Chapter 3
Levy woke wrapped in his warmth.
She settled in as the memory of last night sank in.
Dating the Dragon King.
How could she be so stupid?
He only saw her as a passing amusement.
A way to keep the police on a leash and off his back if anything else.
Maybe a pet.
But the moment he saw someone better, more suited to his tastes, he'd drop her from his mind.
She shuddered slightly as that thought made her sadder than she liked.
He was crude and rough, but sweet and protective as well.
Gajeel was actually kind of nice.
And he made her forget she was a cop. A research cop, but she had a badge.
And they way he'd felt between her legs kissing her senseless the day before...it just didn't bode thinking on.
Maybe she should do what Lucy was always saying and live a little wild.
Coming from the society girl finally getting her ears pierced because she thought it would hurt.
And Levy had ignored her to go cry on Freed when she realized how hot Gajeel made her.
She was a horrible friend. Lucy had even come down to see how she was too. And get a piercing done by a professional piercer. Not like the teeny boppers working at the uptown malls who claimed to know how to do it, but still had to read the instructions at every step.
Gajeel could probably do most piercings half asleep.
It'd be scary, but most likely pretty painless still.
Her own hadn't much hurt at all.
What would Luce think if she knew Levy had an implant designed by Black Steel Gajeel?
Levy was so lost in thought she didn't even notice him pulling her tighter against him until she saw her vision flicker and found she couldn't breathe.
She reached up as he groaned.
Not the good kind.
This sounded pained.
She dug her nails into the arm he had around her chest and he growled.
His arm loosened enough for her to take a breath before tightening worse around her neck.
Levy was scared.
Honestly terrified.
All the training she'd had to do and how to break a chokehold was slipping her mind.
xXx
Gajeel snarled as he came awake. He pushed the body beside him away as his left hand ran over his face before he felt the stun hit him.
He turned enough to see Levy breathing so weakly.
"Fuck. Levy baby I'm sorry. Shit I'm so sorry baby."
He pulled her against him and used the one healing spell his fathers friend had taught him as a small boy.
The one that eased pain and loosened tight muscles.
One he used to use on his father when Grandine was gone during her trips.
In his thirty four years, never once had he used it on anyone else.
He shook slightly as her breathing even and she looked up at him with fear.
He held her tight, but gently, careful of his strength this time.
"I didn't mean to hurt you baby." He said softly as he turned her face to not look at him with that look of fear.
Fear he would hurt her more.
"God I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
She clenched her hands against his chest and pushed away.
He let her go and tugged the blanket to cover his lap as she crawled away from him.
He covered his face with his right hand and shook slightly.
Now she hated him and he deserved it.
He had nearly strangled her because of the one nightmare he couldn't run from.
He heard her pulling her clothes on and looked at her.
"Please Levy, please don't leave me. Please forgive me."
xXx
It was those words she'd been longing to hear for seven years now.
Hell, he probably didn't even remember that night, he'd been so wasted.
It was why she had gone to the academy to become a cop. A special cop who would go undercover for things like this.
She turned to face him.
What had scared the infamous Black Steel so much that he nearly killed her in his sleep?
She should have recognized him the moment she'd seen him. Should have hit him. His actions seven years ago almost killed her.
She'd been so lucky he had missed.
What was worse she still thought the same now as she did back then.
He was different.
He just needed someone to care for him.
Back then, he'd been working with a local gang and she'd been a victim.
Part of her still believed that the feather soft touches at midnight lowering her to a leather jacket were just a dream.
But she could still remember the feel of those steady, warm hands pulling the metal pins from the stone they'd been driven into.
By him.
The gang had fallen apart shortly afterward due to internal fighting.
But the four with him that night had goaded him on to pinning her to the wall.
Showing off his strength, barely missing hitting her fragile body as he'd slammed the heavy mallet into the spikes.
He'd been so far drunk it was a wonder he hadn't hit her. Killed her.
A seventeen year old girl getting killed by the gang wouldn't have fazed anyone.
"Levy?" He reached out and she flinched.
"You nearly killed me."
"I'm so fucking sorry Levy."
"You almost killed me twice now. Aren't you done hurting me yet? I thought you had changed."
He frowned.
She watched recognition hit his eyes.
"It was you." She turned away from him.
He reached out to pull her to him.
"Fuck Levy, you should have told me. Hell." He mumbled.
"Told you what? 'Hey, you almost killed me pinning me to a wall as a girl, but I'm better now. I'm a cop now and you're not in that gang anymore so lets be friends?'"
She felt him wince.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"I was so scared then...and just now."
He kissed her temple. "Fuck I'm sorry. All these years...I thought I had..." He shuddered as he held her against him.
"You what?"
He swallowed. "I thought I killed you. When I came back later that night, you were just hanging there. You weren't breathing enough for me to tell. I laid you in my jacket and snuck into the hospital to leave you on that bench. I figured, at least you'd get better treatment in death from other humans than the weather would have done to you."
Gajeel buried his fingers in her hair as his left arm wrapped around her to pull her onto his lap and hold her there.
She couldn't complain. He was warm and soothing.
"You...thought I was dead?"
"Yeah. I've had nightmares of that night ever since. I...had one just now again. I wake up cold and gasping, like I'm the one who hung there. It terrifies me that I left you to that possibility."
Levy settled against him.
All these years he thought he had really killed her. He'd brought her to the hospital, left her in his jacket, and vanished.
The nurses found her with pneumonia and cared for her until she was better.
The gang had gotten broken up and most were still in jail. But he'd never been found and now she knew why.
He was a Dragon.
She still had that leather jacket.
When she was scared, she'd wrap herself in it at night and sleep to the haunting memory of the man who both hurt her and saved her.
xXx
Gajeel sighed.
All these years he'd suffered those horrifying nightmares for nothing.
She was alright.
Better than alright.
Fuck, why couldn't she have been a bit older back then?
Or had he just been too drunk to absorb her scent?
Too drunk to recognize his own Mate as he pinned her to a wall.
His senses must have cleared enough for him to make his way to her in that fog in his head.
Or his animal instincts had kicked in and refused to allow his Mate to die nailed to a wall. By him.
Either way, he did remember getting her down.
He held her as she sighed against his chest.
"I still have your jacket." She said.
He frowned.
"The one I used to wear? You kept it?"
"It...reminded me of you. You might have hurt me, but you saved me too." She said. "For the longest time, when I got scared, I'd wrap myself in it and remind myself that the strongest thing in this city kept me alive. Plus...it's warm."
He nodded.
He remembered how warm it was.
"It's nice to sleep in something warm."
"You slept under my jacket to stay warm? Where were you sleeping?"
"My...apartment isn't very good. The heat is off sometimes, even in winter. So...I just got used to using your jacket as a blanket under my usual blankets." She said.
He sighed.
"Never again." He shook his head. "You'll be staying here. We can bring your things here too. Anything to make sure you feel safe here. No more nightmares, no more fear." He said.
She nodded.
She eased away from him and he let her crawl to the walkway as he reached for his pants.
He slipped them on and moved to follow her.
xXx
For so long now, Levy guessed they had assumed the worst of each other.
He believed she'd been dead.
She'd believed he had started up his own gang and just was too strong for the police to handle.
Wasn't too far from the truth actually.
He ran an underground, ironically literally, secret organization policing the beings her police force couldn't.
Levy climbed down to the walkway and he followed her.
She turned as he moved behind her.
He started to slip past her, but stopped to pin her with his body to the railing behind her.
His hand came up to cup her cheek.
"I really am sorry Levy. Back then...had I not been drunk on Fey whiskey, I probably never would have hurt you like that. And I never would have hurt you now. I know apologizing means nothing..." He looked down at the walkway beside them, turning his face from hers slightly.
Levy braved up enough to put both her palms on his chest.
"It...means something to me. I believe you Gajeel. And...I forgive you."
He sighed.
"I swear I'll make it up to you. Somehow. I...I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy." He said.
Levy looked away.
"I know eventually you'll find someone you like, so I won't hold you to that kind of thing." She said.
xXx
Gajeel growled and he saw her flinch.
He made her face him again and leaned down enough to kiss her.
He tried to put every bit of feeling he had into it.
As he tilted to push her deeper into his kiss, she clenched her tiny hands on his skin.
Her hands were chilled slightly, from the cool air in his room.
It was good against his hot skin.
She opened to him and her eyes closed.
He let his own close halfway, savoring the feelings.
He thrust his tongue to tease hers and felt how timid she was.
A bit like yesterday really.
Not quite brave, just lost in the moment.
He reached to tangle his hand in her hair and she slipped her hands down to the waist of his pants.
He didn't think she wanted more, just felt overwhelmed.
As he felt her turning breathless, he pulled away and she breathed deeper as she looked up at him with her eyes clouded a little by lust.
"You are mine Levy. I will not let you go. No one will ever come between us. Ever." He growled. "Do you understand?"
She nodded hesitantly.
"But...I'm just a weak human." She mumbled.
"I don't give a fuck what you think you are. You are a strong Mage, a beautiful woman, and I will not hear otherwise."
He might have to nip her after all.
She had no faith in herself and he knew she wouldn't believe she was his Mate without some solid proof.
What more proof could he offer than the mindless, near drug-like, ecstasy a Mate's bite could induce?
There was a very slight effect on others, but nothing like with Mates.
For Laxus, the effect on others was pretty much non-existant. On Mira it was at least twenty times stronger.
Gajeel knew just a tiny nip from his pure bite would have Levy feeling at least ten times what Mira felt from Laxus.
Levy nodded at his words.
"Now, you have work to do with Freed, and I have several appointments today, so we'd best get cleaned and dressed." He moved to lead her down to his bathroom.
"But...I have no clean clothes." She said.
Gajeel sighed.
As he went to his clothes for himself, he pulled out a large shirt. It was baggy even on him, it was going to swamp her. But it would make a good dress for her.
He wasn't sure what she might do for underwear, but he supposed she could wear a pair of his shorts under the shirt.
He held them out to her.
"I...I guess it will work." She said. "I really need to go home and get real clothes."
"We'll go after my last appointment alright?" Gajeel asked.
She nodded.
xXx
Levy had thought he might just show her to the bathroom and then leave, but he put his clothes on the counter as she was busy processing the sheer size of it.
She should have had a hint in the fact that his room was bigger than the Archives room in the Library and that had been quite expansive.
His bathroom was bigger than her entire apartment.
Granted, that wasn't saying much, but it was enormous.
There was a huge pool of water to one end of the room and the floor just tilted right into it.
Like a natural pool.
Steam came from it and she hesitated as he closed the door.
"Are you still scared of me Levy?" He asked.
"I...no, it's just...I'll wait until you're done."
He laughed as she tried to turn for the door.
"This is plenty big enough for us both to never come near each other." He leaned against the door.
She looked at the floor.
"Are you worried I'll hurt you?" He asked softly.
She shook her head.
It wasn't that.
It was more that he'd made his point that for now, he was very interested in her.
She was worried he might not be interested in just getting himself cleaned up for the day.
Then again, shouldn't she let go a little?
It wasn't as if she was going to ever have a chance to be with the man she'd secretly fantasized over for years after this was all done.
"You're worried about the fact that I claimed you." He didn't question it.
She nodded.
"Don't worry about that Levy. I have no plans of jumping you in the bath."
She sighed.
"As much fun as it would be and despite the very arousing image that would be." Levy frowned at him. "Not today anyway."
"You're horrible." She said.
"I know." He grinned. She blushed as he shoved his pants off and moved to go into the water. "It is warm you know."
Levy nodded.
"And I've seen pretty much everything already."
She blushed as she started to pull her clothes off.
xXx
Gajeel could easily stare at her. All day. Every day.
And as soon as this stupid Mage was taken care of, he would.
He was so going to bite.
Maybe a nip.
Here and there.
He wasn't sure.
But he would finally get control of himself again.
He just had to stay strong for a bit longer.
Ah hell, that was hard.
He watched as she slowly made her way into the water.
"Gajeel...stop staring."
Her blush was adorable.
This flush on her skin was sexy.
He could practically smell her embarrassment.
But she had nothing to feel that for.
Sure, she wasn't a supermodel, but she was perfect.
Beautiful, if a bit thin and pale, but he would fix that.
Not everyone was built like Mira.
Gajeel moved a little closer.
She used the bottle of shampoo on the shelf towards the deeper end to wash her hair.
He eased behind her and reached to tangle his fingers in that soft hair.
Levy shied, but didn't pull away.
He washed her hair, loving the way the conditioner in his shampoo made her hair even softer.
"You said...you wouldn't come near me."
"Did I? I believe I said this bath was big enough not to. Not that I wouldn't."
"Stop tormenting me Gajeel. We can't be together."
He scoffed as he pulled the bar of soap from the shelf.
She wrapped her arms around herself as he eased her to stand away from the ledge.
"Says who? I want you, you know that much. You want me, I can feel that." He rubbed the bar until his hands were covered and then reached to touch her.
"I...I'm still an officer." She said.
"Fuck them. Quit. Be with me."
"You're still considered a criminal in Magnolia." She added.
He growled as he ran his hand methodically over her skin. Teasing her, but technically washing her. He traced over her back, then eased his hands over her shoulders, squeezing slightly.
"You'll be untouchable as mine. No one would dare risk making me angry. All the gangs in this city know my face, know my wrath."
xXx
Levy couldn't think with him touching her.
He was just being nice, hoping he'd woo her over.
Sadly, it was working.
The image of her being with him was stuck in the back of her head, like the boy band wallpaper a grown mother never took down because the memory was good.
Never gone, always open to think about.
He eased her arms from around her chest and then his large hands were cupping her breasts.
She moved to cover his with hers, intending to pull his hands away.
But he leaned and put his hot mouth on the side of her neck, just under her ear.
Levy groaned.
No one had ever done this to her.
No one had ever thought she was sexy or really attractive.
But Gajeel did.
She could feel herself losing reason by the second as he kneaded her flesh.
She gasped when he pinched her nipples, realizing that this was turning her body on.
Mentally, her walls were breaking down faster than she could fix them.
Physically, she wanted him in bed already.
It was sad.
"Gajeel." Damn, she hadn't meant for that to come out so much like a cry.
A plea.
His left hand eased away from her breast as his right arm wrapped around her shoulders.
She could feel herself shaking as his fingers ghosted over her skin, her hand still covering the back of his.
"Will you Levy baby?" He asked.
What?
She couldn't remember what they had been talking about.
"Stay with me." He growled. His tongue traced over her pulse and she tilted her head.
She made a weak sound of shock as his left hand eased between her legs.
She could feel how hard he was against her back, but he didn't seem to care.
"I'll make you happy. I swear." He rumbled.
He teased her clit for a brief moment.
It was just enough to pull her to the edge.
His right hand edged up her neck and she felt two of his fingers brush her lips.
"Please baby?" He whispered in her ear.
Levy couldn't think.
His fingers between her legs were teasing and his hot skin on her back was distracting, not to mention the little licks he kept putting on her neck and his warm breath against the sensitive skin.
She nodded and made a noise of agreement.
Whatever he asked earlier, she'd try.
"Say it."
She closed her eyes as his middle finger dipped into her.
"Yes."
He tucked the very tips of his second and middle finger in her mouth as as she spoke.
She couldn't taste soap on his hand, just clean water and him.
A slightly metallic taste came from his skin.
He plunged two fingers into her where his hand was between her legs and she moved her hands to brace herself on his arms.
He ground the heel of his left palm against her clit as he stroked her and she rubbed her tongue on the pads of the two fingers in her mouth.
"God that is so hot." He growled as she came.
He didn't pull away as she went weak.
She tried to push away from him.
"Shh baby, I won't do anything more."
Levy collected herself and he let her go as she headed for the towels.
She pulled hers around herself.
She was just about humiliated.
Never in her life had she gone over that edge so quickly.
It was like pulling teeth for her to make herself orgasm, she had never wanted anyone else to see her like that and think she was frigid.
But he had pulled her down hard and fast, no work involved.
She heard him getting out behind her as she dried herself off and pulled on the clothes he was letting her borrow.
"You're a jerk." She said.
xXx
Gajeel sighed.
He supposed he did kind of deserve that.
But he had to know if they thought he was a jerk for the same reason.
Feeling her clench and pull on his fingers had been easily the most erotic thing he'd done in a very long time.
He hadn't planned this, but he liked feeling her come apart in his arms.
He just wished she was vocal about it.
Her tongue had pressed on his fingers as if she was trying to hold back.
"How so?" He asked.
"You don't care if I had anyone else. Maybe I was thinking of dating someone else and now you've just ruined that chance."
He frowned. "How would what I just did ruin your chance?" Not that she'd ever be dating anyone else. Ever.
He watched her cheeks flush in anger as she tugged on the hem of his shirt on her tiny body.
"Because...I'll always think of how quickly you worked me." She covered her face. "I never do that so fast."
Ah.
Gajeel dried off and pulled his pants on, careful of the hard length he'd yet to relieve and probably wouldn't for a while.
He stepped closer to her.
"Baby, that isn't something to be concerned with. That just shows you that you are made for me." He said. "No other man could ever make you orgasm that fast. No other man has the same pheromones as me."
"I'm not an animal." She moved towards the door.
He reached to snag her wrist.
"But I am. And even your Human senses can pick up the stuff I'm throwing out. I'm serious Levy. I want you bad. You have no idea how hot you make me." He said.
He pulled her wrist to his groin and flattened her hand over him.
"It took everything I have and more to not jump you right there. You are sexy and perfect for me."
"You don't even know me." She pulled her hand away.
"I know you're sweet, you love books, you're loyal, funny, smart, talented, and you feel so good in my arms."
She blushed a little. "But that doesn't mean you know me."
"I'll get to know you even better. You said you'd give me a chance." He watched her turn away from him. "I want to know you better Levy."
"I won't be just a passing fling for you. Not something Black Steel can wave over the heads of every cop and say 'I got one of you in bed, you really can't fight me.'"
He pulled his shirt on as she opened the door.
"I promise you are never going to be that. You will be my last and only lover." He said.
She stopped.
"You've...never had anyone else?"
"As a lover, completely and wholeheartedly? No. I've never taken a serious relationship. I'm a Dragon. That just doesn't happen. We're never monogamous unless we find our Mate."
She faced him again. "You would have me as a Mate?"
He saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes.
He moved closer. "You are my Mate Levy. No doubts about it. You drive me insane with lust and you make it really hard for me to function normally. All I want is to drag you back to bed for the next week."
xXx
Levy looked up at him.
"I...give me some time to think about all this." She said.
"As much time as you need." He stepped away.
She moved back out to the main room and looked for her shoes.
She ignored Gajeel as he went for his boots and pulled them on.
He held the door for her and she mumbled a thank you.
When they got to the elevator, he finally spoke again.
"Really Levy, I'm more than serious about this. Just...don't think about anything but us as people. Not a Dragon, not a cop."
She nodded as the doors opened.
She saw Freed at the computers, staring at the screens.
"Ah, morning Boss." Gajeel moved towards Freed as he looked up at them.
"What is it?" Gajeel asked.
"I think I've found our 'thief' of the books."
Levy stood on his other side.
"Well, thieves, actually." Freed said.
"And? Can you catch them?"
Freed shook his head.
"I don't really have a death wish, no." He brought up images on the screen in front of him. "The two doing all this are just scared boys. Here on the left, we have Sting Eucliff."
Levy looked at the teenage boy. His blond hair was a mess in the camera image Freed found. He looked a little bit like Natsu really, but blond like Laxus.
"And on the right, Rogue Cherney." Freed said.
Levy felt Gajeel's hand tighten on the chair. The boy looked like the spitting image of a younger Gajeel, just without the piercings or red eyes.
"Fucking hell. Weislogia is going to have hell to pay. How could he abandon a baby on this side of the veil?" Gajeel growled.
"You know them boss?" Freed asked.
Gajeel stepped back as Levy turned to see Laxus and Mira coming from the elevator.
"Lax, we're closing shop for the day."
Laxus frowned.
"I got shit scheduled." Laxus shook his head.
"Freed can handle that. Cobra and Kinana can cover my place and just reschedule my personals. We need to talk."
Gajeel motioned to the computer and Laxus came forward.
"Mira, can you watch Levy for me? Just...keep her safe."
Mira smiled. "Of course. Levy and I will have a grand time today."
Levy frowned.
What was the problem?
Two boys breaking and entering was nothing new. Their interest in rare books was odd.
xXx
Gajeel watched Laxus look at the screen and clench his fists.
"Fuck. Yeah, I'll come along."
"Honey, what's the matter?" Mira asked Laxus.
"It's Sting. My younger cousin. I told you how my father had a younger brother who crossed the veil. Sting is his son. I knew about him, I just never thought he'd been taught that he was a Dragon since my uncle came back saying it was the worst mistake of his life eighteen years ago. He left before Sting was even born from the human woman he'd been with. Skiadrum did something similar, but he died protecting his son in a firefight several years ago. Rogue must have found Sting and told him what they were. Gajeel's family has always been more honorable."
Gajeel scoffed.
His father's cousin was a Shadow Dragon heir, but he'd left to see the world unknown across the veil with his Mate.
Now, Rogue was the last of the pure Shadow Dragons.
Gajeel moved for the elevator leading up to the mall.
Laxus gave Freed detailed instructions on the appointments they'd had today as they went up to the mall.
Gajeel wrote a note on a sticky pad and stuck it to his door.
He moved for the entrance and Levy caught his sleeve.
"Be careful. They are just boys."
"I know. I'm not going to hurt them and I won't let the police have them. I'll kick their asses later." He leaned down to kiss her. "Just promise you'll stay with Mira today while I'm gone?"
Levy nodded as he stepped away.
Laxus kissed his wife as always and moved to follow Gajeel out the door.
"This sucks." Laxus said as they headed for the car Gajeel owned.
"Yeah." Laxus sighed as he got in the passenger side. "Really does."