Creed Adam's nostrils flared, the veins in his neck pulsated each time he took a breath. Two of his warriors flanked his sides, each with furious looks. "You have not reported to me in three days. You have not relieved any of the posts of my warriors. I gave you two days to do what you want after killing those dark fairies, yet you continue to test my patience."

The warriors flanking him looked to their Alpha, then to me, upset that I would leave those dragons sitting in their spots for hours. Guarding the territory was easy. Your dragon takes over, and he watches for any incoming unwanted species. Adam was acting like I left in the middle of a battle, which I obviously didn't then long ago, and I wouldn't now.

"If I didn't make that stupid promise to our mother," he sauntered closer, his muscles rippling across his chest. The other warriors gave a crooked smile, thinking they would get a show.

There was no promise to our mother. I wanted to shout at him. He let her die, thinking he would never agree to such a thing. I was the only one who promised to try, get along with my half-brother and be there for the sake of the tribe. Now Adam, a snake with his words, turns them like he always does.

"Let's go, Creed, a good lashing to show your respect to your Alpha might do you good. I've been more than lenient over the years, and you know it."

If I had my voice.

I stood my ground, dragon growing in my chest. The ground shook, and the warriors stood back. Since knowing Odessa, I had not magnified my power before, but now I had someone to fight for... her. My mate was still sleeping in the cave, day three, and there was no sign of wakening.

Amora had just visited a few minutes prior, checking on my mate, who I had been pacing the nest for days.

"Odessa is fine, Creed, she was human, and she was weak beforehand. She isn't like Princess Sadie changed. She was royalty and wolfless. Wolves' blood ran through her; nothing ran through Odessa's veins except her own human blood. Odessa is breathing; her body is changing. Look," she pointed to her shoulders. "Her body is filling out, muscles appeared, and damn, she's got some breasts going on," I growled, but Amora only growled back playfully.

"I suggest," Amora covered Odessa with the furs, "take her back to the Elven Territories. Adam is planning on coming here...."

Adam's growl let go of my thoughts of my mate. He was now in front of me, nose to nose. He was expecting me to bare my neck in submission. It was why the other dragons were here to watch and witness my submission and power. Adam chose the wrong day.

My dragon hissed back, my tongue flicking into the air, smelling the anxiety roll off of him. It trickled to his own feet that went backward. "Fine," he hissed. "Bring him with us," he ordered the other dragons.

Amora, whom I had told to leave to save herself, stood by in the brush, watching. Her scent was covered, but her heartbeat pounded loudly for my ears along with Odessa's, who thumped quietly.

Plumes of smoke trailed instantaneously. My dragon barely had time to bring the smoke back into our body. Our teeth attached to the first warrior's throat so quickly the other stood back, howling for mercy. With one flick of my neck, the warrior would be dead, along with its mate.

"Mercy, mercy!" his dragon wailed, looking at his Alpha. Adam scoffed in disgust, transforming into his dragon. I shouldn't give this warrior mercy. I remember his face as fledglings and how he mocked me, toyed with me, and Adam. Let me suffer at the hands of the elders as they whipped me for just existing. Snarling, I let him go.

"Remember this day," my dragon's deep voice beckoned. "Because there will be not another." The warrior slumped back, the other dragon pulling him by his tail, running into the woods, not even daring to fly. Adam lunged at me before using proper battling etiquette was produced, grabbing me by the shoulder.

My roar halted even the birds in the trees from chirping, talons now descending, grabbing his back slicing his back right down the middle of his spine. Letting go, he reared his ugly head, claws scraping down my chest as I reared backward to stomp on his armored neck.

Scuffling heard behind me, Amora darted into the cave in my peripheral, and two other familiar elves came dashing to the bushes. No longer watching out for Odessa, my dragon howled again, taking the horns on my head, pushing him away from the cave and deeper into the forest. Trees trembled, feeling the heat of the fight. Adam's flames blew to the top of the trees while landing on his back. Burnt embers of limbs fell around us.

My claws sunk in deep into the belly of his stomach. Scratching him down his middle, his internals spilled to the forest floor. "Think of Mother!" He cried. "She's watching you. Think how disappointed she would be," his dragon wailed, shaking me off his body.

I faltered. Mother would be disappointed, disappointed I didn't fix things with my brother. Had I not tried hard enough? Did I just let him treat me like his prey all these years to get some sympathy from him? It only grew worse by the day. After their death, the floggings I took as a human still weren't enough to sate his anger.

My claw let his stomach go one more inch, and his heart would have fallen from his body. His dragon pulled in his innards, his dragon healing him remarkably fast, even for an alpha. My body continued to heal more slowly, my feather-like hair standing on edge.

"You have betrayed your tribe, brother," he spat. "The tribe will come for you," I growled, teeth-gnashing towards him. I should have finished the job and asked for mercy later, but what's done is done. Adam hobbled toward the direction of the tribe. I followed him. I watched Amora stumble from the other side of the encampment, acting she was there all along.

Dragons ran to him, their eyes wide with worry with their Alpha torn to bits and shifting back into his human form. "Creed," he breathed. "Gone mad." Harsh whispers entered the crowd. "Creed hasn't fought back in so many years. Why now?" One questioned.

"He's waited for the right time," he wheezed. "Creed has grown strong. He caught me off guard." The two warriors that had fled looked at each other and into the direction of the forest. Their eyes met my dark, fiery ones. They both shook, stepping back. Licking my lips, feeling the blood of my half-brother, I flew back to my cave.

It was best to leave. The Elven territory was our best bet until I found something better. Still, when I arrived, the cave was empty, along with the clothing Amora had brought. My dragon shifted halfway out of the cave and raced to find her smell. Amora was not with Odessa. She was back in the tribe.

It was undeniable. Her citrus scent led me right back to where we started. Landing in the middle of the meadow, I could not control my dragon. He growled at each elf that tried to explain, but he would not hear it. Pounding on an invisible mirror, I couldn't reach control. The beast slammed into tables pushed into trees until Glinda threw a vial into the beast's roaring mouth until I could remember no more.

But now, lay here, feeling the fire touches of my mate, the darkness surrounds me, but every inch of my skin is crawling. She's there, I feel her, but she was so far away from me at the exact moment. Her hands, the coldness of the cloth she held while washing my body, gave me chills. My dragon purred in delight at how delicate, how carefully she held my hand, arm, and even feet. Gods, she touched my feet like they were to be worshiped.

Wake up.

A blanket was tucked around me. I wanted to scream in protest until her fingers petted my hair around my chest and lower and lower still. Gods, what was she doing to me? My dragon growled, feeling her fingers inch towards what I wanted. My dragon, being selfish and greedy, lunged forward inside me, flinging my eyes open wildly, grabbing her dainty wrist.

Odessa's heart jumped from her chest, but not enough time to scream. Her light laugh held a 'whoops,' she likes to say when she has made a mistake, but there was no mistake in her hands. My dragon had control of me. I could barely get the movements of my body under control, but then did I want to?

My dragon, my beast, was possessive. He wanted her repeatedly as we had waited at least three days for her to wake. If I had known it would have taken so long for the venom of my teeth to change her, if I knew anything at all, I would have played with her until my dragon was almost sated.

Flipping her to her back, my hand trailed up her thigh, my nose flaring at her arousal. She had cleaned herself, perfumed with her natural scent.

"Creed, are you getting greedy?" Odessa huffed a laugh. My lips fell upon her sucking them hard. Her body arched to touch my torso, her nipples pebbling under the heat of my skin. My cock was tight. It was going to burst. There was no time for foreplay. My dragon wanted to claim her again.

My shaft inserted into her wet folds. She moaned heavily, gripping onto my freshly braided hair. Pulling and tugging, my thrusts were hard and fast. My elbows laid parallel with her body, my hands reaching around her shoulders, pulling her into me with each blow.

"Oh god!" Her mouth hung open. My shaft wanted to be in two places at once, but god, her tight flower, had me melting. My heavy undercarriage slapped her wetness, causing slapping noises to her body. "Just like that, oh!" Changing the angle of my thrust, her core tensed around me, sucking me into her body. My seed pushed deep inside her, grunting as it continued to release.

My dragon wasn't done.

My shaft did not release enough. It was hard again in an instant, my seed spilling from her. "More," she whispered, my fingerprints now marred her white skin. It was true; her body had changed, the beautiful bruises on her hips faded, causing my dragon to growl lowly in satisfaction.

"I want more of you." her breath was angelic. She smiled, sitting up, rubbing my chest seductively. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I need more of you." The twinkle of lust caught my eye.

Flipping her over, she yelped, her ass now facing towards me. I wanted a better look at her backside, and now I was going to have it. Her plump back end was white as pearl, and my dragon too control taking our hand coming down harshly with a loud slap. Odessa's head popped up, her head looking over her shoulder. "Did you just?" her voice trailed, redness flushed my cheeks, but the handprint on her plump rear had my dragon ready to pound into her.

By gods what did my dragon do?

"I liked it," her whisper was barely audible. Her thick lashes fluttered at me, afraid to meet me in the eye. Growling, I slapped one more time, hearing her moan my name. "Why does it feel good?" her head rolled back, hair tickling down her back.

By gods, I didn't know either, but it had me ready to spill any second. Pulling her hips towards me, I parted her, my shaft still coated with our bodies' essence. Not giving her a chance, I slipped my cock inside her. Odessa was tighter in this position, and my dragon worried he wouldn't fit. "Harder," Odessa begged. "I can take you," her sweet voice had me reeling. We had both come so far. For her to trust me with such a gift.

Pushing farther, she groaned, pushing back, so my member was buried deep. "Move, Prince Charming, I can't stand it," her torso sunk lower to the bed, her rear pushing upwards. Groaning, I pulled her out and back into her body, watching my body disappear into hers. Meeting me thrust for thrust, her body spasmed several times, coating me until my own release came. I roared louder than when I marked her. My dragon's tail extended out of my body, holding onto her leg for dear life, not wanting to let her go. Sweat dripped from my brow, landing on one of the indentions on her upper back.

I had been blind to just see the front of her body. The back was just as nice.

Pulling myself from her, she lay motionless on the bed. Her hand reached for me, pulling her close until my forehead touched hers. "Wow, you really are a beast, huh?" She barely giggled. "I love you, Creed, the Black Dragon." her face nuzzled into my neck. Once her dragon appears, maybe she could mark me, too.

"I feel your excitement," she whispered. Her finger trailed the top of my neck down to my shoulder, "and yes, I'll get to mark you too." She hummed. It was true; I felt her emotions. They were excited, worried, and scared. Still, most of all, the love she radiated into my dragon was enough to suffocate me.

"Then we can fix everything, right? Go back to the way things were. Back home, in our cave." Her lips parted, falling asleep quickly. Before plunging into darkness with her, I cleaned her body, just as she had done to me. A ritual that I was happy to share with her for eternity to come.