Page 82 of When Shadows Dream: Shadow Hounds

“No, you go. That way you can be with her while I shower after she’s out. I don’t want to leave her alone, just in case we aren’t back yet.”

“I understand, Az, but she wouldn’t be alone. Tana will be here if we aren’t.”

“It’s not the same,” he almost snapped.

“I know, Corazón. I feel it too. I’ll bring you back some clean clothes. I won’t be long,” he whispered, before he walked out of the room, his feet making nary a sound on the thickly padded carpet.

It was the fastest shower he’d ever taken. The urgency to get back to her, to both of them, pounded through his heart and flooded his body with a spike of adrenaline he’d pay the price for later when exhaustion came to call. He was thorough and made sure not a trace of the outside realm marred his skin. He had no idea what had happened out there to Jezzie, but he didn’t want to risk making it worse by leaving any trace of it on his being.

Once he was dry and dressed he grabbed some clothes from the other side of the dresser and headed for the door. Thank fuck for Leraie and her ability to conjure, plan ahead, or whatever she did that allowed her to provide for situations like their current one. It may not be their usual style, but it would do.

When he entered Jezzie’s room he found Roth exactly where he’d left him, down to the restless clenching of his fingers and staring at the door as if trying to will it open.

Athon placed Roth’s change of clothes on the end of Jezzie’s bed, and took a seat in the corner next to a bookcase overflowing with romance and fantasy novels where he still had a good view of Roth’s face and the bathroom door. His eyebrows rose at some of the titles, and some of the covers. Not that he’d ever read much in the way of romance before, he’d studied the Kama Sutra back when it was first written, yet he was fairly certain he could still learn a thing or two from the tomes on Jezzie’s bookshelves.

The minute Tana opened the door, Roth stepped forward, but she put up her hand and waved her fingers under her nose as if to say he stank. And then she actually said it.

“No touchy. You stinky. She’s nice and clean and you need a shower before you can get your greedy, big hands on my girl, yeah?” Tana half joked. “You, on the other hand, can give me a hand getting her settled in bed, while the big lug gets himself sorted,” she said, gesturing at him impatiently.

Athon may have snorted a little at the offended look on Roth’s face, but he rose from his seat and rushed forward, until Tana stopped him with a hand on his chest, and whispered softly to them.

“Be gentle. I’ve never seen her have such a visceral emotional reaction to a feeding before, from either a soul or anyone’s emotions. I don’t know what happened out there, or what went wrong, but if you hurt her? I’ll hunt you both down and make you squeal like little piggy’s when face to face with the big, bad wolf. And don’t let Azaroth touch her until he’s cleaned up.”

She turned back to the bathroom and ushered a fluffy robed and clearly exhausted Jezzie into the room. He carefully wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her over to her bed, tucking her in once Tana pulled back the sheets. He quickly picked up Roth’s clothes and placed them on the bathroom counter, shoved the sexy lug through the door with a quick kiss on the lips, and closed the door, before climbing in under the covers beside Jezzie and playing big spoon, little spoon.

She shivered slightly in his arms, as if her body were warming from a chill, so he hugged her tighter. She squirmed around until she faced him, and buried her face in his chest, her hand searching out his heartbeat. The moment Roth slid into the bed behind her and pressed up close, her breathing settled into the gentle rhythm of an exhausted slumber.

Nithe was going crazy. Her despair had filled his head, her pain a knife to his heart. He couldn’t get through to Jezzie. The mental wall had slammed down a few hours ago, and the only reason he hadn’t rushed back home to her was because Tana had been in contact to say she was safe, and the guys were taking care of her. So he waited. Albeit with little to no patience.

The guys had tried to distract him, but he wasn’t much fun. Thus, Rian and Dair had been bickering for the last half hour over whether to knock him out, or get him high. So high there was no way he could keep stomping through the place slamming doors and insulting everyone. So far he’d avoided both options simply because they couldn’t agree on whose idea was better.

It had halted his pacing though, and he’d found himself propped up against the door jamb, slightly amused by the creative insults they tossed back and forth at each other as the debate raged on. He wouldn’t be surprised at all if they started swatting at each other like little kids soon. Which is why he’d ushered over Grimm earlier and asked him if he could secretly record it all for later amusement. Grimm had just chuckled, propped himself on the other side of the doorway, and ordered some popcorn. Which he promptly started tossing at the verbally dueling idiots before them.

The familiar sting he always felt when away from Jezzie slashed across his heart again. A reminder of her pain. The dragon in him grumbled its discontent, and mentally he agreed. Thanks to Jezzie’s love his dragon side had come rushing back with more ease than he’d expected. Eager to be with her and to forget the years spent locked up tight in the buried depths of Nithe’s mind. Seeing and hearing everything, but held silent and still. He hated being away from their mate too. Possibly even more so than the male himself, however impossible it seemed. For Nithe ached for her nearness the moment he stepped away from her. Sometimes, he worried it was an unhealthy obsession, but Jezzie assured him she felt the pull as well, and that it was perfectly normal among mates.

He rubbed his hand subconsciously over his heart as he promised himself he’d be back by her side soon.

As one Rian and Dair turned to look at him, mischief on their faces, but at that very moment Nithe felt Jezzie reach out to him. A soft touch to soothe his ragged pulse. Her mind waking from a dreamless slumber. And suddenly his calm returned, as if by magic, and the tension in the palace noticeably dissipated.

“Anyone else need a big stiff drink?” he asked his companions cheerily.

“I’m pretty sure I need a big stiff something,” muttered Rian under his breath, causing Dair to stiffen and flush beside him.

Grimm laughed and clapped him on the back heartily. “One step ahead of you there, my friend. Let’s go to the den, shall we?”

He tossed a look back over his shoulder and winked at Rian before he said with a chuckle, “Sorry, my dude, that’s not my jam. Maybe D can sort that out for you later.”

An hour and fifteen Phoenix Fire Breathers later, Nithe felt quite the buzz forming as he looked around the room. Grimm didn’t look affected by the potent brew one iota. The sumnabitch.

“Yeah, I’ve built up a tolerance to the stuff over the years. We figured we’d learn as much about Tana’s culture as we could. I also may have switched to juice about ten drinks back. You’re the one who needed to get plastered, not me. And it’s son of a bitch to you, asshole,” Grimm said gruffly, a smug look of superiority gracing his chiseled features.

Shit! He’d said it out loud. The grumpy hellhound could have taken offense, and he was in no shape to take him on. Thank fuck he found it amusing.

“You are one lucky dragon, dude. What can I say, I’m in a benevolent mood today.” Grimm laughed.

Nithe was about to reply when heat coursed through his veins, desire filled his senses, and his cock hardened in an instant. Not his desire, but hers. Jezzie’s shields crumpled like rice paper in rain and swept over him, consuming him. He didn’t stand a chance as the dragon took over, he raced out of the palace and leapt into the sky. His wings sprung free and took him home. Home would forever be wherever Jezzie was.

Jezzie woke, surrounded by the warmth of hard muscles and masculine scents. Really, really yummy ones that made her thighs squeeze together to quell the tingle of desire, but instead made it stronger.

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