“I’ve been telling you not to butt your fat head in for years,” another man said as he came into the room. “Now, what’d I miss?”***Jean Luc was a tall, dark and handsome man.
Then again, all of them were handsome.
Ford, Alaric, Jean Luc, Derek and Dorian were all talkative and friendly. They were also the epitome of best friends.
When you thought of brothers, these guys were what you pictured.
Then there was the real brother of Nikolai and Keifer.
Farrow didn’t act like he wanted to be there.
Something about him just screamed leave me alone! even though he was in the room.
The other man who didn’t seem to fit was Ian.
He was the one in the corner, a deep, brooding feeling wafting from him.
He had dark eyes, a scowl set in stone, and a set of arms that could easily break me in half if he had half a mind to try.
Dark, scary looking tattoos took up the majority of said arms, snaking and curling around each contoured muscle like it was alive.
But it was his eyes, though, that let me know that he wasn’t truly a bad person.
That, and the pink fairy dragon that was perched on his shoulder.
I knew he knew it was there, too.
He could see it.
Nobody else could, though.
They could feel them, though.
Each and every one of the fairy dragons I’d brought home were now paired with various dragon riders.
Everyone in the room had one, including Mr. Grouchy Pants, aka Farrow, Keifer and Nikolai’s brother.
“Why do you think we can’t see them?” Blythe asked. “Do you think I have to do something worthy, like push this kid out to get them to let me see them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re not being very helpful tonight.”
I snorted. “I know just about as much, if not less, than you do. So what exactly do you want me to say here? I’m learning right along with you.”
She growled.
“This kid is giving me indigestion. And I want to eat a cow,” Blythe grumbled.
“Like a literal cow, or a steak?” I asked worriedly.
“A steak. And a hamburger. And some ribs and brisket,” she qualified.
“The last time you had ribs, you threw up because the barbeque sauce was too thick,” I said. “Remember?”
She glared at me.
“It was gross,” she said. “Like literally. I threw up because it was poisoned.”
I rolled my eyes.
They landed on Ian again.
“Why’s he over there by himself?” I asked.
Blythe followed my gaze, and she shivered.
“I don’t know,” she said. “When I first got here, Keifer told me to stay away from him because he wasn’t ‘stable’.”
“How’s he not stable?” I asked. “Like mentally unstable or traumatized unstable?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve asked Keifer about him, but I never really get any answers.”
“Hmmm,” I said.
My eyes caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I watched as Ian walked out of the room without a backward glance.
But he moved deliberately, as if he was being careful of the dragon on his back, confirming that he was more than aware of just exactly where that dragon was.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “I have to use the little girl’s room.”
“Hmm,” she said, her eyes falling on the food that Keifer had just brought into the room.
On the plate was a huge ass steak, and nothing else.
He set it down in front of Blythe, then walked away.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I think the baby talks to him.”
“Weird,” I said. “What does he say?”
She shook her head. “I don’t really get much on that subject,” she answered. “And I thought you had to go to the bathroom.”
I glared.
Then left, waving to Nikolai as I exited the room.
He winked at me, then lifted his beer up to his mouth as he turned back to the man he was talking to, Derek.
Derek, apparently, had been in a coma not too long ago, and he was still pretty lanky due to that.
He looked like he could easily stand to gain at least twenty-five to thirty pounds.
And Nikolai’s sister stood at the bar, shooting the man inconspicuous glances during her conversation with another man that belonged to the Dragon’s Warriors, Alaric.
I walked out of the room, my eyes searching before I’d even gotten all the way into the hallway.
I found Ian a lot sooner than I thought I would.
He was standing in the kitchen in front of the fridge, offering the dragon on his shoulder a marshmallow.
“You can see him!” I said excitedly.
“Her,” he said. “And yes I can.”
“How?” I asked, walking closer with no regard for personal space.
I had a problem with that.
And I was working on it.
In the meantime, I hoped that the people I did it to didn’t care.
“I named her,” Ian said darkly. “That’s why I can see her.”
I blinked.
“How did you know to name her?” I asked questioningly.