19. How To Save Your Dragon

Joey focusedon the atoms of his body. They shifted around the atoms of the floorboards, letting him sink into the ground.

In his shadow phase, he couldn't breathe.

He swam through the ground past the mansion's threshold, feeling the prickle of barrier magic.

Then he was in the backyard, moving behind the men who approached the back door.

Ever so carefully, Joey stuck his head out of the ground.

No one would notice him if they weren't looking. His body in the shadow phase was exactly that—a translucent shadow.

He glided closer to the invaders, just enough to grab one man by the ankle and drag him into the earth.

The man kicked and screamed. Joey kept a tight hold on him until he was completely buried, before releasing the man.

The other invaders had noticed the struggle, crowding closer in concern. When Joey pulled the next man into the ground, they began firing at him.

This was taking too long. Joey needed air. And he needed to help Blade. Blade was much stronger; he could take down a lot more people at once.

The moment he'd completely buried the second man, Joey released him and raced underground to Blade.

Several kidnappers surrounded his dragon: Men made of liquid metal, men made of flames, men made of shadows.

Up close, Blade was seething, his eyes flashing. He released streams of the hottest blue flames, but the kidnappers dodged out of the way. Electricity surged through the metal rod in his shoulder and jolted Blade violently.

Blade tried to yank the rod out of his body. More electricity shot into him; he staggered and snarled with agony.

Joey had to stop the electric shocks. They were controlled by a lightning elemental—just one.

His lungs began to burn. His oxygen had run out.

Fear pounded through Joey as he popped out of the ground, dropping the shadow phase.

He could breathe again. But he was now also vulnerable to every single kidnapper nearby.

Without pausing, Joey grabbed the ceramic frog out of his pocket, wishing hard for the lightning elemental to disappear.

He smashed the frog into the man's face.

It shattered. Joey yanked his hand back as blue slime exploded all over the man's head.

"What the hell is that—" the man yelled, right before the slime dissolved him completely.

Joey leaped back and bumped into a man with flames on his skin. The searing pain was enough to make him jerk away, ducking into his shadow phase before the man could grab him.

Two seconds from diving back underground, Joey met Blade's eyes.

There was a way for him to help.

Joey raised his arms and waved, running through all the men as they tried to grab him.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Blade ripping the rod out of his shoulder.

Blade bellowed. The ground shook beneath Joey's feet.

Suddenly there was no more net around the dragon. Joey ducked back toward Blade and released his shadow phase.

Blade caught Joey around the waist with one golden-scaled paw. With a snap of his great wings, he took to the air, bringing them out of the kidnappers' reach.

Blade blew a stream of the hottest blue flames, swooping in as he incinerated the men, leaving great swathes of charred ground in his wake. He flew closer to the mansion, breathing fire at the men who'd scattered.

"But the mansion," Joey squawked.

Blade chased down the men, forcing them up against the walls and burning them, too.

The mansion remained unblemished. Because it was fireproof.

Maybe Joey was a bad person, more concerned about whether the mansion burned than Blade burning the men alive.

But those kidnappers had broken down Blade's safety barrier. They'd electrocuted Blade several times. And they'd planned on stealing all the babies.

"Burn them," Joey growled.

No one was going to threaten Katie ever again.

Blade flew them around the mansion twice, making sure he left no invader alive. Then he landed in the backyard and carefully set Joey on his feet.

"Your shoulder," Joey said in dismay.

"It's fine," the dragon rumbled.

Blade's shoulder bled sluggishly. But he didn't seem too concerned about it, so Joey took several deep breaths and hugged his dragon.

Blade towered above him. He was twice Joey's height, maybe more. His head was sleek with two horns angled back, his red eyes fixed on Joey. His wings were leathery and they gleamed, and Joey couldn't help running his hands over Blade's warm scales.

"I was so scared when I saw you," Joey admitted, his breath hitching. "When they caught you in the net and kept shocking you over and over."

Blade bared his teeth. But he ran his paws over Joey's shoulders, holding him close. "You did great, Joey. You weren't supposed to come out here. But you did, and you were amazing. I'm so proud of you."

Joey's heart swelled. He felt so many things for Blade, his body too small to contain it all.

With a golden shimmer, Blade shifted back into a man, broad and strong and naked. His shoulder still bled, but the rest of him looked fine.

Joey's breath shuddered out of him. He buried his face in Blade's chest and held him tight. "I love you," Joey blurted. "Maybe it's too soon to say it. But I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Blade sucked in a slow breath. He cupped Joey's face and tipped his head up so their gazes locked. "Are you sure?"

Joey nodded tearfully. "I can't lose you. I thought I was going to, and it—it was so horrible. I can't."

Blade knelt, pulling Joey against his chest. His gaze was intense. "I can't lose you either, you know."

Joey cupped his rugged face, looking down at the gorgeous man before him. "Are you sure?"

"You're so fiercely protective of Katie. So brave when you came out here all by yourself. You love the shopping carts. You let me provide for you, and you smell so good. I love you. And I want you to be my mate for the rest of our lives."

There was only honesty in Blade's eyes.

Joey's heart stuttered. Blade loves me. "Okay."

Blade grinned. "Just ‘okay'?"

"I mean, yes!" Joey buried his face in Blade's soft hair, knowing that Blade was teasing him, that Blade would always treat him kindly and with care.

He leaned in, his heart swelling when Blade kissed him ferociously, his hands cradling Joey's face, holding him close. "Mine," Blade growled, his knuckles drifting down Joey's front, to his belly. "You keep our baby safe. And Katie too."

Joey pulled back slightly, just enough to look into Blade's eyes. "If... If Katie were ever ours..."

"I would treat her as mine," Blade whispered. "I want to. But without knowing if we can keep her... I shouldn't let my heart get involved. A dragon is fiercely possessive of its own."

Joey nodded. "I know."

Except he also knew that Blade secretly loved Katie, a lot.

"I'm here if you ever need support," Blade added. "You can't help loving Katie. I want to... to hold you in case anything bad happens."

Joey hugged him tightly. "You're so good to me."

"You've needed something good for a long time, Joey. I want to be the one to provide it."

"Please."

Blade smiled and kissed Joey again. Except his hand drifted to the back of Joey's arm, where his shirt sleeve ended. Pain burst through Joey's skin; he hissed.

Blade removed his touch immediately. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts."

Blade turned Joey around, examining his arm. He swore. "Someone burned you."

Only then did Joey remember falling against the man covered in flames.

"Hong, bring the burn kit," Blade said.

The back door opened. Hong hurried out, followed by Quinlan and Wren. They had the babies in their arms.

"No more intruders," Hong announced, handing the kit to Blade.

"Good." Blade drew off Joey's shirt, gently smearing aloe gel all over his stinging arm.

It soothed the pain. Joey didn't realize how much he'd been hurting until the pain suddenly went away. "That feels so much better."

"I'm glad. We'll need to keep an eye on this," Blade murmured, examining the drying blood on Joey's inner elbow. "I'll make sure you get all the care you need."

Even after being hurt and exhausted, Blade was still caring for Joey. Joey turned toward his dragon, his heart full. "What can I do for you? To make you feel better?"

"Don't aggravate the burn. Let yourself heal." Blade nuzzled Joey's temple, and Joey had to kiss him soft and sweet.

"Thank you," Joey whispered.

Blade pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

Hong pretended to swoon. "This needs a voice-over," he exclaimed imperiously, flipping to a dog-eared page in his book. He ignored Blade's exasperated groan. "‘Our love is like a swelling eggplant. We will paint our story by shooting rainbow juices from our throbbing sausages.'"

Quinlan and Wren wore matching looks of horror.

"Ahh," Katie said, reaching for Joey. She distracted everyone from Hong's words; Joey was so glad when Wren handed her over, and she was back in his arms.

"You okay?" he murmured at her. "Did any of the bad guys hurt you?"

She shoved her fist into her mouth, breathing sparks around it. Blade rumbled and drew Joey and Katie against his chest.

"You're such a happy family now," Quinlan said with an edge of wistfulness. "You don't need us anymore, huh, Joey?"

"That's not true! I definitely want you around," Joey exclaimed. He cast around for something to make them feel welcome. "Um, would you like to meet my other friends? Elson, Liem, and Samsen. They helped me when I first got here; I think they'd love to get to know you too. Especially because you have babies."

"Sure," Quinlan said, looking interested.

"They don't mind?" Wren asked nervously.

"I think they'll welcome both of you," Joey said sincerely.

Hong sidled over with a sly smile, waving his book. "Think your other friends want some pickup lines, too?"

"You already gave that book to their butlers!" Actually, Joey dreaded looking at his phone. Had Hong's brothers begun unleashing cringey pickup lines on Joey's friends?

"Trust me, their butlers are beside themselves with glee." Hong cackled.

Joey was saved from answering by the loud growl of engines. Everyone glanced at the cars pulling up the driveway, only to be joined by a shadow swooping in from the sky.

Telos landed with a thump nearby, wearing his pterodactyl form again.

"You're late," Blade said dryly. "I think a falcon could've gotten here faster."

Telos sniffed indignantly. "Guess you didn't need me, then. Besides, I still got here before everyone else."

They watched as Fang, Doc, and Mav jogged up, surveying the damage.

"Any injuries?" Doc asked, surgical mask obscuring half his face. He was broad-shouldered, with crinkles around his eyes and a few strands of grey in his hair. It felt so unreal that Doc, Mav, and Blade were all a few hundred years old. They sure didn't feel like it.

"Joey was burned. I treated him with aloe." Blade frowned at Quinlan and Wren. "What about you guys?"

"We're fine," Quinlan said. His arm was bleeding from his contribution to Wren's blood spell, though.

"Are you sure?" Doc glanced at Quinlan's arm. "You're still bleeding slightly. Joey, too."

Blade nudged Joey over to the miraculously unharmed picnic bench, where Doc set up his first aid kit. Doc wrapped up Quinlan's arm, then Joey's.

"Blade," Fang said, glancing over. "You're into exhibitionism, too?"

Only then did Joey remember: Blade had shifted back from a dragon without putting on any clothes.

Blade grinned. "Nothing against it."

Oh, gods. Joey flushed. Blade caught his eye and grinned wider.

Mav threw a piece of clothing in Blade's face. "There are babies around. Put that on. Not all of us are voyeurs like Fang."

Fang snorted and gave a sharp-toothed smile. Like the rest of Blade's friends, he was big and muscular, with a wildness about him.

Just recently, Fang had caught Samsen blowing Valor under his desk at work. Samsen had meant to talk about it in private, but he'd posted it in the wrong chat—the massive group one, with Valor's friends and Samsen's friends in it. Joey had felt so embarrassed on his behalf.

Blade turned away and pulled his ripped pants back on. Somehow, they stayed on his body.

"Ah, Mav. Hater of the muscular nude body," Telos said, an edge to his voice.

Mav shot him a look. "I have no reason to look at them."

"You're just pretending not to look."

Mav rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

Instead of watching their argument, Joey turned, only to find Wren almost obscured by Hong. The tips of Wren's ears were pink, and he was... peeking at Fang?

"Wren?" Joey asked.

Wren jumped guiltily. Fang looked over.

When Fang smiled at him, Wren ducked out of sight.

Joey squeezed Blade's hand and crept over to Wren, nudging him. Wren startled.

"Hey," Joey whispered.

"Hey," Wren whispered back. "Um, who is he?"

"His name is Fang," Joey answered. "I don't think he has a boyfriend or girlfriend. Are you sticking around in Cartfalls?"

Wren's eyes darted toward Quinlan. "I don't know."

Both of them lived in Joey's hometown. They'd left their things back home to come searching for Joey, and they had to return at some point, or their landlord would throw out their belongings, too.

"I hope things work out for you," Joey whispered.

Wren chewed his lip uncertainly. "Same here."

Katie squirmed against Joey's chest, kicking and babbling. She peeked around and smiled when she caught sight of Blade, reaching for him.

Blade sighed. But he scooped her out of Joey's arms, blowing a raspberry against her stomach. Katie shrieked with laughter.

"Soon," Blade murmured. "I'll show you my dragon. I promise."

Joey's heart melted into goop. He pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of Blade and Katie, determined to treasure however much time they had left with her.