Page 16 of Starting Over
“I can,” Wyatt said, following Jude and Rain to the cabin, all of them turning and looking up when they heard a loud rumble. “It’s my men.”
Three large dragons landed and shifted, Ryan calling out, “What the hell’s going on? I saw you shift and then you had Rain in the air and… oh hey,” Ryan said as he got closer, “I’m Ryan one of Wyatt’s Thunder members. This is Asod and Tandris.”
Jude started moving Rain back into the cabin, calling back, “I’m Jude, but I suspect you already know that. Everyone get inside. I don’t have neighbors here, but I also don’t want to take any chances. Rain’s screams could have alerted people to our location as it is.”
“S… S… Sorry,” Rain said, with chattering teeth.
“We’ll talk about this after we get you dried and warm. Wyatt, get the fire going. Ryan, you or one of your friends can make Rain some hot tea.”
“Damn, that man is used to giving orders,” Ryan muttered.
“And I’m even more used to them being followed,” Jude snapped back. “Come on, Rain, we need to get you out of those wet clothes and into a warm shower.”
“I… I…”
Jude pushed the bathroom door open and shoved Rain inside, “If you’re going to say anything other then yes sir, I suggest you shut up and do as I say. We need to do what we can to keep hypothermia from setting in. That river is cold in the summer and we’re in the fall that means those temperatures are most likely below zero. Now get undressed and don’t worry about your bits and pieces. If they are even visible right now, I’ve already seen my fair share of dick and balls. I’m a fucking doctor.”
Wyatt heard the water turn on and watched as Jude stepped out of the bathroom, making his way to a room across from it. When he saw Wyatt standing there, he snapped, “Is that fire started yet?”
Something in the man’s tone had Wyatt moving before he even thought about it.
“That man can’t be human. He’s fucking scaring my dragon,” Tandris muttered as he helped toss paper and small kindling into the fireplace.
Snorting, Wyatt replied, “Mine too.”
“What the fuck even happened? Ryan showed up at camp screaming that you shifted and had Rain dangling in the air? Did Danny do something? Did you see him?” Tandris asked.
Shaking his head, Wyatt explained all that had gone on. When he finished, Tandris let out a low whistle, murmuring, “That was a really stupid thing to do.”
“Tell me about it. I thought my dragon was going to lose his minds. Hell, I didn’t even have to think about it and I was shifted and in the air. Honestly, I think he would have dove face first into the water had Rain not popped back up to the surface,” Wyatt said, with a shake of his head.
“Huh, that is interesting,” Tandris said as he added wood to the top of the kindling.
“Is he your mate?” Asod asked, in the way he always did, without warning.
Wyatt turned to the man, “What?”
“You said your dragon has taken an interest in Rain since the picture alone. He shifted without you even calling on him. We were taught as children that we might not know our mate on sight, but our dragons would know, and we are to always listen to our dragons. It’s just a thought,” Asod said as he walked towards the kitchen.
Mate? There’s no way Rain could be his mate… right? He’d know… his parents said… no, Asod was right. They said that he might not know, but his dragon would.“Is Rain our mate?”
Wyatt damn near fell over when his dragon gave him a mental hum, then gave a long sigh, sounding,“Yessss.”
CHAPTER 7
Rain sat on the toilet seat dressed in a sweatsuit Jude had gotten from the clothes Jude had bought him a few days ago. Rain had tried to tell the man no, but Rain remembered his exact quote, “I refuse to live with a funky man smelling like ball sweat for the forthcoming days. Now shut it and let me do this. If it makes this feel better, think of it as me doing this for me more so than you.”
Rain dropped his head down and covered his face with his hands, thinking to himself what a stupid, brainless fuck he’d been trying to leave the way he did. He’d not only upset Jude, who had been nothing but wonderful to him, he’d also made an ass out of himself in front of his mate.
Yes, he’d met his mate.
“What a way to do that, dumbass,” Rain muttered to himself.
In all the ways Rain had ever thought about meeting his mate for the first time, never once did having to be rescued from almost drowning make the list.
A hard knock had Rain jumping, as Jude snapped, “Quit pouting and get your ass out here. Your tea is going to get cold.”
Rain let out a loud breath and stood up, but didn’t move… that was until Jude shouted, “Now, Rain!”