Thorn sent the tentative push against the dark magic. "It's working, but the ward is strong. We need to spring the trap."

  "Sisters of the past, hear me. Absolve this place of evil's mark. Bring light into the dark," Ella said.

  A ball of flame formed before them. It moved like a snake until shifting to the body of a young woman. Her features were indistinguishable as fire raged from every molecule. She nodded to Ella before walking over the black rock.

  A hailstorm of crystallized rock shot through the tunnel in every direction, contained within the marked section of the rock hallway. The deadly shards were no match for a fire Druid. They passed through her body, melting to the ground before being absorbed. When she stepped from the black dirt, it dissolved away, leaving the tunnel clean and unmarked.

  She pointed down the tunnel. The fire died away, leaving only tendrils of smoke billowing in the air.

  Ella froze on her knees with her hands in the soil. "Did I do that?"

  Thorn put his hand on her back. "You called to the temple, and she answered. That Druid died with this temple two-thousand years ago. She returned to help you, but she used your power to create a temporary vessel."

  "Is that why I feel so tired?"

  Thorn helped Ella to her feet. "Allorin wants you to retrieve the disc. Why is he trying to slow us down?"

  "Maybe he forgot this trap was here? You said it was set thousands of years ago."

  "As soon as we came near it, he would've felt it. He helped Riaz. While that was an astral projection, not his actual body, he had power here. I believe it's because this trap was already here."

  "Is there some reason he wants to wait to get the disc?"

  Before Thorn can answer, water trickled between their legs. The sound of a rushing river had him pushing Ella to the side. He sheltered her body with his own before the tsunami rushed through. The water was up to his chest before he could move. "The mage diverted a river into the caves. We have to get to higher ground."

  "There is no higher ground. We are in a tunnel!" Ella yelled.

  "Draco has already returned the river to its natural path. We simply need to wait for the water to dissipate. The cave angles up. There is a grotto half a mile ahead. We will make camp there."

  They waded through the churning riptide, but the water levels dropped the further they went. By the time they reached the grotto, only wet sand remained.

  Thorn collected broken bits of wood. He made a circle with rocks, placing the wood in the middle. The power surge was barely perceptible before the fire lit. He smiled at her. "I'm sorry. The fire is the best I can do. I can't risk using my magic to dry our clothes or make a proper shelter."

  Ella grabbed her pack, flipping back the flap. "My clothes are wet. But my sleeping bag has a waterproof sack. We can hang our clothes by the fire to dry while we sleep. The cave is shelter itself."

  Thorn winked at her. "I'm lucky to have such a resourceful and intelligent mate."

  Ella prepared the double-sized sleeping bag. "We did a lot of camping when I was younger. Before my father died." She cleared her throat. "Can you turn around while I get undressed and into bed?"

  Thorn smiled, but did as he was asked.

  Ella laid her clothes on the rocks surrounding the fire, then slid into the sleeping bag. "I'm in."

  Thorn turned. He kept his eyes locked with Ella as he stripped the wet clothing from his body. Water dripped from his hair as he placed his clothes next to hers.

  He'd had fantasies about his mate. In that sleeping bag with her wet hair and her creamy skin, it was all he could do not to pull the offensive material away from her body so he could drink his fill. She clutched the down-filled blanket over her breasts, denying him the ultimate pleasure. "May I join you?"

  She held the unzipped side of the sleeping bag open. "Just to keep warm."

  A pious man would remind her a Dragon was never cold. He accepted her invitation without a word, sliding in beside her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing his chest against her breasts until his body came alive.

  CHAPTER 13

  Ella moved away from Thorn, but scooted closer as soon as he was inside the sleeping bag. Her heart stuttered with the reality of what she had done. She wasn't the type of girl to jump into a relationship, hell she'd never had one. Yet, she seemed helpless to stop herself, eager to invite Thorn to her bed.

  His arms enveloped her, pressing her breasts against his muscled chest, imprinting him on her soul for all time. He radiated heat, insulating them both within a cocoon of warmth. She shivered when he ran his hand along her hair. Reverently. Worshiping each strand as it slipped between his fingers.

  Her skin burned. Needing him. His taste. His scent. It all blended together into an addictive aphrodisiac. Their eyes met as a flood of liquid rushed between her legs. The flames in Thorn's pupils leapt, burned and raged. His sculpted lips parted before pressing them against hers. Velvet soft as his taste burst on her tongue.

  While her body melted against his, eager for the pleasures he offered, her mind rebelled. She pulled back, trapping down the vicious memory.

  Thorn stiffened in arms. What is it, baby? He sent the message directly to her mind. Caressing her gently.

  Her eyes widened. "It feels intimate to speak that way. I only did it in the caves, so Riaz wouldn't suspect."

  "Mates share a special bond. A unique telepathic pathway. It's one I would like you to become familiar with, but I also want you comfortable."

  "I don't mind speaking telepathically. It's like having your own special language. I imagine that's why you and Ren are so close. It isn't the way we speak that scares me."

  Thorn's gaze dropped to her lips. It was all she could do to stop from kissing him again. "You don't fear me or my mind in yours. You fear an intimate relationship. May I ask what I have done to instill this insecurity?"

  Her eyes widened. "No, Thorn. It isn’t you. I have always been afraid of a sexual relationship. I've had a couple of boyfriends, but as soon as our relationship progressed and they expected more, I broke it off."

  "What established this fear?" Thorn asked.

  If she was honest with herself, it had started before she met Lorenzo. "I was always different, but I thought it was the artist in me. A blank canvas was a landscape waiting to be revealed. A chunk of clay, a pot, or a sculpture needing my hands to unravel its beauty."

  "Your art is incredible. Rare. It's also a reflection of your gift."

  She pursed her lips. "I didn't see it that way initially. My mind continually wandered. Focusing on my next picture or sculpture. My social development was slow and clumsy. I didn't play with other children. Not even at the girls' camp. I'd have given anything for a Ren."

  Thorn smiled. "I was very fortunate. Until recently, we didn't speak verbally."

  "What changed?"

  Thorn's hand rubbed his chest. Something he did when thinking about Ren. He appeared to connect to the wolf within him. The soul he owed his life to. "Ren didn't understand human speech at first. They trapped me within his body, so we communicated with images. It took years for us to work together. My brethren, don't realize my magic resurfaced because Ren's soul is failing. I've pushed his body beyond its mortal limit and can no longer sustain it."

  Ella put her hand to his face. "We will save him. We have to."

  Thorn covered her hand with his. "I hope so. He kept me alive, communicated my wishes to the best of his ability for two-thousand years, but our bond is beyond that of a brother. Though if you ask him, I'm an adopted cub."

  Ella laughed. "Really?"

  "Ren was the leader of the wolf pack for years. I was young by our standards. Though I'm a few years older than him, he was more experienced and further in his life cycle. If there's a way to keep him with me, I will take it."

  "We will give Ren the life he deserves. Whatever that is, it will be his choice."

  Thorn's eyes narrowed on her. "Why are you so distrustful of men? Though we were talking about Ren, when you used the word choice, there was fear in your voice. You're concerned I would go against his wishes. Is this a result of Roker's attack on you?"

  She should have been honest with him up front. Those few months had been hard. Roker's attack had taken her back to a dark place. "No. It happened years before that."

  "Are you ready to tell me?" Thorn asked.

  "His name was Lorenzo," she whispered.

  Thorn ran a finger over her cheek. "He was your boyfriend?"

  "I was seventeen. He was twenty. His sister was in one of my classes. We met when he was picking her up from school."

  "You started dating?" Thorn asked.

  "Yes. He was kind, funny, and good-looking. I was the envy of several girls at the school." She shook her head. "I should have known better when his sister started avoiding me."

  Thorn frowned. "His sister didn't like you?"

  "She was afraid. I assumed she was worried I would hurt her brother. It was the other way around. Sally knew who her brother really was," Ella said.

  "What happened?"

  Ella relaxed against Thorn. She recalled the scariest moment of her life. The memories no longer held the power they once did. Lorenzo's cruelty was nothing compared to the power of her dragon. "He was amazing at first. Took me to fancy restaurants. Showered me with gifts. Drove me to and from work. My mother thought he was an angel. So did I."

  "But something changed?"

  Ella nodded. "After a few months, he wanted to take our relationship to the next level. I was attracted to him. I even thought I loved him, but I wasn't ready for that."

  "He didn't accept no for an answer?" Thorn asked.

  "At first, he said he could wait. That I was more important to him than sex, but as the months progressed, he became more insistent."

  "He attacked you?"

  Ella took a deep breath. "His sister came to school with a black eye. She tried to tell everyone it was an accident. She had fallen and hit her face on the coffee table. If she'd come up with something more inventive, we might have believed her," Ella said.

  "Lorenzo hit her?"

  Ella pinched her eyes together. "He was taking his frustration out on Sally. When I confronted him, he admitted to hitting her, but it was my fault because he was so pent up. He called me a cock tease and several other things before I broke up with him."

  "He let you leave?"

  Ella swallowed hard. "He did, but he knew my mother worked Friday nights. I woke up that night with him laying in my bed naked."

  "He forced himself on you?" Thorn growled.

  "He tried. I screamed and bit him. He punched me until I couldn't fight back. I assumed I couldn't stop him, but he was launched across the room and smashed into the mirror. I passed out. When I woke up, my mother was attending me and Lorenzo was in jail."

  Thorn kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm guessing that either your power flared to protect you, or Adara did. Either way, I'm thankful things didn't go any further. There's no need for us to rush that aspect of our relationship."

  Ella met his gaze. "I thought we needed to, mate."

  "Ella, you are my mate. You're referring to the bonding process, but that is not about sex. It is about acceptance. In fact, your twenty-third birthday is still a day away. A Dragon is forbidden to take his mate prior to her full awakening."

  Her eyes widened. "Even if I said I wanted to have sex, you wouldn't?"

  Thorn's eyes flickered with dark fire. "I would ensure your pleasure, but I must wait. The Druids are gift no Dragon will forsake. We have eternity. I can wait one more day."

  "My birthday is two days away." Ella said.

  "It's past midnight. Your birthday is less than 24 hours away," Thorn said.

  "It's hard to tell time in the caves. My watch wasn't waterproof."

  He pulled her against his body. "You don't need a watch when you have a Dragon."

  Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. "You should put that slogan on a T-shirt."

  He nipped her neck. "So disrespectful." He kissed the sting away as his lips moved over her skin.

  Thorn's smile was wicked. Sensual. His lips and the firestorm he created as dark and mysterious as he was. She considered stopping him, but his soul reached for hers. Thick tendrils of power circled around her, waiting for her acceptance. Her love. He shared the images from his mind. His need to touch her body, to thrust into her and sate a primal instinct as old as time. Yet each touch was gentle, meant to bring her pleasure. To convey his commitment. His hope for a future. Her body responded with a rush of warm liquid between her legs. Thorn's hand slid up her thigh, causing her to whimper. Her breath hitched with the slow glide of his fingers over her sensitive flesh.

  She arched toward him, pressing her breasts against his taut, muscled chest. He worked his way to her erect nipple, suckling the tight bud, then scraping lightly with his teeth. When her breath hitched, poised on the brink of orgasm, he moved lower. His tongue flicked around her belly button, sending jolts of fire straight to her core. Her fingers clenched the sleeping bag like an anchor in a tornado. Praying. Pleading as Thorn slid down her body. Every sensual inch sending jolts of electricity bursting beneath her skin.

  She should be embarrassed. There were reasons not to let him continue his seductive inspection of her body. When his breath whispered against her thighs, her sanity evaporated like the wind. She moaned when he took a cursory lick of her slick flesh. He was slow at first, allowing her to get used to his long tongue as it dipped into her sensitive channel. She screamed when his control snapped. His face buried against her pussy, growling and licking her like she was his last meal. A primal instinct to devour his prey.

  He was relentless. She lost count of how many times she came. His face was still buried between her legs when her mind shut down and exhaustion snatched her from the endless stream of orgasms. Before her consciousness receded, she heard the low growl. "You're mine, Ella."

  Her power surged, wrapping around the eternal creature that held her. She fought sleep, trying to control the web of magic that wrapped around Thorn, tying her to him for all time.

  CHAPTER 14

  Ella floated on a sea of contentment. Thorn had woken her to dress her, as Cole and Draco were making their way to them, but they lay on top of the sleeping bag in each other's arms as her magic continue to caress Thorn's body.

  It roamed over him like the breeze bending a blade of grass. Playful. Sensual. His body tensed. His cock was thick and hard, pressing against his pants, yet he did nothing to ease his arousal or hide it. He kept his magic contained. To protect Ren, and to allow Ella unfettered access to his body. His power.

  She was so focused on him that she never detected the darkness surrounding them. The cavern went from flickers of light to dark shadows suffocating them in pain.

  Thorn roared, pulling her to his side as fire cut through the darkness, revealing the black Dragon who wielded the flames. "Riaz."

  The Dragon turned, racing through the tunnel with nimble agility, an animal his size shouldn't possess. Thorn moved away from her, then shifted to pursue the aggressive predator, threatening his mate.

  Ella ran after him, protecting herself from falling rock as the dragons annihilated the mound of rocks that had blocked the tunnel. Sunlight filtered through the entryway as the dragons took to the air outside.

  Wings flapped, sending gusts of air pounding the foliage below. Snarls echoed through the valley as serrated teeth flashed and spiked tails swung, attempting to spear their prey.

  Ella was so engrossed in the aerial fight; she didn't notice the predator stalking her. The purple light flashed before the sound of locusts echoed in the tunnel. She barely got her protection spell in place before the mage approached her.

  "You are quick for a newling," Allorin said.

  His voice had a tinny quality that scratched against Ella's skin. His black hair remained plastered to his head as he moved toward her. "You're not really here." She said through clenched teeth.

  He sneered. "No. We will meet in the flesh soon enough. Enter the portal and come to me." His tone held a compulsion, but it glanced against her shield, dissipating in the air.

  "No. I won't leave Thorn. But be patient, because we are coming for you." Pain seared her skin as fire licked over her bubble of protection.

  Allorin hissed. "You shouldn't possess such power. You are yet to reach your twenty-third birthday."

  Ella hated he knew anything about her, but was thankful her power had begun to emerge when she was seventeen. Thorn was wrong. While most Druids waited for their twenty-third birthday to emerge, she had access to both his and her power. "It must suck to be wrong." She let her power lash out like a whip, slicing into the portal.

  Allorin screamed before a swarm of bees rose from the Amazon. They buzzed, fighting the compulsion before moving in a circle and striking at Ella's protection. With a thousand creatures attacking it once, the bubble faltered.

  Three bees breached the protection spell, stinging her arms, before she screamed. "Thorn!"

  Thorn called out to his brothers. Cole. Draco. Protect my mate. Even if I fall.

  Draco's voice thundered in her head. Stay strong. We are almost there.

  Two more bees penetrated the bubble, stinging her and dying at her feet. While she wasn't allergic, the poison in her blood made her lethargic. She struggled to maintain her protection, as the mage smiled.

  Roars echoed in the air as the Silver Dragon joined the fight with the black and green. The ground shook when the large blue Dragon landed at the cave mouth. His lips curled as he focused on the portal.

  The bees dissipated, flying in multiple directions before Draco strengthened her shield, and unleashed a firestorm on the mage.

  Allorin screamed before the portal dissolved.

  Draco focused on her red skin. It tingled, then healed before he took to the air. His blue wings, sent a burst of air through the tunnel as Ella's shield dropped. Her heart stuttered as the black Dragon bit into Thorn. Blood dripped from the green dragon's wings as he tumbled to the ground. Riaz howled his victory before racing away with the silver and blue chasing him.

 

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