“You think the half-dwarf thief is responsible?” My mind boggled at the idea of someone like me figuring out how to gather undead minions. I couldn’t even get the upper hand dealing with the vampire in my basement.
“Unlikely. She may be a minion herself.”
I blinked. “You think she’s undead?”
I’d seen pictures of her. She’d appeared to be living and breathing.
“Not necessarily, but she could be allied with whoever is behind establishing a presence on Dun Kroth.”
“I told you that she claims she’s a descendant of the dwarf who made Chopper, right? Since she’s a thief, I assume she’s lying, but there’s a part of me that worries she isn’t.”
“You believe she may be the rightful heir to your blade?”
“No. I mean… probably not. What are the odds, right?”
Zav paused in his ministrations and considered me. I didn’t think he was judging me, but knowing about his honorable nature made me feel guilty.
“If I find out she is the proper heir to the sword… what do you think I should do?” I knew what I would feel obligated to do, but I also knew how much harder my job would be without Chopper. If not for its ability to cut through magical armor—not to mention dragon scales—I would be dead by now. Dead a dozen times over. Fezzik was useful, but this past year in particular, I’d run into a lot of magical beings who could deflect the bullets.
A lot of magical beings who were criminals and who were dead or imprisoned now, thanks to the work I’d done with Chopper. What would this thief do with the sword? Break into the National Museum of Natural History and steal the Hope Diamond?
“When the time comes, you will know the right thing to do,” Zav said, “and you will do it.”
It wasn’t an order. It was a statement of his belief in me. Hell, after that, I’d have to give the sword to her. But only if she proved it was rightfully hers. I wouldn’t fall for some scam.
“I guess if I have to, I can borrow one of the magical swords in Willard’s artifacts room. After all, I put a lot of them there.” I forced a smile, though I knew none of the weapons in her basement could pierce dragon scales. There probably wasn’t another sword on Earth that could.
“Yes. You are a strong warrior with or without that sword. Regardless, you will find a way to defeat your enemies.” The corners of Zav’s eyes crinkled. “And vex them while doing so.”
His faith in me stirred up my emotions, and I leaned forward and kissed him before remembering that I shouldn’t. He made a pleased noise of contentment as I slid my fingers through his hair. We wouldn’t have sex in here, but a little cuddling couldn’t hurt. Cuddling with kissing and stroking.
“Are you not hot in all that clothing?” Zav slid a hand under my jacket, fingers trailing across my stomach, teasing me through the fabric of my shirt. “You will feel better once you remove it.”
I was breaking a sweat, but… “That could lead to us doing inappropriate things in my mother’s sauna.”
“Inappropriate?” Zav sounded offended, and I almost laughed. “It is never inappropriate to have sex with one’s mate.”
He peeled my jacket off my shoulders, and my body disobeyed my wishes to be proper, shifting to let him remove it.
“It is when you’re in other people’s houses. Or outbuildings.” I attempted to sound stern. We weren’t going to do this. Not here.
“You wish to go outside?” He shared an image of us pressed against the back of the sauna, grass under our bare feet as we writhed naked together, and warm excitement flooded me at the thought. I wasn’t sure if it was my idea or he was sharing his excitement, but either way, it made me forget some of my inhibitions.
Surely, this place could be hosed down, right? I could clean it for Mom afterward…
“It would be cold out there.” I shifted toward him, sliding a hand down his chest and letting myself gaze into his smoldering eyes.
That was a mistake. They flared violet, and his power flowed over me, heating my body in a way that had nothing to do with the sauna.
“Inside is better.” Zav kissed me and pulled me into his lap, and I lost all interest in protesting his affection.
You’re a bad influence, I thought, my lips too busy now for talking.
I am a dragon.
Is that supposed to be an explanation?
I am your mate, and we have not joined in the nest for ages. I will have you now. He pushed my shirt over my head, fingers exploring my sensitive flesh even as I let my hands roam over his.
Yeah, he would. After he’d helped Sindari, I wanted to reward him, and his touch and his magic felt so good, as it always did.
Until he paused, pulling his lips from mine and frowning toward the wooden ceiling.
“Zav,” I groaned. His hands were cupping my bare breasts—I didn’t even remember my bra coming off—and had been sending the most delicious waves of pleasure through me. “You can’t stop now.”
Someone had to be coming—someone important. Then I sensed the aura of a familiar dragon. His sister Zondia was flying this way. I groaned again, for another reason, and thunked my head down on his shoulder.
“She has come to retrieve me to appear before the Ruling Council. An emergency meeting has been called. I did not expect my people to come together to address this problem so swiftly.”
“Can’t she wait twenty minutes?”
Leave it to Zav to convince me that I wanted to have hot randy sex in a sauna only to stop once things got heated. I slid a hand down his abs to stroke him in case he could send her away for a while. I wanted the dwarves to get their home world fixed as much as the next person, but what difference would a few minutes make?
His gaze lowered to mine again, and he growled deep in his chest. “Yes. She will wait. I have informed her that we will mate first.” He pulled me against his chest, kissing me hard. Far too many nights have passed since we mated.
It had only been a week, but maybe that was a long time to a horny dragon. Admittedly, I’d missed him, too, and waves of pleasure surged over me as we returned to kissing. I just had to get the rest of my clothes off…
But Zondia didn’t do the polite thing and fly away. She kept coming, her presence ringing my senses like a gong. What was she doing? Coming to have coffee with Mom and Gondo?
Her approach didn’t seem to bother Zav. Didn’t dragons think it odd to have sex with their siblings nearby?
I tried to enjoy his ministrations, but Zondia glided over the trees and settled right atop us, talons scratching overhead as she settled onto the roof of the sauna.
I drew back from Zav. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“Your sister.” I jabbed a finger upward. “Can’t you send her somewhere?”
“She will not enter while we are mating.”
“Yeah, but she’ll be right up there, sensing and hearing everything. What if I scream?”
Hell, Mom and Gondo and Freysha—and Rocket and Sindari—would hear that too. This wasn’t going to work.
“I like it when you scream.” He smiled and slid his hand up my side. “A superior mate ensures that his female has intense pleasure before taking his.”