Eleven or eleven thousand. Neither would have mattered, since they likely would have been able to call it quits anyway.

While Riley took a peek every now and then and racked up such a count, Kael simply stared openly. He didn’t have to look that many times because he barely took his eyes off his mate, save for when he was driving.

But if he had been relatively mindful earlier, at this very moment, he had absolutely no intention of taking his eyes off his twig.

In such a dangerous place filled with the most absurd things, how could he afford to be careless?

Well, what could possibly be so alarming that Kael’s unseen scales could not help but bristle?

Naked savages.

Yes. Exactly as he described. Left and right, there were naked savages.

His twig kept correcting him and saying that, one, none of them were actually naked, and two, Riley was apparently adamant that there were no savages, only models.

"In fact, the reason why we’re here is to ensure we’re not naked when we do go out, you know?"

Unsurprisingly, that didn’t help. In fact, his mate’s attempt at reassuring him only pushed the golden dragon toward a grim conclusion.

Was his twig planning on wearing something like this at the water park?

Kael’s gaze swept left.

Then right.

Everywhere he looked, there were men standing in impossible poses, all of them wearing little more than strategically placed scraps of fabric. Some of the pieces clung so tightly to their bodies that Kael genuinely questioned the point of calling them clothes at all. Others covered more skin, but even those seemed designed to outline every muscle, every curve, every line that should not be on display to the public eye.

Honestly, he couldn’t give a rat’s ass if anyone wanted to waltz around naked or with such tiny scraps, but Kael couldn’t help but feel alarmed by the fact that others would be able to see his mate like that.

The noodle had already been difficult to deal with. What more with this increased exposure?

He didn’t know what any of these garments were called. He didn’t care to learn.

All he knew was that the situation kept getting worse the longer he looked.

His chest tightened.

His jaw clenched.

Internally, alarms blared.

If his mate was really set on wearing such things, then at worst, he could just take out the eyes of anyone staring inappropriately. Surely that would be an appropriate compromise?

Kael grimaced once again as he looked around.

His mate had said they were here to buy swimwear, yet none of the pieces seemed to have enough fabric. Not even close. He was already forming a very clear complaint in his mind, fully prepared to suggest that they relocate to a more reputable store that wasn’t experiencing a financial crisis to short-change them like that.

Somewhere with at least five times the amount of fabric.

Riley would likely say something about how magical beings rarely cared about clothes and coverings. Those capable of shifting forms were especially indifferent, and Kael himself had once been one such being.

But that was before he held his mate in his arms.

And now?

Now, he couldn’t possibly imagine his husband walking around among other people in any of these.

He turned around.

And nearly had a heart attack.

"!?"

Riley had grabbed him by the neck. And while he would have normally been able to prepare for that, he had been so jumpy it was impossible to protect himself from his mate.

"Oh, sorry! Did I surprise you? I just wanted to verify if this method of guessing would also apply to you."

"Huh?"

Kael stared blankly, his temporarily darkened brows furrowing as he tried to process why a bundle of vertically challenged trousers had suddenly been draped around his neck.

"See, I got several based on your usual measurements," Riley continued thoughtfully, "but those are usually for custom-made clothing, and while normally it should be fine for off-the-rack items, there are some things that really need particular inspection. We need to make sure to get the waistbands right after all."

"Wait—"

Kael tried to speak.

He failed.

Because in the next moment, he was covered in clothes like an unfortunate hanger.

"!!!"

"Hey!"

"Sir, would you like some assistance?"

The attendant’s voice was polite, but the effect was immediate. It was like dropping a bomb in the middle of the section. Conversations quieted. Glances sharpened. Everyone seemed to want to hear what Kael was going to say.

Kael shifted slightly, the pile of garments balanced effortlessly in his arms. He opened his mouth to respond.

He never got the chance.

Because his twig stepped closer and placed yet another item on top of the already alarming stack, only this time Riley didn’t remove his own hand.

"Oh, we’d appreciate the help," Riley said smoothly. "If you could please assist my husband and me in getting the new stocks for these samples, we’d appreciate it."

The attendant, who had clearly been hellbent on serving the stunning man from the beginning, froze for a fraction of a second.

Well, of course she would.

Anyone in her position would momentarily panic when the other customer turned out to have a bright, pleasant smile that matched the blinding ring on his finger.

Her eyes flicked to the ring.

Then to the taller hunk.

Then back to the holder of the great blinder.

"Oh. N-no problem, Sir," she said quickly. "But are you not planning on fitting any of them first?"

Honestly, it was a valid question.

Normally, it would absolutely be best to check the fit before buying.

But how could Riley do that in good conscience when it felt like half the shoppers in that section were deathly focused on them?

While dragons normally didn’t care about being in their birthday suit—and with a body like his husband’s, there was absolutely zero need to be shy—Riley didn’t particularly feel comfortable with everyone ogling his golden dragon, who already looked a bit too pale at the moment.

"Ah, no," Riley replied with a professional smile. "We’ll just try them at home. So please don’t be surprised if there are a few styles in different sizes. That’s intentional."

Internally, he was staking a claim.

Big word.

In reality, he never took himself for the insanely jealous type. The fact that he had partially survived learning that his mate had a fated mate, before realizing it was him, was proof of that.

But wow.

With so many eyes on Kael, his skin felt like it was crawling.

It was a new sensation.

Strange.

Uncomfortable.

He was fully aware that some people were probably just curious. In fact, if the saleslady hadn’t been blushing from her forehead down to her arms, he would have simply assumed she was doing her job.

But even then.

Riley couldn’t help it.

He glanced over at Kael.

On the surface, the Dragon Lord looked patient. Relaxed. Standing there with the composure of a man who owned the building.

But Riley knew better.

The fact that Kael’s eyes were fixed at a single point was telling.

He was having an internal moment.

Poor guy.

Is that what it was like for Kael most days?

That irrational urge to wrap his mate in a cocoon for safety, despite knowing full well that hell freezing over would be a more plausible event than his husband cheating?

Riley exhaled slowly.

Then he gave the attendant another smile that sent her scurrying back toward the stockroom.

"I’ll be back with the items, Sir."

"Thank you so much," Riley replied pleasantly.

__

Kael blinked down at his mate as all the items he had been holding were swiftly taken away by the woman who ran off at a speed that rivaled most trained humans.

"We’re not trying them on?"

At the very least, the golden dragon understood that much. Even ceremonial clothes required fittings.

"We are," Riley replied calmly. "But not here."

Kael furrowed his brow slightly.

However, to the dragon’s surprise, his twig looked up at him with eyes brighter than usual. "I’m not confident about stopping myself, so later. We’ll fit each one later."

For some reason, the word later echoed differently in the mind of a golden dragon who, as embarrassing as it was, momentarily forgot about his earlier outrage over the missing fabric.

His thoughts stalled.

Later.

Each one.

He just so happened to be stuck on that, along with a clothing bill that would have angered one particular golden dragonling who was currently on the cusp of discovering the value of money.

If said dragonling had known what his aunt and uncle had just done, he would have absolutely launched into a lecture about financial discipline.

Oh, how the tables would have turned.

Thankfully, the children who had been temporarily carried off by the parents and in-laws were too busy selecting their floaters of choice to notice anything else.

And as expected, they were attracting attention.

Sure enough, if the children ever needed a new source of income separate from their current streams, simply posing with those inflatables would have been a lucrative career.

Bright colors. Wide smiles. Dramatic poses.

They were practically a walking advertisement.

But even if they didn’t pursue such a path today, they were already profitable enough, considering someone had generously given them a giant yellow duckling at a discount of free.99.

"..."

"..."

Clearly, the others were just as desperate to see the children perched on those absurdly large floaters that Riley chose to remain silent while the kids celebrated.

Some battles weren’t worth fighting.

Especially when the duckling was that big.