Grinning, Jackson walked away, making sure to wiggle his ass, laughing when he heard his mate groan.
~/~/~/~/~
Fionn was floating when they arrived back at their hotel. Of the six galleries they visited, three of them offered to sign him as one of the artists they represented. He couldn’t wait to tell Ki, Theo, and Norm.
Stepping out of the elevator along with Dylon and Cody, Hunter kept Fionn close to him as he surveyed the hallway, making sure there was no one there. Checking in again with his wolf, Hunter found him pacing around the white dragon, issuing occasional low growls. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what since his wolf hadn’t warned him that Fionn was in danger.
Stopping at their suite’s door, Hunter unlocked it and, glancing at Dylon and Cody said, “Dinner at eight?”
“Yeah,” Dylon answered. “I made reservations for us at a place Jackson recommended. Pick you up at seven thirty?”
“Pet, what do you think? Enough time for you to come down from the high you’re on?” Hunter asked, smiling.
“No! I don’t think I ever will,” Fionn exclaimed.
Chuckling, Hunter replied to Dylon, “That’ll be fine. See you then.”
Waiting until Hunter and Fionn were inside their suite, Cody whispered, “Did you see how Hunter reacted when we got out of the elevator?”
“C’mon,” Dylon said, not wanting to discuss anything while they were in the hallway. Once inside their suite, Dylon said, “Yeah, I did. I don’t know if his wolf warned him or whether it’s just being out all afternoon with his mate, but there was definitely something bothering him.” Removing his jacket, Dylon grabbed some equipment from his bag. “I’m going to take a look around, babe. Make yourself invisible till I get back, just in case.”
Hugging the wall in the hallway, Dylon crept towards the door leading to the stairs. Reaching it, he opened it a crack, sniffing, but after detecting no strange scents, he opened it wide enough to slip through. Letting the door close silently, Dylon remain still, listening for sounds that would reveal someone in the stairwell. Hearing nothing, he looked down over the railing to make sure no one was lurking below. Then he started up the stairs, intent on checking the roof, just two flights up. Reaching the door to the roof, he turned the knob; it was locked. Pulling a set of lock picks and a tension wench from his pocket, he went to work.
When the lock yielded, Dylon slowly opened the door and sniffed—only to catch the scent of night air in the city. He walked out onto the roof, searching for signs that someone had been there recently, but found nothing until he reached the center of the rooftop. There, lying at his feet, was a canister of Trackno, a scent eliminator, long banned by the High Council. Unfolding his handkerchief, he carefully placed it over the canister and depressed the trigger. Empty.I hope this sucker wasn’t smart enough to wear gloves. After slipping a clear plastic bag from his pocket, Dylon dropped the canister into it and zipped it shut.
Tucking his prize into his pocket, Dylon made a note to call his father in the morning about it. Whoever was using it was up to no good; only criminals disguised their scent and hopefully Zane could find out who was selling this stuff since it was only available on the dark web. Even if there were no prints on the can, finding sellers might lead to who bought it. Now satisfied there was no imminent threat to the white dragon, Dylon descended the stairs to rejoin Cody.
Chapter 34
Waking up before Fionn, Hunter looked at his wolf, relieved to find him curled up with the white dragon. Whatever upset him last night after their afternoon of successes was gone, making his worry seem silly. His White Knight power was going to take some time to get used to, so he could tell the difference between the real thing and a false alarm by his wolf, which obviously was the case last night. Thankfully, by the time they left for dinner, his wolf had calmed down, spending the rest of the evening cuddling with his mate.
“I had a great time last night, mate,” Fionn’s sleep laden voice mumbled.
“Me, too.”
“Being up so high in that restaurant was just like flying.”
When their driver had stopped at a very modern hotel, Hunter wasn’t sure what to expect, but Dylon and Cody assured him the restaurant inside had great food. Helping Fionn out of the car, Hunter tucked his mate tight against his side as they followed their dining companions inside to an elevator. When it finally stopped and the doors opened, Hunter’s lips parted at the stunning sight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was his mate’s gasp, followed by a “holy fuck” that brought him back to reality; Fionn’s face was alight with wonder. Dylon had reserved a table next to one of the windows so they could enjoy a bird’s eye view of San Francisco. It was an unforgettable dinner.
Now, as the morning light crept through the curtains of their room, Hunter said, “I can’t wait until you teach my wolf to fly so I can see your world. It must be so peaceful up there.”
Turning over to face his mate, Fionn couldn’t resist licking Hunter’s nipple, grinning at the moan it caused. Cupping his mate’s face, Fionn murmured, “So quiet, mate, when I’m flying…it’s what you’ll notice first. Then the stars above, calling to me, urging me higher up into the clouds, blanketing me with their softness and mist until I break free, soaring into the blackness lit only by moon glow. There’s nothing like it anywhere else. The peace my soul finds when I’m up there washes away my problems, makes me forget the hatred on earth, even how cruel my father was to me and my mother.
“During the times I was sick, my mother would move my bed so I could stare out the window and I imagined I was flying, leaving behind the pain of my illness. And after I’d recover, we both would shift and spend a night flying over Scotland…so many amazing times I had with her. When she died, I wanted to shift and fly up to the heavens to join her…to make sure she was finally happy.”
“Pet, I never met your mother but I know she was happy on earth because the gods gave you to her.”
“That’s what she said, but I can’t see how I ever made up for the suffering she went through in life.”
“Trust me pet, you more than made up for it. To have a child she could love with her whole heart and have that love returned ten-fold from him…that made your mother’s life richer than all the gold in the world. And if given the choice to do it again, I know your mother would say ‘yes’.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Fionn, staring intently at Hunter.
“I do and what’s more, I know so. Your mother raised an amazing man, one who is generous, loving, loyal…someone who avoided the darkness surrounding him and instead stayed true to the values your mother gave you. What mother wouldn’t be proud of that? And a chance to do it over again? Absolutely.”
Pulling his mate’s face to his, Fionn’s tongue flicked out, licking Hunter’s lips before kissing them. Then, snuggling his face against his mate’s chest, he whispered, “I love you, mate. So. Freaking. Much.”
Hunter tugged Fionn’s body tight to his, murmuring, “Pet, my world changed when I found you…no longer was it shrouded in gray, with me merely existing. Instead, it became filled with light…giving me a life worth living…a purpose I desperately needed. I. Love. You…now, tomorrow, and forever and when our time on this earth has come to an end, you and I will fly among the stars for eternity.” Gently, Hunter grasped Fionn’s chin, lifting it until their eyes met, locking their gazes together. Then he slowly lowered his lips to his mate’s.
