"You're right. All my big feelings bullshit has to wait until this job is done." Lachlan looked at his coffee. "Fuck, I really should have made this a double."
29
Apollo's whole center realigned with the first spark of a Bunsen burner. He was glad the suite had such a large bathroom with a marble countertop and two sinks because he was slowly covering every inch of it.
This is what grounded him and what he had been missing. It was where he could brew, blend, crush, and mix, and all the messiness in his head would sort itself out. It was the closest thing he could ever get to meditation, and gods, did he need it.
As Apollo measured and concocted, he thought through all of his tangle of emotions and got them to realign. He might hate everything that had happened to him in the past week, but he also got Lachlan in his arms, and that counted for something. He had to make sure that his enemies would never be able to get to Lachlan.
Want pretty mate, the dragon grumbled.
"Shut up. I know, okay? " Apollo murmured.
"Know what?" Killian asked behind him, making him jump.
"Don't sneak up on me when I'm making explosives!" Apollo hissed, and Killian raised his hands in surrender.
"I put warding spells on the room, so if anything is going to blow up, it will be you," Valentine chimed in, coming around the other side of Killian.
Apollo rubbed at his nose. "Really helpful. Thanks, Val. What do you two want?"
"You're mating," Killian stated and folded his arms. "I need to know if you're going to grow into a big scaley killing machine in the middle of Paris or not."
Apollo put down the beaker he was holding so he didn't drop it. "I amnotmating. I mean, I would know, wouldn't I? There's got to be some kind of ritual or something to seal the deal?"
"I want to know this too," Valentine said, pushing the toilet lid down and sitting on top. "Lachie has been acting ultra-protective and weird ever since he rescued Apollo. He watches him all the time. Kill, it's creepy."
"It is not creepy," Apollo huffed. "He's just worried, and with good reason."
"He was a moon-eyed git before, but it's even worse now," Valentine added unhelpfully.
Killian's green eyes were shining with amusement. "Ah, young love."
"If you two have nothing helpful to say, go away and stop bothering me," Apollo said.
"You need to tell Lachie," Killian replied. "That's what is going to help the most."
"I doubt that."
Valentine looked thoughtful. "You know what would help? If you could turn into a dragon. Maybe work on that instead of fucking Lachlan whenever he's nearby."
"Doesn't work like that," Killian said with a shake of his head. "It's emotion, not intent. He can wish for wings as much as he wants, and nothing will happen. Something has to force the dragon to want to pull free."
Apollo glared at his brother. "If you want to be a dragon, why don't you work on it too? You have the same blood as me."
"Do you really think someone like me should also be able to turn into a dragon?" Valentine said. His tone was arrogant, but his eyes were worried. Apollo thought he had stopped worrying about going dark or crazy years ago, but clearly, he was back in that place again. Fuck. Just what they needed.
"I will talk to Lachlan after we go home. There is too much heightened emotion going on now to throw in a 'Hey, you're my fated mate, which means you're stuck with me forever whether you like it or not. Isn't that great?'" Apollo said with a thumbs up.
Killian deadpanned. "Wow, the romance in that delivery has made me weak at the knees."
"It would probably work on Lachie. Apollo could literally say anything, and he would think it was the best thing ever," Bron said, her arm going around Killian's waist. He put an arm around her shoulders and looked down on her with so much love and affection that Apollo felt it like a kick in the guts. He wanted that and hated that he did.
"The bond is already there, Apollo, whether you like it or not. You can practically see it when you're in the same room," Killian told him. "He deserves to know what's happening to him, and he's my brother. So you have until after this raid to tell him, or I will do it for you."
Apollo snarled low and threatening. Fangs dropped in his mouth, and claws shot out of his fingertips.
Killian only laughed. "I'm not scared of your claws, little dragon. Get it together before you embarrass yourself."
