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  Titus bit her lower lip. "Then do something about it."

  And she did.

  Chapter 24

  Titus drew in a sharp breath as Ava tugged his breeches from his body. His cock was thick and ready, standing proudly with the glistening moisture of precum on the tip. Ava licked her lips and went to place it in her mouth when Titus pulled back.

  She frowned as he went over to his things and pulled out the vibrating plug and oil that would assist in lubricating her ass. Her eyes widened when she saw him coat the toy, and then with a deep voice, he told her what he wanted, "I want you on all fours, your ass in the air, and do not move. Am I clear?"

  Ava quickly moved into position. "Yes, Master."

  He moved closer and, with coated fingers, traced her soaked folds and then the tight ring of her ass. Ava shivered and pushed back against him.

  A sharp smack on her bottom reminded Ava that she was not to move. But the desire to be spanked was strong. She liked when the burning sting turned to burning heat. Feeling brave, she pushed her bottom back at him.

  Another smack met her move and she tilted her head back so that she could see his face.

  A slight smile was playing at his lips. "Are you struggling with listening today, pet?"

  Ava replied, "I suppose I am just naughty, Master."

  He barked out a laugh. "That is the truth. Very well, let's see about your punishment."

  He ripped her ass once again with his fingers, and then she felt the cool tip of the plug. There was a slight pressure and the tiniest bit of burning and he pushed it inside of her.

  Ava felt a slight pang of remorse that he hadn't chosen to spank her further. But she wasn't aware that, indeed, Titus did intend to complete his punishment.

  He moved to his bag and pulled out a soft, leather flogger. He whipped it down into his hand, testing the sting and pressure, not wanting to hurt her.

  Ava felt her pussy throb in anticipation.

  The first stroke was gentle and tingled against the stinging handprints he had left earlier. It felt different with the plug in her ass. She wasn't sure how to describe the feeling. The flogger came down harder this time, and she gasped as white-hot heat seared her bottom and then moved into pleasure.

  He struck her other cheek then the first again then the tops of her thighs where the curve of her bottom met her legs. Ava was panting, her body heavy and languid.

  Her pussy was aching to be touched and she wanted to reach between her legs and finger her clit. But she knew that her Master had a better plan for her. She just needed to be patient.

  "Spread your legs further apart," Titus rasped, his voice lower than she had ever heard it before.

  Ava did as she was told and felt the flogger strike her ass again and then, before she could even think about it, the flogger came up and smacked her pussy.

  The intensity of it had her eyes stinging and her body right on the cusp of coming.

  "What do you want, Ava?"

  She could hardly form the words, "You."

  He struck her again, and this time, she bucked and came hard, the juices of her pleasure running down her thighs and coating her pussy lips. Before she could come down, Titus was rammed to the hilt inside of her. The combination of the plug and his massive cock was almost overpowering. She struggled to keep up as he began to pound into her pussy.

  The orgasm from the crop faded, but something newer and much larger began to bloom inside of her. Ava mewled and moaned, loving the feel of his body smacking against her sore ass and the way his hands held her wide hips so possessively.

  She cried out once again, coming hard and squeezing him impossibly tight. But Titus didn't come yet, he wanted more this night. He pulled the toy from her ass and coated his thick dick.

  "I am going to take this precious ass of yours, Ava. For you are my mate, made for me from the day we were born."

  He moved the tip of his cock inside of her and she cried out at the invasion. The more he sank inside of her, the higher her cries became. But they weren't cries of pain; they were of passion. His words had started something spiraling inside of her.

  She moaned as he sank all the way inside, his massive cock filling her further than she ever had been before. He moved back and forth, the smell of the oils and sex thick in the air.

  "I choose you as my mate, Ava. You are mine, and I am yours."

  Ava's heart felt close to bursting. He chose her, out of all the other dragons, he wanted a half-breed. Her love for him was spilling out of her.

  "I choose you, Titus, as my mate and lover. I have always loved you."

  There was a flash of light, and her body began to shake and burn. It wasn't until later that she realized his fire had licked her skin. He rammed into her ass over and over.

  Her body felt pushed and pulled in a new direction, and she felt like she needed something to happen. The pressure and tension were building once again, but somehow it felt different than it had when he fucked her pussy.

  This was deeper and darker.

  "Touch yourself," he commanded, and Ava struggled to reach her hand between her legs and began to rub circles on her swollen clit.

  Her passage started to contract and her ass grew even tighter on Titus.

  He roared and fucked her savagely, marking her as his and making it so that she would never desire another.

  She exploded beneath him, her body erupting into countless contractions as she came and came hard. His seed spilled from his cock and filled her ass. It was by far the most intimate and glorious coupling of his life. This was how mates were supposed to be.

  In the back of his mind, he remembered that she had told him she loved him.

  Titus wasn't sure that he believed in love. He cared about her, and if loved existed, then he had to feel it for her. But there was a seed of doubt that he didn't like.

  He gently pulled himself from her body and grabbed a towel to clean them up, and then he grabbed some salve that would soothe her skin. She wouldn't have so much as a pink mark on her in the morning. But he wanted to take care of her.

  She was his mate, and she loved him.

  And he loved her; at least he wanted to. He just wished he understood what precisely love was.

  As she started to drift off to sleep, Ava rolled into Titus, her face going to the curve of his neck and her leg flopping over one of his. She took a deep breath, wanting to remember the smell of this night. She wanted to remember every sensation from the pleasure to the sights to the feel of him marking her. This was the day that her life finally was getting back on track.

  Chapter 25

  Zoe blew out a breath of frustration and stared at the handsome man who claimed to be her father. Honestly, she didn't know how someone that controlling or bossy could possibly be related to her.

  Life as a prisoner in Valhalla was about as cushy as it got. The palace was beyond beautiful and the grounds were stunning. If she didn't know that she couldn't leave, Zoe would almost think she was on a terribly expensive vacation.

  And for the record, she had tried to leave several times, and each attempt ended with her 'father' shaking his head ruefully and saying she was a chip off the old block.

  That might have been the oddest thing of all. To Zoe, Odin was almost doting. Everything she did in defiance, he thought was amusing. It was almost like he only saw what he wished to see. There weren't any long talks about how much he had missed her or where in hell he had been her enter life.

  Odin just expected her to start being his daughter, and Zoe couldn't wrap her mind around it.

  And then there was a temper that he had shown his people. Zoe watched in horror, the first night of her capture, when a warrior was found sleeping at his post. Odin had transformed into a massive bird and plucked the man's eyes out of his face. The blood and gore had Zoe's stomach trying to heave out the bile roiling around.

  And then, to her utter amazement, Odin turned back into a man, wiping his hands on his napkin as he asked her if she liked th
e wine.

  The only thing that Zoe was truly thankful for since her capture was that Odin had taught her how to use her wings. She could now fly about Valhalla; it was her only way of escaping the constant reminder that she was far away from her dragon mate.

  She missed Cane so terribly much. She couldn't remember if she told him just how much he meant to her, how much she loved him. They hadn't had more than a few moments after the Dragon's Flame Ceremony before she was taken.

  Her hands went to her marks, and she brushed her fingers across her skin absentmindedly.

  "My lady?"

  Zoe turned to see Gemma, a Valkyrie who had been given the task of attending to her.

  "Yes, Gemma?"

  Gemma had creamy skin and almond-shaped eyes, her hair was a dark blonde and she wasn't very tall. If Zoe were to hazard a guess, she would say that one of her parents was Korean and the other Scandinavian. The girl was slight, nothing like Zoe's rounded frame. But she was strong, her muscles clearly outlined in her arms and calves.

  "His Grace has requested that you join him for dinner." Gemma caught Zoe's eye. "There are special visitors whom he wishes you to meet."

  "Visitors?" Zoe felt slightly ill. "Who?"

  Gemma shook her head. "I couldn't say. I tried to find out, but everyone is being tight-lipped about it."

  Zoe nodded once, thankful for her gut instinct to trust Gemma. Odin had proclaimed that by birthright, Zoe was a member of the Valkyrie. Zoe, having never fought anyone in her life, found this laughable. But by doing so, Odin had made a mistake. The Valkyrie were loyal to him, but they were first loyal to themselves.

  And by establishing the link, Odin gave Zoe a comrade behind enemy lines.

  Gemma walked over to the closet that had been filled with fancy things for Zoe. "You will be expected to dress and wear jewels. I have brought a few things that I think you might need."

  Zoe's interest was piqued. Gemma had given her a ring that had a secret compartment to hold a pill or powder. There had been a belt that stretched to almost impossible lengths but wouldn't break. The thought of more gadgets had her momentarily distracted from her mystery guest list.

  A gown of deep red was pulled from the closet. The front was dangerously low cut in the front, showing off her magnificent breasts. The waistline was high and flattered her waist, before the soft fabric billowed out over her hips.

  Zoe had to admit that the clothing was gorgeous. Everything that she had seen thus far caused her mouth to water, and she wished that Cane could see her in them.

  Gemma got to work on her blonde curls. They were just a few shades lighter than Gemma's. Once her hair was styled in a rather lovely updo with trailing whisps, Gemma pulled out a diamond necklace and placed the cold jewels around her neck.

  "Each stone has a detonation device that will activate if you pinch between your fingers for more than three seconds. They are programmed to your fingerprint and can't go off unless you activate them."

  "That is wicked cool." Zoe's eyes were wide in amazement.

  "It's not wicked," Gemma said matter of factly. "It's all in the science."

  Zoe smiled and shook her head. "That is just an Earth phrase; I meant the necklace is very impressive."

  Gemma smiled shyly. "Thank you. I enjoy making beautiful things that serve a dual purpose."

  "How did you end up with the Valkerye?" Zoe asked.

  Gemma's eyes had a pained look and she turned away from Zoe. "My people never really accepted me and my mixed heritage. The Valkerye they took me in and were the first family that I truly ever had."

  Zoe thought of Ava. "I know someone who has walked in your shoes. Her name is Ava. I suppose I never really understood how it must feel."

  Gemma lifted her head and looked back at Zoe. "Belonging and acceptance are universal desires that break all boundaries. It doesn't matter if we are talking about humans, dragons, gods, or warriors."

  Zoe nodded, a lump forming in her throat. What Gemma said was very true. She wondered how much Ava struggled, not having a place that she truly belonged.

  Some of the anger she held for the woman started to fade away when compassion and understanding came in. Ava may have compromised the dragons and exposed her to Odin, but without Ava in her life, she would still be sitting behind that librarian's desk.

  Or would she? Ava had helped her mother protect Zoe. And she had been there when Zoe's mother passed and she was left all alone in the world.

  "Thank you, Gemma."

  The girl raised her eyes to Zoe in question.

  "You have given me some much needed perception on a situation. Tell me, do you spend the rest of your days here in Valhalla?"

  Gemma smiled and her face transformed into sheer beauty.

  "My lady, we are always being sent out on missions of mercy. His Grace might think that we report to him, but in truth, we protect those who need protecting, harbor the innocent, and vanquish the downtrodden."

  "I don't understand why, then, you align yourselves with Odin, who is cruel and thoughtless."

  Gemma gave Zoe a knowing look. "It is important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, remember that."

  As Zoe made her way down the corridor toward the magnificent dining room, she recalled Gemma's words. It was a message of some sort; she knew that much. But who was Zoe supposed to keep close?

  Odin?

  Was that the message she was trying to give her?

  "Welcome, my daughter! You have arrived just in time! I would like you to meet our distinguished guests."

  Chapter 26

  "Are you sure you are Thor?" Zoe gave the older man with a paunch belly and disgusting teeth another once over. "I just don't understand how they got it so wrong."

  Thor boomed out a laugh. "She is much like you, Odin."

  Zoe bristled, but Odin beamed, taking it as a compliment.

  "I was worried that her mother ruined the child, but as you can see, Zoe is a chip off the old block."

  "No." Zoe straightened her shoulders and her wings rustled with agitation. "'I am not anything like my father."

  Thor smiled a greasy, used car salesman smile that made her skin crawl. "I see that you have the same spit and fire that your father does. You also tend to disagree with everything I say, again like your father. And you even have your father's wings."

  Odin nodded and patted the fatter god on the back. "I can see it, too, she is a feisty creature. I am just glad that her time on Earth didn't ruin her."

  "I am right here," Zoe retorted, "you don't have to speak like I am not in the room."

  A low chuckle came from a darkened corner. "Sometimes family can be a real bitch, can't they?"

  "Loki," Thor boomed, "come and be sociable."

  Loki rose to his feet. The god was said to bring death, and if legend was true, was the father of Fenrir.

  "Is he your brother?" Zoe asked in disgust, pointing to Thor.

  Loki smiled, his dark eyes and hair somewhat mesmerizing. "Earthlings have truly mangled the relationships of the gods in their moves. Does it appear that I share any DNA with that man?"

  Zoe shrugged. "In the movies, they aren't blood brothers."

  Loki's grin widened. "I can see that I need an education on my own history."

  Zoe blushed. "It's only a movie franchise. Tell me, why do you feel family can be a bitch if you are not related to that?"

  Thor laughed at her insult. "And she says she is nothing like her father."

  Loki's smile faded. The god was tall, almost as tall as Cane. His face was handsome but had a sadness to it.

  When he spoke, his voice was almost devoid of all emotion. "We cannot choose what our loved ones will do, can we?"

  Zoe nodded, a lump in her throat.

  "Tell me about your mother," Loki said companionably. "It has been ages since I have seen her."

  Zoe sighed and thought of her mother. When she was at the end, the cancer had ravaged most of her body. She was thin and frail, no hair, and b
arely any life left. But her love for Zoe was always there. Even after she passed, Zoe knew her mother loved her and watched over her.

  "Have I misspoken?" Loki asked quietly.

  Zoe shook her head. "No, my mother died a rather terrible death from cancer. But she was an amazing woman. I would love to talk to you about her. I imagine you have many stories that I haven't heard."

  Zoe took Loki's outstretched arm and allowed him to lead her away from the dining room. She honestly wasn't hungry and suddenly really wanted to speak with someone who seemed indifferent about her father and this horrible situation.

  When they were out of earshot of Odin and Thor, Loki spoke quietly. "In about an hour's time, there will be an attack on Valhalla. You are to fly to the border with the cliffs and hide yourself until someone comes for you."

  "Who?" Zoe whispered back, her hand on his arm tightening.

  "Your mother was a wonderful woman." Loki turned, speaking at his regular tone, and Zoe saw that her father and Thor had decided to follow them. "She had a fondness for love and beauty. But she had a penchant for parties and is rather well known for her, erm, passionate ways."

  Odin snorted, "I believe on one occasion you accused her of sleeping with all of the gods and the elves."

  Loki didn't even lift a brow at the statement. "It was a long time ago. I am certain we all said things we ought not to. Or did things… isn't that right, Odin?"

  Zoe saw her father's face darken and she knew that Loki had struck a blow. What had her father done that he shouldn't have?

  Odin stroked his long beard and seemed to settle something within himself before answering, "As you said, Loki. It was a long time ago. Now, let's talk about something cheerful. I am told that your son, Fenrir, is gathering his army on Earth. Is there to be a great uprising of the wolves?"

  Loki stilled and Zoe took a step back from him. Obviously, her father had decided to strike back.

  Odin continued. "I hear that his little school was shut down; that must have been a real set-back."

  Loki flew at Odin, his hand wrapping around his neck.