The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 44

Elena

March 1431

M y eyes snapped to his smug face as he grinned knowingly.

“The beginning of what?” I asked, but he had already turned back to his father.

I looked at Killian, who was watching me with a questioning expression. He pushed through the crowd to get closer.

“What did that scum say to you?” he asked.

“He said the tournament was only the beginning.”

“Sore losers love to exaggerate. Don’t pay attention.” He kissed my hand and then led me into another round of dancing.

After the feast, we walked to our chamber. The walk felt endless. My shoes had rubbed my feet raw, so Killian offered me his arm. I gladly took it, assuming he was just being a gentleman. How wrong I was. The same arm that had supported me now wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to his heated body.

“What are you doing? There are still people around. Is this how you plan to impress them?” I protested, caught off guard by the sudden intimacy.

“The only person I need to impress is you. And even that requires great restraint. If it were up to me, you’d be lying sprawled on a four-poster bed, receiving my branding. But I must behave decently, for the sake of some lowly nobles—”

“Shhh.” I covered his mouth with my hand. But instead of being deterred, he found it enticing and began licking my palm, then my fingers.

“Damn, how I hate this fabric keeping me from your body. And this corset—it’s testing my patience. How can humans hide the very parts of a woman that make them goddesses?”

The more he stared at me with those insatiable eyes, the deeper he guided us into the hidden corners of the castle.

“How about we just go to our chamber?” I suggested. “It’s right around the corner.”

“And miss the delicious sight of you all flustered?” He smirked. “Never.”

He didn’t wait for a response and went straight for my mouth. One hand held my head in place as he devoured my mouth with his tongue, while the other somehow bypassed the layers of my skirts, heading straight to my core. His fingers first grazed lightly across my seam, then he cupped me firmly. “Do I need to remind you who you belong to?”

I shook my head, still breathless from the intense kiss.

But before I could even catch my breath, he thrust a finger inside me, pumping with an urgency that would have been too much with anyone else. But with Killian, my body only craved more. The harder, the better. Waves of arousal crashed over me, one after another, building to an inevitable climax. I knew I was close.

Killian’s breath was hot against my ear. “You’re mine, Elena. Only mine, forever.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. I was teetering on the edge, and he knew it. His relentless pace and possessive words pushed me over, and I came undone, trembling and gasping in his arms.

“Well done,” he whispered, his tone a mix of command and tenderness. He withdrew his hand and held me close as I caught my breath.

“Now, let’s get you to our chamber,” he said, guiding me gently this time. As we walked, he would stop, cup my chin, and appraise me from top to bottom, his intense stare never leaving mine. He’d pull me into a kiss, then release me, only to stop again a few steps later, his eyes lingering on my most intimate spots. Each time, he would draw me into a passionate embrace, kissing me with abandon.

By the third time, I ripped my chin from his grasp and made a run for it, blisters and all. My laughter echoed across the vaulted ceiling.

“The further you run, the harsher the punishment. You know you can’t escape me.” He growled but didn’t hesitate to chase after me.

There’s a difference between Killian scorching enemies in battle and pursuing me. My heart pounded as I sprinted, knowing I had enough training to lose him for a bit, but not for long. It didn’t matter—I just needed to reach the chamber.

Soon, I saw the coveted door. Just steps away, a force swept me off my feet, pulling me inside the chamber and pinning me behind the door. His breathing was steady, in stark contrast to mine, but his dark purple eyes glowed with the intensity of a predator whose prey had dared to challenge him.

“You look devilishly handsome when you’re flustered,” I teased.

“You’re the only one who gets to see me like this. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences.”

“It was just a jog, you know, for stamina maintenance.”

“There are other ways to improve stamina. Ones that will have you begging for mercy.”

He unleashed his claws and slashed through the front lace ties of my dress.

“No, this is a brand new dress! ”

“As I mentioned earlier, the only way I want to see you is bare and ready.”

“People do have other things to do besides... this,” I protested.

But he continued to rip through the dress.

“No, stop!”

“If it’s dresses you want, I’ll hire a dressmaker just for you. Every night, you’ll have a new one for me to ruin.”

“What kind of barbarian are you?”

“The kind that finds pleasure in worshiping your naked body.” He hissed, tearing away the last remnants of the dress.

“You brute, you savage, you—”

Without hesitation, he threw me onto the bed, then leaped on top of me, licking his lips in anticipation.

He locked my chin in his hand and began another round of kissing, draining away any will I had to protest. The jerk was too good at it, especially for my own good. The scent of smoke and leather flooded my senses, breaking down yet another barrier to my resolve.

“I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you in that dress,” he murmured, grabbing my breasts. His mouth latched onto each nipple as if they held the cure for whatever tormented him. One hand slid down to my clit, rubbing with the sole purpose of making me cum quickly.

But I refused to surrender so easily. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Killian noticed my small rebellion and grinned. As much as his arrogance infuriated me, I swallowed my pride, bracing myself for what was about to come—though, let’s be honest, what was probably about to come was me.

“Your defiance is admirable, but you will cum for me, kitten. And when you do, I’ll punish you by making you cum again.”

I was already aroused from all the sneaky exploits he’d subjected me to earlier, but when he entered me without warning, I lost the ability to speak, think, or even comprehend.

“Your wetness always betrays you.” He lifted my thigh high, showing me just how soaked I was—as if I needed more reason to blush. Then, with a vengeful glint in his eyes, he began pounding into me mercilessly.

“Stop, stop! It’s too fast!” I screamed.

“Not until you scream my name in orgasm.” He smirked.

“Screw you.”

“I’m busy doing exactly that,” he retorted, increasing his speed even more if that were even possible.

“Fuck. Stop, Killia-ah-a.” But it was too late.

“You didn’t even need to attend the school of good dragon riders. You’re a natural.”

“Fuck you,” I snapped, slapping him.

“If you say so,” he said, pulling me on top of him. He looked at me with intense lust and immediately locked lips with mine.

“Move, kitten. Show me how you fuck me,” he commanded, leaning on his elbows as he watched me ride him. The control I had over the depth felt strangely exhilarating, yet overwhelming.

He traced his hand from my belly button to my breasts, before finally resting on my pearl choker.

“No.” I slapped his hand away.

But he returned to my neck.

“No, Killian. I’m afraid,” I whispered, covering his hand with mine. I stopped moving.

“The people who hurt you planted fear in your heart, but it doesn't have to stay that way. I can help. You deserve to break free from the prison of your mind. You deserve to stand tall, just as you did when you faced our enemies in the tournament. Your courage should flow through you effortlessly, as we both know you’re capable of. You must confront the darkest moments of your past and embrace them. I know you’re strong enough—I’ve seen it in you many times. While I’ll be here to support you, only you can truly conquer your fears.”

I froze, contemplating his words.

“Do you trust me?” he asked softly.

I nodded, though a wave of nausea swept over me.

“It is through your partner’s bond of trust that you can reach true bliss. Catharsis is but a few steps away. Together we can confront your fear.”

With one swift tug, he ripped the choker from my neck, and the pearls cascaded to the floor with a series of small clicks.

“No.” I instinctively covered my exposed neck.

“When I say you’re mine, I mean wholly, completely, utterly mine. Every part of you, every breath, everything. But this,” he said, trailing a finger across the sensitive skin of my neck. I tensed, anticipating his touch. “This can't happen without your willing consent. Let’s fight and heal together.”

He trailed a finger across the sensitive skin of my neck, and I tensed, anticipating his touch. I had never felt so vulnerable, so exposed. I grabbed his hand, stopping it from its path.

“There’s always a moment of hesitation before the leap. Are you ready?” he asked.

I couldn’t speak. Instead, I released his hand, a silent gesture of consent. He didn’t pull back. He moved forward, wrapping his fingers around my fragile neck.

“This is what you want.” It wasn’t a question.

My eyes betrayed a mix of relief and fear, my throat constricting under his grip. I was terrified, yet I craved it all the same.

“Do you want me to be the one who absolves you of your fears?” he murmured as he gradually squeezed, cutting off my air supply.

I nodded.

“I will be more than that. I will be the one to turn your fears into bliss.”

I looked at him, feeling more lost than ever. He read the tension in my body and paused, then softened his approach, caressing my cheeks. The gentleness relaxed my shoulders, and I closed my eyes. His thumb traced over my bottom lip as he said, “This mouth deserves to breathe only at my command.”

Suddenly, his grip tightened around my throat. In shock, I tried to pry his hands away, but they held firm. I opened my eyes to meet his intense gaze, and any thought of protest was crushed by his unyielding pressure. He squeezed tighter until my breath was entirely cut off. I gasped desperately for air, tears welling up and spilling down my cheeks. But our gazes remained locked, and his eyes held the same unwavering intent.

“Trust me,” he commanded.

Another squeeze, and I began feeling dizzy. My arms fell limp. Then he began moving inside me, slowly at first, then deeper, his thrusts matching the intensity of the choke. It was overwhelming, a flood of sensations that took over everything.

He leaned closer to my struggling face and whispered, “Fucking you feels so good, especially knowing that with each stroke, you become more and more mine. Now, every part of you belongs to me.”

Tears streamed down my face, accepting the truth in his words. And with a few more deliriously deep thrusts, my body seemed to split in two—my upper half floating in an out-of-body state, while my lower half felt every inch of him buried deep within me. When I came back together, I had no choice but to surrender, to succumb completely to him. In that surrender, I found myself reaching both hell and paradise simultaneously, climaxing with a mind-shattering intensity. My screams were stifled by his grip. Then, as he released me, I came crashing back to Earth—half alive but utterly satisfied. I collapsed against him, gasping for air like a fish out of water, while he continued fucking me senseless, drawing out every last drop of pleasure. As if in complete control, he reached his own climax.

When I finally caught my breath, he captured my mouth in a fierce kiss. He gazed at me with pride, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, then laid me carefully on the bed. His finger traced a line along my neck.

“It will leave a bruise,” he said, his voice soft yet possessive. “This one, though, will remind you of me and make you forget everyone else. Between us, there can only be you and me.” He kissed my forehead tenderly.