Creed.

For three days, my parents, the dragons of our tribe and the entirety of Orion's people, hunted vampires. The days were long, and the nights were longer with Odessa, not by my side. She did not heed my warning by staying away from the windows at night.

Each hour I passed her window, I saw her sleeping, sitting up with a hand lingering on the glass. Her hot breath fanned the supposedly impenetrable material. Feeling her dragon's heartache only put my dragon in a fever. He wanted to be right beside his mate too, but we had to do this. We had to stay out and help the others, but seeing her uncomfortable had my dragon reach for her.

My dragon pushed forward, having us land on the platform below inside the gates. My feet moved on their own accord. I was too tired to fight the beast inside me, too tired to deny him our mate. With newfound energy, we ran through the halls, slapping our feet against the marble without caring waking anyone sleeping. The sweat on my brow dripped hastily to the clean floor. Once we arrived at our bedroom, motioning for the guards to step away, I rattled the golden handles at the door. It clicked, and I entered to see my sleeping mate lying near the window. My heart quickened its pace, running to her.

Her deep breathing, her forehead tilted towards the slightly cold window, put needles into my heart. Purring, I lifted my mate from the bench window and carried her to the bed. Odessa did not stir, her body too deep in the dreams of her mind.

My finger brushed her hair away from her face. Immediately, her face leaned into my palm, seeking its warmth. Even with the Duke not being here, he kept her away from me. My time spent hunting an endless number of vampires that hide within the trees and shadows was enough for me to make the fire in my belly burn hot.

I wanted her; I wanted to be near her. Our love, as Hecate said, was strong. Her breathing slowed further, sinking deeply into the mattress. Covering her with blankets, I placed a tender kiss on her forehead, leaving the room more agitated than before. I wanted her, my dragon wanted her, not just in the emotional sense but in the physical. Burying my shaft deep inside her body, having her fall asleep connected to my body was my longing. It was the ultimate love I could give her, being attached to her not just emotionally but physically as well.

Our dragons were calling to each other. They cried out, but I could not change my mind, not now. I had to continue the hunt so we could be at peace, so everyone could be at peace. Once taking to the sky again, the minutes turned to hours and my heart only grew heavier in the night. Dragons could go days without sleep, but even I was feeling the toil on my body.

Luckily, King Orion's soldiers could rotate six-hour shifts, most of them spanning the surrounding area of the palace and away from the lighted palace. There had been a few vampires caught and imprisoned, but the ones that I were dead with in seconds. Once landing on one of their backs, my dragon's scales would flutter up my back as if a raging werewolf, biting into the neck only to rip it to pieces with my claws. Hearing the bones crack, the sinews of the tendons, muscles, and cartilage fueled my fire, thinking that one of these blood demons could be Mortus. Any of the rogue vampires were deemed a threat to my mate and my beast took over immediately. No care for orders from King Orion.

The vampires, and a few witches and sorcerers, had memory powder in their pouches. It was used if they were facing death, but none of the powder worked on our dragons. I had been sprayed twice and none of it even phased me. I could remember my mate, and that was all that mattered. The rest of the tribe was the same. No dragon was inhibited by the spell. However, the Fae were not immune and many had to be taken to the palace healer for an antidote that was still to be created by the Moon Kingdom's sorcerers who had samples of the powder.

"They need to be brought in for questioning," Orion continued to scold me after the third vampire I had consumed. My dragon dared to snarl at the king, but he only chuckled, continuing to hunt along with his men. Orion wasn't just a king who sat back on his throne and gave out orders, he was a leader that was out amongst men and working twice as hard. The soldiers that saw their king flying in the sky immediately puffed out their chests with pride and continued to fight the good fight on the ground. He only went inside for a few hours at a time, to help him recharge his abilities with light.

His men were not only protecting the surrounding areas of the palace, but taking further ground into the south and east. The Southern Tree Forest had the most promise. The trees were now overgrown, no longer being tended to by pixies that inhabited the area. Meaning potential enemies could have captured the land and kept most of the area under a glamour spell to hide their new meeting spot.

Flying by the window once more before daybreak, I see Odessa back laying her head against the glass. Her hand had lowered considerably, her eyes shut, with a glistening tear trailing down her face. "You should go to her," my mother's dragon spoke. Both my mother and father had taken to the skies just twelve hours after their new bond was created. They even took no time to rest to help protect what slept inside the palace.

"My fledgling," mother scolded again as we perched high on the cliff near the sea waters. "It has been three days since you saw her last, not even a message to tell her you are thinking about her. The bond is still new and needs to be tended." My dragon shook its head, still watching the land below. "You and father are out here. I checked on her while she slept," I grumbled, but secretly wanted to listen to her.

"I cannot go inside to rest, not while all the others are out here, searching and hunting to find Mortus," I complained. Gripping my claws tighter on the edge of the cliff, we notice several vampires running to the east. They were extremely fast. If not for my dragon's vision, I would have missed them entirely. One was wrestled to the ground. A net made of dogwood fibers helped keep him still until he was beaten unconscious.

"Creed," my mother scolded again. Now my father was flying towards us, perching beside her. Her body stiffened, her dragon's forehead touching that of my father. "We are close enough to each other so we do not feel the effects of pulling our bond too tight. You have been stretching your bond for far too long." Father cooed at mother, his head curling under her neck, giving soft loving pecks.

After watching father's movements the past few days, his body movements in the sky and the land, he had shown me great lessons. He was the ultimate hunter, able to blend into the darkness of the forest. He played in the ink-like shadows of the night and strikes hard and quick with his beak and talons, leaving vampires with missing legs and arms. His eyes glowed a bright blood red when he hunted. Even Alpha Seth's werewolf may be put to shame.

"Your father says there is news from the south." Our heads perked up, looking at the Southern Forest. By foot, it could take a good half-day walk, while our wings could get us there in hours. "They believe they have captured Duke Mortus." I growled, hearing the name. He would suffer, and I was the one that would make it be so.

King Orion waved from the ground below. We all jumped from the cliff, leaving pebbles of rocks to roll down the side of the rocky structure. As we landed, Orion put away his sword, smiling ear to ear. "After three days, my special forces have found a hide-out that holds Duke Mortus. Annan was amongst them and said they have found him and are bringing him now. Once they gather their supplies, they will be back here by mid-day 'morrow."

My dragon sighed, my father, flapping his wings ferociously while my mother listened to his mind-link. "He wants to know if we should go assist." Orion shook his head. "Won't be necessary. They are bringing him back in pieces and he will be reassembled in the dungeons so he can speak. Gaining more information about this dark magic laced with dragon's blood is of the utmost importance." As much as Orion's logic made sense, I wanted to swallow the pieces of his lifeless body, not have his vampire self come back together. Orion looked up at my growling face, heaving deep breaths as he let out the smoke through my nostrils.

"You will get your peace, Black Dragon," Orion went out to stroke my snout. "Once we have finished, you may have your way with him." Several vampires ran from the trees. I let out a roar, only to watch my father claw one and snap the head off another. The enormous bonfire they had created for the dead only grew higher and the flames turned into an array of darkened colored smoke once it consumed the dead.

It was concluded that each body had black magic, thus creating the colored smoke. Father's beak was tainted with the black-like blood of the enemy. My dragon automatically licked our lips, wanting to swallow another whole. "Go to her," Orion nodded to me. "The vampires are fleeing the area. The rest of your tribe has been handling them well." I grunted, still not wanting to move.

"He's a steadfast dragon, isn't he?" Orion spoke to my mother, winking at her. I huffed, digging my claws into the blackened soil. "I said go. Her dragon needs you, and you know it." His eyes narrowed, now stepping away from me. If all was well, if the tribe was safe and vampires were fleeing the area, then I would have time with my mate.

The light sources pulled up from the water, the pink and purple sky lightened considerably in the next few minutes as I flew to the platform. This must have been a sign from the Gods, a new dawn of a day. It never looked brighter now, knowing Mortus was captured and in the hands of the Light Kingdom.

I transformed midair, landing on the platform with my bare feet, running down the hallways and to our chambers. Several fae guards laughed as I rushed by. If they only knew how a mate bond genuinely works, they would not laugh. My dragon screeched in fury for my legs to work faster, only to stop at the door filled with guards. "You are relieved. Go be with your mates." The three bowed, leaving me at the double doors of my chambers.

My heart hastened, feeling like it was the first time all over again to see her sleeping in the nest. How innocent she looked, how fragile. Now she was no longer innocent or fragile. She was my strong mate and when the dragon released its powers, she could be stronger than me. My chest purred. Opening the door, I saw her still at the window. This time she was not asleep.

My fawn's knees held up her chin while her arms were around her legs. Her head perks up, glancing at me from the door. "Creed?" her voice but a breath. It sounded hoarse, nothing like my Fawn's voice should sound like. "Creed?" I shut the door, running to her. Stepping off the window's bench, she took two steps, only to land in my arms.

"I'm mad at you," she cried into my chest. "No messages or breaks and you don't talk to me for so long! Don't do that!" She slapped my chest. "Then I woke up in bed, smelled you all over the place and you didn't have the decency to...” I slammed my lips onto hers. Taken by surprise, she took no hesitation to wrap her arms around my neck. Breaking away, she spoke again. "You can't just...!" Again I silenced her, kissing her down her neck, her back arches pushing the thin nightgown into my chest, feeling the tiny pebbles beneath the fabric.

I didn't want to use words, I wanted her to read me like I was before my voice. My fawn was so good at that, almost reading me better than I read myself, and now she was submitting to me, forgetting the anger she was harboring. Odessa's body became limp, her arms no longer pushing me away. My shaft is already ready to bury itself in what lies beneath these clothes.

My lips nipped her neck. A satisfying sigh left her while my hands cupped her behind. Squeezing her roughly, I pushed her to the nest, hovering over her body. I was covered in sweat, dirt, and who knows what else, but she didn't complain. Pushing her arms over her head, I gripped her wrists with one hand, my other trailing up and down her hourglass shape. Her mouth hung open, silent hums leaving her mouth. Finally, she took my lips as I gave her the pleasure she well deserved.

Kissing her chest, I pulled her nightgown away, exposing the warmth of her body. She sighed, her fingers running up my chest and to my face. "Sorry, I'm so needy with you," she chuckled. "I swear I was never such a needy person before, always relying on someone. I missed you and I worried about you." Her chuckle turned into a tear. Kissing the saltiness of her eyes away, I whispered in her ear.

"The feeling is mutual, my fawn." Pulling down my leathers, she rolled onto her stomach. Growling, she lifted her glorious behind, I probed her cave with my fingers. I growled, palming her precious white globes while two fingers sunk inside. So wet. She was always wet for me. I am lucky to use my shaft so well and have her feel pleased with it alone because now, I need her painfully.

Using my other hand, I rubbed the upper part of her flower, finger thrusting into her and rubbing all at the same time. My shaft rubbed up and down her leg, my balls tightening at the heat of her inner thigh. "And I will always need you, fawn." Lifting my fingers from her core, I licked them clean with my dragon's tongue, tasting the sweetness of her body. Lining my shaft, I slid the head in slowly. Odessa pushed back, causing the sweet sensation to explode in the back of my eyes. The stars that had been missing the past few nights were now found in my vision. Delightful moans of her voice lulled me into a hypnotic state, rocking my hips into her body.

"Creed," Odessa's sweet voice fluttered into my ear. Her body sucked me inside, trying to pull the seed from my body. The ongoing pressure of her pushing back into my body had me unraveling quicker than I wanted. "OH!"

The slaps of our skin echoed in the room until we finally slowed from each other's waterfall of pleasure. Keeping myself buried to the hilt, I laid behind her, having her back to my chest. Kissing her back, our breaths slowed, my arms wrapped tightly around her body.

"It's over, Fawn, the Duke is captured." Letting out a breath of relief, she gripped my forearms, kissing each scale that overturned in our mating. The wetness of her tears only reminds me that my job is not done, I still have the pleasure of ripping him to pieces, slowly, tasting the bitterness of blood on my tongue. Both of our tails wrapped around each other, spiraling our black and white scales around us.

For tonight, this was our nest. Come the next half-moon cycle, we will travel with our pet and go to our proper home, our cave, our real nest, and make a life for ourselves, living and loving each other.