Page 62 of Fated Obsessions

“Why are you doing all this?” I finally asked, my words whisper-soft.

He tipped his head to the side slightly, studying me, his short hair seeming so dark with the shadows playing over it. “Because you are mine and I am yours. Forever.”

That’s… That's what I’d been afraid of.

I glanced at the furs behind me, and this sigh of want and need rose up in me. But I couldn’t sleep on that. I wouldn’t pretend any of this was normal. I needed answers, but tonight was crashing down around me, and I knew I couldn’t handle anything else right now.

But instead of saying anything, I walked over to the wall and sat, my back to the uncomfortable, sharp rock, my legs pulled up to my chest, and my arms wrapped around them. I rested my cheek on my knees as I watched him across the way… as we watched each other. He stayed where he was, on the other side of that fire, giving me my space, probably knowing I was flighty as hell. But still I felt no actual fear of him.

He won’t hurt me, I said over and over again in my mind. My eyes grew heavy with those words bouncing around, relaxing me further, a false hope that maybe everything wasn’t actually fucked for me.

“Let yourself go. I’ll protect you. I’ll watch over you,” he growled in this nonthreatening, very pleased way. “Always.”

Trying to stay awake was a losing battle, and the longer I sat there, the more sleep tried to take me under. Finally I just gave in.

Chapter 9

Azar

Istayed on the other side of our den as I watched my mate slip into slumber. She fought it, but in the end her eyes had grown too heavy to keep open, and she fell into a deep sleep. I could see the way her body started to relax, her arms loosening their tight hold from around her legs.

I needed to hunt for better meat for her, something fresher, something I could kill for her, roast over the fire, and then feed her from my hand. I wanted to do that desperately, this instinct in me screaming to take care of her in all ways.

I was uncomfortably hard, shamelessly aroused in front of her. The heavy ache of my cock, the full sensation of my balls had me clenching my jaw in frustration, not with her but with me, because I clearly couldn’t control myself.

It would be so easy to reach down and take hold of the thick stalk, just stroke myself a few times as I thought about my mate, as I stared at her delicate form, her petite face, and came for the first time in all my long centuries. I could picture myself curling one of my hands around her hair, pulling her head to the sideto bare her throat, and then I’d bite her. Mark her up good and hard.

Fates, she was so small. I looked down at my erection, and for the first time I thought about how I could possibly mate with her and not hurt her. How could I make it good for her? She was so tiny. I was so big. I didn’t want to harm her by loving every inch of her body with my own, even if the first time was unavoidable, even if our first mating would be primordial and raw, claiming and animalistic because my dragon would rise up.

I ignored my erection and stood, seeing her body start to list to the side as she fell deeper and deeper into sleep.She must be exhausted, my sweet little female.I wasted no time in picking her up. She weighed nothing in my arms, was as light as the air that moved across my dragon body when I was in-flight.

And as I carried her over to our sleeping pallet, I couldn’t draw my gaze from the sight of her. As if she knew I’d always protect her, my mate curled her body closer to me, one of her hands resting on my pectoral muscle, a soft sigh leaving her. My heart was racing like a magnificent beast in my chest, and pure pride and approval filled me.

The fates had given me the most beautiful mate ever imaginable.

I gently laid her upon the furs and went to work taking off the strange pieces of hide I noticed the humans wore on their feet. The bottom of a Dragao’s feet were thick and textured, able to withstand the rocky terrain of the mountains and scorching temperatures of the ground. But upon inspection of the soles of my female’s feet, I could see the skin was smooth and soft, fragile.

I didn’t stop myself from running a finger along the underside, following the line of her delicate arch, smiling when her toes twitched from the act. My mate was receptive to my touch even though she slept.

I covered her with the fur and lifted my hand to rub the center of my chest, this ache settling in deep. It wasn’t painful, more like another presence growing within me, something I hadn’t known I’d needed to survive until this very moment.

And although a Dragao always knew from the very beginning that his mate would complete him wholly, I couldn’t have ever imagined or envisioned it feelingthissatisfying.

I made sure the fur was covering her shoulders, made sure she was warm enough, and couldn't help but smile as she snuggled in deeper. Male satisfaction and pride filled me at being able to take care of my mate.

I forced myself to stand and walk away, glancing back at her once more before I made my way down the tunnel toward the entrance of the cave. I wouldn’t leave her. I needed to always be close enough to defend her, but I did have to make sure the other Dragao I’d sensed was not near. Her safety was paramount.

I felt my dragon stir as I came closer to the entrance, his strength filling me with territorial, aggressive power. My beast’s senses were more sensitive, stronger, and more attuned to our surroundings than when I was in this weaker humanlike form. But I stayed as I was, not prepared to leave the cave enough that I’d have been able to shift into my creature.

I stopped right in the entrance, tilting my head back and breathed in hard.

Nothing would be able to get past me. Nothing would survive if they tried to touch my female. I let the warm air of the night wash over me and inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes, sifting through all the different aromas that moved through the air. Although I still smelled the lingering scent of the other male, a growl rising up in me at that fact, the aroma wasn’t any closer to my den.

Opening my eyes and satisfied that the other Dragao wasn’t an immediate threat, I turned, went back into the den, andwalked right to the sleeping pallet. I looked down at my female, my erection hard and aching, my balls drawn up tight and full of seed. I made a deep sound from the pit of my gut at the image of draining them and filling her with my cum, of getting her big and swollen with my young.

I knew my sexual need for her would only get more intense, stronger and more demanding the longer it wasn’t fulfilled, the longer she denied me and the mating. But I would not pressure her. I would never force her. Although I craved her with this burning desire inside me that erased all rational thought, she held all power. She was my one and only priority, and if it took days, weeks, years for her to feel comfortable with fully being mine, I had no problem waiting.

And all the while, I would take care of her. I’d kill any threat that dared to come close to her. She was so content and peaceful as she slept, a testament that deep within her she knew I’d forever protect her. I found myself rubbing my chest once more as that warm pleasure filled me.