SIXTEEN
Avery hadn’t felt this giddy in her life. She had butterflies in her stomach and couldn’t figure out how Jae put them there.
“Come up to the cabin. We can do some things up there and Hannah has been asking about you.”
Her mom was her only worry, but she’d called a nurse earlier that day who had agreed to come in the morning and start working for her. She took her new insurance so it allowed her the flexibility to be gone.
“Okay, but it will have to be after the nurse I hired gets here. She’ll be in early so if you want to pick me up around ten, I can go.”
“I’d pick you up at any time you want, sweetheart.” He gave her another quick kiss, one that left her tingling down to her toes. “Goodnight, love.”
She didn’t want to leave him there, but she felt like a damn teenager home from her first date. “Goodnight, Jae.”
She walked inside and closed the door. Then she proceeded to watch him get into his limo through the glass. There was no need to check on her mom. She usually slept through the night. She went upstairs and made sure not to wake Star. She’d want a whole run down of the date and she really wanted to take a shower, go to bed and make it tomorrow. The burning need to be near him only increased the longer they were apart.
* * *
Avery waited in the car as Jae came around and opened her door. He kissed her cheek as she stood. “You know, you’re absolutely gorgeous today. More than your usual gorgeousness.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know, I can see right through your words. Are you ever giving up trying to get me out of my clothes?” she asked with a devious grin.
“Never.” He pressed her against the car, his hardness mashing into her thigh. He claimed her lips for his. A tingle of excitement spazzed through her. No one had ever treated her as desirous. God, she loved it.
The front door to the cabin opened. “Good grief, bro. Let the woman breathe,” a man who she assumed was his brother Ker said, coming out and slapping Jae on the back. “Did you bring the food?”
Jae pressed the key fob and the trunk opened. “What do you think? My lady deserves everything and only the best.” Avery didn’t miss the look Ker gave Jae. She wasn’t sure she understood the scowl. Well, maybe she did, just didn’t want to admit to it. If it came down to it, would she fight Hannah for Jae?
The men carried in the extra groceries and Avery followed behind. She wasn’t so sure how to take all this. Hannah was a mate of Jae or Ker because she had the mark of a mate. She wondered what that mark looked like. Was it a dragon like hers? So that meant she was also a Drachen mate. But to Jae or Ker? She hoped Jae, but what if…
“Avery!” Hannah said from the other side of the granite island. The woman hurried around and gave her a hug. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”
Ker grunted. “So you didn’t enjoy talking with me?” A partial grin showed he was joking around.
“I enjoyed it a lot, Ker,” Hannah said. “It’s just you’re not meant to talk about girl stuff.”
“You mean like clothes, makeup, men, and romance stories?” Ker asked. “You’re right about that then. Avery, I’m glad you’re here.”
She laughed. “I’m glad to be here.” Jae turned toward her and she winked at him. Was she flirting? How long had it been since she’d done something like that? Come to think of it, she’d never done anything like that. She wasn’t a flirt.
The guys pulled huge steaks from a grocery bag and slapped them onto a cookie sheet. Hannah’s eyes got wide. “Was there any of the cow left after you took those?” she said playfully.
Jae rolled his eyes. “Of course, there was. Just because you girls eat only rabbit food, doesn’t mean we are.”
“Rabbit food,” Avery spit out. “Whatever. Bring on the meat anytime.” Jae dropped the seasonings he held in his hands. His eyes met hers, burning hot. Her cheeks heated. She needed to pay attention to what she said. But she figured no matter what she said, he’d find a way to put a sexual twist on it.
Steaks seasoned and ready to go on the grill, the two guys slipped out the side door to the deck. Now there was room for the two ladies to do their parts.
“What else are we having with the meat?” Avery asked.
“Not real sure, but from what’s here, we can do coleslaw, baked beans, mixed veggies, or mac and cheese. What do you think?”
Avery smiled. “With how much the guys will probably eat, I think it all would be good to have ready.”
Hannah laughed. “I know, right? Dragons. They’ll eat a horse if you let them.” She pulled cans from the pantry. “Here, you open those and I’ll search for the pots and pans.” Hannah set a handheld can opener on the counter then started going through the cabinets.
If Avery wanted answers, now was a good time without the guys nosing around.
“Hannah, Jae tells me you’re a Drachen mate. What does that mean exactly?”
“From what I can tell from my dreams and the guys, I’m a destined wife to an unmated dragon. Which one, we won’t know until Jae or Ker get their matching mark, then we’ll know,” Hannah said.
“So you have a mark already?” Avery asked.
Hannah stood and pulled down the shoulder of her shirt. There in black lines was a dragon with his wings spread.
Surprised, Avery said, “That doesn’t look like mine at all.”
Hannah’s eyes rounded. “You have a mark? Show me.” Avery pulled up her top and showed Hannah her sleeping dragon.
“But I don’t want the guys to know about it yet. I want to see who you belong with first,” Avery replied. Hannah met her eyes. Was that a spark of jealousy that flashed through or her imagination?
“I don’t know which one,” Hannah said, “but I did dream about Jae saving me from the bad guys.”
“Bad guys?” Avery questioned, “What bad guys? Nobody said anything about bad guys.” Concern for her mother’s safety rolled through her. What was she getting herself into? She should’ve asked Jae details on why he was protecting this other woman.
“These men are another dragon group, the Noir, who are looking for mates, too. Only they know about the Drachen mates before the Drachens do and try to take the mates before the guys get a chance to find them.” Hannah set two pans on the stove then grabbed the open cans of baked beans and poured them in.
“That’s what happened to me. The bad guys found me when I was walking to my car after work. If not for Jae, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“How did the bad guys know about you?” Avery asked.
“Neither Ker nor Jae know how they are managing that. Ker mentioned a witch, Sylvana, but he thought she was dead. Obviously not since they found me.”
Avery thought back to the feeling she had of being followed by something dark. Was that what she was feeling? Had the Noir discovered her also? She turned to the fridge and pulled out the makings for coleslaw.
“You said you dreamed about Jae,” Avery asked Hannah. “Do your dreams come true often?”
“Are you asking if I’m a precog?” Hannah verified. “My mom is, but I’m more of an empath. I can feel other people’s emotional and physical pain. That’s why I like working with the babies.”
“How’s that?” Avery inquired.
Hannah replied, “With babies, they can’t tell us where they hurt or what is wrong. When I hold them, I can tell what the problem is or where it is. If it’s simple hunger or something more serious like a heart or lung issue.” Hannah set the bean cans to the side and laid her hand on top of Avery’s.
“And since I got my mark, I’ve been able to heal,” Hannah whispered.
Avery’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? You can heal people? That’s incredible.”
“I know, isn’t it?” Hannah almost jumped up and down from her excitement. “That’s when I shoved my way into the cancer ward at the hospital. I take care of the children while secretly doing what I can to cure them. It’s not a one-time Hallelujah healing kinda thing, but more of a longer process. Little by little. There’s a fundraiser tomorrow at the hospital with the kids. I’d love to have you there.”
“Sure, I’d love to go,” Avery said. “But there’s supposed to be a snowstorm rolling in tonight.”
“How bad?” Hannah asked.
“The radio said it could be up to two or three feet of snow in the higher elevations. Where’s the hospital?”
“In the higher elevations,” Hannah said. She was quiet for a moment before asking, “What about your abilities?”
“I don’t do miracles, just simple things,” Avery said.
“Like what?” Hannah persisted.
“My mom was a seer before the Alzheimer’s hit her hard. Growing up, she always told me to be open to new things. To be ready to recognize things I could do that others couldn’t.”
“That’s good,” Hannah quipped.
“Yes, a supportive parent meant I didn’t think I was going crazy. I’m an empath, too. But instead of physical pain that you feel, I go more toward the psychological or mental aspects of people.”
“Like how?”
Avery thought back to experiences that made her different than anyone she knew. “I instinctively know if someone is lying to me. I’m usually a good judge of character when first meeting people. I knew Jae was a good person and trustworthy right away. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been as friendly right off the bat as I was. Plus, he’s great to look at.”
Hannah squealed and clapped her hands. “I know. Isn’t he de-lish? Even Ker is yummy.” Avery looked down to hide any reaction she had to the woman’s words. Jealousy would’ve been a dead giveaway. She didn’t want that. She could belong to either man. But she only wanted Jae.
Hannah continued. “Have you been able to do anything more since you got your mark?”
Avery chewed on her lip. “Not that I’ve noticed, but I wouldn’t know what to look for either. Your ability to find physical pain and then heal it goes together. I don’t know what would go with recognizing if someone was an asshole or not.” That struck both girls as funny and they laughed.
Avery liked Hannah and really hoped the woman belonged with Ker.