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Jenna nodded and exposed her neck. “Damon.”
Inhaling deeply, Lucas offered his hand and shook Damon’s. “Respectfully, I’m turning down the job.”
Not a single muscle twitched on Damon’s face. He didn’t look a single year older than when Lucas had last seen him. The man didn’t age. He was king of the poker face and didn’t give away a single emotion.
Damon ignored his statement and told him, “My mate has stated her desire to host a dinner for you.”
“Clara wants me to come over? Tonight?”
“No. In two days’ time.”
“I’m not staying for two days,” Lucas assured him.
“If my mate requests something,” Damon gritted out. “She will have it.”
Lucas actually liked Clara, and wouldn’t mind a dinner hosted by her if it was tonight. But… “If this is the plan to get me to stay longer, it’s a waste of time. I’m heading out as soon as I’m done visiting here.”
“Look around you, Lucas. Do you know why these people have gathered?”
Lucas scanned the crowd of laughing, teasing, happy shifters. “Because it’s an excuse to party?”
The corner of Damon’s lips twitched up and fell instantly, as if the smile hadn’t existed at all. “They do like to party, but no. They gather like this when any of you come home.”
“Any of us?”
“The kids. Do you know how much effort goes into raising a generation of shifters that will be the next to protect us?”
Damon had never spoken to him like this, and he was caught off guard. “No.” Of course Lucas wouldn’t know. He didn’t have kids, nor would he ever.
Damon slid his dragon eyes to him. “You should. You should know. What are you doing, Lucas?”
He hesitated, uncertain. With a shrug, he answered, “Doing the jobs you assign me.”
“When will you see?”
“See what?”
“When will you see what I’ve been doing for you?” Damon slipped his stern gaze to something that moved in the woods. It was a massive silver grizzly, and above him flew a jet-black raven. Beaston and his Aviana.
Chills blasted up Lucas’s forearms, but Damon was not done talking.
“Two evenings from now, dinner will be hosted by my mate. I’ll give you the next job then, and you may choose. Stay or go.” Damon slid a glance over his shoulder as he strode toward the woods where Beaston was disappearing. “You may bring one friend.”
Lucas clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth as he glared at the dragon walking away. Sometimes he wished he could fight that motherfucker, but perhaps that was just the silverback in him. The animal didn’t like being around anyone with dominance.
Now he would be stuck here, and it would make it even harder to leave.
“You could just go, you know,” Jenna said from where she sat behind him.
He sat down on the stone ledge beside her and sighed. “And then what? What would disobeying Damon get me? I would be out of a job.”
“You could get another job.”
He slid a look to her, but she wasn’t teasing. Her gray eyes were wide and earnest. “You don’t like working for him. I can feel it clear as day.”
His face relaxed and he leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees as he watched Damon disappear into the woods. “It’s a job. No one really likes their boss.”
“I like mine.”
