Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

J enna picked up a pair of jeans from the huge pile of clothes on the couch, and held garment up against her waist. Not only were they her size, but they felt amazing, and she couldn't wait to try them on.It was almost noon, but she was still dressed in only her panties and Eron's t-shirt, so it was easy to step into the pants and pull them up her legs.

Once they were fastened, she looked down at herself and was amazed at how flattering the denim looked. The material felt perfectly molded to her ass, and though she really needed a mirror, she turned tolook over her shoulder andfound Eron leaning against the doorjamb watching her.

"How do they look?" she asked, bunching the shirt around her waist, and turning in a slow circle.

"Amazing. This is the first time I've ever been jealous of a pair of jeans."

"Ha ha," she said, crossing the room to stand in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, hugging him tight. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," he said. "I want to apologize again for scaring you. It was smart thinking to call Clara."

Jenna closed her eyes and thought about the few moments after Eron's head hit the ground. Seeing and touching his dragon form had been magical, but watching him black-out produced a fear she couldn't even describe with words. She'd jumped off the counter and checked his pulse, only to find it weak, and that combined with the fact that he didn't respond when she called his name spurred her into action.

She'd found his phone and nearly started crying when she was able to open it with his fingerprint instead of a passcode. She knew she couldn't endanger his secret by calling an emergency crew, and she had no idea what she would have done if she couldn't get into his phone.

The thought made her shiver, and Eron tightened his arms around her.

She was glad that he was okay—and that his sister and brother-in-law were so kind and supportive—but she was mad that he'd done something so stupid in the first place.

"You lied to me," she said, pulling back to look at him.

"I... What?"

It probably wasn't the best time to bring it up, but she couldn't wait any longer. If they were going to be together, then she wanted the truth. Always.

"You lied to me. You told me that partially shifting only hurt a little." Clara and Marcus had filled her in on the truth, and the process was incredibly painful. "You hurt yourself on purpose, and scared me half to death. I don't want to be with someone who doesn't tell me the truth. Especially about the stuff I know nothing about, like shifting into a dragon!"

"You're right," he nodded. "I only did it so you would understand why I seemed so stalkerish.I wanted you to understand how I know that we are meant to be together, and I thought it might stop you from trying to leave me again. But, I should have found another way.I haven't lied to you about anything else, and I promise it will never happen again."

"Okay," she nodded, reaching up on her tiptoes to brush a chaste kiss against his mouth.

"Okay?"

The surprise in his voice made her want to laugh, but she didn't dare. For the most part, she'd already decided on sticking around before he showed her part of his dragon. She did go looking for him after all. But his sister had told her a little bit about mates and the mating bond, and it sounded amazing. If Eron was truly the one man in this world made for her, then she wasn't stupid enough to let him go.

"Yes, okay," she said, kissing his chin. "I believe you, and I don't plan on going anywhere. Clara told me about the mating bond, and while I'm not ready for that, yet, I am ready to get to know you better and see where this goes."

"I can deal with that," he nodded.

"Good. Are you hungry? Believe it or not, there's some chicken parm left. I can heat it up for you. I also saved us two cinnamon rolls, but I already ate one. And Clara brought groceries, too. I can make you some eggs if you want."

Eron laughed, and this time, he kissed her.

"Let's have the chicken parm, for now, but don't heat it up."

She prepared their plates, and then joined him on the big chair in the living space. She'd planned on pushing over the mound of clothes on the couch, but when Eron pulled her down onto his lap, she didn't protest. Then, he used his heat to warm their food, and told her about the varying degrees of fire that he could do in both human and dragon form.

She was amazed to find the food heated while the plate stayed cool, and while they ate,she told him about her dream to move out of the city and open a candle shop in a small town somewhere. The big dopey smile he hadon his face whileshe told her story was a little confusing, but when he explained about the town located at the base of his mountain, she understood.

It seemed as if fate really did have a hand in getting them together, because Emerald Haven sounded like the perfect place to open her shop. Another person in their clan already had a shop there—a Christmas shop—and the woman's business was doing incredibly well.

She also asked him about flying, and what it was like to float among the stars, and he promised that he would show her once Clara got her the right attire. She needed something warm because the night sky was incredibly cold when you were up so high, and she needed protection for her face and eyes. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like the snowsuit he wanted to put her in, but she would deal with it for a chance to be among the stars.

"Did you remember to call out sick?"

"I did," she nodded. "I also called my friend Maggie so she wouldn't worry. We don't eat lunch together every day, but we always talk before work, and she knew I was going to the restaurant last night to try and find you again."

"Good idea to let her know. What did she say?"

"A bunch of stuff about having a lot of sex and not letting you go this time," she laughed. "She's married with two toddlers at home right now, so we don't see each other much outside of work, but she would have come with me if her husband wasn't out of town. She was worried I wouldn't follow through."

"Why is that?"

"Because I told her what my ex said, and she knows how hard it was for me not to believe his words."

"That makes sense. It must be hard to see him every day, even if you don't love him anymore. Did you ever think about leaving?"

"Honestly, it's not that hard. Even though he's my boss, my job doesn't require a lot of supervision, and he's always given me a wide berth. The fact that he approached us in the bar was way out of character for him. In fact, I've probably only talked to him one-on-one a handful of times in the past year. And the reason I didn't leave was because he gave me a raise, and even though I already had a large savings account, I wanted to put more in before I quit and started the store. Plus, I'm really good at my job, and it didn't feel right that I should have to leave, so I waited to see how everything played out. When he left me alone, it felt like I was winning. At least in that part of my life."

Financially, she'd been doing great, but inside, her confidence was shattered.

"Now, you don't need to worry about padding your savings account, so when you're ready to quit, then you quit. I have enough money to open as many stores as you want."

That sounded amazing, but she knew he didn't mean it. Not really. She knew his family was wealthy, but that didn't mean they wanted to fund any of her dreams.

"That's sweet, but unnecessary. I already have enough funds to open the store and put a down payment on a little house somewhere. Even if this thing works out between us, your family doesn't need to give me any money."

"Sorry, but it doesn't work that way, sweetheart. First of all, I have my own money that is separate from the clan's. We all do. If you remember, we've all been alive a long time, and when you have the time, and the right investments, it's easy to acquire a lot of cash. Second, once we mate, you'll live in the castle with me, and my money is your money. You can continue working for as long as you want, but it's not necessary, and there are so many other great ways to spend the day."

As if to prove his point, he set both of their plates onto the coffee table, and then leaned forward to kiss her.

" H ow do I look?"

Eron looked up to see the outfit Jenna had chosen for work, and his dick instantly went rock hard.

His sister had gone above and beyond shopping for him and Jenna, and besides casual clothes like jeans and t-shirts, she'd also bought Jenna a cocktail dress and a couple of outfits for work.

The one she had on now was a dark purple skirt with a matching lavender sweater set, and though it was similar to what she was wearing when they met in the restaurant two days ago, her smile was bigger and her confidence was off the charts. The pieces his sister picked weren't extreme in any way, but they made his mate happy, and for that he was glad.

After gushing over all of the pieces that Clara had bought—and his sister's ability to know someone's size and style without asking—the only return she'd decided on had been a shirt his sister had picked out for him, and he was proud of her for accepting the gift without any hesitation.

The daybefore, after talking about her work, Jenna had sucked his dick while he sat in the living room chair, and then he'd carried her to the bedroom and fucked her slowly. The desire to mark her rode him hard, but he would never take away her choice. He needed her to come to him willing, and he had no problems waiting until his mate was ready.

After a lunch made of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, they'd stayed in bed until dinner, and then he'd taken her to another one of his favorite restaurants. Jenna had been dressed in the black cocktail dress that Clara picked out, and he'd finally placed the bracelet he bought around her wrist.

The alternating stones of diamond and amethyst reflected every light source, and his mate could barely keep her eyes off the shiny thing. He'd thought she might try and reject the gift, but instead she'd accepted it with more enthusiasm than he thought possible, making him happy he'd had the foresight to commission the other pieces as well.

"You look amazing, sweetheart, but don't forget your bracelet."

"It's so beautiful," she said, looping her fingers around her wrist. "I wasn't sure you would want me to wear it to work."

"I want you to wear it everywhere," he said.Then he smiled,remembering how he took her against the wall wearing nothing but the bracelet when they returned to their room after dinner the night before. His mate had been soaking wet for him, andthe way her cheeks heated told him thatshe was remembering the exact same event. He desperately wanted tostripoff her clothes and have a repeat performance, but if they did that, she would be late for work, and it was important to her that she arrive early so she couldtalk to her friend, Maggie."But you get to make that decision."

She smiled, andthen walked back into the bedroom. He heard some rustling, and a minute later, she returned with the bracelet securely fastened around her wrist.

"I want to wear it everywhere, too," she beamed.

"Good. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

Even though her car was still in the hotel parking structure, Eron drove her to work and then returned to the room to gather up everything and check out of the hotel. He then drove her car to her apartment complex, flew back to the hotel his dragon form, and started the long drive home.

His King was waiting to speak with him, and he only had a couple of hours before the time he and Jenna had agreed to meet for lunch. His mate said she needed time to get to know him before agreeing to complete the mating bond, and he would give her all the time she needed, but that didn't mean he was going to put on the brakes.

If anything, it meant that he was going to let the world know that Jenna Nichols was taken.

E ron took a deep breath when the elevator stopped on the first floor of the castle. He'd already texted Alric to let him know he was on the way, and he knew the other man would be waiting. King or brother, it wouldn't matter, because Alric watched over all of them—and worried over all of them. Something some of the newer members of their clan probably didn't know about.

But Eron knew. He also knew the only reason Alric hadn't shown up at his hotel room was out of respect for his mate. He hadn't needed Clara to tell him that. His brother loved them all, including their mates, and he wanted Jenna to feel welcome in their home. The first time they met, it would be over happy circumstances.

Of course, that didn't stop the man from calling. Multiple times.

He rolled his eyes thinking about his brother acting like a mother hen, and when the doors to the elevator opened, Petra, his Queen, was there waiting for him. He and the woman had formed a special friendship over the first few months she lived in the castle. Alric had been banned from taking her to the weekly meetings she had with Zane, the Alpha in Emerald Haven, and so Eron had inherited the responsibility.

Not that he minded. It was his job to protect his King and Queen, no matter what the job entailed.

"My Queen," he bowed his head, and smiled.

They didn't follow Royal protocol on a daily basis, but he enjoyed teasing the other woman by calling her by her title instead of her name. Petra had been rightfully angry—and scared—when she first found out that Alric was King of their clan, but time helped ease her into the roll, and he couldn't imagine anyone else standing by his brother's side.

"Oh, shut up, you big idiot." She gave him a quick hug, and then looked him over with a critical eye. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure. I promise."

"Good. When do we get to meet, Jenna? Clara said that she's really sweet, and accepted the whole dragon thing really well. She also said she shared the food you made, but was fierce in guarding the last two cinnamon rolls. It sounds like she's going to fit in around here perfectly."

Eron laughed thinking about Jenna holding her own against his sister. He hadn't got to see it, but he knew she'd impressed Clara and Marcus, and he couldn't wait to see her blended in with his entire clan. Of course, when it came to food, she would always have special privileges, but he was glad to know she could hold her own when his family became emboldened.

"I have no doubt about that," he laughed. "Even though she saved the last two cinnamon rolls for me, she'd already eaten one by the time I woke up the next day."

"I love her already," Petra laughed with him. When their laughter died down, she spoke again. "You'd better go see him. He's still pretty worried."

"I'm on my way there now," he nodded. "See you later, my Queen."

Petra shook her head, rolled her eyes, and turned to walk back into the kitchen without another word.

Eron watched her leave, and then turned on his heel and made his way to Alric's office. When he got there, the door was open, and before he could knock, Alric was up and out of his chair.

"Did Petra see you?"

"She did," he nodded."I'm sorry I worried you. I know you wanted to storm down there, but I appreciate you giving my mate some space. She held it together well, but was really scared."

"Understandably," Alric frowned. "What the hell were you thinking doing something like that? Partial shifts are dangerous. Just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should."

Dragons were stronger than other species of shifters. It was the only reason they could even think about doing a partial shift, but Alric was right. Most of the time they were dangerous, and mate or not, he shouldn't have tried it in front of a human.

"I'd already told her about Evander finding all of her information, and I didn't want her to run again. Or think I was crazy. When I accidentally mentioned the clan, she thought I belonged to some kind of cult, and I wanted to neutralize things as soon as possible. It got out of control, though, and I'm sorry."

"As you should be," Alric barked. Then he nodded his head. "But I understand."

"You... do?"

"Yes," he laughed. "Our mates make us crazy sometimes. Especially in the beginning. I'm glad you're okay."

Alric hugged him then, and he smiled as he hugged his brother back.

"Thank you, my brother."

Two hours later, Eron was back in the SUV, and on his way back to see his mate. After talking with Alric, he'd had visits from Bastian and Holly, Anton and Sabine, and then Evander and Kari.

He was Second-in-Command of the clan, and used to being in charge and taking care ofeveryone, so it was odd being on the receiving end of everyone's worry. He was humbledby their concern, but also their eagerness to meet his mate.

He knew it would take time to convince his mate to move in with him, but once he broughther to the castlepermanently, their clan would be complete, and he couldn't wait for that day.