Firefighter Dragon's Demi-God Daughter Page 7

  Jackson

  Other males might say it, and they were probably exaggerating, but making love to Helena had been the best thing that ever happened to him.

  It had been over far too quickly. He’d wanted to stay inside her, but he’d had to deal with the condom. Dragon shifters tended to be fertile, and he wasn’t willing to take that chance. But once he was back in the bed, he’d curled around her, relishing the sensation of her smaller body against his. She was smaller, but not fragile, and he loved that he wouldn’t crush her just by holding her close to him.

  Mine.

  He ignored his dragon. It was too soon for that, no matter how much he might feel it.

  He woke up in the middle of the night, and she was still pressed close against him. She lay naked against his body, and his cock was rock hard. He groaned, wondering if he should go take care of his erection in the shower. But she stirred, shifting her hips back into his. Her round little bottom was pressed right up against his cock.

  He brought one hand around to slip between her legs, which was still damp with her juices. He kissed the top of her head. “Helena,” he said. He hated to wake her up, but if she was already awake, then he wanted to slide his cock into her body.

  “Hmm,” she said. “I’m awake.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I want you.”

  “I want you too.” She turned a little, sliding her knees so he could slip inside her body. “I still want to taste you,” she murmured.

  “I’ll have to take a shower for that,” he said. “And I can’t wait that long.” He reached for his wallet and grabbed the second condom, rolling it on. Once it was secure, he plunged two fingers into Helena’s wet pussy.

  It was still tight, and he worked his fingers in and out, stretching her swollen flesh.

  She clamped her legs together, hugging his fingers with her pussy walls. “I’m already close,” she said.

  He pushed his thumb against her clit, rubbing the sensitive flesh while she bucked against him.

  His cock was going to erupt soon, and he grabbed her knee and pushed it up toward her chest, opening her pussy to him.

  He pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance and slid inside her body in one slow thrust. The feeling was exquisite.

  Sparks burst behind his eyelids. Now he understood why the males in his clan lost their damn minds when they met their mates.

  Mine. My mate, his dragon roared.

  Holy shit.

  His dragon thought Helena was his mate.

  He didn't know what to think about that. He was completely entranced by her, but in reality, he knew next to nothing about her, except that she wasn’t human, and he was completely smitten. But right now, he was inside her gorgeous body, and the only thing he was going to worry about was pleasing her.

  He got both hands on her pert breasts and tugged on her tight nipples, trying to keep the same rhythm with his hands as he was keeping with his hips.

  She pressed her chest forward, trying to push her breasts into his hands. “You like that?” he asked.

  She gasped as he pinched both nipples at the same time, right when he was aiming his cock at her sweet spot.

  “Yes!” she cried out. “Don’t stop.”

  He wasn’t stopping. He never wanted to stop. He picked up his pace, switching to short, sharp stabs that brought her to the height of pleasure

  Her body went rigid, and he knew that she was about to come. “Let go,” he said. “Cum for me. I want to feel you.”

  Her legs trembled, and he moved one hand to her clit, rubbing just as she began to convulse around him. He blacked out for a second as his own climax washed over him, rendering him helpless to do anything but stare at her in awe.

  They got up and took a quick hot shower together, then they both fell back asleep, waking up just as the sun came up. He was just considering asking her for a leisurely soak in the bathtub when their phones went off at the same time.

  “We’re being paged,” he said. His father still said that each time the phone rang, causing his kids to make fun of him, and his father to recount the days, decades before, when he carried an actual pager for his job.

  Helena sat up, letting the sheet pool around her body. She didn’t bother to cover herself. At that moment, he cared more about watching her than he did about checking his phone.

  Whatever was on her phone, it wasn’t good news.

  That was obvious. Her hand flew to her mouth. “We have to go.”

  He came to stand next to her. She held the screen up.

  “Fuck.” He hadn’t meant to say it, but the news was that bad. “A hospital,” he said. “I’ve got enough gear stashed in my truck to go straight there. You can ride with me if you want.”

  “Yes. I want that.”

  He grabbed his phone and called his chief. He didn’t answer, so he called his crew and spoke to Matt. They confirmed that they were on their way, and would make sure everyone was evacuated first.

  “I’m coming with Agent Mars.” He didn’t have time to worry about whether she would be okay with them knowing they were spending time together. “If you see anything suspicious, don’t engage. Get the people out. We don’t have enough information for anything else yet,” he said.

  “I got it,” Matt said.

  Goddammit. He could have spent the last twelve hours researching demons, and trying to find the coven of nearby witches so he could get ahead of this situation. But he’d been with Helena. He didn’t regret it though. It wasn’t possible to regret any moment he spent with her.

  Mate, his dragon said.

  Now is really not the time.

  They both flew into the bathroom and brushed their teeth as they ran around the room, grabbing their discarded clothes and putting them back on. Luckily neither of them appeared too rumpled.

  “Tell me about where we’re going,” she said.

  He drove the full distance holding her hand. “It’s a small clinic, so there aren’t any critical cases. But there are doctors, nurses, aides, patients, and other staff.”

  Tension radiated off of them both. Helena sat perched on the edge of her seat. “We should have been closer,” she said. She turned toward him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” He squeezed her hand. “I feel the same way.”

  She pushed herself back into her seat. “It’s who we are.”

  He nodded in agreement. She was right. It was who they were. “My crew is there. They’ll get everyone out. And that’s the important part.”

  “As nice as the date was, we can’t do it again until this is resolved.”

  “I agree,” he said. “We’ll spend our time getting ready. Maybe we can figure out where the demons will hit next.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “We can be ready to attack first.”

  “Have any of your kind been killed by a demon? Can one of them hurt you?”

  “Several,” she said. Her words were choked. “Several have been killed.”

  Dammit to hell. He hadn’t known that. “So when you fight them, how much danger are you in?” His heart rate shot straight up. He had to be clear on this.

  “A lot.”

  “I don’t want you to risk your life.”

  “I don’t want you to risk yours either.”

  “It’s my job,” he said, realizing how he sounded just as the words came out of his mouth.

  She crossed her arms. “It’s my job too.”

  They were getting closer, too close, and they’d resolved nothing. He was debating what to say when his phone rang.

  Matt didn’t bother saying hello. “Jackson. We think they’re here. You know what I mean. We’ve gotten everyone out, but there’s something weird going on.”

  “Then get out of there. Get the people far away, and you guys go too. Do not engage. Say there’s a gas leak, evacuate everyone, and you can say the authorities are on the way.”

  “Okay. Will do. Take care man, this is freaky.” He hung up the phone.

 
His dragon roared, clawing at him, not wanting her in danger. His instinct was to shift into his dragon form, grab her, and fly as far and as fast as he could, regardless of what she wanted.

  “You heard what he said?” he asked. He slowed the truck on the windiest part of the road. They were getting close to the small hospital.

  She nodded. “I heard.” She pulled her dagger from her belt and held it.

  “Helena,” he said. “Please.” It was taking everything he had not to turn the truck around and drive her in the opposite direction. Wild ideas flew through his head. Locking her up, taking her to the station, holding her hostage. None of it was possible. But it didn’t mean he could live with watching her walk into that building with a demon.

  “What exactly are you asking me?” she said.

  “Please. Don’t go in.”

  She pursed her lips. “I’ve been chasing these particular demons for a few months. I’ve known about them for my entire life. If anyone should avoid going in, it’s you.”

  “I know that. I know it, but my instincts are going crazy.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t help you with that.”

  Mate. Mate. Mate.

  Maybe she wasn’t, if she could be so dismissive. At least the dragon shifter females knew. They understood what a mate went through when his or her partner was in danger, when their life was threatened. Whatever she was, she didn’t understand what he was going through, and she didn’t seem to want to try.

  Fuck. He was close to the hospital now. They were maybe a mile away. He wanted to slow the truck down, and try and talk some sense into her, but he couldn’t do that. His sense of duty was at war with his dragon’s instinct.

  He pressed the pedal down and gripped the steering wheel until it creaked. “Please understand where I’m coming from.” He raked one hand through his hair. “I can’t watch you fight. It’s making me crazy.”

  “Then don’t watch.”

  He growled, but didn’t try to hide it. He slammed his hand against the wheel. They had arrived. He threw the truck into park and shoved the door. By the time he was out and running toward the building, she was already near the door.

  The hospital was surrounded in police tape. The ruins were still smoldering, and ash blew through the air. But the flames were out.

  He looked around, making a cursory check for others who might be watching. But as he watched her, Helena seemed to slow down, then it looked like she started walking, and kept walking around the back of the building.

  But he saw a small movement, and realized she’d created an illusion of some sort. The real Helena was pushing her way into the front door.

  He rocked back on his heels. She was more powerful than he’d imagined. Maybe she was truly a witch. Who else could create such an illusion? That was a feat he’d never seen or heard of before.

  He ran after her. He wished they’d had more time to talk about the demons or form a strategy. But he’d been too busy telling her he didn’t want her to fight. He couldn’t change who he was. He was a dragon who felt like she was his mate with every fiber of his being. He might learn to live with her putting herself in danger, but he’d never like it.

  If she ever spoke to him again, that is. Maybe he needed to speak to one of the dragons Garrett knew. One of them, named Carolina, had fought many battles of her own. Maybe her mate would have some advice.

  Inside the building, the air was thick with black smoke. The lobby was empty. Down a long corridor, Jackson heard a hissing sound and then a scream. He shed his clothes as he ran, already shifting into his dragon form.

  He burst through a steel door to find his mate kneeling on the floor beside what must be a demon. She held her enchanted dagger above her head in both hands. As he watched, she brought the dagger down, driving it into the demon’s chest.

  He didn’t move. Jackson could not hear a heartbeat, other than his own and Helena’s but that didn’t mean much. He wasn’t sure if demon’s even had one. That was a question he’d forgotten to ask. He stepped closer.

  Helena scooted away, giving him room to look at the demon. There were no horns, and no hooves. It looked much like a man, but its eyes were black and its skin was an alabaster white. It could pass for human in a crowd, if it wore sunglasses.

  Helena let out a small noise, and Jackson realized she was injured. Blood flowed freely down her arm. The monster had harmed her. He needed to make sure it was dead.

  Unable to look at it any longer, he sank his teeth into its shoulder dragging it away from her. It did not stir. With a thunderous roar, he pinned it with one claw, and sank his teeth deeper, biting into its putrid flesh. He yanked with his teeth, and ripped the bastard’s head off. He assumed it would not burn, just like he didn’t, so he left it in pieces on the floor. He’d call Matt and have someone come take care of it once Helena was safe.

  He crept closer to her. He hated that she’d had to see him do that. He hadn’t wanted his first time shifting in front of her to be like this. He’d wanted it to be fun, when they were out on the ocean and he could take her flying over the sea. Instead she’d had to kill the creature alone, and then watch as he tore it into bits.

  Did she think he was a monster too?

  For all his doubts in the truck, he knew then, without question, that she was his mate. He would do anything for her.

  He’d become a firefighter because he wanted to save lives. He’d never taken one before. And he hadn’t killed the demon, but he would have. He’d kill anything and anyone if it meant protecting Helena.

  And she’d only proved his point. These demons were dangerous. This one had nearly killed her. He didn’t want her fighting them, even if he knew he couldn’t get his way.

  He shifted back into his human form and crouched by Helena. Gently, he lifted her into his arms, cradling her. She lifted one hand briefly. “I saw your dragon,” she said. “He’s beautiful.” Then her eyes slipped closed.

  He patted her face. “Helena!”

  Her eyes opened halfway. “Get my dagger,” she said.

  He grabbed her weapon, and he told her he had it, but she didn’t stir.

  “Helena!” he said, shaking her. But thankfully she drew in a breath, and her chest kept moving. She was alive, and her pulse was steady. On the way back to his truck, he grabbed his pants and pulled them on with one hand. He laid Helena in his truck and began to drive back to her hotel. If she was still unconscious by then, he’d call one of the clan elders and see if they had any advice. He wanted to take her to a doctor, but he wouldn’t without her permission, not unless he had no other choice.

  His uncle was a doctor that treated humans in Cape Meares. He might be able to help too.

  Back at her hotel, Jackson washed her arm off, finding a jagged gash. He cleaned it with soap and wrapped it in a clean hotel towel. Had the blood loss made her pass out? Or had the demon poisoned her somehow?

  He sat next to her, watching her sleep. He’d already called the clan and they’d advised him to just wait as long as her breathing and pulse remained steady, which it had.

  He’d also called Matt, who had gone back to the hospital to take care of the demon’s body. He was going to bury it in the woods until Helena could tell them how to handle the remains.

  “Thank you, man,” he said to Matt.

  “No thanks needed. This thing is a threat to all of us. Tell your woman she’s awesome.”

  “I will.” She was awesome. He’d been too late to help her, and she’d paid the price for defeating the demon. He ran his hand over Helena’s dark hair as she slept. Matt was mated, and Jackson wanted to ask Matt about what it was like, and how it felt, but he didn’t dare speak of it in front of Helena.

  In just under an hour, she blinked her eyes and began to wake up. “Jackson?” she said. “What happened?” She tried to sit up, but winced and laid back down against the pillows.

  “You killed the demon. The one in the small hospital near Rockaway Beach.”

  “Right.” Her ey
es closed. “And then you ripped its head off.” She opened them again and looked at him, although it seemed to pain her. “Where is it now?”

  “Matt went by and buried it in the woods. We were waiting until you woke up to tell us what to do next.”

  “That was a good plan,” she said. “We can incenterate it. If the temperature’s high enough, it will burn.”

  “I can do that,” he said. “The fire we make gets really hot.”

  “That would be good.” She tried to sit up again, this time succeeding. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”

  “And you want me to leave.”

  She nodded. “I need to speak freely.”

  “And you can’t do that with me around,” he said.

  “No. I cannot.”

  His blood pressure shot up. “You’re in no condition to be alone.”

  She pulled the towel away from her arm. The towel was ruined, but her arm looked fine. The jagged gash was gone, leaving only a pink line. “See? We heal fast. I’m fine.”

  “Right.” Jackson opened his mouth and then shut it. Mate or not, she clearly didn’t want him around. “Okay. I’ll take care of the demon’s body.” He looked at her, but she was giving nothing away. He couldn’t believe he was leaving her, but it was clearly what she wanted.

  His dragon roared in anguish as he stood up. “Be safe.”

  14

  Helena

  “Jackson,” she called out.

  She watched this gorgeous man walk to her door. His hand was already on the doorknob.

  She cared for him very much. And there were so many reasons that he was perfect for her. He hadn’t hesitated to shred the demon’s body, which was the exact thing that needed to be done. And then he’d had the foresight to ask his friend to hide the body until it could be dealt with, which was another blessing.

  But he’d tried to control her on the way over. He had no problem with fighting, but he didn’t want her to do it. For as long as she lived, she’d likely be fighting demons. It was part of her heritage. It wasn’t a birthright she wanted, but it was part of her, and she was good at it.