Their Mating Rituals [Paranormal Protection Unit 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) (7 page)

About a week or so,
Aiden told her honestly.
It won’t be a hundred percent but I’ll be able to get up and move around and the rest will heal in time.
Looking to Allister, he nodded. He was having a hard time holding the change, but he couldn’t do it with her that close. He might inadvertently hurt her, and that would kill him inside.

Moving to her side, Allister touched her hand. “He’s having trouble restraining the Dragon, little one. We need to move until he finishes the change and then you can come back and you can get to know his other form.”

“You won’t leave right away, right?” she asked with fear lightly tingeing her voice. She turned and looked down at Aiden. “Will you be able to still talk to me?” she asked softly. “In your mind? Will you still talk to me?”

“He’ll still be able to talk to you,” Allister said, gently pulling her up to her feet. Walking her to the kitchen, he held her gently but kept her close so she couldn’t run. “I’ll stay until you don’t need me anymore,” he promised and watched as Aiden rolled slowly and painfully to his side.

After a moment, they heard a low growl sound and then a pained sound as his body shifted into its Dragon form. Increasing dramatically in size, he snorted a small breath of fire before collapsing with his head on the bedding and his large body, wings, and tail on the heated floor of the warehouse. Big, black with hints of white, his brother was stunning with his yellow-green eyes. Looking down at Lina as she stood staring wide eyed he grinned. “You want to go and touch him?” he asked gently, softly.

Lina had watched it. She really had watched the transformation, but she couldn’t believe it. “Uhm.” She swallowed hard. “Aiden?” she whispered and let Allister walk her toward her man. He still hadn’t explained bond-mates, but she had enough from Allister to realize that it was like a true love kinda thing. One of those things that people dreamed of.

Still here, love,
he told her softly with an internal smile.
I won’t bite, little one. Come on over and sit down. I know I have a lot to still explain but it was damned hard to do while trying to keep this beast under control.

“All right.” She moved to the bed and sat down, reaching out and touching him as she did so. Her hand was shaking when she touched her hand to the scales that marked her bond-mate. “You are beautiful,” she admitted. “I never imagined that Dragons could be called such, but you are.”

Chuckling, Allister shook his head. “He’s slightly embarrassed at your choice of words,” he told her honestly.

Thank you for the compliment, little one,
Aiden said softly to her. Shifting his head, he peered at her out of his good eye and smiled faintly.
I know this is a lot to take in so quickly, Talina, and I’m sorry I couldn’t ease you into it.

“Meh,” she said with a shrug and smiled. “You are here, that’s all that matters. You will explain it to me now so that’s really all that matters.” And in the end it was. All that mattered was that they would be able to be together, and now that she knew, well now she could learn to accept. She looked to Allister. “I should be good. If I need anything how would I reach someone? If Aiden needs something, what do I do?”

Pulling out his cell, he handed it to her. “Speed dial the number sign and then one and you’ll get my bond-mate. We’ll come a-running. Otherwise feel free to use whatever you need to. Kitchen’s stocked, full bathroom, you should be just fine,” he reminded her quietly. Touching her cheek, Allister smiled. “He’ll tell you everything, but if you need clarification of any sort you let me know.”

“Don’t worry, if I need help I will either call or you will hear me screaming. In China,” she teased. “Thank you, Allister, for everything.” She then looked back down at Aiden and whispered, “And you are both very sure that this is what’s needed to make sure that you heal?” She knew she was questioning everything, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Very sure,” Allister told her honestly. “Our healing abilities work so much faster in this true form.” Rubbing her back, he got up. “Screech if you need me,” he said and then headed for the door to leave them alone.

She waited until they were alone to ask Aiden, “How long should you be like this, Aiden?” She murmured and stroked a hand down his scaled head, moving one direction only for fear of being cut if she went against the scale pattern. “And are you warm enough? There aren’t a ton of blankets but I could strip the bed and cover you as best as possible.” He was huge. Son of a biscuit, he was huge.

Chuckling softly, he closed his eyes.
It will be about a week, maybe a couple days more, but no longer than two weeks. There is no wound we can’t heal by the two-week mark. I’m plenty warm, sugar,
he teased with a grin.
I put out major heat, darling, even in human form, but in Dragon I’m a bloody furnace. Plus with the scales I don’t feel any temperature alterations at all.

“As long as you are sure.” She lay down on the bed so that she could watch him. “Are you comfortable with your head on the bed as it is? If you need, I can pull the mattress off so that I can lie down on the floor with you, honey. I really don’t care where I am, I just worry about you.”

I’m perfect just as I am. It hurts less if I lay with my head up like this. Don’t worry about me, sweetheart, but are you all right? I know you’ve had nothing but shock after shock since being drug into my world against your will. It can’t be easy,
he said quietly to her.

“No, it’s not easy. I swear I will likely lose my mind before this is over, but right now I’m good. Right now this is what I need, you. I know that you are in your Dragon form and all that, but I really and truly need to be able to have you here with me, at my side,” she whispered. “Just need you.” She swallowed. “I think for now though we should maybe take a nap?”

I think that might be best, little love. You are looking a bit peaked. Sleep for now,
he told her softly, wishing he could stroke her hair.
Snuggle in closer to me, tuck yourself under a bunch of blankets, and get some rest.

“That sounds like a very good idea to me.” Grabbing the blankets, she wrapped herself into them and curled in as close to him as she could get. “Good night, Aiden,” she whispered softly. “Rest well, darling. We will soon, very soon, talk more, but right now we both need sleep.”

Shifting his head in closer to her, Aiden closed his eyes.
I love you, Talina,
he whispered quietly.
Sleep well, my little angel.
He nuzzled at her hair with great care. Relaxing, he let out a shuddering breath before slipping into sleep.

“Are you certain that you feel up to shifting out of that form?” Lina had spent the last week with Aiden, locked in the warehouse room and thankfully, somehow, Talon hadn’t come to hunt his warrior down. So far. “I don’t want you to do it if you aren’t sure that you are ready to shift, if you aren’t healed, that is.”

Growling at her, Aiden flicked his tail and snorted a puff of smoke her way. Reaching for the human side, he shifted and, thankfully for Changers everywhere, they shifted back into whatever they last wore. In his case it had been a pair of scrub pants. Shaking his head, he moved toward her. “I’m fine, love,” he told her quietly.

Lina reached out and touched him. Her fingers caressed his now-healed cheek and she shook her head. “Amazing,” she whispered. “You are absolutely amazing. I can’t believe that you healed so perfectly.” I think that after you have had a shower and brushed your teeth you really, really should come back and hug me and then give me a kiss? I’ve been dreaming of your kiss.”

Growling softly at her, he snapped his teeth. “I’m also hungry, so be aware I may just start to nibble a little.” Pressing a kiss to her neck, he moved past her toward the bathroom. “Did Allister leave me any clothing?” he asked over his shoulder as he stepped into the bathroom and took a look at the remaining damage. Not too bad, a few bruises still fading, and overall he felt pretty good, if a bit stiff.

“He did,” she told him as she watched him walking, moving to follow him then. “I will get them if you would like,” she said and leaned against the wall. “While you are cleaning up I will fix us a meal so that you don’t feel the need to nibble on me, Aiden.”

“I will still nibble, darling,” he assured her, looking over his shoulder to her. Grinning, he eyed her up. “You are a very delectable treat, sweetness, and I very definitely want to take a bite out of you,” he teased. Grabbing a toothbrush, he put on some paste and, leaning into the sink, began to scrub.

While he was cleaning up she went to the kitchen, calling out, “I really hope that pot roast and potatoes sounds good. Allister said that you would need a great deal of protein, so it seemed like a good idea.”

Spitting, he rinsed his mouth. “Meat is good, always good actually,” he called to her before he eased the door shut a bit. Dropping the scrub pants that had bits of blood dried on them from before his change, he stepped into the shower. Yanking the taps on high, he let out a breath. Gods, it felt nice to finally be able to actually have a bloody shower. Scrubbing his hair, he gave the rest of him a hell of a scrub, too, and found out where a few still not entirely healed bits were. Climbing out after a time, he checked his back in the mirror. Yep, those were going to leave some marks.

Lina knocked on the door a couple minutes later. “Are you all right?” she asked softly. “I felt a wave of hurt from you, love. You okay? I’m worried for you, darling.”

Turning his head, he smiled and pulled the door open more. “I’m good. I was just getting a look at what still needs to heal.” And what likely never would. Shifting to lean against the doorjamb, he picked up her hand and pulled her in closer to him. “I’m all fresh and clean,” he murmured. “Do I get a kiss now?” he teased with a grin.

“Oh, yes please,” she said with a smile and leaned in closer to him. Placing her hand on his bare chest, she popped up on her tiptoes and lifted her face to him. “Kiss me,” she whispered and tried to brush her lips to his again, desperate for a kiss.

Wrapping an arm around her, Aiden pulled her in closer and kissed her slowly. Using his other hand, he cupped her face to tip her head just right. Taking the kiss deeper, he slid his tongue to hers as he tasted her. She was divine, rich of flavor, and all his. Shifting, he pressed her to the vanity and then lifted her up to sit on the edge before moving in closer.

Lina wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him in even closer, tighter. She kissed him with everything that she had inside of her, pulling his taste deep into her soul and then when they parted she said, “More.” God, she wasn’t ready to stop, at all.

He slid his hands down her body slowly and inched them under her shirt. Brushing his fingers over her soft skin, he pressed a hand to her back, spreading his fingers wide. With his other hand he rubbed the backs of his fingers to her belly gently. “Soft,” he murmured quietly.

“And you are so very, very hard.” She all but purred when she let her hands teasingly trail over his naked chest and shoulders. “I will never get enough of touching you, never.” Which scared the bejesus out of her. “I still…” Turning her head to the side, she let his mouth trail over her neck and shoulder, gripping him tightly between her thighs as she did so and moaning. “Oh God, that feels so good.” She had completely lost track of what she had been going to say as his teeth traced over her neck.

Nipping at her flesh, he slid his tongue over her skin gently. “You taste like the sweetest of treats,” he whispered. Cupping her bottom, he lifted her against him and walked her toward the bed. Easing down gently with her under him, he settled between her legs and pushed at her top. “Off,” he demanded.

Lina peeled out of her top and then undid the clasp at the front of her bra to slide it off as well. She knew that on her left breast there was the strangest of birthmarks, so she paused and kept the lace in place. “I guess I can now understand my birthmark,” she whispered and peeled out of her bra. There was a large Dragon on the lower curve of her breast with a tail that all but wrapped around her nipple. She watched him watching her. “Could never understand this one, but I suppose that it’s a part of having the father that I do?”

Stroking the mark, he smiled slightly and nodded. “The Royal line all have one, not necessarily in the same place, but they have it.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips to her birthmark and slid his tongue along the tail to her nipple. “I have to say,” he breathed out huskily, “yours is much prettier than his is.”

That had her shuddering, and she felt her breasts pimple with gooseflesh. “Again,” she whispered. “Please, because I really liked that, a lot.” Which was the truth. She really and truly loved the feeling of his tongue against her flesh. “Oh my,” she said happily. “Oh God, honey, please.” She knew that he needed to eat. God, she knew he needed to eat, but right now all she wanted to do was hold onto him and love him.

Sliding his tongue over her skin again, he flicked her nipple lightly. Smiling when she shivered, he slipped a hand up to cup her lush flesh. “So damned pretty,” he breathed out. Squeezing gently, he took her nipple deep into his mouth and suckled slowly. Gently he scraped his nails over the body of the Dragon and slowly down over her belly. Slipping a finger down under the waist of her pants, he stroked the top of her mound lightly.

Lina pressed her body up and against him once more and shuddered as she did so. “Aiden.” She sobbed his name. Oh God, she needed him, needed him and not to stop either. “We.” She kissed him again and wrapped a leg around his hips to drag him closer as she did so. “Need.” Another kiss. “God, we need to stop, baby, so you can eat.”

“Later,” he whispered against her mouth, sliding his hand into her pants, and cupped her. “First you need to scream.” He smiled and kissed her again. Sliding his tongue over hers, he pressed a finger into her pussy and stroked her slowly, rubbing against her inner nerves.