And for now, there was nothing more satisfying than to feel Naomi tremble in his arms, and know that it was he who’d made her feel this way.
***
They ended up in the bathtub after all, once they’d recovered a little.
In fact, bathing, tasting every last delicious inch of Naomi’s skin with his tongue, and finally giving his own need for her free rein took so much time that for the first time in his life, he was running late for his meeting with sheriff Banner.
And by the little sniff and smirk the werewolf gave him, the sheriff knew what exactly had kept him so long. Although at least he had sense enough not to mention it.
“I’m here for business,” Gregory said firmly, before the sheriff could change his mind. “Let’s get this over with quickly. I’m officially not supposed to tell anyone yet, but I’ll be damned if I leave my own home in the dark about this threat. There’s a fire dragon on the loose, sheriff.”
The werewolf drew in a shocked breath. “Impossible. Aren’t they supposed to be extinct? Gone with the Middle Ages?”
“That’s what we’ve always thought,” Gregory said darkly. “Until just a few days ago a fire dragon appeared out of nowhere and kidnapped Naomi. He staked her out like bait—he’d obviously sensed that she was my mate.”
Banner’s expression immediately turned serious. “He wanted to draw you out.”
“He was waiting for me. He attacked, and I fought him. I needed to protect my mate.” Gregory grimaced. “I’m not proud to admit it, but I lost. He didn’t kill me though. He simply left.”
“Which means there’s a fire dragon still out there somewhere—with motives we don’t know. We only know that he seems to harbor a grudge against you.” The sheriff frowned. “Is it personal though? Or would he have attacked the first dragon he saw? Did he perhaps just move to the area and thought you were attacking his new territory?”
“We don’t know,” Gregory said. “But it felt... personal. Why attack my mate to get to me, but then don’t finish me off?”
Banner made a thoughtful sound. “Gone mad, perhaps? No offense, but we know how it is for dragons...”
“No. He seemed too focused for someone taken by madness.”
Gregory turned. They’d met in the room he’d claimed as his office, at least while he was spending time in Mountain View. The room offered a generous balcony—and through the large window, he could see the colorful roofs of the small town.
“Mountain View has always been the safest place I know,” Gregory continued quietly. “That’s why I’m telling you. There’s no need to panic yet—but I want you to know. So you can be prepared. If he’s still after me and Naomi...”
The werewolf nodded slowly. “I’ll try to get us prepared, boss. I won’t tell everyone—we don’t need a panic. But I’ll have a few of the dogs and lions be more watchful—and the birds. Perhaps just regularly scheduled flights around the mountain tops, so we’ll have an early warning if anything approaches?”
Gregory gave the sheriff a relieved sigh. “I knew I could rely on you, Banner. Regular patrols sound very sensible. And if you catch a whiff of just the smallest things that seems out of the ordinary—”
“I’ll let you know straight away, boss.” The werewolf gave him a toothy grin. “Wouldn’t want to fight a dragon on my own.”
“Earth and Water are hunting for him,” Gregory said. “The griffin joined them, too. But I couldn’t—not with Naomi needing me.”
“As it should be,” the werewolf growled. “You’re a good man, boss, but your place is here, with your pack. Sorry—your clan.”
“I hope we’ll have a real clan here soon enough,” Gregory murmured, imagining the small wings of a young dragonet reflecting the rays of the sun as they chased each other around the pool. “I know I’ve been gone a lot, sheriff—but I think I’ve come home at last. This time I’ll stay.”
The werewolf’s grin widened. “Glad to hear it—not only because it’ll make my job easier to have the dragon himself back home. But it’ll do you good to settle down. And the town’s already in a mad fever about the alpha ceremony.”
Gregory sighed, although he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. He’d never been big on ceremony himself—but the people of Mountain View had always prided themselves on their little fairs and festivals.
And in truth, he was curious to see what they’d come up with. Also, this time it wouldn’t just be him opening the spring fair—this time, it would be Naomi by his side for the alpha ceremony. And she deserved to have the best his town could come up with. He wanted her dazzled and breathless with joy. He wanted her to love Mountain View as much as he did.
He wanted it to be a home, a real home, for both of them.
Gregory turned to firmly clasp the werewolf’s hand. They’d stepped out onto the balcony. It was around noon; the sun stood high in the sky, which was cloudless and blue. It promised to be a gorgeous day—the sort of day that should be spent playing in the hidden pool, and then coming back to the mansion, exploring the garden until they found a sunny spot for a picnic outdoors.
“Thanks for all your help, sheriff,” Gregory said firmly. “I appreciate it. And if anything—”
He broke off. From the corner of his eye, he could see the werewolf tilt his head in puzzlement, the sheriff’s hand still held in his own.
A second later, the tiny black spot in the sky that had caught Gregory’s attention continued to grow in size. Simultaneously, Gregory felt a familiar presence brushing against his dragon’s senses.