Page 36 of Dragon's Revenge

“I don’t understand. You said it was urgent and the timing was awful, so what else could it be?”

Delton cupped his cheek, a soft tenderness filling him despite his frustration. “It’s good news, even if it makes me angry at the same time. We’re mates. That’s what I just realized. You, Oliver, and I are mates.”

Oliver and Adar gasped and then looked at each other as if to check if this was real. Pure joy filled Adar’s expression, and it stole Delton’s breath. If he’d even doubted for a moment how Adar would react, he no longer did.

“Why are you angry?” Oliver whispered. “Aren’t you happy with us as mates?”

Oh, he hadn’t considered Oliver’s tender heart in this, and now Delton felt ashamed. “I am, but, baby, I can’t help but be frustrated and question why I didn’t feel it sooner. It would’ve saved us so much trouble, so much pain. It angers me that we had to go through this.”

Oliver’s expression softened. “But we wouldn’t be where we are now if we hadn’t. We needed this.” He straightened his shoulders. “Ineeded it to change, to realize I was selfish and inconsiderate of your feelings.”

“And I needed it to learn to let Oliver go and not put him on a pedestal,” Adar said. “It still makes me sad that you got hurt, but I think Oliver is right. This was the path we needed to walk to become who we needed to be so we could fit together.”

Delton’s eyes filled with tears. “I think you guys are better at my job than I am because you’re right. You’re so right. I just wish… I hate that we took so long to see the truth.”

“No, don’t.” Adar took Delton’s hand and kissed it, then did the same to Oliver. “Let’s focus on the good because this is the best news ever. Knowing we belong together, it’s…”

His voice broke, and Delton’s eyes widened. Was he…? Was Adar crying? Oh gods, he was. Those gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes filled with tears that spilled over almost instantly. “Adar…” he said, alarmed.

But Adar smiled through his tears. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Hell, I’m so much better than okay. You’ve given me a precious gift, and I’m so relieved and grateful.”

“We need to leave,” someone shouted in the distance, but Delton only had eyes for his mates. They stood holding hands, connected in a way Delton had never felt before, like their hearts and souls were linked as much as their hands.

“Please be careful,” he whispered to Adar.

“I promise I’ll come home safe to you.”

But Oliver shook his head. “Don’t promise that. You can’t tempt fate like that.”

Adar leaned in, waiting a second for Oliver to give an imperceptible nod as permission, then softly kissed him. “I’m not tempting fate. I’m trusting that the universe wouldn’t be so cruel as to take me from my mates when we’ve just found each other.”

That was a lot of faith to have in something so elusive, but Delton didn’t say that aloud. He’d never let Adar leave without the confidence that he’d make it. People who operated under the fear of getting hurt or even dying were less focused, and he didn’t want that on his conscience.

“Delton,” Adar said, meeting Delton’s eyes.

His name had never sounded sweeter, and he nodded too. Adar let go of Oliver’s hand, curling his hands around Delton’s cheeks. “I vow I’ll do whatever it takes to prove myself worthy of you.”

Delton smiled. “You already have.”

He closed his eyes and then Adar’s lips met his in the softest of kisses, like butterflies landing on a leaf. Someone made a sound, a little whimper. Was he doing that? He must have because Adar deepened the kiss, and Delton let him in. Goosebumps broke out all over his skin as their tongues met, and his belly twirled and spun until he was almost dizzy with it. Adar kissed him until Delton lost all sense of time and place.

When the alpha finally let go of him, Delton was floating, his cheeks glowing and his heart racing. Adar pressed a last kiss on his forehead. “Take care of each other while I’m gone, okay? I’ll see you later.”

Delton nodded, barely registering Oliver taking his hand and lacing their fingers. Hand in hand, they stood and watched as Adar stalked off without looking back, and then he and the group of attackers left, little Fallon in the middle of all the big alphas.

His legs still shaky, Delton sat down on a bench, Oliver right beside him. “I’m gonna need a moment,” he told the omega, who grinned.

“Adar’s a good kisser.”

That was an understatement. Delton had never been kissed like that, like he’d been consumed instead of sampled. Devoured instead of nibbled on. “Yeah. My brain is fried.”

They sat until Delton’s heart had calmed and the sweat on his skin had evaporated. Oliver sat quietly with him, seemingly content to hold his hand and play with Delton’s fingers.

“How do you feel?” Delton finally asked him.

Oliver took his time answering, but Delton didn’t mind. He was grateful and also proud that Oliver was using his voice in the first place. Besides, they weren’t in a hurry and had nowhere to go since the pack was on lockdown until everyone returned.

“I’m scared,” Oliver finally said, barely audible.

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