As we touch down, Tino grunts and a puff of smoke follows the sound still vibrating through me. He crouches, providing me with a slide to the ground. I don’t really want to get down, but we have a dagger to retrieve.
Mac really oversold the building he called a shack. It’s a wood structure barely holding itself upright. Good hiding spot though. No one would bother going inside.
By the time I turn around, a very naked Tino is behind me, digging through his bag for his clothes.
“Boo. I like Dragon Valentino.”
He gazes up at me, eyes full of heat. “You really like my dragon?”
“Way more thanlike, deliciae. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
He smiles, blowing smoke from his nose and lips as his dragon takes another peek at me. I want to jump into his arms and swallow that smoke, making it part of me. The thought is startling, but at the same time, it feels so right I can’t argue with it.
“I’ll go get it,” Mac says. “You guys stay here.”
“You won’t let your own brother in your hoard room?”
Mac’s cheeks flush. “It’s not that. I just don’t want anyone to see…” His eyes flicker to me. “It’s private.”
“You don’t want me to know all the demon goodies you’ve got down there, huh? Do you think I’ll take them from you?”
Mac shakes his head. “It’s not that either.”
“What’s the problem, Mac?” Tino asks.
He blows out a breath as he shrinks in on himself. “I have weird taste in stuff, okay? I don’t want to explain it.”
Aww, the little twerp is embarrassed about his demon fetish.
Tino squeezes his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. Our dragons dictate what we hoard. You don’t have to be embarrassed by it. I would never question it.”
“Not you,” he mutters.
“Don’t worry about me, little dragon. I couldn’t care less what’s in your hoard, but if it makes you happy, I’ll stay right here.”
Tino grumbles, his eyes shifting back and forth between me and his brother. Aww, sweet.
“Go with him, Tino. I’m fine here. I’ll call out if anything happens. Remember, I’m not your average…” The words fall away as my brain supplies a startling option.
Mate.
“I’m not mortal,” I add. “Go.”
With a final glance, Tino nods, and the two brothers enter the dilapidated building while I admire the lake. I do wonder what Mac is hiding down there, but it’s none of my business. He’s obviously got a thing for demon artifacts, which comes with its own, very obvious challenges. Hopefully, this little episode with Maggard will teach him to avoid it in the future.
Maggard.The name reverberates through me, reminding me just how much I have at stake. If this mission is successful, I might be a hero in my realm. If it doesn’t, I’ll be a cautionary tale.
The sudden tug in my chest reminds me of my sexy dragon and his family. That’s why I’m doing this. It’s time I admit that I don’t want my time in Tino’s life to end. I don’t want to return to my life of hunting human emotions and lust. I’m more than fed by the dragon whose scent I carry.
If the mate thing is true, could he really accept me? Could his family? God of hell, I think I want that.
“Hey.”
His voice falls over me like a soft blanket, and I turn around. “Hi. Got what you needed?”
Mac holds the dagger up. It’s inside a glass box and seems to sparkle with its own internal light. I can see why he snagged it. It’s beyond beautiful.
“There’s a hotel in town,” Mac says. “They always have rooms available. Want to stay there before we go back?”
