"Morning, Precious."
Precious gave a sweet trill. Wide golden eyes stared at him as if willing him to wake up.
Looking over, he found he was all alone in the big bed. A piece of paper lay on the pillow beside him.
My treasure,
Had to get some things done. I'll meet you for midday meal. Stay out of trouble.
Yours,
Val
Picking up the dragon, he set her on the bed before sliding on his pants from the day before. "I'm going to call Britson and see if my clothes are on the way, and then, we're going to talk to someone about how to find you a proper owner," he said to the little dragon. He got a small chirp in response. As soon as his pants were on, the dragon flew to his shoulder, wrapping her tail around Jory for balance.
There was a knock on Jory's door. He opened it to find Z standing outside carrying a tray. Brushing past Jory, Z strode in with easy familiarity. "Jory, you missed all the excitement. Rumor has it the king might have found his mate." Z's eyes were speculative as he scanned Jory's naked chest. "I've come to find out what happened to you last night. You just disappeared."
Z walked too close for the dragon's comfort.
The dragon hissed. A splat of green viscous fluid flew through the air and landed on the carpet in front of Z. "Ahh!" Z screamed. He set the tray down on the side table with a heavy thud.
.
"Sorry, Z, I didn't know she'd attack."
A low vibrating hum rumbled from the small body. This time he knew she wasn't purring; she was giving a warning. "Shush, precious." He patted her on the back until her rumbles became less threatening.
Z's face gained some of its former color as he stared at the black dragon in astonishment. "When did you get a fucking dragon?"
"When I left the bar yesterday, I found her in the alley."
"You were supposed to get laid, not pick up a pet," Z said, frowning. He tilted his head as he looked at the dragon. "Wild dragons are insanely rare. How did you get your hands on one?"
Jory told him the story of their meeting. Z stood there, his jaw dropping open. "It's fate. You were meant to be her dragon owner. I've never even heard of a black dragon. I wonder if she does flame or only acid? Some dragons can do both."
Jory shrugged. "She hasn't so far."
"On another topic, how was that man you were with last night? I didn't get a good look at him. Who was he?"
Jory blushed. "His name was Rai; he was amazing, but then so is Val. I don't know who I'd rather have as my mate, but I have a feeling it will be one of them. I mean Rai was really intense, but I feel safer with Val." Weird, because he'd never thought he'd wanted to have another man take care of him.
A strange expression crossed Z's face. "Be careful, Jory. Dragonkin get a little possessive when mates are involved. During mating season, we all go a little nuts, but dragons are the worst."
"How did you know they were both dragonkin?"
Z shrugged. "Aren't they?"
Jory shrugged. "I think they're both dragons. I didn't ask, but they both bit me."
"Just be careful. You don't want them to become so enraged they decide to fight it out for dominance over you."
"You're right about the possessive thing. One moment Val said he was glad I finished my qualification, and in the next, he wanted to hunt the guy down. How did your night go after I left? Was he the one?"
With a sigh, Z settled in a guest chair. Lifting the dome off one dish, he picked up a piece of toast. "No." Z didn't look up as he continued to pull apart the bread. "He wasn't in the mate hunt. He just wanted to dance."
The two men locked gazes for a moment before bursting into laughter. Tears rolled down Z's cheeks as he tried to catch his breath.
"He was so bad at it." He giggled.
