Page 121 of Born in Fire
“You feel like home,” he whispers as I wrap my legs around his waist to draw him deeper.
We move together in ancient rhythm, his thrusts measured and deep. One of his hands slides beneath me, shifting my hipsto change the angle, hitting a spot inside that makes me cry out with each movement. Pleasure builds between us, heightened by the growing bond, every sensation magnified and shared.
His pace quickens, control fraying as our bodies demand more. I match him thrust for thrust, nails dragging down his back, leaving marks that heal almost instantly. The dragon in him responds to my aggression—his eyes shift fully to gold, a growl rumbling from his chest as he drives into me with increasing urgency.
“The marking happens at the peak,” Dorian whispers against my neck, voice strained with restraint. “We bite—here.” His fingers trace the junction of my neck and shoulder. “It will hurt, but only for a moment.”
“I’m not afraid of pain,” I tell him, arching beneath him as he hits that perfect spot again. “Not with you.”
His hand slips between us, finding where we’re joined, his thumb circling the bundle of nerves that sends shockwaves through my body. I feel myself tightening around him, the pressure building to an unbearable peak.
“Now,” he gasps, his rhythm faltering as he fights to hold back. “Come with me, Juno.”
As we climb toward release, I feel his body tense, muscles coiling with impending climax. His eyes meet mine, a silent question. I nod, tilting my head to expose my neck.
The first wave of my orgasm crashes through me, muscles clenching around him in rhythmic pulses. At that exact moment, his teeth sink into the sensitive skin where neck meets shoulder.
The sharp pain amplifies my pleasure impossibly, sending me spiraling higher. Instinctively, I turn my head and bite down on the same spot on his shoulder, tasting the copper tang of his blood as he shudders inside me, his release coinciding with the final, most intense pulse of my own.
The bond snaps into place between us with an almost audible click. Energy surges through the connection—his emotions flooding into me, mine into him. Joy, pleasure, love, devotion—all magnified and reflected between us in an infinite loop. The Heartstone flares brilliantly, sealing the bond with ancient magic.
When the intensity finally ebbs, we collapse together, breathless and laughing through tears. The mate bond hums between us, a warm, constant presence linking us soul to soul.
“I love you,” I whisper, tracing the mark I’ve left on his skin. It’s already healing into a silvery scar—permanent, unmistakable.
“Till death and beyond,” he responds, kissing the matching mark on my shoulder. “Though apparently, death didn’t stick the first time.”
I laugh, the sound lighter than it’s been since my rebirth. For the first time, I feel whole—not just memories returned, but something deeper. Purpose. Belonging. Home.
The moment shatters as the door flies open. Caleb strides in, already speaking.
“We need to— Oh, jeez!” He stops abruptly, taking in the scene before him—his brother and me, naked on the floor beside the Heartstone, newly marked and obviously post-coital.
“For fuck’s sake,” he mutters, turning away sharply. “Put some clothes on.”
“Caleb, what—?” Elena practically walks into his back as he stands in the doorway. “Oh… Oh, hell!” She covers her eyes with one hand. “I am so,sosorry!”
Dorian moves with supernatural speed, positioning himself to shield my body from their view.
“A little warning next time,” he growls, though there’s more embarrassment than anger in his tone.
“There wasn’t time,” Caleb says, still facing the wall. “There’s a robe in the guest bathroom. Both of you—please. And make it fast. We need to talk.”
The pair hurry out like their asses on fire, making their way toward the kitchen.
Dorian and I exchange wide-eyed looks… and then burst out laughing.
“Oh, my God!” I manage to get out, hiding my flaming face against his shoulder.
“Well, that was awkward.” He grins as he leans forward and brushes his lips over the top of my head.
“Yeah. Just a little bit. I’m dying here.” My voice is muffled by his chest.
“No, I mean for them,” Dorian corrects me, raising my chin with his fingertip and looking into my eyes. “But they might as well get used to it.” He dots a kiss on my mouth. “Because I plan to do that a whole lot more. And he might just walk in again.”
“God forbid.” I smile back, my lips tingling where he touched them.
“God forbid we do it more, or God forbid he walks in?”
