The Little Star

Home Again

Celeste’s POV:

Pulling up to the Golden Crescent pack house was almost otherworldly. It felt like a lifetime since I’d been here. As the car came to a stop in front of the packhouse steps, Orion glanced over, gauging my current state. Knowing my brother, he was trying to decide if he should open the door to the small crowd of people on the opposite side of it. Or if I was too fragile to risk the stress.

“I’m fine, Orion. Promise.” I tried to reassure him, adding a soft smile for extra measure. It wasn’t exactly the truth; I was far from fine. My friends were missing, one of my mates was out to get me and willing to stoop to murder to ensure the other couldn’t have me, and now I was being thrown back into the world I left three years ago. A completely different person than I was before. But I was getting better little by little. Healing my mind would take time, just as readjusting to my role in this world would.

“If you’re sure…” He trailed off, leaving the statement open, clearly meaning it as a question.

“I’m sure. Now, let’s get this over with, I’m exhausted.” And I needed to be alone, to start looking for leads as to where my girls had disappeared.

Orion must have accepted my answer, because with a deep sigh he turned and opened the door. The cool night air drifted into the car, bringing with it the scent that I knew to be Golden Crescent.

“We’re almost home.” Dria pipped up excitedly. The Lycan lands were so close, just a few miles away. Our people had been without us for three years, though they’d had Orion, I still needed to see for myself how my people were doing.

“Home will have to wait for tomorrow. I’m beyond exhausted and just need to sleep for a little while.”

Orion stepped out first, with me following suit. Standing on the porch of the tall pack house was the family I’d begun to believe I’d never see again. Luna was hugging Vespian around a very rounded belly, but her eyes were glued to mine the moment I stepped from the vehicle.

“Celeste!” My sister cried out, pushing her husband to the side and waddling as fast as her swollen mid-section would allow. Luna was a good bit shorter than me, so to hug her properly I had to bend a bit. “I can’t believe you’re home.” As she pulled back, Luna’s honey brown eyes were swimming in tears of joy, a bright smile curving her lips.

“I can’t believe you’re still pregnant!” I joked, smiling when everyone else around us chuckled as well. “Either you’ve been pregnant a year per baby, or you’re trying to create your own baseball team.”

“The triplets are in bed; their third birthday is in a few days and the pack feels the need to celebrate the entire month of their future Alpha’s birth, so they are pretty exhausted. You can meet them tomorrow though!” Placing a hand on her belly, she rubbed it absently. “This little one was a shock to say the least.”

“I guess it would be. Aren’t we supposed to only go into heat every five years?”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought.” Luna murmured with an eyeroll, smiling as Vespian stepped closer and stopped to wrap an arm around her, placing his hand on her belly. “Selene changed the rules without warning us. She thought since the Lycan population was now safe from being hunted, their ranks needed to be expanded. Over half of the Lycan women of childbearing age are pregnant.”

“It’s late, Luna, let's get Celeste inside to rest before we start over whelming her with information.” A sweet-singing voice broke in, a tall woman with bright fiery red curls barely tamed back into a messy bun stepped forward. My brother's mate, Gracie, who’d been reborn in the body of a Siren. As Luna and Vespian stepped back, Gracie moved forward to envelope me in a quick hug. “We are so glad to have you home, Celeste, the family hasn’t been the same without you.”

The doors of the pack house slammed open and out flew a tiny woman with multicolored brown hair, uncaring of anyone in her way as she pushed herself to the front and threw her arms around me with a force that almost knocked me off my feet.

“Celeste! My baby girl!” Mom cried, her arms squeezing me so tight I wondered how such a small woman held such strength. But man, did it feel good to have my mother’s arms around me, comforting the chaos rolling through my heart.

“It’s okay mom, I’m okay.” I whispered softly, wrapping my arms around her and holding her to me as her body began to shake. My mother's tears brought about a round of my own, and soon we were kneeling on the ground, wrapped in each other’s arms as we cried.

“Vivian.” My father whispered close to us. I hadn’t even realized he’d followed her out of the house or how close he had gotten, I was so wrapped up in my mother's warm embrace and welcoming scent.

“Dad.” I whispered softly, leaning away from mom to accept his bear hug and kiss on my cheek as mom moved to stand, wiping stray tears from her cheeks.

“Welcome home, Celeste. We’ve missed you something terrible.” He said as he pulled me back to my feet.

Suddenly I felt whole and truly exhausted, my knees buckling as my body and mind grew weaker. I was emotionally and psychologically burnt out, and honestly, I was shocked that, though as tired as my body was, I had stood and functioned this long. My dad held me tighter and turned to swipe me up into his arms. Giving into my body's needs, I leaned into him and closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift off into healing sleep.

“Lucien, follow me, we’ll take her to her room. She’s just tired Vivian. Don’t worry. And whatever Dria couldn’t heal, Luna can attempt, in small doses of course.” Gracie’s soft words were the last thing I heard as blackness claimed me.

Of course, the darkness didn’t have ahold of me for long. Soon I was back in our meadow. Mine and Drogon’s. The waterfall filled the clearing with the soft sound of water splashing and it was one of the most relaxing sounds I’d ever experienced.

Walking to the water's edge, I sat down at the edge of the grass as the water gently lapped at the edge. The sun above was warm on my skin, but not overly so. This place was truly a paradise, which made me wonder which of us created it, Drogon or myself.

“There you are, my Little Star.” Drogon’s deep voice interrupted my musings, though I can’t say it was a surprise, somehow I knew he was there or would be soon. His footsteps were muted by the grass as he moved to sit beside me at the edge of the crystal-clear lake.

When I glanced over at him, he was staring off into the distance, his gaze focused on the waterfall. He was by far the more handsome of my two suitors. Hot as hell is how I’d describe him to be completely honest with myself. Just being near him had my heart fluttering and my stomach flipping. I rather not even think about other areas of my body he affected.

“Funny seeing you here.” I muttered, turning forward again, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. As I rested my chin on my knees, my hair fell around me, blocking Drogon mostly from view.

“I’ve never seen any one but the two of us here.” He chuckled, the warm sound doing annoying things to my nerves. “I believe only the two of us are allowed to be here.”

“I was questioning just a few moments ago which of us created this place. It’s beautiful.” Beautiful didn’t begin to truly describe the beauty of our little oasis, but I wasn’t sure what words would truly do it justice.

“You did.” He said simply. I jerked my face toward him, shocked at his words. I’d created all this? Drogon smiled back and nodded his head as if he could hear my thoughts. “I don’t know how you did it, but one night I went to bed, and I woke up here. You were in the water, swimming, and I thought I was dreaming of you, but when I came forward, you didn’t recognize me.”

“Wow.” Was all I could say, but as I looked around, I realized he was right. This was exactly what I would imagine as the perfect spot. The waterfall, the small lake, the beautiful flowers and the perpetual perfect amount of sun and breeze. “I wonder how you were able to come into my dreams.”

“I don’t know, but I’ve never questioned it overly much. I was too thankful for the chance to be with you, even if it was only in a dream.” There was pain in his voice, reliving those years when he couldn’t find me. When I’d disappeared. He must have felt powerless when he was unable to locate me, like he was a failure of a mate for not protecting me. Regardless of the fact that I could protect myself for the most part. Suddenly, I knew without a doubt that Drogon hadn’t been responsible for what had happened to me. He hadn’t taken me.

Leaning forward, I placed my hand gently on his arm. When his eyes met mine, I smiled at him, wanting to put him at ease. “You know what happened to me wasn’t your fault, right?”

“You believe I wasn’t responsible?” Drogon asked in a rush, turning toward me, his hands clasped my shoulders as his gaze drilled into mine.

“Yes, I know now that you weren’t the one that kidn*pped me.” I whispered. His hands on my bare shoulders were sending shocks of pure electricity through my system, flooding my body with hormones I had come to understand only came out to play when Drogon was involved, because I’d never experienced this with William. Sure, my skin had tingled when he’d touched me, and he’d smelled pleasing. But nothing that happened with William could be compared to the absolute endorphin rush being in Drogon’s presence brought.

“You have no idea how wonderful that is to hear, my Little Star.” My mate was saying, his eyes bright with relief. Meanwhile, all I could focus on were his perfectly kissable lips. I wanted to lean forward and taste him, but I didn’t plan on stopping there. If just Drogon’s scent, voice, or touch could affect me this way, then I couldn’t imagine how amazing the s*x would be. And I didn’t want to imagine it, I didn’t want to think, I wanted to climb on him and take what was mine.

Without saying another word, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, catching him by surprise. Good, him being caught off guard made it that much easier to place my hands on his shoulders and push him back to lay on the ground. Throwing my leg over his waist, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed every square inch of my skin to his, never breaking our kiss. As my heated core pressed into his impressive length, a groan escaped his lips, giving me the opening I wanted to slip my tongue inside and brush against his own.

If the electricity of our skin meeting in a friendly embrace were enough to make my heart flutter, the sparks that flew now were enough to stop it all together.

Fire licked across my skin as Drogon’s large palms cupped the back of my thighs and slowly trailed up my legs, over my bare butt and over my sides. His touch was so light, like a feather across my skin, but it was driving me crazy with want. As his hands trailed back down my back to cup my ass, I arched back into his touch, moaning softly into his mouth. A sound he soon copied as my actions pressed my core tighter to his c*ck, pressing the heavy length into his abdomen, the head moving against my clit in a motion I hadn’t been aiming for but now found to be absolutely splendid.

“Celeste, I need-.” Drogon began, but his strangled words were cut short by another groan as I rocked my hips along his length, brushing the swollen tip along my clit with each motion.

Suddenly, I was spinning and in the blink of an eye Drogon had rolled us over, pressing my body back into the soft grass as his lips trailed down the column of my throat.

“You are playing with fire, my little star.” He growled into my skin, his teeth nipping at the flesh between my neck and shoulder. That small bite of pain enhanced my pleasure tenfold, and I wanted more. No, I needed it. “You’re going to get burned if this goes any further. Is that a risk you are willing to take?”

His mouth stopped its slow exploration, a soft cry of protest leaving my lips at the loss of contact. Blinking my eyes open, I met his molten gaze, he was barely holding back his own desires, the urge to claim his mate pushing him over the edge of reason. And yet, he was holding himself back. Waiting for me to tell him I wanted this. That I wanted him.

Emotions played across his chiseled features. Lust was there, and anyone who wasn’t looking close would only see it. But I could see the uncertainty in his eyes, the fear of my rejection burning there.

“I think I’ll be okay.” I whispered, wrapping my fingers in his hair to pull his face back to mine. When his lips touched mine, I blew ice into his mouth, laughing softly when he pulled back in shock. His tongue ran along the ice coating his lips, melting the tiny crystals, and with an almost feral growl he dove back down, devouring me.

My lashes fluttered closed as my head rolled back, the grass tickling my neck was nothing compared to the sensations assaulting my body. Drogon made quick work of kissing and biting his way down my neck and chest. I knew what was going to come next, and still the action of him sucking my n****e into his searing mouth pulled a surprised moan of pure pleasure from my lips. His fingers pinching and rolling the other between them was a sensory overload that brought my own delving into his hair, holding him to me, though I didn’t get the sense he was planning on abandoning his current activity any time soon.

How was it all he had to do was brush me with his fingers and I was gone? Kiss my neck and I was a puddle at his feet? Bring me almost to o****m just from playing with my breasts? Everything about Drogon was light years more intense than William ever had been. The tingles of awareness associated with your mate had been there, Dria had wanted him as much as I did. I knew he was my mate, without a doubt. But it was never like this with William. The s*x had been good, but not burn-you-alive amazing.

Why did I react so differently to Drogon than I did William if both were my mate? Before I’d had Lexi cast the spell, I’d wanted William more than anything in this world. The pain of his rejection of me had been earth-shattering. But it would be nothing next to what I would feel if Drogon did the same. Our time together had been short, and already I knew I loved him beyond redemption.

A part of me wanted to pull away. Push him from me and run. Protect my heart and soul from a rejection I feared would come. The other part was screaming at how ridiculous that was. Drogon was nothing like William, he wanted me. All of me.

The moment Drogon began trailing his lips across my stomach, the second part of my waring mind won out. Screw the fear of being rejected. This dragon was going to burn me alive, and I wanted to feel every bite of the flames.

Curling my fingers tighter in his hair, I tried to pull his lips back to my breast. I was enjoying it so much, why was that part over already? Instead of doing as I was wanting, Drogon reached up, grasped my wrists in his hands and caged them in his to the ground. I glared up at him, jerking my arms in a halfhearted and futile motion of fighting for freedom.

“I don’t think so, little star. I will bow to you as the queen you are while the world is watching, but when we are intimate, I am in charge. This body is mine.” He emphasized his words by pressing another kiss to my abdomen. “If you need a moment, tell me, and I will oblige. I will never push you past your limits, but I will push the boundaries.”

Holy hell, I was in trouble. Every single word fanned the flames of my desire for him.