Page 6 of Unexpected Mate

“I will take Mithraheal with me to Draven’s office,” Tia began. “Luke and Levi will shift and take out the guards. Your men can assist them and watch out for any reinforcements that may arrive. Thanks to Leo, we know Draven’s holding a meeting with the leaders in his organization on Tuesday afternoon, two days from today. We will attack that morning. After Draven is taken down, we need to cut off any outside communications to ensure no one warns the visiting leaders. Once inside the building, we will release gas through the vents to knock them out with a minimum of bloodshed. These men will be powerful, but you must remember that they do not possess the same skills as Draven. This will not be easy, but we will be victorious. Evil will not win.”

Several of the wizards, along with Luke and Damien, whistled and stomped their boots. Her call to war excited our bloodlust. Draven was trying to destroy the balance among supernaturals, and he could not be allowed to continue.

“Your plan is strong, Dragoness!” cried Gregor. “We will proudly follow you into battle! However, I wish to join you and Mithraheal into Draven’s office. I may be ofassistance if he tries to use his magic. The three of us will be a formidable force.”

Gregor’s words were heartfelt, and he bowed his head after presenting his request. I focused on Tia’s face and watched as indecision danced across it for a brief moment.

“I will welcome you at my side,” she said.

Her voice had changed; it reverberated with raw power, her energy pulsed around us. Several wizards looked to the ground, unable to maintain eye contact, even at such a small display of her dragon gifts.

I stood, stepping to her side, and watched as Damien, Luke, and Mithraheal did the same. The wizards bent down on one knee, pressing their fists against their hearts in the sign of allegiance.

“Thank you,” Tia whispered.

Her words were soft, but they were sincere. She turned and walked away, heading back toward our level of the cabin. We shook hands and slaps on the backs with the wizards, before going in search of our little mate.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” said Damien, “because we all know the last thing I need is to have to listen to another person getting their freak on in that bedroom, but Tia would be stronger if she bonded with the nerd. She’s already a force to be reckoned with, but if fate has brought her another mate, it will only strengthen her. I know she’s worried about him accepting such a permanent bond without having the chance to know her, but we all know the kid is head-over-heels in love with her.”

Damien was right. I wished Tia and Leo could have theluxury of dating, but right now, I just wanted to take every precaution to keep her safe. I rubbed my aching head.

“We’ve already told her it was fine with us!” Luke added. “We’ve encouraged her to move forward, or at the very least to have an actual conversation with him.”

“I think she’s been wanting a moment away from the other wizards to speak with him,” said Mithraheal. “Elani is close to him all the time, and it sets Tia on edge. She doesn’t want to risk Elani overhearing such a personal conversation.”

I mulled over Mithraheal’s words. I turned toward him and asked: “Can you teleport him to our room tonight after everyone turns in for the night?”

“Yes, I will bring him,” Mithraheal replied. “It’s late, the wizards will prepare for bed soon. Get our mate comfortable. I will bring him shortly, prepare Tia.” He disappeared before anyone could respond.

“I’ll take guard duty tonight,” said Damien. “Your circle needs to be together.” His tone was serious, a stark contrast to his usual playfulness.

Luke and I headed into the house, following the delicious scent of our mate. She lay stretched out across the bed, her long blonde hair damp from showering. I felt my rod stand to attention, and my mouth dried as I took in what she was wearing. Our sexy little mate had grabbed one of the sheer robes that Mithraheal had purchased for her. As she moved, her skin shimmered through the gauzy blue fabric and I realized she had partially shifted. Her adorable ears twitched and her glowing blue eyes danced.

Luke groaned, a sound filled with pain anddesire. It was clear what Tia had planned for our evening. I sucked in a deep breath and regretted it instantly. The heady scent of her desire rushed into my lungs. Her dragon nature had been pushing her to claim Leo, and the longer she resisted, the stronger the drive became. We happily did what we could to ease the drive, but it was becoming a struggle, even with three male mates.

She slid toward us on the bed, her gown falling to the side, giving me a teasing glimpse of the bare skin at the apex of her thighs.

I growled, my erection straining against my pants. I forgot everything around us and prepared to pounce on my temptress of a mate.

At that moment Mithraheal popped into the room, his hand on Leo’s shoulder.

“What the—” Mithraheal started, his mouth hanging open. “I know I told you to prepare her for his arrival, but this was not what I meant!”

Tia didn’t seem to hear Mithraheal, her eyes focused on Leo. I couldn’t look away from the vision of perfection she made on our monstrosity of a bed.

“Mine.”

Her vocal cords sounded rough, and her tone promised mind-blowing sex. She eyed him like a predator sizing up their prey. Her tattoos glowed, and when she licked her lips, I caught sight of her fangs.

Oh crap.

Iwatched desire fill Levi’s face as he entered our bedroom, and Luke’s expression mirrored his brother’s. I felt my lips curve into a wicked smile. They were mere moments away from ripping this silly little robe off my body when I realized that someone was teleporting into our room. My body was already on edge from my continued refusal to claim Leo, but the knowledge that someone was teleporting into my personal chambers made adrenaline pump through my veins. It created a dangerous combination of desire and the need to defend my nest. If it was Mithraheal, I would likely rip his perfectly tailored suit off the moment he materialized. If it was an intruder, he would be on the ground taking a long nap before he had the chance to speak.

It was worse. Mithraheal appeared, his handgripping Leo’s shoulder. At the sight of my four unearthly beautiful mates, in my bedroom, with no outsiders, I could barely take in a breath. Passionate desire spread like a wildfire inside me; my body burned and I struggled to think. I wanted to touch these men, to feel their hands and lips press against my skin.

I looked back at Leo and felt myself moving toward him on the bed. His pupils dilated and his breathing was as ragged as my own. He wanted me. The restraints I had wrapped around my dragon to delay claiming him snapped. He was mine, and I was his. Fate had made it so. The blue gown clung to my skin as a fine sheen of perspiration slicked my shimmering body. My fangs dropped, and the need inside me beat out a chaotic rhythm worthy of a rock concert.

“Mine.” I wouldn’t be able to stop myself this time.

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