“Will be a problem,” Sawyer interjected, giving Glenn a slight shake of his head. “It’s an amazing gift, Fionn…thanks.”
Logan, deciding it was as good a time as any to bow out of the evening festivities, announced, “Hey, guys, we’re heading to bed. It’s been a long day and tomorrow Quin and Kieran have to find a dress for Theo and Norm’s wedding.” A chorus of ‘good-nights’ filled the air as he ushered his mate and Quin out of the bedroom.
After the door closed, Fionn said to his brother, “Trust me, you will need a place to put the rest of your hoard.”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “Why? I don’t have anything else in my hoard because our father set up a trust fund for me instead.”
Waving his hand dismissively, Fionn said, “Well, that’s just wrong. Every dragon needs a hoard…that’s where they get their power from.”
“I don’t know how to do a hoard,” said Alex , somewhat perplexed. “Like what should be in it? Only gold? Or other stuff? What if my dragon doesn’t like something I like? Do I still acquire it? And for that matter, where do I go to buy stuff? At Hoards-R-Us?”
Bursting out in laughter, Fionn asked, “Hoards-R-Us? Oh my gods…we should look to see if there is such a place.”
Giggling, Alex replied, “Well, if there isn’t one, there should be. It would make it so much easier to stock a hoard.”
Shaking his head, Fionn said, “Tomorrow, we can go to my hoard so you can see it…and then we can figure out how to put one together for your dragon.”
After Glenn saw Alex tried to hide his yawn, he pulled his mate against his side and said, “Hey, Fionn, thanks for the mating gift…but can we continue this discussion tomorrow? It’s been a long day for us, too.”
“Oh…of course,” Fionn said quickly, seeing the fatigue in Alex’s face. Giving his brother a quick hug, he whispered, “So glad you’re here…sleep tight.”
“I am too…see you tomorrow…love you.”
“Love you, too, brother,” Fionn said before grasping Hunter’s hand and heading for the door. Glancing back before they left, he saw Alex and his mates motionless, their eyes transfixed on the golden statue.
The silence in the room was finally broken when in a quiet voice, Alex asked, “You don’t like it, do you tiger mate?”
Shifting his focus first to Sawyer, who merely shrugged in response to his unspoken request for help, then to Alex, Glenn replied carefully, “It’s a gift your brother personally picked out for you and that makes it special.”
“But you don’t like it, do you?” Alex persisted.
Sighing quietly, Glenn put his arm around Alex’s waist, tugging his mate to his side. It didn’t matter if he liked it or not, the thing to remember was that the gift was important to his mate—and so it was to him, too. “It’s beginning to grow on me.”
Snorting, Sawyer moved to Alex’s other side, placing his arm on top of Glenn’s. “You mean like a fugus?”
“No…not like a fugus, asshole,” Glenn growled. “It’s just…”
“Like porn?” asked Sawyer. “I agree…just looking at it is giving me all kinds of ideas of what we should be doing right now.”
“It is fucking hot!” giggled Alex.
“Yeah…but…” Glenn paused.
“But…spit it out tiger mate!” Sawyer smirked. “Are you too old for porn?”
“Fuck off,” Glenn growled. “I don’t have a problem with that…as you’ll find out tonight.”
“Then what’s bothering you?” asked Alex.
Pointing to Apollo’s eyes, Glenn muttered, “I just don’t like an audience…see, he’s looking right at us.”
Leaning in, Sawyer studied the statue closely before focusing on its eyes. Chuckling, he said, “All I see is a statue made out of gold…no moving eyes. What the hell have you been smoking?”
Growling in frustration, Glenn said, “I’m not saying they are…it’s just…”
“It’s just like you feel they are, right tiger mate?” Alex asked.
Nodding, Glenn replied, “I can’t shake the feeling we’re being watched…and maybe even judged…and it’s putting my tiger on edge.”
