44. Alfie

Morgan walked into the room at the side of a big curaidh. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed and I guess I could see that he was handsome, but he wasn't as handsome as my mate. Morgan was tucked into the man's side with the curaidh's large arm around his shoulders, as though he was trying to envelop my brother completely.

I opened my mouth to say hello.

Naturally, all the words splurged out.

"Morgan, your mate is huge. You didn't tell me he was that big. How do you even look up at him? Don't you get a crick in your neck?"

I would have said more – I actually had my mouth open to continue – but Morgan broke away from his mate and flung himself at me with lightning speed.

I only just managed to get my arms up in time and brace myself and then I had an armful of sobbing brother.

It was weird.

I'd never seen Morgan cry before. I knew he did because we all did, some time or other, but Lord Somerville had never approved of ‘weakness' and we'd learned to hide it.

He clung to me tightly and I had to prise his arms loose so I could breathe.

"It's okay, Morgan. Everything's better now. Wow, your mate's really glaring at me. Doesn't he like me? I didn't do anything to offend him, at least I don't remember—"

Morgan hiccupped and spoke into my shoulder, where he'd buried his face.

"We've both been really worried about you. We didn't know what was happening to you here with Lord Somerville and we couldn't get in touch with you and we couldn't try to come and get you without starting a war, although I think Nana was considering it."

Lew gave a chuckle. "Oh, she was. She had Dimpy and Anthony looking through all the old alliance documents to see if we had a claim to come and get you."

To Morgan, still tucked tightly against me, I whispered, "Isn't ‘Dimpy' a silly name?"

Lew shrugged. "It's a nickname. If you ever meet him, you'll love him. Everyone does."

I cringed a bit and glanced at my mate, who was smirking at me. I hadn't whispered quietly enough, it seemed.

An even bigger curaidh walked into the room and I hadn't thought that was possible until I saw the evidence with my own eyes. He was unbelievably huge, all tan skin stretched to breaking point over muscles like boulders.

Behind him bounded a blonde head I recognised.

"Seren!"

He grinned at me and I felt a flash of power, the same as I'd felt all those years ago when he'd been filled with his dragon's magic. It had been awful to feel the emptiness inside him, a gaping pit where his whole being had been. I'd started to avoid him because it made me feel sick to be around him, as though that yawning void had been trying to pull me into it, too.

Now, he was back to normal. Better than normal. He looked so full of life and energy that he was practically vibrating.

He was over by my side in an instant, too, and instead of waiting for Morgan to release me and then hug me in his turn, he just flung his arms around both of us and squeezed.

I felt the familiar touch of his magic, the invisible barrier he layered over my skin whenever we touched. When I'd been little and afraid of the dark, it had been Seren I'd gone to in the middle of the night, his bed I'd crawled into, because I knew I'd feel that armour layered over my skin as he lay beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

Morgan gave a squeak as Seren's arms tightened.

I wasn't sure I liked it when the two giant curaidh warriors came over and untangled us. The huge-gigantic-massive one dragged Seren back against him and Seren let him, leaning into him with a sigh of contentment. I didn't need to see their bond bright between them to know that they were mates.

Morgan turned and buried his face in his mate's side, leaning into him and absorbing his strength. My dragon felt a flash of protectiveness. Morgan needed to be looked after.

Lew tightened his arm around my brother's shoulders and my dragon sank down, satisfied.

Seren said, "I'm glad you let us in. I think Nana sent Dee and Dum to take a look at the boundary, to see if there were any weaknesses but even they couldn't get in this time."

His mate growled, "G was plugging all the holes last year."

From nowhere, Glimmer's voice sounded. It was close. In fact, it was right behind the curaidh.

"Nobody can get through our boundary."

Both curaidh and Morgan jumped as though they'd been electrocuted. They spun round to see Glimmer standing there, looking far too innocent. I kept my face straight, even though I wanted to laugh.

"What the hell, G, sneak up much?"

Glimmer gave the big curaidh an offended look. "Is that the greeting I get, after all this time?"

Seren moved first. He flung himself at Glimmer and hugged him tightly. To my surprise, Glimmer didn't flinch away. He was getting used to being touched now, thanks to his mate.

Speaking of Kingsley, I looked around to find him. He was leaning against the doorway, a little smile on his lips. He was enjoying watching his mate. I could smell his satisfaction from here.

And Blaze's scent. That familiar, sexy woodsmoke scent of him that wound its way into my nostrils.

I reached back behind me, knowing Blaze was right there, and took his hand, drawing him forward. I liked that he stood behind me, using me as a shield when he wanted to, but sometimes he needed to be in front, too. I needed to show him off to my brother.

"Morgan, this is my mate, Blaze Somerville."

I glanced at Blaze as I said that and, sure enough, saw the flicker of emotion playing over his face that he got every time he heard his full name. He'd never had a family before, and he was overwhelmed and pleased to have one now.

I was going to remind him of it at every opportunity.

And so was my family. All of the matrons in the castle were already besotted with him, even though they'd only just met him. They all moved instinctively to pet him and protect him and make him comfortable.

When it had first happened, I'd felt a jolt of jealously, and I wasn't sure whether it was because I wanted to be the only one looking after Blaze or whether I was used to being the one looked after. But the jealously had fizzled out almost instantly and I'd enjoyed watching my mate be pampered and fussed over.

It made him happy, and it made the matrons happy, and it made me happy to see it, too.

And, if I were honest, somewhere inside me my dragon felt relieved that they had turned their attention to someone else and I would no longer have to be the baby of the family. Blaze might be older than me, but he was the one who needed looking after. He deserved it.

My brother looked surprised which, in itself, was a surprise. Morgan had always had the most efficient mask and he'd rarely let it drop, even in front of me. To see the surprise on his face was new.

"I didn't realise you were gay," he said.

I huffed. "I might not be gay. I'm just not not gay, that's all."

Morgan pulled away from his mate long enough to walk up to Blaze. He held out his hand and Blaze hesitated a moment before shaking it.

"Congratulations on your mating," he said.

I grabbed Blaze and pulled him back against me.

"I think I'm the one you meant to congratulate, Morgan. I got the best mate in the world."

As I said it, I breathed in his scent, letting it burn around me. Damn, he smelled delicious.

Morgan's eyes softened. "Yes, congratulations, Alfie. I'm glad you found your mate. You deserve to be happy."

Seren bounded up to me and grabbed my hand, shaking it. "Congrats, Alfie! You got a great little mate. Hey, didn't he mark you?"

I blushed and stuttered, "Y-yes, he did. On my chest."

I suddenly wasn't sure I wanted people to see that mark. It was beautiful and I was proud to wear it, but it was also mine and Blaze's and I didn't want to share it. Not just yet.

Dane, Seren's mate, spoke in a low voice and I wasn't sure whether that was just the way he sounded or whether he had his dragon in his throat.

"Seren, you're not meant to ask personal questions. We've been over this."

He rounded on his mate. "I wanted to know! I can see Alfie's bite, and it looks very pretty."

Pride shot through me. It made me slow to react when Seren reached for Blaze's hand, too, and shook it. I let him.

"Congrats, Blaze. You'd better take care of him or vengeance and all that jazz. I suppose I don't need to go into details. Glimmer's probably already threatened you."

I startled and looked round for Glimmer. He was prowling round the outside of the group, looking pleased. When he heard his name, he grinned.

Blaze gave a little giggle.

"He has, actually. He said he'd protect me with his life because I was family. But he said he'd invent new ways to torture me if ever I hurt Alfie." He glanced over his shoulder at me, a smile on his face. "I'm not worried. I'm never going to hurt you, my darling."

Inside me, my dragon grumbled. "I'm meant to protect you. I can't believe my own family threatened you."

Blaze went to retreat back to me, to snuggle into my embrace where he belonged, but he was stopped by Seren, who still had hold of his hand. A little shoot of worry shot up inside me, but Seren smiled and let his hand go.

As soon as he was free, Blaze was in my arms and I held him close, pressing my nose into his burning red hair and inhaling.

That was when I realised: he had new protections over him. Seren had been covering him in the same armour he'd covered me in all those years ago.

I smiled into my mate's hair. My family would protect him. There would be nobody in the world safer than my Blaze.