Releasing the Dragon (Brides of the Kindred) Read online

  Because you love her, whispered a little voice in the back of his head but Dru pushed the idea aside. He had promised himself never to Claim her—he couldn’t be in love with her. It was impossible—right?

  But personal feelings aside, he still needed to help her. Needed to fill her. Gods, he wished it could be with his shaft!

  His Drake roared in agreement but Dru shut it down. He couldn’t risk his darker half coming out in such a small, crowded area. And even if the Drake behaved and stayed inside where it belonged, he couldn’t bond Annie to him—she deserved better than to be mated to a male who went into danger for a living. And even if he had decided to bond her and make her his own, he couldn’t do it under these circumstances. She was half out of her mind with lust—there was no way she could make a coherent decision right now.

  “Dru, please…” The pain in Annie’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he knew he had to do something for her.

  “It’s all right, sweetheart,” he murmured. Reaching between them he cupped her pussy, loving how hot and wet and open she felt in his hand—how ready for him she was. “Everything is going to be all right…”

  He stroked her inner folds delicately, finding the throbbing little button of her clit and tracing around it gently with one fingertip.

  “Oh!” Annie threw back her head again, her hips bucking at his touch. “Oh God, Dru—yes! But please—inside me!”

  Dru was more than happy to give her what she asked for. As he took her other nipple in his mouth, he slid his hand down and entered her with two long fingers. As he thrust up into her tight, wet channel, he began to suck, pulling the sweet, syrupy honey from her other breast as he fucked her with his fingers.

  Annie moaned and rocked on his fingers as he pumped inside her. Dru wanted to groan—and would have if he hadn’t had his mouth full. Gods, she was gorgeous—his little full-figured Annie with her pale skin dusted with goddess-kisses! And the way she was gasping and begging as she rode his fingers was making him so hard he could barely stand it. He wished he was inside her—wanted desperately to be filling her with his cock instead of his fingers…wanted to be hooking his Pleasure Barb into her flesh…shooting his seed inside her…bonding her to him…

  His Drake roared in agreement but somehow he managed to push it away. He couldn’t deal with his other half now—he had to be completely focused on Annie. Already he could feel her inner muscles tightening around his fingers as she fought her way towards orgasm.

  “Dru,” she begged breathlessly, her small hands digging into his shoulders. “Dru please—so close…so close but I can’t quite…get there. I need…need…”

  I’ll help you get there, sweetheart. I know what you need, he thought.

  Twisting his hand, he found the slippery button of her clit and rubbed it firmly with the pad of his thumb. At the same time, he thrust up inside her hard, finding the end of her channel and sucked her nipple deep into his mouth.

  Annie cried out and stiffened for a moment, going as still as a lovely, erotic statue frozen on his lap. Then she seemed to go wild—crying and gasping and bucking against his fingers, riding his hand as she rubbed against his thumb and moaned his name over and over.

  “Dru…Master. Oh, Dru! Yes, Dru!”

  Her nipple slipped from his mouth but Dru found he couldn’t stop watching her. Gods, she was beautiful when she came! So fucking gorgeous it took his breath away and made him want her even more—which he’d been certain would be impossible just a few heartbeats ago. He wanted her so badly he felt like his shaft was going to explode but there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing but ride out her orgasm and help her come as hard as she could.

  At last Annie collapsed against his chest, her bright head pillowed on his shoulder. She was panting for breath and seemed to be coming back to herself.

  “Oh, Dru,” she whispered at last. “I’ve never…no one has ever made me come that hard. It was…incredible. Thank you…thank you for helping me.”

  “You are more than welcome, teeska,” he growled hoarsely, withdrawing his fingers. He sucked them clean, savoring the taste of her honey and looked her in the eyes. “Gods, you’re beautiful when you come.”

  Annie blushed bright red and looked away.

  “Thank you. I, uh, wasn’t intending to want…to need…”

  “It’s all right,” Dru cut her off. “The fault was not yours. Clearly you were reacting to whatever was in that damn dessert confection.” He looked around the room and saw that most of the other x’aan-chows and masters were still at it…hard.

  “My, my… It’s like a Zaldian Pleasure-pump in here,” remarked a familiar voice to his left.

  Turning, Dru saw that none other than Zar’ren was sitting beside him on the couch. His two pets were at his feet, seeming unaffected by the frenzy going on around them. Which made sense—Dru was fairly certain none of them had partaken of the dessert they’d all been served.

  “You,” he growled, glaring at the other male. “What in the Seven Hells did you give Slo’vv to put in that cake?”

  Zar’ren grinned at him, revealing sharp white teeth, and the lights in his silver eye patch blinked rapidly.

  “Well, I’ll tell you, Drugair of the Drake Kindred. Oh yes—I know your true identity and why you’re following me. I’ve known for some time.”

  Dru felt a shock run through him but he did his best to keep his face completely passive.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a merchant from the Galerx system, as you well know.”

  “Deny it if you want.” Zar’ren shrugged, as though Dru’s denial didn’t matter to him a bit. “If you’re truly interested, the secret ingredient in the cake is Xi-46. It’s distilled from the Lust Blossom on Carnal Four—a world given up entirely to sexual pleasure.”

  “So they use it there to boost their libidos?” Annie asked, joining the conversation for the first time. When Zar’ren started speaking to them she had quickly rearranged her clothing to cover herself and now she was doing her best to appear composed, though she was still sitting on Dru’s lap.

  “Oh, no.” Zar’ren shook his head. “No, they don’t use it for anything. Xi-46 is completely illegal on Carnal Four—and in most of the known universe.”

  “Why?” Dru demanded. A knot of fear had begun to grow in the pit of his stomach as an awful suspicion formed in his mind. “Does it have long term effects? Is it lethal? So help me, Goddess if you’ve given my Annie anything that will harm her in any way I will tear you limb from limb!”

  He could feel his Drake rising as he spoke, the burning flame in the back of his throat and the way his vision was suddenly the reddish-orange of burning flames. If Zar’ren had hurt Annie—if the stuff he’d given her was going to…going to kill her—

  His Drake roared in anguish and its shadow wings beat fiercely, starting a small whirlwind in the room. Annie’s hair blew in the wind like a red flag and she gasped.

  Zar’ren’s one visible eye—which was dark green—went wide and for a moment Dru almost thought he looked alarmed.

  “Be at ease, Brother,” he said hastily. “The effects are in no way lethal or harmful…though they may be long-lasting.”

  “If it’s not lethal or harmful then why is it illegal?” Annie demanded, frowning at Zar’ren.

  “Because, sweetheart—it’s unpredictable. Xi-46 is known to cause instant, almost painful sexual need in any woman who ingests it or breathes it in. So—”

  “Breaths it in?” Dru growled, interrupting him. He’d had a fierce struggle with his Drake, which had almost forced a shift at the idea of Annie in danger. Even now his other half was restless within him. “Calm,” he told it. “Be calm. Annie is fine.”

  “Oh yes. Xi-46 can be distilled into a liquid, formed into a solid, or heated until it forms a vapor,” Zar’ren answered casually. “It’s very like water that way and so it’s very easy to administer. In this case, I simply gave Slo’vv a tiny bottle of the stuff and told hi