I want to make a quick warning that this is a FanFic for a book series by Bianca D'Arc, I thank her for all her wonderful books in the Dragon Knights series, if you want to make any comments I am always open to hear them! Please keep them constructive! I know its a slow start to my story, but I like to have a bit of background when I first start reading.

Thanks for reading!

Deepest Desires

Pushing the wooden door open and stepping inside, Mina turned and glared at the sky as it continued to pour down on her head. She had only stepped out to walk the 50 feet to the well, it had even been sunny, but the storm rolled in in mere minutes drenching her completely while she dragged the two full buckets up to the house. Storms like this always scared her. Years of living alone had her growing used to them, but when they rushed in the way this one did it always bothered her.

Closing the door and moving over to the fire place, despite her fears she had a family to feed. Not her own of course, but the old farmer was the only reason she had a home to live in, he had needed a cook and someone to mend clothes for him and his sons, and she needed a roof over her head.

"At least they patched the roof yesterday." sighing heavily she began fixing the meal, cutting the vegetables and meat to go into the stew. "That only took three months." Sure they had other things to do, but still if they wanted good food she wanted a solid roof.

Half way through a carrot and the bells were ringing. A frown forming on her brow as she stopped and looked towards the window. As far as she knew no one had planned a wedding today. Here in her small town a set of large bells had been erected in the town square to announce a wedding or birth, or to call a warning.

It could only mean one thing.

Skiths.

Only one bell was rang for a birth or wedding, even with the distance from the square the sounds of 4 bells was easy to hear. Her heart pounding in her chest, her hands suddenly slick with sweat, she turned and ran from the home, she had to get as far away as she could and as quickly as possible. Skiths would come in and destroy everything and anyone in sight. The cliff face was a few miles from their town, but it was her only hope. She had never feared the dragons, but having only seen them from a great distance she had yet to stand close to one. Looks like she might get a chance to now. Having only ran a small distance from the hut she had grown up in she was already soaked, her skirts were sticking to her legs and making it harder to run. Hair was already falling from the tight bun she always kept it in. running through the woods was the best way to go. The roads were to open and she would be run down by a skith in no time.

Lightening lit up the sky overhead as she ran, glancing up she could only see darkness, but with the next flash of lightening a huge green body was soring over head. The dragons were here. Thank the Mother of All. Dragons flame was about the only thing that could kill a Skith. While the snake-like Skith could shoot venom that could kill anything else, dragon scales could resist it, but they had their own weaknesses in their joints where there were gaps in their scales for movement.

Even through the pounding rain the slithering behind was hard to miss. They were closing in on her, she turn and ran as fast as she could. until she found herself surrounded by a rock out crop, with no where else to run, and a Skith bigger than any she had ever seen coming out of the woods behind her.

X X X X X X X

Theres one more towards that rock out crop. Camden deep voice resounded in Braden's head. He looked as the dragon turned, the skiths in this area were under control, other Dragons and knights were taking care of the last of them, but one skith was working its way away from the town, but not back over the border where the others were running. As they flew closer the body language of the Skith made him realize it was stalking prey. Something in Braden's chest burst with a need to get there faster.

Hes stalking someone. We have to hurry. Camden let out a roar as he saw the Skith spit his venom. Flying as fast as possible he pulled up right behind the Skith and blew a hurt burst of flame directly in the face of the Skith. Torching the slithering beast as it screamed and tried to spit venom at the dragon which was already far enough overhead to miss the spray. Looking over the side of the dragon, Braden saw a small figure laying on the ground at the base of some rocks. Something in him twisted, the need to get down there was his only need in life.

Camden was already dropping down close to the base, but Braden was sliding off the huge green dragons back before he had even hit ground. Feet touching solid earth he was on his way over. The rain was still lightly falling although not as hard as it had been when they had started out from the lair. Running over to the soaked brown brown lump, he went to his knees, hands reaching out, just as the cloth was pulled down. And a pair of startling green eyes stared up at him. Those eyes sent a flame stronger than any dragons flame straight through his body. The smooth, pale face with the most lushest lips he had even seen had his body tightening and his cock going hard beneath his leathers.

She's been injured Braden, we have to take her to the lair. Camden's voice brought him back out of the trance. Realizing she was shivering and shaking and far more pale than she should be.

"Where are you hurt?" Braden asked already pulling the cloak away from her.

"M-my leg." she was shaking as she helped him with the cloak, but the moment he touched the dress now clinging to her leg she gasped and almost doubled over. Gripping her shoulder to hold her still he pulled the fabric carefully away. The acid had ate through the skin of her calf, the rain still coming down would dilute most of it. But the skirt still smoked. Pulling out his knife, Braden went to work on it, cutting a huge section out of the material, leaving her bare on her right side from thigh down.

Flinging the piece of fabric away, he reached under her legs at the knees, trying his best not to touch the burns and cause even more pain, and under her back and lifting her easily into his arms. She gasped slightly but held on without much trouble. "The dragon wont hurt you, so you don't have to be frightened of him." Braden knew most were scared out of their minds when they were near a dragon.

"I'm not afraid." The words struck him, they were shaky, but not out of fear. "Hes beautiful."

You are a very beautiful human. Braden looked up in shock. Could this small woman, so light in his arms speak to dragons? It was one of the rarest gifts of all, and if it was true she would be cherished in their lair as all women with the rare talent were.

"Thank you." her voice was growing faint, she was growing paler, the cold penetrating deep as the cooler fall night turned down right freezing after the cold rain came through. The dragons eyes met Braden's, the enormous emerald spheres looking worried in their own dragonish way.

Hurry.

Braden was never told anything twice. Jumping up as carefully as he could and pulling the tiny shivering body tight against his chest. Immediately Camden took to the air, speeding towards the lair. Camden call for the healer, I want her waiting at the ledge when we get there.

A smokey dragon chuckle drifted past him. The best healer is waiting already, along with her mates. All the others have arrived or checked in with no injuries. The other healer is already heading into the town to help the surviving residences. The best healer was at the lair, although she wouldn't be able to heal his little survivor completely, after all you never wanted a pregnant healer to wear herself out. It was the only reason Beka wasn't already down in the remains of the town. Her mates wouldn't allow her to place herself in danger so late in the pregnancy. If they had their way she would never leave the lair, but her control over her mates was the one thing that gave her the freedom to do as she pleased.

Nearing the landing platform that stretched out from the opening in the cliff side, Braden held tight. "Hold on" Her own grip, though weak as it was tightened around his neck. Just as Camden had said, the healer was waiting just inside out of the rain. It took only moments for Braden to slide down, still carrying the young woman and walk straight over to Beka, gently placing Mina on the ground, while still supporting her back.

"This doesn't look good." Beka stated, leaning over the leg and examining it closely without touching the discolored and charred skin. "Whats your name Child?" Beka was always a motherly figure for the younger people in the lair, it seemed she had already taken this one under her wing without even blinking.

"Mina." her voice was faint but steady, her skin was still pale and she shivered from the cold. It was only then that Braden realized he could see his own breath.

"Alright, I need to stay still and relax for me, I'm going to take care of as much of this as I can for now, tomorrow morning I will try again and you should be completely healed after that." Gently placing her hands on Mina, one above the knee just before the horrible acid burns and the other on her foot, which she had pulled the shoe from to search for more damage. Beka closed her eyes and sent her energy at the injured young woman before her. It was obvious by Braden's attentiveness that this was someone special, and well, what healer would leave such a young thing that meant so much to one of the best knights in the lair, with scares if she could avoid it?

After only a few minutes she pulled back, she was a little weak but not much,looking down, the skin was still red and swollen, but it was closed over and the acid burns were now raised rather than deep ridges in the skin. "That is all I can do for tonight." Camden's huge green head was beside her, Mina reaching out to scratch his eye ridges.

"Thank you, my lady, I feel very little compared to before."

"And tomorrow, after I have done a little more you will feel nothing."

"Thank you again, and thank you Sir Camden, I don't know if I would have made it here without your strong wings." laying her head back against Braden's shoulder felt to right to her at that moment to fight it. Being here with them felt more right than anything she had ever felt.

Except Alex. The boy she had secretly loved and thought she had died the day he left to become a knight and she had yet to hear from in all the years he had been gone. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she looked up into the Golden eyes of the man holding her, she could almost forget the pain of loosing Alex. Of him promising her the world, then walking away to find his own future. Without her. "And thank you Sir Braden." but she couldn't think of anything else to add as his head descended to hers, his lips feather light against her own. At the first brush her eyes closed and she gave in to the sensation of heat pooling low in her body while it surged through her blood stream.

His lips became firmer as she responded to the gentle coaxing of his. His tongue slipping out to run the seem of her lips, making her sigh. She no longer felt the cold, her cheeks seemed much warmer, even if his nose was cold against her cheek.

"Ah hem." the light sound came from Beka still sitting in front of them. "I think you should head to your suite Sir Braden. At least before you burn down the entrance to the lair." but her eyes were sparkling, her own mates standing behind her waiting to help her rise from her position. With her belly full with her unborn child, rising and sitting were not the easiest things anymore.

"Thank you for the advise, I believe we have much to talk about tonight." standing Braden carried Mina with him, still holding her tight. Beka was helped up by her mates.

"I think I will need to sleep in tomorrow, so don't count on me until noon at least." Beka said with a saucy wink at the couple, it had Mina's cheeks flaming while she saw Braden smile in knowledge.

"In that case, we'll be off, good night to you all." as he turned to walk away, Camden was by his side. He was finding he liked the bright pink in Mina's cheeks.

"I believe my loves. We have a new female in the lair, and I don't think she will be leaving anytime soon." With a smile Beka winked at both her mates, they were wearing grins knowing what was in store. The three headed for their suite, two dragons who had been waiting farther back in the lair turned and headed back to their suite, the three stepping into the space between the magnificent red and green colored dragons, Beka reached out taking the hand closest to her from each mate and holding it as they walked.

Other knights and dragons continuing to move around them, the majority just coming back from raid on the skiths. Most looked tired, ready to spend their nights in sleep. While some were preparing to stick out the night on guard, watching for more trouble.