Entering the castle felt like stepping into another world. I was no lithe little omega, but the arched ceilings, at least ten feet high, made me feel small. Was this castle built with the dragon brothers in mind so they could take either form they pleased?
Yet for a castle housing six other dragons, it was surprisingly empty.
“Where is everybody?” I asked as Crimson led me up a flight of stairs.
“What am I, a babysitter?” Crimson teased. “Jade is locked up in his library, no doubt. I suspect the twins, Aurum and Saffron, are sneaking around production to get a glimpse of the action. Thystle is probably moping in his room listening to My Chemical Romance, while Cobalt is undoubtedly doing serious adult dragon things that none of us are privy to or care about.”
From his list, I only counted six, including Crimson.
“What about the seventh brother?” I asked.
A silent beat passed before he answered. “Best not to guess with Viol. He’s a wild card.”
The way he said it made me think he didn’t want to discuss that particular brother further, so I let it slide.
After many long hallways, we reached a pristine red door. Crimson opened it and gestured for me to enter.
What I expected was—well, a bedroom. What I got was a massive, sprawling space the size of a penthouse suite. Calling it a ‘room’ was like calling a mansion a house.
That wasn’t all, though. As I took in the scale of his room, Crimson wandered over to another door and beckoned me closer. This one had a different aura. The deep cherry wood was hand-carved with intricate designs, secured with a numbered digital padlock.
“What’s that for?” I asked.
“So my snooping brothers and house staff don’t enter.”
“Is this the part where I get concerned about dead bodies?”
“No, because I’d let my brothers see those,” he joked. Maybe.
Crimson punched in the key code with quick, practised movements, but he didn’t open the door right away. He paused at the threshold, smoothing back his hair and taking a deep breath.
“You okay?” I asked.
Crimson bounced on the balls of his feet. “Yes.”
“...Are you sure?”
He shot me a playful glare. “Listen, it’s a big deal to show off your hoard to your mate for the first time.”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t realized his hoard lay behind this door. I had to admit, the concept of dragon hoards hadn’t meant much to me until I met Crimson. His passion for his collection of suits went beyond a normal person’s interest. It was kind of like what quilting meant to me.
I put my hand reassuringly on his arm. “I know how important it is to you.”
The tension eased from Crimson’s face. “Hah. How embarrassing of me. Of course my mate would understand.”
I smiled, then leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek for good measure. He replied with a loving growl, a less-than-chaste kiss in return, and a possessive grab of my ass. Being so close to his hoard must’ve awakened his dragon instincts, making him wilder than usual, which was fine by me.
With a deep breath, Crimson opened the door.
Much like the castle, the sight of Crimson’s meticulously kept and displayed hoard instilled a sense of awe in me. Rows of suits lined the deep, wide walk-in closet, which was nearly the size of a room itself. Pot lights and rows of stealthily placed LED strips shone down from above, casting the suits in an ethereal glow, while the black closet walls created a cozy atmosphere. There wasn’t a single speck of dust on any of the fabric. It was clear Crimson’s hoard was handled with painstaking, meticulous care.
When I glanced at him, he almost looked embarrassed.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“You’re not going to laugh?” He sounded like he half-expected me to.
I raised a brow, crossing my arms. “Crimson, my main hobby is quilting. You know, the thing usually associated with little old ladies with nothing better to do. Which is ridiculous, since it’s dismissive of the whole art form, but whatever...” I gestured to the suits. “So as a fellow connoisseur of fabric—andyour mate, might I remind you—why the hell would you think I’d shame you for this?”
