Chapter 7
Lucan
Liz didn’t recognize me.
I didn’t know whether to be offended or grateful for the second chance.
My dragon wanted to announce that we were her mate and be done with it. But I was happy to have escaped the humiliation of her remembering me and running away screaming that I was a stalker.
I watched her from across the table, trying not to stare too obviously. She was even more beautiful than she had been in the glow of her campfire. Her short brown hair caught the light when she moved, and her eyes were warm and intelligent despite the exhaustion clear in the shadows beneath them.
My dragon rumbled with satisfaction.
She was perfect.
The string lights flickered on, creating a warm glow that made Liz look like something out of a dream.
I purred like there was a motorcycle idling in my chest. The vibration hummed through my ribs, and I grabbed my beer and took a long drink to cover the sound.
“So, Liz.” Atlas leaned forward with a grin, and I was instantly wary. “What exactly drove you to camp alone in our woods? Running from the law? A bad breakup? Or really into bears?”
I choked on my beer, spraying a fine mist across my plate. Kade’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing on Atlas.
“I needed some peace and quiet.” Liz’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Though I got more excitement than I bargained for.”
Atlas’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? Do tell.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and tried not to look guilty.
“Nothing worth mentioning.” Liz glanced down at her plate. “Just... wildlife encounters.”
Atlas smirked. “Wildlife can be pretty impressive around here. Right, Lucan?”
I resisted the urge to reach over and smack the smug look off his face. I couldn’t wait until he found his mate, and I could give him hell in return. It was only a matter of time—when one member of a quad found their mate, the rest soon followed.
I nodded and shoved a forkful of potato salad into my mouth to give me an excuse not to answer with words.
“Anyway, I worry about him. He likes to go for late-night strolls and has had a few compromising encounters.”
Kade’s fork stopped mid-air. Reese’s eyes widened. Liz seemed confused but didn’t connect the dots.
And Atlas? Well, Atlas looked like he was about to be missing a few teeth.
Reese put down her fork on her plate harder than necessary, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “I almost forgot to tell you, Liz. Lucan was the one who was interested in buying your knife.”
Liz looked at me in surprise. “Oh?”
I didn’t like the idea of her selling the gift I’d given her, but if anyone was going to buy it, it should be me—so I could give it right back to her. “I collect pocketknives. I saw the pictures, and I’m definitely interested.”
Liz wiped her lips with her napkin, and I tracked the movement. “You’re welcome to come by tomorrow and look at it.”
“I would love—” I coughed, trying to modulate my tone, which had turned rough. “That would be great. Does tomorrow morning work? Around nine?”
“I’ll be there.” She smiled, and for the first time all night, it reached her eyes.
It should have filled me with joy that I’d made her smile like that, but it suddenly occurred to me she wouldn’t stick around for long. Reese hadn’t said how long Liz would rent the RV for, and the plan had been for it to be a vacation rental.
What if she was only passing through? Moving between destinations with no plans to stay? The thought sent an unexpected current of panic through me.
Kade pushed back from the table, collecting his and Reese’s empty plates. “Atlas, Lucan. Dish duty.”
Liz immediately stood, stacking her plate with the silverware on top. “I’ll help.”
Reese joined her. “Me too.”
“No.” Kade’s tone left no room for argument. “You ladies chat. We’ll handle the dishes.”
I glared at him, but Kade returned my look with one that clearly said this wasn’t up for discussion. As I gathered plates, my dragon snarled at being pulled away from our mate.
I followed Atlas and Kade into the house, sliding the door shut.
“What the hell was that?” I hissed at Atlas once we were in the kitchen.
“I was helping things along.” He grinned, completely unrepentant. “You should thank me. You’re going to her place tomorrow.”
I growled but was quickly quieted when Kade’s expression shifted into dangerous territory.
“Both of you, knock it off. Atlas, stop baiting him. Lucan, get your dragon under control before you do something stupid.”
Kade was right. I needed to calm down, but all I could think about was tomorrow and being alone with Liz.
“I’m sorry, I’m excited. Do you think my mate will show up next? I hope she’s as smart and beautiful as Reese and Liz are.” Atlas went to the sink and turned on the water, a wistful expression on his face. “All these years of thinking and hoping, and it’s happening. It’s really happening.”
Dragons typically found their mates in their late twenties to early thirties. The four of us had struggled for years to come to terms with the fact that we might never have mates.
I leaned against the kitchen counter, watching as Atlas opened the dishwasher and started rinsing plates.
My dragon continued to rumble with discontent at being separated from Liz, and I had to consciously push back against the pressure in my chest. Kade had warned us about this, but experiencing it was a whole other thing.
I ran a hand through my hair. “It’s harder than I expected.”
Kade’s eyes softened slightly as he took a plate from Atlas and put it into the dishwasher. After finding Reese, he understood. “You should be honest with her.”
“Honest?” I let out a short breath. “You want me to tell her I’m a dragon shifter who left an expensive knife in her tent after accidentally terrifying her in the woods?”
Atlas snorted. “Maybe ease into it a bit.”
Kade looked over at me. “The longer you wait, the worse it will be. I’m not saying lead with the dragon part, but the naked man in the woods part? Yeah, that needs to come out. Sooner rather than later.”
I groaned. “How do I bring that up? ‘Hey, nice knife. By the way, I was the naked guy who scared you half to death the other night.’”
Atlas suddenly turned serious. “Connect with her first and figure out her story before you dump yours on her.”
“That’s... actually not terrible advice.”
Atlas grinned. “I contain multitudes, my friend.”
“He’s right.” Kade nodded. “Something’s going on with her.”
Atlas’s smile faded. “She said she’s unemployed.”
Kade took the last dish from Atlas. “Her backseat was packed with stuff, and when she told Reese what the knife was worth, and Reese said she might know a buyer, she looked like she was going to pass out from relief.”
My dragon surged forward so violently I had to brace myself against the counter.
“Maybe she’s between places,” Atlas suggested gently. “Or running from something. Or someone.”
The possibility of Liz in trouble, vulnerable and alone, made me nearly blind with rage. The instinct to protect, to provide, and to shelter washed over me with such intensity that I could feel my skin heating and my muscles tensing with the effort of holding back my shift.
“Easy. Deep breaths.” Kade had moved across the kitchen, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder.
I forced air into my lungs, trying to calm the primal fury rising within me. “If someone hurt her—”
“We don’t know that,” Atlas interrupted. “But that’s why you should approach this carefully.”
“How?” I asked, frustration in my voice.
“You’re a collector.” Kade shrugged. “Say you always carry a knife on your walks and saw her camping and wanted to make sure she was safe. You left it as a gift.”
“That’s still creepy as hell,” I muttered.
“Less creepy than ‘surprise, I’m a dragon, you’re my mate, and I gave you a piece from my hoard.’ And honestly, you don’t have to explain it right away. Go look at the knife. Show interest. Buy it from her if that’s what she needs right now.” I hated when Atlas, of all people, made perfect sense.
I nodded slowly. The thought of Liz selling the knife still bothered me, but if she needed the money, I wanted to help. “And then what?”
“Then you ask her to dinner.” Kade offered the advice as if he hadn’t been practically losing his shit a few weeks ago over his own mate.
“And gently tell her you like to air out your manly bits with a brisk walk through the forest at midnight.” Atlas’s infuriating smirk was back.
I would have laughed, but the reminder of my spectacular lack of judgment was still too fresh.
We finished the dishes in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. Mine kept circling back to Liz and the possibility that she was in trouble.
My dragon wouldn’t stand for it. I wouldn’t stand for it.
Tomorrow I’d go see her. I didn’t know exactly what I’d say, but I knew one thing for certain—I wouldn’t scare her away this time.
I just hoped my dragon agreed with the plan.