“That is one powerful sumbitch,” he said with respect.
No one I knew could swear with as much reverence as Junior. He brought cursing to a new level of esteem. They broke the mold after he was born and I was so very grateful he was my friend.
“You talked with Dwayne?” he asked softly.
“Yesterday,” I whispered back with a smile. “He said Daniel is doing well and the Cows are besotted with him. From what Dwayne said, Daniel is running the show.”
“Everyone I know is in love with that little man. You done good with him, Dima.”
“Thank you.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes. I could see Junior’s brain working a mile a minute. Several times he started to speak, but stopped himself. After the third time, I was too curious to stay mute.
“Out with it, Wolf,” I said. “You clearly have something to say.”
“I do,” he agreed with a little wince. “But you gotta promise not to set fire to my ass when you hear it.”
“Shit,” I muttered and then heaved a huge sigh. This was going to be a doozy. It always was with Junior. “I swear on my life not to set you on fire. Can I hold onto the option to punch you in the head?”
“Sure can,” Junior said with a grunt of laughter. “I’ll survive a head butt. The fire—not so much.”
“Shoot.”
“Well, Essie and I had a little talk before I came up here and …”
“And?” I asked, readying my left hook.
“And, we know that you’re gonna die in a few months if you don’t mate. I was hopin’ Seth was your man and then it turned out he’s a Seer. Unless he’s gonna do a Thornbirds thing and turn his back on his calling, we’re barking up the wrong tree on that one.”
“We’re?” I asked, confused and slightly annoyed.
“You’re one of us, Dima. Once you join our pack, we crawl so far up your ass and into your business there ain’t no way out,” he explained as if this was logical occurrence.
“While the sentiment is lovely, the analogy was gross,” I replied and tried not to let him see how moved I was by the fact that he cared enough to tell me something that could end in his getting throat punched.
“So the way I see it, you should mate with Nicolai. Essie and Granny are convinced he’s your true mate. You’re wasting precious time here, girlie.”
“I can’t.”
“You’re startin’ to sound like my Sandy,” Junior said, eyeing me with raised eyebrows. “You and me both know it’s just a matter of time and me keeping my willy in my pants before she says yes. Is Nicolai a manwhore?” he asked seriously.
A burst of laughter flew from my lips and I laid back in the grass and grinned. Even when Junior was serious, he was funny. Sandy was lucky.
“No,” I said as I stared at the puffy clouds. “Nicolai is not a manwhore.”
“Um…small man tool?” he suggested with a wink.
“No,” I said as I turned over on my stomach and gave my friend the middle finger. “His man tool is just fine.”
“You attracted to him?”
“Yes.”
“Think about him all the time?”
“Yes.”
“Is he a good person?”
“Yes.”
“An arrogant jackhole?”
“Why would that be a good thing?” I asked confused.
“Cause you’re too strong to be with some wimpy girlie-man,” Junior explained.
Damn it, I had to agree with that one.
“Can you imagine your life without him in it?” he went on.
“Shit,” I mumbled. The answer was no. I couldn’t imagine my life without him, but…
“Then what’s the damn problem here?”
“The problem is Daniel. Wait. That came out wrong. Daniel is my miracle, but he’d be a problem for Nicolai,” I snapped and got to my feet.
“Explain,” Junior said as he tensed.
“It doesn’t matter what I want, or even what fate intended, if it’s not good for my son. There is no way in hell a Dragon would willingly raise another Dragon’s son. All through our history stepchildren have been killed by the new male in order for his line to be pure. No Dragon is worth the life of my son.”
“Are you freakin’ serious. You people kill children?” Junior shouted, completely offended and pissed off.
“Well,” I hedged. “My father did it to my mother’s child from another mating. So yes, it has happened and I won’t risk it.”
“Stop me if I’ve missed something here,” he said as he slowly sat back down and put his elbows on his knees. “We’re comparing your psychotic sperm donor’s behavior to the behavior of all other men?”
“No,” I insisted, wondering for a moment if I was. Junior didn’t understand Dragons. How could he? He was a Wolf.
“You don’t actually know if that bull honkey you just spouted would apply to anyone other than the sick fuck who sired you. Correct?” he asked.
“Well…um…”
“I’m correct,” he answered for me. “Have you even told Nicolai about Daniel? Have you given him a chance to make a decision about this himself?”
“Well…um…”
“I’m gonna go with a nope on that one,” Junior said as he shook his head at me like a disappointed parent.
“Junior, while I appreciate you being all up my butt, I’m Daniel’s mother and if there’s even a small chance that my mating would harm him—even if it was fated to be—I won’t do it.”
He was quiet for a few moments as he absently stared at the sky.
“I’m not a Seer. I can’t read the future. But I’m gonna tell you right here, right now that you’re making a mistake.”
“Junior I…”
He held up his hand to stop me. “Hang on. I’ll support any decision you make because that’s what a pack does, but I need to say my piece and I want you to think about it. Give Nicolai a chance to know about Daniel. Don’t make his decisions for him.”
Picking at the blades of grass, I avoided my friend’s gaze. He had no children and couldn’t understand my fear.
“What if Sandy had a child by another man?” I questioned wondering how he would feel if the tables were turned.
He didn’t miss a beat. “I’d defend the child with my life,” he said simply. “I love Sandy and therefore I love anything that is a part of her.”
He was telling the truth—I was sure of it, but he was a Wolf. Dragons were different.
“You know something I don’t?” he asked with a smirk on his handsome face.
“No,” I said with a laugh. “I don’t think Sandy is hiding a hoard of children from you. But what I do know is that she is one lucky mother humper.”
“Can I get that in writing?” Junior asked with a silly grin. “I need all the help I can get.”
“How about I call her?” I suggested as I got to my feet and scanned the area.
It was clear.
“Junior, stay where you are. I’m coming in for a quick hug because I need some affection from a friend. You okay with that? I’ll back off fast just incase anyone is watching.”
He smiled and put his arms out. “Get over here, little Dragon. Your Alpha wants a hug.”
I giggled and wrapped my arms around him in the same way I wished I could wrap my arms around my long dead brothers. It felt so nice and warm and safe.
“Unhand her. Now,” Nicolai’s furious voice bellowed across the field. “I like you Junior, but I can’t control this shit right now. I’d hate to send you back to Georgia in a box.”
Junior backed away quickly with a laugh. He raised his hands in the air to prove he meant no harm.
“She’s all yours, Dragon,” Junior called out as he walked away. “And she’s a handful. Good luck.”
Thankfully Lenny and Seth were holding the seething Nicolai back. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Junior or anyone else here because of me.
Taking a deep breath, I made a deci
sion and crossed the field. Taking advice from others had never been my forte, but a couple of the things Junior had said made sense.
At least I hoped they did.
I stopped in front of the angry Dragon. My presence seemed to calm him.
“Seth, Lenny, thank you,” I said. “Could you give us a minute here?”
They nodded and left. Nicolai eyed me cautiously. He was still ready to blow, but I could tell he was fine as long as I was near.
“I want you to meet me in my suite at seven tonight. Can you do that?”
He was speechless as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. I watched him search for the catch.
“Cat got your tongue?” I asked with a smirk. My calm tone belied my churning insides.
“No,” he said slowly. “I’m just trying to figure out if I’m being played here.”
“You’re not.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, meaning far more than just the fact I’d asked him to my suite.
“Very,” I said as I turned and walked away. I was aware that his eyes were glued to my ass, but I’d have done the same to him.
I could be making a grave mistake, but I was going in with eyes wide open. If it went poorly, Daniel was nowhere near and he would always be safe.
My baby was my first and most important concern—and that would never change.
Chapter 14
“Does this look okay?” I asked Maria as I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my image with a critical eye. The fitted green dress matched my eyes and showed just enough cleavage to be sexy, not slutty. It was quite short and flirty and—shit…what in the hell was I doing?
Maria laughed at me as she valiantly tried to rearrange the pillows and throws in my suite to cover the scorch marks all over the furniture.
“You could wear a garbage bag and you’d be gorgeous,” she replied, finally satisfied that she’d covered the worst of the damage that Nicolai and I had caused to my living quarters the other day.
“You’re just silly,” I said as I flopped down on a chair and began to second-guess my hasty decision to invite Nicolai into my lair.
“Nope, I’m honest. And while I’m being honest, I’d really like to borrow those shoes at some point. They fucking rock.”
“You can borrow anything you want if you clean up that mouth of yours,” I told her with a laugh as I glanced down at the fabulous nude Chanel stilettos my niece so admired.
“You sound like a mother,” she shot back with an eye roll.
“I am a mother.”
Her observation made my stomach sink. Could I really tell Nicolai about Daniel? If he was furious would he go after my child? In my heart I didn’t think so, but I also didn’t think fathers were capable of murdering mothers and sons—or chasing their daughter for hundreds of years to kill her. My warped version of family life haunted me endlessly. I suppose it colored everything I did.
“So you’re going to tell him about Daniel?” Maria asked as she sat on the arm of my chair and smoothed my wild curls out of my face.
“I think so.”
“What does it feel like to find your true mate?” she asked with huge eyes and a grin.
“It’s fucked up,” I muttered.
“Wait, I’m not allowed to talk like that, but you are?” she demanded as she shoved me over and wedged herself into the chair with me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for, but it’s still accurate,” I told her, turning my body sideways so we could both fit.
We were smushed, but it was wonderful. I was nose to nose with my brother’s beautiful, foul mouthed, precious child. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this moment would happen.
“I want you to mate with him,” she whispered as she traced my nose with her finger. “I just found you. I don’t want you to die.”
“It’s not that simple,” I told her, closing my eyes and enjoying her touch. “If it was, I would have followed my instincts immediately.”
“Do you love him?”
“I’m not sure I even know what that means,” I admitted. “I know I love Daniel and I love you. That I understand.”
Maria’s eyes misted and she pressed her forehead to mine. “I love you too. Do you know how I know?”
“How?”
“There is no doubt in my mind that I would die for you—and Daniel. I’ve not laid eyes on him, but I feel a possessiveness that I’ve never known.”
I sat up and pulled her with me. Putting my arms around her I hugged her. I would do the same for her and Essie and my friends in Hung. Slowly I let my mind consider if I would step willingly into peril for Nicolai…Would I?
The thought of harm coming to him made me breathless and agitated. My Dragon perked up and slid close to the surface, confirming that she too would let nothing happen to the leader of the Resistance. God, was this what love felt like?
It was terrifying, annoying, horrible and wonderful.
Pushing the thoughts away I stood and checked my reflection one last time. The armor was in place. However, the woman underneath was a mess.
“I’m leaving. Nicolai will be here soon,” Maria said as she stood next to me and caught my eyes in the reflective glass. “Follow you instincts and your heart. If it’s not meant to be, I will take care of you at the end and then I will watch over Daniel.”
I stared at the floor because words wouldn’t come.
“But please remember that I want you to stay.”
Silently, Maria let herself out as I was still trying to pull myself together.
***
I’d had three glasses of wine that did little to nothing to calm my nerves when the knock at the door I’d been expecting came. I stood on shaky legs that I couldn’t blame on the alcohol and slowly approached it.
“Who is it?” I called out and then smacked myself in the head.
“Are you serious?” Nicolai sounded amused, but tense.
Opening the door, I stepped back and let him in. I was glad I had something to hold onto because he’d dressed up and my knees became jelly in response. He wore his usual jeans, but he’d added a navy sport coat and a pinstriped green tailored shirt. His sheer beauty simply wasn’t fair.
“You take my breath away, Dima,” he said as he stared at me.
“Back at you,” I said shakily. “Would you like something to drink?”
I moved away so I didn’t lay my head on his chest and pour out my story all at once. Timing was crucial.
“Water would be good,” he said as he moved into the living room taking up all the space.
He was large, but it wasn’t just his size. It was everything about him.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed him a glass of water and then crossed to the other side of the room.
“I don’t bite,” he said with a chuckle as he sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him.
“I beg to differ,” I shot back with a grin remembering how he’d chomped on my fingers the first time we met.
I carefully made my way to the couch and sat. His weight depressed the cushions so much so that we were thigh to thigh and there was very little I could do about it. Of course I could get up and move…but I didn’t want to. I wanted to be exactly where I was.
“You stuck them in my mouth. What was I supposed to do?” he asked with a sexy laugh that pleased my inner Dragon.
“I was trying to gouge out your eyes,” I told him truthfully with an unapologetic shrug.
“Now there’s a lovely thought.”
The heat that was generated by us touching jumbled my train of thought. I was close enough to his lips to lean in and kiss him. I smiled at the thought.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. “And don’t say nothing.”
His eyes were hooded and the energy in the room was electric. I’d never wanted a man more in my long life. I didn’t know if it was nature’s way of bringing true mates together or if it was something akin to love. I just knew it was overwhelming and wildly e
xciting.
“I was wondering what your lips taste like.”
“My lips would be very pleased for you to find out.” He leaned in close and until we were a mere breath apart.
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