Roman sputters a laugh that he chokes back when I advance on him with another growl. Atlas’s firm grip lands on my arm, pulling me back.
“We’re taking this seriously. We want Mac back too, but waking Xanthis and Dahlia up in the middle of the night probably isn’t our best bet to get them to help. So why don’t wejust chill, and first thing in the morning we’ll pop over to ask for their help.”
I let out a huff of frustration.
“Fine,” I grumble before marching out of the library so I can continue my nighttime pacing in peace.
MAC
The slitherof Drax’s hot, wet tongue carves a path from my chest to my belly button, making my cock spasm with need and a moan tighten in my throat.
“Drax,” I gasp, wrapping my hands around his sturdy horns and bucking my hips to grind my cock against his warm skin.
“Yes, mate?” he purrs, dipping his tongue into my belly button and drawing another moan from me.
“I need you,” I whine, everything inside of me aching formore. More of Drax’s hands on me, more of his sweet words of devotion, more, more, more.
The sound of a door creaking open jolts me, and the too-real dream evaporates around me. I bolt upright in bed, scrambling to pull the blankets up to cover my erection. By the twist of a smirk on Rune’s lips, I’m guessing he knows exactly what kind of dream I was having. My chest is still heaving as I try to drag in slower breaths and shake off the heated images. Can Drax feel how badly I miss him?
Trapped here in Rune’s illusionary dungeon, it’s hard to even remember why I was fighting our mate bond so hard before. However stupid I was for putting on his ring, the bond feels real. That has to count for something, doesn’t it? I absently rub the smooth metal of the band with my thumb and eye the mage as he crosses the room with a tray of food.
“What time is it?” I ask, yawning and rubbing my eyes. With nothing to do here but stare out of the fake windows and watch the fake ocean waves, I’ve been sleeping a lot. I guess it doesn’t really matter whether this is breakfast or dinner he’s bringing me, but there’s something grounding about having an idea what time of day it is.
“It’s morning,” he says cheerfully, setting the tray down and then sitting down on the end of the bed. This morning he’s brought croissants and an array of fresh fruit, and instead of just leaving the food, he grabs a strawberry off of the tray and nibbles on it while watching me with a curious look in his eyes.
“What?” I ask around a mouthful of croissant.
“I was wondering… Dragons usually have strong family bonds. Why is it that a ragtag group consisting of a demon, a wolf shifter, and a vampire were the ones trying to get through my defenses instead of a bunch of dragons?”
I swallow hard, almost choking on the wet glob of half-chewed pastry. Shit. I can’t tell him I’m a mercenary. That’s as good as telling him that Auri is the one who needs the amulet.
“I told you, this isn’t my first kidnapping.” I smile wryly. “After a while, it’s just too fucking embarrassing to keep asking my brothers to come save my ass.”
Understanding fills Rune’s eyes, and I almost feel bad for the half-truth.
“Family issues I get.” He grabs another piece of fruit off of the tray. “I was disowned by mine.” The way he says it almost sounds like it’s a point of pride for him. “So I killed them.”
I choke on my next bite of food.Thatwas not what I was expecting him to say.
“Except for my sister,” he says, as if it’s the most reasonable thing in the world. “What’s the point of life without a little sibling rivalry to spice things up every so often?” He winks, andI’m not sure how to respond to that other than an awkward chuckle.
Rune pops a couple of grapes into his mouth, then stands up.
“It occurred to me this morning that you probably want to shower, so you—” He stops mid sentence and his eyes glaze over.
Is he having some kind of stroke? Did Drax figure out some way to possess him? I wave my hand in front of his face, but his blank expression doesn’t so much as twitch.
“Rune?” I snap my fingers in front of his eyes, and still nothing. “Rune?”
Just as quickly as he went blank, he blinks and refocuses.
“Fuuuuck, I hate that shit,” he groans, closing his eyes and pressing his fingers to his eyelids. “Gives me the worst fucking headache.”
“What? What happened?”
“Message from your mate. He wants to meet. He says he wants to make me a deal I won’t be able to refuse. Does he think he’s the demonGodfatheror something?” He keeps rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyelids.
I chuckle, a warm feeling spreading through me. “He probably doesn’t even realize the pop culture reference he made.” If I had to guess, Roman added that little joke to the message, but I’m not about to tell Rune that either. If Drax wants him to think he’s coming alone, all the better.
