Pavo Page 5

  Jo's eyes, filled with hatred, raised to Zoe. "Are you trying to have me killed?"

  Cane's eyes were glowing with his dragon. Zoe knew he was seconds away from blasting the woman to the ground.

  "No," Zoe said hastily, "I ask because it was my understanding that human women were to be safe in this program. I need to know if there is a problem with the process and how to fix it. If Elaine did tolerate such behavior in the past, it needs to be made clear that it won't be happening, going forward."

  "Did you kill any of the human women in the program?" Cane asked with careful deliberation.

  Jo looked like she was ready to cry. "I only did what Elaine commanded. I wouldn't hurt anyone; I swear to you."

  "Guards, take her to the dungeon, and I wish to adjourn this meeting."

  Zoe swallowed hard as she watched Jo being hauled away by the guards. She had the sinking suspicion that Cane only did that for her, but she couldn't be sure.

  "Sabrina," Cane barked out, "you will stay; everyone else will depart."

  Sabrina stood proudly, her long red hair coiled into a braid and wrapped at the bottom of her head. She was a beautiful woman, taller than what Zoe was used to, and well curved in the areas that counted.

  When the room cleared, and it was only the three of them, Cane turned to Sabrina and said, "I will have the truth, and none of the lies that whore was trying to sell me."

  Sabrina raised her gaze to Cane. "Jo has killed several of the human girls. She knew you wouldn't have anything to do with them, and yes, she did threaten to kill the queen."

  Cane's hands clenched angrily. He wanted to know why Zoe hadn't told him before now. But they could work that out later in their chambers, perhaps with a light crop.

  "What else is happening that I am not aware of?"

  Zoe cleared her throat and said, "The female dragons feel that they, too, should be able to participate in the Claimed Human Program. They desire and crave sex as much as the men, and it also fuels their fires just as it does the men's."

  Cane shook his head. "They are needed for breeding; our race is dying out."

  Sabrina looked like she wanted to say something, and Cane gave her the freedom to speak her piece.

  "Thank you, my king." She sorted her words so that her case would be clear and concise, "The female dragons are dying because their flame is growing weaker. The dragons who are able to find mates are fewer and fewer. What Jo did was wrong; I know that. I also know that both she and Elaine have watched for decades as the men in our horde continued to thrive. There are ways to prevent a pregnancy with a human male. And if the rumors are true, unless a pair is mated, they won't be able to conceive regardless."

  Cane wanted to argue with the woman, but much of what she said made sense.

  "You are excused. I want a full report of the humans who are still in our lands and how they are being treated."

  Sabrina nodded and made her way out of the room.

  "I know you wish to say something, Zoe," he said dryly as she opened her mouth and then closed it again.

  "Master." Zoe moved from her place beside him and kneeled at his feet.

  His hand cupped her cheek; he loved her sweet presence. And then he froze. Dragons don't love. His hand dropped away, and Zoe tried to pretend that it didn't hurt. But it had, and he saw the sorrow in her eyes.

  "Tell me, little mate," he cajoled.

  "There is a saying on earth, 'if mama ain't happy, nobody's happy,' and I think it applies here. Your women are frustrated and crying out for help. I think that bringing in some human consorts would help to improve their lives. They feel like you see them as inferior to the men."

  Cane scowled, "All the dragons are inferior to me. I am their king!"

  Zoe suppressed a smile. "Yes, Master. But are the female dragons less than the males?"

  Cane stood, bringing her to her feet. "We will discuss this further in our chambers!"

  Chapter 11

  He stood over Zoe and tapped his arm with the opposite hand absentmindedly. She could tell he was contemplating something but not what it could be. Zoe removed her gown the moment they were in their quarters and went into her kneeling position.

  She waited patiently for her Master to come to grips with whatever he was worried about. But she didn't like seeing him distressed.

  His jaw was clenched and his hands opened and closed several times before he spoke to her. "Zoe, do you know why I am upset with you?"

  Zoe shook her head. "No, Master."

  He blew out a breath and walked over to a dresser. Pulling out the middle drawer, he removed a thin riding crop of fine leather. He tested it gently in the air and then against his palm. Cane turned to Zoe and began to remove his clothing.

  She took in a hissed breath as she watched all of his rippling muscles become exposed. He was nothing like the men she had dated, everything about Cane was chiseled and cut. He was a fine specimen of male strength.

  "You know I would not hurt you?" he asked.

  Zoe nodded again. "Yes, Master."

  "But I am going to punish you, Zoe. I promise that I will not give you more than you can bear. Do you remember your safe word?"

  "Bananas, Master."

  "Very good, little mate. Before I punish you, I wish to explain. When you did not tell me about Jo and the others, I caught a glimpse of what my life would be like if you were gone. I do not like that, Zoe. I do not wish to live in such a world, and I was angry that you didn't allow me to protect you as I should."

  Zoe's brow wrinkled. "Do you wish to know every infraction against me? I do not mean to be disrespectful, Master. But if I am seen carrying tales to you, they will never respect me."

  Cane wanted to disagree, but there was a thread of truth to her statement.

  "We need to come to some kind of an understanding," Zoe pleaded with him. "I could come to you if it was life-threatening?"

  Cane roared, "They will not threaten your life again, or I will kill every last one of them!"

  Zoe quickly backtracked, "Of course, they won't, Master."

  Cane gave her a look that indicated he knew full well what she was doing.

  "Zoe, I know that, logically, what you are saying makes sense. But my dragon doesn't understand. He demands faithfulness in his horde. I am trying to see things your way. I didn't kill Jo because I knew how upset you were about Elaine. But mark my words, if she can't be brought to reason, I will destroy her and anyone else who stands against you."

  Zoe felt loved and cherished at that moment. No, he hadn't said the words, but he obviously cared for her and he was trying to change things that, normally, he wouldn't think twice about.

  She peeked up at him. "I am ready for my punishment, Master."

  His thick cock pulsed at her words and he didn't miss the way she licked her lips in anticipation.

  Cane picked her up and carried her over to a bench where she could lean over the soft leather. He strapped her ankles and wrists in so she couldn't move.

  "You will take ten strikes of the crop, and you will count them. Do you understand?"

  Zoe nodded, fear and excitement prickling through her veins.

  "Yes, Master."

  The first strike came quickly and stung like a bee sting. She hissed and almost forgot to count.

  "One, Master," she said before he could admonish her for not paying attention.

  The next one struck the other cheek, and she blurted out her count, "Two, Master."

  There was a third, a fourth, and then a fifth, all rather quickly, and she counted each one.

  "Deep breaths, little mate, you are doing beautifully. Do you want me to tell you what I see?"

  There were tears in her eyes when she looked back at him and replied, "Yes, Master."

  "I see your glorious ass reddened by my crop. I see your pink pussy, plump and opening further and further for me. I see the desire coating your folds and beginning to leak on your thighs. Do you want a taste?"

  Zoe was stunned for a minu
te; she had never thought of tasting her own juices.

  Cane ran the crop through her silky folds and then put it near her mouth, giving Zoe the choice.

  She leaned forward and took a tiny lick. She tasted feminine arousal, leather, and sin. It was a heady mixture that had her even more aware of the ache between her thighs.

  The first few swats of the crop had hurt, but it had long since blended away in a throbbing in her ass that demanded satisfaction. The tears in her eyes weren't from pain, but because she was so frustrated. She wanted him to touch her, to taste her.

  He stuck her again, this time closer to her center. Zoe cried out and tried to stop the zing of pain/pleasure that raced through her.

  "Have you forgotten something?"

  Zoe scrambled to think of what number they were on. "Six, Master."

  Seven, eight, nine, and she was barely holding on by a thread. Zoe wanted to come so badly that she couldn't think of anything else. When the tenth strike came, right between her legs on her clit, she forgot to count out. All that mattered was that her body had sailed away into ecstasy. She shook and convulsed as her orgasm rained down upon her.

  Cane tossed the crop on the bed and entered her swiftly, almost brutally. His cock was so thick and weeping, he almost spilled his seed on the floor like an untried youth. She was beautiful in her submission. He couldn't believe the amount of trust and faith she had in him. Not once, had she even considered using her safe word.

  He knew then and there that this mate of his was more than just a woman, fae or not, she was his other half. She understood what he needed and gave it willingly. It was dizzyingly honest and completely inspiring.

  Cane was blown away at the courage and strength his little mate had inside of her. He wanted to make love to her slowly and gently, but it couldn't be this time.

  He was balls deep inside and her pussy was clenching him like he had never been before. His need and desire to conquer and claim was overwhelming.

  Again, his fire breathed out across her back, not burning, but causing her mating mark to be etched even darker upon her skin. As he did so, Cane saw her ears began to point upward as they had before.

  Through the day, they had returned to normal, but as he fucked her and marked her, the true nature that was trapped inside of Zoe threatened to break free.

  "Do you trust me?" he grunted, his hips still pistoning forward.

  "I do," she cried out, "you know I do."

  He gathered fire in his lungs and breathed deeply, this time coating her entire body in flame. She screamed as her orgasm ripped through her. Every tendon, ever vein, seemed to be throbbing, changing.

  When Zoe could no longer stand it, her eyes began to close, and darkness crept upon her.

  He called out her name, but she was too tired. She wanted to assure him that she was okay, she just needed to rest, but the darkness claimed her, and she knew no more.

  Chapter 12

  Odin, the god of afterlife and ruler over Valhalla, had felt a great deal of unease. There was something wrong, and it didn't have anything to do with the warriors who were being brought into the hall of the slain. No, he feared it had something to do with his human daughter.

  Demi-god, he corrected himself absentmindedly. She was unaware of her birthright, on account of her mother refusing to let Odin raise her in the underworld. Freya was a headstrong goddess who had given up her rights in order to become mortal and raise her daughter similarly. With any luck, Freya had told Odin, their daughter would never know about the gods, other worlds, and heartaches that came with being immortal.

  When the gods stripped Freya of her status, it removed the power from the infant as well. Odin often suspected that Freya didn't tell them that he was the father. He couldn't imagine the gods allowing a child born of two powerhouses to be wandering about the earth. The powers that came from him lay dormant in the child and she was raised unaware.

  But something had awoken Odin, a great surge of power that had ripped through him, oddly making him feel stronger. He couldn't swear on it, but he felt in his gut it was because of Zoe Rose, his daughter.

  True to his word, Odin had stayed away, but that didn't mean he hadn't kept a close eye on her through the years. When his subjects came to tell him that she was missing, he felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

  He approached every faction, the gods, the angels, the wolves, the dragons—that gave him pause. The half-breed dragon, Ava, had been very elusive about Zoe's disappearance. It was almost as if she were hiding something. It would appear that she had been hiding a great deal if Zoe's powers had been awakened.

  A Valkyrie in her own right, she was a demi-god and deserved to rule by his side. There were strict rules about leaving Valhalla, but Odin could not sit back while his daughter was in trouble. Freya, foolish woman that she was, succumbed to an illness as a human and passed a few years ago.

  Such a waste. Odin could not abide waste; it went against everything that he stood for. There was a place and a time for everything, even in death.

  Bringing in his second in command, Odin chargeed Baldr to rule Valhalla with a truth and strict obedience to their laws.

  "Yes, Odin, it shall be as you say."

  Odin nodded and then whipped his cape around, and seconds later, he was a great hulking raven. With his outstretched wings, he sailed into the night sky in search of the half-breed dragon. He would get answers and save his daughter.

  Zoe felt a burning in her back, bringing her out of unconsciousness. She was lying on her stomach, which was unusual for her. She pushed up and a wave of dizziness threatened to send her careening back into the bedding.

  "Zoe!" It was Cane, and his voice sounded tired and concerned.

  She turned and shoved her blonde hair out of the way. It was no longer the eerie violet that it had been, and she was thankful for that.

  "What happened?"

  Cane's eyes were dark with bags under them, and his face showed that he hadn't shaved in a few days.

  "You blacked out three days ago."

  Zoe blinked. "Three days? Are you sure?"

  Cane laughed, but the sound held no humor, "I am more than positive about every second you were asleep. Zoe, can you tell me about your parents?"

  Cane pulled her closer but was careful not to touch her back.

  Zoe swallowed. "My mom looked a lot like me; she was a teacher at the college, Norse Mythology. She died of cancer a few years ago. I never knew or met my father."

  "It doesn't make sense," Cane muttered underneath his breath.

  "What?" Zoe wanted to know what was happening to her. She felt different, and it scared her.

  "Can you feel your back?" he asked kindly.

  She frowned. "It stings. Did you mark me again?"

  He shook his head. "A mate marking won't hurt after the initial bonding and that is only seconds. No, this is something else."

  She reached behind her and felt the satiny smooth feathers behind her. Zoe turned, but there was nothing there. With a shaky hand, she reached again and pulled on one of the feathers. Searing pain coursed from her shoulder blades and radiated throughout her body.

  "Don't pull your feathers out!" Cane barked.

  "I have feathers? What the fuck, Cane? How did I get feathers? What is going on?"

  In normal circumstances, he would have taken her to task for using his given name and becoming hysterical. But the truth was that he was getting a little hysterical, himself. They had thought she was fae. Which, although it was a long shot, made a whole lot more sense than what he was now suspecting.

  There was a knock at the door, followed by a shout, "The half-breed is here, my king."

  "About fucking time," Cane grumbled as he gathered Zoe up in the loose gray sheets and began to carry her to the door.

  "Where are we going?" she squealed, her wings flapping against his chest.

  He knew that she had little control over them and was about as helpless as a kitten with them until they g
rew into their full size. He didn't have a whole lot of experience with Valkyrie, but he had seen one as a child, a goddess named Freya who would come and talk things over with his mother. And then one day, she stopped coming and he forgot about her through the many years. Until tonight, when he saw the wings beginning to grow from Zoe's shoulder blades.

  It had been many years, but the color and shape were just as he remembered. Cane had a feeling that once Zoe's wings filled out, she would be every bit as magnificent as her mother. But if Freya was her mother, how had he smelled human on Zoe? It didn't make sense.

  But they had one person who could clear it up.

  As he marched through the throne room, Ava looked up and gasped when she saw Zoe and the wings that were protruding out behind her.

  "It's too late!" Ava cried out, "I told you I needed to see her. And now it is too late, and he will be coming!"

  "Who is coming?" Cane thundered. "I dare anyone to come and try to hurt my mate."

  Ava sucked in a breath. "I thought you just claimed her?"

  Cane snarled in her direction, and she took a hasty step back.

  "Zoe is my mate. Now, human, before you die, tell the things you know!"

  Ava blanched, and Zoe set a warning hand on his chest to try to calm him. "Ava, you and my mother were good friends, were you not?"

  Ava nodded hesitantly. "The best."

  "I need you to start at the beginning please, and don't leave anything out."

  Chapter 13

  Zoe sat frozen on the throne listening to Ava as the details of her past were unveiled. Her senses felt numb and her hands were cold. In fact, there wasn't a point on her body that wasn't chilled. Her mother had been a goddess, her father, the god of the underworld. It was unfathomable.

  And yet in the deepest recesses of her heart, she knew that it was true. It was as if the part that had been buried inside of her testified of the truths that Ava was sharing.

  "Zoe is a demi-god. Her mother, Freya, tasked several supernaturals in helping to watch over her. I failed in my duty." Anguish washed across Ava's face. "I was lazy, and I suppose a part of me questioned the validity of what Freya was suggesting. She said she was a goddess who had been stripped down to mortal status. Her greatest fear was that Odin would come for Zoe to take her back to Valhalla. I am so sorry. I can't tell you how upset I have been and how my soul has ached to know that you were okay, Zoe."