Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Xander

| was thrown by this dude’s allegation abortion.what the actual f uck had he said? A f ucking dragon nifter? | played it cool, though. His remarks aboutus votivelen ignorant because of the Council was true,

nd | knew it.

The part about us being arrogant. | knew that was true to

He drove a battered black pickup truck that revved and porn dream despite its appearance. When gave him a look as he started it up, Greyson let out a series ofanortho chuckles that, f u ck me, smelled like a andle being blown out. Warily, | eyed him in case he intended tottercreathing fire or some s hit like that

find that my choice of vehicle is necessarily as..well, shall wessaynondescript, as | am, myself.” He anced over at me with another broad grin. This time, his teeth ofearned with sharp points, and although it as hard to see because he flicked it out so fast, a forked totiuse Fooraaféww.seconds; swore his face looked ce it was covered in scales, but then he looked exactly as he had, bascore.

“Your kind is viewed as myth, or sometimes monster. My kind is ancter tankiosso well-known. We've ot to ourselves for centuries. Mostly, anyway. Even before the Great Wars:

I

date neaced away from the diner and toward the city | could see rising in these

cho,what changed?” | asked.

Byel xep an eye on the mileage and street names we passed. If something went down wanted to make sure isabelfogat myself and Lante back to the diner for my truck.

d. The weld, | suppose.” Greyson shrugged and easily handled the large vehicle doww as s enessofmarrow

us out or eus out on a main thoroughfare, He peered up through the windshield to the skyecre en looove the Boman city. So glittery. So shiny.”

wishow much about dragons, much less dragon shifters, but this made me shortious love shay u love shiny things so much you h oard then”

ys gone by, sundry, sure. Now, | collect my wealth more virtually. But that doesn’t stop me fro leauty wing even my weezer can find it. Unlike your kind, we dragons like things made of stone an

referredder meer om of the forest Cities make me twitchy.” | confirmed

Stitead

pulled up in front of up to tons of a bar and eased the truck to a parking spot. He led me inside and too rei-spoten teneantette at once she sat with a young woman about her age, both of them chatteg ling in the world in the world trig gune wong like my mate badn’t been completely out of reach for hours.

in

growled, showing try show theyalee through the mind ink at the same time.

pter 299

Kander

best

Aor

incr

his

was thrown by this dude’s allegation about bond alwhat the actual f uck had he said? A f ucking dragon

? | played it cool, though. His remarks about ouwwives being ignorant because of the Council was true,

willl

new it.

ne part about us being arrogant, | knew tHERWESUB100

e drove a battered black pickup truck that rewed and cake a dream despite its appearance. When him a look as he started it up, Greyson fet oute serice obsishaming chuckles that, f uck me, smelled like a

being blown out. Warily, | eyed him in case he intended daar breathing fire or some sh it like that.

find that my choice of vehicle is necessarily as well, the wae say nondescript, as i am, myself.” He d over at me with another broad grin. This time, his teeth o band with sharp points, and although it Ird to see because he flicked it out so fast, a forked tongue one aufery seconds, | swore his face lookedConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

was covered in scales, but then he looked exactly as he had betalere

scre

she

her

pret

our kind is viewed as myth, or sometimes monster. My kind is ancient and not so well-known. We've

ourselves for centuries. Mostly, anyway. Even before the GleasWarers.

told

a headed away from the diner and toward the city | could see rising in the distance.

myl

the

o what changed?” | asked.

tat an eye on the mileage and street names we passed. If something went down, wwatted to make sure

loe to get myself and Lanie back to the diner for my truck.

fort

stra

he world, | suppose” Greyson shrugged and easily handled the large vehicle dowwa settes on parrow

that led us out on a main thoroughfare. He peered up through the windshield to the slokoop head

we the human city. So glittery. So shiny.”

off

dinkowmuch about dragons, much less dragon shifters but this made me son out o

you me shiny things so much you h oard them.”

and save gone by, sure Now i collect my wealth more virtually. But that doesn’t stop me from

ting obey y wherever | can find it. Unlike your kind, we dragons like things made of stone and

Moes profethetedorn of the forest, Cities make me twitchy. | confirmed

yeopled up pandant of a bar and eased the truck into a parking spot. He led nie inside and swart

vivre i pocera Lan eat once. She sat with a young woman about her age, both of them chatting

je nothing the wwdid done wrong, like my mate hadn’t been completely out of roach for hours

ate, growler heveny voice through the mind link at the same time.

better with Xander at my side, his arm slung around my shoulders, almost pinning me next to him. He was going to keep me close for awhile, | could sense that. | didn’t mind.

When Charlotte introduced me to Greyson and said he was a dragon shifter, though, | let out a long, incredulous laugh. She frowned and looked a little pis s ed off, but Greyson only grinned and nudged her with

his hip.

“It's fine,” he said as my laughter died down. “I suppose if | were you, I’d laugh, too. Seeing as how I’m willing to bet you had no idea we even existed until the moment Charlotte told you.”

“Just like we didn’t know about vamps.” Xander sounded sullen. “The f ucking Council has been really

screwing all of us over.”

“All that’s going to change,” Charlotte vowed.

| quickly y sent a series of thoughts and images through the link to update Xander on at least some of what she and | had covered. I’d have to fill him in with more detail later. For now, | had to get him to trust her, and her shifter boyfriend.

That part I'd figured out the second he looked at her. Charlotte didn’t seem to notice, or she was maybe

pretending not to, but Greyson was clearly head-over-heels for her. The casual way they touched each other

told me they’d been together for at least a little while.

What really surprised me was how easily Xander had taken to Greyson. They weren't buddies, but at least my mate wasn’t trying to fight him. This was curious, but | also noticed something particularly soothing about

the other man. Maybe it was his voice, low and smoky

We covered the basic details in a few minutes, and to my surprised relief, Xander was the one who offered

for Greyson and Charlotte to come home with us. He even called home to let Zane know we'd be bringing

strangers so there’d be no shocks.

off.”

It wasn’t until we were in our own truck, leading the way back to Stillwood, that he told me why.

“They feel like good people,” he said. “Tell me differently, and I'll turn around and tell

“No. They do.”

He pulled into the driveway and turned off the truck, He twisted to take my hands in his.

get the answers we need, love. | promise you.”

ck right