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  He scooped Mary up and took off. Mary had the briefest moment to wonder if anyone had seen them before she realized this Darkling meant business. She watched the ground falling away from her. It felt like she was back in her dream, only the feeling she got when she looked at this creature was anything but serene. She felt danger. Death after a prolonged agony.

  Terror seized her. Blind, all-consuming terror. With a blood-curdling scream, Mary fought the Darkling. He had tucked her tight against his body and she used her closeness to her advantage, kicking and punching. She bit his chest as she pounded his side just beneath his rib cage with her fist as hard as she could. It took only moments for one of her kicks to connect with his groin, and he screeched in agony.

  And she was free, only to fall.

  They had climbed to a dizzying height, and Mary knew it would be several seconds before she hit the ground. She knew she was falling to her death, but she didn't scream. Instead, a peace fell over her like a gentle waterfall on a hot summer day. It was soothing and calming, a relaxing balm to a hot and miserable time. Wind slammed into her with ferocious intensity, yet she wasn't distressed.

  Drykin. His name was Drykin.

  Mary smiled even as she fell. She might not live to see her Darkling again, but at least she'd give him a proper name, a name befitting his magnificence. She only hoped he would forgive her for doubting him and for not believing in her heart. She'd known from the moment she'd closed that book what her destiny had been, yet she let her fear and doubt cloud her judgment. Perhaps God would give him a second chance where she had failed him.

  "I'm so sorry, Drykin,” she whispered. “Please forgive me."

  It was funny. Mary always figured if she knew she was about to die, she'd be a lot more scared. All she felt was peace. Smiling, she closed her eyes and waited for death.

  A gentle chuckle caressed her mind then. You should know better than to think I'd let you die, or let anyone take you from me. I'd never have let you return to your world had I not had every confidence I could claim you again if you were in danger.

  Mary turned her head just as Drykin closed his arms around her, slowing her fall until they hovered several feet above the ground. The wind no longer pounded her ears, and the sun warmed any chill she might have had. Looking into the silver blue eyes of her Darkling gave her joy. This was where she was meant to be. She knew it without a doubt. There was nothing to hold her to this life. She had no family, no pets. Only her friend, Diana, would miss her should she leave.

  "Take me home,” she breathed and caressed Drykin's cheek.

  "Home?” He raised an eyebrow.

  "Our home.” Mary smiled as she said it, somehow knowing it would ease the ache she knew was in his heart. She could see his pain clearly in his eyes. Only now did she realize the pain he'd endured in letting her return home.

  "I had to know you wanted to be with me, my Mary. By the law we Darklings live by, you were mine by rights, but I wanted you to want me. Once I had you in my arms, I knew I could never bring you sorrow, no matter the cost to myself."

  "Did you know that Darkling would come after me?"

  Drykin smiled and started them on an upward climb into a cloudbank before moving them through the sky. “He was not a Darkling, and yes, I knew he or another like him would try to take you if you stayed long enough. I underestimated how quickly my scent on you would catch the attention of the other supernatural creatures in the area. For that, I apologize."

  "He meant to kill me. After a while. It's obvious he could have come for me any time he wanted. Why did he wait until now?"

  "Because he didn't want you only for a kill. It's a long story, but he was a Drakonion. They feed on the flesh of humans, but they get more sustenance from psychic energy. If he'd kept you and fed from your fear and pain, he could have lasted a very long time before he had to seek out another human, thus protecting himself from Darkling hunters. Fortunately, a human's psychic energy can't be tapped unless they have been claimed and mated by a Darkling. You wouldn't have suited his needs, but he wouldn't have known that until he tried channeling it. You have been claimed by me, but not mated."

  Mary shivered and buried her face in Drykin's neck. He hugged her tighter to his chest. “Soon, my love,” he whispered. “We'll soon be home and no others will ever be able to touch you there."

  She didn't doubt him. She could feel the sincerity and confidence in his own abilities within him. Mary knew she needed to ask him about that, but she couldn't right now. It was far from warm, but it felt good to be held so snugly, and she was very tired. The adrenaline rush had left her, and she was in worse shape than she'd been in before all the excitement.

  Knowing she was safe, knowing she was about to start a new chapter in her life that would change her forever, Mary wrapped her arms more securely around Drykin's neck, sighed contentedly, and closed her eyes. She'd deal with it when he woke her. Besides, she had a feeling she was going to need her strength.

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  Chapter Three

  You're mine, Mary. You're safe with me. I hope you know that. Regardless of my earlier statements, I can never let you go back. The danger is too great. If you can't accept me, I'll respect your wishes, but I will always do what is necessary to keep you safe.

  She floated gently in a sea of darkness. She could see nothing, but Mary wasn't scared. The warmth and security she felt when she was in Drykin's presence surrounded her and filled her. But this time, there was something else.

  Mary knew she was picking up random thoughts and feelings from her Darkling, but this... Filling him was a lust so strong, it bordered on insanity. For her. All for her.

  Only in her dreams had she ever thought to affect a man that way, but she knew without a doubt that anything this man felt was solely for her. It wasn't lust in general, or lust for anyone other than her. Drykin was focused completely on her.

  It thrilled and flattered her that he needed her that badly, and Mary knew she'd embrace him and his lust. She'd welcome any attention he wanted to give her and her body. The feeling of awe and love and lust was almost overpowering. It was as if he couldn't believe she was his. The thought came to her, faintly, that he knew he could never have made a more perfect woman if he'd sculpted her himself.

  Mary tried to shake off the thoughts and feelings as those of a dream, because that's the way she'd always wanted her man to feel about her. She wanted a man who would worship her, a man she could worship as well. She wanted him to love and need her as much as she did him.

  So, was it a dream?

  No, my love. You were made for me. Everything about you will be exactly what I want and need. You are my match in every way, physically, mentally, and sexually. You're my reward for millennia of hard work. That you accept me and welcome my thoughts and feelings is a testament to our compatibility.

  The book said the mate of a Darkling wouldn't find the situation alien or unnatural. Mary smiled and stretched her body, struggling to open her eyes. Are you with me? I can't find you.

  "I'll always be with you, my Mary."

  She opened her eyes and found herself still fully clothed, save her socks and shoes, snuggled next to Drykin in a huge, soft bed. She turned in his arms and caressed his face. She loved the harsh angles of his face. They made him look masculine in a way most men never could. There was nothing remotely feminine about him, yet he touched her so softly. So gently.

  "I don't want to go back. I want to be with you. I don't know why it doesn't bother me to leave everything I've known behind, but I know it means a life without you and I'm not willing to do that."

  "You know next to nothing about me, my Mary. Are you sure this is what you want?"

  "I am.” She smiled. “I've even found your name. Not that silly name I thought of when I didn't think Darklings were anything other than imagination. I have a name perfect for you."

  He raised an eyebrow. “And that is?"

  "Drykin,” she said, raising an eyebrow. �
��It seemed like an appropriately fearsome and sexy name. Given the fact the Drakonion didn't follow us, I think you've earned the former. Now why don't you prove you deserve the latter?"

  Drykin rolled on top of Mary and seemed to ponder the name she'd given him. “As you wish, my lovely Mary. It is, indeed, a good name."

  He took her lips gently, not ravenously as she'd expected. Mary knew he wanted to take her roughly. She could almost feel the savage need within him by the look in his eyes. Mary knew he would eventually and anticipation of it was a heady aphrodisiac.

  Drykin kissed her now as if she were a precious thing to him. He kissed her as a man might kiss a woman he loved with all his heart, a woman he thought never to see again. It was as if he believed God, in his infinite mercy, found him worthy to return her back into his arms.

  His lips were soft but slightly demanding. Drykin nibbled and lapped at her lips and tongue, coaxing rather than taking. He had to know she didn't need to be wooed, she was his for the taking, but he seemed to flirt with the kiss, retreating and advancing to keep her off guard. When Mary groaned and tilted her pelvis, Drykin went in for the kill, so to speak.

  Plunging his tongue into Mary's mouth, Drykin echoed her groan with his own masculine one. He wrapped his arms securely around her and tangled his fingers in her hair, positioning her head to maximize both their pleasure. Over and over he licked at her mouth and sucked her lips. Drykin's kiss of seduction turned into one meant to claim. And Mary was more than willing to let him.

  She was about to lose herself in the passion he'd created when he pulled back to look at her. His eyes glowed a red that should have seemed eerie. Instead, it only emphasized his need. Mary smiled at her thoughts.

  "You still think I look like a monster?” The question seemed to hurt him, but the light in his eyes didn't diminish.

  She pulled him down for a lingering, wet kiss. “To some, maybe. Not to me, Drykin. Never to me."

  And she meant it. She didn't know how or why, but his fierceness was beautiful to her. This man had fought many battles—she could see them in his mind—and he deserved someone to accept and love him because of what he was. Not in spite of it.

  With a desperate groan he took her mouth again and flexed his hips, rocking his cock between them against her clit covered by cotton panties and jeans. The contact sent tendrils of pleasure coiling around her, and she wrapped her legs around him in invitation. His tail encircled her left ankle, urging her leg higher over his hip. His breathing was as ragged as hers, and still he kissed her.

  After what seemed like forever, yet not nearly long enough, Drykin pulled away from her. “I want you, Mary. Here. Now. In my bed. If you have any doubts, if you aren't sure you can live here with me forever, tell me now and we'll stop. Once I've taken you as my mate, I will never let you go. No matter what you want."

  "I'm only twenty-six, Drykin. I can't wrap my head around ‘forever.’ But I can assure you of this. I don't want to be without you. I can't promise I won't miss my friend, but I've got nothing else for me anywhere but here."

  He smiled warmly at her. “That's an honest answer. It's all I can expect."

  "Then shut up and make love to me. Make me want to stay here with you."

  Drykin unfastened her jeans and slid them down her hips along with her panties. Mary thought about letting him undress her completely but decided all she was doing was prolonging her own misery. She shimmied out of her shirt, but before she could get to her bra, Drykon sliced the front of it open with one sharp talon. He didn't give her enough time to shrug out of it. Which was fine with her.

  Instead of plunging into her like she wanted and expected, he shoved her legs apart and pulled them over his shoulders. Mary knew what he was going to do, but at the first touch of his tongue on her pussy she screamed in the most tremendous pleasure she could ever remember.

  "That's it, my Mary,” Drykin purred from between her legs. “Tell me what you want."

  Mary's vision narrowed to the Darkling between her legs. She wasn't sure how she managed to find her voice, but she did. It might have been husky with need, but she managed to get the words out. “You, Drykin. I want you."

  He latched on to her clit this time and sucked gently, alternately making a swipe through her cunt lips. Several times, he did this, always coming back to her clit. Every time she got close to coming, Drykin pulled back and started all over again. His animalistic growls and grunts fueled her own lust, and she shrieked and pulled at his head and horns.

  The horns were a definite plus at the moment. They gave her something solid to grab on to and pull him up her body. He chuckled and nipped her body in various places on the way up, lingering on one breast for a few seconds.

  "My little human is impatient. Do you know how dangerous I am, my Mary? Are you not impressed with my ability to slay the dark creatures haunting the night?"

  "Of course I am. But right now, you need to be worried about me and what I'll do if you don't deliver on the pleasure you're dangling in front of me. Things that go bump in the night aren't nearly as frightening as a woman left wanting, my Drykin.” She grinned, deliberately using his name as possessively as he'd used hers.

  "I love a woman who knows what she wants,” he muttered before swiping his cock through her pussy once, then sliding home.

  Mary wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and savor the moment, but she couldn't. She couldn't take her eyes off Drykin. She couldn't look away from the look of pure bliss on his face, and she knew that her own face mirrored it. She braced her feet on his calves and met each slow thrust with her own. He felt so good inside her; it was nothing short of magical.

  They moved fluidly. As one. Mary groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his shoulder. Tentatively, she licked his collarbone. She couldn't help it. He tasted slightly salty with sweat, but also wild and otherworldly. There was nothing ordinary about him. Nothing like any man she'd ever known. Drykin was everything she'd ever wanted in a man.

  His dark skin gleamed in the light, and his muscles rippled around her as he plunged into her over and over. His grunts and groans echoed her own squeals of pleasure, and he clung to her as much as she clung to him.

  "Yes, my Mary. Can you feel how much I want you? Do you know how good it feels inside you?"

  "Oh, Drykin! I do! I can! Please don't stop! Faster! Harder!"

  At her command, Drykin fucked her in earnest. Their flesh slapped against each other in a sharp staccato. The sounds filled the air along with their screams and cries. Mary arched up to meet every thrust with one of her own, and Drykin slammed into her with an almost painful force. Mary loved every moment of it. This was how sex was supposed to be. All-consuming. So pleasurable she never wanted it to end.

  "Now, my Mary,” Drykin croaked. “Come for me. Come for me now!"

  And just that easily, she did. Her orgasm seized her so powerfully and suddenly, all she could do was lay there on her back and ride it out. Her cunt spasmed around Drykin's dick in ever-strengthening pulses until she felt him spill his seed inside her. With a tremendous roar, Drykin threw his head back and howled his completion. Veins stood out on his neck and shoulders as he strained during his release.

  He was beautiful to her.

  After a while, the contractions ceased and they both collapsed. Drykin rolled them so they lay on their sides. He kissed her quickly before retrieving a damp cloth and cleansing her and himself. With a groan, he climbed back into bed beside her and pulled her securely to him.

  "Sleep, my Mary. Tomorrow, we'll start your new life."

  Mary knew she should ask questions, but it really didn't matter. She was here. And she wasn't leaving Drykin's side.

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  Chapter Four

  There were no dreams. When Mary awoke, she felt more refreshed than she could ever remember. This time, she didn't even question if recent events were real or fantasy. She knew. She'd always known. For the first time in her adult life, sh
e felt like she knew her destiny and she reveled in it.

  Hopping out of bed, Mary looked around her new home. The bed was huge and plush, the carpet soft and springy. There was a cushioned window seat overlooking a majestic mountain lake. The sun sank low just above the mountaintop and the sky was blazoned with red and orange. Mary gasped and marveled at the beauty of it. It was so beautiful, it made her heart ache and tears formed in her eyes.

  "Are you ready, my Mary?"

  Drykin's voice was deep and warm. She turned to him with a smile and took his outstretched hand. He was truly a magnificent man.

  "It's so beautiful, Drykin.” She glanced back over her shoulder at the splendor below them.

  He smiled. “I know. I positioned the house for just that view from this window. I hope it pleases you."

  "You built the house specifically for this view?” He was a romantic. Who'd have guessed? “Well, you definitely have good taste.” She fell into step with him as he led her out of the bedroom. “Where are we going?"

  "To the lake. I have everything prepared. It should be comfortable even in the chilly evening air."

  "Comfortable for what?” She was more curious than anything. Whatever he had planned was bound to be life-changing, but then, she'd already given up her old life. She knew Drykin wouldn't do anything to harm her. Whatever happened next didn't really matter as long as he was at her side.

  He didn't look at her, but he smiled. “I'll always be with you, my Mary. The small ceremony we perform now will bind us together in the eyes of the One God.” He did look at her then. “But as far as I'm concerned, when you gave yourself to me so freely and passionately this morning, we were already bound."

  Mary returned his smile and squeezed his hand. “Just promise me it won't hurt too much."

  Drykin chuckled. “Only if you ask for a spanking, my Mary. This is about affirming our affection and growing love for one another. If you prefer a little rough loving, then that's what you'll get. However, should you prefer it gentle, I'll be more than happy to restrain myself."