A Bride for the Water God (Divine Dragons 1)

The palace interior was a maze, a beautiful ocean themed maze. Calder left me in the hands of servants who appeared to be some type of water spirit. Their forms were ethereal and wavered as if they were water made flesh, barely bound by the skin containing them.

In a large bathing chamber, connected to the bedroom I’d woken up in, the water spirits filled a massive shell shaped tub with steaming water, oils and soaps. There was something in the room they called a toilet, an advanced version of the chamber pots and outhouses back home. The water spirits said royalty in other parts of the world had all sorts of the latest commodities and the gods always wanted the newest developments.

The thought of a dragon using a toilet was funny. When I settled into the water with curling tendrils of steam and frothy bubbles, I was delighted at its size. Calder could have fit easily in the bath right next to me—

I shoved my knees together under the water.

Why was I thinking about him in the bath with me? He’d have to be naked, as would I, and we’d still be pressed close together.

I knew I wasn’t mistaken earlier when I saw the lewd desire in his eyes and that draconic mouth hovering too close to my center. The Water God would have licked me there.

A coil of heat twirled through the bottom of my core, throbbing between my thighs. It was deranged, erotic, and maddening to feel aroused by a dragon. Yet there I was imagining what it would have felt like if that split, ridged blue tongue had entered me.

If his tongue was different, I wondered what other parts of him were. Parts that were lower…

Did dragons even have cocks?

Oh shit, did I want to find out?

My bathwater never grew cold. Maybe it was Calder’s magic, or some trick from the water spirits. Either way, I almost didn’t want to get out once I was scrubbed clean.

The water and whatever was added to it also had healing properties. Each scratch and bruise from my journey over the waves and battle with rusalka had melted away, leaving unblemished brown skin once more. Even the dark circles under my eyes and the gaunt look to my face had eased.

I didn’t look as malnourished as I had when the wedding dress was cinched into place. Although I was still too thin compared to the year before. The only asset my body held onto through the drought and starvation was my—well, my ass. Still full and perfectly round.

Sitting still while the water spirits dressed me for the Water God’s feast reminded me of my last hours in my village. My mind drifted back in time, remembering the elders pinning the veil to my hair and knotting the dress so tight it was a miracle I drew breath.

And I remembered my little sister being held back in the doorway, weeping because she wasn’t allowed to come to me.

A tear burned at the back of my eye. I rapidly blinked it away, crushing down all sentiment and emotion regarding my village. The Water God asked me to trust him, and I truly wanted to. I needed to believe that my people were alright now that I was here.

The spirits brushed my hair back into a bun atop my head and used scented oil to slick back the short hairs at my hairline. They adorned my ears and arms with pale seashell and pearl jewelry that contrasted against my darker skin.

The dress was sky blue and felt like clouds kissing my skin. The halter neck was braided, and the plunging neckline showed off the valley of my breasts. A matching braided rope belted around my waist with the frayed ends dangling between the twin slits running up my thighs to show off my legs.

A perfect dress for an evening with a dragon on the beach.

My dragon husband.

That thought sent an illicit, forbidden thrill rushing through me. Once again, I thought back to his nose on my slit as he inhaled my scent. He knew I was aroused in that moment, even if I thought I was dreaming.

Would the Water God want to experience pleasure with me?

Did I want to fuck a dragon?

Guided out through the bedroom and back outside, I was stunned to find the beach outside the palace had been transformed so quickly, and so beautiful.

Vibrant streaks of purple, orange, and blue highlighted the horizon over the shimmering sea. The golden orb of the sun descended towards the water, like a ship slowly sinking into the depths. Blue and green glowing lanterns cast an otherworldly, hazy glow along the path to the shore.

The water spirits held back, leaving me to continue on my own.

I almost tripped when I saw a rounded table of carved driftwood on the beach. It was stacked high with foods I’d never seen before. It was enough to make my stomach protest at being empty for so long.

And standing by the table, the magnificent, towering Water God wearing a gold trimmed blue toga. Wearing it over one shoulder gave him room and mobility for his wings.

Calder’s wings fluttered almost imperceptibly when I stepped onto the sand. The tip of his finned tail swished as the only other outward expression. Until the side of his lip twitched, arching into a devilishly hungry smirk.

“You are a beautiful little rabbit, aren’t you?” he intoned, once more holding a hand out for me.

My smaller hand slipped into his, and his large, toned fingers curled around mine, engulfing my hand completely. The sheer size and strength of him made something quiver and break in the core of my being.

I swallowed over a lump of nerves in my throat and met the Water God’s heady stare. “And you’re a handsome lizard,” I blurted.

Calder’s eyes flared and his mouth curled as more of his addictive laughter filled the air. I’d say any ridiculous quip that popped into my head just to hear him laugh all night.

“I’m glad you think I’m handsome.” Calder pulled out a driftwood chair for me and pushed it in when I sat. “Maybe this marriage can be more than a transaction.”

“More than a sacrifice,” I said, referring to myself.

“You’ve been more than to me since the moment I sensed you in my waters, Marilla. Something about you draws me in, and I can’t put my finger on it.”

He sat in the seat across from me, and I was pleased that the table was short and round. We were close together, and I craved to be near him. There was an odd tugging sensation in my chest that felt like a rope, and the Water God was tied to the other end. My body tipped toward him as if we were magnets destined to be pulled toward one another.

A warm sensation slipped over my ankle. My eyes rounded as I realized the tip of Calder’s tail was caressing my leg under the table.

Maybe it was presumptuous, but his words made me wonder if he felt the same. There were parts of him that unconsciously reached for me.

Even his wings flared and rippled toward me, as if they wanted to wrap around me and pull me into an embrace.

“I feel the same. Although you scared me when I first woke up, I’ve enjoyed being around you since then.” Calder filled my plate as I spoke, piling it high with meats, vegetables, and fruits I’d never seen before. And water. An enormous glass of cold water. “I think a normal person would be terrified of you, but you’re surprisingly easy to be around.”

He chuckled. “It’s because I have a sense of humor. I’m the funniest one of my brothers.”

“The other gods,” my voice pitched a tad higher with my interest. “Will you tell me about them? There’s only so much that us small village people know.”

“Of course.” Calder wrapped his large, clawed hand around a goblet that smelled of tropical fruits and rum. He hummed, gazing out to the sea as he gathered what he wanted to say.

“You could tell me anything. Or even talk about yourself first,” I offered.

“Would you like to know more about me, little rabbit?” The curve of his lips made my clit pulse.

I wanted to feel those lips sealing over my pussy and that monstrous tongue slipping inside me.

“Yes, I do,” I pushed out.

“Then I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” His smile was so warm, so charming, so handsome that I felt myself growing slick between my thighs. I didn’t think I’d make it through dinner without slipping out of my seat.

But I did.

I feasted on foods more flavorsome than anything I could have dreamed out before. Roasted meat covered in herbs, vegetables smothered in garlic and butter, fresh fruits that were ripe, juicy, and cold. And I swallowed a jug of fresh water until I thought I heard a slosh every time I shifted in my seat.

And I shifted in my seat a lot.

Calder told me of his brothers, the other gods. Ronan ruled over the mountains, nature, and animals. Amun Ra was the god of the sun and light. Zephyros ruled the wind and music, and occasionally shared storms with Calder. Then there was the fifth brother they hardly spoke about or to; the God of Death.

The Water God told me about his rule over not just the seas and all waters over the globe, but the moon as well. Each full moon, he was bound to his colossal dragon form and roamed the seas. He was here in the palace when he wasn’t in his larger-than-life dragon god form.

Over dessert, sampling cakes and pies and tarts and cookies, I told him of my life in the village. Helping my parents on the farm all my life until the rain stopped, and the crops shriveled away. I told him of my caring mother, my daring father, and my delicate little sister.

I put down my fork when I realized that while I was feasting with a god, they might still be starving and going to bed on an empty stomach.

Ever the astute dragon husband, Calder noticed the change in me. He picked his head off the back of his head where he’d been raptly listening to me talk, hanging onto my every word. His eyes thinned as he watched the sorrow settled over my features.

“Are you thinking of your family again?”

I nodded, pushing the fork with my finger. I was too full to take another bite, anyway.

“I feel guilty for indulging in such splendid food when they are suffering,” I admitted.

“But they aren’t suffering,” he let slip.

My eyes snapped up, and Calder snapped his head away. He glared out over the ocean as if mentally reprimanding himself.

“What do you mean?” I asked, voice slow and careful.

His wings stretched out, and he sighed, “You must trust me, Marilla. Everything will be alright.”

And I realized I wanted to. I wanted to trust him and believe that their sacrifice, my sacrifice, hadn’t been in vain. I wanted to know that my family was thriving and happy back in our village.

My heart swelled, brimming with joy as I knew at the pit of my being that it was true. I don’t know how I knew it, but I knew they were going to be alright and healthy once again.

I studied Calder, the fearsome, laughing Water God. Something about him and the magical island was affecting me, I was sure of it. But I didn’t mind the change.

Maybe it was the goblet of rum I’d finally had after my fill of water, but my spirit was elated, and my body was warm and tingly. I couldn’t stop staring at the magnificence of the dragon god illuminated by the increasing moonlight.

And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to go back to that moment when his mouth had been between my legs and his tongue inches from tasting me.