“Avoiding, Ronan, I have never….”
“Before I tracked you down about the eggs, I hadn’t seen you in days. You went from tormenting me with that damned smirk of yours every time I turned around, to a vapor trail I only saw once or twice a week.”
And there was the smirk.
He caught the pillow I chucked at him and flipped it in the air while I glared, because damnit all, I was trying to have a serious conversation and here he was going all melt my panties sexy with the cocky looks he was shooting me.
“Eeep!” I jerked back and nearly overturned the chair when the pillow turned into a flaming lava rock.
“Oh shit!”
He took off with it while I sat there stunned, mouth opening and closing because…
Because….
I did that!
Holy fuckin’ shitIdid that!
O!
M!
G!
He came back without a mark on him, while I hadn’t moved from where I was huddled against the back of the seat.
“Dragon,” he said, pointing at me, still smirking like I hadn’t just melted a fucking pillow out of existence.
At least we’d never lack for barbecue briquettes.
Giggles spilled over and I slapped my hands over my mouth to hold them in, afraid that if I started laughing I wouldn’t be able to stop.
“That was an accident.”
“Good to know,” he replied. “I liked that pillow.”
“This is not funny!” I grumbled.
I’d have stomped my foot if it was closer to the ground.
“It is a little funny.”
“In what way?”
“Just that I have plenty of practice dealing with errant fireballs so lava bombs should be no problem,” he replied, chuckling.
This man. I pressed my hand to my face because how, how was I supposed to talk to him when all I wanted to do was laugh?
“You being kidnapped wasn’t the first time one of our enemies has gone after a mate,” he said, all the laughter having bled from his tone. “The new library became necessary after the archive building was heavily damaged when they tried to get into it thinking Emerson still lived there. After that Ionus ordered an increase in our patrols and sent out hunting parties to try toferret them out and deal with them. Because I wasn’t mated, I was sent out with them. That’s the only reason you saw less of me. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you as my mate sooner. It’s honestly embarrassing to admit. Ionus knew right away when it came to Alex.”
“What about Caro and Emerson?” I asked, hating the thought of being the only one whose mate had needed months to figure it out.
“No, it took them longer than it took me,” Odem said, but gave no further details.
I supposed that was fair, since it wasn’t his story to tell.
“I-I guess that’s fair that you were distracted when your family was being threatened,” I said.
