Chapter 17
T his was not what Cameron had in mind when he thought of a date with Alric.
Yes, maybe his daydreams of crawling into Alric’s lap after they’d parked in some secluded spot and kissing the damn wings off the dragon weren’t exactly realistic. If the man could murmur such sweet things to him, then Cameron was dying to know what else he could do with that talented tongue.
Okay, and maybe he’d conveniently forgotten they needed to have a bodyguard with them when they left the castle.
But he was not expecting to have grandpa dragon and grandma mage along as freaking chaperones.
Not that he didn’t love Lisette.
Lisette was amazing. He adored her no-nonsense attitude and the wonderful way she explained magic.
She was quickly becoming both a second mother and a beloved mentor for him.
And while he hadn’t spent a great deal of time with Dieter, Lisette always spoke of her mate with such love.
Cameron was certain he was a wonderful person.
But he did not want to feel their watchful eyes on them during their one escape from the castle.
Cameron’s dreams of a romantic evening filled with long looks, little touches, and blistering hot kisses went up in smoke before they even climbed into the car.
But hey, the man had said yes. No more mixed signals that he had to deal with.
And Alric had been very happy while saying yes, so he clearly wasn’t going along for the hell of it.
Cameron was so ridiculously relieved, it wasn’t even funny.
Having the chaperones along was a pain, sure, but it wasn’t a total loss if it meant seeing Alric in jeans .
Yes, honest-to-god jeans. At one point, Cameron reached over and ran one finger down Alric’s leg, drawing the dragon’s heated gazed up to him while a confused smile lifted one corner of his mouth.
“What?” Alric inquired. He was seated behind Dieter, who drove them down to the town.
“I was just checking to make sure they were real jeans,” Cameron teased.
“Real jeans? Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Because I’ve never seen you in anything but a three-piece suit and tie. I wondered if you were allergic to jeans.”
Alric shifted a little in his seat, running his right hand down the front of his v-neck cashmere sweater.
The air was still warm, and he’d pushed the sleeves up to reveal strong forearms. The fact he was daring to show off the scars on his left arm a little made Cameron’s heart skip with the hope that Alric was becoming comfortable with him.
“Since you’re on vacation, I thought it might be wise to dress a little more casually this evening.”
“Does this mean his majesty just might possess a pair of shorts?”
Alric smirked at him. “Is this your way of asking to see my wardrobe in my private chambers?” He’d pitched his voice soft and low, like he was proposing the most indecent of actions.
Cameron licked his bottom lip and opened his mouth to reply—
“Oh Cameron! I wish you’d arrived in the spring,” Lisette began.
Cameron had to press his lips tightly together to keep from laughing for a moment. The same amusement twinkled in Alric’s deep blue eyes.
“Why’s that?” Cameron asked, winking at Alric.
“This whole hillside fills with bright white snowdrop windflowers in the spring. They are one of my favorite flowers. Such happy little things,” she exclaimed, waving her hand over to the hillside rising up along the driver’s side of the car that was mostly just green and yellow grasses now.
Alric’s right hand sneaked across the leather bench seat until just the tips of his fingers brushed against the side of Cameron’s hand.
With a smile, Cameron turned his hand palm up.
A second later, Alric’s larger hand rubbed against his as their fingers intertwined.
There was just something so unexpectedly wonderful about holding Alric’s hand.
As if two passing comets suddenly fell into the same orbit.
Closing his eyes, he softly sighed and Alric tightened his hand in his.
“That sounds wonderful, Lisette,” Cameron murmured.
Dieter drove them into town and found a parking spot on a quiet street not far from the town’s center.
The sun was setting behind the mountains, painting the sky soft shades of orange, pink, and purple.
The streets were less crowded now without the festival, but here and there Cameron spotted banners and pennants emblazoned with dragons.
They all slid free of the vehicle, and Alric came around to where Cameron stood and slid his hand back into Cameron’s.
Despite being hungry, a part of him just wanted to stroll through the town with Alric, talking about a lot of nothing.
There was something so calming when they were together that Cameron didn’t want to let it go.
“Look at that,” Cameron said, pointing toward a bright red banner waving in the light breeze. A black dragon with its wings spread wide was splashed across the middle, as if the artist had caught it mid-flight. “They’re still celebrating you even after the festival.”
“Well, I say they celebrate me with food. I’m starving,” Dieter announced. “Why don’t we try that Italian restaurant just down the block?”
“Dieter! Cameron is visiting Germany for the first time. He did not come here for Italian,” Lisette snapped.
“Yes, but I like pasta noodles,” Dieter replied as if in a pout.
Cameron’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, and when he looked over at Alric he swore the man was struggling not to laugh as well.
“I like Italian,” Cameron offered.
“But is it what you’re in the mood for? You are our guest,” Alric said.
“I—”
“Don’t stop moving, but we’re being watched,” Lisette interrupted. She and Dieter had been walking in front of Cameron and Alric. The dragon king immediately tightened his hold on Cameron, who couldn’t help shifting just a tiny bit closer to his companion.
This was unbelievable. He’d finally gotten Alric on a date and fate had to throw a monkey wrench into the system. Had Cameron done something to offend the dating gods? Was a virgin sacrifice in order?
“Where?” Alric asked, keeping his smile in place even if it looked a little stiff and forced now.
“Across the street in front of the candy shop,” Lisette said with a carefree chuckle.
“I don’t see anything,” Dieter grumbled.
“They’re cloaked. I can’t see them either, but I can smell the spell,” Lisette murmured as she leaned close to her mate but still spoke loud enough for them to hear her.
Cameron watched the spot Lisette had pointed out from the corner of his eye as they continued to stroll down the street, getting closer to the store. “I see a slight shimmer. Should we head back to the castle?”
Chaperone or no, Cameron had no desire for this evening to end already, but he also didn’t want to put their lives in danger because of him. He also wasn’t sure if Lisette was a target as well since she was a mage.
“No,” Alric announced in a hard voice. “I will not be run out of my town. I can summon more dragons for protection.”
Date night was getting decidedly more crowded, but maybe Cameron had been silly to think dating while his life was being threatened was a smart idea.
He was about to suggest they head back to the castle and raid Alric’s kitchen when his phone started ringing.
He stopped and grabbed for it, smiling up at Alric.
“Cassie’s ringtone,” he said by way of explanation. He was a little surprised to be hearing from her since she was supposed to be on her date. Something about a picnic at the zoo, he thought she’d said. “Hey, Cass. Can I call you—”
“ They found me !” she shouted, and Cameron’s heart stopped.
“What?” he gasped. He stood in the middle of the sidewalk, no longer able to take another step. He certainly didn’t give a shit about the fact they were being watched. His sister was in trouble.
“ Asshole met me at the park before I could get to Dana. Had these weird glowing eyes. Chased me home .”
“Cassie! Call the police!” He turned his eyes up at Alric, and the dragon looked just as helpless as Cameron felt. His sister was on the other side of the world being chased by these people, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Under Cassie’s frantic pants, he could hear the pounding of footsteps and then the slam of a door.
“Cameron?” Alric prodded, and Cameron suddenly realized they couldn’t hear what he was hearing.
“Cassie said someone is chasing her. Someone with glowing eyes. Like the people who grabbed me.”
Alric released Cameron’s hand only to grab his arm, turning them back toward the car. “We’re leaving now.”
“Lisette, in front, please,” Dieter ordered. “I’ll cover the rear.”
The mage, in a bright summer dress with her neatly styled white bob, hurried to the front of their little quartet and set a brisk pace back to the car. Cameron couldn’t think about where they were or if they were still being watched. He clung to the phone, listening to his sister.
“How many are after her, Cameron?” Alric demanded. Cameron repeated the question to his sister.
“ Just one. I think I lost—Oh no he didn’t ! He did not just break my window !” Cassie snarled. “ I’m putting you on speaker while I grab Cheryl .”
“Damn it! Cassie, don’t get Cheryl! Call the freaking police!” He caught small glimpses of people staring at him in shock and confusion, but he didn’t care.
“What’s going on? Who’s Cheryl?” Alric asked.
“Cheryl is what she calls her baseball bat,” Cameron snarled. “She named it after a girl she dated. It’s actually a compliment.”
As he and Alric climbed into the backseat of the sedan again and Dieter peeled out of the city, racing back toward the castle, Cameron lowered his phone and pushed the button to switch over to speaker phone.
Sounds of Cassie shouting curses and threats accompanied by a series of dull thuds filled the silence of the car.
“It certainly sounds like she’s got everything well in hand,” Lisette said after a rather violent string of swearing.
“How many are there?” Alric inquired.
“She said just one.”
Dieter chuckled. “I think I like her.”
Cameron let out a little groan and rubbed his eyes.
His heart was still racing, but he felt a little calmer than when she first called.
Knowing she had Cheryl helped. “No, he’s probably right.
Cassie has taken lots of self-defense classes as well as some martial arts.
She’s not shy about handling things herself. ”
Footsteps approached the phone and there was a thud accompanied by some heavy breathing before Cassie’s voice filled the car.
“ There. I got him ,” she announced, sounding like she’d just squashed a spider.
“What the hell, Cass!” Cameron shouted. “What were you thinking?”
“ I was thinking this asshole interrupted possibly fun, sexy times, and broke my motherfucking window ,” Cassie snapped at him. And then in the blink of an eye, her tone became light and cheery. “ Is Alric around ?”
Cameron groaned and flopped back against the seat. Alric smoothly wrapped one arm around Cameron’s shoulders, pulling him in tight while leaning close to the phone.
“I’m right here, Cassie. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“ Hi, Alric ! I’m fine, I promise. Not a scratch on me .”
“We’re all very glad to hear that.”
“Because I’m going to strangle you when I see you,” Cameron growled.
“ Do you think this guy is with the people who tried to grab my brother ?” Cassie asked, ignoring Cameron’s threats completely.
“I think it is very likely.”
“ So…do you want him then ? Do you have, like, any dragons close by who could pick him up ?”
Alric hesitated and Cameron gasped, jerking sideways so he could glare at the dragon hold him.
“No! You call the police and let them arrest this asshole!” Cameron demanded.
“Cassie, I would like to send dragons to interrogate him and bring him back to us, but that will take several hours. You would need to secure him,” Alric said, wincing at the dark look Cameron was leveling on him.
“No!” Cameron said.
Cassie laughed, and Cameron didn’t know who he wanted to strangle more—his sister or Alric. “ Oh sure ! I’ve got plenty of duct tape laying around here. I can wrap him up like a Christmas gift real easy .”
“Cass,” Cameron started again, his voice pleading.
“ Cam, I’m okay. I swear it. The asshole is out cold and bleeding into my freaking rug. I’ve got Cheryl and six rolls of duct tape. He ain’t goin’ nowhere .”
Cameron sighed and rested his head on Alric’s shoulder. Once his sister made her mind up about anything, there was no arguing with her. It did sound like she had everything under control.
“You’re killing me,” Cameron muttered.
“ Love you too, little bro .”
“Plug your phone in and call me if there’s any trouble. We can’t be sure that he was alone.”
“ I will .”
“I’ll call you back the moment I can give an estimate of when the dragons will arrive and who it’s going to be.”
Cassie gave an excited squeal before hanging up.
Silence fell over the car again as they neared the castle walls. To his surprise, Lisette spoke up first.
“I’ve just got to say it. I like her. She’s got spunk.”
Alric’s chest shook slightly with a soundless laugh, and Cameron managed a small smile. Dieter spoke about which dragons to send to his sister while Lisette talked about sending a small group of mages and dragons back to the city to investigate what they’d seen near the candy shop.
Cameron closed his eyes against the swell of anger and fear in his chest. His sister had a great knack for finding trouble, but this scared him more than any she’d faced before.
These were mages. They could do magic. He couldn’t count on his sister’s wits and fighting skills to keep her safe.
They needed to fight magic with magic…and dragons.
A hand tightened on Cameron’s shoulder, and Cameron rubbed his cheek against Alric’s shoulder, a part of him wishing he could just climb into the man’s lap. He felt so damn helpless.
“They came after my sister,” Cameron whispered.
“I know. I’m so very sorry, Cameron. I will keep her safe. I will protect both of you no matter what.”
Alric’s fierce words helped to ease some of the knot, making it a little easier to breathe. Cameron had seen how Alric watched over and cared for his people. If he included Cameron’s family in that group, then he believed they would be safe.