Page 79 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
Thirty-Seven
Dirk
“A lead? That’sall you can tell me?” Ella asked, working hard to keep up.
I jumped down to the floor below, my legs bending to absorb the impact as quietly as possible.
“Someone trying a little too hard not to be identified,” I explained, grabbing her waist as she dropped through the hole and swatting aside the idle thought of my dragon at the intimate grip.
Not now. We will have time to process what just happened between us. But later.
“That’s it?”
We hurried down the stairs to the rear entrance of the building. I pulled up my hood, tucking my hair deep into the shadows it created, while I waited for Ella to reach the bottom.
“That’s all you’re going on? Someone is trying hard to stay incognito?” she asked as I pushed open the door and held it for her. “Thank you.”
“Yes. Exactly. And you’re welcome,” I said, snagging her arm without asking. “We might be in pursuit, but there’s still time for manners when it comes to you, my mate.”
Ella fought back a smile, and we dove into the busy corridor, just another mated pair.
“Can you be a little bit more generous with your information, now that we’re ‘in pursuit,’ as you say,” she asked, her short legs pumping hard to keep up while I scanned the crowd ahead for the figure I’d seen exit the building.
“They’re wearing a hood. Looking down. Trying not to be noticed.”
Ella slowed until I pulled her along by the arm. “That’s it?That’swhat has you so excited? That they’re wearing a hood?”
I gave her a look and then continued tracking our quarry.
“I’m serious, Dirk.”
“So am I.”
She sighed, letting herself come along as we weaved in between passersby. “I feel silly having to be the one to tell you this news, but you realize thatyou’rewearing a hood and trying not to be noticed. Right? Heck, so is that person there, and those over there.”
“It’s different,” I said. “I need to keep my profile down, so people don’t recognize me and make a scene.”
“And there’s no chance that person is doing the same thing?”
“I think that’s exactly what they’re doing. After all, this person should have no reason to be sneaking out of a building, especially one that Mirko has gone to lengths to hide as being owned by him. I can’t prove that his hair is perfectly coiffed, but the manicure on the nails gives me a solid guess as to who it might be.”
“Andrik?”Ella whispered. “That’s who you think it is?”
“I see you’ve also noticed how he’s always done up.”
“Only because he looks like an out-of-place fool with an overinflated sense of worth.”
I expelled air from my nose in amusement. “Tell me how you truly feel.”
We followed our quarry across the streets of Kylma, from one busy street to another. Eventually, he turned down another street lined with shops but lighter traffic, forcing us to fall back even further so he didn’t grow suspicious about having picked up a tail.
“Why would A …hehave to leave that way?” Ella asked, stopping herself before saying his name.
There were fewer people, thus less background noise. Dragon hearing was excellent, and I didn’t want Andrik to pick up on us. Not yet.
“I can’t think of a good reason,” I said, tugging her out from the middle of the walkway and lowering my mouth to hers.
Ella squeaked but quickly leaned into the kiss, melting up into me. My dragon once again bellowed in my head.
