Page 19 of Tease Me

He looked at Fleur and growled. “Mate?”

Uh, no. His fist only tightened around hers. The heat flowing back and forth between them, where they touched, was scorching, but in a good way.

Dax grabbed Steele’s shoulder. “Dude, I thought you were dead.”

Steele took a long moment to drag his eyes from Fleur’s and look at his friend. “I think I was. But, I needed to get back to my mate.”

Both Fleur and Dax’s mouths dropped open.

“Your mate?” Dax shook his head. “I doubt that dude, but you should at least make her your companion. She did save your life. Your girl has dragon’s breath.”

Fleur cringed at that. She was grateful Steele was alive, she just didn’t believe she had anything to do with why. Dragon’s breath didn’t seem like a good thing, even if Dax thought that was what brought Steele back. Made her even more a freak than she was before.

Steele stared at her. Shock flashed through his eyes first, but it was quickly replaced by approval. He nodded and smiled at her, like he expected nothing else.

A warm glow she refused to identify took up residence around her heart. A twitch started up behind her eye. Feeling like what she was having for Steele were reserved for mates.

He had called her his mate.

No. That had to be the adrenaline talking.

“I’d still like to take you to the clinic, young man, and check you out.” Doc pointed to the pick-up truck.

Steele shook his head and got to his feet, pulling Fleur up with him. “I’m fine now, but thank you. A shift and some sleep and I’ll be good as new.”

“Steele.” Fleur tried to pull her hand away. “I think you should go with Doc. You were...” It was hard to get the words out. She couldn’t say dead. That word hurt too much. “Almost killed.”

“Yes, my little flower, but you saved me. I’m here because of you.”

Selena smiled, looking back and forth between Fleur and Steele. “Well, that’s got to be the first case of resuscitation by bad breath.”

Fleur did not like that look on Selena’s face. It was entirely too match-makey. She wasn’t supposed to want Fleur to be with anyone but a wolf from one of her son’s packs.

Fleur wasn’t supposed to be with anyone else. She was going to find a wolf at the mating ritual tomorrow. Simply because she’s saved Steele did not mean anything. Nope. No. It didn’t.

Zara stepped back and took Niko’s hand. “Uh-oh. I recognize that look on your mother’s face.”

Niko chuckled. “The only ones who need to fear my mother are the unmated wolves coming to the ritual tomorrow night. And only then if they think their leaving with their bachelorhood’s intact.”

Okay, phew. Fleur was on board with that.

Selena shook her head. “I do think we should talk to these new dragon friends of ours about being at that ritual tomorrow night.”

“I don’t want more trouble. Can you two guarantee the safety of our women?” Niko scowled.

Fleur had always been a little in awe of Niko. He was the ultimate alpha. Until she’d met Steele.

Now she was just confused. Because she wanted to slap the dirty look right off Niko’s face. “There are no guarantees in life.”

“I’m proof of that,” Steele said. “What happened after I... ”

Heli crossed her arms. “We kicked demon butt.”

Jules giggled and nodded. “Fleur, girl, you might not be a shifter, but you’ve got some kickass powers at your disposal. That was some next level Wicked Witch of the West stuff you did with those trees. Maybe we should start calling you Elphaba.”

Selena touched Fleur’s free arm and gave her a little squeeze, grinning at her like she knew something Fleur didn’t. “There seems to be more to our Fleur than any of us knew.”

Yeah, including Fleur herself.

---