Chapter 20 After the Fire
Ysara POV
Before I could answer, his teeth sank into the tender juncture of my neck and shoulder.
The bite was fierce, precise, and fucking possessive. Pain flared brightly, then melted into liquid fire that raced straight to my core. At the exact same moment, magic erupted in a shockwave of light and power. Golden and violet threads of energy exploded outward, crackling across the stone walls, and rattling the entire cave. Stalactites trembled overhead; and the lanterns swayed wildly. The air itself seemed to sing, charged and alive, wrapping around us like a living thing.
I screamed his name as the orgasm tore through me. It was violent, and blinding, and my inner walls clamped down around him tightly. He roared against my throat, and his hips stuttered as he buried himself to the hilt and came, flooding me with heat, the magic amplifying every pulse until it felt like the world itself was shattering with us.
When the light finally dimmed, we were tangled together and breathing hard with his teeth still pressed to my skin in a steady claim. His arms were locked around me, and his wings were half-curled protectively over us both.
He lifted his head slowly, his eyes glowing faintly, and his voice soft against the fresh mark.
“You are mine now, Ysara,” he whispered. “Forever. Through every storm, every sky, and every life. I will guard you, love you, and burn worlds for you. Until the stars themselves fade.”
I reached up, and my trembling fingers traced the line of his jaw, as tears slipped down my temples.
“And you are my dragon, Tharion,” I answered, my voice thick. “All of you. Always.”
He kissed the bite gently. Then he tenderly kissed my lips, and held me close as the last echoes of magic faded into quiet, perfect stillness.
~
After what seemed like hours of bliss, I slid my clothes back on with shaking hands, every inch of my skin still humming like it had been struck by lightning and decided to keep the charge.
Gods. My legs felt weak. My heart felt too full. My soul felt… louder. That was fucking intense.
“Well,” I said breathlessly, tugging my shirt into place and glancing back at Tharion, who was watching me like I was a miracle he’d personally wrestled out of the sky, “we should probably head back before my lycans have a heart attack.”
He laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that made my spine tingle.
“As you wish, my queen.”
He rose and crossed the space between us, still gloriously, unapologetically naked, and before I could comment on that, he leaned down and dragged his tongue slowly from my collarbone to the shell of my ear. His breath was hot, and possessive.
“Mine,” he growled softly.
I giggled, my cheeks burning. “Yes, yes, I’m yours, you sexy dragon. Now put some damn clothes on and let’s he...”
The sky roared. Not thunder. A roar that split the air and rattled the stone beneath my feet. Tharion moved instantly. In one heartbeat he yanked his pants on, in the next he grabbed me, hauling me into his arms with brutal efficiency.
“We leave. Now,” he snapped, his voice edged with steel. “Your heat and our bond have called another.”
My stomach dropped.
“A… another dragon?” I squeaked.
“Yes.”
Cool. Great. Fantastic.
He didn’t wait for questions. We launched into the air, his wings snapping wide as we flew low through the trees, hugging the forest canopy. My face pressed into his chest as my brain spiraled wildly.
Okay. I might get eaten by a dragon. But, like… I did just have the best sex of my life. So. Fair trade? No. Not fair. I don’t want to be a dragon snack.
I sobbed, clutching him tighter.
“Do not fear, my queen,” Tharion said fiercely. “I will not let him take you.”
“But he can track us, right?” I choked.
“Yes.”
“Love that for us.”
The cabin burst into view, and the wards flared as we slammed through them. Tharion landed hard, skidding across the ground as he set me down.
Wyatt, Rafe, and Darken were there instantly. Relief flashed across their faces.
“Oh thank fuck,” Wyatt breathed.
I spun, panic surging. “Where’s Kalesh?”
Rafe grimaced. “Fae realm. He went to ask for help.”
My chest seized.
“What if he doesn’t come back?” I whispered, tears already spilling down my cheeks. “What if I never see him again?”
Darken stepped closer. “He will come back. Hunter fae do not abandon their heart-tracks.”
I swallowed hard, then blurted, “Okay also heads up, I bonded with Tharion and there was… a lot of magic. And now a dragon is tracking us.”
All three of them groaned in unison.
“Inside,” Wyatt snapped.
We moved fast. The moment we crossed the threshold, Darken stopped and turned to me, his eyes sharp and focused.
“Touch me,” he said calmly. “I need you.”
I pressed my palm to his chest without thinking.
The power surged. I felt it move through him like a wildfire finding fresh oxygen. The wards outside flared, thickening, layering, and turning dense and heavy and angry.
Darken exhaled slowly, stunned. “Gods above…”
I stared at my hand. “Whoa.”
Wyatt barked a laugh despite himself. “That’s… bad ass.”
The cabin settled, and the wards hummed like a living thing. I hugged myself, my heart pounding.
“So,” I said weakly, “we’re safe for now?”
“For now,” Darken said.
Wyatt and Rafe beckoned for me to follow them down the hall. Darken and Tharion followed close enough that I could feel them.
The door at the end of the hall opened. And I broke.
“Oh,” I whispered.
The room was… mine. Not borrowed. Not temporary. Not shoved together in a panic. Mine.
Soft lamplight. Thick curtains. A massive bed layered with blankets and pillows that looked like they’d been chosen deliberately. My colors. Deep purples, smoky grays, and warm creams. Shelves already holding my books, my notebooks, and my favorite stupid little trinkets that should have been lost forever after my apartment was destroyed.
And the wall. My wall. The kink wall. Every single piece cleaned, restored, and mounted carefully like something sacred instead of shameful. My chest seized so hard I thought I might stop breathing.
They’d rebuilt it. For me. I turned, tears already pouring down my face, and before I could say a word I threw myself at them. Wyatt caught me first, and his arms locked around my back as I sobbed into his chest. Rafe wrapped around both of us, and pressed his chin into my hair, growling softly like he was furious at the universe for ever making me cry. Darken’s hands came next, steady and warm at my shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” Wyatt said hoarsely. “We’re so fucking sorry, Ysara.”
Rafe swallowed. “We never should have spoken over you. Never should have questioned your choice.”
Darken nodded once. “Kalesh… did not mince words.”
That startled a broken laugh out of me. “Oh gods, did he yell at you?”
Wyatt grimaced. “Like we were cubs who’d just knocked over the throne.”
“He told us,” Rafe added quietly, “that Ravelyns feel everything deeper. That love withheld feels like abandonment. That questioning your heart is a betrayal.”
My throat closed.
“And he told us,” Darken said, softer now, “that if we ever made you feel small again, he’d personally drag us into the fae courts and let the Thorn Queen deal with us.”
I kissed them all. Wyatt first, then Rafe, then Darken. Not sexual. Just… gratitude pressed into skin.
“I’ve never had my own space,” I whispered. “Not like this.”
Wyatt brushed his thumb under my eye. “You do now.”
I stood there, breathing it in, trying to imprint the moment into my bones. And then the air burned. Heat slammed into my skin so fast I gasped, my Ravelyn sense screaming before my mind caught up.
A roar split the sky. The wards flared, vibrating through the cabin like a struck bell.
“Fire,” Tharion growled behind us.
I turned, fury flooding in hot and fast. “He’s ruining my chill.”
Another blast hit the wards, the impact rattling the windows.
I clenched my fists. “Is there a way for me to tell him I don’t want him so he’ll leave us alone?”
Tharion’s jaw tightened. “Not all dragons honor choice, my queen.”
“So he’d try to force me?”
“Yes.”
“And you’d kill him.”
“I would.”
Something snapped.
“I am so tired of men thinking they get to decide what the fuck I do with MY body,” I said sharply. “Can I use my magic against him? I can feel it. It’s in my skin. Like it’s itching to get out.”
Wyatt opened his mouth. Too late. Silver light exploded behind my eyes, and the floor vanished beneath my feet. I floated. Fuck yes, I was floating. Magic is awesome.
“No..Ysara!” Rafe shouted.
I drifted straight through the open window like gravity had politely stepped aside for me. Wind whipped my hair as I rose above the wards, power crackling at my palms.
Tharion swore and launched after me. “My queen, please...”
I screamed.
“COME OUT AND FACE ME, DRAGON.”
The sky answered. He burst from the clouds, massive and furious, his scales catching firelight as he hovered, his wings beating hard enough to shake the trees.
Magic sang through me. It was such a rush.
I flew closer until I could feel the heat of him, until he could hear me without roaring.
“I will never accept you as a mate,” I said, my voice steady and amplified by something ancient and vast. “I have a dragon. I have chosen him.”
Power flared.
“If you force me to defend myself,” I continued, silver fire dancing along my fingers, “I will unleash my full Ravelyn power upon you. And I promise you won’t like what answers when I call.”
He reared back, fire building in his throat. Then… he stopped. The flame died. The dragon snarled, furious, and frustrated, and then turned. He fled.
The sky went quiet. I exhaled, shaking, then turned and winked at Tharion. He stared at me like I’d just rewritten the laws of nature.
“You,” he said incredulously, “just made a rival dragon retreat.”
I dropped back to the ground, and my damn knees wobbled, as the adrenaline crashed. Whew.
“That,” I panted, “was a fucking trip.”
Arms caught me instantly. All of them. And for the first time since my world shattered, I felt something settle into place.
I finally felt like I fucking belonged. Anyone fucking with my chill was about to find out the hard way. I would learn their rules, and their world. Then I would bring it all crashing down around them.
My eyes continued to blaze with silver fire as the guys tried to get me to calm down. I could feel the massive, never ending well of power opening up inside me. My lips curved into a wicked smirk.
I blinked rapdily and locked eyes with my golden eyed Lycan. "I'm fucking starving. Is there more food?"
All four men stared at me intensely. Wyatt said softly, "Ysara, are you ok? What just happened was intense. I think you've fully awakened. We need to learn more aboit your power."
I nodded, "Thats a fantastic idea. Eat more food, then hit the library?"
Everyone agreed as we headed back into the cabin. I scanned the space again and frowned. I missed Kalesh. I really hoped he would return from the fae world soon.
I needed him. I needed all my men. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled my body as I imagined meeting the rest of my mates. I wondered how many I would end up with. Hmm. Could you even have sex with 10 guys at once? I mean..I do only have so many bits and parts to fondle.
Definitely something to ponder.