Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Keegan made his way through the crowds at the solstice fair, his senses assaulted by the scents of fried food and sweet drinks mingling in the warm summer air. Mordyn walked ahead, one arm casually draped over Apollo's shoulders as they bantered back and forth.

"That's not what I said!" Apollo insisted. "I said my work was important. I didn't say yours wasn't."

"You implied it."

"I did not."

Keegan had lost track of their argument a few minutes ago. The two were in good spirits, though, and he wasn't inclined to intervene.

Up ahead, Keegan spotted a group of people waiting—no doubt Apollo's teammates that Mordyn had mentioned. There was a tall dragon, a mage in orange robes, and a green-haired half-nymph whom Keegan knew as Ceska—Apollo's assistant.

Keegan exchanged greetings with all of them without making an effort to get to know them. He wasn't in the habit of being rude, but he wasn't very interested in these people. Or rather, he didn't want to be interested. When he liked someone, he wanted to manipulate the future in their favor.

It was best for Keegan to restrict the people he cared about to members of his coven.

After a few minutes, the group found a grassy spot near the edge of the fairgrounds to set up their picnic blankets.

Keegan sat and looked around. He'd had this vague feeling of foreboding ever since he'd decided to join Mordyn on this outing, but he had no idea where his inner compass was trying to point him.

What was going to happen here?

He'd tried to look ahead, of course, but all his visions of tonight had been annoyingly hazy.

He knew he was going to have a conversation with someone. He knew it was important for him to be here. That was all he had to go on.

He turned to Mordyn, but his friend was talking to Ceska about his collection of rubber ducks and Keegan wasn't about to be dragged into that conversation.

Seriously, what kind of vampire collected rubber ducks?

Keegan moved to get up from the blanket and walk around a bit when Ceska suddenly waved at the sky and smiled. "I didn't think you could make it!" she called.

Keegan looked where she was looking—and froze.

The dragon who landed in their midst had beautiful red wings poking out of holes cut into the back of his hoodie. His hair was dark and curly, and his brown eyes lit up with real joy when he greeted Ceska.

He was beautiful.

And he was Keegan's killer.

Jaron greeted his friends with a smile, already in much better spirits than he had been when he'd left his parents' house. Then he turned to the vampires and his breath caught in his throat.

There, next to the vampire his boss was fucking, stood the most gorgeous man Jaron had ever laid eyes on. Bright red hair that contrasted with his pale skin, a lean body and piercing blue eyes that seemed to cut straight into Jaron.

Well, hello there.

Jaron returned the vampire's gaze, which seemed to be laser-focused on him.

He'd never found vampires particularly attractive before, but that one? Totally changed his mind about the whole race. Jaron would gladly have tossed aside his clothes, thrown himself on the ground in front of him and let that man do unspeakable things to him.

He didn't undress, but he did approach the vampire, answering his stare with a bright grin. "Jaron Tymera," he introduced himself, offering his hand. "Very pleased to meet you."

The vampire didn't even look at his hand, and he didn't offer his own. "Keegan," he said shortly, still not breaking eye contact.

So the vampire didn't have the best manners, but there was definitely interest there, so Jaron didn't let himself be discouraged.

He knew who Keegan was. He'd heard that name before. "You're a seer, aren't you? Any chance you can tell me the lottery numbers?"

"I don't take part in gambling."

"Ah, well, it was worth a shot." Jaron turned his tone suggestive. "I wouldn't mind getting lucky with you."

Yes, he was being very forward, but that usually worked for him.

Also, it was hilarious watching Keegan's eyebrows climb his forehead as he processed Jaron's words.

Sadly, the vampire only lost control of his expression for a split second before it smoothed over again, but Jaron was sure he'd have plenty more opportunities to rile him up again before the night was over.

Only now Ceska was getting in his way.

"Don't mind him," she said to Keegan. "He's obviously had a few drinks before he came here."

"Did not," Jaron defended himself. "Unlike you, I just prefer to shoot my shot rather than sit around nervously pulling at my hair because the guy I think is hot is in the next room."

"I don't do that!" Ceska smacked him on the arm.

"Yes, you do. Ianair has been making eyes at you for ages, just ask him out already."

Ceska turned red. "You don't have to tell everyone."

"Everyone already knows. Even Apollo has noticed."

Apollo took offense at that. "What do you mean, even I noticed?"

Mordyn drew him aside. "You don't notice much that doesn't concern your mission."

"Didn't mean to insult you, boss," Jaron scratched the back of his neck. "You do the boss thing pretty well."

Apollo huffed but didn't argue further. Which was great because Jaron really wanted to return his attention to the hot vampire seer. When he did, though, he noticed that Keegan had walked away from the group.

Probably to get away from him.

Jaron wasn't dense. He knew he should take the hint, but he couldn't. He wanted that man, wanted to touch him, wanted to…

His thoughts stopped short as the beast within him stirred.

That was new.

His inner dragon and he never agreed on anything, except for this, it seemed.

Every part of him wanted to have Keegan, and he wasn't going to stop his pursuit before he'd tried everything to achieve that goal.

Game on.

He followed Keegan.

This night was officially the weirdest night of Keegan's life. Not only had he met his killer, but his killer was trying to flirt with him.

And the worst thing was, Keegan was tempted by him. Why did his killer have to be so damn handsome?

Trying to banish the thought from his head, Keegan had decided to go and buy snacks for the others so he could catch a break, but Jaron had followed him and would not be shaken off.

"I don't require your company," he said when Jaron sidled up next to him as he joined the line for hot dogs.

"I'll help you carry everything," Jaron said. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"We're not friends."

"True, I guess." Jaron let his eyes roam Keegan's body. "I don't exactly feel friendly toward you."

Keegan's mouth tightened. "You're persistent."

"Are you gonna tell me to fuck off?"

Keegan looked straight ahead, refusing to get drawn into Jaron's brown eyes again. "I'm not that crude."

"That's your choice."

"So what's your deal?" Keegan asked. "Are you one of those guys who enjoy being bitten?" There were quite a few of them around at the club every night. If Jaron had a kink for getting bitten, it would explain why he acted like he was glued to Keegan. The only other vampire around was already attached to his boss, after all.

"I don't know," Jaron said, as if the idea had only just occurred to him. "I've never fantasized about being bitten before, but I wouldn't say no if you wanted to sink your fangs into me."

"I'm not interested in biting you."

"Why not?"

Keegan turned to arch an eyebrow at him. Big mistake. The moment he saw Jaron laughing, holding up his hands, his annoyance with the dragon melted away.

"All right, fine," Jaron said. "I'm sorry if I'm being too much. I'll tone it down. You just… you do something to me I can't explain."

Something that will make you want to kill me?

Keegan didn't voice the question, but it lingered in his mind.

"Should I go back to the group?" Jaron asked.

Keegan hesitated. He should tell Jaron to fuck off. This dragon would literally be the death of him, after all, but that vision wasn't going to come true tonight, and besides…

It was almost impossible to reconcile the tear-streaked man in his vision with the one standing next to him now.

Maybe if Keegan spent more time with him, he could figure out what exactly was going to happen—and how to prevent it.

"It's fine," he said. "You can help me with this."

Jaron smiled, a softer, more genuine smile than the ones he'd shown so far, as if Keegan's small concession made him truly happy.

It made him look like someone Keegan might want to sink his fangs into.

Why did his killer have to come equipped with a killer smile?

Keegan tried to brush the thought aside, tried not to wonder what Jaron's blood might taste like.

Dragon blood had always been his favorite.

Don't even think about it, Keegan told himself firmly.

He wasn't going to bite the man who would eventually stake him.

He wasn't.

"So how'd you end up getting turned?" Jaron asked after a moment of silence while they waited their turn.

That wasn't something Keegan was asked very often anymore. Most people asked him what the weather was going to be like or whether they should hit up the slot machines or not. Very rarely was he asked questions about himself. "You know how every vampire has their own special power?"

Jaron nodded. "Makes some of them harder to kill."

Keegan wanted to ignore that remark, but he couldn't. "You know a lot about killing my kind?"

Jaron shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Kind of comes with the job, you know? We've had a lot of raids on vampire covens recently because they tend to do awful things to mortals."

Keegan turned to Jaron fully. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Do I enjoy what?"

"Do you enjoy killing vampires?"

Jaron's brows furrowed. "I've never attacked anyone who didn't attack me first."

Am I going to attack you?

Keegan wanted to ask but didn't. There was no way for Jaron to know anything about the future.

"Why did you start talking about superpowers?" Jaron asked.

"You asked how I got turned," Keegan reminded him. "My sire's superpower was being able to tell who would make an exceptionally talented vampire. He wanted me for obvious reasons."

Jaron gave Keegan another once-over. "So you just agreed to be a vampire for the guy?"

"I was young and I was promised exceptional power." Keegan glanced up at the night sky, the memory lingering at the edge of his mind. "I guess that part wasn't a lie."

"Would you make the same choice again?"

The question was perceptive enough to surprise Keegan, but he wasn't about to bare his soul to the dragon. He wouldn't tell Jaron that he'd often wondered if he'd make the same choice again. The past couldn't be changed, anyway.

The future could.

"I don't waste my time worrying about decisions I've already made."

Jaron hummed thoughtfully. "I guess that's a superpower all by itself. I think about all the ways I've fucked up all the time." He smiled again, and his easy honesty only added to his attractiveness.

Unbidden, Keegan's gaze strayed to Jaron's torso, wondering what he was hiding beneath the layers of clothes.

Jaron caught him wondering. "Like what you see?"

"Nothing to see," Keegan said as flatly as he could.

"What a sad state of affairs for a seer." Jaron leaned a little closer. "You don't see me naked in your future?"

Keegan stared at Jaron.

I see you killing me in my future. The words sat on the tip of his tongue.

It was their turn in the queue before he could voice them.

Jaron knew he was being too much, so he decided to cut the vampire a tiny little break after they returned to the group.

Sitting down next to Ceska, he offered his friend a veggie hot dog.

She took it, but it didn't shut her up.

"I didn't know you had a thing for vampires," she said with open curiosity.

"I didn't know either," Jaron admitted, wondering himself.

Did he suddenly want to get bitten, like Keegan had suggested?

The idea didn't seem unappealing, but that wasn't it.

He would have wanted Keegan even if the man wasn't a vampire.

Ceska studied Jaron's target from a distance. "You really want to get with a seer?"

"Do you find his powers offputting?"

"I don't know." Ceska made a face. "I also don't like the pale skin. Or the fangs."

"Yeah, but your taste can't be trusted," Jaron reminded his friend. "You like Ianair."

"Ianair's hot," she insisted.

"Case in point. Terrible judgment."

She punched his arm. "Says the vampire lover."

"Our boss is fucking a vampire," Jaron said. "Can't be such a bad thing. Recently he looks quite satisfied when he rolls into the office in the mornings."

Ceska made a face again, which made Jaron laugh. "You're awful," she said. "I don't want to think about Apollo's love life."

"Just saying," Jaron pointed out. "He used to hate vampires and he's not complaining about his lot so his lover's got to have some mad skills."

"I give up," Ceska said, biting into the hot dog Jaron had gotten her. "I think the fireworks are about to start."

Jaron took that as his cue to make his way back to Keegan. Nothing as romantic as watching fireworks together, right?

Not that he had anything as innocent as romance on his mind.

The seer was looking at the sky when Jaron joined him.

"Excited for the show?" Jaron asked.

Keegan glanced at him, plainly not surprised to be graced with Jaron's presence again. "No, I was wondering where I'd heard your name before."

"Wondering about me?" Jaron grinned.

"Tymera," Keegan said thoughtfully. "Your family owns some sort of big business, don't they?"

Jaron suppressed a sigh. "They make jewelry," he said. "You know, all that fancy stuff. Phones you can transform into earrings, bracelets that turn into keys… all the shit vain dragons need so they can run around in loincloths that don't have pockets."

"You don't like jewelry?"

"I like pockets."

Keegan looked at Jaron's baggy pants. "Evidently."

"This thing has six pockets." Jaron gestured. "I can carry everything I need and a couple things I don't."

"Like what?"

Jaron pulled a ball of deep blue yarn out of one of his pockets.

"You carry yarn?"

"It's very soft," Jaron said as if this explained why he carried yarn. In truth, he didn't want to admit that he hoarded yarn. Every dragon had a hoard. Every dragon felt that compulsion to collect certain things. For Jaron, that was fabrics, and this ball of yarn was extra special. He held it up. "It's magical," he explained. "It changes color to match the aura of its wearer." He unraveled a string and wrapped it around Keegan's finger before the vampire could protest.

The string turned a shade somewhere between red and orange.

The color of a sunrise.

Keegan stared down at his finger as if he didn't know how to react. "What does that mean?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know," Jaron admitted. "But it's pretty."

Keegan took the yarn off his finger and eyed it a little more closely.

Following an impulse, Jaron took a small pair of scissors out of another pocket and cut a piece off the yarn. "Here." He placed the string in Keegan's hand. "Keep it."

Keegan looked at the strange gift he'd been given, almost as if he wanted to refuse it, but before he could, the sky above them erupted into a myriad of colors.

None as beautiful as the yarn in Keegan's hand, however.

There was no comparison.

While everyone else watched the fireworks Jaron watched the vampire by his side, trying to puzzle out what it was about this man that drew him in and refused to let go. He was no stranger to crushes, but this felt different.

More consuming.

He'd just cut up a piece of his hoard for this man and he didn't even feel bad about it.

His hoard would be safe with Keegan because Keegan… Keegan was meant to be part of his hoard.

The thought, the truth of it, made it hard for Jaron to breathe.

It was funny in a way. Jaron had never thought of himself as very 'dragonly.' He scoffed at the way his peers pranced around half-naked all the time, showing off their abs, spewing fire at the slightest provocation, and generally being obnoxious.

And now this vampire's presence forced him to admit that he was still a dragon deep down because suddenly there were thoughts in his head about claiming Keegan the way a primitive creature might claim its treasure.

The way a dragon might claim his mate.

It was a little overwhelming.

Keegan turned to him when he finally noticed that he was being stared at. "What?"

"Nothing," Jaron lied. What else could he say?

He looked up at the sky, pretending to watch as the finale started and a magical display of fireworks painted shapes in the air, forming ice blue and fire red dragons, dancing with each other the way Jaron wanted to dance with Keegan.

He risked another glance at the vampire and his heart beat faster.

Could he have found his mate?