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When we materialize outside of Full Moon, I keep an arm around Mac’s shoulders until he casually slips out of my grasp.

Tonight is the perfect chance to show him that I’m mate material.

It can be like a first date. The fact that there’s some work to be done only makes it more perfect, if you ask me.

We’ll have a few drinks, dance together, interrogate a sorcerer… I can’t imagine a better first date.

Cassius checks his watch while Roman leads the way to the club entrance.

“We have about an hour until Alenor is supposed to be here. So, have some fun and I’ll let you know when he arrives.”

“Hell yeah, we’ll have some fun!” Roman howls, scooping Cassius up and hoisting him over his shoulder. Cas hisses but doesn’t actually fight the rowdy canine, and Atlas casts a long-suffering look at the two of them and pulls the door open for us.

The smell of magic and the dizzying combination of scents from dozens of different species wash over us as we step inside, along with the heavy thump of bass from the music.

I can feel the complicated tangle of Mac’s uncertainty as we step into the dimly lit club.

He glances at me, then towards the bar, like he can’t decide what he should do.

Perfect, time to show him what a good mate I can be.

“Do you want to dance?” I ask close to his ear.

I can feel the shiver that works its way through him, see the ripple of his scales creeping up his arms and then vanishing beneath his soft human skin again.

The warring tug of his desires has become familiar to me in the past few days, but tonight I want him to see what it feels like to just relax and trust me.

“Dance with me,” I say again, more firmly this time, reaching for his hand and tugging him towards the writhing sea of bodies moving to the beat of the music.

“Do you even know how to dance?” There’s a hint of teasing in his voice and a lot of curiosity in his gaze.

“Only one way to find out.” I flash him a smile and pull him onto the dance floor.

In all honesty, I haven’t danced before, but it doesn’t look that difficult.

Everyone else seems to be swaying and gyrating to the music, pressed together like they might be fucking if clothes weren’t in the way.

Mac arches an eyebrow at me expectantly and I decide that the only thing to do is just figure it out as I go.

I put my hands on his waist and pull him close to me, our bodies finding a way to fit together that feels natural and more intoxicating than all the pheromones hanging in the air around us like a thick cologne.

Mac drapes his arms over my shoulders and starts to rock his hips to the beat.

It only takes me a few clumsy seconds to find the rhythm.

And the best part of dancing is that I have the excuse to put my hands on my mate, as long as I don’t use that word and scare him away.

During my downtime this week, I gathered all of the books I could on human dating, and I think I’m ready to try out some of the wooing techniques.

“You have very nice eyes.” I lean in so he can hear me clearly over the music. “They’re just the right size for your face.”

Mac sputters a laugh.

“Um, thanks?”

I nod. “Tell me about your interests.”

He chuckles again. “Right now? It’s a little loud for that, don’t you think?”

“Oh, right.” Maybe a club isn’t as good a place for a first date as I thought. “Do you want to go somewhere quieter so we can talk?”

“I thought you wanted to dance? Besides, we should really be close by so we’re ready when Alenor gets here.”

“Of course,” I murmur. What else did the books say? Compliments, check. Asking them about themselves, check but kind of a fail. Share your thoughts and be open. I’ll try that. “I think pickles are kind of a stupid human food.”

Mac’s whole body quakes, and I pull back from his ear to see if he’s okay. He appears to be laughing even harder now, losing the rhythm of our dance as his face scrunches up and his eyes leak from the apparent humor of my honesty.

“Drax, why are you being so strange?”

Strange? Damn, I must have picked the wrong book.

I’ll have to be more diligent with the next one.

I suppose we can just dance for now. I give him an apologetic smile and bury my face in the crook of his neck to get a much-needed breath of his delicious scent.

As soon as I inhale, he warms, and his scent gets a little spicier.

I make a happy noise in my throat and notice the way his cock swells against my thigh as our hips move together to the music. I think I like dancing.

I slide my hands from his waist to his lovely, round ass cheeks and squeeze them. I understand now that I’ll need to woo him before he might want to enjoy each other’s flesh again, and I can wait, but I hope he isn’t offended by the way this closeness is affecting my cock too.

He groans softly, barely audible over the music, and his skin ripples with scales again.

They shimmer beautifully under the club lights.

The skin of his neck is replaced with the silky, strong armor of his dragon skin, and I can’t help myself.

I dip my head low again and run my tongue over his scales.

Mac moans a little louder. His knees quake and he melts against me.

“Drax,” he gasps my name so beautifully.

“Yes, mate?” I murmur.

“ Our man Alenor is here. ” I growl at Cassius’s voice in my head, and Mac blinks out of his momentary stupor.

He smiles, taking a step back to put some space between us.

“Let’s go meet this sorcerer and see what he knows.”