Page 6 of Dragon Rivals of New York (Dragons of New York #3)

Chapter 6

Kyro

“ I ’d like to discuss that mammoth monster you have in your pants.” Jethro’s grin boils my blood. Heat puffs from my nostrils as I try to keep myself from shifting. I can’t believe the goddess would do this. Or… oooh… maybe I can.

A smile threatens my lips. “She’s mine.”

“We shared her just fine tonight.” Jethro sits down at an empty table, leaning back and letting his gaze trail over me. “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. I felt your enjoyment myself.”

“That had nothing to do with you.” I take the seat across from him and stare him down. “She’ll be in the silver pool at the end of the week.”

Jethro throws his head back and laughs. Bastard .

It doesn’t phase me, though. For the first time all night, I understand what’s happening, why the goddess has given me the same mate as fucking fuckboy Jethro. This is poetic justice. And that means I’m going to win.

“Are you smiling?” Jethro asks. “Goddess above, I’ve never seen you smile before. It’s terrifying.”

“We should divide up the week.” I cross my arms over my chest.

Jethro’s gaze drops to my forearms, then back to my face. “I’m not dividing the week. We’re doing this together. I’ve already got ideas and—”

“I don’t share.”

“Well, you’re gonna need to learn how. Maybe you can sit in on Sora’s first grade class. I’m sure they could teach you a lot.” He rests his forearms on the table. “Not as much as I could teach you, though.”

Fuck his smart ass smirk. The man needs to be gagged.

Planting my elbows on the tabletop, I lean forward. I won’t let his cocky flirting get to me. He can’t intimidate me, and he won’t scare me off with innuendos and insults. I lean closer, our faces inches apart. He blinks, but doesn’t retreat.

“You can have Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday,” I say. “I’ll take Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow’s the wedding.” I can’t keep Jethro from going to the wedding since it’s his best friend who’s getting married. “And Finley’s transformation.”

My lips twitch up. Since Finley is part of the Silver Horde, her transformation will happen at our temple. In the silver pool. I’m certain Jethro, as well as the other higher ups in the Gold Horde, have been invited, but I could ensure that the invitation is rescinded.

A drop of sweat eases down the side of his face. We’re close enough that I would barely have to tilt my head and lean forward to lick it. He should be sweating. I’m about to steal his mate.

“She’s not going to the transformation,” Jethro says.

“Why not?”

“Because she hasn’t made her decision yet. Adrianna told Midas.”

“She’s my mate. She’s coming.” It’s not surprising to me that my queen said Sora couldn’t come, but once Adrianna knows Sora’s my mate, she’ll change her mind.

“You’re right. We could make a pretty convincing argument for her attendance. Considering she has two dragon mates.”

When I scowl, his gaze drops to my lips.

The chair scratches the floor as I stand. “I’ll talk to my queen.”

“Good. Because I would be very excited to give Sora the full experience of the first night of Goddess Week.”

My brows pinch. “It’s dangerous for humans to be part of the dance. The drums are too much for—”

“I have other things in mind.”

Fucker better not be implying what I think he’s implying. Jethro has a reputation. He’s fun, charming, and fucks like a god. I’m not known for being any of those things. Though the last one is only because I don’t sleep around the way he does. The few women I’ve been with have left well satisfied and always came back for more.

I won’t have him stealing my mate just because he knows how to party and is good with his cock.

Fire burning my gut and smoke puffing out of me, I sit back down. “We should set some ground rules.”

“Oh, no, I don’t think so.” He leans back. “You’re going to tell me we should only go so far with her physically or some bullshit like that, aren’t you? Keep things even between us.” His laugh is biting. “I won’t dictate what my mate can and can’t have. If she wants my cock, she’ll get it. I’m going to give my mate whatever the hell she wants and everything she doesn’t know she needs. I’m not holding back. You shouldn’t either.” He leans forward, forearms on the table. “We promised her experiences, so I say we give them to her.”

Fuck, the asshole is right. The confidence I was feeling melts as I take in his fancy suit, his handsome smile, his muscular build, the expensive watch on his wrist. Why did I think I could beat him?

He already took one mate from me. Now, he’s going to take another. The thought stings like a burn.

“What are you worried about, Ky?”

“Don’t call me that,” I snap.

Jethro sighs and rests his head in his hand, his elbow on the table as he tilts his head at me. “You know, we should be working together. Not competing. The goddess gave her to both of us. There has to be some reason.”

“I know the reason.” Unable to look at his infuriating face a minute longer, I stand and stomp off.