To her surprise, he bypassed the bed and headed through another door. They entered the most opulent bathroom, she’d ever seen. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the huge, natural basin. Large enough for at least ten, it steamed as a waterfall cascaded into it. Soft illumination emanated from the walls, giving the room a muted glow.
Lucan set her on her feet beside the tub. “I want Tawren’s scent off us,” he said, stroking her hair back from her face. “I want this to be just us. You and me.”
He stepped into the water then helped her into the warm pool. The heat seeped into her, and she sank down with a groan. He reached for a nearby bar of soap. Lathering it between his palms, he watched her, his eyes dark with promise.
“Stand up,” he told her. His hands glided over her body as she rose. Thoroughly, he cleansed her, washing away all traces of her kidnapper and his lair. With gentle urging, she submerged herself in the water.
Her skin tingled from his ministrations, but Lucan was far from finished. Now that she was clean, he focused on arousal. His hands scraped along her body, searching her erogenous zones. Pressing, rubbing, scratching, pinching…whatever would draw forth her sighs and moans. With a growl, he plucked at her nipples until tension stretched taut between the sensitive tips and her cunt. She cried out, shoving her hips toward him.
Deftly, he pressed her against the wall. Her legs wrapped his hips as water cascaded over them. “Yes,” she screamed as he surged inside her. Her back slid on the smooth surface behind her, and he caught her hips to hold her in place.
“Mine,” he rasped as he drove into her clutching folds.
“Yours,” she sighed.
“I love you,” he told her, then bent his head and sank his teeth into her shoulder. Meda cried out, pushing her fingers into his hair as she reveled in the sensation of him taking from her. Lava flooded through her, pooling in her pussy and filling the place where they were so carnally joined. She bucked against him wildly as she climaxed, bright lights flying before her eyes.
Lucan stiffened, pouring himself inside her. Lifting his head from her, he roared his completion as he stumbled back to rest on the edge of the basin while still lodged deeply inside her.
Lifting his hand, he partially transformed then drew a sharp claw over his chest just above his heart. Meda looked into his eyes.
“I love you,” he repeated. “Forever.”
“Forever,” she whispered. Without him saying so, she understood she’d need to drink his blood. His hand cupped her head as she leaned forward and took a tentative taste. Coppery like pennies. Fiery like her love. Filled with love for him and the awesome realization that they’d have an eternity, she drank of him.
Suddenly, the bottom seemed to fall out of her reality. Her eyes went wide, and she felt herself falling as she stared up at Lucan, her vision growing dim and the expression on his face telling her this wasn’t the way things were supposed to go.
“Love you…” she murmured. Then the world went dark.
* * * *
“Meda, baby? Can you hear me?” Panic filled Lucan as he stepped out of the tub. He grabbed a fluffy white towel from a nearby rack and wrapped her in the oversized length. “Meda? Come on, love. Don’t do this. Wake up.”
“Mmmm.” She stirred and reached for him. “What happened?”
“We joined and—well, I think we joined. There wasn’t…” he trailed off as he noticed the pale, sepia mark spiraling up her left arm. Joy brought tears to his eyes as he traced it with the fingers of his right hand, a similar filigree circling his skin as well.
“It’s so pretty,” she whispered.
“Once upon a time, when we were dating, you told me you’d never get a tattoo.”
“But this is different. This means I’m yours,” she answered as solemn reverence in her voice. Her gaze slid up to his. “Forever.”
He nodded, his hand slid over her belly. He smiled as a waking vision showed him their future and the children they’d spawned. His blood had healed more than her burn. They’d have a family, an unusual birth for more reasons than one. They’d have triplets, one of them the first female Dragon born to the clan in a millennium.
Meda would need to feed to gain more strength. The wound on his chest had already closed, so he drew a sharpened nail across his wrist to open the vein there.
“Drink,” he instructed. She’d had so many shocks, he’d tell her about the children later. Now, he wanted to relish their time together. Man and woman; Dragon and mate; one.
As Meda looked into his eyes and took her first draw of his blood, golden light enveloped them, surrounding them with the blessings of Dragon magic and anointing their union as complete.
Lucan was no longer the lone wolf of the Cruentus Clan. He was Meda’s mate. And nothing would part them again.
About the Author
When it comes to books and movies, Brynn has one rule: there must be a happy ending. After that one requirement, anything goes. And it just might in her books.
She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who love her despite her occasional threats to smite them. They humor her and let her think she's a goddess...as long as she provides homemade chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis. Brynn has conducted workshops at several writers’ conferences around the country and enjoys mentoring and meeting new people.
According to Brynn, her writing success can be attributed to an eclectic collection of music, her local road construction crews, a trusty notebook, and of course, her husband, Mr. Inspiration, who puts up with a lot in the name of research.
Brynn loves to talk to her readers and can be found at
www.brynnpaulin.com
.
Also Available from
Resplendence Publishing
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by Temple Hogan
Born to a life of piracy, Nellie Bouchard knows no other life, but she longs to find a world beyond the ruthless violence and danger. Her wish is fulfilled when she captures Lord Trey Carlyle. Mesmerized by his masculinity and raw sexuality, she insists he teach her the secrets between a man and woman. Long tropical nights and sun-drenched days aboard her ship allow him to show her every aspect of sexual encounters while she teaches him about love. But he’s her captive and she’s a pirate with a price on her head. Their future might mean separation…or death.
Dragon’s Blood
by Brynn Paulin
For centuries, there have been legends of Vampires—the fault of one careless dragon. But humans only know part of the story. Walking amongst us are Dragons—shape-shifters who feed on blood.
Reluctant Dragon Elder Janos Aventech’s vacation in New York is about to come to an abrupt end. Riding on the subway, he stumbles across a Dragon mate—one of the few human women with whom his people can unite and be truly happy. And his people’s enemies are out to get her. As his attraction to this woman grows, he knows he must find her mate and see her safely into that man’s arms. It’s destined. But as every minute passes in her company, Janos begins to see he’ll never willingly let her go, mate or not. If only she were
his
mate…
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Red: A Seduction Tale
by Maddie James
Garnet Boudreaux is going home. Not back to her nice little apartment in New York City, but to her childhood home in the bayou. She doesn’t want to go, and isn’t certain what will be waiting for her when she arrives. But standing there in the voodoo shop on Bourbon Street, in the middle of one helluva party, she’s told by Madame Madeleine Dupuis that she has no choice. She presses two pouches into Garnet’s hands, wraps a red cape around her, and tells her she must go—and go now—to see to her grandmother.
Max LeBlanc spies the lovely red-head across the street and knows in a heartbeat she is the one. A rougarou always knows when he’s met his mate. Some may call him a lycanthrope, a werewolf if you will, but in Cajun bayou lands he’s known simply as
The Rougarou
. He’d waited several hundred years for this moment, and for her. There is nothing left for him to do but mark her and claim her as his mate. Soon.
Immortal Curse
by Bronwyn Green
Cursed by a witch, Ian O’Meara has been trapped between the world of the living and the spirit realm for the last hundred and fifty years. Annoyed by having his eternity interrupted by amateur ghost hunters, he reaches through the veil to Emma Boulton, knowing she can see and hear him even if the others can’t. When he discovers she can also feel him, he decides Emma is the most exciting thing to happen to him in the last century. Suddenly, escaping his miserable curse isn’t quite so appealing.
Much to her dismay, Emma has been able to see ghosts ever since she was a child. Most of the time she ignores them, but Ian makes that all but impossible. With his dark good looks and his brooding personality, he’s a gothic novel hero come to life…so to speak. She knows she should help him toward the light, but the only place he seems to be interested in is her bed. Falling in love with the charming spirit is all too easy, but is a future together possible between the living and the dead?
Ryland’s Sacrifice
by Kim Dare
Principles don’t pay tuition fees. When Ryland’s math scholarship disappears overnight, he has two choices. He can borrow money from fellow student Jason Burrows, who has very interesting ways of collecting debts. Or, he can volunteer to be thrown to the werelions.
One night spent playing the part of a willing human sacrifice will give him enough money to finish his PhD. It seems like a good deal—right up until the moment he finds himself naked, blindfolded, bound and surrounded by lions.
Available at Resplendence Publishing
The Hunt for the Elixir
Series by Midnight Dupree
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The Assassin was sent to ensure that the Vampire Queen died, and to recover the Elixir that would restore his kind back to their glory. He endured years of training and sexual restraint in order to become the best at what he does.
He is on the hunt for the
Elixir of Life.
Micah and Sasha are vampire servants to the Queen. When she is murdered they believe their lives are coming to an end as well, but the Queen has left them one special gift and a mission…
Winter’s Blood
When Angelina’s sister is kidnapped, she is forced to steal a much sought-after formula. Fortunately, fate has paired her with a handsome vampire who has promised to help save her beloved sibling.
Dante wants to break through the frozen barriers of Angelina’s heart, and will do almost anything to accomplish his goal. But first, he and Angelina must fight the evil and keep the precious formula out of evil hands.
Will Dante and Angelina be successful in their quest? Or will the blood spilled be their own?
Blood Red Rose
With the threat of danger high, Eli’s world is on the verge of being destroyed. The
Elixir of Life
is needed by the Other’s now more than ever. Their assassin has Eli in his sights. Eli is ready for this threat, but he finds an unexpected, yet intriguing distraction.