The Ice Dragon: Dragon Knights, Book 3 Read online

  “Now come on out of there. I’ll keep you warm, sweetheart.”

  “I’m so glad Tor and I found you when we did.”

  “No happier than I,” he rumbled. “I owe you my life.”

  She smiled at him, blushing just a little. “It was Tor that got you to safety. He’s the one who saved you.”

  “But you’re the one who healed me. Without both of you, I would have been dead. I owe you both a life debt, as the wandering Jinn would say. Taking you to the safety of my homeland is the very least I can do.”

  She started forward in the water, making his breath catch internally as her skin was revealed little by little from the cloaking water. “We’ll be happy to be safe for the first time in Tor’s life. He’s never known peace.”

  Roland tried to concentrate on her words, but it was no use. He watched her as she drew closer to the bank, every last coherent thought wiped from his mind.

  Like the goddess rising from the ocean, Lana walked up out of the small pool, her skin gleaming pink in the final rays of the setting sun. She was the image of womanly perfection to him. Generous breasts, sleek muscles from years of living hard, a trim waist and rounded hips, she was as beautiful as he had known she’d be. Naked, she stood before him and he was completely mesmerized.

  Then she giggled.

  “Will you dry me off, Roland? Please?”

  He perked up, realizing belatedly that he’d been staring while his thoughts roamed over her delectable body. He had to remember she thought he was only a dragon.

  “Of course, milady. Just a second.”

  He took a deep breath and sighed a warm wind over her front, blowing the wet strands of her gorgeous, fiery hair back as the water droplets clinging to her skin melted away before his heat. She turned around and he had to pause for a moment to catch his breath at the beautifully pert, round ass presented so innocently before him. She looked back at him over her shoulder curiously, and he sent the warm breeze of his exhalation over her back. Her supple spine and the mass of flaming auburn hair shone with coppery licks of fire in the red rays of the dying sun.

  “You are beautiful, Lana.”

  She smiled as she turned back to him. “I’m glad you think so, but I’m rather plain for a human, I’m sure.”

  She bent to her tunic, which was mostly dry, and slipped it over her head, forgoing trousers since they were still too damp to wear just yet. Having eaten and washed, she was yawning when she bent to check Roland’s wounds. At all costs he had to keep her from checking his groin. After seeing her beautiful nudity, even his healing dragon body had gotten quite obviously excited. He didn’t want to have to try to explain why a dragon would get hard at the sight of a beautiful human woman. Not yet at least.

  “You’re tired, Lana. Come here.” He held up his wing, hoping she would take the invitation to rest warmly, safely away from the inexplicable evidence of his arousal.

  With a last pulse of healing energy to his side, she covered her yawning lips with one dainty hand and nestled down under his wing. She was asleep almost before she settled fully against him. Roland sighed in relief. Tomorrow he would tell her his secret and see how she reacted to the very real human male holding her safe and warm in his arms.

  Roland woke Lana just before dawn when the pearly gray light grew bright enough for human eyes to see. Tor was still fast asleep some distance away and Roland knew the young dragon would sleep on for at least an hour or more. When they were that young, very little could wake them before sunrise short of an earthquake. Now came the moment of truth for Roland…and his lady.

  “Lana? Sweetheart, wake up. There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “Is it morning yet?” She yawned, answering him in the quiet of her mind as she rubbed her eyes, coming awake slowly like a newborn kitten. He loved that about her. Her innocent femininity was just one of the many facets of her that inspired new, tender emotions in his heart.

  “Nearly. Lana, there’s something important you have to know.”

  She looked over at him and he knew she was coming fully awake.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong. There’s just a secret I need to share with you and you can’t tell Tor. He’s too young yet to keep this secret, and secret it must remain—at least for now.”

  Tor’s head and neck were curled around the other side of his body, some distance away. Even if he woke, he wouldn’t see anything unless he roused himself enough to stand up. The slightest movement of his large body would alert Roland in plenty of time to stop the youngster from seeing anything he shouldn’t see.

  Lana’s expression grew troubled. “I don’t hide things from Tor.”

  “For the safety of my kingdom, you must hold this one secret close to your heart for a short while. More than just my own life depends on it.”

  “Then why in the world do you want to tell me?”

  “You’ll understand when you see...” He blew out a hot, frustrated breath. “Oh hells, just watch.”

  Lana gaped in awe as the black wing around her transformed into a muscular, human arm. She nearly shrieked when, instead of a black dragon, she was being held close to the hot body of a tall warrior clad in tight-fitting, black leather breeches and little else.

  “Sweet Mother of All!” Her whispered words were caught by powerful, male lips as he captured her mouth with his in the first kiss she had ever known. It was hot and sweet, faintly smoky and pure. Something inside her shifted as the incredibly handsome man laid her back on the soft grass, hovering over her small body with his large, muscular form.

  “Do you understand now?” His words sounded near her ear as he pulled slightly back. Dark green human eyes watched her carefully, a slight smile playing about the hard lips that had just kissed her breathless.

  “Roland?”

  He nodded. “In the flesh.”

  “But how?”

  “I’m of the royal bloodline, Lana. All the males of my line are both human and dragon. Black dragons, to be precise. Only the royal blacks can change form from human to dragon at will. It’s part of our heritage, part of our birthright, part of the agreement between human and dragonkind to peacefully coexist as they coexist in the males of my line.”

  She ran one hand over the sharp angles of his face, marveling at how the dragon resembled the man. Though in completely different form, she recognized him. He was not a stranger to her. And he was so good-looking, he took her breath away.

  His green eyes sparkled just like the emerald dragon eyes she had come to know so well over the past days. The arch of his eyebrow was so similar in shape and angle to the eye ridge of the dragon. The curve of his cheek was in the same proportion as the angular jaw of the dragon.

  “You are Roland.” Her voice was a breathless whisper of awe as her eyes lit up with discovery. She gasped as another thought occurred. “Sweet Mother! Are you a prince or something?”

  His smile deepened, revealing sexy dimples. “Or something. You’ll find out all the grisly details when we get to the palace and meet my family, I’m sure.”

  “You’re taking me to the palace?” The thought struck fear into her heart.

  “If I’m right, you too are a member of one of the royal bloodlines. You must learn about your heritage and claim your birthright, Lana. By right of your birth, you’re also part of the royal court.”

  “Are we related?” Apprehension filled her.

  Roland nodded, confirming her fears. “Yes, sweet, but only very distantly. The House of Kent, to which I suspect you belong, and my line are quite far apart, but both our lines breed true. Which means you’re half-dragon too. It’s your gift to heal dragons, as do most of the women of the royal lines.”

  “Half-dragon?”

  He chuckled, kissing her nose. “Yes, little one. It’s probably the only reason you were able to claim and tame a great Northern Ice Dragon. Such a feat is not easily done. Did you never wonder why you were the only person in Salomar’
s household who could speak with your dragonet?”

  “But I wasn’t the only one.”

  “What?” His dark eyes grew alert, his expression questioning.

  “He has a witch.” Lana’s heart pounded as she remembered the evil woman. “Her name is Loralie. She’s tried to lure Tor from me many times. She’s the one who sent his mother away with no memory of the egg she left behind.”

  “When we get to the palace, you must tell my brothers everything you know about this witch.”

  She nodded, sensing how important this was to him. “I’ll gladly tell you everything I know about Salomar’s household if it will help you defeat him.”

  “Defeat him? What do you know of his plans?” A cunning smile broke over his face.

  She smiled back. “I didn’t spend all my time languishing in dark, cold caves. As much as his men hunted us, Tor and I harried them. We intercepted messengers and waylaid enough scouts to know he plans to bring war on a kingdom to the south with his allies in the east. I can only guess that the kingdom he intends to move against is yours.”

  Roland drew back from her, rising to sit back on his haunches, his expression hard. “I suspected as much, which is why I flew north. I wanted to do a little reconnaissance. Instead I almost died.”

  “You didn’t know about the weapons he’s developed to fight dragons.”

  He turned back to her with a bright light in his eyes. “But you do. You know all about his tactics and his weapons. He’s been testing and perfecting them on you and Tor.”

  She sat up, nodding slowly as she realized what he was getting at. “Yes, you’re probably right.” She took his hand in hers. “We’ll tell you everything we know and though I can’t speak for Tor, I will fight with you against Salomar to the best of my ability. If ever a man deserved to die, it’s him. Deliberately orphaning a beautiful baby like Tor is just one of his crimes, but that’s the one that hurts me the most.”

  Roland reached out with his muscular arms and pulled her close. “You have a kind and brave heart, Lana. We’ll keep Tor safe and see he grows up strong and true. He’ll be protected and loved by all the dragons of my land. I can assure you of that. And he’ll be respected as he grows. Ice Dragons are not to be trifled with and he’ll grow into that responsibility with our guidance.”

  Roland pulled her close and kissed her long and hard, his hot tongue sweeping into her mouth and lighting a fire in her belly she’d never felt before. His strong hands swept up her smooth legs, rubbing beneath the hem of her tunic and up the curves of her ass as she struggled mindlessly to get closer to him. She’d never felt such passion, such heady delight.

  His warm palm spread over the curve of her rear, shocking a gasp from her lips that he swallowed as he took her to the ground once more. His hard body pressed along her length, his hand roaming as he dragged the hem of her tunic upwards. His fingers searched for and found the heavy curve of her breast, making her shiver. When he palmed her nipple, she couldn’t suppress the moan of pleasure that sounded from her throat, but when he closed his thumb and forefinger around her hard peak and tugged, she nearly screamed.

  Only his heavy weight above her kept her on the ground, so violent was the urge to move as her insides fired hot and heavy. He pulled back from her lips to stare down into her eyes. Flames leapt within his dark green gaze as he continued tugging rhythmically on her nipple.

  “I want you, Lana. I want to make love with you, be inside you, shoot my seed deep within your womb and mark you as mine.” His hands caressed her flaming hair as the dragon within him roared to life possessively. “You’re mine, Lana. Mine!” He paused to take a deep breath, regaining some control. “Never doubt that. I knew almost from the first that you were made for me.”

  “Roland—”

  She wanted to protest, but he cut off her words by kissing her again. His hand moved on her breast and liquid fire raced through her veins, not to be outdone by a strange, wet sensation between her legs. She didn’t know what was happening to her. Roland moved his other hand to explore the moisture and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment, but his expression grew impossibly hotter as he pulled back to smile down at her.

  “You’re so wet for me.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Oh, baby, don’t be embarrassed. That’s what’s supposed to happen when a woman prepares to take a man inside her body. Without that miracle wetness, we wouldn’t fit together comfortably. Your body’s response tells me you want me.” He moved one finger inside her. She gasped at the fullness and new sensations bombarding her. It felt so good.

  Then he did something with his thumb, moving it around a little nubbin of flesh that sent her shooting straight up to the stars. She sobbed softly as she trembled against him, her gaze seeking his for reassurance. He smiled down at her, his fingers stroking and petting, his eyes hot but somehow kind as he watched her reach a peak she hadn’t even known was there.

  “Roland!” Her breathless whisper sparked desire in his gaze as he slowly removed his hand from between her legs. With a devilish smile, he brought his wet fingers to his lips and licked them clean.

  “You taste divine, Lana. Now do you understand better what I meant when I said I wanted to eat you yesterday?” She felt the flush rise up her cheeks thinking about what those shocking words implied. His mouth dove for her neck, sighing and sucking on her delicate skin as he teased her. “I want to lick your pussy and have you come against my tongue. I want all of you, Lana. Will you give yourself to me?”

  She didn’t know what she would have answered because at that moment, both of them heard Tor shifting not too far away. The dragonet was stirring and would soon wake.

  Roland pulled away to look deep into her eyes. “Will you keep this one secret for me? It won’t be for long. Just for a while. All the dragons in my land know the truth, except the children.”

  She looked over at her baby, Tor, and realized this was not something that would harm him. She nodded her agreement.

  “I won’t tell him. It’s your secret to share, Roland.”

  He swooped down to kiss her once more and then pulled back, a look of regret on his face. He held her gaze with his own for as long as possible while a magical black swirl of mist formed around his body. He grew and lengthened, his face becoming that of the dragon while his arm transformed once again into his sheltering wing. His body thickened and within moments the black dragon was back beside her, holding her close to his warm side.

  “That is just amazing.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad I could finally impress you.”

  “So why didn’t you change before now? Were you too badly wounded?”

  “Exactly so. Between your healing sessions and our reciprocal energy sharing while we sleep, I healed well enough that this morning was the first time I could shift without fear. Wounds that are mere scratches to me in this form would kill me if I wore my human form.”

  “Amazing. What do you mean about sharing energy while we sleep?”

  “Caught that, did you?” His dark eyes sparkled down at her in the gray morning light. “It’s a phenomenon I’ve never experienced before, but I’ve read about it in the ancient texts. You gave your healing to me while I slept, but somehow we managed to connect in our unconscious, and neither of us was drained. You received the energy from me, and then directed it back as waves of healing energy, changed by your touch. It’s a partnership of sorts, a deep bond that we share.”

  “I didn’t even realize.” Her thoughts sped to keep up with the ideas he was laying out before her.

  “I know. I didn’t at first either, but I felt the healing, even while we slept, then I remembered the teachings of my youth about the legends of the royal line and the remarkable females who had amazing gifts of healing. That’s why I have no doubts about who you are, Lana. Your special power speaks to me.”

  She settled back against his side, liking his words, as she mulled over all that had happened since Tor had helped him back to the
ir cold, little lair in the mountains.

  “You saw me naked!” Her outrage was ruined by the little giggle that left her lips as she smacked his side gently. “I thought you were a dragon, but all the while I let you look at me and you were human too.” She blushed remembering his warm breath drying her bare body and the way his faceted emerald gaze had followed her. “I should have known.”

  He let out a smoky chuckle. “Yes, you should have realized by the way my tongue was practically hanging out of my mouth. You are one gorgeous woman, Lana. I mean that sincerely. How could I resist looking at such beauty when presented so enticingly before me?”

  “Lana! Are you awake?” Tor’s happy voice spoke to both minds.

  “Yes, I’m awake, Tor.” She raised her voice so the dragonet could hear her. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m good. I want to fly.”

  “Me too,” Roland added in a dry voice, stretching his wings as he made a show of waking up. Tor followed suit, getting up and bounding over to one of the larger pools to play at fishing for a few minutes.

  “Shall we gather your things and get underway? The sun is high enough now to really sparkle off Tor’s magnificent scales.” Roland was speaking to her alone, she knew. She answered him in the silence of their minds to keep their words private between just the two of them.

  “You really were serious about that?”

  Roland snorted smokily as she got up and stretched. His gaze followed her with a hungry glitter.

  “Dragons can be just as impressed by the look of their fellows as humans. Believe me, Tor is going to make quite an impression when my friends get a good look at him, and I do have an ulterior motive. If they’re looking at him, the knights won’t be making eyes at you.” His large head butted into her soft breasts gently. “I might not be able to keep from toasting a few of them if they start making a play for my girl.”