took on a glow that seared Ryuu’s eyes. He panted, hands
scrabbling for the covers, but then Drakon surged forward, filling him
completely. Ryuu shuddered as Drakon grabbed his shoulders and lowered his
head.
“This is it, Ryuu,” he said. Then he bit him, hard.
Pleasure shot through him in a wild burst of heat and
light. Ryuu lost his hold on the blankets and grabbed for Drakon. When he felt
skin beneath his lips, he used his teeth instinctively. The taste of blood
coated his tongue like fire-berries. Like the sun rising over the desert. Like
the center of a plasma ray, searing through his brain until he couldn’t see or
speak at all. He orgasmed and felt Drakon come with him, his cock swelling and
throbbing inside him like an ember. When he sensed Drakon’s emotions tumbling
through his mind, he finally realized that something unusual was happening.
“It’s the bond,” Drakon gasped out, convulsing again.
Ryuu gritted his teeth as another climax rushed
through him. He could feel Drakon’s triumph through their mental connection,
and his sorrow that their time together would be so short.
“So fatalistic,” he said, repeating his mate’s earlier
statement with a shaky voice. “Even if we die, we will have had this moment.”
“I’m sorry,” Drakon said as the last spark of pleasure
rolled through them.
Ryuu sighed and relaxed completely, body going limp.
“I’m not,” he murmured, just before darkness swept over them both.
****
Drakon stirred, worry worming down his spine when he
couldn’t move his legs. Then he remembered Ryuu. Bonding. He relaxed into the cushions and let his lover’s warmth soak into his body.
Ryuu lay against him with his head tucked into Drakon’s neck. Their legs
tangled together. He gently nudged at the sense of Ryuu in his mind and felt
his mate wake.
“Drakon,” Ryuu murmured sleepily. “You’re keeping me
awake.”
Drakon had to smile. Ryuu was accepting the bond with
far more equanimity than he’d expected. “I can’t help it,” he whispered.
Ryuu muttered as he lifted onto his elbow. “Something
happened to us,” he said, tracing a finger down Drakon’s bicep.
Drakon shivered. “My people call it the dragon’s bond.”
He shrugged. “When two souls meet and recognize their twin, it’s said that the
taste of each other’s blood twists what has been sundered back together again.”
“And you think that this emotional connection is this
bond?” Ryuu asked.
Drakon nodded. “It’s very rare.” He paused, wondering
how to explain it without giving away his last secret. He would likely never
shift to dragon form again, and he preferred not to think about it. He needed
to complete his task in the citadel. He would probably not survive long
afterward. “My grandmother had it with my grandfather.”
“What happened to them?” Ryuu asked, much more
insightful than Drakon expected.
“They died of old age,” he hedged, hoping Ryuu would
not ask him any more about them. He still missed them.
“They died together, you mean.” Ryuu tugged on his
hair. “I can sense your omission, Drakon. You have more secrets than this, but
I won’t beg you for them. They are yours to give or not, as you wish.”
Drakon’s heart thumped against his ribs. “I have a
task, Ryuu.”
Ryuu laughed. “Of course. You
are here to kill my father.” He sighed and slid his hand down to Drakon’s hip.
“I have no quarrel with that.”
Drakon stopped breathing. How did he know?
“I’m not stupid, silly prince.” Ryuu rolled onto his
back.
“I’m not a prince,” Drakon said reflexively, mind
still reeling from Ryuu’s statement.
“Heritor. Prince.” Ryuu sighed,
clearly exasperated. “They mean the same thing, Drakon.”
“My father is a general. He was elected leader after
the emperor began his bloodthirsty siege at the foot of the Dragon’s Teeth
Mountains. When the Crystal Palace fell—”
“Your people fled into the dark cliffs. Yes. I
scrabbling for the covers, but then Drakon surged forward, filling him
completely. Ryuu shuddered as Drakon grabbed his shoulders and lowered his
head.
“This is it, Ryuu,” he said. Then he bit him, hard.
Pleasure shot through him in a wild burst of heat and
light. Ryuu lost his hold on the blankets and grabbed for Drakon. When he felt
skin beneath his lips, he used his teeth instinctively. The taste of blood
coated his tongue like fire-berries. Like the sun rising over the desert. Like
the center of a plasma ray, searing through his brain until he couldn’t see or
speak at all. He orgasmed and felt Drakon come with him, his cock swelling and
throbbing inside him like an ember. When he sensed Drakon’s emotions tumbling
through his mind, he finally realized that something unusual was happening.
“It’s the bond,” Drakon gasped out, convulsing again.
Ryuu gritted his teeth as another climax rushed
through him. He could feel Drakon’s triumph through their mental connection,
and his sorrow that their time together would be so short.
“So fatalistic,” he said, repeating his mate’s earlier
statement with a shaky voice. “Even if we die, we will have had this moment.”
“I’m sorry,” Drakon said as the last spark of pleasure
rolled through them.
Ryuu sighed and relaxed completely, body going limp.
“I’m not,” he murmured, just before darkness swept over them both.
****
Drakon stirred, worry worming down his spine when he
couldn’t move his legs. Then he remembered Ryuu. Bonding. He relaxed into the cushions and let his lover’s warmth soak into his body.
Ryuu lay against him with his head tucked into Drakon’s neck. Their legs
tangled together. He gently nudged at the sense of Ryuu in his mind and felt
his mate wake.
“Drakon,” Ryuu murmured sleepily. “You’re keeping me
awake.”
Drakon had to smile. Ryuu was accepting the bond with
far more equanimity than he’d expected. “I can’t help it,” he whispered.
Ryuu muttered as he lifted onto his elbow. “Something
happened to us,” he said, tracing a finger down Drakon’s bicep.
Drakon shivered. “My people call it the dragon’s bond.”
He shrugged. “When two souls meet and recognize their twin, it’s said that the
taste of each other’s blood twists what has been sundered back together again.”
“And you think that this emotional connection is this
bond?” Ryuu asked.
Drakon nodded. “It’s very rare.” He paused, wondering
how to explain it without giving away his last secret. He would likely never
shift to dragon form again, and he preferred not to think about it. He needed
to complete his task in the citadel. He would probably not survive long
afterward. “My grandmother had it with my grandfather.”
“What happened to them?” Ryuu asked, much more
insightful than Drakon expected.
“They died of old age,” he hedged, hoping Ryuu would
not ask him any more about them. He still missed them.
“They died together, you mean.” Ryuu tugged on his
hair. “I can sense your omission, Drakon. You have more secrets than this, but
I won’t beg you for them. They are yours to give or not, as you wish.”
Drakon’s heart thumped against his ribs. “I have a
task, Ryuu.”
Ryuu laughed. “Of course. You
are here to kill my father.” He sighed and slid his hand down to Drakon’s hip.
“I have no quarrel with that.”
Drakon stopped breathing. How did he know?
“I’m not stupid, silly prince.” Ryuu rolled onto his
back.
“I’m not a prince,” Drakon said reflexively, mind
still reeling from Ryuu’s statement.
“Heritor. Prince.” Ryuu sighed,
clearly exasperated. “They mean the same thing, Drakon.”
“My father is a general. He was elected leader after
the emperor began his bloodthirsty siege at the foot of the Dragon’s Teeth
Mountains. When the Crystal Palace fell—”
“Your people fled into the dark cliffs. Yes. I
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