Page 15 of Slade's Feisty Mate
She hummed thoughtfully and said, “Aubrey’s room is the last one by the emergency door. Let’s check out the one next to hers. The rooms on the right side of the hallway face the city, which is a nice view from the balcony, but I like looking at the river at the back of the hotel, which would be visible from any rooms on the left side.”
He snagged her around the waist and pulled her close. “I think the best view is right here.”
Her cheeks pinked. “You say the sweetest things.”
He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’m trying to get your pants off.”
She giggled and slapped his shoulder. “Let’s pick a room so we can move in. Quickly.”
“I like how you think, baby.”
They checked out the rooms closest to the emergency door, picked the one next to Alaric and Aubrey’s, and then christened each room in the suite. Twice.
Bellhops moved Gretchen’s belonging into their new home. Slade left his sweetheart with Aubrey and Lia in Aubrey’s room to discuss going to Caleb’s club later that night so he could meet up with his brothers.
Alaric drove their SUV to a hotel near the arena where Jonathon was staying. The fighters always stayed in RVs wherever the fights were being held. He and his family had been living in tight quarters for more than a year. It was nice to have their own space now.
“There isn’t a head of security right now. Aubrey has been handling the schedule and issues with the guards. She wants me to take over the guards, but she has to clear it with her brother, which we can apparently do tonight at the club,” Alaric said.
“The brother goes to the club a lot I take it?” Galen asked from the second row.
“I guess he feeds there a few times a week. It’s a big deal to human females to let the master vampire feed on them, so, according to Gretchen, the females wear next to nothing and wait around at the club every night, hoping he’ll show up and pick them.”
Slade didn’t know much about vampires. He’d met a few through the years, but hadn’t ever had a sit-down conversation with any. “Maybe you’ll meet a girl at the club tonight, and she’ll be wearing purple and gold,” Slade said, joking with Galen.
“It’s pink and gold,” he said, “and I don’t think it’s something she wears, I think it’s part of her.”
“Like her hair?” Alaric asked.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve only had one dream.”
“You’ll find her when the time is right,” Alaric said.
Galen didn’t answer. Slade turned to look at him, and he was staring out the window with his jaw clenched. He was thankful that he’d found Gretchen so quickly. The wonder and waiting of the mating dreams had been hell on Alaric, and if Galen didn’t find his pink and gold mate soon, he’d be facing a future of wondering when he’d meet her.
Slade pulled his cell from his pocket and texted Gretchen.
I’m so glad I found you.
After a minute, she texted back.
Not as glad as I am that I found YOU.
He chuckled, texted her a few hearts and smiley faces, and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Being mated was fucking awesome. Knowing she was waiting for him and that she’d let him see her naked made his cat anxious to return to the hotel.
Krel was waiting in the lobby of the human-run hotel, and they followed him up to Jonathon’s room. “Why didn’t you stay at the supernatural hotel?” Slade asked.
“If we stayed within Belle Terra, the vampire master could enforce his rules on us. We weren’t sure if he’d want us there, and we didn’t want to chance him making us leave.”
“What made you invite Aubrey?” Alaric asked.
“I always send invitations to the family members of important people in the towns we visit, as well as to the important people themselves. For whatever reason, Master Night didn’t accept our invitation but let his sister attend.”
“I don’t recall her saying that he was invited, too,” Alaric said.
“Whoever handles his correspondence may have ignored it,” Jonathon said, shrugging. “He probably gets invited to a hundred events a month. At any rate, you found your truemate. I’m happy for you, Alaric.”
“Thank you. Slade found his as well.”