I’d left all my snacks in my broken car. As for my dragon, he kept mumbling the same phrase over and over.Mate time. Mate time.
Internally, it felt like he was wagging his giant spiked tail.
“I don’t get it,” I murmured aloud. “I don’t feel it.”
I wasn’t necessarily horny. I didn’t have any rut symptoms.
I need to fly. I’ll find him if I fly.
He’d been like this for weeks. If I took him out after work to fly, nothing happened. He just happily soared until we both got hungry and tired.
Well, at least he could fly tonight.
The club looked busy for a weekday. Dusk was approaching, and the line to get in was long. I quickly joined the end, expecting an extensive wait time, but soon it was moving. In less than ten minutes, I was inside looking around at the club’s vast interior.
Check out the shifting place outside!
“I’m starved. Food first, then shifting.”
Silence. He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t going to complain about eating, either.
I went to the bar and ordered a giant burger with everything, something called “famous fries,” and a beer.
As I waited for my food, I immediately noticed a bear two stools over. My heart went into my throat. He was one of the best-looking men I’d ever seen. His head was lowered over a plate of onion rings and a half-finished sandwich. His vibe had me bowled over with empathy, even though he was a stranger.
Could a person be attracted that hard at first sight?
“Okay, beast,” I said under my breath.
Mate time?
“We’ll see.”
I leaned closer to him, trying to look inconspicuous, then said, “Hey there. It’s my first time here. I’m Falkan.”
The bear glanced up, blinking. A small smile appeared then disappeared. “I’m Griffith. Nice to meet you.”
I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you too.”
He looked at my hand as if deciding something then reached out in return to shake it. When our palms touched, an electric zing went through my body. Wow. I hadn’t felt that with anyone. Ever.
Suddenly, I wanted to tell him everything. That I was from New Mexico, how my car broke down, how my beast was restless. He seemed like just the sort of person who would listen, understand, have my back.
And he did listen, nodding at the appropriate moments. Then, when I realized I was talking up a storm like I always did, something people had told me could be annoying, I stopped. “What about you?”
“Uh.” He waved his hand through the air. “I just lost my job.”
My jaw dropped. My woes seemed so small compared to his. “I’m super sorry. How?”
“The company is closing.”
“Damn.” I let out a long breath. “Dinner’s on me, then. Drinks, too.”
“No need.”
“I insist. I’ve got a good job. I’m not hurting in that department.” That was the truth. I worked for an investment firm owned by my uncle. I had a fantastic salary, retirement plan, and savings. Plus, a trust from my mee-maw. I was a dragon, after all. Hoarding was what we did, and most of us did it with money.
I ordered us more beers and threw my card on the bartop. “I’m paying for his food, too,” I said to the bartender. I turned to Griffith. “Do you want dessert?”
