already.” Greer’s lazy grin sharpened. “We’ll keep her from being too stupid to live.”
Dragos rolled his eyes and took off, confident his sotiei would be right where he’d left her when he finally returned.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at city hall—a small building that housed his office and the administrative staff of Maggie’s Grove. The old Federal-style home had multiple fireplaces and an old-world charm that soothed him every time he entered the building. The floors might creak a bit, and the banister might be thicker than his hand, but this, just as much as his mansion, was home to him.
“Dragos. Thank the Goddess.” Dominic raced toward him, his glasses askew and his hair standing on end. “Eddy ran in here as if the hounds of hell were after him. He kept saying someone was going to eat him. You know I’d protect him as best I can, but...” The smaller man shrugged.
“He is, Dom, I swear.” Eddy’s voice, coming from the directly behind Dominic, sounded muffled.
“Who, Eddy? Who threatened you?” Dragos entered his office, not surprised in the least to find his Renfield cowering under his desk.
This was getting to be a habit.
The boy was popping cookies into his mouth faster than Dragos could see. If he didn’t slow down he’d choke himself. “Rajah.”
Dragos blinked. Who in blazes was Rajah?
Eddy rolled his eyes and swallowed the mouthful of Oreo goo that had muffled his words. “Trajan.”
Dragos saw red.
How dare his brother threaten his Renfield, the son of his heart?
“Wait! It wasn’t a threat, I guess. I mean, not like a threat threat. I’m not sure—I don’t think he meant it that way. He could have meant it that way... Oh God, what if he meant it that way and not the other way? Not good, so not good.”
“Um. What?” Dragos blinked, his beast receding as Eddy panted and tried to shove another cookie in his mouth. His hands were shaking so badly he missed.
Huge green eyes dominated Eddy’s pale face. “I don’t even like guys, Dragos.”
Dragos took a deep breath. It took him a moment to get himself under control. He didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.
Eddy was Trajan’s mate? Trajan ? The brother who’d once agreed with Laurentiu that love between men should be punishable by death? That Trajan?
Things were about to become complicated.
He leaned over the edge of the desk, ignoring the way Eddy jumped. The boy should have sensed him, but he was so caught up in his own head he barely registered others around him. That made him vulnerable, a situation Dragos found intolerable. “Are you all right, Eddy?”
Eddy shook his head, that flop of hair he called bangs landing right in his eyes. “Nope. Not one tiny microscopic bit.”
There was only one way to take care of this. Dragos nodded, threw back his head, and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Trajan Ibanescu!”
“Oh, shit.”
Eddy dove for the door, but it was too late. Trajan appeared, striding through city hall as if he owned it. “You rang?” His grey eyes, the same ones all the brothers shared, stared at Eddy with so much hunger Dragos felt like a voyeur.
“Eddy is frightened, and my sotiei is under attack. As my Renfield, I am concerned that he might also come under fire.”
Trajan’s nostrils flared, but that was the only sign he’d heard Dragos.
“Dragos? What’s going on?” Kate’s strident voice battered at his ears, her heels clacking on the hardwood floors in a staccato tempo.
Trajan reacted as if there were a threat. He turned, placing himself between Eddy and the door of the office, hissing furiously.
Eddy whimpered. “Oh my God, he did mean it that way.”
Dragos pinched the bridge of his nose. “Eddy, he’s protecting you.”
“Because he doesn’t want his lunch snatched away by the ho-bag?” Another cookie was shoved into Eddy’s mouth, the crunching sound loud in the sudden, stunned silence.
He bit his lip to keep from laughing as Kate glared
Dragos rolled his eyes and took off, confident his sotiei would be right where he’d left her when he finally returned.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at city hall—a small building that housed his office and the administrative staff of Maggie’s Grove. The old Federal-style home had multiple fireplaces and an old-world charm that soothed him every time he entered the building. The floors might creak a bit, and the banister might be thicker than his hand, but this, just as much as his mansion, was home to him.
“Dragos. Thank the Goddess.” Dominic raced toward him, his glasses askew and his hair standing on end. “Eddy ran in here as if the hounds of hell were after him. He kept saying someone was going to eat him. You know I’d protect him as best I can, but...” The smaller man shrugged.
“He is, Dom, I swear.” Eddy’s voice, coming from the directly behind Dominic, sounded muffled.
“Who, Eddy? Who threatened you?” Dragos entered his office, not surprised in the least to find his Renfield cowering under his desk.
This was getting to be a habit.
The boy was popping cookies into his mouth faster than Dragos could see. If he didn’t slow down he’d choke himself. “Rajah.”
Dragos blinked. Who in blazes was Rajah?
Eddy rolled his eyes and swallowed the mouthful of Oreo goo that had muffled his words. “Trajan.”
Dragos saw red.
How dare his brother threaten his Renfield, the son of his heart?
“Wait! It wasn’t a threat, I guess. I mean, not like a threat threat. I’m not sure—I don’t think he meant it that way. He could have meant it that way... Oh God, what if he meant it that way and not the other way? Not good, so not good.”
“Um. What?” Dragos blinked, his beast receding as Eddy panted and tried to shove another cookie in his mouth. His hands were shaking so badly he missed.
Huge green eyes dominated Eddy’s pale face. “I don’t even like guys, Dragos.”
Dragos took a deep breath. It took him a moment to get himself under control. He didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.
Eddy was Trajan’s mate? Trajan ? The brother who’d once agreed with Laurentiu that love between men should be punishable by death? That Trajan?
Things were about to become complicated.
He leaned over the edge of the desk, ignoring the way Eddy jumped. The boy should have sensed him, but he was so caught up in his own head he barely registered others around him. That made him vulnerable, a situation Dragos found intolerable. “Are you all right, Eddy?”
Eddy shook his head, that flop of hair he called bangs landing right in his eyes. “Nope. Not one tiny microscopic bit.”
There was only one way to take care of this. Dragos nodded, threw back his head, and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Trajan Ibanescu!”
“Oh, shit.”
Eddy dove for the door, but it was too late. Trajan appeared, striding through city hall as if he owned it. “You rang?” His grey eyes, the same ones all the brothers shared, stared at Eddy with so much hunger Dragos felt like a voyeur.
“Eddy is frightened, and my sotiei is under attack. As my Renfield, I am concerned that he might also come under fire.”
Trajan’s nostrils flared, but that was the only sign he’d heard Dragos.
“Dragos? What’s going on?” Kate’s strident voice battered at his ears, her heels clacking on the hardwood floors in a staccato tempo.
Trajan reacted as if there were a threat. He turned, placing himself between Eddy and the door of the office, hissing furiously.
Eddy whimpered. “Oh my God, he did mean it that way.”
Dragos pinched the bridge of his nose. “Eddy, he’s protecting you.”
“Because he doesn’t want his lunch snatched away by the ho-bag?” Another cookie was shoved into Eddy’s mouth, the crunching sound loud in the sudden, stunned silence.
He bit his lip to keep from laughing as Kate glared
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