‘‘Pregnant Aisling tossed a wyvern into Hell?’’ I asked, astounded.

‘‘She is a Guardian,’’ he said with a slight smile, his gaze returning to the here and now. ‘‘A very powerful one.’’

‘‘I guess so. But none of that explains why any of those possibly four other wyverns would want to pick me to be their mate. I mean, you and I… well, we kind of hit it off.’’

His arms tightened around me, pulling me flush against his upper body. ‘‘You are mine, Mayling. No other wyvern will have you. But until you are properly claimed and accept me as your mate, you are vulnerable. We must mate tonight. You must accept me as your wyvern, and the silver dragons as your sept, or I will be forced to spend all my time keeping you from other wyverns rather than helping you escape your bondage to Magoth.’’

Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. I seldom cried, unlike Cyrene, who wept at the drop of a hat, but the thought that Gabriel would go to the immense trouble of trying to free me from Magoth touched my heart in a way I did not know was possible. ‘‘You’d do that for me?’’ I asked in a breathy voice.

His eyes promised so much. ‘‘I will move the heavens and earth if you so desire.’’

The romantic moment was almost too much to bear, but I would not be Cyrene ’s twin if I did not bring forth all the common-sense arguments against an instant relationship. ‘‘Can’t I accept you and your sept without us having sex?’’

A slow smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. ‘‘Yes. But it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.’’

Chapter Ten

‘‘I owe you much this first time, but unfortunately, I may not be able to show you the tenderness and gentleness you deserve,’’ Gabriel murmured into my collarbone as his fingers deftly stripped my upper body of shirt and bra.

I shivered as the chilled air hit my fevered skin, then gasped as my breasts, heavy and sensitive with wanting, brushed against his chest when his hands slipped lower, tugging off my pants. I rose to my feet, kicking off the pants, watching with increasing concern as he shucked his own sleeping pants.

‘‘I’m short,’’ I said, looking up as he stood naked in front of me.

His lips twitched. ‘‘I wouldn’t say short. ‘Petite’ was the word that first came to mind.’’

‘‘Yes, but…’’ I stared in dismay at his penis. It was slightly darker than the rest of him, possessing all of the usual attributes, but also startlingly… well, large. ‘‘You’re much taller than me. At least a foot.’’

A lovely soft chuckle twined itself around me. He took my hand and wrapped it around himself. ‘‘We will fit, do not fret, little bird.’’

‘‘I’m not fretting. I’m just concerned.’’

"I assure you that in this regard, I am no different from any other man."

I narrowed my eyes at his penis. ‘‘You don’t have to patronize me. I’ve seen naked men before. I’m no stranger to sex, either, just not with a man.’’

‘‘I would not dream of patronizing you. Would you like me to lie down so that you may explore my body?’’

‘‘I have toys,’’ I told his penis, rather enjoying the heat of it in my hands. Since he invited me to do so, I allowed my fingers to explore the scenery. The results confirmed my suspicions. ‘‘I can say in all confidence that none of them even approach this level of… er… girth. I know women are built to accommodate all sorts of sizes and shapes, but there has to be a limit, Gabriel. And with the difference in our body sizes… well…’’

‘‘May.’’

I dragged my gaze off his nether regions up to his face. ‘‘What?’’

‘‘Are you stalling?’’ he asked, his eyes alight with amusement.

‘‘Is it that obvious?’’

‘‘Yes. But I understand. You are nervous. You are not sure you are ready to commit to this. And I wish I could give you the time to become comfortable with the idea of being my mate, but this is a time of war. I must claim you tonight.’’

‘‘You’re aroused,’’ I blurted.

‘‘Yes, I am.’’

‘‘But we just met. I’m not aroused.’’

His arms slid around me, his head lowering to the breast nearest him, his mouth hot on a suddenly aching nipple as he took it into his mouth, lashing it mercilessly with long, soft swipes of his tongue. The sensation lit fires all over my body, causing my back to arch. A low moan of sheer pleasure ripped from my throat as I clutched his shoulders. ‘‘Oh, dear god. All right, I take it back, I’m aroused! Do the other one!’’

I moaned when his mouth descended on my waiting breast, my hips moving urgently against him as I squirmed with the odd mixture of pleasure and pain when he sucked the nipple. His fingers left trails of fire along my skin as he slid my underwear off, opening me up to his burning touch.

Overcome by the sensation, I bit his shoulder, moaning my ecstasy as he probed and teased, building the fire inside until it roared in my ears. I’d never felt anything like this, amazed and dazzled by the strength of my emotions as his mouth burned a trail along my jaw. His whole body was hot as if he was fevered, his skin a silky brand as I moved restlessly against him. ‘‘I want…’’ I stopped, unable to put into words the sensations that held me in a vortex of desire.

‘‘What do you want?’’ he asked, his voice sliding along my flesh like water. ‘‘Tell me what you want.’’

‘‘I want… more,’’ I said, acknowledging the deep need that dwelled within me. I didn’t just need his body in mine; I needed him, all of him, merged with me in a way that went beyond sexual.

He tipped my head back, burning my lips, the pupils in his eyes mere slivers of black set in the purest molten silver. I knew then that what he said was true: we were meant to be mated; I was meant to be there at that moment, accepting him into my life and body, binding myself to him for all time.

‘‘Little bird, I must… we must do this in the manner of dragons,’’ he murmured, his normally beautiful voice hoarse with passion. ‘‘I must claim you this way.’’

We sank to the floor, Gabriel’s mouth and hands building the inferno that raged within me even higher as he turned me over, his body covering mine. One arm was braced next to me as I clutched the carpet, arching my back against his chest, his free hand spreading my legs.

I reached behind me to find him, guide him to where the fire burned the hottest, and he growled low and deep in his chest as he thrust into my body, a hard, burning invader that I welcomed with a cry of joy. The stretching sensation as he pushed his way in turned to one of pure pleasure as he moved. He claimed me with hard thrusts, his breath ragged as he wrapped an arm around me, pulling my hips back against him. I closed my eyes for a moment, so overcome with feelings I wanted to weep with joy, but a sudden burst of searing heat on my shoulder blade had me jerking backwards with a cry.

‘‘It is my brand, the mark of the silver dragons,’’ he said, as he licked away the sting, his hips pistoning against me. ‘‘Now you are mine.’’

An orgasm was building within me, deeper than I’d ever experienced, a tension that was familiar and yet different, seeming to draw energy from everywhere at once, focused at one brilliant point.

Gabriel thrust harder into me, reaching a depth I didn’t imagine possible, pushing me past the point of cognizance into a realm of blazing rapture.

He bit my neck, roaring wordless pleasure as he approached his own climax, the arms that were braced beside me suddenly shimmering for a moment as my eyes filled with tears of rapture.

He thrust into my body again, his back arching as he yelled out my name. I welcomed the fire that licked my flesh, reveling in it for a moment before reluctantly returning it to him. Beneath me, the carpet rubbed roughly against my sensitized breasts as Gabriel collapsed onto me, his weight a welcome feeling. I lay for a moment, stunned by the power and depth of the experience, protesting weakly when he pulled himself off me, rolling me over into his arms.