Chapter One
VALENTINO
This wedding is nice and all, but I got an itch that needs scratching, and unless I’m willing to fuck a wolf like Arson is—spoiler, I’m not—then I need to find a polite out. Love might be in the air, but I’d rather have some dick in my bed.
Maybe it’s all the pheromones, or the fact that I’ve been too distracted to get laid lately, but my dragon is restless as hell. I can feel my skin prickling with scales that want to form, and my beast is tugging at my chest like a dog at the end of a leash.
I’m about to ditch the suit jacket when the scent of family tickles my nose. I don’t think, I just act, my brothers and I all running in the same direction at once, acting on pure instinct.
At the edge of the woods, a smaller figure comes into view, and the adrenaline pumping through me simmers into joy.
“Macguire?” Arson says. “What are you doing here?”
My brow furrows when I see the condition my younger brother is in. His dark hair is disheveled, his clothes are torn, and his face is smudged with dirt. His scent is tinged with fear.My dragon snarls and snaps, ready for a fight with whoever did this to our own flesh and blood. I’ll roast them. A puff of smoke billows from Nico’s nose, echoing my sentiments to a tee.
“Who is this?” Heller, the alpha of the wolf pack, aka our newest species-in-law, asks.
“One of our younger brothers,” Nico says, his face creased with concern as he hovers over Mac.
“How did you find us, Mac?” I ask.
“I can’t believe I found you guys here,” Macguire says. “The scent was strong. I followed it from the compound.”
Maybe this is what had me so restless tonight without realizing it. My dragon must have known Mac was close, even if I didn’t register it consciously.
Lord brushes my brother’s wild curls from his face. “What’s happening? Why are you here?”
Our younger brother looks up, his eyes filled with tears. “I’m in trouble, Lord. I need my brothers.”
The protective streak that lives inside me rears up wildly again. I can feel my dragon gnashing its teeth, ready for a fight. “What kind of trouble?” I ask, my voice a deeper rumble with my dragon so close to the surface.
Mac turns to me, blinking his big brown eyes. “Someone is after me. A demon.” He licks his lips nervously. “He’s real mad, too.”
“A demon? How did that happen?” Dozens of scenarios run through my mind about how he might have ended up on the wrong side of one of those amoral, mischievous fuckwads.
Mac shrugs. “I’m not really sure. I must have done something to offend him.” His eyes dart between me and the other brothers. He’s clearly not telling us the whole story, but whatever. It doesn’t matter what he did. We’re going to protect him regardless. “Now, he’s trailing me. I see him everywhere I go, taunting me, threatening me. I’m in over my head, Tino.”
Lord’s eyes are on me, and I already know the unspoken request. Not like I need to be asked—protecting the fam is a given. I might not be the most homebound dragon, but I don’t turn my back when my brothers need me.
“Well, it’s your lucky day, little bro.” I clap his shoulder. “I happen to be free, and I don’t have a lot of love for demons. We’ll find your troublemaker and make a shish kebab out of him.” The taste of fire blooms on my tongue, signaling my dragon’s agreement with barbequing the demon when we find him.
Mac shudders, but he nods before looking around for the first time now that he’s relaxing and no longer running for his life. “What is this? A party in the woods?”
“A wedding,” Arson says, gripping his mate’s hand.
Mac sputters. “You got married?” He sniffs the air. “To a wolf?” He wrinkles his nose.
“Yep. And don’t be cheeky.” Arson’s eyes narrow into lavender slits, a warning from his dragon not to insult his mate. Hisfatedmate. Ugh. “We’re family now.”
Mac shakes his head, dragging a hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t be rude. I’m just a little surprised.”
“There’s been a lot happening around here lately,” Lord says in his deep, authoritative voice. “Why don’t we let the lovers get on with their…celebrations? We’ll go back to the compound.”
I pull Mac closer to me as we bid goodnight to the wolves, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. “Besides your demon troubles, how you been?”
His face lights up. “Good. Mom and Dad have been giving me a little more freedom after the Cornwall incident.”
I snort a laugh. “Oh yeah. Those witches you met during the summer solstice. What was it you snatched?”
