Smitten Page 5

  “Oh, I will, I promise,” Astrid vowed. She trailed after the veterinary technician with a big grin on her face and a bounce in her step.

  Ēostre and Max trailed behind and witnessed a fun-filled hour of joy for Astrid. Around three, they peeled her away to allow the vet tech to return to her duties.

  “I want to be a zookeeper when I finally grow up. Uncle Max, can I?”

  Ēostre opened her mouth to speak, but Max beat her to the punch.

  “My sweet, you may be whatever you wish to be when you grow up. That’s the magic of being an adult, and no one else may decide for you.” Then his warm, amber eyes drifted to Ēostre. “But it never hurts to listen to the advice of loved ones and family.”

  “Well, I’ve decided I want to work at the zoo,” she insisted with conviction.

  As far as Ēostre knew, Saul had already planned on pulling Astrid into the family business. She grinned. Her son was in for a rude awakening, his little girl already developing her own mind and personality apart from his own.

  Astrid led the way around the park, revisiting her favorite exhibits, until Ēostre was sure her feet would never recover from the exertion. She received a reprieve when her granddaughter took a seat on a bench to eat a grilled turkey leg while watching the animals roam.

  “Astrid has shown immense interest in the zebras,” Maximilian commented.

  “She loves animals of all kinds. For a while, Saul feared she would become the world’s first dragon vegetarian.”

  “She wouldn’t be the first, actually. Watatsumi’s daughter survived on kelp until adolescence.” He chuckled. “Couldn’t bear to harm her ocean friends.”

  “We’re beyond that worry with Astrid, thankfully.”

  Astrid devoured a meal impressive enough to challenge most grown men. Without taking a break, she sprinted away to the nearby playground equipment. “Thank you for joining us today, by the way. You’ve really—” Ēostre glanced to the right and encountered an empty seat.

  The flame dragon had disappeared, beside her one moment, gone the next while Ēostre was watching the little girl play. No doubt gone to do more mischief with his money. How much did he pay for Astrid to enjoy a private petting session among the wild animals? Ēostre wondered.

  She texted him and received the standard response: I’m handling business. BBS.

  When he returned fifteen minutes later with a cocky grin on his face, Ēostre’s dread intensified.

  “What did you do, Maximilian?”

  “I made the first investment in Astrid’s future career. That’s all.”

  “What did you do?” she repeated.

  “I bought her some zebras.”

  “You bought a herd of zebras?” she shrieked. Several passing tourists glanced over, prompting her to lower her voice. “Max, what were you thinking?”

  “I wouldn’t call three a herd.”

  “Three zebras? Three zebras, Max? Did you not think to consult me or even ask the child’s parents if it’s acceptable? Sweet Ancestors, you’re the future leader of this country. You can’t walk about throwing money at everyone to have your way.”

  “If it truly makes a difference, the animals were to be transported to another zoo out of state in exchange for some komodo dragons, but the deal fell through. It caused an immense amount of grief; there’s been cutbacks in this department, and one of the animals requires more care than what they can reasonably afford. So I offered to sponsor the animals for them.”

  Ēostre sighed in relief. “So they won’t be going to Drakenstone Manor. Why didn’t you say so?”

  “Oh, no, they will.” Max held up his hands in the face of her withering look, and quickly continued. “However, their main caretaker shall be visiting the manor five days a week to give Astrid lessons in their care.”

  “Saul and Chloe will love that. How soon should we expect their arrival?”

  “Ah. Today. They appear to be very eager to be rid of them for some reason.”

  “What?! Doesn’t that provoke even a little suspicion, Maximilian? Who prepares three zebras for transportation to unknown territory without so much as an investigation into the home? How do they know the grounds will be prepared for their arrival?”

  “I phoned Leiv and told him about the surprise. He assures me Mahasti shall have everything ready.” Then he grinned even wider. “Besides, I am the governor of the state and Saul Drakenstone the billionaire is quite well-known for his studio’s phenomenal treatment of animals in their movies. As if we would besmirch our reputations.” He scoffed.

  “That is not the point.”

  While Ēostre considered the murder of the future U.S. President, Astrid wrapped her arms around his waist and squealed, hugging him. “Thank you, Uncle Max, thank you!” She’d overheard it all, making it impossible to force Max to undo his troublemaking.

  The drive home was filled with exuberant chatter about her new friends. Astrid had picked out a book in the gift shop on their way out and regaled them with facts and trivia from the backseat.

  “That is fascinating,” Max said from the passenger seat. “Yes, sweetheart, tell us more. Your grandmother appears particularly interested in the mating habits of wild African boars.”

  Ēostre wanted to strangle him.

  “Astrid, why don’t you go get cleaned up and ready for dinner,” Ēostre suggested as they parked in the driveway. “Say goodbye to your uncle.”

  “Aww. Can’t he stay for dinner?”

  “Sorry, my dear. I have a teleconference meeting in less than an hour that I can’t put off.”

  The girl sulked, but she hugged him one last time before sprinting away to scrub up for dinner. Once she was gone, Ēostre opened a portal to Maximilian’s home office. The shimmering gateway hung suspended between them, revealing his comfortably appointed accommodations on the other side, as if looking through a window.

  “You’re such an ass,” she said to him.

  “You wound me, Ēostre.” He lifted a hand to his heart. “Now go enjoy your educational evening and don’t forget our wager. Look at the happiness my gift has brought Astrid.”

  She grumbled and gestured toward the portal. “Go on or you’ll be late. Be sure not to let that New York journalist bully you into a corner, and ease up some on the correspondent from Wyoming. You want to win their votes.”

  “I know, I know. Now go on upstairs and enjoy your evening with your family.”

  Max surprised her with a quick hug. Before she even had the chance to recover her wits and return the friendly gesture, Max had released her and stepped through the gateway.

  Andrew stepped over from the car he’d borrowed for the day and eyed the opened portal with a grimace.

  “C’mon, pup. It won’t bite.”

  “So you always say,” the wolf grumbled at Max. “Enjoy your evening, Ēostre. Sorry for the menagerie.”

  “Thank you, Andrew, and good night.”

  The gateway closed behind them with a soft pop moments before Chloe walked onto the porch.

  “Ēostre? I thought I saw Maximilian standing on the drive.”

  “I sent him and his guard home. He wanted to say hello, but the drive from LA took longer than planned.”

  “Oh bummer, I’d hoped to hear what he thought of everything. So how does he feel about having a security detail?”

  “He loathes it and undermines their attempts to protect him at every turn. But if he didn’t have an official team on the books, he’d have pressure to allow the Secret Service to guard him. As it is, he can only put them off until after the election as it is, since he’ll be required to have even more security once he becomes the President-elect.”

  They moved inside where cool air greeted them. On the brink of collapse, she sank into a chair at Chloe’s dinette table and graciously accepted a glass of ice water. “I have never walked so far and so long in a human guise in all of my life. Not even when we visited Disneyland four years ago.”

  Chloe laughed and pushed over a tr
ay of sweets. “She wasn’t quite as, uh, energetic then.”

  “She has certainly grown into a fine young woman.” Ēostre furrowed her brow. “Which leads to my news. There’s something I must tell you, Chloe.”

  “What? Astrid wasn’t naughty, was she? She streaked past me and to her room before I even had a chance to ask about the day.”

  “No, nothing like that. In fact, quite the opposite. However, you should know that—”

  Astrid sprinted into the room. “Mom, Mom! Uncle Max bought me zebras! He bought me zebras, and they’re here now!”

  As quickly as she entered, Astrid was off again. She skidded out the door and down the hallway toward the foyer.

  Chloe slowly turned around to face her mother-in-law, her blue eyes wide. “What?”

  “Uh… about that.”

  “When were you planning to tell me that our daughter now owns a team of zebra?” she demanded.

  “Now, before she interrupted.”

  Chloe scowled at her.

  “Well, you do have the room,” Ēostre pointed out. “When Fafnir and I chose these lands to raise Saul, we carved out our territory for many miles in each direction.”

  Chloe’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

  “I’m sorry, darling. I couldn’t say no. He’d already written the check and Astrid eavesdropped on our conversation before I could decline them. How could I be the horrible grandmother who refuses after seeing her precious face light up with glee?”

  A sigh escaped the other woman. “Since when did Max start going to the zoo with you and Astrid anyway?”

  Ēostre paused. Why had she invited Maximilian along on her Saturday outing with Astrid? She could have taken him anywhere on any other day.

  “Well?” Chloe persisted.

  “I suppose I thought he’d enjoy an afternoon away from politics…” she hedged.

  “At the zoo.”

  “Well, he is a friend.”

  “A friend who you’ve spent a lot of time with lately during and away from work,” Chloe continued. “Are you two—”

  “Chloe?” Saul called into the kitchen, interrupting the two women. “Why are men in my driveway with a trailer of zebras?”

  Ēostre exhaled a sigh of relief. Her son’s abrupt arrival drew the attention back to the issue at hand — three zebras needing a home among the livestock inhabiting the fertile plains of Saul’s property.

  “They’re gifts for Astrid.”

  “Mother,” the dragon said in an exasperated breath. “We discussed this once in the past. No expensive and extravagant gifts for Astrid. Certainly not a herd of animals. Who will care for them?”

  “It’s fine, Saul,” Chloe said. “Leiv will think it’s amazing, then thank us for giving him a new project to undertake with the girls.”

  Saul hesitated. “All right,” he agreed. Chloe had firmly wrapped him around her pinky finger, and it was as if she could do no wrong in his eyes. He smiled warmly at both women, the irritation fading from his features immediately. “I shall return to speak with them.”

  Chloe pounced the moment her husband left.

  “Are you and Max dating?”

  “No!” Ēostre blurted out.

  “I don’t know too many single men who gleefully go along with an equally single woman and small child to the zoo.”

  “There is absolutely nothing between Maximilian and me. It was innocent fun and nothing more. I merely thought a good friend, who happens to be very lonely, would appreciate an outing in the sunshine away from his job.”

  “Ēostre, if there is nothing between you,” Chloe said gently, “why defend it so thoroughly… unless, of course, you want something between you. In the month that’s passed since the vote, I’ve seen you two grow closer and closer.”

  “I… well…” She tried to voice an eloquent denial, but nothing came to mind.

  “I won’t press anymore. You’re used to being the one who gives everyone else advice — whether we want it or not,” Chloe said with a brief pause and cheeky smile, “but everyone needs a hand sometimes. I know you dragons take years to do what we humans decide in days, but… Max is a good man. If you do like him, don’t wait too long to ponder on it.”

  “Mom! Mom! Come look at the zebras!” Astrid called through the front door.

  “That’s my cue to leave you be. I guess dinner is delayed until we get these guys settled.”

  “You go on, dear. I’d like to shower and freshen up after that long day in the sun.”

  After Ēostre retreated to her bedroom for a shower, she couldn’t help but wonder if her daughter-in-law was on to something.

  Did she have feelings for Maximilian? More importantly, did she want to risk ruining the comfortable friendship between them to find out?

  Chapter 7

  Early October ushered in the perfect day for a rally beneath the open blue skies of Virginia. Max stood in front of a podium, addressing a boisterous crowd of future voters.

  “During my drive to this conference, I passed at least two homeless veterans,” Maximilian announced to the crowd. “It’s unacceptable to treat our heroes this way. When I am elected as your president, I promise to bring the same reforms implemented in California to every state, helping our soldiers and sailors after they’ve served their time for our country. During my term as president, I swear no hero will ever go hungry or without a roof above their head. They are owed more than that.”

  Cheers erupted from the crowd, as he’d expected considering the military-heavy population. He knew exactly what to say to them, what to promise, and what topics to avoid. Even more importantly, he knew how to keep his word once they elected him to the presidential office.

  A woman clothed in a red, white, and blue bikini top over tiny denim cutoffs waved a banner declaring her love for him while shouting similar comments. A short distance away from him on the platform, Ēostre made a disgusted noise in her throat and looked away. She wasn’t impressed by some of his female voters. At all. But she also held her fellow women to a high standard.

  They’d flown to Virginia for a last-ditch effort to win over the state. So far he was leading in the popularity polls by a hairsbreadth, making the race too close for his comfort. Max’s adrenaline was still pumping by the time they reached his hotel suite.

  The other guy was putting up a better fight than expected, and it didn’t help that Loki was out to sabotage him by publicly supporting the other candidate, Thompson, and funneling money into his opponent’s campaign.

  It was enough for Max to feel tempted to contact Thor and put out a hit on him. A couple hundred thousand gold coins for one good thrashing. But Ēostre had sweet-talked him out of the idea and also made him promise he wouldn’t personally deliver justice with his own claws.

  “All right. I think I’ll go freshen up and change. Dinner out?”

  “Yes, of course. Excellent idea. We’ll be sure to ride the public transportation as well. I read some comments online about how much the green community loves my willingness to take the bus.”

  Ēostre fixed him with a look. “I suppose fine dining is off the table?”

  “You guessed it. Tell Vincent to prepare to earn his pay today.”

  “Then I shall return once I have dressed down.”

  Ēostre shut the door behind her and left for her own hotel room. In the time it took to wait for her return, Max showered, changed, and settled on the couch in the suite’s main room to check his email. Half an hour passed before a knock jarred him out of his thoughts.

  “It’s about time,” Max announced as he jerked open the door. “I thought I’d starve waiting for…” He trailed off, stunned by the sight in front of him. Another female dragoness stood framed by the open door, her hair messy coal black waves around golden-brown, bare shoulders. She wore a strapless, curve-hugging jumpsuit in a bold shade of red, and stilettos that brought her chest high. Mahuika was tiny for a dragoness. But her tits were as amazing as he remembered.

  “Hello,
Maximilian. Your hired muscle did not want to allow me to see you, but I managed to convince him otherwise.”

  “Would you like me to escort her away, sir?” Vincent asked. The werewolf in his impeccable, impossibly tailored suit waited on Max’s command.

  Max shook his head. A wolf could never force a dragoness to do anything she didn’t want to do, but he had no doubt Vincent would try. They were purely hired for looks and to keep away the human or shifter rabble. Against his fellow dragons, they were useless. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  “Let me know if you change your mind, sir.”

  Without awaiting an invitation, Mahuika stepped forward into the suite. Maximilian shut the door behind her and suppressed the apprehension crawling down his spine. “Why are you here?”

  “Did you not see me among the members of the crowd? I came to provide my support to you.”

  “You must have been far in the back or I’m certain I would have noticed.”

  “Well, I could hardly distract you when you had the crowd eating out of your talons.”

  “I suppose you must want something. What is it?”

  “Is that any way to treat the mother of your cub?” She pouted.

  Max scoffed and crossed back toward his desk. “Let’s not use labels that hold no meaning, Mahuika. You may have birthed Brigid, but you were no mother. Now, the question still stands. What do you want?”

  A tiny wrinkle appeared in Mahuika’s brow and her mouth turned down at the corners. “To speak with you, Maxim. Only to speak. We were once very civil with one another and I hoped things could be that way again someday.”

  “I am being civil. Now, please tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “Your speech was moving. So much so that I would like to offer you my support. Both to your campaign and our emergence into the public eye.”

  Mahuika had been as outspoken against his plans as some of the other elder dragons. Her words did nothing to assuage his skepticism.

  “Now you are willing to support me?”

  “Yes. I was wrong. I am not too proud to admit this to you now. Watching you and seeing the love these people have for this human persona, it has humbled me and made me realize the affection may remain once we are open with them.”