Marina couldn’t pin point what was it was about him as a man that irritated her so much. On second thought, she knew. His arrogance, the smug expression he got on his face when he thought he was right, and the superior tone of voice he used every damn moment was like nails on a chalkboard.
All that aside, the second he touched her or got to close her body literally went on red alert. If he looked at her for too long she could feel herself getting hot, and the intense urge to jump him even as he spouted more male chauvinist drivel was all she could endeavor to concentrate on.
Stupid man.
Beautiful dragon.
Koen’s dragon was majestic, and made her feel complete. Calm. Marina wondered if he could turn dragon on their journey back. Would it be rude to ask him to do so? He hadn’t reacted well the last time she’d asked.
Realizing she stood gawking at him, Marina pulled on her jeans and stared down at the holes in her tee shirt. It hung open shoulder to waist, exposing the swell of her boob.
Again, perfect.
Koen glanced over his shoulder at her, stood, and walked off.
Marina tugged her boots on. Stumbling, her hand landed on a rock. It was like the universe wanted her to curl her fingers around it.
She scooped it up and threw it at his back.
He stopped dead. Turned. “What is wrong with you? You are addled.”
“That’s it?” she asked quietly. “I don’t even get a thank you?”
“Do men usually thank you after such an interlude.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Interlude? You call what just happened an interlude?”
“What else should I call it?”
She closed her jaw and shook her head sadly. “Damn Koen. Just as I think I’m getting somewhere you open your mouth. I’m going to have to sit on you, and bitch slap you, repeatedly, just to make myself feel better.”
Koen turned again, and waved his hand, dismissing her. “Give over woman.”
She shrugged and picked up an even bigger rock. It seemed each toss got his attention and from her earlier bout with Nikolai, these dragon lords had hard heads that needed a good thump to focus their mind.
This time she threw it at his head, and winced when she heard the soft conk of the connection.
He miss-stepped, and ducked instinctively. A hand flew up to guard against more rocks and rubbed the back of his head. It came way bloody.
“Marina,” he growled threateningly as he turned.
He jerked when she was stood right behind him, fisted hands on hips. The tears and desolate expression was gone. Left in their place was a petite, livid young woman, her eyes sparking, and promising retribution.
“What?” she asked aggressively and shoved him with both hands.
Marina seriously wanted to fight him. Crazy, because he was big as a bloody house, and strong, and half dragon, but god, he made her so mad. She couldn’t believe a few short minutes ago she had been thrilled to have his hands on her, to have him inside her. It had felt like the world would explode if he wasn’t connected to her in the most elemental of ways. Now, she wanted to beat the crap out of him for being so insensitive and ruining their first time, just like he ruined their first kiss.
Koen grabbed her wrists. “Stop, before you get hurt.”
“You think way too much of yourself. Nothing you could do or say could hurt me Koen. You don’t mean anything to me.”
“My dragon thinks differently.”
That made her pause. “Your dragon is wonderful. You are an asshole.”
“We’re one in the same.”
She tugged for him to release her, but he held firm. “Not in my mind. You drive me crazy. I hate you, and if I could have the dragon and never see you again I’d take the offer in a heartbeat.”
“You don’t hate me.”
“Yes I do!” she shrieked. “I do. You can’t order, or command people to think and do as you say all the time.” She stamped her foot. “I do.”
Koen leaned down until her lips were a hairsbreadth from his. His eyes were glacial, but Marina saw the banked lust there, a flare of passion as their bodies drew closer. His gaze flicked from her mouth to her eyes. She barely dared to breathe as long seconds ticked by of his focus choosing to settle on her lips.
The lines of his face hardened, and his voice was hostile when he said, “Good. I won’t have to feel guilty when I leave.”
For all her raging, Marina’s face paled, and her body went cold. She ducked her head to hide, devastated and embarrassed. Twisting out of his hold, she wrapped her arms around herself. How he could be so unaffected after what they shared shook her.
Koen back off. Perversely, he moved forward, forcing her to give ground to him physically and emotionally. “It is curious. If you hate me so deeply, Marina, then why are you so upset? If you hate me as a man, why bother speaking to me at all? Why provoke me on when you know I will react?” Marina gritted her teeth, not having an answer. Still she gave ground to him, shaken to her core, and unable to regroup when he kept advancing, surrounding her with his presence. Quick like lightning, he slid his arms around her waist and hauled her against him. “Why do you tremble when I touch you?”
And she did, tremble. She licked her lips, anticipation causing tremors to shimmy up and down the back of her legs.
Her hands were on his chest to push him away.
No.
She was pulling him closer.
Koen smirked in triumph as his head lowered. “You don’t hate me,” he murmured. “No more than I hate you.”
He nibbled her bottom lip as she tried to think of a retort. She couldn’t focus, because his hand was sliding across the small of her back, and kneading the top of her ass. She made a choking sound and felt her knees weaken. Koen hummed appreciably, and this time ripped her top clean in two. Marina gave up, and wound her arms around his neck, crushing herself to him, rubbing against him, and thrusting her tongue in his mouth as he lowered them to the ground.
“You are mine, Marina. My treasure.”
Her heart skipped. “Don’t hold back,” she mumbled. “Don’t keep yourself from me.”
Koen paused, pulled back to probe her with his gaze. It was like someone had bedazzled his eyes. It was fucking ridiculous. Marina was stuck dumb by how beautiful they were.
“You care?” he asked.
Feeling exposed, raw, but not willing to back down, never that, she nodded. “I care.”
“Good.”
His lips covered hers, and the rest of his body followed.
Theirs was fierce mating. There was no mercy from the pain of their pleasure, and no respite for the mindless slaking of lust. Koen took from her like a savage then gave like a slave. Marina was in his thrall, utterly willing to be ravished, then wholly able to turn the tide to trap him under her and demand his submission. She knew it was unique, to link so hard and fast even the stars lost their shine because the place you made together was blinding.
The aftermath wasn’t awkward or loaded with regret this time. Intimacy had sprung up between them, and Marina thought her heart would burst when Koen sat her on his lap to cuddle her.
He stroked her tenderly, and peppered kisses across her face.
There was an unspoken truce between them, a comfortable silence. If neither of them spoke, neither could say anything that would start a new argument. It was then, holding his hand, feeling his thumb swept back and forth over her skin, Marina knew that wherever he went she would follow.
She waited for the feeling of mortification to creep in at such a need, but felt nothing close to it.
They locked eyes and could see each other’s terror. How she felt before was nothing compared to now, but seeing he experienced the same fears freed Marina. And when she calmed, he calmed.
Together they were this wild/beautiful thing nobody had to understand – just respect.
So when Koen was pulling his leather pants over his rock hard ass, and Marina was fixated at the flex of muscle on his stom
ach, wondering how something could look that good, the double-edged sword pressed to the back of her neck didn’t go down well with either of them.
Koen tensed, and light rippled over his skin.
Skillfully, the sword flipped, in a falcate slash of gleaming silver, and this time pointed over Marina’s heart. A heavy hand landed on her shoulder to keep her from bolting.
“Remain human,” commanded a deep voice. “I can spear her heart quicker than you can shift to save her, and I would have already become dragon.”
“When I heard you approach I had decided to kill you quickly,” Koen said evenly. “Because you are doing your duty for the honor of your House.” He finished lacing up his trousers, and turned to face the warrior holding Marina captive. “But now, I fear you will die painfully, in agony, begging the goddess to release you from your torture because you touched my treasure!” he finished in an enraged bellow.
Marina felt a righteous pride at the sound of Koen’s fury, and felt the warrior stiffen. Good. She hoped he pissed himself. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body. He smelt like lemongrass, foreign, and his presence was chilling.
“My orders are simple. Use whatever means to bring you back.”
“I am your king, and if you harm her I will destroy you, and you would have taken an innocent life for nothing.”
The warrior that held her hostage considered these words. “My king, I was …” The warrior’s voice deflated. “I was dead the moment I was assigned this honor. I ask forgiveness.”
Koen nodded firmly. “Granted. Now remove your hands from what belongs to me.”
The blade disappeared, and Marina immediately spun to ward off an attack. She carefully backed up.
Amused eyes twinkled at her from the dark. “It was an honor to meet you. Our king has been searching for a long time.” There was the flash of the sword reflecting the moonlight, and the ripping of steel tearing flesh.
Marina’s back bumped into Koen’s front, and his arms came around her protectively.
The twinkling eyes went dark. There was a gentle sigh of breath, and the heavy thump as a body hit the dirt.
Her mouth fell open. She trembled, and clutched Koen’s arms to her. “Did he just … kill himself?”
“There was no other way for him.” Koen nuzzled her neck, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Come.”
Sometime later, astounded at what had happened, Marina walked back into the cave wearing Koen’s tunic to preserve her modesty.
Nikolai took in their disheveled appearance and balked.
Daniil was stunned for all of a few moments before his nostrils flared, and he grinned.
“Not a word,” she growled, and marched to slouch down by the fire.
Koen leveled a thunderous look at his brothers with a cutting look then sat behind Marina and pulled her snug to his chest.
“That’s that then,” Daniil said enigmatically.
Nikolai gave her a hurt look and scooted closer. Marina reached to pat his shoulder, and smiled emptily at him, her mind still elsewhere. When Koen grumbled, she elbowed him in the gut.
“Now you two have spoken,” Daniil started. “We can discuss our next moves.”
“Nothing has changed,” Koen said evenly. “What we discussed stands.”
There was silence. The fire crackled and popped. Tension between the two men grew until it was a palpable thing in the air.
Marina was aware the only reason they hadn’t leapt at each other’s throats was because she was between them. Remembering the last time they clashed as dragons, she decided to remove herself from the direct line of fire.
“Well, you all talk about what secret things you have to discuss. I have to clean up, and call my friend. I may be taking a trip soon, and she’ll need to know.” She slanted a look over her shoulder. “It’s safe?”
Koen kissed her nose. “Yes.”
Marina peeked up at Koen from under her lashes, blushed, then hurried away. She paused only to ruffle through her duffel to find soap, a towel, and her mobile.
Chapter 8
The moment Marina was out of sight Daniil tuned furious eyes to Koen.
Nikolai grinned like the village idiot. “Well, that must have been an interesting conversation. I’ll never forget the day you stole my woman.”
He grunted and stared into the to avoid Daniil’s glare. “She was never your woman.”
Daniil sat opposite, arms crossed, waiting. His warrior braids had been removed and his hair was free. He was too good looking for his own damn good, and since Marina was around, it bothered him.
“Why have you taken out your braids?” Koen asked.
“I was going to ask Marina to plait them for me.” He grinned. “The brat says she has a soft touch … does she not?”
He remembered her small hands roaming over his back, and repressed a shudder of lust. The woman would kill him. “She is not like the women from home. They do not have to care for their men here.”
He snorted. “She’s not of this world.”
“She knows that, but she still claims it as hers.”
“But nothing else,” Daniil said angrily, his good humor and easy manner evaporating under the serious topic. “Am I right? Because you still haven’t told her, and you’ve gone as far as to–”
“She loves my dragon,” Koen interjected.
Nikolai nodded. “We know. Her reaction earlier told us as such. She moved to protect you, what more proof do we need? She seems to dislike your human form.”
Daniil chuckled. “She stares at you and curses you for it.” He and Nikolai bumped fists as they shared the joke. “It’s amusing to see you blustering over a female.”
Koen sighed and propped his chin in his upturned palm. “The woman is mad. She threw rocks at my head.”
“I am guessing this happened after you ripped her clothes off?” Daniil asked dryly.
Koen smiled as he remembered the fabric ripping to expose more of her glorious flesh. “Long after,” he drawled. “Oh, a Drackai warrior found me.”
“Trouble?”
“No. He took care of himself.”
Nikolai laughed, but once again, Daniil had grown solemn. Proper to a fault, he would not be distracted. “Exactly what are you doing here, Koen?”
“Nothing.”
“Lying with a descendant of a phoenix is not ‘nothing’ nor is smart. Yes, I’ve guessed who she is. There was only one possibility and most often the simplest answer is the right one. Have you explained the full cost of what she has done?” Daniil continued when Koen said nothing. “She can never enter Aver for another mate now you have taken her. It has to be you.”
Nikolai stopped laughing. “Oh,” he said. The full force of Marina’s new situation hit him. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.” He frowned at Koen. “You shouldn’t have done that.” Nikolai’s face became joyful. “Of course, she is to be my sister.”
“No,” Koen said flatly. “She is not coming with us. She stays here.”
Nikolai’s face fell. “But … you can’t do that. It’s wrong. Even I would never take a Chosen and discard her so callously. The Chosen are butterflies to be cherished and protected until they are called to protect their dragons.”
“Exactly,” Daniil agreed. He leaned forward, beseeching. “Koen, enough of this. Tell her.”
Koen dragged a hand through his hair. “You’re not thinking clearly.”
“We’re not thinking clearly?” Nikolai said in an austere voice Koen seldom heard from him. “You are the one fooling around with a high princess, not us.”
“My whole life I have waited to be won, and never have I wanted to be a part of it. If the dragon Council find out there is Chosen that I want she wouldn’t be safe. They would come for her in a bid to secure to me the Empire. She would end up in Aver, and it is not right.”
“Have you considered this is meant to be?” Daniil reasoned. “The kingdoms have been divided for far too long. You hav
e been free for too long. With her by your side, Fire and Ice will be united again, and there will be the peace we all wish for. It’s why Aver exists. You must be claimed by your human mate soon, or you will die, and there will be years of strife and war until the next is phoenix matures. That takes decades and even then the phoenix will have to go through the hunt like you.”
Koen shrugged. “Then I will die young and there will be war. There is always war. I would rather let the Kingdom squabble as they always have done than risk her life.”
Daniil’s brow furrowed. “Be reasonable. You’re toying with the lives of our countrymen and loved ones.”
“And what of my life? Hers? Even if she somehow survived Aver and was made my bride, she would have to wage a constant battle to subdue Fire and Ice, and I do not want that for her.”
“I don’t see how you can run from this. It is already done. All that is left is the formalities. We can see her through them.”
Koen glared with accusing eyes before Daniil’s meaning sunk in. “You cannot change my mind. Stop trying, and don’t dare interfere.”
“You leave me no choice but to interfere. Marina’s existence proves you are meant to have a mate. Of all the places she could have been, of all the people to find you, why her? Blood ash, Koen! You found each other across dimensions. Don’t be a fool. She is the answer you have been searching for. If you swallowed your pride and set aside your grief and fears you would see it as she does.”
“How would you know what she sees?” Koen had to swallow a bellow as he studied their suddenly blank expressions. “What have you been doing? What have you told her?”
“Marina has questions. You can see it in her eyes. They spark when she is interested in something.”
“She’s smart,” Nikolai added.
“That doesn’t mean you have to answer them,” Koen pointed out.
“Agreed,” Daniil replied. “But considering the circumstances it wouldn’t hurt to guide her in the right direction.”
His eyes darted to Nikolai.