Page 31 of So I Dared a Dragon (The Mating Game #6)

thirty-one

. . .

Aarix

I’d spent the last few days exploring every inch of Calista. Drinking in her incredible energy. She hadn’t just shifted into a dragon, she’d blossomed. All the self-doubt was gone, and my mate was no longer dimming her light to let others shine.

She was a rare jewel, and I would treasure her for the rest of time.

When we needed time to recover and recharge, we explored the Alta Vista hotel. It had become the sparkly home away from home for The Mating Game , and I wondered why Bibi had chosen Sunset Springs over Las Vegas, because she was truly in her element here.

There was no shortage of shiny things, but nothing was more dazzling than my mate.

After a few days of gambling, heavy-metal burlesque shows starring vampires, massages, shopping, and all the food we could possibly eat, I was starting to feel explosive. Too big for the giant resort.

I stood between Hugo and Luca, who’d found himself drawn to Darcy in that same—if an even more dangerous and inexplicable—way that I had with my own mate, as the cameras did their final checks.

“I’m thrilled Bibi’s made a full recovery,” I said. “But I think our approach is sending the wrong message.”

Hugo raised a brow. “Tell me what message you think we should be sending.”

The wolf had his shortcomings—but he was always willing to do something different and learn from his mistakes. And he would do absolutely anything for his mate. Now I could understand why he’d been so skeptical of mine, because he was protecting what belonged to him.

“I’ve had fun at the hotel, and the ladies are getting used to their new bodies, but we can’t keep hiding. The Montana pack isn’t pulling the strings. That fight made a statement, but it will be an annoyance to whoever sent them to do their dirty work. Calista and Darcy might not be familiar with their dragon forms, but we just got much more powerful.”

“I’ve done some research on the lost dragon.” Luca’s cheeks pinked when he talked about his new jewel.

I grinned at him. “Research outside the bedroom?”

“Don’t discount the value of the subconscious mind when in an exalted state.” His eyes sparkled. “Finding information on Darcy’s past was much easier once she could fill in the blanks for me. Of course, it’s not easy to think straight in those moments, but keeping focus has been highly beneficial.”

Bibi sauntered into the room, in a shiny copper catsuit and her wildest wig yet—it fell to her waist in shades of orange, gold, and brown.

Bibi le Bonnet was back, and she’d make sure everyone knew it.

“Is that a unicorn horn on your head?” I asked.

“Oh, this old thing?” She fluffed her hair and winked. “I’m thrilled you said something. I wasn’t sure if you were familiar with unicorns. It’s always hard to know what you had access to last time you were free.”

“We read about them in books, but have never seen them in real life.”

Bibi’s lips turned into a grin that could rival the lights on the Strip. “Gentlemen, you’re in for a treat, because you’ll see unicorns, up close and personal, in all their glory tonight. I’m so excited to introduce you to my friends, The Horny Hunks. It’s not like anything you’ve ever seen before. First, we deserve to have a little fun after I made everyone dote on me for the last few days. Let’s play a little game.”

I groaned. Calista had been off with the ladies most of the day and I had an insatiable craving that would only be sated by taking her in my arms and tasting her kiss.

“Think of it as prep for the next stage of The Mating Game journey. Luca, you can play too, even though this isn’t your episode. We’re nothing if not flexible on this show.” Bibi chuckled. “We didn’t get a chance to have you answer questions from the ladies on stage, so I have them asking a question sight unseen.”

“Ask me anything,” I said.

“Same,” Luca added.

Bibi pressed her hand to her ear. “Darcy, you’re up first.”

“Luca, I know you love history. If you could go back and take part in any historical event or era, what would it be and why?”

“What a fantastic question. I would love to go back to ancient Rome. We were alive at the time, but we had no idea the innovations they were making. Not to mention the debauchery.”

Darcy entered the room. She looked amazing, in a blue dress that looked like one long strip of fabric that had been draped over her body, showing hints of the scales on her stomach and back. Her blonde hair had been braided and pulled over one shoulder.

She only had eyes for Luca, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way they kissed made me question if they’d be seeing any show they didn’t star in.

“Hey, Aarix.” Calista’s voice booming over the speakers made every part of my body snap to attention. “I just have a quick question for you. You arrived on stage just a little too late to answer this the first time, and I’d really love to hear your take. What makes you a good mate?”

“Patience,” I said. “When I first laid eyes on you all those years ago, I knew you were mine. But the only thing I could do was dream about you for centuries. I’m pretty sure I’ve imagined every single thing we could do together. But having you in my arms is much better than anything I could’ve ever dreamed about.”

I didn’t wait for her to come out. I strode toward the opening where Darcy had appeared and found Calista. I drew her into my arms. “But having you by my side makes me a better dragon.”

“You were worth the wait,” she said as she put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

“Let me see you,” I said against her cheek. “The other ladies are all dressed up.”

Her eyes glowed with a cool, confident blue flame as she led me to the middle of the room. My mate wore a short, close-fitting golden dress that shimmered with every move. Her shoulders were bare, and the scales on her chest were in full view.

She looked naked without the Guardian Stone. The first thing we’d do when we were done with the show was go back to that desert and find it.

Best case scenario. That assumed that no one beat us to it, and we could free the Rocky Mountain dragons without it.

Calista’s intuition was much more sensitive, and she frowned, sensing my apprehension. “I hope to become your favorite shiny thing.”

“There’s no competition.”

Bibi clasped her hands together. “Are we ready to go see the Hunks?”

“So ready.” Calista beamed at me.

Hugo stepped forward. “There will be paparazzi outside. The ladies did a quick press conference while they were getting ready to set the record straight about the incident in the desert. But reporters get views by catching us off guard. Don’t let them get under your scales. You’re under no obligation to answer them.”

I leaned in close to Calista. “Let’s go explore Sin City, sunshine.”

“I can’t wait to sin with you.” She took me by the hand and led me out of the room. I would follow this woman anywhere.

The group followed us. Magnus was part of the security team for the night. It would be a good role for him, and if The Mating Game continued, I’d talk to Hugo about keeping him on. The two of them seemed to get along. Magnus was meticulous with details and a great fighter. He could be the piece this team needed.

It all depended on what we found in that mountain…

There was a tension in our group as the elevator brought us back to earth that made me think I wasn’t the only one fixed on the future. The hotel lobby buzzed with people living in the present moment as they poured in for the night’s festivities.

As promised, paparazzi choked the entrance, shouting questions at us as we made our way to the vans.

“Aarix!” one of them called out.

I kept going, squeezing Calista’s hand, remembering Hugo’s advice. They’d already been briefed on everything they needed to know about the show.

Somehow, I felt naked. Not a thing that usually bothered me, but I was at a definite disadvantage.

“Aarix!” another one called out. “How will you make your freedom permanent after the show?”

I stopped, but Calista didn’t. She tugged on my arm. “They’re just trying to get under your scales.”

I didn’t want to tell my mate they’d succeeded. But she’d know. She’d be able to feel the way my heartbeat sped up and the way my temperature spiked at their question.

“I’m not sure why that would be a concern,” I said, stepping forward.

“We talked to the Night God, and he said, and I quote—” The reporter waited until he had my full attention. There was no way he talked to the Night God. Something about this guy that was off, like his skin didn’t fit quite right, and I wondered how many forms the Night God could take, because the way his eyes turned red made me think it was him hiding in this skin. “This time, I’ll send him straight to hell before he has a chance to claim his mate.”