Page 61 of Dragon's Revenge

“I’d love to explain more about our pack and how we operate,” Delton said, and for the first time, his friendliness toward Duff wasn’t forced. “I have time this afternoon if you’re up for it? We could meet at my cabin so Adar can be present too.”

“Sure. What time?”

Delton mentally ran through his schedule. “Around three, would that work?”

“Works for me. See you then.”

Duff walked away before Delton could explain where the man could find his cabin. Maybe he already knew? If not, he could ask anyone and they’d help him…though maybe not before making sure he had no bad intentions.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to talk to him?” Adar asked softly as they watched Duff take off. “I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I, but I trust Rhene’s intuition…and I think he’s onto something. Duff has no idea what our life here is like. He doesn’t understand the first thing about our culture, and if we don’t explain it to him, he never will. Battling prejudice starts with being willing to share openly.”

Adar let out a deep sigh. “I believe you…but don’t think for a moment I’ll let him out of my sight.”

Yup, his overprotectiveness was seriously hot.

ChapterTwenty-Four

“How did it go with Duff?” Oliver asked when they were having dinner that evening. Delton had made lasagna, and the three of them were at the dinner table. Adar was still tired, despite a two-hour nap, and the chair was anything but comfortable for his bruised and battered body, but he didn’t want to miss spending time with his mates, so he’d suck it up.

“He seemed interested,” Delton said. “He asked a lot of questions, and I explained as best as I could.”

“You’re so good at that,” Adar said, his heart filling with admiration all over again.

Delton turned his head sharply, his eyes narrowing as if gauging whether Adar was telling the truth. “It’s true,” Adar said almost defensively. “You are really good at explaining things in a way people can understand.”

Delton opened his mouth, then closed it again. His shoulders hunched as he said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if… I’m not used to… Thank you? I mean, thank you. That’s sweet of you.”

Why was Delton so confused? Or more like shocked. It didn’t make sense. Unless… The realization filled Adar with a heady mix of shame and anger. Delton wasn’t used to compliments. At least, not from Adar. Had he never told Delton how much he admired him and his brain? Apparently, he hadn’t. That needed to change.

Fuck, they really had walked this whole fated mates thing in the wrong order, hadn’t they? No dates for Delton, no sweet compliments and flirting. No stolen glances and lingering touches. Adar might not be the most romantic man on the planet, but he’d watched other triads fall and be in love, and he’d witnessed those small acts of romance and passion. And he’d given Delton none of that. The man deserved more. Adar wasn’t good with words, but by the gods, he would try.

“I love watching you talk to people,” he said softly. “How you try to figure them out and then know what to say to make them trust and confide in you. It’s such a special skill.”

“It is,” Oliver said, sending a sweet look Delton’s way. “You even got me to talk and open up.”

Delton’s cheeks flushed. “It’s my job.”

“Yes, and you’re really good at it. It’s a very special skill you have. I could tell Duff was taking you seriously, that he was listening to you,” Adar added.

“Thank you. I hope it made a difference.”

Oliver leaned forward. “You said it yourself. It will take time to change his mind. The same way I’m still working on reprogramming my brain.”

Adar shifted in his seat again, his body protesting the prolonged contact with the hard chair. He had no idea how sitting could be this tiresome, but it was.

“Let’s move to the couch so you can rest better,” Delton said, as always completely tuned in to Adar’s body language.

With a grunt, Adar managed to get up, then hobbled over to the couch and stretched out. Gods, he was hurting again. And from what? Nothing. He’d done nothing except go for three ten-minute walks and sit the rest of the day. How long was this gonna last? Because he was already sick and tired of it.

He closed his eyes while Delton and Oliver cleared the table and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, reveling in how natural it felt. The three of them in the same house, the same room was magical in and of itself, but the simple domesticity filled Adar with an indescribable warmth. They weretogether, sharing a meal, a home. They were taking care of him, being there for him, and the gods knew he didn’t deserve either of them. It made him want to be a better man, to be worthy of the mates the gods had blessed him with.

The couch in Delton’s living room was incredibly comfortable, and he dozed off as he listened to his mates chat and laugh, his heart fuller than it had ever been.

When he woke up, he was still on the couch, but a soft fleece blanket now covered him. Delton and Oliver sat on the floor, playing a board game on the coffee table. “D4,” Oliver said, and Delton mimicked the sound of an explosion.

Oliver grinned. “I’m destroying you.”

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