The Dragon King’s Forbidden Temptation

The Chapter 1 The Dragon in the Forbidden Spring Elyra’s POV The first thing I heard was a roar, and it was not the sound of a lion or thunder. It was a roar so deep that the ground beneath my body shook, and my eyes flew open, and I sat up fast, breathing hard. “Where am I?” There was no answer and then I looked around. Trees rose around me, their trunks were covered in silver lines that glowed beneath the strange light. Blue flowers shone between the roots and birds with red wings flew above me, making sounds I had never heard before, and then my heart started racing. And I pushed myself up. “Hello?” There was nothing and I turned around slowly. That was when I saw the footprints. They were huge, one footprint was almost the size of my entire body. And I took one step back. “No…” My hands began to shake, I knew what those footprints looked like. A dragon. But dragons were not real, at least, they were not supposed to be. I turned and ran. Branches slapped my arms as I pushed through the forest. I did not know where I was going, I only knew that I needed to get away from whatever made those footprints. My throat burned, and then I heard water and I stopped. Water. I followed the sound until the trees opened into a hidden spring, and mist floated above the water. I stepped closer. “I need to drink.” I knelt beside the spring and cup the water with my hands. Before I could drink, something moved beneath the surface and I froze. A shadow passed through the water and then a huge shape rose from the other side of the spring and my breath caught. A dragon stood in front of me, its scales shone like black metal and its golden eyes burned through the mist. I could not move. The dragon looked directly at me and then something impossible happened; its body changed, the wings disappeared, the scales vanished, and the massive creature became a man. He stood in the water, completely naked and my eyes widened. I should have looked away but I did not. His body was powerful, his shoulders were broad, his waist was narrowed, and water ran down his skin. His dark hair fell over his forehead and his golden eyes remained fixed on me and I forgot how to breathe. He then took one step toward me. “Who are you?” His voice was deep and then I swallowed. “I…” “Answer me.” I took a step back. “I don’t know.” His eyes were narrowed. “You don’t know your own name?” “I know my name.” “Then tell me.” “Elyra.” He studied me. “Elyra what?” “Elyra Vaelis.” His jaw tightened. “How did you get here?” “I don’t know.” “You expect me to believe that?” “Yes.” He got closer, and I moved back until my legs hit a tree. His eyes traveled over my face. “You are human.” My heart rang. “How do you know?” “Because I can smell it.” I stared at him. “Smell what?” “Your blood.” Fear crawled through me. “Are you going to hurt me?” He did not answer, but instead, he got closer and his eyes remained on mine. Something strange happened inside me. I should have been terrified. I was terrified but something else was there too. Something I could not explain. A pull. A need to move closer to him even though every part of me told me to run. He then stopped in front of me. “You need to leave.” “Where?” “Back to your world.” “I don’t know how.” “That is not my problem.” His words hurt more than they should. I looked into his eyes. “Then help me.” He looked away for a second and when he looked back, his expression had changed and his breathing became heavier. “What?” He said nothing. “Why are you looking at me like that?” His nostrils flared. “My dragon…” He stopped. “What about your dragon?” “It wants you.” My heart skipped. “What does that mean?” “It means you need to leave before I lose control.” I should have run but instead, I whispered, “Why can’t I?” His eyes darkened. “Because I don’t want you to.” The words sent heat through my body, and then he reached for my face and his fingers stopped just before touching me. “Tell me to leave,” he whispered. I stared at his lips. “Leave.” He did not move. “Say it again.” “Leave.” His hand finally touched my cheek and a strange heat shot through me and I gasped. He then pulled me closer and our bodies almost touched. “Why do you feel like this?” I whispered. His eyes were closed for a second. “I don’t know.” He opened them. “But I have never felt it before.” His forehead touched mine and my hands rose without permission. I touched his chest. The moment my fingers touched his skin, his entire body stiffened and a flash of heat moved through me. He looked shocked. “Impossible.” “What?” He grabbed my wrist and his eyes searched for mine. “You cannot be my mate.” I stared at him. “Your what?” He then released me like my touch burns him. “My dragon has chosen you.” My heart beat faster. “But I’m human.” “I know.” “Then why?” “I don’t know.” He looked angry now, but not at me, at himself. I then stepped closer. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.” His eyes snapped at mine. “I am not afraid of you.” “Then what are you afraid of?” He gave a bitter smile. “Myself.” Before I could answer, he pulled me against him and his lips crashed against mine and then my eyes closed. For one second, the world disappeared. His kiss was hungry, desperate, and full of everything he refused to say. My hands gripped his shoulders and he pulled back just enough to breathe. “Tell me to stop.” I stared at him. “I don’t want you to stop.” His eyes burned into mine and he kissed me again. My heart felt like it was breaking and coming alive at the same time. I did not know this man, I did not know this world, but when his arms held me, some strange part of me felt as if I had known him forever. Then he suddenly stopped. He stepped away and I blinked. His breathing was heavy, and his face had changed. “What happened?” He looked at me as if he had just realized something terrible. “I should never have touched you.” My chest tightened. “But you wanted to.” “That is the problem.” He turned away and I stared at his back. “Who are you?” He did not answer. “Tell me your name.” There was silence and then he looked over his shoulder. “Vaerith.” The name sent a strange shiver through me. “Vaerith…” His eyes met mine again and for one brief moment, I saw the man behind the power and then his face hardened. “You must forget me.” “Why?” “Because if you stay here, you will die.” I opened my mouth to answer, but a powerful voice suddenly echoed through the forest. “My King, step away from that human.”