Sawyer looked over at Draco, who’d stiffened up again at Henry’s recitation. “What does that mean, you’re part of the circle?” Sawyer asked.
Draco looked over at him with a sad smile. “That means that I have a duty to protect the chosen one should he or she be revealed in my lifetime. And the portents have all shown that the time is near.”
Henry made a noise and slurped on his coke. “That’s a fancy way of saying that yours truly, whose job in the circle is officially listed as seer by the way, received a vision of his own. I saw that land,” Henry pointed up the hill toward the McMansion, “and that house. I knew the plans, knew what we were supposed to build. And the next day, Shaggy and Scooby up there showed up on my family’s doorstep because they’d like, smelled me or something ridiculous, and were called to my side. Honestly, it’s all a bunch of mystical hoo hoo if you ask me. My little brother laughed for two hours straight. My dad about had a coronary and called Uncle Meshaq and it was this big thing. Like I’m not twenty-one-years-old and perfectly capable of having a life outside of my pack.”
“Pack?” Sawyer asked.
“Oh right. It’s going to take me a bit to remember you know none of this so just, like, ask me if you don’t know what I’m talking about, okay? But yeah, pack of shifters. What you might call werewolves, but shifters don’t have to be wolves. They can be a ton of things. Like, I don’t know,dragons. Although dragons aren’t technically considered shifters, but still…” Henry looked at Draco and grinned.
“You can shift into a dragon?” Sawyer asked.
“I can,” Draco said.
“Show me. I wanna see!”
“Maybe later. The other guardians are almost here and they are not happy. I’d rather they not see me in my dragon form and think I’m trying to hurt him.”
Henry groaned and shoved another chip into his mouth as the front door to Sawyer’s house burst open. The vampire from earlier came charging into the room, sliding to a stop beside Henry. A moment later, the other man came in with a cell phone pressed to his ear. “No problem, Alpha Jerrick. I have eyes on him now. I will absolutely have him call you back. Thank you, sir.”
He ended the call and tucked the phone into his pants pocket with a wicked smile.
Henry’s mouth had fallen open and he was glaring at the guards angrily. “You called my dads!”
“If you want to sneak out like a teenager, I plan on treating you like one.” The two glared at each other.
“I don’t have to ask your permission to do anything. I am an adult and I have my magic to protect me,” Henry hissed.
Sawyer wanted to jump in and defend Henry, especially since he was often treated like an unruly teenager himself. His brothers usually forgot that he was in his twenties and able to take care of himself. He kept quiet though, sparing a quick look to Draco to see how he was handling the confrontation.
He was more than a little surprised when Draco intervened. He pushed to his feet and pulled both of the guards attention to him before lowering his head in a bow while placing his right fist over his heart. “I am Draco of the Volsunga clan, guardian of the chosen one.”
There was clearly some sort of protocol here that they all knew. The tall red head who’d tattled on Henry scowled for a moment before bowing back to Draco and introducing himself. “I am Eduard of Arimaspia clan.”
Draco grinned and held out his hand for a traditional handshake. “Arimaspia? So you really are the money man,” he said. “I wondered when I saw that fancy bus pull in.”
“I am,” Eduard said with a smile.
The other guard stepped forward next. “I am Andvari of the Passarowitz clan.”
Draco turned his attention to Henry next. Henry sighed and stood, wiping the chip crumbs on his pants. He bowed his head and then stuck out his hand for a shake. “Henry Jerrick, at your service. And can I just say that I hope the chosen one appreciates man candy because I swear to the goddess each one of you guys is hotter than the next.”
Sawyer couldn’t deny that Henry had a point. He caught Henry’s gaze and nodded his agreement.
Henry had barely managed a grin in return when his face suddenly blanked and his eyes rolled back. A white haze developed over them and he nearly fell but Andvari caught him and lowered him to the ground.
“Henry!” Sawyer jumped up and ran around the table to his new friend’s side. He hadn’t completely forgiven Henry for trying to wipe his memories earlier but the more he learned the more he understood why he’d tried.
“Dammit,” Eduard said. “We need to get him back inside the wards. Quickly.”
Andvari lifted Henry like he weighed nothing and started for the front door. Draco gave Sawyer an apologetic look before running after him.
“Fuck that,” Sawyer said. “Come on, Pearl!”
She jumped down from her position on the couch and followed Sawyer.
“You are joining us?” Eduard asked.
“Yes.”
