Chapter 171: Episode 170: Interrupted his mating session.

"You talk too much," Drax growled, crashing his lips down onto hers.

He backed her up against a smooth, mossy rock. The shallow stream bubbled around their bare legs. The mountain water felt very cool against her skin, but Drax burned like a massive, roaring furnace. He gripped her hips tight, lifting her up just a few inches out of the rushing current.

Rue wrapped her legs around his waist on pure instinct. She held onto his broad shoulders, letting out a soft, breathy moan into his mouth.

He moved against her, slow and deep. The heavy rhythm sent sharp, tingly shocks straight down her spine. The sensation was highly addicting. She could not get enough of it. Every single time he pressed closer, her breath hitched in her throat. Her fingers tangled deep in his wet, dark hair. She pulled him closer, wanting to feel all his heat.

The wild, dark forest around them just faded away. The sound of the rushing water became background noise to her own racing heartbeat. She felt so safe in his massive arms. She felt cherished and wanted. Drax kissed her neck, biting gently at her collarbone with his blunt teeth. She groaned out loud, arching her back into his rough touch. The cool water splashed against her back, making the burning heat of his chest feel even better.

Right at the very peak of her dizzy pleasure, a sharp ringing sound pierced her ears.

Ding!

A bright blue light flared right behind her closed eyelids. It was blinding and harsh. The magical system did not care about her private moment at all. It did not care that she was finally relaxing.

Glowing blue letters floated right in front of her face. They blinked fast, demanding her attention.

[Warning: Diseased beasts approaching the main fortress.]

Rue froze. Her pink eyes snapped open. The warm, heavy haze of pleasure vanished in a split second. A cold spike of pure, raw panic stabbed right through her chest.

Diseased beasts. The main fortress.

Her babies were there. Seika was sleeping in her wooden crib. Theron and Mochi were playing in the living room.

Rue immediately pushes Drax back. She pressed both hands flat against his solid, wet chest and shoved hard.

"The children," Rue gasped, her voice shaking badly. "Danger is coming."

Drax frowned deep. He did not let her go. He just tightened his large hands on her slippery waist, keeping her pinned against the wet rock. His dark eyes burned with heavy, frustrated desire. He was so close to finishing. He did not want to stop right now.

"They are fine," Drax mumbled, leaning down to kiss her wet jaw. "The panther is there. The snake is there. They can handle a few stray animals in the woods. Stay here with me."

He tried to pull her hips back against his own.

"No!" Rue yelled, kicking her legs free from his waist. She splashed down into the shallow water, slipping on the smooth stones. "You don’t understand. Sick beasts are attacking the house right now. We have to go back. I need my babies!"

She was shivering hard. It wasn’t from the cool mountain water. It was raw, frantic fear. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She scrambled toward the muddy bank, desperate to find her discarded clothes. Her mind raced with awful pictures of monsters breaking through the nursery window.

Drax let out a low, angry growl. He hated being interrupted. He hated the invisible magic that constantly put fear into his mate’s eyes.

But he saw the genuine panic on her face. He saw her small hands shaking as she reached for her green dress on the grass.

His protective instincts finally won. The dragon alpha yielded to his frightened mate.

Drax waded out of the stream. He grabbed the green wool dress off the grass before she could reach it. He didn’t make her dress herself while her hands shook. He stepped close, his big hands moving fast but gentle. He pulled the soft fabric over her head, smoothing it down her wet, shivering body. He tied the strings at her waist with quick, rough tugs.

"I’ve got you," Drax promised, his voice turning into a serious, deadly rumble.

He didn’t bother putting his own dark shirt back on. He just grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a wide clearing in the trees.

Thick black smoke poured from his bare skin. The scent of burning pine filled the night air. In a single heartbeat, the massive black dragon stood in the grass.

Rue didn’t wait for him to lower his wing. She scrambled up his dark scales, grabbing the thick spikes on his neck. She pressed her wet body against his hot hide, holding on for dear life.

Drax launched them into the sky. The sheer force of his takeoff bent the tall trees backward.

They flew fast. The cold wind whipped her damp silver hair across her face. Rue squeezed her eyes shut, praying to every star in the sky that she wasn’t too late. Her heart hammered against the dragon’s thick scales.

They crested the mountain peak. The stone fortress came into view far below them.

Rue looked down and gasped.

She actually told the truth. The system was right.

A swarm of ugly, feral beasts crawled all over the outer wooden fence. They looked like giant, rotting wolves. Patches of dirty fur were missing from their gray skin. Thick black ooze dripped from their snapping jaws. They looked sick and wrong.

Knox and Caius were fighting in the dirt courtyard. The panther swung his heavy twin axes, chopping the beasts down with brutal force. The snake moved like a blur, kicking and striking with cold precision.

But there were just too many. The diseased animals kept pouring out of the dark woods. They were pushing the two warlords back toward the heavy front doors.

Drax didn’t roar a warning. He didn’t land to fight them claw to claw. He was way too angry. They interrupted his intimate time with his mate, and they threatened his home.

The Dragon King opened his massive jaws wide.

He breathed a massive stream of his eternal fire.

A waterfall of blinding golden flames rained down from the dark sky. The heat was so intense it made the air ripple and blur. The fire hit the swarm of feral beasts right outside the wooden fence.

The diseased animals didn’t even have time to scream. The golden flames turned them into piles of gray ash in less than a second. The fire scorched the dirt, burning away the sickness and leaving nothing but glowing cinders behind.

The fire hit very close to the courtyard.

Knox and Caius yelled in shock. The two warlords dove backward, rolling in the dirt to escape the scorching heat. They coughed hard, choking on the thick smoke and hot ash filling the air.

The threat was gone. Drax snapped his jaws shut.

He circled the fortress once, letting the thick smoke clear. Then he landed heavily right in the middle of the open courtyard. His massive claws dug deep into the scorched dirt.

Knox scrambled to his feet. The panther warlord was covered in mud and gray ash. He brushed a smoking ember off his dark shirt. He glared up at the giant dragon with pure, unfiltered rage.

"You almost killed us too!" Knox roared, pointing a dirty finger at Drax’s snout.

Drax just ignored him. The dragon didn’t care about the panther’s complaints. He lowered his massive left wing, creating a ramp to the ground.

Rue hopped off instantly. Her bare feet hit the warm dirt. She didn’t spare the two men a single glance. She didn’t care about their bruised egos or the loud argument. She just ran. She sprinted past Knox, her green dress flying behind her. She pushed the heavy front doors open and rushed into the house, frantic to find her babies.

Knox watched her run inside. He huffed a heavy, angry breath. He turned his glaring golden eyes back to the giant black dragon.

Drax stood tall in the ruined courtyard. He didn’t shift back into a man. He kept his massive beast form. He lowered his huge, horned head. He glared right at the two men. His dark eyes burned with a deadly, furious light. Thick smoke curled out of his nostrils, drifting over the ash. He looked ready to bite their heads off.

Knox swallowed hard. The panther took a slow step backward.

Caius wiped soot from his pale cheek. The Serpent Alpha took a step back too.

The two proud warlords slowly raised their hands in the air, surrendering to the furious dragon staring them down.

Knox kept his hands up. He leaned closer to the snake.

"Why does he look so angry?" Knox whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "We were the ones fighting for our lives."

Caius let out a long, tired sigh.

"Because we interrupted his mating session."