Page 7 of Dancing with My Elf
“Gianna’s.” Sebastian sat in the recliner and pulled out his phone.
Ah, maybe I could get some info from him to help me figure out the issue with my dragon. He’d wrestled with his wolf and had acted out of character when he’d first met Gianna. Hopefully, my dragon’s reaction would ensure this was a false alarm.
“So, Seb,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. “What’s new?”
He glanced up from his phone and assessed me with a skeptical look. “Why are you being weird?”
“Weird how? I asked how you’re doing. It’s a totally normal question. People ask it every day.”
“No, not like that. It’s your tone.” He narrowed his eyes. “What are you up to, Lucas?”
He knew me too well. I finished up my bowl and plopped it in the sink. Oh, Sebastian would complain if I didn’t load it in the dishwasher right away. I rinsed the bowl and added it before striding over and sitting on the couch.
“Okay, here’s the deal. Last night I was minding my business at work when Nova and her coworker Zoe came in. Nova said it was to investigate a demon sighting.”
Sebastian raised both hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Demon?”
“Yeah, I don’t know what the situation is there,” I said. “Nova said something like it might be a false report. But listen to my story, it’s important.”
“More important than a demon sighting?” Sebastian countered. “As in the beings who kidnapped my mate twice?” He grunted. “I can’t think of anything more important than that.”
Okay, I had to back up as this discussion was not going as I’d planned.
“I don’t know the deets there, but they didn’t find anything last night. Talk to Nova about it.”
Sebastian adjusted on the sofa. “I better text Gianna and make sure she’s okay.”
I groaned. “Come on, man. You just left her place.”
Was this what happened when a shifter found his mate? Sebastian, who used to be my wingman and go out with me to meet fine ladies, was now all super territorial and protective. He couldn’t even listen to my very important story without checking on Gianna to make sure she was okay? Lame.
After he was assured that Gianna was just peachy, I asked him, “How did you know she was your mate?”
He stared at me with surprise. “Why?”
Ugh, he often did that—asking why I asked a question. I responded with my usual, “Because I want to know.”
“Because?” he prompted with a wave of his hand.
“Can’t you just answer a question? Why are you being so cagey?”
“Why the sudden interest in how I knew my mate? You cringed when I first mentioned it.” His eyes widened. “Wait—is it? You?”
I pieced together the meaning in his fractured sentence. “Of course not,” I dismissed. “Me?” I pointed to my chest. “With a mate.” I threw my head back and released a hearty laugh.
Okay, maybe I was overdoing it.
“I wonder why you’re now curious, especially since you were with me that day at the club,” Sebastian said.
I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. “Right, when you acted all feral and shit around Gianna and then punched some guy for looking at her.”
“You know it was much more than that,” Sebastian countered. “He groped her.”
“Anyhoo,” I said before he strayed to a tangent, “How were you sure she was your mate?”
“I didn’t at first.” Sebastian’s gaze drifted off. “My wolf recognized her scent and told me. I was confused and not sure I could believe it. The more time we spent together, the less I questioned it. I just knew.”
I scowled. That wasn’t good. My dragon caught Zoe’s scent and claimed she was the one.
