The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)
Chapter Two: The Dunga Ritual

Sahrah opened her eyes. Why had that not hurt? It had actually felt like a hand slapping her ass cheek. What was going on?

The whip cracked again, and a hand slapped her ass again.

“What? No scream that time?”

Sahrah froze. She knows that voice. It has been two years since she last heard it, but she would know it anywhere.

“Derk?”

Derk smiled. She does remember me, after all.

“Hello, Spitfire.” He said as he leaned into her back to whisper into her ear.

“You jerk!” She cried out.

He chuckled. “I’m a jerk?” He asked as he backed away and cracked the whip again.

He shook his head when she didn’t even flinch that time.

“Are you not afraid anymore?” He asked.

She shook her head.

He moved back over to her and pulled her hair, so her head leaned back, then pressed his cheek against her. “You should be.”

“You wouldn’t.” She whispered.

“Oh, wouldn’t I?”

“No.”

“And you are so sure of this?” He asked.

She nodded. “You came to save me.”

He laughed at that, as he let go of her hair.

Sahrah closed her eyes. Why did he sound so angry? She’s the one who has been waiting, two long years, for him to come for her.

“I did not come for you Sahrah.”

She felt the tears roll down her cheeks. He had not come for her.

“Then why are you here?” She asked, surprised at the calmness in her voice, that she did not feel.

He snapped the whip and slapped her ass again. “Revenge, darling, why else?”

“Revenge?” She squealed. “For what?”

He pressed himself to her back as he growled. “For leaving me two years ago. I waited for you for six flicken hours.”

She started to cry and let the tears flow. She started to choke on her tears as her heart ached. He thought she had left him.

“Stop that.” He said as he stepped back and slapped her ass.

But she only cried harder.

“You have no reason to cry, I haven’t even hurt you.” He said.

“But you have.” She wailed. “You...you think I left you.”

He grumbled as he moved to stand in front of her so he could look at her face. Her tears were real.

“If you didn’t leave me, then what would you call it?” He asked as he looked into her face.

“I was grabbed, you jerk. I was waiting where you asked me to, and a vehicle pulled up and snatched me off the street. Well, they tried. I fought them off until one knocked me out from behind. The whole time I was fighting them, I can just barely remember myself thinking, ‘Derk will be here soon, I can hold them off until he gets here’.”

Derk cursed. What she said was the truth, he could hear it in her words. He had been thirty minutes late, if only he had been on time.

“Flicken hell!” He yelled as he walked around and stared at her backside.

What the flick is he to do now? He wondered.

With a heavy sigh, he walked up to her and kissed her shoulder. “I’m sorry Spitfire. I was thirty minutes late. And when you never showed... I just lost it.”

She continued to cry. She had been holding her emotions in for too long, denying her the release of tears and frustration.

“Has anyone...” He stopped talking as he placed his hand on her inner thigh.

She sucked in a breath as she shook her head. “No.” She whispered.

“Good.” He said with a sigh. “I’m going to go talk to the captain.” He said as he removed his hand from her thigh.

“Are you going to leave me here, like this?” She squealed.

He chuckled. “You’re the one who attacked the guard. I was supposed to whip you.”

“He took something from me.” She whispered.

He shook his head. “I will be back soon.” He promised, then he was gone.

Sahrah whimpered. He had never come for her because he had thought she had left him.

So why was he here now?

“I heard the scream from here.” Vector said with a smile as he turned to Derk.

Derk snorted. “Why is she a slave? And I want a real answer.”

Vector sighed. “She had fought the men who had captured her. Put two of them in the hospital.” He stopped talking when he saw the grin on his Tasheen’s face.

“Go on.” Derk said with a nod.

“No one wanted her for a mate or anything else for that matter. With her fire hair and that spirit to fight, they refused to go near her.”

Derk nodded and Vector continued.

“General Dinskey had said that if no one wanted her, she was to be put to death.”

Derk growled. He has never liked General Dinskey Blan. Neither does his father. He cursed himself. If he had just trusted her more, then he could have taken her away from here.

“I suggested that it would be smarter to use her strength to gather the Crystals.” Vector finished.

Derk nodded. He will always be indebted to the captain for saving his mate’s life.

“I want to take her off your hands.”

Vector laughed. “She is a fine worker. This was her first offense in two years. Do you know how many others, I have to punish, daily?”

Derk snorted. His Spitfire is too smart. She had had a plan all along. But today, for some reason, she had broken that plan.

“I want to take her with me.”

“For mate or as slave?” Vector asked with a raised eyebrow.

“As my mate.” Derk said.

Sahrah was not one to keep as a slave. She’s one to cherish. He thought.

Vector laughed. “Your father will disapprove. She is a demon.”

Derk chuckled. “She is a spitfire; I will give her that.” He said.

“Tasheen. She is cursed. Anyone who lays with her will surely die.”

Derk out and out laughed at that. For he knows it to not be true. He has lain with her many times, and he is still alive. Though he had wished differently, many times in the past two years. But that was of no fault but his own, for not trusting in his mate.

He asked Vector about where she had been captured. As Vector told him, his heart pounded in his ears as it broke all over again, but not because of her, but because of his own stupidity. She had met him, but his people had taken her away from him. Well, he’s taking her back!

“I want her.” He said bluntly.

Vector studied his Tasheen. “I don’t think it would be...”

“Did you not say earlier, that you could not deny your Tasheen anything?”

Vector let out a heavy sigh. “I must talk to the General first.”

“By all means.” Derk said as he gestured to the phone on the captain’s desk.

Vector picked up the phone, then waited for the General to answer. He talked to the man about the Tasheen’s request and Derk could hear the General’s laughter. Vector nodded as he hung up the phone.

“He said that if the Tasheen wants the fire demon as his mate, he must first agree to the Dunga; before he takes her.”

Derk grunted. Sahrah is not going to like this. But if it is how he’s going to get her out of here...

“I agree.” He said with a nod. “But on one condition.”

“What is that?”

“Only you witness the ritual.”

“You know there must be at least three witnesses.” Vector said with a shake of his head.

Derk grinned. “Have you forgotten that your rank as captain makes you equal to four men?”

Vector chuckled. “Very good, Tasheen. Alright, I agree to the term.”

“One more thing.” Derk said before they left the office.

Vector’s eyebrow raised as he watched his Tasheen.

“She does not look at you during the Dunga. You will make no sounds, and she will not know you are even there; until it is over.”

Vector studied him for a moment, then nodded.

Sahrah sighed heavily. She had finally stopped crying. He had not come for her. But he’s here. She wondered what he was up to and why he had left her, tied to this thing.

“Sahrah.”

She tried to look behind her when she heard his voice but could not see anything.

Vector moved into the shadows against the back wall. He squinted his eyes when he saw no markings on the woman’s back, then shook his head.

“Derk.” Sahrah cried.

“Shh.” Derk said as he kissed her shoulder.

He closed his eyes as he steadied his heart rate. It has been too long since he has lain with a woman, this woman.

“Forgive me.” He whispered in her ear.

“For what?” She asked as she tried to look at him.

He reached his hand down between her legs and rubbed her soft feminine folds.

She moaned when he touched her. She couldn’t help it, he has always excited her, even when they had been locked in combat.

“Sahrah.” He breathed against her cheek.

“Oh, Derk.” She moaned.

He stepped back and removed his shirt, then his pants. He was already rock hard for her, only her.

“Forgive me.” He said again, then he entered her.

Sahrah cried out in shock. What was he doing? Why is he doing this here, with her like this, with her tied up.

“Forgive me.” He repeated as he began to move inside her. She was so tight, just as he remembered.

“Ooh, Derk.” She moaned as sensations exploded through her body.

Derk slid his hands up her arms and unclasped the chains, then placed her arms on the headrest as he pulled her back against him. She laid her head against his chest as she held onto the headrest with her hands. He filled his hands with her breasts with a moan, as he moved in and out of her.

Sahrah moaned as she moved with him. Whatever had gotten into him, she liked it.

Derk pressed her against the contraption as he began to move inside her, harder and deeper. If she says stop at any point, he is going to stop, even if it kills him.

“Derk!” She cried out as he grabbed hold of her hips and slammed into her.

When she cried out from her orgasm, he grunted and slammed into her one last time, then filled her with his seed.

For that is what, a Dunga was for.

Still breathing heavily, he kissed her shoulder, then down her back.

“Derk?” She questioned?

He knows why she is questioning him; he has never let his seed fill her before.

“Forgive me.” He whispered as he moved away from her to dress.

Once he was dressed, he snatched a blanket from a table, then released her ankles from the restraints. Once she was released, he wrapped the blanket around her, then lifted her into his arms. There was no way he was putting those slave clothes back on her.

Sahrah looked into the face of her lover. He hadn’t come for her, but what had that been?

“It is done.” Someone said as they walked out of the shadows.

Sahrah stared at the captain, then looked up at Derk. Was this some kind of sick joke?

“Was he there the whole time?” She squealed.

Derk closed his eyes. “Yes.” He whispered.

“OH! MY! GOD!” She screamed as she tried to push herself out of his arms. “I can’t believe I let you do that to me.”

“Forgive me.” He whispered.

“Forgive you?! Is that why you kept saying that? Because you knew he was there?”

He nodded.

“Well forget it! I will never forgive you. Do you hear me? NEVER!”

“Calm yourself, slave!” Vector hollered.

Derk opened his eyes and glared at Vector.

Vector swallowed. He had forgotten that she was no longer a slave. “My apologies Tasheen.” He said with a bow.

“Tasheen?” Sahrah questioned, her anger momentarily forgotten. She remembered that she had heard others call him that, years ago, but never knew what it meant.

Neither man answered her, as they stared at each other.

“I will draw up the papers.” Vector said as he walked up the stairs.

“What papers?” Sahrah asked.

“Your papers of ownership.” Derk said as he looked at her.

She stared at him. “Ownership?”

“You’re a slave, remember?” He said with a smile.

She punched him in the chest. “Did you buy me?”

“Kind of.”

She stared at him, then looked at the contraption where they had just fornicated. “No.” She breathed as she looked at him. “Did you just buy me with sex?”

“Sort of.”

“Stop saying those words and answer me straight!” She hollered.

He sighed heavily. “The only way they would allow me to take you away from here; was to ask for you as my mate.” He said as he headed up the stairs.

“Mate?” She asked confused, and not for the first time has that word confused her.

“My woman.” He said as he looked down at her.

She snorted. “I am no one’s woman. Least of all, yours.”

He grunted. “That’s not what you said two years ago.”

She squirmed in his arms. “Yeah, well. Two years is a long time to get over someone.”

He chuckled. “You weren’t acting like a woman who was over me, a bit ago.”

She snorted. “I faked it.”

He grinned as he leaned down and kissed her lips. “Liar.” He whispered.

“Hmmph.”

He chuckled as he walked out into the open. The night sky was already full of stars.

“Here you go.” Vector said as he held the paper out to Derk. “You will need to sign it.”

Derk set Sahrah on her feet. “Don’t run.” He warned her.

She snarled. “And where am I going to go?”

He smiled as he signed the paper, then rolled it up and placed it into his jacket. When he looked at her, she was still watching him. With a wide grin, he lifted her back into his arms and headed for the bay, where he had left his ship.

“Good luck with that one.” One of the guards said with a chuckle.

“Derk, wait!” Sahrah squealed.

“We’re getting out of here.” Derk grumbled.

“I know.” She cried. “Please, Stop!” She screamed.

Derk stopped and stared down at her.

She couldn’t believe that she had almost forgotten. Damn him for distracting her.

“Please.” She begged. “That guard has something that belongs to me.”

He looked from her to the guard she had attacked. “So that really is why you had attacked him?”

She nodded.

With a heavy sigh, he set her on her feet, then walked over to the guard.

She held the blanket against her as she watched the two men.