Bercelak cleared his throat, then went on. “The first thing she asked me was whether I Claimed you already and when I said no, she seemed relieved. She knows it would be hard for any dragon to kill their mate. That’s why she kept coming up with excuses to keep me there so that the full moon would pass. From what I could tell among the court gossip, she thought the fall would kill you.” He looked over his shoulder at her and Rhiannon saw the love and pain in those beautiful black eyes. With a soft smile, he said, “She underestimated your will to survive, I think.”
He turned back to again look out the window. “She wants me to bring you to court in three days time. Broken and chained. I think then she’ll expect me to kill you.”
Rhiannon walked up to Bercelak. She ran her hands across his strong shoulders and down his back, enjoying the feel of his flesh and muscle. Leaning forward, she kissed him between his shoulder blades. Sighing, Rhiannon wrapped her arms around his waist and rested against him.
“I’ll go back tomorrow. One of your brothers can—”
Bercelak turned around so fast, she almost fell flat on her ass.
“You’ll do no such thing!” Grasping her upper arms, he pulled Rhiannon hard against him. “You’ll stay here with my family is what you’ll do! I’ll take care of your mother.”
“No! She’ll destroy your family just to get to me and I won’t allow that!”
Lifting her so that she had to go on tiptoes, Bercelak leaned in close. “Who said I was giving you an option, Princess?”
“Who said you had to, Low Born?” she snarled in return. “This is my problem to deal with. Not yours. And definitely not your family’s!”
“Unless we decide it’s our problem.”
Startled by the presence of a third, the pair pulled apart and looked at Ailean. He stood in the open doorway, leaning casually against the frame with his arms crossed over his massive chest.
“Neither of you will face that old bitch on your own.”
“This isn’t your problem, Father.”
Bercelak was using all his control to hold in the rage he felt. It had been growing day by day, especially as he played the oblivious fool for that bitch queen. All that kept him going was the thought of getting back to his Rhiannon and making sure she was safe.
Now, with his father staring at him and acting like all this was some meaningless diversion, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up before he snapped like so much dry wood.
“You’re my son,” he said calmly. “That makes this my problem.”
“Actually,” Rhiannon interrupted, “she’s neither of your problems. She’s mine. And I’ll deal with her.”
“Like hell you will!”
“Don’t bark at me!”
“You’ll do as I tell you!”
“Like hell I will!”
The lash of flame came out so quickly, they almost missed moving in time. But Bercelak pulled back, his arms around Rhiannon, and the flame slammed into the wall behind them.
“What the hell are you doing?” Bercelak yelled at his father, his control gone.
“Getting fed up with both of you!” Ailean yelled back, stunning Bercelak into silence. His father never yelled. Ever. He never had to. He found it much more annoying to mock people than to yell. Only one being ever forced him to yell . . . Bercelak’s mother.
“I hate to break this to the both of you, but this has very little to do with either of you. True,” he motioned to Rhiannon, “she wants you dead all right. But she could have done that at anytime. And the way her court fears her, no one would dare question it. And you,” now he motioned to Bercelak, “she doesn’t use to get to her daughter. She’s using you to get to me. And dumb ass that you are, you fell right into it. I’ve been telling you for years to watch your back with that bitch and you refused to listen. Now she’s found a way in. And she knows if she hurts you, if she destroys you, she destroys me. Because, as much as it pains me to admit it, you’re my son.”
Ailean took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. He let it out and that silver gaze focused back on Bercelak’s face. “She’s right. Whether you go to her or Rhiannon goes, whether you kill her or not, they’ll come here to destroy the rest of us. And I plan to lose none of my offspring to that slag bitch or any other. Have I made myself clear?”
Rhiannon opened her mouth to speak, but Bercelak covered it with his hand while his other hand held her in place. He nodded at his father. “Aye. You have.”
“Good. Now, you’ve got tonight. Fuck until you’re both raw, but when the two suns rise, we decide how we handle this. Together. As family. You’ve got some of the meanest, scariest, battle-ready minds at your disposal, boy. Use them.” He turned and headed to the door. “I’ll have food sent up. I’ll see you in the morning.”
The door slammed shut behind him.
Rhiannon pulled Bercelak’s hand off her mouth. “Well, that was . . . interesting.”
Bercelak’s eyes narrowed as he stared down at the top of Rhiannon’s head.
Rhiannon glared at Bercelak. “Why did you put this back on me?”
Bercelak fingered the collar around her throat and she punched his hand off. How dare he!
“I don’t want you to do anything stupid. I don’t want to wake up in the morning and find you gone. Off to martyr yourself to that bitch.”
She pulled at the chain, but it was as strong as the pillar Bercelak had wrapped it around. “This is ridiculous! Let me go!”
“You heard my father’s orders. We are to fuck.” He grabbed her around the waist and tossed her onto the bed. “It’s best we obey him. You saw how angry he was.”
“You son of a—”
“Ah, ah, ah. Watch what you say to me.” He grabbed her hips and flipped her over onto her stomach. She heard his sharp intake of breath, felt his fingers tighten on her body. “I’ve been thinking about this ass for days now.”
The flat of that palm slammed across her rear and she froze. Good gods! Some low-born dragon had just slapped her ass.
And she had enjoyed it!
As if to prove it, Bercelak’s big palm came down on her other cheek.
She kicked out, trying to strike the big bastard in the balls, but he pinned her legs down with his own.
“I can’t believe you tried to kick me. Your lord and master.”
“My . . . oh, you insane bastard!”
Another slap rang off her ass and she squealed. Like some weak human, she squealed!
“Be nice to me, Princess.”
“Get off me!”
“Interesting. I’m not actually hearing the right word. I wonder why?” His hand slid under her body, and his index finger slid inside of her. She bit her lip to keep from moaning, but Bercelak chuckled anyway.
“Why, Princess. You’re dripping wet!” Teeth nipped her backside. “I guess you like me slapping your ass then.”
“I do not!”
Another slap bounced off her cheeks and, unable to stop herself, Rhiannon moaned.
“Oh, yes, Rhiannon,” he whispered in her ear. “I love when you moan like that.”
“Let me go.”
“Not yet, Princess. I don’t think you’re nearly wet enough.” His hand returned to her pussy and Rhiannon squirmed as his fingers played with her clit.
Fingers circled and circled and circled. One more touch and she’d come all over his hand, and that’s when he pulled away.
“No!”
“Oh. You want me to stop?”
“No!” She took a deep breath. “I mean . . . don’t stop.”
“All right then.” He slapped her ass again.
“Ow! That wasn’t what I meant!”
“It isn’t up to you, Princess. Your pleasure, like your safety, is up to me. Once we make you queen, you’ll have bigger concerns. Like making sure the dragon kingdom is safe from enemies and controlling the elders. You’ll negotiate with the kings of other races and destroy those who would dare question your reign.” He leaned in close, his tongue flicking her ear while his finger went back to caressing her clit. “But when you come to our sleeping place, when you lie beside me at night . . . then you’ll belong to me. The worries of your day will be left outside because you will give yourself over to me and I will make you scream in pleasure until all of Devenallt Mountain thinks I must be killing you.