Page 42 of The Dragon's Mate

“Hey, I’m Ronin.”

“Tyler,” Tyler said as he shook his hand. “Thisis Corey.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Who are you?” Corey said.

“Are you seriously a friend of my brother’s?”Tyler said. “Because if so, my brother is, like, a million times cooler than Ithought. What you did to Jeff and his friends was ballin’.”

The man grimaced and he looked a littlesick to his stomach. “Yeah, well, threatening goddamn kids is not my thing,but sometimes bullies need to be bullied to get the message.”

“How do you know my brother?” Tyler said.

Ronin hesitated. “Uh, through friends.”

“What friends?”

“You should talk to your brother aboutthat.” Ronin clapped him on the back. “You guys head on home now.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, man.”

Chapter Eight

“Sika, what are you doing?” Kaida watchedas her best friend crossed her cabin in lunging squats.

“Trying to bring on labour.” Sika puffedher way across the room again.

“You’re not due for another two weeks.”

“I know, but I’m over this pregnancy thing.”

Kaida laughed and caught Sika by the arm asshe made another pass. “C’mon, sit down. If that hatchling drops out of youright here, I’m gonna freak out.”

Sika settled onto the couch with a loudgroan. “God, my back hurts. My hips hurt, my legs hurt. Hell, my ass cheeks hurtthe other day. Why, Kaida? Why does my butt hurt?”

Kaida sat down next to her. “I have noidea.”

Sika rubbed her belly. “Jarvis is so anxiousto hold the hatchling. I am too.”

“The whole clan is,” Kaida said. “Thehatchling will never learn to walk.”

Sika grinned at her. “It will be spoiledrotten.”

“That’s for damn sure,” Kaida said. She glancedat her watch and Sika poked her in the ribs.

“What time does the human get here?”

“Soon,” Kaida said. “Why?”

“Just wondering. He’s so handsome, isn’the?”

“I’m not attracted to him, Sika.”

“No? So, you always wear makeup when you’reteaching yearlings how to fight?”

Kaida blushed. “Shut up.”

Sika giggled. “It’s adorable that you havea crush on a human. Are you going to sleep with him?”

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