Page 17 of Surge of Storms

His smile doesn't falter. “Nah. I think some part of her has always been in love with you too.”

I think of my round face, my messy hair, my terrible fashion sense, and my belly. No, a guy like me was never going to end up with a beautiful, smart, creative, caring woman. “She's out of my league.”

He snorts. “She's out of all our leagues, but least of all yours. The rest of us are a bunch of damaged weirdos. You're the kind of guy women want to marry.”

What? What the hell is he saying?

I shake my head in shock. “You can't honestly think that.”

He lifts a brow. “Remember, no lies.” Then he sits down in a chair and gestures for me to sit too. I do. “I think Sam would've realized her feelings for you a long time ago, she just needed a person she could trust with her whole heart.”

“No.” I'm sure he's wrong.

He laughs. “I've never seen any other girl cuddle and flirt with a ‘friend’ the way she did with you.”

A little flutter of hope awakens in my heart. “You really think so?”

“I know so. If I wasn't sure about all this fated mate stuff before, I'm sure about it now.”

Rubbing my chest, I stare in shock.Sam really felt something for me before all of this? Even Aydan thinks so?“Are we okay then?”

“Yeah, we're okay.” He smiles. “But now you have to deal with sharing her with Evander and Zane. Zane’s okay, but Evander is a real asshole.”

I smile.I'm a dragon too. Part of the group.“He's grown on you.”

He flops back in his chair. “Maybe.”

I laugh.

He reaches over and pats my shoulder. “Get some rest, storm dragon. We’re going to need you, because I’m not so sure that those asshole dragons are going to give up just because we found you now. And spend some time with Sam in this new role. Being a dragon and protecting Sam has a lot of challenges, so you should enjoy the quiet times as much as possible. Get comfortable with each other as mates.”

I release a slow breath and nod.That, I can do.

SIX

Samantha

The doorto my room buzzes, and I feel butterflies in my stomach.Is it Granger?I bet it’s him. It’s strange having romantic relationships that are constantly in overdrive. I kind of miss the dating and getting to know each other part of it. What’s more, I feel like Granger deserves to experience that step of a relationship too.

Going to the door, I open it and, sure enough, it’s Granger. He’s carrying a tray with two plates overflowing with food, and he’s got soda cans in his pockets. He blushes when he sees me and fumbles out the words, “I thought you might be hungry. Besides, eating and drinking well will help with your healing.”

“Come in,” I say, feeling a little nervous.

He goes to my little table and sets everything up like it’s a fancy dinner instead of cafeteria food. He even pulls out a flower in a tiny vase from his back pocket and hands it to me, jerking his hands back when I take it. The flower is red, my favorite color, and beautiful, despite the way it was transported.

“Thanks,” I say, then lean in and kiss his cheek.

“Y-you’re welcome.” He pulls out my chair and waits for me to sit in it.

I do, with a smile, and he scoots it in behind me before taking the seat across from me.

“This isn’t exactly the way I pictured our first date,” he says, an apology in his tone.

I smile wider. “It’s perfect.”

Our eyes meet, and I’m swimming in his dark brown depths. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I say.

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