Gold(4)

They were doing their best, and there was a learning curve to this catering-to-humans thing. They’d never had to cater to anyone. Having their powers locked up, being forced into this situation, wasn’t helping anything.

He opened the door to the office and saw Citrine working behind his desk, looking at the screen of his computer.

Computers were such interesting things, but Dante didn’t have much interest in them for the time being. He was aware you could learn almost anything from one of them, but he was a dragon and didn’t need to worry about such human matters.

He could get what he needed from books, and he felt much more at home doing so.

He sat in a chair in front of the desk, crossing one leg over the other.

Citrine sat back, running a hand through his long, silky hair. Dante was jealous for a moment, remembering his hair. But given how much the human women already had trouble restraining themselves, he guessed they didn’t need any more temptation.

“Tell me something,” Citrine said. “What can I do to help you? What can I do to help you see this is for you?”

Dante uncrossed and crossed his legs again, trying to stay casual, despite the tingle of frustration rising in him. It wasn’t like he was happy with how things were going either. He was used to things being easier, and this was anything but. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean this is still going terrible. And Adrien, you need to control him.”

“He is arrogant,” Dante admitted.

“That’s an understatement,” Citrine muttered. “But it’s more than that. It’s his disdain. He has literally made women cry.”

“That wasn’t his fault,” Dante said. “We are here to meet women, not let them put hands on us.” He shook his head grimly. “Adrien has every right to be disgusted by unwanted touch.”

“I know,” Citrine said. “But there is another way of dealing with it.”

“We agreed to date human women, not whore for them,” Dante said. “And we only agreed to work with women if we felt they could be our mates.”

“And how will you get a chance to know that if you chase them off?”

“Adrien is chasing them off, not me,” Dante said. “But I imagine if any of them had been our mates, we would have known it. As I understand, it’s pretty instant.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Citrine muttered. “But it’s true. I’ve heard the same.” He leaned back in frustration, making the back of his chair creak. “What do you suggest?”

Dante hesitated. “I admit I underestimated our appeal to human females, but it’s not as if we can shove them off. We’re gentlemen.”

“So you have to shout at them?” Citrine said.

“Only Adrien. And yes, perhaps he’s a little spoiled and doesn’t know how to restrain his temper. But you have to remember we were raised with everyone acting according to our whims. Adrien detests humans, for whatever reason. He always has. Even on pain of imprisonment, I’m not sure he’s going to change his feelings about them.”

“I don’t want him to get locked up,” Citrine said, putting his head in his hands with a groan. “I don’t hate the guy. I sympathize with waking up in this world. Heaven knows I’ve been lost here, too.”

“Why haven’t you found a mate?” Dante asked.

Citrine’s warm, yellow-gold eyes darted up. “I don’t know. Not a priority,” he said. “And this isn’t about me. I’m not collared or restrained in any way.” He looked at Dante’s ring. “I have to say these are a huge improvement on the necklaces my friends had to wear. Much more discreet.”

“Since we’re interacting with the public in a group, they have to be,” Dante said.

“Look, can you at least talk to him?” Citrine asked, frustrated. “We can’t go on like this. He’s literally chasing women off. And that hurts your and Sever’s ability to find a mate.”

I don’t want a mate, Dante almost blurted out, but he stopped. “I’ll talk to him.” What choice did he have? He kind of sympathized with Adrien and his discomfort with the handsy humans, some of which had no compunction about reaching for even groins or rears, thinking wrongly that men couldn’t be offended about such things.

Or perhaps the dragons were so good looking that they obliterated all control the women had.

Who knew?

“Thank you,” Citrine said. But just as he was standing to shake Dante’s hand, there was a knock on the door. “Oh, right. I have an appointment. You may want to stay for this.”