Always (Dragon Wars, #3) Read online

  She opened her mouth to rebuke his declaration. He was going to spank her? She should be objecting, yelling, pulling out of his embrace. Yet, she didn’t. Robert wanted to paddle her behind? Her panties got wet. Wow—his threat turned her on.

  Her cousin and his secret orgy societies aside, humans weren’t usually encouraged to be sexual, per se. Sure there was procreation and most women she knew liked to find pleasure on occasion. Fraternization had never been encouraged on the scientific teams. Relationships and emotional involvement threatened productivity and research.

  Except he smelled so good and felt so warm. She had been so cold.

  “The only times I’ve blasted you with the cannon have been near-death.”

  “Not true.” He breathed in sharply. “Sure, twice I needed you. The first time I can’t remember, the second I vividly recall. Since then, I’ve been blasted when I kissed you and when I was perfectly capable of taking care of the dragons.”

  “I may have overreacted the second time. The first time wasn’t me. But with the dragons earlier, I was so excited to see you. I thought you were dead. I couldn’t find you on the cameras.”

  He quirked his lip again and her womb clenched. He was so...hot. Did he know what he did to her? Probably. Robert was a werewolf, and he could likely smell her desire. “I watched where you had placed them from your screens. On my way to get my family, I started seeing if I could spot them. Adapting is something I do well. It’s why they picked me for my job. I learned to avoid and destroy them. I can stealth when needed. That being said, I’m honored you looked for me.”

  “Well, I...”

  She let her words drift. How was she to explain her obsession with him? Coupled with her almost constant crippling exhaustion, he was all she could think about from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she went to bed at night.

  “What do you know about our mating practices?” His voice held a growl in it and every nerve in her body stood at alert.

  “I know you smell each other and you seem to simply...know.” She exhaled. Some bitch wolf would receive his affection for the rest of his life. She’d be the luckiest person on the planet. “Then I guess you do what comes naturally, so to speak.”

  “Humans. What is your take on sex?” He cocked his head to the side when he asked.

  “Ah...”

  Just then her cousin burst through the door. Robert darted to his feet, and set her behind him in an action so smooth, she barely processed the action before she found herself facing his back. It took her a minute to realize he blocked her from what he perceived as a threat.

  Gordon hadn’t uttered a word. A non-drugged Robert at full height, which made him at least six inches taller than her cousin, would be an intimidating presence. Easing around, she took a stance at Robert’s side.

  “You two didn’t meet last time. Robert Owens, this is Gordon Knox, my cousin. Gordon, meet Robert Owens.”

  Her cousin held out his hand and Robert stared at the outstretched greeting. When nothing happened, she spoke again.

  “Robert, in our culture, we shake hands in greeting. All kinds of things.” She walked to Gordon. “He’s saying nice to meet you. We can’t scent you as you can us, which I understand is rather disgusting when it comes to us.”

  Keeping his attention on Gordon’s outstretched hand, Robert said, “Were you under the impression moments ago you smelled bad to me?”

  “Um. No.” She must be red-cheeked because embarrassment coursed through her blood.

  “You smell of roses. Your family member here smells clean. I think whatever humans had objectionable scents simply needed to bathe more.” He nodded at the hand. “This is something you do, Tatyana? Shake hands?”

  “Ah, yes, when need be.”

  Robert shook his head. “No more.”

  “What?”

  “It is a foolish practice.” He looked at Gordon. “You’ll excuse me, cousin.” In a move she’d only seen him perform during training, he grabbed Gordon’s arm and twisted as he pulled him close and pushed him onto the floor. “The action leaves you way too exposed.”

  Gordon yelped and Robert picked him up by the shoulders and set him right on his feet again. “I didn’t do any lasting damage to you. Maybe you’ll find some ice for your elbow, if you need it.”

  Her cousin stumbled backwards and then cleared his throat. “I think part of the point of the gesture is to say to the other person, I trust you not to hurt me.”

  “I’ve had seventeen years of war. A man who was once a boy I knew in my youth betrayed all his people to the dragons. You’ll excuse me if I have no faith in anyone’s intentions.”

  Gordon nodded slowly. “I wanted to let you know your people are stirring. We’re not sure what to do. None of you should be here, technically. We’re leaving in four days. I don’t see the harm and still, there is a crew of werewolves here. I won’t lie. I’m intimidated.”

  Robert made a face, pursing his lips as if something smelled. “Admitting cowardice never eliminates the threat, only lets the enemy know how easily you can be taken. And my people will not harm you. Although they may wake disoriented.”

  “Should we go there?”

  “No.” Robert shook his head. “Auggie will know to handle them. Perhaps after they have woken, you could ask Auggie to start looking at your technology.”

  Gordon nodded. She watched the two men speaking and couldn’t believe the ease with which Robert gave orders and Gordon took them. Her cousin gave her problems all the time and she was technically in charge. Why did he obey Robert said so easily?

  “Taty, we cannot let your sister know we’re helping the wolves. She can absolutely never find out we’re turning over expensive technology.”

  She held up her hands. “It’s all junk. Hardly worth the gas in the shuttle to bring it to space.”

  Robert cut in. “Why does your sister have a say?”

  “She’s the leader of all humanity.” Gordon shook his head. “Unfortunately. Taty’s big sister is a big problem.”

  The gorgeous werewolf who made her wet with only the sound of his voice turned his gaze once again to her. “We will discuss your family. First, I must know. Shuttle?”

  Gordon pointed upwards catching his attention. “Space. We’re leaving the planet in four days.”

  Silence descended for a full minute before Robert spoke again. When he finally commented, it was directly to Gordon. “Leave us.”

  Her cousin nodded but stopped short before he left. “Taty, have you ever read the studies of Drs. Lovelong and Longhair?”

  She shook her head. Why was Gordon bringing up science? She could barely think clearly. “I always heard it was junk.”

  “Check it out.” Gordon smiled. “Nice to meet you, Robert. Some handshake you’ve got there.”

  Her cousin walked, rather quickly, from the room shutting the door behind him. Finally, Robert spoke. “Taty?”

  “Yes?”

  He growled. “No, I mean why does he call you Taty?”

  “It’s my name.” Was something going wrong with his memory?

  “Taty.” He said her name as if it tasted bad. “Your name is Tatyana. Taty is what you call a small child. You are a beautiful, grown woman. Tatyana is your name. They’re going to use the full version.”

  “You’re bossy today.” She put her hands on her hips.

  “Tatyana, you have no idea.”

  “Why do you care what anyone calls me?” She could become lost in the depths of his eyes if she wasn’t more careful. Tatyana had to find something to do. Maybe she’d inventory the powdered food in the kitchen, except she couldn’t move. “Everyone calls you Robbie. That’s arguably the nickname of a young guy. Maybe everyone should call you Robert.”

  “No.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Tatyana’s heart rate kicked into gear. She felt as if she was running instead of standing still. “Only you call me Robert. I enjoy how the air moves when you use my full name.”


  “Robert.” She swallowed. “What’s going on?”

  “You’re mine, Tatyana. Even if you take off in four days on your shuttle, you’ll always belong to me. The sooner you come to terms with being mine, the quicker I can make you come again and again.”

  The world tilted sideways.

  Chapter Five

  Robbie watched his mate from across the room. Her non-werewolf status meant she likely had no idea he was nearby let alone he stared at her. He’d told her he was going to make her come and she darted from the room like a startled rabbit. It had been everything he could do not to chase her. Well, technically he had followed. She simply didn’t know it.

  Tatyana was so lovely and small. Females were always tinier than their male counterparts in the werewolf world, but she was a good two to three inches smaller than any female he’d ever known. He was going to have to keep her safe in the dangerous, crazed world. He’d be damned if he let her board whatever device they had to take her to outer space.

  He supposed he should be more bothered by the concept of space travel except considering his mate was a human, and they were supposed to be extinct, he could wrap his mind around the idea of machines taking people to the stars. Just not his human.

  She needed to stay on his planet.

  Robbie rubbed at his eyes. He knew he should focus on the task at hand only it wasn’t as if he could fix the machinery himself. Auggie was bent over a cannon, which hadn’t worked in years.

  His twin raised his eyes and for a second made eye contact with Robbie in the corner before he looked away. Tatyana said something and August actually smiled before he continued poking at the thing.

  The scene was almost normal. His twin brother talking with the woman destined for Robbie. It would be downright familial if they weren’t in a hidden human compound trying to figure out how to destroy dragons before what remained of humanity launched skyward.

  Robbie clicked his tongue lightly and Auggie raised his eyes again. With a flick of the chin, Robbie let Auggie know to leave the room. His brother nodded, a slight jerk of his chin before he stood. Inching forward while Auggie exited, Robbie let himself enjoy the scent of roses as he got closer.

  A click behind the door let him know his brother had locked the door on his way out. He owed the man a drink.

  Tatyana didn’t look up when she spoke. “It’s not nice to stare at a woman across a room. You’re a werewolf. You treat your women as gems. Shouldn’t you know a lady likes a gentleman’s presence announced when he’s present?”

  Robbie squatted in front of her. “So you did know I was here.”

  “The whole time.” She finally met his gaze and when she did it was with wariness he didn’t enjoy discovering. “What you said before...”

  He held out his hand to stop her. When he owed someone an apology, he made sure they got it. “I should not have been so coarse with you. My mother would shove me into the lake if she ever found out.”

  “I’m not a woman who needs you to watch what you say.” She shook her head and then stood. “I didn’t run away because the words you said or because the visions they invoked upset me, which they didn’t. My fleeing involved something else entirely.”

  “Then by all means explain so I can make it better.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “You can’t fix it.”

  “Try me.”

  “Before you were talking about mating. You think I’m your mate.” She bit on her lower lip and he touched where she had done it.

  “No. I don’t think you’re my mate. I know it. My understanding might be more complex for you because you’re not a wolf. So you’re going to have to take my word for it. I know my mate.”

  Tatyana dropped her gaze and he tilted her chin. From others he liked subservient behavior, but not from her. He wanted the fire he’d had in the conference room. Whatever put the pain in her, he would find a way to rid her of it.

  “You can’t bite me. It’ll never be a full mating for you.”

  He rubbed his thumb down her neck to where he ached to sink his teeth. He hated the idea of causing her pain and his desire to never do so warred with his need to claim her. “What if I did? You’ll heal. Probably would hurt you more than it does a werewolf. I’ll be as gentle as I can be.”

  “If you bite me.” She put her hand over his, holding it on her neck. He could feel her pulse beating strong and hard, which went against the exhausted dark circles under her eyes. Did she sleep? “There’s a seventy percent chance I will become a werewolf.”

  “Well, changing you would solve everything, sweetheart. I’ll bite you right away. Then you’ll be a werewolf and not leave on the shuttle-thing. Then we’ll beat the dragons and move on with our life.”

  She raised a blonde eyebrow. “One. Two. Three. Just like that, huh? Seventy percent chance you change me, thirty percent I die.”

  Those odds were unacceptable. “How do you know?”

  “There were studies done a couple hundred years ago when humans still interacted with the wolves. It was considered too risky to interact afterward.”

  “Why were the wolves biting so many humans? It’s not as if we walk around with our fangs bared breaking the skin of everyone we see.”

  She retreated a step, which he couldn’t allow, so he tugged her back. Fortunately she didn’t fight him. He wanted her to desire his touch as much as he needed to give it.

  “I don’t know. There were lots of things done back then in the name of science we don’t do anymore. The whole existence of werewolves and dragons. We did things back then which bordered on reckless. I mean, I’m very glad we did, since you’re here and everything.”

  He shrugged. “The only part of our conversation which is interesting to me revolves around you dying. I won’t risk it. I won’t bite you.”

  “But that’s what you do when you mate.”

  “You must be speaking about werewolves in general and not specifically me, since I’ve never mated. We don’t know what I do in mating, specifically.”

  She groaned. “Enough with the word play.”

  “I agree.” He’d certainly had more than he wanted.

  Lowering his head, he kissed her, hard. Robbie didn’t hold back any of his intention from her. Kissing her was a claiming, with or without a bite. Fuck it, he would resist the urge. He wouldn’t, however, give up her or the chance to enjoy her writhing beneath him, naked.

  She met his fierce possession, which he loved. He didn’t know how he would survive if she didn’t want him too. She clung to his shirt and he held her tighter.

  Tatyana scooted back to look at him. “We could be seen.”

  “My brother locked the door. And if you mean the cameras, I don’t give a shit. Is anyone likely to be searching for me on those machines other than you?”

  “No.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me. Please. Don’t bite me.”

  “I won’t.” And he was a man who kept his promises. Always.

  The room didn’t have any obvious place to make love other than the floor. While he would prefer a softer, gentler place for her, he refused to risk interruption. A trip down the hall would provide too many chances for distraction.

  “There.” He spotted a pool table in the midst of other randomness the general utility room seemed to hold. It had seen better days yet it would be softer for her sweet skin than the floor.

  Robbie scooped her into his arms. She weighed so little he almost shoved her over his shoulder from the force alone. He’d have to remember not to use quite so much force when carrying her around. She was tiny.

  Without a word, he kissed her neck needing to smell her skin against his nose. So close to her, he could bathe in her rose scent and find a way to survive off the sweetness alone. She cupped his cheek, and he leaned into the caress.

  “I forgot you a year ago. My body didn’t.” He traced a line from her neck to the top of her shirt with is tongue and smiled when she shuddered. “All of a sudden I was a mated wolf who cou
ldn’t figure out where my other half was or even who she was. I blame you for my frustration. And yet I would die for you, kill for you, destroy for you...I think you get the picture. You drive me crazy, little human.”

  She breathed out, her eyes heated as she stared at him. “I’m sorry.”

  He grinned. “I’m not. Whatever it took to make it here, I’d endure again.”

  Robbie pulled her shirt over her head to expose her bare skin. His gaze immediately fell to her breasts. They were round, lush, and would more than fit in his hand. He was glad when the clasp of her bra undid as fast, otherwise he would have to tear the thing from her body. Patience wasn’t a virtue he had in spades and he certainly couldn’t find any of it right then.

  He discarded the clothing and bent to take one of her breasts in his mouth. She tasted of cherries and he moaned, unable to hold back the pleasure filling him. She was everything good, everything beautiful, and everything missing from his life. He wanted a lifetime to know her.

  She gasped, leaning backwards pushing her nipple closer into his mouth. His mouth watered and he sucked harder. With his other hand, he tweaked the nipple he wasn’t making love to with his mouth. Her body vibrated and he withdrew to study her beautiful, flushed face.

  “Enjoy a little pain to go with your pleasure?” He tugged on her nipple again.

  Her mouth fell open. “I guess I do. “

  “You guess?” Exactly how untouched was his mate? If she were a werewolf he’d have a pretty good understanding of her sexual history. Most unmated females were well protected by their families until they found their forever. However, some playing did go on in the early adult years and everyone turned a blind eye. They were werewolves, they had needs, and they should be met. Of course, the war had changed everything.

  “We’re very benign in our sex lives. Anything which goes past what I guess you would think of as simple intercourse has to be hidden or doesn’t happen. If you were caught, there’s kind of a shunning which takes place.”

  He’d heard enough. “No one gets to judge what we do in the bedroom. I promised not to put my teeth on you and I won’t. However, I am going to see what you enjoy, Tatyana. Because it’s my privilege to do so.”