game of Fin’s.”
“Except you aren’t playing,” she retaliated, folding her arms.
Ha. This couldn’t be going better if I planned it myself.
Maddox spared Fin a droll look. You did plan this yourself.
I did, didn’t I?
Rolling his eyes, Maddox shook his head. “If this is the case, then Fiona should go with us. By cutting us off from her, we’re already out of the running.”
“Maddox,” Rogue tsked. “You don’t think you can’t catch the prey and bring them back to her? An offering of your own perhaps?”
This was true.
And if you agree to split two of those days with me, or at least just let me play along, I’ll help.
Smug little shit stirrer.
Thank you, I try.
“If I agree to the terms,” Alfred countered, ignoring all of them for Fiona, “do you agree to the four days?”
“Does that mean for three of those days, you have to obey me?”
“It could be arranged,” he said slowly. “Within reason.”
Her smirk delighted Maddox on a whole other level. “Then I’ll agree to the same, within reason. Because the moment you put caveats on it, Asshole, then it’s game over. There’s no reason to obey at all.”
Alfred’s smile was both slow and dangerous. “I would prefer if you would call me by my name.”
“And I would prefer if you would go to hell, but we’re both doomed to disappointment.”
“So,” Fin said, clapping his hands in glee. “We have a wager?”
He glanced at them each, one at a time. Maddox nodded once. As did Rogue. Alfred and Fiona stared at each other, neither refusing to bend, and finally, they both offered curt nods.
“Fantastic,” Fin celebrated, then swept Fiona up. “Let’s kiss on it.” Then he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. The move caught her off guard, but when she wrapped her arms around him and sighed a little into the kiss, Maddox’s cock stiffened. Fin made no pretense of grinding into her gently. When he finally did let her up for air, her already swollen lips had darkened, and she scraped her teeth over her lower lip.
Rogue caught her next, his kiss surprisingly simple and gentle. Yet, she clasped her palms to his cheeks as they nuzzled and tested each other.
After she stepped away from him, Maddox held out a hand to her, and she turned to him easily, making his dragon huff a fiery breath within. His mate, their mate, wasn’t pulling away. He kissed her gently, savoring the contact as he wrapped himself around her. “Try not to torment him too badly,” he pleaded, but honestly, whatever happened, it was Alfred’s own damn fault. Maddox just didn’t want her hurt.
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” she said with a devilish grin. “Almost as good as when we had to share that cell.”
Laughter burst through him and he kissed her again. “Be safe, mate.”
“Hmm, you too.” Then she nipped his lower lip. “Bring me back a present?”
“Or two,” he said with a wink.
With great reluctance, he stepped back to join Fin. Rogue moved up to take his place next to her, but Maddox’s last sight of Fiona was her giving Alfred a dismissive wave before turning her back on him as she said, “As if I’d kiss you…”
Then Fin yanked him away as they raced along the druidic paths.
A part of the dragon wanted her to cooperate and at least give him a chance.
The rest of him? The rest of him hoped she gave him absolute hell. Alfred wanted to fight their fate, to control it as he had everything else.
It would be a fine battle.
“I hope we don’t miss the best part,” Fin said as they appeared—where the fuck were they? Oh, Argentina.
“The best part?”
“Hmm-hmm,” Fin said with a grin. “The hate sex when they get there is going to be epic.”
“They have had sex.” She’d fed off of Alfred, something that had left Maddox a little puzzled by the cratering distance between them.
“Not the same thing,” his brother told him, clasping a hand to his shoulder. “Let’s find you some shoes. The sex was to feed her then, but he was still trying to control everything. She didn’t have the wherewithal to withstand him. She does now, and he wants her to choose him.”
She definitely wasn’t on board with that.
Ah.
Maddox sighed. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we find the six assholes, the faster we get back to her.”
“Oh, we’re not here for the assholes,” Fin said, his grin widening. “I got a lead on Isaac. Thought we’d bag him up