“So the two of you are dating,” Seb said. “That is so romantic.”
“It really is,” Ari added.
“I’m glad you all think so. Because I need your help,” Atlas told them.
Seb looked down at the laptop in front of him. “I’ll try to find the demon line you come from but I don’t know how long it will take. And I’m not sure that will fix your flickers.”
Atlas shook his head. “I do want to know that. For no other reason than to ask the demon some questions. But I need your help with something else.”
“Is it a secret?” Asmos asked with excitement.
“A secret mission maybe?” Adam’s eyes shone.
“Woah!” Atlas held up his hands. Bel had been right to warn him. Asmos and Adam together was a little scary. There was notelling the trouble the two of them would drag Atlas into. Which was fine after Atlas got what he wanted.
“Don’t be boring like Seb and Ari,” Adam complained.
“Hey!” Seb threw a pen at Adam.
“I might be boring but my mate likes me just the way I am,” Ari said with a dignified sniff.
“Because you are absolutely adorable,” Adam said as he leaned forward to kiss the tip of Ari’s nose.
“Stop.” Ari wiggled around.
“You are kind of adorable,” Atlas said.
“See!” Asmos pointed a finger at Ari. “I told you!”
“Back to Atlas,” Ari told them. “Focus on him.”
How were these demons just so…much like humans? The group reminded Atlas of the friends he’d had in high school. Before they’d all gone off to college or to start their lives. He rubbed his chest as warmth filled him. Atlas had been so alone and now he had friends again. More than that he had someone who was interested in spending the rest of his life with Atlas, a new home, a job. Just so much more than he’d ever thought possible.
“He’s getting overwhelmed,” Seb said quietly.
“Here, sit.” Asmos pulled out a chair, forcing Atlas down.
“I’m okay,” Atlas promised. “I just never thought that I would have this again. Friends. A future. I was going to learn how to take out the monsters inside the flickers.” He swallowed hard. Atlas hadn’t meant to make that confession just yet.
“No one could blame you for that,” Seb said. “They killed your family.”
“Yeah but—” Atlas wasn’t a bad person. He really wasn’t. The thirst for vengeance had been the only thing that had gotten him through the last couple of years.
“They’ll be found,” Asmos told him. “I was with Mamm when he put Tristan and Jason on the task of tracking down what happened.”
“Oh!” Adam perked up. “That’s perfect. They’ll do a good job.”
“More of the pack?” Atlas really was hearing all about this paranormal family that seemed to do everything.
Adam giggled. “We’re more of a family. No one calls us a pack except for the demons.”
“That’s what you are though,” Ari said. “An Alpha dragon with the sweetest alpha mate. A mixed pack of paranormals that welcomes everyone.”
“Not everyone,” Adam said but then laughed. “Not yet anyway.”
“Between the pack and your minions, I feel like there’s some kind of connection between everyone I meet,” Atlas pointed out.
“You’re just very lucky,” Adam teased.
