like an ant as their steps echoed in the halls. She saw two figures, a man and woman, coming down the hall, and the woman was holding a child.

  “Raul, this is unexpected and you’ve brought a guest,” the man said. He was tall enough that she had to crane her neck. He had bright blue eyes that were mesmerizing.

  Raul clasped hands with him. “Orin, it is good to see you, my friend, and Valencia you look beautiful. This is my friend Raven.”

  It stung to hear him call her his friend, but she knew what she was getting into when she told him no pressure.

  “Friend, hmm?” Valencia said. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “You as well, and it is…amazing here,” Raven said.

  “I felt the same way when I first arrived. It definitely captivates you,” Valencia replied.

  “This boy is growing much too fast. When is his naming ceremony?” Raul asked.

  “He is only five months old,” Valencia said with humor. “His naming ceremony will be in a few weeks. I hope I will see you and your friend Raven there.”

  Raul bent to kiss her cheek. “Of course, my princess.”

  Valencia snorted. “I wish you would stop that. It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “Well, you are the princess, darling, and when it is my time to rule, you shall be queen,” Orin reminded her fondly.

  In her arms, the baby gurgled and Raven asked, “May I hold him?”

  “Of course.”

  Valencia handed her the baby who looked at her with his daddy’s blue eyes and his wonderful light chocolate skin tone.

  “Will he be a dragon as well?” Raven asked.

  “Yes, he will. When our children are born with the eye color of their father it means the dragon gene has been passed on to them,” Orin explained. “Even if he didn’t have my eye color, I couldn’t be more proud of my son.”

  “There are so many questions I could ask,” Raven murmured.

  “And maybe you will get the answers to all of them eventually,” Valencia said with a knowing smile. “Now, come, let’s sit and we can have some refreshments.”

  Raven was surprised that Valencia didn’t take the baby from her but let her hold on to the little bundle of joy. She had a soft spot for babies and children and decided that it was because at the age of seventeen, she was the assistant to a midwife and had helped deliver a few babies, mostly while on the dig sites in Peru and Egypt. She told them the story as they walked into a beautiful room with a jade inlaid fountain in the center. Tables and chairs glistening bronze in the natural sunlight coming in from the glass-paned roof told her there were artisans living in Paladin. Everything was so beautiful. A woman brought in drinks and intricate little cakes. Raven tried to take it all in, but knew she wouldn’t be able to in just one day. She knew Paladin would never lose its wonder in her eyes.

  “So, tell me why you’re home, Raul, or should we walk and let the women enjoy their refreshments?” Orin asked.

  “The women are sitting right here,” Valencia said. “Honestly, Orin, do we need to discuss the chauvinistic terms again?”

  Orin inclined his head and a tried to smother his smile. “My apologies, ladies.”

  Raul laughed. “It’s not necessary, Orin. Raven already knows what is going on. Let me fill you both in.”

  She played with the baby and nibbled on some of the most delicious pastries she’d ever had in her life, while Raul filled them in. She watched the interest in Orin’s face turn to anger and Valencia looked worried.

  “I want to weed out the cell and find my father,” Raul said.

  “That may not be wise, Raul, there may be things you don’t know,” Orin said hesitantly.

  “Why do I get the feeling there is some big secret that everyone seems to know except me?” Raul snapped.

  “If you
guys have any ideas about why the Shen would be keeping his dad, why not spill it?” Raven asked. No wonder Raul had issues if the people closest in his life were holding things back from him.

  Orin directed a cold stare at her, but she refused to look away. Try to stare me down, buddy, I can do this all day, she thought angrily.

  “Stop using the death stare on Raven,” Valencia admonished. “She is looking out for Raul and that is a wonderful thing. Plus, if you do know something, maybe it’s time the truth came out for everyone’s sake.”

  “It has nothing to do with the Shen, and it’s not my secret to tell,” Orin replied and then faced Raul. “I only know what I’ve heard from my father. It’s best you talk to Hawke about this.”

  “Oh, I will,” Raul said grimly. “This is going to be over once and for all, whatever it is.” He stood and Valencia took the baby from Raven who was bouncing him on her knee. “I’m going to show Raven around Paladin before we head back to Madison.”

  “Whatever you do, Raul, know that Hawke was trying to honor a promise and he loves you more than you know.” Orin stood and placed his hand on Raul’s shoulder. “He was hard on us both in our training; me, because I was the king’s son and I needed a punch in the head a few times for being so cocky. I needed to learn the rise to the thrown was not mine just because of blood, but because of honor and respect. He was hard on you because he never wanted to lose you in a battle. I don’t think he could take it. You may not see it, but I think he feels a bond or a connection with you that he doesn’t have with the others. There is a reason why you are very important to him, probably because he is the one who rescued you as a boy.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Raul said.

  “It was nice meeting you both,” Raven said.

  “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again,” Valencia said with a smile.

  “Under better circumstances, I hope.” Orin gave Raven a crooked smile. “I won’t even use my death stare, as Valencia calls it, on you next time.”