Fight (The Aurora Marelup Saga Book 3)

January

I have decided that I am not leaving Aurora’s side unless she asks me to. I’m concerned for her safety and especially her health while carrying her first child. Ulrich is still stirring up trouble on occasion, causing minor incidents periodically. I have a feeling that fucker is going to try something when we least expect it. Little does that rat bastard know, I’m constantly expecting it.

This morning, I’m escorting Aurora into the throne room for the typical first week of the month meet and greet with the local nobles. Alaric is overseeing the training of the troops for the next leg of our journey. Aurora has been in deep thought, receiving intel from other eagle shifters that she had me hire to work for her.

In the last few months, not only has she managed to locate Elena but she has been tracking her movements. If I know Aurora, she’s plotting to attack Elena the minute she’s healed from giving birth to her daughter. Two War Dragons have answered Aurora’s call to arms; they remain in the corners of the throne room, acting as extra security for her.

I’ve personally vetted these two and remember them from Anca’s rule. It’s interesting to know the same two War Dragons that used to escort Anca now watch over Aurora. They are loyal to a fault; they have also confirmed my suspicions that Vladimir still lives in the old castle. He’s disfigured from Nicodeamus’s fire, but alive, sadly.

Ulrich is back in the throne room, starting shit again about having his title stolen by a mutt. Aurora looks at both of the War Dragons and halts them in their progress towards Ulrich. “You still haven’t learned, Ulrich? I am of two royal lines and two mighty species. Your ass will never sit upon this throne as long as any of my bloodline or my mates breathe. Stand down and live, proceed and die,” Aurora states in a very bored tone. Her hand rests upon the swell of her stomach. She looks to be the size of a woman that’s five months along now.

I move slowly around the room, positioning myself not far behind Ulrich, just in case he gets stupid enough to try anything. From somewhere behind me, I hear a rustling and a click. Before I can react, a dart goes whizzing past me, right at Aurora. Ulrich side steps it shortly after the click, proving he knows about it.

Aurora’s shifted hand comes up without missing a beat, and the dart bounces off her heavily armored scales. A single nod of her head sends the War Dragons into action; they grab the man behind me and Ulrich. Son of a bitch, Aurora was aware of the plot to assassinate her. Jayce and Dominik come bursting into the room fully shifted, as well as a fully shifted Klaus.

Aurora rolls her eyes at the three of them, then bows her head to me. “Dimitri and his elite guard had me protected.” Aurora raises her shifted hand, makes a fist, and holds it over her heart, slightly bowing her head to each of us in turn.

“Bring forth the assassin and his boss.” Dominik and Jayce take their place on either side of Aurora, Klaus stations himself off to the side, watching in his Lycan form.

“Do either of you have anything useful to say in your defense?” Aurora tilts her head to the left, then to the right, studying both of them. Her beast’s faint white glow fills her eyes. Slowly, they bleed liquid mercury with black dragon slits. I’m already signaling for Klaus to leave and get food.

Ulrich starts laughing to the point of tears rolling down his cheeks. “Child, I have lived longer than you and shall continue to outlive you for centuries to come. You can’t touch me!” There is his fatal mistake. Aurora’s eyes move to Jayce and give him a nod. Jayce lunges forward and bites deeply into Ulrich’s calf, injecting his toxin into Ulrich’s bloodstream. Jayce moves back and rests his head on Aurora’s lap to be petted.

“You know what, Ulrich, you’re right. I don’t have to touch you to kill you. That tightness you feel in your chest is from my mate’s toxin. It’s slowly causing your platelets to explode, and it’s increasing your clotting factor. So, in a short, ten or so minutes from now, you’ll be one huge blood clot; your body will be deprived of oxygen and your lungs will collapse from increased pressure.” A wicked grin graces Aurora’s ruby lips as she watches Ulrich starting to look panicked.

“The best part? I didn’t have to get dirty, and you die a horrible death, just like the horrible person you are.” Aurora smiles sweetly at Ulrich as she watches him die slowly with sadistic glee. She is definitely her great-grandmother’s descendant; the original Blood Queen would be pleased with her bloodline right now.

Aurora’s eyes slowly move to lock with mine, and in my mind, I see what she wants me to do. I reach over, taking the assassin away from the War Dragons, then drag him before Aurora. I shift my right hand, allowing my bear’s claws to be seen. I press them to the man’s throat as he begins to beg for his life. He spills every ounce of information he has within his memory. As he confesses, Aurora has the War Dragons empty out the throne room. The assassin names every aristocrat that has anything to do with the plot against Aurora.

I can tell by the way her eyes look, she’s letting Nicodeamus and Alaric see through her eyes. They see and hear what she’s hearing—scary yet effective for communicating over long distances. Aurora snaps out of her trance and issues a kill order for all those named. The twins rapidly tear out of the room. Alaric is waiting with the Black Dragons for those that try to escape.

Me, I get the pleasure of decapitating the assassin. Slowly, I begin to apply pressure to his soft, thin neck. Second by second, I watch his flesh flex then break under my claws. Rivulets of blood begin to roll down his pale, white flesh. There’s a gleam in Aurora’s eyes as I take my time carrying out her orders. I can tell Aurora is pleased as my claws cut first through his windpipe, then his esophagus. The assassin begins to struggle harder in my grip as blood leaks into his lungs.

A slight nod is given by Aurora—playtime is over. His head falls free off of his shoulders and rolls across the floor, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Aurora smiles, watching his head roll across the floor like a beachball. Carefully, she leans over and grabs a drum stick off the tray that Klaus has left her.

“Not bad for a Monday, D. Two dead in the throne room, and another nine to die by any means possible. Eleven really isn’t a horrible amount, I honestly was expecting it to be much worse.” Aurora smiles as she stands up, stretching carefully.

I have to admit, she’s even more beautiful pregnant. Her curves are fuller, and that ass, damn, I just want to bite it and slap it a few times to watch it jiggle. Aurora raises an eyebrow at me, then looks down at my cock. Fucking traitor! I roll my eyes and offer her my hand to help her down. Quickly, she shifts her hand back to human and takes my hand in hers.

Aurora is still smirking at me as we walk. Damn my cock for giving away my thoughts. I lead Aurora back to her part of the private chambers. Her eyes cautiously dart around her room before she enters. I truly wish she didn’t have to worry so much right now. Aurora should be just enjoying her pregnancy, not watching for assassins at every turn.

‘I’m going to draw you a nice hot bath so you can relax some. It’ll be good for you and the baby.’ Slowly, Aurora nods and follows me into her vast bathroom. I swear her tub could be confused for a swimming pool.

I get the bath three-quarters of the way full when Aurora stops me. She’s standing next to me, completely naked. ‘Join me?’ she asks softly. I can see the fear of rejection in her eyes. I thank the gods for this chance, to have such a wondrous mate as I do. As I slowly nod my head, agreeing to join her, her face lights up.

Aurora’s small hand rests between my pecs as she backs me away from the tub. What is this girl up to? Aurora’s nimble fingers make short work of the buttons on my shirt. Her small hands glide up my chest to my shoulders as she slides the shirt off of me.

I never would have thought in all these years getting undressed could be so sensual. Aurora locks eyes with me, then tilts her head to the side, asking permission as her hands rest on my belt. This Alpha female, probably one of the strongest creatures in existence, is asking my permission. Again, I lightly nod my head, granting her permission. I feel like a teenager right now. My palms are sweaty, my heart is racing. Honestly, I’m scared I’m going to fuck this up.

Aurora, sensing my feelings, stops just as she undoes my belt. ‘You can tell me to stop, D, it’s okay. I know I’m being rather forward with you. I need you!’

Aurora looks up at me with those sad eyes, and it crushes me. I reach down and cup both of her cheeks, kissing her gently. My tongue dances at the seam of her lips, trying to gain access. Aurora opens her mouth to me. Our tongues dance and glide over one another, causing my cock to pulse with anticipation.

As we kiss, I lower my hands to rid myself of my pants and boxers. Quickly, I toe off my shoes and step out of my pants the rest of the way. Aurora starts to giggle at my antics, then her eyes go wide, looking at the size of my shaft. I smirk at her. Yeah, that is definitely a confidence booster.

I help Aurora carefully get into the tub and quickly follow in behind her. My bear is pushing, practically shoving me to claim her right now. I, on the other hand, have different plans. I slowly move her to the far side of the tub, where the stairs are. My hands slide under her arms, and I lift her effortlessly to sit on the top stair. Aurora raises an eyebrow at me, curious to see what I do next. I lean forward over her, the hair on my taunt abs lightly brushing her belly, making her giggle.

‘I’ll be gentle, I promise.’ My voice is rough with desire, my Romanian accent heavy, as I speak to her.

Lightly, I kiss her lips, then begin to kiss a trail down her body, painfully slow. I descend upon each breast as if I’m starving, sucking and flicking her nipple with my tongue. Aurora’s moans fill the air and drive me to do more. Her fingers thread through my thick hair, holding me to her breast. Her powerful thighs come up and attempt to wrap around me. After several moments, I kiss my way over to her other breast; she’s writhing beneath me, trying to shove me to where she wants me most.

It’s so odd to me to know that right now, she’s all mine. I have her full, undivided attention. I release her nipple with a pop. Ever so slowly, I kiss my way down her body, my lips feather-light on the swell of her stomach. I raise Aurora’s legs, one by one, and place them on my shoulders. She had admired my bear’s tongue earlier, I guess it’s time to show her what it can do. My bear and I are in full agreement: please Aurora, and make her scream our name.

I widen and lengthen my tongue to be close to that of my bear. I lower my head between Aurora’s legs, her feminine musk intoxicating to me. My tongue stretches out to its full length, and I lick her ever so slowly. Her sopping wet folds are as sweet as honey. I delve my tongue deep within her heated canal. Aurora gasps, then moans, sinking her fingers into my hair again. Aurora attempts to grind herself on my face. I pull back just enough to tease the tip of her clit with my tongue.

Her muscles jump under my fingers as she strains, trying to get me to apply more pressure. I give Aurora a cheeky grin as she stares at me, panting heavily. My eyes drift down to her weeping lips and I drag my index finger through her sticky, sweet fluids. As my eyes lock with Aurora’s, I feel my bear come to the surface. Ever so slowly, my tongue slides free of my parted lips to lick Aurora’s essence off my finger. Aurora’s mouth drops open, and her canines descend slowly; her nostrils flare, trying to catch more of my scent.

I lower my head again and lap at her wet folds, dining on the sweetness leaking from my mate’s hot, welcoming core. Aurora’s moans become louder the more I furiously work her clit with the flat of my tongue. Gently, I begin to probe her core with my fingers, stretching her, preparing her for my girth.

For several minutes I bring Aurora so close to orgasm, then stop, letting her body calm down some again. Most extended session of foreplay ever, it’s been nearly forty minutes and I’ve yet to allow her a single orgasm. Cruel? Yes, very. When I am truly ready for her to come, it will be glorious.

One more time, I lower my face and allow my tongue to lap at her sweet wet folds. I suck and nip at her sensitive flesh. I drop my right hand to lightly stroke my engorged cock. I ache horribly. As much as I’m prolonging this for Aurora, I am giving myself the worst case of blue balls in the history of the world. I know deep in my heart that the wait is well worth it. Hell, I’ve waited this long, right?

Aurora’s muscles begin to twitch and spasm. Just when I know she’s balanced on the precipice, I stop licking again. This time, I carefully slide my cock deep within her. Inch by inch, I take my time, sinking ever so deeply within my mate. Softly she gasps and grabs onto my biceps. I lower my head slowly and capture her lips in a gentle kiss.

I feel myself sink to the hilt, my balls resting against her ass. I give Aurora several moments, kissing her passionately, to allow her to adjust to my girth and length. We’re not called Great Bears for nothing. Obviously, it’s not just the size of our beasts but the size of our cocks as well. When I’m absolutely positive that Aurora is ready for me to move, I slowly withdraw almost all the way to the tip, just leaving the head of my cock within her. Painfully slow, I slide all the way back into the base again and gyrate my hips slightly. I have her full attention now. She’s clawing at my arms, wanting me to move faster. I’m more concerned for the babe’s well-being within her rather than rushing either of our orgasms.

Just to make her happy, I start to move slightly faster than I did before, keeping a steady rhythm and the perfect angle to hit all the right spots. Not that I like to brag but all those years of finding hook-ups and various bar sluts helped me to perfect the art that she’s now enjoying. It would be wise of me not to mention that to her because otherwise, she may go hunting yet again.

I feel her muscles tightening around my shaft, beginning those early movements just before her orgasm. I roll Aurora onto her side and throw her left leg over my shoulder and wrap her right one around my hip. At this angle, I’ve changed how I’m hitting her g-spot. Her orgasm almost instantaneously hits her with that one slight change. Her muscles crush down rhythmically hard upon my painfully engorged cock. I’m so close to blowing my own load, it’s not even funny at this point. I keep thrusting deep within her, mindful of the babe she’s carrying, not wanting to cause it harm.

Aurora screams fill her bathroom, echoing off the walls as if she is screaming bloody murder. Water is sloshing everywhere, coating the floor, the walls, and anything within reach of us. I hear the doorknob to the bathroom jiggle slightly, barely over the noises that she’s making. I look up, the amber-gold glow of my bear’s eyes are locked and focused on that door. Whoever is about to enter will know the true meaning of pain if we are disturbed.

Jayce apparently is the poor soul sent to make sure we are okay. I bare my teeth at him and growl deeply, threatening his life at this moment. His eyebrows shoot up in understanding, and he backs out of the room just as quickly as he arrived. At least one of the others was smart enough to send the Omega, who wouldn’t be perceived as a threat. Aurora is so lost in her sensations that she doesn’t even notice anything is going on around her.

I change the pace of our mating and roll her onto her back again. My arms band around her waist and her upper back; I lift her up as if she weighs nothing. I switch positions with her and sit on the seat, barely in the water, allowing her to straddle my lap and use the rail next to her for support. This new position has me buried so deep in her it takes several moments for her to adjust to it.

The faint glow of her beast’s eyes are starting to shine through. I know right now she is defenseless and unable to shift to protect herself. I pull her close to me and begin to nibble at her neck, spurring her on, trying to get her to start moving. My balls are drawn up so tight against my body, aching and begging for release. Aurora adjusts how she’s sitting, then begins to bounce as hard as she can, riding my cock for all it’s worth. I’m so close.

My large hands grip her ass cheeks, helping set the rhythm that I know will get us both off. Aurora doesn’t last long on top; she’s already starting to fatigue from the effort of carrying her own weight, plus that of her child. Good thing I’m really fucking strong, now isn’t it? I keep the momentum going and lean forward, just as I get to the point of release. I nuzzle her neck and move her hair away from her shoulder before sinking my canines in deeply, marking her as mine.

The minute my canines sink into her flesh, her orgasm hits her like a freight train. Aurora’s muscles begin to crush down and milk me for all that I’m worth; my seed pulses out in thick, streaming jets, filling her already full womb. Several seconds pass, and I’m in a complete state of bliss, then the burning, stinging sensation of her canines sinking into my flesh hits. I’ll be damned. I feel like a ruddy teenager, orgasming quickly for a second time, all because she bit me.

In my heart and soul, I feel the bond snap into place. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before in my entire existence. The first bond that Aurora and I shared was nothing like this. Oh, I feel her in my heart and soul. I can feel her emotions, her joy, her elation, and ever so faintly, I can feel the life within her.

I lick Aurora’s wound ever so gently, making sure that I help speed up the healing process. Aurora carefully withdraws her canines from my shoulder, then begins to lick it clean and kiss where she bit me. When she’s done, she leans forward and places her forehead against my throat, snuggling in to be close to me. I band my thick arms around her and hold her tightly, not wanting to let go. The water in the bath starts to cool, so my next step would be to maneuver us to the shower to clean up after our fun.

‘Baby? We need to go get cleaned up now,’ I say softly to Aurora.

‘If we must… I’m perfectly happy right here.’ Aurora kisses my neck, then wraps her arms around it.

I slide my arm under her ass and stand up carefully. I slowly head to the walk-in shower and turn on the water, waiting for it to get warm. Gradually, my flaccid cock escapes Aurora’s warm canal. She sighs softly and nuzzles in closer to my throat. A thump is felt against my abdomen; I believe it’s her baby that moved. Aurora lifts her head and looks at her stomach, then back at me.

“Did you feel that too?” she asks softly, almost whispering it to me.

I calmly nod my head at her and smile. “Thank you for that, my love. It’s truly a precious gift I’ve been blessed with.” I gently rest my hand on her stomach, about where I felt the baby move. We stand still for several moments. Eventually, the baby moves again. It’s a fantastic feeling, the baby’s soft bump against my hand, and the look of wonder upon Aurora’s face.

The accelerated gestational period because of being mostly dragon is intense. Three months is such a short period of time for her body to go through all its changes. Carefully, I carry Aurora into the shower and set her down. I know her favorite shampoo and conditioner by heart. I proceed to work her thick white hair into a good lather before rinsing it. I wash her hair at least twice how she likes it, then I massage in the conditioner, making sure not to get it up into her roots.

I reach for the washcloth when Aurora slaps my hand away. She looks up at me sternly, then points at the bench in the shower. “Sit!” is all she says. I comply quickly.

After all, I don’t want this little hellion angry at me. I watch her go through all of her different scrubs and washes. I swear, I think she bought out the damn store the last time we went shopping. Aurora settles on a Himalayan rock salt scrub, soap thing. I watch Aurora load up her loofa and move towards me. Is she seriously going to bathe me? My eyes widen in shock, and it causes Aurora to pause.

“Did I do something wrong, D? I just want to take care of you.” Aurora’s tone sounds defeated. Fuck, I don’t want her to feel that way.

I rise to my full height and bend down to kiss her lips ever so gently. “Never, Aurora. You haven’t done a thing wrong. I’m so used to taking care of you that the thought of you taking care of me shocked me. I’m sorry, love.” I lower my forehead to rest against hers, hoping she understands.

Just as we are having our moment, Alaric opens the shower door, his dragon eyes glowing as he looks at the two of us. I lift my head slowly and sigh. “I’ll leave you two alone, I guess.”

I prepare to leave the shower stall when Aurora’s little hand grips my wrist. “You will do no such thing. Go sit on the bench again.” Aurora pulls me back then gently shoves me towards the bench. Her head whips around to Alaric, who looks quite embarrassed at the moment.

Aurora takes his hands and places them on her stomach, remaining still for a few moments. I watch Alaric’s eyes widen, then look between Aurora and her belly. I have never seen Alaric smile so broadly in all this time. “We need to celebrate! Our daughter is quite active! Um, sorry for the disturbance!” Alaric spins to quickly leave when Aurora grabs his wrist and stops him. Her hand comes up and pulls on Alaric’s beard, getting him to lower his head. As he does, Aurora kisses him, then sends him on his way.

We take our time washing every single inch of each other. This one-on-one time is very much needed; it allows us to build a solid foundation outside of the guardian figure and child one we have developed over the years. Aurora and I take the time to dry and dress each other. In a sense, I have it easier than the others. But in another sense, I have it much harder. I was her sworn protector for over two hundred years. We return to the dining hall, hand in hand. Apparently, Alaric wants to celebrate his daughter’s first movements.