Page 116 of Galen

I looked to see Pride. Envy, Greed, Lust, and Gluttony appeared at his side.My brothers.Another being approached too. A water dragon. A protective instinct came over me, and a growl worked its way up my throat as I held my human closer to my chest.

“Easy, big guy.” Simon kissed the base of my neck.

Instantly, I relaxed.

The portal transported us to another wooded area. Moments after we arrived, the stone that had brought us there cracked down the middle. The glowing runes faded as the magic left. My head cleared a bit more as I focused on the beings around me—males who stared with a combination of curiosity and apprehension.

“You good, Wrath?” Pride asked.

I nodded. The urge to kill and maim was gone. The anger that boiled inside me earlier was too. As we made our way through the trees, a memory slammed into me. A ring. Everything came flooding back to me then.

My brothers and I had journeyed to the underworld to save Castor and Simon. The dragon, Kyo, had come with us. I had let my anger consume me because it had been the only way any of us would get out of there with our heads still intact. I thought Simon had been killed, which had sent me even further over the edge.

I dropped to my knees in the forest and placed my hands on the ground as Wrath finally let go.

“Galen?” Simon knelt in front of me, holding my face with his right hand. He kept the other one at his side and moved it out of my sight when I tried to look closer at it. It looked to be wrapped. Had he gotten hurt? “Hey. Eyes back on me.”

I obeyed him. He smiled as our gazes met.

“There’s those gray eyes I can’t live without,” he whispered before kissing my brow. “Welcome back.”

“Your glasses,” I said, my sternum aching at the memory of them broken on the floor.

“I have a spare pair in my loft.” Simon took my hand. “Come on.”

We made it out of the woods just before sunrise. The dark sky began to lighten, but the shadows would still hide us until we were able to make it home.

“Thanks for letting me tag along,” Kyo said, no longer covered in scales. He appeared fully human now, with the exception of his orange eyes. He wiped the blood off his katana before holstering it behind him. Without a shirt, I saw the tattoo of the sword down his spine.

“I still can’t believe this.” Simon shook his head. “You’re a lizard.”

“Dragon,” Kyo corrected before holding up a finger. “And if you ever call me baby Godzilla again, I will throw you into the sea.”

“Good thing I know how to swim.” Simon threw his arms around his friend. “Thank you.”

Kyo softly smiled and rubbed Simon’s back. “No problem. You’re the best boss I’ve ever had. It would suck to have some demon bastards eat you. Then what would I do?”

“I don’t know.” Simon squeezed him tighter before letting go. “Don’t come into work later. I plan to wash all this gunk off me and then sleep for a million years.”

Kyo grinned. “Sure thing, boss.”

“Oh, and we’re definitely not done talking about this.” Simon motioned up and down his body. “If I would’ve known you were a dragon, things would’ve been so much easier.”

“Sorry.” Kyo offered a tight smile. “Sworn to secrecy and all that. But you’re worth it, Si. Now go to bed. You can barely keep your eyes open.”

Kyo headed for his bike while the rest of us took to the sky. I flew Simon to his loft so he could get his extra pair of glasses, and then I took us home. We entered through the veil just as the sun broke across the horizon.

“Will we be safe here?” Simon asked as we landed in the grass behind the mansion. A breeze swept through his hair as he faced the sea. The morning air seemed to have woken him up a bit. “The demons know where we are now.”

“The spell they used will only work once,” I responded. “But you’re right. They know our location. And there are other ways they can reach us again.”

“Oh.” Simon stared at the water. “Will we have to move?”

The “we” in his statement pleased me. Because I’d be damned if I accepted anything other than that. He was mine, and I was his. Forever.

“Maybe eventually.” I slipped my arm around him and turned him back toward the mansion. “Don’t worry about it right now. We’ve had a long night. Let’s wash up and go to bed.”

Clara was in the kitchen when we entered through the back patio. Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she looked like she’d been up all night worrying. “Simon!”