“Thanks, York. Your help here is greatly appreciated. Anything else you wanna say to put me in the doghouse?”
“’Tis the season to be furry,” York suggested.
“Heh. Furry. I don’t think that means what you think it means,” Joe said. “Uriel, you know what that means, right?”
“What’s a furry?” Leif asked.
“Absolutely not. We’re not having this discussion.”
“Good,” Edgar said. “Because I’m starving.”
He went into the kitchen, then burst out laughing.
“Oh no,” Joe said.
He winced as Edgar entered the room withGroping the Grinchin his hand. Uriel didn’t get a chance to bellow at his cousin.
Joe kissed him instead.
7
URIEL
Uriel shut the door behind his cousins and locked it. Then he used the deadbolt, which he never did. No one else was coming in his house tonight.
Well, someone would be coming in his house. Uriel narrowed his gaze on Joe.
Joe shivered.
Goddess, how had he not realized sooner? He’d always known Joe was special, but this…Uriel had never expected Joe to be his mate.
Mate.
Even though Uriel had witnessed the sprites get their mates the previous December, and York finding his mate, Gabriel, over the course of the past weekend, finding his own hadn’t seemed likely.
Uriel couldn’t believe Joe had been beside him for so many months. His magic hadn’t given him any clues at all. Or had it? Their friendship had changed him, and now Uriel would have his best friend beside him for the rest of his life. The goddess worked in mysterious ways and in her own time.
But she had sent Joe to him, and now Uriel wanted nothing more than—
“Okay, I’m not imagining it. Your eyes are sparkling, and I don’t mean in the Santa twinkle kind of way. I thought it was a trick of the light, but it’s not, is it?”
“Nope.” Uriel stalked closer.
Joe licked his lips. “That’s all I get? Nope.”
“Nope. I’ve got something else to give you.”
Joe glanced down, then back up. “Wow, you sure do. And totally sparkling again. Still? Sorry, I got distracted by…um, things. And stuff. Oh, speaking of stuff, are you a dragon? I read a book with this dragon…wait, I’m pretty sure there were meggs involved. I don’t want dragon babies, Uriel.”
“I’m not a dragon.”
“Oh yeah? You hoard books, you’re very cranky, and you’re…scaly? No. Wait.”
Uriel stopped in front of Joe, then slid his hands around Joe’s waist. “I’m waiting.”
“Oh. Um. You didn’t even ask what meggs were. Proof. Wait, why are you waiting? Don’t wait. Wait. I’m confused. You promise you aren’t a dragon?”
“Promise.”
