Everard started by calling the various clan counsels to see if they were, indeed, missing in action or fully accounted for. There was nothing wrong at either the Ruby or Sapphire consulates, but there was something going on with the Opals, even if their counsel had not, in fact, vanished. Erik Jormun had been both cagey and evasive when Everard had nonchalantly asked him how the Opal dragon elected to take part in the experiment and his assigned omega were getting along, and then there had been a crash in the distance, and several voices, and then a honk.
It warranted a closer look, Everard concluded after Erik hung up in a hurry.
A personal visit was in order.
“We want to go, too,” Harry announced. Their whelp, Darwin, who was decidedly not pink no matter what Sebastian said, perched on one of his mate’s shoulders, and Steve, their iguana, was on the other. Both wore tiny t-shirts. Steve’s said, “Thing 1,” and Darwin’s said, “Thing 2.”
Darwin puffed a bit of smoke and thought,yes, Daddy, please. Steve tasted the air with his tongue.
Everard sighed. “Alright. Family outing it is. God help me.”
It wasn’t the evening he’d envisioned, but it would have to do.
* * *
Everard had been right—something was definitely amiss at the Opal consulate. The Opal counsel did not want him to enter his home, so naturally Everard ignored him and barged right past. Harry, Darwin, and Steve followed in his wake.
Once inside the consulate, Everard sniffed the air. Geoffrey was here, as were at least two other strange dragons besides the Opal counsel. There were also several omegas and, if he wasn’t mistaken, other whelps beyond his son.
What the devil was going on? Maybe Grimbold was right and Everardwasnosy, because he now itched to discover why his brother was hiding out in this very strange lair with an even stranger assortment of dragons and people.
Was it an opiate den? It was probably an opiate den.
Whatever it was, Everard was under the impression from scent alone that the place was uncouth. He should have left Chuck with dear old Grandpa Grimmie.
“You have no right to violate this territory,” the Opal counsel yapped at him. “It’s within my purview to have you expelled. Are you trying to start a diplomatic incident?”
“My brother is here,” Everard purred at him, “and diplomatic incidents will be the least of your problems if I don’t see for myself at once that he’s not being held here against his will. Am I being clear?”
Behind him, Harry squeaked. Everard’s head swiveled around, and he saw a very beautiful young man with pale skin and fair hair wearing a pair of low-slung pajama bottoms printed with unicorns and a very tight cropped t-shirt that proclaimed, “Daddy’s Boy.” He had two small, white dragons in his arms, and when the sunlight hit their scales, they shone with iridescence, just like Darwin’s did.
“Hello,” the youth said, his accent very Russian. “I’m Vadim and the boys here are Dmitry and Nikita.” He set them on the ground and they rushed over to Harry, who bent to pet their heads while Darwin chirruped. “Who are you and why have you invaded our home with your omega, a whelp, and a lizard? Not that I mind. The boys are very intrigued and would like to know if your son can play with them. I’ve told them they must wait until we’ve determined if you are safe, or if we must have you killed.” He smiled winsomely.
It was, perhaps, rude, but no ruder than Everard pushing his way into the Opal consulate, he supposed.
“We’ve come for my brother,” Everard declared. “Can you please have him fetched? Once I’ve determined that he’s not here against his will and has a reasonable explanation for being absent for four days, we’ll be on our way.”
Erik and Vadim looked at each other, and the glance they exchanged was charged and full of all sorts of unspoken words. It was like they were mated, except Erik, as far as Everard knew, had no mate, nor any young. Something havy-cavy was going on, that much was certain.
At that moment, a lovely woman with long, white-blonde hair and a young man with fiery curls walked into the foyer. Everard frowned. The male omega was one of the Disgraces that were part of his carrot cake’s experiment. This one had been from France and had been intended for Ian Brand, the very Topaz dragon who was now missing.
Everard felt a bit like he was trying to put a puzzle together, only several pieces were missing, one had been chewed on, and no one knew where the picture on the box had gotten to.
The ginger omega froze when he saw Everard and Harry. The woman patted his arm and smiled. “Hello. I see we have visitors. Erik, will you be a dear and introduce our guests?”
Erik’s scowl melted under the woman’s sweet yet firm gaze. “Ingrid, this is Everard Drake and his mate, Harrison Lessardi.”
“Harrison Drake,” Everard corrected.
Harry looked up. “Lessardi-Drake,” he said, “but please call me Harry.” He squinted, pulled off his glasses, cleaned them, then stuck them back on his nose and squinted harder. “I didn’t know it was possible to have more than one mate,” he added, looking puzzled.
Everard looked hard at Harry in alarm. “Crumpet, whatever are you on about? Dragons don’t have multiple mates.”
Harry looked a bit uncertain. “If you say so, but—”
“What is this?” a voice boomed. “Erik, my dove, why is everyone congregated out here? Even I know how to be a better host, and I was literally hatched in a barn. Who’s come to pay us a visit?”
The dragon that entered was tall and powerful, with long, silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His blue eyes twinkled merrily. He looked very much like the embodiment of the human world’s idea of Father Christmas, if said jolly man had workshops full of naughty toys and an army of elves that conducted nightly orgies.
