“Only because you’re not responsible for calming them down,” I smirked.
“Sit down. Get some pizza,” Jade said, leaning his head back from his spot on the floor to see me. “It’s serve yourself. Use the paper plates, though. I don’t like getting the good dishes out with so many people over.”
For a second, I didn’t move. Then Jacand elbowed me. I knew I was acting awkward when a teenager pointed it out. Igrabbed a slice of pizza. I knew I was hungry or at least I should be, but being surrounded by people who were planning my future didn’t exactly fuel my appetite.
“We’re not planning your future. We’re planning your mating feast. There is a difference,”Mum said over the family link.“You’re allowed to socialize. Hell, toss him over your shoulder and run off, if you’re brave enough. He might beat your ass, but at least that would make sense.”
Jacand rolled his eyes when I returned to stand by him with my plate.
“Come on. Evie’s my sister. She’s not scary. Protective, but not scary,” he said and jerked his head toward the circle of lions on the floor. I blinked because I was pretty sure the lioness was Evie and was sitting with the older people. The people who were technically more my age.
“Evie’s not going to eat you,” he said when I didn’t follow him.
“I—” I started but Jacand spoke again before I could get the words out.
“She’s only watching you because you’re acting nervous. She doesn’t trust nervous people who are bigger than everyone else. She says that means they’re up to something. Sit down with everyone else,” Jacand said and crossed the kitchen to join the circle of lions around the kiddie pool. He leaned against Vius’s side, and he wrapped an arm around the teenager’s shoulder like the domestic cat was one of them.
“He’s more one of them than we are,”my dragon chimed into my thoughts.
I glanced at Evie. She was watching me. Maybe she was still pissed off about what happened at the pond. She flashed me a sympathetic smile and nodded toward the group of kiddie pool lions. I walked over and Claw scooted over so that I could sit next to Jade. I sank onto the floor and Jade leaned over just enough that his arm brushed against mine for a second.
Jondi was swimming laps around the kiddie pool, holding his little rock to his chest. Everyone was chatting about Pras’s ceremony but stopped when I sat down.
“Sorry,” Claw flashed me a look. “I know he was your granddad or something like that.”
“Something like that,” I nodded.
“You okay?” Jade asked.
I wanted to turn the question around on him but he smelled so relaxed that I didn’t want to bring up how stressed out he was earlier in the day. Instead, I nodded, and wrapped an arm around him to pull him closer. There were a few laughs, but Jade twisted around so that he could lean back against me, but still keep an eye on Jondi.
“He keeps killing his pools trying to crack stuff open with his rock,” Jade explained. “So we’re sort of taking bets to see how long it takes him to kill this one.”
“Must be hard for him living on land,” I said.
“Most water shifters do venture onto land,” Jade shrugged. “I’ve asked him if he ever wanted to go and live in the water full time. He said he wanted to stay here. For a while, I thought I’d have to move back to the lake. That would’ve been a pain in the neck commute for work but I would’ve made it work.”
I opened my mouth and shut it again. I almost offered to call some dragons I knew that would camp out on the roof of his playhouse until things calmed down. Hell, I’d camp out there if that’s what it took to never make him smell as stressed out as he had earlier.
“We can sneak off to my room, probably,” Jade said. “I mean just to talk and stuff. He’ll be distracted for a few minutes anyway.”
“If you want,” I said, not wanting to sound like a horny frat boy.
“Bring your pizza,” he said, pushing himself gracefully upright. He moved like liquid made flesh. Big cat shifters never ceased to surprise me with their fluidity.
The pizza was the last thing on my mind but I brought it with me anyway. Jade’s bedroom was bigger than I expected. It had several ‘branches’ sticking out from the walls that looked like they’d be good napping spots for a big cat. The sunlight from sliding glass doors poured over the bed making it into a soft, sunning rock. A bookshelf lined the wall in the shadowy side of the room along with rocks, crystals, and other little knickknacks that had been shoved in here and there. Photos of people were everywhere they could fit – his family, a wide variety of kids, and so many lions.
“I’ve fostered a lot of kids over the years,” Jade said, sinking onto the edge of the bed. “There’s always a kid who needs a place either to grow up or just for a couple of days. Jondi is mine, though. I adopted him because he settled in here. I haven’t taken anymore placements so far because Jondi needs a lot of attention.”
“Did you foster because you wanted kids or didn’t want your own kids?” I asked.
“My own kids?” he laughed, leaning back on an elbow. “Jondi is my kid. A lot of them have been my kids for long periods of their lives.”
“You know what I meant,” I sighed.
“Then ask what you mean, Beryl. Do I want to be pregnant?” he asked.
“I guess that is what I meant,” I nodded, trying not to imagine how sexy he’d be with a big pregnant belly protruding out from under his t-shirt.
