Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Sam set up the tent with brisk efficiency, which seemed to be his default mode. He did everything efficiently. Dimitri silently pitched in, helping him put the two-man tent up even though he didn’t like the idea of Sam sleeping alone. There were too many monsters in Brazil that liked to prey on sleeping people for him to be comfortable with the idea.
Nothing bothered Dimitri, of course, because dragons were at the top of the food chain. He wasn’t the one needing company to keep danger at bay.
Convincing Sam to share a tent with him… Yeah, he didn’t see how that would go over well. The man was strangely prickly. Why? Well, that was another question Dimitri currently had no answer to.
If Sam was aiming to be enigmatic, he sure was doing a hell of a fine job.
When Sam headed for the latrines set up on the opposite side of their camp, Dimitri tracked him with his eyes, making sure the man got there fine. It was only when Sam disappeared from sight that he caught himself. Dammit, he was basically eye stalking the man.
What gives, lizard?
His dragon answered with a growly purr.
Not helpful. He liked Sam, though, that was clear.
“Sooooo,” Luka drawled out in a tone that had Dimitri inwardly groaning. This was his nosy I want to know all the gossip voice. The slender dragon scooted closer and grinned. “You seem to have a thing for Samuel.”
“I don’t,” he grumbled a little too quickly.
Luka’s eyebrows shot up toward his hairline and both Gregori and Vasily chuckled, proving they were eavesdropping on the conversation. There was no such thing as privacy in a clan. Not really. Your dragon and mage family knew all of your business like they were being paid to know.
“So, you trying to get some?”
“What? No! What? Why would you ask that?” Dimitri was forced to bite his tongue to stop the gibberish pouring out of his mouth. It didn’t help that with each word his voice traveled higher in pitch. Soon only dogs would be able to hear him.
“Holy shit! You broke Dimitri,” Gregori said with a cackle.
“Shut up!” Dimitri used his ice powers to freeze some of the moisture in the air until he formed a snowball. He launched it at Gregori, but the dragon deftly dodged while still laughing.
“I think you have,” Vasily agreed. “Look at his face. Definitely turning red.”
Dimitri called up a second snowball to throw at Vasily but the dragon had already darted behind a tree. Asshole. Dimitri tossed the ball aside and dropped down on one of the open seats at the picnic table.
Luka cautiously edged closer, a smile on his lips, but his eyes kept sneaking over to Dimitri’s hand as if to check that he wasn’t armed with icy death. “What are you so grumpy about?”
“Because he’s complicated and he hates to talk. Trying to get information out of him is like trying to sneak a pearl out of an oyster,” Dimitri snarled.
Vasily ducked out from his hiding place, brow furrowed in confusion. “Seriously?”
“We’ve never seen you so wrapped up in a mage,” Gregori called out from his protection behind a tree.
“You’re always really friendly and welcoming to the mages when they join the clan,” Luka pointed out.
“And you were super friendly with the Burkhard mages. Nikki certainly thought you were cool,” Vasily added.
Dimitri scrubbed a hand across his face. He did not want to talk about this. “Yes, exactly. I’m nice to all the mages. That’s all this is, I’m being nice to Sam. He’s traveled a long way for an important research expedition, and he’s entirely alone in a foreign country after his shithead ex dumped him. There’s nothing else going on.”
“But—” Luka started, but Dimitri held up one hand, stopping his words.
“Keep in mind, also, that Sam has made it very clear he’s not a mage.”
“Do you really believe that?” Gregori came out of his hiding place and walked into the center of their camp so that he was standing only a few feet away from Dimitri, his arms crossed over his chest. “We can all smell the magic on him.”
Dimitri shrugged. “I know. I think he’s a mage, but maybe we’re wrong and it’s something else. He could be something we haven’t encountered before. He sounds like he’s been through this shit his entire life. Maybe we should try listening to him instead of assuming we know best.”
“Or,” Gregori began and then paused with a wide grin, “you’re just a chicken shit and afraid to court him because you don’t think he’s attracted to you. Don’t worry, we can help you by talking up some of your better qualities.”
“Like the fact that you don’t snore,” Luka chimed in.
“You still have all your teeth,” Vasily offered.
Gregori sighed and shook his head. “But you are a little bit slow.”