STORY EXCERPT

Lyra ran as fast as her strong legs would carry her and her bare feet could cross the forest floor. She had heard stories of the Fire Beasts. They stole. They killed. She knew Daene was fast on her heels, and if she were completely honest with herself, she knew he could overtake her at any time. Perhaps he was toying with her. She had heard the nature of the Fire Beast was cruel. His blood red eyes flashed in her mind.

Fear robbed her of air. Her chest grew tight. She could never outrun a Fire Beast, and perhaps, Daene knew that. He was merely running her aground. She would run until she could run no more. She would fight for her life, weaponless if need be.

“Lyra, please stop!” he called to her, sounding as if the run was having no affect on him whatsoever, and it probably wasn’t. He wasn’t natural. Her father had told her the Fire Beasts had been wiped out.

Two strong arms encircled her waist, causing her to crash to the forest floor. Lyra kicked instinctively when they both landed on their side. One of his strong, long legs trapped hers. Propping himself on one arm, he used the other one to pin her down across her chest.

“Listen to me, Lady Prince,” he puffed lightly into her ear. Lyra hated the thrill of excitement winding through her. She had no excuse earlier when she responded to his kiss. But now, she knew what he was, and still…

“How dare you make demands of me!” she hissed as she wiggled to get free. All it accomplished was the feeling of his aroused manhood nestled against her backside.

“You made an agreement, Lyra.” He said her name in a taunting manner, stretching it out for emphasis. “Has the daughter of a king no honor in her word?”

“Honor?” Lyra barked. “You are an abomination! You are a thief and murderer by nature. It’s in your blood. How dare you speak to me of honor?”

Daene immediately released her, pushing her away as if she were the offending creature. She rolled and pounced onto her feet to face him. The moonlight barely entered in the forest, but it was enough to see his now-garnet eyes which revealed his nature and desire. He shook his head slowly, as if he were dealing with a dumb child.

“You’ve no right to speak of me or my people in that manner. You know nothing of my people except the lies that were taught to you. Yes, I am what you call a Fire Beast. My people prefer the name Draegonii.” The same thermal air whirled around them, violently this time. “It means descendent of the Dragon.” Lyra could feel the anger in him take life. His hair fluttered wildly, the multicolored strands now looking like living fire.

“You call me an abomination, yet it was your ancestors who tried to destroy what they coveted and could not obtain for themselves. It was your people who murdered mine and sent us into hiding. We are as natural as the air you breathe. Go back on your word, Lady Prince. I expect no less from the offspring of man. My people have been deceived by them before.” Daene turned sharply, walking away in long strides. Instantly, the warm swirling air died.

“Deceived by you?” Lyra called after the fast retreating figure. “You lived among the humans as if you were human. Yet, you are dragon. You want to talk deception?” Lyra gasped softly when Daene stopped midstride and turned slowly to face her. Lyra had the feeling she had pushed the powerful shifter too far.

“Let us talk deception,” he said quietly, his voice falling into a low growl-like state. “You stand there as if you are repulsed by the very sight of me, yet I smell your arousal. Even now, as you stand there wallowing in self-righteousness, you want me still. Tell me, Lady Prince, will you be honest, or will you try to further deceive me and deny this?” While he spoke, he’d walked toward her so slowly that she didn’t realize he had advanced upon her until his dark red eyes looked down at her in challenge. Lyra willed herself not to step backward.

“You have used whatever supernatural abilities you have on me.” Lyra sniffed. “I remember the stories quite well growing up. Dragons can’t seem to resist seducing a vir—” Lyra clamped her mouth closed as she realized what she was about to reveal. It was too late. The slow smirk that started at one corner slowly made its way over to his very sensual mouth.

“Well now, that clears things up for me. No wonder you smelled so intoxicating,” he said, looking down at her as if she were a meal. “It has been a long time since I found myself in the presence of a virgin worthy of a dragon lover.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Lyra said in a haughty manner crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Dragons can’t seem to resist seducing a virtuous woman.”

Daene looked at her incredulously before he threw his dark head back and let out a loud guffaw. Lyra found the sound oddly pleasing, and a smile began to flirt about her lips. She had to look away from the sight of this handsome man-dragon laughing. It pulled at her, made her want to see him laugh more in her company.

“If nothing else, humans can construe words to suit their purpose.” He wiped a tear of merriment from his eye and took a deep breath before he began again. “I will not hold you to your word, Lyra. I will find another way to achieve my goal. Good night.” He turned his back and walked away from her, still chuckling.

Lyra sat on the ground and played with a twig. Regardless of what he was, she had agreed to a bargain, and he had kept up his end. She was of royal blood, and whether she was a practicing royal or not, it had been drilled in her that her word was her honor. She would be everything the common people accused royalty of being if she went back on her word, simply because of what he was. Lyra was not discriminating and self-serving.

Fire Beast. Even as the word reverberated through her mind, it didn’t dampen the attraction she had for him. If he wasn’t natural, was her desire for him unnatural as well? It felt real, and it came easily enough. She’d never felt such a strong pull to any man before. Worse, she had insulted him. After convincing herself the only reason she was going back was honor alone, she made her way slowly to his camp. The least she could do was hear him out.

ADULT EXCERPT

Lyra reached up and touched the black hair with the boldly colored tips. It felt different from human hair. The strands were thicker and silkier. Lyra ran her fingers through his hair until she lightly grazed his scalp with her nails. A low rumble seemed to come from his chest, and he pulled her tighter against him.

His skin warmed, sending jolts of warm energy through her body. She could feel the wetness between her legs as he ground his erection against her. Their tongues dueled as they tasted each other greedily. Daene pulled her down to the lush green grass. His body hovered over hers on all fours as he broke the kiss to look down at her. His eyes had bled back to red.

“You are playing with fire, Lady Prince,” he said unsteadily as he leaned down and placed a hot kiss on the side of her neck. His tongue trailed down until it entered the valley of her breasts. He bit lightly into the fleshy globe that was exposed through the cut of the vest.

“I am not the one testing theories,” Lyra responded, wondering where her resistance went when it came to him. She would lose her virginity to this thief and murderer if she weren’t careful. “Now, if you are done, remove yourself.”

Daene looked down at her and then smiled wickedly at her. Lyra knew his look meant trouble. He balanced himself on one arm, and Lyra watched with wide eyes as he reached his hand down his pants and pulled his very erect cock over the band of the breeches. Lyra stared in shock at the large, exposed member. The bulbous head had one single clear drop on its surface.

“Is this what you meant?” His tone was innocent. His look was pure devilry.

It was the first cock Lyra had ever seen. She knew men had them, knew what they did, yet she had never seen one. She had heard experienced women talk bawdily about the private parts of men, but she had never dreamed they were so big and absolutely beautiful. Her mouth went dry, and something clenched deep in her belly as she stared at it.

“So this is how I render you speechless. I thought perhaps there was only way to stop the flow of sharp words from your beautiful mouth,” he murmured. Using one finger, he gathered the moisture from the tip of his cock and smoothed the finger across her lips. Without thought, Lyra ran her tongue across her lip. He tasted both salty and sweet.

Daene’s eyes began to flare brighter as he watched her. He seemed hypnotized by the sight of her licking her lips. “Let me taste you, Lyra,” he pleaded, gently looking into her eyes. “Give me the pleasure of your taste.” Lyra was stunned by her own behavior. When he began to move down her body, she could not find her voice to stop him.