The mating magic didn't rise again.
When morning came, I wondered if we had imagined it. But every time doubts rose, the memory of that ecstasy would rise as well—a dark soldier set forth to conquer them. And I would also remember the pain.
In none of the stories I'd heard about Dragon matings had there been mention of pain. Nor had I ever heard of a mating that stopped after it had barely begun. Was it because of my reluctance? No, surely not. Many Dragons had been reluctant to find their mates and had not suffered for it. And why would the Gods punish Jucai for my rejection of their gift? I hadn't rejected it either, just asked for some time.
And then there was Jucai. His despair over losing our bond cut at me. I'd never thought to see the Sea King cry. I understood, of course. We'd been handed something miraculous only to have it snatched away. I was upset about it too.But histears had been a consolation for me. We hadn’t mated, but at least I knew how much he wanted to be my mate. The magic would return. It had to.
The Gods could not be so cruel.
“Good morning.” Jucai nestled against my back and wedged his arousal beneath my ass.
“Good morning.” I looked over my shoulder at him. “You’re insatiable.”
“I'm sure I'll be worse when we mate.” He pushed between my ass cheeks, his body knowing the way into mine. Then he made a happy rumble. “You're still slick.”
I moaned as he slid into me. “So are you. That nectar is amazing.”
Jucai curved his body to align with mine and began a slow grind, his hand sliding over my hip to take my cock. “I want to be inside you all day.”
“I'll need to eat at some point.”
As if I had summoned breakfast with my words, a knock came at the suite door.
“Enter!” Jucai called out as he continued to thrust. When the sound of the door opening came, he added, “Put it on the table.”
Footsteps approached, and then a male Sea Dragon entered the bedroom. “Jucai?”
And there I was, facing the door, my body on full display while Jucai pumped into me, his hand stroking my cock. I froze. Jucai, intent on me, didn't notice the man at first.
“Well, well, cousin. I see why you're so obsessed with this one. Quite a specimen indeed. And a big cock too!”
Jucai looked up and went from a tender lover to a wild beast in two seconds. Yanking his cock out of me as if he were unsheathing his sword, Jucai jerked back and then launched himself over me to tackle the intruder. Jucai's snarls mingled with yips of shock as I yanked the covers over my hip. Then I realized I was the only one who could stop Jucai from killing the idiot who walked in on us. So I let go of the sheet, climbed off the bed, and rushed to them.
The poor man was already bleeding.
“Jucai!” I grabbed his shoulder, yanked, and then pushed myself between the men. “Stop! It was an accident!”
Jucai shuddered and then looked down. “Cover yourself!”
He pushed me behind him. Which I thought was ridiculous, since he was just as naked as I, and the last time we'd been in Kansu, he'd wanted nothing more than to fuck me in front of his entire court. What was this sudden need for my modesty?
When I didn't move to obey him, Jucai bared his teeth at me.
“All right! Fuck!” I turned and grabbed my pants from the floor.
Meanwhile, the intruder eased toward the door. “I'm sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty.”
As I fastened my pants, I realized that Jucai's behavior was in line with a Dragon during their mating period. Dragons saw other people as threats to their mate during the matingperiod and often for weeks beyond that. It took time for the urge to attack anyone looking at your mate to subside. But we hadn't mated. Had the magic left residue behind, like we'd found on the ship? Except this time, the residue was inside us. But if the residue was affecting Jucai, why wasn't it affecting me? Perhaps because he had shown interest in me, not Jucai, and had called Jucai “cousin.”
“I just came to tell you that four Kaikeyo men have put the court into a tizzy by dining at a table in the hall,” the man shouted as he ran for the door.
“Wait!” Jucai growled.
“Here.” I handed him his pants. “Maybe put these on if you're going to continue this conversation.”
His expression softened. “Thank you.”
“Holy shit!” the man exclaimed, looking back and forth between us. “Have you mated?”
