Thystle’s pupils squeezed into narrow slits, and I felt the barely perceptible tension seizing his body.

  The dragon’s response was a low growl, barely voiced and feral. “Go to your hotel room. In an hour, you’re mine.”

  Eighteen

  Thystle

  Fifty-nine minutes later, I was on his balcony.

  Containing my dragon was a colossal effort, like shoving a crocodile into a cat crate. I’d flown to Matteo’s room, shifted as I landed, then gave the sliding door a single knock. I needed to change back. My human body couldn’t handle the emotion and desire raging within me. It clawed at my insides, desperate to be freed.

  Matteo didn’t make me wait. He opened the door and silently met my gaze. A glassy desire clouded his dark eyes.

  Without a word, I grabbed his wrist, pulled him to my chest, and leapt off the balcony. Having Matteo in my grasp was the straw that broke the camel’s back. My dragon soul burst free, ripping through the strained seams of my human form. I stretched my wings to their limit. I loved the way the night air felt beneath my leathery flesh.

  I wasn’t alone in shifting. The sky worked its magic on Matteo, too. As we took to the air together, he slipped into his golden eagle form. The tips of our wings touched as we flew side-by-side. His eagle form was gorgeous. His beautiful brown eyes caught the moonlight, making them gleam, and his feathers had a pale sheen that made him look like he glowed.

  “I want to lock talons and sky-dive with you,” I said suddenly.

  Matteo let out a few clicks of laughter. “That’s bald eagles, not golden eagles. But I won’t say no to a good courtship ritual.”

  My heart soared—then, so did I. Pumping my muscles, I flew upwards. Matteo joined me in our ascent. The air cooled the higher we went. The hotel and beach shrank beneath us. I felt exhilarated—up this high, it felt like me and Matteo were in our own private world. I forgot the Games, the challenges, the drama. Right now, it was me and him.

  My mate.

  Facing him, I extended my front claws. Matteo banked his wings, coming closer, then locked his talons in mine.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Ready.”

  Together, we tipped into a free fall. Our bodies spun in a rhythmic spiral, a twister of feathers and scales. Wind rushed around us. It was a wild, intoxicating feeling. I gripped Matteo’s talons harder and pulled him as close as possible. We were one unit, a knife slicing the air. He cried out in a screech of laughter, and I joined him with a roar.

  We plummeted towards the beach. It only took a few seconds, but the experience felt longer. Right before we’d crash, we disconnected our talons, flared our wings, and took proper flight.

  But I wasn’t done with Matteo yet. I beckoned him with a deep growl, wanting him to follow me. He let out a few affirmative piping notes as he flew by my side.

  That breathtaking courtship ritual lit a fire in my blood. I was full to the brim with desire, and this time, no amount of willpower could dampen it. Hell, I couldn’t even wait until we reached my bedroom.

  I was going to claim Matteo once and for all, and it had to be now.

  We soared over the forest until I spotted a glint of pale light. A secluded pond in a clearing reflected the moonlight. I nudged Matteo with the tip of my wing and flew down. He followed behind me, shifting to human form as he touched down on the dewy grass. He gazed around the misty clearing, taking in the sights and smells of the untouched forest oasis.

  “This is gorgeous,” he murmured.

  Unlike him, I hadn’t shifted. I remained in my dragon form as I pressed my maw against his cheek.

  “Not as gorgeous as you,” I growled.

  He stroked the sides of my long, scaly face. “Are you flirting with me?”

  I huffed, tendrils of smoke wafting from my nostrils. “When aren’t I flirting with you?”

  Matteo pressed his forehead to my face. The scent of his breath and the warmth of his body made my blood sizzle. A sultry growl reverberated in my throat. Unable to stop myself, I stepped forward while Matteo clung to my face. The motion swung his body backward, and I lowered him gently to the ground. He gazed up at me, his brown eyes warm and shimmering.

  My dragon soul flared like a night sky full of fireworks. My claws dug into the ground around Matteo’s body, and I nuzzled my face against his, soaking up the scent and heat of his body.

  “You’re mine,” I growled against his neck.

  He shivered. “Is that so?”

  “You’re teasing me, but I mean it.”

  “I am teasing,” Matteo said, eyes flashing with amusement, “because I want you to show me.” That was all he had to say.

  I parted my maw, letting my long wet tongue slip out to lap against Matteo’s lips. A soft sound escaped him as he opened his mouth to accommodate me. Despite my ravenous hunger, I took it slow, easing my tongue within. Matteo’s quiet whimpers turned into a moan. He kissed back, wrapping his human tongue around my dragon one.

  A thousand erupting volcanoes weren’t as hot as my blood. Arousal shot down the base of my sinuous spine, culminating in an excited flick of my tail. I unfurled my wings, containing Matteo within their span. My claws inched deeper into the dirt as I struggled to keep my desire in check.

  Matteo suddenly grabbed my face and thrust his tongue as deep as it would go. I growled in pleasant surprise. His human tongue was small compared to mine, but it felt incredible. The wet heat of his mouth and the delicious taste of him sent shock waves of arousal through my system.

  The kiss ended when Matteo pulled off, gasping for breath. My dragon lungs were a lot bigger than his.

  “I win,” I teased.

  He huffed. “Yeah?”

  Then he grabbed my face, kissing me passionately again. His tongue battled against mine with hotter fervor, but in the end, I won a second time. Matteo gasped, panting hard as he collapsed on the grass.

  And his panting wasn’t the only thing that was hard. As I glanced down, I noticed his raging hard on.

  Satisfaction filled me. I grinned widely. “Two make-out sessions are all it takes, huh?”

  Still fighting for breath, Matteo arched a brow. “I wouldn’t be so smug, dragon. Take a look at yourself.”

  I blinked in confusion. Dragons didn’t have visible erections the way humans did—not unless my hemipenes slipped out of my cloaca without me noticing.

  I turned my head upside-down, glanced down at my lower half... then promptly realized Matteo was right.

  I gawked at the two slinky dragon cocks that jutted out of the slit in my scales. When the hell did that happen?

  Matteo smirked. “I win.”

  I hissed playfully, then licked his face. “This round.”

  He angled his neck to stare at my hemipenes curiously. “So, are those going in next?”

  I snorted. “No.”

  He sounded a bit disappointed. “Why not?”

  “Because unless you want to turn into a Matteo-kebab, it’s physically impossible,” I explained.

  “Not even one?”

  I arched a scaly brow. “Can you fit an eight-foot long toy inside you?” He paused for a second. “Point taken.”

  I licked his lips. “If you really want to try it some time, we can, but you’ve gotta work yourself up first, size queen.”

  “Fair enough,” he conceded. “But I’m not done with them yet...”

  To my surprise, Matteo slid beneath my belly scales. Anticipation prickled my skin as Matteo wriggled underneath me.

  He wasn’t going there, was he?

  Just as I mulled over that thought, I sucked in a sharp breath.

  Yeah, he definitely went there.

  Matteo had wrapped his lips around the tip of one of my cocks. The shock of pleasure that coursed through my system made me growl. A shudder scurried down my spine, making me dig my claws deeper into the ground. His wet mouth was gentle yet firm as he sucked and licked my sensitive flesh.

  A growl-purr escaped me. The deep sound reverberated through the clearing, sending ripples of vibration over the pond’s surface.

  My draconic side took over. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t speak. The pleasure melted my brain and turned me feral. I could barely think, much less voice anything resembling a sentence.

  Matteo moved off my cock with a soft pop. “How do you like that?”

  I growled.

  “Is that... good?” he asked.

  I growled deeper, hoping to get the point across.

  He chuckled. “Oh, no. I broke Thystle.”

  I arched my neck around the side of my body to glare at him. I met his gaze, then gave him an encouraging shove with my snout.

  Holy Drake, Matteo looked so fucking hot. His lips were wet and swollen, and his cheeks were flushed. As much as I enjoyed the dragon blowjob, I didn’t know how long I’d last. The dam holding back my control was about to burst. I wouldn’t be satisfied until I stuffed him full of my cock.

  But I wasn’t about to let this beautiful sight go to waste. Matteo got the hint. Still meeting my eyes, he inched forward to wrap his lips around one of my cocks. I let out a soft bellow of pleasure. The cock Matteo sucked on was longer than the height of his entire body, but that didn’t stop him from worshipping the tip of it. He swallowed as much as he physically could without choking, bobbing his head back and forth. Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. His cheeks hollowed as he sucked me off fervently.

  Just when I felt too close, Matteo broke off with a gasp for air. But he wasn’t done. He smirked, eyes flashing. A different air came over him, almost like he’d shifted, yet he remained in human form.

  “Did you ever fantasize about this, Thystle?” Matteo asked, his voice rough. “About Aquila sucking your cock?”

  My pulse surged. I felt delirious, pushed to the edge of sanity. I wanted to close my jaws lovingly around Matteo and never let him go.

  “Yes,” I growled through my teeth.

  His smug grin widened. “You wanted me on my knees in front of you. You fantasized about how good it would feel.”

  My moan came out as a soft roar. Hot pleasure pooled in the pit of my stomach.

  That damned tease.

  I bucked my hips, shoving one of my cocks against his face in a not-so-subtle demand for more. Matteo let out a breathy laugh.

  “Greedy dragon,” he said. “You want me to suck you off that badly?”

  “Yes,” I hissed.

  Matteo’s wet mouth enveloped me. I threw my head back and roared loud enough for it to echo. Spikes of pleasure rocketed through my skull. My breath came out in choppy growls and huffs. I lost my fucking mind.

  Matteo pushed me to the brink of exploding, but I wasn’t done with him yet. In a flash, I shifted back to human form. He blinked, startled at the sudden change, but when I pinned him to the ground, his eyes flashed in understanding. I grabbed his thighs and hiked them up over my shoulders. I was glad his clothes disappeared during his earlier shift and no staff had been present to replace them. Now I had full, instant access to his ass.

  After I shifted to human form, my two dragon cocks became one raging erection, but it didn't dull my animalistic desire to fuck Matteo senseless. My fingers dug into his thighs as I lined up the head of my dick with Matteo’s drenched, twitching hole. He was ready for me.

  “I’m going to fuck you,” I ground out between haggard breaths.

  Matteo looked as eager to receive as I was to give. He grabbed my thighs to brace himself for the incoming thrusts.

  “Don’t just fuck me,” Matteo muttered. “Breed me.”

  That went straight to my cock. I groaned as it twitched, desperate to be inside of him already.

  But the words gave me pause. It was a drop of clarity that put a stop to my frenzy.

  “Breed you,” I repeated. “Is that dirty talk, or...?”

  Matteo levelled a steady look at me. “Thystle. That’s the whole point of the Dragonfate Games, isn’t it? So you can find a proper mate?”

  I blinked slowly. Among all the chaos of the TV production, silly challenges, and contestant drama, that important fact slipped my mind. Matteo was right. This whole charade was meant to unite a pair of fated mates and start a family.

  Matteo sat up and grasped my hands, staring into my eyes. “That’s what I’ve wanted from the very beginning. I want it all with you.” He leaned close enough that I could see the moonlight reflected in his warm brown eyes. “As your fated mate, I want to carry your egg.”

  My heart fluttered like a thousand dragon wingbeats.

  “Matteo. I’ve known you were mine since the second I laid eyes on you, back when I only knew you as Aquila. Nobody understood my obsession, but I knew. And now you’re here in my grasp. I can finally hold you, and touch you, and love you the way you deserve. There’s no hiding from your fated alpha dragon mate,” I teased.

  A smile lit up his face. “Thystle...”

  I gave him a chaste, yet romantic kiss on the lips. “Sooner or later, I’d always find you. Now there’s no escape.”

  “Who said I wanted to escape?” Grinning, Matteo spread his legs. “It’s quite the opposite. Like I said, I want you to breed me.”

  My arousal flared to life. “Then get ready.”

  The mating urge consumed me. As I pressed the head of my cock against Matteo’s entrance, it easily slipped inside.

  Matteo downed a sharp gulp of air, then hissed through his teeth as his body adjusted to my intrusion.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  Matteo grinned. “It’s no eight-foot long toy, but you’re still pretty damn big.”

  Worried I hurt him, I went to pull out, but Matteo grabbed my wrists.

  “If you pull out, I’ll quit the Games,” he warned with a sharp glare.

  I snorted. “Fine, you diva.”

  Matteo moved his hips, then sighed when he found the perfect angle. I felt his muscles relax when he was fully comfortable.

  “Now, fuck me,” he ordered.

  The demand sparked in my brain like a lightning strike. Fueled by possessiveness and desire, I grabbed Matteo’s hips. I was about to make him mine in every way.

  My cock sank deeper into Matteo’s wet, needy hole. He let out a half-gasp, half-moan. His tight hole pulsated around my sensitive shaft, sending passive shocks of pleasure up my spine.

  My dragon rumbled in my soul, simultaneously pleased and greedy for more. It wouldn’t pipe down until I’d flooded Matteo’s insides with my cum.

  Which was exactly what I intended to do.

  Matteo’s little gasps and moans nearly made me salivate. The way his chest arched, and the way his damp hair fell across his forehead was so sexy. Did he have any fucking clue how hot he was?

  All my years of pent-up crushing and lusting over Aquila exploded. My hips thrusted wildly. I felt savage, deranged. I was completely out of control over my fated mate.

  “Fuck, Thystle,” Matteo choked out.

  The raw desire in his voice was gas thrown on the fire of my lust. As I plowed him harder, his moans grew louder and drawn-out to the point where he practically screamed.

  “Fuck,” Matteo breathed, barely voicing the word. His expression was dazed. Sweat rolled down his temples and his cheeks were flushed.

  Holy Drake, I wanted a photo of him right at this moment. For reasons.

  “Shit,” Matteo gasped out. A roguish glint flashed across his eyes. “Getting fucked by my number-one fan feels so good...”

  I blushed, then grinned. “You fucking tease.”

  Matteo dug his heels into my lower back, locking me into place. “I’m not teasing.” His voice was husky with arousal. “Breed me, fanboy. Pump your beloved Aquila full of cum and knock him up.”

  Drake-fucking-dammit.

  He knew exactly what turned me on, didn’t he?

  That naughty talk was enough to send me careening over the edge. My nails dug into Matteo’s skin as I lurched forward, thrusting my cock into the deepest part of him. A feral, draconic cry tore from my throat as I finished inside my mate. Just beneath it, I heard Matteo’s mirror cry and felt a splash of warm wetness against my belly.

  After the stars disappeared from my vision, I curled up beside him. His hair was mussed up in that attractive, I-just-had-sex way. With his rockstar hair and loving smile, he looked halfway between Matteo and Aquila. He was both.

  And they were both mine.

  Nineteen

  Matteo

  After a thorough shower to rinse off last night’s evidence, I headed down to the lobby to meet the rest of the contestants. It surprised me to notice how much the number of people shrank. So much had changed since before the Games began. I’d come into this experience with a glimmer of hope, a fantasy of finding my fated mate... and now I had him.

  A smile crept onto my face as I thought of Thystle. Last night was magical, and it was only the beginning of our lifelong love.

  I yawned loudly. The sex was amazing, but it did keep me up past my usual bedtime.

  “That’s the third time you’ve yawned,” Alaric pointed out. “Stayed up late?”

  I stood up straighter. I hadn’t noticed the slinky cat shifter’s approach.

  “Couldn’t sleep,” I said, which was true enough. It would be impossible to fall asleep while Thystle bred me.

  Alaric eyed me shrewdly. He lowered his voice to a low mumble. “As a bird shifter, you probably can’t tell, but you have the distinct smell of dragon on you.”

  Shame flushed my cheeks. Dammit. I thought I did a decent job of getting rid of it.

  I didn’t want to lie to Alaric, especially when he already knew. Besides, I was sick of hiding the truth.

  “I’m sorry,” I said honestly.

  I didn’t apologize for what I’d done, but because I felt sorry for Alaric. He was clearly lonely and yearning.

  He shrugged. “Why? You found your fated mate. That’s why we’re here.”

  There was no disappointment in his tone, only acceptance with a hint of jealousy. I didn’t blame him. It couldn’t be easy competing in the Dragonfate Games twice to no avail.