at Eddy. “Dragos, what are they doing here?”
“Eddy is my Renfield, Kate. He’s allowed wherever I am.” He ignored Trajan’s snarl, knowing it for what it was. It would be intolerable for Trajan to hear that someone else, even a blood relation, had a claim to his mate, especially before he’d managed to lay claim to the boy himself. “Trajan is...blood.”
Kate reached around Trajan, trying to touch Dragos. “Surely they can take their little discussion elsewhere?”
He stepped back, almost tripping on Eddy. The idea of her fingers on his skin was repulsive. “I think not.”
She stiffened, her hand gradually pulling back. She reached for the fob on her purse, worrying at it as she bit her lip. The sweet scent of cinnamon filled the air. “But Dragos, didn’t we have a lunch meeting scheduled? Surely your Renfield can take care of your friend without your help.”
He shook his head, confused. “Meeting?”
“But, Dragos—”
Kate cut Eddy off before he could finish his sentence. “Don’t you have something Renfieldy to do? Like cutting your wrists or answering phones?”
Trajan sneezed.
Being what he was, that sneeze produced a small ball of flame that landed right on Kate’s skirt.
Kate jumped back with a shriek, dropping her purse and screaming her head off.
Dragos shook his head. What had he been thinking? He had no meeting with Kate today. The council meeting wasn’t until next week, and he had nothing to go over with her until a few days before.
“Dragos! Do something!”
Gods above, the woman’s voice was grating.
Before he could move, Dom picked up a vase of flowers and dumped the entire thing, blooms and all, on Kate’s pretty blond head.
It did little to put the fire out. It did, however, make the witch look like a drowned rat with its skirt on fire.
“Oops.” Dom tilted his head as Kate tried desperately to pat out the fire with her bare hands. “Well. That was ineffective. Say, Kate? Why don’t you just use magic?”
“Argh!” Kate ran for the ladies’ room, stopping only long enough to pick her purse up off the floor. The flowers and water were a sad reminder of her presence.
“Good riddance.” Dom placed the vase back on the table and began picking up the droopy flowers. “I think Eddy is running out of Oreos, Dragos.”
Trajan turned so fast he should have fallen flat on his ass, Kate’s antics completely forgotten as the dragon focused on his unclaimed mate.
Eddy grinned weakly, black goo covering his teeth.
His brother ignored Eddy’s frightened squawk and cupped the Renfield’s cheek. “What have you been eating?”
“Mookies.” Eddy shoved another one in his mouth and took a step back. He shook his head in denial as Trajan reached for him again.
“Mookies?” Trajan eyed the bag warily. “Ah. I see.” He glanced at Dragos, but his gaze swiftly returned to the object of his obsession. “Does he eat these frequently?”
Dragos shrugged. “Only when he’s terrified.”
Eddy whimpered.
“Shh. You have no need to fear me.” Trajan’s smile was predatory.
The boy tried to take another step back, but Trajan growled, and Eddy froze like a frightened rabbit. “I had not wanted to disrupt my first meeting with my lost brother by claiming you, young one. But you are mine, and I will not be denied.”
Eddy nodded, then shook his head so violently Dragos was surprised it didn’t fly right off his shoulders. “Imma Menfird.”
Trajan tilted his head and stared at Eddy. Dragos could see the predatory smile relaxing into an almost real one as Eddy’s innate weirdness worked its magic on his brother. “Menfrid?”
“I believe he means Renfield, sir.” Dom stepped forward to take Eddy’s bag of Oreos.
Eddy pulled them tight against him and glared at Dom. “My cookies.”
“Of course, young one. No one will take them away from you.” Trajan glared until Dom took a step back with a shrug. He turned his gaze once more on Eddy. “Come to
“Eddy is my Renfield, Kate. He’s allowed wherever I am.” He ignored Trajan’s snarl, knowing it for what it was. It would be intolerable for Trajan to hear that someone else, even a blood relation, had a claim to his mate, especially before he’d managed to lay claim to the boy himself. “Trajan is...blood.”
Kate reached around Trajan, trying to touch Dragos. “Surely they can take their little discussion elsewhere?”
He stepped back, almost tripping on Eddy. The idea of her fingers on his skin was repulsive. “I think not.”
She stiffened, her hand gradually pulling back. She reached for the fob on her purse, worrying at it as she bit her lip. The sweet scent of cinnamon filled the air. “But Dragos, didn’t we have a lunch meeting scheduled? Surely your Renfield can take care of your friend without your help.”
He shook his head, confused. “Meeting?”
“But, Dragos—”
Kate cut Eddy off before he could finish his sentence. “Don’t you have something Renfieldy to do? Like cutting your wrists or answering phones?”
Trajan sneezed.
Being what he was, that sneeze produced a small ball of flame that landed right on Kate’s skirt.
Kate jumped back with a shriek, dropping her purse and screaming her head off.
Dragos shook his head. What had he been thinking? He had no meeting with Kate today. The council meeting wasn’t until next week, and he had nothing to go over with her until a few days before.
“Dragos! Do something!”
Gods above, the woman’s voice was grating.
Before he could move, Dom picked up a vase of flowers and dumped the entire thing, blooms and all, on Kate’s pretty blond head.
It did little to put the fire out. It did, however, make the witch look like a drowned rat with its skirt on fire.
“Oops.” Dom tilted his head as Kate tried desperately to pat out the fire with her bare hands. “Well. That was ineffective. Say, Kate? Why don’t you just use magic?”
“Argh!” Kate ran for the ladies’ room, stopping only long enough to pick her purse up off the floor. The flowers and water were a sad reminder of her presence.
“Good riddance.” Dom placed the vase back on the table and began picking up the droopy flowers. “I think Eddy is running out of Oreos, Dragos.”
Trajan turned so fast he should have fallen flat on his ass, Kate’s antics completely forgotten as the dragon focused on his unclaimed mate.
Eddy grinned weakly, black goo covering his teeth.
His brother ignored Eddy’s frightened squawk and cupped the Renfield’s cheek. “What have you been eating?”
“Mookies.” Eddy shoved another one in his mouth and took a step back. He shook his head in denial as Trajan reached for him again.
“Mookies?” Trajan eyed the bag warily. “Ah. I see.” He glanced at Dragos, but his gaze swiftly returned to the object of his obsession. “Does he eat these frequently?”
Dragos shrugged. “Only when he’s terrified.”
Eddy whimpered.
“Shh. You have no need to fear me.” Trajan’s smile was predatory.
The boy tried to take another step back, but Trajan growled, and Eddy froze like a frightened rabbit. “I had not wanted to disrupt my first meeting with my lost brother by claiming you, young one. But you are mine, and I will not be denied.”
Eddy nodded, then shook his head so violently Dragos was surprised it didn’t fly right off his shoulders. “Imma Menfird.”
Trajan tilted his head and stared at Eddy. Dragos could see the predatory smile relaxing into an almost real one as Eddy’s innate weirdness worked its magic on his brother. “Menfrid?”
“I believe he means Renfield, sir.” Dom stepped forward to take Eddy’s bag of Oreos.
Eddy pulled them tight against him and glared at Dom. “My cookies.”
“Of course, young one. No one will take them away from you.” Trajan glared until Dom took a step back with a shrug. He turned his gaze once more on Eddy. “Come to
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