Page 91 of The Dragon's Gambit

“Let’s not go down this road.” Reiya patted Xander's back. It was not the time to get into his crude jokes.

“You mean the jokes like how he gets his jollies off when you hurt him?” Dex said with a wicked grin.

Yep, these men loved to provoke each other. The problem was, they unknowingly were provoking their deity.

“What was said?” Xander growled.

“Hey!” Reiya slapped the back of Xander's head. “I said we weren’t going down this road, remember?” Then she pointed at Dex. “And don’t think you won’t get smacked, too. So I’d zip it.”

Xander tugged her into his side and chuckled at the little spitfire, while Dex whistled.

“I think you have your hands full there, Xander.” Dex grinned as he stared at Reiya in amusement.

“From now on, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say I’m bored.” Xander chuckled and gave a side glance at Levi, basically telling Levi that Reiya would definitely keep him on his toes.

Lee stood behind Reiya and Xander quietly, a small smile on his face. Her being his mate was perfect. She was the picture-perfect fit. She wasn’t intimidated by anyone. She wasn’t power hungry. She didn’t care about any of that. She really was the person who could stand next to him on equal footing.

Loving her just came easily and naturally. She wasn’t just his mate, but the girl he had fallen in love with. The deeper he fell, the more the bond pulled. Every day he felt his heart swell for her. She gave him a new sense of life. And in all the years he had been alive, he was now actually living.

“It’s about time someone is able to smack Xander around a bit. It’s been long overdue.” Ruby giggled into Mason’s side. “So, are you nervous about tomorrow? If it makes you feel any better, I have to go through it publicly then, too. At least we get to be embarrassed at the same time.”

Reiya bit on her bottom lip. “I’m not thrilled about being a public spectacle. But I was informed that I don’t have a choice. I guess the unmated males need a way to get their jollies off …” Reiya rolled her eyes and Ruby giggled.

“Now, now … you’re making it sound like us dragons are a bunch of perverts. That’s not what it’s about at all. It’s for everyone to see and know that you’ve been accepted by your mate.” Weston leaned against the wall and listened as Reiya clicked her tongue in irritation.

“And that’s the other thing. It’s such a one-way street here. It’s the males showing their acceptance of the females. Like that’s the only part that matters. You don’t show it the other way around, with females claiming the man as theirs.” If they had to make a public spectacle of it to prove that they accepted one another, shouldn’t it go both ways?

Mason chuckled and Dex whistled again.

“Okay, now that’s hot. I want that. When I meet my mate, I want her to claim me publicly. Damn, why does Xander get the good one?” Weston eyed Reiya longingly with a small frown on his face.

“Please, Weston, you couldn’t handle a girl like Reiya.” Xander chuckled and kissed the top of Reiya’s head.

Ruby looked at Reiya. “I think I would be too embarrassed to do something like that.” She gave Mason a shy smile and felt him squeeze her tightly.

“Our angel can be Xander's handful. You just continue to be my gentle spark.” Mason leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“I’m just saying, women should at least have the option.” Reiya understood it wasn’t for everyone. But as it was now, it was just a man show. It was almost a dominance show. The man claiming his woman. The idea was really caveman to her. She was like her mother in that way. She didn’t have her wolf, but she felt the desire to claim. She wished she could mark Lee, so that everyone would know he was hers.

“So, do you plan to? Plan to mark Xander?” Dex was now smirking, looking at Reiya. He was putting her to the test. He figured she was all talk, but when she was put on the spot, she would bow out like any of the women would.

“When my wolf finally breaks out, yes. I am going to mark my mate. He’s mine, and I’m going to claim ownership of what belongs to me.”

Xander choked a bit on his spit then. He tilted his head to the side so he could look at Reiya and then Levi. She’d just said she planned to mark their deity! No one else knew that but him and Levi. Levi was looking at her with intense interest, a hidden smile resting on his lips, no doubt excited to hear how she wanted to claim him.

“Woooo … you sure you want Xander? I mean, my neck is bare over here …” Dex pulled his shirt to the side and leaned his neck out playfully.

Xander snarled at him. “This is my mate you’re talking about, so I’d be careful.”

Reiya giggled. “Now wait a minute. I was told that dragons marked each other.”

“Eh, not quite. They mark us with their scent, but they don’t brand us like we do to them.” Weston rubbed his neck wistfully. “I want to be claimed, too. Damnit, I don’t want Xander to have you.”

“Shut up, Weston. Go find your own mate already, so you can quit staring at mine,” Xander growled in irritation. The longing looks from Weston were now starting to irritate him. Not just him, though. He could hear the quiet, irritated sighs from Levi behind him. Weston had no idea who he was provoking here.

“You are the complete opposite of how I pictured a fairy princess,” Dex said in amusement.

“Yeah, that’s the werewolf in me, and the fact that I grew up in a wolf pack.” Reiya scrunched her nose and shrugged. Her grandmother was probably more like what they had in mind. However, she and her mother were not. But they were exactly what the fairy kingdom needed.