Brim couldn’t stop the warning growl. Even though he knew Slade would never try to poach her, his flirting didn’t dampen his dragon's protective jealousy.
Her light giggle made Brim’s cock harden. Again. Slade took a seat at the dining room table and a female waitress hurried over —her eyelashes fluttering as she asked what he wanted to order.
Brim relaxed when his friend turned his flirting towards the skinny, brown, sandy blonde waitress. Amber rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her bacon.
Brim waited for the waitress to leave before barking: “Report!”
Slade sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Nothing, I’m sorry to say. I patrolled all night, sent feelers out and nothing.”
“But that’s good then, isn’t it?” Amber reached for her orange juice.
After Brim made love to her for a good portion of the night, he felt guilty for not feeding her properly. All the dishes they abandoned went cold. To make sure he wouldn’t pull her back to bed and fuck her again, he brought her down to the hotel’s restaurant to eat a proper breakfast. He needed to care for his mate and not only pleasure her.
“Every city has some kind of paranormal activity, but this town is, well, dead of it—it’s most strange. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“So, what happened yesterday?" Amber asked. "Who were those demons and why where they determined to kill you both?”
Slade scratched his chin before setting his elbow on the table and leaning forward. “Not sure, but someone is watching us, and I can only guess they have to be human for us not to notice.”
“A human working for demons?” Amber set down her glass.
Slade inclined his head slightly in thought. “I don’t know enough to say for sure, but at a guess, yes.”
“Do you think they will try again? To kill you, I mean.”
“You’re safe, baby. I won’t let them harm a hair on your head,” Brim added. She lifted her gaze, her smile stealing his breath.
“I know you will, but the question still remains. What if they try again? Just because Slade couldn’t detect demons, or whatever here in Darwin it doesn’t mean they’re not hiding elsewhere.”
“Yes, and that’s what I’m afraid of. As much as it hurts my pride to say so, I think we should cut our stay short and head home. We need to report this to the King. I’m hoping to come back with some reinforcements.”
Brim wholeheartedly agreed; getting his mate to the safety of the Dragon Realm was an excellent idea.
“Agreed. We’ll head to the portal as soon as I have her packed.”
“Wait, one minute, big boy. What makes you think I want to go with you to the Dragon Realm?”
“Because the writer’s side of your mind really wants to see what it’s like.” Brim tapped the side of his head with his finger.
Brim grinned and she huffed, knowing he hit her weak spot. Already, he saw her mind ticking with possibilities.
“Just for a visit, not to stay.”
Brim hid his grin. Once he got her there, he would convince her to stay with her writhing under him—a sound plan.
“A visit,” Brim confirmed. For now.
Slade glanced at him, knowing he had a motive for getting her into their realm.
“I’m sure Brim’s brought you up to date on why we’ve come to the Human Realm. Maybe you could help us, teaching us the best way to navigate this human world and help us find mates,” Slade added, helping to cement her commitment to go with them.
“I’ll do my best to help you, though it may not be much.”
Slade’s grin widened. “Trust me, sweet, just being there will be of great help to us all.”
He saw the excitement in her eyes, her mind ticking over as she drifted off into her own, little world. Brim didn’t mind when she did it because he knew he was there to always bring her back when she needed it.
She picked up her juice and swallowed it down. “I’ll go and pack, then.”
“Finish your breakfast first.” He didn’t want her going hungry.
She laughed and saluted. “Bossy dragon.”
“You like it.”
She shrugged, but didn’t contradict him. Warm pleasure filled him when she did as he asked.
Slade chuckled, glancing up as the flirty waitress returned with his coffee. “This is going to be fun.”
* * * *
“This is most unexpected, yet explains so much.”
Amber shielded her eyes against the sun while she followed the direction of Slade’s gaze. In the distance from where they teleported from the hotel, she saw old fashioned, white tents with desert camouflage across each one, all in rows of three. This was where the newly located portal to the Dragon Realm was situated in a hot, dry, desert valley in outback Australia. The old one, apparently, was in Scotland in the cold, over Loch Ness.