The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 78

HERA

The first thing I hear is his heart.

The deep rumbling of it, beating quietly beside my ear and I frown.

Not because it is bad, but because it is too good to be true.

It is in no way as loud as the sound of the morning bell ringing somewhere outside the castle.

Or as jarring as the bright sunlight streaming in from the window and falling on the side of my face.

But somehow it is more there...more real than any of the other sounds around me.

And for that reason alone, I conclude that I must be dreaming.

That is the only thing that makes sense.

Because it did not matter what had happened the night before, when the moon and stars were our only witness, the dragon king is always gone before I can even open my eyes. And I always wake up alone.

It stung...still did, but I am learning to get used to it.

It is like my grandmother would sometimes say, expect disappointment and you would not be disappointed.

So even as I shift closer, my eyes still closed, I tell myself that it cannot be real.

The heat of his body radiating off my skin, the comforting scent of him like man and warmth filling my nose...

Nothing but a dream.

A dream my half-insane, possibly obsessed brain, has perhaps conjured up as an after effect of what had turned out to be the most explosive, life-altering night of my life. A dream I have absolutely no desire to wake up from.

But then I feel his arm tighten around me and my heart skips a beat.

Skies...could it be?

I tilt my chin up and open one eye cautiously, then the other.

Peering out from beneath half-lidded eyes so that should it turn out to be a dream, I can close them quickly again before I lose it.

And when I do look, I nearly gasp.

For as it turns out, it is in fact not a dream at all.

Pinching the skin of my arm does not make him disappear.

Neither does lifting one finger to poke at his face.

He stirs when I touch him but he does not awaken.

He stayed.

He actually stayed.

Warmth and happiness blossoms from somewhere in the centre of my chest, making my toes curl and causing me to feel lightheaded and giddy.

So much so that I have to press my fingers to my mouth to stifle the bubble of laughter that threatens to escape.

I know the more than likely reason for his continued presence here, lying in the same bed, beside me is that that he overslept and is not yet conscious that it is morning. But I tell myself that the reason he is still here is because he wants to be.

That for once, he wanted to wake up with me in his arms.

My heart likes that answer better.

He is breathing quietly.

The rhythmic, even rise and fall of his chest telling me he is still asleep.

And I stare up at him, shifting closer while holding my breath so I do not wake him, finally able to for the first time, look at him when he does not have his defenses up.

When he is neither arguing nor angry or upset with something I have done.

And he looks...different.

I mean structure wise, everything is the same.

He still has those impressively long lashes that cast shadows over his cheeks and are those...freckles across his nose?

How in all the realms have I never seen those before?

Watching him like this has me feeling both silly and incredibly happy all at the same time.

He looks so peaceful, vulnerable even, and it is almost like his walls are down and I can see the real him.

The one he hides behind his frown and scowls and expressionless gazes.

Right now he is neither the dragon king nor the immortal ruler of the 5th realm.

He is Midas...just Midas.

And how in all the realms is he so beautiful?

The tips of my fingers, no longer satisfied with my merely looking, begin to itch and tingle and I have to fold my hands in fists to stop from tracing the chiseled outline of his jaw that is already covered in prickly morning stubble. His lips part slightly and my eyes drop to his mouth.

A mouth that last night had done the most incredible, unspeakable things to my body.

Things I am very sure were decidedly criminal and deliciously sinful.

Just thinking about it, remembering it all, is enough to make me turn the same scarlet as the velvet draping hanging from the bed.

Yet the more I think about last night, the faster I find myself losing the internal battle not to touch him.

Without even being conscious of it, my finger tips are tracing circles and paths up the smooth hardness of his chest.

Again he stirs slightly and I jerk my hands back, cheek flaming yet ready to deny everything.

But again he does not open his eyes.

Oh damn it all to flipping Hades.

And before I can stop myself or think properly about it, I place my palms firmly against his chest and stretch up to press my lips softly against his mouth.

But before I can pull away his lips are moving against mine, deepening the kiss.

His arms wrap around my middle, pulling me suddenly on top of him and I let out a startled, muffled sound, my eyes widening in surprise.

He breaks the kiss and smirks up at me.

"And a good morning to you as well."

"M...Midas..."

"So for exactly how long were you planning on taking advantage of me while I was asleep?"

I try to glare at him but my lips refuse to stop trying to stretch into a smile.

"Liar. You have been awake this whole time haven't you?"

He shakes his head. "I have not and now I shall have to punish you for daring to wake me."

I smirk at him. "How...?"

Both his hands slide up the curve of my bottom and up my back, slowly pulling me back towards him even as he pretends to think.

Our lips meet for the second time.

There is nothing soft anymore about the way he kisses me, or about the way his body feels beneath my hands.

What's more, I can feel him starting to grow even harder than he had been merely moments ago and I gasp when the evidence of his very apparent, very naked arousal presses against my equally bare center. But before I can forget myself, he flips me over.

"Ah! Midas!!.."

I scream his name in between fits of laughter, thrashing around in an effort to escape.

"Midas....stop it...this is hardly proper."

But he ignores me and continues to tickle my sides until I am laughing so hard, I am in danger of wetting myself.

"Midas...please...everyone is going to hear!"

A smirk that is almost a smile lights up his beautiful face. "You did not seem to care about being quiet last night."

I can feel myself blush all the way to my toes and hair tips.

Skies above... he is right.

The way I had screamed and moaned, surely at the very least half the castle had to have heard me.

I groan. "Oh gods...I am never going to be able to leave this room again am I?"

He chuckles, dark and deep and rough and all shades of arousal rush through me.

Somewhere along the line, his tickling has slowed down to become caresses and his thumbs brush firmly against both n*****s.

"It does not matter. The longer you stay here, the more chances I have to make you scream."

And just like that I am wet again.

Wet and very thoroughly turned on.

Oh skies above get a grip Hera...

But even as I say the words in my head, I find myself reaching up to kiss him again.

He meets me halfway, growling slightly when my hands, greedy little things with a mind of their own, wrap around the length of him, guiding the tip slowly towards my dripping center. "Hera..."

It is a powerful feeling, knowing that I can do this to him.

I almost cannot believe how bold I am being and it does not matter that my legs still ache from last night.

I want him again.

Now.

He slips inside me, our bodies fitting together like pieces of an admittedly strange puzzle and every other thing else fizzles out.

Fizzles and pops and takes my breath away along with it.

His arm snakes around me and he flips us around again so that I am now straddling him.

And with both hands firmly gripping my waist, he lets me ride him, helping me along his length.

I have never done this before.

But instinct is a powerful thing and so I let go, allowing my body take what she wants.

He watches me the entire time, murmuring dark words of encouragement and blasphemy all in the same breath, our eyes meeting and holding as I bounce and arch and roll my hips against him. And the sound of his voice guides me over the ledge, sending me falling head first into the throes of another blinding o****m.

Every time feels the first time all over again.

Except it gets stronger, each o****m he gives me more intense than the one before it.

He holds me up, lifting himself on one forearm and thrusting into me, drawing out my pleasure for as long as he can.

I can feel my walls clench and spasm, squeezing his c**k and taking him down along with me.

He comes hard, his head falling into the crook of my shoulder even as his seed, warm and wet spills inside of me, dripping out and flowing between my thighs.

I wrap my arms around him, unable to move.

And for a long time, we remain like that, breathing heavily, sweaty bodies wrapped up in each other.

He pulls away slightly and places a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"By Hades Hera...you are going to be the end of me."

I say nothing, still not trusting myself to speak but a smile tugs on my lips.

"Just promise me one thing."

I meet his eyes, already wanting to kiss him again. "What is that?"

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ears.

"What you did yesterday, going into that hut and risking your life like that. Promise me you are never going to do that again."

I bite my lip.

"I can't."

"Hera..."

I cup his face between my hands.

"Midas, No. If I cannot use this....gift, whatever it is to help the people I care about then of what use is my having it?"

"But, to have you deliberately put yourself in danger like that. I cannot..."

I kiss him gently, cutting off the words.

"I already lost my family once before. I am not losing you too."

Then realizing what I have just unknowingly admitted out loud, I quickly smirk.

"Besides...I can't exactly let you die before I even have a chance to kill you myself."

He is silent for a moment, thinking.

But then the corner of his lips tilt upwards.

"You care about me."

Drats...

Frowning, I attempt to look away.

"I can't remember saying that."

I try to get up but his arms around me do not budge.

"No, but you implied it."

"Assumptions are dangerous your grace. You should not make a habit of it."

He laughs.

I wonder if he knows that his eyes quite literally glow when he does that.

He is staring at me again and because I am unable to help it I blush. "Why are you looking at me like that, is there something on my face?" "No, I simply enjoy looking at you. It is...fascinating"

Anymore and my skin is going to be stained a permanent red color.

"Have I ever told you how much I like your hair?"

I shake my head, blushing again. "I used to hate it."

A frown, one single line between the brows of his perfect face.

"Why in all the realms?"

"Because no one in my family had hair that looked like mine."

Midas eyes become instantly alert, not by much but enough that I notice the difference.

"What do you mean?"

I shrug. "No one in the whole of Averia did. I would walk down the streets and babies would point at me and my 'strange' hair"

"Did it not bother you?"

"Not exactly. The people who mattered to me never treated me any differently. Although when I was being stubborn my mother used to say I had been exchanged as a baby and her real, more obedient daughter got taken away and she got me instead." I chuckle lightly as I remember but the dragon king frowns even harder.

"Why would she say that?"

"Oh it was nothing."

"Tell me."

I am frowning now as well, wondering why this is suddenly so important. But I tell him anyway.

"My hair was brown at birth..."

"But?"

"but then the next morning when my parents awoke, it had turned a bright flaming orange...and no one knew why."