Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son Chapter 787: Bad Dragon

Time passed unnoticed, but Erebus refused to slow his pace, as though seizing back every precious second he'd missed when she was so near yet never fully his.

The iron restraint he'd clung to for so long had completely crumbled, exposing nothing but primal, unchecked hunger.

Where Drayce raged like a fierce storm, Erebus embodied a force beyond measure, too wild to be bound by worldly chains.

Seren had lost all sense of time long ago.

Her body, stretched to its breaking point, now surrendered solely to him—quivering, compliant, powerless to defy. Every motion, every breath, every throb lay wholly under his command.

Only when she could endure no more, when her very endurance collapsed under the relentless fervor, did Erebus finally ease his rhythm.

He dipped his head into the curve of her neck, his scorching breath fanning her damp skin. His lips grazed the spot he'd claimed during the marking ceremony.

Beneath his touch, the mark throbbed softly.

He paused there, his tongue gliding over it with slow intent, as if etching its essence into memory. A deep, possessive rumble vibrated in his chest, a sound crafted solely for her.

Driven by an instinct overpowering reason, his canines sank into her flesh once more to seal their bond, even as he surged forward with one final mighty thrust to hurl them both into ecstasy's abyss.

Seren shuddered beneath him, a faint cry slipping from her lips as the wave crashed through her—not mere pain, but a devouring essence plunging deeper than the flesh.

The bond ignited fiercely.

Dark tendrils of shadow swirled around them, twisting alive through the air, coiling about their forms like a protective veil from the outside realm.

This transcended mere bodily fusion. It became a conquest of spirits. Their link intensified, rooted itself, and ultimately—snapped irrevocably into permanence.

As the shadows gradually dissolved, silence blanketed the chamber.

Seren lay motionless upon the bed, her form completely exhausted, breaths shallow and ragged as oblivion overtook her.

Erebus stayed close by her side. At last, the tempest raging inside him quieted.

His hand rose gradually, hesitantly caressing her cheek. That touch, once savage and merciless, now brimmed with a gentleness only she could summon from him.

His obsidian gaze roamed every contour of her features, imprinting her indelibly upon his soul.

"Mate," he whispered, his tone profound yet laced with an alien softness. "Mine."

As she slumbered on, oblivious to all, Erebus lay unmoving beside her, his stare fixed solely on her face. As if she'd vanish forever should he avert his eyes or stray from her side.

Frequently, his gaze shifted to her neck, awaiting the bond mark's emergence.

---

Seren stirred awake that afternoon. Sunlight poured into the room despite the drawn curtains. Her eyes opened to confront a pair of bottomless black orbs gazing intently at her.

Slightly startled yet unafraid, she returned his stare. Unless mistaken, this marked the first occasion she'd beheld Erebus so vividly in daylight, so serenely.

The previous encounter came when Drayce lay wounded, forcing Erebus to emerge for their defense. Yet peace had been absent then.

As she attempted to turn toward her mate, pain made her wince sharply. Her whole frame throbbed excruciatingly, like it'd been crushed beneath a colossal stone for endless hours.

'I thought Drayce was intense enough, but wrong I was. My Drayce remains far gentler,' she pondered, dodging Erebus's gaze lest he glimpse her thoughts.

Erebus shifted at last. Wordlessly, he flung the blanket off her and cradled her nude body in his arms. He rarely uttered a sound anyway.

"Where are you taking me?" Seren questioned, fretting over modesty in the glaring daylight. "At least let me put on some clothes."

"Soak!" he replied, striding from the room with her in his hold.

Seren comprehended and anticipated the bath, yet he carried her straight out of the cottage.

"Erebus," she clutched at her chest hastily, scanning the skies for airborne patrols, "you can't carry me out naked. Eagles roam this kingdom—I mean, the winged clans patrol overhead."

"No one!" he declared, pressing onward undeterred.

Before another word escaped, a mighty force enveloped her, plunging her into warm waters the instant after.

'This dragon zips about too swiftly, forever tapping his powers for travel,' she reflected, as Erebus eased her into the pool.

She surveyed her surroundings. No river this, but a basin hemmed by towering rocks, a steaming hot spring bubbling at its heart.

"Healing water," Erebus informed her, reading her thoughts.

She turned to him. "You found it?"

He gave a faint nod.

A smile graced her lips as healing warmth embraced her. "You are so thoughtful."

He observed her relish it, as she added, "I can feel my body knitting back together already. This water works wonders. I'll recover swiftly."

The very words she spoke sparked a telltale flicker in Erebus's eyes, a hunger she knew all too well.

As though she'd invited her own doom, she retreated through the water for some space. "I mean, not quite yet. Might need a day or two... Ahh..."

Invisible force yanked her back to him without his stirring. Shadows bled from his form into the water, ensnaring her and pressing her bare skin flush against his.

His stare broadcast his desires loud and clear.

"Erebus... healing requires time..."

"Healed!" he countered, his palm gliding through her sodden locks, sweeping them aside to expose her neck, fingertips grazing the mark there.

"Wait. I forgot. Did the full mark appear?" she queried eagerly.

He met her eyes and nodded.

Joy lit her face. "I want to see it. Can't wait to... Ugh..."

Her mouth was claimed instantly. Erebus craved different pursuits first. "First mate."

She grasped it—he sought another mating before revealing the mark. The voracious dragon renewed his assault. Ere denial could form, she found herself slammed against the rocky edge, lips devoured, strong hands roaming her curves.

Ere long, the tranquil healing spring rang with her muffled gasps and his pleased rumbles. Once concluded, Seren reclined against his firm chest, immersed in the soothing waters.

"First wound... then mend... naughty dragon..." she murmured, eyelids drifting shut.