Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin #1)(105)

Bercelak shook his head in confusion. “Cut off whose tail?”

“Gwenvael’s!” she shouted, so angry, she could barely see straight.

But instead of Bercelak demanding his offspring’s presence so he could tell them what horrible little bastards they were, he burst out laughing.

“I’m sure he deserved it.”

Her tail slapped him across the neck. “This isn’t funny!”

“Oh, Rhiannon, just repair it. You baby him too much.”

She slammed her foot down, shaking the cave walls. “I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“When I caught them, I yelled right as Fearghus was throwing it to Briec. He was so startled that it slipped past his hands and into the river . . . they have not been able to find it.”

Bercelak cleared his throat and worked hard to keep his face straight. “It’s an easy enough thing to happen, my love.”

Her tail slammed into Bercelak’s chest, which didn’t even budge him. “You raised them very much as your father raised you, my love. Those little bastards don’t get startled!”

Unable to hold it back anymore, Bercelak once again burst out laughing. “I know!”

“Oh!” Rhiannon turned and started to storm away, but Bercelak’s forearms wrapped around her and he pulled her dragon body tight against his own.

“Don’t be angry, love. Please. I’m sorry.” He gave a valiant try at not laughing.

“It was horrible, Bercelak. Blood was flying everywhere, and he just kept swinging that tail around.”

With one snort, Bercelak started laughing again.

“You know,” she growled, “you wouldn’t think this was so funny if it were your precious Morfyd or Keita.”

As she knew, that sobered him immediately. “No, I would not.”

“Well that’s how I feel about my Gwenvael.”

“Again . . . you baby him too much.”

“And you’re too hard on him because he reminds you of your father.”

“From the time he was twenty winters I kept finding him with my father’s kitchen staff.”

“He’s lusty.”

“He’s a whore.”

“Oh!” She pulled out of his arms. “I won’t discuss this anymore. You’re irritating me, Low Born.”

She turned to walk away from him, but his voice stopped her.

“Don’t walk away from me, Rhiannon.” There was no threat in his voice. Only delicious promise.

“Shift,” he ordered with a low purr.

“Why should I?”

“Because I told you to.”

She did her best to hide the shudder that went through her body and shifted to human. In seconds, his human arms wrapped around her from behind, then his low voice muttered in her ear, “You are much too tense, Princess.”

“Think you can help me relax then?”

“Oh, aye. I know I can.”

His hands on her br**sts, he pulled her back until she knew they were right by the table with all its elaborate battle plans and maps. And that’s right where he tossed her.

Stepping between her legs, Bercelak’s head lowered until his mouth covered her breast.

Moaning, she leaned back, her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands buried in his silky black hair. After all this time, he still felt so very good.

But they kept forgetting one small thing . . . actually, five not-so-small things . . .

“Gods!” Their eldest son barked. “Can you two not find a private alcove or, at the very least, a bed?”

Rhiannon looked over to see her children at the entrance. Her eldest, Fearghus, slapped his claws around the eyes of her two youngest, Keita and Éibhear. Morfyd looked appalled and embarrassed, Briec looked bored and Gwenvael, of course, applauded.

“It’s nice to see old dragons f**king, isn’t it?” he cheered. And she suddenly wished that she’d taken his tail.

Bercelak lifted his head and roared, “Out, you little bastards! Out!”

Morfyd couldn’t move fast enough. She practically sprinted from the room, white hair flying behind her. I really will have to find a way to toughen that little dragoness up. Briec snorted and walked away, reaching back to grab Gwenvael’s wounded tail and drag the cheeky little bastard, yelling and threatening and still bleeding, from the room. Fearghus lifted up his young kin and walked out while Keita tried to remove her brother’s hand so she could get a better look, and Rhiannon’s sweet Éibhear just kept saying, “What? What am I missing? What?”

Once they’d left, Bercelak focused those black eyes on her. Eyes that her eldest son had.

“You wanted hatchlings.”

“I know. I just didn’t want those hatchlings. Personally, I blame your father.”

Bercelak’s eyes grew wide. “Excuse me?”

On a burst of laughter, she exclaimed, “Well that came out horribly wrong!”

“Oh, that’s it, Princess. You’ve got to make it up to me now.”

With that, he lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“Where are we going?” she demanded, even as she kept laughing and he stalked off deep into the cave.

“Where do you think?”