“Look at that smile. Now isn’t that a thing of beauty.”
She’d never had anyone say such things to her before. It thrilled her and made her uncomfortable all at the same time. She tried to turn her face away, but Briec wouldn’t let her.
“Look at me, Talaith.” She did, and he rewarded her with a soft kiss on her nose. “You are beautiful. And I’ll tell you that everyday if you let me.”
“Not sure I can handle that kind of pressure.”
“Guess you’ll have to learn,” he muttered as he kissed her cheek, then her jaw. “Stay with me, Talaith. Stay with me until our ancestors call us home.”
Sighing, even with her arms still pinned behind her back, she leaned into Briec, letting his mouth move slowly up her chin toward her lips. “That’s a very long time for both of us, Briec.”
“Aye. If we’re lucky.”
He kissed her, his mouth taking hers gently. Coaxing her to trust him, to allow him in to her life and become part of it as she let his tongue slide in and claim her mouth.
Briec released her arms, allowing her to reach up and wrap them around his neck, bury her hands in his hair. Not until her dragon had she realized exactly how pleasurable kissing could be, how wonderful.
Pulling out of their kiss, Briec’s lips traveled down to her neck. He bit her gently and she moaned.
“Let’s go to your room, Talaith. Let me show you how good we can be.”
Smiling, she managed the impossible and pushed him away. “No, dragon. I promised Annwyl I’d be at dinner tonight.”
“She’ll understand,” he growled, reaching for her again.
She moved away from him, walking backward toward her bedroom door. And Briec matched her pace for pace.
“No. We’ll go to dinner tonight.” She arrived at her door, her hand grasping the handle.
“Why?”
“Because…” she pushed the handle down and made ready to move, “…I want to watch you squirm thinking about me sucking that huge shaft of yours into my mouth later tonight.”
He went to grab her, but she had the door closed in his face before he had the chance. She locked it and leaned against it, smiling even as he banged on it from the other side.
“Open this door, wench!”
“No.I have to get dressed. Go and play with your brothers, dragon. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Evil tease.” She heard his body lean up against the door, and his whispered words made it into the room like a warm, caressing wind. “I’ll make you pay for this tonight, sweet Talaith. I promise you that.”
As always, he moved silently in his human form, but she still knew when he’d walked away from the door.
Talaith took slow, easy breaths and tried hard to get her body under control. She couldn’t go down to dinner with her n**ples burrowing through the dress and her wet sex leaving marks on her chair.
“It would be unseemly,” she said to no one in particular, then she laughed and it felt so good.
* * *
Briec sat back in the chair, staring at Talaith as she did her best to ignore him and continue to listen to Gwenvael tell a completely inappropriate tale about himself and several young maids whose poor father caught them in his stables.
It had been a long, painful meal. At least for his cock. Although he did have to admit, if he weren’t so rock hard and desperate to get inside Talaith, it would have been a pleasant dinner with his kin.
At first, though, Briec wasn’t so sure that would be the case. Fearghus kept glowering at Talaith over his wine. But by the third time, when Briec thought for sure he’d have to beat his brother to death, Annwyl’s hand slipped under the table. Briec quickly realized that without breaking conversation with Morfyd who sat on the other side of her, Annwyl had taken a rather firm hold of her mate and apparently had no intention of letting go. After that, Fearghus paid attention to no one but Annwyl.
Morfyd shook her head in disgust. “That poor man.”
“What?” Gwenvael demanded with a smile. “They couldn’t remain virgins forever.”
“Oh, that’s it.” Morfyd stood. “I’ve heard enough. The full moon rises, I have things I must do, and I’m finding you, brother, quite vile.”
“You know you love me.”
“Only because our mother insists upon it.”
Morfyd grabbed hold of her satchel and headed out. They never questioned their sister’s witchcraft, they simply appreciated it.
“I’ll see all of you on the morrow.”
Éibhear stood as Morfyd walked from the Great Hall. “I have this intense urge to go flying. Like to come, Gwenvael?”
“No, little brother. I have some other plans.”
Now sitting on her mate’s lap, Annwyl leaned forward. “Take care you oversized slag. I hear one more complaint about you and I’ll—”
“And you’ll what, dear sister?” Gwenvael challenged. “You’ll what?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you should ask your father that.”
Fearghus really should stop looking so proud when she mentioned that past incident. It did nothing but offend their parents.
“Evil wench,” Gwenvael teased.
“Shameless dragon.”
Gwenvael stood. “Shame is for the weak and the humans. No offense, Talaith.”
“None taken,” she laughed.
“But it’s such a stupid emotion, don’t you think?”
Annwyl snuggled back into Fearghus’ body, wrapping her arms tight around his waist. “Then it fits you perfectly, eh Gwenvael?”
Giving an arrogant snort, Gwenvael followed his sister and younger brother out. That left the few servants cleaning up and the two couples.
Briec stared hard at Talaith. He’d grown bored with his kin. He wanted her.
“You ate all the dessert,” he accused.
“Was that entire cow not enough of a meal for you, dragon?”
“I barely got any. Between you and my brothers. Besides, you should have made sure I was well fed. Isn’t that one of your duties?”
Her eyes narrowed, but he saw the lust in them. “I have no duties, you scaly bastard. And I never will.”
“Well…” Annwyl interrupted, although Briec never turned from Talaith. “As entertaining as this is, we’re off. Oh, and Talaith, let Izzy know she can stop at the practice field after mid-meal tomorrow.”
Talaith’s eyes turned from lustful to panic in a heartbeat, her head swinging around to freeze Annwyl right where she was. “What?”
Annwyl sat back down in Fearghus’ lap. “What what?”
“Why does Izzy want to come to the practice field?”
“Arrow in the dark…to watch us practice?”
“Don’t get sarcastic with me, my liege. My daughter will not be watching anyone practice anything.”
“Why are you so upset? It’s not like I asked your brat to join my army.”
Talaith pointed a finger at the one woman who could legally have her beheaded. “And you just keep it that way.”
“Are you threatening me? I just want to be clear. Are you threatening me?”
Rolling his eyes, Briec glanced at his brother who appeared equally bored. But when Fearghus’ eyes looked past him, a deep frown dragging his black brows low, Briec turned to see what he was staring at.
It was moonlight. But, for some unknown reason, it wasn’t white or silver, it was orange and yellow…like flames. And it spread throughout the room, filling the Great Hall.
The brothers continued to watch as their women argued. Until Talaith’s gasp caught his attention.
“Look at that,” she whispered, staring at the oddly colored moonlight. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s beautiful.” Talaith glanced at him then…and grinned.
Like a battering ram, that smile snatched his breath away and destroyed his ability to think. He gripped the arms of his chair and fought hard—so very hard—for control. But he sensed it was a losing battle.
Talaith’s smile faded. She stared at him in wide-eyed silence. She knew something was wrong, she merely didn’t know what.
Of course, neither did he. All Briec knew was that he had to have her. Not just have her either. He had to Claim her. Make her his own. He had to bury himself inside her until the two suns rose. He needed to fill her with his seed until it lubricated her eyes. His desire for it overwhelmed his logic. No matter what his rational mind told him, he couldn’t stop his body’s response to her.
“Fearghus, wait!” He tore his eyes away from Talaith to see his brother standing up, Annwyl tight in his arms. He looked at Fearghus’ face and both dragons realized they were feeling the same thing. The overwhelming desire to lay claim to what they considered theirs.
Growling, Fearghus carried an arguing Annwyl out of the Great Hall.
Briec locked his sights on Talaith, who stared at him with wide brown eyes. He watched her closely as she pushed her chair back and carefully stood. He continued watching her while she slowly moved toward the stairs. He expected this was how humans acted when they were around a wild jungle cat or a vicious dog. Thinking that if they didn’t startle the beast or make any sudden movements, they’d make it back to the safety of their homes.
Too bad it wouldn’t be that way for Talaith.
* * *
Talaith made it as far as the bottom step, before she stopped. As soon as she’d seen that strange light coming from the moon, she knew something was very wrong. Not deadly, but not right either. She sensed it had taken over the entire castle. Then when Fearghus dragged a struggling Annwyl from the room, she knew she’d been right.
Now she glanced back at Briec. But she realized that had been a mistake. Because he growled and she squealed and took off. Up the stairs and toward her room, but he was right behind her. She could feel him closing the distance between them, reveling in the chase. The bloodlust pounding through his ears and his system.
She made it back to her room and had barely enough time to slam the door shut, but his hand was there, shoving it open. She stumbled back, watching Briec move into the room. His eyes locked on her like a lion’s locked on a deer.
He kicked the door closed with his foot and turned the key, trapping her. “Come to me, Talaith.”
“Oh, you must be joking.” She moved around the bed, although she knew it wouldn’t really keep him from her.
“Talaith. I need you.” Nice words, except he was already pulling off his surcoat and chainmail shirt. “Don’t deny me. Not tonight.”
“You’re not yourself, Briec.”
“Sorry, love. That’s not quite true.” He walked toward her, while yanking off his boots at the same time. “My body’s human, but at the moment you’re dealing with pure dragon.”
“I find that a little scary.”
“I need you, Talaith,” he said again. “Tonight I Claim you. Tonight I make you mine.”
Her mind screamed at her to run away, to take the blade she had hidden under her dress and cut his soft human throat. But her body…her body wanted to lay on the bed and open up to him like a sacrificial offering.