Royal Dragon Part 16

"Ooooh... the king." She feigned excitement.

Coal sighed. "He is my brother and yes, he happens to be the king. I want you to meet him."

She tensed. "Why? I'm not staying. You know that right?"

"I have two more weeks to convince you. You've seen my chamber and know what I can do with my c.o.c.k." He kissed her neck, nipping on the spot that he knew drove her wild. "You also know that I can cook, but..." he paused looking into her beautiful eyes. "I want you to meet my friends and family... to see the rest of my kingdom. I want us to actually talk and to do things together."

"It's not going to make a difference, Coal. I can't stay." She looked sad. Her eyes clouded and she frowned.

"Maybe you can." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She shook her head. "There's a whole world waiting for me out there. I promised myself that I would explore it. That I would see it all. I can't be tied down and I don't want to be a mom."

He wanted to push for answers but he sensed that she still wasn't ready to talk about why she felt the way she did. Especially about motherhood.

Julie licked her lips. "It's important that whomever you end up mating continues your bloodline?"

He nodded. "Yes. It is of the utmost importance."

"There ya go." Again with the extra upbeat att.i.tude. He wasn't buying it. "It so wouldn't work just on that note alone."

Yes it could. Julie would be a wonderful mother. She was amazing. Not just for her beauty or how compatible they were but for who she was as well. He may not know much about her yet but he knew the essence of who she was.

The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils. "Now, do you want my mouth or my c.o.c.k?"

She laughed. It came out in a short burst. "So dirty."

"Really now? Dirty?" He grinned at her. "The shower it is then." Coal picked her up and threw her over his shoulder being careful not to hurt her.

He marched into the bathroom. Turned the faucets on and waited the few seconds for the water to heat, then he put her down under the spray. Coal spread her legs and positioned himself between them. Water cascaded down her body. She was a vision. He tongued her until she came...hard. Then he f.u.c.ked her against the wall from behind until they both came... hard.

Even as he pulled out, he wanted her again. Coal doubted he would ever stop wanting her.

s.h.i.t!

The king was formidable. She felt the need to hold Coal's hand even though she wasn't the handholding type.

The green eyed, stern looking guy eyed her like she had food on her face or her top. Maybe her hair was mussed. Then he sniffed at her. Sniffed. No freaking way. It was okay-for whatever reason-that Coal sniffed her. She even found it a turn-on, but not this guy.

On top of all of that, he looked p.i.s.sed. She didn't know why. Had she done something wrong?

He sniffed her again. His frown deepened. His mouth was a thin, white line of distaste.

"Hey." She felt herself tense up. "Stop that. What are you doing?"

The guy straightened up. He completely ignored her. "You have rutted extensively although I can tell that you haven't mated her yet." His shoulders were tense. His neck muscles corded. The guy was shirtless so she could see all his muscles pop. Although he was built, she didn't find him s.e.xy like Coal. He was pretty but too mean looking.

Then she realized what he had said and how he was ignoring her.

"h.e.l.lo, buddy. I'm right here. Maybe you shouldn't talk about me like I'm not. It's d.a.m.ned rude. I don't like it. Stop!"

The king-big deal-raised his brows. "Is she always like this?"

Coal chuckled. "She's a b.i.t.c.h. That means that she's direct and honest in her approach."

Julie had to suppress a laugh. Coal said it like he was paying her a compliment. Such a cutie pie.

"I know what it means." The king sounded irritated.

Coal cleared his throat. "Julie does have a point though. You shouldn't speak of her as if she isn't here. It is not polite."

The guy looked at her for the first time. s.h.i.t, his eyes were a stunning green. His gaze was intense. "h.e.l.lo, human. Why has my brother not mated you yet? I want you pregnant at your next heat." He sniffed.

"Stop that!" She yelled. "I don't like it. Coal and I are not going to mate."

"We are discussing it." Coal quickly intervened.

The king sighed. He played with his ring. "I can scent that her heat is coming. Another four days tops."

"What?" Julie felt all the blood drain from her body. She turned to Coal. "Why the h.e.l.l didn't you tell me?"

Coal's eyes were blazing. His jaw was set. His whole stance softened as his gaze landed on her. "I was going to tell you. We are still safe. We will start to use rubber coverings tomorrow."

She folded her arms. "No way. We'll start today. I trusted you. I'm an idiot." Why had she trusted him with something so huge? He was planning on trapping her. Whenever she trusted someone in the past, they let her down. Every. Single. Time.

Coal touched her arm softly. "You can trust me, I..."

"No rubber coverings!" The king boomed.

"Blaze, we are not ready to mate. We will use coverings this time."

"This time..." What the h.e.l.l was he talking about? She'd explained about not wanting kids. There was no way she was messing up some poor kid's life. No way! "I don't want children. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"What?" The king roared. Smoke came out of every orifice. Okay, maybe it only came out his nose and mouth but he was so mad that she could swear it almost came out of every hole in his body. Idiot! She didn't give two s.h.i.ts if he was angry. "Take her back to the human town she came from," he said. "Why are you wasting your time with this female?"

Her blood seemed to slow and cool, even though her heart sped up. The funny thing was, she didn't want to go back just yet. The thought scared her. Why would it scare her? It didn't scare her, it made her upset. She was having too much fun. She'd counted on having two more weeks with Coal... two more weeks of relaxation. Two more weeks of no-strings fun.

"No, I'm not taking her back," Coal growled. He put an arm around her shoulder. Even though she wasn't one for public displays of affection, she leaned into him.

"You have to." The king was looking at her. "This female doesn't want young. She is useless to us."

What a p.r.i.c.k!

Coal squeezed her tighter. He gave a tiny shake of the head. It was meant for her. Julie realized that she had sucked in a breath and was about to tell this bozo exactly what she thought of him.

"She means something to me," Coal said simply. The statement warmed her. It shouldn't warm her. Maybe it was because she could count on one hand how many people had stood up for her in her life. She didn't even need all her fingers on that hand at that.

She felt like blowing a raspberry at the fuddy duddy king. Take that.

Coal looked down at her. She only came up to the middle of his chest so it wasn't hard. The king also looked down on her. He was just as tall but looked very different. They must each take after different parents. Blaze was very good looking. He had the whole chiseled jaw and gorgeous eyes thing. There was a slight cleft in his jaw. He looked like a movie star with a stick up his a.s.s. He was not quite as built as Coal and to her, not nearly as attractive.

"I would like a quick word with my brother." Coal smiled. It didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked stressed. "Would you mind waiting outside or you could go for a walk. I'll find you in a few minutes."

"I thought I wasn't allowed anywhere without you." The thought of some other Neanderthal grabbing her, scared her.

Coal grinned, this time for real. "I have fully claimed you. You have nothing to worry about. They might look and sniff at you but no one will touch you. I'll be ten minutes." His throat worked. "Please..."

"You're begging a female?" Blaze laughed. It looked feral and didn't sound very humorous. "This is a first."

Coal ignored his brother and kept his eyes on her.

Julie nodded. The tension left him. "Thank you. I will be able to follow your scent trail so don't worry, I'll find you." He leaned in and kissed her softly. Panic welled in her.

She liked his lips on hers. d.a.m.n but she liked it a little too much. It was so sweet, so heart-felt. His touch sparked something in her. No! When he tried to kiss her a second time, she turned away. "I'll see you later." She walked out, trying not to dwell on the look of hurt in his eyes.

She closed the door behind her and walked down the hall. They had pa.s.sed the great hall on their way there, so she knew it was close. Julie arrived at the large double doors in less than a minute.

She sucked in a deep breath and walked in.

"Human female." It was the big, good looking guy she had met on her first day.

He walked towards her, his blue eyes firmly on her. "It's me, Flame." That was it. "Do you remember me?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course I do. How is Pauline?"

The big guy's nostrils flared. It was annoying. His eyes widened and his smile broadened. "You and Coal are getting along really well."

She noticed how it was a statement and not a question. He could smell that they had been going at it. How nice that everyone knew everyone else's business.

She smiled and nodded once.

"He is a good male," Flame said. "The fiercest, strongest male in the fire kingdom... aside form the king of course."

"I thought you were the strongest, fiercest warrior." Pauline grabbed the big guy around his waist.

"I am." Flame growled, his eyes were firmly on Pauline. They had softened, his voice deepened up a whole lot. "I'm the strongest of the non-royals. Don't say anything..." he looked around him. "I'm stronger than the youngest prince and that's saying something. I fly quicker, am faster and my flames are way bigger."

These guys were too much. Julie had to suppress a laugh. If Coal were here, he'd be beating his chest and roaring about how much stronger he was. Barbarians!

Pauline giggled, she hugged him tighter. "I know that there are a lot of things you're the best at."

Too much info.

Julie could totally guess. She looked away and scratched the back of her head, noticing Lisa for the first time. At least, from this angle it looked like her. The heiress was sitting on a huge guy's lap. Her arms were circled around his neck. They were in deep conversation. "Is that?"

The woman that looked like Lisa giggled like a school girl. The prissy heiress wouldn't laugh like that. Then she locked lips with the guy. She wouldn't kiss like that. Then again, she wouldn't have the wild s.e.x she'd heard her having with the other guy either. Maybe it was Lisa. The lady who looked like Lisa had her hands all over the guy.

"No way. It can't be." She huffed. That woman was far too happy, too carefree to be the uptight heiress.

Pauline stepped forward. "It's her alright. She's all in. Her and that shifter are already mated."

"What?" Julie said, a bit too loud. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "That's nuts. She's known him all of a week."

"They took the plunge two days ago, so yeah... it didn't even take a week but I guess when you know you know... right?" She chewed on her lower lip.

Julie shook her head. "No. There is such a thing as crazy hormones. Once she gets to know him, really gets to know him, she might change her mind. There'll be no more hormones and what then? There might be a few baby dragons running around and then it'll be too late, won't it?" The woman was totally crazy.

Flame shoved from one foot to the other. He didn't look comfortable. Not at all. "Um..." he looked at the door. "There's somewhere I need to be. I'll see you back at our chamber." He looked deep into Pauline's eyes. Oh boy! It looked like these two were head over heels. More of those crazy hormones. It was just the s.e.x and the cuddling, oh and the handholding. Such things did strange things to people. It wasn't real and it wouldn't last.

"Yeah." Pauline reached up and kissed him. The shifter picked her up off of her feet and kissed her some more before putting her back down. The kissing didn't stop though.

Argh!

Where to look. Where to look. Lisa was kissing her mate's face right off of his head. Mate. Nuts! The big guy stood up with the heiress wrapped around him. Lisa looked like she was climbing a pole. If poles were thick and made of muscle. "She's in heat." Pauline whispered. She'd obviously come up for air while Julie was gaping at the spectacle.

"What did you say?" Julie blurted.

"It makes shifters just a little gaga." She twirled her fingers around her temple. She made a humming noise. "Yeah, they're driven to procreate." She winked at Flame who blushed. Such a big guy blushing.

Flame smiled. "Good-bye, Julie. I really hope you give Coal a chance. I'm sure I'll see you around." He nodded once.

Julie nodded too. She didn't say anything.

"He is a catch," Flame added. "There are many females that would be happy with a male like him. If you were to mate him, you would become a princess and bear royal offspring."

Happy days! In that case, she was all in. Not! "Coal and I are friends."

Flame grinned. "If you say so." His nostrils flared and she felt like punching him in the snout. "I'll see you in five." He bent down to kiss Pauline again. Lisa and her shifter were long gone.

"Enough already." She rolled her eyes. "Stop with the face sucking."

"We are in love," Flame said. "Give us a break." He was grinning from ear to ear.

Say what? "Coal said that dragon shifters don't do the whole love thing."

Flame laughed. It was a booming noise that irritated the h.e.l.l out of her. "That's because there was no one for us to fall in love with. Scarlet and Ash treat us like play things. The stag runs are one night twice a year. We fall in love quickly but not that quickly. There has never been an opportunity to fall in love even though we are more than capable of the emotion. I am head over heels in love with this female." He hugged Pauline close.

"I love you too, babe." Pauline hugged him back.

"I can't wait to take the plunge." The big shifter growled into her neck.

"I'm a little nervous but I can't wait either." Pauline squealed with excitement. "I'll try not to scream too loudly."

What?

"We can wait if you're not ready." Flame pulled back so that he could stare into the other woman's eyes.