by Katie Reus
Bo was ridiculously protective of his mate, and even two years ago he wouldn’t have allowed Javier to touch her at all. Not even in a friendly gesture. Supernatural creatures, especially half-demons, could get very territorial. But Bo was apparently evolving.
“Cynara says you were flirting with some of the girls from the bar,” Bo said, moving next to them and practically dragging Nyx to his side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Are you seeing someone now?”
Okay so maybe his brother wasn’t evolved at all. Javier couldn’t imagine being so obsessed with a female that he acted like his brothers did. They were all fucking barbarians where their mates were concerned. “Our sister is incorrect. But she’s probably telling you that to cover the fact that she’s been getting chummy with a certain vampire.”
Across the high-top table, Cynara shot daggers at him with her eyes. “You know what they say about snitches, don’t you?”
“Snitches get stitches!” Nyx shouted out, clearly proud of herself, probably simply for knowing the human idiom. She hadn’t grown up in this realm and even though she’d been here for a few years, she was still learning certain things.
Bo smothered a laugh. “That’s right, baby.”
“A vampire?” Rory asked, frowning. His human mate was currently with some dragon females on the other side of the establishment, so all his focus was on his sister now.
Javier nodded, looking at all of his brothers: Bo, Ian and Rory. “Yep. He’s ancient. Or really fucking old and part of Lyra’s original coven. And I don’t like him.” It wasn’t exactly true. The vampire was all right, but Cynara was still his sister and he knew she’d gotten her heart broken once. If some fool tried to hurt her again, the idiot was going to answer to all of her brothers. Not that Javier didn’t think she could take care of herself. As a half-demon, half-vampire she most definitely could. But she had a big heart and was kind to everyone.
“Enough with that,” she snapped, looking at all of them. “I was dating a vampire as the snitch said, but we are no longer together.”
Javier frowned at that. “Since when? And why?”
“You didn’t want me talking to him anyway, so why does it matter?” She shook her head once, making her bright purple hair shimmer with the movement.
“I’m curious.” Javier needed to know if he should hunt the vamp down and kill him.
She lifted a shoulder and took a sip of her own beer. As she set it down, she said, “He was getting too clingy so I ended things.”
“What does that mean?” Bo demanded.
“I don’t know,” she muttered. “He was talking about getting mated.” Even as she said the words, Javier sensed that the idea of mating pleased her. So why on earth had she ended things?
All her brothers looked at each other because they’d no doubt sensed the same thing. Then Rory said, “Is he a worthy male?”
“Of course!” she snapped out, her normally dark purple eyes flashing to a pale violet.
“What’s the problem, then?” Javier asked.
“My private life is my business.”
Now Ian snorted. “Please. You have four brothers. Your romantic life is never just your business. And we are a bunch of nosy fuckers.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Fiona said to Ian, brushing her lips over his once. “Your sister is a grown woman. She can take care of herself.”
“Thank you. And we’re not discussing my private life anymore,” Cynara said even as she stood from the high-top table. “I’m going to get more food. These dragons sure can cook and I’m about to demolish a couple pies.”
“Ooh, I’ll come with you,” Nyx said, jumping up as well. When she did, her chair teetered back, dangerously close to falling—because the daughter of Chaos had a knack for knocking things over or flat-out breaking them.
Bo stopped it from crashing to the ground. Fiona joined the females, and when it was just the brothers remaining Bo leaned forward. “So, who is this vampire? And why are we now just hearing about it?”
Javier lifted a shoulder. “Some older vampire. I think he’s almost a thousand years old. He’s a warrior and comes from a good bloodline. At least that’s what Cynara said to one of her friends. I was eavesdropping,” he added. “She didn’t tell me.”
“Have you met him?”
“No, not for lack of trying. But I heard through the supernatural grapevine that he’s been in and out of Biloxi, meeting with Lyra and Finn about pack and coven relations. And he’s supposed to be at the next cage fight on New Year’s Eve.”
Just like that all his brothers grinned and Fiona groaned as she joined the table again, clearly having overheard them. “Are you guys planning on fighting Cynara’s ex?”
Rory rubbed his hands together like a cartoon villain. “Hell yeah. We need to find out who this male is. Because Cynara definitely likes him even if she ended things with him. We need to make sure he’s good enough for her.”
“Agreed,” Javier said and the others all murmured the same.
“Or you could just leave this whole situation alone and let Cynara take care of herself?” Fiona suggested.
Javier looked at his brothers and as one, they all shook their heads. “Nah.”
Chapter 11
Conall took Rhea’s feet in hand and started massaging them. When she let out a throaty groan, he froze for a moment. Then he continued kneading the bottom of her arches, knowing she’d had a long day. Hell, a long couple weeks. They both had.
Victoria had finally given birth, after the longest pregnancy on earth—or at least it felt like it, though he knew it wasn’t true. Some supernatural beings had even longer pregnancies. And she was now awake and spending time with Drake and their new baby. Everything was right in the world for this moment.
And Conall was exhausted. He and Rhea had been meeting with various Alpha couples around the country, in person and via Skype. He wasn’t sure why the hell they’d planned all these meetings right before Christmas but shifters were busy year-round so he supposed the timing really didn’t matter regardless. All he knew was he was ready for some downtime with his mate. Which was a pipe dream, considering he was Alpha.
“I can’t believe how small their baby is,” Rhea said, giving him a soft smile that she reserved only for him. His badass warrior, the perfect Alpha’s mate, was only ever a certain way with him. The world almost never saw her softer side. But he did. And he reveled in it.
“He’s a baby. What did you expect?” he asked, grinning.
She snickered, her dark curls bouncing. She’d taken her braids out this morning and he loved being able to run his fingers through her hair again. “Well, Victoria’s been pregnant forever. I expected him to, I don’t know, be a giant. But now that I see he’s a normal-sized baby maybe I’ll let you knock me up.”
He froze, his thumbs stilling on her soft feet. “Are you just saying that? Or do you mean anything more by it?” The answer was important. He desperately wanted to start a family with her, but he’d been waiting for her to tell him she was ready.
She lifted a shoulder but gone was the teasing playfulness in her expression. “Maybe.”
“Maybe you’re serious? Spell it out for me, sweetheart.” He’d been waiting for her to say this, but had never wanted to push. Because she was the one who’d be pregnant. And considering his sister-in-law just had a long pregnancy and a difficult birth, there was a chance Rhea might too. Not to mention, bringing a new life into the world was a huge deal under normal circumstances. Even more so since they were the Alpha couple.
“I don’t know. Okay I’m lying, I do know. Both of us have been alive for a pretty long time. You longer than me, old man. And…I’ve been seriously thinking about it. We’ve had a few years together just the two of us and you know that the clan will help out if we ever need it. If you’re ready, I am. I’m spelling it out—I want to start a family. Even if there is a chance I’ll end up having a crazy long pregnancy.” Her amber eyes were bright, her expressio
n serious.
Moving lightning fast, he dragged her into his lap, wrapping his arms tight around her. “That’s the best Christmas gift you could have given me.”
Her smile was blinding. “Seriously? Are you really ready?”
“I’ve been ready for a while. With all these meetings lately, I’ve been wondering if it’s insane to start a family but you and I, we’re never slowing down. I think it’s just a fact of life. There’s never going to be a good time. And I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Lust filling her gaze, she pulled him close, her mouth an inch from his own. “What do you say we start practicing right now?”
His heart filled with joy that this wonderful, complex female he’d never imagined even existed was his mate. His own.
In response, he crushed his mouth to hers even as he reached for the hem of her shirt, already pulling it off.
* * *
Holding Phoenix close, Arya looked up as the kitchen door swung open, and smiled to see her sister striding in. Alma was tall as most dragons were, but unlike Arya, she had long, dark hair. Her eyes were a greenish-gray and she was one of the few people Arya rarely gave shit to. Her sister had been out of town the last week but had returned upon hearing the news of the baby’s birth.
Alma looked between Arya, Prima and Mira, shaking her head at the three of them as she moved toward Arya. Without missing a beat, she scooped the baby up in her arms and cuddled him close. “Aren’t you the most perfect dragon ever born?” she murmured.
“Hey! It was my turn next.” Prima frowned, dangerously close to pouting. Which was not a good look for her.
“Too bad. You greedy dragons have had him all to yourself. Now it’s my turn.” Alma sat at one of the stools around the center island and cuddled him close. “God, he smells so good. I’ve forgotten about that baby smell. And this one is so perfect.”
Even though Alma was much younger than Prima and Mira, they’d always respected her. Alma had been born with an old soul and all the dragons in the clan looked to her for guidance. And the truth was, Arya had never been able to deny her anything. She just wished her sister would find a mate and settle down.
“How was your trip back?”
“Uneventful. How are the kids?” Alma asked, no doubt referring to Victoria and Drake.
“Good. Sleeping.”
Prima snorted. “Sleeping, or something else.”
All the females snickered at that.
Shifters healed a lot faster than humans and they didn’t have to wait weeks to have sex again. Victoria had gotten her body back almost immediately—something the healer had practically been doing cartwheels over. So less than two days after giving birth, yes, they were likely having sex. Something Arya didn’t want to think about.
“So where were you, anyway?” Mira asked.
Arya started making a pot of tea since she knew it was Alma’s preferred drink.
“Just visiting a friend,” her sister said casually.
Mira leaned across the center island and sniffed obnoxiously. “A friend? Or two? Because you smell like wolves as in plural. And sex. Lots and lots of sex.”
Alma simply grinned and snuggled against the baby, rubbing her nose against his little head. “You are far too nosy.”
“Of course I’m nosy. I’m a dragon.”
“Fine. Yes. I was visiting with friends, as in two—two needy wolves,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Arya leaned against the countertop and crossed her arms over her chest. “Are they really needy? Or were they just offering you something you didn’t want?” Because she knew her sister well. Alma had had many offers to mate over the centuries and she always said no. Males she hadn’t even slept with offered matings. It drove Arya crazy because she knew her sister wanted a family of her own.
“They want to mate me, both of them. They’re ridiculous. And young. Barely five hundred years old. Those fools have no clue what they want.” She sniffed once as if the idea was ridiculous when it definitely wasn’t.
True, ninety-nine percent of mated dragons were coupled, but not always.
“Are they both Alphas?” Mira asked, clearly not letting any of this drop.
Her sister’s cheeks reddened and she shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Too bad,” Prima said. “I’m curious too. So, spill. I haven’t had sex since coming out of Hibernation.”
“Yes, they’re both Alphas. Of different packs. The whole situation is…interesting. And I don’t see how it would ever work. They’re both far too dominant and I don’t have time for drama or bickering males. Besides, my place is here with my clan. They’re fun to visit but that’s it.”
Mira narrowed her gaze slightly, but then shrugged as she abruptly said, “I’ll be leaving soon. In an hour, in fact. I have business to attend to.”
Well this was news to Arya but Prima didn’t look the least bit surprised. Probably because those two twins shared everything with each other.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas. Where could you possibly be going?” Arya asked, surprised that Prima hadn’t said anything about going with her.
“I’m not sure yet. But Vega and Gabriel need help with something.”
“They asked you?” This surprised Arya. “Wait, I thought they already left anyway.”
Mira sniffed once in that annoyingly haughty way of hers. “Of course they didn’t ask. But they need help. So they’re getting it. And no, they didn’t leave because of Victoria’s coma. But now that she’s awake, they’re heading out.”
“Do they know they’re getting your help?”
“They will soon enough.”
Alma simply snorted and shot Arya a dry glance.
When the kettle started whistling, Arya pulled it off the stove and poured a mug for her sister. Even though she wouldn’t admit it aloud, she would definitely miss Mira when her sister-in-law left. She’d had a lot of fun sparring with the two sisters, and the twins were always more fun when they were together.
At that moment her mate stepped into the kitchen, and smiled when he saw her. Her heart skipped a beat and everything else ceased to matter.
It didn’t matter how many millennia had passed, that look had the ability to bring her to her knees. Dragos was the kind of mate who was there through everything. He’d never once tried to change her. Occasionally he got exasperated with her, but that was every relationship. This big, sexy male had always accepted her exactly as she was. And now they had a new grandchild. Their family was growing even bigger and she hoped that soon her other children would follow suit.
“Get a room, you two,” Mira muttered.
Arya blinked, having forgotten the other females completely as she’d stared at her mate. And that actually sounded like a good idea. Arya set the mug in front of her sister and grabbed Dragos’s hand. “Mira, safe travels. I’ll see you bitches later,” she tossed over her shoulder as she dragged her laughing mate through the kitchen doors.
Chapter 12
“What is going on in that sexy head of yours?” Lyra asked, stepping out onto the back patio of the guest home that they were staying at in dragon territory. Conall had given them the very best, as was due Finn’s position as an equal Alpha. Their new baby was sleeping soundly upstairs and she was ready to relax with her mate for a couple hours on this quiet Christmas Eve.
Finn frowned and stood when he saw what she was doing. “Here, I’ll get that.”
“I think I can handle carrying two glasses.” Hers was a wine-blood drink and his was just plain wine.
Finn wasn’t quite as bad as the dragons, but sometimes he did act a little ridiculous, like now, acting as if she couldn’t even handle carrying something so small. When in reality she was a bloodborn vampire basically as strong as him. But she had a feeling she knew what was going on with him. Their oldest daughter had just left for parts unknown the night before Christmas because of her black ops job and he was trying to deal with it.
He took the glasses and wa
ited until she’d stretched out on one of the lounge chairs overlooking an oversized S-shaped pool sparkling under the moonlight. There was a Christmas-tree-shaped float on the far end of it.
It was too cold for humans to swim in but not for them. Though she had no desire to get in the pool now. “So, what’s going on?”
He slid into the chair with her instead of sitting on the one next to her and she curled up against him.
“I guess I thought we’d get more time with Vega while she was visiting. But she was here, then gone. And she only extended her stay because of Victoria’s coma.”
Lyra trailed her fingers down his chest. “I know. But she has a job to do. And she had a lot of fun spoiling Xander.”
“Yeah, I know. Did you notice how vague she was about where they were going?”
Lyra thumped his chest once. “That’s because her job is clandestine. She can’t tell us everything. And even if she could, she wouldn’t. Because we’re both ridiculously overprotective and would probably try to give her backup that she doesn’t need. She’s capable and she’s got Gabriel to watch her back now. Our girl is fully grown.”
Laughing softly, he kissed the top of her head. “I know you’re right. It’s just that with Victoria flatlining like that, it reminded me how things can change in an instant. Thank God you didn’t go through that giving birth to Xander.”
“No kidding.”
“I don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you.” For some reason the words sounded like a confession.
“Hey, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know. It’s just…I’ve got everything I ever wanted. I never expected a mate like you.”
“Like me?”
“Fucking perfection,” he growled, leaning closer and nipping her bottom lip with his teeth. “And now we’ve got two children who are both unique hybrids. Some days it feels too good to be true, is all. I can’t lose you guys.”