Eventually, I drifted off and didn’t rouse again until sometime the next morning. Delicious scents wafted up from downstairs, and I was aware of my hunger only a few moments before the niggling tug of carnal need. It was more insistent now than it had been when I went to sleep, but still not so strong I couldn’t ignore it long enough to get into the studio. But I had survived an entire night without turning into a sex-crazed fiend, so that was something.
All six of the guys were up already and looked freshly showered and energized. Stuart held dominion in the kitchen, and the table was piled with plates of food. The second I walked in, Tate greeted me with a smile and guided me to a seat. Then he set down a steaming mug of fresh coffee, sugar, and powdered creamer.
“Sorry there’s no fresh cream. We’re light on fresh stuff that isn’t growing outside, and sadly, there is no cow,” he said.
I gaped at the spread and shook my head. “No worries. I’m honestly amazed at how much we do have. Was this all in the freezer?” I hadn’t done a full inventory when Gray and I arrived. Most of the containers and parcels I’d seen in the huge chest freezer had been too difficult to identify at a glance.
Stuart came in with a plate loaded with fresh pancakes and another piled high with bacon and sausage. “Most of it, yes, or on the shelves in the pantry. A pair of us should head to the mainland for more at some point though. We don’t know how long we’ll be here. With any luck, Vesh and his brothers have lost our trail thanks to Deva’s intervention, but until we hear from her, I think we need to assume you’re still being hunted.”
I dug into my food, humming happily around the first delicious bite, then took a big swallow of coffee to wash it down before answering. “Now that I have a studio to work in, they can take all damn month if they need to. I just hope it doesn’t disrupt my show. But with everyone’s help, I think we can finish the project ahead of schedule, at least if we keep up last night’s pace.” A thought occurred to me, and I glanced up with another bite poised. “That is, unless you guys have other responsibilities. I guess I kind of hijacked your lives.”
Tate settled into the seat next to me, his brawny frame crowding me and his shoulder brushing mine as he reached for the orange juice. “There’s no place I’d rather be,” he said, giving me a warm and genuine smile. I had to admit to myself that I’d been a little disappointed I hadn’t needed to call on him and the other two ursa during the night. But on the other hand, I really didn’t need an excuse, did I? They’d have said yes no matter what.
I reached out and squeezed Tate’s forearm, seeking to give some sign that I had no intention of retreating. “Thank you for being so understanding last night,” I said in a low voice.
“We’re here for you, April. And I mean that literally,” Tate said. “We all hoped that by separating, we would make it easier on ourselves to find mates, but it wasn’t really what any of us wanted. I’m not exaggerating when I say you’re perfect. No one else has ever come close. So I know I’m not alone in saying we’ll be right here until you’re ready.”
I swallowed and looked around the table at all six guys. They gave me smiles and nods, and Murdoc winked playfully. Not a single one contradicted what Tate said.
When my gaze landed on Stuart, I winced, recalling the state he’d been in when they brought him here the day before. Gray had sustained wounds like that too, in an effort to protect me. How much more damage would they take on my behalf? Was it fair of me to hold out on them when they’d be willing to go so far for me? Not that I wouldn’t repeat what I’d done with Stuart to heal him, but surely there was a better way to use this magic in a fight, especially if it was so dangerous it took multiple men to keep it in check.
The three dragons exchanged looks, and I realized I’d done it again. Rolling my eyes at my lack of discipline shielding my thoughts, I said, “Please tell me where my thinking is wrong. I’m here to learn, oh wise ones.”
Stuart shook his head. “First, we’re not strangers to the creatures who are after you. We’re probably the only guardians on the planet with the skills and knowledge to protect you. I appreciate that you want to return the favor, and yes, your magic is strong enough to do more. The best way to do that is to get back into the studio and work on channeling that power into your pieces. The more you practice maintaining strict control over it, the easier it will be to channel into offensive magic.”
Tate rested his elbows on the table and nodded. “If what you want is to harness all that power to use in a fight, we can help you learn a few basic spells. Stuart’s right though, keep practicing basic control.”
“Sounds like I have some work to do,” I said. I stood and started to pick up the dirty dishes, but Tate rose quickly, taking the dishes out of my hands.
“We’ll take care of this. Save your energy for the studio.”
“In that case, I think I’ll go get started.”
It was pouring rain, but when I reached for my slicker on the peg by the back door, a big hand covered mine. Eddie smiled down at me as he held the raincoat open for me to slip my arms into, then opened the door for me.
“You got a minute?” His voice was a low rumble I almost couldn’t hear over the downpour, but despite being nearly drowned out by the weather, I still felt the vibration of the words like he’d caused a seismic shift beneath my feet.
I blinked, then nodded. He stepped out the door, closing it behind him, and took my hand, tilting his chin toward the studio. “Let’s get inside.”
“You don’t want a raincoat?” I asked, pointing at his drenched head and wet clothes from a mere moment standing out in the elements.
“A little water never hurt anyone.”
I shot him a dubious smile and shrugged, disarmed by his soft-spoken intensity. He led me down the hill and into the studio, then helped me out of my raincoat. I stood facing him as he dripped onto the concrete floor. He stared down at me, a small crease between his eyebrows, then swallowed and looked around the room.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked.
He licked rainwater off his lips and raked his fingers through his thick, wet hair, then took a deep breath, huffing slightly and shook his head. I frowned, sensing that somehow it was difficult for him to say whatever was on his mind.
Finally, he speared me with a look so intense my heart stuttered, but I didn’t move for fear of startling him back into a state of uncertainty. I just waited, and a second later he finally spoke. “I don’t know what Gray told you about us, but we’re in this together. Tate, Chay, and me, I mean. If you can’t see your way to loving all three of us the way you seem to have latched onto them, you should cut us loose sooner rather than later.”
“What makes you think I won’t want all of you? Gray made it clear already that he thinks I need you all for some crazy reason. But as crazy as it sounds, last night proved his point. We work well as a team. Can that be enough for now?”
His jaw flexed and he dropped his gaze to the floor as though composing his answer, his lower lip gripped in his teeth. A tuft of bristled beard dewy with rainwater fanned out just below his lip and I had the strangest urge to lick him there.