Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

C osmo was going to hit his brothers in the head.

Bang.

He hadn't done anything wrong—he wasn't humping Hawk like a fiend, wasn't mooning (much), and he wasn't being growly about his brothers cockblocking him at every turn all day.

But he wanted to.

He really wanted to scream at them that this was the first dragon he'd ever met who he wanted to bump uglies with, and they were cramping his style.

Badly.

Instead, he nibbled popcorn and stared at the big screen instead of looking at Hawk because he just didn't know what to do.

Are you well, sweet Rose?

No . He pouted. I want to snuggle, and maybe ride you like a prize pony.

Ah. Well, I would also like that, but I think I understand your brothers. They do not have your connection with me, so they do not know me as well as you already do. Hawk's red gold eyes wheeled at him.

Stupid. You're fine. This is boring.

Don't you dare tell him about the fact that we're a passageway now, Corbin warned. What if he's a danger?

He's not! Not Hawk. Hawk was good.

We don't know him.

Now he was back to wanting to punch. He knew Hawk was good. At least for them. And his brothers would expect him to believe them…

"I'm going to take a walk."

"Where?" Cullen asked, wide-eyed.

"Oh, you know. Around." Maybe he would go see the Rocky Mountain clutch. Or his mom.

"Outside?" Corbin growled, and he rumbled right back.

"Leave me be!" He stormed off, heading back into the house, letting his feet lead him.

My rose?

I'm just really grumpy!

All is well otherwise, though?

Yeah. I'm not stupid. I like you, you know? And his feelings were hurt.

I do. I like you as well. I would walk with you, but your brothers would just come. Hawk gave him a mental caress.

I'll be back. It's okay. I'm just going to see my friends .

And he turned left, pushing open the door into a wild blizzard, the blue flakes swirling madly, and he almost slammed the door behind him when he saw a bright red hood, eyes that sparkled with fury.

Shit.

"Cosmo?" That was Arielle's voice, Devon and Brand's daughter from the original Estes clutch. She was a teenager now, so fury was her default, but she'd surprised the fuck out of him.

"Hey, sweet pea! It's cold out here!" He went right to her. They had created a casita in the courtyard with an oven, because the dragons couldn't come into the house, not anymore. "Let's go into the casita and start the stove, huh?"

"Okay." She stomped along after him when she let him go. Wow, she was mad, huh? Kind of like him. They had called to each other.

They got the door open, then Arielle started the fire for them.

"Oh. Great job." He sat, inviting her to sit beside him. "You okay?"

"No. I'm really mad." She slumped down next to him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her cheeks were bright red under her freckles, and he thought it had nothing to do with the cold.

"I am too! Do you want to go first, or should I?"

"You go." Her green eyes glinted gold at him, and she tilted her head, clearly curious.

"Okay. I met someone, and my brothers are being asses about it."

"OMG! That's what's happening to me? I met a girl, and they won't let me go see her!"

"Oh, man." He didn't point out they were in a white-out blizzard. "What's she like?"

"She's amazing. She's a sea dragon, and she knows merpeople. Her best friend is a merman named Bubbles."

"His name is Bubbles?"

She grinned at him, blowing a little steam. "Not his real name. That's what he goes by. I'm going to go by Sparkle."

"Sparkle? That's pretty." Her fathers had to be losing their minds.

"Uh-huh."

"What's her name?"

"Siren."

"Oh, that's nice." And a little scary. "So, how did you meet?"

"There's a school. Like a traveling school. Sometimes, we meet up on the mountain, sometimes in town, sometimes on the beach." Arielle glowed, her eyes lit up. "I love it. I really do."

"That's great." Arielle had been pretty isolated most of her life, with just siblings and cousins to play with, so it was good to see her excited. "So why don't the folks want you to see her?"

"They say it's because of the snow, but you know they're lying! You know they are. They just don't like her."

"Hmm." No, he would bet it was far enough that they meant it. The snow meant no flying for kids.

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

She nudged him. "Why are your brothers being jerks?"

"Because they don't know this guy. I mean, I can hear him in my mind."

"O. M. G. Really? Like, you can really, really hear him?"

Cosmo nodded. "I can really, really hear him."

"Is it the same as you hearing your brothers?" Arielle was fascinated by mental communication. She was a bit of a hammer, in every psychic situation. And so it was very, very difficult for her to understand that someone was ever trying to speak to her.

He shook his head. "No, no, not the same. Not really at all. I've always heard my brothers, you know, before I was born even. Hawk is new."

And that was the most fascinating part about it. Hawk was new. Hawk was new and wanted him without any thought.

Cosmo was used to having sex. He liked having sex. He'd had more than his fair share of sex, if he was honest.

But never with a dragon.

Never, ever with a full-blooded dragon.

Never ever, ever with a full-blooded ancient dragon that was hung like a…

Whoa. Stop.

Teenager.

"Dude, did you know that when you blush, you turn purple? NOT like Cullen's purple, but like purple ." Arielle chuckled. "That kind of rocks."

"Yeah. I kind of feel like I'm blushing all the time right now. I just need the boys to understand how important he is because he really is important to me."

Arielle teared up, her eyes shimmering. "See, that's how I feel. I don't suppose you want to fly down with me and meet her?"

Cosmo shook his head. "Honey, I'm not a strong flyer at the best of times. I'm only half dragon, remember? I'm more flutter than power. This snow would knock me to the dirt."

She blinked, as if it had just occurred to her how dangerous it could be. "Well, I don't want you to get hurt."

"No, and I don't want you to get hurt." He winced and kind of shrugged a little bit. "I don't think your dads want you to get hurt either. I don't mean emotionally. I mean like, banging against the mountain hurt."

"Oh." She pondered that, and it was as if he could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. "Well, why didn't they just say so?"

"Maybe they did, but you were just too mad?" He chuckled. "My dad is a big green dragon who can move the earth. When Corbin was a teenager, they fought about everything, and Mom would be like, why can't you talk? And Dad was like, I don't speak his language."

She burbled with laughter. "Yeah. Sometimes Poppy Brand and I just can't do it, and Da steps in. He's so much easier. Less alpha."

"That does make a difference." Alphas could be so damn stubborn.

"So you think they'll let me see her when the storm is over?"

"I bet they're eager to meet someone who captures your interest so much, and your pop is a great flier. He can take you down once it's safe."

"Okay, cool." She hugged him all of a sudden. "Thanks, Cosmo. I was so mad!"

"Oh, I hear you, kiddo. So was I." But he had a better perspective on it now.

Including the fact that he had left his brothers alone with Hawk, and they were either sitting in awkward silence or grilling him unmercifully. Yikes.

"Come on, kiddo. I might not fly you anywhere, but I will walk you back down to your house." He didn't want Brand and Devon frantic and out hunting for her in a storm in Lunastra. They still weren't used to the unpredictability of the weather in the dragonlands.

"Yeah? I bet Helena has made cookies!"

"Oh, that sounds good. How's Nevvy doing?"

"She's good. She and Sebby are best friends. Like best friends. It's so cute."

"I'm glad. She was so nervous about coming here."

"She's nervous about a lot, but Sebby is really sweet to her." She wrinkled her nose. "We're both firstborns. We kinda butt heads."

"Bang bang. Like goats."

"Oh, god, the goats." She laughed. "Sebby has those." She rolled her eyes. "I am not a farmer. Not. I am a librarian ."

"You are, huh? I know your dads are both book people."

"Uh-huh. So is Ollie. I love it. So I want to work at one of the big unis. Or in the village. Whatever."

"There are huge universities here?"

"Huge! There are big cities like Denver, but with dragons." She rolled her eyes. "Silly Cosmo."

"Wow. Do they look like human cities?" His dad was from the middle of nowhere, and there was a lot of Lunastra that he hadn't seen.

"No. No, they're wild. You'll have to see the books. Amazing! And?—"

"Arielle! Arielle, where are you?" Tyson's roar filled the air.

"Uh-oh. They sent Uncle Ty."

"Whoops." Cosmo went to the door. "She's in here!" He waved furiously, hoping his pink showed through the blue. "Tyson! Here!"

"Is that you, Cosmo?" Tyson trudged up to the casita, peering at him through the snow and wind.

"It is. She's in here."

"Ah, good. Good. Ri, you scared us all to death."

"I—" She glanced at Cosmo, and he offered her a smile. "I'm sorry. I was mad. It was stupid."

Good girl.

Ty gave her an indulgent look as he stepped in to warm his hands. "Well, reckless. You're never stupid. But your dads want to meet your friends. They just didn't want you to go right now ."

"Yeah… Uncle Cosmo sort of told me that… I misunderstood and flew off the handle."

"Well, I think your dads will understand. Maybe we can apologize and make cookies?"

She nodded and went to Tyson for a hug. The huge dragon hugged her tight, then glanced at him.

"What are you doing out here? It's summer where you are."

"It is. My brothers made me mad." He winked at Arielle. "Now I need to go apologize."

"Is everything well?" Tyson asked, and he nodded.

"A new dragon is here. They're worried, and I'm—" Fascinated. "—intrigued."

"I see. Well, good luck, my friend."

Cosmo chuckled. "Thank you. I hope not to need it."

"I understand completely. I'm going to get Ri home. Are you well? Everything is well in the house?"

"Well…"

Ty stopped to stare at him. "What is it?"

"Myk's house. Did it have a tower room?"

"What? No. It started as a log home in the 50s, and then they added the fancy A-frame."

"So nothing remotely Victorian or neoclassical?"

"No."

"Then it is his house."

Tyson shook his head. "There's no tower room out here, Cosmo."

"There is out there , Tyson."

Ty stared at him. "No shit?"

"None detected."

"And who does it belong to supposedly?"

"An older alpha dragon named Hawk." That he was drawn to. That he wanted to touch. That he wanted to be touched by.

"Hmm." Tyson stroked his chin. Or rather, his beard. "Keep us informed."

"I will." As lore keepers if nothing else, they needed to ensure that this world kept decent records. It was important to all of them.

"Good night, Cosmo," Arielle said. "Come on, Uncle Ty. Cookies await."

"Good night, sweetheart. Stay safe. I'll come see you in a couple of days."

"Okay!" She dragged Ty out into the snow, and he waited for them to be well on their way before he banked the fire, putting it out as much as he needed to so he didn't have to worry about it burning down the casita.

Then he headed back to the house, ready to take on his brothers about where Hawk was going to sleep.