Page 9 of Tempting Her Dragons (Embracing The Bond #10)

Chapter Nine

Maverick

T he music of the club and the many voices around me drown out the clack of my lighter. It didn’t take long before I had the urge to hold it in my hand. I’m surprised the lid hasn’t broken yet. The constant stimulation is pounding through my skull. I don’t socialize, and if I have to, it’s not for long. I don’t mind Saphira’s family; I understand their need to learn about her mates. No one is overtly hostile. They are polite and genuinely interested in our lives. Kingston blurting out some of our past wasn’t unusual, but we have shared more in the last twenty-four hours than our whole lives. We will share more, but not until we do with Saphira.

I’ve never seen so many different shifters and vampires in the same room, casually and proclaimed family. The wolf, River, is hilarious. I watched him curiously as he had a tender moment with Saphira. He seems to look at her as a sister figure and I hope to learn about their relationship. His brother is an Alpha but not a dick about it. The dedication they show their mate is commendable.

I used to know a lion. He was nothing like the three men sitting across from me. Their mate is beautiful and easily switches between the brothers.

My lips twitch as I watch the cowboy cheetah, Elijah, joke with one of the panthers. He holds his pregnant mate close, his hand constantly gravitating to her stomach. His cowboy hat is pushed back on his head, and he smiles around the toothpick in his mouth.

My attention is constantly drawn to the white-haired vampire called Bash. Not because he is the loudest in the room—quite the opposite. He sits with his mate close to his side, his body on the verge of attacking anyone who thinks of doing her any harm. Being four-hundred-years-old and mated is a warning to anyone stupid enough to fuck with him. He earned my respect even though he wouldn’t give a shit if he knew of my thoughts.

The bear, Quinn, is dangerous. I have met some vicious bear shifters in my life. He seems loyal to the people here and the lovely mate who hasn’t let go of his hand. I think he could turn on a dime and rip someone’s head off if threatened.

I’m not scared of any of them. Some could be a worthy opponent. There is one man who stands out. He doesn’t say much and keeps to the corner, his eyes constantly moving around the room and the club. He holds a cane in his hand, but it serves a different purpose than balance. His suit is slick but hides a beast within it. I wonder why no one else is afraid of his animal. Do they not know what he is? If they did, they would be leery of keeping his company. I noticed Saphira greet him as a friend, and I held back from interfering, but was ready to move toward them at the first sign of trouble. I’m glad he seems to have a soft spot for her. His animal is deadly and presumed extinct in the shifter world. The real animal is plentiful in the human world.

I can’t wait until Mom meets Sally. They will be trouble together.

The vampires are all-powerful. We want all of them on our side.

Kingston is tense beside me, but no one else would know. He projects calmness on the outside. I have been by his side for too long not to notice his agitation. His fingers gravitate toward the rope, but he stops himself, and I wonder if Saphira has noticed. Her curiosity about it may urge him to share the story of it with her. I know he’s ready to be alone with our mate without all the noise of the club.

Saphira is walking away with Sally, intent on the bar outside of the wide archway of the room at the end of the walkway. I can’t help watching the sway of her ass. She is stunning in every way, and I want to take her home and taste her. We will go as slow as she needs, but we are hanging on by a thread.

I narrow my eyes as I see a man bending down to tie his shoe just as Saphira stops in the line to the bar beside him. I snap my lighter shut, shove it in my pocket, and launch out of my seat.

In seconds, my foot stomps down on his hand, the phone sliding out of his trapped fingers, the camera open. I crouch in front of him, my elbows balanced on my knees, his surprised cry pleasing my dragon.

“Did I mistake your intention?” I ask harshly, leaning close.

“What the fuck?” he whines. I pick up his phone and throw it behind me, knowing King is there to catch it.

“King, is there a picture of our mate on there? Perhaps snapped up her dress?” I growl, ignoring the group surrounding us.

“There is,” King says through gritted teeth. My murderous gaze locks on the fucker.

“Did you have to tie your shoe, and the camera accidentally went off?” He stays silent, his jaw grinding. “Tie your shoe,” I command.

“What?” he asks, his eyes leave mine briefly as he looks down.

“Tie your shoe,” I repeat slowly.

“My hand,” he whispers.

“Right, my bad.” I lift my foot enough so he can slide his hand away.

“Fuck, you broke my fingers.” His hands hover over his shoe; the laces are clearly double-knotted.

“Shit, sorry.” I grab his wrist and twist harshly. “I meant to break your wrist.” He bites his lip, holding his dangling hand to his chest. I reach behind him, my hand digging into his neck, and yank him close. When we are nose to nose, I ask, “Do you know what I am?”

“Yes,” he whispers. I smell the fear saturating his scent. He’s a coyote, and I could kill him in an instant.

“I could burn you to a crisp with one breath. You would be nothing but ash in seconds.” His nostrils flare, the alcohol on his breath washing over me. “I could give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you got drunk and did something stupid, but I don’t think so. I might be doing the owners of the club and the women in it who may have their pictures on your phone a favor by killing you.”

“Please,” he begs, his neck straining.

I tighten my hand. “My brother is going to keep your phone. You will leave the club and never fucking come back.”

“I won’t,” he swears.

“Apologize to my mate,” I demand, and he tries to pull away. “No. You don’t need to look at her to do it.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“That was a shit apology,” I say. “Do it again.”

“I’m sorry for taking your picture,” he rushes to say.

“I’ll take it.” I sit back on my heels, and he lets out a breath. He thinks it’s over. I pull him forward, and his knees hit the ground as I bring my elbow up at the same time. His nose cracks when it impacts, and his blood flows down his face. He gasps for breath. “Before you leave, I will get your name and address. Don’t make me find you by doing something stupid.” I let go, and he falls on his ass. “Nod, if you understand.” I can’t tell if he nods or it’s the severe trembling. Close enough.

I stand slowly, noticing the wide eyes focused my way. The Alpha panther, Jax, walks through the bodies easily, along with his brothers. He holds my eyes, and I wait for his reaction.

“We’ll take it from here,” he says, gripping the crying man by his hair and pulling him from the floor.

“You have blood on your elbow,” Blue, his brother, says easily.

“Here,” the other brother, James, says, handing me a cloth. “I always carry them. Blue doesn’t like assholes.”

“Thanks,” I say, a little confused by their acceptance.

“Finally, some blood,” River grins. “These gatherings have gotten boring. Way too normal.” He takes a big bite of a cupcake.

“Great, more memories to change,” Bash says. “I should start charging.” He moves toward the humans in the area, along with Micah and Ryker.

“So hot,” Sally says in Saphira’s ear. “You better get some of that.” She points to me. “And I’ll get our drinks.” She wiggles her eyebrows and moves to the bar.

I wait for Saphira’s reaction. I never want to scare her.

“Were you watching my ass?” she asks, walking forward.

“Yes.” She doesn’t stop until her breasts brush against my chest.

“I like your eyes on me,” she whispers.

“Good. They will be all the time.”

She slides her hands up my chest, yanks me by the collar, and puts her lips on mine.

I let her control the kiss. It starts slow but quickly goes wild. Her hands move up to my hair and grip. I hold her close, my palms sliding over her ass. Her heat begs to be satisfied, and if we weren’t in a room full of people, I would throw her down and fuck her. A kiss was never important to me; the act was just something you did when you were with a woman. Sure, it could be pleasant, but I didn’t need it. With Saphira, I could kiss her for days and never tire of her luscious mouth. She uses her whole body when she presses her lips against mine. She makes little noises in the back of her throat that drive me nuts.

“Fuck, that’s enough,” Laken grunts.

She pulls back and licks her lips. “Sally was right. That was hot.” She surprises the fuck out of me.

“Good job, brother,” King says. He squeezes my shoulder and takes Saphira’s hand with his other. “Will you stay by us for a while?” he asks her, but it’s more of a demand.

“Such a hardship,” she smirks and slides her hand in mine.

We turn as a unit, and I catch the gaze of Heath. He nods and walks away.

Shit, I got the approval of a beast.

Once we take our seats, Sally struts over with the drinks. Everyone starts a conversation again as if nothing odd happened. King holds the coyote’s phone, scowling while he goes through the pictures.

“King,” Quinn calls, and we turn to him. “Would you trust me with the phone?”

“Why?” King asks. He doesn’t mean to be rude; he genuinely wants the answer.

“I run an investigation agency. I could dig into his life and his pictures. I could find out if he has done this all the time. How many women? Does he hit up all the clubs? Or is there more to this?” Quinn explains, clearly not taking offense. He is the kind of man who likes things straightforward.

“What do you do at your agency? Exactly,” King says.

“I help catch cheating spouses and missing people. The other side is complicated. We help women get away from men who abuse them.” He leans forward. “It’s a delicate balance between the shifter world and dealing with human police.”

“Interesting,” King mutters. “I deleted Saphira’s picture, but it would be good to ensure others aren’t being subjected to his interest.” He holds the phone out. “Would you be willing to let me know how it goes? Maybe have a conversation about your business sometime?”

“I will.” Quinn puts the phone in his pocket. “Anytime you want to talk, I’m willing.”

“Thanks.” I share a look with King. Our businesses could link up in the future.

Everyone’s attention whips toward Sally when she laughs uproariously, leaning heavily against Penny.

“Fuck,” she gasps. “Tie your shoe,” she mimics my voice. “Not once but twice.” She holds up two fingers, her hand shaking. “Classic. I love these fucking parties.” More laughter travels throughout the group. Saphira giggles, wrapping her hand around my bicep.

Sally. My lips twitch.

Our mate is drunk.

She leans heavily against King’s side as I unlock her front door.

She’s still giggling.

Shifters don’t easily become intoxicated. It takes a lot of alcohol to achieve the level of drunk that humans can get to with very little. It won’t last long, but she is enjoying the giddiness of the moment. Her dragon body will burn off the drinks soon.

I swing open the door, and King practically carries her inside.

“That was so much fun,” she sings, pulling away from King, swaying toward her bedroom. “I hope you liked them.” I lock the door. “They liked you. Sally thinks you are the best, she told me so. My brothers approved, especially when you defended my honor. This crew loves to see the blood of pricks.” She twists, reaching for the zipper of her dress as she reaches her bedroom door. “What did you think about Heath? I always thought he was yummy; now I can’t stop thinking about you guys.” She drops her hands, frustrated with her zipper. “I can’t do it.” I get there before King, easily easing it down. “Oh, thanks.”

“Anytime, baby,” I mumble.

“Mmm…” She pushes her sleeve off her shoulder. “I love your voice. Both of you.” She stumbles into the room, and we both reach out, afraid she will fall. “I’m good. I’m good.” She holds out her arms, balancing. “Did I tell you how good you both looked tonight?” She spins to face us.

“You did.” King leans against the doorjamb.

“Good.” She nods and pushes her dress down. I ball my fists; she is stunning. She stands in nothing but her black lace panties and strapless matching bra. “You wouldn’t make me choose between you and my family, right?”

“Never,” I say.

“That’s what I thought.” She twirls around, facing the bed, and reaches up, pressing her palms to the mattress. “I knew it would go well. I knew you guys wouldn’t let it go bad.” She hops, and we are presented with her gorgeous ass. The upper part of her body is on the mattress. “I got it,” she says.

“Firefly,” King laughs. “Are you sure?”

“Yep,” she insists, wiggling while pulling with her hands.

“Baby,” I groan, my cock hardening at the first wiggle.

“Don’t worry.” She succeeds and rolls to the edge to face us. “Will you sleep with me?”

“You want us to sleep in the bed floating in the air?” I ask.

“I don’t think it will hold us,” King says.

“It will. My brothers made sure it was stable.” She pats the bed. “Please.”

How the fuck are we going to resist her?