I waggle my eyebrows, but Valentino just looks confused. Apparently, my dragon hasn’t heard about Big Horn Energy. That’s fine. I lean closer and brush a kiss to the corner of his lips. He jerks with surprise and his lips part on a nearly silent moan.
“Maggard doesn’t spend much time topside, so I doubt he’s as familiar with how our powers are different here. I’m not saying he’s not formidable as hell, but I could definitely hold my own.”
He huffs, his expression anything but reassured. To be fair, even I can’t say how much of my confidence is earned and how much is a show for his benefit. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to hide out here like a prisoner while Maggard gets his rocks off on my fear from afar.
Two quick honks sound from outside. Valentino narrows his eyes at the door behind me like he’s rethinking the whole idea of letting me out of his sight. I grab his jaw and flick my tongue teasingly against his parted lips without dipping it inside.
“Be a good dragon while I’m gone, pet,” I purr, turning on my heel and leaving while he’s still blinking and dazed.
The door swings closed behind me and I bark out a laugh at the sight that greets me. Lake is parked right at the foot of the stairs in a cherry red convertible Aston Martin, the engine purring prettily as it idles. He has a stylish scarf around his head like a 1950s starlet, and bright red lipstick on that matches the shade of the car. I can see why Valentino was so sure he would make a good shopping buddy. Dempsey and a very grumpy looking wolf shifter—Draydon, I believe they said his name is?—are crammed into the back seat. Dempsey smiles and waves at me, and Draydon scowls a bit, his knees nearly pulled up to his chest in the tight space.
Lake lowers his sunglasses and smirks at me. “Get in, loser, we’re going shopping.”
I bristle. “Loser?” I pull my fur a little tighter around my shoulders and let out a haughty huff.
“Fuck me sideways, more supes who don’t bother to keep up with pop culture,” he groans, and Draydon actually cracks a smile in the back seat.
“It’s from that movie,Heathers,” Dempsey explains, and Lake looks physically pained, going so far as to let out a yelp.
“It’s fromMean Girls. What am I going to do with all of you?” he complains. “Forget it, just get in.” He waves to the empty passenger seat beside him. “Also, please tell me where you got that fabulous coat. I’m assuming it’s faux?” He reaches out to run his fingers through the soft pelt as I slide in beside him.
I ignore the second part of the question because I doubt an ethical debate about wearing a fur coat that’s so old hundreds of generations of cute, furry animals have lived and died since its creation is really the best way to start off a new friendship.
“Tino’s hoard.”
They all go completely still, and then their energies bombard me all at once. Shock, smug satisfaction, curiosity…
“His… hoard?” Lake repeats, his perfectly sculpted eyebrows rising over the rim of his sunglasses.
“Like, he took you into his hoard room and let you take things out with you?” Dempsey leans forward to drape himself over the back of Lake’s seat, studying me with eager curiosity.
“Sure.” I shrug, reaching up absently to touch the diamond teardrop hanging from the gold chain around my neck. I thought it was a little strange at the time, but their reactions to the information are making my pulse thunder and my blood heat.“What about those?” I gesture to the massive diamond studs in Lake’s earlobes. “Nico let you take those from his hoard, no?”
“Well, yeah, but that’s different.” He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world as he puts the car into gear and finally pulls away from Tino’s house.
The dragon’s words from earlier ring in my head.“That’s what our hoards are for, to impress our mates.”A little ripple of heat creeps over my skin and my inner demon practically vibrates with an odd sort of satisfaction I haven’t felt before.
I clear my throat and quickly cast a protection over my hair to keep it from becoming an unholy mess in the breeze as we drive. Now I understand Lake’s scarf.
“He was probably just trying to swing his big dragon dick around. All they can do is turn into giant lizards and boil a cup of tea by breathing on it, not exactly impressive.” I wave a hand dismissively. “Showing off his treasure was his way of posturing.”
Draydon snorts a laugh and Lake shakes his head next to me.
“You three are very annoying,” I inform them with a sniff.
“Aw, come on now, I know you just lost all of your stuff and you’re stressed about this demon business, but that’s just rude.” Lake keeps a sunny smile on his face, reaching over and patting my knee as he flies down the quiet roads with the large city buildings looming in the distance. “You’re going to love us. Besides, we mates need to stick together, otherwise those bossy dragons might start thinking they actually call the shots around here.”
“I’m not a mate,” I point out, but my comment is ignored as Lake gestures to the back seat and keeps talking.
“Just look at Draydon there. He thought I was too much at first, and now he can’twaitto go shopping with his besties.”
“I literally tried to shift and run into the woods to get out of this. You made your mate grab me by the scruff and stuff meinto the back seat. This isn’t a shopping trip, it’s a kidnapping,” Draydon says dryly.
“See?” Lake says brightly. “He loves me.”
“Pretty sure that’s not what he said,” I mutter, but I can’t help smiling at the confidence and strange sunshine rolling off of the enigmatic human in thick waves. “And I’m not a mate,” I say again.
Dempsey reaches over the seat and pats my shoulder, but none of them say a word.
