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Amari glances from Ezra to me. “I know how long you’ve yearned for her.”
Ezra quits tracing circles. “How’s Bobby?” he asks.
“Wonderful,” Amari says. “Still in his honeymoon phase with Nicole.”
My nosy self can’t stay out of it. “Still? It’s been years.”
Ezra grins down at me with heat in his blue-green eyes. “I hope our honeymoon phase is twice as long.”
“I plan to stay in a honeymoon phase with my Carla for all eternity.” Amari smooths his suit jacket. “I must admit you surprised me when you approached me for help on this project, Ezra. Especially with the situation of dragons’ aversion to Carla’s children.”
Ezra shrugs with his hand warm on my waist. “The new generation has better tolerance.”
Most dragons still can’t stand them. Carla’s giant spiders are smart and loyal, but that doesn’t change a thing. The hate goes way back.
“I agree.” Amari nods. “The new generation does a much better job at tolerating change.”
Ezra hands Amari the folded papers he grabbed off his desk. “Just a few changes.”
Amari unfolds them and passes his hand over the pages. His watch throws a blue light across the paper as he goes. I crane my neck to get a better view.
“You do magic like Uncle Jo?” I question.
Amari’s laugh is warmer than I expect. “No, pretty wolf. This is a digital scanner. Technology designed by me.” He tucks the papers into his jacket and holds up his wrist to show us the display. “This device processes architectural plans, runs simulations, projects holograms, stores data, and communicates with my central systems.”
I lean in until my nose almost touches his watch. “So much information in such a tiny device.”
“I can introduce you to more of my new tech in the technology center?” Amari asks.
Ezra presses his fingers into my lower back. “Another time.”
Past us, a bear shifter struggles with a heavy load. At a wave from Amari, the lions directing traffic jog over to help him.
I spot the dragon statue at what will be the entrance. It’s huge and carved fresh out of dark stone, with its wings spread wide and its face turned up toward the sky. Every scale is cut separate. The tilt of its chin is pure Tyrion. Goosebumps race up my arms. He’s going to lose his mind when he sees this.
When I turn to Ezra, he’s watching me instead of the statue. From his scent, it’s been that way for a while. I duck my head and look away first.
“How’s the construction going?” he asks Amari.
“It’s going well.” Amari gestures toward the workers reinforcing the foundation with steel supports. “These aren’t much for alterations. I’ll get them done for you this week.”
“Thank you.” Ezra pauses and squeezes my waist. “My father doesn’t think this is being done in his honor. Could you cover the dragon statue so that he doesn’t see it yet? He assumes this is just another addition to the university.”
“You are a good son.” Amari swallows hard. “If you were my child, I would be so proud.”
“I’m not just Tyrion’s son,” Ezra replies. “I’m a child of Wintermoon. Therefore, I am your son.”
Amari stares at him without a word and fiddles with a tie that’s already perfect.
I tug on my mate’s sleeve. “Ezra.”
He looks down at me. “What?”
He has no idea what he did. He called himself the son of one of the oldest vampires alive and went back to talking business without blinking. My throat goes tight, but my wolf is too busy strutting over our mate to get emotional about it.
“We need to make that stop at Ash Clan,” he continues, “and speak with Valek. Also my father about the Mer. You may be giving Sirena and her brothers an official tour, but we need to talk about this as a clan.”
My wolf grumbles at Valek’s name, but I lean into Ezra. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
