While the five of us stared at her like the rest of the world didn’t exist.
Hunter let out a low rumble, his gaze dragging over her outfit. She’d dressed herself in the boots and gloves he’d had custom made for her birthday. The boots were zipped up over leather pants, hugging her long, shapely legs, and she’d paired them with a black tank and Kellan’s jacket.
Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and I craved her like the rarest of treasures. Dragons loved treasure, and she was one I’d kill to keep.
I’d always been proud to be a dragon shifter, but that feeling was nothing compared to how proud I was to have Emmeline as a mate.
“You’re wearing my jacket, Shortcake,” Kellan crooned, stroking his hands down the back of the thick leather, before he reached forward to grasp both sides, zipping her up.
“It’s as amazing as the one that got destroyed,” she said, her face falling briefly before she smiled again. “It’s so warm and snuggly, while heavy-duty enough to protect me from road rash.”
My dragon hissed and I clenched my hands. “The only way the road will ever touch you, Snow, is if I’m dead.”
Emmeline gave me heart eyes and I was fucking purring like a damn dragon-cat.Fuck me.
She turned toward Hunter. “These boots are the most amazing pair I’ve ever owned. How are they this soft but also so sturdy?”
Our little omega was discovering the reason custom-made cost at least four times as off-the-rack.
Hunter shrugged like he had no idea. “They look incredible on you.”
Emme gave him a hug. “You downplay it, but I can already tell how expensive they were. You all spent far too much money on me for my birthday, but it turns out that I’m kind of in love with everything and I’m not giving any of it back.” She clutched her dragon necklace briefly in her gloved hand.
When she released Hunter, she moved toward her bike, only to pause, her hands flying to her hair. “Oh fuck, I need to braid this back and I can’t do it with gloves.”
“Let me,” I said, already moving toward her.
She blinked at me like she couldn’t understand those two words, while Talon grabbed one of the many brushes he had stashed around the house for any opportunity that arose to brush Emme’s hair. As he ran the soft bristles through her pinkish gold strands, I stripped a hair tie from her wrist. I’d never braided before, but I’d watched Emme do it so many times that I understood the mechanics.
Talon stepped away once her hair was smooth, and I threaded my fingers through the strands, the rest of our pack gawking on like they’d never seen a fucking dragon braid a female’s hair before. Her scent surged with each twist, and I had to give myself a very stern talking to since this was not the time to bend her over the back of my bike and sink my cock into her.
I might be new to sex and physical contact in general, but I was adamn quick learner. I also had a new obsession. It was pretty, pink, and under my hands right now. And I wasn’t just talking about her hair.
After fifteen seconds I’d figured out the pattern in braiding, immediately finding the motion rhythmic and soothing. “That feels so good,” Emme said, tilting her head back.
When her eyes fluttered closed, I understood why my twin was hung up on brushing her hair. There was a strong satisfaction in soothing one’s mate. My dragon was a contented beast in my chest.
When I tied off the ends, she murmured her thanks, and we both turned to find our silent and shellshocked pack frozen in place. No doubt it would take time for them to get used to me voluntarily touching another shifter. Or maybe it was the shock of me braiding, though I don’t know why any of them would have doubted my ability to do so.
If Emme needed brain surgery I’d have that figured out in a few hours too. For her, there were no limits.
Kellan silently handed me her helmet, his eyes wide as he looked between me and our mate, as if he felt my possessive need to finish getting her ready for our ride.
Locking her in my focus, her expression was soft as she stared up at me. I didn’t even need to push into her thoughts to know what she was thinking:love.
Stupid word. But fuck if it wasn’t the only one I could think of to use.
Unable to cover her face without tasting her one last time, I pressed my lips to hers and she sighed.Fuck. I barely managed to tear myself away to slide her helmet on, and after carefully strapping her in, I checked everything twice, before patting her on the ass.
“You stay between Hunt and me,” I ordered. “We have enemies out there, and you’re more breakable than us.”
There was a pause, and through the dark tint of her visor, I caught the eye roll.Little brat. Still, she eventually nodded. I enjoyed when she was submissive to my dominance. Mostly because she chose to be. There was no one who could make an omega submit, not even a dragon. While her fire and sass were sexy, her submission got me on a fundamental level.
Constantine broke the silence by stomping noisily into the garage, being the annoying mouth breather that he was. He had shoes on foronce, and his backpack was slung over his shoulder. That was the one piece of luggage he had with him when he arrived, and I’d already checked the contents to find a few of his parents’ journals and some magical paraphernalia.
Which was most likely why he had it with him today, in case he needed to perform magic at the compound. None of us had any idea what we’d find there, and it never hurt to be prepared.
Hence why the Bentley’s trunk was filled with weapons and body armor.
