He looked at Robbie and her parents, making sure no one was blinded, but since he’d been facing the sky, the blinding beam had shot upward and not caused anyone harm.

  He cracked his knuckles as he approached Bryson, allowing his shift to take hold.

  His head was no longer hurting, his strong dragon blood running wild, and he was now good and ready for a fight. In a second, he had turned into his dragon. Unlike the ugly transformation Bryson had gone through, Citrine’s dragon appeared in an instant, in just a flash of shimmering light.

  Now he towered over Bryson, taller and longer and with much better claws. Not to mention giant gold wings that shimmered along the edges with gemstones. He didn’t have time to look down at Robbie and wonder how she felt. He had to free her first.

  He swung around and caught Bryson in the face with the spikes of his tail, knocking him off Robbie completely.

  Robbie got up to run but waited expectantly, as if wondering if Citrine would need her. He nearly laughed because it was nice that his mate would stand by his side, but she’d already done enough, probably saved his life, and now his dragon could take care of the rest.

  She really was one of a kind, a fighter, and he couldn’t wait to just get to know her even more.

  Bryson recovered and crept along the back edge of the arena, narrowing his eyes at Citrine. “What are you?” he snarled.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Citrine asked eloquently.

  He heard a cackling laugh from Robbie’s direction, where she was sitting by her parents now, still in her wolf.

  “Date-A-Dragon. I get it now,” she yelled.

  He nodded. “Bryson, we can do this the hard or the easy way. We don’t have to—”

  But Bryson lunged forward, aiming for the neck, and Citrine was forced to raise a claw, slashing him hard on the face, knocking him backward.

  Citrine watched in shock as the deep gashes left by his talons faded almost immediately. Holy hell, this was one powerful shifter. The oracle was going to have to know about this. About just how strong some of the wolves had gotten.

  But it was still no match for a dragon. Citrine had been trying to be careful, naturally wanting to cause as little harm as possible. But that was just not possible now.

  Bryson was pacing with bloodlust in his eyes, and if Citrine let him get past him, he had no doubt he was going for Robbie and her parents and maybe even the whole town.

  This animal was a killer, and though Citrine hated harming any life, he’d do what he had to in order to take it down.

  Focusing light inside him, he let it burn to a white-hot ball and then opened his mouth and fired it, like a laser, straight into Bryson’s chest.

  There was a horrible burning, sizzling sound as Bryson dropped to the ground, snarling and rolling, with the smell of burning flesh.

  Finally, he shifted back to a human and rolled in the dirt, naked and crying. Citrine changed back as well, running forward to see what harm was done.

  He hadn’t meant to kill the guy.

  He skidded to a halt in front of Bryson, pulling off his tunic to put over the other man. All dragons retained their exact clothed forms when they transformed, but other shifters didn’t.

  Bryson was still screaming and steaming, and Citrine grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him. Bryson was scrabbling at his chest, so Citrine pulled his hands away to study the burning wound. It was trying to heal but still burning, and Bryson was howling with pain.

  Citrine knew the fight was over, that if Bryson did recover, he could simply wound him again, so he decided to help him. He really couldn’t stand any creature in pain.

  He put his hands over Bryson’s wound and focused on healing, pulling the fire and the heat away until Bryson went calm and still, passed out from the pain and exertion.

  Robbie jogged over to them, still in wolf form, and pressed her paw on Bryson’s chest. There was a flash of green, and then a paw print appeared on his chest with marks around it.

  “He’s sealed now. He can’t shift,” Robbie said. “That’s my power. I knew I might need it if I mated him, but I didn’t want to do it in the middle of the fight if I didn’t have to.”

  “But he had you pinned,” Citrine said, gaping.

  “I wasn’t sure it would work when he was so far gone. But it’s fine.” She gave him a smile. “I knew you would save me.”

  He threw his arms around her shoulders, burying his face in her fur. Damn, he loved this woman so much. She’d believed in him even when he hadn’t, been there for him in his fight. And everything had worked out after all.

  “We’ll give you some privacy,” Livvy said, handing over a blanket for Robbie and turning her back along with her husband.

  Robbie shifted back, and Citrine held the blanket up for her, wrapping her in it to cover her nakedness.

  As soon as she was covered, they heard stirring on the ground as Bryson started to come to. “I can’t shift! Shit! I can’t shift!”

  “I’m not unsealing you,” Robbie said shortly. “Not until you face the Tribunal.”

  “I fought fairly,” he snarled.

  “Fair?” Livvy said, whirling around on him. “You tried to eat your opponent, you threatened the crowd, and you drew your claw as if to kill your possible mate.” She was spitting mad. “You fought horribly, and you lost. And the only reason you’re alive is because Citrine took pity on you.”

  Bryson rolled his eyes. “I could have beaten him.”

  Robert walked over and swiftly punched Bryson in the face, knocking him out. Then he shook his fist, looking up apologetically. “That’s really all I could take of him,” he said, making everyone else laugh.

  He put Bryson’s arm around his shoulder and started for their car, still parked at the edge of the arena. “Robbie, your mother and I are going to take Bryson home to his parents to talk to them about how to get in touch with the Tribunal. You two enjoy some time together, make sure you’re both okay.”

  Citrine nodded, still a little surprised by the turn of events as he put a hand to his neck and felt the absence of the collar. Had a dragon ever just burst one off?

  Then again, most dragons didn’t have an elemental power corresponding to the sun.

  Robbie looked over at him shyly, and he could almost hear all the questions she had without even reading her mind.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, picking her up in his arms to carry her back to the house.

  “Yes,” she said. “He didn’t hurt me, thanks to you.”

  “What were you thinking? Getting involved in a fight.”

  “I was thinking my man was in trouble,” she said stubbornly, raising a hand to his face. “And you can put me down. I can walk.”

  “No,” he said. “I won the challenge. You’re mine. I’m keeping my prize in my arms for now.”

  She giggled. “If you hadn’t hit a rock hard enough to kill someone, I’d have some ideas about how to make things official.”

  “I didn’t hit the rock that hard,” he said with a grin. He stopped when they got to the porch and sat down on the bench, setting her next to him so he could catch his breath.

  He felt oddly energized with his collar off. Totally healed and more powerful than he had in a long time. Then again, maybe it was just his blood pumping from the thrill of finally proving himself to his mate.

  He took her face in his hands and kissed her, deeply and slowly, communicating everything he felt to her. “I love you, Robbie,” he murmured against her lips, biting her lightly. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” she said, throwing her hands around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder and letting herself finally relax in his hold.

  They stayed there for a long moment, letting their heart rates calm, their breathing return to normal, until all that was left was the soft, comfortable chemistry between them. A spark that could easily be stoked into a flame.

  He looked into her eyes. “So. About this claiming.”

  She flushed and smiled at him with a nod. “Tell you what. Let’s go eat and clean up, and then I have an idea for you.”

  “What is it?” he asked eagerly, following her inside.

  “Oh, you’ll see,” she said, winking as she walked to the kitchen. “But first let’s get some food. I’m going to need my strength for what’s coming.”

  Holy hell, his woman was hotter than dragon fire. But no matter what she had in store for him, he was just happy he had her forever.

  Chapter 17

  A little while later, Citrine was lying on the bed, looking up at Robbie, slightly confused.

  “So this is what you had in mind, huh,” he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

  His arms were raised above him, and Robbie had hastily tied both his hands to the bedposts with rope she’d found in the utility closet of the basement.

  His muscular, sexy body was spread out before her. After the fight, he’d changed into a soft tee shirt and some jeans, and she liked the way she could make out the rise of his rounded pecs, his thick biceps, even the rows of his abs.

  The wolf inside her was pacing, wanting to take its mate.

  Citrine was going to find out what it meant to be claimed by an alpha she-wolf.

  “Of course. Why else do you think I did this?” Robbie replied, body thrumming with anticipation. The anticipation of being in control this time, of taking her fill of her mate. Of enjoying every second of their time together, knowing what would come at the end.

  “You can stop thinking about what you’re going to do and just do it,” Citrine said wryly, raising an eyebrow.

  “What?”

  “Dragons can read minds. I usually resist, but I figure it’s fair play since I’ve been captured…”

  “Well, stop it,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Until I say you can.” She crawled over him on the bed, straddling his taut midsection and trim hips with her legs.

  His almond-shaped, golden eyes just watched her closely, devouring her with his gaze as she did the same. She could tell he wanted to be the one on top, but for now he seemed obliging enough, letting her set the pace.

  She extended a claw and tore his shirt down the middle, revealing that perfect set of pecs and abs she could never seem to get enough of and tossing the shirt aside. Her mouth almost watered, and she was instantly wet as she ran her hands along the ridges and valleys of sculpted muscle.

  “You’re not the only one who gets to tear clothing off, you know,” she said, making Citrine smile.

  “Yes, I see. But if you could spare my jeans, I’d be very grate—”

  He was interrupted by the sound of his pants being ripped through and taken off as well, and he just laughed as she came back atop him.

  “Nope,” Robbie said. “Don’t worry, I’ll buy you some more.”

  “Hey, that’s my line,” he said, straining for the first time against the ropes, making his muscles bulge and tighten. Robbie knew if he wanted to break it, he could snap them like silk threads, but he kept himself restrained.

  Beneath her she could feel the thick bulge hidden behind his black boxer briefs, and just the slightest touch of it against her legs, against her hips, made her tingly with want.

  For a moment, she just touched his length, running her hand against it, teasing him, and he groaned in arousal. The bed shook slightly as he tensed, and for a second, she feared he’d snap the frame in half. But he was ever the one whose control exceeded all expectations.

  “You do know that I could be doing a lot of nice things for you right now if you untied me, don’t you?” Citrine said, fire in his eyes as his gaze roved up and down her, and it was as though she could feel his hands on her breasts, his finger on her center. The memory of it was so intense.

  “Maybe so. But that doesn’t mean you’re getting free,” Robbie said, pulling off her shirt and jeans so she was half naked now, like Citrine, and then leaning down to kiss the man that was so close to being her mate she could almost taste it.

  She couldn’t stifle her moan as his tongue thrust inside her mouth, pleasuring her, reminding her how much control she really had when it came to Citrine. It was like wildfire all over as she felt him flick the tip of his tongue up along the roof of her mouth, then thrust deep where she was most sensitive.

  It was as if Citrine were the best of both worlds in every way. Perfect control and unfettered power. Quiet, logical intelligence and relentless pleasure. He knew her so well now; Robbie only hoped that now that his dragon was unleashed, she could catch up.

  “We have forever to do that,” Citrine said, ending the kiss and looking up at her with those soul-piercing eyes.

  “Reading my mind again?” she chided playfully. “It’s going to take me a while to get used to that, you know.”

  “Well, we have a long time. Though I only try to read thoughts when I can tell you want me to know them. I can resist if you want me to.”

  “No, don’t. I trust you. Just like I trusted you earlier. I just didn’t trust myself to believe in being so happy, in going after what I really wanted.”

  “Well, you did. And now look where we are,” Citrine said, his sculpted lips turning up in a calm smile.

  Emotions aside, though, Robbie couldn’t ignore the hungry she-wolf inside her. She placed several kisses along his shoulders, over his body, claiming him as he’d claimed her so many times already in such a short period of time, marking him however she could possessively.

  Then with several hurried motions, her remaining clothes were gone, along with his underwear, and she straddled him one last time. Carefully, she positioned herself over his hard length, thick and delicious and tantalizing.

  “No looking back,” Citrine said, satisfied at the sight of her naked atop him.

  “No looking back. Just you and me,” Robbie replied, and she set her hips slowly onto his member.

  Effortlessly, he slid into her, soft as velvet and hard as iron, filling her completely, even more erotic without any barriers separating his body from her own. She moaned and her hands dug into his chest as she became swept up in an overwhelming torrent of pleasure and warmth.

  Once she’d calmed slightly, she began to move, raising her hips and then lowering again over him, the sensation so incredible she could barely think. Bright lights clouded her vision as she tried to not come right then and there.

  She felt slightly dizzy just from the heightened pleasure of it and pressed her hands to his chest as she fought to regain her balance. She’d wanted to be on top this time, to show him just how much she wanted him, just how much he was hers. But now part of her just wanted to relax and let him take over.

  There was the sound of creaking, then two loud pops as the bed rocked from side to side. Before Robbie even knew what was going on, Citrine’s hand was on her back, whirling her around and reversing their positions effortlessly, despite still being inside her. Suddenly, she felt soft bedding and sheets beneath her, and above her, Citrine’s lips curved up in a wicked smile.

  “Let me take care of that for you.”

  Citrine hadn’t meant to break free of his restraints, really. He’d had every intention of letting Robbie take things all the way for the two of them for the claiming (and then taking her again his way immediately afterward).

  But when he’d heard her thoughts, heard her feelings, he couldn’t just sit idly by anymore.

  Not to say he thought she couldn’t manage the act. But he sensed she wanted him to take care of her, and that’s what he was going to do.

  “I’m not going to ask how you did that,” she said, eyeing the bent bedframe. “I’m just grateful. Now take me all the way,” she said, leaning up to his ear and whispering in it.

  Citrine’s dragon roared to life, and at that, he slowly slipped out of her, then thrust inside, the friction even more intense than a moment ago.

  Robbie orgasmed immediately, grasping Citrine’s shoulders as he held back, wanting to make her come as much as possible despite the fact that, without protection, he could feel her body tighten around him even better than before.

  She was so beautiful bared beneath him, face tightened in release, dark curls lying beneath her on the bed, full breasts and curvaceous figure joined with him hip to hip.

  When she came back to reality, he began to move again, slowly this time. The more he drew out the motion, the more she tensed, the more openly her body yielded to the pleasure.

  While he made a steady rhythm, pumping in and out in steady succession, he propped himself up on one hand, using the other to squeeze her breast, pressing his thumb into her nipple and arousing her even further.

  His own body was on fire, and he was a hair’s breadth from going into a feverish frenzy.

  But he stayed steady. And when Robbie was close, he reached his finger between them, poised over her center.

  “Citrine, I…” Robbie tried to gasp out.

  But her body interrupted her own words as she fell over the edge into pleasure, and Citrine rubbed his finger across her tiny nub, further deepening her descent into release.

  Over and over she said his name, coming harder than perhaps ever before, writhing and thrashing futilely against waves of sheer sensation.

  By the time she was done, she looked exhausted and happy and close to going again all at the same time.

  “I love you. That’s what I was trying to say,” she said, summoning her breath.

  “I know,” he said, leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips, then her cheek. “I love you, too.”

  This was it. Then it would be forever.

  And Citrine couldn’t think of a happier thought even if he tried.

  Citrine propped himself up on both arms now and sped his pace, increasing the motion between them more with each thrust. And every time he entered her, meeting skin to skin all the way, liquid lightning coursed up his back and his fingertips buzzed from the tension deep within his body.

  His grip tightened in the sheets beneath him, and he held on as Robbie wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him into her and further deepening their connection.

  Robbie was speeding out of control inside, too, and between moans, gasps, and uttered oaths, she was doing her best to hold on to the fiery-hot pleasure that burned between them for as long possible.