Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Ride the Wave: Chapter 8

We traveled by cart for the rest of the day, worried we would be spotted if any of my mates shifted into their Dragon forms. Isen’s golden body flew overhead at one point, but he passed us by without slowing. I watched the sky for the sight of dark blue wings, but never saw them. At least I never saw red ones either.

While we traveled into the Earth Realm, the others filled me in on everything I’d missed while I’d been held captive. I healed Jasin while snacking on the apples and oranges in the cart to keep my energy high, then took a long nap between him and Auric. I avoided questions about what happened to me during the days I’d been in the bone cage. I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet and would rather wait until Reven could join us for that conversation anyway.

By the time we stopped to rest for the night, we were all exhausted. Slade found us a cave that would offer us shelter and protection from the Dragons’ eyes, and we spread out inside it and prepared for bed. There was a smaller cave in the back of it, and I followed Slade there once Auric and Jasin had settled down to sleep. I’d noticed that Slade had seemed especially quiet and distant today, and I wanted to make sure he was all right.

I moved behind him and slid my arms around his strong chest, nuzzling my face against the back of his shoulders. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he said, although his voice was gruffer than normal, and he pulled away from me.

“What’s wrong?”

His jaw clenched. “It’s my fault you were kidnapped, and my fault that Reven is injured.”

“How could that be your fault? The Dragons attacked us, and you defended us the best you could.”

He stared at the wall of the cave, which had a thin trickle of water running down it. “Reven stayed behind so I could go after you. He sacrificed himself for us, but I failed to save you. When I went after the Dragons, I couldn’t fly. I had to watch them take you away while I stood there, completely useless.”

I moved beside him and slowly rubbed his back. “We’d just completed the bond only moments before. No one would expect you to be able to fly so soon. It took Jasin some time before he could fly as well.”

“Only a day. And Auric could do it immediately.”

“Auric can control wind. He doesn’t even need wings to fly. And Jasin was able to practice on our boat with the ocean around us in case he fell. You tried to fly off a mountain to rescue me the first time you shifted into your dragon form. That’s bravery, not failure.”

“I doubt Reven would see it that way.”

I grasped his hands with mine. “Reven would understand. If your places were switched, I know you would.”

Slade let out a long sigh. “What if I can never fly? I’ll be useless to you as a Dragon.”

“If Heldor can fly, then surely you can too.” I squeezed his hands. “The Earth God picked you for a reason and he believes in you. I believe in you. The others believe in you. Maybe all you need is to believe in yourself.” He scowled in response and I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “I promise once we heal Reven we’ll do whatever it takes to help you fly. You will get there, I’m sure of it.”

“I hope you’re right.” He slid his arms around me and dragged me against his chest, resting his head against mine. “I was so worried I might never see you again, that I’d finally bonded with you only to lose you forever.”

“I’m here.” I tilted my head to press soft kisses to his neck. “You rescued me. Nothing can keep us apart for long.”

His large hands splayed across my back, holding me close. “I want to feel you in my mind the way the others do.”

“You will,” I promised, and then kissed my way up his neck to his jaw, my lips brushing against his dark beard. “And there is a way to speed it up.”

“Is there?”

I slipped my fingers under his shirt, stroking his smooth, muscular stomach. “I’ve been able to increase the bond with Auric and Jasin by spending time in bed with them. We could get started on that now…”

“Hmm,” he said, as his hands slid down to cup my bottom. “We were rushed last time, and I promised to make love to you all night long when I could.”

“Yes, you did.” I pressed against the hard bulge in his trousers and overwhelming need swept through me. I’d been separated from my mates for days, unsure if I would ever see them again, and the only thing I could think about was being close to them now. A primal urge took over, as if the only way to reassure myself Slade was really here with me was to feel him inside me. “And you can have me all night. Just take me now first.”

“You’re very demanding tonight.” He gripped my dark green dress in his hands and dragged it up my legs.

I gave him a coy smile. “Aren’t you meant to serve me?”

“And serve you I will.” His lips moved to my ear and his deep voice whispered, “Many, many times.”

My dress came off and hit the ground, and then Slade’s lips were on me, coercing my mouth open. As we kissed, he trailed his fingertips along the underside of my breast, making me arch my back to get closer. His hands were large and rough, the hands of a man who’d spent his life working a forge and a hammer, and I trembled as they moved across my naked skin.

I gripped his shirt and tugged it over his head, desperate to touch him back. The sight of his dark, muscular chest sent a pulsing surge of desire between my thighs. I pressed my palms against his rippling stomach, feeling the coiled strength inside him, before sliding my hands down to undo his trousers. As they fell, he kicked them off of him and stepped back, allowing me to take in the glorious view.

He gestured at the cave wall and the stone moved, forming a short ledge that looked almost like a chair. He sat on it like a king on a throne and beckoned me forward. “Take what you need, my queen.”

How could I refuse such an invitation? I climbed onto his lap to straddle him, feeling his rock-hard cock slide against me. My breasts pressed against his muscular chest, my nipples tight with lust, as I lined our bodies up. Slade’s green eyes met mine as the anticipation made us both breathe faster, hearts pounding, and then I sank down with one hard push.

He groaned and threw his head back, exposing his thick, dark throat. I kissed the spot right where his beard met his neck and gripped his broad shoulders to steady myself. His hands gripped my waist, and together we began to move as one. I rocked my hips up and down, grinding against the spot where our bodies joined, and he met me with every thrust.

Each roll of my hips pushed his cock even deeper, and the friction of our bodies rubbed me in exactly the right spot to make the pressure build. Slade grabbed my chin and dragged my lips back to his, taking my mouth in a demanding kiss, as his other hand slid to my behind. He squeezed me there, encouraging me to move faster and harder, and I let instinct take over. The bond between us strengthened, allowing us to feel what the other was feeling, and it pushed us both over the edge.

We shattered at the same moment, our bodies so connected it was like one overwhelming orgasm that broke us both apart and then put us back together. Slade crushed me to his chest, claiming my mouth again, as the last tremors of pleasure rumbled through us.

We rocked together for a while, my arms around his neck, our lips dancing across each other’s. He held me close in his strong embrace, and I was content to stay in his arms forever.

But after a few minutes Slade lifted me off him, spun me around, and planted me on the ledge—which had now grown into the size of a bed.

“Now it’s my turn,” Slade said, as he began to move down my body with determined eyes, his mouth replaceing every spot that made me moan.

I had a feeling neither of us was going to get much sleep that night.