Her palms flattened against my chest, fingers hovering over the scar carved deep above my heart. That touch told me everything.
“Found you,” I breathed, dragging kisses across her cheek, catching her earlobe between my teeth.
“And you have your reward,” she murmured, voice husky with heat. The chase had lit something inside her—and Elohios knew how badly I burned. I needed a taste. Just one.
My hand bumped the rigid plates again, armor blocking every path.
“Withering sun, what are you wearing?” I growled, both hands dropping to wrestle with the belt.
“Draconis tradition.” Her breath hitched. A soft, wicked laugh followed. “Worn to make men wait.”
“So they don’t take you into dark rooms?” I scoffed, sliding one hand up her front, over the swell of her breasts, cupping her jaw.
“The hunt tends to stir… instincts.” Her words came out in a breath, skin flushed, lips parted.
My thumb brushed along her lower lip. She opened further, right on cue. I pressed between her teeth, and she closed around the digit. Warm, wet, slow—she dragged her tongue over the pad in a greedy stroke.
A groan tore loose from my chest. Fire raced under my skin. Control shattered. I yanked my hand away and claimed her in a bruising kiss. No patience—only demand, hunger, denial. I crushed against that cursed armor, chasing friction, craving the soft give of her body beneath mine.
She whimpered. Nails bit into my skin. “Kallias,” she breathed, muffled under my embrace.
I froze, stepped back, hands raised.
“Elohios, help me,” I muttered. I wanted her too much. That cursed belt was the only thing keeping me from losing every scrap of sense.
“We need to get to the Spire,” she panted, still lost in the dark. A soft scrape of motion. A muffled curse.
“Don’t move.” I hissed, cursing myself for my own foolishness. Gods, how did men get anything done when they had wives that they were actually attracted to? I adjusted my too tight trousers, grimacing against the blinding need that coursed through my veins.
Using my hands, I doubled over, searching for my spear, hoping I didn’t find it blade first. My fingers brushed against the soft leather of my shoes before finding cold steel. Letting out a sigh of relief, I straightened, leaving the tip pointing to the floor in the darkness.
“There, now.”
Her hands found my arm, clutching my tunic as I led her back to the stairs.
The city was eerily quiet, and I scanned each street we passed, looking for any sign of life.
“They’re all waiting at the palace,” she said.
She wore a snow-white dress. The way it hung off her shoulders, it exposed collarbones I could take days exploring. It narrowed at her waist, bound by a skirt of metal scales. It hung in overlapping steel diamonds. Longest in the front and back, where a man would be tempted to lift them.
It jingled as we walked through the barren streets, after we stopped to pull on my boots. When we strode into the clearing, cheers erupted from the gathered crowd as if they were just as surprised as I was that I found Nienna.
I felt exposed, naked, without my mantle. Regardless of how I was supposed to present myself at this time, I was so used to wearing it in front of people that my skin heated, and I cursed the blush of shame that curled up my neck.
Thousands of people were gathered in the clearing, more than were there for the Awakening, all standing on their feet, pressing against each other.
Argos waited at the Spire’s base, growling low in his throat. A command. An invitation. A promise of space from the crush of bodies. Other dragons flew around overhead in lazy circles, a myriad of colors.
I led Nienna up the stairs, offering a quick bow to Argos, though it was Tsunami who guided me to the princess.
“Well done, Kallias Sunspear.” Nereus’ voice boomed, bolstered with magic no doubt. “You’ve brought my daughterback to us.”
There were red blossoms where my facial hair had lightly scuffed her skin across her cheeks and shoulders in passion.
“I claim Nienna Draconis as my bride.” I called out for the crowd’s sake. Greaves stood at the edge, his face a careful mask—but he knew why I was uncomfortable.
“And you shall have her.” Nereus threw his arm wide and we walked into the crowded Spire. As much as I wanted it to be over there, it was only the beginning.
