Page 92 of Silent Jay

“I know it’s out of character, but I had things to do,” Og said into the phone. “Please don't call me that, and I don’t owe you anything. Just get to why you called.”

The person on the line said something, and I turned away from him. With no sunlight in Og’s cave, I had no idea how lateit was. But he’d brought us dinner hours ago. We were running out of time.

I stood and gingerly stepped to his kitchen table. The remains of our meal still sat on it. I spun an avocado pit like a top, wishing I had a phone or a computer or something with internet so I could google this shit. It wasn’t often that worked, but Reddit had forums on almost every magical topic if you read between the lines.

My phone. Blast, had Sister Abby sent me another cat meme? I’d just gotten her out of her shell.

“Right,” Og’s rich baritone drifted across the cave. “And the tracks dead-ended at the base of our mountain range, they’re sure?”

He stood and paced. His hips sawed in his loose pants, the ends of a wide cloth belt trailing after his movements and pulling my attention to his crotch. I licked my lips, looking away from where the most tempting dick I’d ever laid eyes on lived, held back by a wall of scales.

Like I kept myself.

Weird fucking comparison, Jay.

Og hung up the phone and scooted a chair to sit next to me. “It will just be a matter of time before our people find you.” He placed a hand on my knee and squeezed. “We’re honestly lucky Tyson and Rehan haven’t ignored the rules, crossed the border, and damn the consequences.”

I tossed a hand into the air. Rehan had too much respect for his people to start a war. Based on Tyson’s need to please his father, I sincerely doubted he’d told his family anything about me. Magically finding me would beg more questions than he wanted to answer.

“Both are circling.” Og’s shoulders dropped. “Fire is cutting off our supplies. I can’t let my people suffer. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we’ve not gotten anywhere withremoving the curse.” He cupped my cheek. “You need to see this to completion. I believe you’ll be able to remove the mark if you still want to. I believe in you.”

My heart squeezed. I didn’t even believe in myself, which was the actual problem here.

Fuck, you're messed up.

Helpful, so helpful.

I pressed Og’s hand into my cheek before pulling it away to write. ‘If I can’t, then you're trapped. Bonded to me and whatever other dragons I need to roll in the sheets to break the curse.’

Og bit his lower lip. “Maybe I want that? I don’t like being alone. What if living with you and a bunch of moody dragons who can’t get away from me sounds like my dream come true?”

My jaw dropped.

Og’s eyes sparkled, and he darted forward, filling my open mouth with his tongue. I barely got to kiss him back before the combined magic from Tyson, and Rehan’s mate mark zapped him hard.

Og pulled back and grunted. “Mate marking you will hurt, won’t it?”

I nodded and wrote. ‘If’

Og ripped the piece of paper out of the pad and crumpled it. The ground swirled, and he tossed the paper into the center, where the earth swallowed it.

“When.” He cupped my cheek. “I want to be at full strength to mark you. Tomorrow morning, you’ll be my mate. Officially. Tyson and Rehan will have to back off.”

I wrinkled my nose, not quite as sure it would be that simple.

Og froze, his face contorting. “Unless you don’t want me to mark you after we failed.”

Oh, Jay! This one is as insecure as you under all your bravado! You’re a match made in heaven.

God damn it.

I narrowed my eyes and picked up the pad without looking at it, praying my writing came out. ‘We need to work on your confidence if you’re to be one of my pet dragons.’

“Pet dragons?” Og scoffed and grinned, his chest puffing up with pride contrasting his tone. “More like you’ll be our pet enchantress.”

I giggle-squeaked, and Og rushed me, picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder. “You can sleep in my dragon arms or my human arms tonight. But those are your only options.” He plopped me down on his bed. “What will it be?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

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