The Dragon's Soul: Xan (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Xan extended a talon and carefully separated the curtains enclosing the bed. Looking at the woman in his hand, he gently used the same talon to pull off the wet clothing she had on. If he accidentally ripped them so they were unusable again, so be it. He would provide her with all the clothing she would ever need. He would provide for her, period. She was his to protect, his to provide for, and his to love. Looking at her, laying nude in his palm, he felt his heart swell with love even as lust filled his body. The dragon side snarled at the cuts, scrapes, and bruises on her body. Xan’s human side stopped and looked at them, as well, anger building that his True One had been hurt. He would deal with this when they left the safety of his lair. Leaning in, he snuffled the air around her body, not scenting any infection or sickness. He would have the court physicians look at her tomorrow to make certain.

  Looking at the bed then at his female, he pulled the mattress and covers off the frame and into an open space on the floor. Using the same talon, he nudged some pillows into position and pulled the covers back. Laying her down as gently as he could, he pulled the covers over her to ensure she didn’t get chilled. Xan stretched like a cat as sudden exhaustion came over him. Looking around the lair, he circled the mattress twice to find the perfect spot to both encircle his female and watch the tunnel opening. He must be wary of those who had hurt his True One in case they decided to return. Xan lay down with his head near hers, facing the tunnel and curled his body until he encircled her. His tail wound over her form, ready to pick her up and place her behind his bulk should anyone attempt entry.

  As he closed his eyes, his final thought became that tomorrow he would need to learn much about his True One, starting with her name.

  Chapter 2

  Remi struggled up through the layers of deep sleep that held her. She had been having the craziest dream about being taken from her home, forced across the continent, and then thrown in with a dragon. She snuggled down on her side into the soft mattress and pulled the covers tighter to her chin. Remi was toasty warm and well rested for the first time in years. Usually a night didn’t pass when someone wasn’t knocking on her door with an illness or injury. As her thoughts drifted toward sleep once again, she felt something constrict around her, pulling her tighter back against a hot, hard surface.

  Remi stilled, barely breathing as she tried to figure out what was going on. Using her other senses, she reached out to the surrounding area which turned out to be a comfortable bed. Her cheek wasn’t on a pillow but another hot, hard surface. Heat like a furnace radiated behind her and wrapped around her waist and up to her chest. Tilting her head slightly, she peeked through her lashes and saw a well-muscled, darkly tanned arm wrapped across her rib cage and one huge hand cupping her breast. Her naked breast.

  Her mind began frantically trying to decipher what was going on even as it registered that, just by the arm and hand size, serious trouble had found her. She had never taken a man to her bed, and the few times one had tried to force his way into it, she had been able to fight him off, one way or another.

  Her eyes slipped sideways and observed the bicep her head lay on. The arm continued across the bed with her braid wrapped around it like a lover’s embrace. The man’s hand lay open on the bed and even in repose looked like a fighter’s, small scars and calluses were clearly seen in the deeply tanned skin. Remi presumed that the arms would be in proportion to the rest of the male’s body and needed to figure out how to get away from him quickly and quietly.

  Even as she had the thought, the arm came off the bed and wrapped across her to cup her other breast, while the first hand skimmed across her body and down to her hips. She held her breath as the hand caressed across her lower stomach, dug under her and, gripping her hip, pulled her back into his embrace. The male wiggled while pulling her tighter to him before forcing his thigh in between hers. Remi had been wrong earlier. Now she was in serious trouble. This male had wrapped himself around her much like her hair had wrapped around his arm. As she lay still in the embrace, Remi heard the breathing behind her return to a deep, even rhythm, though the power in the arms holding her never faltered.

  While her brain scrambled for an escape plan, she became aware of something poking into the small of her back. It seemed to twitch of its own volition, and the man groaned in his sleep and pushed his hips against her as if seeking something. Not good. So not good. While Remi had never had a lover, she had treated enough naked men to know what that threatening presence indicated.

  Slowly, as if just moving in her sleep, she eased her leg from over the one between her thighs. When the male didn’t move, she slowly eased her hand up and laid it on the one that had her breast captured. With the male still unmoving, she gently pulled his fingers, then his hand, away from her and stretched it out over the bed. Remi wanted to exhale in relief, but she still had one major obstacle to overcome—the arm around her hips. Waiting for almost two minutes to see if he’d awaken, she slowly moved her hand to where his lay over her lower stomach. The breathing behind her never changed, staying in a deep rhythm that calmed any fears she had that he would wake before she got free.

  Very slowly, Remi tried to gently grip the wrist at her hips, but her fingers didn’t even make it halfway around it. Concentrating on moving the arm without disturbing the sleeping male, Remi felt like time had stopped before she finally moved his hand to his hip. The brief brush of his hip left Remi feeling disturbed. His skin felt like hot satin against her fingertips which she found intriguing, but she didn’t know this male. He needed to answer some questions about a lot of things, the least of which was the liberties he’d taken by stripping her down and putting her into his bed.

  Remi very carefully started edging away from the big body behind her, taking care not to make a noise or move the bed. Opening her eyes fully, she caught sight of her surroundings and realized this wasn’t a bed after all, but a mattress laying on the floor of a cave. So she hadn’t been having a nightmare. It had all been real. Even as she put her knee on the ground and looked around for the dragon, she felt a slight shift in the mattress and her world suddenly began spinning.

  Remi found herself on her back in the middle of the mattress with a heavy body pressing her down. Looking up, she saw nothing but a hard jawline flowing into a thick neck where the tendons were standing out. Letting her gaze travel onward, the neck ran into a set of shoulders that were beyond impressive. Wider than herself, heavy with muscle, the left shoulder had a tattoo of a small dragon that was scaling from the chest to the shoulder, wings half-folded and head peeking around his wing to look back. The dragon seemed to be staring at Remi while the man above her was poised for attack. One arm thrust into the mattress, holding his torso up, the other pulled back with the hand formed into a fist as if to defend himself. The male’s head turned back and forth, long black hair rained down over his other shoulder, bouncing with a slight curl at the ends as his head moved. The ends brushed her nipples, and that small touch caused the tips to harden into aching points.

  A low growl vibrated from the male’s chest, ending only when he sniffed the air like an animal. Too frightened to move and afraid to draw attention, Remi stayed as still as possible, never taking her eyes off the massive male pinning her to the mattress. The growl resumed, a rumble against her lower stomach as the man slowly lowered his arm and braced it on the mattress, as well. With one last look around, the man turned his gaze on her.

  Remi’s breathing froze as she stared into his eyes. Blacker than night and only a shade lighter than his pupils, his eyes hypnotized her and seemed to call to her soul. She felt emotion flow between them as she struggled to break free of his spell. Even as she watched, his nostrils flared, and his chest expanded as he inhaled deeply.

  Ever so slowly, never looking away from Remi, the man lowered his head and started sniffing at her hair, burying his nose almost to her skin. Remi’s nerves started to tighten, wondering what this stranger was doing. The growling changed tenor, turning into more of a purr as he r
an his nose along her neck and behind her ear. A small whimper of fear escaped as she felt his tongue lick a path from her ear to the base of her throat. As his head moved under her chin, his hair tickled her skin, causing goose bumps to arise. As his nose moved along the other side of her throat to her ear, tiny shivers ran up and down her spine.

  Suddenly, Remi realized she wasn’t the only one being affected by this man’s actions. Something on her thigh moved and grew bigger. The good but confusing feelings she had been experiencing disappeared and fear replaced them. There was no way she could fight this man off if he chose to force his desires on her. Even at her large size, he made her look delicate next to him. As that thought struck, the man moved his hips, surging tighter against her pussy.

  Remi shoved her hands at his shoulders, hoping to catch him off guard so she could run. It was like trying to shove the cave wall. He didn’t even appear to notice but started nibbling at her shoulder. Starting to panic, Remi struggled in earnest, kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs. Just as she made a fist to swing at his face, he grabbed her wrists and forced them to the bed beside her head.

  “Calm down, little one. I will not harm you. I could never harm you.”

  “Yeah? Then why aren’t you letting me go?”

  With a glimmer in those dark eyes, the stranger replied, “Because if I let you go right now, you would attempt to do damage to me. While I wouldn’t feel it, you might be hurt in the process and that I cannot allow. You are far too precious to be hurt.”

  Remi stared, forcing a confidence she wasn’t feeling into her voice. “Why would you think I’d be hurt? I can take care of myself.”

  With a snort, the man answered with a straight face. “Yes, I can see that. You just awoke in a strange bed. Naked. With a strange man. Who is also naked. I can see how well you take care of yourself.” Even as he spoke, his gaze was roaming her face and arms. He gently pulled each hand up, looked at it, and then returned it to the bed. His hold on her was firm but gentle as he gathered both wrists into one hand and lightly ran his free hand down her arm.

  Remi stilled as shivers ran up her spine and more goose bumps arose. This man was dangerous in more ways than one. When that giant hand skimmed further, lightly tracing the outer curve of her breast, she jerked and began struggling again. “I have to leave. If you interfere with me, you’ll have to answer to the Royals.”

  The man paused, raising a single eyebrow, and looking into her eyes once more. “What do the Royals have to do with you?”

  “I was brought here to help Prince Anaxandros. If you don’t release me immediately, I won’t be able to help him. Prince Jarok will wonder, and I have no doubt he’ll ask, why I haven’t healed the prince.”

  “And just what does this Prince Anaxandros look like?”

  Remi paid only partial attention to the questions this male was asking. She kept an eye on the entrance to the tunnel while she unobtrusively tried to twist her wrists out of his hand. She missed the twinkle entering the man’s eyes as he glanced at her twisting hands, then looked back into her face as her gaze kept darting to the tunnel entrance.

  “I’ve never seen him, but I’m sure he looks like Prince Jarok.” Remi froze as she thought about her situation again. She usually wasn’t so scatterbrained, but something about this man tipped her off balance. Even with her fears, something inside her yearned toward him. A deep-seated connection seemed to be forming between them. It was almost as if she could feel his thoughts and emotions, but that had to be just fanciful thinking. While she believed in things that others might consider out of the realm of possibility, people could not read each other’s thoughts and emotions.

  Remi’s thoughts were interrupted by a deep chuckle from the man above her. His whole body shook, and the vibrations did strange things where his hips were still pressed intimately against her pussy.

  “I can assure you, little one, that Anaxandros looks nothing like Jarok.” The man’s eyes glowed with humor as Remi looked fully at his face.

  Squinting her eyes in suspicion, Remi looked closer at the man above her. “Do you know the Royals? Are you one of the guards? Were you stationed here to serve the prince? What is it I’m supposed to do? No one really said anything to me until they threw me in here.” Remi had so many questions they were tumbling out of her mouth quicker than she could ask them.

  Confusion ran across the man’s face. “Thrown in here? Who threw you in here? Do you mean you didn’t come here willingly?” The gleam of laughter had left the man’s eyes, and a strange look had entered them. It looked almost like a black flame, and his face had taken on a serious look. “Wait, before you answer. We need to get dressed, and I will feed you. I also want to look at your hands and knees again.” With that, the man threw the covers off and stood from the mattress. Remi scrambled to grab the furs and cover herself while he strode to a corner and opened a tall cabinet. When she finally looked to see what he was doing, her breath stuttered in her lungs.

  Standing with his back to her, he rummaged through what appeared to be a wardrobe. Even taller than she had suspected, his shoulders looked as if she wouldn’t be able to encircle them if she were to try to hug him. His back had two curious scars—vertical lines about ten inches long on either side of his spine—as well as numerous small scars like all soldiers and warriors had. But his form made her breath leave her. Impossibly broad shoulders that narrowed slightly to a thick waist, long thick legs that led to large feet planted firmly apart. Raising her eyes, she looked at his butt. She had never before thought of a butt as something of beauty. The muscles layering his back blended straight into two firm-looking globes that were perfectly shaped. Her fingers twitched wanting to touch and feel, to grasp them as they flexed while he mounted her.

  Jerking her eyes away, she rubbed her face with her trembling hands. Oh gods, what had gotten into her? She could feel her pussy clenching on emptiness as the vivid image of him taking her ran through her mind. When the man turned, her gaze shot in his direction, then quickly back to the fur she attempted to pull up. That one glance proved he was as perfect in front as in back. But Remi knew if she looked, her thoughts would scatter to the winds. She also felt the heat of embarrassment creep up her chest onto her neck and then across her cheeks.

  A deep chuckle echoed in the room as a shirt appeared on the bed in front of her. “No need to be shy, little one. I saw everything when I put you to bed last night.” At her gasp of outrage, he laughed again. “Get dressed. Your clothes are destroyed. My shirt should cover you until we can get you some proper clothes.” The man looked over her blush, and a grin transformed his face into a thing of beauty. Turning, he headed back to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of light cotton pants. “I’ll keep my back turned while I dress so you can have some privacy. But if you aren’t off the bed and dressed when I turn around, I will presume you want me to undress and join you again. What is your name, little one?”

  “My name is Remunada Summer. But everyone calls me Remi.” Remi talked as she scurried into the overly large shirt and got out of bed quickly. “What is your name, sir?” As she stood, looking at the sleeves of the shirt hanging well past her hands and the shirt tails hanging to her knees, the man approached her with the pants and an open shirt on.

  As he started rolling the sleeves up for her, he looked her in the eye and stated, “I am Prince Anaxandros e’Minos, Firstborn Son, Heir to the Throne, Dragon Lord of the Armies of King Minos, Keeper of the Flame of Tchon-Xi, Protector of the Kingdom of Aquateae…and your soul mate.”

  Chapter 3

  Remi gasped, fell to her knees, and prostrated herself before him, shaking and feeling light-headed. She had tried to attack a royal. They would kill her. The very prince she was supposed to heal, and she had struck him.

  “Dammit, woman! You’ll hurt yourself doing that,” Xan roared as he reached down and, grabbing Remi under the arms, pulled her to her feet, then scooped her up and headed toward the table. Xan set her down on a chair and swung
another around to face hers.

  Keeping her head lowered, Remi trembled and her voice quavered as she spoke. “Y…Your Highness, I humbly apologize for my actions. P-p-p…please forgive me.”

  Reaching out, Xan cupped her chin and raised her head. Remi refused to meet his eyes, keeping hers fixed on the floor between his feet. “Look at me, little one.” When she still didn’t look up, his voice deepened. “Look at me.”

  Afraid of what she would see, Remi raised her eyes and met the prince’s with no small sense of trepidation. No anger marred his midnight eyes, just compassion, caring, and that flicker that appeared to be a black flame. “If there is one thing you need to know about me, Remunada Summer, it is this: you will never have any reason to fear me. I would sooner cut off my own hands than hurt you. No matter what else happens between us, I will always protect you. Always.” His thumb caressed her cheek even as his fingers stroked along her jawline.

  As Remi watched, the prince’s eyes began to change, turning an even darker color, but then he blinked, and they were normal again. Maybe she had just imagined it. After all, it had been a very stressful couple of weeks. The prince stood and walked toward a table that had been placed along the wall. As Remi looked at it, she realized it was actually a shelf that had been attached to the cave wall and legs had been added to reinforce the front. On top were various fruits along with a pitcher and cups. Picking them all up, the prince returned to the table and sat everything down before resuming his seat.

  “Now, Remi. As far as I’m concerned, right now we are just two normal people sitting here sharing breakfast and getting to know one another. Tell me about yourself, your family, your life. But first, tell me how you came to be here.”