“Liang’s nervous about being a new father, you should let him know you’ll be there if he needs any advice.”
Aden slid his fingers into Gallen’s hair and massaged his scalp gently. “I learned by trial and error. I’m not exactly a role model for sensible parenting or did you not notice my son is a killing machine.” Aden sounded more proud than concerned about his son’s prowess.
“True, but he loves you so you must’ve done something right,” Gallen insisted. He’d never felt even a fraction of the devotion Carey exhibited toward Aden for his own father. Of course his father had been a sociopath so maybe Gallen didn’t have a good basis for comparison.
“I got lucky.”
Gallen smiled, warmed by Aden’s defense of his child. “You never give yourself enough credit. That’s why you need me to point out how awesome you are.” Gallen kissed Aden’s neck, the only spot he could reach from his current position.
“I’m glad you think so. I started training Carey when he was really young. First hand to hand combat, then knives, then guns. I’m not sure my lessons would be appropriate for sea dragon shifters. They seem like pretty gentle creatures.”
“Maybe, but Proteus helped Liang get out of there. Don’t discount him because he’s small.”
“I won’t. Some of the deadliest assassins are successful because they look innocent. Did Zhou leave?”
Gallen nodded. “He took Liang with him instead. Liang sees the emperor as a possible threat to his children and wants him eliminated. I gave Zhou one of the disposable phones. He’s supposed to call if he runs into trouble.” They kept a basket of disposables because the hawk shifters often lost them in flight. Carey had set up tracking on each one so that they could be retrieved later.
“How did Proteus take that?”
“He was supportive. Besides I think Liang is going so he can scope out the area in case you do decide to send his mate.”
“Thanks. You always take care of everything,” Aden said.
“That’s part of my job as your mate to make sure you have whatever you need.”
Aden kissed Gallen’s forehead. “I can think of something else I need right now.”
Lying next to his mate and inhaling his luscious scent had Gallen harder than the stone fountain outside.
“Always thinking with your other head,” Gallen teased.
“I’m a simple man with simple needs. Having you lie beside me in bed doesn’t make me want to play checkers.”
Gallen laughed against Aden’s neck. Damn, he adored this man. “I love being your mate I’m glad you finally gave in.”
“I had to. Your puppy dog eyes were breaking my heart,” Aden teased.
“Couldn’t have that,” Gallen agreed. “Your heart belongs to me, bandaged up and all.”
Aden smiled up at him. “It’s yours.”
He rolled them until Gallen lay beneath him. Aden’s eyes glowed, his dragon staring down at him like he was the best part of his treasure.
“I’ll prove I’m the perfect mate for you.”
“You don’t have anything to prove.” Aden smoothed his hands across Gallen’s cheeks. “I already know you’re perfect.”
Gallen smiled. Happiness flowed through their mate bond.
“I’m glad you kissed me. If you hadn’t I would’ve stayed in that coffin in the garden.” He shuddered as he remembered being under that spell. Maybe that’s why he sympathized with the dragons. He’d only been frozen for a few months, centuries would’ve been unbearable.
“I think Harris still misses you in his garden. Well at least the coffin, you were the icing on the cake.”
The bear shifter had liked the glass art piece he’d put Gallen inside after the sorcerer had succumbed to a spell and he’d been sad to see it go.
Gallen shuddered. “I prefer being out of it.”
“Did you bring lube?”
Reaching into his pocket Gallen did a little shimmy so he could get to the tube he’d shoved in his pocket. He’d learned not to travel anywhere without it. Now that
Aden slid his fingers into Gallen’s hair and massaged his scalp gently. “I learned by trial and error. I’m not exactly a role model for sensible parenting or did you not notice my son is a killing machine.” Aden sounded more proud than concerned about his son’s prowess.
“True, but he loves you so you must’ve done something right,” Gallen insisted. He’d never felt even a fraction of the devotion Carey exhibited toward Aden for his own father. Of course his father had been a sociopath so maybe Gallen didn’t have a good basis for comparison.
“I got lucky.”
Gallen smiled, warmed by Aden’s defense of his child. “You never give yourself enough credit. That’s why you need me to point out how awesome you are.” Gallen kissed Aden’s neck, the only spot he could reach from his current position.
“I’m glad you think so. I started training Carey when he was really young. First hand to hand combat, then knives, then guns. I’m not sure my lessons would be appropriate for sea dragon shifters. They seem like pretty gentle creatures.”
“Maybe, but Proteus helped Liang get out of there. Don’t discount him because he’s small.”
“I won’t. Some of the deadliest assassins are successful because they look innocent. Did Zhou leave?”
Gallen nodded. “He took Liang with him instead. Liang sees the emperor as a possible threat to his children and wants him eliminated. I gave Zhou one of the disposable phones. He’s supposed to call if he runs into trouble.” They kept a basket of disposables because the hawk shifters often lost them in flight. Carey had set up tracking on each one so that they could be retrieved later.
“How did Proteus take that?”
“He was supportive. Besides I think Liang is going so he can scope out the area in case you do decide to send his mate.”
“Thanks. You always take care of everything,” Aden said.
“That’s part of my job as your mate to make sure you have whatever you need.”
Aden kissed Gallen’s forehead. “I can think of something else I need right now.”
Lying next to his mate and inhaling his luscious scent had Gallen harder than the stone fountain outside.
“Always thinking with your other head,” Gallen teased.
“I’m a simple man with simple needs. Having you lie beside me in bed doesn’t make me want to play checkers.”
Gallen laughed against Aden’s neck. Damn, he adored this man. “I love being your mate I’m glad you finally gave in.”
“I had to. Your puppy dog eyes were breaking my heart,” Aden teased.
“Couldn’t have that,” Gallen agreed. “Your heart belongs to me, bandaged up and all.”
Aden smiled up at him. “It’s yours.”
He rolled them until Gallen lay beneath him. Aden’s eyes glowed, his dragon staring down at him like he was the best part of his treasure.
“I’ll prove I’m the perfect mate for you.”
“You don’t have anything to prove.” Aden smoothed his hands across Gallen’s cheeks. “I already know you’re perfect.”
Gallen smiled. Happiness flowed through their mate bond.
“I’m glad you kissed me. If you hadn’t I would’ve stayed in that coffin in the garden.” He shuddered as he remembered being under that spell. Maybe that’s why he sympathized with the dragons. He’d only been frozen for a few months, centuries would’ve been unbearable.
“I think Harris still misses you in his garden. Well at least the coffin, you were the icing on the cake.”
The bear shifter had liked the glass art piece he’d put Gallen inside after the sorcerer had succumbed to a spell and he’d been sad to see it go.
Gallen shuddered. “I prefer being out of it.”
“Did you bring lube?”
Reaching into his pocket Gallen did a little shimmy so he could get to the tube he’d shoved in his pocket. He’d learned not to travel anywhere without it. Now that
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