Jane tutted.“Stop acting like a cartoon villain, Hattie.”
“Meemaw, you are wrecking my fun.”Hatcher grinned.“And no one calls me Hattie but you and Poppop.Just like no one calls Ax Acina.”
The hug continued, but Ax made it slightly tighter.Hatcher laughed.
Jane walked over and hugged them both, taking on her full elf appearance.“Come on, Hatcher.Calm down.”
Hatcher breathed slowly.“I am calm.I promise.”
They leaned back, and Hatcher was back to looking stunning and calm.
Ax said softly, “You good?”
Hatcher nodded.“Yup.I had to be here for this.I just have to get going soon.”
Ax whispered, “Why?”
“There will be a call, and if I am here, I will be asked to go, and I don’t wanna.”
Ax caught on.“Oh, so tonight is your night.”
“Yup.And I don’t want it, so I am going to say goodnight.You can use my account to get everyone home.”
“I can use my car.”
“Oh, right.”Hatcher smiled, and she lifted her voice.“I am so happy everyone can get together here.Meemaw, Poppop, Ax says she will make sure you get home.Your Highnesses, toodles; Your Majesties, lovely meeting you.Gottagobye.”
She waved and headed for the exit.She thudded into a large alpha and said, “Out of my way, scales.”
He grabbed her arms and said, “They want you to remain.”
She felt the strength of his grip and then looked him in the face, and Ax called out, “Let her go.Seriously.”
He snorted.“Cute omega.”
Asel said, “Themak, let her go.Something is happening.”
Gold fire burst out of Hatcher, and Ax ran for her, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
The alpha watched his hands smoke, and then he let her go.Ax chased her sister as a phone began ringing with Wizard’s ringtone.
Ax wrapped her arms around Hatcher from behind.“Easy, Hatcher.Calm down.Pull the fire in.”
Hatcher looked at her and said, “Can you tell him I am sorry?I didn’t mean to burn him.”
“You told him to let go.He didn’t.You scorched his hands.Now he has learned that his fire isn’t the be-all and end-all.”
There were footfalls behind them, and Wizard came in.“I can heal him, but the fire is still burning.”
Hatcher inhaled, and the flames around her went out.“I pulled it back.”
Wizard nodded.“I got a call from my boss.He’s at Ford’s, and they would like to know if we could do the recording in his studio.We had some kind of reverb in ours.”
Hatcher slumped.Ax held her.“Um, I think so.Yes.Hatcher, you can sit somewhere and remain on fire if you need to burn it off.”
“Okay.”
“That was the call?”
