The Alpha of Bleake Isle (Dragonkin, #1)

by Kathryn Moon

This is what comes of letting a curious, fearless virgin have free rein to explore, I thought, burying my panting breaths into the bed as Mairwen feathered light touches over the surprisingly sensitive stretch of my wings. And in spite of the sticky pool of arousal pressed between my belly and the mattress, and the painfully sharp ache of my erect cock, and the fact that Mairwen had been over my wings twice now and studied every inch of what was available to her from my position face down while leaving me simmering and ready to burst, I was grinning. Mairwen was perfuming.

I was gasping at the air, searching for every lick of the heady, dizzying scent of her, trying not to rut into the bed and set myself off into the sheets. Although perhaps that would be better. Maybe Mairwen would elect to leave me face down for the rest of the night. Or maybe she would let me roll over and approach my dripping, throbbing cock with the same studious determination she'd met my sac with, and I'd shoot off at the first chance and terrify her with my roar. But I didn't care what happened next. She was perfuming.

I groaned as her hands pulled away from my wings, brushing briefly around my hips, and my grin turned into a frown as she shuffled off the back of my legs. I liked her heat against me. "Roll over." My brain stalled at the gentle command. "Can you lie on your wings, or will it hurt?" Roll over, damnit, I snapped at myself. I pulled my wings in close, ignoring the odd, reluctant pang, as if they already missed the young woman's touch, and pushed myself up from the mattress, grimacing at the wet stain I'd left on the sheet. I would have to either lie on top of that, or let ...

She was…lovely. Her hair was mussed, and strands rose and clung to the sheet around her head like a chaotic halo. The candlelight that bled through the sheets into our nest made a valiant effort at cutting into her chemise too, revealing a cruel glimpse of the lushest curves I'd ever even imagined. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright and fixed to my stomach—no, my cock, I realized—and her lips pursed in consideration, growing full and tempting. "Mairwen," I called.

"Hmm?" She trailed her fingers through the hair on my thighs, grazing around the taut line of a tensing muscle, but her eyes remained focused on my twitching length. It was eager for an introduction to those exploring fingers. "Come here," I said. She blinked and glanced up, brow furrowing. "Come explore my mouth for a moment," I continued. I want to kiss you. She smiled, and I bit off a moan as her hand made an absent path up my thigh, over my hip and chest, skirting my needy length as she stretched out at my side.

It was meant to be her night, but I was impatient, and I grabbed for her, dragging her to lie on top of me, claiming the back of her neck in one hand to draw her mouth down to mine. I told myself to be gentle, tentative, but Mairwen sighed and her breath was sweet and her perfume was stronger up close like this, and I'd lost the grasp on my contr...

I groaned and licked into her open mouth, devouring her whimper with a swirl of my tongue, searching her mouth for her flavor and then mourning the loss as I stole it away. My hands were equally greedy and unmanageable, helping themselves to full handfuls of her flesh through the soft chemise. I stroked her thighs, then couldn't help but wrap my arms around her waist to yank her closer. The barrier of the cotton between our bodies caused boiling frustration to race ...

I growled against her lips, then scraped my teeth over them and found them slick and swollen from kisses. Was she slick and swollen between her thighs too? Could I move the chemise and plant her pussy on my cock, rock against her until we both found relief? Delicate fingers wrapped around my wrists, and I arched up, grinding myself into cotton and soft flesh. The finger...

My head cleared enough to release her, and she drew my cuffed hands away from her body, pushing them back into the pillows under my head. My eyelids drooped, and my hips bucked in a plea. I did not mind being at Mairwen's mercy in the least, not with the collar of her chemise coming loose, offering me exquisite shadows to guess at. "It's my turn still," she said, smiling. "You're doing too good a job," I answered, groaning as her perfume ric...

The pink stains on her cheeks were running down her throat, and she tore her gaze from mine. "This was easier when you weren't looking at me." I laughed, and she straightened, still holding my hands down, not that I was fighting her. I hadn't offered to let women lead in bed very often, but Mairwen made a compelling case for the dynamic, as shy and unpracticed as she was. She released my hands slowly and one at a time, eyes...

When she scooted back, the skirt of her chemise caught on my cock. I hissed, arching and twisting, trying to rise into the brief pressure, but she was quick, snatching the fabric away to reveal my swollen and darkened flesh. There was a shiny dribbling trail leading from my belly to my cock, and Mairwen hummed, stroking her thumb through the mess. I held my breath, my eyes growing so wide, I thought they might fall out of my face, as she raised her thumb to her nose, sniffing briefly and then parting her lips. Her eyes caught mine, tongue poised against her bottom lip, and she froze. "Don't stop," I gasped out.

Mairwen blinked, expression wavering as she struggled over a decision, probably between obeying my request or asking me a dozen questions. Why was I leaking? Why did she like the scent? Why did I like the idea of her tasting me? Instead, she glanced away and pressed her thumb to her tongue. Her eyelashes fluttered and her lips curved in a smile. An alpha would taste almost as good to an omega as an omega would to an alpha. Which only made me torn between encouraging her to taste me or begging her to come and hover her sex over my mouth. "There's so much of you," she murmured. I broke out into a rakish grin at the announcement, but she didn't look at my face, just continued. "So much that's unfamiliar, but also…"

She blushed and shied her stare away. "Close your eyes," she said. "Don't ask that." "Please?" I chewed over my refusal. She'd been brave enough to fondle my balls when I'd been on my belly, and she hadn't so much as accidentally nudged my cock now that I was looking at her. With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes. Waiting like this was torture. I stiffened as Mairwen's breath rustled over my chest, and the soft, light weight of her chemise grazed my cock.

"Would I really gush just from you…you know, like you said earlier?" she asked. I peeked one eye open, and a strangled moan rose from my chest as Mairwen traced a fingertip around my small, dark nipple. "I th-think so," I rasped out. "It's possible, and I'd like to try." "Hmm," she mused, and I forced my eye shut once more, clenched them tight, and braced as Mairwen's head lowered to my chest. Her mouth was warm and gentle, tracing over my chest in small kisses, tongue occasionally peeking out. "Let me touch you," I begged as she covered me in those tiny wet marks. "Only a little," she answered. "Hold my hair back?" My hands shook, but she was too busy to notice, and her hair was silky and smooth as I gathered every stray strand back, combing pins out of limp curls, struggling not to force her mouth where I wanted it.

One of her hands was circling fingertips around my right nipple until it was so sweetly sore I thought I might burst, and the other was gently scratching her nails over my hip, close but not close enough to my length. "Mairwen, please," I whispered. I didn't know what I was begging for, but it wasn't my decision anyway. Mairwen was exploring, and when her open mouth covered my neglected nipple, tongue circling at the same patient pace as her fingertips, we were both in uncharted territory. My breathing was ragged and full of whimpers, my hips lifting from the bed until I found her belly, grinding shamelessly against her.

My wings burst out from under me, snagging and tearing on the sheet walls of the nest, tugging one free from the knot she'd formed and dropping it down on top of us. Mairwen pulled away, and I choked on an agonized roar, pulling my fingers free from her hair to tear the sheet back off, throwing it over the edge of the bed with a curse. "Oh dear," she said, in the smallest voice. "It doesn't matter," I snarled, fighting the urge to gather her to my chest, to tear the rest of the nest down, and roll her into the mattress, to bury myself inside of her and never leave until I'd explained in detail and action every other depraved thing I would've liked to explore with her. Except I saw her face, fallen and disappointed, wincing at the brighter light of the candles, her shoulders hunching high. Compliments, damnit. And… "Please, Mairwen. Please don't stop."

She blinked, her shoulders dropping, and her eyes found mine. "Fang's fire, omega, don't stop touching me. I'll… Mairwen, please." Only a tiny percent of my pained pleas were calculated to distract her from the disaster of the nest. A tiny smile curved her lips, and she knelt between my spread legs, staring down at me. Her chemise was stuck to my slick cock, and she peeled it away, finally giving my eager length the attention I'd craved from the start. The hand that had been holding my hip skirted closer, and I held my breath for a moment, until I realized she was watching me again. "Please."

Her fingers circled me gently, and I collapsed with a groan, wings limp and eyes rolling back. Her touch skirted away and then returned, the smooth back of her hand stroking up my length, fingers petting down. She bent her head and kissed down my chest, nose nuzzling against the dark trail of hair, her own loose locks grazing against my clenching stomach. I was shamefully close to the edge, but at least Mairwen wouldn't realize how easily she'd unmade me, turned me into a weak and desperate puddle of an alpha. Then again… "You're very good at exploring, omega," I growled, victory blending with hunger as her perfume curled shyly in th...

I peeked my eyes open and watched her smiling and blushing down at my cock as if I'd just kissed the back of her hand. Except what I'd done was dribbled my arousal over her fingers. "Like that. Stroke me, up and—" I bit a howl off behind clenched teeth, rocking in her gentle grip. "Down, yes. Fuck. This is…this will be your cunt holding my cock like this, Mairwen. Do you know that?" Did she know enough about sex to understand that much? Please say yes. "Mmhm, although I've never tried to…you seem awfully thick, Ronson," she mused. I fought my grin. I was thick. And long. I was the alpha, after all.

"Is this your knot?" she murmured, and then her other hand joined in, pressing her thumb to where I was starting to thicken and swell. I released a garbled yelp as she circled that spot too, unable to close her grip around me. "Yesss," I hissed, nodding roughly back into the pillows. "It looks like it hurts." "It does and it doesn't—Oh, Mairwen, tighter—" I moaned, twisting an arm back to prop my head up. Oh, she was sweet, a little furrow between her brow as she focused on squeezing and stroking me. "I'm close. Do you know-know what—"

I couldn't finish my sentence because she'd started to twist her hand around my length back and forth, right at the head of my cock where I was most sensitive. Instead, I gaped like a fish and whined, bucking into her soft palm, my sac growing tight and pounding. "You're dripping a gr...

I was fucking her hand, bucking too roughly, and her grip tightened around my knot to hold me in place at the same moment that she ducked her head down, lips parted and tongue peeking out. The sight, the promise of what she meant to do, and the warm squeeze of her hand on my knot was too much. I came with a bellowing shout, a shocking crack of pleasure racing through me, painful and perfect, snapping hard and making my body bow upwards. Mairwen squeake...

My eyes were shut, my body turning limp and weak. Her grip on my cock was too tight now that I'd finished, and Mairwen was giggling. I growled, and she muffled the sound of her humor. I hissed as she stroked my length and released me gently, petting me once more. An alluring, wet sound finally forced my eyes open, and the sight was enough to make my cock throb and spill another quick gush of release against my thigh. Mairwen was scooping a dribble of opal white from the soft swell of her breast, and sh...

"Mairwen," I called roughly. Her gaze was warm, smile soft. "I didn't know that would happen, no." It was my turn to blush. "I'm sorry, I⁠—" "I liked watching you," she said, head tipping to the side. She glanced down and then tugged at her collar, revealing another slow drip sinking between her breasts. I was outrageously jealous of my own release. "Come here." She licked her lips, cleaning another finger, and I wondered if I hadn't reached rut after all, because I was absolutely certain that if she did that ...

I was perfectly and deliciously aware of the situation as I woke the next morning. My cock was stuffed comfortably against Mairwen's ass, barely deterred by her tangled chemise. My hands were full of the wonderful weight and squish and heft of her breasts, although one of my arms was numb, trapped between her waist and the mattress. My mouth was full of Mairwen's hair.

I'd come once more, this time against the belly of her chemise as she wiggled on top of me, pinching my nipples and kissing me until my lips were numb. I tried to return the favor, but Mairwen pushed my hands away every time until finally falling asleep on top of me, her lips pressed over my heart and her hand around my cock. I'd succumbed within minutes, my own hand possessively claiming her full ass.

I'd known from our first conversation that Mairwen was observant, clever, and a quick thinker. I hadn't considered how she might apply those traits in bed with me, her keen stare watching my every action, noting every hitch of my breath and low groan. It would be a challenge to remain equally alert with her when I had so many goals and desires already clamoring in my head.

"Good morning, omega," I growled, grinning as Mairwen shivered.

Mairwen stiffened as I pulled her collar down to expose one breast, full and round, peaked with a dusky rose—a perfect color, in my opinion—pucker of flesh, the tip firming and rising up toward my lips as if in offering. One kiss, I reminded myself. Make it count…and then ask for more. I took her breast in an open-mouthed kiss, tracing my tongue around her nipple, pursing my lips as she shivered and gasped, growling in victory as her chest arched closer. I suckled and laved, and Mairwen moaned, her hands sliding into my hair. The sting and throb of my arm still waking up cut through the pleasure of her voluptuous, tender flesh on my tongue and her luxurious flavor. My working arm slid under her back, hand sliding up to brace around her neck and hold in her place. "Ronson!"

My body seemed to swell at the call of my name on her lips. She was holding me to her breast, one leg rising to curl around my back. I shifted, not releasing the treasure between my lips, just in case she might consider the kiss finished, and settled between her parting legs, groaning as her damp core kissed my belly. She was wet. Why hadn't I considered kissing her cunt? Except that was probably a step too far, or it had been before she'd grown slick, rocking herself into the hair on my stomach in a way that assured me she would absolutely enjoy the moment I worked my way down⁠— Knock, knock. Mairwen let out a charming squeak, jerking in my grasp as if she had anywhere to go now that she'd tangled herself around me. "Ronson," Niall called from the other side of the door.

I debated my choices. I could release my divine mouthful—I licked around Mairwen's nipple once more in objection to this idea, and she sighed—in order to tell Niall to fuck off. Or I could carry on as I was and hope he took the hint. Considering my left arm was now capable of moving and was making its way up Mairwen's side, cupping under her neglected breast and claiming the spot, I chose the latter. I suckled Mairwen once more, giving her more of my weight to grind against, and she bucked back re...

The last stalwart sheet was blocking Niall's view, thank goodness, or my half-brother might've lost his eyes for daring to enter the room. "—there's a dispute amongst the dragons," Niall continued. "Out!" I snapped, not really satisfied with the thin barrier of the sheet guarding my omega from view. I glanced back and let out a heavy sigh. Mairwen had tugged the drawstring of her chemise so tight, it looked like the ruffled collar might be choking her. Her knees were tucked under the skirt, body bundled tog...

"Is it the rut?" Niall asked, still standing in the room, out of view. I didn't like having him in here with us. I wanted to rush off the bed and grab him by the collar and throw him down the stairs. Or perhaps out the window? No, the window would bring him into view of the bed. Hmm, was this the rut? No. If it had been, Niall would've been testing the strength of his wings out my window already. But that didn't mean I didn't want to make use of the hours until the rut in...

There was no other answer but the squeak of the door as it shut behind him. I groaned as I fell back in bed, and Mairwen leaned over, upside-down in my view and wearing a shy half-smile. "Tonight," I warned her, low and dark. Her cheeks pinked and she placed her hands on either side of my head, ducking down and grazing her lips sweetly over mine. "Tonight," she murmured. I grasped her face, licking into her mouth as she gasped, h...

She pulled away, still blushing, smiling wider, turning her face away but glancing down the length of my body from the corner of her eye. I wanted to stretch for her gaze, let her admire in daylight all the places she'd studied so sincerely by muffled candlelight. But the sooner I was done with whatever tussle the other dragons ne...

"I would like to speak with Miss Huberts for a moment," I said. The girl gasped and froze. She was scarcely eighteen years old, and I considered whether we were really putting young omegas into courting at quite the right age. She seemed very young. Mairwen was practically on the shelf by dragon standards, but there was no chance of me mistaking her for anything but a woman. An extremely—and yet also surprisingly—tempting woman.

But I'd grown up with Beatrice for a sister and seen my father's heavy hand on women and the way it crumbled the person inside of the body he coveted. I did not want to be another man in a woman's life telling her what she would prefer.

“Seems an awful lot of pomp and flourish for a duck," Cook muttered, but she edited her recipe and added ingredients to the list, just as she had for my other suggestions. "Lord Cadogan may not need more than a slab of beef and a few roasted potatoes, but I assure you, these additions and adjustments will be appreciated," I said, adding privately, if not by him, then by me. It felt almost scandalous to be planning such a decadent menu. At home, economy required simplification and using scraps and leftovers in creative ways. To be allowed to ask for anything, and in any quantity, was almost daunting.

"Now, as to the meals that will be delivered during the rut," I said, trying not to let my words tremble. "If you think his lordship wants purees and confits during his⁠—" I laughed and shook my head. "No, no, it's not that. Only that I think I would be grateful for some fruit, along with all the cheese and bread and cured meats, if you can manage it." 'If you can manage it' was the secret password to getting my way with Cook, a challenge to her determinedly capable authority over the kitchen. She made another note. "Easily enough. His lordship doesn't drink enough water during the rut."

I realized what had happened as soon as we stepped from the hall into the sitting room. The dubious glances of a number of dragon gentlemen landed on me, glanced away, and then returned in force as if they had simultaneously all recalled who I was. They stood, and delivered low bows while barely able to tear their eyes from me in narrowed speculation. Oh Francesca, what have you gotten yourself into? And why on earth are the Dunne twins part of it? My knees wobbled with the impulse to curtsy, but I was startled by the sudden bang of the door opposite me thrown open. In spite of the thunderous expression on his face and the heavy waves of harsh smoky scent that wafted from him, I found myself relieved to see Ronson standing in the doorway. "Finally. Come."

The betas parted to offer me a path through the room, and Ronson puffed up, eyes darting a glare from one group to the other. His hand extended, and I caught it, stifling my gasp as he yanked me to his side. His wings spread, one curling around my back to shield us from view as his head lowered, brushing his jaw against my cheek. A heavy sigh rushed over the top of my head.

"I can't get an honest answer out of her," Ronson muttered. "No gently bred dragon lady would dare give the alpha an opinion unless she was sure it was his too," I said, my lips twitching at Ronson's sneer. Perhaps I was becoming immune to his expressions. "You always do," Ronson said, arching an eyebrow. I flushed and ducked my head, but he caught my chin between thumb and forefinger, refusing to let me shy away. "Please don't stop. That's why you're here, Mairwen."

Ten years ago, Francesca had been a wild monster of a girl, screaming through weeds as high as her wild halo of red curls, brandishing sticks as swords and collecting snakes to leave in the party picnic baskets. She was a child, of course, curious and rebellious, but she'd outshined the beta boys she'd run with for pure and unbridled mayhem. My mother said Lady Huberts would regret not keeping the girl under control when it was time for her to join society. In the end, the Huberts had hired a stern and commanding governess for their wayward daughter, and Francesca had grown and matured as all young ladies must. I'd considered it a shame she'd become so meek, but my opinions were usually contrary to society's. Still, the Huberts and their governess were successful. Francesca's youthful havoc had been thoroughly stomped out.

I nodded, grinning. "'Odalie the odious,' you called her. She'd just arrived, only a month or so of staying with your family, and all of a sudden no one could find you. We had to search the whole island. You'd made it to the docks, and you were trying to sweet-talk a captain into giving you passage to Skybern." Francesca's eyes lit up, even as her placid smile melted away. "I would've tried to stowaway if he hadn't agreed." "I don't doubt it," I said, nodding. "I thought you'd manage it the next time—running away, that is. Or at least that you might end up finding your way out into the world sometime later." Francesca's chin wobbled, her eyes filling, and my heart ached for her, for the clear longing that broke through the polite mask she'd learned to wear.

"I did it on purpose," she whispered, one tear spilling down over a peach-blush cheek, rich curls quivering with her tense trembles. "I had to make sure the alpha wouldn't choose me, of course. Then I'd really be trapped, or worse, dead. But I thought, if I could just make enough of a tangle, they'd spend more time arguing with each other. And I could just…" A sob broke free. "Oh, Mairwen! I don't know! Just put it off a little longer." I rose and hurried to Francesca's side, wrapping my arms around her and drawing her into a hug. Francesca's breaths were rough and ragged. This was more than her usually fragile show of delicate, beautiful tears. This was true sorrow. Real fear.

"I don't want to get pregnant! What if I die?! Or what if I don't and I'm just stuck here, on this damned island, with one of them. Bleake Isle indeed. Oh, I don't know what to do!" Francesca let out an inelegant wail against my breast, and the door cracked open, Ronson's head darting in to assess the scene. "Why is it always who wil...

Why weren't we omegas allowed to wish to leap higher?

"You don't want any of them," I said, holding Ronson's gaze as he winced. Francesca sniffled and sat up straighter, not noticing our audience as she stared up at me, frowning. "Don't you want to leave here? I want to see the world!" I tried to ignore Ronson's stare and give her question real thought. "Personally? Yes, I'd like to see some of it. But I do like the isle." She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, you're certainly stuck with it, now you've been chosen." "I don't mind. I like him, actually," I said, fighting my own smile as Ronson carefully snuck back out and shut the door behind him. "And I think you should tell them the truth."

"I don't want to be a dragon's rut partner! I don't want to be a mother who raises a daughter and then crushes her into a mold," Francesca spat. "I want to travel. That's all. Without being a beta's omega. I just want to be me, damnit." Francesca was panting for her breath as Ronson's eyebrows rose steadily higher on his brow.

I understand this

chewed on my lip, and Ronson reached up, pulling it free and soothing his thumb over the damp spot.