“Wyvern, are you injured? Do you need dragon’s breath?” Steele asked.
“Umm. Ew.” The warriors all assumed fighting stances again and turned toward the door on the side of the room. Wesley stood in the doorway.
“Whoa, guys. This is my friend Wes. Wes, welcome to DragonCon.”
STRONGER TOGETHER
Ciara’s love may have healed Jakob's injuries, but he was not back to one hundred percent. If he were, he would have picked up this Wesley character and tossed him out the window. Jealousy was a particularly strong attribute in green dragons. Right now, he didn't want any other man or dragon even looking in her direction, much less talking with and touching her.
“Jakob, stop with the growling. Wes is my friend. Nothing more.”
“Then why is he touching you?” Maybe he did have the strength to toss the pecker overboard. Every second Wes had his arm around Ciara, Jakob felt stronger and stronger.
Ciara frowned at him and narrowed her eyes into a glare.
“Because we have all been through a very big ordeal and need comforting.”
Jakob grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. “I will comfort you.”
“I mean, I'll take a hug from him.” Wes opened his arms and waved Jakob into them.
Jakob just stared at him.
“Okay, your loss. I'm an excellent hugger. Ask Ciara.”
Wesley was lucky Jakob was not a red dragon. Because he would be toast right now.
It was far too long before Jakob could have Ciara all to himself again. Wes had managed to get through to the emergency services and a whole squadron of police cars and fire trucks surrounded her building. Cage, the Great Convincer, somehow managed to make them all think that the blackened interior, the hole in the side of the building, and the stains all over the lawn were from a kitchen fire. In fact, he had the building superintendent apologizing all over himself for not noticing such shoddy work and the possibility of a dangerous situation.
Whatever. Jakob would pay what it took to either repair the building or buy it outright. It wasn't like Ciara needed to live here anymore. As soon as he could, he would be taking her back to the Czech Republic. He just hadn't told her that yet.
Later.
After a lot of hot makeup sex. He was really looking forward to makeup sex.
Steele never strayed far from Jakob’s side. He'd insisted on giving Jakob a good dose of dragon's breath in case he still had any lingering injuries. Even when Jakob had shooed him away to heal the other Wyverns and Dax's wounds, his second in command continued to check on him.
When the police and fire departments finally called it quits for the night, the sun was already rising. Wesley finally proved himself useful and got them rooms at a local hotel that Ciara said they booked often enough for weddings that he should tell them they owed her a favor.
When they arrived at the hotel and Steele tried to escort him and Ciara to their room, Jakob had had enough. He sent Ciara ahead and pulled Steele aside.
“What's going on with you? I'm pretty sure I don't need a babysitter in the bedroom tonight.”
Steele rolled his neck and leaned back against the hallway wall, propping one foot up against it. “Sorry, man. It's just no second has ever lost their Wyvern. I'm not even in my prime yet. I don't know how to lead a Wyr, I was pretty damn sure tonight that I was going to have to. You scared the shit out of me, dying like that.”
Jakob clapped Steele on the arm. “I was only dead for like a second. It's fine.”
He figured it must be something like that. They were both young to be leaders of the Green Dragons and there was a lot of pressure to be good at it. But it was pressure that Jakob needed to shoulder, not Steele. “You look like you could use a vacation. I'm putting you on a week's leave.”
“No, I'm fine.”
“I am your Wyvern, and you will do as you are commanded. Understood?”
Steele raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Understood.”
“You look like you could use a good lay. Make that happen on your leave.”
Steele laughed and saluted. “Yes, sir.”