Page 15 of Never Flirt with a Dragon
Elodie bit her lip again, fighting a grin.
“A wild animal in heat,” August suggested.
“I guess…” Miranda trailed off. “Wait, you’re telling me that’s what he is when he gets all brick wall? A wild animal in mate mode?”
“Mate mode? Classic.” Elodie lifted her fingers in the okay symbol. “I love it.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that, but basically,” August agreed.
Miranda’s nostrils flared. “How long does this last?”
“That’s the complicated part.” Elodie’s smile faded. “Is there a living room or something in the mountain where we can sit? The dining hall, maybe?”
“No.” I spoke up again. Though I was fighting my instincts too much to actively participate in most of the conversation, I couldn’t allow my female to leave the room.
I’d lose my damn mind again, even more than I currently had.
“Anywhere that smells like anyone else will set him off,” August said, studying me. “They stay right here.”
Miranda’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? I have to stay here?”
“Just until heat’s over,” Elodie said quickly.
“Which is…”
“Until you seal the bond, or ride out the pain,” Elodie said sheepishly. “If you have sex, the bond becomes permanent, and you’re mated. Forever. Which has pros, obviously.” She gestured between herself and August. “Heat only lasts two weeks if you go that route, and it’s basically just a marathon of life-altering sex that you’ll enjoy tremendously.”
“Two weeks?” Miranda demanded.
Elodie grimaced.
“What if we don’t seal it?”
“Then you’ve got four weeks of physical pain. It’s agony. I survived it, but there were times I wished I didn’t. The pain got so bad, I was literally begging August to take it away for days on end. If Jas isn’t totally sane, I don’t know if you really have the option to go that route.” Her eyes flicked to me, then to August.
“It’s unlikely,” August said. “You know I only resisted because your life was at risk.”
Unlikely was an understatement.
“Holy shit.” Miranda dragged a hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face and sending her scent through the air.
I drank it in like I’d been drowning.
“I can’t take four weeks off work, Elodie. I can’t even take two weeks off.” She shook her head, visibly upset.
The rein I had on my instincts pulled tight as the beast in me threatened to take over.
I lowered my nose to her hair and breathed her scent in again, slower.
Counting through it.
“The dragons have money,” Elodie said.
“It’s not about money. If I’m not on top of my work, the company will drop me. You know how many other people want my job.”
“We’ll bring your iPad here,” Elodie said, not missing a beat. “Some of your clothes, too, and whatever else you want. You won’t have to quit. You might have to tell them the situation, but I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“But does Jasper even have a house in Scale Ridge?” Miranda asked.
