Page 9 of Surprise Me

Jett wanted to hate the First Dragon for abandoning him in hell, for letting him grow up think the soulless Black Dragon had been his father, but honestly, he could use some of that fatherly advice. He didn't have that brother bond relationship with the other Wyverns that he could go to them with his woes. They accepted him and his Wyr, reluctantly, but that was about it.

"I thought I got the ability to travel through the shadow from my mother." A demon from hell who the First Dragon had used for his own pleasure.

"You do get it from her. Where do you think I learned to use the shadow? That's not exactly Inanna's favorite place to hang out, you know." The First Dragon found Yvaine's bowl of candies on the nightstand and snagged a handful. "She likes you, you know?"

The White Witch? Yeah. No. "I don't know about that."

"I do." The First Dragon grinned and tossed a candy into the air, catching it on the tip of his tongue. "She wouldn't have worked so hard to find your mate for you if she didn't. She started working on Yvaine long before this whole war with Hell thing went all bananas. With the mates for the rest of our children, she just knows, but she had to search for your girl. She kept saying no one was good enough for you."

Jett shook his head. Not that he was ever letting his precious mate go, but he full-well knew she was completely out of his league. "Good enough for me? I think you've got that backwards, old man."

"Nope. Inanna said over and over she couldn't find the one for you. She went through naiads and dryads and witches galore, she even tested out a really hot phoenix, that I personally was rooting for. None of them were good enough." His father snacked on the candy like he wasn't telling a story that changed Jett's life.

He didn't want to ask, he didn't want anything from the White Witch or the First Dragon. He couldn't help it though. "But why? I'm not even hers. I don't really belong to anyone. Except Yvaine."

The First Dragon chuckled. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure your mate would poop glitter all over your head if she thought you didn't belong to her in a deep and meaningful way. You don't want that. I speak from experience."

The First Dragon and the White Witch were sickeningly sweet and devastatingly in love with each other as far as Jett could tell. He sort of assumed they were always a solid team. Except then there was him. A bastard child. Somewhere along the way, their life wasn't perfect. "What kind of experience?"

"A story for another day, lad." He popped another candy into his mouth, sucked on it for a second, made a sour face and spit it out. "Black licorice. Blech. Just know that everyone else around you thinks you're the bomb, so maybe it's time you started thinking you were too."

"Who the fuck cares what anyone else thinks of me?" Except Yvaine. She was the only one whose opinion of him mattered.

"That's my boy." His father rolled up off the bed and slapped Jett on the shoulder. "Now go give 'em hell. Oh, wait. Don't actually give Hell to anyone, that's your inheritance. Forget I said that. How about, umm, I got it. Give her orgasms. Mates like that."

If ever Jett wanted to roll his eyes and groan it was right now. "Thanks."

"Oops. Gotta go. Remember what I said. You're gonna do great, kid." With that last bit of advice, the First Dragon disappeared and left only a sprinkling of rainbow-colored scales in his wake.

"Jett? Is that you? Come join me and I'll give you an early birthday present." Yvaine's voice floated through the room. "And by present, I mean to do naughty things to you I can't say out loud no matter how hard I try."

Yvaine loved him and he would never question that again. Her opinion was the only one that mattered and tomorrow he would strive again to be the proud Wyvern and the great mate she deserved. Even if that meant finding another god-damned castle for them to live in and throwing her a pink sparkly birthday party every day for the rest of their lives. He would do it for her and he'd do a good fucking job of it too.

He followed his father's advice and he followed it well. Yvaine invented several new words to describe their fuckery fun that morning in the bathtub including flub-dubbery, fluffinstuff, and free-pie-day. That last one was destined to become a long-time favorite of his.

Later he checked in on the birthday team and Ciara. Well, Ciara called Yvaine's cell phone and he answered.

"Ciara. Tell me Yvaine's party is good to go and my Warriors haven't driven you insane." He half expected her to yell at him for sticking her with his party obsessed crew.

"We're all good, except for having a venue. Your boys said something about a castle? Sounds super-sweet-a-riffic for this kind of party to me. Especially if I can get in there a day early to decorate. She's going to lurve the stuff you picked out for the party. I couldn't have done better than if I went to Poof the Party Store myself."

"I'm not sure the castle is safe." But it was good to know he had the pro party planner's approval of the decorations and the theme for the party.

"I have no doubt you can make it safe. Now, put Yvaine on the phone, I have some things to discuss with her too." Ciara always was a demanding woman. Thank goodness she wanted to be friends with Yvaine.

Huh. Did he just get steamrolled by Ciara into keeping that castle? Yes. Yes, he did. Fine. She was right, he couldn't let the forces of Hell dictate where he lived. Either he and his warriors made their home safe or they didn't. He knew more about how demon wyrms, the Black Witch, and the Black Dragon operated than anyone else. If he couldn't secure his home from them, no one could.

"You're sure she'll like it? Maybe a more formal affair with tuxedos and dresses would be better for an event at a castle. Or suits of armor and ballgowns?"

"Jett." Ciara eye-rolled so hard he could hear it in her voice. "I'm sure because she'll love that this is what you wanted to do for her. That matters more than any decorations or party favors. Now, shoo. Yours is not the only party I'm planning at the moment."

Okay then. "Just a second, let me find Yvaine."

She was in the kitchen making a cake. "Ack. You're not supposed to see this. Go away."

Jett handed her the phone, gave her a little kiss on the cheek, and swiped his finger through the dark frosting. Mmm, chocolate. "I didn't see a thing. I've got to check on our new house, but don't make any plans for tomorrow, okay?"

"Crudmuffins. I already... never mind. Okay." She smiled at him so brightly, he needed sunglasses. "See you later, you shmexy beast."

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