But she quickly realized as his tongue moved up and down her spine that along with that astounding orgasm came a large amount of blinding pain.

Elina began to struggle but she didn’t know if she was trying to get away from the pain or the orgasm that just kept going . . . and going.

As Celyn’s tongue reached the back of her neck, he gripped her clit between two fingers and squeezed and rolled until her legs shook and she had to bury her head into her pillow and scream.

She really thought it was over when Celyn abruptly pulled away, but then he pushed her onto her back, ignoring her yelp of pain when her spine hit the mattress, and he roughly entered her.

He took her with strong, powerful strokes, and she let him, lifting her legs up so that they hung off his hips. She dug her hands into his hair and arched into him as he fucked her harder.

Celyn was merciless, but Elina didn’t mind. It was a beautiful morning. He was wearing her brand. And she’d woken up to an orgasm. What more could a woman want from a relationship?

While he continued to bury himself in her up to the hilt, he sucked on her nipples, which brought another orgasm tearing up on her from, it seemed, out of nowhere.

Writhing beneath him, her fingers now digging into his shoulders until she knew she’d broken the skin, Elina began to scream out again, but his mouth covered hers. They both came like that, gripping each other and screaming into each other’s mouths until they collapsed.

Finally, Celyn rolled off her, and for several minutes they lay in the bed, panting and covered in sweat.

When they could speak again, Celyn held up his arm. “A bear?” he demanded. “You branded me with a bear?”

“The local blacksmith made it for me. It is my favorite animal and represents my tribe.”

“Dragons eat bears.”

“And I hunt them in the winter. I still like them.”

He dropped his arm. “Whatever.”

Elina started to move, but her back hurt so much, she stopped. “What did you do to me?” she asked.

“What?”

“My back. It hurts.”

When the dragon only grinned, Elina ignored the pain and jumped out of bed. She raced across the room to a standing mirror she had assumed she would never have use for. Who needed to look at themselves in the mirror all the time?

But as she turned so that she could see her back, she gasped in horror.

“You son of a—”

“Morning, sister!” Kachka greeted as she threw the bedroom door open. “I thought we could train at the— horse gods on the field of battle! What happened to your back?”

“He did this to me!” Elina snarled, pointing a damning finger at him.

“Wasn’t losing an eye enough? Now you’ve defiled her body with your . . . your . . .”

“Dragon,” Celyn said, pulling the fur covering over his waist. “It’s a dragon. And she should be proud. I’ve officially made her my mate. For eternity.”

“You should take him to river and drown him, sister, for such an affront.”

Elina let out a sigh. “Wait. It’s actually not that bad.”

“What?”

“Well . . . when you think about it, I did brand him first. And if we are to be . . . what was that ridiculous word you used last night?”

“Partners.”

“Yes. If we are to be partners, I guess we should both wear each other’s mark.”

“Especially when mine’s a bear.”

“He eats bears.”

“So do we.” Kachka shook her head. “I am disgusted.”

“Don’t know why,” Celyn said. “You’re not wearing my mark.”

“Shut up, dragon.”

“Awww. Is that it? Do you feel sad because you’re not wearing my mark? Do you feel a little left out?”

“I am leaving.”

“Don’t worry,” Celyn called after her. “I have some cousins who might find you cute in a pushy, lack-of-empathy way.”

Elina shook her head as she went to the door and closed it. “Great. Now I must spend my life protecting you from my sister.”

“I went a little far, didn’t I?” he asked, chuckling.

“‘I have cousins who might find you cute?’ It is like you want arrow in that doltish head of yours.”

“Forget your sister,” Celyn told her, throwing the fur off to reveal his once-again hard cock. “Just come here and fuck me.”

Elina was halfway to the bed when the door was thrown open again.

“Good,” Bercelak said, walking into the room. “You’re awake.”

“Does no one fucking knock in this house?” Celyn barked.

“Knock? What are you? Human now?” Bercelak stopped and studied the dragon brand Elina now had down her spine. “Well, that didn’t take you long.”

“But look,” Celyn happily volunteered. “I have a brand now, too!”

Bercelak frowned at his nephew’s arm. “A bear? You let this human brand you with a bear?”

“I like bears,” Elina told him.

Annoyed but probably unwilling to have this conversation with some human female he barely knew, Bercelak picked Elina up around the waist and carried her out into the hall. The dragon ignored her screamed words since neither of them knew what the hells she was saying. But it showed how mad she was if she’d reverted to her own language.

Bercelak locked the door and walked over to the bed. “You’re no longer one of the Queen’s Personal Guard.”