Page 25 of Surge of Ice

Zane cocks his head. “You court her like a lover.”

Aydan steps in, pulling Granger back a bit from Zane and I. “Trust me, Evander and I won’t let Zane cross any lines. But, for now, we need Zane. He’s going to help us stand against the brown and green dragons.”

His words get under my skin a bit. The only person who can decide what I do with my body is me, but I don’t need to start arguing with him right now. I can save that discussion for later.

But wewouldbe having that discussion.

Zane nods. “Balor and Thane always try to take Samantha. We never allow it. Our harem is too strong.”

“Always?” Granger asks, lifting a brow.

It’s Evander’s turn to answer. “Apparently, we all find each other every lifetime and come together to keep Sam safe.”

Granger doesn’t look impressed. “And what if he’s just making all of this up? What if our enemy dragons are using him to get behind our defenses and take Sam a different way?”

“You’re the one who suggested we make peace with the blue dragon,” I say, feeling annoyed. “You can’t start talking about them creating plots against us now.”

“I thought we needed to be careful how much we trusted the blue dragon even before I met him!” Granger says, pointing a finger at the other man.

I seriously don’t know what’s gotten under his skin. Moving closer to Zane, I rest a hand on his arm. “Granger, I trust him. I feel like what he’s saying about past lives is true.”

Granger’s eyes widen. “Do you like his scent?”

My cheeks heat. “His scent?”

“Yeah, like you like our– their scents? Do you like his scent?”

All eyes are on me. Reluctantly, I admit, “I do. A lot.”

Granger huffs out a breath and seems to dismiss all of us.

Aydan draws himself up and moves closer to Granger. “I know you’re worried about our girl, but I promise, I wouldn’t do anything to endanger her. If Zane tries something, we’ll take himdown. And if he’s working with the other dragons, we’ll figure it out. But, for now, we have someone willing to teach us how to be dragons and to stand with us if our enemies come. We can’t just pass that up.”

It seems to take Granger a minute, but he slowly nods. “If he’s going to actually help keep Sam safe, without any expectations from her, I guess this can be okay.”

Finally, it’s Zane’s turn to speak. “I am not here to cause problems. I am here to fix problems. Aydan and Evander cannot protect our mate against Balor and Thane without my help, but they do not need to. I am here now. I will not let anything bad happen to her.”

There’s a quiet moment, and then Dr. Abigail says, “So, you’ve really lived with them during their past lives?”

Zane nods, a smile on his face.

“Will you tell us about it?” she asks.

“I will,” he says, giving a little bow. Zane takes another step toward me, his eyes finding mine. “We have another lifetime in which I’ll tell you anything and everything you want to know. I am your mate. I am here to serve you in all ways.”

I shiver under the heat of his gaze.

Aydan and Evander move to my sides, and I feel strange, almost tingly. I understand why my men are so protective, but some deep part of me knows the truth. Soon, Zane and I will be together.

TEN

Samantha

In the elevator,Zane grips the wall as it moves downward, his expression worried. The scientists and security officers are squeezed into the other side of the elevator, as if trying to stay as far away from Zane as possible. It’s almost funny, with how mild Zane seems to be, but I guess I’d have to be a fool not to be cautious with him.

“It’s called an elevator,” I tell Zane, leaning in. “It’s like stairs, but without all the work.”

“Are stairs… that much work?” he asks me, looking concerned.

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