Chapter Eight

Iris

I had hopes for this whole thing to go quickly, but I had no idea it would be this fast.

I expected to be scared, hesitating even though my entire life and the life of the cub inside me depended on these dragons wanting to take me in and protect us, but I didn’t. I felt no anxiety other than the fact that Killian might get to me before I could see these two sexy dragons in person.

“I would love that but…” Embarrassment flooding my chest. Before Killian, I had a decent job and prided myself in being able to pay my own way. Now, I couldn’t even afford a plane ticket, and the only reason the lights were on in this apartment was so they could see me on the video chat. Otherwise, I kept them off to save on electricity.

“But what?” Keir asked and then cocked his head. “Is it the plane trip?”

I shrugged. “I’m not exactly rolling in money.”

He nodded. He and Nix shared a look, and probably an idea was communicated between them. Their profile said they’d been friends a long time. “I have an idea, but only if it’s okay with you. And it would be safer as well, we think. We have a private jet. Why don’t we come to you? Is there an airport close by?”

A private jet? “About an hour or so from here.” I hoped this wasn’t them taking pity on me because of my circumstances, but I wasn’t in the position to say no either way.

Nix and Keir shifted in their seats as though they were unaccustomed to sitting so long. “Be honest with us,” Nix said, his voice dipping low. “Do you want to come to our home and get to know us better? Let us protect you? That is what you were looking for when you joined the app, right?”

“Yes. I want that.” I pressed my palm to my belly. “We need the protection.”

“Excuse me for ten minutes,” Keir said, standing up. “I’m going to make the arrangements. Can you text me your address, please?”

Quickly, I sent him my address and then a picture of my driver’s license at his request.

Must be a lucrative security company if they could come on a private plane and get me. I’d been on a few flights, even once been bumped up to first class, but even when I was working a great job before Killian, there was no way I could afford a private jet.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked as the reality of the situation weighed down on me. They were spending a lot of money and time on someone they just met. One video chat didn’t seem to warrant the measures they were going for me.

“Yes, Iris. We are sure. We rely heavily on our dragons to tell us when someone is being honest, and mine detects no dishonesty from you. We want to help you.”

Help me. That’s all this was. I’d hoped to find someone to protect me as a mate would, but more than that, I craved affection. A return of the love and energy I would pour into someone I cared about.

I’d emptied myself into Killian. My time. My love. My heart. Everything to please him and, when that wasn’t enough, I blamed myself for not doing enough. If he wasn’t happy with me, I would try harder. Do better. Love him more.

It was never enough.

The days of wishing for love and romance and a mate or two to treat me as I thought I deserved were over. I had to take what I could get.

But a glimmer of hope remained. Maybe it was only wishful thinking, but Nix and Keir might love me one day. People entered arranged matings and marriages all the time. Humans less often than shifters, but it happened.

Keir came back into the picture in way less than ten minutes after texting me a paragraph of instructions. “Everything is set up. I made some assumptions, Iris, so if there’s anything that needs to change, let’s do it now.”

His tone had changed, his brow furrowed. This was business Keir. Sexier if anyone asked me.

I read over the text and gulped. The schedule was detailed and precise. No questions or anything left to chance.

“You’re very good at your job,” I said.

He grunted. Perhaps he didn’t believe it himself. “I have you leaving tomorrow morning. I thought it would be best to come get you as soon as possible. I’m sorry we can’t come tonight.”

He was sorry? They were saving my life, and they were sorry it wasn’t sooner?

Honorable males, that’s what they were.

About time I met some.

“No. This is great. I have to pack and call Bessie, but it’s fine. I…I can’t thank you enough. I’m sure this wasn’t what you pictured when you got on the app, but I’m grateful.”

“No, Iris,” Nix said. “We are grateful. We’ll talk more when we pick you up tomorrow.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “This is crazy, right?”

They laughed along with me. Their chuckles sounded so good. Calmed me even though they were nowhere near me.

After our goodbyes were said, I packed my bag. I didn’t have much. I called Bessie and told her that early the next morning, I would drop off my keys along with the uniform and name tag.

She wasn’t excited about me leaving and even less about me meeting two shifter males over an app but, since Killian, I had a gut instinct about people. Living with pure evil did that to me. I observed actions and emotions, changes in tone and expressions.

I could read a person like no one else.

Nix and Keir were good ones.

Tomorrow would be the start of a new life and maybe a chance at love.