Page 31 of Jace

“You are a good boy,” Jace told him firmly.

Zeke pursed his lips and made a strange humming sound in reply.

“I see,” Jace said, though he did not. “Let’s have some milk.”

He leaned back on the counter and cradled the little one in his arm.

Zeke grabbed the cell as soon as Jace offered it, and suckled furiously, his little brow furrowed in concentration.

“He was hungry,” Susannah remarked. “He’s so quiet though. Does he ever fuss?”

“He knows his needs will be met,” Jace told her, watching the boy fill his belly.

“I wish they had said what made them think this place was haunted,” Susannah said, frowning down at the note on the counter.

“Does it matter?” Jace asked her, surprised. “We know it’s not haunted.”

“That doesn’t mean something else isn’t going wrong here,” she said, looking away. “Even if it’s not a ghost. Something had to happen for them to think that.”

“Good point,” he conceded. “We’ll investigate the site tomorrow and see if we can figure it out. For now, I’m most concerned with whether they stocked up on supplies for us. Want to check the cupboards?”

He tightened his jaw as she began poking around. If there was no milk for the whelp, they would have to turn around and go back tonight. He wasn’t sure how he would tell her. He was pretty sure she was ready to faint with exhaustion already.

She had been brave about flying all day.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, gazing into the ice box. “It’s half full of cells for Zeke.”

Jace let out his breath, feeling almost drunk with relief.

“Any food for us?” he asked.

“Not much so far,” she told him. “A tin of biscuits. A box of protein slimes.”

“We can make do with that for a few days, along with the rations in my pack,” he said. “And of course, we can gather some stuff when we’re assessing the site tomorrow, maybe even do a little hunting.”

“Wow,” she said, smiling ruefully.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re just so… capable,” she said, her cheeks turning pink.

Stars, there were so many more things he hoped to impress her with. The dragon moaned with need until his blood seemed to hum with it.

It was past time to talk with her about the mate bond. They had just arrived, but he wasn’t sure he could make it through the night without trying to stake his claim.

Zeke had nearly emptied his cell and was drifting off.

Jace lifted the satisfyingly warm little whelp onto his shoulder and circled and tapped on his back until he burped loudly.

“Good one,” Jace told him.

Zeke made a happy, sleepy sound.

“I think he needs a fresh diaper and some rest,” Jace said to Susannah.

“I can take care of that,” she said, holding out her arms.

“No, no,” he told her. “Find something to eat. I’ll be back as soon as he’s asleep.”

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