He cupped my cheek, his touch gentle despite the power I knew his hands possessed. The tenderness in his eyes made something inside me unfurl like a flower reaching for sunlight.
“I’ve overwhelmed you,” he said, his voice soft with concern.
“No.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting to articulate the swirl of emotions crowding my chest. “The opposite.”
His expression shifted, that playful spark returning to his eyes as the corner of his mouth quirked up. “Oh, so I’ve underwhelmed you. Well, damn, I’m going to have to?—”
I kissed him, cutting off his teasing with my lips against his. I poured everything I couldn’t say into that kiss—all my wonder, all my acceptance, all my certainty that whatever this was between us, whatever being his “mate” truly meant, I wanted to explore it fully.
Chapter 25
Lucan
Iflipped the pancakes with one hand while the other rested on Liz’s hip, keeping her close as we cooked breakfast. My dragon hummed contentedly beneath my skin, but there was an edge to his satisfaction I couldn’t quite shake.
I hadn’t claimed her. Not fully.
The mark I’d described to her was more than just a supernatural hickey. It was permanent. It was binding. And despite how perfectly she fit against me right now, I wasn’t about to rush her into that decision.
“You’re quiet.” Liz glanced up at me as she reached for the syrup. “Having regrets?”
I laughed, flipping the last pancake onto the stack. “Only that we didn’t get to the pancakes sooner. I’m starving.”
“Sex does that.” She gave me a little smirk that made my dragon stir again. “Burns a lot of calories.”
I caught her hand as she walked past, tugging her against my chest. “Then we should definitely do it again. For the heart health benefits.”
“Mm-hm.” She reached up to trace her fingers along my jaw. “As much as I’d love to spend all day improving our cardiovascular health, I have to be at work by three.”
My dragon bristled at the thought of her leaving, but I kept my expression casual. “Beck’s got you on the Saturday shift, huh?”
She sighed. “It’s good money. Tips on weekends are?—”
A sharp knock on the door cut her off.
I hadn’t been paying attention to my bonds with the others, but I immediately sensed it was Zarek. Judging by the tension in it, he’d probably just found out about the break-in.
I moved toward the door, opening it as Zarek raised his hand to knock again. His eyes narrowed when he saw me, taking in my shirtless state and the lingering scent of sex hanging in the air.
“Lucan.” He nodded, his face a mask of calm. “I need to speak with Elizabeth.”
My dragon didn’t like his tone or that he’d used her full name. “About what?”
“The knife.”
I rolled my eyes but stepped back, letting him in. Liz stood in the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest. “Good morning, Zarek.” Her voice was polite but cool.
He inclined his head slightly. “I apologize for interrupting your... breakfast.” His eyes flicked to the pancakes on the counter, then back to her. “I’ve come about our knife.”
“You mean my knife?” She raised an eyebrow.
I bit back a smile.
“Yes.” Zarek’s jaw tightened. “I’d like to see it.”
I stepped in before it could escalate. “We are planning to take it to the hoard today.”
Zarek’s expression shifted, his brow relaxing slightly. “Good.”
