Dragon Mate

Chapter 6

A couple of days had passed since the night that Natsu had broken out of the guild dungeons and had taken Lucy back to her apartment. The guild had wisely given the couple time to themselves, afraid of what Natsu would do if one of them accidently walked in on them. He had destroyed magic restraining cuffs for heaven's sake!

Currently Natsu and Lucy were walking down one of the smaller side streets of Magnolia where a farmer's market had been set up. Fucking the memory of every male that had ever touched his mate out of her body burned through his energy at an alarming speed, and they were soon out of food.

Hence their trip to the market.

To be honest Natsu's dragon was still not completely comfortable with having his mate out and about where hungry males could stop and stare at her. Their mating was still too new, too fragile for him to have calmed down completely, resulting in him clinging to Lucy's body, growling, and scowling at any potential male that might look at his mate in a way he didn't like.

"Natsu, calm down will you. You are scaring everyone."

Lucy chastised him, glowering at her partner in annoyance. Natsu ignored her and slipped his hand beneath the cloak he had made her wear to lay it on the small of her back. His dragon qualities had disappeared right after he had marked her on the first evening, and yet still one of his eyes had remained that of a simple yellow slit. Anyone dumb enough to ignore his threatening rumble was soon scared off by his dragon eye as he glared at them. Lucy knew that he just needed to feel her close, that he had not yet calmed down after being kept away from her for so long. It had taken all her negotiating skills just to convince him to let her out of her apartment. Though, now she was starting to regret it. He stuck to her side like velcro, making sure at least some part of him was always touching her at all times.

Sighing she kept walking down the row of stalls, weaving her way through the large crowd of people gathered here. She'd wanted to come earlier, before the rush, but Natsu's sex drive had forced them to work through a quickie in the shower before he'd felt satisfied with letting her out of the apartment. Though he had insisted on the cloak.

Natsu really didn't like this. All he wanted to do was grab his partner, throw her over his shoulder and walk her back to her place where he would continue their mating. Instead, he'd conceded that she'd needed a break and some fresh air, and now instead of enjoying his mate, he was stalking down a crowded street and scaring the townsfolk of Magnolia away from the blond.

Lucy was engrossed with fresh fruit displayed at one of the stalls when Natsu's senses picked up the other presence.

Whipping his head to the other end of the street, he saw the light dragon slayer standing there watching them with a scowl. He was close enough that he could smell the scent of arousal that suddenly filled the air, and Natsu was reminded of the fight that he had heard break out in the guild between Sting and Gajeel over the other slayer's obsession with his Lucy. It had nearly caused him to break out right then and there. Only his sanity – what had remained of it – had kept him at bay.

Now Natsu growled low and threateningly.

He knew what was happening. Lucy had been unmated the evening at the Guild Gala. When she had become aroused by Natsu – her mate – Sting, being unmated as well, had reacted badly and had wanted to claim his partner for himself.

Though Natsu wasn't sure what Sting was doing here now and that unsettled him. It made him extremely dangerous.

Lucy had yet to realize the dangers that surrounded her at the moment, engrossed in picking out different types of fruit she thought Natsu would enjoy. Natsu unconsciously sidled closer to Lucy when Sting moved nearer to the couple.

His eyes turned to slits, his dragon eye gleaming threateningly, giving Sting a moment's pause before he advanced again.

He was almost to the stall next to theirs when Natsu smirked evilly, causing Sting to stop in his tracks completely.

The fire dragon slayer angled his body so that Lucy was between the two dragon slayers, her back turned to Sting. Natsu's eyes never left Sting's as his hand guided Lucy closer to his body, his head lowering down to the crook of her neck. Lucy was about to protest when Natsu stuck his tongue out and slowly licked a burning trail over her shoulder and up her neck, ending with a sensual nip just beneath her ear that had Lucy sighing in ecstasy, all while Natsu stared the other slayer down. Going slightly limp in Natsu's hands, Lucy pressed her body flush against his, her hands splayed against his chest for support.

"Natsu."

She breathed as heat began to pool down between her legs, her eyes lowering in pleasure. Natsu grinned at the effect he had on his partner, reveling at the fact that he had the upper hand in this situation. Lucy was his, and he would make damn sure that she stayed his for eternity.

Dragons didn't do well with sharing what belonged to them.

Grinning evilly, eyes glinting in mischief, Natsu brough his hand up to move Lucy's silky blond hair out of the way, giving Sting an unrestricted view of Natsu's mark proudly displayed beneath her left ear.

He watched in unbridled satisfaction as Sting's eyes darkened, his body shaking in pent up rage. He had lost.

He would not be getting Lucy in this lifetime.

Sting stood clenching his fists for another second or two, his bangs covering his eyes as Natsu kept eliciting the most delicious sounding moans from his mate.

Finally, without so much as a word or a backwards glance, Sting turned on his heel and disappeared through the crowd.

"Please."

Lucy whispered against her slayers neck, knowing that he too was at his limits. He needed to rebrand his partner to make sure Sting, or any other male out there will never lay their hands on her, ever again.