Page 12 of The Dragon, the Bear, and Their Sugar Glider Omega

We introduced ourselves, but I was done with the small talk. I wanted to find our mate even if this man was his roommate, making the find-him-or-you’ll-miss-him stress far less.

Come to find out, there had been some confusion in line and our mate had been cut by some people. The bouncer hadn’t realized it and let one of the two of them in before shutting the door because they were at capacity. We weren’t. Not really. But they liked to stagger guests to make it easier on everyone.

“I was going to stay out with him since he couldn’t come in with me, but he told me to go on ahead of him and get us a table and I did.” I wasn’t sure how he managed it, but yay. “He should be here any minute now. It looks like they’re opening the door pretty regularly. Come to think of it, that means he probably should have been here already.”

We were already up and out of our seats, giving a half-wave goodbye before weaving through the crowd to get to the door. Our mate was here, and it was time for us to meet him.

Once we got to the door, we stopped.

“We’ll find him,” Armel assured me.

I wished I had his confidence.

Chapter Nine

Armel

“Let’s try by the door.” Clay threaded his way through the incoming patrons like a salmon swimming upstream. “And then work our way back in.”

I held my nose up, sniffing as we went, but other than the vague scent I’d smelled outside earlier and the faint hint clinging to his roommate, our mate was beyond elusive. “Not getting much,” I growled, frustrated. “You don’t think he left?” He could be anywhere, and how would we find him?

My bear, usually so calm unless he was grouchy, was showing a whole new emotion. Panic. He wanted out of my skin and into his fur right this minute, and I was afraid he wouldn’t take no for an answer. How would it look if I had so little self-control?

Sure, Animals allowed people to shift as long as they behaved, but in his current frame of mind, “behaving” would be followed by “badly.” At least I believed so.

Chill, buddy. I am moving as fast as I can, and I think it will be easier to talk to our mates with my human mouth.

Mates. He flexed, shifting my muscles, and I wasn’t so sure I was going to win this round. Now.

Give me time, patience… I’d have sworn he had plenty of patience, until now. My skin tingled, the feeling I recognized as coming before the shift. Do you want our mates to think we are just running amok?

Silence. He probably didn’t know what running amok was.

Get mates.

I will.

“Armel, come on.” Clay darted out past the security staff at the door. “They are about to let in another batch of guests.”

I didn’t ask how he knew that. It was enough that he did. I followed, nearly tumbling over him when he came to a stop. “Is he here?” He scanned around. “Isn’t he supposed to be the first person in the next group?”

“What’s going on here?” Ben, the head of security, stepped forward from where he’d been standing off to the side. “Are you looking for something Clay?”

“Yeah.” He shifted from foot to foot as he answered, looking much younger and smaller in front of the bear shifter. A much-larger version than me for certain. “There was supposed to be a guy at the front of the line here. We need to find him.”

“Can you describe him?” Ben asked.

Clay and I looked at each other then faced forward again. We shook our heads as if we’d rehearsed it.

The bear security chief frowned. “Then how will you know when you find him? And why?”

“By scent,” I said, trying to pick it up now. It had been stronger on the roommate than it was now. “I smelled him when I was coming in, but I didn’t realize it was him at that time.”

“All right.” Ben shrugged. “I am sure there is more to this story, since I’ve never seen Armel racing around looking for anyone, or you, Clay, although we haven’t known you long. Is someone covering for you inside?”

The sugar glider blanched. “No. I’m going to lose my job.” His panic soured his scent and made it harder to find that mingling of their two essences. “I have to go back in—but I can’t.”

“It’s okay, mate.” I patted his shoulder. “You don’t even have to work if you don’t want to.” I had plenty to support my mate, even both of them if they needed me to.

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