75

That was when I felt it. The strong, sure pulse beckoning my animal closer. Asking her to join hearts and minds and souls.

Nyfain’s dragon was intent on protecting us. On dominating and claiming us. He called to my animal, and she was struggling against me to answer.

“She can’t shift, you colossal prick,” Nyfain said, picking me up and hugging me close. He bent and retrieved the sword as well. After a beat, he said, “No, I will not fucking shift with you in this state. You’ll kill her. She can’t shift with this curse! Stop calling to her animal!”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek to his stubble, looking over his shoulder as he jogged. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth against the pain. I didn’t know where he was going, but it didn’t matter. I trusted him.

Nyfain turned his head just a little, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

My animal purred in delight even as butterflies swarmed my stomach.

“Don’t give in, Finley,” he said softly, holding me tightly. “Don’t give in to your animal. The first shift needs to be done in the best conditions, when the shifter is at peak power and in the presence of a guiding influence. This is the worst possible time for it. Talk to your creature. Pull her off my dragon’s scent.”

I squeezed my arms tighter around him. My heart beat strongly, and somehow it seemed like it was echoing through him before coming back to me. Like I used it, lent it to him, then got it back. One heart keeping us both going.

I slid my hand across his bare shoulder and up the side of his neck, to his strong jaw with prickly stubble. He stopped in his walk, suddenly silenced.

I turned my face just a little. Desire lazily crawled across my flesh and then soaked down through tissue to bone. It merged with the fire raging in my blood and calmed it, slow and syrupy, languid and delicious. All I knew was his touch. His heat. The feeling of that heart, bouncing back and forth.

“Nyfain,” I whispered, needing something but not quite sure what. My animal goaded me. I was so tired of resisting her, of resisting him. “Nyfain…”

“No, Finley,” he murmured, pained. His arms tight around me. His lips brushing the corner of mine. “Don’t give in.”

“Will you stop me?” I forced his face a little closer to me. We were on the trail, yes, but we had darkness for cover. People’s fear of the beast for protection.

“I won’t be able to. Please, Finley, resist. You deserve better than me. You deserve the world at your feet, and I don’t have anything to offer you. I’m an uncrowned king of ruin. I am a prince of destruction. I am your worst nightmare. Please, resist and wait for someone better.”

A sudden swell of power stole my breath. It rose within me, caught by my animal and held. More came, then more still—so much power, as though the two beasts were working together to create a storm. A rush of energy felt like it ate through my flesh. A command pulsed within me, all around.

Shift.

My animal wrestled me for control, eager to follow the command. Eager to get to his dragon.

No! You heard Nyfain. We can’t! I don’t know how!

We belong with them. You feel it. We all feel it. If you won’t bond him as you ought, then I will push you aside, find my form, and do it for us. I am tired of the games of the two legs. It’s time to bond. Stop being a set of saggy balls and help me!

Fire crackled across his skin—actual fire!—and seared across mine. The flame bit down, spreading tiny points of agony all over, Nyfain’s dragon clearly helping push the issue.

My vision blackened further. My head grew light. With the dragon’s help, my animal was winning. She was internally clawing me out of the way.

“You’ll kill her!” Nyfain yelled. “You must stop!”

My bones twisted, dragging a strangled cry from my lips. My skin grew tight, itchy, like I needed to shed it. My animal pushed forward, growing in power, in might. She was preparing to shift, regardless of the danger to us.

Our beasts would not be sated unless they had this. Unless they had each other. They were forcing our hand. My beast was trying to break out of her cage to get to his dragon, who was helping her along.

If I was going to lose control, I’d rather do it sexually than face a shift I wasn’t ready for.

I captured his lips in a rush and then roped my arm around his neck, squeezing tight. He groaned, and the dam burst.

He moved me easily, holding my weight with one arm while he used the other hand to cup the side of my face. He opened my mouth with his and then thrust his tongue in, sweeping it through. I wrestled my tongue with his, sucking a little, being sucked, the kiss taking me to a place that I’d never been before. I’d been kissed many times. Kissed well a few times, especially by him. But I’d never been kissed like this. It had never felt so deep. So consuming. Like my whole world was wrapped up into this one moment.

Electric currents sizzled across my heated flesh. Our joined heart sped up, pumping power into me, and then him, back and forth. Euphoria followed. My animal purred in delight. I felt the dragon’s growl of dominance.

I ripped my head back and grabbed his chin roughly, looking into those glowing, smoldering golden eyes.

“Fuck me,” I said, and fire blistered through me, turning it into a command.

A smirk pulled at his lips, and I could feel a shift in the energy around us. His dragon rose to the surface; I could feel it. His power surged and sparked, coiled and dangerous. My animal pushed forward as well, ready to meet it. I’d apparently issued a challenge, and his dragon would take it to the extreme.

Unexpected nervousness stole through me. A tremor of fear lodged in my middle. Suddenly it felt like my first time, a monumental occasion. My body trembled within the sheer force of his overwhelming masculine intensity. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. I was tired of resisting them, yes, and I wanted Nyfain more than I could express. But this was more than just sex…

It was a game of the gods, and I wasn’t sure I had the power to play.

“You can do better than that.” His voice was rougher than usual. Excited.

Dominating.

The dragon has come out to play, my animal thought, full of excited anticipation. Let me handle this.

Tingles worked over my flesh. Internally, I stepped aside and let my animal take the lead. This wasn’t my moment. Nyfain’s either. Something told me we’d have our own moment of truth, and our beasts’ dalliance would fuel the fire.

Nyfain wouldn’t be happy this had come to pass. Given his penchant for rotten moods, he’d likely take it out on me, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. Right now, two beasts were preparing to fight, and Nyfain’s and my bodies were their battlefield. The first to an orgasm would win.

My animal intended to own that prize.