Page 41

T hey barely left the apartment for the next two days. Food trays and fresh linen were left at their door, but everyone was wise enough to leave them alone.

Around lunchtime on the third day, Cosimo started banging on the door, demanding they come out. Lachlan could understand Cosimo's desire to see his son after he had been kidnapped and turned into a dragon. Lachlan promised they wouldn't be too long, and Cosimo finally went away.

Lachlan was searching for new clothes when he found the polished box. He pulled it out and offered it to Apollo.

"I got this for you," he said and swallowed his unexpected nerves. "I wanted to find you something to say thanks for my sword. I've been carrying it around for months."

"You didn't have to do that, Lachie." Apollo took the box and opened it. "I take it back—you absolutely did have to do that. Oh, gods they are so beautiful." Inside was a row of hand-blown glass bottles all with patterns of silver and gold in them.

Lachlan's ears went red. "I, ah, got them from a guy who makes them on Murano. I know they are technically meant to be perfume bottles, but I thought you could use them for some special thing you want to brew."

Apollo put the box down carefully and then pounced on him, wrapping his arms and legs around him. "I love them. Thank you for such a thoughtful gift," he said and kissed Lachlan deeply and thoroughly. "I'm already thinking I'm going to have to use them for a collection of special oils just for us."

"I like the sound of that." Lachlan squeezed his ass before lowering him back to his feet. "But we really need to go and see the family first."

"I don't want to," Apollo said, nuzzling into Lachlan and hanging onto him so he wouldn't open the door.

"We went through this in the shower, baby. They need to see your pretty face unharmed so they can coddle you a bit. You scared them. They need it. We can sneak away later," Lachlan replied, kissing him on the cheek.

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now, let's go. I'm starving," Lachlan said.

He was pretty sure he had lost weight in the last few days because he had not eaten enough calories to counteract the amount of physical activity they were doing.

He'd known that matings were intense, but he'd had no idea how intense. He sure as hell did now.

They went downstairs, hand in hand. Lachlan expected to be met by a few family members in the hall, where there were always a few hanging about. He didn't expect all of them. He froze like a rabbit in the headlights as everyone started slow clapping.

"Hurray! My boys have become men at last," Imogen said, catching both in a crushing hug around the neck. "You two took your damn time, and if either of you ever gets kidnapped again, I'll kill you."

Lachlan patted her on the back. "I missed you too."

"You can now ring your shame bell because of the depraved things that I have done to your cousin..." Apollo began, and Lachlan quickly put a hand over his mouth.

Imogen threw her head back and laughed.

"Those are our secret things, baby. No sharing," Lachlan whispered in his ear and bit him on the ear lobe.

Apollo pulled his hand off his mouth. "No biting. I can't get hornier right now."

Thankfully, Cosimo arrived to crash into Apollo, lifting him up off his feet in his need to hug him.

"You are never to do that to me again," he growled, his eyes flashing purple.

"Daaaaddd, I'm okay," Apollo complained, but Cosimo just squished him harder. "Lachlan saved me. He was very heroic and kept me out of any more trouble."

"Don't even get me started on him," he grumbled, dropping Apollo back to his feet. He turned on Lachlan, and he was suddenly very glad that he was Apollo's mate because he had never seen Cosimo so pissed.

It lasted about three seconds before Cosimo grabbed him into a tight hug too. "No running off on your own again, Lachlan. You think you have no one to worry about you?"

"I wasn't worried," came Kenna's amused brogue.

Cosimo glared at her. "Well, you should have been!

"Why? I knew he was going, and nothing could have stopped him. I've trained him well. Maybe you need to just relax in your old age, Cosimo. Might be time to realize all your children are grown-ass men who can take care of themselves," Kenna replied and sipped from her ale mug.

"Auntie Kenna, please don't antagonize my...what's dragon for father-in-law?" Lachlan asked, turning to a glaring Cosimo.

"Father-in-law," Taranis said drolly.

Apollo grinned at him. "No hug from you, Uncle Taran?"

"You can get a hug when you apologize for frightening everyone, shifting, and going on a rampage in another country," Taranis replied.

Apollo stuck out his bottom lip and looked so sad. "I'm sowwy."

Lachlan snorted. No way Taranis was going to fall for that act...annnnd he was hugging Apollo. He shouldn't have been surprised because he always got his own way with everyone.

My mate . The thought still struck him hard at unexpected times.

His biggest fear had been losing Apollo to some mystical, magical mate.

He'd had no clue it would be him. Apollo apologized a lot for not telling him, and Lachlan knew the reasons and fears that had stopped him, but it still made Lachlan feel like a…

"Hey, dumbass, you're staring into space."

"You're right. I have been a dumbass," Lachlan murmured before shaking himself.

Ciara was waving a hand in front of his face. "You okay? Or did Apollo fuck the last of your brain cells out?"

"He did, and I'm hungry," Lachlan replied with a bashful grin.

Ciara rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you are. Come on. Let's get some food into you, poor little hunter."

The boozy feast turned into a mating party, and Lachlan was hugged, scolded, and congratulated in turn. Both Lachlan and Apollo squeezed Layla for a long time.

"We couldn't have gotten through that so easily without your help, Lay Lay. You're the best cousin I could ever ask for," Lachlan said and kissed her forehead.

"Well, I couldn't leave you guys to do it on your own. Who knows what trouble you could get in without supervision?" Layla teased and pinched Apollo's chin. "And you can make it up to me by making me more of my face oil because I'm almost out."

"Deal! I'll even throw in some of my shampoo," Apollo promised and crossed his heart.

The prisoners they had rescued from the alchemists were recovering slowly, though it would be a long journey with plenty of therapy that Elise and Chrissy were organizing.

"Apollo has to have some too," Elise insisted, kissing the man in question on top of the head. He opened his mouth to argue, but Elise held up a hand. "No arguments. I'm a princess, you know."

"And I'm a queen, so you'll do as I say," Chrissy added.

Apollo pulled on one of her tiny black braids. "Don't use that tone on me."

"You're getting this therapy thing if I have to tie you down myself," Oberon said and put an arm around Chrissy and kissed her brown cheek. "My queen gets what she wants."

Chrissy grinned like a fiend. "Hell yeah, she does."

Lachlan finally made it to where Bas and Bridget were drinking with Valentine, Reeve, and Owain. The big dragon knight slapped Lachlan hard enough on the back to make his eyes water.

"I'm happy you finally sealed that deal. Well done, lad," he boomed. He pointed over at a beaming Apollo. "That right there is one satisfied-looking dragon."

Lachlan blushed. "Thanks."

"Ew, that's my brother," Bas said and pulled a face.

Bridget only winked at Lachlan and held out a fist. "Once you go dragon, am I right?"

Lachlan bumped his fist against hers and sat down beside her. Valentine was watching him with a curious grin. "Spit it out, Val."

"It's nothing. You just looked really relaxed for once," he replied, lifting his ale mug to his mouth.

Reeve rolled his eyes at Valentine. "Yeah, Lachie, it's weird that you're happy on your mating day."

"Your brother makes me really happy, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep him safe and make him happy too," Lachlan stammered a little, making the Greatdrakes boys grin in perfect unison.

"You really are so whipped," Bridget said, making them all laugh.

"Why are you all hogging my husband?" Apollo demanded, and instead of sitting on the bench beside Lachlan, he sat in his lap.

"Your husband?" Lachlan put an arm around him. "I don't remember you proposing?"

"Must have slipped my mind when I was railing you so hard, you were speaking in tongues," Apollo replied, causing uproar from his brothers.

"I would like to know more," Owain said.

Bridget held up a hand. "Me too."

"Not while I'm in earshot," Bas grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Apollo leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "So, Val, have you decided if you are going to Faerie to see Caelan?"

"I want to, but they haven't given me a reply," Valentine said, his dark eyes showing a flicker of annoyance.

"Probably won't for a few days either," Owain replied and had another drink.

Valentine raised a dark brow. "And why is that?"

"Because Yelena has gone off on a mission with Avallach and a bunch of other fae. It's why she was sent home, not to be your pen pal," Owain replied. His eyes went wide. "Oh...that it...is, I mean..."

"Caelan is Yelena?" Apollo gasped, his smile lighting up.

Lachlan gave his leg a warning squeeze. Crimson threads were dancing around Valentine's hands.

"Why didn't anybody bother to tell me this?" Valentine asked in a low and dangerous voice.

Taranis must have sensed the change of magic in the air because he was suddenly behind Valentine, his hands coming down on his shoulders to hold him in the chair.

"Because you have been an ass to her since you met," he said, not letting Valentine go.

"She is the one who acted like I was going to become some dark sorcerer!"

"Only in the beginning, lad," Owain said with a shake of his head. "She was actually really curious about you, and Yelena doesn't get curious about anyone. I think you know what that's like. She knew you two started out on the wrong foot and didn't know how to get you to give her a chance."

Valentine's eyes flashed a brilliant crimson. "And she thought the best idea was to give me a fake name and start writing to me?"

"It's not a fake name. Her full name is Yelena Caelan Tuathach. You would have known that if you had ever bothered to ask her," Taranis said, and his tone gentled. "I knew you two would be fast friends if you got over bad first impressions. Was I wrong?"

Spots of bright color appeared on Valentine's pale cheeks. "Let me go."

"Just think things through before you burn a friendship you both need. Her magic helped you save your brother, after all." Taranis let him go, and Valentine shot out of his chair like a jackrabbit. He stormed out of the hall, leaving crimson trails of magic in his wake.

"I'm sorry, my king. It was a stupid blunder of my tongue," Owain said, lowering his head.

"It's not your fault. He needed to know sooner or later," Taranis sighed. He picked up Valentine's mug and drained what was left. "Fuck."

"It'll be okay, Uncle Taran," Apollo said and gestured at his brothers. "We know Val. He will be pissy about it for a few hours, and then he'll realize it's not the end of the world. You should have seen him talking about his friend Caelan the whole time we were in France."

Lachlan nodded. "He did, and he'd light up when he did it. He's smart enough not to throw a friendship like that away. He's just embarrassed he didn't figure it out."

Apollo gnawed on his bottom lip. "He's not in a good head space right now anyway. He finds it hard to cage his magic after using so much of it. By the looks of that crimson, it's not going back in."

"It's because he's outgrown his cage," Taranis replied, rubbing a frustrated hand over his face. "What is it with you Greatdrakes boys? I swear I'm not even your father, and you give me chest pains."

"Well, Dad has a dragon too. Wait until he starts waking up," Reeve said, a sly grin on his face. "I think he will give us all chest pains just to get back at us for stressing him out over the years."

Taranis groaned. "Dagda, spare us."

Lachlan rubbed Apollo's arm. He still looked worried. "Don't worry, baby. Valentine and Yelena will figure it out. We did, after all."

"True," Apollo said, shifting in his spot to put an arm around Lachlan's shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Happy." Lachlan frowned because Apollo's grin was getting wider. "Why?"

"He's probably spiked your drink," Bas said, and Apollo glared at him.

Lachlan's arm tightened around him. "What? What did you spike me with, Apollo?"

"Nothing…that you won't enjoy," Apollo replied and bent to whisper in his ear. "But we should probably sneak away in the next twenty minutes before it really starts to work on you."

"Oh my god, you can't just spike my drink!" Lachlan said, appalled and laughing at the same time.

Reeve laughed. "You should have known better than to mate with a deviant alchemist if you didn't want that."

Lachlan tickled Apollo's ribs, making him squirm. "You are such a brat, and you're going to get it."

"Sure am. In about twenty minutes," Apollo giggled and put his arms around Lachlan's neck. "You love me and my antics."

"I really, really do," Lachlan replied.

If their family were teasing them, Lachlan didn't hear it. All he could see was the love of his life smiling at him, his golden eyes shining.

"My perfect mate," Apollo whispered.

He kissed Lachlan slowly and deeply, and Lachlan had never felt so loved and contented in his whole life. If this was what being mated to a dragon felt like, then eternity would never, ever be enough.