Page 98 of Tempting Her Dragons

“Ava and Kerian are having special time with Revel,” River says as if I really wanted an answer. “We take turns having special days.”

“That’s so sweet,” Mom says.

“Elijah slammed the door in my face,” Sally says. “He’s hogging Saylor.” She crosses her arms.

“Heath,” Quinn shrugs. “Is Heath.”

“There are a handful of others that were busy that you haven’t met yet,” River mentions.

“Breeane hung up on me,” Stephanie says. “She’s not a morning person.”

“Uh-huh,” I sigh.

“Son,” Mom calls, and I slide my gaze to her. “Maybe you should put a shirt on.”

“Yeah,” I spit, step back, and slam the door. I brush my hands through my hair and walk back into the bedroom.

“You didn’t hurt them,” Saphira says. I tilt my head as her leg tangles with Maverick’s.

“No.” I grab my shirt off the floor. “You have minutes until they burst in here, or River eats all the food.”

“They brought food?” she asks.

I shake my head in amusement when she almost knees Maverick in the crotch jumping off the bed. She kisses me as she speeds past and disappears into the bathroom.

“Do you still like them?” I ask Mav when he sits up, holding his hand over his cock.

It’s true that I’ve always wanted a big, loving family, but a family who knows when to get the fuck out.

We ate all the food, and everyone talked nonstop. Maverick sat beside me, watching them with interest and a bit of awe. Instead of holding his lighter, Saphira’s hand is in his. We didn’t have to contribute to the conversation. Once in a while, I grunted an answer to a pointed question when I had no choice. I was more impressed with how much food River can consume. The remaining dish with scraps of food in it is sitting on his lap.

As much as their appearance annoyed me, I couldn’t help finding a little comfort in the group of shifters and vampires who now call each other family. All of them are very different, but the one thing they all have in common is their respect in the bond and the willingness to protect what they built. I lock eyes with my mom. She is in her element. Years ago, she chose to be our mom. She respects anyone who would choose to be together despite blood. Her eyes smile at me, and I nod and smile back. She wants this for us. Her family is dead, so it was her and us against the world. As I got older, I would ask if she regretted it. She told me that we were her reward from the universe after they took her family too soon.

That’s the way she has treated us, as a reward.

Sally leans heavily against Mom’s side, her laughter bursting through the room when Penny says something. The actual words are lost to me, but I’m grateful Mom found a friend. Sally is the life of the party, but I recognize the loneliness she hides behind the humor.

Every available space is occupied, and I can feel my chest tightening. It’s going to take time to get used to being in the mix of this crew.

I swing my attention to Saphira as she jumps up. “I love you all,” she says, holding her arms wide. “But you need to get the fuck out.” She retracts her arms and claps her hands.

Many of the guys laugh. Mom’s lips twitch as she stands.

“Yes, Saphy,” she says, strolling toward her. “Thank you for letting us invade, but it’s time to leave.” She kisses her on both cheeks. “Come on, everyone out,” she demands. Sally smirks and waves as she follows Mom.

I stand and offer my hand to the men, getting soft smiles from the women. After the door shuts, we stand in silence. My ears ring from the suddenness of it. I hear the cars starting andlingering laughter as they leave. I exhale, and the ball in my chest expands.

“Firefly—”

“I want to complete the bond,” she says, cutting me off, and we turn to her. “It was a shit day yesterday. I didn’t enjoy being in a cage again. Having a collar around my neck again wasn’t ideal, but at least she didn’t make it electric. It was actually a horrible experience. I had no idea Rach was hiding such a huge secret, and it hurts that she pretended to be a friend. I’m glad I didn’t spend much time with her because it would have gutted me to learn about her deception. I don’t have any friends outside our group, and it reinforces the fact that I have enough. My family are my friends.” She twists her hands together. “I thought they were all I needed, even though I held myself apart sometimes. I realized I need you. I want to be yours. All I could think about while Rach was trying to justify her actions was your fear. I knew the kidnapping would bring back so many awful memories, and I had to get back to you.” She stops, her breathing heavy.

“Are you sure?” Mav asks gruffly.

“Yes.” She cups his jaw. “I love you.” He turns his head and kisses her palm.

“I love you, too. I can’t live without you,” he rasps, and they share a soft smile. She looks at me, and I stare into her eyes for a moment.

“Come here,” I demand, holding out my hand. Once her hand is in mine, I pull her into the bedroom. “Don’t move.” I leave her standing by the bed and crouch over my bag. As I’m digging through it, I say, “You know about the rope I wear?”

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