Touch of Flame

“What happened to your fellow dragons?” Malachi asked the captive. He recognized him from many years ago when he was younger but he hadn’t seen him since then.

“You should focus on other things, King Malachi. You welcome humans and other strange creatures into our realm. You have bigger things to think about.” He spat.

“What other creatures?”

The dragon rose from his seat and came closer to the cell door. His eyes burned into his. “You don’t even know.” He shook his head with disappointment. “Unfortunately I don’t know any better but you have invited trouble into your home.”

Malachi was aware. His alarms went off when he saw all the dead dragons while Ares was still in chains. Something was off with that man and even if Ravina was once about to marry him, Malachi didn’t trust him at all. A man who let the woman he was about to marry escape with the enemy, not knowing how she was going to be treated. He didn’t like that at all and now he was the breedmate of a dragon that he also wanted to use for his plans. Until he was sure of him, he would keep an eye on him.

“How did he kill your men?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“I am asking you,” Malachi spoke firmly with warning in his eyes.

The dragon came to grab the cell door. “Whatever he is, he has power over dragons. Do you understand what that means?”

Power over dragons?

“How?”

“I don’t know how but you saw me. I was still.”

“He isn’t a witch?”

“I am afraid he is something even more dangerous. I know witches when I see them.”

Malachi was confused. Not a witch and he lived among humans. Then what was he? Nazneen clearly knew but wasn’t going to tell him. Maybe he would lure it out of her in some way.

“Well then. Rest in your chains till next time.” Malachi said and walked away.

“You are making a mistake King Malachi. I am not the enemy!” He called.

Malachi turned around. “So you had nothing to do with the attack on me and my breedmate?”

“No. I had nothing to do with it but I see clearly why it happened. You are not fit to be King. You can’t protect your people. You kill them instead and now you want to place someone like you with a human breedmate on the throne.”

Malachi watched him for a moment and then decided to ignore him. Going back home, he kept thinking of Ares. Other creature? What other creature could he be? He also smelled human so Malachi was confused.

He arrived at Ravina’s room where they would sleep since Ares and Nazneen had taken his room. The lights were dimmed and she had washed off the blood and changed her clothes. She sat on the bed facing away, massaging her shoulders and neck.

She had been taking care of Ares almost the entire night so she had to be tired. Malachi couldn’t deny that he had hated every minute of it but what could he do?

He walked over discreetly feeling the scent of blossom penetrate his nostrils. She smelled sweeter and he knew torturous days would follow soon where her scent would torment him by awakening his instinct.

Sneaking behind her, he grabbed her shoulders, and she jerked startled.

“Oh, you are here.” She looked over her shoulder.

“You must be tired,” he said as he gently began to massage her shoulders.

She remained quiet. He could feel the tension in her body. There had been a lot of tension in that room with all the blood and visible bone. He could tell she felt very bad for Ares. The man would not be happy once he woke up and the magic of dragon blood wouldn’t be able to heal such an injury.

“He will be fine,” Malachi said.

“He will most likely never walk again.”

True but he was a dying man unless he had been lying. Still, it would be difficult to accept that he suddenly became crippled. He looked like someone who enjoyed his healthy body.

Malachi allowed his fingers to glide up to her neck and rub away the tension there. She relaxed a little.

Although he knew now wasn’t the right time, he couldn’t help but wanting to touch her. Her bare neck was exposed to him and he felt a strong itch to have his lips on her neck. Pressing his lips together, he messaged the sides of her neck with his thumb and she sighed, leaning back a little and relaxing even more.

That faint sigh lit a small fire in him and the way he touched her changed without effort. His fingers slid down her neck, feeling the smoothness of her skin. Even in the dim light, her skin was fair and very soft to his touch. Why did she have to smell so good?

He found himself leaning closer and inhaling her. Ravina’s heartbeat changed rhythm when his breath reached her skin. His heartbeat increased as well when he realized he was allowing his instinct to take over. He wasn’t doing his best to fight it. Deep down he was more frustrated now than ever and wanted to make her forget about the man sleeping above. She was his and he wanted her to think of no one but him.

His fingers came around one side of her neck and then he planted his lips on the other side. Ravina tensed but her scent had already chased away any rational thought in his head. He wanted to taste her. Mark her.

His mouth itched and tingled as he flicked his tongue over her flesh. A staggered breath left her lips and then she shivered as he covered her with kisses. The fire in him burned hotter with her changing scent. She was reacting to him and that motivated him even more.

When he reached right under her ear, she moaned and her fingers sought his hair. She grabbed the back of his neck tilting her head to the side to invite him in. Oh, he had already decided to invite himself in.

Dragging his lips across her cheek, he tilted her head by the hair to take her lips. He wasn’t gentle at all. He was frustrated about many things and he kissed her with all that frustration, pulling her into his body and caging her with his arms while he drank sweetness from her lips.

Ravina whimpered in his arms and he turned her around placing her bridal style on his lap without breaking the kiss. Oh God, this woman was delicious. He sucked on her lower lip, coaxing another small cry from her. Her fingers dug into the back of his neck and his hand grasped her thigh in turn.

He could smell her arousal, feel the way she clasped her legs together and shifted in his lap. He wanted to get his hand in there and be that relief for her or just frustrate her more. Either way would do. But his hand greedily traveled up, feeling the curve of her hip and bare waist to the blouse that covered her chest.

She jolted a little when he brushed his fingers along the curve of her breast. Her heartbeat changed once more and he allowed his hand to rest there, as to not just rip her blouse off and then come down with his mouth and do some magic that would send sparks through her body and make her legs clasp so hard that she would welcome his hand between them.