The Priestess and the Dragon (Dragon Saga Book 1, Wattpad Version)

Chapter Three

The Dragon’s hands burned Suzume’s flesh and sparks erupted wherever his fingers brushed exposed skin. She was immobile, transfixed by his touch and the breath that caressed her skin. His lips brushed against the sensitive space behind her ear and his hands captured her wrists and pulled back her sleeves revealing her forearm. Her heart beat faster. Despite what he may think, she was a virgin. Her father, the emperor, would have done more than banish her if her purity were not intact. Her value lay in her chastity. Though she was known to be flirtatious, she knew her place and what that entailed. illicit affairs were not permitted.

Does it matter now? I will never be a real bride. My marriage contract to General Tsubaki was annulled. Deep down, she had hoped she would one day return to the White Palace. Perhaps that had been naive of her to think that.

The Dragon pulled Suzume into a chamber, the sliding doors at the back faced out onto the mountain range, which glowed blue beneath the night sky. The dragon trailed his hand along her hair and set the charms on the pins to jingling. Then, with a fluid movement, he withdrew the pins and her hair tumbled down and cascaded over her shoulders.

He turned her to face him. She felt exposed with her hair in a jumble and her makeup smeared. Before coming here, she would never have let someone see her this way. Her meetings with General Tsubaki had always been through a screen and when her admirers had come at late hours, there was a fan covering her face. It was a shield and a way to keep others from seeing her really. That’s how she preferred things. True, she broke convents more often than not but that was on her terms. This dragon had stripped her bare of all her masks in just a few simple movements.

He cupped her cheek and leaned in close his lips ghosted over hers but did not touch them. She inhaled his breath and closed her eyes waiting for the tender touch. She felt at once desire and fear for what could transpire here. I am his bride; did he not declare me so? This is even a more fortunate placement. I am above the emperor himself, as the bride of a dragon! She thought. Her body betrayed her and she trembled beneath his touch.

He pulled away and she felt the loss of him and mourned it. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into the deep depths of his inhuman eyes. He hosted a crooked smile on his face.

“How did you release me?” he whispered.

His voice was coaxing and lulled by his touch and the burning desire in her gut she found that her usual quick wit was muddled and slow. She opened her mouth and words did not come out. She swallowed and then tried again through a suddenly parched mouth. “As I said before, the seal was weak. I sensed that and released you.”

He titled his head and his smile grew wider. “Then I owe you a debt of thanks, let me.” His hand brushed along her collar and her trembles became shivers. His hand burned along her collar and moved down along her chest pushing aside the heavy fabric of her robe.

He pulled her close and snaked his hand around to her back. He pulled on the cords around her sash which kept it in place. It pulled loose easily and with it loosened the sash underneath. He then undid the layers of sash that had belted her into the robe. They fell to the ground and pooled there. He turned her around and unwound the outer layers of the robe. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest.

His gazed burned upon her and she felt the need to disrupt the silence. “What you said before about killing lovers, you were teasing, were you not?” She hated how afraid and weak she sounded.

He stopped pulling off her layers of robes and turned her to face him. He cupped her hands in his face.

“I am serious, my bride, but since you have strong spiritual power you will be able to shield yourself, so it does not matter.”