Evie poked his chest. “You had better keep me in the loop. I have the data on the laptop to sift through and I might just have to save your arse again.”
He smiled. “I look forward to it. But next time, love, could you leave my cock and balls out of it?”
His female laughed. “I think I’m going to keep a cricket bat next to our bed in the future. If you thought the plunger handle was bad, just you wait. The cricket bat will have you crying like a baby.”
“Then here’s to hoping you never need to use it.” Bram gave Evie a brief kiss and then patted her arse. “Right, you go shower while I talk to Kai and Finn.”
Evie nodded. “Okay.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick, rough kiss as she squeezed his arse cheeks. “It’s good to have you back, dragonman. Your dragon knows how to give hot sex, but without your humor, it’s not quite the same.”
His inner beast growled at her words. Bram ignored him and gently slapped her arse. “Just wait until I have both sides of me working together. Then you’ll never want to leave my bed.”
“I could make a flippant remark right now, but seeing as a shitload of danger is coming, I’m going to be honest. I’m not going anywhere, dragonman, because you’re mine.”
Her words caused joy to course through his body and even soothed his dragon’s anger a fraction. “Good, because you’re mine, Evie Marshall, and I’m keeping you.” After one more kiss, he said, “Now go shower before my cock recovers and I think about taking you slowly and gently.”
Evie frowned. “No more sex until Murray is back. That’s an extra incentive for you to finish the job quickly and come back to me alive.”
While his dragon was grumbling about the ‘no sex’ statement, Bram didn’t mind as much. “As long as you’re waiting in my bed when I return, I can live with that.”
Evie grinned. “Now I have something fun to plan.”
“The glint in your eyes doesn’t bode well for me.” He stepped back and motioned toward the bathroom. “As much as I want to hold you in my arms and talk with you for the next week, Murray and the clan need my attention. Shower, love. I’ll fill you in afterward.”
Nodding, Evie left. Once she shut the door, he addressed his inner beast. Until you calm the fuck down, you’re staying in that prison. I need to rescue wee Murray and save the clan. When you’re ready to help me, I’ll let you out.
His beast snarled. Protect our mate first, then save the clan.
I will protect her. But unless you want the Scottish leader to take over, you’d bloody well better get a grip, and soon.
Just as he’d expected, since Evie wasn’t in the room, his dragon stopped fighting and growled. We are the leader of Clan Stonefire. We will save them.
Good. Prove it to me. While I sleep with Evie, you find a way to calm down. Since we survived the clan leader trials, this should be easy.
His dragon huffed. I want her many more times, until she carries our child.
He blinked. Now would be the time to tell me your damn secret. Is Evie our true mate?
Yes. I must claim her completely, until she carries our young and our scent. You should understand.
A mixture of joy and ‘holy shit’ hit him. Forget the claiming bit. Why didn’t you tell me earlier she was our true mate?
Because, you would have seen her as a duty. A child would help the clan, so you would make sure she conceived without knowing her. You needed to want her for her, to make her happy.
He’d never heard of a dragon being able to rein in the mate-claim frenzy before. You are stronger than I thought.
Of course. You always underestimate me. I am brilliant.
One corner of his mouth ticked up at his dragon’s matter of fact tone. Well, brilliant one, not telling me the truth put our mate in danger. Don’t do it again. Silence was his reply so Bram pushed on. I’m still keeping you in there. You’ve calmed down a bit with me, but Evie’s scent will scramble your brain again. Work on your restraint. We will handle the frenzy once the clan is safe.
His beast grunted. I don’t like it, but I will try. I don’t want the Scottish leader and his dragon to save our clan. We should do it.
Agreed. Now, I must talk with Kai.
As Bram moved to where he had a phone line connection, he tried but failed to push aside what his dragon had just told them.
Evie was their true mate.
He’d wanted her even before he’d known that tidbit of information, but just the thought of her one day carrying his child filled his heart with warmth. Evie would make a fantastic mother.