His mother's soft voice came down the hall. "It's no bother, lass. I always make quite a bit of food to feed my sons and pregnant daughter-in-law. You could probably feed a small army with all I made and still have leftovers. One more mouth wouldn't make a difference."
On the one hand, Chase couldn't help but smile. Ever since his mother had been spending time with George MacLeod—Arabella's father and an unattached male who had recently moved to Lochguard—she'd been happier and less shy. However, the change meant his mum was currently inviting Chase's true mate to stay for dinner.
If his mum succeeded and Chase had to sit near Layla all evening, then Grant would probably notice the truth rather quickly. His brother was too bloody observant.
And the last thing Chase wanted was to hear advice and caution from his brother. As much as he loved Grant, he and Chase were two very different people, which meant it wasn't a surprise that their true mates were as well. What had worked with Faye wouldn't work with Layla.
He dashed toward the kitchen, but his brother and sister-in-law entered the front door before he could take more than a few steps. Grant's mate, Faye, said, "Och, Chase, you're here already. Come give your favorite sister a hug."
Grant sighed. "You're the only sister he has, and only through mating."
Faye snorted. "I think you've been hanging around with my brothers too much. That sounds like something Fergus would say."
Pasting a smile on his face, Chase turned toward Faye and Grant.
Faye was almost always smiling and full of positive energy. Even though her presence meant he couldn't stop his mother from convincing Layla to stay for dinner, he couldn't be upset with his sister-in-law. If she knew the truth about Layla, she'd no doubt do everything in her power to help him, and then some.
Which would spell trouble before long, despite her good intentions.
After giving her a quick hug, he glanced at his brother. "I'm surprised you're here after me, Mr. Punctual."
Grant grunted, and Faye laughed before saying, "It's my fault. He was, er, helping me with something."
Given how Faye's cheeks flushed, Chase had a feeling he knew what they'd been doing. And very little clothing would've been involved.
His dragon spoke up. We could be doing that soon with Layla, too, if you only told her the truth.
Right, and send her running for the hills straight after.
Faye gently shoved Chase down the hall. "Come on, let's go. I'm starving."
"I'd like to tease you about feeding two souls, but you ate this much even before you were pregnant," Chase stated.
"Aye, and I'll do it after as well. MacKenzies love their food, and unlike some, we don't encourage the males to keep eating whilst telling the females to hold back." She raised her chin a fraction. "It's often a free-for-all at my mum's house, but most of the time I win and swipe more food than my brothers. Whilst I don't care if my bairn is a girl or boy, he or she will know how to beat out all her cousins when it comes to dinner time."
Chase grinned at how proud she sounded. "When's the next MacKenzie dinner then, so I can pay attention and watch your moves? In the past, I always laughed at the food fights."
Grant shoved him. "No more food fights. Last time, Faye got a black eye."
Faye rolled her eyes. "It was a small bruise from a chunk of cheese. I doubt Mum will serve it again, given how you growled and threatened Fraser's bollocks."
Grant narrowed his eyes. "Just because Fraser's mate is no longer pregnant doesn't mean he can forget what it's like to protect one who is. If he provokes me, I'll protect what's mine."
Faye raised an eyebrow at her mate. "I'd like to think I can protect myself against my brother. I did fine for over twenty years before you."
"You weren't pregnant then."
As the pair stared at one another, having some sort of nonverbal conversation, Chase decided he needed to break it up. Usually, the staring ended with his brother issuing an ultimatum or order of some sort—which never worked with Faye, so Chase had no idea why he kept doing it to provoke an argument. So Chase took one hand from each of them and tugged them along. "Come on. Mum is probably waiting for us and will need help with setting the table."
Mentioning how their mother needed help worked. Grant shut his mouth, pulled his grip from Chase's, and placed one hand on Faye's back and the other over her nearly full-term pregnant belly.
His dragon snorted. He's much more well behaved since he mated Faye.
Faye's presence helps, aye. But he would never cause Mum distress, mated or not, and you know that.
Ever since their father had abandoned them all a couple of years ago, he and his brother had made a pact to try harder than before to make their mother happy. It didn't always work—Chase liked needling his brother sometimes, which made their mum frown—but they were behaving for the moment.
As they approached the kitchen door, Layla's scent reached his nose. Fuck. She was still here.
This was going to be the most difficult dinner of his life. Unlike his brother, Chase wasn't meant to be a soldier or leader who kept emotions in check when needed. Bloody hell, it'd taken everything he'd had to keep the truth of his true mate a secret. He couldn't imagine doing it on a regular basis with every little thing.
His dragon spoke up. Be your normal self. Everyone in the clan knows you were stopping by to see Layla at work all the time and leaving wee gifts. If you act distant now, Grant will notice that, too.
He mentally sighed. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Aye, it seems so. Which is why you should simply tell him the truth and embrace it.
Hush, dragon, or I'll create a mental maze and toss you in there.
I'd dare you, but it's been a few days since we've seen Layla. So I'll behave for now.
His beast fell silent, and Chase entered the kitchen, finding Layla's gaze straight away. He smiled at her before he took in the dark smudges under her eyes and her slightly tousled hair. She'd been working too much again.
The urge to take care of her surged through his body, but Chase resisted. He needed to win her first and then act like her mate and not the other way around. Layla was a dominant female, which required more care.
Of course, Chase was up for the challenge.
Layla had hoped to check on Gillian McFarland as quickly as possible and leave before either of her sons showed up. Especially since sometimes her sons came over for dinner, but it wasn't always the same day or time.
If only Layla hadn't had to set one of the children's broken bones in the morning, she might've made the run sooner.
But it hadn't worked out that way. Which was why she now stood in Gillian's kitchen, agreeing to stay for dinner and asking what she could do to help.
Her dragon spoke up. It'll be fun. And less tense than our family dinners.
Ever since her sister's radio silence had begun five years ago, the old camaraderie with her parents had all but disappeared after one too many arguments between her and them. Layla couldn't remember the last time they'd even held a conversation longer than a few minutes. I somehow doubt it'll be less tense or enjoyable. We've been avoiding Chase, and it'll be hard to find the balance of paying attention to him and ignoring him to avoid any special notice from Faye and Grant.
Her dragon grunted. Not we, but you have been avoiding him. And I made no promise about not flashing naked images of him, either.
That's unhelpful. Grant and Faye will surely notice if you make me blush.
So? It's not like they'll tell the entire clan.
Layla resisted a sigh. You see things in black and white, dragon. Faye tells her family almost everything that's unrelated to clan security, and if it slips out and her mum hears about it, who knows what'll happen.
Faye's mother, Lorna MacKenzie, knew everything about everyone inside Lochguard, to a troubling degree. A wonderfully kind-hearted female who competed for the biggest gossip inside the clan.
However, before Layla could worry more about it,
Chase walked casually into the kitchen.
Or, so he was trying to appear. The second his gaze met hers, his pupils flashed, and her heart skipped a beat. The night when they'd been standing close, mere inches apart, came rushing back.
His heat, his scent, his smoldering gaze that had turned her knees weak. The way he'd leaned close, almost as if to kiss her. And how she'd been so close to letting him.
Stop it, Layla. No matter what, no blushing, she reminded herself.
Her dragon sat silently but smugly at the back of her mind.
Chase said, "Hello, Layla. I didn't know you'd be here."
Gillian McFarland went to her son and lightly kissed his cheek. "I invited her to stay for dinner as a thank you for bringing me my medicine."
Layla swore she saw Gillian wink at her son but brushed it aside. If his mother was trying to matchmake, that would make things even harder.
Her dragon merely laughed.
Determined not to let the world decide her future for her, Layla ignored the mother-and-son pair and turned toward Faye. "Everything's going well with the bairn?"
Faye placed a hand over her large, round abdomen. "Aye, most of the time." Faye stepped closer to whisper, "Although I could do with a break from my randy beast."
Layla bit back a smile. "When a mating is still new—and yours is less than a year old—that tends to happen. Of course, if the mate bond is strong enough, it may never go away."
Faye sighed. "I like a good tumble as much as the next person, but I also like being able to work occasionally, too."
Grant came to Faye's side and murmured, "You don't have to work as much as you do, love. Cooper can help me until the bairn is born."
Faye narrowed her eyes at Grant. "If you think having the doctor here will keep me from sharing my true feelings about being idle for however many months, until you deem me safe enough to work, then you don't know me at all, Grant McFarland."
Grant leaned over to whisper something Layla couldn't hear. As Faye's body relaxed, Layla did, too. While she knew the pair liked to argue and make up repeatedly, the doctor in her couldn't help but worry about their unborn child. Especially since she—only Layla and her nurses knew the gender of the bairn, as per dragon-shifter tradition—could come at any time now, and Layla would prefer not to have to deliver a child with Chase around to distract her.
Her dragon sighed. Faye will be fine. Don't you start treating her like a porcelain doll, too.
I won't. But it's my job to think of her health, and sometimes that means the patient has to take it easy, no matter if they're male or female.
Gillian's voice caught her attention. "Layla, do you mind helping Chase with the cutlery? I normally wouldn't ask a guest to do it, but I try to keep the knives away from my eldest son and his mate, lest one of them try to impress the other by tossing it at a target."
Faye grinned. "That was only the one time, Gillian, and I proved my point to Grant. He won't doubt my aim with a blade ever again."
Grant grunted. "And if I could get away with it, I'd make sure we didn't have any knives in the house at all. But given how you like steak currently, that's not going to happen."
Faye smiled sweetly. "We're dragon-shifters, Grant. I'd just use a talon to slice the meat if you ever became that overprotective."
Chase jumped in. "Aye, and I'm sure she's proficient with those as well, brother. If you're having one of your make-up sessions, I'd watch those hands around your bollocks if I were you."
Gillian clicked her tongue. "Chase, stop it. We have a guest, and I'm fairly certain she doesn't want to hear about genitals right before she eats."
Layla's dragon cackled. Well, maybe if it were about Chase's, then I'd be all ears. Add in his hard cock for us to lick, and that would fill me right up.
Ignoring her dragon, she turned to Chase and did her best to appear nonchalant. "Where's the cutlery?"
He whispered loudly for dramatic effect. "Clever lass. Let's keep it away from Faye for as long as possible."
Faye growled, but Chase ignored the female, grabbed Layla's hand, and pulled her toward a drawer. Even with three other people watching, she couldn't ignore how his skin against hers sent a rush of heat through her body.
His warm, slightly rough hands that she'd love to have caress every inch of her skin.
No. She couldn't let her thoughts go down that road.
When he finally released her hand, it took everything she had not to snatch it away quickly, as if she'd been burned.
Chase must've noticed something because he instantly raised an eyebrow in question.
She shook her head a fraction, hoping he'd take her hint about leaving well enough alone.
He opened the drawer and started handing her forks and knives. "We'll keep the knives on our side of the table until Faye absolutely needs one." Faye protested with a noise, but Chase continued before she could say a word. "I love you, sister, but whilst my brother, mum, and I are all used to the craziness of your family's dinners, this is probably the first dinner including a MacKenzie for Layla. I'd rather not have her first include some sort of injury from you trying to knock a roll off Grant's head with a knife like last time."
Layla blinked. "Pardon?"
Faye waved a hand in dismissal. "Grant bet me I couldn't do it, so I proved to him I could. My mate can stand as still as a stone, which most definitely helped."
"Aye, though it's not an experience I'd like to repeat anytime soon," Grant drawled.
As they began recounting the details of said knife-throwing event, Layla tried to follow along. She'd heard the rumors of the MacKenzie dinners, but never any concrete details. If Faye's knife throwing was the tip of the iceberg, maybe she should issue some sort of health warning. Or she could threaten not to treat anyone who was hurt at said dinners to encourage better behavior.
Her dragon laughed. As if that would work. Not to mention you couldn't let an injured person suffer.
I should try something, though, as an extra layer of precaution.
No, don't think about work right now. Just try to have fun for once. It won't make up for not giving me enough sex, but at least it'll be a good distraction.
Chase whispered softly into her ear, "Come. They may be at each other for a good hour, and I know for a fact you should eat more. Let's set the cutlery and grab the best bits for ourselves."
Before she could reply, Chase placed a hand on her lower back and guided her into the adjoining dining room.
Considering Layla was usually the one leading others around and offering strength, it was strange to be on the receiving end. Even if Chase wasn't doing it intentionally, his fingers massaged her lower back and released a wee bit of tension with each stroke.
When they were alone inside the small room—which was filled with a large dining table, chairs, and more shelves holding human-shaped knickknacks than Layla had seen anywhere else—Chase quickly shut the door and asked, "Why have you been avoiding me, lass?"
"I haven't," she stated automatically as she tried to step back.
Chase pressed his hand a wee bit firmer into her back, keeping her in place. "You're lying. Don't you want to find out the cause of your problem? The evidence you need may already be available, ready to be watched and noticed."
While she appreciated Chase keeping things vague about someone stealing supplies from the surgery, they only had seconds before someone else would enter. So she said, "I've been extremely busy."
"And?" he asked softly. "Is it related to your comment about how giving in might break you?"
She searched his gaze, surprised at how he remembered her words from the last time they'd been alone together.
Her dragon yawned. He's observant. Chase may not be a Protector, but he notices everything about us. Maybe even remembers it all, too.
For the first time, a strange niggling started at the back of Layla's mind.
All the visits, the coffee, the wee gifts from Chase, combined with his determination to win her over de
spite her attempts to push him away, could make sense. Aye, if she were his true mate, it'd all fit perfectly.
She'd never heard of an older female/younger male pair of true mates before, which was why she'd never considered it. However, it could be possible.
And if so, Chase's dragon should know if they were true mates.
She wanted—no, needed—to learn the truth.
Before she could change her mind, Layla blurted without thinking, "Are we true mates, Chase?"
In the next second, the door clicked closed. Damn. Someone had probably just heard her question.
However, in that moment, she didn't care. Instead, she searched Chase's gaze and repeated, "Are we?"
If given a choice, Chase would've wanted Layla to know him better before he answered the life-changing question.
However, as Layla searched his eyes and waited for a reply, there was no other real option but to tell the truth or risk losing her forever.
His dragon whispered, Just tell her.
Chase nodded. "Aye, my dragon says we're true mates."
Rather than panic, Layla asked calmly, "How long have you known?"
"For over two years."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What he wouldn't give to have her open them and let him see what was going on inside her brain.
Because the next few moments could drastically alter both of their lives.
His dragon grunted. Then don't stand still. Talk to her, convince her, remind her of how much she responds to our touch.
Oh, how he wanted to. She'll probably flee if we do. Give her a few moments, aye?
We don't have a few moments. The family will enter soon.
Speaking of which, they already should have.
Then he realized the kitchen was quiet, almost too quiet. Not even the smallest shuffle of feet or whisper reached his ears.
The Dragon's Pursuit (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 7) Page 4
