Page 11 of Ember's Claim

Jesus Christ.

And to think I refused to ask my dads to help me decide what to wear because I thought it would be a shit show.

“All right, try these on and be quick.” Chaos tosses a bunch of clothes down on my bed. “Dash may have missed it out there, but if he comes in here, there’s no way he won’t catch Ember’s scent. Then he’ll try to rip your head off, and it just won’t be a great start to yours and Ember’s first real date.” He claps, grinning like a total weirdo. “Love is in the air. I can feel it.”

I roll my eyes.

Seriously, I’m twenty-five. Ember is twenty-one, but outside of Chaos and their mom, everyone treats her like a teenager.

I’ve waited long enough.

It’s time everyone gets the fuck over their hang-ups.

Ember takes my breath away when I spot her. It takes less than two seconds for my brain to catch up.

“This is a date. I’m supposed to pick you up at your door,” I growl, taking a step forward. All I can think about is shoving my tongue into her mouth, which is the opposite of what tonight is supposed to be about.

“You’re cute, but no.” She laughs. “I’m not having all four of my dads pop up to make small talk and attempt to give me a curfew, when I’m twenty-one years old.” Her lithe shoulder shrugs, and her dress strap falls down her arm. “Also, my car is here now. So, there’s that.”

“Why would that matter? He should still return you at a reasonable time.” Dash tries to shove himself out the front door, but I elbow him out of the way. When that doesn’t work, I hip-check his ass. Hellhounds are solid, but I’m a dragon. He stumbles back, and that feels like a win.

Ember’s eyes immediately narrow, and my heart drops. “What time should I expect you home after your first date? Huh, Dash? Because I guarantee, the minute you assholes find anyone you’re interested in, I’m going to be stuck so far up your dick, you’ll never get a single second of privacy.” She steps forward, trying to shove her face through the open door to glare at her brother.

“Let’s not be hasty.” Chaos siphons, landing next to his sister. He tosses an arm over her shoulder. “Don’t you look lovely? Veryn is a lucky man.”

“You’re such a suck up.” Ember laughs as Chaos pecks her cheek, making a dramatic kissing sound.

I swipe my sweaty palms off on my dark jeans and pray that idiot was right about my change in attire. “Ready?”

Ember nods, licking her lips.

I can feel Dash directly behind me, so I swivel, grab his shirt, and tug him out the door with me.

Holy shit.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life.

I scurry around the front of my truck in the Dalton parking lot, coming to a stop just in time to yank Ember’s door open.

Her long blonde hair falls around her shoulders as her head tilts.

“You’re really trying to play the gentleman tonight.” She chuckles, placing her hand in mine. “Aren’t you?”

I nearly scoff.

I’m a picture-perfect gentleman, but I’ve yearned for her for so long that my self-control is thinner than tissue paper. The urge to bite her has been almost uncontrollable recently, and I’m already walking a tightrope. If she had any idea how many nights I followed her around, staying just out of sight and ensuring her safety…

Well, fuck.

She might actually have me arrested for stalking.

My dragon is convinced she would find it wildly romantic. It’s almost like he doesn’t even know Ember as a person. Her wolf might think it’s an honorable trait that I’ve gone out of my way to protect her, but humans are funny about things like stalking.

Ember’s hand comes to rest over my T-shirt as her head tilts. “Did I short-circuit your brain or something, sexy dragon?”

She’s playing with fire tonight.

I bend, brushing my cheek against hers. It marks her skin with my scent, and that calms my dragona tiny bit.

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