“Fine, you got me. I just wanted time to talk about things first. She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met. Something about her seems very green, I guess. She didn’t even believe true mates are a thing.”
Teague shrugged. “All I know is there’s not a damn thing she could say that would make me not want her. She’s a bit odd, sure, but that’s what makes her so interesting. It’ll turn out fine. Better than fine. I know it in my heart. Just . . .” He reached out and patted his troubled friend on the shoulder. “Try not to think too hard, or you’ll miss out on the good stuff. She’s the one, Jakey. We found her. Be happy.”
Jake didn’t relax, but his worried look eased a little. “You’re probably right. But from here on out, I’d prefer it if we let her set the pace for the relationship. We’re going to be driving her pretty hard in the gym starting tomorrow. No sense pressuring her in her time off too.”
Teague raised his hands. “Fair enough. We can let her know that we’re hands-off unless she wants us not to be.”
“Good. Thank you. Now let’s go make sure Gunther’s on board.”
They headed up the stairs to find Gunther alone in the kitchen, busy over a pan on the stove.
“Where is she?” Teague asked.
“Figured she needed some breathing room. I showed her to one of the guest rooms and set her up. Funny thing, though—she didn’t seem to know how to use the shower. It’s like she’s from another planet. One where they don’t have showers.”
“The tryout announcer said she was from the ‘western plains’ clans, which I’ve never heard of,” Jacob said. “I didn’t think anything of it. Maybe she is from another planet and just didn’t want to say where. Stranger things have happened.”
“It still doesn’t change anything,” Teague said, maybe a little too forcefully, and narrowed his eyes at his two partners. If they were backing off on the mating thing, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to change their minds.
“Didn’t say it did,” Gunther replied.
Jake snorted. “He’s just pissy because I dressed him down for kissing her. But I want to make sure we’re all okay with letting her take the lead on the mating stuff from here on out. Especially since she’s a fish out of water here.”
Gunther nodded. “Fine, but if she makes a move, I’m not saying no.”
“Me neither,” Teague said. “Just so we’re clear.”
Jacob sighed. “The world must be ending if you two are on the same page.”
“Just tell us you agree too so we can move on.”
At that moment Ksenia strolled back in, her long hair wet and loose around her bare shoulders.
But that wasn’t all that was bare. She stood there, still glistening with dewy droplets from her shower. She was even more muscular out of her clothes than she’d seemed in them, the sheer power of her arms and thighs evident even without her flexing. But all that power was softened by a pair full breasts and wide hips. Her luscious, pale orbs were peaked with pink nipples just begging to be sucked, and the vee of jet-black curls between her thighs promised a wonderland of oblivion Teague would more than happily to fall into. His breath left him in a whoosh and his cock thickened in his pants so fast his vision swam.
“Ksenia,” Jacob breathed beside him, and it only took a glance for Teague to see his partner was just as affected as he was, the bulge in his pants all too apparent.
Ksenia’s gaze drifted from one stunned face to the next, and the determination Teague saw in her expression left no doubt in his mind that she was the perfect woman.
“I might have overheard you talking,” she said. “And I want there to be no mistake: Yes, I came here to become a champion, and I still want that more than almost anything. The thing is, I never thought finding a mate was an option. But you three seem so very, very sure that I’m yours. So I had a little heart-to-heart with my dragon in the shower just now, and we came to an understanding. We are one hundred percent on board with the idea. You just need to explain to me how it works.”
“You don’t need to be naked to seal the deal,” Jacob said.
“Not that we’re complaining,” Teague added, shooting Jacob an incredulous look.
Ksenia started to smile, and then her smile