I was only vaguely aware of the people surrounding me in this strange room—all of my focus was spared for… him. I could hear his heartsong as clearly as if it were pounding within my own ears, its special rhythm beating only for me.

Sure, there were other alphas in the world with heartsongs that would have come close enough to match mine, and I probably would have been happy with any of them, but this was different. I knew it from the second I heard it. None other would compare to the perfect way that his matched to mine.

I was too shy to look him directly in the eyes; instead, I gazed up from under my lashes and observed the different parts that made him up. Only briefly did I allow myself to drink in his blue eyes with their silver striations. They matched the silver streaks in his hair and whiskers. I liked that he was older than me. It made me feel safe—like I’d finally found someone who I could trust with anything.

I took in his olive-toned skin and noted the deep wrinkles around his eyes, the kind of lines that only came from a lifetime of laughter. He had a strong nose, though slightly bent at the top, as if it had been broken at some point in his life and had never set right. Under a trim, neat mustache lay a pair of almost soft-looking lips—lips that I wanted to feel against my own.

I couldn’t help myself. He was a treat for the eyes, and I was starved for him. My tongue ran across my lower lip, and as soon as it did, the man in front of me sucked in a raspy breath and barked out a terse command.

“Out! All of you, wretches. Close the door behind you, and leave me to my heartsong.”

My hand wrenched free of his grasp when I reflexively curled up into a protective ball, lying on my side while touching my forehead to my knees. I shook with fear. Shame washed through me, and I found it hard to breathe. Why now, of all times? I’d just found someone I felt I could trust, but here I was, shutting down.

“Dude, he’s having a panic attack. I don’t think we should leave him if he’s freaking out,” a hesitant voice said from somewhere near the open door.

“Brick, you’re scaring your omega. Take a second and calm down. I know you didn’t mean to be so abrupt, but he’s been through pain and trauma, and it’s made him sensitive. You need to be gentle and take care with him,” the man who’d been at my other side when I’d awakened said in a low voice.

Brick. That was the name of my heartsong. It suited him, somehow. His body looked hard as cement, that was for certain. His large hand rested gently in my too-curly hair, his fingers threading through my locks while his thumb stroked back and forth over my forehead.

Instantly, I was able to breathe. His touch centered me and gave me the strength to relax. As I slowly unfurled and straightened into a seated position, his hand went along with my head, carefully moving with me. I was completely naked, I realized as I tried to sit up. I made sure to keep the blankets pooled around my waist, embarrassed.

In a quieter tone, Brick spoke again. “Forgive me, heartsong. I never meant to frighten you, only to make these Nosy Nellies take their leave.”

He paused, then spoke more firmly. “In case you all missed it, that’s your cue to leave. My heartsong will never be safer anywhere on Earth than he is with me—a fact that you all know. So bugger off and go do what we always do when our friends are busy meeting their mates for the first time—gossip about us and place your wagers on how much sleep I’ll be getting. But do it from the other side of the closed door. I want to be alone with—”

He stopped and moved his hand down to tip my chin up, forcing me to make eye contact. “What is your name, dear one? As you’ve no doubt gathered, I am Brick.”

“N-Nathan,” I whispered. “But my friends used to call me Nate.”

The other man, the one who’d been attending me when I’d awoken, spoke up. “Before I leave, I want to introduce myself. My name is Sana. I am the healer here, and a longtime friend of Brick’s. I have just finished examining you, and other than the psychological pain, your body is in good condition.”

Sana smiled gently at me before turning his wary gaze to Brick. “Nate needs sustenance. I will return shortly with a tray of food and drink. Do not even think that you’ll have your privacy until I’m satisfied that the boy is nourished.”

Brick merely raised a brow. “And you honestly believe that my mate’s every need is not my utmost concern? I’m disappointed in you, friend. Surely, you know me better than that.”

I looked back and forth between the two large, thickly muscled, warrior-looking men like I was a spectator at an awkward tennis match. They spoke over me as if I wasn’t sitting right there.

Sana merely rolled his eyes at his friend. He wagged a finger at Brick. “Be that as it may, I can scent the same thing that you can. This boy’s heat is approaching. Before your dragon loses himself to lust, let’s take the steps to make sure your mate makes it through your breeding session, hmm?”

Before Brick could respond and before I could process the fact that they were casually discussing my heat, their conversation was thankfully interrupted by a friendly-looking man with hair as blond as my own. He pushed through the crowd in the doorway, holding out a tray.

“Here, Sana. I thought our guest might need some foo—” Before he could finish, he tripped over his own feet and almost crashed down onto the bed with me. A larger man reached out and caught him around the waist with one hand, while another red-haired man caught the tray before it hit the floor.

“Thanks, Cory,” the blond said with a grin to the man who’d caught him before turning back to me. The redheaded man handed Brick the tray he’d caught. “Sorry for the dramatic entrance. As I was saying, I thought you might be hungry. I know I would be. Anyway, I’m Emery. It’s nice to meet you. Go ahead and shout out if you need anything else. I’ll just help these other guys find their way out of here so you can catch your breath and get to know Brick sans audience.”

I wasn’t sure whether to bless or curse the man as he clapped his hands together and shooed everyone out. On the one hand, my dragon really wanted to be alone with this alpha that sang our heartsong so beautifully. On the other? Holy shit. I wasn’t at all sure that I was capable of being alone with such a massively sexy creature.

Sana patted my hand one last time and murmured something to Brick about making sure I ate, then followed the others out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. I stared at the closed door, blinking at it as I chewed my lip and wondered what I should do.

I looked up, startled, when Brick’s deep voice broke the silence. “Is it okay if I sit beside you, Nathan?”

My mind raced. I wanted him to, but I was unsure how to admit it without sounding desperate. Finally, I nodded and scooted over to make room. Brick smiled, then set the tray on my lap. Its extended legs brought it to just the right height so that it acted like a table.

I sucked in a breath as Brick kicked off his shoes and began stripping off his clothes. What the actual fuck was he doing? He was getting naked? While I ate? Was he trying for solidarity because I was naked, or were his clothes not clean enough for the linens? Surely he wasn’t planning to take me while I ate…

My thoughts were intrusive, so I did the only thing I could to settle them—I averted my eyes and stared at the tray in front of me, taking inventory.

The glass of lemonade appeared to hold about sixteen ounces of fluid. There were two sandwiches, cut in half diagonally, with thick slabs of ham and swiss cheese. Blinking, I assessed that each half would take me six bites to eat, so that was twenty-four bites.

To the side was a bowl of cubed cantaloupe. I used the fork to move them around until I counted nine pieces. Nine pieces, but three of them were two-bite chunks, so…

I fell into the security of counting as I added the twelve bites of fruit and the twenty-four bites of sandwich. Thirty-six bites. The lemon bar that sat in the upper-right corner of the tray would easily take four bites. Forty bites total. Good. Even numbers were always good for the digestion.

At twenty chews per bite, it would take—

“What are you thinking about so intensely, Nathan?” Brick asked quietly. At some point during my pre-eating ritual, he’d slid into the bed beside me and was sitting there, his warm skin pressed against my own. One of his arms rested behind me.

Without stopping to think about how Looney Tunes it would sound, I answered him. “Forty bites. This meal will be consumed in forty bites. I can’t quantify how many gulps the lemonade will take, because I don’t know if it’s sweet or sour… but at sixteen ounces, it will likely take seven, although I’ll make it eight because odd numbers are unlucky.”

I stopped rambling as soon as I realized how ludicrous I must sound. I didn’t have a chance to be embarrassed, though. Brick simply took the fork and speared a piece of fruit. “Then I suggest you begin eating, little one. Here’s bite one.”

Without hesitation, I opened my lips as the fruit bumped against them. Brick gently positioned it between my teeth, and I bit it from the fork. Silently, I counted my chews while Brick watched. As soon as I’d swallowed, he lifted another piece for me.

We went on like that for several minutes until the fruit was almost done. After I’d taken the ninth bite, Brick’s lips pursed thoughtfully, and his brows drew together as he watched while I chewed.

“You’re counting your chewing, aren’t you? It can’t be accidental that every bite takes exactly twenty chews to consume.”

My eyes widened in surprise. He’d noticed that? I gulped and reached for the lemonade, forgetting to monitor how much I was taking in as my mind raced. I set it down after draining nearly half the glass.

“Y-you noticed that?” I hated how my voice squeaked when I was nervous. Seriously. At twenty years old, I really should have been past that shit.

“I’m fascinated by you, Nathan. Of course I noticed. Tell me, does this give you peace, or is it something destructive?”

I lifted a shoulder and ignored the offered piece of melon he held out for me. “It gives me peace. I think that’s a good description. It’s like… the world is scary and way too noisy. It can’t be controlled. But I can measure and count what I put into my body. My family is loud and crazy, so I’m pretty sure it started when I was little. Although, in my defense, studies have proven that it takes a minimum of twenty chews to properly masticate one’s food.”

As much as it surprised me that I was so willing to talk to this man, it was also scary to share such a private thing. Brick opened his mouth as if to speak, but I heard footsteps approaching and looked up at the door a second or two before whoever it was knocked.

Brick raised a brow in my direction as he spoke to the door. “This better be important. You may enter.”

The awkward one… Emery, I think? He was the one to open the door, and he was followed by the large warrior-like man who’d rescued him from falling.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I brought more lemonade, and a few bottles of water. Sana felt like dehydration might be a concern for Nate.” He smiled and walked over to my side. He set the bottles on my nightstand before turning and tilting the pitcher as if to refill my cup, but Brick held a hand out for the pitcher before he could.

“Thanks, Emery. I’ll just take that and top him off when he’s ready. This was thoughtful of you—I appreciate the kindness.”

Emery smiled and passed Brick the pitcher. He turned to leave, reaching out for the other man’s hand, but thought better of it and looked back to me.

“Oh! I almost forgot. You must think I’m rude as heck. This is my mate, Cory. You’ll meet everyone later, including our daughter, Cora. She’s with her grandma right now, though.”

I nodded politely, then froze when Brick spoke softly in my ear. “Cory is our king. I am a warrior sworn to his protection.”

Cory rolled his eyes at Brick’s words. He gave me a lopsided grin, as if to downplay the statement. “I would be king, if I had a kingdom. Instead, I’m merely a throwback to a world that time has forgotten. Just call me Cory and settle in. I’ll let your mate fill you in on our backstory. Hopefully, we will all get an opportunity to know you more come tomorrow. Until then, rest and enjoy this time with your mate.”

I bit my lip at his words, dazed by the idea of being in the presence of royalty. All I could do was nod my agreement until I found my voice. “Thank you… both of you. Especially you, Emery. This lemonade is good. Not too sweet or sour, but just right.”

Emery grinned proudly, then stepped into the hall while Cory pulled the door shut after giving Brick a quick wink. I tilted my head and listened to their footsteps fading away before biting half of the melon cube from the fork that had gone back to hovering in front of my mouth.

“I’m guessing that hearing is your superpower, huh?” Brick asked conversationally as I chewed. After I’d swallowed, I nodded.

“Mama Vee says I have ears like a bat, the nerves of a mouse, and the memory of an elephant.” I blushed hotly and leaned forward to take the rest of the bite from the fork he held. Brick merely smiled and fed me the rest of the fruit.

He set the fork down when I reached for a sandwich and sat there running an affectionate hand along my back while I ate. I liked that I could be silent with him—he seemed perfectly content with being quiet and wasn’t trying to fill every gap with the sound of his own voice. I admired that.

After I’d carefully taken three more gulps of lemonade, draining the glass in four rather than eight, Brick refilled my glass, then set the pitcher on the nightstand next to him.

It meant more than I could ever put into words that he understood that I needed to finish the exact amount I’d planned on drinking before adding any extra.

Halfway through the first sandwich, Brick began telling me a tale of five men frozen in time for ten thousand years while the world had moved on without them.

He spoke quietly, telling me how Cory and his three protectors had been on the run during a civil war between their people, only to be attacked by their own adviser.

In self-defense, Brick had used his nature-bending powers to pull the stone from the mountain cavern where they’d been attacked in order to protect them, encasing them all as their bodies underwent emergency healing stasis.

My mind raced as he told me the latest hardships his group had suffered at the hands of this Orris person—their two-faced adviser. I had just swallowed the last of the delicious lemon bar and was reaching for my glass of lemonade when he dropped the final bomb of the story.

“Orris is the same man that held you captive, Nathan. When you’re ready, we’ll need to discuss him. I know that my friends are waiting to debrief you, but they’ve been kind enough to give us this time to become acquainted.”

I pulled my hands away from the glass—my hands had begun to shake violently. My breaths came in short, hard pants as memories flashed in and out of my mind, some clearer than others, but none of them good.

“Hey, now. You’re safe, little one. I will not ever let him touch you again, trust that.” As he spoke, Brick took the tray from my lap and deposited it on the nightstand next to the pitcher. Then, with nothing blocking me from him anymore, he pulled me onto his lap and held me close.

Safety. Compassion. Stability.

I closed my eyes and let him take care of me in all the ways that I could never take care of myself.