Page 19 of Monster

“Yes, sir,” Gator said with a grin. “Not that I could help him there.”

* * * *

Challenge accepted…

Jaeger scuffed over to the door to his room, all while doing his best to cover his ass in the flimsy hospital gown.After failing a couple of times, he gave up.If his ass bothered Drake at this point, he didn’t give two shits.

He was more interested in the scent that kept wafting through the door.

With one finger, he pulled the door open a bit and peeked outside.Across the hall, he could see a couple of bear shifters in Deacon’s room, munching on dinner.His stomach clenched, ready for another meal—not caring that he’d just eaten two hours before.He was a growing dragon, after all.

The hallway appeared bare.He inched the door open a little farther.More of the scent hit his nose and made his body thrum.Jaeger swallowed, anticipation pumping through his veins.

Was it gold?

A smile crossed his lips… no, it wasn’t gold.Whatever it was, it smelled even better.

He crept out into the hallway and saw a guard on duty near the door. The human turned to look at him…

And it might as well have been a punch to Jaeger’s gut.

His mouth opened, his dragon screamed, and he felt the pull to go to the man.

Mine.

“You been cleared to be up and on your feet?” the human asked.There was a delicious lilt to the man’s voice.A creole sound reminiscent of the one he recalled from his days spent in the French Quarter of New Orleans nearly two hundred years before.

“We’re supposed to be freed from this place tomorrow,” Jaeger said. He scanned the human’s densely muscled body, salivating.And then he saw the name on the man’s uniform. Arnaud.

The human smiled at him.“I hate these places.Too clean, yet always filled with germs. I wish I was on my way out, too.”

“Shifters are immune to germs,” Jaeger said.As are mates, he wanted to add, but thought better of it.

“Well, I’m not that lucky,” Arnaud said.

“Name’s Jaeger,” he said, offering out his hand. Electricity coursed through his body as he awaited the man’s touch.

The second flesh touched flesh, it was like an explosion in his body.

“Gator.”

Jaeger shook the hand offered him and chuckled.“Gator?”

“Jus’ a nickname,” the human said, his accent suddenly deepening as he met Jaeger’s stare. “My name’s Guillaume, but thassa mouthful.”

I got a mouthful for you.

Jaeger smiled, realizing he was still shaking the human’s hand.He looked down, knowing he didn’t want to let go. Lifting his gaze, he captured Gator’s and held it, too. The heavy lidded look on Gator’s face proved he felt the bond between them…

The smile faded on the man’s face. His lips parted, his eyes widening some.

He feels it, too.

Gator slowly pulled his hand and stare away.

Jaeger felt bereft without them.

Another soldier appeared, approaching. Gator looked in the man’s direction before turning slightly toward Jaeger.

“That’s my replacement,” Gator said, not meeting Jaeger’s gaze. “Time to go home.”

“You don’t have to go,” Jaeger said.“I’d love some company.”

Gator met his stare for a second before turning away.“I’d better get going.”

Jaeger frowned, but it slowly turned into a smile.He liked a chase as well as anyone else. He watched as the guards changed places… and nodded as the human gave a wave and headed down the hallway.

He wasn’t a patient man. Never had been.But sitting in a prison for all those years had taught him lessons in waiting.

But that wait had also taught him that life was ever changing. You’d best reach out for the things you wanted before they were taken away.

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