Page 27 of Selected By the Dragon Alien

Together, they managed to get him through the massive doors and into the cool, dimly lit interior of the fortress. He stumbled, his legs giving way, and Turi’s small frame took the brunt of his weight. He could feel her struggling, but she didn’t falter. She held him steady, her strength an unusual counterpoint to his current weakness.

“The bath,” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.

“Good idea,” Ara said. “The restorative salts will help. Turi, can you manage to get him to his bathing room? I’ll prepare everything.”

SEVENTEEN

He sank into the warm, fragrant water, the restorative salts Ara had added tingling against his skin. The aches and pains of the transformation, the lingering burn of the dragon fire, began to dissolve, leaving a pleasant languor in their wake. He closed his eyes, letting the soothing warmth seep into his bones.

Just beyond the bathing chamber, Ara and Turi spoke in hushed tones in his room. He didn’t want to think about what he’d done and how he’d reacted so violently. He did it to protect Turi. He was capable of primal rage, but he’d maintained enough control. No one had died. No one had been hurt, aside from Turi, and that was not by his hand.

The bath restored him, both physically and mentally. The dragon fury had receded, leaving a quiet ache in its place. He stepped out of the bath. Water clung to him like a silken shroud and he flapped his wings to dry himself off. Turi’s stitchesdidhold, she’d be pleased to know, although the wound was not happy with his treatment of it. He donned the soft, loose pants Ara had left out for him, glad he felt back to his “normal” self. He padded barefoot to his room, the silence of the fortress amplifying the soft beat of his heart.

Only Turi was there, sitting on the edge of his bed, her head bowed. She looked up as he entered, her eyes wide and luminous in the dimly lit room. The soot-stained clothes from earlier clashed with the pristine environment. He crossed the room, stopping before her, his gaze searching hers. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice rough.

She nodded, a small, hesitant smile playing on her lips. “Better now that you’re back,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to his bare chest. A faint blush crept up her neck, staining her skin a delicate pink. He wanted to reach out, to touch her, to reassure her, but he hesitated. What did she think of him now that she’d seen this side of him?

“The Terians hurt you,” he said, using the only explanation he had for the sudden change from the male she knew to the dragon. He lifted a hand and gently traced the wound on her arm. It was a shallow wound. Ara had already cleaned and dressed it. The cut was covered in a yellow paste, which had dried. He recognized it as one of Ara’s pungent balms that sped healing. “I would have tended it for you.”

“You were in no condition to tend to anyone,” she said. “Besides, it’s not bad, and they didn’t intend to hurt me. It was an accident.”

“An accident that wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t thrown rocks in your direction.”

Turi shrugged. “I’m glad you didn’t hurt them. Knowing what I do, now, about my people, I understand how we devolved the way we did. It’s the Axis that did this to us.”

“Yes. From what I read in the first journal, your people were very civilized. Females were equal to males. There was a great deal of harmony and peace among them, even after they were put here on this planet.” He sat on the bed beside her. “I hope your people can return to that one day.”

Her shoulders dropped. “It feels impossible. The Axis is too powerful.”

He tilted her chin up. “Where is that defiant fire I saw facing down those Terian males? I’m not giving up hope that we can break free of the Axis. Neither should you.”

“Iwantyou to be right.” Tears brightened her eyes. “But seeing those people ferventlydefendthe Axis made me sick.”

“They don’t know what we know. One day, they will.”

“We’ll see.” Her hand went to his knee. “By the way, you make a beautiful dragon.”

He smiled. “You’re not afraid of me, then?”

“I could never be afraid of you,” she murmured. “You would never hurt me, no matter what form you were in.”

“That’s true. I would die first. But just so we’re clear…” He ran a finger down the line of her nose. “Nothing is as beautiful as you, Turi.”

Her face softened as her lips curved. He cupped her head and drew her toward him. He kissed her tenderly, thoroughly, allowing himself to get lost in her taste, her silken mouth. His tongue delved into her mouth, tasting her sweetness with a hunger that shook him. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. Her fingers slid along his scalp with a delicious urgency. The scent of her arousal was a heady mix of musk and something uniquely Turi. It filled his senses, stoking the flames of his desire. He groaned, low and guttural, a primal expression of the need that pulsed through him.

He broke the kiss, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes, dark and dilated, devoured her. His hands moved to her shoulders, tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone, then lower, cupping the fullness of her breasts. Her nipples hardened under his touch, pebbling against his palms. He leaned in and brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck, nipping and sucking, leaving her trembling in his arms.

Turi arched into him. Her moans made him shudder with need. He slid his hands down her back, his fingers tracing the curve of her gold-freckled spine, the swell of her ass. He gripped her hips, pulling her flush against him, letting her feel the hard length of his cock straining against his pants.

“Ellion,” she whispered, her voice thick with desire. “Please…”

The plea was all he needed. He tore at his pants, shedding them with a desperate urgency, revealing his hard, throbbing cock. Turi’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of him, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. His hands slid under her soot-stained shirt. He pulled it up and over her head, then tossed it aside. He gazed in awe at the beauty of her, and marveled at the fact that she was his.

He lowered his head. His lips found hers once more and the kiss deepened. They grew more frantic, more desperate as hunger took over. His hands moved lower, sliding down her stomach, over the curve of her hips, to the soft, silken skin of her inner thighs.

He spread her legs for him and his hand cupped the wet heat of her cunt. She arched her hips to meet his touch and he accepted the invitation to slide a finger inside her. She gasped and he inserted another. That tight, welcoming heat would soon take his cock.

He met her gaze, needing to make their situation very clear. “You are mine,” he growled, pumping his fingers into her. “After we mate, there will be no other for you. Or for me. A Zaruxian mates for life.”