Blake put a hand against a tree trunk, feeling the rough bark catch the leather of his gloves. Snow crunched beneath his boots. He could feel the chill touch his skin, numbing the surface, but his core was pleasantly warm. It was one of the perks of being a shifter: constantly warm and running at a higher temperature.

The witches, however, weren’t nearly as lucky. He could see them hunching a little in their thick jackets, scarves pulled tight around the bottom half of their faces. Still, he didn’t feel pity, only smug amusement. Especially given their reason for being out here.

“I feel like a truffle pig,” he said, sniffing the air. He caught nothing but cold, snow, trees, and the three witches.

“You essentially are.” Cynthia popped up at his side, rubbing her hands along her upper arms.

“Not quite.” Marcus stopped several paces ahead. He snapped off a twig from a bush, holding it up to his eyes to examine it. When his gaze slid sidelong to Blake’s, there was a glint of mischief there. “The pigs never complain.”

“You, sir,” Blake deadpanned, leveling him with a flat stare, “are hilarious.”

The big man shrugged, a deep laugh rumbling in his throat. “I try.”

“Why have we stopped?” Jesse asked, picking her way through the snow behind them. She didn’t sound accusatory, merely curious.

“I lost the scent.”

“Again?” Cynthia cocked an eyebrow.

He frowned at her. “Scents get lost in the cold easier. Plus this root has a very subtle smell, and it’s a root. It’s underground, beneath all this snow. And I’m not familiar with the scent. I don’t know how you expect me to hold this scent for hours at a time…”

“Calm down, Fido. I’m just kidding,” she said with a laugh, putting a hand on his arm. He glared at her, but she merely grinned.

“Here you go, Blake.” Jesse stepped up to his side, pulling the root from her pocket and holding it up. It was a twisted, little thing. Nothing noteworthy about it. But apparently it was rare enough, only grew in northern climates, and was very valuable for a lot of spells and potions. Despite all his complaints, helping them find roots and herbs they needed was the least he could do after all they’d done for him.

He leaned in, nose hovering over the root she held delicately between her fingers, and inhaled deeply. The scent was subtle. Easily overpowered. He closed his eyes, letting the scent settle inside him. Then he stood straight, breathing in the air around him. It took him a while, mentally sifting through the scents of the forest, but he finally picked up something.

“This way.” He started off, steps quick and brisk before he lost the scent again. The snow in these parts was nearly to his knees, blown into higher drifts throughout the forest by the wind, hiding dangers and things that threatened to trip him. This part of the forest’s snowfall was untouched, not on a direct patrol route and too far from the castle for random pack members to tread through.

He led them through the trees, following his nose and doing his best not to trip in the snow. The witches followed along behind him, slower, but hurrying to keep up.

He paused when he reached the edge of the tree line. The snow in front of them continued untouched, the land sloping gently downward until it hit the frozen ice of a small lake. Or a large pond? He wasn’t really sure what it qualified as. A body of water, large enough, but he could see the other side in the distance. The ice was glistening in the daylight, a thin sheet of snow being blown along the surface by the wind.

It was beautiful.

The witches caught up to him, and it snapped him back to focus on the task at hand. He moved forward, skirting along the lake.

“Here.” He stopped at the edge of the tree line a little further down, waving a hand toward the ground.

“You sure?”

“As sure as I’m gonna get.”

Cynthia fell to her knees near the trees, pushing and pulling snow away by the armful until a small plant poked up from the depths. She smiled up at them. “Bingo.”

Jesse and Marcus pulled small handheld shovels from the bags they carried, falling to their knees next to Cynthia. She busied herself moving the snow away and clearing the ground while the others started to dig, carefully extracting the roots.

Without much else to do, Blake left them to it, walking away and toward the lake. He stopped when he reached the edge, falling into a crouch and reaching out with one hand. He ran his gloved fingertips along the surface of the ice, pressing his palm down onto it, rapping his knuckles on the surface. It seemed solid enough.

Standing once more, he cautiously took a step forward, slowly putting his weight on it. When nothing happened, he took another step. Then another. Moving further out onto the frozen lake. The ice held.

It was beautiful here. Serene and tranquil. He could feel the tension leaking out of him, lulled into a moment of stillness by the wintery scene around him. He breathed in deep, letting the chill burn his lungs. It was refreshing and rejuvenating. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel it would be a moment better shared in the company of Dylan and their children.

* * *

They made their way back to the castle a couple hours later, bags heavy with freshly harvested roots, faces numb, and noses red. Blake whistled as he went, steps far less labored through the snow than the witches. But he moved slowly keeping pace with them.

Honestly, it felt good to get away from the pack for a while, even if it was only a few hours. His head felt clearer, and his heart felt lighter. It wasn’t that he minded the Shadow Pack, but being with them lately left him feeling muddled and heavy. Dylan, in particular, made him feel that way.

Dylan, with his small smiles and the mischievous glint in his eyes. With his strength and confidence. The way he crushed omega stereotypes beneath the heel of his combat boots, then turned around and held their son gently while braiding their daughter’s hair with practiced fingers. He was an enigma. He was a puzzle. A dark and deep mystery Blake felt compelled to solve, but he had a feeling it would take him months, if not years, to do so.

It was exhilarating, but it was also overwhelming. The things he felt around Dylan, the loss of his usual control, the feeling of strange twisting as he watched from afar, they were all things he wasn’t used to feeling. It was strange. Not necessarily bad, but it was certainly strange. That, combined with the knowing stares of the pack around him, were particularly suffocating.

Why was he not free to pine in peace for a man that had already been his mate once?

Not that...not that he was pining. Certainly not. He did not pine. But...perhaps on some level, he was indeed pining.

What a strange feeling.

When they stepped through the trees into the large field, castle and compound rising resolute at the center, Blake’s attention immediately honed in on the groups of people dotting the castle’s grounds. With the sky mostly clear and the sun shining through, wind at a minimum but fresh snow on the ground from the previous night, it seemed like a good day for the pack to spend outside.

They roamed around the castle’s lawn in groups. The adults tended to clump together while children of all ages ran around between them. Snowmen were being rolled and built, snow statues and forts were being constructed, and snow angels lay abandoned in their wake.

“Everyone here is insane,” Jesse grumbled as they made their way down a worn path of packed snow, face nestled deep in her scarf.

“What was that?” Blake asked, tilting his head but keeping his eyes on the pack in the field below. There was an itch over his skin, a restlessness that he couldn’t shake. His gaze flitted across the distant forms, eyesight sharp and focused.

“Don’t mind her.” Cynthia threw an arm over Jesse’s shoulders. “She comes from a country far to the south. She’s not used to this weather.”

“Who would willingly enjoy the cold?”

“I think it’s refreshing,” Malcolm said. His face was buried in his scarf, but he didn’t hunch or huddle into his layers like the women did.

Blake tuned them out as they continued to talk amongst themselves. He didn’t realize who he was looking for until his eyes snapped to focus on Dylan, and then he wasn’t in the least bit surprised. How he always managed to pick him out of a crowd, Blake wasn’t sure he’d ever know. It was an invisible tug. Something about the omega that just called to him. Like his alpha was tuned into him on a level Blake didn’t understand.

It was obnoxious to some degree, but Blake was getting used to it.

Dylan stood with Lucy and Marcus, as well as a few other shifters. A part of Blake was relieved to see none of them were alphas, not that he could see anyway. Lily was nearby, rolling a ball of snow that was over half her size and no doubt far too large for her to lift. She was around the back of Dylan, and not within his sight as he chatted with the other adults.

He also had his back to where Blake and the witches were coming out of the woods.

“I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Blake,” Cynthia said slowly. “You sound like you’re plotting something.”

But he was already hurrying off. He did, however, toss a wild grin over his shoulder. Cynthia shook her head, but he could hear her laughter on the wind.

He hurried across the field, following the trodden paths through the snow and keeping himself somewhat hunched, as if that might help hide him from Dylan’s sight. He kept an eye on the omega, but he didn’t turn around. Nor did he give any indication that he noticed Blake’s presence at all as he crept up on the pack.

Several people greeted him as he passed, but he caught their eye and put a finger to his lips before they could call out his name. They gave him odd and curious looks, but they listened to his silent request. He lost himself in the thick of the pack. In the laughter of children and adults alike. They were packed tight on this part of the lawn, socializing in the snow on a rarely clear day.

He wove through them until he reached Lily, immediately dropping to one knee and putting a hand on her large rolling snowball. It was up to her chest and just as wide. She was hunched over pushing it, and at the sudden resistance, she stopped, lifting her head over the top to glare at whoever or whatever was blocking her path.

But her face lit up as she saw him, hazel eyes wide and beautiful, and reminiscent of Dylan’s. She was bundled up tight in several layers of jackets and gloves, a hat pushed down over her ears. She wouldn’t get her warm shifter core until her first shift, but the cold didn’t seem to faze her, as was common with children and minor irritations.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he put a finger to his lips. Her mouth snapped shut immediately, head tilting to the side as her brows furrowed.

“How’s it going, baby girl?” he asked, voice a whispered hush.

She leaned over the large ball of snow, arms wrapping around it and chest lying on top. “I’m making a snowman,” she said it in a whisper, but it was a hair louder and harsher than he would have liked. “Why are we whispering?”

“I’m hiding from your daddy.”

“Why?”

“Have you ever had a snowball fight?”

Her eyes lit up with curiosity, lips forming a small “o”. “No, but I’ve seen the bigger kids have one.”

Blake grinned, eyes flickering to Dylan to make sure he still had his back to them as he was already scooping up snow and packing it tight. “What do you say we surprise your daddy?”

“Yeah!”

She came around her large snowball, falling to the ground at Blake’s side. He showed her how to build and pack a sturdy snowball, and when they both had one in their hands, they hunched as best they could behind her large snowman torso. Both of them couldn’t hide behind it effectively, but the thought was there.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Three...two...one...now!”

They both went up a little higher on their knees, launching their snowballs. Lily’s barely made it halfway there before falling into the snow, but Blake’s nailed Dylan in the back of the head.

His body jerked with the impact. His shoulders rose into a hunch and his arms went out to the side to steady himself as he took a stumbling step forward. Most of the snow shattered on impact, but a good clump of it stuck to the back of his hat. It was clear the conversation around him had stopped just as abruptly, everyone staring at him with wide eyes.

Blake had to slap a glove over his mouth to stifle his laugh, but Lily wasn’t so reserved. She giggled loudly and openly at his side.

After a brief moment to get his bearings, Dylan whipped around, eyes wild and face contorted in anger. His face was pale in the cold, reddened around his nose and cheeks. His eyes were wide and brow furrowed, sharp as a knife as they looked around. As soon as they locked onto Blake, something about his expression shifted. It went through a rapid succession of surprise, bewilderment, irritation, and a flare of anger again.

While confusion colored Dylan’s features, Lily laughed at Blake’s side. Blake just leaned on the large snow mound in front of him, lifting a hand in a simple greeting and grinning wide.

Dylan’s eyes narrowed for only a moment before he was dropping to his knees, scooping snow into his hands. He stood up, drew his arm back, and launched his own snowball in quick movements.

A strangled yelp escaped Blake as he ducked, pulling Lily down with him to hide as best they could behind her attempt at a snowman. The cover wasn’t necessary. Dylan, while strong and quick, apparently didn’t have great aim. The snowball went wide and high, sailing over them.

There was a sound of startled anger and a few gasps. Blake turned around in time to see the remains of the snowball falling from the face of a woman. Her and her friends had been standing somewhere behind Blake and Lily. Her eyes narrowed on Blake, lingering snow clinging to her cheeks and eyelashes. He sat up straight, hands up in surrender before he pointed over his shoulder to Dylan.

Her gaze followed his gesture, and he looked over his shoulder to see the omega’s mouth hanging open, eyes wide and face flushed. He put up his hands, already shaking his head, but it was too late. The woman bent, scooped up her own snowball, and hurled it at him.

He ducked in time, and the projectile hit Marcus in the side of the head. He turned slowly, eyes locking on the woman as the snow fell to the ground. There was a breath of stillness. A moment of calm. It seemed like conversations all around the lawn had come to a unanimous halt, everyone’s eyes on them and breaths being held in anticipation of what would happen next.

It felt like chips thrown in the air, stuck in that moment of weightlessness before they fell. And when they did, all hell broke loose.

All at once, everyone in the field seemed to drop to their knees, scooping up snow, packing it into balls as quickly as they could. Caught up in the excitement of it, in the energy buzzing around the pack, Blake helped Lily form her own, quickly building their supply. After a tense minute, everyone seemed to stand, ammo in their arms as they launched snowballs into the air.

The field outside the castle broke out in chaos. It was a flurry of movement. Friends and families hunkered together, moving as one. Some groups broke apart, individuals making an escape. Children and adults both laughed, screams of joy, frustration, and surprise echoed through the air. Snowballs flew in every direction, shattering on impact. It was a mess, uncoordinated, and perhaps the greatest snowball fight Blake had ever witnessed.

He was certain no one had any real targets. There were no teams. It was a mad rush and a free-for-all.

Blake tried to stick with Lily, but she soon spotted a few of the other kids her age having their own, smaller snowball fight off to the side, and she took off towards them with snowballs clutched in each hand. He watched her go, chuckling to himself as he heard her shout a war cry over the voices of the others.

Then a snowball whizzed past his head and he ducked instinctively. Head whipping up, his eyes found Dylan a short distance away, a strange stillness among the chaos, a snowball in hand, a smirk on his face, and a challenging glint in his eyes.

Blake grinned, wide and wild, scooping up snowballs of his own as he took off toward Dylan, leaping over Lily’s half formed snowman. Dylan jumped, spinning on his heel and taking off. He wove through the pack, ducking and dodging through the crossfire, and Blake gave chase as best he could.

He launched snowballs, some of which hit Dylan’s back, others harmlessly landed on the ground as he ducked, and some hit other men and women when Dylan moved behind them. Blake took plenty of retaliatory shots for that, half of which he dodged and half of which hit, but he kept his eyes on Dylan and his chase unrelenting. Dylan tried to throw a few back at him, but they were easy to avoid.

The excitement of the chase ran hot through Blake’s veins, urged on and burning bright at the sight of Dylan’s grin. It was playful, and it was challenging. It set Blake’s insides aflame. The snow beneath their feet was churned and messy, uneven and difficult to wade through. He charged on anyway, barely glancing at the people he shoved past or weaved around, keeping his eyes on the omega as they ducked and ran through the pack like a couple of teenagers and not fully grown men.

Blake danced around a group of shifters only to get a snowball to the face. He wiped it off, eyes narrowing on Dylan’s shit eating grin. “You’re gonna pay for that, omega,” he growled loudly with mock threat.

Dylan’s laugh sent shivers down his spine. “You’ll have to catch me first, alpha!”

Dylan ran, Blake chased, and the snowball war continued around them. Dylan stuck to the chaos, using the cover to his advantage, but Blake slowly gained on him. He finally managed to close the distance as Dylan bent to scoop up a hand full of snow, half twisting slowly to throw a half-formed ball that came apart in the air. Blake kept charging full speed, ducking out of the way.

Dylan’s eyes widened, body tensing when he realized Blake wasn’t slowing down. Then Blake collided with him, arms wrapping around his middle and hearing the breath leave Dylan in a rush as they both fell to the ground. The snow softened their fall, sending up flurries as they landed.

Blake lay there for a moment, the air knocked out of his own lungs. He lay on top of Dylan, feeling the man’s chest rise and fall heavily as he, too, tried to catch his breath. Blake could barely feel the warmth of his body through both their layers of clothes, but having him solid and sturdy beneath him felt surprisingly good. It sent a thrill spiraling through him.

Then, finally, Blake lifted himself up on his elbows, rising to gaze down at the man beneath him. He was beautiful and rugged. A chiseled jaw with a hint of stubble. Cheeks flushed and nose pink. His hazel eyes stood out like gemstones against the snow that surrounded him. His arms lay outstretched, elbows bent, hands resting above his head. He gazed up at Blake with lidded eyes, a lopsided smirk on his lips. His head was tilted to the side, the expanse of his neck just barely peeking above his scarf. His scent was subtle, chilled, but it stuck in Blake’s nose like honey.

“Got you.” His voice, rolling off his tongue in a low grumble and releasing a puff of steamy breath into the cold air.

Dylan’s lips twitched just a fraction, lighting up his eyes. “So you did. What’re you going to do with me now?”

It was playful and teasing, with a dark and dangerous edge. Just like Dylan himself. An omega, tempting and beautiful, but with strength and a body built to fight. He was wild, and not an easy one to tame, but Blake found himself rising to the challenge. He’d always liked challenges.

He lowered his head, face mere inches from Dylan’s, heavy breaths brushing across lips, heaving chests touching with every inhale. “I’ve got a few ideas.”

The chaos seemed to slowly dissolve, moving in a blur around them but without touching them. Time was told in the breaths between them. Blake watched as Dylan’s eyes flickered down his face to his lips before returning, flush deepening. Weight pressed down on the omega, Blake could feel the shudder that ran through him. It stirred something inside him, stoking the fire that had been building.

He gave himself over to instinct and desire, bowing his head. He leaned down slowly, giving Dylan plenty of time to react. Instead, the omega’s eyes merely closed, chin tilting up to meet him...

A cold barrage of snow fell on them from above, knocking his head down with the weight of it until his forehead collided with Dylan’s. Snow and ice chilled the back of his neck, slipping down his jacket. Dylan groaned, lifting a hand to his forehead as Blake’s head snapped up.

Lily stood over them, grin wide and bright as she giggled, throwing a snowball into Blake’s face from a mere two feet away.

He rolled off Dylan into the snow with a groan, reaching to gather snow into his hands and packing it tight. “Oh, you’re gonna get it,” he growled, pushing himself to his feet.

Lily squealed and raced off across the lawn, and a new chase began.

* * *

The pack wide snowball fight lasted for an hour and tore up all the freshly lain snow on the lawn outside the castle. Once everyone was soaked, cold, breathless, and sated, they started to move inside in groups. Dylan retired first, taking with him a freezing Lily who complained she wanted to stay longer despite her sniffles and the snot running down her face. Blake stayed a little longer, caught up in snow combat with a far too enthusiastic Cynthia.

By the time he made it back to his room, he was spent, muscles aching but his heart feeling light with all the positive energy surrounding the pack. He did his best not to think about Dylan and how tempting his lips had looked, despite being chapped and cracked with cold.

He took a hot shower to warm himself up, steam circling and rising around his bathroom. It wasn’t nearly as big as the one in his other room had been, but it was fine for just himself.

Showered and warm, the last of the chill chased away, he dressed in comfortable jeans and a thick sweater that hugged his shoulders. Giving his hair one last rub down with his towel, he swept it back from his forehead with his fingers, leaving it casually messy to dry. With socks and shoes donned, he was out the door, stomach rumbling. It was well past noon, but he was certain he could find some scraps of lunch in the mess hall. He was sure that was where plenty of others were going after the snowball fight.

As he strolled through the hallways toward the main stairs, hands in his pockets, a familiar voice caught his attention. He couldn’t hear him well enough to make out the words, but he could tell it was him. His pace was already picking up, heart racing, and a thrill running through him before he even realized it. He felt like a young pup again, caught up in instincts and attraction beyond his control. It was foolish, but he couldn’t bring himself to hate it or fight it.

He rounded a corner, stairs coming into view down the hall just in time for him to see Dylan round the corner and head down them. An unfamiliar alpha was at his side, but judging from his size and the uniform he wore, he was on security detail. Headed out for patrol or just released? Blake wasn’t sure.

Blake hurried down the hall on silent feet, listening intently.

“Your demonstration the other day was impressive.” The alpha was saying as Blake neared. He couldn’t see them, but he could hear their voices echoing up the stairs.

“Thank you.” Dylan didn’t sound particularly invested in the conversation, but there was a bit of pride there. “I was in the service for years, so the training has stuck.”

“I was wondering if maybe you could give me a few lessons?”

“I already give lessons once a week.”

“No, I mean like...private lessons. Just you and me.”

“Is there something you don’t understand from the group training exercises?”

Blake grinned, having to bite back a laugh. Something dark and heated curled in him, an unpleasant rumble at another alpha flirting with Dylan, but it was overshadowed by the pure amusement at realizing Dylan was far too oblivious to notice he was being hit on in the first place. Either he wasn’t used to that sort of attention and wasn’t expecting it, or he was feigning innocence. Perhaps both.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I just want to spend some time with you, one on one, you know? See what you got.” There was a suggestiveness in his tone that brought the dark rumble to the forefront of Blake’s mind.

He reached the top of the stairs in time to see them pass the landing, round the corner and head to the second floor. He peered over the banister. They were almost directly below him. Blake didn’t recognize the alpha, but he knew he wouldn’t forget his face now.

“Oh.” Sudden realization appeared in Dylan’s face, voice going carefully neutral. “I’m afraid I’m busy. I have two kids to look after, and not a lot of time to spare.”

“The blood moon is coming up,” the alpha said, reaching out to touch Dylan’s arm. The dark rumble was back and it ran hot through Blake’s veins, as he started down the stairs two at a time. “Perhaps we could run together…”

“Dylan!” Blake said, loud and boisterous as he rounded the landing above them, slowing his pace as he moved down the stairs. He plastered a grin on his face, eyes flickered between them as they both came to an immediate stop to look up at him. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Dylan blinked, brows pinching in his confusion. “Blake?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot we were going to grab lunch together.” Blake stopped when he reached him, throwing a lazy and friendly arm over Dylan’s shoulder. It was simple, non-threatening, but it was enough to get the other alpha to pull his hand back.

Dylan stared at him for a moment, words slow and careful as they formed. “I...suppose I did.”

Blake shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “You’re so forgetful.”

He looked up at the other alpha then. His smile remained fixed in place, but it felt strained and it didn’t reach his eyes. He knew they looked hard and unyielding as he stared down the other alpha. The man straightened under the subtle threat, lifting his chin and narrowing his eyes. Blake could smell the harsh increase of his scent, smelling of leather and musk and thick warmth. He didn’t need to smell himself to know he was doing the same. It was too late to pretend he wasn’t.

“Am I interrupting something?” he drawled, tilting his head to the side, a challenge in his eyes.

“Yes,” the alpha said, at the same time Dylan said, “No.”

The man’s eyes snapped to Dylan’s, brow furrowing and lips pressing into a small frown. He looked back to Blake, taking an uncertain step backwards as he looked between them. “Unless I’ve been reading this wrong, I thought you two were no longer together.” He said it slowly and carefully. Blake knew he wasn’t fully backing down from the challenge, but there was a wariness there. If Dylan was indeed single, then he had a right to try and court him. If he wasn’t, however, he would be considered out of place to contest Blake’s claim.

“We’re not,” Dylan said.

“We’re working on it,” Blake’s grin widened a fraction, head tilting to bump lightly against Dylan’s.

“Right,” the alpha backed down the stairs a step. He looked tense, but more than that, he looked annoyed. Ignoring Blake, he turned his attention back to Dylan. “I’ll see you later. Think about what I said?”

“Sure,” Dylan said, but it sounded more like an off-hand comment than a promise, and that did wonders to make the tight knot in Blake’s stomach loosen.

They stood on the stairs until the alpha rounded the second floor and hurried down to the first, taking the steps quickly as he made his escape.

“What was that about?” Dylan snapped, pulling out from under Blake’s arm. He let him go, shoving his hand back into his pocket. He watched as Dylan rolled his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned to face Blake. He looked uncomfortable, but not overly so. More awkward than anything, a little pout forming on his lips despite his scowl.

“That,” Blake said, raising an eyebrow. “Was me rescuing you.”

Dylan rolled his eyes, turning and continuing down the stairs. Blake fell into step beside him. “I don’t need rescuing.”

“Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use it. He clearly wasn’t taking the hint.”

“I’ve been brushing off plenty of alphas in the past few months. One more isn’t going to change anything.”

Blake paused, eyebrows raised. “Plenty? As in a lot?” Dylan glanced over his shoulder, looking him over for a moment before his scowl slid into a small smirk. He turned and continued down the stairs, leaving Blake to huff quietly to himself and follow. “You’re popular.”

“Jealous?” There was definitely some pride there, along with a sizable helping of amusement. Dylan stood a little straighter, chin a little higher as they descended the stairs.

“Of guys like that? Not likely.”

Dylan hummed, low and thoughtful.

“Blake! Dylan!” They both looked up as they reached the bottom of the stairs, turning to find Arulean striding through the large foyer of the castle toward them. He stopped a few feet away, eyebrows raised as he glanced between them, hands clasped loosely behind his back. “Getting along, I hope?”

“Of course,” Blake said with a smirk. Dylan merely snorted.

“That is good to hear. Come. I wanted to speak with you both.” He headed past them, back up the stairs with a slight wave of his hand to gesture them along. They shared exasperated looks, gazing up after him.

“I need to go find Rajiah. He’s watching Adrien and I…” Dylan started, but was cut off by another gesture.

“I just spoke with my mate. He will watch young Adrien for a few moments more. Come.”

Dylan sighed, shoulders slumping as he trudged up the stairs, and Blake snickered under his breath, following after him.

Arulean led them to his study, moving to sit behind his large desk and motioning for them to take the comfortable chairs across from him. Blake sunk heavily into his, slouching with his arms lazily sprawled on the armrests, legs stretched out in front of him. Dylan sat a little stiffer, arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s up, big man?” Blake asked as he settled in.

“Do you remember what I asked of you? With the satellite tower?”

Blake cocked an eyebrow. “Of course.”

“And how soon do you think you would be ready to pursue this endeavor?”

“Anytime. All I need is a couple hours to prepare my equipment, but I can head out anytime.”

“Perfect.” He turned his attention to Dylan, who stiffened under the scrutiny. “I will be sending Blake on a mission across the island to where the humans have constructed a satellite tower. His mission is to hack into the systems and ensure that any surveillance feed finds blind spots at our location.”

Dylan nodded slowly, seemingly unfazed by any of it. “And where do I come in?”

“I would like you to be his escort.”

That made both his brows shoot upward. “Me?”

Arulean sat back in his chair, elbows propped on the arms, fingers laced loosely in front of him. “I can think of no one better. You know this island better than most. You know the human settlements as well as our territory. You know the paths and the dangers. You are the one most capable to escort and protect him in a two-person mission. That, and while this may be a touchy subject, you have worked with Blake before. You two make an excellent team.”

Blake didn’t miss the way Dylan’s eyes flickered to him sidelong before returning to Arulean. “I’m not so sure...”

“Well, I am.” And Blake knew by his tone of voice that the dragon’s word was final. “I have already spoken with Rajiah and made arrangements to watch over your children. They will be well-taken care of while you are both gone.”

“When do we leave?” Blake asked.

“Tomorrow. I will have provisions prepared for you. Dylan, you have access to whatever equipment you need from the guard compound.”

Dylan pursed his lips tightly, eyes hard and a slight pinch to his brows as he nodded. “Understood.”

“Good. You are dismissed. I will speak to Blake further about his plans for the reprogramming of the tower.”

Dylan pushed himself to his feet, pausing as he turned and made eye contact with Blake. He offered a small, apologetic smile and a slight shrug. Blake didn’t miss the slow blink as Dylan turned away or the slight heaving of a small sigh.

Once the doors to the study were shut, Blake turned back to Arulean, one eyebrow raised. “What game are you playing here, dragon man?”

There was a slight glint in Arulean’s dark eyes and a mischievous curl at the corner of his lips. “My mate tells me this game is called matchmaker. I am giving you an opportunity, Blake. Do not waste it.”

Blake grinned, mind already whirling. He could guarantee he wouldn’t.