STORY EXCERPT

Raulf had claimed his whole life that he would never debase himself by laying with humans, regardless of whether or not they could produce dragon chicks.

Now here he was, coming home to the mountain with a human he intended on fucking all day, every day, until a dragon chick could be produced.

There were three kinds of people in the world. Dragons stood at the top as the kings of the skies. Basic shifters, the wolves, bears, cats, and various other animals, came at a close second.

Then there were the humans. They were basically worthless with the exception of their brains, but intelligence could only get them so far without claws, fur, teeth, or anything else needed to defend oneself from attack.

Dragons could not reproduce with each other. The blood cancelled itself out. Though Malcolm and Loki seemed perfectly at ease with their own relationship, knowing they could never have chicks.

No, if a dragon wished for children, he would need to breed with a shifter.

But dragons breeding with the basic shifter made for basic children. No dragon could fuck a wolf and reproduce another dragon. Only wolves came from it. The same with the bears, big cats, birds and other species of shifter.

It was the one reason why humans had made it as far as they had. Dragons needed them to produce more dragons. No one could explain it, and now that Raulf was desiring children, of course he would want them to be dragon children.

Which meant going against all of his beliefs and principals to get what he wanted.

And Rhoam thought it was hilarious.

He scratched his chin. He would give the other man some time before going to him to rub it in. For now, Rhoam was curious about this new human.

How much money had he, or she, owed to the clan to be put into this position? Or had he been one of the unlucky few sold on behalf of another's debts?

Rhoam never liked those situations, but the law was the law, after all.

He frowned at the sight of the limo. After it parked, the other dragons exited it, even Adon.

Rhoam's brother, however, did not move to greet Rhoam with a smile. He stayed by the limo, the door open, leaning in.

Speaking to the human?

Trying to coax the creature out, most likely.

Rhoam was curious about this human. Male or female? Good looking or ugly? If the creature was ugly then that would make Raulf's mood that much worse.

Rhoam hoped the human was ugly. That would make this so much better.

"Adon? What are you doing?"

Rhoam approached. Adon looked over his shoulder at him, and it was the expression on his face that nearly had Rhoam stopping in his tracks.

What was that?

Adon went back to looking inside the limo. He reached his hand in, took the fingers of the human and gently pulled him out.

And then Rhoam understood Adon's expression, and the air around the dragons who had been inside the limo with them.

Fresh bruising covered the human's face. Swelling all along the right side nearly pulled his eye shut.

Adon gripped the man's shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting touch, but Rhoam could understand it if the human received no comfort from it.

Either this man had been in a fight just before being picked up…

Or Raulf had done it.

Rhoam approached his brother and the human, a rush of anger pulsing through him.

"Adon, what happened?"

Adon shook his head, rubbing his chin. "I didn't think Raulf would do this. We all know he doesn't like the humans, but…"

Adon didn't seem capable of finishing. Rhoam didn't blame him.

The little human kept his eyes to the ground.

Rhoam winced at the sight of him, but there was something else. Something that pulled Rhoam’s attention to this man in a way he never thought would be possible.

The man was shorter than both Rhoam and his brother, but only by a few inches. Rhoam took the smaller man's chin in hand, shocked with the rush of heat that sizzled through his fingers as he pulled that face up.

Rhoam had only meant to examine the damage, to see for himself what needed to be done in the way of medical care.

He did not expect that shocking heat to increase to something so powerful as to be volcanic when their eyes met.

This human had the most beautiful blue eyes. Even with one eye swelling, they were lovely.

Rhoam's heart beat heavily. His mouth dried and his cock tightened.

"What is your name?"

The human appeared somewhat annoyed by the question, but that was all right. Just so long as Rhoam received an answer.

"Adrien."

Rhoam nodded. "A fine name." It was. "My name is Rhoam Arcos. This is my brother, Adon."

The human nodded, and though Rhoam could see pain in those eyes, he couldn't look away from Rhoam anymore than Rhoam could look away from him.

"Did Raulf do this to you?"

Adrien did look away this time. "It's fine."

"No, it isn't," Rhoam said quickly. He glared at his brother, unnaturally angry with the other man. "Why did you not put a stop to this?"

"I wasn't in the limo by then!"

Rhoam growled. That made sense, but he still hated it. Adon could have stopped this.

"Should we talk to Raulf?" Adon asked. "There's not much love for humans around here? But no one wants to see one walking around with bruises like this on them either. It'll make the parents uncomfortable, especially the ones who already have human mates."

Mates. Fuck. That was right.

Rhoam felt that beating in his chest again, this time with a bigger hint of panic within him. "Did Raulf take you yet?"

Adrien looked up at him, as though confused. "What?"

"Did he put his cock inside you?" Rhoam felt the need to attack Raulf if he did. To kill him even for putting these marks on Adrien's face.

Nothing the man said or did could have warranted this.

"He…no. Not yet. He told me he wants me to have a bath first."

Rhoam sighed. Sweet relief.

"What's going on, Rhoam?" Adon asked.

Rhoam felt a wide smile pulling at his lips. He looked at his brother. "Tell Raulf he needs to find another mate." Rhoam looked down at Adrien. "This one belongs to me."

ADULT EXCERPT

Rhoam couldn't bring Adrien back to his house fast enough.

Not really a house. Not in the same way the humans thought of it with their wooden and concrete structures.

No. Rhoam's home was carved out of the mountain itself. It had everything a man needed to keep comfortable, but when he brought his new mate inside and noticed the light shiver about Adrien's shoulders, it occurred to Rhoam that he would need to take special precautions to make sure his new human mate would be comfortable.

They tended to get cold so easily.

"It's dark in here," Adrien said, a clear tone of panic in his voice.

Rhoam reached for the lights. Adrien blinked widely when they turned on for him.

"Do you fear the dark?"

Adrien quickly shook his head.

"No, sorry. It's just…we're inside the rock?"

"Yes."

Adrien swallowed. Even as Rhoam could smell his lust, he could also taste the man's trepidation. "Aren't you worried it will fall down around you?"

"Ah, so you're one of those kinds of humans."

Adrien looked at him. "Those kinds?"

Rhoam touched the man's cheeks. He brought his mouth down onto Adrien's sweet, full lips. Too full for a man.

Too beautiful.

He pulled back, amused once more by the haze in Adrien's eyes. It seemed to be a bit of a thing with him.

"The kind that fears enclosed spaces."

Adrien tensed. "Well, only a little."

Rhoam took his hand. "Fear not. You are with me now, and I built this home myself. It’s as solid as can be.”

He reached for the remote. For this time of day, he didn't often start the fire, but he wanted his home, their home, to be comfortable for Adrien.

He had much to think about, to worry about. Rhoam didn't wish to have his mate concerning himself over whether or not the rock would fall on his head, or if he was cold.

The fire started up, giving an added warmth and brightness to the room.

Adrien looked around. Rhoam watched him aptly, wondering what his home looked like through Adrien's eyes.

"It's small enough, but can be made comfortable for two. I can carve out another room if you would like your own space, as well."

"My own space?" Adrien looked up at him again before glancing away quickly. The man's throat worked in a swallow. "Right. For…uh…"

Rhoam watched the man, pleased with the pink that flooded into Adrien's cheeks.

"Do you approve?"

Every man needed his own space. Humans, dragons and shifters alike required a quiet place for their entertainments and hobbies.

He wondered what Adrien liked to do. Read? Paint. Music? There were so many things the humans lost themselves in.

But they would get through those details at a later time. Now it was their time.

Rhoam took Adrien's hand once more. He led his mate away from the sitting room and the fire.

To Rhoam's bedroom.

He turned the light on in there, starting the second fireplace quickly.

Adrien jumped.

"You have two fireplaces?"

"What decent home does not have one for the master bedroom?"

"Uh, you'd be surprised I suppose. Oh."

Rhoam quieted his mate quickly with another kiss. He couldn't contain himself any longer, and watching those pretty blue eyes fly wide before falling shut was such a pleasure.

Rhoam settled his hands onto Adrien's hips, backing him up towards the bed.

Adrien moaned against his mouth, falling back against the bed, landing on his back as Rhoam pushed the man up and onto the sheets.

He already pulled Adrien out of his clothes.

He could smell the man's skin, practically tasted his lust in the air, but he wanted more. Rhoam felt a wildness inside him he hadn't known since he was a small boy. The sensation of having little to no control of the creature that shared his mind.

He'd almost forgotten they weren't one in the same, but not that Adrien was here, beneath him, and rapidly becoming naked for him, Rhoam could feel how much his inner dragon wanted this, as well.

It wanted to sink its claws into Adrien's skin, marking him with the three clawed scar that identified a mate. He wanted to taste Adrien's blood and have Adrien taste Rhoam's in return.

He wanted to fuck this man until the sun rose early tomorrow morning and they were both already long exhausted from their romp in bed.

Adrien gasped for breath, doing everything he could to pull himself out of his clothes as Rhoam struggled to keep up with him, to help him get nude as fast as possible.

"It's so hot. God, is...is that fire going to burn everything down, or what?"

"It's not the fire." Adrien's cock, free from his jeans, sprung up against his belly. Rhoam took it in hand. It fit perfectly in his fingers. He pressed his mouth to the head, enjoying a brief taste of Adrien's pre-cum.

Unlike anything he'd ever tasted before in his entire life.

Rhoam moaned just as Adrien did, but for an entirely different reason.

"You are the second man I have tasted like this." Rhoam felt the need to confess it without understanding why, but he did not question it. He continued. "You taste wonderful. I would keep tasting you for the rest of your life if you would let me."

Adrien nodded, likely not understanding the significance of the words, but Rhoam supposed he'd made himself clear enough when they had been outside with Adon.

"Tell me you want this."

Adrien nodded again. "Y-yeah. I want you. So fucking much. But, God, I'm so sorry, can you just turn off the fireplace. It's romantic and everything but I'm going to pass out from the heat."

Rhoam chuckled at the words of his mate, but he did as the man asked.

He would see soon enough that it wasn't the heat of the fire that did this to him, and there was nothing to be done about their body temperatures other than to give into what their instincts demanded.

"Better?"

Adrien nodded, even though there was no way he could feel a difference. He likely assumed he would feel a cooling off in the next couple of moments.

"Good. Now, I would like to get back to mastering this new art. You make a lovely canvas."