Page 95 of The Dragon King
I hadn’t slept well in days and neither had he, but that didn’t stop us from spending our night together locked in the throes of passion. We’d made love before, but it was different this time. Slower. Deeper. Our eyes connected at a depth we’d never experienced before.
He was always on top of me, exerting his muscles like they never fatigued, bending me in ways he liked so we could be as close together as possible. He rocked into me with his thick arms locked behind my knees, giving me the length I could handle, his head dipped to brush his nose against mine and kiss me.
My hands planted on his chest, and I felt his heart beat steadily under the skin, felt the vibration like a drum, the source of his love. It was the first time every single barrier between us had been removed, when it was the two of us and nothing else, our hearts pure and visible on our sleeves.
It was hard to believe I’d ever hated him. That I’d wished him a violent death. Not when he’d become the love of my life, my future husband, the man who would father my children. My hand cupped his face, and I brought his mouth to mine for a kiss, our lips like clouds that came together to form a single entity. I breathed into him as I felt my chest tighten, because if he was killed in battle, I really would be ruined.
He kissed me back without breaking his pace, filling me with his size and claiming me as his, marking his territory in a deeper way than he had before.
I spoke against his mouth. “I love you.” I’d already said it to him several times before, but I wanted to say it again, to celebrate my commitment to him and hear him say it back. My fingers dug into his hair as I watched the same love burn in his eyes like a glorious sunset.
“Baby, I love you.”
It carried on until sunrise, and by then, we were spent and exhausted and fell asleep. Our rest was short-lived because we were both roused by the heat of the sun as it entered the open window.
I awoke in his arms, his head on my pillow, his eyes tired from the long night we’d had.
I kissed the corner of his mouth.
He turned into me and kissed my hairline.
“I don’t want to leave.”
Sadness crept into his gaze, a slow infection that quickly turned rampant. “Nor do I.”
“I wish we could stay like this forever.”
He held my gaze without blinking, a hint of alarm moving into his face. It disappeared quickly like it never happened, and he rolled onto his back to stretch. Then he left the bed and stood up, his back to me, his tight ass like a rock. “If only…”
When we approached the royal palace, Queen Eldinar already stood outside with my uncle, giving orders to Commander Luxe as they prepared to depart the forest…possibly forever. “Fifty of our strongest must remain behind to protect Riviana Star from outside invasion. Now that the dark elves have been defeated, I suspect the forest is safe, but we must safeguard the Great Tree.”
Commander Luxe nodded. “It saddens me that I won’t join you in battle, Your Majesty.”
She stepped forward and gave him a slight smile. “I’ve given you this task because I entrust it to no one else. You don’t need to raise your sword with me in battle to serve me—because you’re serving me in a much deeper way.”
He stared at her for seconds before he gave a slight bow. “Please return, Queen Eldinar. I speak for everyone when I say you’re the greatest ruler Riviana Star has ever known. Without you to guide us, we would be lost.”
“I appreciate your kind words. Every monarch in our history has served our people well, and I’m certain my successor, if I perish, will do the same.”
He gave her a final nod. “Fight well, Your Majesty.”
“You as well.”
He walked away and left the clearing.
Queen Eldinar turned to regard us, her eyes on Talon. “My scouts informed me of your presence in our lands. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
Talon stepped forward then set his pack on the ground. “I’ve come to bestow a gift upon you, Your Majesty. I hope you’ll accept it.” He kneeled down, opened the pack, and revealed an armor set that was stunning in black, reflective in the sunshine. Chunks of black were along the sides of the torso, black diamonds he’d harvested from the Arid Sands. He rose to his feet and presented the chest piece. “I had my blacksmith prepare this in our forge. The dragon scales are impenetrable.”
She stared at it for a long time before she looked at him again. “This is a kingly gift. But I can’t accept it, Death King. I will not protect my body with a dragon’s sacrifice.”
“It was not a sacrifice,” he said. “Khazmuda offered.”
“Even so?—”
“It’s a gift, Your Majesty. Khazmuda wanted to honor the sacrifices you’ve made for all dragons, including in the upcoming battle. With all due respect, your armor broke into pieces, and you nearly lost your life.” He held it up slightly higher. “Dragon scales do not break.”
She stared at it again, her eyes heavy with the weight of the gift.