job.
Ash dialed his beta for the third time that morning. He couldn’t wait to tell him the great news. He’d barely slept the night before with his mate continuously on his mind. Even his dreams were filled with her and everything he’d love to do to her in his bed.
Dammit. He was getting hard again. Time for another cold shower. He’d never been so clean before. Finally, his beta picked up.
“Where the hell have you been?” Ash growled.
“I tried calling you last night. Where the hell were you?” Smoke blurted. “You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday.”
At the same time, they said, “I found our mate.” They each paused. Then together, “You too?”
Ash shook his head. He and his beta had spent way too much time in each other’s company. “Wait,” he said. “Where did you meet her?”
“I saw her on the beach just before I left. She’s gorgeous. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’ve never been so hard for so long. It’s been a while since I’d had blue balls.”
“Smoke, too much info, bro,” Ash growled. Yes, they were a team, but even teammates didn’t share everything. But he knew they were talking about the same female. “Did you notice Val is human?”
“I thought I scented that, but she was there and gone so quickly, I didn’t get much.” He growled. “You spent the night with her, didn’t you, douche bag?”
Ash laughed harder. “Chill. I didn’t sleep with her. Yet. We just hung out and watched the tourist play. She isn’t that kind of girl. She’s quite shy.”
“Shy?” Smoke said, “Well, we’ll get her over that quickly—”
“Smoke,” Ash warned, “she’s our mate, and you will not do anything stupid. She’s not the normal female you seem drawn to.”
“You know I don’t sleep with any of them. I keep my pants on. My dragon can’t stand being with a female who isn’t his mate. Now he’s thrilled. I had to fight him to keep from busting out and flying home last night.”
“Oh, something else,” Ash said, “I didn’t tell her we were shifters. Did you?”
The silence on the line concerned him.
“You know,” Smoke’s voice was filled with sarcasm, “I’m sure she’ll figure it out once we shift and scare the living shit out of her, and we never see her again. Dumbass, what were you thinking? We have to tell her.”
“Well you didn’t tell her, either,” Ash growled.
“I barely had any time with her,” Smoke muttered. “What’s your excuse?”
“It wasn’t the right time. I can’t just spring on her, ‘hey, babe, the men you’re going to spend the rest of your life with are mythical creatures that can eat you in one bite.’”
Smoke groaned. “Don’t talk about eating her. I’m getting hard again, dammit.”
Ash sighed and wiped a hand down his face. This trio thing was going to be interesting. He and their mate would have to get used to his beta. She’d have a perpetual blush on her face. She’d adjust. He knew his mate might be shy but she had a steel inner core. Soon they’d be joined, and their clan would be safe.
“Speaking of that,” Ash said, “have you talked to Dr. Ishman yet?”
“Not yet. I have a call scheduled with him in an hour. He returned my call while I was on the plane; he said he’d gladly come to the island and test the cone for gasses.”
“Good, I don’t want to take any chances with our people in the danger zone. If we don’t have to evacuate the island, I don’t want to.”
“If you remember what Isa said,” Smoke snorted, “then we don’t have to worry now that we have our mate. The island magic will become strong again. The volcano will be fine.”
Ash was surprised Smoke had been listening, much less remembered that. Well, that wasn’t really true. Smoke was a great beta. Ash just found it hard working with someone who was his opposite in temperament. But that was why they were perfect for each other.
“There was more that Isa said,” Ash answered.
“What was it?”
“The magic will repair itself after we get our mate to fall in love with us. And we’ve mated.”
“Shit,” Smoke mumbled, “and you had to be the one with her most of last night.”
Ash grinned even though the joke was at his expense. “Yeah, whatever, asshat,” he pretended to be mad.
“Fine. I’ll try to salvage what you screwed up before we spring on her that she’s ours. You need to tell her what we are,” Smoke said