I was tempted to toss my alarm clock at the door as a clear sign to fuck off. But then I had the deranged idea that it was Poppy on the other side instead of my annoying brothers. That thought alone deterred me from throwing objects. I hauled my ass out of bed and dragged myself to the door.
“Who is it?” I asked hoarsely.
“Jade.”
My eye twitched. I threw the door open.
“Oh, good,” I growled. “You made it easier for me to wring your neck.”
Jade didn’t react. Strangely, he didn’t look amused at my threat like he normally did. He almost seemed subdued, which was weird. It put me on edge.
“Good morning,” Jade said. “How do you feel?”
“Like shit. Any other stupid questions?”
Examining my face, he stated, “You didn’t sleep well.”
I must’ve had dark circles around my eyes. I probably looked like Thystle with his ridiculous emo make-up. I rubbed my face self-consciously, then scowled at Jade.
“Did you come here just to piss me off?” I asked.
“Poppy’s downstairs.”
My mouth fell open. What the hell did he just say? I smacked my ear, suddenly suspicious I’d slept on it wrong and screwed up my hearing.
“What?” I demanded.
But Jade had already disengaged. He turned on his heel to leave. In a tone that left no room for argument, he asked, “You’ll join us for breakfast, won’t you?”
Asshole. Of course he’d drop a bomb on me and then walk away like nothing happened.
I took longer than necessary to wash up in the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to shock my senses into reality. When I met my reflection in the mirror, the dark circles were prominent. I clicked my tongue in frustration. I didn’t want to show anybody all this shit was getting to me. Or worse, invite questions about what was wrong. Those asinine questions always infuriated me—where the fuck should I start?
The longer I stared at myself, the worse I felt. I looked tired and weary. I wasn’t the fresh-faced young dragon who wanted to explore the world anymore. Now I was older and pissed-off. The thought of facing anything new or different made me balk. I just wanted the comfort and safety of what I knew, even if that meant shrinking behind my spiked shell.
I wrenched my gaze away from my reflection. That man looked pathetic. I didn’t want to look at him anymore.
I threw on a black long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark jeans, then slipped into my black leather jacket. The weight of it was reassuring, although in the grand scheme of things, it did little to calm my nerves. I wouldn’t be able to relax until this forced breakfast gathering was over. Maybe not even then.
Dreading every step, I trudged downstairs to the kitchen. The space between my ribs was a tar pit. My heart felt like sludge. But I couldn’t avoid seeing Poppy. If I ran back to my room with my tail tucked between my legs, Jade or one of the others would drag me downstairs, and I couldn’t bear that humiliation. Better to bite the bullet and get it over with.
When I entered the kitchen, I found it sparsely populated. Jade poured himself a coffee, while Crimson rifled through the cupboard for a mixing bowl. Their mates, Alaric and Taylor, sat at the breakfast bar.
And sitting between them was the back of a familiar white-haired head.
I stopped, my breath catching in my throat. Poppy was in my kitchen. In my house. He was sitting ten feet away from me, perched on a bar stool, looking completely natural.
My heart did a somersault that barely stuck the landing.
“So, you made it,” Jade greeted.
I glanced at my brother, still perturbed, but kept my mouth shut. My voice would alert Poppy to my presence, and I wanted to delay that for as long as possible.
Instead, I gave Jade a stiff nod and shouldered past him to grab a coffee mug of my own. At least it’d give me a distraction, something to do with my hands instead of standing there like a fucking dunderhead.
“Excuse you,” Crimson grumbled as I nearly barrelled over him. He put the mixing bowl on the counter while shooting me a dirty look.
I ignored him and shoved my mug below the coffee machine. A few more seconds of ignorant bliss was all I wanted. Just another delay between me and the inevitable.
