Page 27

L achlan woke early and energized for the first time in over a week. Apollo was snoring softly beside him, wrapped in all the blankets like a sexy man burrito.

I can't believe last night happened , he thought. The suck marks on his chest and the overflowing amount of soft feelings of love and relief he got when he looked at Apollo proved that it had.

Lachlan kissed Apollo on the forehead before getting dressed and slipping out quietly into the kitchen.

It was still too early for Valentine to be awake—magicians didn't seem to be early risers as a rule—so he got to work brewing coffee and pulling things out of the fridge to make breakfast. He found his phone and rang Cosimo, hoping that he might be awake.

After three or four rings, he finally answered, "Someone better not be kidnapped again. "

Lachlan grinned. "Actually, no. I wanted to let you know that last night was a success. I wasn't sure if Val had told you. They are both still asleep."

"Val sent something about everyone being alive and that he had some presents for me. Speak slow. I'm making espresso, and my brain isn't alive yet," Cosimo replied.

"Sorry if you were worried. I thought Val would have been a bit more comprehensive than that," Lachlan apologized and told Cosimo about what they had found in the labs.

"I've got Layla and Ciara working on finding this other facility.

I know we can't let them keep experimenting on creatures, but we need to be tactical about this. "

"I agree. Gods, I can't believe we are having to deal with this shit in this day and age. I thought we were more enlightened as magicians and scientists. It's abhorrent," Cosimo growled.

"You're a good person, with morals and ethics and honor.

They have none of that. So we will talk to Kian and take them out as a family.

I know France isn't his diplomatic purview as an ambassador of the fae, but there were fae in their folder, so they have stolen them like they stole Apollo," Lachlan replied.

He glanced at the door of the bedroom. "I don't want him involved, and I know he won't stay behind. I don't know what to do."

"You are a good man to be worried about him, Lachlan, but Apollo knows his strengths. He can build and brew whatever you need and support this in his own way."

Lachlan ran a hand over the back of his neck, butterflies in his stomach. "Cosimo? I would like your permission to court him."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Lachlan didn't want Cosimo to think he only wanted to fool about with Apollo. He wanted him to know that he was serious.

"And have you talked to him about the idea?" Cosimo asked eventually.

"He has agreed to let me date him. At least try to date him," Lachlan replied. "I didn't want you to think that I'm not serious about him. He is so smart and sweet, and I'm just a hunter, and I know he's out of my league, but..."

"Lachlan, please take a breath," Cosimo said, shutting him up instantly.

Lachlan took a breath that didn't do much to settle his nerves.

"I'm very touched that you asked my permission about this.

No one has ever done that when wanting to date my sons.

If Apollo has agreed to it, then you will get no objection from me.

You love him, Lachie. I can see that and always have.

You're not out of his league either, so please don't talk about yourself that way.

You have a good heart, and you genuinely care for him.

That's all a father really wants for his children. "

"I just want to make him happy," Lachlan admitted, as honest as he could be.

Cosimo chuckled. "And I do not doubt that you will. It makes my heart happy to know that Apollo has finally come to his senses. It only took being kidnapped."

"If I knew that was the answer, I might have been tempted to do it a year ago," Lachlan said before blushing. "Ah, not that I would have... I mean..."

Cosimo's amusement turned into a loud laugh. "You sweet boy. Go and court my son to your heart's content. Make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself hurt in this fight with the alchemists."

"I will. You're not worried about Valentine?" Lachlan asked.

"Not in the slightest. I think the Sanguis Vitae are the ones that need to be worried about Valentine, don't you?"

Lachlan smiled. "I know what you mean. I will see you in the family conference call when I have actionable intel from Layla."

"Thank you, Lachlan. You had best get cooking. Both my sons are beasts before they are fed in the morning," Cosimo said before ringing off.

Apollo was the first to emerge, no doubt drawn by the smell of bacon that he seemed to be able to eat unholy amounts of. His eyes were barely open as he walked over to where Lachlan was cooking and buried his face into the space between his shoulder blades.

"Ah, morning?" Lachlan said with a smile.

"So hungry. Sleepy. Dying," Apollo grumbled.

"Sit down before you fall down. I'll get you coffee," Lachlan replied, although he liked the feel of Apollo pressed up against him. He had worried that Apollo would be standoffish because of the previous night and was glad he wasn't. At least not yet.

Apollo sat at the table and rested his head on it without a word. Lachlan quickly made his coffee and set it down in front of him.

"Food is almost ready. Your dad says hello, by the way," he said.

Apollo drank some coffee with his eyes still closed before finally opening them. "What did Dad want?"

"Nothing. I called to update him because Valentine didn't."

"I did too. I said we were alive," the other Greatdrakes said, coming down the stairs. He was out of his pajamas, but his normally tamed black hair was a tumbled mess. He slumped down in a chair. "There better be coffee and breakfast for me too."

Lachlan poured him a cup and set it down in front of him. Valentine had a few mouthfuls before asking, "Did you manage to kill it?"

"Kill what?" Lachlan asked, turning back to the stove to save the eggs he was cooking.

"The pig you two decided to slaughter last night," Valentine replied, looking at Apollo.

Apollo squinted back at him. "What the fuck nonsense are you talking about?"

"I mean, that's what I assumed you two were doing from all the grunting and squealing I could hear," Valentine replied.

Apollo went red before picking up his coffee coaster and throwing it at his brother. "Shut up, you ass.

Valentine dodged the coaster with a bright grin that Lachlan had rarely seen. "I had to put a silencing ward on my room just to get some sleep."

Lachlan was redder than Apollo as he put their plates of food in front of them. "Okay, settle down, boys. No throwing any of this food at each other either because I've just spent an hour cooking it. Valentine? Are you done?"

"Are you ? Because I need to reset that ward if you two are going to go at it again," Valentine replied.

Apollo pulled his shirt up over his face. "Val, stop."

Lachlan didn't like Apollo embarrassed, so he took Valentine's plate of breakfast back.

Valentine snarled, but Lachlan held it out of his reach.

"Be polite, Val. I'm sorry we kept you up, but that doesn't mean you can upset your brother before he's eaten and can defend himself. Tease later."

"Fine," Valentine grumbled, and Lachlan gave him his food back. Valentine smiled menacingly at him. "Look at that, you do have a mean side. I was beginning to wonder."

"Oh, he really does. I found that out last night," Apollo snickered under his shirt.

Lachlan gave up on both of them and sat down. "Eat your breakfast. We are hopefully going to have a family meeting today."

Apollo popped his head back out of his shirt and tore a pancake in half with his fingers before stuffing it into his mouth. The love of his life didn't believe in cutlery when he was hungry. On the other side of the table, Valentine was cutting all his food into precise bite-sized squares.

Lachlan sighed. At least if they both had food in their mouths, they would quit bitching at each other.