Page 8 of Surprise Me

What about the party, boss?

Right.He considered that for a minute. Having the party here would send a signal to whoever had planted the demon wyrms at his front door that he took care of his business, regardless if that message was to a friend or foe. He could not risk his mate or his Warriors like that. If even a single demon wyrm escaped into the shadow all of hell would know where he intended to live and store his treasures.

He even wondered if he should abandon the castle all together now. Dammit.We're still going to have the party, I'm just not sure where. We can't put any mates in danger. I'll send in someone to help you figure it all out while I deal with the castle disaster.

This new threat making the castle useless for the party plus the spending spree at Poof the Party Store meant they had a boatload of party and no plans. Neither the gasthaus or the apartment he and Yvaine shared was a good enough place to have it. Fuck. There went all his good intentions.

He had one more he could call in to help him save this party for Yvaine. Someone who came with her own Dragon Warrior entourage and would be safe from any plots from Hell. Time to call in the big guns.

Jett sent his Warriors down to make sure all the demon wyrms were gone and start the clean-up. Then he shifted and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts and dialed the phone. "Ciara?"

A high-pitched squeal followed by a rapid fire of questions came through the phone. Jett held it further away from his head until Ciara quieted down. Then he answered her questions in order. "No, no, still no, yes, I'm not telling you that, she's happy with it, and I need your help. I want to throw a birthday party for Yvaine."

"Oh," Ciara said, and then was actually quiet for a moment. "That's interesting... Yvaine said... never mind. I can help you. When's her birthday?"

"I don't have a date and I don't have a venue. The place I had, well, let's say I've got a bit of a mess to clean up first. I wanted to have it this weekend. Is that doable?" If neither of them knew their actual birth dates, it didn't really matter when they had the party, but with this new mystery, he wanted to have the party sooner rather than later and as far away from the Rhineland as possible. Besides, for some reason, this weekend, this time of year somehow felt right for celebrating his soulmate.

"I'll do it, this weekend works dandy." Ciara giggled and started in with another battery of questions for him.

Jett didn't have to say another word after that, only a few grunts indicating his agreement to Ciara's plans. She was a pro when it came to planning events and also what made mates happy. He'd had more than a little crush on her before he'd met Yvaine and she was really the only human on the planet he trusted at all.

He should have just called her in the first place. Except now he owed her a favor. Hmm. That would need to be reconciled as soon as possible.

"I've got one more favor to ask, and I'm reminding you of the last time I was at your house and you said you owed me." She really didn't owe him anything, but she'd jokingly said she did when he and Yvaine inadvertently got Ciara and Jakob all riled up and randy for each other.

"Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good. Does this involve using our villa for your sexy times again?" Ciara sounded a little too hopeful on that question.

"No. I wonder if you might be able to put some of my Warriors to work. I'm afraid they've been watching a little too much TV and gotten the wrong idea about human culture." Life was not all parties and glitter with battles against evil thrown in just for funsies.

"You want me to teach them how to be human?" It already sounded like she wasn't going to agree.

Jett rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I want you to teach them how to not act like spoiled sixteen-year-old girls at this birthday party."

Ciara laughed so hard she snorted. "I'm going to need reinforcements for that. I know just the over-bearing mother to knock some sense into them. If I can get her to come back from her extended second honeymoon."

"Thank you. I'll send them to you tomorrow." He didn't wait for Ciara to actually agree or for Jakob, who he knew was probably listening in to tell him he couldn't send his Warriors to the Green Wyr's Villa outside Prague. So, he hung up. Shoot. He should have told her this was a secret from Yvaine.

She was smart, she'd figure it out. Probably already had. There was something special about all Wyvern's mates that way. It was like they could read Dragon Warrior's minds.

Jett surveyed the castle grounds and his Warriors doing their best to clean up. He would join them in a minute. As soon as he quit feeling like he'd fucking failed Yvaine as her mate. He didn't have a place for her to live and couldn't even figure out how to throw her a simple birthday party. There was still a tiny part of him that he didn't want to admit to that while he knew they had given their souls to each other, he still didn't have a soul shard to give to her that symbolized his love for her like all the other mates had.

For the first time since they'd been mated, Jett dreaded going home to her. He still would though. He couldn't help it. He would be forever drawn to her, her light, and her love.

Just thinking about her made him miss her. He jumped down off the tower, shifting only his wings to help him land easily and joined the clean-up crew. He might not be able to bring her to their new home tonight. But he would not let the damn Black Dragon play games with his life. Eventually he would defeat the asshole and when he did, this castle would be waiting for them.

After a long night, Jett stepped into the shadow and emerged in their bedroom. It wasn't yet light out and he hoped to find Yvaine asleep in bed. He would really like to wake her up with an orgasm. She wasn't there though.

A sliver of light shined out from under the bathroom door and he smelled the fruity sensuality of her bare skin mixed with the floral scent of her favorite bubble bath.

This life he was trying to build wasn't good enough for her. She was beauty and innocence and everything good in the world. He was covered in demon wyrm guts and the blackness of his own mood.

"What is she doing with a douchepotato like me?" he whispered under his breath. He didn't expect a reply.

Party Favors

"I've asked myself the same question a hundred thousand times or so over the millennia." The First Dragon stepped out of the shadow in the corner of the room. He looked around and flopped down on the bed with one arm behind his head and crossed his feet. "I felt your presence in the shadow, kid. I rarely get involved much anymore, but you are my first born, and we never got a whole lot of time together, so I thought I'd pop in and give you some fatherly advice."

Eye roll.

---