6

The girl was moaning softly as she bounced on his lap, her dyed blonde hair was all over his face and chest. Ace sat stiffly trying to keep his cock awake.

Why would the Mother curse him this way? With her as his mate, he could have sex with anyone but he would never feel the same satisfaction he once used to feel. He had given up on ever finding a mate and now the Mother and fate were messing with him. Some of the other outcast guys in the thunder had mates among the outcasts and here he was with a mate that was his enemy.

"Okay this is not working," Kat remarked with annoyance as she slid off his lap. She stood over him naked and unabashed. Ace raised a hand to his face in frustration. "What's up? You're not horny tonight?"

"I don't know I swear," he sighed. He was horny, he just wasn't horny for her. A sweet innocent face with warm brown eyes was etched into his brain. That was what made him horny. Fuck. She was messing with his brain already and he barely even knew her. Ace raised his eyes to his…girlfriend? Well, they weren't official but everyone in town knew they were sometimes together. She was part Drakus but didn't have a dragon since her hybrid was mainly human.

"You are probably stressed. Is it the task?" She picked her jeans from the floor and slipped them on, walking into the kitchen to take a can of beer.

"I guess."

"Have you found the girl?"

"Yeah."

Kat came out of the kitchen her hair was pulled into a bun on her head. She leaned on one hip to stare at Ace. "First you can't fuck, now you can't talk. Okay, I guess I'll just see myself out."

She took her shirt from the couch and snatched her bag. He wanted to stop her but he held himself. What was the point? He would just keep thinking about Sarah again. Kat took her keys off the coffee table and leaned over him to kiss his lips.

"Put your clothes on and call me when you feel better."

She opened the door to leave the apartment. Ace had barely tugged his jeans on when the door opened again, this time it was Emily.

"Kat looks pissed. Did you guys fight again?"

"We didn't. Why do you keep poking into my business?"

"Because I care about you. You're all I have left from my family so forgive me but bear it if I am concerned about you. Have you decided what to do about Sarah yet?"

He said nothing instead he cleared the cans and bottles of beer in the living room hoping Emily would just go away. She was right. She was all he had left from his mom's side. He didn't know the rest of his family, he only knew his dad, an exiled Drakus.

"Ace, this fight isn't yours. It's even more complicated now knowing she's your mate. You've waited long for a mate. You may deny it but I see now you want one."

"Shut up and get out Em."

"No. Your father is fighting for something that happened many centuries ago, you weren't even born then."

"Edgar Dragenar killed my father's wife."

"She is not even your mother! I'm sorry but that woman wasn't even your father's mate when he was going to marry her. I'm sorry he was in love but it's time to move on." Emily came to a stop behind him. "I wish Attor had fought my Aunty as much as he's fighting for the woman who hundreds of years ago."

"Don't bring my mother into this."

"Why? Because you know I'm right? Attor used my Aunty to bring an heir, you, even though she was in love with him. And he didn't care when she died."

"Emily!"

She took a step back but she wasn't scared of him. She stood her ground. "I don't hate him even after what happened with your mom, just don't get into this fight. Please. Promise me you won't."

"I can't promise anything." He went to look outside the window. The street was fairly crowded. Tomorrow he would find a way to lead Sarah here without alerting Dragenar. "I'm just glad I got to before Lance."

Emily gasped. "Attor sent Lance after her?!"

He turned away from the window and thrust his hands into his pockets. "I don't know. He said he wouldn't but I know that's a lie, he doesn't trust me well enough to let me do this alone."

Emily crossed the room and clung desperately to him. "Ace this is not about trust! That girl is innocent, whatever happened between Edgar and Attor stays between them. If Lance is after her too you have to protect her. Promise me you will. You know what Lance would do if he gets her. Promise me!"

"I promise." At least he could promise her that much.

Tomorrow he would beat Lance again. His first course of action was to get her to trust him and he knew just how to go about that.

*

"Great job closing the Fassbinder Steel deal, Adeline. Do we have our buyers lined up?"

Adeline dropped a load of folders on his desk knowing he would only glance through them before approving her recommendations. "Yes, sir, and here are the lists of serious potential buyers. I compiled files of their finances for you to study." She stood aside and waited for him to skim through them. He grinned and glanced up.

"Good job. You might be heading my company if I'm not careful," he laughed. He was growing a beard. She was finally getting used to his different looks. Edgar Dragenar never kept a haircut or shave for too long. There were no rules for him. He could grow his hair out, dread it or cut it and every single one would look good on him. It was so unfair that he was so good-looking and so out of reach from her. Regardless of her feelings, she knew they couldn't move beyond the employer-employee relationship. He was strict about those rules and so was she. So she carefully stilled her fluttering heart and smiled back.

"I could never fit into your shoes. I'm afraid I use a size 6."

He laughed heartily. His eyes lit up whenever he laughed like that and she couldn't stop herself from staring and before she could stop herself she blurted out, "Can we have drinks tonight?"

He was as shocked as she was at the question.

"T-to celebrate the sales I mean…I'm sure… I mean I don't think…I know the sales will be successful so maybe we could celebrate…For The company."

His eyes were guarded when he gave his response. "No harm in that as long as it's after office hours."

Her heart soared. "Oh…"

The buzz of his phone interrupted her. He raised a hand in apology before picking it up. His brows furrowed. "Excuse me, Adeline."

"Of course." Adeline stood and hurriedly left the office walking on clouds. Drinks with Edgar Dragenar tonight, just the two of them. Her imagination ran ahead of her. Her arm linked through his while they smiled into a hundred cameras, both of them under umbrellas on the beach in one of his resorts sipping cocktails. She was still daydreaming in her office when he walked into her office. She nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Adeline, about that drink tonight can we do that some other time? I have something important to attend to. You don't mind, do you?"

Once again her heart sank to the pit of her belly. "Of course, I don't. Absolutely."

He was out of her office before she could let her disappointment show. A few minutes later Stella walked in carrying coffee and donuts.

"You should give up. I did long ago."

"What are you talking about?" she asked pretending to be busy on her computer.

"Edgar. He's the one I'm talking about. You will not be the first person in love with him and definitely not the last, there is something magnetic that attracts everyone to him so I understand you."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Stella."

"You asked him on a date."

"To celebrate his company's success."

Stella dropped the donut and one coffee on her table. "Sure keep pretending but make sure you don't end up like the others who left heartbroken."

*

The District 4 was less crowded than it had been the other night. It was daytime and the residents were out in the jobs Edgar had secured for them. The only occupied truck was Aaron's. He called Edgar to join him and together they drove to the hospital where the newly discovered dragons were being treated. It was a private hospital Edgar himself built since they couldn't risk getting discovered by humans.

The new family was placed in the same room and all of them were wide awake and talking when Edgar entered the ward. The talking stopped and they sat up. The single male among them appeared to be the leader of their small thunder. He eyed Edgar with distrust which wasn't new to him. Even before he became the protector only the Veles clan ever welcomed him and treated him right.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better, the doctors here did a great job repairing my neck. Why are we here?"

"Because you are Drakai and you were in trouble."

The three women eyed him with equal distrust. One of them clutched the dragon egg that had been found with them protectively like he had any intention of stealing it.

The man scoffed. "Sure. You brought us here to finish the job, didn't you? Your men didn't stand a chance against our powers so you brought us here to finish us up where no one can see."

Edgar frowned and looked to Aaron did help. Aaron shrugged.

"He has been ranting on and on about the traitor. I thought you might want to see for yourself."

He was used to hate and distrust but it was his duty first to protect Drakai before his personal interest. He moved a step closer to the narrow beds and raised his hands in surrender. "I am the protector of all dragons, I will never bring you here to kill you. On the contrary, I rescue dragons who survived the war and give them a place to start afresh in the modern world. You can trust me."

The man spat. "Trust you?! Trust Egan Dragenar, the traitor?! You son of a whore. I will never trust you. You haven't changed after all these years…"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You can't hide anymore. Those men who attacked us? One of them let it slip that you wanted us dead but unfortunately for you, we fought them as best as we could and you had better kill us Egan Dragenar because if you don't we will leave here and let everyone know what a traitor you really are!"

Edgar's frown deepened. What was he ranting about?

As sworn protector hunting dragons to kill them went against all codes of conduct.

Aaron moved closer to him to whisper. "I think he might be unhinged."

"No," Edgar replied thoughtfully. There was something amiss. "Make sure they are protected and have anything they need. If they want to leave don't hold them back but let them know the dangers that await them in the modern world."

"Yes, sir."

Edgar left still puzzled by what the man said. His mind was set on one thing. Someone out there was trying to destroy him and he knew just who it was.

Attor Veles.

But first, he had to prove that Attor was still alive. Second, he had to protect the one thing Attor would need to fully get his revenge.

As he returned to his car he dialed a number.

"Hugh, I have an assignment for you."