Thoughts of his bonded male shot a pang of desire clean through him. Sadly, Dominic had made it clear he didn’t go for the males. He only wanted a platonic bonding, a close friendship amongst males whose scents matched, and the chance to gain a female mate. He’d respected Dom’s wishes, despite wanting more, because he’d been alive for centuries for fuck’s sake, and Dominic hadn’t. The young shifter didn’t appear ready for anything more between them and Nathan didn’t wish to push it and ruin their bond.
He found it difficult, especially when they shared a woman. Then he’d have to see Dom in all his glory. And the man was beautiful. They’d started off in separate rooms, only ever sharing a bed with a woman between them. But as the years passed, they’d ended up sleeping together more often than not. Dom seemed to need the companionship and closeness, and he wasn’t about to complain. Dominic always wore boxers and he wore loose pajama bottoms. There had been the odd occasion recently when he swore Dom cuddled up close in the mornings on purpose. Not wanting to damage their bond, he didn’t push it. If Dom wanted more, he’d need to make it obvious.
A door banged closed behind him. Gods! That scent.
Nathan drew in a deep breath. It hit him so hard the corridor spun around him. A dragon female must be nearby. One whose scent called to him, heady and strong, but soft and sensual at the same time. Fucking hell! A match…more than a match. His senses went into overdrive; the female was damn well made for him and Dom. His heart hammered hard and he clenched his fists to hold onto his control.
Slowly, almost scared to look the occasion seemed so momentous, Nathan turned his head.
Ice!
She slung a heavy duffle over her shoulder, and strolled toward him. Up close, her unusual features made him speechless. Talk about a face to launch a thousand ships.
“Later, Nats,” Ice said as she neared. Her soft, husky voice wrapped around him like smoke.
His brain stalled, leaving him unsure what to do. How the hell did a dragon female find herself here, in this city, fighting humans? It was…shameful. Deeply so. Their females were rare and they never fought. To do so with humans, in this grubby spectacle? Gods!
Dragon males bonded with one or two other males and waited, sometimes for many years, until they found their female match. Sometimes as many as four males shared one female mate. Not him, he didn’t need the hassle. Nathan had his bonded male living with him now, and he’d never look for another. Dominic proved enough of a handful. They only needed their female mate. Problem was, finding a female whose scent matched and complemented theirs proved difficult. Very difficult. He and Dom had been searching for years. Endless visits to various clans proved fruitless.
“You’re still coming out tomorrow night for drinks, yeah?” Natalie asked.
Without breaking her stride, Ice nodded. “Yep.”
“You want a lift, hon? I can come get you at seven.”
“No.” Ice shook her head, her hair glistening under the strip lighting. “I’ve got to feed George, my neighbor’s cat. He eats at half seven, and he’s very particular about having a cuddle afterwards. I’ll meet you there about half-eight. All Bar One, right?”
“To start with, but we’ll be moving on at nine,” Natalie warned. “You’re invited too.” She glanced at David and Nathan.
“I’ll make sure I’m there,” Ice said.
She waved and walked on. As she neared Nathan, she slowed and her gaze collided with his. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Oh yeah, she’d picked up on his scent. He expected her to say something, but she frowned, looked away and hurried off. She rounded the corner and panic gripped him by the balls.
He wouldn’t let her get away. Anger followed swiftly on panic’s heels, and he ground his teeth together. How dare she ignore him? She’d scented him, her reaction told him so, and yet she barely glanced in his direction. He pushed off the wall, needing to follow her.
He spoke over his shoulder, “I have to go. I forgot, I promised to meet someone. I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter Two
Dom looked at the woman sleeping next to him. He’d brought her back from a trip into town after meeting her in a bar and she’d been up for some major fun. He’d taken the Jeep, and now faced another off-road trip all the way back. But she’d been hot, and worth the two journeys. Dirt tracks, not roads, led to Arach Caim, so he’d take the Jeep once more—could hardly expect her to ride on the back of a bike. After, he’d wipe her memory of the journey, leaving her with a few vague warm and fuzzies. She’d remember their night together, but never find the Clan again.
He’d missed Nathan as they’d played. The guy’s dominant side matched his more laid back personality, and they were a damn good team when it came to the ladies.
Dom tried to brush aside the other reasons he missed the male. Recently, he’d found himself more and more attracted to him, which did a number on his sense of self, as he’d always believed himself to be straight. Not that he cared who slept with who, but he’d never found dudes attractive. Until Nathan.
At first he’d found Nathan intimidating, but over time, he’d noticed new things about him. Such as his insane physique, and his quiet dominance, and somewhere along the line it had gone from an aesthetic observation to something lustier.
Then there came the game changer. The day he’d come home early from a trip away to find Nathan fucking a woman, her bent over their kitchen table, Nathan powering in from behind. He’d stood in shock of sorts and stared at his bonded male’s bare buttocks as he thrust in and out of her. His thigh muscles bunched from the effort, and his powerful form covering her body.
For an awful, scary, self-shattering moment, he’d wanted to be in her place, receiving all that power.
He’d shaken his head and walked through the room, shooting Nate a disgusted look as he passed.
At first, it seemed to be a one-off. A strange moment. But then the dreams had started. Heat filled, sexy dreams, starring Nathan. Then the morning cuddles situation had developed. He still loved the ladies, and when he and Nate double-teamed some lovely human, it wasn’t as if he became all about Nate and nothing about breasts, hips, and more secretive places. But he harbored these feelings for his bonded male, and they were disconcerting because he half wanted it to happen and half feared it. Nate was a force of fucking nature and Dom didn’t know if he’d survive him.
The woman he’d picked up moaned and turned over. She looked like an angel in the early morning light, with her long blonde hair fanned over the pillow. She sleepily blinked open her dark blue eyes, smiling when she saw him.
“Would you like breakfast?” he asked.
“No, I never eat in the morning, but maybe a coffee.”
He looked at her for a long beat. His cock stirred and he fancied another round, but he yearned to shift and fly. He needed to change and stretch his wings.
The phone by the bedside rang, making him jump. He snatched up the handset. “Yeah?”
“Pack a bag and get yourself to Glasgow.”
“Good morning to you, too.” Jesus, Nate enjoyed bossing him around!
“Seriously, D,” Nathan snarled.
Dominic ignored the growl and smiled at the use of the affectionate nickname. “When do you need me there? Trouble with the gold?” He tried not to tease, but held no interest in the clan wealth.
“No. I think I’ve found…no, I know I’ve found our mate.”
“What?” Dominic lowered his voice and turned away from the female in his bed. “You serious?”
“Fucking deadly. Hurry. I need you here ASAP. We are on for drinks with her and a friend tonight. David’s coming, too but he wants her friend so a bit of a push from us and I am sure we can get rid of them. Just get here. I’m staying at the Radisson.”
Of course. Only the best for Nathan.
“I’ll be there this afternoon. I have a visitor I need to get home first.”
“For the sake of the gods! You are obsessed with the females.”
&n
bsp; “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there.”
Dominic hung up, knowing Nate would give him hell for it. He needed to get the female back home and find a way to get into Glasgow fast. Shit. This wasn’t ideal.
“I’ll be back in five, my lovely. I’m going to make us a coffee.”
Once in the kitchen he used the phone there to call his friend, Jonathon. “Can you do me a big favor? There’s a woman here. I need you to take her home and then wipe her. Nate needs me so I’m going to pack a bag, fly to the edge of the territory and take a bike.”
“Okay.” Jonathon yawned long and loud. “It’s not cool making someone else put away your toys though. You owe me.”
“Yeah, yeah. I owe you one. You’re a pal.” He hung up and proceeded to make the coffee.
Nathan had spent the night like some stalker, standing in the damp night air, watching the flat where the female—and not just any female, but a mate for him and Dom—slept. He hadn’t been able to leave though, terrified something might happen to her.
Dull light took over the darkness, and people moved on to the street, going about their business.
With the bustle of the day unfolding, his paranoia lessened, and he decided to head back to the hotel for a much needed rest.
David had called moments ago to confirm their night out. After which, he’d immediately informed Dominic, who’d been full of sass. Nate smiled despite himself. He enjoyed his bonded male’s spirit.
How drinks would go later, he’d no clue. Clearly, Ice had purposefully ignored him. Maybe she’d turned her back on dragon living. Some dragonborn did, especially latents, who couldn’t actually shape-change and fly. They believed they’d fit better in the human world, where they wouldn’t be reminded of all they’d never be. She certainly wasn’t of his clan. Her scent told him she must be exceptionally young for a dragon female, and probably only in her early twenties. Nate had been with the Scottish clan for over six centuries.
So where did she come from? The only other places in the UK with dragon clans were Wales, Ireland, and Cornwall and those groups were small. He’d met all the Welsh and Cornish dragons. He’d have remembered meeting a female match. If not from a UK settlement, then maybe she heralded from somewhere on the Continent. Perhaps Ice came from Spain or somewhere Mediterranean? Her coloring suggested as much. Although, her remarkable eyes reminded him of the tales told about the Havsa. A fierce Romanian dragon group. They’d caused a war when males from the Havsa carried out an unprovoked attack on the Welsh clan. He shook his head. No way. She couldn’t be Havsa; they’d been wiped out well over a century ago.
The Welsh dragons had decimated the Havsa in retaliation for the murder of some of their females. They’d gone too far, Nathan privately thought, but he’d kept out of it. Not his fight, and he’d wanted to protect his settlement from any spillover.
Since the war had ended, peace reigned. All the other clans around the globe were on good terms.
He entered the suite and let out a contented sigh. Spotless as expected. A nap called.
Bang, bang, bang! Nate opened one bleary eye. Gods, room service didn’t give up easily.
“You order me here, but don’t let me in.” Dominic’s irritated tone drifted through the thick door.
Nate grinned and got out of bed. He opened the door and Dominic hustled in, knocking into him with his bag. “Hello, bonded male-oh-mine.” Dominic smirked as he threw his bag on the floor. “Nice digs.”
“One needs standards,” Nathan drawled.
“So…” The air in the room thickened. “A mate? Really?”
“Really, truly. Gods, D. She’s stunning. Unusual looking. Different, but in the best way. She’s also a fighter.”
“Come again?”
“Yeah. She does this…cage fighting?”
“MMA shit?” Dominic’s jaw fell open.
“If that is two people in a cage, fighting, no holds barred, then yes, MMA shit.”
Dominic ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up at the front. “I can’t imagine how a dragon ever got involved in cage fighting?”
“Gods know. It’s shameful. We will not permit her to debase herself this way though!”
Dominic turned his face away, but Nate caught his smile. “You don’t think it is shameful, D?”
“I think it’s kind of cool. Different.”
“You would.” Nathan opened the mini-bar and pulled out a tumbler. He checked his watch, and had to look again. Almost seven, he needed to get ready. So did D. How the hell had he slept for so long?
“Get a shower and get changed. I’ll go after you. You want a drink?”
“Yeah, a beer. I’ll have it when I’m done making myself beautiful.” Dominic grabbed his bag, and sauntered into the bathroom.
They reached the bar a little after eight thirty. Nathan’s stomach kept doing a strange swirling thing. Nerves probably, except it had been so long since he’d felt nervous, he couldn’t say for sure.
Despite the frenetic heat and noise of the crowd, he spotted her straight away. Off to one side, Ice fiddled with the straw in her drink and stared at the bar. Hmm, bored it seemed. Hopefully her night was about to get all kinds of interesting.
Dominic kept to his side, and when they got close, Dom took a sharp breath.
His bonded male whispered a quiet, Jesus, under his breath.
“Told you,” Nathan said. “Made for us.”
“You weren’t wrong.”
Ice lifted her eyes from the bar as they approached. She looked at Nathan first, then Dominic. Her gaze flicked back and forth between them, and a sweet wash of color settled over her cheeks. Good! They affected her.
“Ooooh, hello handsome. You came.” Natalie thrust her chest out and smiled at him, licking her lips.
Nathan flashed a smile in return and asked if anyone wanted drinks. Ice shook her head, but David and Natalie both gave him an order. It meant he’d an excuse to stand next to Ice at the bar.
Without a glance at each other, he and Dominic choreographed it beautifully. He went to Ice’s left and Dominic to her other side.
As Nate waited for the barman to notice him, he wondered how long she’d keep pretending she didn’t know he and Dominic were her matches. Why she wanted to play this game he’d no idea, but he’d play along for now.
“So,” Dominic said. “You’re a fighter?”
“Yes.”
Dominic lowered his voice and asked, “Don’t your clan care? They could discipline you for such behavior.”
“Clan?” Ice turned toward Dominic. “Do you mean my family?”
“Yes,” Dominic said. “Your dragon clan.”
Ice pulled back a little, bumping her ass into Nathan, who clenched his fists to keep from touching her. Her scent had his balls in a vise, her warmth cracking his control.
“Sorry, you’re not making sense.” She turned back to the bar.
Nathan believed her reply. Her heart rate didn’t spike and she didn’t perspire. He was a bona fide lie detector when he put his mind to it. Dominic’s raised eyebrows gave away his surprise at her response.
The next moment a pretty blonde pushed her way between Dominic and Ice.
“Heya, babe,” she purred, and wrapped her arms around Ice.
“Hi Sian.” Ice squeezed in return. “Do you want a drink?”
“Allow me,” Nathan interrupted.
“Oh, hi there.” The blonde surveyed him, her eyes doing a full sweep of his body. Her pupils dilated. “And you are?”
“Nathan. A friend of David’s, who it seems, is a friend of Natalie’s.”
He pointed to Dominic still behind Sian. “This is Dominic.”
Dom waved and Sian giggled.
“So…a drink?” Nathan asked.
“Yes please. I’ll have a gin and tonic. You look pretty empty there, babe.” Sian pointed to Ice’s glass. “Will you buy Ice a drink, too?”
“My pleasure.” Nathan smiled and Ice clocked it. Her heart rate kicked up a notc
h and her breathing quickened.
Good. Despite the unbelievable notion of her not seeming to know her heritage, that heritage owned her innate responses.
Nathan ordered three gin and tonics—specifying Bombay Sapphire for the gin, and three beers for him, David, and Dominic.
“How long have you two known one another?” Dom asked.
“Nearly all our lives. I met Ice, Claire as she was known then, when she moved in next door, aged about four…five?”
“Four.” Ice supplied.
“Her mum and dad, and my parents, are good friends.”
So Ice had lived amongst humans since the age of four. She wasn’t playing a game. She’d no clue what Nathan or Dominic were. More to the point, she’d no clue about herself.
Holy fuck! They’d found a dragon female who didn’t know what the hell she was.
Chapter Three
Ice shivered as they stepped out into the cool night air. She’d a nice buzz going on. She’d only had three gin and tonics before changing to lemonade, but she didn’t drink much due to her training.
Sian and she had talked in the toilets. Sian telling her that—the frankly hot as hell—Nathan was clearly into her and she should go for it. Or as Sian actually put it. “Have a casual fuck with Mr. McHottie and put loser Carl out of your mind for good.”
Ice had split from her boyfriend, Carl, when Sian found him on Tinder. Not that she cared an awful lot. Other than Sian and her parents, Ice didn’t get close to people. Too damn afraid of hurting someone by accident.
“Would you ladies like to accompany us back to our hotel and get a drink in the bar there? We’re at the Radisson.” Dominic smiled at them. God, he was as hot as Nathan when it came down to it.
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