Chapter Seventeen

Keir

She deserved better than she allowed herself. Iris, our mate if she chose to keep us, deserved all the best things in life, but she’d been so beaten down, we had our work cut out for us. She didn’t even think she was attractive, when I thought she was beautiful. I even let her drink on the jet, but then she didn’t know that it was an issue. I watched her sit there in our car, everything we wanted and needed, and thinking she wasn’t enough. I didn’t have to have a mate mind connection to recognize that.

It was going to take patience to help her past the trauma she’d endured and show her we were honorable males who would not harm her. Dragons were not the most patient of animals, but mine and presumably Nix’s were willing to wait for her. Her smiles were our reward; her sadness and fear fueled our rage and desire for vengeance on the bear who treated her that way.

“I know what we need.” Nix grinned at her. “A night out. Just fun, relaxation, and no deadlines or worries or anything. We have been working hard for a long time, and I can’t remember the last time we just went out and had fun. You in, Keir?”

“Sure!”

“Iris?”

“What did you have in mind?” Did she sound a little worried? My dragon wanted to fly now to wherever her ex was lurking and flame and shred him.

“Dinner?” he suggested. “Unless you’d rather go to the movies or something else.”

“All right.” She didn’t sound as enthusiastic as I wished. “Whatever you want.”

“What kind of food do you like?” I asked.

“I like…no, there probably isn’t a place close by.”

“We have just about everything around here, but also a jet. What did you want? French food from Paris? Pasta from Rome?”

She stared at me then burst into giggles. “You must think I’m a high-maintenance girl. I was going to suggest Middle Eastern food. Like kebabs? It’s been forever since I’ve that.”

Probably because her ex didn’t like it. But I didn’t want to bring him up in a happy moment.

“Yes, ma’am. We have a great place. Just a hole in the wall, but do you like shawarma?”

Turned out, she did, but of course it was too early for dinner, so we went home and had sandwiches for lunch and then took a nap. All of us, this time. Iris needed more rest with the baby she carried, and although she hadn’t asked us to come up to bed with her this afternoon, she didn’t need to. We would not make love to her until she was ready, but for now, we could provide comfort and safety. Maybe make the shadows under her eyes go away. We slept for about three hours—not just her! Turned out, we liked naps when there was a sweet-smelling woman between us. Neither of us were in the habit of sleeping more than four or five hours a night, and we never closed our eyes during the day—until now.

But once we woke, Iris shooed us out of the room so she could get ready for our evening out. We reminded her it was a casual place, and she reminded us that she didn’t have anything really nice anyway, but she just wanted to fuss a little for our first date.

Our first date.

Implying there would be more.

I showered again. Having this female in the house had definitely upped our water usage. Not that we weren’t always clean, but clean with a mate cuddled close was a different level. And that was fine.

We all arrived at the front door around the same time, the two of us in jeans and button-down shirts and Iris in a spaghetti-strap sundress that flowed gently over her swelling abdomen. She’d caught her hair up in a clip with a few strands falling around her face. Nix’s transfixed expression was representative of how I felt. We got to spend the evening with this goddess and then bring her home with us. No matter how long it took, she was worth waiting for.

At the restaurant, we found a table where we dragons could sit with our backs to the wall and keep an eye on the doors, and Nix and I went up to the counter to order our meals. We’d suggested the tasting plate, so Iris could try all the specials, and she agreed. With an enthusiasm that only increased when the server brought over our meals.

“I can’t possibly eat all this,” she murmured, but her eyes sparkled with determination. “But I can try.”

When she finally gave up with about a quarter of her food left, we offered to get a take-out box, but the generous female allowed us to gobble it up like the starving dragons she claimed we were.

“That was so incredible,” she said when the manager brought over three pieces of their homemade baklava. “All of it. I don’t know if I can manage another bite.”

“Our pastry chef will be crushed if you don’t at least taste it. She has eight cubs herself and swears she ate honey every day of her pregnancy.” The man stepped back, but he didn’t leave until she nibbled off a corner and groaned.

“I may regret this, but I’m not sharing my piece with my dates.”

My dragon was so delighted to see our mate enjoying her meal, a lick of flame burned the back of my throat. One of the disadvantages of my variety of shifters, but it didn’t hurt for long. When we finished our dessert, Iris patted her tummy and covered a delicate burp with the other hand. “Oh, excuse me. The baby is full, too.”

“That reminds me,” Nix said. “We should get you connected with a local healer in case anything comes up, and also so you have someone if you agree to stay forever.”

“It gives me shivers, the word forever.” She smiled though. “I haven’t been to a healer in years anyway.”

I started to ask if she was endangering the baby, but no way would that come off well, so, instead, I just nodded. “I see. Then I guess we’d better set something up so we can be sure all is well.”

“Maybe the pastry chef can recommend someone. How did she know I was carrying a cub anyway?”

“You’d have to ask her about both things.” Nix stood up. “Let me ask if she will come out and speak with us.”