Drake (Fated Dragon Daddies Book 1), page 13
“Spread your legs, Little one.”
Drake saw her move her thighs slightly apart and strengthened his order. “More, Aurora. You cannot hide anything from your Daddy.”
Her nod and compliance went straight to his heart. Damn, he loved this woman. “Good girl. That deserves a reward, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” she whispered, clinging to his muscular calf.
He placed a swat on her nether lips once again before soothing the sting with his fingers. Drake treasured her quick intake of breath when he changed tactics to take advantage of the delights she displayed. Exploring her body intimately was a delight. Drake knew she could feel his pleasure as well, magnifying hers. Trailing his fingers through her pussy, he paused to circle her clit.
He watched her melt over his lap. A tap on the small bundle of nerves made her jolt and hold her breath. Constantly mixing up his caresses, Drake pushed her close to the edge of an orgasm before backing off each time her body tensed. He inhaled the scent of her arousal.
The third time he teased her and changed caresses, she shook with need. “Daddy, please.”
“Yes, Little one. You need to come, don’t you?”
“Please!”
Without warning, Drake stood, lifting her as he rose. Placing her on the soft comforter, he stepped back and pulled his T-shirt over his head. “Make yourself come, Aurora.”
She blinked up at him. He knew she wondered if he meant what she thought he was telling her to do.
“Spread your legs, Little one, and touch your pussy. Show me what you like.”
Her eyes widened, but she slowly bent her knees. Letting them fall apart, she stroked down her inner thighs.
“Good girl.” He unfastened his pants and thrust them down his thighs. Loving how her eyes widened and centered on his cock as she seemed to lose her reserve, he watched her sliding her fingers through her pink folds. He closed his fingers around his hard shaft and pulled hard from the root to the end.
Her gaze started to roll upward before darting to his face in shock. “I can feel that.”
“Yes, Little one. That door is wide open now. Your pleasure is mine as well.”
He watched her as she stroked her inner labia and ran a fingertip around her drenched opening. “Do it,” he urged.
Aurora immediately sank two fingers into her pussy and gasped as he repeated his action, jerking himself off. She reached out one arm to him. “Please, Daddy.”
Drake rid himself of his clothing and shoes in a flash and crawled over her on the bed. Wrapping one arm around her, he lifted her from the mattress to pull her higher and higher up the bed. Each drag of her body across the comforter brushed against him as well. The hard tips of her breasts drew lines down his torso as he hovered over her.
When her head finally rested on the pillows, Drake lowered his head to kiss her deeply. His mouth explored hers as he reached between them to explore her intimately. Building the arousal higher between them, he caressed her and savored the feel of her hands on his body.
Ripping his mouth from hers, he shifted his hips against her wetness. The glide over her inner lips brought a groan from each of them. Unable to resist her allure, Drake fitted himself to her opening and pushed inside in one thrust. Her fingers wrapped around his shoulders tightly as if he was the one constant in a world of swirling sensations.
Overwhelmed by pleasure, Drake and Aurora moved together. His hands roamed over her glistening body as the air around them heated with their desire. Drake pushed their arousal higher and higher as the passion inside them erupted.
He held her tight against him as she trembled with the onslaught of feelings and delight. “It’s okay, Little one. I have you,” he reassured her.
“Too much,” she whispered and a second later went limp in his arms.
Chapter 20
Blinking her eyelids open, Aurora stared into his vivid blue eyes. The flash of orange around the edges told her his dragon was close. “What happened?”
“You passed out, Little one.”
“Really?” she squeaked. Flashbacks of the flood of sensations and delight rebounded into her mind. “Oh!”
“I thought you’d remember,” he teased.
“Drake…”
“Daddy,” he corrected her.
“Is there any way…”
“To separate our minds?” he asked, not having to eavesdrop on her thoughts to know what she wanted.
“Yes. I don’t think my brain or body can handle that all the time,” she admitted.
“Of course, Little one. Do you remember how to find the door between our minds?”
When she nodded, he recommended, “Take your time to find it. Then close the door or perhaps leave it just barely cracked open.”
“What good would that do?”
“My guess? It would allow us to communicate through our minds when desired and cut out the flood of sensations when they are overwhelming,” he told her.
“Are you okay with that?” she asked, watching his face as she eavesdropped on his emotions. His dragon was still worried about her but sated by their mating. Drake seemed more concerned about her than anything else, making her smile and add, “I will miss knowing how you feel.”
“You could just ask, Little one.”
She nodded. “Will you tell me the truth? Even if something is scary?”
“Yes,” Drake promised, gently brushing her hair from her face with his fingers.
Aurora closed her eyes and searched for the golden light that would lead her to that door. It seemed darker and scarier inside her mind now. The last time was fueled by the urgency to wake him, and she’d found the path more easily.
“Concentrate on my voice, Little one. Do not become distracted. I do not wish you to become lost,” Drake said sharply.
“Keep talking.”
With his guidance and help to keep her focused, Aurora reached the door. She tried to pull the door closed but couldn’t budge it. “It’s stuck!”
“There are so many thoughts and feelings coming through that it’s forcing the door open. Try to clear your mind. I will do the same,” Drake told her.
Wrapping her fingers around the door, Aurora pulled with all her might. She leaned away from it, using her body weight to shift the door. In her mind, she chanted, “Close! Close! Close!” She heard Drake echo her thoughts.
Slowly the door began to move. Aurora switched positions to lean on the door. The gap became smaller and smaller. Each small increment made the next one easier as the flow through the door decreased. As the door neared the wooden frame that encased it, she worried about where to stop.
Drake pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Keep going until the kiss feels like you want it to,” he suggested.
Enjoying the scattered kisses, Aurora celebrated the idea. When she could barely feel that he enjoyed kissing her and the lovely sensation of his lips against her skin dominated, she released her hold on the door. A scant fraction of an inch kept the door from being completely closed.
“Mmm! Nice,” Drake complimented, and she relinquished her inner focus.
“Did I do good?” she asked, looking up at his handsome face.
“There’s only one way to know, Little one. Kiss me.” He drew her lips to his.
The sweet exchange that followed made her heart skip a beat. Aurora clung to him, sharing all her emotions and love. When he raised his head, she whispered, “That’s perfect.”
“I love you, Little one.”
“I love you, too.”
Drake picked her up in his arms and walked to a large, overstuffed chair. Sitting down, he cradled her in his arms and held her close. Aurora laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Cherishing their time together, she reveled in the feel of the mate bond that linked them.
“Do we have any idea how long we’ll have together?” she whispered.
“It will not be long enough, mate. We should treasure every day together.”
“I can do that,” she promised.
“So can I, Little one.”
“I still have to work today,” Aurora told him.
“I probably have a few fires to put out,” Drake conceded.
“You think? After dragon outing yourself?” she asked.
“Dragon out,” he repeated, shaking his head. Aurora knew he kind of liked her phrase.
“Should I answer any questions from my team?” she asked.
“No. Just refer them to me.”
“No one is going to email you with a dragon question,” Aurora stated before laughing. “Oh, that’s perfect. That eliminates all the questions.”
“At least for those who are smart enough not to ask.”
“What are you going to do at the meeting with the town?” she asked.
“Whatever is needed.”
Rolling her eyes in aggravation the third time she had to restart her computer to connect to Drake, Inc., Aurora wondered what was going on. Surely no one had launched a cyber-attack against Drake after yesterday. Although, she didn’t put it past terrified people to take drastic actions.
Around noon, her screen went black. As she struggled to reconnect once again, Aurora noticed that even Google wasn’t working. Quickly, she cycled through several social media sites. Nothing was functional.
Glancing at the sweet picture of the two of them looking so happy, Aurora felt less panicky. Drake would take care of her just as he took care of everything. Look how fast he’d gotten the photo printed and framed.
Pushing away from her computer, Aurora walked to Drake’s office. He paced the floor as he talked on the phone. She heard him order, “Take all the funds you can get your hands on and go buy gold. No, don’t order it over the phone or online. Physically take it over to the goldsmith and make the exchange. Do not answer any questions as to my motivation. Do it now. Laugh it off like I’m an idiot. Take security with you and come directly here afterward.”
When he disconnected, Aurora asked, “What’s going on?”
“Reports are coming in that a rogue code has begun to corrupt tech systems.”
“That can be fixed, right?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself as the tension reverberating from his body affected her.
Drake walked forward to hug her close. He paused to kiss her on the forehead before answering. “I haven’t ever seen anything like this, Little one. No one has.”
His phone rang and Drake pulled it from his pocket to glance at the screen. He answered immediately. “Twila? What’s wrong?”
“The vacuum cleaner stopped working. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with it,” she said. “I even checked the breakers.”
“We’ll get another,” Drake assured her.
The lights flickered and went out, leaving them in total darkness. A hum began and a faint light illuminated the room. “Twila, we’re on our way to you. Find the candles and oil lamps.”
“What’s happening?” Aurora asked, completely frightened now.
“The back-up generator just kicked on. The electricity is out.”
Drake led her into the castle section of their home. Twila met them in the foyer. She looked just as discombobulated as Aurora felt.
“The phones just went out,” she shared.
Drake looked at his device once again and then tossed it onto a nearby table. “Who is on the grounds today?”
“The maintenance team, the groundskeeper and three assistants, and myself.”
“Ring the bell.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What is happening, Drake?” Aurora demanded.
“I don’t know, Little one.”
He wrapped an arm around her to press his hand into her lower back. “Let’s go talk to my staff.”
As they walked out onto the driveway, Twila rang a large iron bell that stood next to the castle. People streamed forward to join them. A few took a bit longer, mumbling that their trucks wouldn’t start and they’d had to walk.
Drake stood silent, not answering their questions until Twila nodded that everyone was there.
“Thank you for heeding the call of the bell. I included the instruction to come when it rings since it was first hung. This is the second time I’ve had to use it.”
Aurora watched everyone glance at the weathered, time-worn bell. Immediately, she could feel the atmosphere change from wonder to serious concern. She shivered against Drake and felt his body warm slightly against her.
“I do not have all the answers. This may be as serious as I believe it is or not. Here is what I know. This afternoon, the computer, cellphone, and electrical grid stopped working. This isn’t only affecting the castle. Look below at Wyvern.”
Everyone turned to look at the city barely visible below them. Cars were stopped on the roads leading into town and all the lights were out. Dots representing people streamed around here and there.
“I heard a report that someone had hacked into the internet, and it had stopped working all over the world. When the radio stopped, I thought it was a joke.”
“Go check on your families. In the coming days if this isn’t resolved, know that all the members of my staff are welcome here to continue being paid for their work.”
“How are we getting down to the city?” a young man asked.
“Walk,” an older man answered before meeting Drake’s gaze. “You may need protection.”
“I am capable of protecting myself, but I will need someone to guard my mate if I am elsewhere,” Drake answered.
“I would be honored, sir. My son will take care of my family. I will remain here.”
“Thank you, John,” Drake told him with a grateful nod.
A roar sounded from the silver dragon’s mountain and was answered by another and another in succession until silence fell once again.
“Go, Drake. John will keep me safe.”
Drake looked at Twila and she nodded as if understanding the silent message from her employer. Turning Aurora to face him, Drake kissed her softly.
“Take care of yourself as well,” she whispered. “I’ll call for you if I need you.”
He nodded and jogged away. In a flash of gold, the massive dragon pushed off and, gliding into the air, bellowed at the others who circled in the sky.
Chapter 21
The gathering in the center of town was massive that afternoon. The descendants of the original families stood ready to answer questions at tables arranged on the raised platform in the middle. Each rested their gloved hands on the large tomes laying in front of them.
The dragons all stood in human form on the next level up around the ancient dragon statue. They observed the crowd carefully.
“Can you tell us what is happening? My daughter is away at college. I can’t get a hold of her,” a woman’s loud voice called.
“The stoplights have been going out for days now,” a man who Aurora recognized as the local postmaster shouted.
“My son rode his skateboard home on the highway,” a man shared. “He said he had to dodge around the looters. Money isn’t worth anything now. He couldn’t even buy a candy bar.”
“Dragons! You’ve revealed yourself as the protectors of Wyvern. What can you do for us?”
“Oh, now you want our help,” Keres muttered loudly.
Drake stepped forward, drawing everyone’s attention. “This morning, several of us ranged away from the city to gather information. What we discovered is all forms of technology have ceased to function. I know many have noticed small and big things in the last few days that could have been harbingers of the current problems. How far ranging this is, we can’t tell you. I went to Chicago and found riots.”
“The conditions were the same in Las Vegas,” the silver dragon stated.
Each dragon told the same story of a different city, ranging across the United States. Finally, only the black dragon hadn’t reported. When everyone’s gaze landed on him, he stepped forward to speak.
“I went to Orlando and did not come back wearing mouse ears,” Keres commented before easing back.
“We did not travel outside of the US, but suspect this is happening worldwide,” Drake told the crowd.
“All hell is going to break loose,” a voice called from the crowd.
“Yes. We anticipate that will happen if this continues. As people get more desperate, conditions outside our mountains will worsen.”
“What about life inside the mountains?” a male shouted.
“Your city leaders are preparing a plan. They are in control of what happens inside our territory.”
“What are the dragons doing?” an angry voice called.
“We are fulfilling our promise to the first families who settled here. We are keeping you safe. There are three roads leading in and out of the city. If things get dangerous, we will create blockades there to control the entrances to Wyvern.”
“And in return, I’ve heard you want us to give you our young women?” an angry voice called from the crowd. “What are you, a bunch of perverts?”
Aurora’s grandmother as well as the other representatives of the founding families visibly bristled. Pissed, Aurora walked up the stairs to stand at Drake’s side. He was not pleased to have her exposed to the possible wrath of the crowd, but she didn’t allow him to corral her behind him.
“I am the gold dragon’s mate. I am also the newest mate to be found. I would ask those dragons without mates to step forward.”
Seven of the nine stepped forward. She let that number sink in. Even she hadn’t known how many were without a fated mate.
“As you can see, these dragons have not grabbed women off the street willy-nilly. They are not preying on young women. They seek one person who is their mate. They might wait over a hundred years until she or he is born. And then, they will care for their mate throughout their lifespan without straying.”
“That’s better than my cheating jerk of a husband,” a woman yelled.
“Exactly. A love match like this is the greatest blessing,” Aurora shared with them.
Her grandmother added, “For the chance to meet their mates, they have kept their promise to protect the city through generations of Wyvern families. Some years they have been needed more than others. In quieter years, the ways they have protected us have gone unnoticed by many. Their efforts have never wavered.”
